GB2223092A

GB2223092A - Electrically operated thermos flask with a diaphragm pump

Info

Publication number: GB2223092A
Application number: GB8822154A
Authority: GB
Inventors: James Sheu
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1988-09-21
Filing date: 1988-09-21
Publication date: 1990-03-28
Also published as: GB8822154D0

Abstract

An electrically operated thermos flask utilizes a diaphragm pump. The pump motor (62) is connected by an eccentric linkage to a flexible diaphragm member (4) made of rubber material attached tightly to an opening (21) of a casing (44) having an air outlet (41) disposed at the bottom thereof. A touch-type switch (10) is disposed at the water outlet (32) of the present thermos flask, and once the switch (10) is pressed by a cup or finger, the motor shaft (621) will be actuated to spin, leading to the vibratory movement of the diaphragm member (4), thereby the air in the casing (44) is pumped out through the air outlet (41) into the closed interior of the flask (2) and water is discharged therefrom as a result of the increased air pressure in the interior of the flask. <IMAGE>

Description

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED THERMOS FLASK WITH A DIAPHRAGM PUMP RECEIVED THEREIN The present invention relates to an electrically operated thermos flask which is charcterised by the water pumping device mounted therein operated by a motor in connection with a diaphragm member which serves to force air into the closed interior of the thermos flask through vibration thereby water is forcedly discharged therefrom through an extended outlet tube. The thermos flask of the present invention is equipped with a touch switch on the external wall thereof; by simply pressing the switch by the cup to be filled with water, water can be discharged from the flask, and releasing the same can stop the flow of the water.

There have been many types of thermos flask available on the market, ranging from the conventional tip-to-pour type to the hand-operated air pump type, and to the most modern type using electrically operated water pump to pump the contained water out of the flask.

The hand-operated air pump in the prior thermos flask as shown in Figure 1 has a bellow means Pll with a spring P16 disposed therein. By constantly pressing the button in connection with the bellow means which is in air communication with the closed interior of the thermos flask through a cap P12 having a plurality of air ports, the air pressure in the flask is increased accordingly and water is discharged through the tube P13 and the outlet port P15. As shown in Figure 2, the other electrically operated thermos flask of the prior art is equipped with a water pump operated by a motor R22 which is connected with a control switch R21 disposed on the surface of the cap. To the motor shaft a clutch means R23 is attached, which is engaged with a rotor R24.A transmission rod R25 is coupled with the rotor R24 at its top end and further extends into the thermos flask, going through a cork means R26; the bottom end of the transmission rod is attached with a propeller R27. When the control switch R21 is turned on, the motor R22 will actuate the propeller R27 to operate by way of the transmission rod, thereby water in the flask is pumped out through the tube R27 and port R29.

According to the present invention there is provided a thermal insulating flask having means for pumping out fluid held in a vacuum bottle contained within the flask, the pumping means comprising a flexible diaphragm, and motor means for vibrating the diaphragm to pump air into the vacuum bottle thereby forcing fluid contained within the vacuum bottle to pass through a discharge port outside the flask.

It is an advantage in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide an electrically operated thermos flask equipped with a diaphragm-like pump means actuated to vibrate by means of a motor so that air can be pumped continuously into the closed interior of the flask, thereby water can be discharged therefrom as a result of the increase in internal air pressure.

It is an advantage in a preferred embodiment of the present invention to provide an electrically operated thermos flask which is equipped with a touch switch on the external wall so that water can be automatically discharged from the present thermos flask once the switch is pressed by a cup or finger. Thus, it is convenient for those handicapped people to do the job themselves.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described in detail by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagram showing the hand-operated thermos flask of the prior art wherein the air-pumping device is made of a bellow-like component which is constantly pressed to force air into the interior of the flask, thereby water is able to be discharged therefrom by pressure; Figure 2 is another type of prior art thermos flask equipped with a small motor which is coupled to a propeller, by an elongated transmission rod, disposed at the bottom of the flask; and water can be pumped out through a pipe once the propeller is made to spin; Figure 3 is a diagram showing the sectional view of the present motor operated thermos flask equipped with a diaphragm-like member; Figure 4 is a top view of the present thermos flask; Figure 5 is a top view of the motor operated diaphragm member of the present invention; Figure 6 is a sectional view of the cap of the present invention with the motor operated diaphragm member received therein; Figure 7 is an exposed view of the top cap mounted on the top of the cover with a pair of batteries shown; and Figure 8 is a top view of the lid with a plurality of air inlets disposed at the rear periphery thereof.

Referring to Figure 3, the present thermos flask 1 is provided with an inner insulate vacuum bottle 2 the top end of which is secured in place at the central portion of a fixing means 24. The top opening 21 of the vacuum bottle 2 permits the location of an upright elongated water discharge tube 31 in the interior thereof with the bottom end of the tube 31 nearly reaching the bottom of the bottle 2; the top extension 3 of the tube 31 is received in the fixing means 24, and a downward extended tube 32 is further connected thereto along the front wall 18 of the flask 1 for guiding discharged water to a cup A placed at a lowered position.

As shown in Figure 6, a flexible rubber diaphragm member 4 is disposed at the top of the opening 21 and is sealedly engaged with the opening of a hard case 44 at the bottom of which is disposed a number of air-through bores 41. The case 44 has a recessed portion 43 at the left bottom corner thereof for the reception of the bended portion of the top end of the tube 31 as shown in Figure 3. To better seal the top opening 21 of the vacuum bottle 2, a peripheral flange 42 is disposed around the top wall of the case 44.

Referring to Figure 5, the top view of Figure is shown; in the interior of the cover 5 of the present flask 1, a pump means 61 consisting of the diaphragm member 4 and the hard case 44 and a motor 62 mounted on a frame 63 are housed. The pump means 4 is coupled with the motor 62 having an extended shaft 621 to the front of which is fixed a round disc 622 having an eccentric pin 623. A connection frame with one end connected with the eccentric pin 623 and the other end coupled to the diaphragm member 4 by a connecting rod 611. When the motor 62 is actuated to operate, the connecting rod 611 will make the diaphragm member 4 to vibrate up and down as a result of the eccentric linkage, thereby air is constantly pumped into the interior of the vacuum bottle 2 through the air-through bores 41.

As shown in Figure 5, a board 65 on which the motor is mounted has a central opening having raised peripheral rim 651 to which is attached the rubber diaphragm member 4 by means of a wire 64. A layer or rubber cushion 66 is disposed below the board 65 so that the pump means 61 is better sealed from air leakage.

At the front portion of the board 65 is disposed an electromagnet 67. An L-shaped member 671 is fixed behind the electromagnet 67, and a horizontal rod 672 having one end coupled to the top of the L-shaped member 671 is located over the electromagnet 67. The other end of the horizontal rod 672 is joined to the top end of a vertical stick 673 which has a disc member 675 at the bottom end thereof. The vertical stick 673 is disposed in a guide seat 674, at the bottom of which is defined a through hole 501, and the hole 501 extends through the bottom wall of top cover.

When the electromagnet 67 is actuated to function, the horizontal rod 672 is attracted to move downward, so the vertical stick 673 is brought slightly downward simultaneously, resulting in the disc member 675 covering the through hole 501 temporarily. As the electromagnet 67 loses its original position as a result of the resilience of the L-shaped member, therefore the covered hole 501 will be opened again, permitting air to flush in the interior of the vacuum bottle 2.

In operation, when the motor begins to rotate with the horizontal rod 672 moving downward to cover the hole 501, the air pumped by the pump means 61 into the sealed vacuum bottle 2 will make the pressure therein increase, leading to the water contained therein to be discharged through the elongated tube 31. As long as the motor stops functioning, the horizontal rod 672 will resume its original position, making the vertical stick 673 move upward to free the hole 501, therefore air is able to flush therein again. Thus the air pressure in the vacuum bottle 2 is decreased to the normal value.

The electromagnet 67 is protected by a plastic shell 676 which can fix the horizontal rod in place. As shown in Figure 7, the top cap 7 is mounted on the cover 5 in assembly.

The top cap 7 is provided with a pair of symmetric half-cylindrical concavities 71 at the two sides thereof, and a copper plate 72 is disposed at each end of the concavity 71. One of the copper plate 72 is connected to a protruding metal plate 73, and the other is coupled with a spring element 74.

A battery 8 is placed in each of the concavity 71 as a power source.

The batteries 8 are electrically connected with the motor 62 and the electromagnet 67 and a touch switch 10 by way of conducting wires.

As shown in Figure 7, a convex half spherical shell 75 is disposed between the batteries 8 for the reception of the high-raised motor 62 disposed under the top cap 7.

A lid member 9, as shown in Figure 8, is placed on the top of the top 7. On the lid member 9, near the rear perhiphery thereof, are disposed a plurality of parallel air ports 91, permitting air to go therethrough and the cover 5 then the top cap 7 into the vacuum bottle 2.

Referring to Figure 1, the touch switch 10 is disposed on the bottom of a flange wall 18 with the button 101 exposed externally. When a cup A is pushed to touch the switch 10, the motor 62 is actuated to move the diaphragm member 4 of the pump means 61 so that air is forced into the vacuum bottle 2 to pump the water out through the tube 31 and the downward extended tube 32 into the cup.

Alternatively, A-C power source can be used instead of a D-C source, but the adoption of a rectifier and a transformer is necessary. The details of this part is not described because it has been a well known art.

The position of the touch switch can be modified by changing the length of the flange wall to facilitate the contact of the cup with the touch switch.

Claims

CLAIMS:

1. A thermal insulating flask having means for pumping out fluid held in a vacuum bottle contained within the flask, the pumping means comprising a flexible diaphragm, and motor means for vibrating the diaphragm to pump air into the vacuum bottle thereby forcing fluid contained within the vacuum bottle to pass through a discharge port outside the flask.

2. An electrically operated thermos flask equipped with a diaphragm-like pump means having a flexible diaphragm member made of rubber material tightly attached to the opening in communication with a hard case which is part of said pump means by wire means along the peripheral raised rim of said opening, said hard case having a number of air through ports at the bottom thereof; a motor having a shaft which is coupled with the top of said diaphragm member by an eccentric linkage, said eccentric linkage comprising a shaft attaching member fixed on the front end of said shaft of said motor, and a round disc being integrally joined with said shaft attaching member and having an eccentric pin disposed near the periphery thereof; a connection frame having one end coupled to the extended eccentric pin and the other connected to the top of the diaphragm member of said pump means, thereby the spinning of the shaft of said motor will lead to the repeated vibration of said diaphragm member, thus air being able to be pumped into the thermos flask to force water contained therein to discharge therefrom; a cover assembly comprising a cover, a top cap and a lid, said pump means being mounted in said cover assembly; an electromagnet being disposed next to said pump means, an L-shaped member being placed behind said electromagnet, and a horizontal rod having one end connected to the top end of said L-shaped member being disposed over the top of said electromagnet, and the other end thereof being coupled to a vertical stick housed in a guide seat with the bottom end thereof attached with a disc member which is adapted to operatively block an air through hole in synchronism with the movement of said vertical stick as a result of the attraction of the horizontal bar by said electromagnet to move downard; said top cap being formed to have a pair of symmetric half cylindrical concavities with batteries received therein; a vacuum bottle received in the thermos flask and having a top opening with said pump means in air communication with it; an extended tube means vertically extended into said vacuum bottle at one end and further connected to a discharge port at the other; a touch switch being disposed near said discharge port and on the front wall thereof.

3. An electrically operated thermos flask according to claim 2, wherein said diaphragm-like pump means has a flexible diaphragm member made of rubber material in association with a hard case having a number of air through ports at the bottom thereof; the front portion of said bottom has a recessed corner to permit a bended corner of said extended tube to be located in assembly.

4. An electrically operated thermos flask according to claim 2, wherein a board is disposed under said pump means and motor; and a rubber cushion is disposed under said board and above the bottom portion of said top cover.

5. An electrically operated thermos flask according to claim 2 wherein the flexible diaphragm member is engaged with the peripheral raised rim of an opening disposed at the centre of said board by means of wire means.

6. An electrically operated thermos flask according to claim 2 wherein said guide seat is structured in a hollow tubular form with a through hole disposed at the bottom thereof, which is in communication with the holes disposed at the centre of said board and rubber cushion.

7. An electrically operated thermos flask according to claim 2 wherein said lid of the cover assembly is provided with a plurality of air through ports, permitting air to flow into cover assembly and into said vacuum bottle.

8. An electrically operated thermos flask substantially as herein described and as illustrated in Figures 3 to 8.