Coffee grinding machine with improved hopper engagement and opening / closing device
The integrated movable baffle member in the hopper of a coffee grinding machine addresses the issue of inconsistent coffee bean flow by allowing precise regulation, enhancing grinding consistency and reducing spillage.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- HK62026122622
- Authority / Receiving Office
- HK · HK
- Patent Type
- Applications
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2026-04-27
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-31
AI Technical Summary
Existing coffee grinding machines lack a convenient and efficient mechanism for controlling the flow of coffee beans from the hopper to the grinding mechanism, leading to inconsistent grinding and potential spillage.
A hopper with an integrated movable baffle member and manual control mechanism that allows precise regulation of coffee bean flow by interacting with the coupling seat, enabling the baffle member to be opened or closed based on the hopper's rotational direction relative to the coupling seat.
Facilitates consistent and controlled coffee bean dispensing, reducing spillage and ensuring uniform grinding quality.
Smart Images
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Abstract
Description
Abstract describes a coffee grinding machine (1) comprising a hopper (2) for receiving coffee beans to be ground and a coupling seat (15) configured to allow the hopper to be coupled to the coffee grinding machine, wherein the hopper includes an outlet (2B) and means (20) for closing and opening the outlet, wherein the means for closing and opening the outlet includes a fixed member (30) substantially integral with the hopper and a movable baffle member (40, 50) having a manual control member (46) for manipulating the baffle member to an open or closed position, wherein the manual control member is configured to interact with the coupling seat (15, 151) and / or the fixed member (30) to close the movable baffle member when the hopper is rotated in a first direction to disengage it from the coupling seat.
Claims
CLAIMS1 . A coffee grinding machine (1 ) comprising a hopper (2) for containing coffee beans to be ground and an engagement seat (15) configured to allow coupling of the hopper to the coffee grinding machine (1 ), wherein the hopper (2) comprises an outlet mouth (2B) and a device (20) for closing and opening the outlet mouth, wherein the device (20) for closing and opening the outlet mouth comprises a fixed member (30) substantially integral with the hopper (2) and a movable shutter member (40, 50) with a manual control member (46) for manoeuvring the shutter member into an open or closed position, wherein the manual control member (46) is configured to interact with the engagement seat (15, 151 ) and / or with the fixed part (30, 36) so as to close the movable shutter member (40, 50) while the hopper (2) is rotated in a first direction for disengaging it from the engagement seat (15).
2. The coffee grinding machine (1 ) of claim 1 , wherein the shutter member comprises a plurality of shutter tongues (50) movable between a first position and a second position wherein an opening (33) in the bottom of the fixed part (30) is closed and prevents the passage of coffee beans into a grinding group (3) of the coffee grinding machine (1 ).
3. The coffee grinding machine (1 ) of claim 2, wherein the shutter member comprises a movable part (40), configured to perform a rotational movement with respect to the fixed part and to displace the tongues (50) from the first position into the second position and vice versa.
4. The coffee grinding machine (1 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the manual control member (46) comprises a control lever (46) integral with a movable part (40) of the shutter member.
5. The coffee grinding machine (1 ) of claim 4, wherein the engagement seat (151 ) comprises a first stop (151 a) and a second stop (151 b) for limiting the rotational movement of the control lever (46) and forcing the control lever (46) to arrange the tongues in the closed position.
6. The coffee grinding machine (1 ) according to claim 4 or 5, wherein while the hopper (2) is rotated in the first direction to disengage it from the engagement seat (15), the second stop (151 b) and the control lever (46) remain in mutual contact to bring the shutter tongues (50) into the closing position.
7. The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of any of the previous claims, further comprising a safety activation and deactivation system which prevents the operation of the coffee grinding machine when the hopper (2) is not correctly engaged.
8. The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of claim 7, wherein the system comprises a Reed safety sensor (60) and a corresponding Reed sensor activation magnet (61 ), wherein the activation magnet of the Reed sensor is integral with the fixed part (30) of the device (20) and wherein the Reed sensor (60) is integral with the machine (1 ).
9. The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of any of claims 2-8, wherein each of the shutter tongues (50) substantially has a triangular shape with a base and a vertex.
10. The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of claim 9, wherein each of the shutter tongues (50) comprises a first downward-facing protruding rotation pin (54), which is located substantially at one end of the side of each shutter tongue (50), wherein each of the shutter tongues (50) is hinged to the fixed member (30) through the respective rotation pin (54) which engages a respective hole (34) on a bottom (32) of the fixed member (30).11 . The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of claim 9 or 10, wherein each of the shutter tongues (50) comprises a second cam pin (59), wherein the second cam pin (59) is arranged substantially at an intermediate position of the base of each shutter tongue (50), wherein each of the cam pins (59) is configured to engage a slot (49) of the mobile shutter member (40).
12. The coffee grinder machine (1 ) of any of the preceding claims, wherein the fixed member (30) comprises teeth (37) protruding radially from a lateral surface (35) of said fixed member and wherein the engagement seat (15, 151 ) comprises longitudinal grooves (157) configured to cooperate with the teeth (37), wherein the coupling between the radially projecting teeth (37) and the grooves (157) determines the insertion and extraction position of the hopper with respect to the insertion seat (15).
13. In a coffee grinding machine (1 ), a method for disengaging a hopper (2) from a hopper disengagement seat of the coffee grinder machine (1 ), wherein the hopper (2) comprises an outlet mouth (2B) and a device (20) for closing and opening the outlet mouth, wherein the device (20) for closing and opening the outlet mouth comprises a fixed member (30) substantially integral with the hopper (2) and a movable shutter member (40, 50) with a manual control member (46) for manoeuvring the shutter member into an open or closed position, wherein the manual control member (46) is configured to interact with the engagement seat (15, 151 ) and / or with the fixed part (30, 36), wherein if the shutter member (40, 50) is in the open position, the method comprises the step of rotating the hopper (2) in a first direction so that the manual control member (46) remains in contact with the engaging seat (15,151 ) so that, during the rotation of the hopper (2), the mobile shutter member (40, 50) rotates with respect to the hopper and closes the outlet mouth.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the manual control member (46) comprises a control lever (46) integral with a mobile part (40) of the shutter member and wherein the engaging seat comprises a window (151 ) with a first stop (151a) and a second stop (151b) to limit the travel of the control lever (46) and wherein the step of rotating the hopper (2) in a first direction comprises the step of rotating the hopper (2) in such a way that the control lever (46) remains against the second stop (151 b) so as to close the outlet mouth of the hopper during its rotation.