Coffee bean hopper

Abstract

A coffee bean hopper having a bottom funnel terminating in a discharge duct; a top wall; at least one top fill opening; a lateral wall having at least one transparent portion and connecting the top wall to the funnel; and an inner partition extending from the top wall towards the funnel and dividing an inner chamber of the hopper into a first and second half-chamber communicating through a passage between the partition and the funnel; the first half-chamber being bounded laterally by the partition and by part of the lateral wall containing the transparent portion; and the second half-chamber communicating with the discharge duct.

1 . A coffee bean hopper, comprising:
 a bottom funnel terminating in a discharge duct;   a top wall;   at least one top fill opening;   a lateral wall connecting the top wall to the bottom funnel and comprising at least one transparent portion; and   an inner partition extending from the top wall towards the bottom funnel and dividing an inner chamber of the coffee bean hopper into a first and second half-chamber communicating through a passage between the partition and the bottom funnel;   wherein the first half-chamber is bounded laterally by the partition and by part of the lateral wall containing the transparent portion;   wherein the second half-chamber communicates with the discharge duct, and the first half-chamber communicates with the discharge duct solely via the passage and the second half-chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the passage, measured substantially parallel to the inner partition, is shorter in height than the inner partition. 
     
     
         3 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the bottom funnel comprises a sloping wall extending under the inner partition and connected at a bottom end thereof to the discharge duct; the sloping wall comprising a first portion extending under the inner partition and sloping at a first angle, and a second portion connected to the discharge duct and sloping at a second angle steeper than the first angle. 
     
     
         4 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the first angle is less than a static friction angle of the coffee beans. 
     
     
         5 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the inner partition has a free bottom edge substantially parallel to the sloping wall. 
     
     
         6 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the passage is rectangular, and is bounded at a top thereof by a free bottom edge of the partition and at a bottom thereof by the sloping wall. 
     
     
         7 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a turret extending upwards from the top wall, and the inner volume of which forms part of the first half-chamber; the transparent portion extending upwards above the top wall to define a lateral portion of the turret. 
     
     
         8 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the inner partition is a bottom portion of a wall, an upper portion of which extends upwards above the top wall to define a lateral portion of the turret. 
     
     
         9 . The hopper as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the turret has a fill opening at the top.