GB2184937A

GB2184937A - Coffee-maker

Info

Publication number: GB2184937A
Application number: GB08630813A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Aloysius Jacobus Maria Beeren
Original assignee: Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1986-01-07
Filing date: 1986-12-23
Publication date: 1987-07-08
Also published as: IT209861Z2; NL8600015A; FR2592572A3; IT8720403V0; GB2184937B; FR2592572B3; ES1003267U; DE8633800U1; JPS62112539U; GB8630813D0; ES1003267Y

Abstract

A coffee-maker has a filter device (8) which is supported on the top of a coffee receptacle (7) when the appliance is in use (shown in broken lines) and is stored inside the coffee receptacle when the coffee- maker is not in use (shown in full lines). In one embodiment a flange (11) formed on the cylindrical outer wall of the filter device near the lower edge of this wall rests on the rim (15) of the coffee receptacle in both the operative position (broken lines) and the storage position (full lines) of the filter device, the latter being inverted inside the coffee receptacle in the storage position. A riser pipe (4, 5) through which hot water is delivered into the top of the filter device is slidable vertically between a raised operative position (broken lines) and a lowered position (full lines) which it can occupy when the appliance is not in use. The riser pipe is connected to allow heater (3) by a flexible hose (17) long enough to permit this movement of the riser pipe. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Coffee-maker The invention relates to a coffee-maker comprising a housing, a water reservoir, a flow heater, a riser pipe which is slidable in the housing between raised and lowered positions and which has an outlet aperture, and a coffee receptacle with a filter device which can be arranged in the housing beneath the outlet aperture.

Such a coffee-makerisdisclosed in German Geb rauchsmuster no. 1 ,9g4,739. The extensible riser pipe used in this coffee-maker enables coffee receptacles of different heightto be used.

It is the object ofthe invention to improve a coffee-maker of the type defined in the opening paragraph so as to obtain a morn compact construction.

To this end the coffee-maker in accordance with the invention is characterized in thatthe filter device is constructed to be stored inside the coffee receptacle when the coffee-maker is not is use. When thefilter device has been placed inside the coffee receptacle and the riser pipe has been lowered, the overall height of the coffee-maker is smaller than its height when in use, so that the coffee-maker is more compact.

Consequently, such a coffee-maker is space-saving as regards its storage and packaging.

Preferably, the filter device is constructed to be stored in an inverted inoperative position of the coffee-maker.

One embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the coffee receptacle is of cylindrical form and the filter device comprises an innervessel for ground coffee surrounded by a cylidrical outervessel whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter of the coffee receptacle and whose height is substantial ly equal to the height of th e inner vessel, the outer vessel having an outwardly directed flange near its loweredgewhich is arranged to rest on the rim ofthe coffee receptacle to support the filter device. This construction provides a very simple solution forthe storage ofthe filter device.

Anotherembodimentofthe invention, in which the filter device can be slid completely into the coffee receptacle when the coffee-maker is not in use is characterized in thatthe coffee receptacle is of cylindrical form and the filter device comprises an inner vessel for ground coffee surrounded by a cylindrical outer vessel whose outer diameter is smaller than the inner diameter ofthe coffee receptacle and which, near its lower edge, comprises resilient projections which project outwardly from the outer vessel for engagement with the rim ofthe coffee receptacle to supportthefilter device on the receptacle when the coffee-maker is in use, and which can be pressed inwards untitthey are substantially flush with the outer surface of the cylindrical wall of the outer vessel sothatthe::fiterdevice can be slid into the coffee recptacteto be stored therein when the coffee-maker is not in use. This construction provides a slightly more expensive solution but renders the coffee-maker even more compact.

The riser pipe may be connected to the flow heater bya flexible hose which is long enough to allow the inner pipe to be moved between the lowered and raised positions.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in more detail, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. is a plan view of one em bodiment of the lisa planviewofoneembodimentofthe coffee-maker in accordance with the invention, Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line ll-ll in Fig.

1,and Fig.3 shows a part of another embodiment.

The coffee-maker comprises a housing 1, a water reservoir 2, a flow heater 3 which operates as a thermal pump, and a riser pipe 4 having a horizontally extending portion 5 adjacent its outlet aperture 6. A cylindrical coffee receptacle 7 with a filter device 8 can be arranged beneath the outlet aperture. The filter device comprises a conical inner vessel 9 into which a paper filter can be inserted, and a cylindrical outer vessel 10 which surrounds the inner vessel and whose outer diameter is slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the coffee receptacle 7. The height ofthe outer vessel lOis substantially equal to the height of the inner vessel 9. The vessel 10 has an outwardly directed flange 11 near its lower edge.The outervessel is open at the bottom, and atthetopthe filter device is closed bya removable cover 13 which fits on the upper edge 14 ofthe outer vessel.

When the appliance is in use the filter device 8 occupies the operative position shown in broken lines in Figure 2, in which position part ofthe outer vessel 10 adjacent the lower edge 12 thereof fits inside the top of the coffee receptacle 7 and the flange 11 rests on the rim 15 of the receptacle to supportthe filter device in this position. The proximity ofthe flange 11 to the lower edge ofthe outervessel 10 will be determined by the amount of this vessel which needs to extend into the coffee receptacle 7 to give the filter device the necessary stability in the operative position. The riser pipe4isthen in a raised position (shown in broken lines).The pipe4isslidableverticallyin a space 16 in the housing 1 between this raised position and a lowered position (shown in full lines), the connection between the flow heater3 and the riser pipe 4 being formed by an extra long flexible hose 17 to permit this movement of the riser pipe. The riser pipe 4 is retained in its raised position by friction between the riser pipe andthewall bounding the space 16.

When the coffee-maker is not in use, the cover 13 is removed and, as shown in fill lines in fig. the filter device 8 is stored upside down inside the receptacle 7, with the flange 11 again resting on the rim 15 ofthe receptacle, after which the cover is placed on the lower edge 12 of the filter device, which edge is now situatedatthetop.Sincethedistance between the flange 11 and the lower edge 12 ofthe outer vessel 10 is substantially smallerthan the distance between the flange 11 and the upperside 14, the overall height of the coffee receptacle 7 and the filter device is much smaller in the storage position of the filter device.

When the riser pipe 4 is slid down to the lowered position a compact coffee-maker is obtained.

Fig. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment in which the outer vessel 110 ofthe filter device 108 is provided near its lower edge with a plurality of resilient projections 120, for example three orfour, in the form ofdeflexibletongues, each comprising a rib 121. In the operative position ofthe filter device the projections protrude outwardlyfrom the outer vessel 1 l0sothatthe ribs 121 rest on the rim 115 ofthe coffee receptacle 107 to support the filter device 108. In Fig. 3 this operative position is shown in broken lines. The full lines representthe storage or inoperative position ofthefilterdevice.This position is obtained by simultaneously pressing all the projections 120 in- wards until they are substantially flush with the outer surface ofthe cylindrical wall ofthe outer vessel 10, and sliding the filter device into the coffee receptacle.

In this embodiment it is also possible to place the filter device upside down in the coffee receptacle, in which case the projections 120 need notfirst be pressed inwards since they will be automatically pressed inwards bythe rim ofthe coffee receptacle when the filter device is inserted. In the embodiment shown in Fig. 3 the height of the coffee receptacle with the filter device in it is even smallerthan in the first embodiment.

Claims

CLAIM(S):

1. A coffee-maker comprising a housing, a water resevoir, a flow heater, a riser pipe which is slidable in the housing between raised and lowered positions and which has an outlet aperture, and a coffee receptacle with a filter device which can be arranged in the housing beneath the outlet aperture, characterized in that the filter device is constructed to be stored inside the coffee receptacle when the coffee-maker is not in use.

2. A coffee-maker as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the filter device is constructed to be stored in an inverted position inside the coffee receptacle.

3. Acoffee-makerasclaimed in Claim 2,characterized in that the coffee receptacle is of cylindrical form and the filter device comprises an inner vessel for ground coffee surrounded by a cylindrical outer vessel whose outer diameter is smallerthan the inner diameter ofthe coffee receptacle and whose height is substantially equal to the height of the innervessel, the outer vessel having an outwardly directed flange near its lower edge which is arranged to rest on the rim ofthe coffee receptacle to support the filter device.

4. Acoffee-makeras claimed in Claim 1 or2, characterized in thatthe coffee receptacle is of cylindrical form and the filter device comprises an inner vessel for ground coffee surrounded by a cylindrical outervessel whose outer diameter is smallerthan the inner diameter ofthe coffee receptacle and which, near its lower edge, comprises resilient projections which project outwardlyfrom the outer vessel for engagement with the rim of the coffee receptacle to supportthefilter device on the receptacle when the coffee-maker is in use, and which can be pressed inwards until they are substantially flush with the outer surface ofthe cylindrical wall ofthe outer vessel so thatthe filter device can be slid into the coffee receptacle to be stored therein when the coffee-maker is not in use.

5. Acoffee-makerasclaimed in anyone ofthe preceding Claims, characterized in that the riser pipe is connected to the flow heater by a flexible hose which is long enough to allow the riser pipe to be moved between the lowered and raised positions.

6. A coffee-maker substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings