US3061970A

US3061970A - Toy percolating coffee pot

Info

Publication number: US3061970A
Application number: US162379A
Authority: US
Inventors: Knott Philip
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1961-12-27
Filing date: 1961-12-27
Publication date: 1962-11-06
Anticipated expiration: 1979-11-06

Description

Nov. 6, 1962 P. KNoTT 3,061,970

TOY PERCOLATING COFFEE POT as Filed Dec. 2v, 1961 ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 6, 1962 3,061,970 TOY PERCGLATlNG COFFEE POT Philip Knott, 245 E. 81st St., New York, N.Y. Filed Dec. 27, 1961, Ser. No. 162,379 6 Claims. (Cl. 46-14) This invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to one simulating a coffee maker such as a coiiee percolator or the like.

One of the objects of this invention is to provide a display device which will have the simulated `appearance of a real percolator and be provided with components for Ifilling, pouring and presenting the appearance of percolating as in a real percolator.

It is a further object of this invention to provide such a display device in which the percolating effect may be provided without mechanical or electrical or an auxiliary means, and without the use of heating mechanisms.

It is another object of this invention to provide such a display device which may also be used as a childs toy in which beverages such as flavored drinks made of powder, or the like, and water may be made while simulating the procedure of percolating coffee.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide such a toy percolator which may be completely sealed to prevent soiling or damage from the escape of its liquid contents, and yet be capable of being put through continual percolation cycles by the user.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will appear from the specification hereinbelow. I achieve these objects and advantages with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the top of the device in extended position;

FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the device, without the top, showing it in pouring position;

FIG. 3 is a medial cross section of an elevation of the device; and

FIG. 4 is an elevation of a modified form of the device.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

My toy percolator has a body The body 10 may be made of any material ordinarily and usually associated with the manufacture of kitchen utensils such as pots and pans. Such materials are Well known in the art, and include aluminum and glass. I prefer to make my invention from glass, or a transparent plastic for two reasons. First, to simulate the appearance of a popular type of glass percolator well known in the trade, and secondly, to have a device which is transparent and in which the simulated percolation process may be readily seen and enjoyed, in the invention as a display device and, by the children playing with it as a toy device.

The body 10 has divider means, such as a platform 11 to provide a substantially air-tight lower reservoir 12 in the lower portion of the body 10, and `an upper reservoir 13 at the upper portion of the body 10. The divider means 11 has valve means such as a flap valve 14 made of rubber, plastic, leather, or any other suitable material. The valve means 14 should be of a type being normally closed when the body 10 is in an upright position, and which will open to permit the passage of fluid through the divider means 11 when the body 10 is tilted from an upright to a horizontal position, especially when the tilting is in the direction of the pouring means or spout 15. The reason for this will be more fully explained hereinbelow.

The flap valve 14 has a pinhole opening 16 to permit fluid stored in the upper reservoir 13 to drip into the lower reservoir 12. There is a percolating means, such as a tubular air vent 17, which may be made integral with or attached to the divider means 11. The air vent 17 should be located at the center of the divider means, and will serve not only as the percolating means, but also as the supporting means for a basket 18. The basket 18 has a centrally located tubular shaft opening 19 adapted to slide fit over air vent 17, and rest on stop means such as annular flange or ring 20 located on air vent tube 17.

Air vent tube 17 has an enlarged lower portion 21 which serves to enlarge and raise the upper central portion of the lower reservoir 12, and also to raise the floor of the central portion of the upper reservoir 13. Thus, the upper surface 22 of divider means 11 forms an outer portion of the floor of upper reservoir 13, and the upper surface 23 of the enlarged section of the air vent forms the inner raised portion of the floor of upper reservoir 13.

There is also a curved fluid vent 25 communicating at one end 25a with air vent 17, and at the other end 25h with the lower reservoir 13, at a point below the level of raised oor portion 23, and above the level of lower floor portion 22. End 25a is positioned slightly above floor portion 23. When upper reservoir 13 contains a fluid such as water 26, with level above the end 25a of fluid vent 25, the water 26 will flow into air vent tube 17. This will be more fully described hereinbelow.

The device is completed with the provision of a top 27 having a `dome 28 to simulate the appearance of the regular cover of a coffee pot or the like.

In practice, fluid 26 is poured into the upper reservoir 13 to a lev-el relatively higher than the water vent 25. At this time, lower reservoir 12 will only contain air. Fluid 26 will drip from upper reservoir 13 through pinhole opening 16 into lower reservoir 12, and fluid 26 will move through water vent 25 into air vent 17. Air pressure from the air within lower reservoir 12 and enlarged portion 21 of air vent 17 will maintain the water in air vent 17 above surface 23 so that there will be a column of luid 26 within the air vent 17 relatively spaced between upper sur-face 23 and the level of fluid 26 in upper reservoir 13. The huid 26 in the device will remain in this equilibrium until a drop 30 or quantity of uid 26 moves from upper reservoir 13 to lower reservoir 12 through the pinhole opening 16. This will reduce the volume of air 31 held within the system at the lower reservoir 12 and thereby increase its pressure so that a quantity of air 31 will be forced up the air vent 17 and through the column of water 26 held therein, said air then rising in the form of bubbles 32. This action will be repeated every time a drop of fluid 30 falls into lower reservoir 12, and this will create the simulated percolating action.

I have lfound that an air vent tube 17 approximately 1A; inch in inside diameter is of a satisfactory size to maintain uid column 26a in position in the system as described. When a sufficient amount of fluid 26 has dropped into lower reservoir 12 so that it fills or the action otherwise ceases, the body 10 may be lifted and tilted toward pouring means or spout 15. Fluid 26 will then ow and cause flap valve 14 to open and permit fluid 26 to move Ifrom lower reservoir 12 to upper reservoir 13. At the same time, air 31 will re-enter lower reservoir 12. When the body 10 is then set down on a surface so that it is again in upright position, the system will then be in condition to repeat the percolating process.

When the body 10 is tilted to remove fluid 26 from lower reservoir 12, if there is suiiicient fluid in the upper reservoir, it will, of course, pour off through the spout and by the same action, if the user pours fluid 26 off from the upper reservoir through the spout, this will automatically act to move liuid from the lower to the upper reservoir and 1re-establish the relationship of the fluid to the air for continued percolating action. For this reason, it is important to have the flap valve 14 in 3 Slubstantial alignment with the spout or pouring means If desired, powdered flavoring for soft drinks may be placed in the basket 18. The basket 1S should have perforations 35 so that fluid, such as water 26, may seep through and communicate with the uid 26 in the rest of the system. Thus, after powdered avoring is placed in the basket 18, fluid such as water 26, will fiow through it as a result of the simulated percolating action, and a flavored drink may be made and enjoyed.

In another form of my invention (not shown), I may seal the top 24 over the body 10 and eliminate the pouring means 15. In this form of invention, it will be unnecessary to refill the system. After percolating action ceases, the device may be tipped to cause flow of the fluid 26 to the flap valve 14 to cause yfurther percolating action when it is set upright again. In this form of the device, it is, of course, true that it is impossible to remove the fluid 26 without breaking the device. However, this has the advantage of permitting the device -to be used as a toy without consequent messiness caused by spilling fiuids. It also permits the device to be used as part of a display apparatus where a continuous percolating effect can be achieved by periodically tilting the device without the necessity of refilling it with fluid.

In FIG. 4 of the drawings, I show another form of my invention in which the lower reservoir 12 is eliminated and the enlarged portion 21 of the air vent 17 is replaced with a collapsible air sack comprising a substantially rigid upper end 40, a deformable central portion 41, and fioat means 42. In this form of the device, fluid 26 is poured into the body 10'. This causes the float means 42, which are lighter in density than the fluid 26, to float and compress the air 31 in air sack 41 causing bubbles 32 to rise within fluid column 26a to eiiect simulated percolating action. This will continue until fluid means 42 floats to its upper limit and completely collapses collapsible air sack 41. At this point, all of the fiuid 26 is poured out of the entire system. The body a is then placed on a surface or otherwise held in an upright position and air will re-enter the collapsible air sack 41 permitting the float to drop and eX- tend the sack. More fluid 26 is then poured into the device and the action is repeated.

While I have described my invention in its preferred forms, there are other forms which it may take without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I, therefore, desire to be protected for all forms coming within the claims hereinbelow.

Wherefore I claim:

1. A percolator display device comprising a body having an upper reservoir and a lower reservoir with valve means located between the said reservoirs on means in the said body dividing the said reservoirs, an air vent comprising an enlarged lower portion and being located centrally in the said upper reservoir and communicating at its lower end with the said lower reservoir and at its upper end with the atmosphere, and a liquid vent communicating with the said air vent above the said enlarged lower portion of said air vent and said liquid vent communicating with the said upper reservoir at a lower portion thereof.

2. The device as defined in claim l, in combination with a basket slide fitted over the said air vent.

3. The device as defined in claim 2, having a removable closure cap, at least a portion of which is transparent.

4. A percolator display device having a body with substantially horizontal divider means having a centrally raised portion to divide the lower portion of the body into a lower reservoir and the upper portion of the body into an upper reservoir, valve means in the said divider means adapted to permit substantially free flow of liquid from the said lower reservoir to the said upper reservoir vand to substantially seal said opening against flow of liquid from the said upper reservoir to the said lower reservoir comprising an opening in the said valve means to permit liquid to drip from the upper reservoir into the lower reservoir; an air vent tube having a lower end communicating with an opening in the said centrally raised portion and an upper end having an opening substantially at the upper part of said upper reservoir, and a fluid Vent tube having an upper end communicating with the said air vent, and a lower end opening into the upper reservoir at a place below the level of said centrally raised portion.

5. The device 4as defined in claim 4, in which the air vent has means on which a basket is positioned.

6. The device as defined in claim 5, having a removable closure cap, at least a portion of which is transparent.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,764,079 Groppell Sept. 25, 1956 2,996,831 Woron Aug. 22, 1961