Coffee grinder with selectable grinding parameters

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12507829-B2
Application number	US-202318238224-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2023
Priority date	Aug 25, 2023
Publication date	Dec 30, 2025
Grant date	Dec 30, 2025

Abstract

A grinding device includes: a housing that includes a sidewall; a grinding bowl within the housing; a cover that mates with one of the housing and the grinding bowl, wherein the cover together with the grinding bowl defines a grinding chamber; a blade positioned within the grinding chamber; a motor, positioned within the housing, operatively connected with and configured to rotate the blade; and a dial generally radially aligned with the sidewall of the housing, wherein the dial is configured to control at least one operational parameter of the motor; and wherein the dial rotates around a substantially vertical axis.

First claim

That which is claimed is:

1 . A grinding device comprising:
a housing that includes a sidewall; a grinding bowl within the housing; a cover that mates with one of the housing and the grinding bowl, wherein the cover together with the grinding bowl defines a grinding chamber; a blade positioned within the grinding chamber; a motor, positioned within the housing, operatively connected with and configured to rotate the blade; a dial radially aligned with the sidewall of the housing, wherein the dial is configured to control at least one operational parameter of the motor; and wherein the dial rotates around a vertical axis.

2 . The grinding device of claim 1 , further comprising a control unit, wherein the control unit is connected to the dial and the motor.

3 . The grinding device of claim 1 , wherein the at least one operational parameter comprises at least two operational parameters, and wherein the dial is configured to provide physical and/or auditory feedback to a user to indicate that the dial has rotated from one operational parameter to another operational parameter of the at least two operational parameters.

4 . The grinding device of claim 3 , further comprising a spring-operated plunger mounted within the housing that engages the dial.

5 . The grinding device of claim 1 , further comprising a deactivation feature that disengages the motor when the cover is not mated with one of the housing and the grinding bowl.

6 . The grinding device of claim 5 , wherein the deactivation feature is a switch operatively connected with the motor and configured to actuate when the cover is mated with one of the housing and the grinding bowl.

7 . The grinding device of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter being controlled by the dial is a grinding duration.

8 . The grinding device of claim 1 , wherein the operational parameter being controlled by the dial is a blade rotation speed.

9 . The grinding device of claim 1 , wherein the dial and the housing are configured with external indicia to indicate the at least one operational parameter of the motor.

10 . The grinding device of claim 9 , wherein the indicia indicate a number of cups of beans in the grinding chamber and a desired coarseness.

11 . The grinding device of claim 1 , wherein at least the grinding chamber defines a moveable unit, and wherein the moveable unit is configured to move vertically between (a) a depressed position, in which the moveable unit is closer to a base of the housing, and (b) a raised position, in which the moveable unit is farther from the base of the housing.

12 . The grinding device of claim 11 , further comprising a switch, wherein the switch is operatively connected with the motor, wherein the movement of the moveable unit actuates the switch to operate the motor.

Assignees

• Hamilton Beach Brands Inc

Inventors

• Romandy Mark
• Diaz Paul

Classifications

• A47J42/28

  Beaters or knives · CPC title

• A47J42/26

  mechanically driven · CPC title

• A47J42/56 Primary

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

• A47J42/46 Primary

  Driving mechanisms; Coupling to drives · CPC title

• A47J42/50

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