Patent ID: 9386798
Filing Date: 2016-07-12
CPC Classification: A23F,A23N

Claim Text:
1. A fluidized bed coffee roaster providing a controlled roast profile, said roaster comprising: a roasting chamber including an air-permeable member which is supported in said chamber and which is operable to support a volume of coffee beans thereupon; an air inlet disposed so as to introduce a stream of air into said chamber through said air-permeable member so as to pass through and fluidize said volume of coffee beans; an air outlet disposed so as to direct said stream of air out of the chamber after said stream of air has passed through the volume of coffee beans; a blower operable to provide said stream of air; an air duct operatively connecting said blower with the air inlet of the chamber so as to direct the stream of air from the blower to the inlet; a heater associated with the air duct at a point downstream of the blower and upstream of the roasting chamber, said heater, when activated, being operable to heat the stream of air; a roast temperature sensor disposed downstream of said heater, and operable so as to sense the temperature of the stream of air and generate a roast control signal corresponding thereto; and a controller which is in operative communication with the roast temperature sensor, the blower, and the heater, said controller being operable to selectably independently activate and deactivate the heater and/or blower, said controller having a roast profile electronically stored therein, said roast profile comprising a plurality of data points defining said roast profile, each point corresponding to a particular time and temperature, wherein said roast profile is a step profile which includes: a first time interval during which the temperature of said volume of coffee beans is increased from a first temperature value to a second temperature value, a second time interval during which said volume of coffee beans is maintained at said second temperature value, and a third time interval during which the temperature of said volume of coffee beans is increased from said second temperature value to a third temperature value; said controller being further operative, on a periodic, cyclic basis to: