The present invention refers, in general, to a device for grinding plant material in grains; in particular, the present invention refers to a device for grinding coffee in grains, but can be used for grinding other plant products in grains, such as for example pepper or the like.

In an embodiment, the present invention refers to a device 10 for grinding coffee in grains comprising an adjustable grinder configured to provide the desired granulometry for the ground coffee, a delivery mouth of the ground coffee and, preferably, means for keeping a filter-holder next to the delivery mouth to supply it with ground coffee .

The dose of ground powder of material is preferably prepared upon its use to keep its aromas .

Devices for grinding coffee in grains are known in the art, and allow grinding the coffee grains upon their preparation, and allow regulating the size of the powder obtained from grinding the grains to obtain the desired quality of the beverage prepared afterwards.

Known devices for grinding coffee in grains have the problem of not allowing to obtain a homogeneous powder of ground coffee, which has a constant and defined granulometry; they also have the problem that, during their grinding, there is a development of heat which worsen the quality of the ground coffee, and of the aromas developed thereby.

Object of the present invention is solving the above prior art problems, by providing a device for grinding plant material in grains with electronic control and vertical grinder, which has high resistance, is highly accurate and self-cleaning .

Preferably, the device is operable with alternate current from 100 to 400 Volts at 50/60 Hz and equipped with inverter for regulating the motor and grinder revolutions, with a multi -element rotary or sliding coffee-distributing head with electronic weighing, equipped with a compressor for cleaning the grinding chamber and connectable to other external tools. In a preferred way, the grinding chamber is liquid cooled with radiator and/or air cooled with the help of wings. The above and other objects and advantages of the invention, as will appear from the following description, are obtained with a device for grinding plant material in grains as claimed in the independent claim. Preferred embodiments and nontrivial variations of the present invention are the subject matter of the dependent claims.

It is intended that all enclosed claims are an integral part of the present description.

It will be immediately obvious that numerous variations and modifications (for example related to shape, sizes, arrangements and parts with equivalent functionality) can be made to what is described, without departing from the scope of the invention as appears in the enclosed claims.

The present invention will be better described by some preferred embodiments thereof, provided as a non- limiting example, with reference to the enclosed drawings, in which:

- Figure 1 is a side sectional view of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figure 2 is a side sectional view of a grinding chamber of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figure 3 is a perspective view of an enlarged part of a regulating mechanism of a grinder of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figure 4 is a perspective view of an actuation of the mechanism of Figure 3 ;

- Figure 5 is a front view of a front grinder- holder of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figures 6, 7, 9 and 11 are side sectional views of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figure 8 is a perspective view of a container of the electronics of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figure 10 is a view of a control device of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention;

- Figures 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 are views of construction parts of the device for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention.

With reference to the Figures, a preferred embodiment of the device 10 for grinding plant material in grains according to the present invention is shown and described, the device 10 comprising an element 11 for supplying the grains of plant material in a grinding chamber 200, an adjustable grinder 206, 220 configured to provide the desired granulometry for the ground plant material, and a delivery mouth 403 from the grinding chamber 200 of the ground plant material.

Preferably, the device 10 for grinding plant material in grains of the invention can be used for grinding coffee and comprises an element 11 for supplying the coffee grains composed of a hopper 11 with sealed cover, for example through an or-ring, comprising, for example, LEDs next to the connection of the hopper 11 to make it possible to see the level of the coffee grains contained therein, the adjustable grinder configured to provide the desired granulometry for the ground coffee, the delivery mouth 403 of the ground coffee and means for keeping a filter-holder 404 next to the delivery mouth 403 in order to supply it with ground coffee by placing it in a suitable support provided in the device for grinding coffee.

In a preferred way, the filter-holder 404 shown in Figures 16 and 17 comprises a lower support 41 and an upper support 42 for the filter, whose distance is adjustable by means of a screw 43 inserted into a spring 44 to allow inserting filters having different sizes; in a preferred way, the filter-holder 404 further comprises mobile supporting arms 45, mutually hinged and openable for resting a container.

Herein below, a preferred embodiment of the device 10 of the invention will be described, with reference to one of its uses for grinding coffee in grains; the described device can be anyway used for grinding any other material in grains, preferably plant material in grains for foodstuff use.

The device 10 for grinding plant material in grains of the invention further comprises an electric motor 100 of a known type, configured to operate, optionally associated with an electronic inverter 101, which extremely accurately regulates the revolutions of the motor itself, and therefore of the grinder connected thereto, with a maximum speed of 1500 revolutions per minute, adjustable by an operator; preferably, the revolutions are set electronically, from 400 to 1500 revolutions per minute with incrementing or decrementing intervals of 100 revolutions as increase or decrease .

In the embodiment of the device 10 of the invention equipped with inverter, the electric supply, passing through the inverter, allows operating the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains with voltages from 90 to 400 Volts at 50/60Hz in order to be compatible with any electric system in the world.

The electric motor 100 is assembled in a preferred way on anti-vibrating supports 102 of a known type, for example with polymeric base complying with EN ISO 8307 standards, comprises a rotor 105 having a rotation shaft 202 and is connected by means of a first flange 103 to a second flange 201 of connection with the wall of the grinding chamber 200; preferably, the first flange 103 and the wall of the grinding chamber 200 are made of aluminium. The two flanges 103, 201 are perfectly coplanar and allow aligning the axis of the shaft 202 of the electric motor 100 between supporting means 104 of the shaft 202 of the motor 100, for example two bearings 104, and supporting raeans 203 of a mobile grinder-holder 204 of the grinding chamber 200, for example a bearing 203, said grinder-holder 204 being connected to the shaft 202; optionally, it can be installed with free wheel between motor 100 and grinder-holder

204, to be able to use the motor along the two travelling directions.

It follows that, between the rotor 105, the drive shaft 202 connected to the rotary grinder- holder 204 and a grinder 206 connected thereto, there is no interruption and therefore their alignment and a perfect planarity are guaranteed; preferably, the axis of the shaft 202 of the electric motor 100 is arranged horizontally, or anyway slanted in order to form an angle with respect to the vertical direction. The motor 100 can optionally be cooled by a fan 106 assembled on the rear part of the drive shaft 202, which rotates at the same speed of the shaft, taking care of cooling it.

The grinding chamber 200 shown in Figure 2 comprises the second rear flange 201, the drive shaft 202, a front closing flange 203a, which can be opened for maintenance, the grinder-holder 204, preferably with four wings for collecting the coffee powder, surrounded by a seal or oil -guard so that the powder of coffee does not foul areas which can be cleaned with difficulty, avoiding that deposits are created for rancid material and bacteria, said grinder-holder 204 being embedded in a bearing 205 included in the second flange 201, the rear rotary grinder 206 fastened on its rear to the grinder-holder 204 with fastening means 207; the second flange 201, in addition to keeping the grinder-holder 204 aligned with the motor 100, thermally insulates the grinder-holder 204, and therefore the grinding chamber 200, from heat produced by the electric motor 100.

The grinding chamber 200 comprises a double chamber 208 having three concentric walls made of metal, preferably steel or aluminium, of which an external wall made of aluminium with a hollow space inside which a cooling liquid circulates with a closed circuit, for example glycol or another type of known edible liquid, the internal walls being, in a preferred embodiment, made of mirrored stainless steel 316; the grinding chamber 200 has an optional cooling through wings obtained on the external chamber, and further comprises connection pipes 209a-209b to a radiator 210, connectable to the hopper 11, the closed-circuit radiator 210 and a pump for recirculating the cooling liquid 211.

Preferably, the internal surface of the grinding chamber 200 is treated with a paint with nano-technologies approved for foods, to confer to the walls hydrophobic and stain-preventing features .

In a preferred way, the grinding chamber 200 further comprises a main through-hole 212 for entering coffee, secondary holes 213 for entering other coffee, with variable diameters, preferably of 40 mm for the main holes and of 25 mm for the secondary holes; it further comprises compressed air pipes 214a-214b-214c-214d-214e-214f , with multi -pole socket for supplying and signals to re transmit from the sensors 215 inside a body 216, an internal grinding chamber with through-holes 217 and upper and lower closure of the grinding ducts with hexagonal diaphragm, self-cleaning, airtight with manual and adjustable opening, or an air system with guillotine or other device.

Figure 3 shows the enlarged part of a regulating mechanism of a second fixed grinder 220, which allows moving it away or nearby the rotary grinder 206, by translating a front grinder-holder 221 to which it is connected along the direction of the axis of the shaft 202 of the electric motor 100, comprising a gear 225 with a precision thread 218, a pitch preferably equal to 1 with a 25-mth advancement for moving the grinders nearby and away, and recesses 219 for return springs of the translating grinder-holder for recovering the clearances .

The rotary grinder 206 and the fixed grinder 220 are preferably treated with Diamond like

Carbon, DLC , or treated with Cubic Boron Nitrite, CBN, or with Polycrystalline Cubic Boron Nitrite, PCBN, and have the following features: planarity grinders with workings (grinding) guaranteed at the hundredth of millimetre, are interchangeable, with long life, for a minimum of 4000 kg of grinding, connected with fastening means 207; a compressed air cooling system directed onto the grinders with turbine effect, which creates the conditions for an optimum grinding temperature.

The device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention further comprises a cochlea 222 for advancing the coffee, directly screwed onto the drive shaft 202 and rotated by the electric motor 100, said device 10 preferably containing anti- static ionized air pipes 223, for example equal to four, for cleaning the front part of the grinding chamber 200 and anti-static ionized air pipes 224 for cleaning and for cooling the coffee when grinding, enabling its expulsion.

The cochlea 222 for advancing coffee is axially drilled and crossed by a screw 12 directly screwed onto the drive shaft 202 to connect the cochlea 222 to the electric motor 100 in order to rotate it, as shown in Figure 12; in a preferred way, the cochlea 222 comprises connecting means 14, for example a peg inserted into a radial hole, to the rotary grinder-holder 204, configured to allow extracting the cochlea 222, together with the screw 12 and the grinder 206, when the screw 12 is unscrewed from the drive shaft 202.

Preferably, the grinder-holder 204 comprises a cam seat 15, configured to allow the peg 14 to rotate with the cochlea 222 till the screw 12 is unscrewed, and to abut with the peg 14 when extracting the cochlea 222, allowing to drag the grinder-holder 204, and the grinder 206 connected thereto, to extract them and perform the maintenance of the rotary grinder 206.

In a preferred way, the grinders 206, 220 are connected to the grinder-holders 204, 221 with fastening means 207, for example screws 207, connected only in the rear part of the grinders, thereby guaranteeing a better and more controlled grinding; preferably, the grinder-holder 204 comprises openings, preferably holes, useful both for the passage of the fastening means 207, and for cooling the rotary grinder 206 and the grinder- holder 204.

The grinder-holder 204 further performs the function of heat sink and of flywheel of the electric motor 100.

Figure 4 schematically shows the actuation of the gear 225 comprising a toothed wheel 226, preferably made of steel, coupled to said gear 225 and connected to a drive shaft 227 of the gear actuation, to en electric actuating motor 228, and further comprises a mini-gear 220 for manual actuation, connected to a lateral worm screw 230 and to a front worm screw 231.

Figure 5 shows a front view of the front grinder-holder 232, in which the following are obtained: a central hole 233 with airtight closure for injecting air in the cochlea, a second hole 234 for positioning a ultrasound cleaner 235 or a video-camera 236 to verify the powder of ground coffee on a screen connected, on the left side, a hole 237 for humidity, temperature, colour, positioning and pressione sensors inside the grinding chamber 200, a third hole 238 for LED lights or ultraviolet LED lights for lowering possible germs, a series of powder injectors 239, for example from one to nine and preferably four, to flavour the coffee (for example with nut, ginseng, anise tastes, etc.), or for inserting a self-cleaning powder injecting system 300, a connection 240 for energy and display, a powder expulsion diaphragm 241, a connection pipe 242, an opening 243 to inject compressed air for a deep cleaning of the grinders, a laser reader 244 for measuring and controlling the grinders.

The device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention comprises, in a preferred way, a multi- function rotary tool-holder 400, shown in Figure 6, which is functionally connected to the connection pipe through a rotary system 401, for example supported by springs and blocked by a bayonet closure 402, in a preferred embodiment with three outlets for ground coffee, and comprises the delivery mouth 403 of the ground coffee, preferably with connection for filling bags, a filter-holder 404 vibrated by means of ultrasounds or electro mechanical micro-vibrators with automatic connection or a traditional filter-holder of the prior art, a small tank 405 with withdrawable drawer having therein a suitable paper bag or other element, for the functional recovery of waste powders pushed into said drawer by a compressed air system having outside it a hole covered by a grid 407 adapted to dissipate the excess compressed air filtered by the bag, a small motor 406 with worm screw (or toothed transmission belt) for rotating through 120-degree snaps the multifunction rotary tool -holder. In the top view 408 the positioning is shown of the pipe to transport coffee to the three outlets, which allow, given the slanted positioning of the pipe 409, to only rotate by 120 degrees at a time the multifunction rotary tool-holder. In turn, the outlet pipe of coffee from the grinding chamber rotates around its own axis, in order to be able to connect to the outpet pipe of the powder towards the closed drawer of the waste powders .

The delivery mouth 403 of the ground coffee, shown in Figure 15, preferably comprises vibrating means 21, for example an electric motor 22 equipped with eccentric 23, assembled in a seat 24 obtained next to the connection of the delivery mouth 403, configured to produce a vibration when grinding, to prevent the deposit of the powder of ground coffee inside hollow spaces of the mouth 403.

In an embodiment, the vibrating means 21 are composed of elastic means, for example a small spring made of harmonic steel, associated with the entrance of the delivery mouth 403 next to the grinding chamber 200, for example embedded in the grinding chamber 200 next to the entrance of the delivery mouth 403; preferably, said elastic means are vibrated by projecting elements obtained on the grinder-holder 204 during its rotation.

In a preferred way, the delivery mouth 403 of the ground coffee further comprises a seat 26 within which electric connection means can be inserted, electrically insulated for example through a small plug made of plastic material, the electric connection means, for example at least one conductive wire, being connected to the electronics of the device 10 configured to generate a high voltage electric ionizing discharge, to prevent electrostatic discharges from being generated in the powder of ground coffee; in the seat 26 the vibrating means 21, for example a stainless steel wire, can also be inserted.

Preferably, next to of the delivery mouth 403 a laser sensor is installed to detect the coffee temperature in the filter-holder 404.

Optionally, the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention comprises further optional devices, shown in Figures 7, 8, 9, 10 and

11: preferably, the device 10 comprises (Figure 7) safety cooling fans 501, a known compressor 500 used to keep the grinding chamber cool and to internally clean the grinding chamber and the grinders, a compressor lung 502, a pressure switch 503, an emergency valve 504, connection pipes 505, external air and/or suction connections or connections for optional fixtures 506 (for example air squeezer or closed cleaner for filter-holder) , a series of on-off, two- or three-way valves driven by the electronic unit 507; a container of the electronics 600 (Figure 8) ; a balance 700, a possible electro-actuated lifting device 701 for the correct positioning of a bag or container, a worm screw 702 for the lifting device 701, a display of the balance 703 (Figure 9) .

Figure 10 shows a device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention with body and display with multi-function control screen 800 of the touch screen type, which preferably comprises, as shown in Figure 11, a refrigerating unit 900 for keeping the desired temperature of the device 10, composed of fan and radiator 901, a heat exchanger 902, and a compressor 903. The device 10 is preferably equipped with a known aerograph 904 and with a compressed-air vacuum cleaner 905.

Figure 12 shows an embodiment of the device 10 of the invention comprising a touch-type control device 800, for example of the capacitive type, removable and preferably comprising wireless connecting means, for example a Bluetooth or Wi-Fi transmitter, to connect the device 800 to the control electronics of the device 10 for grinding plant material and use the touch-type control device 800 remotely; preferably, the touch-type control device 800 is removable, can be connected to the structure of the device 10 for grinding plant material, for example through magnetic or bayonet connecting means, and can be used to drive from remote many devices 10 for grinding plant material of the invention; preferably, the display can be connected to a video-camera, for example inserted in the device 10, to verify the grinding quality.

Preferably, the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention comprises a structure 51 obtained with bent sheet comprising interchangeable sliding walls 52 which can be obtained by using different materials, such as metal or plastic materials, and illuminated through LEDs.

In the operation of the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention, coffee in grains is inserted inside the grinding chamber 200 through the main through-hole 212 of the secondary holes 213 for entering coffee and is pushed towards the grinders, where it is ground with high accuracy and expelled towards the loading area of the filter- holder .

The motor has the following technical features: electronic control of initial starting; till the first revolutions, the necessary maximum power is delivered to avoid grinding blocks or starts and then non-homogeneous managing of its performance, which would affect the grinding accuracy; in a preferred way, there is an electronic control of the engine torque, and the right torque is kept by means of the electronically controlled inverter, which helps in maintaining the right motor revolutions even when changing the revolutions themselves, required by an operator; automatic electronic transmission of grinder revolutions/torque , if the settings of revolutions of the grinders are not complying with the necessary power for the correct operation of the device 10, the system increases the torque till it has to automatically switch the number of revolutions; balanced drive shaft with test on 100% of the products .

The device 10 is further preferably equipped with the following further features: compressor with air lung homologated at 10 bars, "basic" control panel, "professional" control panel, aerograph to ground coffee, aerograph to food colours; in a preferred embodiment of the invention, it can arrive to a grinding accuracy of 3.125 p or multiple thereof.

Advantageously, the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention allows obtaining a high dimensional accuracy of the ground coffee powder, due to the balanced drive shaft, which is directly fastened onto the rotary grinder-holder and passing by three ball bearings, and to the grinder-holder directly placed in the nearest spot to the drive shaft, to avoid vibrations; the motor of the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention further allows having a low grinding temperature, both for its features and for the used cooling systems, allowing to obtain a heating lower by at least 75% with respect to a traditional motor .

Other advantages of the device 10 for grinding coffee in grains of the invention are as follows: being self-cleaning both for its internal part and for its external part, allowing to remain sealed for long periods of time before having to intervene thereon, being therefore able to be used for 4,000/6,000 kg of grinding before being opened; it allows activating a vibration when grinding, to distribute the coffee powder optimally; it allows installing a suitable flavouring system which can give to the powder both single and multiple doses of various aromas to create thousands of possible combinations; the device has a high stability and prevents, due to a suitable magnetic collar, metallic elements from entering into grinding chamber .