GB2496891A - Seasoning mill - Google Patents

Abstract

A seasoning mill includes a receiving unit 1 defining a receiving space 10 for receiving pre-ground seasoning, a coupling shaft 2 extending rotatably in the receiving unit 10, and a cutting unit 3 disposed in the receiving space 10 and including a blade seat 31 and at least one stationary holding seat 32. The blade seat 32 is coupled co-rotatably to the coupling shaft 2 and includes at least one blade member 312 for cutting the pre-ground seasoning. The at least one holding seat 32 is spaced apart from the blade seat 31 and is disposed for holding the pre-ground seasoning when the pre-ground seasoning is being cut. A grinding unit 4 is disposed in the receiving space 10 and under the cutting unit 3 for grinding the cut seasoning. The seasoning mill may comprise a pair of holding seats, one located under and one located over the blade seat; the holding seats being misaligned with one another.

Description

SEASONING MILL

The invention relates toa grinder, more particu].arly to a seasoning mill for cutting and grinding seasonings, such as pepper, salt or chili pepper.

T conventi anal seasoning mill general y includes inner and outer grinding seats. The inner grinding seat is rotatable relative to the outer grinding seaL, such that the pre-grourd seasoning received in the seasoning mill can be ground when being advanced intc a grinding space between the inner arid outer grinding seats.

However, some seasonings, suchasdriedchilipeppers, are difficult to be ground by the aforesaid conventional seasoning mill due to their relatively large pre-ground size. The size of the ground chili, pepper particles may berelativelylarge, orthedriedchtiipeppersmayeven set stuck in the grinding space.

Therefore, the object of the present invention i..s to provide a seasoning mill permitting pre-ground seasoning that is received therein to be cut into relatively small-sized seasoning before being ground.

Accordingly, a seasoning mill of the present invention comprises a hollow receiving unit surrounding an axis and defining a receiving space for receiving pre-ground seasoning, a coupling shaft extending rotatably in the receiving unit along the axis, and a cutting unit disposed in the receiving space and including a blade seat and at least one stationary holding seat. The blade seat is coupJed co-rotatabiI.y to the coup..i ing shaft and includes at. .east one hia de member for cutting the pie-ground seasoning. The at least one holding seat is spaced apart from the blade seat aLong the axis and is disposed for holding the pre-ground seasoning when the pre-ground seasoning is bei ng cut -The seasoning mill further comprises a grinding unit.

disposed in the. receiving space and under the cutting unit for grinding the cut seasoning that is advanced from the cutting unit.

Other features and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments with reforence to the accompanying drawings, of which: Fig, 1 s a fragmentary sectional, view of a first preferred embodiment of a seasoning mill according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an exploded perspectiue view of a cutting unit of Lhe first preferred embodiment; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of a second preferred embodiment of the seasoning mill according to the invention; Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of a cutting unit of the second pref erred embodiment; Fig. S is a fragmentary sectional view or a third preferred embodiment of the seasoning mill according to the invention; and Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a cutting unit of the third preferred embodiment.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should he noted that like elements are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout Lbs

disclosure.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first preferred embodiment of a seasoning mill according to the present invention is adapted for grinding seasonings, such as dried chili peppers, and comprises a hollow receiving unit 1, a coupling shaft 2, a cutting unit 3, a grinding unit 4, and.. an adjusting component 5.

The receiving unit 1.. includes a container body 1.1 and a cover member 12, The container body 11 has a lateral wall ill surrounding an axis (L) . The cover member 12 is coupled rotatably to a top end of the container body 11 and cooperates with the container body 11 to define a receiving space 13 for receiving pre-ground seasoning.

The cover member 12 has a horizontal top wall 121 disposed above the container body 11, a side wall 122 extending downwardly from a periphery of the top wall 121 and coupled rotatably to the container body 11, and an annular coupling wall 123 extending downwardly from a center of the top wall 121 and defining a coupling hole 124. In this embodiment, the coupling hole 124 is a rectangular hole, but may be configured to be other non-circular shapes in other embodiments of thi.s invention.

In thi.s embodiment, the coupling shaft 2 extends rotatably in the receiving unit I along the axis (L) and has a connecting segment 22 that has a rectangular cross-section and that extends fittingly into the coupling hole 124 of the cover member 12, a coupling segment 23 that extends downwardly from the connecting segment 22 and that has a rectangular cross-section, and an adjusting segment 21 that extends upwardly from the connecting segment 22 along the axis (L) and that extendsoutwardlyf.romthecovermemberl2. Theadjusting segment 21 has a circular cross-section and is formed with an external thread.

In this embodiment, the cutting un.i.t 3 is disposed in the receiving space j!Q and includes a blade seat 31 and a pair of holding seats 32. The blade seat 31 includes a blade-mounting member 311 sleeved co-rotatably on the coupling segment 23 of the coupling shaft 2, and a plurality of angularly spaced-apart blade members 312 extending from the blade-mount..tiig member 311 toward the lateral wall 111 of the container body 11. Each of the blade members 312 has an edge portion 313 at one side thereof for cutting the pre-ground seasoning and a back portion 314 at an opposite side thereof.Theedgeportion3l3ofeachOftheblademembers 312 faces ftc back portion 314 of an adjacent one of the blade embers 312. The holding seats 32 are spaced apart from the blade seat 31 along the axis (I), and are disposed fixedly and respectively over and under theblade seat 31. In this embodiment, eachoftheholdiiig seats 32 includes an inner surrounding wail 321 surrounding hut spaced apart -rom the coupling shaft 23 of the coupi. ing shaft 2, an outer surrounding wall 322 surrounding the inner surrounding wall 321 and connected fixedly to the. lateral wal 1 111 of the container body 11, and a pair of supporting walls 323 interconnecting the inner and outer surrounding wails 321, 322 and spaced angularly apart from each other.

In this embodiment, the supporting walls 323 of each of the holding seats 32 extend along an imaginary horizontal, line (N), and the supporting walls 323 of one of.. the hoiding seats 32 are misaligned with the supporting walls 323 of the other one of the holding seats 32 about 180 degrees in an axial direction. The outer surrounding walls 322 of the holding seats 32 are coupled firmly to each other, thereby confining the blade seat 31 therebetween. The outer surrounding walls 322 may be inserted fittingly into the lateral wall ill of he container body 11 or be adhered to an internal surrounding wall of the lateral wall 111, but the attachment between the outer surrounding walls 322 and the lateral wall ill should not be limited thereto.

The grinding unit 4 is disposed in the receiving space and under the cutting unit 3. The grinding unit 4

B

includes an inner grinding seat 41 coupled co-rotatably to the bottom of the connecting segment 22 of the coup) ng shaft 2, arid an outer grinding seat 42 SurroLiriding non-rotatably the inner grinding seat 41 and cooperating with the inner grinding seat 41 to define a grinding space 40 therehetween.

The adjusting component..-5 is connected threadodly to the adjusting segment 21 of the coupling shaft 2, and is operable to drive the coupling shaft 2 and the innergrindingseat4ltomcveaiongtheaxis (L) relative to the outer grinding seat 42 so as to adjust the size of the grinding space 40.

In user the cover member 12 is rotated together with the coupling shaft 2, sc that the blade seat 31 is rotated together with the coupling shaft 2.relative to the holding seats 32. Consequently, the pre-ground seascning (i.e. , the dried chili pepper in this embodiment) received in the receiving space 10 is cut by the blade members 312 into small pieces when passing through the cuLt ing unit 3.l1⁄2fterward, the cut seasoning is advanced from the cutting unit 3 into the grinding space 40, and the cover member 12 is further rotated to rotate the inner grinding seat 41 relative to the outer grinding seat 42 fcr cutting the cut seasoning into small particles orpowder. By employing the cutting unit 3, the pre-ground seasoning can be cut into small pieces before being advanced into the grounding unit 4, thereby alleviating the drawbacks of the abovernentioned conventional seasoning mill.

i'hen the pre-ground seasoning is being cut by the blade members 312, the holding seats 32 can hold the pre-ground seasoning to ensure the completlon of the cutting. In this embodiment, due to the presence of the two holding seat..s 32 with misaligred supporting wails 323, the pre-ground season± ng would be cut twice when being at the space between the upper one of the holding seats 32 and the blade seat 31 and at the space between the blade seat 31 and the lower one of the holding seats 32, respectively. It should be noted that, in othe r embodiments of this invention, the blade seat 31 may have only one blade member 312, and each holding seat 32 may have only one supporting wall 37.3. Moreover, by simply rotating the cover member 12 elative to the containe body 11, the seasoning can he cut by the cutting unit 3 and gr ound by the grinding unit 4, so that the seasoning mill of this invention is convenient to use.

As shown in Figures 3 and, the second preferred embodiment of the seasoningmill according to the present invention has a structure similar to that of the first embodiment. The main difference between this embodiment and the previous embodiment resides in the configuration of the cutting unit 3. In this embodiment, the cutting unit 3 includes a blade seat 31 and only one holding seat 32. The blade seat.31 has only one blade member 312 extending from the blade-mounting seat 311. The holding so at 32 has four supporting walls 323 arranged in a manner t:at an adjacent pair of the supporting walls 323 are spaced angularly apart from each other by about 90 degrees. The second prefer red embodiment has the seine advantages as those t.}e first preferred embodiment.

As shown i.n Figures 5 and 6, thc hird preferred embodiment of these ason ingmill according to the present invention has a structure similar to that of the second preferred embodiment. The main difference between this embodiment and the first preferred embodiment resides in the following.

In this embodiment, the receiving unit 1 includes a container body 1], a base seat 11, and a connecting seat 13. The containerS.body 11 has a. round upper wall 112, and a lateral wall 1.11 extend.. .ng downwardly from a periphery of the upper wall 112 and surrounding the axis (L) -I he connecting seat 13 has a top end that is coupled co-rotatably to the lateral wall 111 of the container body 11 and a bottom end that is opposite to the top end along the axis (L) and that is coupled rotatably to the base seat 14. The connecting seat 13 cooperates with the container body 11 and the base seat 14 to define the receiving space 10. The connecting seat 13 has an annular first seat wall 131 defining a non-circular shaft hole 133, and a steppedannular second seat wall 132 surrounding the first seat wall 131. The coupling shaft 2 extends fittingly through the shaft hole 133 of the connect rig seat 13 so as to be coupled co-rotatably to the connecting seat 13. The cutting unit 3 includes a h ada seat 31 coupled co-rotatahi.y to the coupling shaft 2, and a holding seat 32 having an outer surrounding wall 322 that i s coupled fixedly to the base seat 14 (i.e., the holding seat 32 is nonrotd-table relative to the coupling shalt 2) In use, the container body 11 is rotated together with the coupling shaft 2 and the connecting seat 13 relative to the base seat 14, thereby rotating the blade seat 31 to cut the pre-ground seasoning and operating the grinding unit 4 to grind the cut seasoning. To sum up, the configuration of the seasoning mill may vary in other embodiments of this invention under the conditions that the blade seat 31 and the inner grinding seat 41 are co-rotatable with the coupling shaft 2, and that the outer grinding scat 42 and the holding seat 32 are non-rotatable relative to the coupling shaft 2.