权利要求：
THE FOLLOWING IS CLAIMED:
1. A device for grinding food, comprising:
a hopper having an inner cavity defined, at least in part, by an inner surface, wherein a plurality of fixed teeth are formed into the inner surface such that the plurality of fixed teeth circumferentially surround a portion of the inner cavity; and a grinder plate rotatable relative to the hopper, the grinder plate having a plurality of teeth, wherein a gap is present between the plurality of teeth of the grinder plate and the plurality of fixed teeth of the hopper;
a motor unit configured to drive the grinder plate about an axis of rotation; wherein the grinder plate is removably coupled to the motor unit when the motor unit is not driving the grinder plate about the axis of rotation, and wherein the grinder plate is fixedly coupled to the motor unit when the motor unit is driving the grinder plate about the axis of rotation.
2. The device of Claim 1, further comprising:
a drive grip coupled to the grinder plate, the drive grip having a receiving region and a plurality of grip protrusions circumferentially distributed around the receiving region; and
a drive tip configured to fixedly couple to a drive shaft of the motor unit, the drive tip having a plurality of drive protrusions circumferentially positioned about the drive tip;
wherein the drive tip is configured to be inserted into the receiving region of the drive grip such that the plurality of drive protrusions of the drive grip extend into gaps between adjacent grip protrusions of the drive grip, and wherein the plurality of drive protrusions are configured to engage with the grip protrusions as the motor unit drives the grinder plate about the axis of rotation inhibiting the grinder plate from being decoupled from the motor unit.
3. The device of Claim 2, wherein the plurality of grip protrusions and the plurality of drive protrusions are rounded such that the drive protrusions are guided into the
gaps between adjacent grip protrusions as the drive tip is inserted into the receiving region of the drive grip.
4. The device of Claim 2, wherein the receiving region is defined, at least in part, by an annular structure.
5. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, further comprising a grinder housing having a bottom wall with an opening and sidewalls having a gap defining a food exit ramp, wherein the bottom wall is spaced below the plurality of grinder teeth and the grinder plate such that food passing through the hopper and by the grinder plate falls toward the bottom wall.
6. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, further comprising a press chamber having a press box with a bottom box wall, opposing box side walls, and front box wall, wherein the bottom box wall has a drain configured to direct fluid out of the press chamber.
7. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, wherein the grinder plate has an upper portion and a lower portion, the upper portion configured to extend partially into the inner cavity and the lower portion having the plurality of teeth.
8. The device of Claim 7, wherein the upper portion has a diameter that is smaller than a diameter of the lower portion, and wherein the upper portion has a height that is larger than a height of the lower portion.
9. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, further comprising a pusher configured to extend into the inner cavity of the hopper, wherein the pusher has a handle and a helical face that is configured to engage with food in the hopper.
10. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, wherein the grinder plate has a lopper with a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge is facing the direction of rotation of the grinder plate.
11. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, wherein the grinder plate has a wiper positioned on a lower portion of the grinder plate.
12. The device of Claim 11, wherein the hopper further comprises a wall extending therefrom that is configured to at least partially surround the lower portion of the
grinder plate, the wall comprising cutting ledges disposed on an inner surface of the wall, wherein the wiper is configured to push food against the cutting ledges.
13. The device of Claim 1 or any of the preceding claims, wherein at least one tooth of the fixed teeth of the hopper comprises a projection that divides the at least one tooth.
14. A device for grinding food, comprising:
a chute having a ring of fixed teeth; and
a grinder plate rotatable relative to the fixed teeth, the grinder plate having an upper portion and a lower portion, wherein the upper portion extends into the chute and the lower portion has a plurality of teeth, wherein a gap is present between the plurality of teeth of the grinder plate and the plurality of fixed teeth of the chute;
an annular structure coupled to the lower portion of the grinder plate, the annular structure having an internal surface with internal protrusions circumferentially distributed thereon;
a drive cap coupled to a motor unit that is configured to drive the grinder plate about an axis of rotation, the drive cap having a cylindrical body with external protrusions circumferentially distributed thereon;
wherein the drive cap is configured to be inserted into the tube of the annular structure;
wherein the external protrusions engage with the internal protrusions to retain the annular structure on the drive cap as the motor unit drives the grinder plate about the axis of rotation, and
wherein the annular structure is configured to be removed from the drive cap as the motor unit does not drive the grinder plate about the axis of rotation.
15. The device of Claim 14, wherein a wall of the chute comprises the fixed teeth.
16. The device of Claim 14 or 15, further comprising a grinder housing having a bottom wall with an opening and sidewalls having a gap defining a food exit ramp, wherein the bottom wall is spaced below the plurality of grinder teeth and the grinder plate.
17. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15 or 16, wherein the chute releasably couples to the grinder housing, and wherein the motor unit only drives the grinder plate about the axis of rotation with the chute coupled to the grinder plate.
18. The device of Claim 17 or any of Claims 15-18, wherein a magnetic switch detects if the chute is coupled to the grinder housing.
19. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-19, wherein the grinder housing releasably couples to the motor unit, and wherein the motor unit only drives the grinder plate about the axis of rotation with the grinder housing coupled to the motor unit.
20. The device of Claim 19, wherein a magnetic switch detects if the grinder housing is coupled to the motor unit.
21. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-20, further comprising a press chamber having a press box with a bottom box wall, opposing box side walls, front box wall, and rear retaining tabs, wherein the bottom box wall has an opening configured to direct fluid out of the press chamber.
22. The device of Claim 21, the device further comprising a drip tray that is configured to be positioned under the drain of the bottom box wall, the drip tray configured to partially cover a pair of support legs and housing of the device.
23. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-22, further comprising a pusher configured to extend into the chute, wherein the pusher has a handle and a helical face that is configured to engage with food in the chute.
24. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-23, wherein the grinder plate has an agitator with an apex, the agitator being configured to deflect food radially outward from the apex.
25. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-24, wherein the grinder plate has a lopper with a cutting edge, wherein the cutting edge is facing the direction of rotation of the grinder plate.
26. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-25, wherein the grinder plate has a wiper positioned on a lower portion of the grinder plate.
27. The device of Claim 26, wherein the chute further comprises a wall extending therefrom that is configured to at least partially surround the lower portion of the grinder
plate, the wall comprising cutting ledges disposed on an inner surface of the wall, wherein the wiper is configured to push food against the cutting ledges.
28. The device of Claim 14 or any of Claims 15-27, wherein at least one tooth of the fixed teeth of the chute comprises a projection that divides the at least one tooth.
29. A device for pressing food, the device comprising:
a press box with a bottom box wall, opposing box side walls, and front box wall, the press box configured to receive ground food material from a device for grinding food; and
a movable platen that is configured to be displaced toward the front box wall to press food material therebetween, wherein the movable platen comprises a drip shield that is configured to catch food material flowing from the device for grinding food as the movable platen is displaced toward the front box wall.
30. The device of Claim 29, wherein the drip shield is oriented substantially perpendicular relative to a front face of the movable platen.
31. The device of Claim 29 or 30, wherein the drip shield is configured to prevent food material from falling onto a piston that is configured to displace the movable platen.
32. The device of Claim 29 or any of Claims 30-31, wherein the front face of the movable platen includes elongate grooves configured to direct fluid pressed from the food material toward the bottom box wall.
33. The device of Claim 29 or any of Claims 30-32, wherein the bottom box wall comprises surfaces configured to direct fluid pressed from the food material toward a drain.
34. The device of Claim 29 or any of Claims 30-33, further comprising a front comb disposed between the front box wall and the moveable platen.
35. The device of Claim 34, wherein the front comb comprises a plurality of elongate fluid passages that are configured to direct fluid pressed from the food toward the bottom box wall.
36. The device of Claim 34, further comprising a bottom comb configured to be supported by the bottom box wall, wherein the front comb and bottom comb are coupled at a hinge.
37. The device of Claim 36, wherein the bottom comb comprises a plurality of fluid passages configured to allow fluid pressed from the food material to pass through the bottom comb.
38. The device of Claim 29 or of any of Claims 30-37, further comprising a bottom comb that is configured to be supported by the bottom box wall, the bottom comb comprising at least one tab that is configured to mate with a notch disposed in the press box to aid a user in properly orienting the bottom comb in the press box.
39. The device of Claim 29 or of any of Claims 30-38, wherein the press box further comprises one or more retaining flanges disposed opposite the front box wall that are configured to help retain the movable platen within the press box.