DE29921433U1 - Electrical machine - Google Patents

Description

PATENT ATTORNEYS Reference number:

DiPL-ING CONRAD KÖCHLING

DiPLiNG CONRAD-JOACHIM KÖCHLING Note :

P.O. Box 20 69 - D-58020 Hagen

Fieyerstrasse 135-D-58097Hagen Severin Elektrogeräte GmbH,

Telephone 02331 / 81164 and 986610 ..

Fax 02331/9866111 KOnre 27

E-mail: patent attorneys. Koechling@t-online.de

Accounts: Commerzbank AG, Hagen 3 515 095 (bank code 450 400 42) D~59846

Sparkasse Hagen 100 012 043 (bank code 450 500 01)
Postbank: Dortmund 5989 - 460 (bank code 440 100 46)

VNR: 11 58 51
Serial No. 13349/99
from 06.12.99

Electric machine

The invention relates to an electric machine for brewing coffee, tea or similar brewed beverages, consisting of a housing with a water tank, a filter unit and a removable collecting vessel for the filtrate located under the filter unit on a housing base.

From the state of the art, a large number of such electrical machines for brewing coffee, tea or similar brewed beverages in the household or commercial sector are also known as espresso machines, whereby the electrical machines and the collecting vessels used, for example glass jugs, have different shapes, colors and sizes.

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A major problem for the user of such electrical machines is that, after the brewing or filtering process has ended, they must be able to visually determine from a relatively great distance that the brewing process has ended and, if necessary, also to be able to see the level of liquid in the collecting vessel. The devices known from the prior art often have a level indicator in connection with the water tank, which can be seen either from the right or left side depending on the arrangement, in order to measure the amount of water to be filled for the desired brewed beverage, and also an indicator scale for the level of liquid in the collecting vessel. However, this scale is difficult to see visually, especially if the person reading it is at a greater distance from the device.

Based on this prior art, the invention is based on the object of creating an electrical machine of the generic type in which the fill level of the liquid in the collecting vessel and in particular the finished state of a brewed beverage can be visually recognized by simple means.

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To solve this problem, it is proposed that at least one lighting means is arranged in the housing wall, in the area covered by the collecting vessel, and that the collecting vessel is made of translucent material.

This design means that the collecting vessel is virtually illuminated. The user can therefore see from a greater distance whether there is filtrate in the collecting vessel and what level the filtrate has reached.

It is preferably provided that the collecting vessel has at least one viewing window with a vertically running scale in its front area. Two viewing windows are advantageously provided in the collecting vessel so that the fill level of the brewed beverage can be read by a user of the machine on both the right and left sides.

An advantageous embodiment is seen in that the lighting means is designed as an electric lamp with a diffuser.

The diffuser allows the entire receiving vessel to be illuminated despite the light source being point-shaped.

It is advantageous that the lighting means is provided below and/or above the collecting vessel in the housing wall or in the housing base of the machine.

For example, the light source can be provided in the support surface under the collecting vessel so that the vessel is illuminated from below. The light source can also be arranged in the housing part provided above the collecting vessel so that the vessel is illuminated from above.

A preferred variant is that the lighting means is provided behind the collecting vessel in the housing wall.

This ensures that the entire vessel is illuminated despite the small light source.

It is also advantageous that the lighting means is coupled to the heating circuit of the machine, so that the

The lighting is only switched on after the brewing or filtering process has been completed.

This provides the user with a visual signal when the filtering process has ended, as the collecting vessel is only illuminated once the filtering process has ended.

A particularly preferred embodiment is seen in that the switch-on time of the lighting means is automatically limited, in particular by means of a timer, so that, for example, the power consumption by the lighting means is not increased unnecessarily and the lighting is switched off after the collecting vessel has been emptied.

Furthermore, it is preferably provided that the collecting vessel consists of satin-finished material or is provided with a satin-finish layer.

This design significantly improves and evens out the fluoroscopy effect.

Finally, for the same reason, it may be advantageous for the collecting vessel to be made of an opaque material.

An embodiment of an electrical machine according to the invention is shown in the drawing and described in more detail below.
It shows:

Fig.l an electrical machine in front view Fig.2 an electrical machine in side view

The electric machine 1 consists of a housing 2, on which a filter unit 3 is mounted, e.g. pivotably. A removable collecting vessel 5 in the form of a jug made of translucent material with a handle 6 is arranged under the filter unit 3 on a housing base 4, which can also be designed as a hotplate. A water container 7 with a level indicator 8 for measuring the amount of water to be filled for the brewing or filtering process is arranged in the housing 2. The amount of water is heated by known electrical means (not shown in detail) and reaches

for example via a riser pipe into the filter unit and from there the filtrate drips into the collecting vessel 5.

In order to recognize that the filtering process is complete, at least one lighting device is arranged in the housing wall 9, in the area covered by the collecting vessel 5, either in the housing base 4, behind the collecting vessel 5 or above the collecting vessel 5. A preferred variant consists in, for example, two lighting devices 10 being arranged under the collecting vessel 5. In the simplest case, the lighting device 10 is designed as an electric lamp with a diffuser.

The lighting means 10 is coupled to the heating circuit of the electrical machine 1, so that the lighting means 10 is only switched on after the brewing or filtering process has ended. The duration of the lighting means 10 being switched on is automatically limited by a known timer (R-C element) not shown in detail.

For a better reading of the level of the liquid in the collecting vessel 5, the latter has at least one viewing window 11 with a vertical

The liquid level in the collecting vessel 5 can be read from both the right and left sides by arranging two viewing windows 11, for example. Different materials are provided for the collecting vessel to improve the lighting effects. The collecting vessel 5 consists, for example, of a satin-finished material made of glass, with a satin coating or of an opaque material.

The design according to the invention means that the collecting vessel 5 is preferably illuminated after the filtering process has ended. The lighting means 10 is connected to the electrical heating circuit so that after the heating is switched off, the lighting means is switched on (automatically) and remains switched on for a certain, sufficient period of time. This gives the user a clear signal that the brewing process has ended and the filtrate is ready to be consumed. By illuminating the preferably satin-finished glass container, it is used as a weak light source that is easily visible to the user, even from a greater distance.

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The invention is not limited to the embodiment, but is variable in many ways within the scope of the disclosure.

All new individual and combination features disclosed in the description and/or drawing are considered essential to the invention.

Claims (9)

1. Electric machine for brewing coffee, tea or similar brewed beverages, comprising a housing with a water container and filter unit as well as a removable collecting vessel for the filtrate located below the filter unit on a housing base, characterized in that at least one lighting means ( 10 ) is arranged in the housing wall ( 9 ) in the area covered by the collecting vessel ( 5 ) and that the collecting vessel ( 5 ) is made of translucent material. 2. Electrical machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the collecting vessel ( 5 ) has in its front region at least one viewing window ( 11 ) with a vertically extending scale ( 12 ). 3. Electrical machine according to claim 1 and 2, characterized in that the lighting means ( 10 ) is designed as an electric lamp with a diffuser. 4. Electrical machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lighting means ( 10 ) is provided below and/or above the collecting vessel ( 5 ) in the housing wall ( 9 ) or in the housing base ( 4 ) of the machine ( 1 ). 5. Electrical machine according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the lighting means ( 10 ) is provided behind the collecting vessel ( 5 ) in the housing wall ( 9 ). 6. Electrical machine according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the lighting means ( 10 ) is coupled to the heating circuit of the machine ( 1 ), so that the lighting means ( 10 ) is only switched on after completion of the brewing or filtering process. 7. Electrical machine according to claim 6, characterized in that the switch-on time of the lighting means ( 10 ) is automatically limited, in particular by means of a timer. 8. Electrical machine according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the collecting vessel ( 5 ) consists of a satin-finished material or is provided with a satin-finish layer. 9. Electrical machine according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the collecting vessel ( 5 ) consists of opaque material.