Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging – Cell or battery charger structure – For handheld device
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-27
2002-04-23
Wong, Peter S. (Department: 2838)
Electricity: battery or capacitor charging or discharging
Cell or battery charger structure
For handheld device
C320S114000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06377022
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is in the field of devices for comminuting certain solid food materials. More specifically, it relates to cordless devices for grinding and milling coffee beans, spices and the like.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A large variety of devices have been developed and are used in practicing the culinary art for grinding solid food stuffs. An advantage of such devices for use in the kitchen is to provide such food stuff, freshly ground, for preparing and seasoning foods. Such solid food materials which are desirable in a freshly ground condition include salt, pepper, coffee and certain other herbs and spices. The desirability of having these ingredients available in a freshly ground condition has long motivated the field to provide devices that are light-weight, handy and useful in different situations for different purposes.
Examples of devices for use in the home kitchen include salt and pepper dispensers which take rock salt or peppercorns and fresh grind them to smaller sized particles for seasoning foods. These dispensers vary in their design and operation and can be either manually or electrically operated. Sanders, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,591 is an example of an electrically operated pepper mill suitable for use at tables for grinding whole peppercorns to provide fresh ground pepper. Tedioloi, U.S. Pat. No. 4,925,150 is a similar example of a combination electric grinder for both salt and pepper. Pai, U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,384, discloses a spice grinder that may be either electrically or manually operated. These devices have the added feature of being battery powered. An electrically operated pepper mill which is battery powered is certainly more handy than such a device having a power cord attached to it.
Unfortunately, conventional batteries have the disadvantage of requiring relatively frequent replacement. To address this disadvantage, small electrical devices often utilize rechargeable batteries as their power source. Rechargeable batteries require less frequent replacement. Typically, the batteries are recharged by storing the device in a charging stand or holder which is connected to a conventional household power source. The charging stand provides the electrical energy for recharging the device's batteries. Such rechargeable small appliances are known and commercially available. Dantis, U.S. Pat. No. 5,075,615 is an example of a combined recharging unit and stand for rechargeable electric razors. The Dantis device plugs directly into a conventional household electrical power outlet. By plugging directly into a power outlet, the Dantis device avoids the need for a power cord, and problem of storing or otherwise dealing with a length of cord. However, although plugging directly into a power outlet, as does the Dantis device, may be convenient for an electric razor, it is generally not suitable for larger and heavier appliances.
Gantz, et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,814 is an example of a system for storing and recharging a cordless vacuum cleaner. In Gantz, a storage cradle holds the battery powered hand-held vacuum, and is connected by a power cord to an electrical outlet. The cradle contains electrical contacts which mate with the vacuum when it is stored in the cradle to provide the electrical energy to recharge the vacuum's batteries. However, the Gantz device has a power cord, the excess length of which must be stored or otherwise dealt with.
The KRUPS Type 208 HOUSEHOLD COFFEE MILL is an example of a commercially available, small electric kitchen appliance for providing freshly ground coffee beans. Power is provided to the KRUPS device via an attached electrical cord plugged into a conventional electrical outlet. Although useful for its intended purpose, the length of the attached power cord is a feature that must be dealt with when it is desired to leave the device available on a counter top. Other examples of similar devices for grinding coffee beans include Mayer et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,082 and Noguchi et. al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,469,283. These devices all have in common the use of a spinning blade that minces the beans to provide the fresh ground coffee. Generally, the blade type coffee grinders produce grounds of varying particle sizes, which may not be desirable.
Mill-type grinders which comminute the coffee beans have the advantage of better control over particle size than blade grinders. The field has been motivated to provide such mill-type grinders for household use. For example, Midden, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,172,868 and 5,201,474 discloses a counter top electrical appliance for grinding coffee beans. The Midden device is a relatively large apparatus with the capacity to hold and grind a relatively large volume of coffee beans. Hurber, et. al. also describes a mill-type grinder that is a dual chamber coffee mill for separately containing beans in different hoppers. The TYPE 166 Coffee-grinder (produced by Solis, A. G., Switzerland) is an example of a commercially available, small electric kitchen appliance for providing fresh ground coffee beans which uses a mill-type grinder mechanism. However, electrical power is provided to the TYPE 166 device via an attached electrical cord plugged into a conventional electrical outlet. Although these devices may be useful for their intended purposes, the length of attached power cord is a feature that must be dealt with when it is desired to leave the device available on a counter top. Additionally, these devices are not easily portable nor adapted for hand use.
In view of the above, it would be useful in the field to have an alternative mill-type grinder device for coffee bean and similar food stuffs that is both portable and cordless, and adapted for hand use.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a rechargeable grinder or mill unit and a cordless charging station. The present apparatus is useful for comminuting solid, particulate food stuffs like coffee beans, spices and condiments. The grinder or mill unit is electrically powered, utilizing a self-contained power source, and is portable by hand. The apparatus includes a cordless electrical charging station to provide energy to the self-contained electric power source of the mill. The mill or grinder is connectable to the charging station to charge the power source of the grinder/mill. Optionally, the grinder can be operated in place while so connected, or may be removed from the charging unit and operated separately.
The charging station comprises a base or cradle for releaseably receiving the grinder/mill, and a vertical tower component for connecting the charging station to a household electrical outlet The charging station includes an electrical probe connection for electrically communicating with the grinder (mill) when the grinder is received in the cradle or base of the charging station. An electrical circuit associated with the charging station provides the electrical power to the electrical probe connection from a household electric power source such as a typical household electrical outlet. The vertical tower component of the charging station is integral with a side of the base or cradle. The tower includes an electrical plug that connects the electrical circuit of the charging station to a household power source. The tower provides a structure having an adjustable means for connecting the cradle to a household power outlet at a range of different heights from the flat surface on which the cradle is supported. This configuration permits the charging station to be substantially flush against the wall on a counter top, without having a length of power cord loose on the counter, or which must be dealt with in some other fashion.
The components of the tower may be configured in a vertical sliding relationship to provide a height adjustment feature. This may be accomplished by having the structure of the tower be telescoping to enable the electrical plug to mate with the household electrical outlet at different heights from the base of the charging station. Alternatively, the vertically adjustabl
Luk Lawrence
Pernia Sherman D.
Wong Peter S.
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