Apparatus for receiving and dispensing liquids

• US 5,265,766 A
• Filed: 03/29/1993
• Issued: 11/30/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Jacobs Suchard AG (Mondelez International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Jacobs Suchard AG (Mondelez International, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kurtzahn, Frithjof, Thime, Lutz
• Primary Examiner(s): Huson, Gregory L.
• Application Number:
  US08/038,613
• Time in Patent Office: 246 Days
• Field of Search: 222/105, 222/131, 222/185, 222/214, 222/325, 222/481, 222/481.5, 222/504, 222/529, 141/18, 141/21, 141/309, 141/285, 141/10
• US Class Current: 222/105
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 41/0061 the elements being detachable or the food holding vessel being replaceable
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 77/06 Liquids or semi-liquids or other materials or articles enclosed in flexible containers disposed within rigid containers

Abstract

An insulating container (10) is used for storing and dispensing (hot) liquids, especially freshly brewed coffee beverages. Within this insulating container (10), there is arranged a bag-like inner container (11) made of a flexible material which is thus flatly collapsible. The liquid is filled into the inner container (11), so that the latter completely fills out the inner space of the insulating container (10). A tube piece (22) is attached to the inner container (11) and is passed through a channel (24) in the insulating container (10) to the outside. A filler pipe (26) for filling the inner container (11) or alternatively a tap (28) for dispensing the beverage can be connected to the end of the tube piece (22) which is located on the outside.

Claims

1. An apparatus for receiving and dispensing hot or cold liquids, comprising:

a thermally insulating container having a top, the top of said insulating container having an opening provided therein and a lid mountable on the top to close the opening, said insulating container having an inner space;

a gas-tight inner container positioned in the insulating container, said inner container being made of a flexible material that is collapsible into a flat state and which, in an empty and vacuous state, is introducible into the insulating container and which can be filled while being located in the insulating container, said inner container filling up substantially the entire inner space of the insulating container when the inner container is filled with liquid, said inner container including a connecting piece;

an air pipe for venting the inner space of the insulating container, said air pipe extending from the inner space of the insulating container through the lid and opening to outside the apparatus;

a flexible tube connected to the connecting piece of the inner container, said flexible tube extending through a channel formed in a side wall of the said insulating container and opening to outside the apparatus;

a valve coupling operatively associated with said flexible tube, said valve coupling including automatic closing means for automatically closing access to and from the inner container through the tube, said tube being connectable to filler means for filling the inner container with liquid, said automatic closing means being openable to allow liquid to flow into the inner container when the filler means is connected to the tube and being automatically closed to prevent liquid from being dispensed from the inner container when the filler means is disconnected from the tube, said tube also being connectable to a tap for dispensing liquid from the inner container, said automatic closing means being openable to allow liquid to flow from the inner container when the tap is connected to the tube and being automatically closed to prevent liquid from being dispensed from the inner container when the tap is disconnected from the tube.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connecting piece is disposed in a lower portion of the inner container and is releasably connected to the valve coupling by way of the tube.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible tube also extends through a bottom piece which forms a part of the insulating container, the lid being positioned at the end of the insulating container opposite the bottom piece.