1. A kinematic platform, comprising:
a base having opposed upper and lower surfaces, the lower surface being adapted for mounting on a support surface;
an upper platform plate having opposed upper and lower surfaces;
a plurality of linear actuators, each of the linear actuators having opposed upper and lower ends and being selectively actuatable;
a plurality of upper spherical joints pivotally connecting the upper ends of the linear actuators to the lower surface of the upper platform plate;
a plurality of lower spherical joints pivotally connecting the lower ends of the linear actuators to the upper surface of the base, each of the upper and lower spherical joints having:
a joint housing having an open interior region and at least one open end;
at least one electromagnet disposed within the open interior region of the joint housing;
a spherical joint member positioned against the at least one electromagnet, the at least one electromagnet being external to said spherical joint member; and
at least one cover member securing at least a portion of the spherical joint member within the joint housing so that the spherical joint member frictionally engages the at least one electromagnet, the at least one electromagnet being positioned opposite the at least one cover member, such that the at least a portion of the spherical joint member within the joint housing is positioned between the at least one electromagnet and the at least one cover member,
wherein the at least one electromagnet is selectively actuatable to selectively control the degree of magnetic attraction between the spherical joint member and the electromagnet to selectively control rotational freedom of the spherical joint member with respect to the at least one electromagnet and the joint housing.
2. The kinematic platform as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one electromagnet of each of said upper and lower spherical joints has a recess formed in one end thereof for receiving a portion of the spherical joint member.
3. The kinematic platform as recited in claim 2, wherein each said spherical joint member comprises:
an outer spherical retaining shell having an outer wall and an internal wall, the retaining shell defining an aperture;
at least one internal spherical sectioned member disposed inside the outer retaining shell, the at least one internal spherical sectioned member being in contact with the internal wall of the outer retaining shell;
a spherical joint actuator having at least one piston, the at least one piston being secured to the at least one internal spherical sectioned member, the end of the respective linear actuator being mounted to the spherical joint actuator and extending through the shell aperture;
a third internal spherical sectioned member attached to the spherical joint actuator; and
means for relaying braking and release commands from a controller, the spherical joint actuator responsively varying friction between the at least one internal spherical sectioned member and the internal wall of the spherical retaining shell, thereby selectively braking and alternately allowing rotational motion of the at least one internal spherical sectioned member and the elongate member relative to the outer spherical retaining shell.
4. The kinematic platform as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of linear actuators consists of three linear actuators.
5. The kinematic platform as recited in claim 1, wherein the pluralities of upper and lower spherical joints respectively comprise at least three upper spherical joints and at least three lower spherical joints.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A roaster for roasting coffee beans comprising:
a roasting chamber having a top and a bottom for holding coffee beans when the beans are being roasted;
a cover seated on said top of said roasting chamber;
a base on which said bottom of said roasting chamber is seated;
means provided in said base for supplying airflow into said roasting chamber; and,
control means for controlling said airflow supplying means to generate a roasting temperature inside said roasting chamber that tracks a predetermined temperature curve;
wherein said temperature curve includes a first stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a first predetermined level for a first predetermined time period, and a second stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a second predetermined level that is higher than said first predetermined level, and
said second stage includes a plurality of stages including a current stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a current predetermined level for a current predetermined time period and a subsequent stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a subsequent predetermined level that is higher than said current predetermined level for a subsequent predetermined time period.
2. The roaster as defined in claim 1 wherein said plurality of roasting stage includes a third stage in which said roasting temperature is lowered to allow the coffee beans to cool.
3. The roaster as defined in claim 1 wherein said control means is in communication with a first sensor for measuring an air temperature at a first location in said roaster and a second sensor for measuring an air temperature at a second location in said roaster, for controlling said roasting temperature to track said temperature curve based on said air temperatures measured by said first and second sensors.
4. The roaster as defined in claim 3 wherein said control means controls said roasting temperature by controlling said airflow supplying means to generate said airflow having a temperature that tracks said temperature curve as measured by said second sensor, and adjusting said airflow temperature based on said temperature measured by said first sensor.
5. The roaster as defined in claim 4 wherein said control means includes a roasting temperature adjustment means for indicating an adjustment to be made to said airflow temperature based on said temperature measured by said first sensor.
6. The roaster as defined in claim 5 wherein said first location is proximate an air inlet on said base for allowing ambient air to be drawn into said base, and said second location is between said airflow supplying means and said roasting chamber.
7. The roaster as defined in claim 5 wherein said first location is proximate an air inlet on said base for allowing ambient air to be drawn into said base, and said second location is in said cover.
8. The roaster as defined in claim 3 wherein an average of said air temperatures at said first location and said second location is used to track said temperature curve.
9. The roaster as defined in claim 8 wherein said first location is between said airflow supplying means and said roasting chamber, and said second location is in said cover.
10. The roaster as defined in claim 1 further including an inlet airflow control assembly for controlling an amount of ambient air entering said base.
11. The roaster as defined in claim 10 wherein said inlet airflow control assembly includes an opening formed on said base, and a cover for adjusting airflow through said opening.
12. The roaster as defined in claim 11 wherein said opening includes at least one elongated slot, and said cover includes at least one elongated slot corresponding to said slots of said opening for adjustably increasing and decreasing a size of said slots of said opening.
13. The roaster as defined in claim 1 wherein said airflow supplying means includes a resistance heating element and a fan for generating said airflow through said heating element.
14. The roaster as defined in claim 13 wherein said control means increases a speed of said fan to increase said roasting temperature generated by said airflow supplying means, and decreases said speed to decrease said roasting temperature generated by said airflow supplying means.
15. The roaster as defined in claim 1 further including means for reducing input AC power, and a converter for converting said reduced AC power to DC power.
16. The roaster as defined in claim 15 wherein said power reducing means is a step down transformer.
17. The roaster as defined in claim 15 wherein said power reducing means is a resistance heating element.
18. The roaster as defined in claim 1 further including a sensor for measuring a temperature of said airflow produced by said airflow supplying means,
wherein said control means controls said airflow supplying means to generate said roasting temperature based on said airflow temperature measured by said sensor.
19. A method of roasting coffee beans in a roasting chamber of a roasting apparatus, comprising the steps of:
controlling a temperature of an airflow supplied to a roasting chamber to follow a predetermined temperature curve, said following of said temperature curve including;
roasting the beans in a first stage in which a roasting temperature is set to a first predetermined level for a first predetermined time period;
roasting the beans in a second stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a second predetermined level that is higher than said first predetermined level,
said second stage including a plurality of stages including a current stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a current predetermined level for a current predetermined time period and a subsequent stage in which said roasting temperature is set to a subsequent predetermined level that is higher than said current predetermined level for a subsequent predetermined time period.
20. The method as defined in claim 1 further including the step of reducing said roasting temperature to cool the coffee beans.
21. A roaster for roasting coffee beans comprising:
a roasting chamber having a top and a bottom for holding coffee beans when the beans are being roasted;
a cover seated on said top of said roasting chamber;
a base on which said bottom of said roasting chamber is seated;
an inlet airflow control assembly provided on said base for controlling an amount of ambient air entering said base;
means provided in said base for supplying an airflow into said roasting chamber; and,
control means for controlling said airflow supplying means to generate a roasting temperature inside said roasting chamber.
22. The roaster as defined in claim 21 wherein said inlet airflow control assembly includes an opening formed on said base, and a cover for adjusting an ambient airflow through said opening.
23. The roaster as defined in claim 22 wherein said opening includes at least one elongated slot, and said cover includes at least one elongated slot corresponding to said slots of said opening for adjustably increasing and decreasing a size of said slots of said opening.