Roasting system with heat recycler

• US 5,958,494 A
• Filed: 01/15/1998
• Issued: 09/28/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 01/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Don S. Welch
• Original Assignee: Don S. Welch
• Inventors: Tidland, John W., Welch, Don S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lacey, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): BECKER, DREW E
• Application Number:
  US09/007,560
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 426/443, 426/466, 426/467, 426/523, 426/520, 426/524, 426/486, 99/286, 99/281, 99/298, 99/303, 34/108
• US Class Current: 426/466
• CPC Class Codes: A23F 5/046 with agitation or transportation of the beans by gases; Fluidised-bed roasting or fluidised-bed cooling after roasting A23F5/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A23N 12/083 with stirring, vibrating or grinding devices

Abstract

A roasting system includes a roasting chamber having an air infeed vent for receiving air and a flue for directing exhaust air from the roasting chamber. An air reconditioning system coupled between the air infeed vent and the flue eliminates the need for external venting. The air reconditioning system includes a heater for heating the air received in the roasting chamber through the infeed vent and an air filtering system. A fan draws the exhaust air from the roasting chamber, passes the exhaust air through the air filtering system and past the heater and then recirculates the filtered and reheated air back into the roasting chamber. Continuously filtering recirculated air allows the roasting system to be placed in retail coffee shops without requiring external ventilation or producing objectionable odors. By reusing the heated air from the roasting chamber, the roasting system is also more energy efficient than current coffee roasting systems and allows the roasting system to be operated in non-industrial locations.

Claims

1. A fluid bed roasting system, comprising:

a roasting chamber having an air infeed vent for receiving air and a flue for directing exhaust air from the roasting chamber; and

an air reconditioning system coupled between the flue and the air infeed vent including;

a heater for heating the air after the air has passed through the roasting chamber and the flue;

an air filtering system for removing pollutants from the exhaust output from the roasting chamber flue; and

a fan coupled between the heater and roasting chamber infeed vent drawing the exhaust air from the roasting chamber, passing the exhaust air through the air filtering system and past the heater and recirculating the filtered and reheated air back into the roasting chamber through the air infeed vent,

the same recirculated filtered and reheated air blown up by the fan through a bottom end of the roasting chamber providing a fluid bed of air that both suspends and circulates a food product inside the roasting chamber while the air at the same time roasts the food products.

2. A roasting system according to claim 1 including an infrared sensor coupled to a top end of the roasting chamber and pointing away from the air infeed vent for sensing radiated heat emitted by the food product while circulating up inside the top end of the roasting chamber.

3. A roasting system according to claim 1 including an exhaust section coupled between the roasting chamber and the air filtering system.

4. A roasting system according to claim 3 including an exhaust damper hinged between the exhaust section and the air filtering system for selectively directing the recirculated air to the air filtering system.

5. A roasting system according to claim 4 wherein the exhaust section includes a vent and a filter covering the vent.

6. A roasting system according to claim 4 including an ambient air damper fluidly coupled to the fan and located between the air filtering system and the air infeed vent, the ambient air damper selectively directing ambient air from outside the roasting system into the roasting chamber for cooling the food product after roasting.

7. A roasting system according to claim 1 including a spray system having a nozzle located in the air infeed vent for spraying water up through the air infeed vent into the bottom end of the roasting chamber, the recirculated air pushing the water upward into the roasting chamber while the recirculated air continues to circulate the food product.

8. A roasting system according to claim 1 wherein the bottom end of the roasting chamber includes oppositely inclining bottom sides each aligned at a first angle and oppositely inclining side walls extending up from the bottom sides and aligned at a second angle different than the first angle, the bottom sides and side walls causing the food product to tumble inside the chamber as the recirculated air lifts and roasts the food product upward in the roasting chamber.

9. A roasting system according to claim 1 including a trap-door pivotally coupled to a bottom end of the roasting chamber.

10. A roasting system according to claim 9 including a discharge chute covering the trap-door and extending downward from the roasting chamber.

11. A roasting system according to claim 1 wherein the air filtering system comprises a first coarse particulate removing filter processing the exhaust from the roasting chamber and a second finer particulate removing filter removing finer particulates passing through the first coarse particulate removing filter.

12. A roasting system according to claim 11 wherein the first filter comprises a fiberglass filter, the second filter comprises an electronic filter, and including a third carbon filter for removing odors from filtered exhaust from the first and second filter.

13. A roasting system according to claim 1 including air ducts coupled between the roasting chamber, air reconditioning system and fan for sealing the entire roasting system and selectively preventing discharge of exhaust outside the roasting system.

14. A roasting system according to claim 11 including multiple pressure sensors for sensing pressure differentials on either side of both the first and second filter wherein high pressure differential indications individually identify which of the first and second filters are clogged.

15. A roasting system for roasting coffee beans, comprising:

a roasting chamber having an air infeed vent at a bottom end for receiving air and an exhaust flue for directing exhaust air from the roasting chamber;

a heating system including a fan continuously pulling the air from the roasting chamber, through the heating system and continuously forcing the air reheated by the heating system up through the infeed vent;

an infrared sensor coupled inside a top end of the roasting chamber and pointed toward the top end of the roasting chamber for sensing the amount of heat radiated by the coffee beans while being circulated at the top end of the roasting chamber thereby detecting a more uniform roasting temperature of the coffee beans.

16. A roasting system according to claim 15 including a fan, an exhaust damper coupled between the exhaust flue and the heating system and an ambient damper coupled between the heating system and the air infeed vent, the exhaust damper when opened allowing the fan to recirculate hot air heated by the heating system up through the air infeed vent causing the coffee beans to circulate and roast inside the roasting chamber on a bed of air and the exhaust damper when closed and the ambient air damper open shutting off the recirculated air and allowing the same fan to blow only cool ambient air into the roasting chamber.

17. A roasting system according to claim 16 including a triple stage air filtering system coupled between the heating system and the exhaust flue having a first course particulate removing filter, a second fine particulate removing filter, and a third odor removing filter;

the triple stage air filtering system, heating system and fan forming a substantially airtight air reconditioning system that prevents exhaust generated by the roasting chamber into the outside environment and sending filtered reheated air back into the roasting chamber.

18. A roasting system according to claim 15 including a screen attached inside the roasting chamber at least partially over the exhaust flue preventing the coffee beans from being blown out through the exhaust flue while being circulated in the roasting chamber.

19. A roasting system according to claim 16 including a damper located between the fan and the infeed vent selectively controlling an amount of air pressure exerted into the roasting chamber by the fan to maintain a constant circulation in the roasting chamber independently of changing water content in the coffee beans during the roasting process.

20. A roasting system according to claim 15 including a guide vein mounted in the roasting chamber for controlling circulation of the recycled air blown in from the infeed vent.

21. A method for roasting coffee beans, comprising:

locating a batch of coffee beans in a roasting chamber;

blowing air through a bottom end of the roasting chamber causing the coffee beans to circulate;

roasting the coffee beans by heating the air blown into the roasting chamber, the roasting coffee beans generating smoke;

measuring the radiated temperature of the coffee beans while being circulated in a top portion of the roasting chamber using an infrared sensor;

drawing the heated air and smoke from the roasting chamber;

filtering the smoke from the heated air used for roasting the coffee beans;

reheating the filtered air; and

recirculating the reheated air back into the roasting chamber until the coffee beans reach a preselected temperature.

22. A method according to claim 21 including discharging the recirculated air out from the roasting chamber into an outside environment and directing non-recirculated air from the outside environment into the roasting chamber when the coffee beans reach the preselected temperature.

23. A method according to claim 21 including automatically spraying water up through the bottom end of the roasting chamber when the coffee beans reach the preselected temperature.

24. A method according to claim 21 including the following steps:

discontinuing heating the air when the coffee beans reach the preselected temperature; and

automatically discharging the coffee beans from the roasting chamber when the temperature of the coffee beans drop down to a second drop-out temperature.

25. A method according to claim 21 wherein the air blowing step further comprises:

blowing air into the roasting chamber at a first pressure during a first coffee bean roasting stage; and

blowing air into the roasting chamber at a second pressure during a second coffee bean roasting stage so as to maintain a substantially constant circulation of the coffee beans in the roasting chamber without blowing the coffee beans out the exhaust flue.

26. A method for roasting coffee beans, comprising:

locating a batch of coffee beans in a roasting chamber;

blowing air through a bottom end of the roasting chamber at a first pressure during a first coffee bean roasting stage; and

blowing air through a bottom end of the roasting chamber at a second pressure during a second coffee bean roasting stage to maintain substantially constant circulation of the coffee beans in the roasting chamber without blowing the coffee beans out an exhaust flue;

roasting the coffee beans by heating the air blown into the roasting chamber, the roasting coffee beans generating smoke;

drawing the heated air and smoke from the roasting chamber;

filtering the smoke from the heated air used for roasting the coffee beans;

reheating the filtered air; and

recirculating the reheated air back into the roasting chamber until the coffee beans reach a preselected temperature.

27. A method according to claim 26 including discharging the recirculated air out from the roasting chamber into an outside environment and directing non-recirculated air from the outside environment into the roasting chamber when the coffee beans reach the preselected temperature.

28. A method according to claim 26 including measuring the radiated temperature of the coffee beans while being circulated in a top portion of the roasting chamber using an infrared sensor.

29. A method according to claim 26 including automatically spraying water up through the bottom end of the roasting chamber when the coffee beans reach the preselected temperature.

30. A method according to claim 26 including the following steps:

discontinuing heating the air when the coffee beans reach a preselected temperature; and

automatically discharging the coffee beans from the roasting chamber when the temperature of the coffee beans drop down to a second drop-out temperature.