Foods and beverages: apparatus – Beverage – Hot beverage means
Reexamination Certificate
2003-08-13
2004-06-29
Simone, Timothy F. (Department: 1761)
Foods and beverages: apparatus
Beverage
Hot beverage means
C099S275000, C222S465100, C222S469000, C222S475100
Reexamination Certificate
active
06755120
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to coffeepots and more particularly to a drip coffeepot with improved characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional coffeepot
10
is shown in FIG.
1
and comprises a body
20
having a top opening
201
, a handle
30
having a spout
301
adjacent the opening
201
and a ring seat
302
between the spout
301
and the opening
201
, the ring seat
302
having an outer threaded section, and a lid
40
having an inner threaded section completely threadedly secured to the outer threaded section of the ring seat
302
when the lid
40
is completely closed, and a dome-shaped top
401
. In operation, a user can unfasten the lid
40
by counterclockwise turning the lid
40
about the handle
30
until the lid
40
has risen to a desired height. Next, tilt the coffeepot
10
to pour coffee out of the spout
301
via the opening
201
and a gap
50
between the bottom of the lid
40
and the ring seat
302
as indicated by arrows.
However, the prior art suffered from several disadvantages. For example, a user cannot assure whether coffee discharge passageway is open or not by counterclockwise turning the lid
40
about the handle
30
. Thus, it is often that either the coffee discharge passageway is still closed after several times of turning or the lid
40
is completely disengaged from the handle
30
. In the former case, a tilting of the coffeepot
10
still cannot pour coffee out. In a later case, a small portion of hot coffee may discharge from the spout
301
and a large portion of hot coffee may undesirably discharge from the top opening
201
since the lid
40
has separated from the coffeepot
10
. This is not a safe design. Thus, the need for improvement still exists.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a coffeepot comprising a body for storing coffee a top opening and a plurality of risers equally spaced apart along a top periphery; a handle assembly comprising a ring seat conformed to and secured to the top opening, a spout extended outward from a periphery of the ring seat, a handle member, and a plurality of interior slits equally spaced apart along an inner surface of the ring seat; a lid connecting assembly shaped to snugly fit in the ring seat, the lid connecting assembly comprising a passageway in communication with the spout, a funnel-shaped channel, a recess at an upper periphery, an upper threaded section, a plurality of projections equally spaced apart along a lower periphery, the projections being secured to the slits, and a first central hole; a discharge control assembly having an upper part fitted in the first central hole and being slidable therealong, the discharge control assembly comprising a disc-shaped base, a post extended upward from the base through the first central hole, an annular flange on an outer surface of the post, resilient means put on the post and supported by the flange, and a C-shaped member pressed on the resilient means; a check valve conformed to and mounted in the funnel-shaped channel, the check valve comprising a seat having a plurality of perforated openings, a steel ball on a center of the seat, and a cap pressed on the steel ball so as to be in contact with the seat; a disc-shaped abutment assembly comprising a second central hole put on the post and a plurality of lugs equally spaced apart along a periphery, each lug having a hole therethrough; a push member having a part conformed to and put on the second central hole, and another part conformed to and seated on the recess; and a disc-shaped lid comprising an inner threaded section secured to the upper threaded section, and a recessed portion with the push member passed therethrough, wherein in a closed state of the check valve, press the push member to lower the discharge control assembly a distance with the resilient means being compressed, a gap is formed between the base and the lid connecting assembly, a coffee discharge passageway is formed from the gap to the spout through the passageway, and tilt the body will pour coffee out of the spout via the coffee discharge passageway; and in an open state of the check valve, release the push member causes the resilient means to return to its normal state by expansion with the post being lifted and the base being moved upward to urge against the lid connecting assembly for closing the coffee discharge passageway.
In one aspect of the present invention, an ergonomic member is formed to fit onto the handle member by snapping.
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description taken with the accompanying drawings.
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patent: 5110016 (1992-05-01), Heimann et al.
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patent: 6422133 (2002-07-01), Brady
Kamrath Alan D.
Nikolai & Mersereau , P.A.
Simone Timothy F.
Uni-Splendor Corp.
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