Abstract:
The present disclosure relates to a beverage dispenser having a container that has a cavity and a pouring spout. The beverage dispenser also includes a handle connectedly engaged with the container and a switching element disposed in the handle. The switching element selectively activates a light source and the light source selectively illuminates a field of view that is anterior the pouring spout.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION 
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/971,122, filed Sep. 10, 2007, which application is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present disclosure relates to beverage dispensers, and more particularly, to light-emitting beverage dispensers. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Hot beverages such as coffee are often served during the morning and evening hours under low light conditions. As such beverages are often served from a carafe, the pouring of the beverage from the carafe must be accurate in order to avoid spilling the beverage. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    An aspect of the present disclosure relates to beverage dispenser having a container with a cavity and a pouring spout and a handle connectedly engaged with the container. A switching element is disposed in the handle. The switching element selectively activates a light source that illuminates a field of view that is anterior to the pouring spout. 
         [0005]    A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the description that follows. These aspects can relate to individual features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not restrictive of the broad concepts upon which the embodiments disclosed herein are based. 
     
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0006]      FIG. 1  is a side view of a beverage dispenser having features that are examples of aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  is a front view of the beverage dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  is a side view of an alternate embodiment of a beverage dispenser having features that are examples of aspects in accordance with the principles of the present disclosure. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4  is side view of the beverage dispenser of  FIG. 1 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0010]    Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary aspects of the present disclosure that are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same or like structure. 
         [0011]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a beverage dispenser, generally designated  10 , is shown. The beverage dispenser  10  includes a container, generally designated  12 , and a handle, generally designated  14 . The container  12  defines a cavity  16  (shown in  FIG. 1  as a dotted line) suitable for containing beverages including, but not limited to, coffee, tea, lemonade, and juice. The container  12  defines an open end  18  through which beverages may be poured into or out of the cavity  16 . The open end  18  is disposed in an upper end portion  20  of the container  12 . In the subject embodiment, the container  12  includes a pouring spout  22  that is disposed on the upper end portion  18  of the container  12 . 
         [0012]    In the subject embodiment, the container  12  has a heat insulating construction suitable for keeping a hot drink such as coffee hot. In certain embodiments, the container can have a construction that includes glass, metal, plastic or other materials. 
         [0013]    The handle  14  of the beverage dispenser  10  includes a lateral portion  24  and a gripping portion  26 . The lateral portion  24  of the handle  14  is in connected engagement with the upper end portion  20  of the container  12 . In the subject embodiment, the lateral portion  24  forms a ring that surrounds the upper end portion  20  of the container  12 . It will be understood, however, that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the lateral portion  24  of the handle  14  forming a ring that surrounds the upper end portion  20  as the handle  14  could be integral with the container  12 . 
         [0014]    In the subject embodiment, the gripping portion  26  of the handle  14  includes a power source  28  (shown schematically in  FIG. 1 ) such as a battery. It will be understood, however, that the scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the power source  28  being disposed in the gripping portion  26  of the handle  14 . The power source  28  is in electrical communication with a tilt-activated switching element  30 , such as a mercury switch, via an electrical communication path  32  (shown schematically in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as a dashed line). In the subject embodiment, the tilt-activated switching element  30  is disposed in the lateral portion  24  of the handle  14 . The tilt-activated switching element  30  is disposed in the lateral portion of the handle  14  such that 
         [0015]    The tilt-activated switching element  30  is in selective electrical communication with a light source  34  via an electrical communication path  36  (shown schematically in  FIGS. 1 and 2  as a dashed line). In the subject embodiment, the light source  34  is a light-emitting-diode (LED) that is mounted to the handle  14  or the container  12  so as to be an integrated component of the beverage dispenser  10 . The light source  34  is positioned on the beverage dispenser  10  such that light emitted from the light source  34  illuminates a pouring area in front of the pouring spout  22 , which will be described in greater detail subsequently. In the subject embodiment, the light source  34  is aligned with a central longitudinal axis  38  of the beverage dispenser  10  and disposed beneath the pouring spout  22 . 
         [0016]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , an alternate embodiment of a handle, generally designated  114 , is shown. The handle  114  includes a lateral portion  124  and a gripping portion  126 . The lateral portion  124  of the handle  114  is in connected engagement with the upper end portion  20  of the container  12 . 
         [0017]    In the subject embodiment, the gripping portion  126  of the handle  114  includes a power source  128  (shown schematically in  FIG. 3 ) such as a battery. The power source  128  is in electrical communication with a manually actuated switching element, generally designated  130 , via an electrical communication path  132  (shown schematically in  FIG. 3  as a dashed line). 
         [0018]    The manually actuated switching element  130  includes a switch  131  such as a push button switch or a toggle switch. In the subject embodiment, the manually actuated switching element  130  is disposed on an outer surface  133  of the gripping portion  126  of the handle  114  to allow the switch  131  to be easily actuated while the beverage dispenser  10  is being held by the handle  114 . The manually actuated switching element  130  is in selective electrical communication with a light source  134  via an electrical communication path  136  (shown schematically in  FIG. 3  as a dashed line). 
         [0019]    Referring now to  FIG. 4 , the use of the beverage dispenser  10  will be described. With the cavity  16  of the beverage dispenser  10  filled to a desired level with a beverage, the beverage dispenser  10  is grasped by the handle  14  and positioned near a beverage receptacle  200  such as a coffee cup, drinking glass, or mug. The beverage dispenser  10  is then rotated about a horizontal axis  202  (shown in  FIG. 2 ). When the rotation of the beverage dispenser  10  exceeds a predetermined angle of rotation, the tilt-activated switching element  30  is activated thereby electrically communicating electrical power from the power source  28  to the light source  34  causing the light source  34  to illuminate. 
         [0020]    The light source  34  illuminates a field of view  204  (shown as dotted lines in  FIG. 4 ) which is anterior to the pouring spout  22 , such that the pouring spout  22  directs the beverage into the field of view  204 . In the embodiment of  FIG. 4 , as the beverage dispenser  10  is rotated beyond the predetermined angle of rotation, the light source  34  illuminates the field of view  204  in which the beverage receptacle  200  is positioned thereby illuminating the beverage receptacle  200  allowing the user to adequately see the beverage receptacle  200 . 
         [0021]    Various modifications and alterations of this disclosure will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure, and it should be understood that the inventive scope of this disclosure is not to be unduly limited to the illustrative embodiments set forth herein.