Grinder for grinding material to be ground
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing grinders for grinding coffee beans face challenges in maintaining reliable sealing against splinters when changing the degree of grinding, as elastic sealing sleeves can deform and create gaps, while rigid sleeves lead to complex constructions and mechanical stress.
Innovation Solution
A grinder design featuring a sealing collar with a first annular section stationary relative to the container, a second annular section connected via an elastically deformable spring element, ensuring consistent contact and preventing splinters from escaping, even when the grinding tool position is changed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a rigid sealing sleeve is used to maintain structural integrity, then the sealing structure is simplified, but the sealing sleeve cannot adapt to position changes of the grinding tool creating gaps
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing sleeve is divided into a rigid first annular section for structural support and a flexible second annular section for adaptation to position changes. This segmentation achieves both structural integrity and adaptability without requiring a completely complex design.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing sleeve employs different material qualities in different sections: rigid material in the first section for structural stability and flexible material in the second section for adaptability. This local quality differentiation provides both simplicity and functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the second grinding tool is made axially movable to change grinding gap dimensions, then the degree of grind can be adjusted, but gaps form between the sealing sleeve and container allowing particles to escape
Solution Approach 1:
The sealing sleeve is segmented into rigid and flexible sections that work together to maintain sealing during axial movement of the grinding tool, preventing particle escape while allowing grind size adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The sealing sleeve uses rigid material in the first section to maintain sealing contact with the container during grinding tool movement, while the flexible second section accommodates the position changes, thus preventing particle escape while enabling adjustability.
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
The solution provides reliable sealing against coffee bean splinters across varying grinding degrees without complex constructions or mechanical stress, ensuring efficient and consistent operation.
Implementation Method 1
at least one connecting section (43) which extends between the first annular section (41) and the second annular section (42) and is connected to both the first annular section (41) and the second annular section (42), wherein the at least one connecting section (43) is designed as an elastically deformable spring element
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
The grinder (1) comprises: a container (30) having a discharge opening (30-1) for material to be ground; a first grinding tool (11) and a second grinding tool (14), wherein the first grinding tool (11) can be rotated relative to the second grinding tool (14) about an axis of rotation (R) such that material to be ground can be crushed in a grinding gap (20) between the first grinding tool (11) and the second grinding tool (14), wherein the second grinding tool (14) has an inlet channel (14-1) which is limited by a wall section (16A) extending around the axis of rotation (R) and via which material to be ground can be supplied into the grinding gap (20), wherein the second grinding tool (14) can be moved relative to the first grinding tool (11) axially to the axis of rotation (R); and a collar seal (40) arranged between the container (30) and the second grinding tool (14) and having a through-channel (40A) via which material to be ground can fall out of the container (30) into the inlet channel (14-1) of the second grinding tool (14). The collar seal is arranged stationarily relative to the container (30) in such a way that a first annular section (41) of the collar seal, which limits the through-channel (40A), is in contact with the container (30) and has an overlapping region (U) with the wall section (16A) of the second grinding tool (14) in the direction of the axis of rotation (R). The collar seal comprises a second annular section (42) which is connected to the first annular section (41) via at least one connection section (43) designed as an elastically deformable spring element, and which is supported on a contact surface (AF).