DE9203171U1 - Coffee or tea maker - Google Patents

Description

Patent attorneys

Or. Loesenbeck ji aao) Ä k

SpNrig. Loeser^eck

' backer Sir. 184,4800 Bielefeld &Iacgr;

Melitta Household Products GmbH & Co. KG
Ringstrasse 99, 4950 Minden

Coffee or tea maker

The invention relates to a coffee or tea maker according to the preamble of the main claim.

The well-known coffee or tea makers consist mainly of a glass pot to which a handle is attached using straps and a plastic or metal lid with a piston rod running through the middle and a filter piston attached to the side facing the pot. A particular disadvantage of this type of coffee or tea preparation is that the liquid in the pot loses temperature very quickly. The lid, which can generally only be placed on the top edge of the pot, also contributes to the possibility of large heat losses. Every coffee or tea drinker will therefore check the remaining liquid temperature by briefly touching the pot before pouring themselves a cup of the drink.

The object of the invention is therefore to create a coffee or tea maker of the type mentioned above which keeps the prepared beverage warm for a long time and which gives the user the opportunity to find out about the current liquid temperature just as quickly as with the known coffee or tea makers.

The inventive solution to this problem results from the features of the characterizing part of the main claim.

A particular advantage is that the liquid container and lid are surrounded or lined with insulating material and, to avoid

Melitta - 2 -

Cold bridges can be joined together in a heat-tight manner and that despite this insulation jacket, the current drinking temperature can be recognized immediately by anyone at any time, even without touching the pot. An advantageous design is one in which the lid seals the liquid container heat-tight using a twist or bayonet lock, which has the additional positive side effect that when the sieve body is pushed through the liquid, the lid rests securely on the upper edge of the pot and does not slip accidentally, which can cause the sieve body to become skewed so that tea leaves or coffee powder end up on the opposite side of the sieve body undesirably.

The respective temperature of the prepared beverage can be indicated analogously via pointer instruments, digitally or even acoustically, whereby in the latter case electronic components could be used which indicate the temperature, for example at the push of a button, by the pitch of the tone or even via a voice output.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the maximum heat loss of the liquid is 5° per hour. It should also be emphasized that such insulated coffee or tea makers can not only keep a liquid warm, but can of course also protect a cold liquid from heating up too quickly if necessary.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the subject matter of the invention, a temperature sensor is provided directly in the sieve body and the display means in the actuating knob of the drive rod, so that the "insulation" and "temperature indication" functions are structurally separated, so that both requirements can be optimized almost independently of one another.

Melitta - 3 -

Further advantageous embodiments of the subject matter of the invention emerge in connection with the further subclaims.

An embodiment of the invention is described in more detail below with reference to a drawing. It shows:
Figure 1 shows a coffee or tea maker in a cutaway side view.

The coffee or tea maker consists of its main components: a pot 1, a lid 2 and a sieve body 3 that can be moved through the interior of the pot 1. The pot 1 has a liquid container 4 that corresponds to the pot of a non-heat-insulated coffee or tea maker as well as a casing made of heat-insulating material 5.

A handle 19 is attached to the jug via clamping straps 20 that directly enclose the liquid container 4 or the heat-insulating material 5. In the embodiment of the subject of the invention shown in Figure 1, the display means 14, 15 for the current liquid temperature are arranged in the front area of the jug between the two clamping straps 20 or, alternatively or additionally, in the actuating knob of the drive means 16 of the sieve body 3.

The jug 1 or the liquid container 4 can be closed heat-tight with the lid 2 via a twist or bayonet lock 6.

In the embodiment, the heat-insulating material 5 simultaneously forms the outer casing 8 and has a storage surface 9 and decorative surfaces 10, 11.

Melitta - 4 -

The coffee or tea maker is provided with at least one temperature sensor 12, 13, which is arranged outside or inside the liquid container in such a way that the temperature of a small remaining amount of a drink can also be indicated reliably. This temperature indication can be provided by the various display means 14, 15. One possibility is to use analog display means such as conventional pointer instruments or a paint that changes its color according to the temperature. Digital or even acoustic display means are also conceivable. Common electronic components can be used for this, which indicate the liquid temperature on request using different tones or a voice output.

All possible display means 14, 15 can be arranged on the jug 1 and/or on the lid 2 and/or on the drive means 16 for moving the sieve body 3. The display means 14, 15 can, for example, be rectangular or have round shapes or enclose the circumference of the jug in a ring shape.

It is also conceivable to coat partial surfaces or the entire outer surfaces of the jug 1 and/or lid 2 and/or operating knob 17 with a temperature-indicating paint.

As can be seen from the figure, the sieve body 3 is designed as a piston, the drive means 16 as a rod 18, which is provided with an actuating knob 17, with a temperature sensor 13 arranged in the piston and a display means 15 in the actuating knob 17, and both are connected to one another by the rod. With this arrangement of the temperature display, it is conceivable that even state-of-the-art coffee or tea makers can be retrofitted with this system.

Melitta - 5 -

This retrofitting option does not only affect the temperature indication, but also the heat-insulating material 5, which can be designed in such a way that the known jugs and lids can be equipped with it. The heat-insulating material 5 can ensure a maximum heat loss of the liquid of 5° per hour by selecting the insulating material and its thickness.

Claims (12)

Melitta - 6 - Protection claims 1. Coffee or tea maker made of a pot (1) with a lid (2) and a sieve body (3), the outer contour of which rests against the inner contour of the pot (1) and can be moved through the interior of the pot by drive means, characterized in that the essential components, in particular the liquid container (A) and lid (2) are surrounded or lined with heat-insulating material (5), preferably plastic, and both are designed to form a heat-tight seal, and that the coffee or tea maker has display means (14, 15) for the current liquid temperature. 2. Coffee or tea maker according to claim 1, characterized in that the lid (2) seals the liquid container (4) in a heat-tight manner via a twist or bejonett closure. 3. Coffee or tea maker according to one or both of the preceding claims, characterized in that the maximum heat loss of the liquid is 5° per hour. 4. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heat-insulating material (5) forms the outer housing (8) and a storage surface (9) and decorative surfaces (10, 11) are formed thereon. 5. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is provided with a temperature sensor (12, 13) and this is arranged outside and/or inside the liquid container (4). Melitta - 7 - 6. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the temperature maintained can be indicated analogously and/or digitally and/or acoustically by the display means (14, 15). 7. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display means (IA, 15) are arranged on the pot (1) and/or on the lid (2) and/or on the drive means (16) for moving the sieve body (3). 8. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the display means (14) are rectangular or have round shapes or enclose the circumference of the pot in a ring shape. 9. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that a display means consists of a layer that changes its color according to the liquid temperature. 10. Coffee or tea maker according to claim 9, characterized in that partial surfaces or the entire outer surface of the pot (1) and/or the lid (2) and/or the operating knob (17) are coated with this temperature-indicating layer. 11. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sieve body (3) is designed as a piston, the drive means (16) as a rod (18) which is provided with an actuating knob (17) and that a temperature sensor (13) and a display means (15) for the temperature are arranged in the piston and in the actuating knob (17) and the temperature sensor (13) and display means (15) are connected to one another by the rod (18). Melitta 12. Coffee or tea maker according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the heat-insulating material and/or the display means (14, 15) are designed in such a way that the known coffee or tea makers can be retrofitted therewith.