# US 2014/0150673 A1 · Smokeless Coffee Roaster

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 2014/0150673 A1
- Document ID: US20140150673A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/172,829
- Filed: 2014-02-04
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-06-21
- Assignees: Loring Smart Roast, Inc.
- Applicants: Loring Smart Roast, Inc.
- Inventors: Mark L. Ludwig
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140150673A1

## CPC

- A23N 12/125: {Accessories or details}
- A23F 5/046: {with agitation or transportation of the beans by gases; Fluidised-bed roasting or fluidised-bed cooling after roasting (A23F5/043 takes precedence)}
- A23F 5/10: Treating roasted coffee; Preparations produced thereby (removing unwanted substances A23F5/16; reducing or removing alkaloid content A23F5/20; coffee extraction, making instant coffee A23F5/24)
- A23N 12/08: for drying or roasting (A23N12/06 takes precedence)
- A23N 12/10: Rotary roasters
- A47J 42/52: Coffee mills combined with roasting devices
- A23F 5/04: Methods of roasting coffee (machines therefor A23N12/00)
- A47J 37/07: Roasting devices for outdoor use; Barbecues
- A23N: MACHINES OR APPARATUS FOR TREATING HARVESTED FRUIT, VEGETABLES OR FLOWER BULBS IN BULK, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PEELING VEGETABLES OR FRUIT IN BULK; APPARATUS FOR PREPARING ANIMAL FEEDING- STUFFS (machines for cutting straw or fodder A01F29/00; disintegrating, e.g. shredding, B02C; severing, e.g. cutting, splitting, slicing B26B, B26D)
- A23F: COFFEE; TEA; THEIR SUBSTITUTES; MANUFACTURE, PREPARATION, OR INFUSION THEREOF
- A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES

## Abstract

A coffee bean roasting machine of the type having a cyclone separator heating chamber and a coffee bean roasting chamber in a recirculating process stream driven by a recirculation fan is operated to air cool the roasted coffee beans in the roasting chamber, to a temperature beneath which the beans give off smoke, while at the same time incinerating smoke removed from the roasting chamber. A purge gate in ducting between the cyclone separator and the roasting chamber is opened to allow the flow of ambient air into and through the roasting chamber while blocking flow out of the cyclone separator, so that ambient air is directed through the roasting chamber. The smoke and any airborne particulate material from the roasting chamber are carried into the heating chamber and through the incineration tube, where they are incinerated. Preferably the system and process are operated automatically by a computer and programming.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A roasting machine for coffee beans, or other beans or grains, comprising:
a bean roasting chamber, having a roasting chamber inlet and a roasting chamber outlet for flow of a heated process stream therethrough,
a cyclone separator comprising a heating chamber with a process stream inlet for admitting a process stream from the bean roasting chamber and a process stream outlet for discharging the process stream, the cyclone separator having means for spinning the process stream into a cyclone within the separator for separating particulate matter from the process stream,
an incineration tube extending essentially coaxially into the heating chamber, the incineration tube having an incineration tube inlet opening into the heating chamber and the cyclone separator and an incineration tube exhaust outlet positioned above and outside the heating chamber,
the process stream outlet of the cyclone separator being connected to the inlet of the bean roasting chamber, and the outlet of the bean roasting chamber being connected to the process stream inlet of the cyclone separator,
a circulation fan within the process stream, positioned to move the process stream in a recirculating path in normal operation during roasting of beans, so that the process stream flows through the cyclone separator and heating chamber, then through the bean roasting chamber and back into the cyclone separator via the process stream inlet of the cyclone separator,
a heat source positioned essentially coaxially within the heat chamber and cyclone separator, in alignment with and spaced below the incineration tube inlet, the heat source being positioned to produce and direct a column of hot gases into the incineration tube and to heat the interior of the tube to a sufficiently high temperature for incinerating pollutants, the heat source heating the process stream to a lower working temperature suitable for coffee bean roasting when the process stream is passed through the cyclone separator, the process stream being cooler and heavier than said hot gases so that the process stream is flung outwardly within the cyclone separator, the hot gases above the heat source being hotter and lighter than the process stream so that the hot gases are confined centrally within the cyclone separator, the process stream being thus generally prevented from mixing with the hot gases, and said pollutants passing through the incineration tube and being incinerated before being exhausted,
and including automatic air cool cycle bean cooling means for substantially blocking flow of the process stream from the process stream outlet of the cyclone separator while opening an ambient air vent to the bean roasting chamber when a roasting of beans is completed and the roasted beans remain in the roasting chamber, causing ambient air to flow through the bean roasting chamber via the circulating fan,
whereby beans are partially cooled by the flow of ambient air through the bean roasting chamber, the bean roasting chamber is purged of smoke and airborne particulate material, and the smoke and airborne particulate material are moved by the circulating fan into the cyclone separator and up through the incineration tube and incinerated.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The roasting machine of claim 1, wherein the air cool cycle bean cooling means includes means for increasing the setting of the heat source to cause substantially complete incineration of smoke and other materials while the roasted beans are cooling in the roasting chamber.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The roasting machine of claim 2, wherein the air cool cycle bean cooling means further includes means for increasing speed of the circulation fan while the roasted beans are being cooled in the roasting chamber.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The roasting machine of claim 3, wherein the air cool cycle bean means includes a duct between the cyclone separator process stream outlet and the bean roasting chamber, and a swingable purge gate within the duct positioned such that when the purge gate is swung inwardly by the air cool cycle bean cooling means, the gate will substantially block flow of gases out of the cyclone separator while providing said ambient air vent to admit air into the duct downstream of the purge gate.

### Claim at position 5

5-9. (canceled)