Coffee machine and coffee preparation control method

Abstract

The invention discloses a coffee machine and a coffee preparation control method, a grinding device and a baking device are integrated on the same coffee machine, a baking vessel and a heating assembly used for heating the baking vessel are arranged in the baking device, and a color sensor used for sensing the color of coffee beans in a baking cavity of the baking vessel is further arranged in the baking device. The coffee beans to be ground are subjected to pre-baking treatment through the baking device, so that the coffee beans can achieve ideal flavor characteristics, then the baked coffee beans are ground through the grinding device, coffee liquid is extracted, and finally coffee with better taste is obtained. According to the coffee machine, the coffee beans can be roasted, ground and extracted through the same coffee machine equipment, the coffee beans can be ground and extracted immediately after achieving ideal flavor characteristics, the operation complexity and time cost of coffee making are greatly reduced, and the optimal coffee taste can be kept.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of kitchen appliances, in particular to a coffee machine and a coffee preparation control method. Background Art

[0002] Existing coffee machines are mainly used to grind coffee beans and produce coffee liquid through different extraction methods. For example, China Publication No. CN105686648A discloses an automatic water-adding bean-grinding coffee machine, including a water tank, a machine body, a water supply component, a grinding component and a brewing component. At least a brewing chamber and a grinding chamber are provided in the machine body. The brewing chamber and the grinding chamber are respectively provided with a brewing component and a grinding component for grinding coffee beans and adding water for brewing. However, in order to ensure that the coffee beans have the ideal flavor characteristics, it is often necessary to roast the coffee beans before grinding and extraction. However, the above-mentioned existing coffee machines are unable to pre-roast the coffee beans and can only rely on other external equipment to implement the coffee bean roasting step, which greatly increases the complexity of operation and time cost. Summary of the invention

[0003] The invention discloses a coffee machine, comprising a grinding device and a baking device; the baking device comprises a baking vessel and a heating component for heating the baking vessel; and a color sensor for sensing the color of coffee beans in a baking cavity of the baking vessel is also provided.

[0004] Preferably, the baking device further comprises a shell for mounting a baking vessel, a stirring assembly, a circuit board and an operating assembly, wherein the stirring assembly comprises a first motor and a stirring member mounted in the shell, the first motor can drive the stirring member to stir the coffee beans in the baking chamber, the shell is provided with a feeding port connected to the baking chamber in the baking vessel, the operating assembly is mounted on the shell, and the operating assembly, the color sensor, the first motor and the heating assembly are electrically connected to the circuit board respectively.

[0005] Preferably, the upper portion of the baking vessel is an opening, the shell includes an upper cover for covering the opening, and a color sensor for sensing color information of coffee beans in the baking chamber below is installed at the bottom of the upper cover.

[0006] Preferably, an openable discharge port is provided at the bottom of the baking vessel, a discharge channel communicating with the discharge port is provided at the lower portion of the shell, and a discharge slope inclined toward the discharge port is provided on the bottom wall of the baking vessel.

[0007] Preferably, the stirring assembly further comprises a lifting structure, the stirring member comprises a stirring shaft which can be axially selected under the drive of a first motor, blades arranged on the stirring shaft, and a sealing member installed at the bottom end of the stirring shaft, the lifting structure is connected to the stirring shaft and can drive the stirring assembly to switch between an open state and a closed state; when the stirring assembly is in the closed state, the sealing member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port; when the stirring assembly is in the open state, the sealing member does not cover or does not completely cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port.

[0008] Preferably, the lifting structure includes a second motor, a transmission screw connected to the output shaft of the second motor, and a sliding seat connected to the transmission screw; a guide structure is provided on the sliding seat, and the upper end of the stirring shaft is connected to the guide structure. The second motor can drive the guide structure to move by driving the transmission screw to rotate, and the guide structure can drive the stirring shaft to switch between an open state and a closed state during the movement.

[0009] Preferably, the guiding structure is a movable groove arranged on the sliding seat, and a sliding member is provided at the upper end of the stirring shaft, the sliding member passes through the movable groove and abuts against the upper surface of the movable groove, and can move along the upper surface of the movable groove between a first position and a second position to drive the stirring shaft to rise and fall; when the sliding member is in the first position, the covering member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port; when the sliding member is in the second position, the covering member does not cover or does not fully cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port.

[0010] Preferably, the upper surface of the movable groove includes a first plane, an inclined plane and a second plane connected to each other in sequence, the second plane is higher than the first plane, the first position is located on the first plane, and the second position is located on the second plane;

[0011] The shell is also provided with a support seat connected to the stirring member, and a rotating channel for the stirring shaft to pass through is provided in the support seat, and the stirring shaft can rotate in the rotating channel, move up and down along the rotating channel under the action of the lifting structure, and is restricted from lateral movement;

[0012] The roasting device is installed on the upper part of the grinding device; the roasting vessel is connected to the coffee bean feeding port of the grinding device through a feeding structure, and the heated and roasted coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the grinding bin of the grinding device through the feeding structure.

[0013] The present invention also discloses a coffee preparation control method, using any of the above-mentioned coffee machines, comprising the following steps:

[0014] S1, selecting corresponding control parameters in a roasting configuration library according to the input coffee taste, and driving a roasting device to roast coffee beans in a roasting vessel after loading the control parameters;

[0015] S2, collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel obtained by a color sensor, comparing the color information with a roasting configuration library to obtain a current roasting progress of the coffee beans; and adjusting the roasting operation of the roasting device according to the roasting progress of the coffee beans.

[0016] Preferably, the step S2 specifically includes:

[0017] Collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel acquired by the color sensor, and after beginning to detect the color information of the coffee beans meeting the requirements, switching the heating parameter of the heating component from the first heating parameter to the second heating parameter, wherein the second heating parameter is lower than the first heating parameter;

[0018] When within a set time period, when the ratio of the number of times the detected coffee bean color information meets the requirements to the number of times the detected coffee bean color information does not meet the requirements is higher than a first set ratio, the heating parameter of the heating component is switched from the second heating parameter to the third heating parameter, and the third heating parameter is lower than the second heating parameter.

[0019] Preferably, the step S2 specifically includes:

[0020] When the ratio of the number of times the coffee bean color information meets the requirements to the number of times the coffee bean color information does not meet the requirements detected within the set time period is higher than a second set ratio, the heating component is turned off and the stirring component in the roasting device is controlled to continue stirring for a set time.

[0021] The coffee machine and coffee preparation control method disclosed in the present invention integrate a grinding device and a roasting device into the same coffee machine, and a roasting vessel and a heating component for heating the roasting vessel are provided in the roasting device, and a color sensor for sensing the color of the coffee beans in the roasting chamber of the roasting vessel is also provided. The roasting device pre-roasts the coffee beans to be ground so that the coffee beans can reach the ideal flavor characteristics, and then the grinding device grinds the roasted coffee beans and extracts the coffee liquid, and finally produces coffee with a better taste. The roasting, grinding and extraction steps of the coffee beans can be completed by the same coffee machine device, so that the coffee beans can be ground and extracted immediately after reaching the ideal flavor characteristics, which greatly reduces the operational complexity and time cost of coffee making and can maintain the best coffee taste.

[0022] Other features and advantages of the present invention will be described in the following description, and partly become obvious from the description, or be understood by implementing the present invention. The purpose and other advantages of the present invention can be realized and obtained by the structures pointed out in the description and the drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a coffee machine with a roasting function disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of the structure of a baking device disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0025] Figure 3 Another schematic diagram of the structure of a baking device disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a structural schematic diagram of a lifting structure disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 5 The figure is a schematic flow chart of the steps of a coffee preparation control method disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a specific flow chart of step S2 disclosed in one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] The following will be combined with the drawings in the embodiments of the present invention to clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0030] As attached Figure 1 As shown, the present invention discloses a coffee machine with a roasting function, including a grinding device 1 and a roasting device 2. The roasting device 2 includes a roasting vessel 21 and a heating component for heating the roasting vessel, and is also provided with a color sensor 23 for sensing the color of coffee beans in the roasting chamber of the roasting vessel 21. The specific structure of the grinding device 1 is similar to the automatic water-adding bean-grinding coffee machine disclosed in CN105686648A, which will not be discussed here. For details, please refer to the relevant content of the public document. The roasting device 2 can pre-roast the coffee beans to be ground so that the coffee beans can achieve the ideal flavor characteristics. The roasted coffee beans are then ground by the grinding device and the coffee liquid is extracted, and finally the coffee with a better taste is produced. In addition, a color sensor is provided in the roasting device to identify the color of the coffee beans in the roasting chamber in the roasting vessel, thereby obtaining the roasting condition of the coffee beans.

[0031] In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 2-4 As shown, the roasting device 2 may also include a housing 24 for mounting the roasting vessel 21, a stirring assembly, a circuit board and an operating assembly. The stirring assembly includes a first motor 241 and a stirring member 242 installed in the housing 24. The first motor 241 can drive the stirring member 242 to stir the coffee beans in the roasting chamber. The housing 24 is provided with a feeding port connected to the roasting chamber in the roasting vessel 21. The operating assembly is installed on the housing. The operating assembly, the color sensor 23, the first motor 241 and the heating assembly are electrically connected to the circuit board respectively. The operating assembly may be a roasting switch provided on the housing, and the roasting device is operated to start and stop by the roasting switch. Specifically, the roasting device 2 may be installed on the upper part of the grinding device 1. The roasting vessel in the roasting device is connected to the coffee bean feed port of the grinding device through a feeding structure, and the heated and roasted coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the grinding bin of the grinding device through the feeding structure.

[0032] In this embodiment, the upper part of the baking vessel 21 is open, and the shell includes an upper cover for covering the opening, and a color sensor for sensing the color information of the coffee beans in the baking chamber below is installed at the bottom of the upper cover. Among them, an openable discharge port 211 is provided at the bottom of the baking vessel 21, and a discharge channel connected to the discharge port is provided at the lower part of the shell, and a discharge slope inclined toward the discharge port is provided on the bottom wall of the baking vessel. The coffee beans on the baking vessel are driven by the stirring member to be stirred and rolled and heated in the baking vessel. After the roasting is completed, the coffee beans can roll into the discharge port along the discharge slope and enter the grinding device.

[0033] In this embodiment, the stirring assembly further includes a lifting structure 235, and the stirring member 242 includes a stirring shaft 2421 that can be axially selected under the drive of a first motor, a blade 2422 arranged on the stirring shaft, and a cover member 2423 installed at the bottom end of the stirring shaft. The lifting structure is connected to the stirring shaft and can drive the stirring assembly to switch between an open state and a closed state. When the stirring assembly is in a closed state, the cover member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port 211. When the stirring assembly is in an open state, the cover member does not cover or does not completely cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port.

[0034] In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 3-4As shown, the lifting structure 235 includes a second motor 2351, a transmission screw 2352 connected to the output shaft of the second motor 2351, and a sliding seat 2353 connected to the transmission screw 2352. The sliding seat is provided with a guide structure, and the upper end of the stirring shaft is connected to the guide structure. The second motor can drive the guide structure to move by driving the transmission screw to rotate, and the guide structure can drive the stirring shaft to switch between an open state and a closed state during the movement.

[0035] In this embodiment, the guiding structure is a moving groove 2354 provided on the sliding seat, and a sliding member 2424 is provided at the upper end of the stirring shaft 2421, wherein the sliding member passes through the moving groove and abuts against the upper surface of the moving groove, and can move along the upper surface of the moving groove between a first position and a second position to drive the stirring shaft to rise and fall. When the sliding member is in the first position, the cover member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port. When the sliding member is in the second position, the cover member does not cover or does not completely cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port. In this embodiment, the upper surface of the moving groove 2354 can sequentially include a first plane, an inclined surface, and a second plane connected to each other, the second plane is higher than the first plane, the first position is located on the first plane, and the second position is located on the second plane. When stirring and roasting is required, the second motor drives the transmission screw to drive the sliding seat to move, so that the sliding member moves along the upper surface of the moving groove to the first plane, at which time the sealing member closes the discharge port, and the coffee beans are stirred and heated in the roasting vessel; when it is found that the color of the coffee beans obtained by the color sensor has turned into the roasted color, the second motor drives the transmission screw to drive the sliding seat to move, so that the sliding member moves along the upper surface of the moving groove to the second plane, at which time the stirring shaft is raised, the sealing member at the bottom does not cover the discharge port, and the coffee beans enter the coffee bean feed port of the grinding device along the discharge port, and subsequent grinding and other operations can be started. After the coffee beans reach the ideal flavor characteristics, they can be ground and extracted immediately, while the above-mentioned existing coffee machines cannot perform pre-roasting of coffee beans. The roasting, grinding and extraction steps of coffee beans can be completed through the same coffee machine equipment, which greatly reduces the operational complexity and time cost of coffee making and can maintain the best coffee taste.

[0036] In another embodiment, a coffee preparation control method is also disclosed. The coffee preparation control method can be used on the coffee machine disclosed in the above embodiments. Figure 5 As shown, the coffee preparation control method may include the following steps.

[0037] Step S1, selecting corresponding control parameters in a roasting configuration library according to the input coffee taste, and driving a roasting device to roast coffee beans in a roasting vessel after loading the control parameters.

[0038] Since the roasting degree of coffee beans has a significant impact on the taste, from light roasting to deep roasting, each roasting degree will bring different flavors and tastes. For example, light roasting: the surface color of coffee beans with this roasting degree is light brown or yellowish brown, and most of the original aroma is retained inside. Lightly roasted coffee has a high acidity taste, and relatively less bitterness and sweetness. Medium roasting, the surface color is dark brown, and part of the original aroma is retained inside, while a new roasting aroma is produced; medium roasted coffee has a more balanced taste, and both bitterness and sweetness are more obvious. Medium-deep roasting: the surface is dark brown, and the coffee of this roasting degree has a strong taste, and the bitterness and sweetness are more obvious. Deep roasting: the surface is black or dark brown, and the deep roasted coffee has a strong taste, and the bitterness and sweetness are very obvious, sometimes with a burnt taste. It can be seen that the taste of coffee beans of different roasting degrees is different, and the surface color of coffee beans is also different. Therefore, the current roasting degree of coffee beans can be determined by the different colors on the surface of coffee beans. The user can choose to make coffee beans with different roasting degrees according to his or her own preferences. The coffee machine calls the corresponding control parameters for the roasting operation of the roasting device according to the coffee beans of the required roasting degree input by the user. The control parameters may include the heating parameters of the heating component, the stirring parameters of the stirring component, and may also include the condition parameters for the roasting device to finally release the coffee beans to the grinding device, that is, the opening condition parameters of the lifting structure in the stirring component, etc., so as to ensure that the coffee beans are transferred to the grinding device as soon as possible after reaching the required roasting conditions to prevent changes in taste.

[0039] Step S2, collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel obtained by the color sensor, comparing the roasting configuration library according to the color information to obtain the current roasting progress of the coffee beans; and adjusting the roasting operation of the roasting device according to the roasting progress of the coffee beans.

[0040] In this embodiment, as shown in the attached Figure 6 As shown, step S2 may specifically include the following contents.

[0041] Step S21, collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel obtained by the color sensor, and after the color information of coffee beans meeting the requirements is detected, switching the heating parameter of the heating component from the first heating parameter to the second heating parameter, wherein the second heating parameter is lower than the first heating parameter.

[0042] During the process of the heating component roasting the coffee beans in the red container, even if the stirring component is continuously stirring, the time when the surface of each coffee bean turns into the predetermined color will vary. Therefore, when the color sensor located at a fixed position collects the color information of the coffee beans surface, especially when the coffee beans are about to reach the set roasting degree, there will be a transition state where the color information of the coffee beans that meets the requirements is detected some of the time, and the color information of the coffee beans that meets the requirements is not detected some of the time. Therefore, when the color information of the coffee beans that meets the requirements is detected for the first time, it means that the roasting state of the coffee beans is about to be reached. At this time, the heating parameter of the heating component can be lowered, that is, the preset first heating parameter is switched to the preset second heating parameter, wherein the second heating parameter is lower than the first heating parameter, so as to avoid heating some coffee beans excessively and destroying the taste by roasting to the next roasting degree.

[0043] Step S22, when the ratio of the number of times the coffee bean color information meets the requirements to the number of times the coffee bean color information does not meet the requirements detected within the set time period is higher than the first set ratio, the heating parameter of the heating component is switched from the second heating parameter to the third heating parameter, and the third heating parameter is lower than the second heating parameter. That is, after the number of coffee beans that have reached the required roasting state reaches a certain ratio, the heating power of the heating component is reduced again to perform slow roasting; the heating component can even be turned off to use the residual heat of the roasting vessel to heat the remaining coffee beans that have not reached the required state.

[0044] Step S23, when the ratio of the number of times of coffee bean color information that meets the requirements and the number of times of coffee bean color information that does not meet the requirements detected within the set time period is higher than the second set ratio, the heating component is turned off and the stirring component in the roasting device is controlled to continue stirring for the set time. After the stirring is continued for the set time, that is, after the opening condition parameter is reached, the lifting structure in the stirring component is controlled to lift, and the discharge port of the roasting device is opened to transport the roasted coffee beans to the grinding device. The opening condition parameter may also include the lifting condition of the stirring shaft and the rotation maintenance speed of the blades after lifting. In order to allow all the coffee beans to enter the discharge port smoothly, after the stirring component continues to stir for the set time, an action instruction can be sent to the lifting structure to drive the stirring shaft to lift, and at the same time, the blades are driven to continue rotating at the blade rotation maintenance speed to push the coffee beans into the discharge port. Finally, the roasting, grinding and extraction steps of coffee beans can be completed by the same coffee machine device, so that the coffee beans can be ground and extracted immediately after reaching the selected ideal flavor characteristics, which greatly reduces the operational complexity and time cost of coffee making, and can maintain the best coffee taste.

[0045] Although embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the present invention, and that the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A coffee machine, comprising a grinding device, characterized in that: A baking device is also provided; the baking device comprises a baking vessel and a heating assembly for heating the baking vessel; a color sensor for sensing the color of coffee beans in a baking cavity of the baking vessel is also provided.

2. The coffee machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roasting device also includes a shell for mounting a roasting vessel, a stirring assembly, a circuit board and an operating assembly, wherein the stirring assembly includes a first motor and a stirring member installed in the shell, the first motor can drive the stirring member to stir the coffee beans in the roasting chamber, the shell is provided with a feeding port connected to the roasting chamber in the roasting vessel, the operating assembly is installed on the shell, and the operating assembly, the color sensor, the first motor and the heating assembly are electrically connected to the circuit board respectively.

3. The coffee machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The upper portion of the baking vessel is an opening, the shell comprises an upper cover for covering the opening, and a color sensor for sensing color information of coffee beans in the baking chamber below is installed at the bottom of the upper cover.

4. The coffee machine according to claim 3, characterized in that: The bottom of the baking vessel is provided with an openable discharge port, the lower part of the shell is provided with a discharge channel connected with the discharge port, and the bottom wall of the baking vessel is provided with a discharge slope inclined toward the discharge port.

5. The coffee machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The stirring assembly further includes a lifting structure, the stirring member includes a stirring shaft that can be axially selected under the drive of a first motor, blades arranged on the stirring shaft, and a sealing member installed at the bottom end of the stirring shaft, the lifting structure is connected to the stirring shaft and can drive the stirring assembly to switch between an open state and a closed state; when the stirring assembly is in the closed state, the sealing member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port; when the stirring assembly is in the open state, the sealing member does not cover or does not completely cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port.

6. The coffee machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lifting structure includes a second motor, a transmission screw connected to the output shaft of the second motor, and a sliding seat connected to the transmission screw; a guide structure is provided on the sliding seat, and the upper end of the stirring shaft is connected to the guide structure. The second motor can drive the guide structure to move by driving the transmission screw to rotate, and the guide structure can drive the stirring shaft to switch between an open state and a closed state during the movement.

7. The coffee machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The guiding structure is a movable groove arranged on the sliding seat, and a sliding member is arranged on the upper end of the stirring shaft. The sliding member passes through the movable groove and abuts against the upper surface of the movable groove, and can move along the upper surface of the movable groove between a first position and a second position to drive the stirring shaft to rise and fall; when the sliding member is in the first position, the covering member covers the discharge port to prevent the coffee beans in the roasting vessel from entering the discharge port; when the sliding member is in the second position, the covering member does not cover or does not completely cover the discharge port so that the coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the discharge channel through the discharge port.

8. The coffee machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The upper surface of the moving groove includes a first plane, an inclined plane and a second plane connected to each other in sequence, the second plane is higher than the first plane, the first position is located on the first plane, and the second position is located on the second plane; The shell is also provided with a support seat connected to the stirring member, and a rotating channel for the stirring shaft to pass through is provided in the support seat. The stirring shaft can rotate in the rotating channel, move up and down along the rotating channel under the action of the lifting structure, and is restricted from lateral movement; The baking device is installed on the upper part of the grinding device; The roasting vessel is connected to the coffee bean feed port of the grinding device through the feeding structure, and the heated and roasted coffee beans in the roasting vessel can enter the grinding bin of the grinding device through the feeding structure.

9. A coffee preparation control method, using the coffee machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that: The steps include: S1, selecting corresponding control parameters in a roasting configuration library according to the input coffee taste, and driving a roasting device to roast coffee beans in a roasting vessel after loading the control parameters; S2, collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel obtained by a color sensor, comparing the color information with a roasting configuration library to obtain a current roasting progress of the coffee beans; and adjusting the roasting operation of the roasting device according to the roasting progress of the coffee beans.

10. The coffee preparation control method according to claim 9, characterized in that: The step S2 specifically includes: Collecting color information of coffee beans in the roasting vessel acquired by the color sensor, and after beginning to detect the color information of the coffee beans meeting the requirements, switching the heating parameter of the heating component from the first heating parameter to the second heating parameter, wherein the second heating parameter is lower than the first heating parameter; When the ratio of the number of times that the coffee bean color information meets the requirements and the number of times that the coffee bean color information does not meet the requirements detected in the set time period is higher than the first set ratio, the heating parameter of the heating component is switched from the second heating parameter to the third heating parameter, and the third heating parameter is lower than the second heating parameter.

11. The coffee preparation control method according to claim 10, characterized in that: The step S2 specifically includes: When the ratio of the number of times the coffee bean color information meets the requirements to the number of times the coffee bean color information does not meet the requirements detected within the set time period is higher than a second set ratio, the heating component is turned off and the stirring component in the roasting device is controlled to continue stirring for a set time.

Images