Device for preparing hot drinks

A device for preparing hot drinks is disclosed having a liquid-storage vessel 3, an electric heating element 14 arranged therein, a current supply circuit 17 and a collecting vessel 1 for the prepared drink. This device can be used very advantageously, particularly in vehicles. It is characterized in that the storage vessel 3 is designed as a unit separate from the current supply circuit 17 and closed by valve 10-13 which opens irreversibly at a predetermined pressure inside the storage vessel 3, and is provided with contacts 16 for the supply of electrical current which are connected to the heating element 14 via an electric line 15 which is interrupted when the valve 10-13 is opened. The storage vessel 3 is insertable into the collecting vessel 1 in such a way that in an operative position of the storage vessel 3, a collecting space of the collecting vessel 1 is situated essentially below the storage vessel 3.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
The invention relates to a device for preparing hot drinks having a 
liquid-storage vessel, an electric heating element arranged therein, a 
current supply circuit and a collecting vessel for the prepared drink. 
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
Devices of this type are very widespread, for example in the form of coffee 
machines. The disadvantage of these coffee machines and similar devices of 
the type mentioned at the beginning is that the preparation of the drinks 
is very complicated as water or another liquid and an infusion or 
concentrate must be introduced into the device separately and in portions. 
These devices have the further disadvantage that they have many components 
which need to be cleaned. Lastly, these devices are unsuitable for use in 
cars, aeroplanes etc. as they take up a lot a room and the liquid may 
splash out when the vehicle moves. In addition, when in travel there is 
often no available source for suitable liquids, mostly water. 
OBJECT OF THE INVENTION 
The object of the invention is to provide a device of the type mentioned at 
the beginning which can be used very simply and advantageously even in 
travel. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The solution according to the invention consists in that the liquid-supply 
vessel is designed as a unit separate from the current supply circuit and 
closed by a valve which opens irreversibly at a predetermined pressure 
inside the vessel, is provided with contacts for the supply of electrical 
current which are connected to the heating element via an electric line, 
and is or can be inserted into the collecting vessel in such a way that in 
the operative position the collecting space is situated essentially below 
the storage vessel, and that the current feed to the heating element is 
designed such that it is interrupted when the valve opens. 
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
The device thus exhibits a liquid-storage vessel which is closed. In this 
way, in the form of the liquid storage vessel portioned quantities of the 
liquid are simultaneously available when several such liquid-storage 
vessels are brought along. The liquid can in this connection be water or, 
for example, milk or another liquid. The liquid can also be present in 
frozen form, in particular when it does not keep well, such as for example 
milk. The liquid-storage vessel is not provided fixed to a current supply 
but has contacts for the supply of electrical current. In order to heat up 
the liquid, the storage vessel may then be connected to a current supply, 
for example inserted into a corresponding supply unit which is joined to 
corresponding electrical contacts and connected to an energy source, for 
example the 6-volt, 12-volt or 24-volt battery of a vehicle. 
The liquid-storage vessel is first closed by the valve. If the 
liquid-storage vessel is connected to the electrical energy supply and as 
a result heats up the liquid, the internal pressure rises correspondingly 
as the liquid and any volume of gas contained heat up and gases dissolved 
in the water such as, for example, oxygen and carbon dioxide leave the 
liquid in the form of bubbles and as a result also increase the pressure. 
At a predetermined internal pressure, in other words when the liquid has 
reached the temperature required according to the invention, the valve 
opens irreversibly, and liquid flows out. Since the opening process is 
irreversible, the valve does not close again afterwards, so that all the 
liquid flows out through the valve, even after the internal pressure has 
resumed the normal value by the opening of the valve. 
Simultaneously, with the opening of the valve the current connection to the 
heating element is permanently interrupted so that the vessel cannot be 
damaged here by it being further heated up when it is empty as well. 
In the operative position, the collecting vessel, into which the liquid 
flows, is situated below the liquid vessel. The liquid can then be removed 
from this collecting vessel, for example it can be drunk. 
The dry substances of a soup to be made up could, for example, be arranged 
in the collecting vessel. 
In many cases, however, it would be desirable to introduce a 
concentrate-dissolving or infusion process where the concentrate or 
infusion does not enter the collecting vessel, for example with coffee or 
tea. In this case, it is advantageously provided for a storage space, 
closed by a sieve or filter, to be provided for a concentrate or infusion 
in the operative position below the valve. The concentrate or infusion is 
then advantageously fastened in the lower region of the storage space, 
which can, for example, be achieved by enclosing the concentrate or 
infusion not only from below by the filter or the sieve, but also by a 
corresponding filter plate or the like arranged on top of it. It may, 
however, also be provided for the concentrate or infusion to be arranged 
in a foil bag, also situated in the storage space, which can be destroyed 
under the action of heat. This foil bag then bursts open under the action 
of the hot liquid, the filter or sieve preventing it from entering into 
the collecting vessel. Such bags formed from foil are advantageous in 
particular for liquid concentrates or infusions, for example when making 
grog, mulled wine or the like. 
An especially space-saving embodiment is characterized in that the 
collecting vessel completely encloses the storage vessel in the operative 
position laterally and from below, it being possible for collecting vessel 
and storage vessel to be joined firmly together beforehand as well. 
In this embodiment, it is advantageously provided that the collecting 
vessel is provided with a lateral tubular channel for removing the drink. 
Through this lateral channel, the drink may then, for example, be drunk 
directly or it may at the opening of the channel pass into a drinking aid 
such as, for example, a straw or a teat. In this case, seals can be 
provided either in the drinking aid or in the opening of the removal 
channel, so that no liquid can escape between drinking aid and opening. 
If the components consisting of storage vessel and collecting vessel, as 
well as heating etc., are delivered as a compact vessel unit, the opening 
of the removal channel is advantageously closed with a film which can be 
torn off. In this case, not only the liquid, but also the concentrate or 
infusion is hermetically sealed before the liquid is heated up or before 
the heated drink is tasted. In particular, in this way it is impossible 
for the collecting vessel to become contaminated. 
In particular with the vessel unit already mentioned, it is advantageous if 
this unit is provided with a flange projecting laterally upwards in the 
operative position before insertion into a current supply unit and for 
securing in the same. 
The vessel unit is advantageously provided with upper contacts it being 
more advantageous for many applications, however, if the vessel unit is 
provided with lateral contacts 
The support and current supply unit may in particular be designed to be 
capable of being folded so that they can be folded away when not in use, 
thus saving space. In addition, they may be provided with a light source 
in order, for example, to facilitate insertion of the vessel unit. The 
support, however, may also be arranged in a stationary manner, for example 
in vending machines. It can also be designed such that it can be inserted 
into a corresponding recess of a wall or sunk in some other way. 
It has proven to be specially advantageous if the valve has a cylindrical 
element which is surrounded by an annular seal of the bottom of the 
storage vessel and in the operative position has a region with a smaller 
diameter, the storage vessel being designed such that its bottom moves 
downwards with increasing pressure. This valve works in such a way that 
with the valve open the storage vessel is turned upside down and the 
liquid poured in. The arched bottom is then pressed inwards counter to its 
pretension; in this position it snaps into place, the seal then coming 
into contact with the region with a larger diameter of the cylinder and in 
this position sealing hermetically. If the internal pressure rises as a 
result of heating up, the bottom is gradually pressed out again. In a 
certain position, it will then suddenly bulge out downwards completely as 
a result of its pretension, the arrangement then being such that the seal 
enters the region with a smaller diameter of the cylindrical element. At 
this point it is no longer capable of sealing so that the liquid may flow 
out through the valve as desired. 
In another embodiment, although the bottom is rigid, the side wall of the 
storage vessel is, however, provided with an annular, bellows-like region 
which is also pretensioned towards a position where the bottom is pressed 
relatively far downwards. The filling of the storage vessel takes place 
with an underpressure so that the closed vessel as a result of its 
underpressure occupies a position in which the bottom assumes an upper 
position. When the liquid is heated up, the bottom has a corresponding 
tendency to move downwards, in which, however, it is obstructed by the 
friction at the mentioned valve. Only when the pressure is sufficiently 
great and consequently when the temperature is sufficiently high, does the 
bottom move downwards, with the valve then open, the now expanded bellows 
pressing the bottom downwards so that the valve remains in the open 
position. 
It is advantageously provided that the current line from the contact to the 
heating element has outwardly pretensioned spring elements, which, when 
the bottom is moving downwards, can be released into a position in which 
the connection is interrupted. 
The contacts of the vessel can, however, also be designed and arranged in 
such a way that the current connection between the contact elements of the 
support and the contacts which are arranged on the vessel is interrupted. 
For this purpose, the contacts can be arranged in bellows-like recesses of 
the vessel and move inwards when an initial overpressure decreases. This 
is achieved by the fact that although the bellows of the recess have a 
tendency to press the contacts inwards, they are nevertheless prevented 
from doing so by the internal pressure of the vessel which is filled with 
an overpressure. If the overpressure is further increased as a result of 
the heating process, so that the valve opens and that the overpressure is 
cancelled, then the contacts move inwards as a result of the movement of 
the bellowslike walls, so that there is no longer any electrical contact 
with the current supply. 
The recesses for the contacts are advantageously arranged on the cover and 
interact with spring-loaded contact elements of the current supply circuit 
which are provided with a mechanical stop to limit their movement towards 
the inside of the vessel so that these movable contact elements can follow 
the vessel contacts for only a certain distance with the result that the 
contact is interrupted here. 
The contact elements can be mounted on a lever which has a movable stop for 
the vessel edge. In this case, the initially withdrawn contact elements 
are made to touch the contacts as a result of the insertion of the vessel 
into the recesses via the action of the lever. When the vessel is 
subsequently extracted, the contact elements of the current supply circuit 
then move upwards again so that the extraction of the vessel is not 
prevented. It is advantageous especially in this embodiment if the support 
has an elastically expandable catch device for the vessel so that the 
vessel is not pushed out of the current supply circuit as a result of the 
spring force of the movable stop. 
The contacts themselves can, for example, be sealing rivets which traverse 
the vessel wall. It has, however, proven to be especially advantageous to 
produce the contacts from metal plates which are deformed in the central 
region in the shape of pots, an edge region being left over which bears 
tightly against the vessel wall, only the end surface of the pot-shaped 
region traversing the vessel wall in order to make contact with contacts 
of the current supply situated there. 
The storage vessel must, of course, be sufficiently stable that only its 
bottom is essentially deformed. It will normally have a cylindrical side 
wall which can withstand high pressures. The cover will be more or less 
flat. A corresponding support surface can, however, be provided here in 
the current supply unit, against which the cover surface of the vessel can 
be supported when the internal pressure increases. 
In an advantageous embodiment, an at least partially detachable connection 
is provided between liquid-storage vessel and collecting vessel, for 
example a parting line with a tear-off strip. After the drink or the soup 
has been prepared, this strip can be torn off so that the storage vessel 
can be folded away so that the soup or the drink can be drunk better. The 
storage vessel can then be subsequently folded onto the vessel so that 
there are no open surfaces contaminated by food or liquid residues. The 
storage vessel could, however, also be joined to the collecting vessel in 
such a way that it can be completely separated from the storage vessel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
As shown in FIG. 1, a storage vessel 3, which is filled with a liquid, is 
situated in a collecting vessel 1 which is provided with a lateral outlet 
channel 2. The vessels have an essentially cylindrical shape and are 
sealed by a cover 4. The bottom 5 of the storage vessel 3 is arched and 
pretensioned such that it assumes the convex shape drawn with dashed lines 
in FIG. 1. Another vessel 7, which contains the concentrate or infusion 8 
in a lower annular region, is placed onto the storage vessel 3 with the 
aid of a snap-catch connection 6. The vessel 7 exhibits a sieve or a 
filter 9 below the substance 8. The substance 8 can also be fastened from 
above through a sieve or a filter. 
The vessel 7 exhibits centrally and axially a cylindrical spike 10 which 
has an essentially larger thickness in the upper region (at 11) than in a 
central region 12. The vessel bottom 5 is sealed against the thicker 
region 11 of the spike 10 with the aid of a lip seal 13. An electrical 
heating element 14 in the form of a resistance wire, which is connected to 
contacts 16 via contact springs 15, is situated above the vessel bottom. 
As shown in FIG. 2, the vessel can be inserted into a current supply 
circuit 17 which is fastened to a wall 19 with a fastening part 18, the 
current supply circuit 17, which can be connected to a battery or another 
power supply, being pivotable about an axle 20 and exhibiting an 
illumination device 21. 
The filling of the vessel takes place as follows. The bottom 5 initially 
has the form shown in dashed lines so that the lip seal 13 does not seal 
against the thinner region 12 of the spike 10. In this position, the 
vessel is turned upside down and filled. The bottom 5 is subsequently 
pressed inwards into the position shown in the Figure with solid lines, in 
which it remains. In this case, the vessel is closed by the lip seal 13 
which now bears against the thicker spike section 11. The lower vessel 7 
with the concentrates or infusions is subsequently placed on the vessel 3. 
A foil bag with, for example, liquid concentrates can be included in the 
space of the vessel 7 instead of the solid concentrates 8 shown. The 
vessel 3 is then subsequently placed in the collecting vessel 1 and 
permanently fastened there, unless it is preferred to deliver and keep the 
storage vessel 3 with liquid and concentrate separate from the vessel 1, 
which has the advantage that only one or a few vessels 1 can be used over 
and over again. 
As shown in FIG. 4, the vessel 1 is provided at its upper edge with a 
flange 22 with which it can be inserted into the current supply circuit 17 
and secured there. In the embodiment in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cover 4 is 
curved, which prevents the vessel from falling out of the current supply 
circuit 17. The cover could, however, also take a flat shape, which would 
be advantageous in particular for automatic appliances. 
At the top in FIG. 5, the condition is shown in which the valve is closed, 
when the bottom 5 is situated in the upper position In this case, the 
lines 15 are in electrical contact with the heating element 14. For this 
purpose, corresponding slots are provided in an element 23 attached via a 
snap joint. The lines 15 here take the form of springs which are outwardly 
loaded. In the upper position, the seal 13 forms a tight closure against 
the thickened cylinder section 11. When the pressure rises, the floor 
will, after having surmounted the neutral position as a result of the 
pretension, fold downwards, so that on the one hand the sealing lips 13 no 
longer bear against the central spike since they are now situated in the 
thinner region 12. On the other hand, however, the contact springs 15 are 
no longer prevented by the body 23 from moving outwardly so that they 
spring away outwardly, the contact with the heating element 14 ceasing as 
a result. The liquid can now run out through the valve, it being possible 
also for an exchange of air to take place laterally through the element 23 
so that no liquid is retained in the storage vessel as a result of an 
underpressure. 
Other forms of the contacts with which the vessel unit is to be supplied 
with current are shown in FIGS. 6 and 7. Since the lines 15 are situated 
in the liquid and have a larger cross-section than the heating element, 
only very little heat is passed to the contacts 16, and hence to the 
vessel wall. 
FIG. 8 represents how a drinking aid in the form of a drinking straw, which 
is provided with lip seals 24 and a cover element 25, can be introduced 
into the opening of the removal channel 2 so that the drinking aid 26 
bears tightly against the opening of the removal channel 2. Before use of 
the vessel, this opening is closed with a film 27 which is shown in FIG. 
4. 
A contact 16 is shown in FIGS. 9 to 12 which is produced from a small plate 
by stamping and has a central cup-shaped region with which the contact is 
made, while an edge region adjoins the inside of the vessel. The 
illustrations show the arrangement in cross-section, in longitudinal 
section, in a view from inside and in horizontal section. 
FIG. 13 shows a detailed view of an embodiment in which the bottom 5 is, as 
opposed to the embodiments previously mentioned, rigid. An annular 
bellows-like region 28, which is pretensioned such that it tends to press 
the bottom 5 downwards into the position shown in dashed lines, is, 
however, provided laterally on the wall of the storage vessel 3. The 
vessel is filled with an underpressure so that the bellows-like region 28 
is compressed. During the heating up, the bottom is then pressed 
downwards, the bellows-like region 28 extending. After surmounting the 
friction at the valve 10-13, the bottom or the valve then jumps 
permanently into the open position as a result of the pretension. 
Another embodiment of the vessel is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. There the 
contacts 16 are joined to the heating element 14 via fixed lines 29, it 
being possible for the contact element to be secured by the lines 29 alone 
so that it can hang free in the vessel 3. There is no need for special 
retaining elements for the heating element 14, which makes production more 
economical. The vessel is filled with an overpressure so that bellowslike 
side walls 30 of recesses 31, in the bottom of which the contacts 16 are 
arranged, are compressed. In this position, the contacts 16 touch contact 
elements 32 of the current supply circuit 17 so that the vessel contents 
can be heated up. 
When, as shown in FIG. 15, the valve 10-13 has opened, an overpressure no 
longer prevails in the vessel 3 and the bellows-like walls 30 move 
downwards, the contact between the contact elements 32 of the current 
supply circuit 17 and the contact 16 of the vessel being interrupted as a 
result. 
In this embodiment, the spike 10 extends as far as the bottom of the outer 
vessel 1 and is secured there by a projection 33. At approximately half 
its height, it has a collar 34 by means of which the other vessel 7 is 
pressed upwards, so that it cannot be detached from the liquid-storage 
vessel 3. A simple sealing means 35 is arranged between vessel wall 3 and 
wall of the vessel 7. No such expensive snap-catch joint or similar joint 
is required here, as in the embodiment in FIG. 1. 
The contact elements 32 of the current supply circuit 17 have a 
punch-shaped design and are contained sliding in corresponding bores 36, 
as shown in FIGS. 16 and 17. A resilient arm 37, which is pivotably 
mounted at 38, passes through the contact element 32. The lever 37 is here 
elongated at 39 beyond the pivot 38. This lever arm 39 is attached to an 
extension spring 40 which pretensions the lever 37 in an anticlockwise 
direction so that the contact element 32 is normally withdrawn into the 
support 17 so that the vessel can be inserted into the current supply 
circuit 17 without hindrance 
The levers 37, 39 are also fastened to a movable stop 41 which, when the 
vessel 1 is inserted in FIG. 16, pivots in a clockwise direction so that 
the spring-loaded lever 37 presses the contact element 32 downwards until 
the lever 37 assumes the position which is indicated at 37' in FIGS. 16 
and 17. In this position, the lever 37 presses the contact element 32 
against the contact 16 and thus makes the electrical connection. When the 
bellows-like region 30 moves downwards, the arm 37 rotates further in a 
clockwise direction until it assumes the position 37" in which it touches 
the stop 42. From this moment on the contact element 32 is unable to 
follow the contact 16 further so that the electrical connection is 
permanently interrupted. When the cup 1 is subsequently removed, the force 
acting on the lever 41 stops so that the contact element 32 can be moved 
back again into the position in FIG. 16 and the cup removed from the 
current supply circuit 17. 
To make it impossible for the cup 1 to be removed from the current supply 
circuit 17 via the spring-loaded lever 41, a spring-loaded catch device, 
not shown in the figures, is provided to secure the cup in the inserted 
position and which can be engaged with a ridge-like guide projection 43 
which is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15. 
Instead of the bellows-like recesses, the contacts 16 could also be 
fastened to bellows-like projections which are initially pressed outwards 
as a result of the overpressure but are pretensioned in such a way that, 
when the initial overpressure is removed, the contacts move at least 
partially towards the vessel cover 4. In this case, the contact elements 
32 of the current supply circuit 17 could have a simpler design. 
Another embodiment of the device of the invention is shown in FIGS. 18 and 
19, in which the device is shown from the side in a direction 
perpendicular to the view in FIGS. 14 and 15. One difference as compared 
with the embodiment in FIGS. 14 and 15 is that the cover 4 of the storage 
vessel 3 is not arranged horizontally but obliquely, which has on the one 
hand the advantage that an air bubble can collect in the top part. On the 
other hand, drinking is made easier as a result and the vessel sits more 
securely in the support during the heating process. Furthermore, the spike 
10 is not fastened to the bottom of the collecting vessel but to the 
vessel 7 which also bears the concentrate or infusion 8. This has the 
advantage that the spike 10 is moved out of the substance with the hot 
water added when the device is hinged open, as shown in FIG. 19. For this 
purpose, the device has a horizontal parting line 45 which is closed with 
a tear-off tape 44. After removing the tear-off tape 44, the vessel can be 
hinged open as in FIG. 19. If desired, the parting line 45 can be 
uninterrupted in a residual region so that the vessel parts remain hanging 
together, as shown in FIG. 19. The parting line 45 could also be 
continuous so that the two parts can be separated from each other.