Roasting and grinding apparatus for coffee beans
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current coffee preparation methods require skilled Baristas to set and follow specific parameters for roasting and grinding, limiting accessibility to high-quality coffee without single-serve packaging.
Innovation Solution
A roasting and grinding apparatus that uses reading and control units to identify coffee bean characteristics, adjusting roasting and grinding parameters through AI, allowing for flexible preparation of various coffee beverages without the need for specialized skills, using multipack systems and accessory-devices for extraction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If skilled Baristas manually set and follow specific parameters for roasting and grinding, then high-quality coffee preparation is achieved, but the process requires specialized skills and knowledge
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-diagnosis and self-adjustment by automatically detecting coffee bean characteristics through sensors and adjusting roasting and grinding parameters without human intervention. The control unit autonomously manages the preparation process based on detected parameters, eliminating the need for skilled operators while maintaining high coffee quality
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical adjustment of parameters by Baristas is replaced with an automated control system that uses sensors to detect coffee characteristics and electronically controls roasting and grinding parameters. This substitution of manual mechanical operations with automated sensing and control achieves precision without requiring specialized human skills
2Ease of operation
If fully automatic machines are used for coffee preparation, then operator skill is not needed, but flexibility in preparation methods is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts its operation mode based on detected coffee characteristics. The control unit adjusts roasting and grinding parameters in real-time according to the specific properties of each coffee batch, allowing flexible preparation while maintaining automated operation. This dynamic adjustment capability provides both automation and adaptability
3Ease of operation
If single-serve packaging systems are used, then preparation simplicity is improved, but product flexibility and quality control are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects coffee bean characteristics and adjusts parameters without requiring pre-packaged single-serve formats. Each coffee batch is individually analyzed by sensors, and the control unit autonomously optimizes roasting and grinding settings, achieving both simplicity and flexibility without single-serve packaging constraints
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a roasting and grinding apparatus for coffee beans comprising a roasting device (50) and an associated grinding device (60); the roasting device (50) being configured for receiving coffee beans of a certain type that will be roasted, the roasting device (50) comprising reading means (53) to identify the characteristics of the coffee beans dispensed to it, the roasting device (50) further comprising a control unit configuring the roasting profile of the beans according to the characteristics retrieved from the reading means (53) and/or from the characteristics of the beans in a database (51) in this control unit and/or according to the user's input; the roasted coffee beans being dispensed into a beans container (10, 20), the beans container (10, 20) comprising programmable identification means where product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of a certain type are encoded on it by an encoder (52) in the roasting device; the grinding device (60) comprising one or more housings for receiving one or more beans containers (10, 20); the grinding device (60) comprising a reader (62) to obtain the information of the product parameters of the roasted coffee beans of the one or more beans containers (10, 20); the grinding device (60) further comprising a control unit configured to adapt the grinding size and the quantity of roasted coffee beans to be delivered from the coffee beans containers (10, 20) for obtaining a certain coffee quantity and/or a certain coffee blend quantity from each beans container to be grinded according to these product parameters and/or according to a recipes database (64), and/or according to the user's input. The invention further relates to a method for roasting and grinding coffee beans using a roasting and grinding apparatus as the ones described, and to the use of such a roasting and grinding apparatus.