[001] The present invention relates to a device for the grinding of grain mate¬ rials, mainly spices in corn form, e.g. peppercorns, and comprising a hollow ele- ment for receiving the grain materials, with at least one opening covered with a cover, and means for the grinding of grain materials into particle or powder form.

[002] Such a device is known, for example, from the traditional pepper grind¬ ing mills for table use, where the hollow elements typically consist of a substan- tially cylindrical or spherical element of wood, porcelain or metal, through the cen¬ tre axis of which there extends a spindle with an upper end which comprises the one part of a holding mechanism for a cover which can be rotated with the spindle around the centre axis, said cover closing over an opening to the hollow element. The opposite end of the spindle stands in connection with the means for the grind- ing of the grain material placed in the hollow element, typically a traditional grind¬ ing mill, the one end of which is secured to the wall in the lower end of the hollow element and which covers an opening in the lowermost wall of the hollow element, and where the second part of the mill stands in connection with the spindle with which the mill is driven by the execution of a relative turning movement between the spindle and the hollow element, whereby, e.g. pepper corns or other forms of spices, which are fed by gravitation from the hollow element to the mill, are ground into particles or powder. The grain size of the ground material is determined by how closely the cooperating surfaces of the mill are brought towards each other, which in certain cases results in a relatively random grain size of the ground mate- rial, and herewith the grain size of the material/spice that actual users of the grind¬ ing mill hereby apply to their food.

[003] From GB 2399518 there is known a crushing device for the crushing of e.g. spices, and comprising a hand-held hollow container of rigid material with a closed elongated chamber containing a loose item, and where the walls of said chamber comprise an opening for the filling or removal of material, and where the crushing of the material placed in the container is effected by taking hold of the crushing device with the hand and shaking it, so that the inertia in the loose item(s) brought about by the shaking is utilised to crush the material between the loose item(s) and the internal walls of the chamber. This crushing device is probably suitable, but will however demand relatively violent shaking movements to be able to execute an efficient crushing, and it must be expected that during use the crush¬ ing device will emit noise stemming from the contact of the loose item(s) against the wall/material. This device is intended only for the grinding of a given amount, namely the full and complete amount with which it is filled, after which the ground material is emptied out at one time, and it has no form of dosing capacity and func¬ tions on a batch principle.

[004] The types of grinding mills/crushing devices described above are to be found in many different embodiments, and over recent years there have appeared mills of the type where the relative turning movement of the mill's cooperating parts is executed by a battery-driven motor, which means that the user can oper¬ ate the mill with one hand and without any particular effort. However, the disadvantage of said mill is that the batteries must be changed or charged, and failing this the said mill is useless. This type of mill can also give rise to the problem for the actual user regarding the preferred grain size of the ground spice/pepper which is applied to the food/the meal or the like.

[005] The object of the present invention is thus to provide a device for the grinding of grain material, mainly spices in the form of corns, which can be oper¬ ated with one hand, where the above-mentioned problems regarding the energy supply/batteries are eliminated.

[006] A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the kind dis¬ closed which also allows an individual choice of grain/particle size of the ground material/spice which is applied to the food by the device, and moreover where the emission of noise during the use of the device is of a modest degree.

[007] This object is achieved with a device of the kind disclosed by way of in¬ troduction, which is characterised by the hollow element consisting of an elastic yielding material, and that the means for grinding of the grain materials consist of a number of loose, hard elements placed inside the hollow element, and that the opening is covered with a detachably-secured cover comprising a sieve.

[008] There is hereby achieved a one-hand-operated device for the grinding of grain material, for example pepper, where the hollow element containing the loose, hard elements mixed with the grain material to be ground is gripped with the preferred hand, after which the grinding of the grain material is executed by carry¬ ing out a cyclic compressing movement on the outside of the hollow element of the elastic yielding material, whereby the grain material is comminuted by crushing between the loose, hard elements which also exist inside the cavity. Thus the problem with energy supply/batteries is solved, in that no use whatsoever is made of such energy supply elements. Moreover, the crushing of the grain material can be effected without any noteworthy emission of noise, inasmuch as only a very weak grating sound will be heard during the cyclic compressing movement on the outer side of the hollow element of the elastic yielding material.

[009] The ground material is led out through the opening via the openings in a sieve placed in the opening, the openings in said sieve being directed towards the surface on which the ground material is desired to be applied. The size of the fall-through openings in the sieve can be fixed, whereby with the use of the de- vice/grinding mill it is achieved that the ground/crushed grain material has a uni¬ form grain/particle size.

[010] Without renouncing any other embodiments of the loose, hard elements which are placed inside the hollow element, it can be mentioned that these can with advantage be spherical, in that this embodiment will result in a good and ef¬ fective processing/grinding of the grain materials which are also placed in the cav¬ ity.

[011] With the further object of improving the efficiency of the process- ing/grinding effect, which the loose, hard elements have on the grain material to be ground, at least one of the loose, hard elements can have a rough/corrugated sur¬ face. It is preferred, however, that several or all of said loose, hard elements have a rough/corrugated surface.

[012] With the view of ensuring the user of the device that the ground/crushed material/spice is of a preferred grain size, the area of the fall- through openings in the detachably-secured sieve can be adjustable. It is hereby achieved that before or after the start of the manual grinding of the grain material which is placed in the cavity, e.g. pepper, the user can adjust the size of the fall- through openings to a size preferred by the user. However, here it must be men¬ tioned that this embodiment can be relatively expensive to produce. [013] However, a certain flexibility can be achieved with the use of the device according to the invention, which for example could be desirable when the device is used for the grinding/crushing of e.g. different types of spices, the grain size of which at the time of use/time of consumption can be preferred to be varying, by the sieve being mounted on the cover in a replaceable manner. It is hereby achieved that if the grain size of the material placed in the hollow element together with the loose, hard elements is desired to be changed, this can be achieved by replacing the sieve with a sieve with fall-through openings of the preferred size.

[014] Without renouncing any other embodiments of the elastic yielding ele¬ ment, it can be mentioned that it can be advantageous for this to consist of syn¬ thetic or natural rubber. In this connection it can be mentioned that materials such as neoprene or other combinations of foam plastic with elastic yielding characteris¬ tics are considered by the inventor to be possible materials.

[015] With the view of achieving a long lifetime for the loose, hard elements, it can be mentioned that these can with advantage consist of metal, stone and plas¬ tic, where the latter will also include hard synthetic materials such as nylon, kevlar etc.

[016] It can be mentioned that in a preferred embodiment, the hollow element of elastic yielding material can with advantage have a substantially spherical shape, and further that the hollow element has a recess which encircles the spherical element at its greatest diameter, and where the opening is slot-shaped and placed within the side limitations of the recess and is narrower than the breadth of the recess, and said recess is intended to receive and control a band/ring-shaped cover which can be displaced by rotation, the diameter of said cover corresponding substantially to the diameter of the bottom of the encircling recess, and said cover comprising at least a sieve which consists of a group of fall- through openings.

[017] With the view of providing the possibility for a plurality of particle sizes for the ground/crushed grain material in said preferred embodiment, except in the least one unbroken extent corresponding to the slot-formed openings, the cover can comprise a number of sieves in the form of a plurality of spaced groups of fall- through openings, where the area of the openings in the respective groups is of different size. The possibility is hereby achieved of placing a sieve with the pre¬ ferred size of fall-through openings in front of the slot-shaped opening in the hoi- low element by rotational displacement of the band/ring-formed cover in the recess in the spherical hollow element, and herewith a preferred particle size can be cho¬ sen for the ground material dispensed from the hollow element, and herewith it also becomes possible to block the slot-shaped opening to the cavity in the hollow element, so that spillage of ground/crushed grain material can be prevented by placing an unbroken extent of the cover so that this covers the slot-shaped open¬ ing.

[018] In the following, the invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing, where;

[019] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the component parts of a first embodi¬ ment of a device for the grinding of grain materials according to the invention, [020] Fig. 2 is a perspective, transparent view of the device shown in fig. 1 , seen in the partly assembled state, [021] Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the device shown in fig. 1 and 2, seen in the assembled state and held in the hand, [022] Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the device shown in fig. 1 and 2, seen in the assembled state and held in the hand during the grinding of grain materials which are applied to an under layer.

[023] In fig. 1 is shown an embodiment of a device 2 for the grinding of grain materials 4, mainly spices in corn form.

[024] In the shown embodiment, the device 2 comprises a spherical, hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material, in the shown embodiment of rubber, com¬ prising a slot-shaped opening 8. Associated with the device 2 there are also a number of loose but hard elements 10, which in the shown embodiment consist of steel balls, intended for placing inside the cavity of the hollow element 6 together with the grain material 4, as will appear from the transparent illustration in fig. 2. The grain material in the shown embodiment consists of peppercorns 4.

[025] The loose, hard elements 10 (the steel balls) and the grain material 4 are inserted into the cavity 24 of the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material via the opening 8. The opening 8 is closed with a cover 12, which in the shown embodiment consists of a band-shaped element or ring which is led down over the spherical, hollow element 6, and is pressed into engagement in the annular recess 26 provided for this purpose along the periphery of the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material. The band-shaped element 12 is hereby housed in the annular recess 26 in a manner in which it can be displaced by rotation, and can naturally be removed in connection with the filling with the grain material 4, e.g. pepper¬ corns, which are to be ground/crushed. In the shown embodiment, over a part of the band-shaped/annular element there is provided a double row of through-going openings 16 of uniform diameter, which in combination form a sieve 14. The size of the fall-through openings 16 in the sieve 14 is determinative for the size of the ground material which can be dispensed from the device 2 by turning the sieve so that the openings are oriented downwards.

[026] The slot-shaped opening 8 can also be blocked, so that unintentional fall-out of the particles of the ground material 4 is prevented, which is effected by carrying out a relative displacement between the band-shaped/annular ele¬ ment/cover 12 in the recess 26 so that an unbroken extent of the ring covers the opening 8.

[027] In fig. 2, which is a transparent illustration of the device 2 according to the invention, the device is shown partly assembled almost ready for use except for the cover 12 which is not yet mounted in the recess 26 along the periphery of the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material, with the loose, hard elements 10 and the corn material 4 placed inside the cavity 24 of the hollow element 6 of elas¬ tic yielding material.

[028] In fig. 3 it is shown how the device 2, where the cover 12 is now placed in the recess 26 in the hollow element, is held in a hand 18 ready for use, and in fig. 4 it is shown how the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material is squeezed together by carrying out a cyclic movement indicated by the arrows A and B with a number of the hand's fingers 28, 30, 32, 34, 36 oriented towards and away from the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material, whereby the loose, hard elements 10 process the corn material 4 which is hereby ground, and by processing for a suitable period of time the grinding is effected to a particle size which can pass through the openings 16 in the sieve 14.

[029] In fig. 4 it is also shown how the ground corn material 4' in particle form can be sprinkled out of the device down on to an under layer 20. It shall be men¬ tioned that the device 2 is typically used in a manner whereby it is turned with the opening 8 covered with the sieve 14 facing downwards towards the surface on which the ground corn material 4 is to be applied, after which the manual activa- tion of the hollow element of elastic yielding material is commenced, whereby the particles 4' are dispensed very precisely on the surface.

[030] It shall be mentioned that the sieve 14, which in the shown embodiment is integrated in the cover 12, is exchangeable by removing the cover 12 and re¬ placing this with another cover with the same configuration, but where the size of the fall-through openings 16 is different to the size of the holes in the cover 12 just removed, so that it is possible to operate with another constant particle size of the ground material 4'.

[031] In a second embodiment of the device 2 according to the invention, the band-formed/annular cover 12 can comprise a number of sieves 14 by configuring the cover with a number of spaced sections of fall-through openings 16, where the respective sections have fall-through opening areas of different sizes. There is hereby achieved a more flexible utilisation possibility of the device 2 according to the invention, whereby the user himself will thus be able to determine the particle size of the ground material 4' which is dispensed out of the device. It shall be noted, however, that it is preferred that the number of spaced sections of fall- thorough openings is limited, so that the band-shaped/annular cover 12 always has an unbroken section 15 with an extent which at least corresponds to the ex¬ tent of the slot 8 in the hollow element.

[032] In another not shown embodiment of the device 2 according to the in¬ vention, where the hollow element 6 of elastic yielding material is configured with a neck in which the opening 8 is placed as a mouth, the sieve 14 can comprise an adjustment mechanism (not shown) which, by a turning of the cover around the mouth opening 8, results in a change of the area of the openings 16 in the sieve 14.