Patent ID: 6520368
Filing Date: 2003-02-18
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
A thermos comprising:an upright stand including a laterally extending top seat and a plurality of angularly spaced apart headed studs projecting upwardly from said top seat, each of said headed studs having an enlarged head portion vertically spaced apart from said top seat; a vertically extending cylindrical container mounted detachably and rotatably on said top seat of said stand and having a laterally extending bottom wall with a peripheral edge, an upper peripheral wall extending upwardly from said peripheral edge of said bottom wall and confining a water-receiving space, a lower peripheral wall extending downwardly from said peripheral edge of said bottom wall and confining a mounting space, an annular bottom flange laterally extending from said lower peripheral wall into said mounting space and formed with an engaging hole, and an outlet tube extending downwardly and outwardly of said mounting space from said bottom wall through said lower peripheral wall, and in fluid communication with said water-receiving space, said container being rotatable relative to said stand between engaging and disengaging positions; a coupling member mounted in said mounting space and having a laterally extending annular flange part that is surrounded by said bottom flange, that is disposed over said top seat of said stand, and that is formed with a plurality of angularly spaced apart elongated slots, each of which has an enlarged end and a reduced extension that is reduced and that extends from said enlarged end, said head portion of each of said headed studs having a cross-section which is smaller than that of said enlarged end of a respective one of said slots and greater than width of said reduced extension of the respective one of said slots, each of said headed studs extending through the respective one of said slots and movable along the respective one of said slots in such a manner that said head portion of each of said headed studs anchors on a periphery of said reduced extension of the respective one of said slots when said container is positioned at said engaging position, thereby preventing removal of said container from said stand, and that said head portion of each of said headed studs is vertically aligned with said enlarged end of the respective one of said slots when said container is positioned at said disengaging position, thereby permitting removal of said container from said stand; and a spring-biased latch that is mounted movably on said top seat and that is operable to move upwardly and downwardly between a limiting position, in which, said spring-biased latch moves upwardly to project into said engaging hole in said bottom flange of said container when said container is positioned at said engaging position, thereby preventing angular movement of said container relative to said stand, and a non-limiting position, in which said spring-biased latch moves downwardly to disengage from said engaging hole, thereby permitting angular movement of said container relative to said stand.