Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J42/00—Coffee mills; Spice mills
  • A47J42/38—Parts or details
  • A47J42/50—Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers

Definitions

• the present patent application for industrial invention relates to a coffee grinder with doser.
• traditional coffee grinders comprise a hopper disposed in upper position, which is suitable for containing coffee beans.
• the coffee beans falls from the hopper by gravity into a grinding chamber disposed under the hopper.
• a grinding unit is disposed in the grinding chamber.
• the grinding unit comprises two blades to grind the coffee beans and obtain coffee powder.
• one blade is rotary and one blade is fixed.
• the two blades are spaced out in such a way as to form a space, wherein the coffee beans are disposed in order to be ground.
• the coffee grinder of the prior art comprises a conveyor duct in communication with the grinding chamber and with the exterior.
• the conveyor duct is suitable for being crossed by the coffee powder.
• a receptacle such as for example a filter holder, is disposed under the conveyor duct, in order to collect the coffee powder.
• the coffee must be dosed in such a way that the quantity of coffee powder disposed in the filter holder corresponds to one dose of coffee powder that is sufficient to make one cup of coffee.
• a first method to dose the coffee provides for using a volumetric doser that is separate from the coffee grinder.
• the volumetric doser comprises a hopper where a large quantity of coffee powder is disposed, which has been previously ground with the coffee grinder.
• Such a volumetric doser comprises a lever that permits to deliver the ground coffee from the hopper. Every time it is actuated, the lever permits to deliver a volume of coffee powder that is equal to one dose of coffee.
• the coffee that is delivered from the hopper of the volumetric doser falls into the filter holder.
• Said doser is impaired by a first drawback, which is due to the permanence of the ground coffee in the doser, which is oxidized in contact with the air, altering its organoleptic characteristics. Therefore, said doser is not suitable for making high-quality coffee.
• a second drawback of the volumetric doser consists in the fact that it is not very accurate in delivering the exact quantity of ground coffee.
• the coffee grinder in order to dose the coffee, can be provided with a control unit that is connected to an electric motor for rotating the blades, in such a way to actuate the blades for a preset time interval. During such a time interval, the quantity of coffee beans that are ground permits to obtain one dose of coffee powder.
• Such a timed method is impaired by a drawback caused by its low accuracy.
• the electric motor does not always rotate at the same speed, and is affected by speed variations caused by the number, the position and the hardness of the coffee beans that are to be ground.
• the coffee grinder can be provided with a doser comprising a load cell whereon the filter holder rests.
• the load cell weighs the coffee powder that falls inside the filter holder from the conveyor conduit.
• a control unit is connected to the load cell and to the electric motor that actuates the blades, in such a way as to send an off command to the electric motor when the load cell measures the desired weight.
• the doser provided with load cell under the filter holder is impaired by the fact that it is very difficult to switch off the electric motor at the right moment in such a way as to exactly deliver the desired grams of coffee powder.
• Such a delay is caused by the inertia of the electric motor that continues to rotate for a certain time interval after it is switched off, as well as by the time needed by the coffee powder contained in the coffee grinder to reach the filter holder when the off command is given.
• dosers are known which are disposed before the grinding step, in such a way as to dose the coffee beans before they are ground.
• Such pre-grinding dosers are generally of volumetric type and are disposed between the hopper and the grinding chamber, in such a way as to permit only the passage of a volume of coffee beans that corresponds to one dose of coffee powder from the hopper to the grinding chamber.
• WO2017149183 discloses a coffee grinder that comprises a hopper for coffee beans, a grinding chamber and a doser for ground coffee.
• the doser is floating and rests on a force transducer that measures the weight of the empty doser and the weight of the ground coffee doses that enter a first or second chamber of the doser, allowing the weighed dose of coffee to be immediately delivered onto a corresponding filter holder.
• the purpose of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the prior art, by providing a coffee grinder comprising a doser that allows to dose the coffee correctly, in a simple, practical way.
• Another purpose is to disclose such a coffee grinder that is safe, reliable, accurate and simple to make.
• the coffee grinder of the invention comprises a hopper suitable for containing coffee beans and a frame fixed in lower position to the hopper.
• the coffee grinder of the invention comprises a grinding unit disposed in the frame.
• the grinding unit comprises a first blade and a second blade disposed in such a way as to form an air space where the coffee beans are ground.
• the coffee grinder of the invention comprises actuation means connected to the first blade in order to rotate the first blade.
• the coffee grinder of the invention comprises a doser to dose the coffee beans that are delivered from the hopper.
• the peculiarity of the doser according to the invention consists in the fact that the doser comprises a load cell that supports the hopper, in such a way as to weigh the hopper and the coffee beans contained in the hopper.
• the coffee grinder of the invention comprises valve means disposed in the hopper to permit/prohibit the delivery of coffee beans from the hopper according to the weight measured by the load cell.
• Fig. 1 is a sectional view along a vertical plane of a coffee grinder according to the invention
• Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the detail enclosed in the circle A of Fig. 1 .
• a coffee grinder according to the invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with numeral (100).
• the coffee grinder (100) is of instantaneous type.
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a hopper (1 ) and a frame (5) disposed under the hopper (1 ).
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a grinding unit (3) disposed in the frame (5) and in communication with the hopper (1 ).
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a conveyor cone (1 1 ) obtained in the frame (5) under the hopper (1 ).
• the conveyor cone (1 1 ) is suitable for receiving the coffee beans that are contained in the hopper (1 ).
• the conveyor cone (1 1 ) comprises:
• the grinding unit (3) comprises a first rotary blade (30), which is revolving mounted relative to the frame (5) of the coffee grinder (100), and a second blade (31 ), which is fixed in rotation relative to the frame (5) of the coffee grinder. It must be noted that both blades (30, 31 ) may be rotary blades.
• the blades (30, 31 ) are spaces out in such a way as to form an air space, through which the coffee powder is delivered after grinding.
• Actuation means (4) are connected to the first blade (30) to rotate said first blade (30).
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a funnel (6) obtained in the frame
• the funnel (6) communicates with the conveyor cone (1 1 ) and with the exterior.
• the funnel (6) houses the blades (30, 31 ), in such a way that the coffee powder that is delivered radially from the air space between the blades (30, 31 ) is already contained in the funnel (6).
• the funnel (6) permits to convey the coffee powder outwards.
• the funnel (6) is basically vertical and comprises an outlet (60) in lower position in communication with the exterior.
• a receptacle such as for example a filter holder, is disposed under the outlet (60) of the funnel (6), in such a way that the coffee powder that is delivered from the funnel
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a doser (7) connected to the hopper (1 ) to dose the quantity of coffee beans delivered from the hopper (1 ).
• the doser (7) comprises a load cell (72) that is fixed to the frame (15) by means of a support (16) and supports the hopper (1 ), in such a way as to weigh the hopper and the coffee beans contained in the hopper.
• the hopper (1 ) must rest only on the load cell (72), in such a way as to obtain an exact measurement of the weight of the hopper (1 ) with the coffee beans.
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises fixing means (13) fixed to the exterior of the hopper (1 ) and to the load cell (72), in such a way as to fix the hopper (1 ) to the load cell (72).
• the fixing means (13) comprise a bracket (13a) disposed around the outlet duct (12) of the hopper (1 ).
• a "C"-shaped hook (13b) projects from the bracket in order to be fitted into a housing of the load cell (72).
• the doser (7) comprises valve means (C) that permit/prohibit the delivery of the coffee beans from the hopper (1 ) according to the weight measured by the load cell (72).
• Said valve means (C) can be a door, a shutter or a window that open/close the passage of the coffee beans.
• valve means (C) can comprise moving means (C1 ) suitable for moving the coffee beans from the hopper towards the grinding unit.
• the moving means (C1 ) comprise a screw (70) revolvingly mounted in the outlet duct (12) of the hopper (1 ) to adjust the flow of coffee beans that is delivered from the hopper (1 ).
• the screw (70) is disposed inside a cylinder (70a) disposed in the outlet duct (12) of the hopper (1 ) to prevent the screw (70) from translating in a perpendicular direction relative to the axis of rotation of the screw (70).
• the moving means (C1 ) comprise actuation means (71 ) connected to the screw (70) to rotate the screw (70).
• said actuation means (71 ) comprise an electric motor (71 a) with a shaft (71 b) connected to the screw (70) in such a way as to rotate the screw (70).
• the actuation means are disposed in the hopper (1 ) and are connected to walls of the hopper (1 ) by means of supports (71 c).
• the supports (71 c) can be connection brackets or shelves with openings (not shown in the figures) for the passage of the coffee beans towards the outlet duct (12) of the hopper (1 ).
• the screw (70) rotates, ejecting the coffee beans from the hopper (1 ).
• the speed of the coffee beans when they are ejected from the hopper (1 ) is in direct proportion to the rotational speed of the screw (70).
• the screw (70) vibrates, in such a way as to favor the movement of the coffee beans towards the exterior of the hopper (1 ).
• the screw (70) can be moved always in the same direction of rotation, or it can be moved with micro-rotations around its axis in both directions of rotation. In the latter case, the screw (70) is used as oscillating screen and permits to deliver the coffee beans with very high accuracy.
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a funnel-shaped gasket (14) made of rubber, which is disposed between the outlet duct (12) of the hopper (1 ) and the conveyor cone (1 1 ), in such a way as to convey the coffee beans towards the blades (30, 31 ).
• the funnel-shaped gasket (14) is connected to the bracket (13a) and projects from the bracket (13a) in lower position. Being made of rubber, the funnel-shaped gasket (14) permits to isolate the hopper from the bracket (13a).
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a user interface (which is not shown in the figures), such as for example a keyboard or a touch screen, in order to start grinding the coffee beans.
• a user interface such as for example a keyboard or a touch screen, in order to start grinding the coffee beans.
• the coffee grinder (100) comprises a control unit (not shown in the figures) with a memory where to save a desired weight value of the coffee beans, which is equal to a dose of coffee powder.
• a weight value of the coffee beans can be permanently saved in the control unit, or can be set by the user by means of a keyboard.
• the control unit is electrically connected to the user interface, to the load cell (72) and to the valve means (C), in such a way:
• control unit is connected to the actuation means (71 ) of the moving means (C1 ), in such a way as to switch on and off the electric motor of the actuation means (71 ).
• the electric motor of the actuation means (71 ) of the moving means (C1 ) is actuated, rotating the screw (70) and permitting the delivery of the coffee beams from the hopper (1 ).
• the control unit sends the closing command to the valve means (C) of the moving means (C1 )
• the electric motor of the actuation means (71 ) is stopped and prevents the delivery of the coffee beans from the hopper (1 ). Therefore, the screw (70) acts as valve means.
• the coffee beans can be accurately dosed before they are ground, in such a way as to always obtain the quantity of coffee powder that corresponds to one dose of coffee powder.
• the coffee grinder with the doser (7) is simple and easy to use. In fact, being disposed under the hopper (1 ), said doser (7) does not prevent the user from handling the filter holder during the delivery of the coffee powder, and it does not force the user to use mechanical means to set the desired quantity of coffee powder.
• the coffee grinder (100) can comprise a grinding chamber, which is obtained in the frame (5) in communication with the hopper and the funnel (6).
• the grinding chamber houses the blades (30, 31 ).
• the coffee beans delivered from the hopper (1 ) pass into the grinding chamber, where they are ground by the blades (30, 31 ) in order to obtain coffee powder.
• the coffee powder is conveyed towards the funnel.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Apparatus For Making Beverages (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=61224380

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (2)

Citations (3)

• 2017
  • 2017-10-18 IT IT102017000117976A patent/IT201700117976A1/it unknown
• 2018
  • 2018-10-16 WO PCT/EP2018/078193 patent/WO2019076868A1/en active Application Filing

Patent Citations (3)

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