Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02279079 1999-07-28
PEP~Ph<.R MILL,
The present invention relates to an improved pepper mill having a grinding
member with spiral teeth and an engaging ring having spiral teeth in the
inside
thereof so as to improve the feature of milling the pepper.
A conventional pepper mill is shown in Fig. 5 and includes a bottle 51 with
a cap 52 connected to the top of the bottle 51 and an open bottom. A stick 61
is
connected to a grinding member 62 which is enclosed by an engaging ring 63.
The
engaging ring 63 is engaged in the open bottom of the bottle 51 and a base
member
72 supports the engaging ring 63. The base member 72 is secured in the open
bottom
of the bottle 51 so that the engaging ring 63 and the grinding member 62 will
not
drop from the bottom of the bottle 61. A spring 73 is mounted to the stick 61
and
retained by a cap 71 mounted to the stick 61 so that the grinding member 62
can be
adjusted the gap relative to the base member 72. The stick 61 extends through
the
cap 52 and fixedly connected to a knob 53. Therefore, the gap mentioned above
can
be adjusted by rotating the knob 53. The grinding member 62 is rotated with
the
stick 61 by rotating the cap 52 on the top of the bottle 51 and the ground
peppers
drop from the bottom of the bottle 51. The grinding member 62 generally is
made of
metal material such as steel which can be used for a long time and does not be
worn
quickly. Nevertheless, the metal has to' be treated with different processes
to obtain
the shape and feature as desired so that the manufacturing cost is high. Of
more
importance is that the metal will be affected by humidity and the salt mixed
in the
peppers.
The present invention intends to provide an improved pepper mill wherein
the grinding member and the engaging ring each have spiral teeth so as to
obtain a
better grinding or milling feature. The grinding member and the engaging ring
are
CA 02279079 1999-07-28
both made of ceramic and are protected by a protection ring so that the life
of usage
of the pepper mill can be prolonged.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a
pepper mill comprising a bottle having a cap connected to the first end
thereof and
the bottle having an open second end. A grinding member is received in the
open
second end of the bottle and has spiral teeth defined in the outside of the
grinding
member which is enclosed by an engaging ring having spiral teeth defined in
the
inside thereof. A protection ring encloses the engaging ring and the grinding
member.
The protection ring, the engaging ring and the grinding member are received in
the
open second end of the bottle.
A positioning member is connected to the protection ring, a base member
is secured in the open bottom of the bottle and supports the engaging ring. A
stick
extends through the grinding member, the engaging ring and the positioning
member.
1 ~ A distal end of the stick securely extends through the cap and is
connected to a knob.
The object of the present invention is to provide an improved structure of a
pepper mill wherein the grinding member has spiral teeth on the outside
thereof and
the engaging ring enclosing the grinding member has spiral teeth on the inside
thereof so as to have an improved grinding feature.
?0 Another object of the present invention is to provide a pepper mill wherein
the grinding member and the engaging ring are made of ceramic.
These and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention
will become more obvious from the following description when taken in
connection
with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only,
several embodiments in accordance with the present invention.
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Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a pepper mill in accordance with the present
invention;
Fig. 2 is an exploded view of the pepper mill in accordance with the
present invention;
Fig. 3 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of the pepper mill in
accordance with the present invention;
Fig. 4 is an exploded view of another embodiment of the pepper mill in
accordance with the present invention, and
Fig. 5 is a side elevational view, partly in section, of a conventional pepper
mill.
DETAILFD DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the pepper mill in accordance with the present
invention comprises a bottle 11 having a cap 12 connected to the first end
thereof
and the bottle 11 has an open second end. A grinding member 32 made of ceramic
1 ~ has spiral teeth 321 defined in the outside thereof and a passage 322
defined
centrally therethrough. An engaging ring 33 made of ceramic has a tubular
portion
332 and spiral teeth 333 are defined in the inside of the tubular portion 332.
The
grinding member 32 is enclosed by the engaging ring 33. The engaging ring 33
has a
flange 331 extending radially outward therefrom.
0 A protection ring 34 rested on the flange 331 of the engaging ring 33 and
encloses the engaging ring 33 and the grinding member 32. The protection ring
34,
the engaging ring 33 and the grinding member 32 are received in the open
second
end of the bottle 11. A plurality of ribs 341 extend radially outward from the
outside
of the protection ring 34. A positioning member 21 is connected to the
protection
25 ring 34 and has a flange 210 which is clamped between an annular flange 110
extending radially inward from the inside of the bottle 11 and the protection
ring 34.
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The positioning member 21 has a tube 211 through which a stick 31
extends. A spring 23 is retained in the tube 211 and mounted to the stick 31.
The
stick 31 extends through the grinding member 32, the engaging ring 33 and the
positioning member 21, and a first end of the stick 31 is a threaded end 312
which
S securely extends through a hole 121 of the cap 12 and connected to a knob
13. The
second end of the stick 31 has an enlarged end 311 which engages with the
grinding
member 32 so that when the stick 31 is engaged with the knob 13, the grinding
member 32 is well positioned.
A base member 22 is secured in the open second end of the bottle 11 and
supports the engaging ring 33. The base member 22 has holes defined
therethrough
so that the ground peppers drop from holes of the base member 22 when rotating
the
cap 12. Figure 4 shows another embodiment of the protection ring 34 wherein
the
ribs 341 as shown in Fig. 2 are omitted.
The ceramic made grinding member 32 and the engaging ring 33 have
1 ~ durable feature so that they can be used for a longer period of time and
they will not
be affected by humidity. The protection ring 34 is made of soft material so as
to
absorb shocks if the pepper mill drops and the grinding member 32 and the
engaging
ring 33 are protected.
While we have shown and described various embodiments in accordance
with the present invention, it should be clear to those skilled in the art
that further
embodiments may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the
present invention.
a
