The subject of the invention is a device for grinding and mixing of herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, preparing and dispensing of cigarettes. The subject of the invention is also the method for the application of the device.
The state of the art includes the following solutions. South-Korean patent application no. KR101730333 B1 discloses a cigarette manufacturing apparatus including a tobacco leaf supply unit, a cutter unit to cut the tobacco leaves, and a cigarette production unit. The invention is also equipped with a pressurizing rod for pressurizing the supplied tobacco leaves, and a finishing rod for closing the tip of the packed tobacco after pressurization. The disadvantage of the solution is the size of the apparatus and the fact that the apparatus is not portable.
As customers show growing interest in self-made tobacco articles, many patents are disclosing kits and devices for home-made cigarette production. U.S. Pat. No. 6,041,921 A discloses a portable, foldable wallet-like kit for storing smoking apparatus including a storage unit for tobacco and accessories for manually making cigarettes. The invention does not have a grinder unit and the process of making the cigarettes is not automated.
The US patent application no. US2017035105 A1 describes a portable smoking utensil holder and kit. The holder can store and grind the tobacco leaves, and a built-in or a removable lighter is optionally included in the kit. According to the description, additional utensils may be stored within the utensil holder, such as picks or pipe. The device may have audio effects corresponding with the particular action being performed. However the device is not able to fill or roll cigarettes.
The U.S. Pat. No. 9,565,972 B1 discloses a small sized portable grinder for herbs, coffee, tobacco, etc. The grinder can optionally host a storage unit to store the shredded tobacco. The device can be charged through a USB port. The grinder may also be equipped with lighting means. This device also does not offer a solution to properly mix the different ground herbs and fill them in a cigarette.
Another rechargeable electric herb grinder is described in US patent application no. US2010301806 A1. In the housing of the electric grinder several compartments are formed, and the compartments are attachable to each other along a separating joint. The portable device can be charged via a USB port or alternatively, adapters for wall power outlets and car power outlets/cigarette lighters can be utilized to provide the external power. This grinder device also can not mix the ground herbs or fill cigarette cones. A similar device with the same disadvantage is disclosed in the utility model no. CN204032372 U, introducing a portable tobacco grinder having a cylindrical outer shell with storage functions.
An easy-to-use electric tobacco grinding device is disclosed in Chinese utility model no. CN201135126 Y. The transparent cover of the device enables inspection of the grinding process. This tobacco grinder has the same disadvantages not being able to mix the ground herbs and fill the cigarette cones.
The US patent application no. US2016000143 A1 introduces a smoking kit hidden in a toy, namely a bear-shaped figure. The inside of the toy consists of several compartments that can store, preserve, and grind tobacco. The invention is provided with a hollow outer case, the lower part of the mentioned outer case receives and stores the paper roll, tobacco, grinder and cooling tray. This device also lacks functions such as mixing the ground herbs or preparing cigarettes. The Chinese utility model no. CN203194527 U discloses a multi-functional cigarette holder including a tobacco reservoir. The device can optionally include a grinder and it is able to roll cigarettes, but only one cigarette at a time.
The US patent application no. US2015298135 A1 describes a device closest to the present invention. The said US patent discloses a grinding apparatus for tobacco to satisfy the need for hand-made and custom-made tobacco and related products. The device can store the ground tobacco and fill cigarette cones with it. The disadvantage of this invention is that it does not make precise filling possible. Furthermore, another disadvantage is that every step has to be started manually and that the device cannot mix the herbs properly.
Many solutions in the prior art are able to grind various herbs, but cannot mix the herbs properly or fill cigarette cones and roll cigarettes. The devices that have cigarette rolling functions require quite a lot user interaction along the process.
The problem to be solved is to avoid as many user interactions as possible from the process of making cigarettes and create said device. The device to be created is able to store, grind and mix herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, fill multiple cigarette papers to prepare ready cigarettes, and dispense the cigarettes to the user with a single press of a button.
The purpose of the invention is to eliminate the faults of known solutions and to provide a compact, easy-to-use device for making ready cigarettes from herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices.
The inventive step is based on the recognition that it is advantageous to automate every single step of a hand-made or hand-rolled cigarette including grinding herbs/spices/tobacco, mixing them properly and filling the mixed herbs into pre-rolled cigarette papers placed in tubes and also dispensing the ready cigarettes to the user.
The presented device has numerous advantages. The device reduces user interaction, as it can be operated by a single press of a button, and then the device grinds and mixes the herbs/spices/tobacco, and fills the pre-rolled cigarette papers placed in the tubes and dispenses the ready cigarettes. Instead of a button, the device can be controlled through a user interface of a mobile application or software, which makes the use of the device even more convenient. Controlling the device through wireless connection, for example Bluetooth is also possible. Through such a user interface, the user can also monitor his or her smoking habits. Furthermore, the device can be equipped with safety measures, such as a child lock to prevent children to reach the content of the device, or the device can include a time lock to prevent too frequent use. As such, this aesthetically designed device can be a great help for someone in the way of quitting smoking. The device is chargeable and portable, and also has the advantage of being protected from total dust ingress and water spray from any direction. The device may also comprise a display for displaying all the necessary information such as time, status of power supply, the number of filled tubes, the weight of the herbs/spices/tobacco inside one of the chambers, etc. The tubes are removable for easy storage of the prepared cigarettes for portability.
According to the above purpose, the most general implementation form of the solution according to the invention is described in claim 1. The most general form of the procedure of use is described in claim 10. The individual implementation forms are described in the sub-claims.
The solution in general is a device for grinding and mixing of herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, preparing and dispensing of cigarettes, the device comprising a grinding chamber for holding and grinding the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, wherein the grinding chamber has a top, a plurality of tubes for holding pre-rolled cigarette papers and receiving ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, a carousel, which is rotatable around a central axis and is located within carousel cover, the grinding chamber is equipped with a grinder unit, the grinder unit is connected to a motor, the motor being capable of driving the grinder unit, a tray for delivering the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices into pre-rolled cigarette papers placed in one tube or in plurality of tubes, the tray is located above the carousel, a power supply connected to the motor, said power supply is located in a bottom cover, A feature of the invention is that the device further comprises a mixing chamber for mixing the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices, which is located below the grinding chamber, a mixing unit located in the mixing chamber and connected to the motor via a drive shaft, at least one door on the carousel cover for dispensing one tube or a plurality of tubes with the filled pre-rolled cigarette paper, wherein the carousel comprises a plurality of tube holders for holding the tubes, the tray is located below the mixing chamber, the carousel cover is mounted on the bottom cover, the mixing chamber is mounted on the carousel cover, the grinding chamber is mounted on the mixing chamber.
In another implementation form, the grinder unit is equipped with at least two grinding gears, the grinder unit and/or the mixing unit is connected to a controlling unit for controlling the operation of the grinder unit and/or the mixing unit; the controlling unit is placed below the motor and/or the controlling unit is a wirelessly connected software or application and/or the controlling unit is a button or connected to a button located on the mixing chamber.
In a different embodiment, the mixing unit comprises a nozzle, the tray comprises at least one cone for accommodating the nozzle.
In another embodiment, the number of tube holders placed in the carousel is between 2-20, preferably ten; the number of tubes is equal or less than the number of tube holders in the carousel. In other embodiments the number of tube holders and tubes can be even more than twenty.
In another possible embodiment, the diameter of the tubes is 5-40 mm, preferably 10-24 mm; the length of the tubes is 5-20 cm, the maximum length preferably being 11 cm; the height of the carousel is equal or more than the length of the tubes. In other embodiments the diameter and the length of the tube can be even more. When preparing cigarettes with less herbs/tobacco/spices in it, it is also possible to use shorter tubes as well. The device makes it possible to prepare shorter and longer cigarettes at the same time, using different sizes of tubes in the carousel at the same time.
In a different embodiment, the top is removably connected to the grinding chamber and/or the top comprises a button. As an example, the top can be connected to the grinding chamber with a hinge.
In another possible embodiment, the grinding chamber and/or the mixing chamber and/or the carousel is equipped with a scale.
In another possible embodiment, the carousel is equipped with a vibrating element and/or a carousel motor, the carousel is driven by the carousel motor.
In another implementation form, the device further comprises a display preferably placed on the bottom cover.
The general application of the invention includes the steps of adding herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices to the grinding chamber, grinding said herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices with the grinder unit, placing pre-rolled cigarette papers into one tube or in plurality of tubes, forwarding the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices to the carousel and filling at least one pre-rolled cigarette paper with the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices. The feature of the general method is that after grinding and before forwarding the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices to the carousel the method further includes the steps of forwarding the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices to the mixing chamber, and then mixing the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices with the mixing unit in the mixing chamber thus creating a mixture, after filling at least one pre-rolled cigarette paper with the mixture, the method further continues with the steps of rotating the carousel around the central axis to move one or more tubes with the filled pre-rolled cigarette papers to at least one door, and then dispensing said one or more tubes with the filled pre-rolled cigarette papers through one or more doors. Filling might mean filling fully or also filling partially. The carousel can rotate with or without the tray.
Another feature of the method may be that it further includes the steps of controlling the operation of the grinder unit and/or the mixing unit with controlling unit, and setting the speed of mixing unit and/or grinder unit with the controlling unit.
Another feature of the method may be that after dispensing one or more tubes with the filled pre-rolled cigarette papers, the method continues with grinding the remaining herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices in the grinding chamber with the grinder unit. The method may further include the step of stopping the grinder unit when the mixing chamber is full.
Another different feature of the method may be that after filling at least one pre-rolled cigarette paper with the mixture, it further includes the step of compressing said mixture in at least one pre-rolled cigarette paper and/or vibrating at least one tube with the vibrating element.
Another possible feature of the method may be that it further includes the step of measuring the weight of the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices placed in the grinding chamber and/or the weight of the mixture in the mixing chamber and/or the weight of the mixture filled in the pre-rolled cigarette papers.
The invention is presented in more detail by examples of implementation, using drawings.
On the following drawings,
The steps of the method for the application of the device are as follows. Firstly, the user may open the top 1 and fill the grinding chamber 2 with selected herbs such as cannabis, and/or tobacco and/or spices. Any combination of those is possible. After closing the top 1, the device grinds the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices with the grinder unit 3. The grinder unit 3 has grinding teeth or blades for this purpose and is located below the grinding chamber 2. The grinder unit 3 is operated by the motor 11. The grinding can start at a press of a button, or in some embodiments grinding can be initiated through wireless connection for example by software or a mobile application. After grinding the ground herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices fall into the mixing chamber 5, where the mixing unit 4 properly mixes the herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices. When the mixing chamber 5 is full, the grinder unit 3 automatically stops grinding. When the level of the mixed herbs and/or tobacco and/or spices (hereinafter mixture) reduces in the mixing chamber 5, the grinding starts again automatically. The process of mixing can start automatically after grinding or be initiated by separate user interaction, for example by pushing a button, or by closing the grinding chamber 2 with the top 1, or by instructing the mixing unit 4 with the controlling unit 24. The speed of the grinder unit 3 and/or the mixing unit 4 may be set and may be changed with a controlling unit 24. The mixture is stored in the mixing chamber 5, ready to be used for filling. Before performing the next step, which is the filling, it is necessary to place as many pre-rolled cigarette papers 17 into as many tubes 9, as many cigarettes the user would like to prepare. The process of filling the pre-rolled cigarette papers 17 placed in the tubes 9 can be started by user interaction, and the user can indicate the amount of cigarettes or joints to be filled from one to the maximum capacity of the device. In the embodiment of
The invention is not restricted to the above-described embodiment. In addition to the above examples, the invention may be implemented within the scope of protection in other forms.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
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PCT/IB2017/056978 | 11/8/2017 | WO |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2019/092477 | 5/16/2019 | WO | A |
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Number | Date | Country |
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WO2017017531 | Feb 2017 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20200345061 A1 | Nov 2020 | US |