Food waste disposer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496589-B2
Application number	US-202318323322-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 24, 2023
Priority date	Jul 6, 2022
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

A food waste disposer includes: a housing; a grinding case positioned inside the housing, configured to grind food waste, and separable from the housing, wherein a discharge hole is formed in a bottom of the grinding case; a valve assembly coupled to the grinding case below the discharge hole and configured to open or close the discharge hole, the valve assembly protruding below the grinding case; a storage case positioned below the grinding case and configured to store the grinded food waste from the grinding case; a transfer tube positioned between the valve assembly and the storage case and configured to transfer the grinded food waste from the grinding case to the storage case; and a connector coupled to the transfer tube, wherein a shape of the connector is deformable upon the valve assembly resting on the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A food waste disposer comprising:
a housing; a grinding case positioned inside the housing, configured to grind food waste, and separable from the housing, wherein a discharge hole is formed in a bottom of the grinding case; a valve assembly coupled to the grinding case below the discharge hole and configured to open or close the discharge hole, the valve assembly protruding below the grinding case; a storage case positioned below the grinding case and configured to store the grinded food waste from the grinding case; a transfer tube positioned between the valve assembly and the storage case and configured to transfer the grinded food waste from the grinding case to the storage case; and a connector coupled to the transfer tube, wherein a shape of the connector is deformable upon the valve assembly resting on the connector.

2 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises a sealing flange extending from an inner surface of the connector toward the transfer tube.

3 . The food waste disposer of claim 2 , wherein the transfer tube comprises:
a transfer body forming a space through which the grinded food waste is transferred; and a transfer end portion formed at an upper portion of the transfer body and in contact with the sealing flange of the connector.

4 . The food waste disposer of claim 3 , wherein the connector comprises a transfer tube inserting groove formed between the inner surface of the connector and the sealing flange.

5 . The food waste disposer of claim 4 , wherein upon installation of the grinding case in the housing, the shape of the connector is deformed so that the transfer end portion of the transfer tube is inserted into the transfer tube inserting groove.

6 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises:
an upper body extending at an incline so that the valve assembly rests on the upper body; a lower body extending downward from the upper body and surrounding a portion of the transfer tube; and a sealing flange extending toward an inner surface of the transfer tube from a portion at which the upper body is connected to the lower body.

7 . The food waste disposer of claim 6 , wherein the sealing flange moves to an inside of the transfer tube according to the valve assembly compressing the upper body.

8 . The food waste disposer of claim 7 , wherein the lower body comprises a transfer tube cover portion configured to bend outward in a radial direction of the transfer tube according to the valve assembly compressing the upper body.

9 . The food waste disposer of claim 8 , wherein the lower body further comprises a fixing portion connected to the transfer tube cover portion and fixed in position with respect to the transfer tube by inserting a portion of the transfer tube in the fixing portion.

10 . The food waste disposer of claim 6 , wherein the upper body comprises:
a valve resting portion in contact with the valve assembly; and a valve cover portion extending outward from the valve resting portion.

11 . The food waste disposer of claim 10 , wherein the valve resting portion comprises:
a first inclined surface extending with a first angle with respect to an installation surface; and a second inclined surface extending with a second angle with respect to the installation surface, wherein the second angle is different from the first angle.

12 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , further comprising a storage including a storage cover configured to selectively cover an open upper side of the storage case.

13 . The food waste disposer of claim 12 , wherein the transfer tube comprises:
a transfer body forming a space through which food waste is transferred; a connector installing portion extending outward in a radial direction from the transfer body so that the connector is inserted in the connector installing portion; and a cover sealing portion accommodated inside the storage cover and extending outward in the radial direction from the transfer body at a lower location than the connector installing portion to seal a gap with the storage cover.

14 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein the connector includes a silicon material.

15 . The food waste disposer of claim 1 , wherein a height of the connector changes along an up-down direction.

16 . A food waste disposer comprising:
a housing; a processor configured to treat food waste and separable from inside of the housing; a storage positioned below the processor inside the housing and configured to store the treated food waste from the processor; a transfer tube of which one side is coupled to the storage, wherein the transfer tube is fixed between the processor and the storage; and a connector coupled to an upper portion of the transfer tube and configured to guide the treated food waste in the processor to the transfer tube, wherein upon installation of the processor in the housing, the connector is pressed downward by the processor and a shape of the connector is deformed such that a portion of the connector is inserted in a transfer end portion of the transfer tube.

17 . The food waste disposer of claim 16 , further comprising:
a sealing flange extending from an inner surface of the connector toward the transfer tube and accommodatable inside the transfer tube.

18 . The food waste disposed of claim 16 , wherein the connector may include an upper body formed at an incline such that a portion of the processor rests on the upper body, and a lower body extending downward from the upper body to cover an outer surface of the transfer tube, the lower body bendable outward in a radial direction of the transfer tube.

19 . A food waste disposer comprising:
a housing; a processor configured to treat food waste and separable from an inside of the housing; a storage positioned below the processor inside of the housing and configured to store the grinded food waste from the processor; a transfer tube of which a lower portion is coupled to the storage, the transfer tube positioned between the processor and the storage; and a connector coupled to an upper portion of the transfer tube and connecting the processor to the transfer tube, wherein a shape of the connector is deformable, wherein the connector includes:
an upper body on which the processor rests;
a lower body extending downward from the upper body to cover an outer surface of the transfer tube and bendable outward in a radial direction of the transfer tube; and
a sealing flange extending from an inner surface of the lower body toward inside of the transfer tube.

20 . The food waste disposer of claim 16 , further comprising:
a transfer tube inserting groove formed between the sealing flange and the lower body.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Kim Daegeon
• Park Namsoo
• Kim Kyoungmok
• Seo Wonyoung

Classifications

• B02C18/0084

  specially adapted for disintegrating garbage, waste or sewage · CPC title

• Y02W30/40

  Bio-organic fraction processing; Production of fertilisers from the organic fraction of waste or refuse · CPC title

• B02C2201/06

  for garbage, waste or sewage · CPC title

• B02C2201/063

  for waste water or sewage · CPC title

• Y02W30/52

  Mechanical processing of waste for the recovery of materials, e.g. crushing, shredding, separation or disassembly · CPC title