Coffee grinder

Abstract

The invention relates to a coffee grinder having a grinder mechanism and a housing, which acts as a holder for at least one bearing block by means of which at least one grinder element is mounted such that it can rotate relative to the housing, and which housing has a fill opening for coffee beans to be ground. The coffee grinder is characterized in that the housing is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

Description

[0001] coffee grinder

[0002] The invention relates to a coffee grinder with a grinder and with a housing which acts as a holder for at least one bearing block, by means of which at least one grinder element is rotatably mounted relative to the housing, and which has a filling opening for coffee beans to be ground.

[0003] Coffee grinders of the type mentioned above were often made of wood in the past. More modern models, especially hand-operated precision coffee grinders, usually have a housing made of aluminum or stainless steel. However, it has now been shown that the coffee flavor can be affected if the coffee beans and / or ground coffee come into contact with the material of the coffee grinder.

[0004] It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a coffee grinder which can be designed to be compact and at the same time in such a way that the rotatably mounted components remain precisely aligned during a grinding process and an influence on the coffee taste is avoided.

[0005] The problem is solved by a coffee grinder of the type mentioned above, which is characterized in that the housing is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

[0006] The coffee grinder according to the invention has the very special advantage that it enables precise and load-resistant mounting of the bearing components and, moreover, does not adversely affect the taste of the coffee.

[0007] According to the invention, as already mentioned, it was recognized that the taste of the coffee can be influenced if the coffee beans and / or the ground coffee powder come into contact with the material of the coffee grinder. This applies to coffee grinders made of conventional materials, in particular those made of aluminum, which is due to the oils and acids contained in the coffee, which react with the aluminum. It has been shown that coffee grinders made of stainless steel also adversely affect the taste of the coffee (although to a lesser extent than, for example, aluminum), since the oils and acids contained in the coffee also react with stainless steel. According to the invention, it was particularly recognized that this effect is particularly amplified by the fact that the coffee beans to be ground are in motion relative to the housing during the grinding process and therefore rub against the housing, causing damage to the passivation layer.

[0008] Based on this, one could try to reduce the surfaces that come into contact with the coffee beans and ground coffee being ground and / or to shield them with special coatings, for example made of ceramic. Unfortunately, this is not only very time-consuming, but inevitably leads to complex designs that are either bulky or prone to twisting and deformation, or both. These designs have the very particular disadvantage that they can either no longer be held and operated ergonomically or that they deform (even if only slightly) during the grinding process, so that the rotatably mounted components in particular are no longer held precisely in position relative to the other components. This inevitably leads to the relevant parts of the grinder not being held in their desired position relative to one another, which ultimately leads to an unsatisfactory grinding result.For example, during the grinding process, where considerable forces and torques are exerted, for example, by a hand crank, a grinding rotor in these coffee grinders can shift radially relative to a grinding stator, resulting in a larger radial distance between the grinding rotor and the grinding stator on one side of the grinding rotor and a smaller radial distance on the opposite side. The result is that the resulting coffee powder does not have a uniform grain size. However, a uniform grain size of the coffee powder is essential for preparing top-quality coffee.

[0009] Surprisingly, it has been shown that titanium has the property of not affecting the taste of coffee, and that titanium is also sufficiently stable to create a compact coffee grinder that is sufficiently resistant to twisting and deformation under the stresses encountered during the grinding process. For the purposes of this application, the term "titanium alloy" refers in particular to a macroscopically homogeneous material whose main component (preferably more than 90 percent by mass, in particular more than 95 percent by mass) is titanium.

[0010] The housing can advantageously be tubular. This design has the particular advantage of being particularly compact and stable. The filling opening can be formed, for example, by an upper tubular opening.

[0011] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the housing has a filling opening designed as a filling funnel.

[0012] The housing preferably has a dispensing opening for the coffee powder. The dispensing opening can be formed, for example, by a lower tube opening if the housing is tubular.

[0013] In a particularly advantageous design, the housing surrounds a receiving chamber for the coffee beans to be ground. This design has the very special advantage that a supply of coffee beans to be ground can be added and, if necessary, left in the receiving chamber for an extended period of time without any risk of impairing the taste, since the coffee beans, as described in detail above, can be in harmless contact with the inner wall of the housing. Furthermore, this design has the very special advantage that essentially no additional components are required to form the receiving chamber.

[0014] A particularly ergonomic and particularly stable design is one in which the housing has a circular outer contour and / or a circular inner contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. In particular, the housing of such a design is particularly handy because it can be ergonomically grasped with one hand, especially if the outer diameter is in the range of 30 mm to 120 mm, especially in the range of 35 mm to 70 mm or 50 mm to 70 mm.

[0015] In a particularly robust design that requires only a few components, the housing is manufactured in one piece from a single piece of raw material. In particular, such a housing can be manufactured from a cylindrical piece of raw material, particularly by turning and / or milling.

[0016] In another particularly stable and yet very flexible design, the housing is designed in several parts, wherein at least the part of the housing on which the at least one bearing block is directly arranged is made in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube.

[0017] In a special embodiment, the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing. In particular, it can advantageously be provided that the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing with a frictional fit and / or a positive fit. In a very particularly advantageous embodiment, the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing exclusively with a frictional fit. Such a design has the very special advantage that the bearing block or bearing blocks can be inserted easily, preferably without tools, and removed again when necessary (for example, for a cleaning or maintenance process). A design in which the at least one bearing block has at least one contact section that is shaped to complement the section of the housing against which it rests is particularly stable and precise.In this way, a high level of precision is achieved, especially for a purely friction-locked mounting of the bearing block.

[0018] The coffee grinder according to the invention can also be designed in such a way that the at least one bearing block is attached to the inside of the housing without a material connection. This advantageously avoids complex welding or gluing processes. Welding processes, in particular, are disadvantageous because the components of the coffee grinder can be unintentionally distorted during welding due to the effects of heat, ultimately making it impossible to achieve the required precision of the coffee grinder.

[0019] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the at least one bearing block is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing. For this purpose, the inside of the housing can advantageously be designed conically. For example, the bearing block can be designed as a rod which, with respect to its longitudinal direction of extension, is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the, in particular tubular, housing and is clamped inside the housing. In this case, it can advantageously be provided that each of the ends of the rod-shaped bearing block has a contact section which is shaped complementarily to the section of the housing against which it rests. However, other embodiments are also possible in which the bearing block is designed as a rod.

[0020] In general, the coffee grinder according to the invention can be designed such that the at least one bearing block can be mounted in the housing and / or removed from the housing without tools. Such a design is particularly advantageous not only with regard to manufacturing, but also with regard to subsequent cleaning and maintenance processes.

[0021] The at least one bearing block can be arranged in the receiving space for the coffee beans to be ground. It is advantageous for the at least one bearing block to be made of titanium or a titanium alloy to prevent contact with the bearing block from influencing the taste of the coffee. Furthermore, such a design is particularly advantageous if the bearing block is directly attached to the housing, in particular by at least one clamping connection. In such a design, the bearing block has the same material properties, in particular the same expansion coefficient, as the housing, so that the risk of accidental loosening of the connection is avoided or at least reduced.

[0022] The coffee grinder according to the invention preferably has a plurality of bearing blocks. In particular, the coffee grinder can have exactly two bearing blocks, for example, to reliably and precisely support a shaft, in particular a drive shaft, for rotation.

[0023] The bearing block can advantageously have a bearing for rotatably supporting the mill element, for example, a drive shaft. The bearing is preferably a rolling bearing, in particular a ball bearing or a needle bearing. Alternatively, the bearing can also be designed as a plain bearing.

[0024] In general, it can advantageously be provided that at least the inside of the housing has a surface structure produced by grinding and / or polishing. For example, the housing can first be produced by turning and then further processed by a grinding process. The grinding process can be followed by a polishing process.

[0025] As already mentioned, the milling element can be a shaft, for example, a drive shaft connected or connectable to a hand crank. The shaft can also advantageously be made of titanium or a titanium alloy, especially if the shaft is positioned such that it comes into contact with the coffee beans and / or coffee powder. A shaft made of titanium or a titanium alloy is particularly suitable if the shaft extends through the receiving chamber.

[0026] In a special design, the shaft is connected to a drive mechanism on one side and to a grinding rotor, in particular a grinding cone, of the grinder on the other. The drive mechanism can be, for example, a hand crank.

[0027] In general, the coffee grinder can be designed as a manually driven coffee grinder. A particularly advantageous design is one in which the housing is designed to be held in one hand during the grinding process, while the user can operate the hand crank with their other hand.

[0028] Alternatively, the coffee grinder can be designed as an electrically driven coffee grinder. In particular, it can advantageously be provided that the drive device comprises an electric drive motor.

[0029] According to an independent inventive concept, a spice mill, in particular for grinding peppercorns or salt, comprising a grinder (1) and a housing (4) that functions as a holder for at least one bearing block (5), by means of which at least one mill element is rotatably mounted relative to the housing (4), and that has a filling opening (13) for spices to be ground, wherein the housing (4) is made of titanium or a titanium alloy, is particularly advantageous. The spice mill can advantageously have one or more of the following aspects:

[0030] 1 . Spice mill, in particular for grinding pepper or salt grains, with a grinder (1) and with a housing (4) which functions as a holder for at least one bearing block (5), by means of which at least one mill element is rotatably mounted relative to the housing (4), and which has a filling opening (13) for spices to be ground, characterized in that the housing (4) is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

[0031] 2. Spice mill according to aspect 1, characterized in that the housing (4) is tubular.

[0032] 3. Spice mill according to aspect 2, characterized in that the filling opening (7) is formed by an upper tube opening.

[0033] 4. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (4) has a dispensing opening (13) for the ground spice.

[0034] 5. Spice mill according to aspects 2 and 4, characterized in that the dispensing opening (13) is formed by a lower tube opening.

[0035] 6. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing (4) surrounds a receiving space for a spice to be ground, in particular peppercorns or salt grains.

[0036] 7. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing (4) has a circular outer contour and / or a circular inner contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction.

[0037] 8. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing (4) is made in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube.

[0038] 9. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing (4) is designed in several parts, wherein at least the part of the housing (4) on which the at least one bearing block (5) is directly arranged is made in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube.

[0039] 10. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 9, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is fastened to the inside of the housing (4).

[0040] 1 1. Spice mill according to aspect 10, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is fastened to the inside of the housing (4) in a frictionally engaged and / or positively engaged manner.

[0041] 12. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 11, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is fastened to the inside of the housing (4) without a material connection.

[0042] 13. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 12, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing (4).

[0043] 14. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 13, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) has at least one contact section which is shaped complementarily to the section of the housing (4) against which it rests.

[0044] 15. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 14, characterized in that the bearing block (5) is designed as a rod.

[0045] 16. Spice mill according to aspects 14 and 15, characterized in that the ends of the rod are shaped complementarily to the sections of the housing (4) against which they rest.

[0046] 17. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 1 , characterized in that at least one bearing block (5) is arranged in the receiving space (16) for the spice to be ground.

[0047] 18. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 17, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) can be mounted in the housing (4) without tools and / or can be detached from the housing (4) without tools.

[0048] 1. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 18, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. 0. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 19, characterized in that the spice mill has exactly two, in particular identical, bearing blocks (5). 1. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 20, characterized in that each bearing block (5) has a bearing, in particular a roller bearing (8).

[0049] 22. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 21, characterized in that at least the inside of the housing (4) has a surface structure produced by grinding and / or polishing.

[0050] 23. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 22, characterized in that the mill element is a shaft (6).

[0051] 24. Spice mill according to aspect 23, characterized in that the mill element is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

[0052] 25. Spice mill according to aspect 23 or 24, characterized in that the shaft (6) is connected on the one hand in a rotationally fixed manner to a drive device and on the other hand in a rotationally fixed manner to a grinding rotor (2), in particular a grinding cone, of the grinding mechanism (1).

[0053] 26. Spice mill according to aspect 25, characterized in that the drive device is designed as a hand crank (15).

[0054] 27. Spice mill according to one of aspects 1 to 26, characterized in that the spice mill is manually driven.

[0055] 28. Spice mill according to aspect 26 or 27, characterized in that the housing (4) is designed to be held in one hand of a user during a grinding process, wherein the user can operate the hand crank (15) with his other hand.

[0056] 29. Spice mill according to aspect 25, characterized in that the drive device has an electric drive motor.

[0057] Regarding the spice mill, the following applies:

[0058] Spice mills used to be made of wood. Modern models typically feature aluminum or stainless steel casings. However, it has now been shown that the flavor of the ground spices can be affected if the spices being ground and / or the ground spices come into contact with the material of the spice mill.

[0059] It is therefore a further object of the present invention to provide a spice mill which can be designed to be compact and at the same time in such a way that the rotatably mounted components remain precisely aligned during a grinding process and an influence on the taste of the spice is avoided.

[0060] The task is solved by a spice mill which is characterized by the housing being made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

[0061] The spice mill according to the invention has the very special advantage that it enables precise and load-resistant mounting of the bearing components and, moreover, does not adversely affect the taste of the spices.

[0062] In accordance with the invention, it was recognized, as already mentioned, that the flavor of spices can be influenced if the spices and / or the ground spice powder come into contact with the material of the spice mill. This applies to spice mills made of conventional materials, in particular those made of aluminum, which in the case of pepper, for example, is due to the oils and acids contained in the pepper, which react with the aluminum. It has been shown that spice mills made of stainless steel also have an adverse effect on the flavor of spices, since the oils and acids contained in pepper, for example, also react with stainless steel. In accordance with the invention, it was recognized in particular that the taste of salt is also adversely affected because the salt grains to be ground are in motion relative to the housing during the grinding process and therefore rub against the housing, whereby parts of the passivation layer are scraped off.These flavor-detrimental components of the passivation layer ultimately end up in the food being seasoned. In the case of other spices, such as pepper, damage to the passivation layer also plays a role, as the aforementioned oils and acids find particularly sensitive points of attack at the damaged areas.

[0063] Based on this, one could try to reduce the surfaces that come into contact with the spices to be ground and the ground spice powder and / or to shield them with special coatings, e.g. made of ceramic. Unfortunately, this is not only very time-consuming, but inevitably leads to complex designs that are either bulky or prone to twisting and deformation, or both. These designs have the very particular disadvantage that they can either no longer be held and operated ergonomically or that they deform (even if only slightly) during the grinding process, so that the rotatably mounted components in particular are no longer held precisely in position relative to the other components. This inevitably leads to the relevant parts of the grinder not being held in their desired position relative to one another, which ultimately leads to an unsatisfactory grinding result.For example, it can happen that a grinding rotor in these spice mills shifts radially relative to a grinding stator during the grinding process, in which considerable forces and moments are exerted, for example, via a hand crank. This causes the radial distance between the grinding rotor and the grinding stator to be greater on one side of the grinding rotor and smaller on the opposite side. The result is that the resulting spice powder does not have a uniform grain size. However, a uniform grain size of the ground spice is often crucial for flavor, as spice particles of different sizes, especially salt grains of different sizes, affect different taste receptors in humans.

[0064] Surprisingly, it has been shown that titanium has the property of not affecting the flavor of spices, and that titanium is also sufficiently stable to create a compact spice mill that is sufficiently resistant to twisting and deformation under the stresses encountered during the grinding process. In the context of this application, the term "titanium alloy" refers in particular to a macroscopically homogeneous material whose main component (preferably more than 90 percent by mass, in particular more than 95 percent by mass) is titanium.

[0065] The spice mill can be designed in particular to grind peppercorns, poppy seeds or table salt grains.

[0066] The housing can advantageously be tubular. This design has the particular advantage of being particularly compact and stable. The filling opening can be formed, for example, by an upper tubular opening.

[0067] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the housing has a filling opening designed as a filling funnel. Preferably, the housing has a dispensing opening for the ground spice. The dispensing opening can be formed, for example, by a lower tube opening if the housing is tubular.

[0068] In a particularly advantageous design, the housing surrounds a receiving chamber for spices to be ground, such as peppercorns or salt grains. This design has the very special advantage that a supply of spices to be ground can be introduced and, if necessary, left in the receiving chamber for an extended period of time without any risk of impairing the flavor, since the spices, as described in detail above, can be in harmless contact with the inner wall of the housing. Furthermore, this design has the very special advantage that essentially no additional components are required to form the receiving chamber.

[0069] A particularly ergonomic and particularly stable design is one in which the housing has a circular outer contour and / or a circular inner contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction. In particular, the housing of such a design is particularly handy because it can be ergonomically grasped with one hand, especially if the outer diameter is in the range of 30 mm to 120 mm, especially in the range of 35 mm to 70 mm or 50 mm to 70 mm.

[0070] In a particularly robust design that requires only a few components, the housing is manufactured in one piece from a single piece of raw material. In particular, such a housing can be manufactured from a cylindrical piece of raw material, particularly by turning and / or milling.

[0071] In another particularly stable, yet very flexible, design, the housing is constructed in several parts, with at least the part of the housing on which the at least one bearing block is directly arranged being manufactured in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube. In a special design, the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing. In particular, it can advantageously be provided that the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing in a frictional and / or positive manner. In a particularly advantageous design, the at least one bearing block is fastened to the inside of the housing exclusively in a frictional manner. Such a design has the very special advantage that the bearing block orThe bearing blocks can be easily inserted, preferably without tools, and removed again as needed (e.g., for cleaning or maintenance). A particularly stable and precise design is one in which the at least one bearing block has at least one contact section that is complementarily shaped to match the section of the housing against which it rests. In this way, a high level of precision is achieved, particularly for a purely friction-locked mounting of the bearing block.

[0072] The spice mill according to the invention can also be designed in particular such that the at least one bearing block is attached to the inside of the housing without a material connection. This advantageously avoids complex welding or gluing processes. Welding processes, in particular, are disadvantageous because the components of the spice mill can be unintentionally distorted during welding due to the effects of heat, ultimately making it impossible to achieve the required precision of the spice mill.

[0073] In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the at least one bearing block is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing. For this purpose, the inside of the housing can advantageously be conical.

[0074] For example, the bearing block can be designed as a rod which, with respect to its longitudinal extension direction, is arranged perpendicular to the longitudinal extension direction of the, in particular, tubular, housing and is clamped inside the housing. In this case, it can advantageously be provided that each of the ends of the rod-shaped bearing block has a contact section which is shaped complementarily to the section of the housing against which it rests. However, other designs are also possible in which the bearing block is designed as a rod. In general, the spice mill according to the invention can be designed such that the at least one bearing block can be mounted in the housing without tools and / or detached from the housing without tools. Such a design is particularly advantageous not only with regard to production, but also with regard to subsequent cleaning and maintenance processes.

[0075] The at least one bearing block can be arranged in the receiving space for the spices to be ground, in particular peppercorns or salt grains. It is advantageous for the at least one bearing block to be made of titanium or a titanium alloy to prevent the flavor of the spice from being affected by contact with the bearing block. Furthermore, such a design is particularly advantageous if the bearing block is directly attached to the housing, in particular by at least one clamp connection. In such a design, the bearing block has the same material properties, in particular the same coefficient of expansion, as the housing, so that the risk of accidental loosening of the connection is avoided or at least reduced.

[0076] The spice mill according to the invention preferably has a plurality of bearing blocks. In particular, the spice mill can have exactly two bearing blocks, for example, to reliably and precisely support a shaft, in particular a drive shaft, for rotation.

[0077] The bearing block can advantageously have a bearing for rotatably supporting the mill element, for example, a drive shaft. The bearing is preferably a rolling bearing, in particular a ball bearing or a needle bearing. Alternatively, the bearing can also be designed as a plain bearing.

[0078] In general, it can advantageously be provided that at least the inside of the housing has a surface structure produced by grinding and / or polishing. For example, the housing can first be produced by turning and then further processed by a grinding process. The grinding process can be followed by a polishing process. As already mentioned, the mill element can be a shaft, for example a drive shaft connected or connectable to a hand crank. The shaft can also advantageously be made of titanium or a titanium alloy, particularly if the shaft is arranged in such a way that it comes into contact with the spice to be ground and / or the ground spice. A design of the shaft made of titanium or a titanium alloy is particularly suitable if the shaft runs through the receiving space.

[0079] In a special design, the shaft is connected to a drive mechanism on one side and to a grinding rotor, in particular a grinding cone, of the grinder on the other. The drive mechanism can be, for example, a hand crank.

[0080] In general, the spice mill can be designed as a manually driven spice mill. A particularly advantageous design is one in which the housing is designed to be held in one hand during the grinding process, while the user can operate the hand crank with their other hand.

[0081] Alternatively, the spice mill can be designed as an electrically driven spice mill. In particular, it can advantageously be provided that the drive device comprises an electric drive motor.

[0082] The subject matter of the invention is illustrated schematically and by way of example in the drawing and is described below with reference to the figure, wherein identical or equivalently acting elements are provided with the same reference numerals.

[0083] Fig. 1 shows a first embodiment of a coffee grinder according to the invention,

[0084] Fig. 2 shows a second embodiment of a coffee grinder according to the invention,

[0085] Fig. 3 shows a first embodiment of a spice mill according to an independent inventive concept, and Fig. 4 shows a second embodiment of a spice mill according to an independent inventive concept.

[0086] Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of a coffee grinder according to the invention, comprising a grinder 1 having a grinding rotor 2, namely a grinding cone, and a grinding stator 3, namely a grinding ring. The coffee grinder also comprises a tubular housing 4, which acts as a holder for two bearing blocks 5, by means of which a milling element, namely a shaft 6, is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 4.

[0087] The shaft 6 is on the one hand connected to a drive device 14, namely a hand crank 15, and on the other hand connected to the grinding rotor 2 of the grinder 1.

[0088] The housing 4 has a filling opening 7 for coffee beans (not shown) to be ground and is preferably made of titanium or a titanium alloy, preferably from a single piece of raw material. The housing 4 also has a dispensing opening 13 for the coffee powder (not shown). The housing 4 surrounds a receiving space 16 for the coffee beans to be ground. The bearing blocks 5 are arranged in the receiving space 16.

[0089] The essentially rod-shaped bearing blocks 5 are offset relative to the longitudinal direction of the housing (axial direction) and rotated by 90° relative to each other. While the upper bearing block 5 runs in the plane of the drawing, the lower bearing block 5 runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing.

[0090] Each of the bearing blocks 5 has a rolling bearing 8. The rolling bearing 8 is inserted into a bore of a support rod 11. The outer ring 10 of the rolling bearing 8 is in direct contact with the support rod 11. The inner ring 9 of the rolling bearing 8 is in direct contact with the shaft 6. Rolling elements 12 are arranged between the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 10.

[0091] Each bearing block 5 is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing 4. However, the bearing blocks 5 could also be attached to the housing 4 in other ways, directly or indirectly.

[0092] Figure 2 shows a second embodiment of a coffee grinder according to the invention, the housing 4 of which, in contrast to the first embodiment, has a separate attachment, preferably made of titanium or a titanium alloy, which functions as a filling funnel 17. It is also possible to manufacture the filling funnel 17 together with at least one other housing component, in particular together with a tubular housing section, in one piece from a single piece of raw material.

[0093] Figure 3 shows a first embodiment of a spice mill according to the invention, based on an independent inventive concept, with a grinding mechanism 1 having a grinding rotor 2, namely a grinding cone, and a grinding stator 3, namely a grinding ring. The spice mill also has a tubular housing 4, which functions as a holder for two bearing blocks 5, by means of which a mill element, namely a shaft 6, is rotatably mounted relative to the housing 4.

[0094] The shaft 6 is on the one hand rotationally fixedly connected to a drive device 14, namely a hand crank 15, and on the other hand rotationally fixedly connected to the grinding rotor 2 of the grinder 1.

[0095] The housing 4 has a filling opening 7 for spices (not shown) to be ground and is preferably made of titanium or a titanium alloy, preferably from a single piece of raw material. The housing 4 also has a discharge opening 13 for the ground spice (not shown). The housing 4 surrounds a receiving space 16 for the spice to be ground. The bearing blocks 5 are arranged in the receiving space 1.

[0096] The essentially rod-shaped bearing blocks 5 are offset with respect to the longitudinal extension direction of the housing (axial direction) and rotated by 90° relative to one another. While the upper bearing block 5 runs in the plane of the drawing, the lower bearing block 5 runs perpendicular to the plane of the drawing. Each of the bearing blocks 5 has a rolling bearing 8. The rolling bearing 8 is inserted into a bore of a holding rod 11. To this extent, the outer ring 10 of the rolling bearing 8 is in direct contact with the holding rod 11. The inner ring 9 of the rolling bearing 8 is in direct contact with the shaft 6. Rolling elements 12 are arranged between the inner ring 9 and the outer ring 10.

[0097] Each bearing block 5 is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing 4. However, the bearing blocks 5 could also be attached to the housing 4 in other ways, directly or indirectly.

[0098] Figure 4 shows a second embodiment of a spice mill according to the invention according to an independent inventive concept, the housing 4 of which, in contrast to the first embodiment, has a separate attachment, preferably made of titanium or a titanium alloy, which functions as a filling funnel 17. It is also possible to use the filling funnel 17 together with at least one other

[0099] Housing component, in particular together with a tubular housing section, to be manufactured in one piece from a single piece of raw material.

[0100]

[0101] 1 grinder

[0102] 2 grinding rotor

[0103] 3 Grinding stator

[0104] 4 housings

[0105] 5 bearing block

[0106] 6 Wave

[0107] 7 Filling opening

[0108] 8 rolling bearings

[0109] 9 inner ring

[0110] 10 Outer ring

[0111] 1 1 holding rod

[0112] 12 rolling elements

[0113] 13 Dispensing opening

[0114] 14 Drive device

[0115] 15 Hand crank

[0116] 16 Recording room

[0117] 17 filling funnel

Claims

Patent claims Coffee grinder with a grinder (1) and with a housing (4) which functions as a holder for at least one bearing block (5), by means of which at least one grinder element is rotatably mounted relative to the housing (4), and which has a filling opening (13) for coffee beans to be ground, characterized in that the housing (4) is made of titanium or a titanium alloy. Coffee grinder according to claim 1, characterized in that the housing (4) is tubular. Coffee grinder according to claim 2, characterized in that the filling opening (7) is formed by an upper tubular opening. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the housing (4) has a dispensing opening (13) for the coffee powder. Coffee grinder according to claims 2 and 4, characterized in that the dispensing opening (13) is formed by a lower tubular opening.Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the housing (4) surrounds a receiving space for coffee beans to be ground. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the housing (4) has a circular outer contour and / or a circular inner contour in a cross-sectional plane perpendicular to its longitudinal direction of extension. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing (4) is made in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the housing (4) is designed in several parts, wherein at least the part of the housing (4) on which the at least one bearing block (5) is directly arranged is made in one piece from a single piece of raw material, in particular from a tube.

10. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is attached to the inside of the housing (4). 1 1. Coffee grinder according to claim 10, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is fastened to the inside of the housing (4) in a frictionally engaged and / or positively engaged manner.

12. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is fastened to the inside of the housing (4) without a material connection.

13. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is clamped between different sections of the inside of the housing (4).

14. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 13, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) has at least one contact section which is shaped complementarily to the section of the housing (4) against which it rests.

15. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 14, characterized in that the bearing block (5) is designed as a rod.

16. Coffee grinder according to claim 14 and 15, characterized in that the ends of the rod are shaped complementarily to the sections of the housing (4) against which they rest.

17. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 1 , characterized in that at least one bearing block (5) is arranged in the receiving space (16) for coffee beans to be ground.

18. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 17, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) can be mounted in the housing (4) without tools and / or can be detached from the housing (4) without tools.

19. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 18, characterized in that the at least one bearing block (5) is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

20. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 19, characterized in that the coffee grinder has exactly two, in particular identical, bearing blocks (5).

21. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 20, characterized in that each bearing block (5) has a bearing, in particular a rolling bearing (8).

22. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 21, characterized in that at least the inside of the housing (4) has a surface structure produced by grinding and / or polishing.

23. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 22, characterized in that the milling element is a shaft (6).

24. Coffee grinder according to claim 23, characterized in that the milling element is made of titanium or a titanium alloy.

25. Coffee grinder according to claim 23 or 24, characterized in that the shaft (6) is connected on the one hand to a drive device and on the other hand to a grinding rotor (2), in particular a grinding cone, of the grinder (1).

26. Coffee grinder according to claim 25, characterized in that the drive device is designed as a hand crank (15).

27. Coffee grinder according to one of claims 1 to 26, characterized in that the coffee grinder is manually driven.

28. Coffee grinder according to claim 26 or 27, characterized in that the housing (4) is designed to be held in one hand of a user during a grinding process, whereby the user can operate the hand crank (15) with his other hand.

29. Coffee grinder according to claim 25, characterized in that the drive device comprises an electric drive motor.

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