US 12,440,058 B2
Grinding device, coffee machine and method for adjustment thereof
Karen Harbers, Sliedrecht (NL); Yvo Pluymakers, Sliedrecht (NL); Maarten Wassink, Sliedrecht (NL); and Cornelis De Groen, Sliedrecht (NL)
Assigned to J.M. DE JONG DUKE AUTOMATENFABRIEK, Sliedrecht (NL)
Appl. No. 17/416,767
Filed by J.M. DE JONG DUKE AUTOMATENFABRIEK B.V., Sliedrecht (NL)
PCT Filed Dec. 20, 2019, PCT No. PCT/NL2019/050861
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Jun. 21, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/130826, PCT Pub. Date Jun. 25, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 2022259 (NL), filed on Dec. 20, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2022/0071438 A1, Mar. 10, 2022
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47J 31/42 (2006.01); A47J 31/52 (2006.01); A47J 42/18 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 31/42 (2013.01) [A47J 31/5255 (2018.08); A47J 42/18 (2013.01)] 27 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A coffee machine, comprising:
a grinding device for grinding coffee beans into coffee powder with a determined grind size, comprising drive means and a grinding housing;
a decoction device with an extraction chamber in which a quantity of coffee powder taken away from the grinding device is received, wherein the decoction device is configured to compress the coffee powder into a bed in the extraction chamber using a pressing force;
an inlet for hot water on an inlet side of the extraction chamber and an outlet for the obtained coffee extract on an outlet side of the extraction chamber;
water supply means configured to guide a quantity of water with increased temperature to the inlet under increased pressure via a water conduit;
an outflow at which a coffee product is able to be taken away and which is connected to the outlet of the extraction chamber over a product conduit; and
an electronic control unit configured to impart a preset to the coffee machine, comprising one or more of the grind size, the quantity of coffee powder, the pressing force, the quantity of water, the increased pressure and the increased temperature, and to control means provided for this purpose,
wherein the control unit is coupled to at least one sensor configured to register a flow rate of a product flow through the product conduit from the extraction chamber or of a water flow through the water conduit to the extraction chamber, and generate this in the form of an electronic value,
wherein the liquid flow is adjustable at least partially by a fine-tuning and is controlled by the control unit,
wherein the control unit is configured on a basis of a received value of the liquid flow rate to impart a fine-tuning to the coffee machine, whereby the liquid flow rate is tunable to a predetermined value,
wherein the grinding housing comprises a set of mutually co-acting grinding bodies with mutually facing, at least substantially parallel grinding surfaces which maintain a mutual clearance,
wherein at least a driven grinding body of the set of grinding bodies is suspended rotatably about a central axis thereof in the grinding housing and is coupled operatively to the drive means for performing a rotation about the central axis during operation, and
wherein adjusting means are provided whereby at least an adjustable grinding body of the set of grinding bodies is axially adjustable for imposing a desired mutual clearance between the grinding surfaces,
wherein an adjustment of the adjustable grinding body is limited from a first extreme position to a second extreme position, corresponding to a fixed setting range between a minimal clearance between the two grinding surfaces and a maximum clearance between the two grinding surfaces,
wherein at least one of the first extreme position and the second extreme position of the adjustable grinding body is imposed by a stop which is encountered by the adjusting means in the relevant extreme position,
wherein the product conduit comprises a controllable restriction,
wherein the fine-tuning comprises the controllable restriction in the product conduit for a control of a resistance of the restriction, and
wherein the control unit is operatively coupled to the adjusting means of the grinding device and, together therewith, is configured to impose a defined, absolute position on the adjustable grinding body as part of the preset.