US20190216254A1 - Coffee grinder - Google Patents
Coffee grinder Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20190216254A1 US20190216254A1 US16/163,044 US201816163044A US2019216254A1 US 20190216254 A1 US20190216254 A1 US 20190216254A1 US 201816163044 A US201816163044 A US 201816163044A US 2019216254 A1 US2019216254 A1 US 2019216254A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- motor
- time period
- augur
- grinder
- portafilter
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
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Classifications
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J42/00—Coffee mills; Spice mills
- A47J42/38—Parts or details
- A47J42/44—Automatic starting or stopping devices; Warning devices
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/44—Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus
- A47J31/4403—Constructional details
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/24—Coffee-making apparatus in which hot water is passed through the filter under pressure, i.e. in which the coffee grounds are extracted under pressure
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/40—Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/40—Beverage-making apparatus with dispensing means for adding a measured quantity of ingredients, e.g. coffee, water, sugar, cocoa, milk, tea
- A47J31/404—Powder dosing devices
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/42—Beverage-making apparatus with incorporated grinding or roasting means for coffee
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/44—Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus
- A47J31/4403—Constructional details
- A47J31/446—Filter holding means; Attachment of filters to beverage-making apparatus
- A47J31/4464—Filter holding means; Attachment of filters to beverage-making apparatus by means of bayonet-type engagement
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
- A47J31/44—Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus
- A47J31/52—Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus
- A47J31/525—Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus the electronic control being based on monitoring of specific process parameters
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
- A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
- A47J42/00—Coffee mills; Spice mills
- A47J42/38—Parts or details
- A47J42/40—Parts or details relating to discharge, receiving container or the like; Bag clamps, e.g. with means for actuating electric switches
Definitions
- the invention relates to coffee grinders and more particularly to conical burr grinders. More specifically, the invention addresses improvements to a tamping augur that may be associated with a coffee grinder.
- Conical burr coffee grinders are well known. It is possible for a conical burr grinder to require cleaning or maintenance to remove grind blockages. In order to disassemble a conical burr grinder for these purposes, typically the lower burr assembly including the conical shaped lower burr is removed from the grinder. In many instances, the lower burr assembly is secured by a nut. When the nut is removed, the lower burr and the related components in the assembly are removed individually. However, it can be difficult for a user to remove some of the small components associated with the lower burr assembly in the small and partially enclosed area of the grind chamber. Further, the user may be unfamiliar with a particular order of re-assembly, each of the components. In some instances, user will employ a vacuum cleaner to remove debris from the grind chamber.
- the nut that secures the lower burr assembly is reverse threaded or may need a specific tool that can fit within the restricted space of the grind chamber.
- a tamping augur comprises a rotating augur fan that fits within or otherwise cooperates with the filter basket of a portafilter.
- the augur fan of the tamping augur rotates within the filter basket to both compress the ground coffee in the filter basket and create a uniform upper surface.
- Boilers in an espresso coffee maker such as a steam generating boiler and a boiler for heating water for coffee accumulate scale during use.
- the extent of the scale depends on the hardness of the water being used. The accumulating scale degrades the performance and longevity of the boilers.
- a conical burr grinder has an upper burr and a generally conically lower burr that forms a portion of a lower burr assembly.
- the coffee grinder is dirty, obstructed or jammed, it may be necessary to remove the lower burr assembly from the grinder. This is often complicated, inconvenient or requiring special tools.
- the performance of a motorised tamping augur can also be potentially improved by incorporating a height adjustment mechanism for the augur fan. In this way, inconsistencies in manufacturing and user preferences regarding the compaction height of a dose and portafilter may be user adjusted, as required.
- Some tamping augurs also provide for less than uniform distribution and compaction of the grounds below augur fan, within the portafilter. Irregularities in the distribution of coffee grinds result in a less than optimal brew because water flowing through the portafilter will tend to bypass more compacted areas in favour of less compacted areas.
- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an augur fan with wiping blades.
- FIG. 2 is a top plan elevation of the augur fan depicted in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tamping augur fan within a filter basket of a portafilter as seen through line B-B of FIG. 2 .
- FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an augur fan and its wiper blade inserts.
- FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a coffee grinder incorporated into an espresso making machine.
- FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a lower burr assembly illustrating three different shaft variations.
- FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly incorporating a bayonet attachment feature.
- FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly utilising a threaded interconnection between the lower burr shaft and its driving shaft.
- FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly illustrating a magnet in the lower burr shaft.
- FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of an upper burr assembly and bail.
- FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the upper burr assembly shown in FIG. 10 .
- FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an espresso making machine having internal boilers for both steam and water.
- FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the boilers in an espresso making machine, their drain valves and the removable drip tray.
- FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an espresso making machine incorporating an integral grinder and tamping augur, also illustrating user accessible drain valves.
- FIG. 15 illustrates the insert, home and start/stop positions of a portafilter with respect to a fill head that supports it.
- FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur.
- FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur.
- FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur.
- FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of an assembly for retaining a portafilter during the filling and tamping operations disclosed in the specification.
- FIG. 20 is a plan view of a fill head and portafilter.
- FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a motorised tamping augur with height adjustment mechanism.
- FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a tamping augur height adjustment mechanism.
- FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of a tamping augur fan with off-axis functionality.
- FIG. 24 is a side elevation, cross sectioned to illustrate the augur fan depicted in FIG. 23 .
- FIG. 25 is a side elevation, cross sectioned to illustrate the augur fan depicted in FIG. 23 .
- FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the augur fan shown in FIGS. 23-25 .
- FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of an espresso making machine having a hopper, grinder and augur.
- FIG. 28 is a flow charge illustrating a way to operate a tamper in two different directions to achieve uniformity in the distribution of grinds in a portafilter.
- FIG. 29 is a flow chart indicating a device and method for determining the proper filling of a portafilter by monitoring the current draw of the tamper augur's motor and comparing it to a pre-established threshold.
- the fan 10 of a tamping augur comprises a hub 11 from which radiates one or more tamping blades 12 .
- Each blade is approximately semi-circular in plan view as shown in FIG. 2 .
- the each blade has an approximately helical configuration, having a leading edge 13 higher in elevation than a trailing edge 14 .
- the trailing edge 14 acts to compress the grounds beneath it and to smooth the surface of the tamped or compacted grounds below the fan.
- the gap 20 can be effectively closed or reduced with the provision of wipers or wiper inserts 22 that are retained by the one or more blades, but not necessarily by each blade.
- each of the two blades carries a wiper insert 22 .
- the augur fan body is manufactured from a rigid polymer or a metal and the wiper inserts 22 are elastomeric.
- each wiper insert 22 comprises a flat body having parallel sides 23 .
- the body has, at one end, an enlarged head 24 .
- the other end of the body features a vertically aligned rib, lip or bead 25 .
- the lip 25 projects beyond the outer periphery of the augur fan body and extends so as to sweep or contact the inner wall of the filter basket 21 . When the augur fan is rotated, the lip 25 acts to clear or wipe debris off of the inner wall of the filter basket.
- the hub 11 has a central tapered bore 17 .
- the central tapered bore 17 has one or more flat sides 18 for retaining the tapered lower end of the shaft that drives the augur fan.
- the central tapered bore 17 may have a recess or pocket 31 at its lower end for receiving a magnet 32 that may be used to retain the augur fan 10 onto the augur fan's steel drive shaft.
- one way for the body of the augur fan 40 to retain the wiper inserts 41 is by providing an open ended recess 42 on the rim or outer edge of a blade that is adapted to receive the insert 41 .
- the thickness of the insert 41 is approximately the same thickness as the augur fan blade in the area 43 surrounding the recess 42 .
- Each recess comprises a terminal pocket 44 for receiving the enlarged head 45 of the insert.
- the recess 42 has parallel sides 46 for snugly receiving the parallel sides of the body of the insert.
- An internal, peripheral rib 47 within the recess cooperates with a corresponding peripheral slot 48 on the insert.
- a conical burr grinder 50 includes a motorised drive shaft 51 that engages with and rotates an upper burr assembly 52 .
- the upper burr assembly includes a metallic impeller plate having an array of fins 53 , an optional polymeric impeller support 54 , a burr shaft 55 a lower burr 56 , a washer 57 and a retainer or a circlip 58 .
- the lower burr assembly 52 is retained on the drive shaft 51 by a threaded interconnection between the drive shaft 51 and the internally threaded bore of the burr shaft 55 . Other means of interconnecting the drive shaft 51 and the burr assembly 52 will be discussed below.
- a felt washer or other seal 59 may be interposed between the impeller support and adjacent static parts of the grinder to prevent the infiltration of particulate matter into the area of the drive shaft 51 .
- an impeller plate 60 has, in this example, a flat circular hub 61 from which radiates an array of protective blades or fins 62 .
- Each blade or fin 62 has a horizontal portion 63 and a vertically extending portion 64 .
- the hub 61 has a central opening 65 preferably provided with one or more flat sides so that the impeller blade may be driven or rotated by its burr shaft 66 .
- Torque is transmitted from the impeller plate to the lower burr 56 by one or more lock pins 67 .
- each locked pin 67 includes a peripheral flange 68 that facilitates trapping the lock pin 67 between the impeller plate 60 and the impeller support 69 .
- the impeller support 69 may have openings 70 for receiving the lower end 71 of the lock pin, the openings 70 being rebated to receive the flange 68 .
- the lock pins 67 project through openings 72 in the impeller plate 60 and in to cooperating openings (not shown) on the lower surface of the lower burr 56 .
- the impeller plate 61 and impeller support 69 may be additionally fastened together with rivets 73 that pass from beneath the impeller support, through openings in the impeller support 74 , continuing through openings 75 in the impeller plate. After insertion, the heads of the rivet 73 may be deformed into the rebated openings 75 on the upper surface of the hub 61 .
- the polymeric impeller support has a central through opening 76 for receiving the burr shaft 66 .
- the impeller support also has thick integral blades or fins around its periphery.
- each blade or fin 77 has a concave front face 78 .
- the metallic fins or blades 62 covers, protects or of the impeller plate 60 overlie and protect the polymeric fins 69 on the impeller support. Accordingly, it is preferred that the outer most tip 80 of each metallic fin or blade 62 overlaps the outer tip 81 of each polymeric blade 77 . This reduces wear on the impeller support, particularly in the area of the blade tips 81 .
- FIG. 6 also illustrates three different types of lower burr assembly shaft 66 .
- a bayonet shaft 82 includes a component of a bayonet fastening 83 at a lower end.
- the bayonet fastening is the female component of a bayonet fastening.
- the lower part of the bayonet shaft 82 includes a pair of flat sides 84 that are intended to engage and drive the flat sides of the central bore 65 in the impeller plate 60 .
- the bayonet shaft 82 also has a circumferential groove 85 for accommodating the circlip 58 that retains the lower burr 56 .
- a projection 82 above the groove 85 act as a finger grip. Accordingly, the sub-assembly comprising the impeller support, impeller plate, lower burr and washer are trapped between the circlip 58 and a shoulder 86 located on a lower end of the burr shaft 66 .
- the bayonet feature 83 at the lower end of the bayonet style burr shaft engages one or more radially extending retention pins 90 that extend away from the upper portion of the drive shaft 51 .
- the shoulder 86 of the burr shaft can be seen abutting the lower surface of the impeller plate 60 .
- the upper end of the burr shaft may be slotted 91 so as to admit a screw driver or other tool for causing the rotation required to engage and disengage the bayonet features 83 , 90 .
- the burr shaft 66 , 90 may have a central blind bore 91 , the upper extent of which is threaded 92 to receive cooperating threads 93 formed on an upper extent of the drive shaft 51 .
- the lower burr assembly 52 may be retained on the burr shaft by magnetic attraction between the two.
- the central blind bore 100 of the burr shaft may include a terminal pocket 101 for receiving a permanent magnet 102 .
- the lower end of the magnet 102 is in close proximity to the upper end 103 of the drive shaft 51 .
- Magnetic attraction thus prevents inadvertent lifting off of the burr assembly 52 from the drive shaft 51 .
- the burr shaft 66 includes and upper portion 104 that extends above the circlip 58 and the groove 85 that retains it. This extension 104 allows the user to grasp the burr assembly 52 and remove it from the drive shaft 51 .
- the lower end of the magnetic style burr shaft 105 forms a saddle or channel 106 that is adapted to receive a one or more driving projections 107 formed on the draft shaft 51 . In this way, torque is transmitted from the drive shaft 51 to the lower burr assembly shaft 105 through the projection 107 and saddle 106 .
- FIG. 10 illustrates the upper burr assembly, previously seen in FIG. 5 .
- the upper burr assembly comprises the upper burr 110 and inner portion of the upper burr holder 111 and an outer portion of the upper burr holder 112 .
- the outer portion 112 has external features such as bayonet features 120 that allow the outer portion to engage the upper burr carriage that retains it.
- the upper portion also have internal threads 121 that cooperate with external threads 122 formed around the sidewalls of the inner portion of the upper burr holder 111 .
- the cooperating threads 121 , 122 allow for rotational displacement of the inner portion relative to the outer portion.
- the outer portion 112 carries a folding handle 123 .
- the handle has opposing hands, each featuring an inwardly directed tip 124 .
- the tips 124 are long enough to pass through a pair of openings 125 located opposite one another and near the upper rim 126 of the out portion 112 .
- the tips 124 also pass through recesses or scallops 126 that are equally spaced about the upper rim 127 of the inner portion 111 .
- the handle 123 comprises a bail 130 located between the two tips 124 .
- the bail conforms to the shape of a circumferential shoulder 131 toward the upper margin of the outer portion 112 .
- the bail 130 has a reflex portion 135 that is received, when the bail is in its lower most or resting position, in one or the other of a pair of receiving recesses 136 formed on an upper periphery of the outer portion 112 .
- an espresso coffee making machine 150 may have two internal boilers, one for steam 151 and one for hot water 152 .
- Steam produced by the steam boiler exits via a port 153 and is discharged by the device's steam wand and the production of steamed beverages such as milk foams that are used in the production of latte and cappuccino etc.
- the steam discharge from the port 153 is controlled by an electromechanical or mechanical steam discharge valve 154 .
- the valve is controlled by the device's micro processor control unit (MCU) 155 .
- the MCU 155 also controls the electromechanical water discharge valve 156 of the hot water or coffee boiler 152 .
- a user interface 157 provides various switches, knobs, controllers, selectors or other input devices required for the user to control the operation of the espresso machine 150 by providing inputs and values to the MCU 155 .
- User preferences, values, machine states, options and process parameters etc. may be displayed to the user via a graphic interface or display 158 that is driven or controlled by the MCU 155 .
- a reservoir or water tank 159 supplies water to a pump 160 that supplies water to the steam boiler 151 , the pump 160 being controlled by the MCU 155 .
- a separate pump 161 pumps water from the water tank 159 into the coffee boiler 152 .
- the coffee boiler's supply pump 161 is controlled by the MCU 155 .
- the reservoir 159 may have a level sensing device 162 that provide information to the MCU 155 regarding the volume of water in the tank 159 .
- the tank is removable by the user for refilling.
- both boilers 151 , 152 are provided with a drain opening 163 , 164 located at or closely adjacent to the lowest point within each boiler.
- the output of the drains 163 , 164 are controlled by drain valves 165 , 166 .
- the drain valves 165 , 166 may be electromechanical and thereby controlled by the MCU in response to a user input (or otherwise) or may be mechanical valves that are directly operated by the user.
- the purpose of the user operated valves 165 , 166 is to allow the boilers to be drained completely during the scaling operations.
- the water tank 159 incorporates a user replaceable resin type filter 167 .
- the MCU 155 provides the user with prompts at calculated intervals for both replacing the filter 167 and conducting descaling operations relating to one or both boilers 151 , 152 , independently or simultaneously.
- a user uses the interface 157 to initiate a de-scale sequence.
- the user first empties the water tank 159 and when there is a filter, optionally and temporarily removes the water filter 167 from the tank 159 .
- the tank is then replaced after having been filled with a de-scale solution of a kind well known in the art.
- the coffee machine's drip tray is removed, emptied and reinstalled.
- the drain valves 165 , 166 are either opened by the user or, if electromechanical valves are used, by the MCU 155 . Water will then flow from the tanks into the coffee machine's drip tray.
- the valves 165 , 166 are closed when water stops flowing into the drip tray or wherever the drained water is otherwise discharged.
- the user makes a selection on the interface 157 that causes the MCU 155 to proceed to the next step.
- the outputs of the steam boiler's level sensors 170 and the water boiler's level sensors 171 (or other means) are read by the MCU 155 to determine whether or not the boilers are empty. If one or both boilers are not empty, the machine will provide the user with a visual or audible warning indicating that the emptying process must be repeated or completed.
- the MCU 155 will cause the supply pumps 160 , 161 to fill each boiler.
- the boiler temperature may be adjusted to an optimum level for de-scaling.
- the MCU 155 will then initiate a countdown of a de-scale interval, in this example, about 20 minutes.
- the countdown timer When the boilers are filled with de-scale solution, the countdown timer will start and the countdown will be visually indicated or displayed on the machines graphic display 158 . After the de-scale interval, the MCU 155 will show a countdown time of “zero” or otherwise prompt the user to open the drain valves 165 , 166 . If the drain valves are electromechanical, the MCU 155 may cause them to open without user intervention.
- valves 165 , 166 are then closed after water stops flowing into the drip tray, whereupon the user enters another command via the interface 157 so that the MCU 155 can proceed to the next step.
- This will cause the MCU to fill the boilers with fresh water from the reservoir and initiate a new, preferably shorter, countdown. Any de-scale solution remaining in the boilers will dissolve into the fresh water.
- the user After a countdown of, say, five minutes, the user will be prompted to open the drain valves 165 , 166 .
- the MCU will perform this operation when electromechanical valves are used.
- the rinse cycle may be repeated, if required.
- the valves 165 , 166 are closed and normal brewing operations can be re-commenced.
- one or both boilers 151 , 152 are provided with drain openings or ports 163 , 164 that are located at a lowermost point of the interior of the boiler.
- the drain ports 163 , 164 are connected to the drain valves 165 , 166 by flexible or other tubes 170 , 171 to the respective valves 165 , 166 .
- the drain valves 165 , 166 discharge into the coffee machine's removable drip tray 172 .
- the drain valves 165 , 166 may be electromechanical or manually operable by the user.
- each drain valve 165 , 166 has a threaded or rotating valve actuator or gate 173 , 174 that is easily accessible by the user and preferably located on one of the front surfaces of the coffee machine 150 .
- a protective or decorative cap 175 may be used to protect or cover the user accessible actuators 173 , 174 .
- the device's MCU 155 calculates a recommended de-scale interval and provide the user with a visual prompt (on the display 158 ) regarding when a de-scale operation should be conducted. It is preferred that the de-scale interval be calculated with reference to the user's actual water hardness. Accordingly, the user may be supplied with water hardness test strips. In one example, the test strips provide five distinct levels or indications of water hardness using the test strips and the reading providing by them, the user enters an integer between 1 and 5 to the MCU 155 via the interface 158 .
- the five levels of water hardness correspond to are: below 50 ppm CaCo 3 , 50-120 ppm CaCo 3 , 120-240 ppm CaCo 3 , 240-360 ppm CaCo 3 and above 360 ppm CaCo 3 .
- a counter in the MCU keeps track of the number of operations performed by each boiler or the volume of water handled by each boiler when in use.
- the MCU can display an indication, such as an incremental numerical value on the display 158 separately, for replacement of the resin filter 167 and for when a de-scale operation is required in respect of either the steam boiler 151 or the coffee boiler 152 , or both of them.
- the MCU may establish a lower limit, being a minimum number of operations or volume of water processed before providing a prompt to the user regarding the need to perform a de-scale operation.
- a lower limit being a minimum number of operations or volume of water processed before providing a prompt to the user regarding the need to perform a de-scale operation.
- 1500 coffee cycles need to be recorded by the MCU prior to the issuance of a graphic user prompt regarding de-scale.
- a graphic user prompt generated by the MCU regarding de-scale can also be made on the basis of the degradation in performance of the electronic water level detectors 170 , 171 in one or both boilers 151 , 152 .
- the build-up of scale on the probes of the level detectors 151 , 152 results in increased resistance on the probes.
- the higher resistance results in a reduction in their performance and is recorded or detected by the MCU as a reduction in the voltage output reading that is otherwise used to detect the presence of water in the boiler.
- no voltage is recorded across the probes or pins of a water level indicator when a tank is empty and 1 . 9 volts is recorded when water is in contact with a pair of pins or probes in a water level indicator 170 , 171 .
- the MCU interprets this as sufficient degradation to provide the user with a de-scale prompt on the display 158 , so long as other conditions such as the minimum volume or number of coffee cycles has been satisfied. Timely de-scaling operations will prevent the boilers and the probes associated with the water level indicators 170 , 171 from failing.
- the MCU 155 measures and records the volume of water handled by a boiler and uses this record of water volume as an additional way of prompting the user to perform a de-scaling operation.
- the generation of the user prompt for de-scaling may also take into account the state of the water tank's filter 167 .
- the MCU counter and any graphic display of it can be changed or incremented, from an initial level, at two different rates, one being for when the filter is within its useful life, and a second higher rate after the nominal filter life has expired.
- a nominal counter upper limit may be established as an auditory value of 600 . This value may be displayed to the user.
- the initial value is incremented (from zero) by a value of 3 for each 200 litres of water processed by the boiler. After the expiry of the nominal filter life, this same volume of 200 litres represents an increment in the counter by 6.
- the table below provides the increment applied by the MCU and displayed to the user for both the resin filter replacement and the de-scaling operations. The table is based on a nominal count-up from a value of 600 for the de-scale operation and a nominal value of 300 for the prompt for the water tank resin filter change. The exemplary water volume associated with each increment and the amount of the increment are shown in the table for both the filter change and the de-scale, for each of the five aforementioned water hardness levels.
- an espresso coffee making machine may incorporate an integral coffee grinder 180 with hopper 181 , 182 and tamping augur for filling a portafilter 200 engaged with a fill head 201 .
- the fill head 201 receives ground coffee from the grinder and discharges it into the portafilter.
- the fill head 201 also contains and orients the rotating tamping augur. The operation of both the grinder and augur can be controlled simply by manipulating the portafilter 200 that is in engagement with the fill head 201 .
- the portafilter 200 has three main orientations with respect to the fill head 201 .
- the portafilter 200 In the “insert” position 202 the portafilter 200 has just been fully elevated into position with the underside of the fill head 202 but has not been rotated relative to the fill head 201 .
- the fill head 201 has a female bayonet assembly, being features 210 that cooperates with male bayonet features 228 normally associated with the portafilter 200 .
- the female bayonet features receive the male features prior to rotation of the portafilter 200 .
- a “home” position 203 an initial or partial rotation of the portafilter 200 defeats a safety interlock, thus allowing for power to be supplied to the motors that operate both the coffee grinder and the tamping augur.
- the portafilter 200 In order to activate the grinder and augur motors, the portafilter 200 is rotated into a start/stop position 204 . Both motors will be suitably controlled by the MCU 155 so long as the portafilter 200 is in the start/stop position 204 .
- the female bayonet features 210 are biased so as to return the portafilter 200 to the home position if the portafilter's handle 205 is released.
- the portafilter 200 can only be inserted and removed when it is in the insert position 202 .
- the female bayonet features 210 of the fill head 201 include a pair of interconnected rings 211 , 212 .
- Each ring 211 , 212 includes a cam surface 213 , 214 .
- Each cam surface cooperates with an optional cam follower 215 , 216 .
- Each cam follower is pivotally or otherwise attached to a micro switch 217 , 218 or other electrical switch. Accordingly, rotation of the portafilter 200 causes a rotation of the rings 211 , 212 . Rotation of the rings, 211 , 212 brings the cam surfaces 213 , 214 into and out of engagement with the cam followers 215 , 216 .
- the two switches 217 , 218 can be switched or activated independently in accordance with the position of the portafilter 202 , 203 , 204 .
- FIG. 16 illustrates the insert position 202 in which the portafilter is inserted, but not rotated relative to the fill head 201 . Neither of the switches 217 , 218 is activated.
- FIG. 17 illustrates the home position 203 .
- the portafilter 201 has been rotated so that the cam surface 213 of the lower ring 211 acts to actuate the lower micro switch 217 , in this example through the intermediate action of the lower cam follower 216 .
- This action activates the circuits that allow the MCU to potentially control the operation of the grinder motor and augur motor.
- the lower ring 211 is received by the engagement collar 220 of the fill head 201 .
- the collar 220 is attached to a front surface of the coffee making machine.
- the lower ring 211 is not free to rotate until the portafilter 200 is inserted and at least partially rotated. This is accomplished by providing the lower ring 211 with a anti-rotation step 221 formed on the lower rim of the lower ring 211 . In the rest position, the step 221 engages with and cooperates with a second step 222 formed on the collar 220 . In order that the steps 221 , 222 be disengaged, the portafilter 200 is inserted into the collar 220 and partially rotated.
- a ramped under surface 227 associated with the portafilter's male bayonet features 228 causes the upper rim 229 of the portafilter to lift the lower ring 211 against the biased imposed by the ball and spring elements 223 .
- the lower ring 211 can rotate relative to the collar 220 .
- the lower ring 211 is biased downwardly by, in this example, four ball and spring detent elements 223 .
- Each of the balls 224 cooperates with an arcuate track or groove 225 formed on an upper surface of the lower rim 211 .
- Each track or groove 225 has a central detent 226 that works in cooperation with the ball and spring elements 223 to create haptic feedback and to assist in the maintenance of the portafilter 200 in the home position 203 .
- the lower ring 211 has two upright posts 230 .
- the posts pass through arcuate through openings 231 formed on a collar 232 that acts as a mount for the motorised augur assembly.
- the upper ring 212 is preferably attached to the posts 230 of the lower ring 211 by fasteners 233 .
- the sleeve 232 provides a journal or other bearing for receiving the rotating shaft 234 of the augur fan assembly 235 .
- the bias mechanism that returns the portafilter to the home position may comprise one or more (in this example two) tension or return springs 240 , 241 .
- each of the return springs is affixed, at one end, to the upper ring 212 and at an opposite end, to a static portion such as a part of the collar 232 .
- the springs 240 , 241 curve to occupy the channel between the curved outer surface 242 of the upper ring 212 and the curved inner surface of the cover 243 of the fill head assembly 201 .
- the springs 240 , 241 are only elongated significantly with the portafilter 200 is between the home position 203 and the start/stop position 204 .
- a motorised tamping augur 250 has an electric motor 251 that drives a power train or gearing assembly 252 which in turn drives the shaft 253 to which the augur fan 254 is directly or indirectly affixed.
- the vertical location or vertical height of the fan 254 is manually adjustable.
- the adjustment coupling and spacer 255 creates a threaded interconnection between the shaft 253 and the fan 254 that can be adjusted by a user and then fixed in its position with a radial set screw 256 .
- the lower end of the shaft 253 is threaded 257 .
- the threads 257 cooperate with female threads 258 that are formed along the interior bore of a coupling hub 259 .
- the directionality of the threaded interconnection between the shaft and the hub 253 , 259 is such that the threads are tightened as the augur is used.
- the hub 286 has an intermediate collar 292 for limiting the axial location of the fan 285 .
- the coupling 255 is provided with a spacer 260 that cooperates with the hub 259 . As shown in FIGS. 21 and 22 the spacer 260 has internal threads 261 that cooperate with external threads 262 formed around an exterior of the hub 259 .
- the spacer 260 is advanced toward the shaft 253 .
- the radial set screw 256 is tightened against the hub's external threads 262 , thus immobilising the coupling 255 relative to the shaft 253 .
- the external threads 262 of the hub 259 may have flat areas 271 for better receiving the radial set screw 256 and thus the inner connection between the spacer 260 and the hub 259 .
- the spacer may be provided with a central opening 265 for receiving a reduced diameter portion 266 of the shaft 253 . It will be appreciated that other forms of fan height adjustment are contemplated using a variety of threaded, frictional or other mechanical means.
- a lower part of the augur fan hub 259 has one or more flats or features 265 and may be tapered to be inserted into and cooperate with a hub receiving opening or socket 270 formed centrally in the augur fan 254 .
- FIGS. 23-26 An alternate form of augur fan is shown in FIGS. 23-26 .
- an augur fan wobbles or pivots about the vertical axis of the driving shaft 253 at any given augur fan height.
- the coupling 259 has, for example, a transverse through opening 281 that receives a pivot pin 282 that passes through one or more openings 283 in the area of the hub receiving socket 284 of the augur fan 285 thus creating a pivoting interconnection.
- the pivoting motion of the augur fan 285 is accommodated by a vertical slot 287 formed through a side wall of the hub receiving socket 284 .
- a compression spring or other bias member 288 is located within a radial opening 289 formed in the hub and exerts a tilting force against the augur fan 285 as shown in FIGS. 24 and 25 .
- the compression spring 288 will place the augur fan in an off-axis or tilted orientation shown in FIG. 25 .
- the grind will overcome the effect of the spring 288 and restore the augur fan to the horizontal or perpendicular condition shown in FIG. 24 .
- the tamping and polishing process will be completed with the fan in a stable perpendicular orientation relative to the shaft 253 .
- the amount of tilt or wobble of the fan 285 relative to the shaft 253 can be limited or adjustably limited by an abutment or vertical adjustment feature or screw 290 .
- the tilt limiting screw 290 is received within a threaded opening 291 in the augur fan, adjacent to the central opening 292 that receives the hub 259 .
- the top of the adjustment screw 290 abuts the hub to establish a maximum extent of tilt or wobble.
- the wobble limiting feature 290 may be fixed, integral with the fan 285 or adjustable in the manner depicted in FIGS. 24 and 25 .
- the female hub receiving portion 300 of the fan 285 may optionally include a vertical slot 287 , 301 in the area of the tilt limited feature 290 so that the limiting feature or adjustment screw 290 can be accessed with the appropriate tool or driver, as required.
- FIG. 27 illustrates an espresso coffee machine 310 in schematic form.
- a device 310 of this type has the capability of operating the tamping augur, in different modes, to achieve optimal filling and compaction of the coffee within the portafilter.
- the coffee machine 310 comprises a bean hopper 311 for containing and dispensing beans into a grinder 312 having a grind adjustment mechanism 313 with, for example, an adjustable lower grinder burr, as is known in the art.
- the grinder is driven by an electric grinder motor 314 having, for example, a clutch engagement 315 with the grinder 312 .
- Ground coffee is dispensed 316 above the tamper augur's and fan.
- the augur is driven by a DC augur motor 318 .
- An optional torque sensing tamp detector 319 may be interposed between the tamping augur 317 and the augur motor 318 .
- the device's main control PCB (or MCU) 320 receives inputs from a hopper interlock sensor 321 , the grind adjust position sensor 322 , the grinder motor's thermostat, overheat detection sensor and motor speed sensor 323 , 324 and 325 .
- the PCB 320 also receives appropriate signals from the portafilter safety interlock sensor 326 the optional tamp detector torque sensor 327 , the augur motor speed sensor 328 and other sensors and feedback devices as required. It will be appreciated that the aforementioned array of sensors may be deployed or not in accordance with the sophistication, complexity, cost and design parameters of the subject coffee machine 310 .
- the PCB 320 also has a capacity to receive inputs and control the machine's user interface 330 , its main graphic display 331 , the power to the augur motor 332 , the activation switch to the tamper augur 333 , the power supplied to the grinder motor 314 and other controllable devices within the machine as required.
- a sequence of events or method 340 is practiced in accordance with FIG. 28 .
- uniform distribution of grounds is achieved by first using the PCB 320 to activate a grind and tamp cycle that involves rotation of the augur fan with the augur motor 318 .
- the motorised tamp mechanism is activated, for example, four seconds and the PCB 320 receives feedback during this activation 341 to indicate whether or not the portafilter has been completely filled.
- the feedback to the PCB 320 can be either from the tamper torque sensor 327 , or for example, by monitoring the load on the augur motor 318 using the power draw on the motor as an indication of the work performed by the motor, as will be explained.
- the PCB 320 makes a determination of whether or not the portafilter is filled 342 . If the PCB 320 determines that the portafilter is filled then the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the cycle is completed and that the portafilter is full 343 .
- the coffee grinder 312 is activated and the tamping mechanism is rotated in a first direction, for example, clockwise, for a short duration, for example, 1 . 5 seconds 344 . Subsequently, the grinder is either activated or maintained in activation and the tamper is operated at a slower speed for a short duration, say for example, one half second 345 . After the tamper is slowed or stopped 345 , the grinder is either activated or continues to activate as the tamper is activated in an opposite direction, say clockwise, for a second interval 346 . The second interval may be the same as the first interval 344 , say 1.5 seconds.
- the grinder is stopped and the tamper is rotated in the first direction (e.g. clockwise) for an interval of, for example, about 4 seconds for the purpose of providing a flat surface on the dose in the portafilter, if the portafilter is full 347 .
- This is referred to as a polishing step.
- the PCB 320 makes a determination as to whether or not the portafilter is full 348 . This may be done in the same manner as the earlier coffee detection step 342 . If the portafilter is not full, the grinder and tamper are activated again, in the first direction 344 .
- the cycle is then repeated 345 , 346 , 347 , 348 until the PCB 320 determines that the portafilter is full. If it is, the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the portafilter filling cycle is complete 343 .
- the PCB 320 can use the augur motor's load or current draw to determine whether or not the portafilter is full and the surface has been polished.
- a tamper motor current sensor ( 335 in FIG. 27 ) cooperates with the augur motor 318 and provides load indicative signals to the PCB 320 .
- the grind and tamp cycle is thus first activated by a user 360 .
- the mechanism is run for, for example, four seconds and during this time, an indication (audible or visual or both) may be given to the user that the grinder and tamper status is active 361 .
- the tamper motor 318 draws the least current and is under the lowest load. As the ground coffee level within the portafilter rises, contact is eventually made within the augur fan. At this point, the motor load increases.
- the PCB 320 compares the motor load from the sensor, e.g. 335 to a pre-established polish threshold value 362 .
- the polish threshold is a load or current level of the augur's motor that indicates that the portafilter is full. If the polish threshold has not been met the coffee grinder 312 is activated and a grinder timer is started 363 . The tamper mechanism either remains activated or is activated as the grinder operates 363 .
- the PCB 320 again compares the motor current or load to a pre-established threshold value 364 . If the motor current has not increased to the threshold value, the PCB 320 compares the duration of the current detection step 364 to a pre-established time value, for example, 60 seconds 365 . If the duration of the current detection step 364 has not exceeded the threshold time value 365 the grinder and tamper continue to operate 366 until either the current threshold has been reached 364 or the threshold time 365 has been exceeded. If either of these conditions are met, the grinder is stopped while the tamper mechanism operates 366 . Concurrently, a tamp timer associated with the PCB 320 is activated. The PCB 320 then compares the motor current or draw to the polish threshold 367 .
- a pre-established time value for example, 60 seconds 365 .
- the grinder and the tamper are both deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the grinding and tamping cycle is completed 368 .
- the PCB determines whether or not the tamp timer has exceeded a pre-established value such as four seconds 369 . If the pre-established time has been exceeded, the grinder and tamper are deactivated an optional indication is provided to the user that the grind and tamp cycle is completed 368 .
- the current comparison and timer comparison steps 367 , 369 are repeated 370 until such time as the polish threshold is exceeded or the tamp timer has exceeded the pre-established duration whereupon the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the cycle is complete 368 .
- a fine tuning of the system described in FIG. 29 may require a time constant to be added to current detection step 362 , 367 in order that either the coffee grinder or the tamper operate for a pre-established time interval after a current threshold has been reached.
- the method and apparatus relating to the detection of a full and polished portafilter disclosed with reference to FIG. 29 may be combined with the method and apparatus of coffee grinds distribution disclosed in FIG. 28 .
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Abstract
A tamping augur may be controlled in various ways to obtain a consistent fill height and uniformity in the distribution of coffee grinds in a portafilter. Improvements to a conical burr grinder are also disclosed.
Description
- The invention relates to coffee grinders and more particularly to conical burr grinders. More specifically, the invention addresses improvements to a tamping augur that may be associated with a coffee grinder.
- Conical burr coffee grinders are well known. It is possible for a conical burr grinder to require cleaning or maintenance to remove grind blockages. In order to disassemble a conical burr grinder for these purposes, typically the lower burr assembly including the conical shaped lower burr is removed from the grinder. In many instances, the lower burr assembly is secured by a nut. When the nut is removed, the lower burr and the related components in the assembly are removed individually. However, it can be difficult for a user to remove some of the small components associated with the lower burr assembly in the small and partially enclosed area of the grind chamber. Further, the user may be unfamiliar with a particular order of re-assembly, each of the components. In some instances, user will employ a vacuum cleaner to remove debris from the grind chamber. If the user has not removed all of the components, these may inadvertently be drawn into the vacuum cleaner. In some instances, the nut that secures the lower burr assembly is reverse threaded or may need a specific tool that can fit within the restricted space of the grind chamber.
- A tamping augur comprises a rotating augur fan that fits within or otherwise cooperates with the filter basket of a portafilter. The augur fan of the tamping augur rotates within the filter basket to both compress the ground coffee in the filter basket and create a uniform upper surface. However, it is practically inevitable that there will be a clearance between the outer periphery of the augur fan and the inner wall of the filter basket. It is undesirable to have ground coffee attached to the inner wall of the filter basket above the level of the compacted grinds.
- It is known to combine an espresso making machine with an integral coffee grinder. However, the tamping of the grinds into the portafilter requires skill. Users that do not possess this skill would benefit from a motorised tamping augur integrated with the coffee grinder. It would be additionally convenient to allow the grinder and augur to be operated by the action of the portafilter without resort to other user controls such as push buttons.
- Boilers in an espresso coffee maker such as a steam generating boiler and a boiler for heating water for coffee accumulate scale during use. The extent of the scale depends on the hardness of the water being used. The accumulating scale degrades the performance and longevity of the boilers.
- It is known to incorporate a conical burr grinder in an espresso machine. A conical burr grinder has an upper burr and a generally conically lower burr that forms a portion of a lower burr assembly. When the coffee grinder is dirty, obstructed or jammed, it may be necessary to remove the lower burr assembly from the grinder. This is often complicated, inconvenient or requiring special tools.
- The performance of a motorised tamping augur can also be potentially improved by incorporating a height adjustment mechanism for the augur fan. In this way, inconsistencies in manufacturing and user preferences regarding the compaction height of a dose and portafilter may be user adjusted, as required.
- Some tamping augurs also provide for less than uniform distribution and compaction of the grounds below augur fan, within the portafilter. Irregularities in the distribution of coffee grinds result in a less than optimal brew because water flowing through the portafilter will tend to bypass more compacted areas in favour of less compacted areas.
- In an automated or semi-automated machine, methods and apparatus are also required for determining when a pre-established fill height or level of compaction has been reached with respect to the grinds in a portafilter.
- It is an object of the technology to provide a conical burr grinder having a lower burr assembly that can be removed easily and intact
- It is another object of the technology to provide a lower burr assembly that is not retained by a nut or other fastener.
- It is another object of the technology to provide an augur fan having one or more peripheral wipers.
- It is yet another object of the technology to provide a coffee grinder having a lower burr assembly that is easy to remove.
- It is a further object of the technology to provide a convenient way of de-scaling the boilers found in an espresso machine.
- It is an additional object of the technology to provide a way of controlling a coffee grinder and tamping augur in an espresso machine using the interaction between a portafilter and a device that supports it during filling and tamping.
- It is a further object of the technology to provide a tamping augur fan height adjustment mechanism.
- It is yet a further object of the technology to provide an augur fan that pivots to an off-axis orientation initially and reverts to an orientation that is perpendicular to the rotation axis as the tamping load increases.
- It is also an object of the technology to provide a motorised tamping augur with a height adjustable augur fan.
- It is also another object of the technology to provide a coupling and spacer arrangement that may be interposed between a drive shaft and an augur fan.
- It is also an object of the technology to provide a tamping augur assembly that reverses its direction of rotation in order to obtain uniformity in the distribution of coffee grinds within a portafilter.
- It is also an additional object of the technology to provide a coffee machine or tamping augur assembly that is microprocessor controlled, the microprocessor obtaining a current or load signal from a tamper augur's motor and comparing it to a pre-established threshold that is associated, directly or indirectly with the microprocessor ceasing the operation of the device's coffee grinder or tamper.
- In order that the technology be better understood, reference is now made to the following drawing figures in which:
-
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an augur fan with wiping blades. -
FIG. 2 is a top plan elevation of the augur fan depicted inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a tamping augur fan within a filter basket of a portafilter as seen through line B-B ofFIG. 2 . -
FIG. 4 is an exploded perspective view of an augur fan and its wiper blade inserts. -
FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of a coffee grinder incorporated into an espresso making machine. -
FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of a lower burr assembly illustrating three different shaft variations. -
FIG. 7 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly incorporating a bayonet attachment feature. -
FIG. 8 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly utilising a threaded interconnection between the lower burr shaft and its driving shaft. -
FIG. 9 is a cross sectional view of a lower burr assembly illustrating a magnet in the lower burr shaft. -
FIG. 10 is a cross sectional view of an upper burr assembly and bail. -
FIG. 11 is an exploded perspective view of the upper burr assembly shown inFIG. 10 . -
FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating an espresso making machine having internal boilers for both steam and water. -
FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the boilers in an espresso making machine, their drain valves and the removable drip tray. -
FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an espresso making machine incorporating an integral grinder and tamping augur, also illustrating user accessible drain valves. -
FIG. 15 illustrates the insert, home and start/stop positions of a portafilter with respect to a fill head that supports it. -
FIG. 16 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur. -
FIG. 17 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur. -
FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a portafilter and a mechanism for activating the grinding motor and tamping augur. -
FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of an assembly for retaining a portafilter during the filling and tamping operations disclosed in the specification. -
FIG. 20 is a plan view of a fill head and portafilter. -
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a motorised tamping augur with height adjustment mechanism. -
FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a tamping augur height adjustment mechanism. -
FIG. 23 is an exploded perspective view of a tamping augur fan with off-axis functionality. -
FIG. 24 is a side elevation, cross sectioned to illustrate the augur fan depicted inFIG. 23 . -
FIG. 25 is a side elevation, cross sectioned to illustrate the augur fan depicted inFIG. 23 . -
FIG. 26 is a perspective view of the augur fan shown inFIGS. 23-25 . -
FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram of an espresso making machine having a hopper, grinder and augur. -
FIG. 28 is a flow charge illustrating a way to operate a tamper in two different directions to achieve uniformity in the distribution of grinds in a portafilter. -
FIG. 29 is a flow chart indicating a device and method for determining the proper filling of a portafilter by monitoring the current draw of the tamper augur's motor and comparing it to a pre-established threshold. - As shown in
FIG. 1 , thefan 10 of a tamping augur comprises ahub 11 from which radiates one ormore tamping blades 12. In this example, there are two blades. Each blade is approximately semi-circular in plan view as shown inFIG. 2 . The each blade has an approximately helical configuration, having a leadingedge 13 higher in elevation than a trailingedge 14. There is a preferably parallel gap passage orother gap 15 between the blades that allow coffee grounds to fall between them from above. When the augur fan is rotated 16 the trailingedge 14 acts to compress the grounds beneath it and to smooth the surface of the tamped or compacted grounds below the fan. - As illustrated in
FIG. 2 , there is asmall gap 20 located between the outer periphery of the fan and the inside wall of thefilter basket 21. Thegap 20 can be effectively closed or reduced with the provision of wipers or wiper inserts 22 that are retained by the one or more blades, but not necessarily by each blade. In this example, each of the two blades carries awiper insert 22. In preferred embodiments, the augur fan body is manufactured from a rigid polymer or a metal and the wiper inserts 22 are elastomeric. - As suggested by
FIGS. 1-3 , eachwiper insert 22 comprises a flat body havingparallel sides 23. The body has, at one end, anenlarged head 24. The other end of the body features a vertically aligned rib, lip orbead 25. Thelip 25 projects beyond the outer periphery of the augur fan body and extends so as to sweep or contact the inner wall of thefilter basket 21. When the augur fan is rotated, thelip 25 acts to clear or wipe debris off of the inner wall of the filter basket. - In this example, the
hub 11 has a central tapered bore 17. The central tapered bore 17 has one or moreflat sides 18 for retaining the tapered lower end of the shaft that drives the augur fan. As shown inFIG. 3 the central tapered bore 17 may have a recess orpocket 31 at its lower end for receiving amagnet 32 that may be used to retain theaugur fan 10 onto the augur fan's steel drive shaft. - A shown in
FIG. 4 , one way for the body of theaugur fan 40 to retain the wiper inserts 41 is by providing an open endedrecess 42 on the rim or outer edge of a blade that is adapted to receive theinsert 41. In this example, the thickness of theinsert 41 is approximately the same thickness as the augur fan blade in thearea 43 surrounding therecess 42. Each recess comprises aterminal pocket 44 for receiving theenlarged head 45 of the insert. Therecess 42 hasparallel sides 46 for snugly receiving the parallel sides of the body of the insert. An internal,peripheral rib 47 within the recess cooperates with a correspondingperipheral slot 48 on the insert. Thus, theelastomeric insert 41 can be pushed into the recess and will be retained by compressive forces, friction and interference between theenlarged head 45 and the narrower gap formed between theparallel side walls 42 of the recess. - As shown in
FIG. 5 , aconical burr grinder 50 includes amotorised drive shaft 51 that engages with and rotates anupper burr assembly 52. In this example, the upper burr assembly includes a metallic impeller plate having an array offins 53, an optionalpolymeric impeller support 54, a burr shaft 55 alower burr 56, awasher 57 and a retainer or acirclip 58. In the example ofFIG. 5 , thelower burr assembly 52 is retained on thedrive shaft 51 by a threaded interconnection between thedrive shaft 51 and the internally threaded bore of theburr shaft 55. Other means of interconnecting thedrive shaft 51 and theburr assembly 52 will be discussed below. - A felt washer or other seal 59 may be interposed between the impeller support and adjacent static parts of the grinder to prevent the infiltration of particulate matter into the area of the
drive shaft 51. - As shown in
FIG. 6 , animpeller plate 60 has, in this example, a flatcircular hub 61 from which radiates an array of protective blades orfins 62. Each blade orfin 62 has ahorizontal portion 63 and a vertically extendingportion 64. Thehub 61 has acentral opening 65 preferably provided with one or more flat sides so that the impeller blade may be driven or rotated by itsburr shaft 66. Torque is transmitted from the impeller plate to thelower burr 56 by one or more lock pins 67. In this example, each lockedpin 67 includes aperipheral flange 68 that facilitates trapping thelock pin 67 between theimpeller plate 60 and theimpeller support 69. Theimpeller support 69 may haveopenings 70 for receiving thelower end 71 of the lock pin, theopenings 70 being rebated to receive theflange 68. Thus, the lock pins 67 project throughopenings 72 in theimpeller plate 60 and in to cooperating openings (not shown) on the lower surface of thelower burr 56. Theimpeller plate 61 andimpeller support 69 may be additionally fastened together withrivets 73 that pass from beneath the impeller support, through openings in theimpeller support 74, continuing throughopenings 75 in the impeller plate. After insertion, the heads of therivet 73 may be deformed into the rebatedopenings 75 on the upper surface of thehub 61. - The polymeric impeller support has a central through
opening 76 for receiving theburr shaft 66. The impeller support also has thick integral blades or fins around its periphery. In this example, each blade orfin 77 has a concavefront face 78. When the lower burr assembly rotates, the blades orfins 77 act to propel ground coffee out of the grind chamber. When assembled, the metallic fins orblades 62 covers, protects or of theimpeller plate 60 overlie and protect thepolymeric fins 69 on the impeller support. Accordingly, it is preferred that the outermost tip 80 of each metallic fin orblade 62 overlaps theouter tip 81 of eachpolymeric blade 77. This reduces wear on the impeller support, particularly in the area of theblade tips 81. -
FIG. 6 also illustrates three different types of lowerburr assembly shaft 66. Abayonet shaft 82 includes a component of abayonet fastening 83 at a lower end. In this example, the bayonet fastening is the female component of a bayonet fastening. The lower part of thebayonet shaft 82 includes a pair offlat sides 84 that are intended to engage and drive the flat sides of thecentral bore 65 in theimpeller plate 60. Thebayonet shaft 82 also has acircumferential groove 85 for accommodating thecirclip 58 that retains thelower burr 56. Aprojection 82 above thegroove 85 act as a finger grip. Accordingly, the sub-assembly comprising the impeller support, impeller plate, lower burr and washer are trapped between thecirclip 58 and ashoulder 86 located on a lower end of theburr shaft 66. - As shown in
FIG. 7 , thebayonet feature 83 at the lower end of the bayonet style burr shaft engages one or more radially extending retention pins 90 that extend away from the upper portion of thedrive shaft 51. Theshoulder 86 of the burr shaft can be seen abutting the lower surface of theimpeller plate 60. Thus, the entirelower burr assembly 52 can be inserted, then disengaged from thedrive shaft 51 by rotating the bayonet features 83, 90 into and out of engagement. The upper end of the burr shaft may be slotted 91 so as to admit a screw driver or other tool for causing the rotation required to engage and disengage the bayonet features 83, 90. - As suggested by
FIGS. 6 and 8 , theburr shaft threads 93 formed on an upper extent of thedrive shaft 51. - As suggested by
FIGS. 6 and 9 , thelower burr assembly 52 may be retained on the burr shaft by magnetic attraction between the two. As shown inFIG. 9 , the central blind bore 100 of the burr shaft may include aterminal pocket 101 for receiving apermanent magnet 102. The lower end of themagnet 102 is in close proximity to theupper end 103 of thedrive shaft 51. Magnetic attraction thus prevents inadvertent lifting off of theburr assembly 52 from thedrive shaft 51. As with each of the aforementioned examples, theburr shaft 66 includes andupper portion 104 that extends above thecirclip 58 and thegroove 85 that retains it. Thisextension 104 allows the user to grasp theburr assembly 52 and remove it from thedrive shaft 51. The lower end of the magneticstyle burr shaft 105, in this example, forms a saddle orchannel 106 that is adapted to receive a one ormore driving projections 107 formed on thedraft shaft 51. In this way, torque is transmitted from thedrive shaft 51 to the lowerburr assembly shaft 105 through theprojection 107 andsaddle 106. -
FIG. 10 illustrates the upper burr assembly, previously seen inFIG. 5 . The upper burr assembly comprises theupper burr 110 and inner portion of theupper burr holder 111 and an outer portion of theupper burr holder 112. As suggested byFIG. 11 , theouter portion 112 has external features such as bayonet features 120 that allow the outer portion to engage the upper burr carriage that retains it. The upper portion also haveinternal threads 121 that cooperate withexternal threads 122 formed around the sidewalls of the inner portion of theupper burr holder 111. The cooperatingthreads - The
outer portion 112 carries afolding handle 123. In this example, the handle has opposing hands, each featuring an inwardly directedtip 124. Thetips 124 are long enough to pass through a pair ofopenings 125 located opposite one another and near theupper rim 126 of theout portion 112. Thetips 124, as seen inFIG. 10 , also pass through recesses orscallops 126 that are equally spaced about theupper rim 127 of theinner portion 111. When thetips 124 of thehandle 123 are fully inserted (as shown inFIG. 10 ) relative rotation between the inner andouter portions handle 123 comprises abail 130 located between the twotips 124. The bail conforms to the shape of acircumferential shoulder 131 toward the upper margin of theouter portion 112. Thebail 130 has areflex portion 135 that is received, when the bail is in its lower most or resting position, in one or the other of a pair of receivingrecesses 136 formed on an upper periphery of theouter portion 112. - As shown in
FIG. 12 , an espressocoffee making machine 150 may have two internal boilers, one forsteam 151 and one forhot water 152. Steam produced by the steam boiler exits via aport 153 and is discharged by the device's steam wand and the production of steamed beverages such as milk foams that are used in the production of latte and cappuccino etc. The steam discharge from theport 153 is controlled by an electromechanical or mechanicalsteam discharge valve 154. The valve is controlled by the device's micro processor control unit (MCU) 155. TheMCU 155 also controls the electromechanicalwater discharge valve 156 of the hot water orcoffee boiler 152. Auser interface 157 provides various switches, knobs, controllers, selectors or other input devices required for the user to control the operation of theespresso machine 150 by providing inputs and values to theMCU 155. User preferences, values, machine states, options and process parameters etc. may be displayed to the user via a graphic interface or display 158 that is driven or controlled by theMCU 155. A reservoir orwater tank 159 supplies water to apump 160 that supplies water to thesteam boiler 151, thepump 160 being controlled by theMCU 155. Aseparate pump 161 pumps water from thewater tank 159 into thecoffee boiler 152. The coffee boiler'ssupply pump 161 is controlled by theMCU 155. Thereservoir 159 may have alevel sensing device 162 that provide information to theMCU 155 regarding the volume of water in thetank 159. In some embodiments, the tank is removable by the user for refilling. - In this example, both
boilers drain opening drains drain valves drain valves valves - In preferred embodiments, the
water tank 159 incorporates a user replaceableresin type filter 167. TheMCU 155 provides the user with prompts at calculated intervals for both replacing thefilter 167 and conducting descaling operations relating to one or bothboilers - A user uses the
interface 157 to initiate a de-scale sequence. The user first empties thewater tank 159 and when there is a filter, optionally and temporarily removes thewater filter 167 from thetank 159. The tank is then replaced after having been filled with a de-scale solution of a kind well known in the art. The coffee machine's drip tray is removed, emptied and reinstalled. After this, thedrain valves MCU 155. Water will then flow from the tanks into the coffee machine's drip tray. Thevalves interface 157 that causes theMCU 155 to proceed to the next step. The outputs of the steam boiler'slevel sensors 170 and the water boiler's level sensors 171 (or other means) are read by theMCU 155 to determine whether or not the boilers are empty. If one or both boilers are not empty, the machine will provide the user with a visual or audible warning indicating that the emptying process must be repeated or completed. When the boilers are actually empty, theMCU 155 will cause the supply pumps 160, 161 to fill each boiler. The boiler temperature may be adjusted to an optimum level for de-scaling. TheMCU 155 will then initiate a countdown of a de-scale interval, in this example, about 20 minutes. When the boilers are filled with de-scale solution, the countdown timer will start and the countdown will be visually indicated or displayed on the machinesgraphic display 158. After the de-scale interval, theMCU 155 will show a countdown time of “zero” or otherwise prompt the user to open thedrain valves MCU 155 may cause them to open without user intervention. - The
valves interface 157 so that theMCU 155 can proceed to the next step. This will cause the MCU to fill the boilers with fresh water from the reservoir and initiate a new, preferably shorter, countdown. Any de-scale solution remaining in the boilers will dissolve into the fresh water. After a countdown of, say, five minutes, the user will be prompted to open thedrain valves valves - As suggested by
FIGS. 13 and 14 , one or bothboilers ports drain ports drain valves other tubes respective valves drain valves removable drip tray 172. As previously mentioned, thedrain valves drain valve gate coffee machine 150. A protective ordecorative cap 175 may be used to protect or cover the useraccessible actuators - In particularly preferred embodiments, the device's
MCU 155 calculates a recommended de-scale interval and provide the user with a visual prompt (on the display 158) regarding when a de-scale operation should be conducted. It is preferred that the de-scale interval be calculated with reference to the user's actual water hardness. Accordingly, the user may be supplied with water hardness test strips. In one example, the test strips provide five distinct levels or indications of water hardness using the test strips and the reading providing by them, the user enters an integer between 1 and 5 to theMCU 155 via theinterface 158. In this example, the five levels of water hardness correspond to (from lowest to highest, 1-5) are: below 50 ppm CaCo3, 50-120 ppm CaCo3, 120-240 ppm CaCo3, 240-360 ppm CaCo3 and above 360 ppm CaCo3.) A counter in the MCU keeps track of the number of operations performed by each boiler or the volume of water handled by each boiler when in use. The MCU can display an indication, such as an incremental numerical value on thedisplay 158 separately, for replacement of theresin filter 167 and for when a de-scale operation is required in respect of either thesteam boiler 151 or thecoffee boiler 152, or both of them. In preferred embodiments, the MCU may establish a lower limit, being a minimum number of operations or volume of water processed before providing a prompt to the user regarding the need to perform a de-scale operation. In some embodiments 1500 coffee cycles need to be recorded by the MCU prior to the issuance of a graphic user prompt regarding de-scale. - A graphic user prompt generated by the MCU regarding de-scale can also be made on the basis of the degradation in performance of the electronic
water level detectors boilers level detectors water level indicator display 158, so long as other conditions such as the minimum volume or number of coffee cycles has been satisfied. Timely de-scaling operations will prevent the boilers and the probes associated with thewater level indicators - In one example, the
MCU 155 measures and records the volume of water handled by a boiler and uses this record of water volume as an additional way of prompting the user to perform a de-scaling operation. The generation of the user prompt for de-scaling may also take into account the state of the water tank'sfilter 167. For example, the MCU counter and any graphic display of it, can be changed or incremented, from an initial level, at two different rates, one being for when the filter is within its useful life, and a second higher rate after the nominal filter life has expired. In respect of the de-scale operation, a nominal counter upper limit may be established as an auditory value of 600. This value may be displayed to the user. The initial value is incremented (from zero) by a value of 3 for each 200 litres of water processed by the boiler. After the expiry of the nominal filter life, this same volume of 200 litres represents an increment in the counter by 6. The table below provides the increment applied by the MCU and displayed to the user for both the resin filter replacement and the de-scaling operations. The table is based on a nominal count-up from a value of 600 for the de-scale operation and a nominal value of 300 for the prompt for the water tank resin filter change. The exemplary water volume associated with each increment and the amount of the increment are shown in the table for both the filter change and the de-scale, for each of the five aforementioned water hardness levels. -
De-Scale Change Filter Counter/L Water Volume Counter Volume Within Filter After Filter Hardness (L) (per L) (L) Life (per L) Life (per L) 1 100 3 200 3 6 2 75 4 150 4 8 3 50 6 100 6 12 4 30 10 75 8 16 5 10 30 50 12 24 - As shown in
FIGS. 14-20 , an espresso coffee making machine may incorporate anintegral coffee grinder 180 withhopper portafilter 200 engaged with afill head 201. Thefill head 201 receives ground coffee from the grinder and discharges it into the portafilter. Thefill head 201 also contains and orients the rotating tamping augur. The operation of both the grinder and augur can be controlled simply by manipulating theportafilter 200 that is in engagement with thefill head 201. - As suggested by
FIG. 15 , theportafilter 200 has three main orientations with respect to thefill head 201. In the “insert”position 202 theportafilter 200 has just been fully elevated into position with the underside of thefill head 202 but has not been rotated relative to thefill head 201. As will be explained, thefill head 201 has a female bayonet assembly, beingfeatures 210 that cooperates with male bayonet features 228 normally associated with theportafilter 200. In the insert position, the female bayonet features receive the male features prior to rotation of theportafilter 200. In a “home”position 203 an initial or partial rotation of theportafilter 200 defeats a safety interlock, thus allowing for power to be supplied to the motors that operate both the coffee grinder and the tamping augur. In thehome position 203, neither the coffee grinder's motor nor the tamping augur's motor are actually activated. In order to activate the grinder and augur motors, theportafilter 200 is rotated into a start/stop position 204. Both motors will be suitably controlled by theMCU 155 so long as theportafilter 200 is in the start/stop position 204. In preferred embodiments, the female bayonet features 210 are biased so as to return theportafilter 200 to the home position if the portafilter'shandle 205 is released. Theportafilter 200 can only be inserted and removed when it is in theinsert position 202. - As shown in
FIG. 16 , the female bayonet features 210 of thefill head 201 include a pair ofinterconnected rings ring cam surface optional cam follower micro switch portafilter 200 causes a rotation of therings cam followers switches portafilter FIG. 16 illustrates theinsert position 202 in which the portafilter is inserted, but not rotated relative to thefill head 201. Neither of theswitches -
FIG. 17 illustrates thehome position 203. In this orientation, theportafilter 201 has been rotated so that thecam surface 213 of thelower ring 211 acts to actuate the lowermicro switch 217, in this example through the intermediate action of thelower cam follower 216. This action activates the circuits that allow the MCU to potentially control the operation of the grinder motor and augur motor. - Further rotation of the
portafilter 200 relative to thefill head 201 causes theportafilter 200 to enter the start/stop position 204 as shown inFIG. 18 . In this orientation, both cam surfaces 213, 214 have displaced bothcam followers switches interface 157. - As shown in
FIG. 19 , thelower ring 211 is received by theengagement collar 220 of thefill head 201. Thecollar 220 is attached to a front surface of the coffee making machine. In preferred embodiments, thelower ring 211 is not free to rotate until theportafilter 200 is inserted and at least partially rotated. This is accomplished by providing thelower ring 211 with aanti-rotation step 221 formed on the lower rim of thelower ring 211. In the rest position, thestep 221 engages with and cooperates with asecond step 222 formed on thecollar 220. In order that thesteps portafilter 200 is inserted into thecollar 220 and partially rotated. A ramped undersurface 227 associated with the portafilter's male bayonet features 228 causes theupper rim 229 of the portafilter to lift thelower ring 211 against the biased imposed by the ball andspring elements 223. When thesteps lower ring 211 can rotate relative to thecollar 220. Thelower ring 211 is biased downwardly by, in this example, four ball andspring detent elements 223. Each of theballs 224 cooperates with an arcuate track or groove 225 formed on an upper surface of thelower rim 211. Each track or groove 225 has acentral detent 226 that works in cooperation with the ball andspring elements 223 to create haptic feedback and to assist in the maintenance of theportafilter 200 in thehome position 203. - The
lower ring 211 has twoupright posts 230. The posts pass through arcuate throughopenings 231 formed on acollar 232 that acts as a mount for the motorised augur assembly. Theupper ring 212 is preferably attached to theposts 230 of thelower ring 211 byfasteners 233. Thus, the upper andlower rings slot 231. Thesleeve 232 provides a journal or other bearing for receiving therotating shaft 234 of theaugur fan assembly 235. - As shown in
FIG. 20 , the bias mechanism that returns the portafilter to the home position may comprise one or more (in this example two) tension or return springs 240, 241. In this example, each of the return springs is affixed, at one end, to theupper ring 212 and at an opposite end, to a static portion such as a part of thecollar 232. Thus thesprings outer surface 242 of theupper ring 212 and the curved inner surface of thecover 243 of thefill head assembly 201. Thesprings portafilter 200 is between thehome position 203 and the start/stop position 204. - As shown in
FIG. 21 , a motorised tampingaugur 250 has anelectric motor 251 that drives a power train or gearingassembly 252 which in turn drives theshaft 253 to which theaugur fan 254 is directly or indirectly affixed. In this example, the vertical location or vertical height of thefan 254 is manually adjustable. The adjustment coupling andspacer 255 creates a threaded interconnection between theshaft 253 and thefan 254 that can be adjusted by a user and then fixed in its position with aradial set screw 256. In this example, the lower end of theshaft 253 is threaded 257. Thethreads 257 cooperate withfemale threads 258 that are formed along the interior bore of acoupling hub 259. The directionality of the threaded interconnection between the shaft and thehub hub 286 has anintermediate collar 292 for limiting the axial location of thefan 285. To prevent thehub 259 from advancing up the shaft and changing the vertical height of thefan 254, thecoupling 255 is provided with aspacer 260 that cooperates with thehub 259. As shown inFIGS. 21 and 22 thespacer 260 hasinternal threads 261 that cooperate withexternal threads 262 formed around an exterior of thehub 259. After the augur fan vertical height is established by threading or unthreading thehub 259 relative to the shaft 253 (using the threadedinner connection 258, 257) thespacer 260 is advanced toward theshaft 253. When theupper surface 263 of the spacer makes contact with ashoulder 264 located above thethreads 257, theradial set screw 256 is tightened against the hub'sexternal threads 262, thus immobilising thecoupling 255 relative to theshaft 253. Theexternal threads 262 of thehub 259 may haveflat areas 271 for better receiving theradial set screw 256 and thus the inner connection between thespacer 260 and thehub 259. The spacer may be provided with acentral opening 265 for receiving a reduceddiameter portion 266 of theshaft 253. It will be appreciated that other forms of fan height adjustment are contemplated using a variety of threaded, frictional or other mechanical means. - A lower part of the
augur fan hub 259 has one or more flats or features 265 and may be tapered to be inserted into and cooperate with a hub receiving opening orsocket 270 formed centrally in theaugur fan 254. - An alternate form of augur fan is shown in
FIGS. 23-26 . In order to better distribute the coffee grinds within the portafilter, such an augur fan wobbles or pivots about the vertical axis of the drivingshaft 253 at any given augur fan height. In order to do so, thecoupling 259 has, for example, a transverse throughopening 281 that receives apivot pin 282 that passes through one ormore openings 283 in the area of thehub receiving socket 284 of theaugur fan 285 thus creating a pivoting interconnection. The pivoting motion of theaugur fan 285 is accommodated by avertical slot 287 formed through a side wall of thehub receiving socket 284. A compression spring orother bias member 288 is located within aradial opening 289 formed in the hub and exerts a tilting force against theaugur fan 285 as shown inFIGS. 24 and 25 . When there is no load on theaugur fan 285, thecompression spring 288 will place the augur fan in an off-axis or tilted orientation shown inFIG. 25 . When the level of coffee grinds rises within the portafilter, the grind will overcome the effect of thespring 288 and restore the augur fan to the horizontal or perpendicular condition shown inFIG. 24 . Thus, the tamping and polishing process will be completed with the fan in a stable perpendicular orientation relative to theshaft 253. The amount of tilt or wobble of thefan 285 relative to theshaft 253 can be limited or adjustably limited by an abutment or vertical adjustment feature or screw 290. In this example, thetilt limiting screw 290 is received within a threadedopening 291 in the augur fan, adjacent to thecentral opening 292 that receives thehub 259. As shown inFIG. 25 , the top of theadjustment screw 290 abuts the hub to establish a maximum extent of tilt or wobble. Thewobble limiting feature 290 may be fixed, integral with thefan 285 or adjustable in the manner depicted inFIGS. 24 and 25 . - As shown in
FIG. 26 , the femalehub receiving portion 300 of thefan 285 may optionally include avertical slot limited feature 290 so that the limiting feature oradjustment screw 290 can be accessed with the appropriate tool or driver, as required. -
FIG. 27 illustrates anespresso coffee machine 310 in schematic form. Adevice 310 of this type has the capability of operating the tamping augur, in different modes, to achieve optimal filling and compaction of the coffee within the portafilter. Thecoffee machine 310 comprises abean hopper 311 for containing and dispensing beans into agrinder 312 having agrind adjustment mechanism 313 with, for example, an adjustable lower grinder burr, as is known in the art. The grinder is driven by anelectric grinder motor 314 having, for example, aclutch engagement 315 with thegrinder 312. Ground coffee is dispensed 316 above the tamper augur's and fan. The augur is driven by aDC augur motor 318. An optional torque sensing tampdetector 319 may be interposed between the tampingaugur 317 and theaugur motor 318. The device's main control PCB (or MCU) 320 receives inputs from ahopper interlock sensor 321, the grind adjustposition sensor 322, the grinder motor's thermostat, overheat detection sensor andmotor speed sensor PCB 320 also receives appropriate signals from the portafiltersafety interlock sensor 326 the optional tampdetector torque sensor 327, the augurmotor speed sensor 328 and other sensors and feedback devices as required. It will be appreciated that the aforementioned array of sensors may be deployed or not in accordance with the sophistication, complexity, cost and design parameters of thesubject coffee machine 310. ThePCB 320 also has a capacity to receive inputs and control the machine'suser interface 330, its maingraphic display 331, the power to theaugur motor 332, the activation switch to thetamper augur 333, the power supplied to thegrinder motor 314 and other controllable devices within the machine as required. - In order to better distribute coffee grounds within the portafilter, using the motorised tamper augur and augur fan suggested by
FIG. 27 and as otherwise known in the art, a sequence of events ormethod 340 is practiced in accordance withFIG. 28 . In the example ofFIG. 28 , uniform distribution of grounds is achieved by first using thePCB 320 to activate a grind and tamp cycle that involves rotation of the augur fan with theaugur motor 318. The motorised tamp mechanism is activated, for example, four seconds and thePCB 320 receives feedback during thisactivation 341 to indicate whether or not the portafilter has been completely filled. The feedback to thePCB 320 can be either from thetamper torque sensor 327, or for example, by monitoring the load on theaugur motor 318 using the power draw on the motor as an indication of the work performed by the motor, as will be explained. On the basis of the feedback received by thePCB 320 thePCB 320 makes a determination of whether or not the portafilter is filled 342. If thePCB 320 determines that the portafilter is filled then the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the cycle is completed and that the portafilter is full 343. If thePCB 320 determines that the portafilter is not filled, thecoffee grinder 312 is activated and the tamping mechanism is rotated in a first direction, for example, clockwise, for a short duration, for example, 1.5seconds 344. Subsequently, the grinder is either activated or maintained in activation and the tamper is operated at a slower speed for a short duration, say for example, one half second 345. After the tamper is slowed or stopped 345, the grinder is either activated or continues to activate as the tamper is activated in an opposite direction, say clockwise, for asecond interval 346. The second interval may be the same as thefirst interval 344, say 1.5 seconds. After this, the grinder is stopped and the tamper is rotated in the first direction (e.g. clockwise) for an interval of, for example, about 4 seconds for the purpose of providing a flat surface on the dose in the portafilter, if the portafilter is full 347. This is referred to as a polishing step. At the end of the polishingstep 347, thePCB 320 makes a determination as to whether or not the portafilter is full 348. This may be done in the same manner as the earliercoffee detection step 342. If the portafilter is not full, the grinder and tamper are activated again, in thefirst direction 344. The cycle is then repeated 345, 346, 347, 348 until thePCB 320 determines that the portafilter is full. If it is, the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the portafilter filling cycle is complete 343. - As previously mentioned, as an alternative to a
tamper torque sensor 327 or a tamper height detection mechanism, thePCB 320 can use the augur motor's load or current draw to determine whether or not the portafilter is full and the surface has been polished. A tamper motor current sensor (335 inFIG. 27 ) cooperates with theaugur motor 318 and provides load indicative signals to thePCB 320. The grind and tamp cycle is thus first activated by auser 360. The mechanism is run for, for example, four seconds and during this time, an indication (audible or visual or both) may be given to the user that the grinder and tamper status is active 361. When no coffee grinds are in contact with the augur fan, thetamper motor 318 draws the least current and is under the lowest load. As the ground coffee level within the portafilter rises, contact is eventually made within the augur fan. At this point, the motor load increases. ThePCB 320 compares the motor load from the sensor, e.g. 335 to a pre-establishedpolish threshold value 362. The polish threshold is a load or current level of the augur's motor that indicates that the portafilter is full. If the polish threshold has not been met thecoffee grinder 312 is activated and a grinder timer is started 363. The tamper mechanism either remains activated or is activated as the grinder operates 363. ThePCB 320 again compares the motor current or load to apre-established threshold value 364. If the motor current has not increased to the threshold value, thePCB 320 compares the duration of thecurrent detection step 364 to a pre-established time value, for example, 60seconds 365. If the duration of thecurrent detection step 364 has not exceeded thethreshold time value 365 the grinder and tamper continue to operate 366 until either the current threshold has been reached 364 or thethreshold time 365 has been exceeded. If either of these conditions are met, the grinder is stopped while the tamper mechanism operates 366. Concurrently, a tamp timer associated with thePCB 320 is activated. ThePCB 320 then compares the motor current or draw to thepolish threshold 367. Where the current has exceeded the threshold the grinder and the tamper are both deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the grinding and tamping cycle is completed 368. If the current is lower than the polish threshold the PCB determines whether or not the tamp timer has exceeded a pre-established value such as fourseconds 369. If the pre-established time has been exceeded, the grinder and tamper are deactivated an optional indication is provided to the user that the grind and tamp cycle is completed 368. If the PCB determines that the polish time has not yet elapsed, the current comparison and timer comparison steps 367, 369 are repeated 370 until such time as the polish threshold is exceeded or the tamp timer has exceeded the pre-established duration whereupon the grinder and tamper are deactivated and an indication is provided to the user that the cycle is complete 368. It will be appreciated that a fine tuning of the system described inFIG. 29 may require a time constant to be added tocurrent detection step FIG. 29 may be combined with the method and apparatus of coffee grinds distribution disclosed inFIG. 28 . - Although the technology has been described with reference to specific examples, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the technology may be embodied in many other forms.
- As used herein, unless otherwise specified the use of the ordinal adjectives “first”, “second”, “third”, etc., to describe a common object, merely indicate that different instances of like objects are being referred to, and are not intended to imply that the objects so described must be in a given sequence, either temporally, spatially, in ranking, or in any other manner.
- Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “example” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present technology. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an example” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment or example, but may. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner, as would be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art from this disclosure, in one or more embodiments.
- Similarly it should be appreciated that in the above description of exemplary embodiments of the technology, various features of the technology are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of one or more of the various inventive aspects. This method of disclosure, however, is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the claimed technology requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive aspects lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment. Any claims following the Detailed Description are hereby expressly incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of this technology.
- Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions utilizing terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of a microprocessor, controller computer or computing system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and/or transforms data.
- Furthermore, while some embodiments described herein include some but not other features included in other embodiments, combinations of features of different embodiments are meant to be within the scope of the technology, and form different embodiments, as would be understood by those in the art. For example, in the following claims, any of the claimed embodiments can be used in any combination.
- Thus, while there has been described what are believed to be the preferred embodiments of the technology, those skilled in the art will recognize that other and further modifications may be made thereto without departing from the spirit of the technology, and it is intended to claim all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the technology.
- While the present technology has been disclosed with reference to particular details of construction, these should be understood as having been provided by way of example and not as limitations to the scope or spirit of the technology.
Claims (12)
1. A device to grind and tamp, comprising a receptacle for receiving coffee grinds from a grinder, the grinder drivable by a first electric motor; an auger for tamping coffee grinds in the receptacle, the auger drivable by a second electric motor; and, a processor adapted to receive a feedback signal indicating whether the coffee grinds in the receptacle have reached a level threshold value and further adapted to control the first electric motor and the second electric motor according to a tamp and grind sequence comprising:
for a first time period: operating the first electric motor and the second electric motor and subsequently receiving the feedback signal, wherein if the level feedback signal indicates that the level threshold value is not reached, the grind and tamp sequence further comprises, sequentially:
a) for a second time period: operating the first motor, and operating the second motor in a first direction;
b) for a third time period: operating the first motor and reducing the speed of the second motor;
c) for a fourth time period: operating the first motor and operating the second motor in a second direction opposite the first direction; and,
d) for a fifth time period: stopping the first motor and operating the second motor in a second direction.
2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein following step d) the processor receives the level feedback signal, and wherein if the level feedback signal indicates that the level threshold value is not reached, the processor operated the first motor and the second motor according to steps a) to d) sequentially.
3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first time period is about 4 seconds.
4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the second time period is about 1.5 seconds.
5. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the third time period is about 0.5 seconds.
6. The device according to claim 1 , fourth time period is about 4 seconds.
7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the receptacle is a portafilter.
8. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the feedback signal is provided by a torque sensor operatively associated with the second motor.
9. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the power draw of the second motor provides the feedback signal.
10. The device according to claim 9 , wherein the power draw is provided by a current sensor adapted to measure the current drawn by the second electric motor and provide a load signal indicative of the current drawn by the second electric motor, wherein the processor is adapted to perform a comparison of the load signal to a load threshold value, wherein the load signal exceeding the load threshold value equates to the amount of coffee grinds in the receptacle exceeding the level threshold value.
11. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the first motor is operated continuously over steps a) to c).
12. A method for tamping coffee grinds received by a receptacle wherein if the level of coffee grinds in the receptacle is below a threshold value, the method comprising, in sequence:
1) for a first time period: operating a grinder to deliver coffee grinds to the receptacle and rotating an auger in a first direction, the auger having at least one blade to distribute coffee grinds within the receptacle;
2) for a second time period: slowing rotation of the auger;
3) for a third time period: rotating the auger in a second direction opposite to the first; and
4) for a fourth time period: stopping the grinder and continuing rotation of the auger in the second direction,
wherein steps 1) to 4) are repeated until the threshold value is met.
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WO2020257869A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-30 | Breville Pty Limited | Ground coffee dosing and packing |
WO2021097520A1 (en) * | 2019-11-18 | 2021-05-27 | Breville Pty Limited | Tamping assembly |
WO2022133542A1 (en) * | 2020-12-23 | 2022-06-30 | Breville Pty Limited | A machine and tamping mechanism |
WO2023097104A1 (en) * | 2021-11-29 | 2023-06-01 | Kurnianto Daniel | Coffee tamping tool and methods of using same |
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EP2962607B1 (en) * | 2010-10-05 | 2017-03-22 | Breville PTY Limited | Motorised compaction auger device |
RU2667631C2 (en) * | 2013-05-29 | 2018-09-21 | Нестек С.А. | Mixing device for preparation of beverages |
US9724698B2 (en) * | 2014-09-05 | 2017-08-08 | Steven Cottam | Grinding mill |
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2014
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- 2014-04-08 WO PCT/AU2014/000378 patent/WO2014165905A1/en active Application Filing
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- 2014-04-08 EP EP14782402.3A patent/EP2983569B1/en active Active
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- 2020-11-19 AU AU2020273322A patent/AU2020273322A1/en not_active Abandoned
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- 2021-02-19 US US17/180,655 patent/US11844457B2/en active Active
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2023
- 2023-01-25 AU AU2023200409A patent/AU2023200409A1/en active Pending
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WO2020257869A1 (en) * | 2019-06-28 | 2020-12-30 | Breville Pty Limited | Ground coffee dosing and packing |
WO2021097520A1 (en) * | 2019-11-18 | 2021-05-27 | Breville Pty Limited | Tamping assembly |
EP4061186A4 (en) * | 2019-11-18 | 2023-12-06 | Breville Pty Limited | Tamping assembly |
WO2022133542A1 (en) * | 2020-12-23 | 2022-06-30 | Breville Pty Limited | A machine and tamping mechanism |
WO2022133538A1 (en) * | 2020-12-23 | 2022-06-30 | Breville Pty Limited | System and method for determining dosage of coffee grounds into a portafilter |
WO2023097104A1 (en) * | 2021-11-29 | 2023-06-01 | Kurnianto Daniel | Coffee tamping tool and methods of using same |
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EP4032444A1 (en) | 2022-07-27 |
US20240115069A1 (en) | 2024-04-11 |
AU2014252757A1 (en) | 2015-10-15 |
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AU2014252757B2 (en) | 2018-06-14 |
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EP3785577A1 (en) | 2021-03-03 |
EP2983569B1 (en) | 2020-10-28 |
CN105101851A (en) | 2015-11-25 |
EP3785577B1 (en) | 2022-10-19 |
AU2023200409A1 (en) | 2023-02-23 |
EP2983569A1 (en) | 2016-02-17 |
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