GB2069324A - Automatic beverage making apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

In an automatic beverage-making apparatus Fig. 3, water is heated electrically in a closed water chamber 14 and discharges, by the steam pressure generated when the water boils, through a transfer pipe 27 into a beverage chamber 16 in which tea bags or other materials have previously been put has both chambers contained within a single vessel. A lid 4 supports a cap 36 which seals the water chamber 15. The apparatus includes a time clock for switching on the water heater forming a unit which is self-contained apart from the electricity supply. In another embodiment (Figure 5) the beverage chamber 73 is above the water chamber 72 and separated by a partition 67 which is supported on an annular shoulder within the single vessel, or clamped between chambers 72 and 73 as integral with one of them. The transfer pipe 69 is mounted on the partition and both are removable for filling and cleaning the apparatus. The transfer pipe and partition may be replaced by a usual coffee-percolator fitting. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements in or relating to beveragemaking apparatus This invention relates to automatic beveragemaking apparatus of the kind comprising an operating circuit through an electric heating element of a water chamber arranged to discharge boiling water into a beverage chamber, means being provided for opening the operating circuit through the heating element when the bulk of the water has been transferred from the water chamber to the beverage chamber. Such automatic beverage-making apparatus will be referred to, hereinafter, as apparatus "of the kind described".

Current examples of apparatus of the kind described are primarily for making tea and comprise a kettle which has a water transfer tube shaped to project out of the kettle over the filler opening of a teapot alongside the kettle. The apparatus often comprises a clock-controlled switch adapted at a pre-set time to close the operating circuit of the electric heating element.

The clock-controlled switch is usually housed in a further component, again usually alongside the kettle and teapot so that the com'plete apparatus occupies quite a large amount of table space.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cheap, more compact and more convenient apparatus of the kind described.

According to one aspect the present invention consists in automatic beverage-making apparatus of the kind described wherein the water chamber and the beverage chamber are contained within a single vessel.

The two chambers may be side-by-side or one within or above the other.

Two chambers within a single vessel can be made to occupy a smaller area than, for example, a separate kettle and teapot side-by-side. As the two chambers are in a single vessel they are always in their correct relative positions and safety devices normally necessary to ensure that the apparatus cannot be operated if, for example, the teapot is not present or the kettle and teapot are not in the correct relative positions, need not be provided.

The single vessel can be divided into the separate water chamber and beverage chamber by a transverse partition so that the two chambers are side-by-side. Two chambers one above the other may be separated by a removable horizontal partition across the single vessel. One chamber may be formed within the other by constructing the vessel with an outer wall and an inner wall spaced from and surrounded by the outer wall; one chamber, preferably the water chamber, being the space within the inner wall and the other chamber the space between the inner and outer walls.

The single vessel may be so constructed that the two chambers can be separated, a sealable joint being formed between them. The water chamber and beverage chamber can then be parted one from the other for cleaning and filling purposes. The partition between the two chambers may either be integral with one of the chambers or be a separate plate clamped between the two chambers. In normal use for making a beverage the two chambers would nevertheless be rigidly connected to form a single vessel.

Control gear, when provided, and including a clock, clock-controlled switch and manual controls may be housed in a separate assembly into which the single vessel electrically plugs. The electric heating element is then part of the single vessel and is preferably an immersion heater. A handle directly mounted on the single vessel is also provided for convenience in moving the vessel and pouring out the beverage.

The means for opening the operating circuit through the electric heating element is also preferably part of the single vessel and, particularly when the heating element is an immersion heater, may be the usual thermal switch which opens when the electric heating element overheats.

There may be a separate "keep warm" heating element or the main heating element may include a "keep warm" section. The "keep warm" element or section may be energised on actuation of the means for opening the operating circuit of the main element or manually by the use of a separate switch.

It is a further object of the invention to enable apparatus of the kind described to be provided which is a completely self-contained beveragemaking unit apart, of course, from the electricity supply.

According to this aspect the single vessel and control gear, comprising a clock and clockcontrolled switch, are contained in a single unit.

The control gear may be contained in a housing which is securely connected to the single vessel and includes a handle by which the complete apparatus can be moved and which is convenient for pouring out the beverage.

The single vessel may be detachable from the housing for filling the water chamber with water and rinsing out the beverage chamber after use, a plug and socket connection being provided between the single vessel and the housing for disconnecting the heating element from the control gear when the vessel is removed. The clock need not then be disconnected from the supply and so wiil not have to be reset on reconnection.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of tea-making apparatus embodying the invention, Figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of the embodiment of Figure 1, Figure 3 is a sectional view on line Ill-Ill of Figure 1, Figure 4 is a perspective view of a stand for accommodating the tea-making apparatus of Figures 1 to 3, Figure 5 is a diagrammatic vertical section of a convertible form of beverage-making apparatus according to the invention, and arranged for teamaking, and Figure 6 is a similar vertical section showing the beverage-making apparatus of Figure 5 arranged as a coffee percolator.

Figure 7 is a front view, partly broken away to show internal features, of a separable form of beverage-making apparatus according to the invention.

In the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3 the teamaking apparatus comprises a body 1 secured to a base 2, a handle 3 and a lid 4 hinged to the handle 3. The base 2 and handle 3 are made as a unitary plastics moulding and the base 2 and the lower part of the handle 3 house the electric heating and control gear of the apparatus comprising an electric heating element 6, a digital clock 7 mounted on a printed circuit board 8 on which is also mounted an electric switch (not shown) controlled by the clock 7, manual controls 9 for setting the clock 7 and the time at which the clock-controlled switch is to be actuated, and a manual selector switch 10 for setting the apparatus to make tea at a preset time or immediately. The base also houses a buzzer 11 and a thermal switch 12 which opens when the electric heating element overheats.

The body 1 is made of stainless steel or other suitable metal and comprises an outer cylindrical wall 13 and an eccentrically mounted inner cylindrical wall 14 spaced from, and surrounded by the outer wall 13, so as to form within a single vessel a water chamber 1 5 inside the inner wall 14 and a beverage chamber 16 between the inner wall 14 and the outer wall 13 3 and surrounding the water chamber 1 5. The liquid capacity of the beverage chamber 16 is greater than that of the water chamber 1 5. A bottom 1 7 of the vessel is continuous with the outer wall 13 and is formed with a shallow depression 1 8 to locate the lower edge of the inner wall which is provided with an internal annular flange 29 welded or soldered to the bottom 17.

A stud 20 is welded to the underside of the bottom 1 7 at the centre of the depression 1 8 and extends through a hole in a strip 21 which straddles the heater 6. A pillar nut 22 screwed onto the projecting end of the stud 20 clamps the heater 6 by the strap 21 to the bottom 1 7. A clamp bar 23 engaging recesses in the wall of the base 2 bridges the hollow interior of the base 2. A screw 24 through a hole in the bar 23 engages the thread of the nut 22 and when tightened pulls the bottom 17 down on to the upper surface of the base 2, a gasket 1 7' being interposed. An upturned hook bracket 25 welded to the upper part of the outer wall 1 3 next to the handle 3 is engaged with a groove 26 in the top of the handle 3 when the vessel is being assembled on the base 2.

A transfer pipe 27 has an inlet end 28 close to the bottom of the water chamber 1 5, passes through an opening near the top of the inner wall 14 and has an outlet end 29 in the upper part of the beverage chamber 1 6. A spout 30 is provided on the outside of the outer wall 13 through which is an opening 31 from the beverage chamber 1 6 into the spout 30.

The lid 4 is a plastics moulding hinged to the top of the handle 3 by a hinge pin 32. A catch 33 slidably mounted on the lid 4 has a detent 34 to engage under a keeper 35 on the top of the handle 3 and hold the lid shut. A sealing cap 36 for the water chamber 1 5 has a stem 37 axially slidable in the face of a tubular projection 38 depending from the underside of the lid 4. A spring link 39 is passed through a slot 40 in the wall of the projection 38 and a hole 41 in the stem 37. The ends of the link 39 are located in recesses 42 in the inner wall of an annular channel 43 concentric with the projection 38. The spring link 39 is arranged to urge the stem 37 downwards.A gaiter 44 of rubber or other suitable flexible material has an internal circumferential groove to receive the edge of the cap 36 and provide a sealing gasket 45 to engage an upper inturned annular flange 46 around the upper edge of the inner wall 14. The gaiter 44, has above the cap 36 a bellows 47 the upper edge of which is received in the groove 43.

When the lid 4 is shut (as shown in Figure 3), and the catch 33 engaged, the sealing cap 36 is urged against the flange 46 by the spring link 39 so closing the water chamber 1 5.

The tea-making apparatus is prepared for use by putting water into the water chamber 1 5 and tea, in tea bags for example, in the beverage chamber 1 6. When the heater 6 is connected to the electric supply either by the switch controlled by the clock 7 or by the selector switch 10 the water is heated. When the water boils, steam pressure in the closed water chamber 1 5 expels the water through the transfer pipe 27 into the beverage chamber making the tea. When all the water has been transferred the heater 6 becomes overheated and is switched off by the thermal switch 12 which completes a circuit to sound the buzzer 11 and isolate the heater from the supply so that it is not energised again when the thermal switch re-closes on cooling.

To avoid the need for re-setting the digital clock 7 whenever the tea-making apparatus is disconnected from the supply, for filling with water or emptying out, for example, stand-by batteries 100 are provided in the base 2. These are accessible through a trap 101 in the undersurface of the base 2. The control-gear includes means for bringing the stand-by batteries 100 into operation whenever the supply is disconnected. This arrangement is also effective during power cuts.

Although primarily intended for making tea the apparatus of Figures 1 to 3 could also be used to make coffee by the jug method.

The tea-making apparatus can stand on its own and be used independently of other equipment.

Alternatively it could, for example, be used with the stand shown in Figure 4 which comprises a plastics tray 48 having two semi-circular wells 49 either of which can be used to house the teamaking apparatus of Figures 1 to 3 as indicated in broken lines in Figure 4. Which well 49 is to hold the tea-making apparatus is a matter for the user to decide. The other recess can then receive a matching table lamp 50. The lamp 50 is preferably connected directly to the supply by a cable 51 and has an extension lead fitted with an inlet plug 52 for insertion into the inlet socket of the tea-making apparatus. A well 53 in the front of the tray 48 can be used to hold cups and saucers.

The convertible form of beverage-making apparatus of Figures 5 and 6 comprises a single upright open-topped vessel 60, made of stainless steel or other suitable sheet-metal, and having a generally cylindrical wall 61 and a bottom wall 62.

The vessel 60 is secured to a hollow plastics base 63 which houses a clock, clock-controlled switch and buzzer which are not shown but are functionally similar to those of the embodiment of Figures 1 to 3. A heater 64 is clamped to the underside of the bottom wall 62.

At about half the height of the vessel 60 the cylindrical wall 61 is formed with an internal circumferential rib 65. Above the rib 65 is an opening (not shown) into a spout 66. A plate 67 with a sealing gasket 68 on its peripheral edge rests on the rib 65 and supports an upright transfer tube 69, which passes through and is sealed into a central hole in the plate 67. An open lower end of the tube 69 is just clear of the bottom wall 62 and the open upper end passes through and is connected to a perforated disc 70.

An inverted cup 71 covers the upper end of the tube 69 and is secured over the edge of the disc 70. A lid (not shown) of the tea-making apparatus has a catch or other means for holding the lid in a closed position over the open top of the vessel 60.

When closed the lid bears on the inverted base of the cup 71 urging the transfer tube 69 downwards and the plate 67 and its peripheral gasket 68 to make a liquid-tight joint with the rib 65 separating the lower and upper portions of the vessel to form a water chamber 72 and beverage chamber 73 respectively, one above the other within the single vessel 60. The capacity of the beverage chamber is at least as great as that of the water chamber 72.

Instead of applying pressure through the lid and transfer tube 69 to hold the plate 67 firmly on its seating, the periphery of the plate 67 may be provided with multi-start gapped screw thread formations to engage complementary gapped formations on the wall 61. The gaps in the complementary screw-threaded formations are such that the thread formations on the plate can pass through to engage below the complementary formations on the wall 61 by angular movement about the central vertical axis. This relative angular movement of the interengaging formations tightens the plate 67 into sealing engagement with the rib 65 or an equivalent formation on the wall 61.

To prepare the beverage-making apparatus for use for tea-making the removable assembly comprising the plate 67 and transfer tube 69 is lifted out and water put into the water chamber 72 to an appropriate level below the rib 65. The removably assembly is then put back again and tea, preferably in tea bags, is put into the beverage chamber. When the heater has been switched on and the water boils steam pressure ejects the water from the water chamber 72 and transfers it to the beverage chamber 73 to make the tea. A thermal switch (not shown) cuts off the electric supply when the heater 64 overheats and sounds the buzzer as in the apparatus of Figures 1 to 3.

The beverage maker can be converted (usually on initial supply from the factory) into a coffee percolator form as shown in Figure 6. Immediately above the bottom wall 62 the cylindrical wall is made of smaller diameter to form an annular shoulder 74. The removable assembly shown in Figure 5 is replaced by a coffee-percolator fitting 75 comprising a perforated support plate 76 which rests on the shoulder 74, an upright tube 77 supported by the plate 76 and a perforated coffee basket 78. The small volume of the vessel 60 enclosed between the bottom wall 62 and the plate 76 forms a water pump chamber. The tube 77 extends below the plate 76 nearly to the bottom wall 62 and on this extension is slidably mounted a valve plate 79 large enough to cover perforations 80 in the plate 76.When water boils in the pump chamber the steam pressure generated lifts the valve plate 79 and closes the perforations 80. The steam pressure then expels the water from the pump chamber through the tube 77 to percolate down through coffee in the basket 78. When the water level in the pump chamber falls below the lower end of the tube 77 the steam pressure drops and the valve plate 79 opens to admit more water through the perforations 80. The cycle is then repeated and continues while the heater 64 is energised. To regulate the strength of the coffee a thermostat is provided, of which only a setting control 81 is shown. The thermostat disconnects the heater 64 when the temperature of the bottom wall 62 reaches an adjustable, pre-set value. The higher the temperature setting, the longer the percolating time and the stronger the coffee.If the thermostat is fitted as standard even in the tea-making form of Figure 5, it must then be set to "continuous" so that it does not interfere with the boiling of water in the water compartment 72.

Instead of being made in one piece, the vessel 60 may be made in two co-axial cylindrical portions which meet at the level of the rib 65.

Where they meet each portion has an internal annular flange. The two flanges abut and are secured together as by welding. The flanges provide an internal ledge to support the plate 67 of the removable assembly and serve the purpose of the rib 65.

Instead of being welded at the abutting flanges the two co-axial cylindrical portions may be connected together by a releasable fastening with a sealing member between them. The beverage chamber and water chamber formed by the cylindrical portions can then be separated for cleaning and filling purposes. A plate, similar to the plate 67, may be clamped between the two portions or the beverage chamber may be formed with a bottom wall to form a partition between the chambers. A water transfer tube may pass through the plate or the bottom wall as for the tube 77 previously described. If the partition is a separate plate carrying the water tube it may be omitted for converting the beverage-maker into a coffee percolator like that of Figure 6.

In the separable beverage-maker of Figure 7, the single vessel 1 is detachable from a housing 82 which includes a base part 87 on which the vessel 1 stands and an upright part 84. The housing 82 contains control gear of the apparatus including-a digital clock 7, manual setting controls 9, a manual selector switch and a buzzer (not shown). All these and other components shown in Figure 7 are similar in function to those bearing similar reference numerals in Figures 1 to 3. The beverage chamber (not shown) is above the water chamber 1 5 as in the embodiment of Figure 6.

The water chamber 1 5 has an immersion heater 83 which includes an overheating cut-out (not shown) and is electrically connected to the control gear in the housing 82 through an inlet socket 85 on the outside of the single vessel 1 and an inlet plug 86 in a recess in the upright part 84 of the housing 82. This arrangement is similar to that described in the Complete Specification of our patent application 10046/77 and shown in Figure 1 of its accompanying drawings. The plug and socket connector enables the single vessel 1 to be separated from the housing for filling and for pouring out. The housing can be left connected to the electricity supply so that there is no need on account of separation from the supply for the provision of stand-by battery arrangements to keep the clock 7 going.

Claims (21)

1. Automatic beverage-making apparatus of the kind comprising an operating circuit through an electric heating element of a water chamber arranged to discharge boiling water into a beverage chamber, means being provided for opening the operating circuit through the heating element when the bulk of the water has been transferred from the water chamber to the beverage chamber, wherein the water chamber and the beverage chamber are contained within a single vessel, the interior of both chambers being accessible inside the vessel through a mouth of the vessel when a lid covering the mouth is removed and if necessary a further lid or partition within the vessel.

2. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the chambers are side-by-side within the vessel.

3. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the chambers are one above the other.

4. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the vessel has an outer wall and an inner wall spaced from and surrounded by the outer wall, the water chamber being the space within the inner wall and the beverage chamber the space between the inner and outer walls.

5. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the water chamber has a filler opening closed by a sealing cap under the lid covering the mouth of the vessel.

6. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the lid comprises the sealing cap.

7. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the beverage chamber is above the water and is separated therefrom by a removable plate supported by a shoulder portion of the wall of the vessel and in use of the apparatus for tea-making being adapted to make sealing engagement with the wall of the vessel.

8. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 7 wherein passing through the removable plate, and mounted thereon, is a watertransfer tube which when the removable plate is supported by the shoulder portion extends from close to the bottom of the water chamber nearly to the top of the beverage chamber.

9. Automatic beverage making apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the single vessel has an openable lid covering the open top of the beverage chamber and which in the closed position is capable of urging the removable plate into sealing engagement with the wall of the vessel.

10. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8 wherein are provided inter-engaging formations on the removable plate and the surrounding wall of the vessel adapted on relative angular movement of the plate and vessel to urge the plate into sealing engagement with the wall of the vessel.

11. Automatic beverage-making apparatus of the kind comprising an operating circuit through an electric heating element of a water chamber, a direct, water-transfer passage of substantially constant cross-section and leading from the lower part of the water chamber to an upper part of a beverage chamber and arranged to discharge boiling water into the beverage chamber, means being provided for opening the operating circuit through the heating element when the bulk of the water has been transferred from the water chamber to the beverage chamber, wherein the water chamber and the beverage chamber are separable but releasably connectable one above the other to form a single vessel, a sealable joint being formed between the two chambers and a partition between the two chambers, being integrated with one of the chambers or independent and clamped between them, the arrangement being such as to prevent communication between the two chambers except through the transfer passage.

1 2. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to any preceding claim and further comprising control gear including a clockcontrolled switch adapted at a pre-set time to close an operating circuit through an electric heating element in the water chamber.

1 3. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 12 wherein the single vessel is separable from a housing containing the control gear, the electric heating element in the single vessel being separably connected to the control gear by a plug and socket connector.

14. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to any one of preceding claims 1 to 10 wherein the single vessel and control gear comprising, a clock, the clock-controlled switch and the operating circuit of the electric heater are contained in a single unit.

1 5. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 14 wherein the control gear is contained in a housing which is securely connected to the single vessel and includes a handle for moving the unit and pouring out the beverage.

1 6. Automatic beverage-making apparatus according to claim 1 5 wherein the single vessel is detachably connected to the housing.

1 7. Automatic beverage-making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 3 of the accompanying drawings.

1 8. Automatic beverage-making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

1 9. Automatic beverage-making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 5 of the accompanying drawings.

20. Automatic beverage-making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 5 as modified by Figure 6 of the accompanying drawings.

21. Automatic beverage-making apparatus substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figure 7 of the accompanying drawings.