Set comprising a plurality of mutually connected coffee grinders

Abstract

A set includes a plurality of coffee grinders, each coffee grinder including: a body, a grinding unit, actuation means to activate the grinding unit, a load cell to weigh a filter holder, and booking means to book the activation of the coffee grinder; the set has a central control unit to receive a booking signal from the booking means of each coffee grinder and create an ordered list with an activation sequence of the coffee grinders; the central control unit is connected to the load cell of all coffee grinders to send an activation command of the load cell to a coffee grinder at a time according to the sequence indicated by the ordered list.

Claims

1. An assembly comprising: a plurality of coffee grinders, wherein each of said plurality of coffee grinders comprises: a body having an inlet adapted to allow introduction of coffee beans into said body and an outlet adapted to allow dispensing of ground coffee from said body; a grinder disposed in said body and adapted to grind the coffee beans; an actuator connected to said grinder and adapted to activate grinding of said grinder; a load cell disposed under the outlet and adapted to support a filter-holder so as to weigh the filter-holder; and a booker adapted to book an activation of said grinder; and a central control unit directly or indirectly connected to said booker of all of said plurality of coffee grinders, said central control unit configured to receive a booking signal from each of said plurality of coffee grinders and to create an ordered list with an activation sequence of said plurality of coffee grinders according to an order in which said central control unit receives the booking signal from said booker, said central control unit being directly or indirectly connected to said load cell of all of said plurality of coffee grinders and configured to send an activation command to said load cell of one coffee grinder at a time of said plurality of coffee grinders according to the activation sequence of the ordered list such that said plurality of coffee grinders are operated individually and never simultaneously.

2. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said booker has a presence sensor adapted to detect a pressure of the filter-holder under the outlet of said body.

3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein said booker is a button.

4. The assembly of claim 1, wherein each coffee grinder of said plurality of coffee grinders has a control unit connected to said central control unit and to said load cell in order to receive the activation command from said central control unit in order to active said load cell, wherein the control unit of each coffee grinder is connected to said booker so as to send the booking signal to said central control unit.

5. The assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one coffee grinder of said plurality of coffee grinders has an anti-vibration foot at a lower position of said body so as to support said body and to dampen vibrations of said body.

6. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the anti-vibration foot is a rubber body.

7. The assembly of claim 5, wherein said body of the at least one coffee grinder of said plurality of coffee grinders has a threaded hole with a vertical axis, said anti-vibration foot having a threaded screw that is screwed into the threaded hole of said body.

8. The assembly of claim 5, wherein the anti-vibration foot has a coarse lower surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) For the sake of clarity, the description of the set of coffee grinders according to the invention continues with reference to the attached drawings, which have a merely illustrative, not limiting value, wherein:

(2) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic front view of the set of coffee grinders according to the invention;

(3) FIG. 2 is a block diagram that shows the connections between the components of the set of coffee grinders according to the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 is an axonometric view of an anti-vibration foot of a coffee grinder of the set of coffee grinders according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(5) With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, a set of coffee grinders according to the invention is disclosed, which is generally indicated with reference numeral (G).

(6) The set of coffee grinders (G) comprises two or more coffee grinders (100) that are positioned on the same worktop (P) or on different worktops (P), but in mutual contact. Each coffee grinder (100) comprises a body (1) with an inlet (10) for introducing coffee beans in the body (1) and an outlet (11) for dispensing the ground coffee from the body (1).

(7) Each coffee grinder (100) comprises a grinding unit (3) disposed in the body (1) to grind the coffee beans. The grinding unit (3) comprises spaced out blades that define a gap in communication with the inlet (10) to introduce coffee beans in the gap and with the outlet (11) to dispense ground coffee from the body (1).

(8) Each coffee grinder (100) comprises actuation means (4) connected to the grinding unit (3) to activate the grinding unit (3). More precisely, at least one blade of the grinding unit (3) is rotary and is connected to the actuation means (4), in such a way that the actuation means (4) drive the rotary blade into rotation.

(9) Each coffee grinder (100) comprises a load cell (2) suitable for supporting a filter-holder disposed under the outlet (11) in order to weigh the filter-holder both when it is empty and during refilling.

(10) Each coffee grinder (100) comprises connection means (not shown in the figures) disposed on the load cell (2) to connect the filter holder to the load cell (2).

(11) Each coffee grinder (100) comprises booking means (5) to book the activation of the coffee grinder (100). The booking means (5) can be of automatic or manual type.

(12) If the booking means (5) are of manual type, the booking means (5) consist in a button that is advantageously disposed on the body (1) of the coffee grinder (100) and suitable for being manually pressed by a user when the coffee grinder (100) is ready to be activated, i.e. when the filter holder is on the load cell (2) under the outlet (11) of the body (1).

(13) If the booking means (5) are of automatic type, the booking means (5) consist in a presence sensor to detect the presence of the filter holder on the load cell (2) under the outlet (11). Advantageously, the presence sensor is a proximity sensor disposed in correspondence of the connection means.

(14) The set of coffee grinders (G) comprises a central control unit (U) that is directly or indirectly connected to the booking means (5) of all coffee grinders (100) to receive a booking signal (I5) from the booking means (5) of each coffee grinder (100), and create an ordered list with an activation sequence of the coffee grinders (100) based on the order in which the central control unit (U) receives the booking signal (I5) from the booking means (5). The central control unit (U) is directly or indirectly connected to the load cell (2) of all coffee grinders (100) to send an activation command (I2) of the load cell to a coffee grinder (100) at a time according to the sequence indicated by the ordered list.

(15) Advantageously, each coffee grinder (100) comprises a control unit (U1) connected to the central control unit (U) and to the load cell (2) of the coffee grinder (100) to receive the activation command (12) from the central control unit (U) to activate the load cell (2). Moreover, the control unit (U1) of each coffee grinder (100) is connected to the booking means (5) of the coffee grinder (100) to send the booking signal (I5) generated by the booking means (5) of the coffee machine (100) to the central control unit (U).

(16) The control unit (U1) of each coffee grinder (100) is also connected to the actuation means (4) to activate the actuation means.

(17) Otherwise said, when a coffee grinder (100) is ready to be activated, the booking means (5) sends a booking signal (I5) to the control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder (100).

(18) The control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder (100) sends the booking signal (I5) to the central control unit (U).

(19) The central control unit (U) puts the coffee grinder (100) at the end of the ordered list, in such a way to generate an activation sequence of the coffee grinders (100).

(20) The central control unit (U) sends the activation command (I2) only to the control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder to be activated, i.e. the first coffee grinder of the ordered list.

(21) The control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder to be activated transmits the activation command (I2) to the load cell (2) of the coffee grinder.

(22) The load cell (2) starts weighing the empty filter holder and sends the weight information (I20) of the empty filter holder to the control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder.

(23) The control unit (U1) sends an activation command (I4) to the actuation means (4), in such a way that the coffee beans are ground.

(24) The ground coffee falls in the filter holder. Simultaneously, the load cell (2) weighs the filter holder with the ground coffee and sends the weight information (I21) of the filter holder to the control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder. When the weight of the filter holder with the ground coffee coincides with a piece of information about the weight of the full filter holder stored in the control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder, the control unit (U1) sends a stop command (I40) to the activation means (4).

(25) The control unit (U1) of the coffee grinder sends a stop grinding signal (I7) to the central control unit (U), in such a way that the central control unit (U) sends the activation command (I2) to the next coffee grinder (100).

(26) The advantages of the set of coffee grinders according to the invention are manifest, wherein the provision of the booking means permits to activate the coffee grinders sequentially. In view of the above, each coffee grinder can weigh the filter holder without being affected by the presence of vibrations generated by the other coffee grinders.

(27) With reference to FIGS. 1 and 3, each coffee grinder (100) comprises anti-vibration feet (6) connected in lower position to the body (1) of each coffee grinder (100) to support the body (1) and dampen the vibrations of the body (1).

(28) Each anti-vibration foot (6) comprises a cylindrical rubber body (60) with a vertical axis. The body (60) of the anti-vibration foot (6) comprises an upper surface (63) facing the body (1) of the coffee grinder (100) and a lower surface (62) suitable for being disposed on the worktop (P). The lower surface (62) is advantageously coarse in such a way to create friction with the worktop (P).

(29) Each anti-vibration foot (6) comprises a threaded screw (61) that protrudes upwards from the body (60) of the anti-vibration foot (6). The body (1) of the coffee grinder (100) comprises threaded holes with vertical axis, wherein the threaded screws (61) of the anti-vibration feet (6) are screwed.

(30) It must be noted that, as an alternative to the threaded screw, the anti-vibration foot (6) can comprise a plug that is inserted in a hole of the body (1) of the coffee grinder, or a hole that houses a plug or a screw of the body (1) of the coffee grinder.

(31) Because of the provision of the anti-vibration foot, the effects of the vibrations on the load cell can be reduced. In fact, being made of rubber, the body (60) of the horizontal foot (6) absorbs the vibrations, which are not transmitted to the load cell (2) of the coffee grinder (100).

(32) Although it is not shown in the figures, the coffee grinder (100) may comprise only one anti-vibration foot (6). Also the body (1) of each coffee grinder (100) may comprise only one threaded hole (15).

(33) Numerous variations and modifications can be made to the present embodiment of the invention, which are within the reach of an expert of the field, falling in any case within the scope of the invention as disclosed by the appended claims.