DEVICE FOR HANDLING A DRINKABLE LIQUID

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device (10) for handling a drinkable liquid, in particular tea and coffee, comprising: a container (12), which has an outer surface (14) and an inner surface (16), wherein the inner surface (16) surrounds a receiving chamber (26) into which a drinkable liquid can be introduced and from which the drinkable liquid can be removed; a support unit (28) having a wall structure (30), wherein the wall structure (30) surrounds a support space (32) into which the container (12) can be at least partially introduced; and a connecting element (42), which can be fastened to the support unit (28) and can be brought into contact with the outer surface (14) such that the container (12) is fixed in the support space (32) when the container (12) is introduced into the support space (32) and the connecting element (42) is fastened to the support unit (28).

Claims

1. A device for handling a drinkable liquid, in particular tea and coffee, comprising a container that has an outer surface and an inner surface, wherein the inner surface surrounds a reception space into which a drinkable liquid can be introduced and from which the drinkable liquid can be discharged, a support unit having a wall structure, wherein the wall structure surrounds a support space into which the container can be at least partially introduced, and a connection element that is fastenable to the support unit and can be brought into contact with the outer surface such that the container is fixed in the support space when the container has been introduced into the support space and the connection element has been fastened to the support unit.

2. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connection element is releasably fastenable to the wall structure.

3. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the connection element is releasably fastenable to the wall structure by means of a screw connection.

4. A device in accordance with claim 2, wherein the connection element remains in contact with the outer surface when the connection element has been released from the wall structure.

5. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the connection element is formed as a suction cup or at least comprises a suction cup.

6. A device in accordance with claim 3, wherein the suction cup is produced from a plastic that can be injection molded and the screw connection comprises a threaded bolt about which the suction cup has been injection molded.

7. A device in accordance with claim 6, wherein an anchorage element about which the suction cup has been injection molded has been screwed onto the threaded bolt.

8. A device in accordance with claim 5, wherein the container has a base and the wall structure forms a support region, wherein the support region of the device can be placed on a mat, the container is moved toward the support region on its introduction into the support space, and the suction cup is connectable or connected to the wall structure in the support region.

9. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the wall structure has a recess in the support region and the suction cup is connectable or connected to the wall structure in the recess.

10. A device in accordance with claim 8, wherein the wall structure has radially protruding projections in the support region.

11. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the container is produced from glass.

12. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one handle section by which the support unit can be gripped is arranged at the wall structure.

13. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the container forms an annular section that separates the inner surface from the outer surface and that surrounds an opening, and the device has a piston filter arrangement that can be introduced into the reception space through the opening.

14. A device in accordance with claim 1, wherein the wall structure has a number of perforations.

Description

[0040] Exemplary embodiments of the invention will be explained in more detail in the following with reference to the enclosed drawings. There are shown

[0041] FIG. 1A a perspective exploded representation of a first embodiment of the proposed device for handling a drinkable liquid;

[0042] FIG. 1B an enlarged representation of the section marked W in FIG. 1A;

[0043] FIG. 1C a sectional representation through the device shown in FIG. 1A in the assembled state;

[0044] FIG. 1D an enlarged representation of the section marked X in FIG. 1C;

[0045] FIG. 2A a sectional representation through a second embodiment of the proposed device;

[0046] FIG. 2B an enlarged representation of the section marked Y in FIG. 2A;

[0047] FIG. 3 a perspective exploded representation of a third embodiment of the proposed device;

[0048] FIG. 4A a perspective exploded representation of a fourth embodiment of the proposed device for handling a drinkable liquid;

[0049] FIG. 4B an enlarged representation of the section marked Z in FIG. 4A; and

[0050] FIG. 5 a basic representation of a support region of a wall structure of a fifth embodiment of the proposed device.

[0051] A first embodiment of the proposed device 10.sub.1 is shown perspectively with reference to an exploded representation in FIG. 1A. Further representations of the proposed device 10.sub.1 in accordance with the first embodiment are additionally shown in FIGS. 1B to 1D so that the following statements equally refer to FIGS. 1A to 1D if not otherwise stated.

[0052] The device 10.sub.1 comprises a container 12 that has a cylindrical shape in the embodiment shown. The container 12 can, for example, be produced from glass or from plastic and can have an outer surface 14 and an inner surface 16, with the inner surface 16 in particular being able to be recognized in FIG. 1C. An annular section 18 that surrounds an opening 20 and separates the outer surface 14 from the inner surface 16 can be recognized from FIG. 1C. A piston filter arrangement 22 whose functioning will be looked at in more detail below is inserted into the opening 20. The container 12 additionally has a closed base 24. The inner surface 16 bounds a reception space 26 (see FIG. 1C) in which a drinkable liquid can be introduced.

[0053] The device 10.sub.1 further comprises a support unit 28 that has a wall structure 30. In the present embodiment, the wall structure 30 is formed by metal sheets, with the wall structure 30 surrounding a support space 32 in which the container 12 can be introduced, as is shown in FIG. 1C. The wall structure 30 therefore has a number of perforations 33 through which a direct access to the container 12 is possible. The wall structure 30 is of a frame-like design in the device 10.sub.1 in accordance with the first embodiment. The wall structure 30 additionally defines a longitudinal axis L. The wall structure 30 forms a support region 34 by which the support unit 28 and the total device 10.sub.1 can be placed on a mat. In the embodiment shown, projections 36 are arranged in the support region 34 that project radially outwardly over the remaining wall structure 30 with respect to the longitudinal axis L.

[0054] A handle section 38 is furthermore provided that is fastened to the wall structure 30, for example using screws 40.

[0055] As can in particular be seen from FIG. 1B, the device 10.sub.1 comprises a connection element 42 that is releasably connectable or connected to the support unit 28 by means of a screw connection 44. In the embodiment shown, the connection element 42 is designed as a suction cup 46 and is fastened to the wall structure 30 by the screw connection 44 in the support region 34 (see in particular FIG. 1D). It can likewise be recognized from FIG. 1D that the screw connection 44 has a threaded bolt 48 that is part of a screw and that has a T-shaped design. The threaded bolt 48 is surrounded by the suction cup 46 at the screw head, while the remaining region of the threaded bolt 48 projects from the suction cup 46. Provision can be made to produce the suction cup 46 from a plastic capable of injection molding so that the suction cup 46 can be injection molded around the threaded bolt 48. In this case, no further measures are necessary to connect the threaded bolt 48 to the suction cup 46.

[0056] The suction cup 46 can be guided through a passage hole 50 of the wall structure 30 by the section projecting from the suction cup 46 and can be secured at the wall structure 30 by a nut 52, for example a knurled nut. The suction cup 46 thus fastened to the support unit 28 is shown in FIGS. 1C and 1D.

[0057] The device 10.sub.1 can be operated in the following manner: The suction cup 46 is first fastened to the wall structure 30 in the described manner. The container 12 is subsequently aligned approximately coaxially to the longitudinal axis L of the support unit 28, as is shown in FIG. 1A. The container 12 is introduced into the support space 32 by a movement directed along the longitudinal axis L until the base 24 of the container 12 comes into contact with the suction cup 46. The suction cup 46 has to be compressed a little by a correspondingly large force so that the suction cup 46 can fix the container 12 in the support unit 28. As soon as this has been done, the piston filter arrangement 22 can be removed from the container 12, if it has not already been done, and an insoluble material, in this case coffee powder, is introduced into the container 12. Hot water is subsequently poured over the coffee powder and a certain time elapses until a sufficient concentration of flavoring agents has been extracted from the coffee powder. The piston filter arrangement 22 is now introduced into the container 12 through the opening 20 and a filter press 57 of the piston filter arrangement is displaced toward the base 24 of the container 12 to separate the insoluble material from the liquid. The filter press 57 is in an end position in FIG. 1C. The coffee powder is located below the filter press 57 so that the liquid thereunder does not have any coffee powder or only a very small amount of coffee powder. The device 10.sub.1 can now be gripped at the handle section 38 to pour the now completely prepared coffee into a coffee cup.

[0058] Once the coffee has been completely removed, the piston filter arrangement 22 is removed from the container 12 and the coffee powder is poured into a bin, for example. To clean the container 12, it is separated from the support unit 28. This can be done in various manners: The suction cap 46 can be designed such that only a comparatively small force is required to separate the container 12 from the support unit 28. In this case, the container 12 can be cleaned, in a dishwasher for example, without the suction cup 46. Alternatively the nut 52 can be released from the threaded bolt 48 and the container 12 can only then be removed from the support space 32. In this case, the suction cup 24 remains at the container 12. The container 12 is then cleaned together with the suction cup 46.

[0059] A second embodiment of the proposed device 10.sub.2 is shown with reference to sectional representations in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The second embodiment also serves the preparation of coffee, with the procedure in this respect being the same that has been described with reference to the first embodiment. The main differences of the second embodiment in comparison with the first embodiment of the device 10.sub.1 are largely limited to the design of the support unit 28, with it having to be emphasized that the support unit 28 does not have any radial projections 36, but is rather provided with a support ring 54 in the support region 34. The screw connection 44 is additionally designed somewhat differently. The threaded bolt 48 is not part of a screw in this case. A threaded bolt 48 per se is rather used onto which an anchorage element 56 has been screwed that is surrounded by the suction cup 46 (see in particular FIG. 2B). The suction cup 46 is also injection molded about the threaded bolt 48 and the anchorage element 56 in this case.

[0060] In FIG. 3 a third embodiment and in FIGS. 4A and 4B a fourth embodiment of the proposed device 10.sub.3, 10.sub.4 are shown. The third embodiment and the fourth embodiment of the proposed device 10.sub.3, 10.sub.4 are devices serving the preparation of tea. In this respect, the general procedure is the same as that that has been described for the preparation of coffee. The main differences are that the containers 12 for the devices 10.sub.1, 10.sub.2 for the preparation of coffee are narrower and higher in comparison with the devices 10.sub.3, 10.sub.4 for the preparation of tea. The perforations 33 of the wall structure 30 in the third embodiment of the device 10.sub.3 are arranged such that the wall structure 30 is of a lattice shape.

[0061] The perforations 33 in the fourth embodiment of the device 10.sub.4 are designed such that the wall structure 30 is of a frame shape.

[0062] In FIG. 5, the support region 34 of a wall structure 30 of a fifth embodiment of the proposed device 10.sub.5, not further shown, is shown that comprises the already mentioned radial projections 36. The wall structure 30 forms a recess 58 in which the suction cup 46 is arranged. As a consequence, in comparison with the previously shown four embodiments 10.sub.1 to 10.sub.4, the container 12 is introduced so far into the support space 32 until the container 12 almost comes into contact with the support region 34.

REFERENCE NUMERAL LIST

[0063] 10 device [0064] 10.sub.1-10.sub.5 device [0065] 12 container [0066] 14 outer surface [0067] 16 inner surface [0068] 18 annular section [0069] 20 opening [0070] 22 piston cylinder arrangement [0071] 24 base [0072] 26 reception space [0073] 28 support unit [0074] 30 wall structure [0075] 32 support space [0076] 33 perforations [0077] 34 support region [0078] 36 projections [0079] 38 handle section [0080] 40 screws [0081] 42 connection element [0082] 44 screw connection [0083] 46 suction cup [0084] 48 threaded cup [0085] 50 passage hole [0086] 52 nut [0087] 54 support ring [0088] 56 anchorage element [0089] 57 press filter [0090] 58 recess [0091] L longitudinal axis