IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,547,139
Granted Patent B2
US 11,547,139 · App. 16/172,639 · Granted Jan 10, 2023

Compact system for preparing personal smokable products

Inventors: David Richmond (Culver City, CA); Howard Richmond (Los Angeles, CA); Manuel A. Montano (Gardena, CA); Jeffery Kunkler (Culver City, CA)
Assignee: Banana Bros, LLC
A24C5/42A24B7/04A24C5/02A24C5/06A24C5/44B02C7/04B02C18/10B02C23/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,547,139
App. No.
16/172,639
Granted
Jan 10, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

An apparatus for preparing a smokeable product is provided. The apparatus includes an upper chamber configured to receive feed material, a feed material cutting mechanism comprising a size reducer configured to rotate in two directions, a motor configured to rotate the feed material cutting mechanism, a controller configured to selectively reverse direction of rotation of the feed material cutting mechanism, a power source configured to drive the motor, a switch for turning the power source off and on, and a fan in the uppermost chamber configured to move feed material within the uppermost chamber to a lowermost chamber.

Claims (46)

1. An apparatus for preparing a smokable product comprising:

a chamber configured to receive smokable material;

a size reducer positioned within the chamber and configured to reduce smokable material size;

a controller configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer when resistance to size reducer movement is encountered while the size reducer interfaces with the smokable material provided in the chamber; and

a fan positioned above the size reducer and configured to rotate and direct airflow and smokable material in a downward direction through the size reducer;

wherein the controller is configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer a plurality of times such that alternately reducing smokable material size and reversing rotational direction repeats until manually or temporally halted.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a motor configured to rotate the size reducer;

a power source configured to drive the motor; and

a switch configured to turn the power source on and off.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the size reducer comprises a plurality of wires that rotate around a rotatable central axial member in the chamber.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the size reducer comprises a single wire attached to a rotatable central axial member.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a a lower chamber configured to receive material ground by the size reducer in the chamber.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller:

controls rotation of the size reducer based on a resistance value comprising one of a sensed amperage and a sensed mechanical resistance encountered by the size reducer; and

reverses direction of rotation based on the resistance value exceeding a predetermined threshold.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a receiving element positionable below the chamber and configured to receive a wrapper, wherein the wrapper is configured to receive smokable material from the chamber that has been processed using the size reducer.

8. An apparatus for providing smokable material comprising:

a chamber formed by a plurality of joinable container elements and configured to receive smokable material;

a size reducer positioned within the chamber and configured to reduce smokable material size;

a controller configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer when resistance has been encountered by the size reducer from the smokable material provided in the chamber; and

a fan positioned above the size reducer and configured to rotate and direct airflow and smokable material in a downward direction through the size reducer;

wherein the controller is configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer a plurality of times such that reducing smokable material size and reversing rotational direction repeats until manually or temporally halted.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the size reducer comprises a single wire attached to a rotatable central axial member.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the size reducer comprises a plurality of wires that rotate around the rotatable central axial member in the chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the controller:

controls rotation of the size reducer based on a resistance value comprising one of a sensed amperage and a sensed mechanical resistance encountered by the size reducer; and

reverses direction of rotation based on the resistance value exceeding a predetermined threshold.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a receiving element positionable below the chamber and configured to receive a wrapper, wherein the wrapper is configured to receive smokable material from the chamber that has been processed using the size reducer.

13. An apparatus for preparing a smokable product comprising:

a chamber configured to receive smokable material;

a bidirectional rotating size reducer positioned within the chamber and configured to reduce smokable material size;

a controller configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer when resistance to bidirectional rotating size reducer movement is encountered while the bidirectional rotating size reducer interfaces with the smokable material provided in the chamber; and

a fan positioned above the size reducer and configured to rotate and direct airflow and smokable material in a downward direction through the size reducer;

wherein the controller is configured to reverse direction of rotation of the size reducer a plurality of times such that alternately reducing smokable material size and reversing rotational direction repeats until manually or temporally halted.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising a motor configured to rotate the bidirectional rotating size reducer.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , further comprising:

a power source configured to drive the motor; and

a switch for turning the power source off and on.

16. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein a lowermost chamber receives smokable material and comprises a lower opening configured to pass feed material toward a collector.

17. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the bidirectional rotating size reducer comprises a wire attached to a rotatable central axial member.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the bidirectional rotating size reducer comprises a plurality of wires configured to rotate in the chamber.

19. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising:

a fill inlet; and

a door having a closed position for substantially closing the fill inlet and an open position for opening the fill inlet.

20. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to reverse direction of rotation based on a sensed mechanical resistance value exceeding a predetermined threshold.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 26, 2018
From: RICHMOND, DAVID; RICHMOND, HOWARD; MONTANO, MANUEL; KUNKLER, JEFFERY
To: BANANA BROS, LLC
Reel/Frame 047331/0607 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation In Part 15447069 · Mar 1, 2017
Provisional Application 62450535 · Jan 25, 2017
Related Publication 20190059439A1 · Feb 28, 2019