JP2022510896A - A heater for heating liquids, especially water, contained in a reservoir, and a device for preparing hot beverages, especially coffee or tea, with such a heater. - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heater (10) for heating a liquid, particularly water, contained in a reservoir (20). The heater (10) can be inserted or inserted into a base (12) including a base housing (14), a light bulb socket (16) fixed to the base housing (14), and a light bulb socket (16). , A light bulb (18) that generates electromagnetic radiation to heat the liquid contained in the reservoir (20), and an electromagnetic radiation that surrounds the light bulb and is fixed to the base housing (14) and is generated by the light bulb (18). A base housing (14) and a light bulb housing (26) to reduce heat transfer between the light bulb housing (26) having a transmissive opening (30) and the base housing (14) and the light bulb housing (26). A heat insulating layer (36) arranged between the) and the heat insulating layer (36). The present invention further relates to a device (50) for preparing hot beverages, especially coffee or tea, equipped with such a heater.

Description

The present invention relates to a heater for heating a liquid contained in a reservoir, particularly water. The present invention further relates to a device for preparing hot beverages, especially coffee or tea, equipped with such a heater.

When preparing hot drinks such as coffee and tea, it is necessary to heat the water to or near the boiling point in order to extract the flavors contained in the coffee powder and tea leaves. The easiest way to prepare coffee or tea is to put an insoluble substance such as coffee powder or tea leaves in a pot and pour hot water. After a certain period of time, sufficient flavor is extracted, and the coffee or tea is ready to be drunk.

One drawback of this method of preparing coffee or tea is that insoluble substances remain in the hot drink. Insoluble substances are settled on the bottom of the drinking container, but there is a certain possibility that insoluble substances will be carried to the human mouth when drinking a beverage. The presence of insoluble substances in the mouth can cause discomfort and significantly reduce the joy of drinking.

As a countermeasure, the insoluble substance is separated from the beverage by a filter. One-way filters are used, especially when preparing coffee. However, these filters are cumbersome to handle after use and have a larger environmental footprint than reusable filters. However, the use of reusable filters requires special design of the device for making hot beverages. One such design is the so-called siphon coffee maker, which utilizes the siphon principle. A flask-shaped reservoir is placed on the heater. The container is located above the reservoir and has an open bottom to which the water supply pipe is fixed. A water pipe is inserted into the reservoir to allow airtight communication between the reservoir and the container. The upper end of the water supply pipe is covered with a reusable filter.

To prepare coffee using the siphon coffee maker described above, the desired amounts of water and coffee powder are supplied to the reservoir and container, respectively. Water is heated to or near the boiling point by a heater. When the water is heated, the air pressure in the reservoir rises, so that hot water is supplied to the container through the water supply pipe and the filter. The hot water is mixed with the coffee powder in the container. Then switch off the heater or remove the reservoir from the heater to cool the reservoir and reduce the air pressure in it, thereby filtering the hot water mixed with the coffee powder in the container through the filter. Then, it returns to the inside of the reservoir through the water supply pipe. The container is then removed from the reservoir and the coffee in the reservoir is poured into the drinking container.

The heat required to heat the water can be provided by a fuel such as alcohol or natural gas, such as butane. However, the corresponding heater is difficult to handle and can lead to an explosion or fire. Another way to provide heat is to use electrical energy, which is easy to handle. Such a heater is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The heater may include a common cooking plate. Alternatively, the heater may include a light bulb such as an infrared or halogen light bulb that provides heat. Such devices are disclosed in Patent Document 2, Patent Document 3, and Patent Document 4. Such a heater comprises a base having a base housing into which the bulb socket is fixed. The light bulb is surrounded by a light bulb housing that is fixed to the base housing. The heat generated by the operation of the light bulb significantly heats the light bulb housing. Heat is transferred to the base housing. As a result, users can burn their hands when inadvertently touching the bulb housing or base housing. To reduce the risk of injury, the devices disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4 are equipped with a fan that removes heat from the bulb housing and base housing. However, using a fan increases the complexity and energy consumption of the heater.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,841849 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-0788889 Korean Published Patent No. 10-2013-0120289 Korean Published Patent No. 10-2012-805494A

One object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a heater of the above type, which is easy to manufacture, has low energy consumption and effectively reduces the risk of injury during operation. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is intended to provide an apparatus for preparing a hot beverage that can be handled by such a heater.

This problem is solved by the features identified in claims 1 and 14. An advantageous embodiment is the subject of the dependent claim.
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a heater for heating a liquid contained in a reservoir, particularly water.
With the base including the base housing,
A light bulb socket fixed to the base housing,
A light bulb that is inserted or insertable into the light bulb socket and produces electromagnetic radiation to heat the liquid contained in the reservoir.
A light bulb housing that surrounds the light bulb, is secured to the base housing, and has an opening capable of transmitting electromagnetic radiation generated by the light bulb.
A heat insulating layer is provided between the base housing and the light bulb housing in order to reduce heat conduction between the base housing and the light bulb housing.

Electromagnetic radiation can exit the bulb housing through the opening and reach the reservoir and the liquid contained in the reservoir, thereby allowing heat transfer between the bulb and the liquid.

A heat insulating layer located between the base housing and the bulb housing reduces or blocks heat conduction between the bulb housing and the base housing. The heat generated by the operation of the light bulb and absorbed by the light bulb housing is either not transferred to the base housing or transferred to the base housing to a minimum extent. As a result, the temperature of the base housing can be kept at a level that is harmless to the user. The risk of burns when the user's hand touches the base housing is greatly reduced.

According to one embodiment, the bulb housing is secured to the base housing by a number of first screws and the insulation layer is arranged to be compressed when the first screws are secured. In this embodiment, the method of fixing the heat insulating layer is simple. Since the bulb housing must be fixed to the base housing anyway, in this embodiment the first screw not only secures the bulb housing to the base housing, but also the insulation layer at the same time. The manufacturing process of the heater is kept simple, and the number of parts is kept small.

In a further embodiment, the insulation layer has several holes through which the first screw can pass. In this embodiment, the first screw secures the insulation layer to the heater not only by friction but also by foam closure. Therefore, the position of the heat insulating layer is also fixed without tightening the first screw strongly.

A further embodiment is characterized in that the insulating layer comprises a first thermoplastic, or a first elastomer, in particular a silicone elastomer. The first thermoplastic can be polystyrene or polypropylene. Silicones, polystyrenes, and polypropylenes have low thermal conductivity (<0.15 W / (m · K)) and have a melting point (> 70 ° C.) sufficiently high for this application. In particular, silicone has a very high melting point of 200 ° C. or higher. At the same time, material costs are acceptablely low. Alternatively, ceramic, cork, or fiberglass reinforced plastics can also be used because they have similar properties to the materials described above in terms of thermal conductivity and melting point.

According to another embodiment, the heater comprises a thermal protection unit that surrounds the bulb housing. As mentioned above, the bulb housing absorbs heat during the operation of the bulb. As a result, there is a risk of hand burns if the user touches the bulb housing. A thermal protection unit located radially outside the bulb housing prevents the user from touching the bulb housing. The operational safety of the heater is improved.

In a further embodiment, the thermal protection unit is secured to the bulb housing except for the openings. In this embodiment, no additional fixing structure is required, thus keeping the heater design simple. By removing the openings, the structure does not impair the heat transfer between the bulb and the liquid contained in the reservoir.

A further embodiment is characterized in that the thermal protection unit is secured to the bulb housing by a second screw. Fixation is achieved in a simple and cost-effective manner. The heat protection unit can be easily replaced by using screws.

According to another embodiment, the thermal protection unit is fixed to the bulb housing so as to leave a gap between the thermal protection unit and the base housing. The void can be kept small, for example less than 5 mm. As a result, the thermal protection unit does not come into contact with the base housing. The heat conduction between the heat protection unit and the base housing is blocked, minimizing the heat that may be transferred between the heat protection unit and the base housing.

In a further embodiment, the thermal protection unit has several recesses. As mentioned above, the heater can be used in combination with a device for preparing hot beverages utilizing the siphon principle. Such devices may be equipped with a retainer for placing the reservoir above the heater. The legs of the holder can extend into the recess. In this embodiment, the thermal protection unit does not become an obstacle to the holder. It is not necessary to provide a specially tailored holder for this heater. Alternatively, a commercially available retainer can be used.

A further embodiment is characterized in that the thermal protection unit comprises a second thermoplastic, or a second elastomer, in particular a silicone elastomer. The second thermoplastic can be polystyrene or polypropylene. Silicone, polystyrene, and polypropylene have a low thermal conductivity (<0.15 W / (m · K)) and a melting point (> 70 ° C.) sufficiently high for this application. In particular, silicone has a very high melting point of 200 ° C. or higher. At the same time, material costs are acceptablely low.

According to another embodiment, the first thermoplastic and the second thermoplastic are the same, or the first elastomer and the second elastomer are the same. Insulation layers and heat protection units have similar functions, especially to reduce heat conduction, so forming them both from the same material facilitates the manufacturing process and reduces costs. Can be done.

In a further embodiment, the heater comprises a reinforcing structure for reinforcing the thermal protection unit. In particular, if the thermal protection unit is made of an elastomer, it can be difficult to design the thermal protection unit to be self-supporting. The use of a reinforced structure increases the degree of freedom in the design of the thermal protection unit.

According to another embodiment, the heater comprises a switch-off means that cuts off the power supply to the light bulb after a preset time. The switch-off means can be integrated into a switch that allows the user to turn the heater on and off. The switch-off means may be configured to automatically turn off the heater after a preset time, eg, 15 or 30 minutes, if the opposite command is not received. In this embodiment, overheating that can damage the heater is prevented. In addition, the heat load on the heater is reduced, which improves the durability of the heater. Moreover, unnecessary energy consumption is reduced.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a device for preparing a hot beverage, in particular coffee or tea, the device.
A reservoir for storing water and
A container for storing coffee powder, tea leaves, etc., which is provided with a container that can be connected to the reservoir so as to be arranged above the reservoir.
The container has a water supply pipe that extends downward from the bottom of the container into the reservoir when the container is connected to the reservoir, thereby providing fluid communication between the reservoir and the container. Being done
The device further comprises a heater according to one of the aforementioned embodiments, wherein the opening is arranged to face the reservoir.

The technical effects and advantages discussed for this heater apply equally to the device. As a result, the temperature of the base housing can be kept at a level that is harmless to the user. Improves operational safety throughout the device for preparing heaters and hot beverages.

In a further embodiment, the device comprises a retainer connectable to the reservoir such that the reservoir is located above the heater. The retainer allows the reservoir to be placed above the heater. The reservoir does not need to be placed directly at the top of the heater. Therefore, it can also be used in a ball-shaped reservoir. As mentioned at the beginning, the device for preparing a hot beverage using the siphon principle can also be implemented in a fuel-based heater. Normally, the reservoir cannot be placed directly on the burner of the heater, so a retainer is needed to place the reservoir above the burner. Therefore, the same equipment can be used in combination with this heater, and no specially designed equipment is required.

The present invention is described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

The perspective view of one Embodiment of the heater for heating a liquid which concerns on this invention. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the heater shown in FIG. An enlarged view of the detail part C defined in FIG. A side sectional view of an apparatus for preparing a hot beverage, comprising the heater shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. FIG. 4A is a perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4A.

See in detail here, one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure shown in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same or similar reference numbers are used throughout.
1 and 2 show the heater 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention by a perspective view and a cross-sectional view, respectively. The heater 10 comprises a base 12 having a base housing 14 to which the bulb socket 16 is fixed. The bulb 18, in this case the halogen bulb 18, is inserted into the bulb socket 16. The bulb 18 provides electromagnetic radiation used to heat the liquid contained in the reservoir 20 (see FIGS. 4A and 4B). The bulb 18 can be switched on and off by a switch 22 indirectly fixed to the base housing 14. Wiring for supplying electrical energy to the bulb 18 is not shown. The switch 22 comprises a switch-off means 24 for turning off the bulb 18 after a preset time, for example, 15 or 30 minutes.

The light bulb 18 is surrounded by a light bulb housing 26 that is secured to the base housing 14 by a first screw 28. The light bulb housing 26 has an opening 30 that transmits the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light bulb 18. In the embodiment shown, the opening 30 is covered by a glass plate 32 that is also fixed to the bulb housing 26. The opening 30 and the glass plate 32 are arranged near the free end 34 of the light bulb 18.

In particular, as seen in FIG. 3, the heat insulating layer 36 is arranged between the base housing 14 and the bulb housing 26. The heat insulating layer 36 has a hole 38 through which the first screw 28 can pass. The heat insulating layer 36 has a thickness d between 5 mm and 10 mm, particularly between 5 mm and 7 mm. The heat insulating layer 36 is made of a first thermoplastic material such as polystyrene or polypropylene, or a first elastomer, particularly a silicone elastomer. When the first screw 28 is fixed, the heat insulating layer 36 is compressed, so that the heat insulating layer 36 is fixed to the base housing 14 and the light bulb housing 26.

Moreover, the heater 10 includes a thermal protection unit 40 arranged around the bulb housing 26. In the embodiment shown, the protection unit is cylindrical and secured to the bulb housing 26 by a second screw 42. The thermal protection unit 40 does not cover the opening 30 of the light bulb housing 26. Further, the heat protection unit 40 is fixed to the light bulb housing 26 so that a gap 44 of 1 mm to 5 mm is formed between the heat protection unit 40 and the base housing 14. In particular, as seen in FIG. 1, the thermal protection unit 40 further comprises some recesses 46 in which the distance between the thermal protection unit 40 and the base housing 14 is significantly greater than in the void 44. The distance is between 10 mm and 25 mm. The thermal protection unit 40 is made of a second thermoplastic material or a second elastomer, particularly a silicone elastomer. The first thermoplastic or first elastomer forming the insulating layer 36 is the same as the second thermoplastic or second elastomer forming the thermal protection unit 40.

The heater 10 includes a reinforcing structure 48 for reinforcing the heat protection unit 40. The reinforcing structure 48 of the illustrated embodiment is annular and is arranged radially inside the thermal protection unit 40. The second screw 42 penetrates the reinforcing structure 48. The reinforcing structure 48 is made of metal.

4A and 4B show a device 50 for preparing a hot beverage, particularly coffee or tea, by side cross-sectional view and perspective view, respectively. The device 50 utilizes the siphon principle and comprises the aforementioned reservoir 20 capable of pouring a desired amount of water. In addition, the device 50 includes a container 52 to which an insoluble material (not shown) such as coffee powder or tea leaves can be supplied. The container 52 includes a water supply pipe 54 that is inserted into the reservoir 20 in an airtight manner. Therefore, the seal member 56 is arranged between the reservoir 20 and the container 52. The upper open end of the water supply pipe 54 is covered with a reusable filter 58. As is particularly apparent from FIG. 4A, the filter 58 is connected to a spring 60 having a grip 62. By pulling on the grip 62, the filter 58 can be inserted into the water supply pipe 54 so that it can be positioned relative to the container 52, if necessary.

The reservoir 20 must be located near the opening 30 of the bulb housing 26 in order to expose the water in the reservoir 20 to the electromagnetic radiation generated by the bulb 18 of the heater 10. For that purpose, the device 50 comprises a retainer 64 that can be connected to the reservoir 20. The holder 64 is arranged on the upper surface 66 of the base housing 14. Referring to FIG. 4B, the legs 68 of the holder 64 extend through the recess 46 of the thermal protection unit 40.

To prepare the coffee, the desired amounts of water and coffee powder are supplied to the reservoir 20 and the container 52, respectively. The water is heated to or near the boiling point by the heater 10. When heated, the air pressure in the reservoir 20 rises, and as a result, hot water is supplied to the container 52 via the water supply pipe 54 and the filter 58. The hot water is mixed with the coffee powder in the container 52. As soon as the heating device 10 is switched off or the reservoir 20 is removed from the heating device 10, the reservoir 20 is cooled and the air pressure in it is reduced, thereby mixing with the coffee powder in the container 52. The hot water is filtered by the filter 58 and returned to the reservoir 20 via the water supply pipe 54. Next, the container 52 is removed from the reservoir 20 and the coffee in the reservoir 20 is poured into the drinking container.

In the operation of the heating device 10, the electromagnetic radiation generated by the light bulb 18 not only heats the water contained in the reservoir 20 but is also absorbed by the light bulb housing 26 (see FIG. 2). The heat insulating layer 36 prevents heat from being transferred to the base housing 14. As a result, the temperature of the base housing 14, especially the top surface 66 of the base housing 14, is kept at a level that is harmless to the user. Further, the heat load on the components arranged inside the base housing 14 such as the switch 22 or arranged on the upper surface 66 of the base housing 14 such as the holder 64 is kept low. As already mentioned, the switch 22 and the switch-off means 24 are indirectly fixed to the base housing 14. As a result, the switch 22 and the switch-off means 24 are largely unaffected by the temperature of the base housing 14 because there is no direct heat conduction between the base housing 14 and the switch 22 or the switch-off means 24, respectively.

In addition, the thermal protection unit 40 prevents the user's hand from coming into direct contact with the bulb housing 26, reducing the risk of injury. The switch-off means 24 turns off the bulb 18 after a preset time, for example 15 minutes, if the opposite command is not received. This prevents overheating, which can damage the heater 10. Further, the heat load of the heater 10 is reduced, thereby improving the durability of the heater 10. Moreover, unnecessary energy consumption is reduced.

10 Heater 12 Base 14 Base Housing 16 Light Bulb Socket 18 Light Bulb 20 Reservoir 22 Switch 24 Switch Off Means 26 Light Bulb Housing 28 First Screw 30 Opening 32 Glass Plate 34 Free End 36 Insulation Layer 38 Hole 40 Heat Protection Unit 42 Second Screw 44 Void 46 Recess 48 Reinforcement structure 50 Equipment 52 Container 54 Water supply pipe 56 Sealing member 58 Filter 60 Spring 62 Grip 64 Cage 66 Top 68 Leg d Distance

Claims (15)

A heater (10) for heating a liquid, particularly water, contained in a reservoir (20), wherein the heater (10) is used.
A base (12) including a base housing (14) and
A light bulb socket (16) fixed to the base housing (14),
A light bulb (18) that is inserted or insertable into the light bulb socket (16) and produces electromagnetic radiation to heat the liquid contained in the reservoir (20).
A light bulb housing (26) that surrounds the light bulb, is secured to the base housing (14), and has an opening (30) capable of transmitting electromagnetic radiation generated by the light bulb (18).
A heat insulating layer (36) arranged between the base housing (14) and the light bulb housing (26) in order to reduce heat conduction between the base housing (14) and the light bulb housing (26). And, a heater (10). In the heater (10) according to claim 1,
The light bulb housing (26) is fixed to the base housing (14) by a first screw (28), and the heat insulating layer (36) is arranged so as to be compressed when the first screw (28) is fixed. A heater (10), characterized in that. In the heater (10) according to claim 2,
The heater (10), wherein the heat insulating layer (36) has a hole (38) through which the first screw (28) can pass. In the heater (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, the heater (10).
The heater (10), wherein the heat insulating layer (36) is made of a first thermoplastic substance or a first elastomer, particularly a silicone elastomer. In the heater (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 4, the heater (10).
The heater (10) comprises a heat protection unit (40) that surrounds the light bulb housing (26). In the heater (10) according to claim 5,
The heater (10), characterized in that the heat protection unit (40) is fixed to the light bulb housing (26) except for the opening (30). In the heater (10) according to claim 6,
The heater (10), characterized in that the heat protection unit (40) is fixed to the light bulb housing (26) by a second screw (42). In the heater (10) according to claim 6 or 7.
The thermal protection unit (40) is characterized in that it is fixed to the light bulb housing (26) so as to leave a gap (44) between the thermal protection unit (40) and the base housing (14). The heater (10). In the heater (10) according to claim 5-8, in the heater (10).
The heater (10), wherein the heat protection unit (40) has a recess (46). In the heater (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 7.
The heater (10), wherein the heat protection unit (40) is made of a second thermoplastic substance or a second elastomer, particularly a silicone elastomer. In the heater (10) according to claims 4 and 10,
The heater (10), characterized in that the first thermoplastic and the second thermoplastic are the same, or the first elastomer and the second elastomer are the same. In the heater (10) according to any one of claims 5 to 11.
The heater (10) is characterized by comprising a reinforcing structure (48) for reinforcing the heat protection unit (40). In the heater (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the heater (10).
The heater (10) comprises a switch-off means (24) that cuts off the power supply to the light bulb (18) after a preset time. A device (50) for preparing hot beverages, especially coffee or tea,
A reservoir (20) for accommodating water and
A container (52) for containing coffee powder, tea leaves, or the like, which is provided with a container (52) that can be connected to the reservoir (20) so as to be arranged above the reservoir (20).
The container (52) has a water supply pipe (54) that extends downward into the reservoir (20) from the bottom of the container (52) when the container (52) is connected to the reservoir (20). And thereby providing fluid communication between the reservoir (20) and the container (52).
The apparatus (50) comprising the heater (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the opening (30) is arranged so as to face the reservoir (20). In the apparatus according to claim 14,
The device comprises a retainer (64) connectable to the reservoir (20) such that the reservoir (20) is located above the heater (10).

Images