Coffee roasting apparatus, coffee brewing apparatus and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11006652-B2
Application number	US-201515523979-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 27, 2015
Priority date	Nov 5, 2014
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

A coffee roasting apparatus is disclosed that comprises a compartment for holding coffee beans, a heating arrangement for directing a heated air flow through the compartment during a roasting process of the coffee beans, a particulate matter sensor for detecting a peak amount of particulate matter released by the coffee beans, a timer for determining an amount of time lapsed from a start of the roasting process until the detection of the peak amount, and a controller arranged to control the heating arrangement. The controller is adapted to select a defined control time as a function of the lapsed amount of time and apply the defined control time to the heating arrangement after first cracking of the coffee beans to complete the roasting process. A coffee brewing apparatus including such a coffee roasting apparatus and a method of controlling such a coffee roasting apparatus are also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A coffee roasting apparatus comprising:
a compartment for holding coffee beans;
a heating arrangement for directing a heated air flow through said compartment for heating the coffee beans during a roasting process of the coffee beans;
a particulate matter sensor for detecting a peak amount of particulate matter released by the coffee beans in said heated air flow;
a timer for determining an amount of time lapsed from a start of the roasting process until the detection of said peak amount of said particulate matter released by the coffee beans; and
a controller arranged to control said heating arrangement, wherein the controller is adapted to:
select a defined control time for said heating arrangement as a function of the amount of time lapsed from the start of the roasting process until the detection of said peak amount of particulate matter released by the coffee beans; and
apply the defined control time to said heating arrangement after first cracking of the coffee beans to complete the roasting process of the coffee beans.

2. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a memory accessible to the controller, said memory storing a plurality of defined control times.

3. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is responsive to said timer.

4. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface for defining a desired roasting level, wherein the controller is further adapted to select the defined control time as a function of said desired roasting level defined by the user interface.

5. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the particulate matter sensor is arranged to detect particles having an average size in a range of 0.3-0.5 microns.

6. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a first cracking detection sensor, wherein the controller is further responsive to said first cracking detection sensor.

7. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect a rate of change in an amount of said particulate matter in said heated air flow, said rate of change being indicative of said first cracking.

8. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect particles having an average size in a range of 0.5-1.0 microns.

9. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the particulate matter sensor comprises the first cracking detection sensor.

10. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect a change in a volume occupied by the coffee beans in said compartment, said change in the volume being indicative of said first cracking.

11. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the volume occupied by the coffee beans in said compartment corresponds to a time of flight of a signal transmitted towards the coffee beans.

12. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is further arranged to:
transmit a signal into said compartment towards the coffee beans;
receive an echo of the signal transmitted and reflected by the coffee beans in said compartment; and
detect a time of flight of the signal transmitted based on the echo received, wherein the volume occupied by the coffee beans in said compartment corresponds to the detected time of flight.

13. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect a rate of change of a total concentration of volatile organic compounds released by the coffee beans, said rate of change being indicative of said first cracking.

14. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the controller is further adapted to:
determine whether said rate of change of the total concentration of the volatile organic compounds exceeds a predetermined threshold; and
control said heating arrangement based on a determination that said rate of change of the total concentration of the volatile organic compounds exceeds said predetermined threshold.

15. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect a cracking sound of said coffee beans, said cracking sound being indicative of said first cracking.

16. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the first cracking detection sensor is arranged to detect a weight change of the coffee beans, said weight change being indicative of said first cracking.

17. A coffee brewing apparatus including the coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 .

18. The coffee roasting apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
said compartment comprises an inlet;
said heating arrangement comprises a hot air source coupled to said inlet; and
the coffee roasting apparatus further comprises a stirring element mounted in said compartment for stirring the coffee beans during the roasting process.

19. A method of controlling a roasting process of coffee beans in a compartment of a coffee roasting apparatus, the method comprising:
directing a heated air flow through said compartment;
detecting a peak amount of particulate matter released by said coffee beans during the roasting process;
selecting a defined roasting time for said coffee beans as a function of an amount of time lapsed from a start of the roasting process until the detection of said peak amount of particulate matter; and
applying the defined roasting time after first cracking of the coffee beans to complete the roasting process of the coffee beans.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Shi Jun
• Tan Jingwei

Classifications

• A23N12/08

  for drying or roasting (A23N12/06 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A23F5/04 Primary

  Methods of roasting coffee (machines therefor A23N12/00) · CPC title

• A23N12/125

  Accessories or details · CPC title

• B01D46/00

  Filters or filtering processes specially modified for separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours (filtering elements B01D24/00-B01D35/00; filtering material B01D39/00; their regeneration outside the filters B01D41/00) · CPC title

• A47J31/42

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