US3590724A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Hot drink machine
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1970-03-16
•
Granted: 1971-07-06
•
Expires: 1990-03-16
Abstract
Abstract A hot drink machine having a cabinet comprising a truncated pyramidal base housing having a column on one end of the base housing, and a truncated pyramidal cap on the column; the portion of the base housing not occupied by the column constituting a platform; a coffee drip pot on said column over the platform; said cap covering the drip pot and covering about 25 percent of the column; the cabinet presenting an optically foreshortening aspect due to the conformation of the base platform and the cap and the partial coverage of the column by the cap; a hot water reservoir tank in the column primarily heated by a heavy duty immersion heater and having auxiliary light duty standby heater and a thermostat controlling the immersion heater on the outside of a metal bottom wall in the tank; a capillary action water dispersal plate and chamber on the drip pot and a brew can below the drip pot; a user filling the tank through an opening in the cabinet top; a faucet on the tank for drawing hot water; a user filling the drip pot through an opening in the cabinet above the drip pot; and condenser flanges and cup provided over the tank and drip pot to reduce vapor to liquid to prevent dripping outside the cabinet by returning the liquid to the tank or drip pot.
Inventors
- 👤 Walter R Lorang
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-29 07:32
CPC Classifications
A; A47; A47J; A47J31/00; A47J31/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
664 words
A hot drink maker and hot water reservoir combination machine ready for immediate use to make hot coffee, tea, chocolate, soup, etc., which is particularly suitable for relatively small volume self-users such as homes, offices, shops, stores, etc., and which has camouflaging and blending cabinet structure and conformation including an apparent low-silhouette rendering it acceptable for use in places where hot drink makers are usually found objectionable, comprising a rectangular base plate having opposite ends and sides; end walls and sidewalls angling downwardly-outwardly from said base plate ends and sides; inwardly projecting flanges on said side and end walls; a rectangular bottom plate removably secured to said flanges; said baseplate, sidewalls, and bottom plate providing a base housing for receiving and enclosing electrical apparatus and enterable for repair and replacement of electrical items by removing said bottom plate; said base housing having opposite sides ends; said base housing being concentrically double rectangular in top plan view and truncated pyramidal shape in elevational view; a hollow column rectangular in cross section having a bottom end mounted on said base plate of said base housing at one said end of said base housing; said base plate in the location of said column being cut out for communication between the interior of said base housing the interior of said hollow column; said base plate in the area not occupied by said column providing a receptacle bowl platform adjacent said column; a top plate of substantially the same dimensions as said base plate; said top plate having opposite ends and opposite sides; said top plate being mounted on said column at one end of said top plate with the other end of said top plate cantilevered outwardly of said column over said base plate platform with said top plate lying in substantially the same vertical plane as said base plate; a drip pot having a bottom drip orifice secured to said column adjacent the top of said column and overlying said bowl platform in spaced relation thereto above; interconnected side eave flanges and end eave flanges on said top-plate extending downwardly and outwardly from said top plate and depending in increasing spaced relationship to said column and said drip pot over said drip pot and over approximately twenty five percent of the height of said column; said top plate providing a cover for the top of said column and said drip-pot; said eave flanges having bottom ends lying outwardly beyond the vertical plane of said end walls, sidewalls and bottom plate of said base housing; said top plate and eave flanges comprising a top cap of concentrically double rectangular shape in top plan view and truncated pyramidal shape in side elevational view; said base housing and said top cap shape proportion in relation to the exposed portion of said column providing in conjunction with one another an optically height reducing combination; said base housing, column, and top cap constituting a cabinet; slide tracks mounted below said drip pot for removably supporting a brew can for holding ground coffee having a lip slidably supportable on said tracks to position the brew can below said drip pot; an opening in said top plate for pouring water through said cabinet into said drip pot; and a hole in the bottom of said brew can for emitting brewed coffee therefrom; a water reservoir tank in said column, an aperture in said top plate for pouring water through said cabinet into said tank; a faucet on said column leading to said tank interior for drawing water from said tank; and an immersion heater in said tank for heating the water therein; a user in making hot soup, tea, chocolate, etc., drawing water from said faucet into a suitable container and in making coffee the user pouring the hot water through the opening in said cabinet into said drip pot from which the water drips through the orifice into the brew can and from the brew can hole to a receptacle on said platform.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
664 words
A hot drink maker and hot water reservoir combination machine ready for immediate use to make hot coffee, tea, chocolate, soup, etc., which is particularly suitable for relatively small volume self-users such as homes, offices, shops, stores, etc., and which has camouflaging and blending cabinet structure and conformation including an apparent low-silhouette rendering it acceptable for use in places where hot drink makers are usually found objectionable, comprising a rectangular base plate having opposite ends and sides; end walls and sidewalls angling downwardly-outwardly from said base plate ends and sides; inwardly projecting flanges on said side and end walls; a rectangular bottom plate removably secured to said flanges; said baseplate, sidewalls, and bottom plate providing a base housing for receiving and enclosing electrical apparatus and enterable for repair and replacement of electrical items by removing said bottom plate; said base housing having opposite sides ends; said base housing being concentrically double rectangular in top plan view and truncated pyramidal shape in elevational view; a hollow column rectangular in cross section having a bottom end mounted on said base plate of said base housing at one said end of said base housing; said base plate in the location of said column being cut out for communication between the interior of said base housing the interior of said hollow column; said base plate in the area not occupied by said column providing a receptacle bowl platform adjacent said column; a top plate of substantially the same dimensions as said base plate; said top plate having opposite ends and opposite sides; said top plate being mounted on said column at one end of said top plate with the other end of said top plate cantilevered outwardly of said column over said base plate platform with said top plate lying in substantially the same vertical plane as said base plate; a drip pot having a bottom drip orifice secured to said column adjacent the top of said column and overlying said bowl platform in spaced relation thereto above; interconnected side eave flanges and end eave flanges on said top-plate extending downwardly and outwardly from said top plate and depending in increasing spaced relationship to said column and said drip pot over said drip pot and over approximately twenty five percent of the height of said column; said top plate providing a cover for the top of said column and said drip-pot; said eave flanges having bottom ends lying outwardly beyond the vertical plane of said end walls, sidewalls and bottom plate of said base housing; said top plate and eave flanges comprising a top cap of concentrically double rectangular shape in top plan view and truncated pyramidal shape in side elevational view; said base housing and said top cap shape proportion in relation to the exposed portion of said column providing in conjunction with one another an optically height reducing combination; said base housing, column, and top cap constituting a cabinet; slide tracks mounted below said drip pot for removably supporting a brew can for holding ground coffee having a lip slidably supportable on said tracks to position the brew can below said drip pot; an opening in said top plate for pouring water through said cabinet into said drip pot; and a hole in the bottom of said brew can for emitting brewed coffee therefrom; a water reservoir tank in said column, an aperture in said top plate for pouring water through said cabinet into said tank; a faucet on said column leading to said tank interior for drawing water from said tank; and an immersion heater in said tank for heating the water therein; a user in making hot soup, tea, chocolate, etc., drawing water from said faucet into a suitable container and in making coffee the user pouring the hot water through the opening in said cabinet into said drip pot from which the water drips through the orifice into the brew can and from the brew can hole to a receptacle on said platform.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
58 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a metal plate constituting the bottom wall of said tank, and a thermostat on said bottom plate outside said tank reactive to plate temperature which in turn is reactive to water temperature in said tank for controlling power to said immersion heater to regulate water temperature in said tank.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a device as set forth in claim 2, a relatively small heat output heating element on said plate outside said tank for constant heat output during use periods to hold the water at a temperature adjacent said thermostat cutoff upper setting to maintain the water temperature at a temperature adjacent said thermostat upper setting during standby times when the device is not used during use periods.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a vapor barrier wall in said tank spaced from the top of said tank creating water expansion head-space thereabove in said tank; said wall having an aperture for permitting water to rise into said head-space when the water expands when heated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a device as set forth in claim 4, a perforate-bottom cup positioned in said top plate aperture and leading through said barrier wall providing a vapor trap and preventing water poured into said tank from entering said head-space and creating a gauge for properly filling said tank below said barrier wall.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
72 words
In a device as set forth in claim 4, dEpending flanges on said top plate above said tank head-space constituting vapor condensers normally below head-space temperature due to thermal contact with said top plate for converting vapor in the headspace to liquid and for returning the liquid to said tank via said barrier wall aperture thereby reducing vapor penetration to the inside of said column to substantially eliminate condensation within said column.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, depending flanges on said top plate within said drip pot constituting vapor condensers within said brew pot normally below drip pot temperature due to thermal contact with said top plate for converting vapor in said drip pot to liquid and for returning the liquid to the drip pot thereby reducing vapor inside said cap around said drip pot to substantially eliminate condensation in said cap and dripping on said platform.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
40 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a perforate bottom cup in the opening of said top plate providing a vapor trap over said drip pot and for preventing accidental introduction of foreign objects into said drip pot.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, said drip pot having a bottom wall above said brew can having an inwardly relieved surface creating at least one step constituting a drop-off point for liquid condensed from vapor above the brew can to substantially eliminate dripping outwardly of said brew can.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, said drip pot having a bottom wall above said brew can having an inwardly relieved surface creating an indented pocket around said drip orifice; and a water spreader plate over said pocket creating a water dispersal chamber above said plate; said plate having slots adjacent its outer periphery for spreading water from said orifice radially outer positions by capillary action between said plate and said pocket relieved surface before dripping into said brew can to increase the area of ground coffee subjected to dripping and to insure substantially equal dripping from said plate slots if the machine is off-level.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
58 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a metal plate constituting the bottom wall of said tank, and a thermostat on said bottom plate outside said tank reactive to plate temperature which in turn is reactive to water temperature in said tank for controlling power to said immersion heater to regulate water temperature in said tank.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
67 words
In a device as set forth in claim 2, a relatively small heat output heating element on said plate outside said tank for constant heat output during use periods to hold the water at a temperature adjacent said thermostat cutoff upper setting to maintain the water temperature at a temperature adjacent said thermostat upper setting during standby times when the device is not used during use periods.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
50 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a vapor barrier wall in said tank spaced from the top of said tank creating water expansion head-space thereabove in said tank; said wall having an aperture for permitting water to rise into said head-space when the water expands when heated.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a device as set forth in claim 4, a perforate-bottom cup positioned in said top plate aperture and leading through said barrier wall providing a vapor trap and preventing water poured into said tank from entering said head-space and creating a gauge for properly filling said tank below said barrier wall.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
72 words
In a device as set forth in claim 4, dEpending flanges on said top plate above said tank head-space constituting vapor condensers normally below head-space temperature due to thermal contact with said top plate for converting vapor in the head-space to liquid and for returning the liquid to said tank via said barrier wall aperture thereby reducing vapor penetration to the inside of said column to substantially eliminate condensation within said column.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
79 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, depending flanges on said top plate within said drip pot constituting vapor condensers within said brew pot normally below drip pot temperature due to thermal contact with said top plate for converting vapor in said drip pot to liquid and for returning the liquid to the drip pot thereby reducing vapor inside said cap around said drip pot to substantially eliminate condensation in said cap and dripping on said platform.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, a perforate bottom cup in the opening of said top plate providing a vapor trap over said drip pot and for preventing accidental introduction of foreign objects into said drip pot.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
52 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, said drip pot having a bottom wall above said brew can having an inwardly relieved surface creating at least one step constituting a drop-off point for liquid condensed from vapor above the brew can to substantially eliminate dripping outwardly of said brew can.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
108 words
In a device as set forth in claim 1, said drip pot having a bottom wall above said brew can having an inwardly relieved surface creating an indented pocket around said drip orifice; and a water spreader plate over said pocket creating a water dispersal chamber above said plate; said plate having slots adjacent its outer periphery for spreading water from said orifice radially outer positions by capillary action between said plate and said pocket relieved surface before dripping into said brew can to increase the area of ground coffee subjected to dripping and to insure substantially equal dripping from said plate slots if the machine is off-level.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1974-07-05 | 1975-01-04 | 1975-07-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1978-07-05 | 1979-01-04 | 1979-07-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1982-07-05 | 1983-01-04 | 1983-07-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |