WO2006009368A1

WO2006009368A1 - Corn roasting apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2006009368A1
Application number: PCT/KR2005/002269
Authority: WO
Inventors: Yong Chi
Original assignee: Genesis Co., Ltd.
Priority date: 2004-07-16
Filing date: 2005-07-14
Publication date: 2006-01-26
Also published as: KR20060050159A; KR100679674B1

Abstract

Provided is a corn roasting apparatus including a main body, a drive motor installed at the main body, a power transfer gear portion, a rotary plate portion having a first rotary plate and a second rotary plate, a rotary chamber having an accommodation space in which corn is ac¬ commodated and detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates to be inclined at a pre¬ determined angle with respect to a horizontal plane, and air injection nozzle installed at a hot wind input path of the first rotary plate and injecting air input through the hot wind input path toward an inner wall of the accommodation space of the rotary chamber so that the air is uniformly injected to the corn accommodated in the accommodation space.

Description

CORN ROASTING APARATUS

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a corn roasting apparatus, and more particularly to a corn roasting apparatus which can automatically and evenly roast corn such as a large amount of sesame, rice, or beans, in particularly, coffee beans. Background Art

[2] In the subject specification, corn is a word that includes all of coffee beans, sesame, rice, or beans. A corn roasting apparatus is capable of roasting the various corn according to a suitable purpose. In the following description, the corn is limited to coffee beans for the convenience of explanation.

[3] To produce a good coffee taste, coffee beans must be roasted appropriately.

Typically, the coffee beans are roasted within 30 minutes at a temperature between 200-280°C. Some coffee lovers manually roast coffee beans at home by using a direct heating apparatus. However, the manually roasting job is very inconvenient because only a small amount of coffee beans can be roasted at a time and a user needs to manually mix the coffee beans and adjust heat while checking a roasting state with the naked eye. Also, when the roasting job is completed, the roasted corn needs to be pull out as the user holds the heating apparatus to flip it, which is very inconvenient and may burn the user's hand.

[4] To solve the above problems, corn roasting apparatuses for automatically roasting corn such as coffee beans have been developed and some of them have been com¬ mercialized. One of the commercialized corn roasting apparatuses is a corn roasting apparatus in which the coffee beans are forcibly blown up by hot wind that blows upwardly. In this corn roasting apparatus, since the coffee beans are crushed into tiny pieces and burnt out, uniform roasting of the coffee beans is impossible. Also, since a drive motor having a high heating capacity and rotating at over 10,000 rpm is required to forcibly blow the coffee beans upwardly, the drive motor makes noise, shows a short life span, and needs a lot of current consumption.

[5] Another type of the corn roasting apparatus is an upward and direct heating type in which a general heater, not a hot wind blowing heater, is installed in the lower side of the apparatus. In this type of the corn roasting apparatus, when a rotary chamber rotates, shells of the coffee beans escape through a hole and are burnt by directly contacting the heater, so that the taste of coffee becomes bad.

[6] One of common problems in most corn roasting apparatuses presently sold in a market or disclosed in publications is that, when a large amount of coffee beans are roasted, the coffee beans are not evenly mixed and roasted because a simple mechanism of simply rotating the rotary chamber is adopted.

[7] Considering the above problem, Korean Utility Model Publication No. 249192 discloses a corn roasting mechanism in which, when a rotary chamber rotates, the centers of both end portions of the rotary chamber are rotated along a particular path simultaneously with the rotation of the rotary chamber. Thus, the coffee beans are more mixed in the rotary chamber while the rotary chamber is rotated to roast the coffee beans. Hot wind is also blown into a space in the rotary chamber to roast the coffee beans. The shells of coffee beans that are separated during the roasting of the coffee beans escape out of the rotary chamber while the coffee beans themselves are prevented from being thrown away with the shells. Also, the temperature and time of roasting of the coffee beans can be adequately controlled so that the coffee beans can be roasted at an appropriate temperature and for a suitable time according to the kind of the coffee beans.

[8] In the above corn roasting apparatuses, although there is a considerable im¬ provement in evenly roasting coffee beans compared to the previous apparatuses, a need for further improving the uniform roasting of the entire coffee beans still remains. In detail, in order to roast coffee beans well, heat must spread throughout the surface of each of the coffee beans so that all coffee beans must be roasted evenly and simul¬ taneously. Hot wind input through a hot wind input path that is formed horizontally is directly discharged through a hot wind output path. That is, when the hot wind input path is formed horizontally, since the hot wind is directly discharged through the hot wind output path in the upper portion of the apparatus above a position where the coffee beans concentrate, without reaching the surface of coffee beans, an efficiency in roasting the coffee beans is remarkably lowered.

[9] To improve the roasting efficiency, it can be considered to increase the capacity of the heater. However, such a method is not advantageous in view of power consumption. Also, although both end portions of the rotary chamber are rotated as the rotary chamber rotates, a large amount of coffee beans is not evenly mixed and the coffee beans located in the lower side continuously remain at the same position. To solve this problem, a structure can be considered in which the rotary chamber is installed at an angle with respect to the horizontal plane when the rotary chamber is coupled to first and second rotary plates. In this case, however, since the volume, that is, the size, of the overall corn roasting apparatus increases accordingly, the structure of the apparatus becomes inefficient and carrying and keeping thereof become in¬ convenient. Disclosure of Invention Technical Solution

[10] To solve the above and/or other problems, the present invention provides a corn roasting apparatus which can evenly mix and roast corn by uniformly supplying hot wind toward the corn accommodated in the rotary chamber without an increase in the capacity of a heater or the size of the apparatus.

[11] According to an aspect of the present invention, a corn roasting apparatus comprises a main body having a hot wind path that is installed at one side and has a blower and a heater, and a discharge path installed at the other side, a drive motor installed at the main body and having a rotational shaft, a power transfer gear portion having a drive gear geared with the rotational shaft of the drive motor, a gear shaft rotatably coupled to the main body and having one end portion coupled to the drive gear, and an in¬ terlocking gear coupled to the other end of the gear shaft, a rotary plate portion having a first rotary plate that has a first ring gear geared with the drive gear and a hot wind input path penetrating the first rotary plate and connected to the hot wind path of the main body and a second rotary plate that is separated a predetermined distance from the first rotary plate, has a second ring gear geared with the interlocking gear, and has a hot wind output path penetrating the second rotary plate and connected to the discharge path of the main body, a rotary chamber having an accommodation space in which corn is accommodated, first and second coupling portions provided at both end portions thereof and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates, respectively, an input hole penetrating the first coupling portion and connected to the hot wind input path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the first rotary plate, and an output hole penetrating the second coupling portion and connected to the hot wind output path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the second rotary plate, wherein the rotary chamber is detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and, during rotation, the center of both end portions thereof perform a rotational motion with respect to the rotational center of the first and second rotary plates, and an air injection nozzle installed at the hot wind input path of the first rotary plate and injecting air input through the hot wind input path toward an inner wall of the accommodation space of the rotary chamber so that the air is uniformly injected to the corn accommodated in the accommodation space.

[12] An outlet of the air injection nozzle is narrower than an inlet thereof and the air injection nozzle is installed such that the center axis of the outlet makes an angle selected from a range between 10°-60° with respect to the inner wall of the ac¬ commodation space of the rotary chamber.

[13] The corn roasting apparatus further comprises a partition plate that is arranged in the accommodation space of the rotary chamber to partition the accommodation space and facilitates mixing of the corn accommodated in the accommodation space during the rotation of the rotary chamber.

[14] A plurality of hot air circulation holes that circulate hot air to the spaces partitioned by the partition plate are formed in the partition plate.

[15] The partition plate has a rectangular shape and includes a cut portion obtained by cutting a portion of each of two diagonal corners of the partition plate to have a pre¬ determined area and a bent portion obtained by bending a portion connected to each of the cut portions of the partition plate in the opposite direction to have a predetermined length.

[16] The predetermined angle is one selected from a range between 10°-60°.

[17] A handle is provided on the rotary chamber, and the corn roasting apparatus further comprises a detection portion that detects an insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber where the handle faces upward, and a control portion that cuts off power of the drive motor when the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber after a stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor is input.

[18] The corn roasting apparatus is a coffee roaster.

[19] According to another aspect of the present invention, a corn roasting apparatus comprises a main body having a path in which hot wind passes, a drive motor provided in the main body, a power transfer gear portion connected to the drive motor to transfer power by the operation of the drive motor, a rotary plate portion arranged to be separated at both sides of the main body and rotated by the power transfer gear portion in the same direction, a rotary chamber having both ends coupled to the rotary plate portion at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane and rotated by the rotary plate portion, in which the hot wind passes through an accommodation space in the rotary chamber where corn is accommodated, and a partition plate arranged in the ac¬ commodation space to partition the accommodation space of the rotary chamber and facilitate mixing of the corn accommodated in the accommodation space during the rotation of the rotary chamber.

[20] A hot wind path having a blower and a heater is installed at one side of the main body and a discharge path is installed at the other side thereof, the drive motor has a rotational shaft, the power transfer gear portion has a drive gear geared with the rotational shaft of the drive motor, a gear shaft rotatably coupled to the main body and having one end portion coupled to the drive gear, and an interlocking gear coupled to the other end of the gear shaft, the rotary plate portion has a first rotary plate that has a first ring gear geared with the drive gear and a hot wind input path penetrating the first rotary plate and connected to the hot wind path of the main body and a second rotary plate that is separated a predetermined distance from the first rotary plate, has a second ring gear geared with the interlocking gear, and has a hot wind output path penetrating the second rotary plate and connected to the discharge path of the main body, and the rotary chamber has an accommodation space in which corn is accommodated, first and second coupling portions provided at both end portions thereof and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates, respectively, an input hole penetrating the first coupling portion and connected to the hot wind input path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the first rotary plate, and an output hole penetrating the second coupling portion and connected to the hot wind output path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the second rotary plate, wherein the rotary chamber is detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and, during rotation, the center of both end portions thereof perform a rotational motion with respect to the rotational center of the first and second rotary plates.

[21] A plurality of hot air circulation holes that circulate hot air to the spaces partitioned by the partition plate are formed in the partition plate.

[22] The partition plate has a rectangular shape and includes a cut portion obtained by cutting a portion of each of two diagonal corners of the partition plate to have a pre¬ determined area and a bent portion obtained by bending a portion connected to each of the cut portions of the partition plate in the opposite direction to have a predetermined length.

[23] The predetermined angle is one selected from a range between 10°-60°.

[24] A handle is provided on the rotary chamber, and the corn roasting apparatus further comprises a detection portion that detects an insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber where the handle faces upward, and a control portion that cuts off power of the drive motor when the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber after a stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor is input.

[25] The corn roasting apparatus is a coffee roaster.

Advantageous Effects

[26] According to the present invention, the corn roasting apparatus can evenly mix and roast corn by uniformly supplying hot wind toward the corn accommodated in the rotary chamber without increasing the capacity of the heater or the size of the apparatus. Brief Description of the Drawings

[27] FlG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a corn roasting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[28] FlG. 2 is an assembly view of the corn roasting apparatus of FlG. 1 ;

[29] FlG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the operation mechanism of the corn roasting apparatus of FlG. 1 ; and

[30] FlG. 4 is a view showing a state in which a section plate is installed in a rotary chamber of the corn roasting apparatus of FlG. 1. Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[31] FlG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a corn roasting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FlG. 2 is an assembly view of the corn roasting apparatus of FlG. 1. FlG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view showing the operation mechanism of the corn roasting apparatus of FlG. 1.

[32] Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a corn roasting apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a main body 10 in which a hot wind path 11 having a blower 11a and a heater 1 Ib is installed at one side thereof and a discharge path 12 is installed at the other side thereof, a drive motor 20 installed at the main body 10 and having a rotational shaft 21, a power transfer gear portion 30 transferring a rotational force of the drive motor 20 to a first rotary plate 41 and a second rotary plate 45 to be described later and rotating the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, a rotary plate portion 40 having the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 which rotate in the same direction by the rotation of the power transfer gear portion 30 and are separated apart from each other, a rotary chamber 50 having both end portions detachably and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 so as to be angled by a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane, an air injection nozzle 60 installed at a hot wind input path 43 of the first rotary plate 41 to be described later and guiding the hot wind input through the hot wind path 11 to be discharged downward with respect to the horizontal plane toward an accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50, a detection portion (not shown) detecting the detachment position of the rotary chamber 50, and a control portion (not shown) controlling power of the drive motor 20.

[33] The rotary chamber 50 is installed at an angle selected from a range of 10°-60° with respect to the horizontal plane. In the present embodiment, the rotary chamber 50 is installed at an angle of 20°. The air injection nozzle 60 heading for the accommodation space 51 has an outlet that is installed such that the center shaft of the outlet is inclined at an angle selected from a range of 10°-60° toward an inner wall of the ac¬ commodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50 so that air can be injected toward the inner wall of the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50. In the present embodiment, the outlet of the air injection nozzle 60 is installed at an angle of 30°.

[34] A support unit 13 for supporting the main body 10 is provided at the lower portion of the main body 10. A cover 17 is installed above the rotary chamber 50 to cover a portion of the rotary chamber 50. A shell accommodation portion 18 for ac- commodating shells of coffee beans that are separated when the coffee beans are roasted is provided at the lateral and lower portions of the discharge path 12. A filtering net 18a is arranged in the shell accommodation portion 18.

[35] A plurality of buffer members 17a for elastically supporting the cover 17 against the outer surface of the rotary chamber 50 is provided on the inner surface of the cover 17. A curved place 17b formed of a metal material and curved in the opposite direction to the cover 17 is arranged in the main body 10.

[36] For a user to operate the corn roasting apparatus 1, a power switch (not shown) for turning the power of the corn roasting apparatus 1 on and off, a temperature controller 15 for controlling a roasting temperature, and a timer 16 for controlling a roasting time are installed in the main body 10. When the timer 16 is operated, the drive motor 20 is operated and the rotary chamber 50 is rotated so that roasting is performed. When a set time is passed, a signal to stop the operation of the drive motor 20 is transmitted to a control portion (not shown) to be described later. The control portion receiving the signal instantly stops the operation of the drive motor 20 when a detection portion (not shown) detects that a handle 58 of the rotary chamber 50 that is described later is located at the detachment position facing upward. The hot wind path 11 is installed in the main body 10 at the position opposite to the discharge path 12. The hot wind path 11 includes the blower 11a and the heater 1 Ib so that the heater 1 Ib heats air and the blower 11a blows the hot wind to the accommodation space 51 in the rotary chamber 50, thereby roasting the coffee beans.

[37] The power transfer gear portion 30 includes a drive gear 31 geared with a rotational shaft 21 of the drive motor 20, a gear shaft 32 rotatably coupled to the main body 10 and having one end portion coupled to the drive gear 31, and a interlocking gear 33 coupled to the other end portion of the gear shaft 32, that is, the opposite side of the drive gear 31. When the drive motor 20 operates, the rotational shaft 21 is rotated and the drive gear 31 geared to the rotational shaft 21 is rotated. Accordingly, when the drive gear 31 rotates, the gear shaft 32 that is forcibly coupled to the drive gear 31 is rotated with the interlocking gear 33 coupled to the other end portion of the gear shaft 32. As the drive gear 31 and the interlocking gear 33 rotate, the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 respectively geared with the interlocking gear 33 and the drive gear 33 are rotated.

[38] The rotary plate portion 40 includes the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45. In the first rotary plate 41, a first ring gear 42 geared with the interlocking gear 33 is provided at the outer circumferential portion thereof and the hot wind input path 43 connecting the hot wind path 11 of the main body 10 is formed. In the second rotary plate 45, a second ring gear 46 geared with the drive gear 31 is provided at the outer circumferential portion thereof and a hot wind output path 47 connecting the discharge path 12 of the main body 10 is formed. According to this structure, the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 rotate substantially at the same speed and in the same direction. The first rotary plate 41 is coupled to the hot wind path 11 fixed to the main body 10 to be capable of relatively rotating. The second rotary plate 45 is coupled to the discharge path 12 fixed to the main body 10 to be capable of rotating. A lubricant such as silicon grease is used at a portion where the first rotary plate 41 is coupled to the hot wind path 11 and a portion where the second rotary plate 45 is coupled to the discharge path 12. The silicon grease that can resist a high temperature reduces friction generated as the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 relatively rotate with respect to the hot wind path 11 and the discharge path 12.

[39] The rotary chamber 50 is detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 to rotate together. A first installation groove 44 and a second installation groove 48 are formed to be roughly rectangular on the outer surfaces of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 which are opposite to each other. A hook step 44a is formed in the lower end of the first installation groove 44 and a hook groove 48a is formed in the upper end of the second installation groove 48. As it will be described later, when the rotary chamber 50 is coupled to the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, a hook protrusion 56a that is moved back and forth by the operation of an installation release button 56 of the rotary chamber 50 is inserted into the hook groove 48a.

[40] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the rotary chamber 50 includes an outer housing 50a having a partially open outer surface and provided with the handle 58 formed on the outer surface thereof, and an inner housing 50b having a cylindrical shape, inserted into the outer housing 50a, formed of a transparent material, and forming the ac¬ commodation space 51 for accommodating coffee beans inside. Ring members Rl and R2 are installed at both sides of the inner housing 50b. The rotary chamber 50 includes a first coupling portion 52 and a second coupling portion 53 formed at both end portions thereof and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, an input hole 54 formed in the first coupling portion 52 to connect the hot wind input path 43 when the first coupling portion 52 is coupled to the first rotary plate 41, and an output hole 55 formed in the second coupling portion 53 to connect the hot wind output path 47 when the second coupling portion 53 is coupled to the second rotary plate 45.

[41] The first coupling portion 52 protrudes from the outer surface of a first cover 52a that is coupled to one side of the outer housing 50a. A first inner plate 52b is arranged in the first cover 52a and a first grill 52c is coupled to the first inner plate 52b. Ac¬ cordingly, the input hole 54 has a path passing through the first cover 52a, the first inner plate 52b, and the first grill 52c. Likewise, the second coupling portion 53 protrudes from the outer surface of a second cover 53a that is coupled to the other side of the outer housing 50a. A second inner plate 53b is arranged in the second cover 53a and a second grill 53c is coupled to the second inner plate 53b. Accordingly, the output hole 55 has a path passing through the second grill 52c, the second inner plate 53b, and the second cover 53a. The first and second grills 52c and 53c prevent the coffee beans from escaping out of the rotary chamber 50.

[42] While the first cover 52a is fixed to one side of the outer housing 50a, the second cover 53a selectively opens and closes an opening at the other side of the outer housing 50a. To this end, an open/close hinge portion 59 that pivots to open/close the second cover 53a is provided in the upper ends of the second cover 53a and the outer housing 50a. The open/close hinge portion 59 includes a first hinge bracket 59a coupled to one side of the upper end of the outer housing 50a, a second hinge bracket 59b coupled to one side of the upper end of the second cover 53a, and a hinge pin 59c connecting the first and second hinge brackets 59a and 59b to pivot with respect to each other. Thus, the second cover 53a can selectively open/close the opening at the other side of the outer housing 50a by pivoting around the hinge pin 59c.

[43] The input hole 54 and the output hole 55 are respectively formed at the upper and lower portions of the rotary chamber 50 with respect to the rotational center axis of the rotary chamber 50. Accordingly, when the rotary chamber 50 is coupled to the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 such that the input hole 54 and the output hole 55 are connected to the hot wind input path 43 and the hot wind output path 47, the rotary chamber 50 is inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane. Thus, when the rotary chamber 50 rotates in an engagement with the rotation of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, the centers of both end portions of the rotary chamber 50 rotate with respect to the centers of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45. Consequently, when the rotary chamber 50 rotates, an effect similar to twisting during rotation is caused so that the coffee beans accommodated in the rotary chamber 50 are evenly mixed.

[44] The rotary chamber 50 is installed at the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 by inserting the first and second coupling portions 52 and 53 at both end portions of the rotary chamber 50 into the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48. The in¬ stallation release button 56 that is elastically biased by a spring S and manually operated is installed on the upper end of the second coupling portion 53. The hook protrusion 56a is formed on the outer surface of the installation release button 56 so that, when the installation release button 56 is pulled inwardly, the hook protrusion 56a is pulled inwardly and, when the installation release button 56 is released, the hook protrusion 56a protrudes outwardly by the elastic force of the spring S. Thus, when the rotary chamber 50 is installed on the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48, an operator inserts the first and second coupling portions 52 and 53 into the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48, respectively, as he/she pulls the installation release button 56 inwardly. When the operator releases the installation release button 56 after the insertion until the lower end of the second coupling portion 53 is supported by being caught by the hook step 48a on the second installation groove 48 is completed, the hook protrusion 56a of the installation release button 56 protrudes by the elastic force of the spring S and is inserted into the hook groove 48a of the second rotary plate 45 so that the coupling of the rotary chamber 50 is completed.

[45] To separate the rotary chamber 50 from the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, the operator pulls the installation release button 56 so that the hook protrusion 56a is released from the hook groove 48a and lifts the rotary chamber 50. Then, the rotary chamber 50 is separated from the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 as it slides along the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48.

[46] A partition plate 57 that partitions the accommodation space 51 in the inner housing

50b into two parts is installed in the inner housing 50b. The partition plate 57 helps the coffee beans in the accommodation space 51 efficiently mixed as the rotary chamber 50 rotates. When a large amount of coffee beans is roasted, the accumulated coffee beans need to be mixed up and down to evenly roast the coffee beans. The partition plate 57 is used for this end. In the present embodiment, the partition plate 57 has a rectangular shape and includes a cut portion 57a obtained by cutting a portion of each of two diagonal corners of the partition plate 57 to have a predetermined area and a bent portion 57b obtained by bending a potion connected to each of the cut portions 57a of the partition plate 57 in the opposite direction to have a predetermined length. When the rotary chamber 50 rotates, the partition plate 57 guides the coffee beans moving on the surface of the partition plate 57 and controls the amount of movement of the coffee beans. Also, a plurality of hot air circulation holes 57c are formed on the partition plate 57, which makes not only the hot wind circulate between two spaces in the accommodation space 51 divided by the partition plate 57 but also coffee beans roll and flip on the surface of the partition plate 57 without sliding. The hot air circulation holes 57c help evenly mixing and roasting of the coffee beans.

[47] The air injection nozzle 60 is installed in the hot wind input path 43 of the first rotary plate 41 to be connected to the hot wind path 11 and guides hot wind output from the hot wind path 11 to the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50. The outlet of the air injection nozzle 60 is narrower than the inlet thereof so as to guide the air output from the hot wind input path 43 to be injected toward the inner wall of the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50 so that the air can be uniformly injected onto the coffer beans. The air injection nozzle 60 is installed such that the center axis of the outlet thereof is inclined at an angle of 10°-60° toward the inner wall of the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50. In the present embodiment, the installation angle is about 30°. Thus, the hot air is injected through the air injection nozzle 60 at an angle of about 30° toward the inner wall of the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50 so that all coffee beans can be evenly roasted as the rotary chamber 50 rotates. The partition plate 57 and the hot air circulation holes 57c formed on the partition plate 57 as well help the uniform roasting of the coffee beans. The air injection nozzle 60 is supported by a nozzle assembly 60a.

[48] The rotary chamber 50 that is rotating must be stopped at a predetermined position at which the rotary chamber 50 can be inserted into or separated from the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48 of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45. To this end, the corn roasting apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a detection portion (not shown) that detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber 50 at which the handle 58 faces upward and a control portion (not shown) that cuts off the power of the drive motor 20 when a stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor 20 is input and then the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber 50. A timer 16 inputs the stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor 20 to the control portion when the time set on the timer 16 is completed. That is, when the time set on the timer 16 is completed, the stop signal is transmitted to the control portion. Then, the control portion does not cut off the power of the drive motor 20 and waits until the detection portion detects the insertion/ separation position of the rotary chamber 50. When the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber 50, the control portion instantly cuts off the power of the drive motor 20 so that the rotary chamber 50 stops at the insertion/ separation position.

[49] In the operation of the corn roasting apparatus 1 configured as above according to the present invention, an operator puts an appropriate amount of coffee beans into the accommodate space 51 of the rotary chamber 50, slides the rotary chamber 50 into the first and second installation grooves 44 and 48 of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45, and couples the rotary chamber 50 by inserting the hook protrusion 56a of the installation release button 56 into the hook groove 48a.

[50] After the power switch provided on the main body 10 is turned on, roasting temperature and time are set using the temperature controller 15 and the timer 16, re¬ spectively. Although it will vary according to the sort of coffee beans, the humid state of the coffee beans, a voltage, the amount of coffee beans, or a surrounding temperature, the most appropriate roasting time is about 30 minutes. When the timer 16 is set to a period of about 30 minutes, the coffee beans are roasted for the first 20 minutes and then cooled down for the remaining 10 minutes. The temperature of the coffee beans when the roasting is finished is about 240°C-250°C. For a good taste, the coffee beans are required to be cooled fast. [51] When the timer 16 is turned to set the time, the drive motor 20 is operated and the rotational shaft 21 of the drive motor 20 rotates the drive gear 31 engaged therewith. As soon as the drive gear 31 rotates, the gear shaft 32 and the interlocking gear 33 rotate at the same speed. As the drive gear 31 and the interlocking gear 33 rotate, the first and second ring gears 42 and 46 of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 connected thereto are rotated. Thus, the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 connected to the first and second ring gears 42 and 46 are rotated. When the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 rotate, the rotary chamber 50 coupled thereto is rotated in the same direction so that the coffee beans inside are mixed together.

[52] The hot wind is input through the input hole 54 of the rotary chamber 50 via the hot wind path 11 and injected toward the accommodation space 51 of the rotary chamber 50 through the air injection nozzle 60. Since the rotary chamber 50 continuously rotates, the coffee beans in the accommodation space 51 smoothly and continuously change their positions vertically, to which the hot wind blows, due to the partition plate 57. As the hot wind is circulated through the hot air circulation holes 57c, the coffee beans can be evenly and appropriately mixed and roasted.

[53] To separate the shells of the coffee beans, not only surface heating but also a physical impact is needed. The shells of the coffee beans are easily separated as the coffee beans roll in the rotary chamber 50. Since the shells of the coffee beans are light, they can be easily discharged out of the rotary chamber 50 by being mixed with the outbound hot wind through the output hole 55, the hot wind output path 47, and the discharge path 12, thus filling the shell accommodation portion 18. The roasting process takes about 17-22 minutes at a temperature of about 190°C-270°C.

[54] After the roasting process is completed, a cooling process is performed auto¬ matically. In the cooling process, the control portion stops the heater 1 Ib and controls the blower 1 Ia to rapidly increase the rotational speed of a fan (not shown) of the blower 11a. Accordingly, air at the room temperature is blown into the rotary chamber 50 for about 10 minutes to drop the temperature of the coffee beans below 60°C. At this time, since the other parts of the corn roasting apparatus 1 are also dropped below 60°C, a possibility of being burnt by the hot parts can be prevented. In this cooling process, oil or a caramel component that makes the taste good and is extruded from the surface of t°Che coffee beans during the roasting process is intruded into the coffee beans with being vaporized, thus improving the fragrance and taste of the coffee beans. Typically, the temperature of the coffee beans reaches about 60°C before the time set on the timer 16 is completed, Thus, when the time set on the timer 16 is completed, the stop signal is input to the control portion. However, if the temperature of the coffee beans does not reach about 60°C even when the time set on the timer 16 is completed, the set time is considered not to be completed and, when the temperature of the coffee beans reaches about 60°C, the timer 16 inputs the stop signal to the control portion.

[55] When the time set on the timer 16 is completed, although the stop signal is input to the control portion, the rotary chamber 50 continues to rotate. When the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position where the handle 58 of the rotary chamber 50 faces upward, the control portion instantly stops the drive motor 20 so that the rotary chamber 50 is stopped at the insertion/separation position.

[56] When the overall roasting process including the cooling process is completed, the operator holds the handle 58 and pulls the installation release button 56 inwardly to separate the hook protrusion 56a from the hook groove 48a and lifts the rotary chamber 50. Thus, the rotary chamber 50 slides out of the°C first and second installation grooves 44 and 48 of the first and second rotary plates 41 and 45 and is separated therefrom. Then, a cover (not shown) of the rotary chamber 50 is opened and the roasted coffee beans are collected.

[57] When the operator wishes to complete the cooling process for a shorter time without waiting until the temperature reaches 60°C, a stop button (not shown) is pressed one more. Then, the cooling process can be completed at a temperature of 100°C. For reference, the stop button can be provided additionally or integrally with the temperature controller 15 or the timer 16.

[58] When the user wishes to finish the roasting process, the stop button is pressed for a long time so that the rotation of the rotary chamber 50 is stopped and the rotary chamber 50 is stopped instantly at a regular position. Then, the user using a glove can pull the rotary chamber 50 out of the main body 10. However, since the main body 10 needs to be cooled although the rotary chamber 50 is pulled out, the cooling process continues to cool the main body 10 to 100°C or 60°C.

[59] In the above embodiment, although that the second coupling portion is located higher than the first coupling portion with respect to the horizontal plane at the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber, the rotary chamber is coupled to the first and second rotary plates by being inclined with respect to the horizontal plane, and the installation release button is installed at the second coupling portion, it is obvious that the first coupling portion is located higher than the second coupling portion with respect to the horizontal plane at the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber and the installation release button is installed at the first coupling portion. Industrial Applicability

[60] According to the present invention, the corn roasting apparatus can evenly mix and roast corn by uniformly supplying hot wind toward the corn accommodated in the rotary chamber without increasing the capacity of the heater or the size of the apparatus.

Claims

[ 1 ] A corn roasting apparatus comprising : a main body having a hot wind path that is installed at one side and has a blower and a heater, and a discharge path installed at the other side; a drive motor installed at the main body and having a rotational shaft; a power transfer gear portion having a drive gear geared with the rotational shaft of the drive motor, a gear shaft rotatably coupled to the main body and having one end portion coupled to the drive gear, and an interlocking gear coupled to the other end of the gear shaft; a rotary plate portion having a first rotary plate that has a first ring gear geared with the drive gear and a hot wind input path penetrating the first rotary plate and connected to the hot wind path of the main body and a second rotary plate that is separated a predetermined distance from the first rotary plate, has a second ring gear geared with the interlocking gear, and has a hot wind output path penetrating the second rotary plate and connected to the discharge path of the main body; a rotary chamber having an accommodation space in which corn is ac¬ commodated, first and second coupling portions provided at both end portions thereof and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates, respectively, an input hole penetrating the first coupling portion and connected to the hot wind input path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the first rotary plate, and an output hole penetrating the second coupling portion and connected to the hot wind output path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the second rotary plate, wherein the rotary chamber is detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and, during rotation, the center of both end portions thereof perform a rotational motion with respect to the rotational center of the first and second rotary plates; and an air injection nozzle installed at the hot wind input path of the first rotary plate and injecting air input through the hot wind input path toward an inner wall of the accommodation space of the rotary chamber so that the air is uniformly injected to the corn accommodated in the accommodation space.

[2] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 1, wherein an outlet of the air injection nozzle is narrower than an inlet thereof and the air injection nozzle is installed such that the center axis of the outlet makes an angle selected from a range between 10°-60° with respect to the inner wall of the accommodation space of the rotary chamber.

[3] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a partition plate that is arranged in the accommodation space of the rotary chamber to partition the ac¬ commodation space and facilitates mixing of the corn accommodated in the ac¬ commodation space during the rotation of the rotary chamber.

[4] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 3, wherein a plurality of hot air circulation holes that circulate hot air to the spaces partitioned by the partition plate are formed in the partition plate.

[5] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 4, wherein the partition plate has a rectangular shape and includes a cut portion obtained by cutting a portion of each of two diagonal corners of the partition plate to have a predetermined area and a bent portion obtained by bending a portion connected to each of the cut portions of the partition plate in the opposite direction to have a predetermined length.

[6] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the predetermined angle is one selected from a range between 10°-60°.

[7] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 1, wherein a handle is provided on the rotary chamber, and the corn roasting apparatus further comprises: a detection portion that detects an insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber where the handle faces upward; and a control portion that cuts off power of the drive motor when the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber after a stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor is input.

[8] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 1, wherein the corn roasting apparatus is a coffee roaster.

[9] A corn roasting apparatus comprising: a main body having a path in which hot wind passes; a drive motor provided in the main body; a power transfer gear portion connected to the drive motor to transfer power by the operation of the drive motor; a rotary plate portion arranged to be separated at both sides of the main body and rotated by the power transfer gear portion in the same direction; a rotary chamber having both ends coupled to the rotary plate portion at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane and rotated by the rotary plate portion, in which the hot wind passes through an accommodation space in the rotary chamber where corn is accommodated; and a partition plate arranged in the accommodation space to partition the ac¬ commodation space of the rotary chamber and facilitate mixing of the corn ac¬ commodated in the accommodation space during the rotation of the rotary chamber.

[10] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 9, wherein a hot wind path having a blower and a heater is installed at one side of the main body and a discharge path is installed at the other side thereof, the drive motor has a rotational shaft, the power transfer gear portion has a drive gear geared with the rotational shaft of the drive motor, a gear shaft rotatably coupled to the main body and having one end portion coupled to the drive gear, and an interlocking gear coupled to the other end of the gear shaft, the rotary plate portion has a first rotary plate that has a first ring gear geared with the drive gear and a hot wind input path penetrating the first rotary plate and connected to the hot wind path of the main body and a second rotary plate that is separated a predetermined distance from the first rotary plate, has a second ring gear geared with the interlocking gear, and has a hot wind output path penetrating the second rotary plate and connected to the discharge path of the main body, and the rotary chamber has an accommodation space in which corn is ac¬ commodated, first and second coupling portions provided at both end portions thereof and forcibly coupled to the first and second rotary plates, respectively, an input hole penetrating the first coupling portion and connected to the hot wind input path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the first rotary plate, and an output hole penetrating the second coupling portion and connected to the hot wind output path when the rotary chamber is coupled to the second rotary plate, wherein the rotary chamber is detachably coupled to the first and second rotary plates to be inclined at a predetermined angle with respect to a horizontal plane and, during rotation, the center of both end portions thereof perform a rotational motion with respect to the rotational center of the first and second rotary plates.

[11] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 9, wherein a plurality of hot air circulation holes that circulate hot air to the spaces partitioned by the partition plate are formed in the partition plate.

[12] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 11, wherein the partition plate has a rectangular shape and includes a cut portion obtained by cutting a portion of each of two diagonal corners of the partition plate to have a predetermined area and a bent portion obtained by bending a portion connected to each of the cut portions of the partition plate in the opposite direction to have a predetermined length.

[13] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the predetermined angle is one selected from a range between 10°-60°.

[14] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 9, wherein a handle is provided on the rotary chamber, and the corn roasting apparatus further comprises: a detection portion that detects an insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber where the handle faces upward: and a control portion that cuts off power of the drive motor when the detection portion detects the insertion/separation position of the rotary chamber after a stop signal to stop the operation of the drive motor is input.

[15] The corn roasting apparatus of claim 9, wherein the corn roasting apparatus is a coffee roaster.