METHOD FOR MEASURING THE QUANTITY OF COFFEE DISPENSED BY A COFFEE MILL AND APPLIANCE COMPRISING SUCH A MILL

• US 20090056555A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: SEB SA
• Inventors: BEULE, Mickael, LEBUFFE, Gilles
• Granted Patent: US 8,181,565 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/286
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/404 Powder dosing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/42 Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee coffee mills A47J42/00; coffee roasters in general A23N12/08
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/00 Coffee mills; Spice mills
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/44 Automatic starting or stopping devices bag clamps with means for actuating switches A47J42/40; Warning devices
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/001 for fluent solid material
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 13/006 measuring volume in function of time
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 15/003 using electromagnetic, electric or electronic means G01F15/002, G01F15/02 take precedence

Abstract

A method for measuring a quantity of coffee M_Ni or M_Ti that a grinding burr of a coffee mill driven in rotation by a motor dispenses in a predetermined number of revolutions N_i of the grinding burr or in a predetermined time interval T_i. According to the method: the average speed V_i of the grinding burr in a number of revolutions N_i or respectively in a time interval T_i is measured; and the quantity or mass M_Ni of coffee dispensed in the number of revolutions N_i or respectively the mass M_Ti of coffee dispensed in the time interval T_i is deduced as a function of the speed V_i from an experimentally obtained stored correspondence table (V_i, M_Ni) or (V_i, M_Ti).

Claims

1. A method for measuring a quantity of coffee M_Ni or M_Ti that a grinding burr of a coffee mill driven in rotation by a motor dispenses in a predetermined number of revolutions N_i of the grinding burr or in a predetermined time interval T_i, said method comprising:

applying a supply voltage to the motor in order to drive the motor and the burr in rotation;

measuring the average speed V_i of the grinding burr over a number of revolutions N_i or respectively over the time interval T_i; and

determining the quantity or mass M_Ni of coffee dispensed during the number of revolutions N_i or respectively the mass M_Ti of coffee dispensed during the time interval T_i as a function of the speed V_i from an experimentally obtained stored correspondence table (V_i, M_Ni) or (V_i, M_Ti).

2. The method for dispensing a dose of coffee wherein the quantity of coffee dispensed is measured by means of the method according to claim 1, wherein:

the grinding burr is driven in rotation for the time interval T_i;

said step of measuring comprises measuring the average speed Vi of the grinding burr during the time interval T_i;

said step of determining comprises determining the quantity or mass of coffee dispensed during the time interval T_i from the experimentally obtained stored correspondence table (V_i, M_i); and

said method further comprises shutting the motor off when the sum of the masses reaches a predetermined threshold Mo, which is the expected dose or mass.

3. A method for dispensing a dose of coffee by means of a grinding burr of a coffee mill driven in rotation by a motor, comprising:

causing the grinding burr is rotate for a time T₁;

measuring the average speed V₁ and then determining the mass of coffee by the method according to claim 1;

from a predetermined coffee dose Mo, calculating the mass remaining to be dispensed Mr=Mo−

M₁;

calculating the remaining number of grinding burr revolutions Nr required to dispense the mass Mr, considering that the grinding burr will rotate at the speed V₁, from a stored correspondence table (V_i, M_Ti); and

causing the grinding burr to perform the remaining number of revolutions Nr.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the time T_i is between half an expected time To for a coffee dispensing cycle and ⅞

of To.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein T_i is ¾

of To.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein the time interval T_i is between 10 milliseconds and 100 milliseconds.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the time interval T_i is 16⅔

milliseconds or 20 milliseconds.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the time interval T_i is between 10 milliseconds and 100 milliseconds.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the time interval T_i is 16⅔

milliseconds or 20 milliseconds.

10. An appliance for the preparation of coffee infusions comprising a coffee mill and means for causing that mill to dispenses a dose of coffee according to the method of claim 2.

11. An appliance according to claim 10, further comprising a memory in which is stored an experimentally obtained table between the speed V_i and the mass of coffee dispensed M_Ni per number of revolutions N_i or between the speed V_i and the mass of coffee dispensed M_Ti per time interval T_i.

12. An appliance for the preparation of coffee infusions comprising a coffee mill and means for causing that mill to dispenses a dose of coffee according to the method of claim 3.

13. An appliance according to claim 12, further comprising a memory in which is stored an experimentally obtained table between the speed V_i and the mass of coffee dispensed M_Ni per number of revolutions N_i or between the speed V_i and the mass of coffee dispensed M_Ti per time interval T_i.