ADJUSTABLE SPICE MILL

Abstract

A spice mill having a container and having a grinder which includes a stator connected to the container, in which a position of the stator, when connected, is substantially defined in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the grinder relative to the container; an actuator, which has a rotor arranged at least in portions within the stator and is mounted rotatably relative to the stator. The rotor is connected for conjoint rotation to an actuating element and the actuating element is rotatably connected to an adjusting element and is secured in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The adjusting element has a thread by which it can be connected to the container such that the position of the rotor is adjustable in the direction of the longitudinal axis by a rotation of the adjusting element relative to the container.

Claims

1. A spice mill with a container and with a grinder, which comprises the following: a stator, wherein the stator can be connected to the container, and the position of the stator in the connected state is substantially defined in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the grinder relative to the container, an actuator, which comprises a rotor, wherein the rotor, at least in sections, is arranged within the stator, and is mounted rotatably relative to the stator, wherein the rotor is connected to an actuating element for conjoint rotation, wherein, the actuating element is rotatably connected to an adjusting element and is secured in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the adjusting element comprises a thread, with which it can be connected to the container, and the container comprises a mating thread for the thread of the adjusting element, such that the position of the rotor in the direction of the longitudinal axis can be adjusted by rotation of the adjusting element relative to the container.

2. (canceled)

3. The spice mill according to claim 1, wherein, the adjusting element and the container comprise interacting anti-reverse rotation elements, such that an adjusting element screwed onto the container cannot be detached from the container without being destroyed.

4. The spice mill according to claim 3, wherein, the container has, as an anti-reverse rotation element, a ramp-shaped projection with a run-up surface and a balking surface, and the adjusting element comprises, as an anti-reverse rotation element, a spring element projecting in the direction of the container, wherein when the adjusting element is screwed onto the container, the spring element is elastically deformed over the run-up surface, and slides over the projection, such that the spring element bears against the balking surface in a balking manner in the event of a rotational movement counter to the screwing-on direction.

5. The spice mill according to claim 1, wherein, the adjusting element comprises, on an inner face, at least one cam projecting inwards in the direction of the container.

6. The spice mill according to claim 5, wherein, at least one outwardly projecting cam, preferably directly adjoining a flank of the mating thread, is provided on an outer face of the container.

7. The spice mill according to claim 6, wherein, at least two cams are provided on an outer face of the container, arranged spaced apart from each other in the screwing-on direction.

8. The spice mill according to claim 6, wherein, the at least one cam of the adjusting element bears against a cam of the container in a first rotational orientation of the adjusting element, wherein when an increased rotational force is applied, the adjusting element is elastically deformable, such that the cam of the adjusting element can be moved over the cam of the container.

9. The spice mill according to claim 6, wherein, in a second rotational orientation of the adjusting element, the cam of the adjusting element bears against the second cam of the container and the anti-reverse rotation elements bear against each other.

10. The spice mill according to claim 6, wherein, the container and the adjusting element each comprise a pair of cams associated with a rotational orientation, wherein cams of the container and the adjusting element, in each ease arranged diametrically opposed, interact.

11. The spice mill according to claim 1, wherein, the container comprises a circumferential snap-on groove, in an upper end section adjacent to an upper container opening.

11. The spice mill according to claim 11, wherein, the stator preferably comprises a plurality of snap-on hooks, distributed over the circumference, for purposes of connection to the snap-on groove of the container.

13. The spice mill according to claim 1, wherein, adjacent to the upper container opening, the container preferably comprises a plurality of projections, distributed over the circumference.

14. The spice mill according to claim 13, wherein, the stator preferably comprises a plurality of projections, distributed over the circumference, for purposes of interaction with the projections of the container.

15. A grinder for a spice mill according to claim 1, with a stator, wherein the stator can be connected to a container, and the position of the stator in the connected state is substantially defined in the direction of a longitudinal axis of the grinder relative to the container, and with an actuator, which comprises a rotor, wherein the rotor, at least in sections, is arranged within the stator, and is mounted rotatably relative to the stator, wherein the rotor is connected to an actuating element for conjoint rotation, wherein, the actuating element is rotatably connected to an adjusting element, and is secured in the direction of the longitudinal axis, wherein the adjusting element comprises a thread, with which it can be connected to the container, and the container has a mating thread for the thread of the adjusting element, such that the position of the rotor in the direction of the longitudinal axis can be adjusted by rotation of the adjusting element relative to the container.

16. The grinder according to claim 15, wherein, the adjusting element and the actuating element are connected to each other by way of a tongue-groove connection.

Description

[0028] In what follows, a particular form of embodiment of the invention is described in detail with reference to figures, wherein the invention is not intended to be limited to this form of embodiment.

[0029] FIG. 1 shows schematically a sectional view of a form of embodiment of a grinder in accordance with the invention.

[0030] FIG. 2 shows schematically, in a side view, a form of embodiment of the upper section of container of a spice mill in accordance with the invention.

[0031] FIG. 3 shows schematically, in an oblique view from below, the form of embodiment in accordance with FIG. 1.

[0032] FIG. 4 shows schematically, in a plan view, a stator and an adjusting element of a grinder in accordance with the invention.

[0033] FIG. 5 shows schematically, in a sectional view, a form of embodiment of a spice mill in accordance with the invention, in the “fine” fineness of grinding.

[0034] FIG. 6 shows schematically, in a sectional view, a form of embodiment of the spice mill in accordance with the invention, in the “coarse” fineness of grinding.

[0035] FIG. 7 shows schematically a sectional view transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spice mill in accordance with the invention at the level of the cams, in the “fine” fineness of grinding.

[0036] FIG. 8 shows a schematically a sectional view transverse to the longitudinal axis of the spice mill in accordance with the invention at the level of the cams, in the “coarse” fineness of grinding.

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a grinder 1 of a spice mill 2 (FIGS. 5, 6), which comprises an adjusting element 3, an actuating unit 4, which includes a rotor 5 and an actuating element 4a, and a stator 6. The rotor 5 is fixedly connected to, or integrally designed with, the actuating element 4a, such that a movement of the actuating element 4a is transferred directly onto the rotor 5. A cover 7 is placed on the actuating unit 4, which can be removed in a simple manner from the actuating unit 4 when the latter is in use.

[0038] The adjusting element 3 comprises a thread 8, with which it can be screwed onto a container 9 (FIG. 2). Furthermore, cams 10 and anti-reverse rotation elements 11 are attached to an inner surface of a substantially cylindrical jacket section of the adjusting element 3, wherein only one cam 10 and one anti-reverse rotation element 11 are visible in the view shown.

[0039] The adjusting element 3 is connected to the actuating unit 4 by way of a tongue-groove connection 12, such that these can rotate and are securely connected to each other in the direction of a longitudinal axis 18. By a rotation of the adjusting element 3 on the container 9, its position alters in the direction of the longitudinal axis 18, that is to say, in the axial direction. This alteration in position in the axial direction is transferred by way of the tongue-groove connection 12 onto the actuating element 4a, and thus onto the rotor 5.

[0040] The stator 6 preferably comprises a plurality of snap-on hooks 13 arranged in a distributed manner over the circumference, for purposes of connecting to a snap-on groove 14 of the container 9. By means of the snap-on hooks 13, the stator 6 is connected to the container 9 in a substantially axially-immovable manner. In order to prevent rotation of the stator 6 on the container 9, projections 15 are provided, which interact with projections 16 of the container (FIG. 2), and thus limit a rotational movement of the stator 6 relative to the container 9.

[0041] A grinding gap 17 is formed between the stator 6 and the rotor 5. Since the stator 6 is connected to the container 9 by way of the snap-on hooks 13 in a substantially immovable manner in the direction of the longitudinal axis 18, a relative movement occurs between the rotor 5 and the stator 6 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 18 when the adjusting element 3 is rotated. By virtue of the conical shape of the rotor 5, the relative axial movement between the rotor 5 and the stator 6 results in an alteration in the width of the grinding gap 17, and thus in the fineness of grinding.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows the upper section of the container 9, in which projections 16 are arranged adjacent to the upper container opening, and are distributed over the circumference. In the form of embodiment shown, there are four such projections 16 present, while only three are visible. Below the projections 16, the container 9 comprises a circumferential snap-on groove 14, which is provided for purposes of connecting to the snap-on hooks 13, of which a plurality are preferably arranged in a distributed manner over the circumference of the stator 6. Below the snap-on groove 14, the container 9 has a mating thread 8a, which is provided for purposes of screwing on the adjusting element 3 by way of the thread 8, and for purposes of adjusting the fineness of grinding by way of the adjusting element 3.

[0043] Below the mating thread 8a are arranged an anti-reverse rotation element 19 of the container 9, a first cam 20 and a second cam 21. As can be seen in FIG. 2, the anti-reverse rotation element 19, the first cam 20, and the second cam 21, are directly adjacent to the lower flank of the mating thread 8a of the container 9. The anti-reverse rotation element 19 of the container 9 is designed as a ramp-shaped projection 19a, with a run-up surface 19b and a balking surface 19c.

[0044] FIG. 3 shows the grinder 1 obliquely from below. The cover 7 is placed on top of the actuating unit 4. The actuating unit 4 is connected to the adjusting element 3 by way of the tongue-groove connection 12 shown in FIG. 1. On the inner face of the adjusting element 3 can be seen the cam 10, the thread 8, and the anti-reverse rotation element 11, which is designed as a spring element 22 projecting in the direction of the container 9. When the adjusting element 3 is screwed onto the container 9, the spring element 22 is elastically deformed by way of the run-up surface 19b, and slides over the projection 19a of the anti-reverse rotation element 19 of the container 9 (see FIGS. 2, 7 and 8). In the connected state of the adjusting element 3 and the container 9, the spring element 22 bears against the balking surface 19c in a balking manner in the course of a rotational movement counter to the screwing-on direction.

[0045] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the stator 6 and the adjusting element 3. In this form of embodiment, the adjusting element 3 and the stator 6 are produced as a connected part. Here the connection is made by way of four thin-walled connecting elements 23, designed with predetermined fracture points, which here are arranged in a regularly distributed manner over the circumference. In the course of assembly on the container 9, these connecting elements 23 fracture, and the stator 6 and the adjusting element 3 are separated from each other.

[0046] FIG. 5 shows an upper section of the form of embodiment of the spice mill 2 from the preceding figures, consisting of the grinder 1 and the container 9 in the “fine” grinding position, wherein only some sections of the container 9 are shown, and in the lower section, which is not shown, the jacket surface continues in the conventional manner and opens into a closed bottom surface.

[0047] A comparison of the views of FIG. 5 and FIG. 6 illustrates in particular the interaction of the adjusting element 3 of the grinder 1 with the container 9. The stator 6 is secured against axial movement relative to the container 9 by snap-on hooks 13 which engage in the snap-on groove 14 of the container 9. The snap-on hooks 13 are designed as L-shaped elements, wherein a projection 13a directed in the direction of the container 9 engages in the snap-on groove 14 in each case. Furthermore, the engagement of the thread 8 of the adjusting element 3 in the mating thread 8a of the container 9 can be seen. FIG. 5 also shows a sectional view of the cams 10 of the adjusting element 3, which are located between the run-up surfaces 19b and the first cams 20 of the container 9.

[0048] FIG. 6 shows the spice mill 2 from FIG. 5 in the “coarse” grinding position. In comparison to the illustration in FIG. 5 the adjusting element 3 is rotated and is located in a higher position by the distance 24. By the coupling of the axial movement of the adjusting element 3 and the actuating element 4a, the actuating unit 4, and thus also the rotor 5, are similarly raised by the distance 24. By virtue of the substantially immovable connection of the stator 6 to the container 9 in the direction of the longitudinal axis 18, the stator 6 remains in its position and the grinding gap 17 increases.

[0049] FIGS. 7 and 8 show a sectional view transverse to the longitudinal axis 18 at the height of the cams 10, 20, 21 and the adjusting elements 11, 19, through the container 9 and the adjusting element 3.

[0050] FIG. 7 shows the sectional view of the mill 2 in the “fine” grinding position. It can be seen that the cams 10 of the adjusting element 3 are latched in place between the first cams 20 and the anti-reverse rotation elements 19 of the container 9. In order to move the cams 10 out of this position, an increased rotational force is required. In FIG. 7, the design of the anti-reverse rotation element 11 can also be recognised as a spring element 22 projecting in the direction of the container. In the course of assembly, the spring element 22 is elastically deformed by the cams 20, 21 and the anti-reverse rotation element 19, and can thus pass the latter. In a similar manner to the anti-reverse rotation element 19 on the container 9, the spring element 22 comprises a run-up surface 22a and a balking surface 22b. This makes it possible to unscrew the adjusting element 3 from the container 9 only to the extent until the balking surfaces 19c, 22b make contact with each other.

[0051] FIG. 8 shows the sectional view of the mill 2 transverse to the longitudinal axis 18 in the “coarse” grinding position. Here the balking surfaces 19c, 22b of the anti-reverse rotation elements 19, 11 of the container 9 and the adjusting element 3 are in contact, such that no further unscrewing of the adjusting element 3 is possible. Here the cams 10 of the adjusting element 3 are in contact with the second cams 21 of the container, such that for a rotation of the adjusting element 3 in the direction of the “fine” grinding position in FIG. 7, an increased rotational force must be applied until the cams 10 snap over the cams 21. In this manner, the adjusting element 3 is arranged in a defined position on the container 9.