Condiment grinder
AssigneeDart Industries Inc.
InventorsPieter K. J. De Coster, Guido O. De Mey
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A condiment grinder including a grinding mechanism with an adjustment shaft extending therefrom and mounting both a positioning ring for rotational driving of the shaft and an adjustment nut for longitudinal adjustment of the shaft and the coarseness of the grind. A single knob engages the positioning ring and adjustment nut for simultaneous rotational driving of the positioning ring and nut, and for independent rotation of the adjustment nut to effect control of the operation of the grinder with a single knob.
Claims19
In a condiment grinder including a container from which the condiment is to be dispensed, a grinding mechanism mounted to the container for the grinding and dispensing of condiment therefrom, and an elongate control shaft engaged with said grinding mechanism and extending longitudinally through said container, said control shaft being rotatable and effecting a rotational driving of said grinding mechanism to effect the grinding and dispensing, said control shaft being axially adjustable to effect an adjustment of said grinding mechanism to vary the coarseness of the grind;
- the improvement comprising a single control knob mounted to said container for rotation relative thereto about an axis defined by said control shaft, and axially adjustable between first and second positions relative to said container and shaft, rotation means between said knob and said shaft in said first position for rotatably driving said shaft in response to rotation of said knob, and adjustment means engaged between said shaft and said knob in said second position for axial adjustment of said shaft in response to rotation of said knob.
In a condiment grinder comprising a container having a first dispensing end and a second opposed end, an adjustable grinding mechanism mounted at said dispensing end, said grinding mechanism being adjustable to define the coarseness of the grind to be dispensed and being rotatable to grind and dispense the condiment, and a control shaft extending from said grinding mechanism, the coarseness of the grind being adjusted upon axial adjustment of said shaft, and the condiment being ground and dispensed upon rotation of said shaft;
- the improvement comprising control means engaged with said control shaft for rotation and selective axial adjustment of said shaft, said control means including a rotatable control knob, a positioning member mounted on said container for rotation relative to said container, said shaft being engaged with said positioning member for rotation therewith and axial adjustment relative thereto, said control knob being adjustable relative to said positioning member between a first position in rotational driving engagement with said positioning member for a rotational driving of said shaft, and a second position rotatable relative to said positioning member, and adjustment means engaged between said knob and said shaft for axial adjustment of said shaft relative to said positioning member upon rotation of said adjustment means, said knob in said second position being adapted to rotate said adjustment means independently of said positioning member.
In a condiment grinder including a container and a grinding mechanism mounted thereto for grinding and dispensing of condiment from said container, said grinding mechanism being rotatably driven to effect said grinding and dispensing, and adjustable to vary the coarseness of the grind;
- the improvement comprising a single control knob, means mounting said control knob on said container for adjustment between first and second positions thereon and for rotation relative to said container in each of said first and second positions, a first means engaged between said control knob and said grinding mechanism in said first position for rotational driving of said grinding mechanism for the grinding and dispensing of a condiment, said first means being disengaged in said second position, and second means between said knob and said grinding mechanism in said second position for adjustment of said grinding mechanism independently of the rotational driving of said grinding mechanism for varying the coarseness of the grind.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.