Coffee grinder with static electricity ground

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10912418-B2
Application number	US-201715725452-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2017
Priority date	Oct 5, 2017
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

A coffee bean grinder includes a grinding apparatus, a hopper, a receptacle, and an electrical ground contact. The hopper is arranged with respect to the grinding apparatus for feeding coffee beans to the grinding apparatus. The receptacle is for receiving coffee beans that have been ground by the grounding apparatus. The receptacle includes an electrically conductive material and is removable from a location where the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus. The electrical ground contact is electrically connected with ground and is positioned with respect to the grinding apparatus such that when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus, the electrically ground contact contacts the receptacle.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coffee bean grinder comprising:
a grinding apparatus;
a hopper arranged with respect to the grinding apparatus for feeding coffee beans to the grinding apparatus;
a receptacle for receiving coffee beans that have been ground by the grinding apparatus, the receptacle includes an electrically conductive material and is removable from a location where the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus; and
an electrical ground contact electrically connected with ground and positioned with respect to the grinding apparatus such that when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus the electrical ground contact contacts the receptacle,
wherein the receptacle includes a cup made from the electrically conductive material, and the electrical ground contact is positioned to be located at or nearer a top as compared to a bottom of the receptacle such that a side wall of the cup contacts the electrical ground contact when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus.

2. The coffee bean grinder of claim 1 , further comprising a housing in which the grinding apparatus is located, wherein the electrical ground contact is electrically connected with ground via a conductive path that does not conduct electricity through the housing.

3. The coffee bean grinder of claim 1 , wherein the electrical ground contact is made from spring steel and is offset from a ground coffee discharge of the grinding apparatus such that ground coffee beans passing through the ground coffee discharge do not contact the electrical ground contact.

4. The coffee bean grinder of claim 3 , wherein the electrical ground contact is located below the ground coffee discharge.

5. The coffee bean grinder of claim 1 , further comprising a housing in which the grinding apparatus is located,
wherein the housing includes a hood and an alignment feature extending downwardly from the hood, the ground coffee discharge extends through the alignment feature,
wherein the receptacle includes a lid that fits onto the cup and defines a lid opening,
wherein the lid opening is complementary in shape to and receives therein the alignment feature when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus and the side wall of the cup is contacting the electrical ground contact.

6. The coffee bean grinder of claim 5 , further comprising bumps extending downwardly from the hood offset from and adjacent to the alignment feature, wherein the bumps contact the lid when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus and the side wall of the cup is contacting the electrical ground contact.

7. The coffee bean grinder of claim 1 , wherein the receptacle includes a cup, a fin received in the cup and made from the electrically conductive material and a receptacle contact electrically connected with the fin, wherein the receptacle contact contacts the electrical ground contact when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus.

8. A coffee brewing machine in combination with the coffee bean grinder of claim 1 .

9. A coffee bean grinder comprising:
a grinding apparatus including a ground coffee discharge through which ground coffee beans are discharged from the grinding apparatus;
a housing in which the grinding apparatus is located;
a receptacle for receiving coffee beans that have been ground by the grinding apparatus, the receptacle being removable from a location where the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus;
a hopper arranged with respect to the grinding apparatus for feeding coffee beans to the grinding apparatus; and
an electrical ground contact electrically connected with ground, extended outwardly from an external wall of the housing, and positioned offset from and including at least a portion not below the ground coffee discharge such that ground coffee beans passing through the ground coffee discharge do not contact the electrical ground contact and an upper portion of the receptacle contacts the electrical ground contact when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus.

10. The coffee bean grinder of claim 9 , wherein the electrical ground contact is electrically connected with ground via a conductive path that does not conduct electricity through the housing.

11. The coffee bean grinder of claim 9 , wherein the electrical ground contact is made from spring steel and extends below the ground coffee discharge.

12. The coffee bean grinder of claim 9 , wherein the receptacle includes an electrically conductive material and the electrical ground contact is positioned with respect to the grinding apparatus such that when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus the electrical ground contact contacts the electrically conductive material of the receptacle.

13. The coffee bean grinder of claim 12 , wherein the receptacle includes a cup made from the electrically conductive material and a removable lid that fits onto the cup.

14. The coffee bean grinder of claim 13 , wherein the cup contacts the electrical ground contact when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus.

15. The coffee bean grinder of claim 14 , wherein a side wall of the cup contacts the electrical ground contact when the receptacle is arranged to receive ground coffee beans from the grinding apparatus.

Assignees

• Helen Of Troy Ltd

Inventors

• Zernhelt Justin Michael
• Mor Mackenzie
• Juda Daniel Scott

Classifications

• A47J31/58

  Safety devices · CPC title

• A47J42/40 Primary

  relating to discharge, receiving container or the like; Bag clamps, e.g. with means for actuating electric switches · CPC title

• A47J31/002

  following a specific operational sequence, e.g. for improving the taste of the extraction product · CPC title

• A47J42/50

  Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers · CPC title

• A47J42/56

  Safety devices {(for food processors A47J43/075)} · CPC title