Spice Mill Grinder Blocking Element for Rotor Displacement Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Ceramic grinders in spice mills are prone to manufacturing variations, leading to rotor detachment and reduced functionality due to mismatched dimensions, which existing designs struggle to accommodate without compromising assembly or performance.
Innovation Solution
A frictional connection between the rotor and connecting element, with a blocking element on the rotor housing side that prevents excessive displacement towards the inlet side, allowing for precise positioning and maintaining functionality despite manufacturing variations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-generated harmful factors
If ceramic components are used to avoid plastic abrasion, then grinding performance and aroma preservation are improved, but manufacturing variations increase leading to rotor detachment and functional degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a blocking element that acts as a safety mechanism before the rotor can detach completely. This element limits the displacement of the rotor towards the inlet side, preventing the grinding gap from narrowing too much and maintaining functionality even when manufacturing variations cause initial detachment. The blocking element provides a buffer zone that accommodates dimensional inconsistencies while preventing catastrophic failure.
2Reliability
If centring and latching lugs are designed to be wide to accommodate manufacturing variations, then rotor retention is improved, but the design becomes incompatible with rotors having narrow through-passage holes
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking element serves as an intermediary component between the rotor and the housing. Instead of modifying the rotor or connecting element to accommodate variations, the blocking element mediates the interaction by providing a limiting surface that works with various rotor designs. This intermediary approach allows the same housing design to work with different rotor types including those with narrow through-passage holes.
3Ease of manufacture
If the rotor is allowed to displace due to manufacturing variations, then assembly tolerance is improved, but the grinding gap narrows and functionality is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The blocking element implements preliminary anti-action by preventing the harmful effect of excessive rotor displacement before it occurs. When the rotor displaces towards the inlet side due to manufacturing variations, the blocking element immediately counteracts this displacement by providing a physical barrier. This preliminary protection ensures that the grinding gap does not narrow to the point of functional loss, maintaining reliability while allowing reasonable assembly tolerance.
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 ensures the grinder remains functional even with rotor displacement, accommodating manufacturing variations and maintaining grinding performance by limiting rotor movement and preventing permanent contact with the stator, thus reducing abrasion and maintaining aroma preservation.
Implementation Method 1
the connecting element and the rotor are frictionally connected
Data Source
AI summary
A grinder for a spice mill, in particular a hand-operated spice mill, having an inlet side for entry of unground grinding stock and an outlet side for the exit of ground grinding stock, including a rotor, a stator interacting with the rotor and a housing at least partially surrounding the rotor and/or stator. The housing includes a stator housing part, which is substantially rotationally fixedly connected to the stator, and a rotor housing part which is rotatable relative to the stator housing part and is substantially rotationally fixedly connected to the rotor via a connecting element. The connecting element is at least partially received in a recess in the rotor, and the connecting elements and the rotor are frictionally connected. The housing has, on a side of the rotor facing the inlet side, a blocking element which blocks displacement of the rotor in the direction of the inlet side.