GB2090120A - Beverage vessel - Google Patents

Abstract

A beverage vessel, for example a coffee can of an electrical coffee machine, comprises a receptacle (2) of glass or ceramic material and a heat- insulating handle (10), preferably of plastics material, glued to the receptacle. The handle preferably comprises a mounting surface which is permeated by ventilation channels, one end of each of which communicates with adhesive material glueing the handle to the receptacle and the other end of each of which opens to ambient air. As a result, a good hardening of the adhesive material is obtained even in the case of a single component adhesive. As an additional feature, the adhesive material can be connected with the handle (10) by anchoring portions, for example in the ventilation channels. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Beverage vessel The present invention relates to a beverage vessel, and has particular reference to a coffee can of an electrical coffee machine.

In the known cans of this kind, handles, for example of plastics material, are fastened to the receptacle by means of tension bands of steel.

This has the disadvantage that the fastening band must occasionally be retightened and forms deposit locations for foreign matter.

Cans of that kind are also known, in which clasps formed from a resilient synthetic material on a handle partially encompass the receptacle and retain the receptacle therebetween. These grips are relatively expensive and the fastening clasps again form deposit locations for foreign matter. Tension bands and resilient fastening clasps also have the disadvantage that they are not particularly decorative and restrict the scope for shaping.

In addition, cans of glass with melted-on glass handles are known, but these are expensive and do not provide adequate thermal insulation.

There is accordingly a need for a beverage vessel which has, with little production complication, a heat-insulating handle durably fastened to the receptacle.

According to the present invention there is provided a beverage vessel comprising a receptable of vitreous material and a handle glued to the receptacle.

Preferably, the handle comprises synthetic material, especially plastics material, and has a mounting surface which is permeated by ventilation channels, one end of each of which opens at a layer of adhesive material glueing the handle to the receptacle and the other end of each of which opens to the ambient air. As a result, it is possible to use an adhesive material having good adhesion to glass or porcelain, such as a onecomponent silicone adhesive, which for hardening requires the access of ambient air and moisture.

With this arrangement, there is no longer a need to use a tension band requiring retightening and forming deposit locations for foreign matter. In addition, high demands are not made on the material of the handle, for example in respect of elasticity and strength.

Expediently, the handle has a web extending between a grip opening thereof and a wall of the receptacle, wherein the mounting surface is formed at this web and the web has ventilation channels in the form of passages which, at a surface of the web remote from the wall of the receptacle, open to the ambient air. In this manner, there is obtained a large mounting surface and also a finger protection to prevent contact with the hot wall of the receptacle. The openings of the ventilation channels remote from the adhesive material layer can be concealed by a shield, wherein a ventilation space open to the ambient air is present between the shield and the openings of the ventilation channels.Thus, for example, a second web, which extends substantially parallel to the first web and the dimension of which in height and width approximately corresponds to those of the first web, can be formed between the grip opening of the handle and the first web, at a small spacing from the latter, to act as a shield on the handle.

The handle is preferably an injection-moulded part of plastics material. In this manner, the handle can be constructed as an inexpensive injectionmoulded part with shield formed integrally thereon.

The handle can also possess a projection which rests on the upper rim of the receptacle and facilitates positioning of the handle during glueing.

This projection can furthermore extend a short way into the receptacle, whereby the interengagement of the handle and receptacle is enhanced for the glueing operation and, in the case of a resilient hook-shaped projection, the handle is tightened against the jar in its upper region during the glueing operation.

If the handle is made from plastics material, there are advantages in cost and heat insulation.

Suitable plastics materials are, for example, polypropylene and thermoplastic polyester, but adhesive substances, particularly silicone adhesives, do not have good adhesion to such plastics materials. This problem does not only occur with these plastics materials, but also to a greater or lesser extent with other plastics materials, as adhesive substances with good adhesion to glass or porcelain mostly adhere less well to plastics materials.

To overcome this difficulty, the adhesive material layer providing the adhesive connection may be connected to the receptacle by adhesive effect and to the handle by "shape-locking" anchoring portions. This construction can also be employed in the case of adhesive substances, which adhere adequately to plastics material, to increase the reliability of the connection.

The amount of adhesive material used can be such that it issues from the free ends of the ventilation channels and forms, at the exit points, heads which provide a "shape-locking" anchoring.

Anchoring also takes place when the adhesive material issuing from the free ends of the ventilation channels flows together to form a layer. The ventilation and hardening of the adhesive material layer between the receptacle and the handle is hardly impaired thereby. The ventilation channels can be provided, in direction of their free ends, with enlarged portions, which preferably have a substantially conical shape. In this case, the anchoring is effected in the ventilation channels. In order to be able to produce ventilation channels of that kind in a simple manner, a separate fastening plate of plastics material can be glued to the receptacle, to which a handle portion can then be fastened, for example through a detent connection. The handle portion can have a cover for the free ends of the ventilation channels.In place of a fastening plate of plastics material, a fastening plate of glass or porcelain can be used, to which a handle of plastics material is then fastened. This arrangement has the advantage that the receptacle can have a most simple shaping and can easily be made by machine, the adhesive connection being made between two parts of like or similar material so that the adhesive material can be matched optimally to this material. The separate fastening plate of glass or porcelain possesses substantially smaller dimensions than the glass receptacle and can thus be produced with relatively small tolerances, which facilitates the formation of the connection with the handle portion.

Embodiments of the present invention wiil now be more particularly described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a partly-sectioned side elevation of part of a beverage vessel according to a first embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a detail, to an enlarged scale, of the sectioned part of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a section substantially along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a sectional elevation of part of a beverage vessel according to a third embodiment of the invention, Fig. 5 is a section substantially along the line V-V of Fig. 4, wherein a layer of adhesive substance is omitted, and Fig. 6 is a partly-sectioned elevation of a beverage vessel according to a third embodiment of the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown a coffee can 1 of an electrical coffee machine, the can comprising a glass jar 2 to which a substantially rectangular, ring-shaped handle 4, which has a grip opening 6, is fastened by glueing.

The handle 4 has a vertical web 8, which is remote from the jar 2 and which forms a grip element. An upper arm 10 and a lower arm 12 extend from the web 8 towards the vertical wall of the jar 2 and end shortiy before this. The arms 10 and 12 are connected with each other by a vertical web 1 6, which extends along the wall 14 of the jar 2, projects towards the jar relative to the arms 10 and 12 and which is connected with the wall 14 by a layer 1 8 of a single-component silicone adhesive substance. The web 16, the width of which in horizontal direction along the wall 14 is substantially greater than its thickness, is permeated by ventilation channels 20 in the form of passage openings which on the one hand open into the adhesive layer substance and on the other hand open to the ambient air at the side remote from the wall 14.As a result, a more rapid and reliable hardening of the single-component adhesive substance is secured over the entire area of the adhesive substance layer. Fifteen ventilation channels 20 are formed in the web 1 6 per square centimetre of the adhesion surface or adhesive substance layer.

A second web 24, which connects the arms 10 and 1 2 and is disposed as a shield in front of the openings of the ventilation channels 20, extends parallel to the web 16 along the side thereof remote from the wall 14. The webs 1 6 and 26 lie at a spacing 26 from each other, whereby a ventilation space is provided for the access of air to the openings of the channels 20. The adhesive substance enters a short distance into the ventilation channels 20 from the adhesive substance layer 18. If so desired, it can completely fill the ventilation channels so that dirt cannot enter the channels. The channels also in this case fulfil their purpose of creating many connections of the adhesive substance layer 1 8 with the ambient air.

The upper arm 10 of the handle 4 has, as an extension of its upper side and in direction towards the jar 2, a projection 28 which for positioning purposes rests on the upper rim of the jar.

In Figs. 4 and 5 there is shown a coffee can 401 which comprises a glass jar 402 to which a handle 404, which is particularly easy to remove from a mould as injection-moulded part of plastics material, is fastened by glueing. The handle 404 has a web 408, which is remote from the jar 402, extends obliquely downwards, forms a hand grip and is connected through an upper, upwardly open, U-shaped web 401 with an arm 415 extending substantially vertically along the wall of the jar 402. The arm 41 5 possesses a vertical web 41 6, extending along the glass jar, with a flat recess 430 receiving an adhesive substance layer 41 8. The web 41 6 is permeated by ventilation channels 420 in the region of the recess 430, wherein four channels per square centimetre of the adhesion surfaces are present.The channels 420 extend perpendicularly to the wall 414 of the jar 402 in the region of the adhesion surface. The recess 430 is surrounded by a flat gutter 432 and separated from this by a narrow web 434. The gutter 432 serves to receive any adhesive substance issuing laterally from the recess 430 so that adhesive substance cannot issue laterally between the handle 404 and the wall 414 of the jar and disturb the decorative appearance. The arm 414 possesses a slightly inclined web 424, which lies at a spacing from the vertical web 41 6, conceals the vertical web 414 and together with this forms a downwardly closed blind hole 426 with withdrawal ramps for the injection-moulding tool. The handle 404, which as a whole is bowlshaped, can be closed off upwardly and at the side remote from the jar by a cover part. Alternatively, a closure element 436, shown in broken lines in Fig. 4, can close off the hole 426 in the vertical arm 415, the closure either being permeable to air or else mounted only after complete hardening of the adhesive substance layer.

The quantity of the adhesive substance forming the layer 41 8 is such that it completely fills the ventilation channels 420 and issues at the free end thereof so as to form a thickened head 438.

The heads 438 represent a "shape-locking" anchoring of the adhesive substance layer at the web 416, which has the effect that an adequate connection is provided even if the adhesion of the adhesive substance to the plastics material of the web 416 is broken.

In the embodiment shown in Fig. 6, a glass jar 51 possess a vertical side wall 52, to which a fastening plate 54 is glued by means of a layer 56 of a silicone adhesive substance. The plate 54 has a large number of ventilation channels 58, which permeate it horizontally and which each enlarge conically towards their free end away from the adhesive substance layer 56. The quantity of the adhesive substance is such that the ventilation channels 58 are largely filled, the adhesive substance forming a conical anchoring head 60 in each ventilation channel. A handle portion 62 of plastics material is fastened to the upper and lower ends of the fastening plate by detent lugs 64 and 66. The handle portion 62 has a cover web 68, which extends parallel to the plate 54 and conceals the openings of the channels 58.

In modification of the embodiment according to Fig. 6, in place of the fastening plate 54 of plastics material there can be used a fastening plate of glass which otherwise has the same shape as the plate 54. The handle portion consists of plastics material just as before and is connected by detent means with the glass fastening plate.

Claims (20)

1. A beverage vessel comprising a receptacle of vitreous material and a handle glued to the receptacle.

2. A vessel as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vitreous materials is glass or ceramic material.

3. A vessel as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the handle comprises a mounting surface provided with a plurality of ventilation openings communicating with a layer of adhesive material bonding the handle to the vessel and with the ambient atmosphere.

4. A vessel as claimed in claim 3, wherein substantially 2 to 25 of the ventilation openings are present in the mounting surface per square centimetre of its area.

5. A vessel as claimed in claim 4, wherein substantially 4 to 1 5 of the ventilation openings are present in the mounting surface per square centimetre of its area.

6. A vessel as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the handle defines a grip opening and comprises a web portion extending between the grip opening and a wall of the receptacle, the mounting surface being provided on the web portion and the ventilation opening being provided by passages extending through the web portion to communicate with the ambient atmosphere at a surface of the web portion remote from the mounting surface.

7. A vessel as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein the handle defines a cover portion arranged to cover the ventilation openings at ends thereof remote from the adhesive material layer, the cover portion being disposed at a spacing from said ends to define a ventilation space communicating with the ambient atmosphere.

8. A vessel as claimed in claim 6, wherein the handle comprises a further web portion extending substantially parallel to the first-mentioned web portion and arranged between the web portion and the grip opening to cover the ventilation openings at ends thereof remote from the adhesive material layer.

9. A vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle is injection moulded from plastics material.

10. A vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle comprises a projection bearing on the rim of the receptacle.

11. A vessel as claimed in claim 10, wherein the projection is hook-shaped and engages around the rim.

12. A vessel as claimed in claim 11, wherein the projection is arranged to resiliently draw the handle and the wall of the receptacle towards each other.

13. A vessel as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the handle is glued to the receptacle by a layer of adhesive material which is connected to the receptacle by adhesive effect and to the handle by anchoring portions engaging the handle.

14. A vessel as claimed in claim 13, wherein the adhesive material is additionally connected to the handle by adhesive effect.

1 5. A vessel as claimed in either claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the handle comprises a portion provided with through passages extending from the zone of attachment of the handle to the receptacle, the adhesive material filling the passages and issuing from ends thereof remote from said zone to form said anchoring portions.

16. A vessel as claimed in either claim 13 or claim 14, wherein the handle comprises a portion provided with through passages extending from the zone of attachment of the handle to the receptacle and being provided at end portions thereof remote from the zone with enlargements, the adhesive material filling the passages so as to form said anchoring portions in the enlargements.

17. A vessel as claimed in claim 1 6, wherein the enlargements are substantially conicallyshaped.

1 8. A vessel as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the handle comprises a mounting portion secured to the receptacle by adhesive material and a handgrip portion fastened to the mounting portion.

19. A vessel as claimed in claim 18, wherein the handgrip portion is fastened to the mounting portion by detent connection means.

20. A vessel as claimed in either claim 1 8 or claim 19, wherein the mounting portion is made of glass or ceramic material.