Adjustable Spice Grinder With Flexible Casing and Anti-Stick Ribbings
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grinders for spices and similar products lack adjustable grain-size settings, leading to issues like sticking and inefficient grinding due to stiffening over time, especially when trying to process different types of products with varying sizes.
Innovation Solution
A universal grinding device with adjustable grain-size, featuring a mobile grinder group and a fixed counter-grinder with ribbings of different pitches and heights, allowing for axial movement and snap-locking mechanisms to optimize grinding efficiency and prevent product sticking, using a combination of rigid and flexible plastic materials for the grinder and casing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the grinder is made rigid for stable grinding, then grinding stability is improved, but axial adjustment becomes difficult and the device stiffens over time
Solution Approach 1:
The casing is made of flexible plastic material that allows axial sliding between the grinder and counter-grinder. The flexibility of the casing enables easy adjustment of the grinding gap while maintaining structural integrity during operation, resolving the contradiction between rigid grinding stability and easy axial adjustment.
2Manufacturing precision
If snap-locking mechanism is used for adjustment, then adjustment positioning is improved, but the device may lock into position and become difficult to adjust further
Solution Approach 1:
The snap-locking mechanism is designed to provide stable positioning at discrete adjustment levels while allowing easy transition between positions. The mechanism dynamically switches between locked and unlocked states, providing both precise positioning and ease of re-adjustment when needed.
3Manufacturing precision
If the grinding surfaces are spaced to create a gap, then grain-size control is improved, but smaller or bigger pieces may become stuck between the teeth
Solution Approach 1:
The grinding cone features non-uniform ribbings with varying pitch and height along its surface. The ribbings have smaller pitch and height near the base and larger pitch and height toward the top, creating different local grinding characteristics that prevent pieces of various sizes from getting stuck while maintaining precise grain-size control.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables flexible adjustment of grain-size for various products, preventing sticking and maintaining ease of use by ensuring smooth axial sliding and preventing product obstruction, allowing for efficient grinding and easy adjustment of the grinding device.
Implementation Method 1
the grinding occurs through friction between a fixed part and a mobile part. The two parts have, on the respective contact surfaces, a toothing or corrugations with a sharp edge that are intended to grind a product through friction
Implementation Method 2
the casing (5) is made from a substantially flexible material, also in this case preferably a plastic material
Implementation Method 3
the openings 10 are arranged on a step portion 17 of the surface of the disc 6
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The present invention concerns a grinding device for products that can be ground, such as spices and dry flavourings, dried mushrooms, chocolate, coffee and the like. In particular the present invention concerns a grinding device comprising a mobile grinder group (1) having openings (10) for dispensing a ground product and a fixed counter-grinder (2) having a central hole the surface of which comprises a grinding surface, wherein the grinder group (1) comprises a casing (5) and a grinder (4) which can be fixedly coupled, said grinder (4) having a grinding surface that is inserted inside the central hole of the counter-grinder (2) and that cooperates with the opposing grinding surface of the counter-grinder (2) when grinding a product, said grinder group (1) being arranged straddling said counter-grinder (2) with the casing (5) being arranged outside the counter-grinder (2), and in which the casing (5) can rotate with respect to the counter-grinder (2) and is axially mobile with respect to the counter-grinder (2) between two or more reciprocal adjustment positions, characterised in that the grinder (4) and the counter-grinder (2) are made in a substantially rigid material and the casing (5) is made from a substantially flexible material.