Method of detecting the absence of coffee beans in a coffee grinder of a coffee machine and coffee maker for performing the method
AssigneeSaeco IPR Limited
InventorPeter Keller
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In order to detect a lack of coffee beans in a grinder unit of a coffee maker, a method is suggested in which the level and/or the spectrum of an oscillation generated by the grinder unit during its operation is measured. The level of the oscillation and/or the nature of the spectrum are used to decide whether or not coffee beans are present in the grinder unit. Preferably, the level of oscillation of the housing of the coffee grinder unit is monitored. If the level changes by more than a preset value and/or falls below a reference value, it is decided that coffee beans are lacking.
Claims25
A method of detecting a lack of coffee beans in a coffee bean grinder unit, comprising the steps of measuring the level of an oscillation generated by the coffee bean grinder unit during its operation, and deciding whether or not coffee beans are present in the coffee bean grinder unit in dependence of the magnitude of said measured level of oscillation.
A method of detecting a lack of coffee beans in a coffee bean grinder unit, comprising the steps of measuring the spectrum of an oscillation generated by the coffee bean grinder unit during its operation, and deciding whether or not coffee beans are present in the coffee bean grinder unit in dependence of the nature of said measured spectrum of oscillation.
A method of detecting a lack of coffee beans in a coffee bean grinder unit, comprising the steps of measuring the level and the spectrum of an oscillation generated by the coffee bean grinder unit during its operation, and deciding whether or not coffee beans are present in the coffee bean grinder unit in dependence of the magnitude of said measured level and nature of said measured spectrum of oscillation.
A coffee maker comprising:
- At least one coffee bean container;
- A grinder unit adapted to grind coffee beans;
- A brewing unit having a brewing chamber for extracting the ground coffee beans by means of hot, pressurized brewing water;
- and
- At least one sensor means for recording the level and/or the spectrum of an oscillation generated by said grinder unit during the operation of the grinder unit.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.