Apparatus for roasting coffee beans
AssigneeIkawa Ltd
InventorsAndrew Stordy, Rombout Frieling
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
One embodiment of the invention relates to apparatus (10) for roasting coffee beans, the apparatus comprising: a chamber (12) in which a supply of coffee beans can be received for roasting; means (15) for heating air; and means (20) for driving heated air into the chamber (12) for roasting coffee beans received therein; wherein the air driving means (20) and chamber (12) are configured and arranged so that coffee beans located in the chamber (12) circulate generally horizontally about the periphery of the chamber (12) when the air driving means (20) drives heated air into the chamber (12).
Claims21
An apparatus for roasting coffee beans, the apparatus comprising:
- a chamber in which a supply of coffee beans can be received for roasting, said chamber having an outlet for roasted coffee beans;
- a heater for heating air;
- an air driver for driving heated air into the chamber to roast coffee beans received therein, and for driving air into the chamber to lift roasted coffee beans from the chamber to and through said outlet;
- and
- a controller operable to control the air driver to vary a rate at which air is driven into the chamber,
- wherein the air driver and the chamber are configured and arranged so that coffee beans located in the chamber circulate generally horizontally about a periphery of the chamber when the air driver drives heated air into the chamber, said controller being configured to control the air driver to drive air into the chamber at a first rate to circulate the beans as they roast, and at a second rate higher than the first to lift the beans towards and through the outlet.
An apparatus for roasting and grinding coffee beans, the apparatus comprising:
- a roasting chamber in which a supply of coffee beans can be received for roasting, the roasting chamber comprising an outlet for roasted coffee beans;
- a grinding module in fluid communication with the outlet of the roasting chamber;
- a heater for heating air;
- an air driver for driving heated air into the roasting chamber for roasting coffee beans received therein;
- and
- a controller operable to control the air driver to vary a rate at which air is driven into the roasting chamber;
- wherein the air driver and the roasting chamber are configured and arranged so that coffee beans located in the roasting chamber circulate generally horizontally about a periphery of the roasting chamber when the air driver drives heated air into the roasting chamber to roast beans received therein, and
- the air driver is further operable to drive air into the roasting chamber to lift roasted coffee beans to and through said outlet and into said grinding module for grinding thereby, said controller being configured to control the air driver to drive air into the roasting chamber at a first rate to circulate the beans as they roast, and at a second rate higher than the first to lift the beans towards and through the outlet.
An apparatus for roasting and grinding coffee beans, and for brewing coffee from roasted and ground coffee beans, the apparatus comprising:
- a roasting chamber in which a supply of coffee beans can be received for roasting, the roasting chamber comprising an outlet for roasted coffee beans;
- a grinding module in fluid communication with the outlet of the roasting chamber;
- a brewing module in fluid communication with an outlet of the grinding module, the brewing module being configured to receive ground coffee from the grinding module and to pass heated water through the ground coffee into a receptacle;
- a heater for heating air;
- an air driver for driving heated air into the roasting chamber for roasting coffee beans received therein;
- and
- a controller operable to control the air driver to vary a rate at which air is driven into the roasting chamber;
- wherein the air driver and the roasting chamber are configured and arranged so that coffee beans located in the roasting chamber circulate generally horizontally about a periphery of the roasting chamber when the air driver drives heated air into the roasting chamber to roast beans received therein, and
- the air driver is further operable to drive air into the roasting chamber to lift roasted coffee beans to and through said outlet and into said grinding module for grinding thereby, said controller being configured to control the air driver to drive air into the roasting chamber at a first rate to circulate the beans as they roast, and at a second rate higher than the first to lift the beans towards and through the outlet.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.