WO2003039970A2

WO2003039970A2 - Thermos jug

Info

Publication number: WO2003039970A2
Application number: PCT/NL2002/000712
Authority: WO
Inventors: Gerardus Cornelis Jozef De Groot; Willem Derk Jan Laanbroek
Original assignee: Bravilor Holding B.V.
Priority date: 2001-11-07
Filing date: 2002-11-07
Publication date: 2003-05-15
Also published as: WO2003039970A3; NL1019321C2; AU2002343229A1

Abstract

Thermos jug, provided with an internal, insulated container with an access opening at the top, an external carrier which supports the insulated container, a closure stopper in the access opening, which closure stopper is provided with an introduction opening, via which liquid can be introduced into the insulated container, a discharge tube, which runs through the closure stopper all the way to close to the bottom of the insulated container, via which liquid can be discharged from the container, and a lid having a hollow body, which is pivotably connected to the external carrier. A pump mechanism is installed in said hollow body such that the output port of the pump mechanism extends through a port opening in the lower part of the lid and adjoins, when the lid is closed, said introduction opening. The pump is operated by pump actuating means, which are accessible through the upper part of the lid for operating the pump mechanism. The lid comprises at its underside an opening of which the dimension are suited to remove the pump mechanism from the lid through said opening, and a closure component is provided for closing said opening in a detachable manner.

Description

Thermos jug

The invention relates to a thermos jug, provided with an internal, insulated container with an access opening at the top, - an external carrier which supports the insulated container, a closure stopper in the access opening, which closure stopper is provided with an introduction opening, via which liquid can be introduced into the insulated container, a discharge tube, which runs through the closure stopper all the way to close to the bottom of the insulated container, via which liquid can be discharged from the con- tainer, a lid having a hollow body, which is pivotably connected to the external carrier, and a pump mechanism installed in said hollow body such that the output port of the pump mechanism extends through a port opening in the lower part of the lid and adjoins, when the lid is closed, said introduction opening, pump actuating means which are accessible through the upper part of the lid for operating the pump mechanism

Prior art A thermos jug of this type is known, for example, from Dutch Patent

NL1013627.

In this known thermos jug, liquid is introduced by opening the lid and pouring in the liquid via the introduction opening in the closure stopper. Liquid can be removed from the jug by using the pump mechanism, which is incorporated in the lid. This mechanism comprises a bellows with valve, which can be operated in a known way in order, when the valve is closed, to force external air into the insulated container. The increase in the air pressure above the liquid forces the liquid into the discharge tube, and the liquid is then passed to the outside via this tube and via an adjoining discharge spout, and when it reaches the outside the liquid is collected, for example in a cup or other container.

Since the entire bellows of the pump mechanism, i.e. the concertina section and the adjoining upper and lower plates, are generally secured to one another to form an unreleasable assembly, cleaning the bellows causes problems. During use, it is rela- tively easy for moisture and dirt to penetrate into the bellows via the air-pressure openings. The outer side of the bellows of the pump mechanism is also freely accessible to dirt and moisture. When the jug is open and is being filled with a hot drink, steam or hot, moist air rises up out of the jug, not only along the outer side of the pump mechanism but also into the bellows, which leads to dirt and grease being caked on in particular in the seams of the bellows.

While a hot liquid, such as coffee, is being poured in, liquid may easily be spilled next to the pouring-in opening. On closer consideration, it has been found that the vicinity of the pouring-in opening is shaped with all kinds of corners, which are difficult to gain access to and keep clean. In this context too, there is a risk of an accumulation of material which, together with any moisture which reaches the surroundings of the pouring-in of the opening, may lead to dirt caking on.

A further prior art apparatus is described in US4116366. The pump in this apparatus is embodied as a rather small bellows pump driven by a battery powered electric motor. All components of the pump and its drive mechanism are installed in the hollow body of the lid.. Except for a very small opening for the push button by means of which the pump drive motor is operated the hollow body is completely closed and therewith inaccessible for cleaning purposes.

Problem

In general terms, cleaning and keeping clean the top parts of a thermos jug has often proven to be a problem in practice.

In particular, the removal of moisture and dirt from the bellows has proven to be very difficult if not impossible. The interior of the bellows cannot be reached or can only be reached with great difficulty, and consequently it is scarcely possible to clean the bellows. The entire mechanism for operating the bellows and the means for ensuring that the air which is forced out of the bellows actually reaches the insulated container are also often difficult to clean, on account of their nature and shape.

An additional factor, which makes the situation even more difficult, is the fact that the locations where dirt and moisture accumulate do not lie directly at the surface and are therefore difficult or impossible to see. This means that it will be less easy to notice the dirt, and therefore it will often be forgotten. This inherently entails additional risk. The difficulty of cleaning means that in practice moisture and dirt will accumulate in the system, forming an ideal nutrient base for microbiological growth.

In general, the locations where moisture and dirt may built up are not located where the liquid is normally situated and also not where they can easily come into contact with the liquid. Fortunately, in practice there are few problems with regard to hygiene and the associated risks to health. However, such problems are not entirely ruled out.

Object of the invention

It is an object of the invention to provide measures with which this problem is at least greatly reduced or even eliminated.

The basic idea on which the invention is based is that of designing the various components of the thermos jug which are under consideration in such a manner that moisture and dirt cannot be deposited at locations which are difficult to gain access to and/or in such a manner that the components under consideration can easily be cleaned.

The invention

This object is achieved, in a thermos jug of the type described in the first paragraph, through the fact that

- the lid comprises at its underside an opening of which the dimensions are suited to remove the pump mechanism from the lid through said opening, and

- that a closure component is provided for closing said opening in a detachable manner. The result of this is that on the one hand the pump mechanism is accommodated in a substantially closed space to maintain it far from liquid, dust and other contaminating substances. However, if after some time nevertheless the hollow space itself as well as the components therein have become contaminated, then on the other hand this hollow space is easily accessible by removing the closure component. Thereafter through the opening in the lid the pump mechanism can be taken out for cleaning and the hollow space itself is accessible for cleaning too.

To avoid the necessity to use tools it is preferred that the closure component can be detached by hand and can be brought in to place by hand.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the closure component is connected to the lid by means of a threaded coupling.

According to another preferred embodiment, the closure component is connected to the lid via a bayonet connection.

Therefore, on account of these connections, which can easily be detached by hand, it is easy to remove the entire pump mechanism, so that the mechanism can easily be cleaned if this is deemed necessary. To avoid multiple openings in the lid construction it is preferred that said opening in the underside of the lid is made into the closure component.

Although pump mechanisms of various different constructions can be used within the scope of the invention, such as a pump driven by an electric motor of the type described in US4116366 or a hand operated type as described in NL1013627, or any other type, it is preferred that the pump mechanism comprises an upper plate with suction opening and a moveable flap therein, a lower plate with expulsion opening, a bellows positioned between the two plates, and a spring which prestresses the bellows into the position with the largest volume, whereby the shape of the underside of the lower plate is adapted to the shape of the upper side of the closure component such that because of this adaptation the pump mechanism is maintained in place.

It is remarked that in the construction according to US4116366 there is no separate lower plate. The bellows are directly connected to the lower part of the lid making it impossible to remove the pump from the lid.

From a constructional point of view it is preferred that the lower plate comprises a pressure spout, which extends through the opening in the closure component and which, when the lid is closed, rests against the rim of the introduction opening in the closure stopper. Furthermore it is preferred that the spout comprises one or more ribs and that at least the spout and/or the closure component is/are made of such a material that the spout is able to snap in the opening of the closure component in a detachable manner.

For better cleaning the pump itself it is preferred that at least part of the connections between the various parts of the pump mechanism is detachable. When, after opening the lid fluid is poured into the internal container through the introduction opening in the closure stopper spilling of fluid is almost unavoidable. In many cases the fluid is poured in by hand and the introduction opening is rather small. Therefor it is preferred that the closure stopper is connected in a liquid-tight manner to the pouring-out opening of an introduction funnel, comprising a funnel-shaped part, the pouring-in opening of which is shaped such that, when the lid is closed, at least a section of the funnel shaped part rests against at least a section of the closure component. As a result, all the locations which are difficult to gain access to on the upper side of the opened jug are shielded from the surroundings as successfully as possible, and in particular the effects of spilling liquid while it is being poured in are to a considerable extent eliminated. Any liquid which is spilled or not poured in correctly will be collected on the surface of the funnel and, from there, will flow towards the pouring-in opening, so that the liquid still reaches the desired location (inside the container). In this context, it is preferable for the cross section of the introduction funnel to be approximately equal to the cross section of the upper rim of the carrier. This results in the optimum possible covering of the parts of the thermos jug which lie below it.

By shaping the funnel as described above the funnel acts as an additional support for the pump. During the periods the bellows are pressurized through the actuating elements pressure will be exerted onto the lower part of the hollow body of the lid. This lower part is now at least partly supported by said funnel. Especially the closure component and the detachable connection between closure component and lower part of the lid may benefit from this additional support.

To eliminate any tolerance, it is preferable for the lower plate to be made from a slightly resilient material.

Brief indication of the figures

The invention will be explained in more detail below with reference to the appended figures. Figure 1 shows a cross section through a thermos jug according to the invention.

Figure 2 shows a detailed cross section through the closure stopper 5.

Figure 3 shows the pump with exploded parts.

Description of figures Figure 1 shows a cross-sectional view through a thermos jug according to the invention. The jug is composed of a double-walled inner bottle 1, which is positioned in a container 2. The container 2 and the inner bottle 1 are supported on a base 3. At the top side of the bottle 1 and the container 2 there is a closure piece 4, which preferably closes off the entire top side of the container 2 and, moreover, provides support for the upper side (the neck) of the inner bottle 1. Details of the components 1,..., 4 are of no importance to the invention and will not be discussed in more detail.

The closure stopper 5 is fitted into the central opening in the closure piece 4, which in the present example coincides with the access opening in the top of the container 1. This component 5 is shown in more detail in Figure 2. The stopper 5 is provided on the upper side with a funnel 10 with a filling opening on its top side, the diameter of which is so great that all the further components and parts thereof below it are covered. This large introduction opening prevents liquid from being spilled and greatly reduces the risk of moisture and dirt accumulating between the funnel and the top side of the container. The funnel 10 has an outflow opening 11, via which the liquid which has been poured in passes into a passage chamber 12 and, from there, can flow onward via the opening 13 and through the introduction pipe 14. As shown in Figure 1, the introduction pipe 14 ends at a short distance from the bottom of the container 1. For more details about this design, reference is made to the abovementioned EP0619972. Furthermore, the stopper 5 is provided with a discharge pipe 16, via which liquid is removed from the container.

To achieve a good seal between stopper and introduction opening of the container, the closure ring 17 is fitted. This ring is preferably made from a slightly resilient material and is profiled in such a manner that the desired sealing function is in fact produced. The ring 17 is held in place by two shoulders 18 and 19, between which, as it were, a groove has been formed, into which the ring 17 fits.

At the top side, the discharge line 16 ends in a discharge spout 20, which projects far enough sideways for it to be possible for the liquid which flows through this spout to be collected in a mug, cup, beaker or other suitable vessel.

As shown in more detail in Figure 1, the upper side of the thermos jug is closed off by a lid 6, which is connected to the closure piece 4 via a hinge 7. Below the lid 6 there is a pump mechanism 8, the details of which on the one hand are shown in cross section in Figure 1 and on the other hand are shown in perspective, with an exploded view of the parts, in Figure 3. An actuating element 9, which is used to actuate the pump, is incorporated in the lid 6.

The pump unit 8 is composed of a bellows 21 which, on the top side, is secured to an upper plate 22 and, on the underside, is secured to a lower plate 23. In the upper plate 22 there is a valve 25, and there is a spring 26 between this valve 24 and the lower plate 23. The spring 26 is prestressed in such a manner that its natural inclination is to push the upper part 22 with valve 24 and the lower plate 23 apart. The abovementioned components are held in place below the lid 6 by a closure component 28. In the present embodiment, the closure component is designed as a virtually flat plate with a raised edge. In this exemplary embodiment, there is a number of inwardly projecting lugs (not visible in the figure) in the edge, and these lugs, together with the grooves 29 in the edge of the lid, form a bayonet closure. This closure enables the lid 6 and the closure component 28 to be fitted together, forming a closed space in which the pump 8 is accommodated. As a result, the pump is less exposed to ambient influences and will therefore become dirty less quickly. Of course, it is also possible for a corresponding screw thread to be fitted to the components instead of a bayonet closure, once again creating an easily releasable connection.

If pressure is exerted on the upper plate 22 via the actuating element 9, the valve 24 will close and then, with the valve 24 closed, the bellows 21 will be compressed, with the result that the air which is present therein will be pushed out via the outflow port 27 on the underside of the lower plate 23. The air passes into the container 1, where it will place the liquid, which is present under pressure, so that it will leave the container through the riser 16 and the discharge spout 20. If the pressure on the actuating element 9 and therefore on the upper plate 22 is released, first of all the valve 25 will open, with the result that air can flow into the bellows from the top side. Then, under the influence of the spring 26, the combination of upper plate 22 and valve 25 is moved upwards until the limit provided by the lid is reached. All this is assumed to be known to a user of thermos jugs of this type. Within the context of the invention, the various components of the pump are connected to one another in such a manner that all the components of the pump can be detached easily without the use of a tool. However, it is not always necessary for the components to be completely dismantled in order to allow successful cleaning of the pump. For example, the spring 26 may be fixed to the lower plate 23 by means of a snap-action connection, but does not always have to be detached for cleaning purposes. The bellows 21 is secured to the upper plate 22, and this combination can easily be cleaned without the components having to be separated from one another. The port 27 is preferably made from a slightly elastic material and is shaped in such a manner that it latches securely into the central opening in the closure component 28. This provides additional strength to the structure.

Claims

1. Thermos jug, provided with an internal, insulated container with an access opening at the top, an external carrier which supports the insulated container, - a closure stopper in the access opening, which closure stopper is provided with an introduction opening, via which liquid can be introduced into the insulated container, a discharge tube, which runs through the closure stopper all the way to close to the bottom of the insulated container, via which liquid can be discharged from the container, - a lid having a hollow body, which is pivotably connected to the external carrier, and a pump mechanism installed in said hollow body such that the output port of the pump mechanism extends through a port opening in the lower part of the lid and adjoins, when the lid is closed, said introduction opening, - pump actuating means which are accessible through the upper part of the lid for operating the pump mechanism characterized in that the lid comprises at its underside an opening of which the dimensions are suited to remove the pump mechanism from the lid through said opening, and - that a closure component is provided for closing said opening in a detachable manner.

2. Thermos jug according to Claim 1, characterized in that the closure component can be detached by hand and can be brought in to place by hand.

3. Thermos jug according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the closure component is connected to the lid via a threaded coupling.

4. Thermos jug according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the closure compo- nent is connected to the lid via a bayonet connection.

5. Thermos jug according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that said opening in the underside of the lid is made into the closure component.

6. Thermos jug according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that, the pump mechanism comprises an upper plate with suction opening and a moveable flap therein, - a lower plate with expulsion opening, a bellows positioned between the two plates, and a spring which prestresses the bellows into the position with the largest volume, whereby the shape of the underside of the lower plate is adapted to the shape of the upper side of the closure component such that because of this adaptation the pump mechanism is maintained in place.

7. Thermos jug according to Claim 5 or 6, characterised in that the lower plate comprises a pressure spout, which extends through the opening in the closure component and which, when the lid is closed, rests against the rim of the introduction opening in the closure stopper.

8. Thermos jug according to Claim 7, characterized in that the spout comprises one or more ribs and that at least the spout and/or the closure component is/are made of such a material that the spout is able to snap in the opening of the closure component in a detachable manner.

9. Thermos jug according to any of the Claims 6-8, characterized in that at least part of the connections between the various parts of the pump mechanism is detachable.

10. Thermos jug according to any of the preceding Claims, characterized in that the closure stopper is connected in a liquid-tight manner to the pouring-out opening of an introduction funnel, comprising a funnel-shaped part, the pouring-in opening of which is shaped such that, when the lid is closed, at least a section of the funnel shaped part rests against at least a section of the closure component.

11. Thermos jug according to Claim 10, characterized in that the cross section of the funnel shaped part is approximately equal to or larger than the cross section of the closure component.