Systems for grind duration adjustment for grinders

A grinding system that includes a grinder attached to a grind size adjustment ring. Also, a potentiometer attached to the grind size adjustment ring, so as to provide a grind size measurement to a controller. The controller selects a grinding duration based upon the selected grind size measured by the potentiometer.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is the National Stage Entry of and claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 371 to PCT Application Serial No. PCT/CN2022/091142 filed May 6, 2022 and entitled SYSTEMS FOR GRIND DURATION ADJUSTMENT FOR GRINDERS, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to systems for adjusting the grinding duration of grinders.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

A coffee grinder is used for grinding roasted coffee beans. Coffee grinders may feature different style of blades or burrs to accomplish the grinding. Certain coffee grinders are able to adjust the grinding size, or distance between the blades or burrs, to produce coarse or fine coffee grounds. For instance, if making espresso, the grounds should be fine, or for French press the coffee grounds should be larger or coarse grounds.

When brewing coffee, a specific weight of coffee grounds to ounces of water ratio for brewing the coffee is typically recommended. The incorrect weight of grounds in this ratio has an adverse effect on the quality of the coffee. Coffee grinders tend to grind coffee beans using the same grinding duration for different grind sizes, such as coarse grinding and fine grinding. However, using the same grinding duration for coarse and fine grinding leads to a higher or lower respective yield of coffee grounds. Thus, the user is left with the incorrect weight of grounds when producing coffee. Thus, the user either wastes overproduced coffee grounds or runs the grinder apparatus again, until the desired weight of coffee grounds is reached.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In one example embodiment, a system includes a grinder, a grind size adjustment ring configured for changing a grind size value of the grinder, and a potentiometer rotatably coupled to the grind size adjustment ring. The potentiometer is configured to output the grind size value, based upon a measured rotation of the grind size adjustment ring. The system also includes a controller configured to adjust a grinding duration based upon the grind size value. Each grinding duration corresponds to a respective single grind size value.

In another example embodiment, a system includes a grinder, a user interface, a controller, a grind size adjustment ring, and a stepper motor operatively connected to the grind size adjustment ring such that the grind size adjustment ring is rotatable by the stepper motor. The stepper motor is configured for rotating the grind size selector through a pulse input from the controller. The controller is configured to receive a grinding size from the user interface, which dictates the number the pulse inputs needed for the stepper motor.

In another exemplary embodiment, a system includes a grinder comprising an upper annular ring and a lower annular ring, a controller configured for choosing a grind duration based upon a grind size value, and an optical sensor coupled to the upper annular ring and the lower annular ring. The optical sensor configured for measuring a distance between the upper annular ring and the lower annular ring. The measured distance corresponds to the grind size value.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to the figures, an example coffee grinding system100inFIG.1is provided for example purposes only. It would be appreciated by one skilled in the art that, in general, other embodiments of a coffee grinder system could have other configurations, shapes, sizes, etc.

FIGS.1through3illustrate one example embodiment of system100. In general, system100may include a bean hopper108with a removable cap110, where coffee beans may enter the system100. For example, cap110may be removed, and a user may pour coffee beans into the bean hopper108. The beans may move through the system100by gravity and/or a rotating arm310, pulling the coffee beans down from bean hopper108into the crusher blade chamber302. The rotating arm310and crusher blade304may be rotated by motor208to crush the beans down to the size of a gap306along the bottom of the crusher blade chamber302. When the coffee beans are ground small enough to fit through gap306, the coffee grounds fall through gap306into a chute210. The coffee grounds may then be pushed out chute210by a rotating gear308. Rotating gear308may also be rotated by motor208.

In the present embodiment, system100may have an upper adjustment ring102and a lower adjustment ring202. The upper adjustment ring102may threadedly engage the lower adjustment ring202, so as to rotate the lower adjustment ring202in unison with the upper adjustment ring102. The lower adjustment ring202may couple to crusher blades304and may be configured to translate the crusher blades304, e.g., vertically, so as to change the distance of gap306of system100. Changing the distance of gap306changes the grinding size of system100. Therefore, for example, the rotation of the upper adjustment ring102may be used to manually control the grinding size of system100.

A potentiometer206may be operatively connected to the lower adjustment ring202via an additional gear204. For example, the additional gear204may threadedly engage or mesh with the lower adjustment ring202so as to rotate in unison with the lower adjustment ring202. Potentiometer206may be electrically connected to a controller104. The controller104may be coupled to a user interface106. The user interface, in general, may display the grinding size. For example, the user may twist the upper adjustment ring, which rotates the lower adjustment ring, moving the blade vertically in either direction, and rotating gear204attached to the potentiometer206. Potentiometer206may then transmit an output voltage to the controller104which may convey the grinding size being selected by the user. Further, the controller104may use the grinding size to determine the grind duration. For example, the controller104may select the grinding duration based upon the distance of gap306. In other words, the grinding duration may be directly proportional to and controlled by the grinding size.

Controller104may include a memory and one or more microprocessors, CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of system100. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM or read only memory such as ROM or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller104may be constructed without using a microprocessor (e.g., using a combination of discrete analog or digital logic circuitry; such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software. The controller104may contain stored values for each individual selectable grinding size corresponding to a respective grinding duration. For example, if a user selects a coarse grinding size, the controller may select, from the stored memory, a value that corresponds to a respective grind duration for the coarse setting selected by the user, so as to produce the correct weight of grounds.

FIG.4illustrates another example embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown, system400may include similar or common components as system100described above in the context ofFIGS.1through3. Repeated description of such components is omitted for the sake of brevity. In system400, stepper motor402replaces gear204and potentiometer206, as well as removing upper adjustment ring102. System400may be an automatic system where stepper motor402may be directly rotatably coupled to lower adjustment ring202. From user interface106, a grinding size, or the size of gap306, may be selected, and controller104may transmit a rotational instruction, such as a single or plurality of pulse inputs, to stepper motor402. Stepper motor402may then automatically adjust the grinding size of system400by rotating lower adjustment ring202. Controller104may contain stored values for each individual selectable grinding size corresponding to a respective grinding duration. For example, the user may input to the user interface106a fine grinding option, and the stepper motor402may adjust the grinding size to match the input. Then, using the grinding size selected, the controller104may select the grinding duration from the stored memory.

Shown inFIG.5, system500may include a sensor502such as an electronic and/or optical encoder, that may be configured to detect or measure the distance of gap508between an upper annular ring504and a lower annular ring506. Most commonly, a system of annular rings such as this is referred to generally as a “flat burr” grinder. In general, sensor502may be configured differently and/or positioned elsewhere in the system100. For instance, sensor502may include a linear sensor, such as an optical sensor or proximity sensor, positioned along the upper annular ring504or lower annular ring506to sense the relative length of an adjustment compared to the other ring. In one example embodiment, sensor lines510may be electrical or fiber optic wires connected to controller104. For example, controller104may be connected to a photoelectric sensor, which may measure gap508between upper annular ring504and lower annular ring506of system500. Additionally, system500may have other components similar to system100with regard to a bean hopper108, cap110, adjustment rings, e.g., upper adjustment ring102and lower adjustment ring202, etc. In other words, system500may combine elements of system100and system400to produce another example embodiment of system500.

FIGS.1through5depict systems for purposes of illustration and discussion. Those of ordinary skill in the art, using the disclosures provided herein, will understand that the systems discussed herein may be adapted, rearranged, expanded, omitted, or modified in various ways without deviating from the scope of the present disclosure. Moreover, although aspects of systems200,300,400,500are explained using system100as an example, it should be appreciated that these embodiments and combinations thereof may be applied to any suitable system.

As may be seen in the above, an example embodiment of system100may include a potentiometer206to communicate current settings of the system100by sending a signal to a controller104. The controller104, with software, may automatically adjust the grinding duration. With the automatic adjustment of grinding duration, the system100can produce the proper weight of coffee grounds at all settings.