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US 9,516,975 B2Granted
Condiment mill
AssigneeKing's Flair Development Ltd.
InventorSiu Wah Wong
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present invention relates to a condiment mill capable of separately accommodating and grinding two condiments depending on the axial position of the means for driving the grinding mechanisms of the two condiments and independent of the direction of the rotation of the cover part. The condiment mill of the present invention also comprises an indicator mechanism to clearly indicate which one of the condiments is being ground.
Claims20
A condiment mill (1) comprising:
- a body part (2) comprising a top end portion (3), first and second compartments (4, 5) below the top end portion and having respective bottom end portions (6, 7), and a vertical divider wall (8) between the compartments, each of said compartments for containing a separate condiment to be ground;
- first and second grinding mechanism (9, 10) arranged in the bottom end portions of the first and second compartments respectively;
- first and second gear mechanism (11, 12) drivingly connected to the first and second grinding mechanism respectively and arranged in the top end portion (3) of the body part;
- a cover part (13) detachably and rotatably placed over a top of the body part (2);
- a gear driving member (14) movable between a first switch position wherein the gear driving member engages with the first gear mechanism and rotates in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions to drive the first gear mechanism which, in turn, activates the first grinding mechanism (9), and a second switch position wherein the gear driving member engages with the second gear mechanism and rotates in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions to drive the second gear mechanism which, in turn, activates the second grinding mechanism (9);
- the gear driving member being configured such that rotation of the cover part in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions causes the rotation of the gear driving member in the first and second switch position;
- and
- an actuator in operative connection with the gear driving member to move the gear driving member between the first switch position and the second switch position.
5 more elements
A condiment mill (1) comprising:
- a body part (2) comprising a top end portion (3), first and second compartments (4, 5) below the top end portion and having respective bottom end portions (6, 7), and a vertical divider wall (8) between the compartments, each of said compartments for containing a separate condiment to be ground;
- first and second grinding mechanism (9, 10) arranged in the bottom end portions of the first and second compartments respectively;
- first and second gear mechanism (11, 12) drivingly connected to the first and second grinding mechanism respectively and arranged in the top end portion (3) of the body part;
- a cover part (13) detachably and rotatably placed over a top of the body part (2);
- a gear driving member (14) movable between a first switch position wherein the gear driving member engages with the first gear mechanism and rotates to drive the first gear mechanism which, in turn, activates the first grinding mechanism (9), and a second switch position wherein the gear driving member engages with the second gear mechanism and rotates to drive the second gear mechanism which, in turn, activates the second grinding mechanism (9);
- the gear driving member being configured such that rotation of the cover part causes the rotation of the gear driving member in the first and second switch position;
- and
- an actuator in operative connection with the gear driving member to move the gear driving member between the first switch position and the second switch position;
- wherein the first gear mechanism (11) comprises a first gear wheel (16) engagable with the gear driving member (14) in the first switch position thereof, and a third gear wheel (17) meshing with the first gear wheel (16) and drivingly connected to the first grinding mechanism (9) via a first shaft (19);
- and
- the second gear mechanism (12) comprises a second gear wheel (20) engagable with the gear driving member (14) in the second switch position thereof, and a fourth gear wheel (21) meshing with the second gear wheel (20) and drivingly connected to the second grinding mechanism (10) via a second shaft (23);
- wherein each of the first and second gear wheel (15, 20) is formed with at least two opposite notches on an inner surface thereof, which notches are engagable with two protrusions projecting from two opposite sides of the gear driving member.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.