Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
CA 02948509 2016-11-16
BACKGROUND
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to grinding apparatuses utilized to
grind or shred herbs,
leafs or vegetative materials, such as but not limited to, tobacco and
cannabis. Particularly, this
invention relates to a portable, electric grinding apparatus capable of
grinding or shredding
tobacco or cannabis.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
The use of cannabis for treatment of select medical conditions has become more
widely known,
and legalization of cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes is
becoming more
widespread. One example of medical use of cannabis is to ease the pain caused
by chronic
symptoms, such as arthritis. However, use of cannabis presents a particular
challenge to those
afflicted with arthritis, as grinding or cutting of cannabis flowers can be
difficult or impossible
with arthritic hands using conventional tools.
The invention disclosed herein is a portable electric herb grinder that
requires little physical
effort with minimal hand movements, and provides optimum and consistent
grinding results.
Although motivation for the invention was derived from a desire to help
medical cannabis users,
the use is not limited and grinder may alternatively be used for other
purposes, including use on
other edible herbs or products that benefit from or require a grinding action
before
consumption, such as but not limited to tobacco or vegetative materials. The
benefit of grinding
the said smoking material, tobacco and cannabis, and edible herbs to smaller
particles, is to
create higher surface area of the ground particles which results in more
flavor release.
Moreover, grinding or shredding smoking material is required for variety of
consumption
means, such as but not limited to, making of tobacco or cannabis cigarettes.
The word smoking material herein refers to herbs such as cannabis and tobacco,
which all
benefit from or require a grinding action before consumption and can be ground
and shredded
by the invention presented herein. There are many methods of grinding smoking
materials.
Before the advent of mechanical devices, such herbs were simply crushed in a
person's hand via
fingers or use of scissors or sharp knives or blades. Though partially
effective, the hand method
was time consuming, unsanitary and was unable to provide consistency in the
size of the ground
particles. The human touch involved in grinding, potentially reduces the
quality of such herbs
due to stickiness nature of some herbs, such as cannabis, where they get stuck
to user's hands
and the surface oil of human skin, impacting the quality of the herb.
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In case of cannabis for example, kief, which is the smallest ground cannabis
particle, contains
the most THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, and it gets attached to any surface it
comes in contact
with such as but not limited to fingers, grinders or smoking apparatuses. THC
is the active
chemical in cannabis that users need for pain relief, hence its preservation
enhances the
consumption experience. For that reason, the design and material of the
grinding apparatus
plays a big factor in collecting and preserving the THC in the cannabis.
Today, the most widely used portable cannabis grinders are manual and include
at least two
chambers, a top cap, and a bottom cap. The top half of the first chamber is
formed by the top
cap. A plurality of grinding knives (teeth) protrudes from the top cap into
the volume of the first
chamber. The bottom half of the first chamber also has a plurality of grinding
knives and several
apertures that lead into the second chamber. The bottom half of the second
chamber is formed
by the bottom cap of the grinder. Optionally, the second chamber can have a
screen that leads
into an optional third chamber for isolating the smallest particles, in which
case the bottom half
of the third chamber forms the bottom of the grinder. Users operate such
grinders by placing
smoking material inside the bottom chamber and rotating the chambers against
each other in
opposite directions. There are, however, many disadvantages with such
grinders. For example,
they are difficult to operate, especially for patients with arthritic hands,
as they require force
and strong grips to be twisted. This struggle increases when a grinder has
been in use for a
while and, in case of cannabis, the Kief keeps adding on the sides of the
grinding chamber (such
as but not limited to, the teeth and walls) which results in more resistance
created in the
chamber and requiring more force from the user to twist the chambers against
each other in
opposite directions. Examples of such grinding apparatuses are: US Patent No.
8,695,906, US
Patent No. 12980330 and US Patent No. 11704629
Besides manually operated grinders, electric grinders also exist for grinding
smoking material
and edible herbs. Electric grinders exists in two variations. In one
variation, at least one DC
powered motor is directly connected to a moving platform or moving blades.
Examples of such
grinding apparatuses are: US Patent No. 12472372 and CA patent No. 2394931.
The issues with
electric grinders that are directly connected to DC powered motor, include but
not limit to;
consistency of grind result, bulkiness of the device which conflicts with the
"portability" aspect,
and most importantly, clogging up overtime.
The output motion of motors can be measured in Angular Velocity (units of
Revolution per
Minute, also known as RPM) and the delivered Torque measured in Newton Meter
(N.M) or
Ounce-Inches (Oz-ln). There is an inverse relationship between these two
output factors; RPM
and Torque. Motors generally produce high RPM movement by the motor shaft,
where the
shaft rotates very fast, with small Torque. Grinding apparatuses that
incorporate direct connect
to DC motor are usually high speed and low on torque. This causes
inconsistency in the grinding
result as the motor is rotating the blades or teeth at a high speed and the
blades or teeth
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merely cut through the smoking material, instead of grinding it. Also the high
speed of the
blades generates heat inside the grinding chamber. As more rotation occurs,
friction between
the surfaces creates heat in addition to the heat generated by high speed
rotation of the blades.
According to law of conservation of energy, in devices powered by at least one
DC motor,
electrical energy is transformed into mechanical energy and heat. Hence, high
speed rotation
escalates the overall heat and reduces the efficiency of the system. The
generated heat could
also damage the herb and the active chemical within it during grinding. In
addition, such
apparatuses clog up over time due to having small particles of herb, such as
kief in cannabis,
being stuck all over the grinding chamber, around the teeth/blades and the
walls, which
increases the resistance in the system, and overcomes the power delivered by
the motor. This
cause is called "Stall Torque" and it occurs when the torque delivered by
motor, cannot match
and exceed the minimum torque required to overcome the resistance created by
clogging of
smoking material in the device. In this case, the device becomes unusable
after some time.
The other variation of electric grinders are grinding apparatuses that are
indirectly connected to
at least one DC motor via spur or planar gears. Examples of such grinding
apparatuses are US
Application no. 14885144, US Pat No. 8,960,58062. The use of spur or planar
gears in such
apparatuses, decreases the angular velocity (RPM) of moving blades or plates
and increases the
torque of the output. Some DC motor manufacturers include a gear box which
contains several
planar gears to give more options to their customers. There is an inverse
relationship between
the angular velocity of the gears and the radius of gears. If a small drive
gear is connected to a
larger gear, in terms of the radius of 1 to 3, then the rotational velocity is
reduced from 3 to 1 in
the larger gear when mechanism is in use. The portable grinders that use the
spur gear
mechanism, or planar gear mechanism, powered by DC motors are usually long in
height, or one
other dimensions, as each gear reduction mechanism adds to the overall size of
the system.
Also, gear mechanisms introduce inefficiency in a system, caused by friction
between the teeth
of the gear and supporting centers of the gears. The inefficiency can be
reduced by having
metal gears compared to plastic, but that increases the cost of manufacturing
and end cost for
the user. Moreover, adding more components to the device, adds up to the cost
and weight
making it inconvenient for the user and manufacturer.
Some of the existing portable herb grinders have storage means within the
apparatus for users
to store and carry ground or unground herbs with the grinder. This feature
allows users to carry
and ground material at any time or place. The disadvantage found in existing
grinders is the
accessibility of the said storage since they are mainly twist offs. The twist
off storage chambers
suffer from clogging over time, making it harder for users to access,
especially those suffering
from arthritic hands. Our invention in its preferred embodiment, addresses the
issue of both
manual and electric grinders storage compartments by utilizing a magnetic door
where user can
easily pull to open and access the inside and push to reattach the door to the
magnet.
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Based on the thorough analysis of existing grinding apparatuses utilized for
smoking material
and edible herbs, there exists a need for a portable electric grinder that is
easy to use, requires
the least amount of manual work by the user, produces consistent result, is
durable and not
costly in manufacturing. In addition, the need should be satisfied with a
portable electric grinder
that is indirectly connected to a DC motor for a better control over speed and
power and
ultimately the result.
The invention presented herein in its preferred embodiment, is portable,
cordless and easy to
use as it is driven by a motor. User can get consistent result by filling in
the grinding chamber
and pressing a button. Furthermore, this invention in its preferred embodiment
utilizes a worm
gear mechanism and its properties to achieve a significant speed reduction and
power
amplification in a small form factor. This lower speed (relative to existing
electric grinders) does
not generate heat to damage the herb to be ground. Also another benefit of
utilizing the worm
gear mechanism is that it places the motor relatively away from the grinding
chamber, reducing
potential for heat transfer from the motor to the grinding chamber, where the
herb can be
affected.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Cannabis, tobacco and other edible herbs will often be shred or ground just
before being used,
in order to assure freshness of the shredded or ground material, as well as
increasing the
surface area of the herb. Briefly, the present invention involves a system and
a method for
grinding herbs, tobacco, cannabis and the like. In one aspect, a portable
electric herb grinder is
provided. The herb grinder herein includes:
A grinding means for holding a supply of herbs and smoking material to be
ground
within it.
A drive means including drive components that activate and operate the
grinding
operation.
An output means for containing the output of the grinding operation.
A storage chamber for optionally carrying material or objects in it.
According to a preferred embodiment of this invention, there is a grinding
chamber comprising:
Top half, including a handle attached to non-rotatable top cap, top sheet
embedded
within non-rotatable top cap, and teeth protruding downward from top sheet.
The top
half of grinding chamber specifically comprises of:
-Non-rotating top cap at the upper end of the chamber holding top sheet within
it, coupled to a handle on top of it.
-top sheet embedded within non-rotating top cap including a plurality of teeth
protruding downward whereas teeth are spaced angularly apart from one
another about the longitudinal axis in orientations lying parallel
- handle coupled to top of non-rotatable top cap assisting in lifting top
cap
- lock mechanism that engages with the keys found on the outside of top cap
whereas keys attached to top cap are locked within the locking path of
locking mechanism whereas locking mechanism is mounted to the floor via
four legs.
Bottom half including bottom sheet, mating gear ring and teeth. Bottom half
specifically
comprises:
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- Bottom sheet incorporating pit spaces for support and holes for allowing
ground material in grinding chamber to fall onto an output mean, and further
incorporating a plurality of teeth protruding upward and spaced angularly
apart from one another about the center axis orthogonal to the sheet plane.
In a preferred embodiment of the apparatus, bottom sheet is designed like a
spider web, maximizing pit space size and holes size in conjunction with
space allowed for teeth.
- Bottom
sheet will be further embedded within the hub of a mating gear ring
that mates orthogonally with worm gear. In a preferred embodiment, the
worm gear will be connected to DC motor via motor shaft.
- Mating gear ring, surrounding bottom sheet, rotating bottom sheet about
the center axis orthogonal to the sheet axis when its corresponding worm
gear is in action.
Grinding chamber is mounted on top of output compartment where the output
compartment
comprises:
- Output tray located under bottom sheet of grinding chamber, enclosed by
bottom sheet from the top, and open at the bottom. The tray collects ground
particles that fall from grinding chamber's bottom sheet. The tray is slide
able
within the confined space and allows user to reach the output of apparatus
by simply sliding the tray outward.
The output means is mounted with threading, bayonet mounts or the like from
its two sides to
the floor.
The invention further includes a drive means containing components that
activate the
movement of worm gear and its corresponding mating gear ring, initiating the
operation of
grinding chamber, whereas the drive means includes:
- Small DC motor mounted on the floor. Motor is coupled to drive shaft on
one
end whereas motor rotates the drive shaft in place.
- Drive shaft having one end coupled to motor for rotation therewith and
the
other end coupled to a worm gear for driving the rotation of worm gear
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- Worm gear coupled to one end of drive shaft, to be rotated by the motor.
Worm gear is affixed to mating gear surrounding bottom sheet whereas the
mating gear is to be rotated by the said worm gear and the said drive shaft
rotation. The rotation of worm gear and its corresponding mating gear ring
will rotate the bottom sheet in place performing the grinding of herbs and
smoking material in the grinding chamber.
- Worm gear mount holding the open end of worm gear, whereas the mount is
mounted to the floor with threading, bayonet mounts or the like.
- Battery that powers DC motor and PCB
- PCB, connected to motor and battery, in charge of dispensing measured
current at a pre-calculated time.
Storage chamber providing space for users to keep preferred objects or
materials, whereas
storage chamber specifically includes:
- A confined space enclosed by walls whereas one of the walls allows user
to
access the confined space by being openable like a door whereas the side of
the door is hinged to the side.
The portable herb grinder and components may be made of any material capable
of grinding
herbs. Examples of materials of which the herb grinder and components may be
made include,
but are not limited to: metals, plastics, composites, wood, and the like.
In another aspect, a method of grinding herbs is provided. The method may
begin by accessing
the said bottom sheet and placing a quantity of unground smoking material or
herbs on the
cavity of bottom sheet. In a preferred embodiment, accessing bottom sheet is
through lifting
the handle coupled to non-rotating top cap, ultimately lifting the top cap. In
another
embodiment, bottom sheet could be accessed by sliding top cap to the side to
access bottom
sheet and sliding it back to close the grinding chamber. In this embodiment,
top cap may be slid
vertically or horizontally. In another embodiment, top cap could be partially
or fully removed
and placed by a bigger top grinding chamber, allowing more material to be
grinded by the
apparatus. In another embodiment, top cap may be either spring loaded or not.
In still another
embodiment, top cap may be held in place by friction, gravity, or a spring
force, such that top
cap may be manually opened and/or closed. In another embodiment, a button may
open
and/or close the top cap. In yet another embodiment, a lever may be used to
open and/or close
the top cap.
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Once unground smoking material is placed on bottom sheet, top cap is placed on
top of bottom
sheet, specifically top cap ring is placed within mating gear ring that hold
bottom sheet. In
another embodiment, top cap could be placed on mating gear ring by magnetic
force.
In a preferred embodiment, top cap is further locked in a lock mechanism,
where top cap
locking keys fit into the locking path of lock mechanism. Top cap locking keys
slide into locking
path, keeping top cap stationary when apparatus is in operation. In another
embodiment, top
cap can be locked via magnets or similar force. In another embodiment, top cap
is held
stationary by being twisting in bottom chamber. In another embodiment, other
means such as
but not limited to, hinge or clippers are used to lock the top cap in place.
Top cap, top sheet,
top sheet teeth and output tray are locked during operation.
Once top cap is locked, user then activates the motor and grinding operation
occurs in the
grinding chamber. In a preferred embodiment, motor is activated by pressing a
button. In
another embodiment, motor is activated by a touch sensor.
By activating motor, the high rotational speed of motor shaft is delivered to
worm gear, and the
worm gear rotates the mating gear ring around bottom sheet. Utilizing worm
gear properties in
this mechanism allows the worm gear to reduce the motor's speed and amplify
its torque
(power), causing strong but slow rotation of mating gear ring. The relative
movement between
bottom sheet grinding teeth and the locked top grinding teeth results in
grinding and shredding
of smoking material inserted between them. Once herbs or smoking materials are
ground as
small as the holes on bottom sheet, they will fall onto the tray beneath
grinding chamber. A
pre-calculated time in PCB determines the time of operation. In a preferred
embodiment, user
can access the output of the system, ground smoking material, by conveniently
sliding the tray
out like a drawer. In another embodiment, this tray may be partially or fully
removed and the
apparatus can be placed on top of another apparatus that can utilize the
ground smoking
material. In another embodiment, the tray may be a revolving door such that as
the door is
rotated, contents may be removed. In this embodiment, the door may be
rotatable either
horizontally or vertically. Further still, the tray may be openable and
closable in any manner. In
another embodiment, the tray may be held in place by friction, gravity, or a
spring force, such
that the tray may be manually opened and/or closed. In another embodiment, a
button may
open and/or close the tray. In yet another embodiment, a lever may be used to
open and/or
close the tray.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Preferred embodiments of the invention will now be described in conjunction
with the
accompanying drawings in which:
Fig1 - depicts an isometric view of one embodiment of a portable electric herb
grinder formed
in according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, including an
optional storage
section.
Fig2 - depicts a side view and an isometric view of top cap of the portable
electric herb grinder
of Fig1.
Fig3 - depicts a top view of the bottom sheet of the portable electric herb
grinder of Fig1.
Fig4- depicts a top view of worm gear mechanism of the portable electric herb
grinder of Fig1.
Fig5-depicts an exploded side view of top cap handle, top cap, mating gear
ring and tray of the
portable electric herb grinder of Fig1
Fig6 ¨ depicts a top view of top sheet teeth and bottom sheet teeth of the
portable electric
herb grinder of Fig1
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
Embedded drawings are intended as a description of the preferred embodiments
of the
invention and does not present the only forms in which the present invention
may be
constructed and/or utilized. The description sets forth the functions and the
sequence of steps
for constructing and operating the invention in connection with the
illustrated embodiments. In
describing the components of the portable electric herb grinder and
alternative embodiments
of some of the components, the same reference number may be used for elements
that are the
same as, or similar to, elements described in other versions or embodiments.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is generally shown a portable electric herb grinder
20, its components
and their positioning with respect to each other, formed in accordance with
the preferred
embodiment of the present invention. The portable electric herb grinder 20 in
Fig 1 comprises
of worm gear 6.2, worm gear mount 6.8, lock mechanism 8, locking path 8.2,
floor 12, PCB
(Portable Circuit Board) 14, Button 14.4, DC motor 16, storage 18, mating gear
ring 23, tray 25
and battery 28.
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=
Referring now to Fig2, top cap 2 comprises of top cap teeth 2.2, top cap
locking keys 2.4, and
top cap handle 2.6. User is able to unlock and lift top cap 2 by twisting top
cap 2 left or right,
moving top cap locking keys 2.4 from locking path 8.2 embedded in lock
mechanism 8 (Fig 1),
and simply lifting top cap by its handle 2.6. Top cap locking keys 2.4 lock
top cap 2, respectively
locking top sheet 2.8 and top cap teeth 2.2, translationally and rotationally
around the central
axis orthogonal to top sheet 2.8 plane when the system is in operation, as
well as allowing the
system to operate regardless of the relative orientation of portable electric
herb grinder 20 to
gravity (system can be upside down and still operate and grind the herbs to
small pieces).
Now referring to Fig 3, bottom sheet 4 is embedded within mating gear ring 23
and includes
spider web holes 4.4, pit spaces 4.1 and bottom sheet teeth 4.6. In other
embodiments,
bottom sheet teeth could vary in numbers and in location and/or pattern on
bottom sheet. For
example in one embodiment, a number of teeth are placed only on one half of
bottom sheet,
leaving the other half as pit spaces and holes only. In another embodiment,
three triangular
patterns could be created by a number of teeth with pit spaces and holes in
between the
triangles, allowing room for smoking material and herbs to be placed. In
another embodiment,
one quarter of bottom sheet could be filled with teeth, leaving the rest of
bottom sheet as holes
and pit spaces. In another embodiment, 2 quarters of bottom sheet could be
filled with teeth,
leaving the rest of bottom sheet as holes and pit spaces. Similarly, in
another embodiment % of
bottom sheet could be filled with teeth.
The shape of teeth could also vary within embodiments. In a preferred
embodiment, bottom
sheet and top sheet teeth are teeth with sharp edges. In another embodiment,
the teeth could
be triangles with their sharp edges pointing upward, from bottom sheet, and
pointing
downwards from top sheet. In another embodiment, teeth could be nails. In yet
another
embodiment teeth could be screws.
User lifts top cap 2 and places smoking material to be ground between the rows
of bottom
sheet teeth 4.6. The grinding teeth are arranged to allow in a pattern for
convenient placing of
smoking material and for the most consistent smooth grinding operation. The
teeth on bottom
sheet 4 are spaced out in a pattern that creates gaps known as pit spaces 4.1.
The advantage of
utilizing pit spaces 4.1 is the facilitation of herb insertion.
The rotational movement generated by DC motor 16, rotates worm gear 6.2 via
motor shaft
6.4. The continuous engagement between worm gear 6.2 and its mating gear ring
23 enables
bottom sheet 4 to rotate in place, relative to top cap 2, allowing smoking
material to pass
between Bottom sheet teeth 4.6 and stationary top cap teeth 2.2. As portrayed
in Fig 6, the
point where one bottom sheet teeth 4.6 passes one top sheet teeth 2.2 is
called point of
engagement 4.8. Points of engagement 4.8 affect the speed of operation, and
they identify the
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torque required to overcome the resistance of each point of engagement 4.8
against the
rotation of motor. Certain factors impact the number of points of engagement
4.8 per fixed
unit of time, such as but not limited to, number of teeth on each plane and
rotational velocity of
one of the planes, or both of them relative to one another. Because the
surface area of bottom
sheet 4 and top sheet 2.8 are limited (for a portable grinding apparatus), the
size and shape of
the teeth may change to allow more or less teeth on each plane, where it would
increase or
decrease the total points of engagement in a fix amount of time. It is worth
noting that each
point of engagement will cause certain voltage drop across our power source,
due to the
torque required to overcome the resistance of smoking material to be ground
between
aforementioned top and bottom teeth, drawing more power from the motor to
grind. This
resistance will increase as the system operates for a number of times and
small particles of
smoking material, such as kief for cannabis, get stuck and pile up (including
but not limited to)
around the teeth of bottom sheet teeth 4.6, top sheet teeth 2.2 and spider web
holes 4.4. The
theory of points of engagement, is the reason why any direct connection of DC
motor to a
moving blade, plate or teeth is not a good mechanism, as it will not be able
to accommodate
the torque required to overcome the many points of engagement caused by
numerous teeth
moving in one direction in one rotation of bottom sheet. The existing portable
or non-portable
electric grinders include few teeth to reduce the point of engagement 4.8 and
give the ability to
motor to keep operating. If any existing electric herb grinder, which are all
either direct connect
of motor to the rotating teeth, sheet or indirect connect to motor using
planar or spur gear sets,
attempts to increase the gear ratio (reduce RPM and increase Torque), they
will drastically
increase the size of the device by introducing many small to larger spur or
planar gears, which
introduce more friction and result in more inefficiency in the system.
If a given quantity of smoking material is considered to require a fix number
of points of
engagement 4.8 between top sheet teeth 2.2 and bottom sheet teeth 4.6 to
grind, the
duration of such operation will depend on the system's ability to deliver the
required torque
within the number of teeth that are incorporated on bottom sheet 4 and top
sheet 2.8. The
most optimum way to achieve a high torque within this system is to use a worm
gear
mechanism 6, whether directly connected to motor (the most efficient way) or
whether
connected by planar or other means of gear mechanisms used for changing the
orientation of
each component. Regardless, to achieve a high torque operation in such a
device that is
portable, and runs on low voltage power source (less than 24V), a worm gear
6.2 is the most
optimum mechanism. The worm gear mechanism 6, due to significant speed
reduction and
torque amplification effect, allows a reduction in size of the top sheet teeth
2.2 and bottom
sheet teeth 4.6 and ultimately an increase in the number of teeth on both
caps, so as to
maximize the points of engagement that can be handled by DC motor 16. Without
the
implementation of worm gear mechanism 6, no DC motor can produce such high
torque to
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speed ratio, without having an increase in size or use of very small metal
gears which will make
the invention cost more for manufacturing and end user, as well as reducing
system efficiency.
Referring back to Fig3, bottom sheet 4 includes spider web holes 4.4 with
mating gear ring 23,
bottom sheet teeth 4.6 and pit areas 4.1. Bottom sheet 4 design ensures enough
support is
provided for the rotational shear force and stress caused by each point of
engagement 4.8, as
well as allowing for the number of spider web holes 4.4 to be maximized. In
current grinder
designs, for manufacturing purposes, holes on the grinder bottom sheets are
usually in a
circular path, or in some cases uniform shapes.
In a preferred embodiment, as portrayed in figure 3, spider web design is used
to maximize the
support in the outer radius of bottom sheet, where more points of engagement
occur and more
reaction force on the teeth is applied, whereas the center of bottom sheet 4
does not
experience a high torque. The above argument on the spider web design has been
derived using
the physics of relationship between distance, force and torque (Torque =
Distance * Force). In
another embodiment, bottom sheet holes are shaped in a circular pattern and
are spaced
angularly apart from one another about the longitudinal axis. The said
embodiment facilitates
manufacturing.
Now referring to Fig4, worm gear 6.2 is coupled to motor shaft 6.4 and is
mounted to floor 12
by worm gear mount 6.8. Worm gear 6.2 rotates at the same rotational velocity
and torque of
motor shaft 6.4 but loses some momentum due to the friction caused between
worm gear 6.2
and inside worm gear mount 6.8.
In a preferred embodiment, motor 16 is an electric DC motor, and is powered by
rechargeable
battery system comprising at least one rechargeable battery 28 and a control
unit, PCB 14.
Preferably, PCB 14 is positioned on top of floor 12, connecting to button
14.4, and allowing user
to operate the machine with a push of button 14.4.1n another embodiment,
button 14.4 could
be a touch sensor.
In a preferred embodiment, tray 25 is locked in place during operation by the
means of magnets
.The user can access the ground material by simply sliding out tray 25, which
is more
convenient compared to existing grinders where user has to twist them open. In
another
embodiment, tray 25, could have a screen of mesh, also known as Kief catcher,
on top of tray
for users who like to collect the mentioned kief. In another embodiment, a
shaker or vibrating
mechanism for shaking tray 25 can be implemented to allow more Kief to pass
through the
screen, onto the output tray.
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