GB2174293A - Tea/coffee-making unit - Google Patents

Abstract

A tea/coffee making unit comprises a lower base section 1 providing a pressure chamber P, containing an electrical heating element 14 for boiling water in the chamber P which has a filling opening 8 sealed by a removable filler cap 9. An upper tea- or coffee-making jug section 2 rests on top of the base section 1 and provides a brewing chamber B in which the tea or coffee is made. The jug 2 has a detachable lid 5 and a water transfer tube 11 leads from a lower level in the chamber P to discharge into the jug 2 when boiling water is displaced along the tube 11 from the chamber P by steam pressure. The base section 1 has an integral side handle 4 by which the unit can be lifted and carried as a whole, whereas the jug 2 can be lifted by its own handle 3 for pouring out the brewed tea or coffee. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Tea/coffee-making unit This invention relatestoa unit for making tea or coffee, in which water is boiled andthetea orcoffee is then automatically made with the boiling water. The beverage produced depends upon whetherthe unit is pre-charged with tea leaves or coffee grounds (or extract) but for convenience the invention will be described hereinafter solely with reference to the making of tea, the alternative use for making coffee being taken as understood.

Such units are known comprising kettle and teapot components which are separately removable from the unit, forfilling with water and for pouring out of the tea, respectively. However, such units are rather bulky and not readily portable sothattheytend to remain in one place, for example in a bedroom, with the kettle and teapot being carried to the kitchen and back for filling and cleaning. Thus the degree of utilisation tends to below and research shows that in time they often become unused.

The object ofthe invention is to provide a teamaking unitwhich materially overcomes the major disadvantages of prior units. Accordingly, the invention has for its purposeto provide a compact and readily portable unit, which can conveniently be carried as a whole from room to room and particularly to and from a kitchen forfilling and cleaning.

According to the invention a tea-making unithasa lowersection providing a pressurechambercontaining an electrical heating element for boiling water therein,which section has a sealed opening forfilling purposes, an uppertea-making section which is positioned on top ofthe lower section and provides a brewing chamber in which the tea is made, and a watertransfertubewhich leads from a low level in the pressure chamber and which has an outletto dis- charge intothe brewing chamberwhen water is displacedfromthepressurechamberalongthetube by the steam pressure when the water in the pressure chamber boils, and a handle integral with the lower section by which the unit can be lifted.

Preferablythe lower pressure chamber section provides a base section ofthe unit, with a tea-making section ofjug-like form which rests on top ofthe base section so as to be removable therefrom. The handle may be disposed atthe level of and to one side ofthe jug-like uppersection.Thewatertransfertube may extend upwardlyfromthepressurechamberofthe base section between the tea-making section and the side handle, terminating atan upper level so asto discharge into the brewing chamber at a pouring lip of thetea-makingjug.The latter may have a lid which does not impede entry ofthe boiling water or subsequent pouring out ofthe brewed tea, and this lid is preferably removable with the jug in operative position in the unit.

The tea-making section preferably sits freely on the base pressure chamber section, with the base formation oftheformerco-operating with the top surface of the latter to locatethetea-making section in position.

Alternatively, the tea-making section may be detachably fixed to the base section, in which case the act of fixing the upper section to the lower section may seal the filling opening in the latter.

In preferred constructions in which the tea-making section is not fixed but sits freely on the lower section, the filling opening of the latter may have a filler cap concealed bythetea-making section when the latter is in place. A safety device actuated on contact by the tea-making section may operate to isolate the heating element when that section is not correctly located in position on the lower section.

The lower section of the unit is preferably of moulded plastics construction. It may comprise a main moulding which substantially provides the base pressure chamber section and also the side handle, and a dished plate-like closure moulding which closes the bottom ofthe main moulding to completethe pressure chamber. Thetransfertube is fitted to the main moulding as is the heating element. The heating element may of a type commonly used with electrical kettles, fitted through a side aperture in the pressure chamber portion ofthe main moulding belowthe handle portion thereof.

Theinventionwill now befurtherdescribed with referencetotheaccompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a preferred construction of tea-making unit in accordance with the invention. In the drawings: Fig. lisa viewofthe unit from one side; Fig.2 is a handle-end viewthereof; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the plane of Fig. 1 from the other side.

Thetea-making unit illustrated comprises a lower base section 1 providing a pressure chamber P, a tea-making uppersection 2 in theform ofafreely removablejug with a handle3, and a side handle4 which is integral with the base section 1 and by which the unit can be lifted and carried about, eitherwith or withoutthejug section 2 in position. A removable lid 5 closes the jug section 2, and is removable (and replaceable) when the jug is positioned in the unit as shown.

Referring particularly to Fig. 3, the base section 1 principally comprises two plastics mouldings. A main moulding 6 has a hollow base portion 6a providing the pressure chamber P and sealed by a dished plate-like bottom moulding 7, and an upstanding portion 6b providing the side handle 4. The tea-making jug section 2,the internal volume of which provides a brewing chamber B, is of ceramics material as is the detachable jug lid 5. The base portion 6a ofthe main moulding 6 has in its top surface an inset aperture forming a filling opening 8forthechamber P. This opening 8 is sealed bya removablefiller cap 9 with projecting lugs 9a which provide a bayonet-type detachablefixing ofthe cap 9.Asealing ring 10 ensures a pressure-tight seal around the filling opening 8 when the cap 9 is fitted.

A vertical watertransfertube 11 fitted to the moulding 6extends,so asto be shrouded within the open inner side ofthe handle portion 6b ofthe moulding 6, from a lower level in the chamber P. This tube 11 traversesthetopwall ofthe chamber Pwhere it passes through a seal 12.Atthe upper end 1 lathe tube 11 is of inverted U shape so that it discharges downwardly, as shown by the arrow D, into the brewing chamber B art a pouring lip 13 of the jug 2. A small top cover moulding 14which closesthe hollow upper handle portion ofthe main moulding 6 engages the U-shaped outlet end section 11 a ofthe tube 11 and retains the latter in position.

An electrical heating element 14, of a type as known with electrical jug-type kettles, is fitted into an aperture 15 in the side ofthe pressure chamber portion 6a ofthe main moudling 6. An ON/OFF button i6controllingtheenergisation oftheelementl4 projects belowthe handle 4, through a small switch cover moulding 17 which encloses a switch 18 which controls the element 14, this being mounted at the outer end ofthe element 14 and incorporating the usual socketforconnection ofan end plug of a mains lead.

The bottom plate moulding 7 is permanently secured to the main moulding 6 by a continuous peripheral weld atW achieved by a friction welding process. A metal heat deflectortray 19 is positioned within the pressure chamber P belowthe element 14 atthe bottom ofthechamberP,andthe lowerinletend ofthetube 11 is positioned just above this tray 19.

Thusthe pressurechamber Psubstantially completely empties understeam pressure during a tea making operation.

In use the tea-making jug section 2 is removed and the lower section 1 filled with water from a tap through the filling opening 8. The jug section 2 is refitted and the appropriate quantity of tea leaves, which may be in tea bags, is placed in the brewing chamber B after which the lid 5 is replaced. The element is then switched on by depressing the button 16, as a result of which the water heats up and ultimately boils. The resultant steam pressure in the pressure chamber P displaces watertherefrom up the tube 11, from which it is discharged into the brewing chamberB to make the tea.When all the usable water has been transferred the temperature rise of the element actuates a 'dry-boil' cut-out in the body of the element 14, which de-energises the element 14 and causes the button 16 to spring up to the OFF position ready to be depressed again to initiate the nexttea-making operation.As an alternative to such a cut-out, the dry-boil device may be ofthe type which ejects the mains lead plug from the socket at 24.

As a safety device, to prevent a dangerous pressure rise in the chamber Pin the eventthatflowthrough the tube 11 should be obstructed, a pressure reliefvalve (not shown) is embodied in thefillercap 9. As an alternative to this the wal I of the chamber P may be moulded with an area of reduced thickness, designed to burst at a pre-determined pressure in the chamber P.

The unit also incorporates a further safety device in the form of a switch 21 housed in the handle portion 6b ofthe moulding 6 below the cover moulding 14. This switch 21 is connected in series with the element 14 and is of normally-open type to isol ate the element electrical Iy if the jug section 2 is not correctly positioned in the unit. When it is so positioned the lip 13 engages a switch-actuating member 22 to cause the switch contacts to close. The bottom of the jug 2 is contoured to sit into a recess moulded in the upper surface ofthe main moulding 6 at23.Thislocatesthe upper section 2 on the lower section land the bottom ofthe jug is recessed at24to clearthefillercap 9.

As an alternative to the safety switch 21 a mechanical switch/jug interlock arrangement may be provided comprising a flap member 25, as shown in broken lines in Fig.3,which is pivotally mounted at its lower end and engaged by the jug lip 13 as shown. With the jug 2 removed the flap is forwardly inclined, so that its upper end is disposed outwardlyofthe upper end 1 la ofthetube 11, and it has a mechanical connection (not shown) to the switch 18 such that the element 14 cannot be switched on with the jug removed.

The size of units chosen according tothe numberof cups ofteato be made at one time, and typically the capacity is 6 teacups. The handle 4, being integral with the lower section 1, is usable at all times-eitherfor lifting and holding the section 1 by itself during filling thereof, orfor lifting and holding the complete unit for transportfrom room to room, for example.

The unit illustrated is of pleasing modern design with clean-cut lines making itequallysuitablefor domestic use, in kitchens, dining rooms and bedrooms, and for commercial use in offices, hotel bedrooms and motels, for example.

Claims (18)

1. Atea-making unitcomprising a lowersection providing a pressure chamber containing an electrical heating elementforboilingwatertherein,which section has a sealed opening forfilling purposes, an uppertea-making section which is positioned on top ofthe lowersection and provides a brewing chamber in which the tea is made, and a watertransfertube which leads fro a lower level inthe pressure chamber and which has an outlet two discharge into the brewing chamber when water is displaced from the pressure chamber along the tube by the steam pressu re when th e water in the pressure chamber boils.

2. Atea-making unit according to claim 1,further comprising a handle integral with the lower section by which the unit can be lifted and carried.

3. Atea-making unitaccordingtoclaim 1 claim 2, wherein the lower pressure chamber section provides a base section ofthe unit, with the teamaking section resting on top ofthe base section so as to be removable therefrom for pouring out ofthe brewed tea.

4. Atea-making unit according to claim 3, wherein the tea-making section is ofjug-likeform.

5. Atea-making unit according to claims 2 and 4, wherein the handle is disposed at the level of andto one side ofthe jug-like upper section.

6. Atea-making unitaccordingtoclaim5,wherein the watertransfertube extends upwardly from the pressure chamber ofthe base section betweenthe tea-making section and the side handle, and termin ates atan upper level so asto discharge into the brewing chamber at a pouring lipofthetea-making section.

7. Atea-making unit according to claim 6, wherein the tea-making section has a lid which does not impede entry of the boiling water ofsubsequent pouring out of the brewed tea.

8. Atea-making unitaccording to claim 7, wherein said lid is removable with the jug in an operative position in the unit.

9. Atea-making unitaccordingtoanyoneofthe preceding claims, wherein the tea-making section sits freely on the base pressure chamber section, with the base formation ofthe former co-operating with the top surface of the latterto locate the tea-making section in position.

10. Atea-making unit according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the tea-making section is detachably fixed to the base section.

11. Atea-making unit according to claim 10, wherein the act offixing the upper section to the lower section sealsthefilling opening the latter.

12. Atea-making unit according to claim 10, wherein the filling opening of the lower section has a filler cap concealed by the tea-making section when the latter is in place in the unit.

13. Atea-making unit according to any one of claims 9to 12, wherein a safety device actuated on contact by the tea-making section operates to isolate the heating element when that section is not correctly located in position on the lower section.

14. Atea-making unitaccordingtoanyoneofthe preceding claims, wherein the lower section ofthe unit is of moulded plastics construction.

15. Atea-making unit according to claims X and 14, wherein the lower section comprises a main moulding which substantially provides the base pressurechambersection and also the side handle, and a dished plate-like closure moulding which closes the bottom ofthe main moulding to complete the pressure chamber.

16. Atea-making unit according to claim 16, whereinthetransfertubeandtheheatingelementare fitted to said main moulding.

17. Atea-making unit according to claim 15 or claim 16, wherein the heating element of a type as commonly used with electrical kettles and is fitted through a side aperture in the pressure chamber portion of said main moulding below the handle portion thereof.

18. Atea-making unit constructed and arranged substantially as herein particularly described with reference to the accompanying drawings.