WO2022186805A1

WO2022186805A1 - A turkish cofee maker having a cofee pot with a sensor

Info

Publication number: WO2022186805A1
Application number: PCT/TR2022/050184
Authority: WO
Inventors: Fuat Murat ONEY; Mohammedreza MASOUMISOUREH
Original assignee: Technocast Otomotiv Sanayi Ve Ticaret Anonim Sirketi
Priority date: 2021-03-02
Filing date: 2022-03-01
Publication date: 2022-09-09

Abstract

The invention relates to a Turkish coffee maker comprising a coffee pot (10) having a container with a base (16) heated by an electric heating element (60) and a lateral wall (13) rising from an outer periphery thereof and for which a mixture of coffee, water and optionally, a sweetener is filled into the container in case of a cooking process; and a sensor (40) located on the lateral wall (13) of the coffee pot (10), which transmits the temperature information of the mixture to a controller (70) connected in a electric transmitting manner. The Turkish coffee maker further comprising a sensor (40) inserted into a slot (17) on the lateral wall (13), and a functional header (42) part of the sensor (40) is arranged in the slot (17) such that integrates to a smooth inner wall (15) of the lateral wall (13) to a large extent.

Description

A TURKISH COFEE MAKER HAVING A COFEE POT WITH A SENSOR

TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention relates to a Turkish coffee maker which may make coffee with an electric heating element in a coffee pot containing coffee, water and optionally other components.

STATE OF THE ART

A Turkish coffee maker makes coffee in a coffee pot (so called cezve), a container with an extended handle and a spout on the opening. Ground and properly roasted coffee, water and optionally sweetening components such as sugar are added and cooked in a coffee pot, thereby obtaining Turkish coffee. Herein, the completion of a Turkish coffee cooking process is generally observed by a layer of foam formed on the coffee pot. Various Turkish coffee makers have been developed in order to perform the cooking process automatically. In principle, they run by cooking a mixture of water and coffee in the coffee pot by an electric heating element at boiling temperature and deactivating the electric heating element by a controller which evaluates a feedback obtained by a temperature sensor. There are various Turkish coffee makers available in which the electric heating element is provided at the base of the coffee pot, or a housing on which the coffee pot is inserted. Depending on the embodiment, the temperature sensors are disposed in a cavity in which the coffee pot is located, so as to face the opening, or are directly adapted to the body of the coffee pot. The sensor continuously sends the temperature information to the controller as an electrical signal and deactivates the electric heating element by implementing the cooking procedure when a predetermined threshold value is exceeded. After the coffee cooked in the coffee pot is poured into Turkish coffee cups, for example and served, the coffee residues, called grounds, left in the coffee pot should be flushed with water, or the residues which do not dissolve with water should be cleaned with soft cleaning cloth. Otherwise, the taste problems and hygiene problems will not be avoided in the next cooking process. TR201602964 discloses a temperature sensor is provided in the coffee pot. The sensor has a protrusion extending towards the inner wall of the coffee pot due to the shape thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The object of the invention is to facilitate the cleaning process of a coffee pot with a sensor in a Turkish coffee maker.

In order to achieve above objective, a Turkish coffee maker comprising a coffee pot having a container with a base heated by an electric heating element and a lateral wall rising from an outer periphery thereof and for which a mixture of coffee, water and optionally, a sweetener is filled into the container in case of a cooking process; and a sensor located on the lateral wall of the coffee pot, which transmits the temperature information of the mixture to a controller connected in a electric transmitting manner. The Turkish coffee maker further comprises a sensor inserted into a slot on the lateral wall, and a functional header part of the sensor is arranged in the slot such that integrates to a smooth inner wall of the lateral wall to a large extent. The liquid mixture to be boiled containing the coffee, water and optionally sugar is poured in the coffee pot (cezve) in the form of a container, and the coffee pot is inserted in the housing of the coffee maker. The sensor, preferably a temperature sensor, is located near the electric heating element so as to be almost at the surface such that it does not protrude towards the inner volume of the coffee pot into which the coffee is added, on the inner wall of the coffee pot, instantly reads the temperature values of the liquid mixture in the coffee pot, and transfer to the controller arranged at the housing of the coffee maker. An electric heating element is located at the bottom of the coffee pot and generates the heat required for the coffee pot. The controller preferably comprises a microprocessor located in the housing of the coffee maker, which adjusts the power of the cooking unit by means of an algorithm located therein, wherein the data detected by at least one temperature sensor are sent to, and assessed in, the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor controls the resistance heating element depending on the level of liquid and foam and warns a user when the coffee is ready, and an electronic card on which the microprocessor is assembled. By means of the functional header of the sensor, which is aligned so as to complement the flat structure of the inner wall without any disruption, both an accurate and a correct temperature measurement is obtained by forming a part of the inner wall and the flat structure of the inner wall may be allowed to be wiped easily with a cleaning cloth after the cooking process without leaving any coffee grounds.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the slot is formed by the lateral wall being bent inwardly by itself. In this way, while the lateral wall is formed by a single operation without creating a complex structure with an additional part, the slot is also formed. Thus, the grounds is prevented from depositing on a site where the slot is located on the inner wall as there is no interlaced part.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein an inner depth of the slot is substantially equal to, or greater than, the thickness of the header. In this case, when the header is inserted into the slot, the header is extended as a part of the flat inner wall without a protrusion to be caught by a hand during cleaning process.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a through hole is formed on the slot and a rear extension extending from the header part of the sensor rest in an hermetic manner. The temperature information obtained from the inner wall by the sensor via the header transmitted as an electrical signal from through hole to the outer part of the coffee pot through the rear extension. Due to the hermetic structure, liquid in the coffee pot is prevented from flowing outside at the through hole during the cooking process.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the through hole is in a circular form equal to the outer diameter of the rear extension. In this way, even without a need to use a separate sealing element, the passage of liquid from the coffee pot is prevented by blocking the hole by the rear extension of the sensor.

A preferred embodiment of the invention comprises a thread located on the rear extension and a holding element which abuts against an outer wall opposite to the inner wall by a screw connection by the thread. The holding element secures the rear extension to the coffee pot from the outer wall. The header in the form of a screw head rests around the through hole in the slot so as to form a tension due to the diameter thereof larger than the hole and does not come out of the hole. In another embodiment of the invention, a first height of the sensor on the lateral wall with respect to the base is smaller than a second height thereof with respect to a opening. In this way, the sensor is enabled to be close to the base and to perform the temperature measurement in the coffee pot with a higher accuracy.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, an electric heating element is provided at the base of the coffee pot and connected to a controller configured to deactivate the heating element during a cooking mode in an electric signal transmitting manner. The heating element is provided at the base of the coffee pot and thus, forms an integral structure with the coffee pot. In this way, it is easily fitted in a housing comprising a simple electrical connector, thereby electricity is fed to the electric heating element in the coffee pot. User’s safety is guaranteed as such coffee pot does not pose an electrical risk in case of coffee overflow.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a handle is having an inner wall attached to the outer wall of the lateral wall so as to cover the sensor from the back. The handle both provides an easy handling of the coffee pot and protects the sensor from the external factors by covering the same.

The object of this invention is to perform a precise measurement by designing the sensor mechanism properly such that the sensor contacts the coffee, with a low cost and without increasing the complexity of use by a customer. The sensor is disposed close to the electric heater cooking unit on the housing of the coffee pot. The sensor is completely enclosed by the body of the coffee pot in order to perform a precise measurement regardless of a hot or cold environment. The user does not experience any uneasiness during coffee making process due to the shape and position of the sensor selected. The sensor does not cause any problem during a cleaning process as it is mounted so as to be almost at the surface level such that it does not protrude from the surface of the coffee pot towards the container into which the coffee is added. A superior coffee maker is intended to be designed in terms of price, ease of use and correct cooking method. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a representative embodiment of a Turkish coffee maker of the invention with the coffee pot being disposed on the body.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the coffee pot of Figure 1 with the handle being removed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a part of the coffee pot in which the sensor is inserted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In this detailed description, the improvement of the invention has been descthreaded without any limitation and only with reference to the examples in order to better explain the subject matter.

The coffee maker of the invention comprises a housing (30) in which a coffee pot (10) is disposed, a coffee pot (10) and a temperature sensor (40). The coffee pot (10) shown in Figure 1 is traditionally in the form of a container defined by a cylindrical lateral wall (13) which narrows from a large circular base (16) towards a circular opening (11). The opening (11) comprises two spouts (12) located opposite to each other. The coffee pot (10) is fitted in the housing (30) from the circular base thereof (16) by a connection adapter (32) formed properly. The housing (30) has a hollow structure and provides a housing for a controller (70) with an electronic control circuit. The mains power is transmitted to an electric heating element (60) in the form of a resistance integrated into the base (16) of the coffee pot (10) via the connection adapter (32) by a plug (50) on the housing (30). The controller (70) transmits the electricity to the electric heating element (60) via the connection adapter (32) during the cooking process and cuts off the electric transmission at the end of the cooking process.

As shown in Figure 2, a one-piece handle (20) in the form of a vertical grip is attached to the lateral wall (13) through an outer wall (14). The handle (20) comprises an outer body (24) in the form of an opening allowing a finger to pass therethrough between a flat inner body (22) extending over the lateral wall (13) and an inner part thereof. The handle (20) is secured to the coffee pot (10) by fitting the inner body (22) to an adapter (19) part of the inner body (22), which is formed in a part of the lateral wall (13), which is close to the opening (11).

The sensor (40) is disposed close to the base (16) so as to extend radially inwardly towards the lateral wall (13). Here, a first distance (hi) between the extension axis of the sensor (40) and the base (16) is also shorter than a second distance (h2) between the extension axis and the opening (11). A holding member (45) is attached to the rear extension (44) of the sensor (40) for mounting it on the lateral wall (13). A cable (47) passes to the base (16) through the rear extension (44) and so, transmits the electrical signal comprising the temperature value information of the mixture in the coffee pot (10) to the controller (70) in the housing (30) by the connection adapter (32). While the cable (47) extends from the sensor (30) to the base (16), the inner wall (22) of the handle (20) covers the cable (47) so as to protect it from the external factors.

In Figure 3, the sensor (40) is shown closely as a cross-sectional view. The sensor (40) has a plug-like form and comprises an enlarged header (42) and a hollow cylindrical rear extension (44) extending from the lower end coaxial thereto. A screw thread is threaded on the outer periphery of the rear extension (44). A nut-like holding element (45) is inserted thereto through an inner space thereof. On the other hand, one end of the cable (47) is close-fitted into the inner space of the rear extension (44). A circular slot (17) is formed on a region of the lateral wall (13) to which the sensor (40) is mounted. The slot (17) is concave on the inner wall (15) by the lateral wall (13) being radially bent outwardly from itself. The header (42) is in a flat cylindrical form and is fitted into the slot (17). Thus, the sensor (40) is fitted into the slot (17) from the inner wall (15) such that the header (42) is completely fitted on the inner wall. The rear extension (44) extends radially and outwardly from the outer wall (14) by passing through a central through hole (18) on the slot (17). Thus, the holding element (45) advances until it abuts against the outer wall (14) when it is passed through the rear extension (44) at an end thereof and rotated, and rests on the outer wall (14) so as to pull the header (42) towards itself due to the nut structure thereof. As the header (42) is larger than the through hole (18), it is inserted into the slot (17) so as to apply a tension without coming out of the hole. In this way, the part of the header (42), which fits into the slot provides a seal on the inner wall (15) in front of the through hole (18). Furthermore, the outer diameter of the rear extension (44) is equal to the diameter of the through hole (18) so as to support the sealing. The flat frontal surface of the header (42) fills the slot (17) almost completely and forms a part of the inner wall (15) and ensures it to maintain the flat structure thereof. In this way, the mixture containing coffee and water is prevented from entering the slot (17) after cooking, and the flat part of the head (42) facing outwards is cleaned during the cleaning of the inner wall (15), for example, without being caught by the cleaning cloth fibers or the hand.

The coffee maker of the invention runs by adding an amount of coffee, water and optionally sugar, which is determined by the user according to the number of people, into the coffee pot (10) and mixing the liquid mixture, then placing it in the housing (30) of the coffee maker and pressing the start button. Water may be added in by the user, or drawn from a reservoir by an automatic water intake system (not shown). The coffee maker of the invention comprises: a header (42) located near the electric heating element (60) and having a surface in contact with the mixture, a temperature sensor (40) located so as to be almost at the surface such that it does not protrude from the inner wall (14) of the coffee pot (10) to the inner volume of the coffee pot (10) into which the coffee is added, reads the temperature values of the liquid mixture in the coffee pot (10) immediately, and sends them to the controller (70) located on the housing (30) of the coffee maker, a resistance electric heating element (60) which is located at the base (16) of the coffee pot (10) and provides heat for the coffee pot (10). a microprocessor located in the housing (30) of the coffee maker, which adjusts the power of the electric heating element (60) by an algorithm located therein, wherein the data detected by at least one temperature sensor (40) are sent to, and assessed in, the microprocessor, wherein the microprocessor controls the resistance heating element (60) depending on the level of liquid and foam and warns a user when the coffee is ready, and a controller (70) into which the microprocessor located on the housing (30) of the coffee maker is integrated.

In addition, it comprises:

- a water flow sensor (not shown) which is connected on the coffee pot (10) to adjust the amount of water to be added to the coffee pot (10) and measures the flow of water transferred to the coffee pot (10) from the water reservoir, - a display (not shown) located on the housing (30) of the coffee maker, on which the assessments by the microprocessor, user’s selections and the values detected by the temperature sensor (40) and the water flow sensor,

- at least one communication unit connected to the coffee pot (10), which is headerable of wireless and contact-free data transmission in order to transmit the values measured by the temperature sensor (40) and the water flow sensor to the microprocessor,

- a cinder cooking button which, when it is activated, enables the microprocessor to control the electric heating element (60) immediately with an algorithm designed to cook coffee on cinder and allows the coffee to be cooked for a longer period of time and at a low heat.

The method steps for making coffee are as follows, which method steps are carried out to decide whether the coffee is ready, by placing the coffee pot (10) in which dry coffee, sugar depending on the user’s preference and appropriate amount of water are added, or to which the water drawn from the reservoir is poured through automatic water intake, in the housing (30) of the coffee maker:

- The coffee pot (10) is placed on the housing (30) of the coffee maker by fitting the base (16) to the connection adapter (32) of an appropriate structure, so that the temperature sensor (40) detects that the coffee pot (10) is placed, and the reading process begins. First, the temperature of the liquid mixture in the environment is read, and one of the different functions related to the first temperature may be run.

- If the first temperature value read corresponds to whichever of the determined temperature value ranges (cold, warm, normal temperature value range), the function determined by a designer is run by the processor in the algorithm for this temperature value range.

- The coffee making process is started according to the selected function, and before the liquid mixture reaches its boiling point, the electrical heating element (60) operates at full power by controlling the temperature to a temperature of around 90 degrees Celsius; the coffee maker should run at full power until the temperature of the coffee mixture rises to around 90 degrees Celsius, since the coffee does not start to cook and foam, in order to make the coffee making time faster, after a temperature value of around 90 degrees Celsius, the measurement method will differ after this temperature as the regional (environmental conditions, altitude, etc.) boiling point of water will change.

- As all ambient conditions cannot be determined, the coffee maker cannot know what the degree of boiling point is, so after a temperature value of around 90 degrees Celsius, the power value of the electrical heating element is reduced by the controller (70) in a controlled manner, and time to heat for water (temperature increase rate) is controlled; when the temperature increase rate drops to a rate determined by the function, a visual and audible warning is given to the user for detecting the completion of the cooking process and notifying, by the microprocessor, that the coffee is cooked/ready by turning off the cooking unit, thereby the cooking process being detected to be completed. In addition, as the temperature rise rate will change depending on the type of coffee used, different algorithms should be loaded into the coffee maker accordingly.

- The coffee maker does not operate when there is no coffee pot (10); when the coffee pot (10) is not placed on the housing (30), the processor detects it and the coffee maker does not operate, as the connections of the temperature sensor (40) are connected to the housing (30) of the coffee maker via a 5-pin connector. If the coffee pot (10) is not in the housing (30), the electronic circuit is not completed via at least one temperature sensor (40), and energy is saved.

The temperature sensor (40) is in the same position as the surface of the coffee pot (10), that is, it does not protrude outwardly. As shown in the figures, the sensor (40) is restrained in the coffee pot (10). In this way, a sensor assembly does not create visual pollution for users as compared to the other coffee machines with temperature sensors and provides ease of cleaning for the coffee pot.

As the connections of the temperature sensor (40) are on the coffee pot (10), the values are read by the ADC reading method when the coffee pot (10) is positioned in the housing (30), and when the coffee pot (10) is not in the housing (30), savings may be achieved easily as no energy transfer is present. By this method, erroneous results in the temperature sensor (40), which may occur depending on the environment and temperature of the coffee pot (10) are avoided. The temperature sensor (40) is located in the coffee pot (10) near the electrical heating element (60). Two ends of the temperature sensor (40) are connected to the connector; the values read by the temperature sensor (40) from the connector are transferred to the control circuit. Consequently, Turkish coffee is cooked in such a way that the most accurate results are obtained with the temperature sensor (40) thanks to the location of the temperature sensor (40) due to the mechanical design and the appropriate algorithm due to the electronic design.

REFERENCE NUMERALS

10 Coffee pot 24 Lateral wall

11 Opening 30 Body

12 Spout 32 Connection adapter

13 Lateral wall 40 Sensor

14 Outer wall 42 Header

15 Inner wall 44 Rear extension

16 Base 45 Holding element

17 Slot 47 Cable

18 Through hole 50 Plug

19 Adapter 60 Electric heating element

20 Handle 70 Controller 22 Inner wall hi First height h2 Second height

Claims

1. A Turkish coffee maker comprising a coffee pot (10) having a container with a base

(16) heated by an electric heating element (60) and a lateral wall (13) rising from an outer periphery thereof and for which a mixture of coffee, water and optionally, a sweetener is filled into the container in case of a cooking process; and a sensor (40) located on the lateral wall (13) of the coffee pot (10), which transmits the temperature information of the mixture to a controller (70) connected in a electric transmitting manner characterized in that a sensor (40) is inserted into a slot (17) on the lateral wall (13), and a functional header (42) part of the sensor (40) is arranged in the slot (17) such that integrates to a smooth inner wall (15) of the lateral wall (13) to a large extent.

2. The Turkish coffee maker according to claim 1, wherein the slot (17) is formed by the lateral wall (13) being bent inwardly by itself.

3. The Turkish coffee maker according to claim 2, wherein an inner depth of the slot

(17) is substantially equal to, or greater than, the thickness of the header (42).

4. The Turkish coffee maker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a through hole (18) is formed on the slot (17) and a rear extension (44) extending from the header (42) part of the sensor (40) rest in an hermetic manner.

5. The Turkish coffee maker according to claim 4, wherein the hole (18) is in a circular form equal to the outer diameter of the rear extension (44).

6. The Turkish coffee maker according to claims 4-5, wherein a thread is provided on the rear extension (44) and a holding element (45) which abuts against an outer wall (14) opposite to the inner wall (15) by a screw connection by the thread.

7. The Turkish coffee maker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a first height (hi) of the sensor (40) on the lateral wall (13) with respect to the base (16) is smaller than a second height (h2) thereof with respect to a opening (11 ).

8. The Turkish coffee maker according to any one of the preceding claims, an electric heating element (60) is provided at the base (16) of the coffee pot (10) and connected to a controller (70) configured to deactivate the heating element during a cooking mode in an electric signal transmitting manner.

9. The Turkish coffee maker according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein a handle (20) is having an inner wall (22) attached to the outer wall (14) of the lateral wall (13) so as to cover the sensor (40) from the back.