Cooling device for roasted plant-based bulk material, roasting device, and operation method of the roasting device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cooling device, a roasting device, and an operating method of the roasting device, which are provided with a cooling chamber for cooling a roasted plant-based bulk material. 【Solution means】The present invention is a cooling device for a roasted plant-based bulk material (16), which is provided with a cooling chamber (30) for cooling the roasted plant-based bulk material (16). A bulk material receiving surface (26) is provided in the cooling chamber (30), and a sensor device (40) having at least one temperature sensor (42) for monitoring the temperature of the roasted plant-based bulk material (16) is provided in the cooling chamber (30). The present invention further relates to a roasting device (2) and an operating method of the roasting device (2).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling device for a roasted plant bulk material, comprising a cooling chamber for cooling the roasted plant bulk material, and a bulk material receiving surface configured inside the cooling chamber. The present invention also relates to a roasting device and an operating method of the roasting device.

Background Art

[0002] Cooling devices and roasting devices equipped with such cooling devices are well-known from the prior art. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a cooling device for roasted coffee beans, cocoa or nuts, and air is passed through a rotatably mounted circular cooling sieve holding the bulk material in order to cool the bulk material. In this case, the cooling chamber is provided in the region of the roasting mechanism and, in the present embodiment, moves from the roasting mechanism to the cooling chamber by the action of centrifugal force after completion of the roasting process.

[0003] After completion of the roasting process, the roasted plant bulk material is introduced into the interior of the cooling chamber of the cooling device, and it is known that hot spots are generated in the roasted plant bulk material during this roasting process. In minor cases, such glowing hot spots affect the quality of each roasting batch of the plant bulk material. In the worst case, such glowing hot spots may cause ignition in the cooling system or downstream equipment.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The object of the present invention is to avoid the aforementioned drawbacks in a simple and cost-effective manner.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] This object is solved by a cooling device according to the invention, which comprises a sensor device having at least one temperature sensor for monitoring the temperature of the roasted vegetable bulk material in the cooling chamber. Thereby, local overheating that reaches a temperature exceeding a preset temperature limit can be detected in a particularly simple manner. By detecting local overheating at an early stage in this way, it becomes possible to apply appropriate countermeasures according to the degree of overheating. Also, by separating only the whole or a part of the roasting batch of the roasted vegetable bulk material, it is also possible to guarantee a uniformly high quality of the roasting process for customers.

[0007] At least one temperature sensor takes a video of the roasted vegetable bulk material in the cooling chamber. The sensor is preferably a thermographic camera capable of storing the video as needed. In order to ensure proper, preferably maintenance-free monitoring of the bulk material receiving surface, the thermographic camera is preferably equipped with a purge air device. The flushing air is introduced laterally with respect to the camera lens, where it acts as an air curtain. It is advantageous to provide a protective spacer sleeve in front of the camera lens of the thermographic camera to generate a cylindrical piston flow of the flushing air.

[0008] A hood portion is preferably provided above the bulk material receiving surface, and at least one temperature sensor is incorporated in this hood portion. In this form, the hood portion defines a cooling space and enables the cooling air to be discharged in a controlled manner together with any contaminants. Furthermore, particularly simple mounting means for at least one temperature sensor are provided. In the form where the temperature sensor is a thermographic camera, this sensor is basically provided on the side of the hood portion separated from the cooling mechanism, and the protective spacer sleeve extends into the interior of the cooling chamber.

[0009] It is more preferable that a control device for monitoring the cooling process is provided. This type of control device functions to send an alarm signal or, if necessary, stop the roasting process that has already started. In this form, it is very advantageous to integrate the control device of the cooling device with the control device of the roasting device that cooperates with it.

[0010] The cooling chamber preferably comprises a cooling sieve for receiving the roasted plant bulk material and allowing cold air to pass through. The cooling sieve can be easily monitored by at least one temperature sensor and can provide a sufficiently large bulk material receiving surface.

[0011] The cooling device preferably comprises a rotating device with the tangential direction as the basic direction with respect to the roasted plant bulk material. Such a rotating device can be configured in various ways. In the form where the cooling sieve is installed, the roasted plant bulk material can be circulated through the cooling sieve set to rotate by a driving device. It is also conceivable to provide a shovel device as part of the rotating device to circulate the roasted plant bulk material. Since the bulk material continuously circulates in the tangential direction, the temperature sensor can be configured to detect only a partial area of the bulk material receiving surface. By circulating, the entire bulk material passes through this partial area during the cooling process. However, a form where the bulk material is placed on the cooling sieve and only the cooling air is passed through it without actively moving the bulk material is also conceivable.

[0012] Alternatively or additionally, it is also possible to detect different partial areas of the bulk material receiving surface by movably supporting the temperature sensor and driving it by a driving device.

[0013] This object is also solved by a roasting device for vegetable bulk materials equipped with such a cooling device, which is provided with a housing structure having at least one roasting mechanism, a heating device for heating the internal space of the roasting mechanism, an exhaust gas purification device for discharging the exhaust gas from the roasting mechanism, and a control device for monitoring the cooling process. This cooling device is installed in the region of at least one outlet opening of the roasting mechanism.

[0014] This object is also achieved by an operating method of such a roasting device. After the roasting process is completed, the roasted vegetable bulk material is introduced into the cooling device, and the steps of constructing the bulk material receiving surface of the roasted vegetable bulk material and monitoring this bulk material receiving surface with at least one temperature sensor are provided. When local overheating occurs, a signal is output by the control device. To avoid malfunction, different temperature limits can be set for different cooling periods. In this form, a thermographic camera is provided. Each time the roasting process is completed, the control device sets the cooling process in a data storage device or database and associates the video of the thermographic camera with the cooling process. It is particularly advantageous to save the video and mark the cooling process when the preset temperature limit is exceeded. In this method, in particular, with regard to quality control, batches that may not meet the desired quality standards due to overheating can be very easily recorded. Here, the marking is preferably carried out according to different priorities. At least a first priority and a second priority are set. In this way, for example, when the temperature exceeds the temperature limit for a longer period of time, an alarm requesting a check of the roasting device and the cooling device is activated, and when it is only for a very short time although the temperature limit is exceeded, this message can be stored simply as information, for example, because it may be due to the contamination of the cooling sieve.

[0015] The present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the following drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0016]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0017] Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of the roasting apparatus 2 of the present invention. The roasting apparatus itself is well-known from the prior art. Thus, the roasting apparatus 2 includes a housing structure 4, and this housing structure 4 includes at least a roasting mechanism 6, a heating device 8 for heating the internal space 10 of the roasting mechanism 6, and an exhaust gas purification device 12 for discharging exhaust gas from the internal space 10 of the roasting mechanism 6. In the present embodiment, it includes a cooling device 14 for cooling roasted bulk materials such as coffee beans.

[0018] The coffee beans 16 before roasting are supplied from the hopper inlet 18 to the internal space 10 of the roasting mechanism 6. Further, a control device 19 for controlling or adjusting the roasting process and the cooling process is provided.

[0019] In the present embodiment, the cooling device 14 according to the present invention includes a cooling mechanism 20, and the cooling mechanism 20 has a cooling sieve 22 that can be rotated by a drive mechanism not described in detail here. Here, the bulk material 16, which is coffee beans, is introduced from the outlet opening 24 of the roasting mechanism 6 onto the cooling sieve 22 to form a bulk material receiving surface 26. The cooling sieve 22, together with the hood portion 28, surrounds a cooling chamber 30 into which cooling air is blown by a cold air device 31. The hood portion 28 includes a first housing portion 32 designed as a dome portion and a second housing portion 34 connected to the cooling mechanism 20 and defining the cooling chamber 30. The bulk material outlet portion 36 is adjacent to the cooling mechanism 20 in a well-known manner, and the air discharge portion 38 is adjacent to the dome portion 32. The cooling air is sucked in by a known method, passes through the cooling sieve 22 and the coffee beans 16, and is discharged through the air discharge portion 38.

[0020] Since undesirable emission hot spots in the bulk material 16 can be detected by a simple method, a uniform high quality of the roasted bulk material 16 can be guaranteed. Further, in the present embodiment, a sensor device 40 having a thermographic camera 42 as a temperature sensor is installed in the dome portion 32 of the hood portion 28 so as to prevent damage to the roasting device or an adjacent unit, and the sensor device 40 is connected to the control device 19 by a control technique. The thermographic camera 42 monitors the temperature of the roasted coffee beans by detecting the entire bulk material receiving surface 26.

[0021] Alternatively, it is also possible to install a plurality of temperature sensors 42 each of which detects only a partial region of the bulk material receiving surface 26. The detected partial region of the bulk material receiving surface 26 can be selected such that when the bulk material receiving surface rotates with the tangential direction as the basic direction by a rotating device, the entire bulk material receiving surface 26 passes through the temperature sensor 42 and is conveyed. Conceptually, it is also possible to support the temperature sensor 42 movably and drive it by a driving device so as to detect different partial regions of the bulk material receiving surface 26 respectively.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a detailed view of the hood portion 28 to which the sensor device 40 is attached. Here, a temperature sensor 42 designed as a thermographic camera is disposed obliquely in the opening 46 of the dome portion 32 via a mounting plate 44 (see particularly FIG. 3). The mounting plate 44 enables easy alignment between the thermographic camera 42 and the bulk material receiving surface 26 to be monitored.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a detailed view of the sensor device 40 disposed in the opening 46 of the dome portion 32. The thermographic camera 42 is provided with a purge air device 48 shown particularly for protecting the camera lens 50. Flushing air extending perpendicular to the camera lens 50 is indicated here by an arrow 52 and functions as a curtain of flushing air.

[0024] Regarding the cooling process of the present invention, the method of operating the roasting apparatus 2 is carried out as described below. After completion of the roasting process, the roasted plant bulk material 16 is introduced into the interior of the cooling apparatus 14, particularly into the interior of the cooling chamber 30. In this example, the bulk material receiving surface 26 is configured for coffee beans 16, and this bulk material receiving surface 26 is continuously monitored by the thermographic camera 42. Different temperature limits are set in the control device 19 for different cooling times. Thus, the temperature limit for the first 30 seconds of the cooling process is 200 °C, and the subsequent temperature limit is 150 °C. During each cooling period, when any of these temperature limits is exceeded for at least 3 seconds, a signal is emitted in the form of an alarm indicating local overheating, presumably due to a glowing hot spot. The video captured by the thermographic camera 42 during the cooling process is saved and assigned to the cooling process of each roasting batch, so that an individual quality check of this batch can be performed again. When the cooling process is executed without an alarm, the captured video is overwritten. The control device 19 can mark the cooling process in different ways, for example, based on the period during which each temperature limit was exceeded. Different priorities are assigned to these markings, and the alarm function is activated only in the case of the first priority, and then, for example, is also directly activated for the roasting apparatus 2. In the second priority, this alarm is not activated, and the operator is only notified to perform a quality check of the roasting batch.

Claims

1. A cooling device for a roasted plant-based bulk material (16), comprising a cooling chamber (30) for cooling the roasted plant-based bulk material (16), wherein the cooling chamber (30) is provided with a bulk material receiving surface (26), and the cooling chamber (30) is provided with a sensor device (40) having at least one temperature sensor (42) for monitoring the temperature of the roasted plant-based bulk material (16).

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the at least one temperature sensor (42) is a thermographic camera.

3. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein the thermographic camera is provided with a purge air device (52).

4. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein a protective spacer sleeve (48) is provided in front of the camera lens (50) of the thermographic camera (42).

5. The cooling device according to claim 2, wherein a hood portion (28) is provided above the bulk material receiving surface (26), and the at least one temperature sensor (42) is incorporated in the hood portion (28).

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the thermographic camera is provided on a side of the hood portion (28) separated from the cooling mechanism (20), and the protective spacer sleeve (48) extends inside the cooling chamber (30).

7. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein a control device (19) for monitoring the cooling process is provided.

8. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling chamber (30) is provided with a cooling sieve (22) as receiving means for passing the roasted plant-based bulk material (16) and cold air.

9. The cooling device according to claim 1, comprising a rotating device having a tangential direction as a basic direction with respect to the roasted plant-based bulk material.

10. The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein the temperature sensor (42) is configured such that only a partial region of the bulk material receiving surface (26) is detected.

11. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the temperature sensor (42) is movably supported and drivable by a driving device so as to be able to detect different partial regions of the bulk material receiving surface (26).

12. A roasting device (2) for a plant-based bulk material (16) comprising the cooling device (14) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising at least a roasting mechanism (6), A heating device (8) for heating the internal space (10) of the roasting mechanism (6); An exhaust gas purification device (12) for discharging exhaust gas from the roasting mechanism (6); A housing structure (4) having a control device (19) for monitoring the cooling process, wherein the cooling device (14) is provided in the region of at least one outlet opening (24) of the roasting mechanism (6), the roasting device (2).

13. A method of operating the roasting device (2) according to claim 12, comprising: After the roasting process is completed, introducing the roasted plant bulk material (16) into the interior of the cooling device (14) to form a bulk material receiving surface (26) of the roasted plant bulk material (16); and monitoring the bulk material receiving surface (26) with the at least one temperature sensor (42), wherein a signal is output by the control device (19) when local overheating occurs.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein different temperature limits are set for different cooling periods.

15. A thermographic camera (42) is provided, and each time the roasting process is completed, the control device (19) sets a cooling process in a data storage device or database, associates a video of the thermographic camera (42) with the cooling process, and stores the video and marks the cooling process when a preset temperature limit is exceeded. The method according to claim 13.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the marking is performed according to different priorities, and at least a first priority and a second priority are set.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein an alarm function is activated at the first priority.

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