Grinder-doser for beans, for example coffee beans, with a device for adjusting the grinding granulometry
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grinder-dosers face challenges in achieving precise granulometry adjustments due to axial sliding friction and incomplete guidance of the movable grinder, leading to imprecision in grinding settings, especially when adjusting away from the upper grinder.
Innovation Solution
A coffee grinder-doser design featuring a lever with a second hinge that allows controlled axial movement of the movable grinder in both directions, preventing axial sliding friction and ensuring precise adjustment of the grinding granulometry, while maintaining a constructively simple and easy-to-operate mechanism.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If a lever is used to guide the movable grinder axially, then the adjustment system is constructively simple and easy to operate, but axial sliding friction occurs and the grinder is not actively guided when moving away from the upper grinder
Solution Approach 1:
A second hinge is introduced as an intermediary element between the lever and the movable grinder. This hinge acts as a mediator that transforms the lever's oscillating motion into precise axial guidance of the grinder, eliminating sliding friction while maintaining the simplicity of the lever-based adjustment mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The lever is designed to actively guide the grinder in both directions of axial movement, rather than relying on passive gravity-based return. By providing active guidance for both approaching and retracting motions, the system exceeds the minimum requirement of one-directional control, ensuring precision throughout the entire adjustment range.
2Ease of repair
If the adjustment system is arranged outside the containment body, then maintenance is easier, but the lever cannot actively guide the grinder when moving away from the upper grinder
Solution Approach 1:
The second hinge serves as an external intermediary mechanism that converts the lever's oscillating motion into precise axial guidance. This external hinge maintains the simplicity and maintainability of the external adjustment system while adding the necessary active guidance capability in both directions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If axial sliding friction occurs during grinder movement, then the lever can be freely oriented, but the lowering of the grinder is slowed down and positioning precision is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The second hinge acts as a kinetic intermediary that decouples the lever's rotational freedom from the grinder's axial motion. It allows the lever to oscillate freely while ensuring the grinder moves precisely along the axial direction without friction, separating the degrees of freedom appropriately.
Data Source
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AI summary
A grinder-doser (1) for beans, for example coffee beans, comprising a body (10) which encloses a first grinder (11) supported by a relative first grinder-holder (21), and a second grinder (12) supported by a relative second grinder-holder (22). The first and second grinders (11,12) are facing one to the other along an axial direction (X-X) and are housed in a grinding chamber (13) for coffee beans. One of said grinders (12) is movable along the axial direction (X-X) with respect to the other grinder (11). The grinder-doser (1) comprises an adjustment device (40) of the relative axial distance (D) between said first and second grinders (11,12). In turn, the adjustment device (40) comprises a control element (41) which is supported by said body (10) in a position offset from said axial direction (X-X) and is kinematically connected to the axially movable grinder (12) by means of a lever (70) pivoted on said body (10) to impose on said axially movable grinder (12) controlled movements along said axial direction (X-X) so as to adjust the relative axial distance (D) between said first and second grinders (11,12). The lever (70) is kinematically connected to said control element by means of a first hinge (71) and is kinematically connected to said axially movable grinder (12) by means of a second hinge (72). The rotation axes (Y1-Y1; Y2-Y2) of said first and second hinges (71,72) are parallel to the fulcrum axis (Y-Y) of said lever (70).