Liquid dispenser for a motor vehicle

Claim 1

A hot liquid dispenser for use in a motor vehicle having a liquid cooled engine, comprising: a unitary housing; a liquid storage tank within the housing; a heating coil within the storage tank having inner and outer co-axial tubes, the ends of the inner tube extending through the outer walls of the storage tank and the housing for connection with the engine's liquid cooling system for heating the stored liquid with a portion of the coolant, the outer tube being spaced from the inner tube by a small annular air gap, the ends of the outer tube extending outside the storage tank and the housing to provide a means for draining any coolant that might leak through the inner tube; an electric pump within the housing having an inlet tube extending into the lower portion of the storage tank and an outlet tube extending out of the housing for dispensing liquid from the storage tank; a thermal sensor extending into the lower portion of the storage tank to automatically determine if the liquid within the tank is at or above a minimum preset acceptable dispensing temperature substantially below the liquid's boiling point; a thermal sensor switch coupled with the thermal sensor, the switch being electrically connected in series between the pump and an external electrical power supply to prevent the stored liquid from being dispensed unless the liquid is at or above the preset minimum acceptable dispensing temperature; and a means attached to the housing for mounting the dispenser in the vehicle's passenger compartment.

Claim 6

A device, for use in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle having a liquid coolant engine cooling system, which device dispenses a potable hot liquid above a preset minimum dispensing temperature substantially below the boiling point of the liquid, comprising: a unitary housing; a cup shelf extending from the housing for supporting a cup to receive liquid dispensed by the device; a liquid storage tank formed within and partially by the housing; a tubular heating coil positioned within the lower portion of the storage tank for heating the stored liquid with coolant from the engine cooling system, the heating coil having an inner tube, the ends of which extend beyond the housing for connection to the engine cooling system to permit coolant to pass through the inner tube and a co-axial outer tube separated from the inner tube by a small air gap to separate the potable liquid in the tank from the inner tube and the coolant within the inner tube, the ends of the outer tube extending slightly beyond the housing to provide a means for draining any coolant that might leak through the inner tube; an electric pump within the housing for dispensing hot liquid from the storage tank, the pump having a liquid inlet tube extending into the lower portion of the storage tank and a liquid outlet tube extending out of the housing to deliver liquid to a cup supported on the cup shelf; a manually operable pump switch within said housing electrically connected between the pump and an external power supply; a thermal sensor switch within said housing having a thermal sensor extending into the lower portion of the storage tank to automatically determine if the liquid within the tank is above the preset minimum dispensing temperature, the thermal switch being electrically connected in series between the pump switch and the external power supply to prevent electrical energy from being supplied to the pump switch if the liquid is not above the minimum dispensing temperature, so that stored liquid cannot be dispensed unless the liquid is above said temperature; a ready light within the housing electrically connected in series between the thermal switch and the pump switch to indicate when the liquid in the storage tank is above the minimum dispensing temperature and the pump is energized for delivery of hot liquid; and a mounting means attached to the housing for mounting the device on the transmission hump in the vehicle's passenger compartment.

Claim 7

A device, for use in the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle having a liquid coolant engine cooling system, which device dispenses a potable hot liquid above a preset minimum dispensing temperature substantially below the boiling point of the liquid, comprising: a unitary housing; a cup shelf extending from the housing for supporting a cup to receive liquid dispensed by the device; a liquid storage tank formed within and partially by the housing; a tubular heating coil positioned within the lower portion of the storage tank for heating the stored liquid with coolant from the engine cooling system, the heating coil having an inner tube, the ends of which extend beyond the housing for connection to the engine cooling system to permit coolant to pass through the inner tube and a co-axial outer tube separated from the inner tube by a small air gap to separate the potable liquid in the tank from the inner tube and the coolant within the inner tube, the ends of the outer tube extending slightly beyond the housing to provide a means for draining any coolant that might leak through the inner tube; an electric pump within the housing for dispensing hot liquid from the storage tank, the pump having a liquid inlet tube extending into the lower portion of the storage tank and a liquid outlet tube extending out of the housing to deliver liquid to a cup supported on the cup shelf; a manually operable pump switch within said housing electrically connected between the pump and an external power supply; a thermal sensor switch within said housing having a thermal sensor extending into the lower portion of the storage tank to automatically determine if the liquid within the tank is above the preset minimum dispensing temperature, the thermal switch being electrically connected in series between the pump switch and the external power supply to prevent electrical energy from being supplied to the pump switch if the liquid is not above the minimum dispensing temperature, so that stored liquid cannot be dispensed unless the liquid is above said temperature; a ready light within the housing electrically connected in series between the thermal switch and the pump switch to indicate when the liquid in the storage tank is above the minimum dispensing temperature and the pump is energized for delivery of hot liquid; and a mounting means attached to the housing for mounting the device on the transmission hump in the vehicle's passenger compartment.