Stone mill

Abstract

To provide a stone mill device in which pulverized powder can be easily collected.SOLUTION: A stone mill device 10 includes: a stone mill 11 including a lower mill 112 and an upper mill 111 rotatable with respect to the lower mill 112; a stone mill fixation table 12 arranged below the lower mill 112; a receiver 13 arranged in between the lower mill 111 and the stone mill fixation table 12 such that the receiver 13 can be put in and out, the receiver 13 extending further outward than the lower mill 111; and a rod-like lower mill fixation tool 14 that fixes the lower mill 111 to the stone mill fixation table 12 and is located above the receiver 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stone mill for producing powders such as matcha powder (matcha powder) and buckwheat flour by grinding materials such as tencha and buckwheat seeds. [Background technology]

[0002] Matcha powder is produced by steaming the tea leaves that have been shaded for a certain period before picking, drying them without rolling, and refining them by removing the stems and veins, then grinding the resulting tencha into powder in a stone mill. In recent years, to save labor, electric stone mills that use a motor to rotate the upper mill have been used.

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes an electric stone mill that includes a tray, a millstone placed on the tray, and a motor located under the tray. The millstone is made up of a circular lower mill and an upper mill of roughly the same shape placed on the lower mill, with numerous engraved lines on the lower surface of the upper mill and the upper surface of the lower mill. A rotating shaft that passes through the tray and the lower mill is fixed to the center of the upper mill, and the motor rotates the upper mill via the rotating shaft, causing the upper mill to rotate relative to the lower mill, and the material to be milled is milled between the upper mill and the lower mill. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2001-310136 A [Non-patent literature]

[0005] [Non-Patent Document 1] "Matcha Sweets House Chawawa", [online], Nishiki Market Shopping Street, Kyoto, [Searched on November 1, 2022], Internet<URL:https: / / www.kyoto-nishiki.or.jp / stores / sawawa / > Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the stone mill described in Patent Document 1, the matcha powder crushed by the stone mill falls onto a tray. In order to collect the matcha powder on the tray, it is necessary to collect it with a brush or the like and then scoop it out from the tray, which is time-consuming.

[0007] So far we have used the example of grinding tencha tea in a stone mill to produce matcha powder, but similar problems arise when using a stone mill to grind various materials to produce powder, such as grinding buckwheat seeds to produce buckwheat flour or grinding roasted soybeans to produce kinako (roasted soybean flour).

[0008] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a stone mill that can easily recover ground powder. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The stone mill according to the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, is as follows: a) a millstone comprising a lower mill and an upper mill rotatable relative to the lower mill; b) a millstone fixing base disposed below the lower millstone; c) a tray disposed between the lower mill and the stone mill fixing base so as to be removable and extending outward from the lower mill; d) a rod-shaped lower mill fixing tool at a portion above the receiving tray for fixing the lower mill to the stone mill fixing base; Equipped with.

[0010] In the stone mill flour mill according to the present invention, the rod-shaped lower mill fixture fixes the lower mill, which is above the saucer, and the stone mill fixture base, which is below the saucer, with the saucer sandwiched between them. The stone mill fixture base may be larger or smaller than the saucer. If the stone mill fixture base is smaller than the saucer, the lower mill fixture bypasses the saucer to connect and fix the lower mill and the stone mill fixture base. The rod-shaped portion of the lower mill fixture may be one or more. As long as the portion of the lower mill fixture part above the saucer is rod-shaped, the other portion may have a different shape. The lower mill fixture may be fixed directly to the lower mill, or the lower mill may be fixed to a lower mill base smaller than the lower mill, and the lower mill fixture may be fixed to the lower mill base. Alternatively, the lower mill fixture may be in close contact with the lower periphery of the lower mill and fix the thin plate fixed to the lower mill and the lower mill fixture base.

[0011] When using the stone mill flour mill of the present invention, the material to be ground is loaded between the upper and lower mills, and the upper mill is rotated relative to the lower mill, and the material to be ground is ground between the two mills. The powder of the ground material is released from around the lower mill and falls onto the receiving tray. Some of it also falls onto the rod-shaped part of the lower mill fixture, but this can be easily removed by using a brush or the like to drop it onto the receiving tray. The powder of the material to be ground that has fallen onto the receiving tray can be easily collected by pulling out the receiving tray. The upper mill can be rotated manually or electrically by a motor (described below).

[0012] The stone mill of the present invention further comprises: A storage case that houses the millstone and has a top plate and transparent sides; A supply passage for a material to be crushed penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface of the upper mill; A funnel provided above the upper mill for introducing the material to be ground into the material supply passage; An inlet for the material to be crushed is provided on the top plate directly above the funnel; It can be provided with:

[0013] In recent years, manufacturers and distributors of matcha powder, soba restaurants, and the like have been installing stone mills housed in storage cases with transparent sides in front of their stores to demonstrate how matcha powder, soba powder, and the like are released (falling and scattering around) from the sliding surface of the stone mill (for example, see Non-Patent Document 1 regarding matcha powder). In the stone mill mill of the present invention, by providing such a storage case as well as the above-mentioned supply path for the material to be ground, a funnel, and an inlet, the material to be ground can be easily supplied from the inlet through the funnel and the supply path for the material to be ground to the sliding surface of the stone mill.

[0014] In the configuration having the above-mentioned container case and funnel, The funnel is fixed to the upper surface of the upper die with its center aligned with the center of rotation of the upper die, The present invention may be configured to include a rod-shaped bridge prevention member that is non-rotatably inserted into the funnel from above.

[0015] In this way, the funnel is fixed on the upper surface of the upper mill with its center aligned with the rotation center of the upper mill, so that the funnel and the material to be crushed supplied into the funnel rotate around the center of the funnel together with the upper mill. On the other hand, the bridge prevention member does not rotate with the rotation of the upper mill, so that the material to be crushed in the funnel receives a force from the bridge prevention member. This makes it possible to prevent the material to be crushed from forming an arch in the funnel and hindering the material from flowing down from the funnel, and the material to be crushed can be reliably introduced into the material to be crushed supply path. The bridge prevention member is preferably inserted into the funnel in the vicinity of an axis passing through the rotation center of the upper mill and in a state of being slightly inclined with respect to the axis. If the bridge member is inserted in this state, the rotation of the material to be crushed is not significantly hindered by the bridge member, and the material to be crushed can be more reliably introduced into the material to be crushed supply path. The bridge member may be suspended from a top plate, or may be suspended from a lid provided on the inlet.

[0016] The stone mill according to the present invention may further include a powder diffusion prevention plate surrounding the lower mill and inclined inwardly from the top to the bottom.

[0017] By providing such a powder diffusion prevention plate, the powder released from the sliding surface of the millstone can be prevented from diffusing widely to the sides, thereby preventing contamination of the surroundings of the millstone flour mill with the powder.

[0018] The stone mill according to the present invention may further be an electric stone mill having a motor for rotating the upper mill.

[0019] The electric millstone flour mill can be configured such that the motor is disposed below the millstone fixing table, and further includes a powder intrusion prevention member between the millstone fixing table and the motor.

[0020] By providing such a powder intrusion prevention member, it is possible to prevent powder from entering the motor.

[0021] The electric stone mill may further include a timer that sets the time for which the motor rotates.

[0022] By providing such a timer, the millstone is prevented from operating for longer than necessary, thereby preventing so-called dry grinding, in which the upper mill is driven when there is no material to be ground on the sliding surface. Effect of the Invention

[0023] According to the stone mill of the present invention, the ground powder can be easily recovered. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a front view showing one embodiment of a stone mill according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a top view showing the millstone fixing table of the millstone flour mill of this embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a lower mill fixture of the stone mill of this embodiment. [Figure 4]1A is a front view showing a second power transmission member of an upper mill rotation mechanism of the stone mill flour mill of this embodiment and a side view showing a method of using the same, and FIG. 1C is a front view showing another method of using the same. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a top view showing a powder intrusion prevention plate provided in the stone mill of this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the stone mill of this embodiment housed in the housing case. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a modified example of the stone mill according to the present invention. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are a front view and a side view showing a modified example of the bridge prevention member, and FIG. 1C and a side view showing the operation of the modified example of the bridge prevention member. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] An electric mill stone flour mill 10, which is one embodiment of the mill stone flour mill according to the present invention, will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

[0026] (1) Configuration of the electric stone mill 10 of the present embodiment As shown in Figure 1, the electric stone mill 10 of this embodiment has a cylindrical stone mill 11, a stone mill fixing table 12, a receiving tray 13, a lower mill fixing device 14, an upper mill rotation mechanism 15, a powder diffusion prevention plate 16, a powder intrusion prevention plate (powder intrusion prevention member) 17, and a funnel 18.

[0027] The millstone 11 is composed of an upper mill 111 and a lower mill 112. The lower mill 112 is fixed to the millstone fixing base 12 by a lower mill fixing tool 14 as described later. A spindle 1121 is erected in the center of the upper surface of the lower mill 112, and a through hole 1111 is provided in the center of the upper mill 111. The spindle 1121 is cylindrical, but only the upper end vicinity is machined into a conical shape. The diameter of the through hole 1111 is larger than the diameter of the spindle 1121, and a gap is formed between the through hole 1111 and the spindle 1121. This gap becomes a material supply path 114 for supplying the material to be crushed to the sliding surface 113 between the upper mill 111 and the lower mill 112. The upper mill 111 is rotatable on the lower mill 112 around a virtual rotation axis (a dashed line in FIG. 1) that is approximately perpendicular to the upper surface of the lower mill 112. As upper mill 111 rotates in this manner, upper mill 111 and lower mill 112 slide on sliding surface 113. Upper mill 111 can be separated from lower mill 112 by lifting it up.

[0028] The stone mill fixing base 12 is disposed below the lower mill 112, and has a stone mill fixing portion 121 and a tray placement portion 122. The tray 13 is placed on the tray placement portion 122. The tray 13 is circular with a larger diameter than the stone mill 11, and has a size that expands outward from the lower mill 112. Correspondingly, the tray placement portion 122 is also provided so as to expand outward from the lower mill 112. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the tray placement portion 122 is composed of a disk portion 1221 and a band-like extension portion 1222 that extends in three directions at 120° intervals from the disk portion 1221. The diameter of the disk portion 1221 is smaller than the diameter of the tray 13, but the tip of the extension portion 1222 extends outward from the tray 13 when the tray 13 is placed in the center of the tray placement portion 122. The millstone fixing parts 121 are columnar members each erected at the tip of the three extension parts 1222 of the tray mounting part 122, and three of them are provided at intervals of 120° when viewed as a whole on the millstone fixing base 12. The tray 13 can be inserted into and removed from the tray mounting part 122 through the spaces between the millstone fixing parts 121.

[0029] The millstone fixing base 12 is provided at the upper end of a cylindrical support 123, and a leg 124 is provided at the lower end of the support 123.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the lower mill fixture 14 has a plate-shaped portion 142 having the same shape as the lower surface of the lower mill 112, and three rod-shaped portions 141 extending outward from the plate-shaped portion 142. The plate-shaped portion 142 has a hole 1421 through which a bolt 143 passes, and the lower surface of the lower mill 112 is fixed to the plate-shaped portion 142 by the bolt 143. The plate-shaped portion 142 has. The lower mill fixture 14 has no members other than the rod-shaped portion 141 outside the plate-shaped portion 142, and the powder that is crushed by the millstone 11 and falls can pass through the portions other than the rod-shaped portion 141 as described later. The three rod-shaped portions 141 are fixed to the corresponding millstone fixtures 121 at the lower end of their tips. In this embodiment, a hollow square material is used for the rod-shaped portion 141, and a circular plate is used for the plate-shaped portion 142, but the present invention is not limited to these examples. For example, a solid square material, or a cylindrical (hollow) or columnar (solid) rod material may be used for rod portion 141. When weight reduction is important, a hollow rod material may be used, and when strength is important, a solid rod material may be used. The number of rod portions 141 may be four or more, or two or less (for example, one rod portion 141 may be used as a cantilever to support plate portion 142). Plate portion 142 may have a shape smaller than the lower surface of lower mill 112. Also, without providing plate portion 142, rod portion 141 may be connected in a Y-shape, a cross shape, or the like and provided on the lower surface of lower mill 112, and lower mill 112 may be fixed to rod portion 141.

[0031] Upper mill rotation mechanism 15 has a motor 151 arranged under millstone fixed base 12, a first gear 152 attached to the rotation shaft of motor 151, a second gear 153 meshing with first gear 152, and a power transmission unit 154 attached to second gear 153. The rotation shafts of motor 151, first gear 152, and second gear 153 are all directed substantially vertically. The rotation shaft of second gear 153 is coaxial with the virtual rotation shaft of upper mill 111.

[0032] The power transmission section 154 is composed of a first power transmission member 1541 formed by bending a strip-shaped plate material at 90°, and a second power transmission member 1542 formed by bending a strip-shaped plate material into a crank shape. The first power transmission member 1541 is fixed to the second gear 153 with one end side of the bent part facing substantially horizontally, and the other end side is arranged so as to face upward from the bent part. A hole (not shown) through which the support 123 passes is provided near the other end of the first power transmission member 1541. The second power transmission member 1542 is arranged so that both ends of the crank face the up-down direction. As shown in FIG. 4, the plate material is cut near the upper end of the second power transmission member 1542 so as to be L-shaped when viewed from the plate surface side. A protrusion 1112 (see FIG. 1) provided on the side of the upper mill 111 abuts on the part corresponding to the vertical bar of the L-shaped part 1543 formed in this way from the direction corresponding to the right side of the L (FIG. 4(a)). Second power transmission member 1542 is not fixed to upper mill 111, and when rotated by motor 151 as described below, second power transmission member 1542 pushes protrusion 1112, thereby rotating upper mill 111. Instead of pushing protrusion 1112 with second power transmission member 1542, ring 1546 connected to one end of belt 1545 may be hung on L-shaped portion 1543 of second power transmission member 1542, and ring 1547 connected to the other end of belt 1545 may be hung on protrusion 1112 of upper mill 111, so that second power transmission member 1542 pulls protrusion 1112 (FIG. 4(c)). Also, instead of such a belt with a loop, a single loop made of a string or the like may be hung on L-shaped portion 1543 and protrusion 1112.

[0033] A rectangular box-shaped connecting member 1544 having an opening on the lower surface is attached to the lower end of the second power transmission member 1542. The first power transmission member 1541 and the second power transmission member 1542 are connected by inserting the upper end of the first power transmission member 1541 into the connecting member 1544 from this opening. In this way, the second power transmission member 1542 is not fixed to the upper mill 111, and the first power transmission member 1541 and the second power transmission member 1542 are connected simply by inserting the first power transmission member 1541 into the connecting member 1544, so that the second power transmission member 1542 can be easily attached and detached during maintenance. With the above configuration, when viewed as a whole, the power transmission unit 154 is formed so as to extend from below the millstone fixing base 12, through the side of the millstone fixing base 12 and the side of the lower mill 112, to the upper mill 111.

[0034] The powder diffusion prevention plate 16 is made of a band-shaped plate material bent into a ring shape and placed on the lower mill fixture 14. The height of the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 is smaller than the height of the lower mill 112, the diameters of the lower end and upper end are both larger than the diameter of the millstone 11, and the diameter of the lower end is smaller than the diameter of the receiving tray 13. The lower end of the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 is provided with three notches (not shown) corresponding to the three rod-shaped parts 141 of the lower mill fixture 14. By fitting the rod-shaped parts 141 corresponding to each of these three notches, the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 is arranged so that the millstone 11 is located in the center. With this configuration, the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 surrounds the lower mill 112 below the sliding surface 113 of the millstone 11, and can guide the powder falling from the sliding surface 113 to the receiving tray 13. In this embodiment, the height of the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 is made smaller than that of the lower mill 112 so that the powder being released from the sliding surface 113 can be visually observed from the side, but if there is no need for visualization, the height of the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 may be made greater than the height of the lower mill 112 in order to prevent the diffusion of the powder released from the sliding surface 113 and guide more powder to the receiving tray 13.

[0035] The powder intrusion prevention plate 17 is for preventing powder from intruding into the motor 151, and is made of a rectangular flat plate member nearly square, which is provided between the motor 151, the first gear 152, the second gear 153, and the stone fixing base 12 so as to extend outward from the stone fixing base 12. The four sides of the powder intrusion prevention plate 17 are supported by the upper end of the lower side plate 213 described below. The powder intrusion prevention plate 17 can be separated into two and removed during maintenance. As shown in FIG. 5, a circular hole 171 is provided in the center of the powder intrusion prevention plate 17, the diameter of which is larger than that of the support 123 and smaller than that of the disk part 1221 of the tray mounting part 122, and the support 123 passes through this hole 171. The substantially horizontal part of the first power transmission member 1541 described above is provided above the powder intrusion prevention plate 17, and is fixed to the second gear 153 by a bolt through the hole 171.

[0036] Funnel 18 is used to introduce the material to be crushed into material supply passage 114, and is fixed to the upper surface of upper mill 111 with its center aligned with the imaginary axis of rotation of the upper mill. Since funnel 18 is fixed in this manner, funnel 18 also rotates around its own center of rotation as upper mill 111 rotates.

[0037] In this embodiment, stainless steel is used as the material for the stone mill fixing base 12, the lower mill fixing tool 14, the power transmission part 154, the powder diffusion prevention plate 16, and the powder intrusion prevention plate 17. Wood is used as the material for the spindle 1121. Polypropylene is used as the material for the funnel 18. However, the materials for these parts are not limited to the examples given here.

[0038] The components described above are housed in a cubic housing 21, as shown in FIG. 6. Housing 21 has a rectangular top plate 211, four upper side plates 212, and four lower side plates 213. Top plate 211 and upper side plates 212 are made of a wooden frame 2112 with a transparent plate (glass plate) fitted in it so that the inside can be seen from the outside. Millstone 11 is located in a space surrounded by four upper side plates 212. One of the four upper side plates 212 is a door that is attached to the frame of the adjacent upper side plate 212 by a hinge 215 so as to be able to open and close. A handle 214 is attached to the lower part of the door on the side opposite to the side where hinge 215 is attached, so that a user can hold handle 214 to open and close the door. The upper side plate 212 is provided vertically from just below the top plate 211 to just below the stone mill fixing base 12. The upper housing 210 consisting of the top plate 211, the upper side plate 212 and the frame 2112 is placed on the lower housing consisting of the lower side plate 213, and can be lifted up and removed.

[0039] The lower side plate 213 is made of an opaque material, and in this embodiment, a wooden one is used. The support 123, motor 151, first gear 152, and second gear 153, which are provided below the stone mill fixing base 12, cannot be seen from the side by the opaque lower side plate 213. Four metal plates that constitute the lower side plate 213 are provided so as to surround the support 123, etc. Note that materials other than wood may be used for the frames of the top plate 211 and upper side plate 212, and the lower side plate 213. If metal materials are used for them, it is recommended to print a wood grain pattern on the surface to enhance aesthetics.

[0040] An opening 216 for inserting material to be crushed is provided at a position on the top plate 211 directly above the funnel 18, and a lid 217 for opening and closing the opening 216 for inserting material to be crushed is provided.

[0041] A ring-shaped suspender 191 is provided on the underside of the lid 217, and a rod-shaped bridge prevention member 19 is suspended (inserted) from the suspender 191 into the funnel 18. The upper end of the bridge prevention member 19 is hook-shaped, and the hook is hooked onto the ring of the suspender 191. The length of the bridge prevention member 19 is set so that the lower end is disposed between the cone-shaped part of the spindle 1121 and the through-hole 1111 of the upper mill 111. In this embodiment, stainless steel is used as the material for the suspender 191 and the bridge prevention member 19, but the material is not limited to this example. Also, instead of suspending the bridge prevention member 19 from the underside of the lid 217 by the hook, it may be fixed to the same surface.

[0042] The timer 22, the rotation speed setting device 23, and the main switch 24 are attached to the lower side panel 213. The timer 22 sets the time for operating the motor 151. The rotation speed setting device 23 sets the rotation speed of the motor 151. The main switch 24 has three positions and is operated by turning the knob from the center to either the left or right, or the opposite direction. When the motor 151 is stopped, if the user turns the knob from the center to the right, the motor 151 operates continuously (the timer 22 does not operate), and when the user returns the knob to the center, the motor 151 stops. When the user turns the knob from the center to the left, the motor 151 operates for the time set by the timer 22, and the knob automatically returns to the center. When the set time has elapsed, the motor 151 automatically stops. In addition, the motor 151 can also be stopped by changing the set time of the timer 22 to a time shorter than the time that has elapsed after the start of operation. The knob of the main switch 24 has a built-in LED lamp, and whether the motor 151 is operating continuously or using a timer, the lamp is lit while the motor 151 is running and is turned off when the motor 151 stops.

[0043] The door of the upper side panel 212 is provided with a door sensor 25 that detects that the door is closed. While the door sensor 25 detects that the door is closed, the motor 151 can be operated by the flow of a detection signal (current). On the other hand, when the door is open, the detection signal does not flow, so the motor 151 does not operate even if the user operates the main switch 24. Also, when the door is opened while the motor 151 is operating, the detection signal does not flow, so the motor 151 stops, and when the door is closed again from this state, the operation of the motor 151 resumes. Furthermore, when the upper housing 210 is removed, the detection signal does not flow, so the motor 151 does not operate. As described above, safety is ensured by not operating the motor 151 while the door is open or the upper housing 210 is removed. In addition, a release switch for the door sensor 25 may be further provided in consideration of the need to operate the motor 151 with the door open or the upper housing 210 removed, such as when inspecting the electric stone mill 10. It is advisable to provide a cover or the like for such a release switch to prevent it from being operated accidentally during normal operation.

[0044] In addition, a tray sensor 26 is embedded near the upper end of the support 123, and a hole (not shown) is provided in the tray placement part 122 directly above the tray sensor 26. The tray sensor 26 is a sensor that detects the tray 13 placed on the tray placement part 122 through the hole in the tray placement part 122. When the tray sensor 26 does not detect the tray 13, the detection signal (current) of the tray sensor 26 does not flow, and the motor 151 does not operate. This prevents the electric millstone flour mill 10 from operating without the tray 13 placed on the tray placement part 122, and prevents the powder from falling onto the tray placement part 122, or even from falling to the motor 151 through the outside of the disk part 1221 of the tray placement part 122 (the part blocked by the tray 13 if the tray 13 is placed) and the hole 171 of the powder intrusion prevention plate 17. A release switch may also be provided for the receiving tray sensor 26. In this case, the door sensor 25 and the receiving tray sensor 26 may be released by a common release switch.

[0045] (2) Operation of the electric stone mill 10 of this embodiment When using the electric stone mill 10 of this embodiment, the user opens the door on the upper side panel 212 of the housing 21 and places the tray 13 on the tray placement section 122. The user also opens the lid 217 provided on the top panel 211 and supplies the material to be ground, such as tencha tea or buckwheat seeds, into the funnel 18 through the material to be ground inlet 216. After this operation, the user (if the upper housing 210 has been removed, then attach it) closes the door on the upper side panel 212 and the lid 217.

[0046] In addition, before the operation of supplying the material to be crushed into the funnel 18, the upper housing 210 may be removed, the upper mill 111 and the funnel 18 may be removed from the lower mill 112, and the material to be crushed may be placed on the upper surface of the lower mill 112. This means that the material to be crushed has already been supplied to the sliding surface 113 when the operation of the stone mill is started, so that it is possible to reliably prevent empty grinding. In addition, before the operation of supplying the material to be crushed into the funnel 18, the upper mill 111 may be placed on the lower mill 112 and the funnel 18 may be removed, and the material to be crushed may be packed into the material to be crushed supply path 114. This means that the material to be crushed in the material to be crushed supply path 114 can be supplied to the sliding surface 113 immediately after the operation of the stone mill is started, so that it is possible to prevent empty grinding.

[0047] The user sets the rotation speed of motor 151 using rotation speed setter 23. Furthermore, when timer 22 is used, the user operates timer 22 to set the drive time of motor 151. Here, the drive time of motor 151 is appropriately determined according to the amount of material to be ground and the rotation speed so that upper mill 111 is not driven when the material to be ground is not present on the sliding surface. Usually, when the same amount of the same type of material to be ground is fed, there is no need to change these drive time and rotation speed.

[0048] Next, when timer 22 is used, the user turns the knob of main switch 24 to the left, and when timer 22 is not used, the user turns the knob to the right, and motor 151 is started. As a result, second gear 153 rotates coaxially with the virtual rotation axis of upper mill 111 via first gear 152, and accordingly, power transmission unit 154 attached to second gear 153 also rotates coaxially with the rotation axis. Then, L-shaped portion 1543 of second power transmission member 1542 presses protrusion 1112 of upper mill 111, and power for rotating upper mill 111 around the virtual rotation axis is transmitted from motor 151 to upper mill 111. Furthermore, as upper mill 111 rotates, funnel 18 fixed to the upper surface of upper mill 111 also rotates. As funnel 18 rotates, the material to be crushed in funnel 18 also rotates, but bridge prevention member 19 has its lower end in contact with the conical portion at the upper end of spindle 1121 and / or the inner wall of through hole 1111 of upper mill 111, and is disposed in a state slightly inclined from the vertical without rotating. Therefore, the material to be crushed rotating in funnel 18 receives a force from bridge prevention member 19, preventing the occurrence of the so-called bridging phenomenon. Therefore, the material to be crushed can be reliably introduced from funnel 18 to material to be crushed supply path 114.

[0049] The material to be crushed introduced into crushed material supply passage 114 is supplied to sliding surface 113 and crushed on sliding surface 113. The powder thus crushed falls from the periphery of sliding surface 113. Some of the fallen powder is deposited on rod-shaped portions 141 of lower mill fixture 14, but most of the remaining powder passes between rod-shaped portions 141 and is deposited on tray 13 placed on tray placement portion 122.

[0050] Also, the powder diffusion prevention plate 16 prevents the powder from diffusing to the side of the receiving tray 13, thereby preventing the surroundings of the electric stone mill 10 from being contaminated by the powder and guiding the powder onto the receiving tray 13. Furthermore, the powder intrusion prevention plate 17 prevents the powder from intruding into the motor 151, thereby preventing the motor 151 from breaking down.

[0051] After motor 151 is stopped by the operation of timer 22 or by the user returning the knob of main switch 24 to the center, the user opens the door of upper side panel 212 and knocks the powder accumulated on rod-shaped portion 141 down onto tray 13 with a brush or the like. Thereafter, the user can easily collect the powder accumulated in tray 13 by pulling out tray 13 from tray mounting portion 122.

[0052] (3) Modifications The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible.

[0053] For example, in the above embodiment, an electric stone mill is provided with upper mill rotation mechanism 15 including motor 151, but upper mill rotation mechanism 15 may be omitted and upper mill 111 may be rotated manually.

[0054] In addition, if the purpose is not to display the release of powdered green tea powder or buckwheat powder from the stone mill 11 but only to produce powder from the material to be ground, a case made of only an opaque material may be used or the case may be omitted. The powder diffusion prevention plate 16, powder intrusion prevention plate 17, funnel 18, bridge prevention member 19, etc. may also be omitted as appropriate.

[0055] In the above embodiment, the lower mill fixture 14 is attached to the lower surface of the lower mill 112, but it may be attached to the side of the lower mill 112 as shown in FIG. 7. In the example shown in FIG. 7, one end of the square bar-shaped lower mill fixture 14A is inserted into a hole provided on the side of the lower mill 112 to be attached. The other end of the lower mill fixture 14A is fixed to the upper end of the millstone fixing part 121 of the millstone fixing base 12 as in the above embodiment. In this example, the powder diffusion prevention plate 16A is provided above the square bar of the lower mill fixture 14A. Although the housing 21 is not shown in FIG. 7, the millstone 11 and the like may be housed in the housing 21 in the example shown in FIG. 7 as in the above embodiment.

[0056] In the above embodiment, a flat powder intrusion prevention plate 17 is placed between the stone mill fixing table 12 and the motor 151, but instead, a powder intrusion prevention member may be provided surrounding the motor 151, the first gear 152, and the second gear 153.

[0057] Instead of the bridge prevention member 19 in the above embodiment, a bridge prevention member 19A shown in FIG. 8 can be used. In this bridge prevention member 19A, a vertical bar 192 and a horizontal bar 193 are formed in a cross shape, and a ring-shaped portion 194 is provided at the upper end of the vertical bar 192. The horizontal bar 193 is provided above the upper end of the funnel 18 and extends beyond the outer periphery of the funnel 18. The rod material constituting the ring-shaped portion 194 and the rod material constituting the ring-shaped hanging tool 191 are passed through each other so as to pass through the other ring. Note that in FIG. 8(a), the ring-shaped portion 194 is viewed from the side, so only the ring of the hanging tool 191 is shown, and in FIG. 8(b), the hanging tool 191 is viewed from the side, so only the ring of the ring-shaped portion 194 is shown. With this configuration, the bridge prevention member 19A is prevented from rotating around the vertical bar 192 by the rod material of the ring of the hanging tool 191. Furthermore, outside the outer periphery of funnel 18, there is provided an abutment portion 195 which is erected on the upper surface of upper mill 111 via foot stand 182, is positioned inside the tip of cross bar 193, and extends upward beyond cross bar 193.

[0058] In a modified example having such bridge prevention member 19A, contact portion 195 rotates together with upper mill 111 and foot stand 182 (FIG. 8(c)). When contact portion 195 contacts one end of horizontal bar 193, the end of horizontal bar 193 on the contact portion 195 side is pushed up, and vertical bar 192 tilts accordingly (FIG. 8(d)). When contact portion 195 passes one end of horizontal bar 193, bridge prevention member 19A returns to its original position. When contact portion 195 contacts the other end of horizontal bar 193, vertical bar 192 tilts in the opposite direction to the left and right of the example shown in FIG. 8(d). In this way, bridge prevention member 19A moves so that vertical bar 192 tilts every time contact portion 195 makes a half turn, and does not move at other times (therefore, bridge prevention member 19A does not rotate). In this way, by keeping the vertical rod 192 in an inclined state without rotating, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a bridging phenomenon in the material to be crushed that rotates together with the upper mill 111 and the funnel 18. Also, if the material to be crushed were to be agitated, it would break into smaller pieces inside the funnel 18, making it easier to pass through the material to be crushed supply passage 114, which could result in a large amount of material to be crushed being supplied to the sliding surface 113 at the same time, which could prevent the material from being sufficiently crushed; however, since the bridge prevention member 19A does not move except when the abutment portion 195 rotates half a turn as described above, the material to be crushed is prevented from being agitated, and the material to be crushed can be sufficiently crushed.

[0059] [Aspects] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above-described exemplary embodiments are illustrative of the following aspects.

[0060] (Item 1) A stone mill according to one aspect of the present invention comprises: a) a millstone comprising a lower mill and an upper mill rotatable relative to the lower mill; b) a millstone fixing base disposed below the lower millstone; c) a tray disposed between the lower mill and the stone mill fixing base so as to be removable and extending outward from the lower mill; d) a rod-shaped lower mill fixing tool at a portion above the receiving tray for fixing the lower mill to the stone mill fixing base; Equipped with.

[0061] (2) The stone mill according to paragraph 2 further comprises the stone mill according to paragraph 1, A storage case that houses the millstone and has a top plate and transparent sides; A supply passage for a material to be crushed penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface of the upper mill; A funnel provided above the upper mill for introducing the material to be ground into the material supply passage; An inlet for the material to be crushed is provided on the top plate directly above the funnel; Equipped with.

[0062] (3) The stone mill according to paragraph 3 is a stone mill according to paragraph 1 or 2, The funnel is fixed to the upper surface of the upper mill with its center aligned with the rotation center of the upper mill, The funnel further includes a rod-shaped anti-bridge member that is non-rotatably inserted into the funnel from above.

[0063] (Item 4) The stone mill according to item 4 is the stone mill according to any one of items 1 to 3, further comprising a powder diffusion prevention plate surrounding the lower mill and inclined inward from the top to the bottom.

[0064] (Item 5) The stone mill according to item 5 is the stone mill according to any one of items 1 to 4, further comprising a motor that rotates the upper mill.

[0065] (6) The stone mill according to paragraph 6 is a stone mill according to paragraph 5, The motor is disposed below the stone fixing base, Furthermore, a powder intrusion prevention member is provided between the stone mill fixing base and the motor.

[0066] (Item 7) The stone mill according to item 7 is the stone mill according to item 5 or 6, further comprising a timer that sets the time for rotating the motor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 10...Electric stone mill 11...Millstone 111…Upper mill 1111...Through hole of upper mill 1112…Protrusion 112…Lower molar 1121…Mandrel 113...Sliding surface 114...Crushing material supply path 12…stone mill fixing stand 121…stone mill fixing part 122... tray placement section 1221...Disc section 1222...Extension part 123…post 124...legs 13…Saucer 14, 14A…lower mill fixing tool 141...rod-shaped part 142…Plate-shaped part 1421...Bolt hole 143…Bolt 15...Upper mill rotation mechanism 151…Motor 152…First gear 153…Second gear 154...Power transmission section 1541...First power transmission member 1542...Second power transmission member 1543…L-shaped part 1544...Connecting parts 1545…Belt 1546, 1547...wheel 16, 16A…Powder diffusion prevention plate 17...Powder fall prevention plate (powder fall prevention member) 171...Powder fall prevention plate hole 18…funnel 182...Step stool 19, 19A…Bridge prevention member 191...Hanging device 192...Vertical bar 193…Horizontal bar 194…Circular section 195...Abutting part 21…Case 210…Upper housing 211…Tabletop 212...Upper side plate 213…Lower side panel 214…Handle 215…Hinge 216...Crushing material inlet 217…Lid 22...Timer 23...Rotation speed setting device 24…Main switch 25...Door sensor 26…Tray sensor

Claims

1. a) a millstone comprising a cylindrical lower mill and a cylindrical upper mill rotatable relative to the lower mill; b) a lower die fixing device having a rod-shaped portion extending outward from a peripheral portion of the lower die; c) a millstone fixing base having a tray mounting portion disposed below the lower mill at a distance from the lower surface of the lower mill and having a size that expands outwardly from the lower mill, and a millstone fixing portion erected on the outer peripheral end of the tray mounting portion and supporting the rod-shaped portion at the tip of the rod-shaped portion; d) a tray disposed in the tray placement section so as to be removable, the tray extending outwardly beyond the lower mill; A stone mill equipped with a milling machine.

2. moreover, A storage case that houses the millstone and has a top plate and transparent sides; A supply passage for a material to be crushed penetrating from the upper surface to the lower surface of the upper mill; A funnel provided above the upper mill for introducing the material to be ground into the material supply passage; An inlet for the material to be crushed is provided on the top plate directly above the funnel; The stone mill of claim 1 , comprising:

3. The funnel is fixed to the upper surface of the upper mill with its center aligned with the rotation center of the upper mill, moreover, A lid attached to the insertion port; A mandrel is provided on the upper surface of the lower mill, is inserted into a through hole passing through the rotation center of the upper mill with a gap between the through hole and the through hole, and has an upper end in the shape of a conical surface. a rod-shaped bridge prevention member suspended from the lid into the funnel so that the lower end of the rod contacts the conical surface of the upper end of the core rod; Equipped with 3. A stone mill according to claim 2.

4. The stone mill according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a powder diffusion prevention plate surrounding the lower mill and inclined inwardly from the top to the bottom.

5. The stone mill according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a motor for rotating the upper mill.

6. The motor is disposed below the stone fixing base, Further, a powder intrusion prevention member is provided between the stone mill fixing base and the motor.

6. A stone mill according to claim 5.

7. 6. The stone mill of claim 5, further comprising a timer for setting the time for which the motor is rotated.

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