Automatic coffee machine coffee powder automatic adjustment system and method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an automatic coffee powder adjustment system and method for an automatic coffee machine. A user only needs to preset the corresponding powder amount and particle size of various types of brewed coffee in the automatic coffee machine. Even if the quality of added coffee beans changes, the automatic coffee machine can automatically control the coffee powder amount and particle size within the set range to ensure the concentration and taste of the brewed coffee, thereby truly realizing intelligent control of the entire coffee brewing process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic coffee machine, and in particular to an automatic coffee powder adjustment system and method for an automatic coffee machine. Background Art

[0002] When making coffee in an automatic coffee machine, the coffee beans are first ground into powder using a grinder. The grounds are then compacted in a brewer and brewed with hot water. The grinder is equipped with a blade to grind the beans. Adjusting the grinder's operating time controls the amount of ground coffee entering the brewer. The gap between the blade and the blade housing adjusts the coffee powder size. Currently, both the amount and size of ground coffee must be visually determined and manually set. To achieve the best possible taste, it would be desirable to automatically adjust the amount and size of ground coffee to suit different coffee beans. Summary of the Invention

[0003] To solve the above problems, the present invention first provides an automatic coffee powder adjustment system for an automatic coffee machine, which includes a bean grinder, a brewer, a powder pressing rod, a powder pressing motor and a control chip; the bean grinder includes a cutter head for grinding the coffee beans added thereto into coffee powder; the powder pressing motor is configured to drive the powder pressing rod to compact the coffee powder in the brewer; the control chip is configured to control the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the grinding time of the bean grinder, and control the particle size of the coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the gap between the cutter heads of the bean grinder.

[0004] Furthermore, the powder pressing rod is configured to limit the compacting stroke of the coffee powder in the brewer through a travel switch, and the control chip is configured to monitor the maximum current of the powder pressing motor of the powder pressing rod in each compacting stroke.

[0005] Furthermore, the control chip is configured to increase or decrease the grinding time to control the amount of coffee powder by comparing the maximum current of the powder pressing motor in the compacting stroke with the size of a preset range.

[0006] Furthermore, the control chip is configured to increase or decrease the cutter head gap to control the coffee powder particle size by comparing the maximum current of the powder pressing motor in the compacting stroke with the size of a preset range.

[0007] The present invention also provides a method for automatically adjusting coffee powder in an automatic coffee machine, comprising the steps of:

[0008] (1) An automatic coffee powder adjustment system for an automatic coffee machine is provided, comprising a bean grinder, a brewer, a tamping push rod, a tamping motor, and a control chip; wherein the bean grinder comprises a cutter head for grinding coffee beans added thereto into coffee powder; the tamping motor is configured to drive the tamping push rod to compact the coffee powder in the brewer; and the control chip is configured to control the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the grinding time of the bean grinder, and to control the particle size of the coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the gap between the cutter heads of the bean grinder;

[0009] (2) The travel of the tamping push rod on the coffee powder in the brewer is limited by a travel switch, and the control chip is configured to monitor the maximum current of the tamping motor during each tamping travel of the tamping push rod;

[0010] (3) After the powder pressing stroke of the powder pressing push rod is completed, the control chip first compares the maximum current of the powder pressing motor detected during the powder pressing stroke with the preset first setting range value:

[0011] If the maximum current is less than the first set range, the control chip will increase the grinding time of the grinder by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the first set range, the grinding time will be increased by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the first set range.

[0012] If the maximum current is greater than the first set range, the control chip will reduce the grinding time of the grinder by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still greater than the first set range, the grinding time will be reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the first set range.

[0013] Furthermore, when the maximum current value is within the first setting range, the maximum current value is further compared with a smaller second setting range within the first setting range:

[0014] If the maximum current is less than the second set range, the control chip will increase the grinder head gap by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the second set range, the grinder head gap will be increased by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the second set range.

[0015] If the maximum current is greater than the second set range, the control chip will reduce the grinder head gap by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the second set range, the blade gap will be reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the second set range.

[0016] Through the above method, the user only needs to preset the corresponding powder amount and particle size for each type of brewed coffee in the automatic coffee machine. Even if the type of coffee beans added changes, the automatic coffee machine can automatically control the coffee powder amount and particle size within the set range to ensure the concentration and taste of the brewed coffee, truly realizing intelligent control of the entire coffee brewing process.

[0017] The concept, specific structure and technical effects of the present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings to fully understand the purpose, characteristics and effects of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 This is a circuit diagram of an automatic coffee powder adjustment system for an automatic coffee machine in a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 2 is a flow chart of a method for automatically adjusting coffee powder in an automatic coffee machine according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0020] The following describes several preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings to make its technical content clearer and easier to understand. The present invention can be embodied in many different forms of embodiments, and the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments mentioned herein.

[0021] like Figure 1 As shown, a coffee machine using the automatic coffee powder adjustment system according to the present invention includes a bean grinder 1, a brewer 2, a tamping push rod 3, a tamping motor 4, and a control chip 5. The bean grinder 1 includes a cutter head for grinding coffee beans added thereto into coffee powder. The tamping motor 4 is configured to drive the tamping push rod 3 to compact the coffee powder in the brewer 2. The control chip 5 is configured to adjust the grinding time of the bean grinder 1 to control the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer 2, and to adjust the gap between the cutter heads of the bean grinder 1 to control the particle size of the coffee powder entering the brewer 2.

[0022] The tamping push rod 3 uses a travel switch to limit the compaction stroke of the coffee powder in the brewer 2. At the same time, the control chip 5 is configured to monitor the maximum current of the tamping motor during each compaction stroke of the tamping push rod 3. The maximum current of the tamping motor generally occurs at the very end of a compaction stroke of the tamping push rod 3. This maximum current value is primarily affected by the amount of coffee powder being compacted. The larger the amount of coffee powder, the greater the force required to be applied to the tamping push rod 3 at the end of the stroke, and the greater the current of the tamping motor 4, and vice versa. Secondly, the maximum current value is also affected by the particle size of the coffee powder, but this influence is smaller than the influence of the amount of coffee powder on the maximum current value. Specifically, when the amount of coffee powder is constant, the larger the particle size, the greater the force required to compact the coffee powder, and therefore the greater the current, and vice versa.

[0023] Therefore, if Figure 2 As shown, after a powder compacting stroke of the powder compacting push rod 3 is completed, the control chip 5 first compares the maximum current of the powder compacting motor 4 detected in the powder compacting stroke with a preset first set range value:

[0024] (1) If the maximum current value is less than the first set range, it means that the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer 2 is too small. At this time, the control chip 5 increases the grinding time of the grinder 1 by one unit to allow more coffee powder to enter the brewer 2. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the first set range, the grinding time is increased by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the first set range.

[0025] (2) If the maximum current value is greater than the first set range, it means that the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer 2 is too much. At this time, the control chip 5 reduces the grinding time of the grinder 1 by one unit to allow less coffee powder to enter the brewer 2. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still greater than the first set range, the grinding time is reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the first set range.

[0026] When the maximum current value is within the first setting range, the control chip 5 no longer adjusts the amount of coffee powder, but further adjusts and controls the coffee particle size. Specifically, the control chip 5 further compares the maximum current value with a smaller second setting range within the first setting range:

[0027] (1) If the maximum current is less than the second set range, it means that the coffee powder entering the brewer 2 is too fine, and the control chip 5 increases the blade gap of the grinder 1 by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the second set range, the blade gap is increased by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the second set range.

[0028] (2) If the maximum current is greater than the second set range, it means that the coffee powder entering the brewer 2 is too coarse. In this case, the control chip 5 reduces the blade gap of the grinder 1 by one unit. If the maximum current value of the next stroke is still less than the second set range, the blade gap is reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value falls within the second set range.

[0029] In order to brew different types of coffee and different tastes, the amount and particle size of the ground coffee powder are different, and the corresponding first and second setting ranges can be pre-set by the user in the control chip.

[0030] Through the above method, the user only needs to preset the amount and particle size of coffee powder in the automatic coffee machine. Even if the type of coffee beans added changes, the automatic coffee machine can control the amount and particle size of coffee powder within the set range to ensure the concentration and taste of the brewed coffee, while also greatly saving manpower.

[0031] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that numerous modifications and variations based on the concepts of the present invention are possible without inventive effort by those skilled in the art. Therefore, any technical solution that can be derived by one skilled in the art through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation based on the concepts of the present invention and the prior art should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method for automatically adjusting coffee powder in an automatic coffee machine, characterized in that: Including steps: (1) An automatic coffee powder adjustment system for an automatic coffee machine is provided, comprising a bean grinder, a brewer, a tamping push rod, a tamping motor, and a control chip; wherein the bean grinder comprises a cutter head for grinding coffee beans added thereto into coffee powder; the tamping motor is configured to drive the tamping push rod to compact the coffee powder in the brewer; and the control chip is configured to control the amount of coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the grinding time of the bean grinder, and to control the particle size of the coffee powder entering the brewer by adjusting the gap between the cutter heads of the bean grinder; (2) The travel of the tamping push rod on the coffee powder in the brewer is limited by a travel switch, and the control chip is configured to monitor the maximum current of the tamping motor during each tamping travel of the tamping push rod; (3) After the powder pressing stroke of the powder pressing push rod is completed, the control chip first compares the maximum current value of the powder pressing motor detected during the powder pressing stroke with the preset first setting range value: If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during the current tamping stroke is less than the first set range, the control chip will increase the grinding time of the grinder by one unit. If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during the next tamping stroke is still less than the first set range, the grinding time will be increased by one unit again until the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during subsequent tamping strokes falls within the first set range. If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during the current tamping stroke is greater than the first set range, the control chip will reduce the grinding time of the grinder by one unit. If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during the next tamping stroke is still greater than the first set range, the grinding time will be reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected during the subsequent tamping stroke falls within the first set range. If the maximum current value of the powder compacting motor detected in the powder compacting stroke is within the first set range, the maximum current value of the powder compacting motor detected in the powder compacting stroke is further compared with the second set range within the first set range: If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected in the current tamping stroke is less than the second set range, the control chip will increase the grinder head gap by one unit. If the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected in the next tamping stroke is still less than the second set range, the grinder head gap will be increased by one unit again until the maximum current value of the tamping motor detected in subsequent tamping strokes falls within the second set range. If the maximum current value of the powder compacting motor detected in this powder compacting stroke is greater than the second set range value, the control chip will reduce the blade gap of the grinder by one unit; if the maximum current value of the powder compacting motor detected in the next powder compacting stroke is still greater than the second set range value, the blade gap will be reduced by one unit again until the maximum current value of the powder compacting motor detected in the subsequent powder compacting stroke falls within the second set range value.

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