Roasting and grinding system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019166899-A1
Application number	US-201716092508-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 10, 2017
Priority date	Apr 13, 2016
Publication date	Jun 6, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

A roasting and grinding system ( 100 ) for preparing and delivering on demand roast and ground coffee, the system comprising: one or more raw containers ( 10, 10′, 10 ″, etc.) comprising green coffee beans of the same or of different types; a roasting unit ( 20 ) receiving green coffee beans from one or more of the raw containers ( 10, 10′, 10 ″, etc.) at the time, the roasting unit ( 20 ) adapting automatically the roasting parameters to the type of green coffee beans to roast; a conservation area ( 30 ) where the roasted coffee is stored at appropriate atmosphere until it is grinded; a grinding area ( 40 ) comprising one or more grinding units ( 41, 41′, 41 ″, etc.) one per type of coffee to be ground, adapting automatically the grinding parameters to the type of coffee or coffee mix to be ground. The invention further relates to a raw container ( 10, 10′, 10 ″, etc.) comprising green coffee beans detachably connectable to a roasting and grinding system ( 100 ), and to a method for roasting and grinding coffee blends on demand using such a system.

First claim

1 . A roasting and grinding system for preparing and delivering on demand roast and ground coffee, the system comprising:
one or more raw containers comprising green coffee beans of the same or of different types; a roasting unit receiving green coffee beans from one or more of the raw containers at the time, the roasting unit adapting automatically the roasting parameters to the type of green coffee beans to roast; a conservation area where the roasted coffee is stored at appropriate atmosphere until it is grinded; and a grinding area comprising one or more grinding units one per type of coffee to be grinded, adapting automatically the grinding parameters to the type of coffee or coffee mix to be grinded.

2 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the conservation area comprises one or more conservation containers corresponding to the one or more raw containers.

3 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 2 wherein the grinding area comprises one or more grinding units one per type of coffee to be grinded, corresponding to the one or more conservation containers.

4 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the conservation area is configured in the raw containers.

5 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 further comprising a mixing area where the grinded coffee is mixed depending on the blend or recipe desired.

6 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein each raw container comprises single origin or blends of green coffee beans.

7 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the roasting parameters are selected from the group consisting of: air temperature, bean temperature, time, coffee weight, humidity, pressure, gas emissions, and color detection.

8 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the grinding parameters are selected from the group consisting of: grinding size, and grinding time.

9 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the conservation area stores and preserves roasted coffee in a controlled protective atmosphere.

10 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 further comprising a crushing unit where the green coffee beans coming from the raw containers are reduced to a smaller size before they enter the roasting unit.

11 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 further comprising a polishing unit where the green coffee beans coming from the raw containers are cleaned before they enter the roasting unit.

12 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 wherein the system comprises a dosing unit for supplying predetermined dosages of green coffee beans from the raw containers into the roasting unit.

13 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 further comprising a control member to identify the content and/or configuration of the raw containers and adapt the roasting and the grinding parameters applied according to the type of coffee processed.

14 . A roasting and grinding system according to claim 1 further comprising a brewing unit to receive the roast and ground coffee.

15 . A raw container comprising green coffee beans detachably connectable to a roasting and grinding system for preparing and delivering on demand roast and ground coffee, the system comprising one or more raw containers comprising green coffee beans of the same or of different types; a roasting unit receiving green coffee beans from one or more of the raw containers at the time, the roasting unit adapting automatically the roasting parameters to the type of green coffee beans to roast; a conservation area where the roasted coffee is stored at appropriate atmosphere until it is grinded; and a grinding area comprising one or more grinding units one per type of coffee to be grinded, adapting automatically the grinding parameters to the type of coffee or coffee mix to be grinded.

16 . A raw container according to claim 15 comprising a closing member which can adopt an open and a closed condition, such that in the open condition coffee beans are provided into the roasting unit and, in the closed condition, the exit of the raw containers is closed, and the raw container can be removed/detached from the roasting and grinding system.

17 . A raw container according to claim 15 further comprising a coupler allowing attaching and detaching of the raw container from the roasting and grinding system.

18 . A raw container according to claim 15 further comprising an identification member with information on the type of green coffee beans in it, connectable to control means when the raw container is plugged to the roasting and grinding system.

19 . A raw container according to claim 18 wherein the identification member comprises one or more roasting parameters of the type of coffee contained in it and/or one or more grinding parameters of the type of coffee contained in it.

20 . A method for roasting and grinding coffee blends on demand using a system for preparing and delivering on demand roast and ground coffee, the system comprising one or more raw containers comprising green coffee beans of the same or of different types; a roasting unit receiving green coffee beans from one or more of the raw containers at the time, the roasting unit adapting automatically the roasting parameters to the type of green coffee beans to roast; a conservation area where the roasted coffee is stored at appropriate atmosphere until it is grinded; and a grinding area comprising one or more grinding units one per type of coffee to be grinded, adapting automatically the grinding parameters to the type of coffee or coffee mix to be grinded, the method comprising:
delivering a predetermined quantity of green coffee beans from one or more raw containers at a time into the roasting unit; roasting separately each quantity of green coffee beans provided according to certain roasting parameters adapted to the type of coffee roasted; sending each quantity of roasted coffee per type of coffee to a conservation area where the roasted coffee is stored and preserved; once demanded and depending on the coffee blend requested, sending a predetermined quantity of roasted coffee from the conservation area to the grinding area, where it is grinded and is further sent to the mixing area; and mixing one or more grinded coffee, in predetermined quantities, in order to obtain a desired coffee blend.

Assignees

• Nestec Sa

Inventors

• Perentes Alexandre
• Dubief Flavien
• Yoakim Alfed
• Bournival Christianne

Classifications

• A23N12/125

  Accessories or details · CPC title

• A23F5/04

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

• A23N12/083 Primary

  with stirring, vibrating or grinding devices · 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

• A23F5/08

  Methods of grinding coffee (coffee mills A47J42/00) · CPC title