Coffee bean package for dispensing a dose of coffee beans

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10758079-B2
Application number	US-201113253824-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 5, 2011
Priority date	Apr 6, 2009
Publication date	Sep 1, 2020
Grant date	Sep 1, 2020

Abstract

Coffee bean package provided with an inner space for holding a collection of coffee beans for multiple portions of coffee beverage, which inner space is surrounded by at least one wall, a coffee bean outlet for dispensing coffee beans from the inner space, and a dosing device which is arranged for dispensing coffee beans from the inner space in a predetermined dose.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coffee bean package, comprising:
a package bottom wall;
a package top wall;
a circumferential package wall extending from the package bottom wall to the package top wall along an axis such that the package bottom wall and the package top wall both extend perpendicular relative to the axis, wherein a coffee bean dispensing outlet is provided by an opening provided in the package bottom wall;
an inner space defined by the package bottom wall, the package top wall, and the circumferential package wall, the inner space for holding a collection of coffee beans for multiple portions of coffee beverage,
wherein the coffee bean dispensing outlet dispenses coffee beans from the inner space, and
a coffee bean dosing device, wherein the coffee bean dosing device dispenses a part of the coffee beans from the inner space in a predetermined dose, wherein the coffee bean dosing device comprises a scoop for carrying along a predetermined dose of coffee beans from the collection of coffee beans, the scoop extending from the package bottom wall in the direction of the inner space, the scoop being fixed to the package bottom wall and fixed to the circumferential package wall and extending into the direction of the inner space, wherein the scoop comprises a loading wall extending from the circumferential package wall and a scoop bottom extending from the loading wall to form a trough, the loading wall guiding coffee beans from the scoop through the coffee bean dispensing outlet;
wherein between the scoop and the circumferential package wall a loading opening extends for loading the coffee beans from the collection of coffee beans into the scoop;
wherein the depth of the trough formed by the scoop has a value that is larger than the cross section of the loading opening of the scoop;
wherein the package bottom wall, the circumferential package wall, and the scoop are fixedly connected to each other in position relative to each other such that during rotation of the package about the axis, relative movement between the package bottom wall, the circumferential package wall, and the scoop is prevented and the scoop is moveable through the coffee beans in the inner space from a loading position towards a coffee bean dispensing position;
wherein the loading wall comprises a dosing edge defining an upper surface of the loaded dose of coffee beans, along which an excess of coffee beans falls down in a dispense position of the scoop; and
wherein the loading wall extends from the coffee bean dispensing outlet and at least up to the dosing edge of the scoop, along a curve, for guiding the coffee beans from the dosing edge to the coffee bean dispensing outlet.

2. The coffee bean package according to claim 1 , wherein the loading wall is provided with an extension extending beyond the dosing edge, the extension forming a carrying wall part for sliding the coffee beans through the loading opening of the scoop.

3. The coffee bean package according to claim 1 , wherein the package is provided with closing means for closing off the coffee bean dispensing outlet, so that the coffee bean package is closed off such that escape of coffee beans from the inner space is prevented.

4. The coffee bean package according to claim 3 , wherein the closing means are arranged movably relative to the coffee bean dispensing outlet for closing off or releasing the coffee bean dispensing outlet.

5. The coffee bean package according to claim 3 , wherein the closing means release the coffee bean dispensing outlet if the scoop is in the dispense position, so that the scoop dispenses the dose of coffee beans through the coffee bean dispensing outlet.

6. The coffee bean package according to claim 5 , wherein the closing means close off the coffee bean dispensing outlet if the scoop is in a different position than the dispense position.

7. The coffee bean package according to claim 3 , wherein the closing means comprise a valve or slide, provided with a passage, wherein the passage at least partly overlaps with the coffee bean dispensing outlet for releasing the coffee bean outlet, for dispensing the dose of coffee beans.

8. The coffee bean package according to claim 7 , wherein the valve or slide comprises a rotary disc for rotating the valve or slide relative to the coffee bean dispensing outlet.

9. The coffee bean package according to claim 8 , wherein the package is provided with an engagement element for rotating the valve or slide.

10. The coffee bean package according to claim 1 , wherein the circumference of the circumferential package wall is circular for rotating the package in a circular guide.

11. A coffee bean package, comprising:
a package bottom;
a package top wall;
a cylindrical package sidewall extending from the package bottom such that the package bottom and the cylindrical package sidewall define a cylindrical inner space having a longitudinal axis,
an outlet provided an opening in the package bottom, and
a scoop fixedly coupled to the cylindrical package sidewall and fixedly coupled to the package bottom adjacent the outlet and stationary relative to the package bottom and the cylindrical package sidewall, the scoop extending from the package bottom in the direction of the inner space, wherein the package bottom, the cylindrical package sidewall, and the scoop are fixedly connected to each other in position relative to each other such that during movement of the package, relative movement between the package bottom, the cylindrical package sidewall, and the scoop is prevented, and wherein the scoop extends into the direction of the inner space and forms a trough and defines an area to receive a predetermined dose of coffee beans as the package rotates about the longitudinal axis and the scoop moves through coffee beans within the inner space;
wherein the scoop includes a loading wall extending from the cylindrical package sidewall and configured to guide coffee beans from the scoop through the outlet, the loading wall comprising a dosing edge defining an upper surface of the loaded dose of coffee beans, along which an excess of coffee beans falls down in a dispense position of the scoop;
wherein the depth of the scoop is greater than a width of a loading opening of the scoop defined between the scoop and the cylindrical package sidewall; and;
wherein the loading wall extends from the outlet and at least up to the dosing edge, along a curve, for guiding the coffee beans from the dosing edge to the outlet.

Assignees

• Van Os Ivo
• De Graaff Gerbrand Kristiaan
• Van Camp Philippe Jacques
• Douwe Egberts Bv

Inventors

• Van Os Ivo
• De Graaff Gerbrand Kristiaan
• Van Camp Philippe Jacques

Classifications

• G01F11/46

  for fluent solid material · CPC title

• A47J42/50

  Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers · CPC title

• B65D83/0427

  the articles being dispensed by inverting the container each time, by which action movable parts may be displaced by their own weight · CPC title

• B65D83/0409

  the dispensing means being adapted for delivering one article, or a single dose, upon each actuation (B65D83/0445 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J31/42 Primary

  Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee {(coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08)} · CPC title