Water heating tank

Claim 1

A WATER HEATING TANK FOR A BEVERAGE DISPENSER MACHINE HAVING GRANULES OF BEVERAGE CHARGE THEREIN AND RELATED ELECTROMECHANICAL COMPONENTS FOR PREPARING A PRESELECTED BEVERAGE, COMPRISING: A TANK BODY HAVING MEANS THEREIN DEFINING AN INLET AN DOUTLET AND MEANS FOR HEATING THE WATER CONTAINED THEREIN; A FRUSTO-CONICAL TOP ON SAID BODY HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN AND A NECK PROJECTING UPWARDLY THEREFROM; AN OUTLET TUBE HAVING AN OPENING IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT SAID TOP; A COVER ON SAID NECK HAVING A SLEEVE THERETHROUGH; FLOAT MEANS IN SAID NECK ADAPTED TO RISE AND FALL IN RESPONSE TO THE DIFFERENT WATER LEVELS IN THE TANK, SAID FLOAT MEANS INCLUDING A FLOTA ELEMENT HAVING A DIAMETER SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THAT OF SAID NECK AND A SHAFT POSITIONED IN SAID SLEEVE; SWITCH MEANS ON SAID NECK OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID FLOAT MEANS SHAFT FOR ADMITTING WATER TO SAID TANK WHEN SAID WATER LEVEL AND SAID FLOAT FALL BELOW A PREDETERMINED LINE OF SAID NECK THE POSITION OF SAID OUTLET OPENING RELATIVE TO SAID TOP PERMITTING EXPOSURE OF ONLY A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF WATER SURFACE AREA WHEN WATER IS DRAWN FROM SAID TANK THROUGH SAID OUTLET, SO THAT THE EXPOSED SURFACE AREA OF WATER SUBJECT AREA WHEN WATER IS MAINTAINED AT A MINIMUM AND THEREBY FOULING OF SAID ELECTROMECHANICAL COMPONENTS OR COAGULATION OF SAID GRANULES DUE TO THE MOISTURE IN THE DISPENSER IS SUBSTANTIALLY ELIMINATED.