Calibrateable timed weight grinder

• US 5,462,236 A
• Filed: 03/24/1994
• Issued: 10/31/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Original Assignee: Bunn-O-Matic Corporation
• Inventors: Knepler, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosenbaum, Mark
• Assistant Examiner(s): HUSAR, JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/217,409
• Time in Patent Office: 586 Days
• Field of Search: 241/34, 241/100, 241/101.3, 241/36, 177/25.14, 177/25.19
• US Class Current: 241/34
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/38 Parts or details
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 42/50 Supplying devices, e.g. funnels; Supply containers
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 13/02 Means for automatically loading weigh pans or other receptacles, e.g. disposable containers, under control of the weighing mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 19/52 Weighing apparatus combined with other objects, e.g. furniture with walking sticks A45B3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01G 23/01 Testing or calibrating of weighing apparatus

Abstract

A coffee grinding apparatus which measures a quantity of coffee for grinding as a function of time and which is calibrateable to accurately discharge a selected weight of ground coffee. The grinding apparatus includes at least one storage hopper in gravity feed relationship with a dispenser and a grinding mechanism. The apparatus includes a control circuit coupled to the dispenser for selectively operating the dispenser to dispense a desired quantity of coffee beans into the grinding mechanism. A selection device is coupled to the control circuit to allow a user to select a desired weight of ground coffee to be produced by the grinding apparatus. A calibration assembly is coupled to the control circuit, which calibration assembly includes controls for entering the actual weight of the ground coffee to be discharged and a microprocessor which includes a circuit for calculating a correction factor to calibrate the grinding apparatus to accurately produce the selected weight of ground coffee.

Claims

1. A coffee grinding apparatus which measures a quantity of coffee for grinding as a function of time, said coffee grinding apparatus comprising:

at least one storage hopper;

a controllable dispenser associated with each of said at least one storage hopper for controllably dispensing beans from the associated one of said storage hoppers;

a grinding mechanism operatively associated with said controllable dispenser for grinding beans received therefrom and discharging ground coffee;

a control circuit coupled with said controllable dispenser for selectively operating said dispenser to dispense a desired quantity of coffee beans into said grinding mechanism;

selection means coupled with said control circuit for allowing a user to select a desired weight of ground coffee to be produced; and

calibration means coupled to said control circuit, said calibration means including user operable controls for entering an actual weight of the ground coffee discharged from said grinding mechanism;

a microprocessor for calculating a correction factor corresponding to the entered actual weight, said calibration means entering the actual weight of ground coffee into said microprocessor for use in calculating a correction factor; and

storage means for storing a plurality of frequently selected weight settings and for storing a plurality of correction factors corresponding to a plurality of weight settings.

2. A coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 1, said user operable controls of said calibration means including a calibration mode activation switch for activating said calibration mode, incrementing and decrementing keys for entering a true weight value into said microprocessor, and display means for displaying the values being entered by said incrementing and decrementing keys.

3. A coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 1, said selection means further comprising a brewer interface, said brewer interface coupling a brewing apparatus including said selection means to said grinding apparatus, said brewer interface allowing a user to select a desired weight of ground coffee to be produced by said grinding apparatus at said selection means associated with said brewing apparatus.

4. A calibration circuit for use with a coffee grinding apparatus which measures a quantity of coffee for grinding as a function of time, said coffee grinding apparatus having two storage hoppers, a dispenser associated with each of said hoppers, a grinding mechanism operatively associated with said dispensers, selection means, and a control circuit coupled to said dispenser and said grinding mechanism, said calibration circuit being coupled to said control circuit, said calibration circuit including controls for allowing a user to enter an actual weight of the ground coffee produced by the grinding apparatus, said calibration circuit employing the entered actual weight in calculating a grinding correction factor, and storage means for storing a plurality of frequently selected weight settings and for storing a plurality of correction factors corresponding to a plurality of weight settings.

5. A calibration circuit for use with a coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 4, said controls of said calibration circuit including a calibration mode activation switch for activating said calibration mode, incrementing and decrementing keys for entering a true weight value into said control circuit, and display means for displaying the values being entered by said incrementing and decrementing means.

6. A calibration circuit for use with a coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 4, said selection means further comprising a brewer interface, said brewer interface coupling a brewing apparatus including said selection means to said grinding apparatus, said brewer interface allowing a user to select a desired weight of ground coffee to be produced by said grinding apparatus at said selection means associated with said brewing apparatus.

7. A coffee grinding apparatus which measures a quantity of coffee for grinding as a function of time, said coffee grinding apparatus comprising:

a control circuit;

means for selecting a desired weight of ground coffee to be produced by said grinding apparatus, said selecting means being coupled with said control circuit;

two storage hoppers;

a time controlled dispenser associated with each of said hoppers, said time controlled dispensers being coupled to said control circuit, each of said dispensers controllably dispensing a selected quantity of whole coffee beans as a function of time as provided by said control circuit;

a grinding mechanism operatively associated with said dispensers for grinding beans dispensed from said dispensers; and

calibration means coupled to said control circuit and said dispensers, said calibration means including controls for allowing a user to enter an actual weight of the ground coffee to be produced by the grinding apparatus, said calibration means transferring the actual weight to said control circuit for use in calculating a correction factor and further including storage means for storing a plurality of frequently selected weight settings and for storing a plurality of correction factors corresponding to a plurality of weight settings and a calibration mode activation switch for activating said calibration mode, incrementing and decrementing keys for entering a true weight value into said control circuit.

8. A coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 7, said calibration means further including display means for displaying the values being entered by said incrementing and decrementing means.

9. A coffee grinding apparatus as recited in claim 7, said selection means further comprising a brewer interface, said brewer interface being coupled to said control circuit and a beverage brewing apparatus having a batch selector, said brewer interface transmitting a selection signal from said beverage brewing apparatus to said grinding apparatus upon selection of a batch at said beverage brewing apparatus, said selection signal being used by said control circuit to control said grinding mechanism for an associated period of time.