| 摘要 |
A coffee blending apparatus for automatically custom blending two or more different types of coffee beans with or without added flavoring to an individual's personalized blend and/or flavor. The apparatus includes a plurality of supply hoppers, each containing a particular type of coffee bean, each hopper having a controlled discharge opening from which the coffee beans are selectively discharged in predetermined amounts onto a weighing apparatus or scale for weighing. The selected coffee beans forming the desired blend are then mixed to form a homogeneous blend of coffee beans and from where the blended beans are directed to either a grinding station or bagging station as an unflavored blend, or to a flavoring station wherein the homogeneously blended coffee beans are mixed with a desired flavoring ingredient. In one form of the invention, a scale having a discharge opening is interposed between the supply hoppers and the mixer where the coffee beans are blended. In another form of the invention, the mixer also functions as the scale for weighing the blended coffee beans. In either embodiment, the apparatus is controlled by a central processing unit (CPU) for controlling and sequencing the operation of the apparatus, whereby an individual customer may automatically customize his or her own personal coffee blend, with or without added flavoring.
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