Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids – Apparatus – With fluid current conveying of treated material
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-12
2001-12-04
Wilson, Pamela (Department: 3749)
Drying and gas or vapor contact with solids
Apparatus
With fluid current conveying of treated material
C034S586000, C034S136000, C034S233000, C426S465000, C099S42100H
Reexamination Certificate
active
06324770
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to apparatus for roasting coffee beans, and more specifically, to relatively small coffee bean roasters that rest on a counter-top or table during operation, such as coffee roasters that are primarily intended for use in the home or for roasting relatively small batches of coffee at a restaurant or coffee shop or for sample cupping.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Recent years have seen an explosion of interest in gourmet coffee products and the interest has not been limited to the purchase of coffee-based beverages from vendors who prepare the beverage on premise and purvey it to consumers over the counter. Similarly, the interest has not been limited to gourmet blends, coffee that may be purchased already ground, and then brewed in the home. Many consumers desire the ultimate in freshness and flavor and have taken to roasting their own beans and then grinding them shortly before the coffee brewing process is initiated.
As a consequence, there is an increasing market for coffee roasting apparatus that may be used in the home. A variety of coffee roasting apparatus have been devised to meet this market. Examples of such a coffee roasting apparatus are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,564,331 issued Oct. 15, 1996 to Song, and in application Ser. No. 09/134,324, filed Aug. 14, 1998, titled “APPARATUS FOR ROASTING COFFEE BEANS”, to Kelley, the entire disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference. These roasters work well for their intended purpose, but there is always room for further improvement.
For example, to achieve optimum roasting, it is necessary that the beans be uniformly heated. If the heating is not uniform, some of the beans may pop early in the roasting process and others, not at all. Consequently, uniform flavor cannot be obtained. Thus, there is a continuing need to improve the uniformity of heating, and/or provide uniformity of heating in connection with other improvements.
Similarly, it is desirable for the roasting temperature to be accurately controlled to assure maximum husk removal, as well as proper flavor development, which cannot occur if the roasting temperature is either too low or too high. The roasting temperature can be affected in a number of ways. For example, coffee roasters intended for home use have generally subjected the coffee beans to an air stream that is heated by an electrical resistance heater, the heat generation of which can be significantly affected by variation in line voltage.
To control the electrical resistance heater, and/or accommodate the voltage fluctuations, at least one coffee roaster has energized and de-energized the electrical resistance heater by opening and closing a relay. However, this may reduce the life of the relay and may provide fluctuations in the roasting temperature that are less than optimum.
Another common concern for home use coffee makers is the consistency from one roasting cycle to the next roasting cycle, which may occur several days apart. Typically, coffee roasters are provided with a mechanical timer that must be turned to the desired roasting time each time the roaster is used. It can be difficult to return the mechanical timer to precisely the same setting from one operation to the next to achieve the desired roast. Further, because of the time period between operation of the coffee roaster, a user may forget which setting on the timer has provided the user with the user's desired roast.
Another common challenge for all coffee roasters is the relatively high temperatures required for roasting the coffee beans. These temperatures create a number of concerns, including the safety of the user and the type of materials that can be used in the roaster to accommodate the high temperatures and the costs associated with such materials.
A concern somewhat related to the high temperature of the roasters is the energy efficiency of such roasters, which can require relatively large amounts of power to provide the high temperatures.
Other concerns include the potential for contaminants to enter the hot air stream of the coffee roaster, cooling of the coffee roaster components, the convenience of using the coffee roaster, and the appearance and functionality of the coffee roaster components.
The present invention is directed to addressing one or more of the above concerns.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The principal object of the invention is to provide a new and improved coffee bean roasting apparatus, particularly suited for home use.
In one form of the invention, an apparatus for roasting coffee is provided and includes a housing having an air inlet and an air outlet spaced from the air inlet, a coffee bean roasting chamber mounted to the housing, an electric motor within the housing, a first fan in fluid communication with the roasting chamber and driven by the electric motor to create a roasting air flow from the air inlet to the roasting chamber, a heater within the housing to heat the roasting air flow prior to the roasting air flow entering the roasting chamber, and a second fan driven by the electric motor to create an evacuating air flow from the housing through the air outlet to remove motor generated contaminants from the housing.
In one form, the apparatus further includes a barrier surrounding the air outlet on an exterior surface of the housing to inhibit movement of motor generated contaminants from the air outlet to the air inlet after the motor generated contaminants are removed from the housing. The barrier defines an opening that directs the evacuating air flow away from the air inlet.
According to one aspect of the invention, a roasting chamber is provided for roasting coffee beans and includes a bottom having at least one air inlet opening to create a substantially vertical air stream into the roasting chamber, a diverter located above the bottom in a position that is centered in the vertical air stream to redirect coffee beans moving upwardly in the vertical air stream toward a location in the roasting chamber that is remote from the at least one air inlet opening, and at least one guide surface to guide the redirected coffee beans back toward the at least one air inlet opening.
In one form, the bottom is planar and the at least one guide surface includes a slant surface that slants downwardly to the planar bottom.
In one form, the at least one guide surface also includes a vertically extending outer wall, with the slant surface slanting downwardly from the outer wall to the bottom.
In one form, the at least one air inlet opening includes a first plurality of circular holes of a first diameter and a second plurality of circular holes of a second diameter larger than the first diameter, with the second plurality of circular holes nominally located at an intersection between the planar bottom and the slant surface.
According to one aspect of the invention, a roasting chamber is provided for roasting coffee beans and includes an outer wall in the shape of a body revolution about a vertical axis, a base including a planar bottom and an upwardly opening, frustoconical side wall extending from the planar bottom to the outer wall, the bottom and the side wall nominally centered on the vertical axis, and a mushroom-shaped diverter extending upwardly from the planar bottom, nominally centered on the vertical axis. The base further includes at least one air inlet opening extending through at least one of the bottom and the side walls.
According to one aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided for roasting coffee beans and includes a coffee bean roasting chamber, a handle for the roasting chamber, a band wrapped around the roasting chamber clamping the handle thereto. The band includes a plurality of ramped tabs extending away from the roasting chamber, and a cover for the roasting chamber. The cover includes a plurality of ramped lands, the lands engaging with the ramped tabs on the band to lock the cover to the roasting chamber when the cover is rotated relative to the roasting chamber in a first direction, and disengaging from the ramp t
Kelley Alan R.
Liu Rong
Moon Jung S.
Hearthware Home Products Inc.
Wilson Pamela
Wood Phillips VanSanten Clark & Mortimer
LandOfFree
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