IES78450B2 - A coffee production process and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Roasted coffee beans are prepared (10) and weighed in a weigher (11). Coffee beans are discharged from the weigher (11) to one of a number of holding bins (14,15,16). The bin (14) discharges roasted coffee beans into bulk bags. Beans from the bins (16) are delivered into packs which are flushed with nitrogen prior to sealing. The bins (15) discharge roasted coffee beans through a grinder (20) prior to packing ground coffee in either packs or cans.

Description

A Coffee Production Process and Apparatus This invention relates to a coffee production process and apparatus .

In our previous patent GB 2282046, we described a coffee production process. The present invention is concerned with improvements that we have made to this process, in particular in relation to the handling and packaging of roasted coffee beans.

According to the invention, there is provided a coffee production process, comprising the steps :preparing a batch of roasted coffee beans, delivering the batch of roasted coffee beans to a preselected holding bin comprising either a bulk bagging bin, a packing bin or a grinding bin, selectively discharging whole roasted coffee beans from the bulk bagging bin into sacks and closing the sacks , selectively discharging whole roasted coffee beans from the packing bin to a supply hopper for a whole bean packing machine, forming an open-topped bag at a filling station of the whole bean packing machine, delivering a measured quantity of whole roasted coffee beans into the bag, flushing the bag with nitrogen gas and sealing the bag, selectively discharging roasted coffee beans from the grinding bin through a grinder, grinding the coffee beans to form a coffee powder, - 2 delivering coffee powder from the grinder to either a fixed bulk de-gassing bin, a mobile holding bin or to a powdered coffee packing machine, at the powdered coffee packing machine forming an open-topped bag, filling the bag with a measured quantity of coffee powder, flushing the bag with nitrogen gas and sealing the bag, selectively delivering coffee powder from the bulk de-gassing bin or the mobile holding bin to either the powdered coffee packing machine for packing the bags or to a canning station for packing in sealed cans .

In one embodiment of the invention, the process includes at the canning station :delivering an open-topped can to a filling station, locating the can beneath a filling head at the filling station, sensing the location of a can at the filling station, discharging a measured amount of coffee powder from a supply hopper through the filling head into the can, while filling the can with coffee powder, vibrating the can for settling the coffee in the can and excluding air from the can, delivering the coffee filled can from the filling station to a can closing device, mounting the can in a sealed housing of the can closing device, applying a vacuum to an interior of the housing, engaging and sealing a cover panel with an open top of the can, and discharging the can from the can closing device.

In a preferred embodiment, the process includes the step of packing the roasted coffee beans or the coffee powder in sealed bags, each bag having a non-return or venting valve in a sidewall of the bag for venting gasses from an interior to an exterior of the bag.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a coffee production process according to the invention; Fig. 2 is an elevational view of coffee storage bins used in the process; Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a mobile storage bin and associated packing apparatus used in the process; Fig. 4 is an elevational view of canning apparatus used in the process; Fig. 5 is a plan view of the canning apparatus; and Fig. 6 is a detail elevational view of a can closing apparatus used in the process.

Referring to the drawings, an improved coffee production process and apparatus according to the invention will be described .

Roasted coffee beans are prepared 10 as described in our previous application, Publication No. GB 2282946 and the roasted coffee beans are weighed in a weigher 11. Roasted coffee beans discharged from the weigher 11 travel via a diverter valve 12 to one of a number of holding bins, namely, a bulk bagging bin 14, grinding bins 15 or packing bins 16.

Roasted coffee beans collected in the bulk bagging bin 14 can be discharged from the bulk bagging bin 14 into sacks or the like as required.

Roasted coffee beans delivered to the packing bins 16 are selectively discharged into a feed hopper 17 associated with a packing machine 18 for forming packs of a preset size, delivering a measured amount of whole roasted coffee beans into each pack and then sealing the pack. A nitrogen generator 19 delivers nitrogen to the packing machine 18 to flush the packs with nitrogen prior to sealing the packs.

Roasted coffee beans are delivered as required from selected grinding bins 15 through a grinder 20. Ground coffee discharged from the grinder 20 is delivered to either a fixed large volume holding or de-gassing bin 22, a mobile small volume holding bin 23 or directly to a packing machine 24. In this packing machine 24, measured quantities of ground coffee are filled into bags which are then sealed. Prior to sealing the bags, the bags are flushed through with nitrogen which is delivered from the nitrogen generator 19.

If the ground coffee is delivered directly to the packing machine, then it is filled into bags which incorporate a valve in a sidewall of the pack to allow venting of gases from within the bags but do not allow air into the bags so that the coffee is kept fresh while de-gassing of the ground roasted coffee can take place while the coffee is in the bags.

The ground coffee can, instead of being packed in bags, be delivered to a canning station 26 in which measured amounts of coffee are delivered into cans which are then sealed.

Referring to Fig. 2, fixed large volume holding bins 22 are shown as is a small volume mobile holding bin 23. The mobile bin 23 comprises a container 30 having a downwardly tapering base 31 with an outlet 32. A valve is provided at the outlet 32 to control discharge of ground coffee from the mobile bin 23. The container 30 is mounted on a support frame 35 carried on wheels or castors 36. The mobile bins 23 are particularly useful for storing specialised blends of coffee which would only be produced in relatively small batches.

Referring to Fig. 3, for packing the ground material coffee held in the mobile bin 23, the mobile bin 23 is positioned at a discharge auger 40 having an inlet 41 for positioning beneath the outlet 32 of the bin 23 and an outlet 42 which discharges into a feed hopper 43 of the packing machine 24.

Referring to Figs. 4 to 6, the canning station 26 will be described in more detail. A can feed conveyor 50 delivers an open-topped can 51 to a filling station 52. The can 51 is retained at the filling station 52 by stops, namely, an inlet stop arm 53 and an outlet stop arm 54 which are operable to position the can 51 beneath a filling head 55 at an outlet of a ground coffee supply hopper 56. A sensor 57 detects the presence of a can 51 at the filling station 52 and is operatively connected to the filling head 55 to discharge a preset measured amount of ground coffee powder into the can 51. During the filling of the can 51, a vibrator eccentric 58 beneath the conveyor 50 rotates to joggle the can 51 up and down on the conveyor 50 for settling the coffee powder within the can 51. In addition, a finger 60 on the stop arm 52 taps a sidewall of the can 51 to further assist settling of the coffee powder in the can 51. To facilitate this, a ram 61 is operable to move the stop arm 53 and finger 60 back and forth in the direction of arrow X of Fig. 5.

When the can 51 has been filled with the measured amount of coffee powder, a ram 63 retracts the outlet stop arm 54 and the conveyor 50 carries the filled can 51 away from the filling station 52 for delivery to a can closing apparatus 65 (Fig. 6). The outlet stop arm 54 is then extended by the ram 63 over the conveyor 50 and the inlet arm 53 is retracted to admit another can 51 to the filling station 52. When the detector 57 senses the presence of a can 51 at the filling station, the inlet stop arm 53 is extended over the conveyor 50 to stop any queuing cans on the conveyor from entering the filling station 52. Also, the ram 61 moves the finger 60 back and forth to joggle the can 51 during filling.

At the can closing apparatus 65 (Fig. 6), the can 51 is mounted on a support platform 66 beneath a sealing head 67. The platform 66 and head 67 are mounted within a housing 68 having a front opening door 69 for access to an interior of the housing 68. A bottom panel is supported in a horizontal position on a holder 70 on an inside face of the door 69 and when the door 69 is closed, the panel is positioned directly above the open upper end of the can 51. Then the can is raised by operation of an actuating mechanism 7 2 to engage the can and the panel with the sealing head 67. Rollers 74 of the sealing head 67 engage and crimp the panel into sealing engagement with the can 51.

Prior to sealing the panel on the can 51, when the door 69 has been closed, a vacuum is applied to an interior of the housing 68 to extract any air from the can 51.

Preferably, a plastic cover is mounted at the top of the can for sealing the can after the can has been opened to retain the freshness of the contents over a period of time.

The invention is not limited to the embodiments hereinbefore described which may be varied in both construction and detail.

Claims (5)

1. A coffee production process, comprising the steps :preparing a batch of roasted coffee beans, delivering the batch of roasted coffee beans to a preselected holding bin comprising either a bulk bagging bin, a packing bin or a grinding bin, selectively discharging whole roasted coffee beans from the bulk bagging bin into sacks and closing the sacks, selectively discharging whole roasted coffee beans from the packing bin to a supply hopper for a whole bean packing machine, forming an open-topped bag at a filling station of the whole bean packing machine, delivering a measured quantity of whole roasted coffee beans into the bag, flushing the bag with nitrogen gas and sealing the bag, selectively discharging roasted coffee beans from the grinding bin through a grinder, grinding the coffee beans to form a coffee powder, delivering coffee powder from the grinder to either a fixed bulk de-gassing bin, a mobile holding bin or to a powdered coffee packing machine, at the powdered coffee packing machine forming an open-topped bag, filling the bag with a measured quantity of coffee powder, flushing the bag with nitrogen gas and sealing the bag, selectively delivering coffee powder from the bulk de-gassing bin or the mobile holding bin to either the powdered coffee packing machine for packing the bags or to a canning station for packing in sealed cans.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process includes at the canning station:delivering an open-topped can to a filling station, locating the can beneath a filling head at the filling station, sensing the location of a can at the filling station, discharging a measured amount of coffee powder from a supply hopper through the filling head into the can, while filling the can with coffee powder, vibrating the can for settling the coffee in the can and excluding air from the can, delivering the coffee filled can from the filling station to a can closing device, mounting the can in a sealed housing of the can closing device, applying a vacuum to an interior of the housing, engaging and sealing a cover panel with an open top of the can, and discharging the can from the can closing device.

3. A process as claimed in claim 1 wherein the process 5 includes the step of packing the roasted coffee beans or the coffee powder in sealed bags, each bag having a non-return or venting valve in a sidewall of the bag for venting gasses from an interior to an exterior of the bag. 10

4. A coffee production process substantially as hereinbefore described which reference to the accompanying drawings .

5. Roasted coffee whenever produced by a process as claimed in any preceding claim.