Method for operating grinding device and corresponding grinding device

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for operating a grinding device (10) and a grinding device (10) for implementing the method. The invention relates to a grinding device for bean grinding, comprising a grinding device (13) provided with a chamber (24) in which bean grinding members (25) are arranged, the grinding device being able to perform at least one procedure to completely empty the chamber (24).

Description

[0001] Field of the Invention Some embodiments described herein relate to methods of operating a grinding apparatus, particularly methods for completely emptying a chamber containing a grinder, and corresponding grinding apparatuses for implementing such methods. The invention also relates to a machine for preparing beverages that integrates a grinding apparatus, and a corresponding method for preparing beverages.

[0002] Background of the Invention In the field of beverage preparation machines, machines for producing coffee-type beverages (e.g., obtaining beverages by brewing powdered aromatic blends) are particularly well-known, and these machines are mainly used for home or semi-professional purposes.

[0003] These machines typically include a brewing unit and a grinding device to produce a powdered aromatic blend from coffee beans stored in a specific hopper inside the machine. This hopper can be fixed to the machine's structure or removable.

[0004] In recent years, machines with detachable hoppers have become increasingly popular, allowing consumers to easily change the type of beans they want to use. For example, they can simply replace the hopper to choose from Arabica, Robusta, Canephora, Liberica, and Excelsa beans without having to manually empty the fixed hopper and then fill it with another type.

[0005] Generally, a detachable hopper has a lower opening that can be selectively closed by one or more closing elements, through which coffee beans can enter the grinding equipment.

[0006] In known machines, when the lower opening of the hopper is closed and when the hopper is removed from the machine, a certain amount of residual coffee remains inside the grinding equipment in both the form of beans and powder.

[0007] Typically, the amount of coffee is between about 5 and 10 grams, which is enough to allow for an extra serving of coffee-based beverages.

[0008] The presence of residual coffee in the grinding equipment poses a significant problem, especially when one wants to change the coffee variety; in fact, in the latter case, contamination can occur between the new coffee variety in the hopper and the residual coffee variety in the grinding equipment during the preparation of a particular beverage.

[0009] Furthermore, the presence of residual coffee can lead to further drawbacks, such as damage or malfunction of the grinder in the grinding equipment, which in turn results in a decrease in the quality of the coffee served.

[0010] Therefore, in order to avoid these problems and / or drawbacks, it is necessary to drain or remove residual coffee present in the grinding equipment.

[0011] This operation is usually performed manually, without a specific guided procedure. For example, it may often be necessary to rotate or flip the machine itself to allow residual coffee to flow out, which can make a mess of the surrounding environment. However, this method only achieves a rough removal of residual coffee; in fact, while removing beans is fairly easy, properly emptying the coffee grounds is much more difficult.

[0012] Other solutions offer user-selectable automation programs to grind beans that have accumulated inside the grinder and empty the grinder before a new batch of coffee beans is added. Essentially, these programs activate the grinder at predetermined, fixed time intervals to grind any remaining coffee beans and remove ground coffee.

[0013] The drawbacks of these solutions stem from the fact that, to ensure complete emptying of the grinding equipment, the grinder needs to be kept active for extended time intervals due to the uncertainty of the amount of residual beans. This interval must account for the time required to grind the maximum amount of beans that can be held in the grinding equipment; and it also results in the fact that, as the amount of beans decreases, they tend to jump and bounce within the grinding equipment because their weight is insufficient to keep a layer of beans in contact with the grinder. Therefore, a longer time interval than normally required to grind the maximum amount of beans held in the grinding equipment needs to be considered.

[0014] It is well known that when a grinder is essentially running idle (i.e., without coffee beans), the noise produced by the grinder increases significantly, which is very annoying to users.

[0015] Therefore, among the known solutions, too short a fixed time interval carries the risk of not being able to guarantee complete emptying of the grinding equipment, while too long a time interval results in prolonged and annoying noise.

[0016] To attempt to solve this problem, known solutions involve detecting the current drawn by the motor driving the grinder or the torque generated by the grinder to determine when there are no beans remaining in the grinding equipment and to stop the grinder. However, such solutions require the presence of suitable sensors associated with the motor or grinder, which can increase the overall cost.

[0017] WO 2023 / 123988 A1 describes a grinding apparatus of a known type and a corresponding method of operation. US2011 / 215178 A1 describes a method for detecting the amount of beans in a container. US 2020 / 163485 A1 describes a beverage preparation machine.

[0018] Therefore, there is a need for an improved method of operating a grinding apparatus that can overcome at least one drawback of the prior art, as well as a corresponding grinding apparatus for implementing the method.

[0019] In particular, one object of the present invention is to provide a method of operating a grinding apparatus that ensures the grinding apparatus is completely emptied while keeping the generated noise to a minimum.

[0020] Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for emptying a grinding device that does not require the use of sensors associated with a motor or grinder.

[0021] Another objective is to provide a method for operating a grinding apparatus that can adapt to the effective operation of the apparatus over time.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a machine and to improve a method for preparing beverages in which any residue present in the grinding equipment is automatically emptied without manual intervention by the user.

[0023] The applicant has designed, tested and implemented the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and to obtain these and other objectives and advantages.

[0024] Summary of the Invention The invention is set forth and characterized in the individual claims. The dependent claims describe other features of the invention or variations of the main inventive concept.

[0025] To achieve the above objective, a method for operating a grinding apparatus is provided, the apparatus including a grinding chamber in which a selectively driveable grinding component is disposed.

[0026] The grinding component can be a flat grinder or a conical grinder. Generally, in this instruction manual, and hereafter as grinding equipment, we refer to a component suitable for reducing the size of the product to be ground, which transforms food products in the form of beans, grains, or seeds (e.g., coffee beans) into a powdery substance with a desired particle size.

[0027] The method of operation according to the invention includes: a step of determining the current grinding flow rate of the grinding apparatus; a processing step in which, based on the determined current flow rate, a purging time interval required to grind a predetermined reference amount of beans associated with the maximum amount of beans that can be contained in the receiving chamber of the grinding apparatus; and a purging step in which, for a period of time corresponding to the calculated purging time interval, the grinding member is activated.

[0028] This approach achieves at least the following advantages: each time the grinding components need to be completely emptied, the emptying interval for keeping the grinding components active can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual operating conditions of the grinding equipment (related to the current flow rate), thereby ensuring the grinding and removal of beans present in the grinding equipment while minimizing the duration of generated noise.

[0029] In this instruction manual, the term "flow rate" as used here and below refers to the amount of powdery material produced per unit time, which in turn relates to the amount of beans ground per unit time.

[0030] Flow rate can be considered in terms of volume or weight per unit time.

[0031] Preferably, the amount of powder is considered by weight.

[0032] The flow rate can vary with the characteristics of the grinding equipment itself (e.g., the torque generated or wear on the grinder) as well as with the characteristics of the coffee beans (e.g., bean size, type (e.g., Arabica or Robusta), and degree of roasting). Furthermore, the setting level of the grinding equipment (related to the desired particle size) also affects the flow rate.

[0033] The method according to the invention provides for monitoring the flow rate of the grinding equipment over time each time a dose of powdered material is prepared or at a predetermined frequency, so as to understand the current value of the flow rate and be able to use the current value to limit the emptying time.

[0034] Thus, during normal, stable operation, when the flow rate is stable near the maximum flow rate, the emptying interval will have the shortest duration; while at the initial start-up of the grinding equipment, or when any signs of wear appear on the grinder, the emptying interval will have a longer duration.

[0035] In any case, the time interval will be required, for example, to ensure grinding of a reference amount of beans, and thus empty the grinding equipment.

[0036] According to one aspect of the invention, the predetermined reference bean quantity considered is greater than the maximum bean quantity contained in the grinding apparatus (i.e., the receiving chamber of the grinding apparatus).

[0037] According to another aspect of the invention, the weight of the reference bean quantity is between 1.01 and 2 times the maximum bean quantity that can be contained in the grinding equipment.

[0038] According to a preferred embodiment, the reference soybean quantity is between 1.1 and 1.3 times the maximum soybean quantity.

[0039] The maximum amount that can be contained in a grinding device can be defined during the design phase. This value is based on an estimate of the volume between the grinder and the bottom of the hopper into which the beans are fed.

[0040] Since different varieties of beans have different sizes, and the amount and weight that can be accumulated in that volume may vary significantly under different circumstances, the maximum quantity can be considered, for example, as the maximum quantity in the case of a given type of bean or beans with a predetermined average size.

[0041] The maximum value can be defined during the design phase and stored in a storage unit.

[0042] According to one aspect of the invention, the value of the reference bean quantity can be determined based on experimental testing and stored in a storage unit.

[0043] According to some embodiments, it may also be provided that different values ​​of the maximum quantity and reference quantity or possible inverse proportional coefficient (which are related to the variety of beans, roasting degree or desired grain size level) are stored in the storage unit.

[0044] According to another aspect of the invention, the method for determining the flow rate of a grinding apparatus according to the invention provides that, for each preparation of a dose of coffee powder, the volume of the resulting powdered material tablet and the actual grinding time elapsed between the start and stop of the grinding element are measured.

[0045] According to one aspect of the invention, the method provides: detecting the height of the obtained tablet by an encoder.

[0046] According to another aspect of the invention, the method provides: detecting grinding time by means of a timer, which may be located, for example, inside a control unit or a microcontroller.

[0047] According to some embodiments, the method provides for determining the flow rate based on the weight of the powdered material obtained within a given set grinding time interval and the measured grinding time.

[0048] According to some embodiments, the weight value is estimated based on the volume of the tablet multiplied by a parameter defining the density of the coffee powder, which is calculated as a function of the measured height.

[0049] According to one aspect of the invention, density can be considered as a constant value defined in the design phase and stored in the storage cell.

[0050] Depending on possible variations, the density can be determined based on information at least related to the degree of roasting of the coffee beans, such as information provided by the user through a user interface.

[0051] Based on these variations, it is possible to provide: multiple different values ​​of the density of coffee powder stored in the storage unit, each value being associated with the degree of roasting of the beans, and the method can provide: based on information received from the user interface, selecting a density value to be considered each time in order to determine the flow rate.

[0052] According to some embodiments, a grinding apparatus for preparing a dose of coffee powder is also provided. The grinding apparatus includes: a container for coffee beans; a grinding device configured to receive and grind the coffee beans to obtain a dose of coffee powder; a flow measuring device configured to determine the current grinding flow rate of the grinding device; and a control and command unit configured and programmed to perform a method for emptying the grinding device according to the invention. In particular, suitable algorithms and computer programs can be stored in a storage unit, and the control unit can implement these algorithms and computer programs to perform the operating method according to the invention.

[0053] According to another aspect, the device includes a removable container for beans, which has a closed bottom that remains substantially open when the container is inserted into and connected to the housing compartment of the device, and the coffee beans are fed into the grinding equipment by gravity.

[0054] According to this embodiment, it can be provided that, upon receiving a command from a user and possibly detecting that the bottom is closed, the clearing method according to the invention is executed.

[0055] According to one variant, the apparatus includes: a removable container for beans, the removable container having a closed bottom with an outlet opening offset relative to a central axis; and a suitable rotatable feeding device, which can be driven by a drive member and configured to feed a desired dose of coffee beans from the container into the grinding equipment each time. In this variant, the emptying method according to the invention can be advantageously performed each time a beverage is prepared.

[0056] The present invention also relates to a machine for preparing beverages, the machine including a grinding device according to the invention; and a method for managing the machine, the method including performing an operating method according to the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0057] These and other aspects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, which are provided by way of non-limiting examples and are made with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: - Figure 1 This is a schematic and simplified representation of a cross-section of a grinding apparatus according to a first variation of the present invention along a vertical plane; - Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of a machine used for preparing beverages, which integrates... Figure 1 The device in; - Figure 3 This is a schematic and simplified representation of a modified grinding apparatus according to the present invention; - Figures 4a to 4b yes Figure 2 Enlarged details of the machine's brewing unit under the first and second operating configurations; - Figure 5 This is a block diagram illustrating the operation method of the grinding apparatus according to the present invention; - Figure 5a yes Figure 5 A flowchart of the steps in the method.

[0058] It should be made clear that the wording and terminology used in this specification, as well as the illustrations in the accompanying drawings (which are also related to the manner of description), serve only to better illustrate and explain the invention, with the aim of providing a non-limiting example of the invention itself, since the scope of protection is defined by the claims.

[0059] For ease of understanding, the same reference numerals are used as much as possible to identify the same common elements in the accompanying drawings. It is understood that elements and features of one embodiment can be conveniently combined or incorporated into other embodiments without further explanation.

[0060] Description of some embodiments of the present invention refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1 A grinding device 10 according to the present invention is shown, which can be used to grind coffee beans 11 or a portion thereof, but does not exclude grinding other types of food substances, such as seeds, grains, barley, etc.

[0061] The apparatus 10 includes a hopper 12 (i.e., a container adapted to hold and feed beans 11) and a grinding device 13 configured to grind the beans 11 and obtain a powdery substance with a desired particle size.

[0062] In the example given here, the hopper 12 can be removably inserted into the housing compartment 14, which is specifically manufactured within a frame 15 shaped such that the interior defines a space 16 for accommodating operating components.

[0063] The detection device 28 can be associated with the housing compartment 14. The detection device is connected to the control unit 18 and is configured to detect the presence of the hopper 12 in the housing compartment 14, that is, to detect whether the hopper 12 is associated with the grinding equipment 13.

[0064] According to other embodiments, the hopper 12 may be fixed and non-removable.

[0065] according to Figure 1 and Figure 2 In one embodiment, the hopper 12 is provided with at least one lower opening 17 for discharging beans C toward the grinding device 13.

[0066] The hopper 12 may also include a cover 18 and a protective element 19 disposed inside the hopper to prevent the grinding equipment 13 from causing possible injury to the user.

[0067] The lower opening 17 is operably associated with a closed bottom 20 of a known type, which is not described in detail. This closed bottom is configured to selectively close the lower opening 17, such that the hopper 12 can be in an inoperable condition when the lower opening 17 is closed. Figure 1 ), or present operating conditions when the lower opening 17 is opened ( Figure 2 ).

[0068] exist Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the case shown, the hopper 12 is of the following type: when the lower opening 17 is opened, the hopper is configured to feed the beans 11 into the grinding device 13 by gravity, thereby substantially filling the entire usable space of the lower grinding device 13.

[0069] According to other embodiments, for example, referencing Figure 3 As shown, the hopper 12 can also be configured such that it is equipped with a device 21 for feeding beans, which may be, for example, a rotating member 22 including one or more blades 23 for moving the beans 11 toward the lower opening 17; or a metering device (not shown) for providing a predetermined dose of coffee beans to the grinding device 13 each time. The rotating member 22 may be selectively driven by a motor (not shown).

[0070] The grinding device 13 may include a chamber 24 for accumulating and grinding beans 11, wherein one or more grinding elements, such as a pair of grinders 25, are disposed in the chamber, at least one of the grinders 25 being selectively driven and rotated by a command element of a known type, such as an electric motor 26 controlled by a control unit 30.

[0071] Chamber 24 essentially defines the space between the bottom of hopper 12 and the bottom of grinding device 13.

[0072] The chamber 24 includes a first part 31, a second part 32 and a third part 33, which are connected to each other and are respectively arranged such that one is located below the other.

[0073] The first part 31 is located near or in contact with the lower opening 17, and the first part is configured to receive beans 11 from the hopper 12.

[0074] The grinder 25 is located in the second part 32 and may contain both beans 11 and at least a portion of powdery material.

[0075] The third part 33 is configured to contain essentially only powdery material, and the third part is associated with a conveying pipe 34, which has the function of conveying and guiding the discharged powder.

[0076] The device 10 also includes a flow measurement device 51 configured to determine the current grinding flow rate FR of the grinding equipment 13.

[0077] According to some embodiments, the flow measurement device 51 includes: one or more sensors 36 configured to measure and / or determine the weight of coffee powder ground by the grinding device 25; and a timer 37 specifically configured to measure the effective grinding time tm during operation of the grinding device 13, as will be explained in more detail below.

[0078] The device 10 also includes an electronic control unit 30, which is connected to the operating component to adjust the operation of the operating component. The control unit 30 may be, for example, a CPU, a microprocessor, or a controller.

[0079] The control unit 30 is specifically programmed and configured to perform a method for emptying the polishing apparatus 13 according to the invention, which will be described in more detail below.

[0080] According to some embodiments, the control unit 30 is configured to execute a clearing method after receiving a specific clearing command received through a user interface 27 connected to the control unit 30.

[0081] According to this embodiment, the device 10 may further include a detection device 38 configured to verify whether the lower opening 17 is open or closed (i.e., whether the bottom 20 is in the open or closed position) and send a signal to a control unit 30, which may be configured to provide one or more options to a user via an interface 27 when the closed position is detected, so as to continue emptying the grinding equipment 13.

[0082] Interface 27 may include touch screen 29 or display screen, as well as possible buttons for making selections or issuing commands.

[0083] Alternatively, the control unit 30 may perform a purging method when preparing a dose of powdered material, the purging method being provided to the grinding apparatus 13.

[0084] The grinding device 10 can be autonomous or stand-alone, configured to provide multiple doses of powder to a filter holder or other collection element; or the grinding device can be integrated into an automatic or even semi-automatic beverage preparation machine 40, which can be used to prepare beverages from powdered materials, for example... Figure 2 As shown.

[0085] In addition to the grinding device 10 and its components, the machine 40 also includes a brewing unit 41 configured to prepare beverages, a hydraulic circuit (not shown) for supplying water to the brewing unit 41, and a delivery unit 42 fluidly connected to the brewing unit 41, which allows the prepared beverages to be delivered to a container 43 (e.g., a cup, mug, etc.).

[0086] When the device 10 is integrated into the machine 40 for preparing beverages, the control unit 30 can be the central control unit of the machine 40 itself, such as a CPU or microcontroller.

[0087] Machine 40 also includes a user interface 27 through which a user can select a beverage (e.g., espresso) and customize the beverage according to the user's taste, such as choosing between "standard," "lungo," or "ristretto," or setting a stronger or weaker flavor.

[0088] Based on data received from user interface 27, control unit 30 is configured to determine the amount of powder Qc required to prepare the selected beverage, thereby determining the amount of beans to be ground.

[0089] In the case of the standalone device 10, the user interface 27 can be configured to directly receive an instruction regarding the amount of powder Qc to be prepared.

[0090] Figure 4a , Figure 4b The brewing unit 42 is schematically shown. The brewing unit may mainly include an upwardly opening receiving body 44, which internally defines a brewing chamber 45 configured to contain a certain amount of powder Qc to be brewed.

[0091] The receiving body 44 is fluidly connected to the delivery unit 43 via the distribution pipe 46.

[0092] One side of the receiving body 44 engages with a shut-off piston 47, which is located at a fixed position outside the receiving body 44, and is provided with a conveying member 48 for conveying pressurized hot water onto the powder in the brewing chamber 45.

[0093] In addition, a jet piston 49 is slidably disposed within the brewing chamber 44, and the jet piston is provided with corresponding outlet components 50, which are connected to the dispensing pipe 46 to allow the beverage to be discharged during the brewing process.

[0094] exist Figure 4a Under the first operating conditions shown, the top of the receiving body 44 is closed by the closing piston 47, and the injection piston 49 compresses the coffee powder present in the brewing chamber 45 in such a way that the coffee powder is substantially disc-shaped, which is referred to in the art as a "tablet".

[0095] exist Figure 4b Under the second operating condition shown, the receiving body 44 is spaced apart from the closing piston 47 and cooperates with the injection piston 49 to eject the tablet from the brewing chamber 45 by the action of the pushing member, thereby discharging the tablet into a specific discharge area (not shown).

[0096] Figure 5 A block diagram schematically illustrates a method for operating the grinding apparatus 10.

[0097] The operating method includes performing at least one procedure to completely empty the grinding equipment 13 in order to remove almost all beans and coffee powder present in the grinding equipment.

[0098] According to some embodiments, the emptying procedure includes: a step of determining the current flow rate FR of the grinding apparatus 13; a processing step in which the emptying time interval Δts required to grind a predetermined reference bean quantity Qref is related to the maximum bean quantity Qmax that can accumulate in the chamber 24 of the grinding apparatus 13 at the determined current flow rate FR; and an emptying step in which the grinding member 25 is activated for a duration corresponding to the calculated emptying time interval Δts.

[0099] According to some embodiments, the clearing time interval Δts can be calculated using the following formula:

[0100] This method provides a way to monitor the flow rate of the grinding equipment 13 over time so as to understand the current value of the flow rate of the grinding equipment and to use the current value to define the emptying time interval Δts.

[0101] According to some embodiments, the method can provide monitoring of the flow rate each time a dose of coffee powder is prepared, or, in the case of machine 40, monitoring of the flow rate each time a beverage is prepared, or monitoring of the flow rate at a predetermined frequency (e.g., every 3, 4, 5, or 10 preparations).

[0102] According to some embodiments, the maximum quantity Qmax can be a value defined during the design phase and is related to the size of chamber 24.

[0103] According to some embodiments, the maximum quantity Qmax can be estimated based on the volume included between the grinder 25 of the grinding device 13 and the bottom of the hopper 12.

[0104] Since different varieties of beans have different sizes, and the amount and weight that can be accumulated within that volume may vary significantly under different circumstances, the maximum quantity can be considered, for example, as the maximum quantity under a given type of bean.

[0105] According to some embodiments, the value of the reference bean quantity Qref can be determined based on experimental testing and stored in storage unit 35. This value can be fixed.

[0106] According to some embodiments, the storage unit 35 may also store different values ​​for the maximum quantity Qmax and reference quantity Qref of different types of coffee beans, for example, these values ​​are based on the roasting degree or variety of the beans. In this case, it may be provided that appropriate information about the coffee beans to be used can be obtained through the interface 27, and the control unit 30 can select appropriate Qmax and Qref values ​​each time based on this information.

[0107] According to some variations, flow rate can be defined as the volume of coffee powder obtained per unit time, for example, cubic centimeters per second.

[0108] According to some embodiments, the quantities in the above formula are in terms of weight, and the flow rate is defined as the weight of ground beans per unit time, for example, grams per second.

[0109] The reference quantity Qref can be between 1.01 and 2 times the maximum quantity Qmax.

[0110] According to a preferred embodiment, the reference bean quantity Qref is between 1.1 and 1.3 times the maximum quantity Qmax.

[0111] For example, considering a chamber 24 suitable for accommodating a maximum quantity Qmax of 10 grams, the reference bean quantity Qref could be between 10.01 grams and 20 grams, particularly between 11 grams and 13 grams.

[0112] By calculating the emptying interval Δts based on the amount of beans being greater than the amount of beans that may be potentially present in chamber 24 and based on the current flow rate FR of the grinding device 13, the grinder 25 can be kept active for the required time while keeping noise to a minimum.

[0113] According to some embodiments, in order to determine the flow rate FR, the method provides: determining the flow rate FR over a grinding time tm. (The grinding time is set based on a certain amount of powder Qc to be obtained) Activate the volume of coffee powder obtained by the grinding device 13; measure the effective grinding time tm during the activation period of the grinder 25; and calculate the ratio between the determined volume and the effective grinding time tm.

[0114] According to some embodiments, in order to determine the flow rate FR of the grinding apparatus 13, the method according to the invention provides: measuring or determining the flow rate FR through a certain set grinding time tm. The weight of the coffee powder obtained by keeping the grinder 25 activated is measured, and the effective grinding time tm during the period of keeping the grinder 25 activated is measured.

[0115] According to some embodiments, the method provides: determining the weight of the obtained powder based on the volume Vol of the compressed powder tablet P, which can be measured or calculated each time a dose of coffee powder is prepared, or measured or calculated at a defined frequency.

[0116] According to one aspect of the invention, the method provides: detecting the height H of the obtained tablet P by an encoder 36 or other suitable sensor. For example, in the case of machine 40, when the brewing unit 41 is pressed... Figure 4a This measurement can be performed when configuring the operation settings.

[0117] In the case of a standalone device 10, an encoder 36 or a similar sensor associated with a coffee powder compression device (e.g., suitable for use with a filter holder) may also be provided.

[0118] In the case of a standalone device 10, it is possible to provide: the weight of the obtained powder can be measured by a weighing sensor or a similar weight sensor (e.g., associated with a powder collecting element).

[0119] According to another aspect of the invention, the method provides: detecting the effective grinding time tm by a timer 37, which may be, for example, within a control unit 30.

[0120] According to some embodiments, the method provides: determining the flow rate FR based on the ratio of the product of the tablet volume Vol (which is calculated based on the detected height H) and the density D of the coffee powder to the measured grinding time tm.

[0121] According to some implementations, the flow rate (FR) can be calculated based on the following formula:

[0122] According to some embodiments, the density D can be considered as a constant value defined in the design phase and stored in the storage unit 35.

[0123] Depending on possible variations, density D may be determined based on information at least related to the degree of roasting of the coffee beans, such information being provided by the user through user interface 27.

[0124] According to this variation, it is possible to provide: storing multiple different density values ​​D of powder in storage unit 35, each density value being associated with the roasting degree RL of the beans, or possibly also with the origin / variety of the beans, and the method can provide: based on information about the beans received through user interface 27, selecting a density value D to be considered each time to determine the flow rate FR.

[0125] According to some embodiments, the method according to the invention can provide: executing a clearing procedure based on receiving a specific command from a user through interface 27.

[0126] Depending on other variations, a cleanup procedure can be provided each time a beverage is prepared.

[0127] Clearly, in any case, whenever a cleanup procedure needs to be performed, the cleanup interval Δts will be updated in real time based on the effective flow rate FR of the grinding equipment 13 currently in operation.

[0128] According to some embodiments, the method may include the following steps: receiving at least information related to the roasting degree RL of the beans or possibly related to the origin / variety of the beans, and selecting, based on the information, one or more of the following values ​​from a plurality of values ​​stored in a storage unit: a maximum quantity Qmax value, a reference quantity Qref value, and / or a density D value to be used.

[0129] According to some embodiments, the flow calculation may also take into account the particle size level GL set for the grinding equipment.

[0130] Obviously, modifications and / or additions can be made to the grinding device 10, the beverage preparation machine 20, and the operating method described above without departing from the scope and field of the invention as defined by the claims.

[0131] It is also obvious that, although the present invention has been described with reference to certain specific examples, those skilled in the art will be able to implement other equivalent forms of the grinding apparatus 10, machine 20, and operating method, which have the features set forth in the claims and are therefore within the scope of protection defined herein.

[0132] In the following claims, the reference numerals in parentheses are for ease of reading only and should not be considered as limiting factors regarding the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. A method of operating a grinding apparatus (10), the grinding apparatus comprising a grinding device (13), the grinding device having a chamber (24) therein, the chamber having a bean grinding component (25), the grinding apparatus being capable of executing at least one procedure for completely emptying the chamber (24), characterized in that, The method includes: The step of determining the current grinding flow rate (FR) of the grinding equipment (13) The processing step involves calculating the emptying time interval (Δts) required to grind a predetermined reference bean quantity (Qref) based on the determined current flow rate (FR), which is associated with the maximum bean quantity (Qmax) that can accumulate in the chamber (24). The clearing step involves activating the grinding member (25) for a duration corresponding to the calculated clearing time interval (Δts).

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The reference value (Qref) is between 1.01 and 2 times the maximum value (Qmax).

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The predetermined reference bean quantity (Qref) is between 1.1 and 1.3 times the maximum quantity (Qmax).

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, To determine the flow rate (FR), the method provides: determining a grinding time (tm) set based on a determined powder quantity (Qc). The volume of the powder obtained by activating the grinding device (13) is calculated, and the ratio between the volume and the effective grinding time (tm) measured during the operation of the grinding device (13) is calculated.

5. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, To determine the flow rate (FR), the method provides: a grinding time (tm) set based on a determined powder quantity (Qc). ) Activate the grinding device (13); measure the effective grinding time (tm), during which the grinding component (25) is driven to obtain the powder amount (Qc); and during the grinding time (tm) At the end of the process, the weight of the effective grinding powder is determined, and the ratio between the determined weight and the effective grinding time (tm) is calculated.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, To determine the weight, the method provides: compressing the amount of ground powder into tablets (P), measuring the height (H) of the tablets to determine the volume (Vol) of the tablets based on the height, and multiplying the volume by a density value (D) stored in a storage unit (35), or by a density value determined based on information provided through a user interface (27) that is associated with the type of beans to be used.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The method includes the step of receiving information related at least to the roasting degree (RL) of the beans or to the origin / variety of the beans, and the method further provides that the current flow (FR) is calculated based on the information.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The method provides that the program is started after a specific execution command is received from the user through the user interface (27).

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that, The method provides that: the lower opening (17) of the hopper (12) connected to the grinding device (13) is open or closed, and if a closed position is detected, at least one optional option is displayed on the user interface (27) of the grinding device (10) to continue emptying the grinding device (13).

10. A grinding apparatus (10), the grinding apparatus comprising: Container for coffee beans (11); A grinding device (13) is configured to grind beans and obtain a dose of powder, and the grinding device is provided with a chamber (24) configured to contain beans to be ground, and the grinding device (25) is disposed in the chamber; A flow measuring device (51) configured to determine the current grinding flow rate (FR) of the grinding equipment (13); and a control unit (30) configured and programmed to perform the operating method according to any one of the preceding claims.

11. The apparatus (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The flow measurement device (51) includes: one or more sensors (36) configured to measure and / or determine the weight of coffee powder ground by the grinding device (25); and a timer (37) configured to measure the effective grinding time (tm) during operation of the grinding device (13).

12. The apparatus (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that, The one or more sensors (36) include an encoder configured to measure the height (H) of a tablet (P) formed from the ground coffee powder, and the control unit (30) configured to determine the volume (Vol) of the powder based on the height (H) and multiply the volume by a density value (D) stored in a storage unit (35), or by a density value determined based on information provided through a user interface (27), in order to obtain the weight of the coffee powder, the density value being associated with the type of beans to be used.

13. A machine (40) for preparing beverages, comprising: The grinding apparatus (10) according to any one of claims 10 to 12, the brewing unit (41) configured to prepare a beverage from a powdered substance, the delivery unit (42) fluidly connected to the brewing unit (41), and the user interface (27).

14. The machine (40) according to claim 13, characterized in that, The machine includes a detection device (38) configured to verify whether the lower opening (17) of the hopper (12) is open or closed and to send a signal to the control unit (30), which is configured to suggest at least one optional option to the user via an interface (27) to continue emptying the grinding equipment (13).

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