Coffee maker with a position adjustable control unit

• US 6,786,133 B1
• Filed: 08/22/2003
• Issued: 09/07/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Star Comgistic Capital Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Tsann KUEN Enterprise Company Limited
• Inventors: Cheng, Sheng-Fang
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMONE, TIMOTHY F
• Application Number:
  US10/645,945
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 993/25--33, 994/68, 994/86--89, 992/79--85, 992/95, 993/00--07, 993/16--23, 992/99, 219/492-494, 219/497, 219/501, 219/505, 219/508-510, 368/10
• US Class Current: 99/280
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/4407 Lids, covers or knobs
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/52 Alarm-clock-controlled mechanisms for coffee- or tea-making apparatus ; Timers for coffee- or tea-making apparatus; Electronic control devices for coffee- or tea-making apparatus

Abstract

A coffer maker includes a support unit having a base member formed with a neck that extends inwardly from a side portion thereof and that defines a bottom recess in the base member. A brewing unit is mounted on the support unit. A position adjustable control unit is mounted movably on the neck, extends into the bottom recess in the base member, and includes a control seat projecting outwardly from the bottom recess, and formed with a plurality of control switches electrically connected to the brewing unit.

Claims

1. A coffee maker comprising:

a support unit including a base member adapted to be disposed on a supporting surface, having a side portion, and formed with a neck that extends inwardly from said side portion and that defines a bottom recess in said base member;

a brewing unit mounted on said support unit; and

a control unit mounted movably on said neck, extending into said bottom recess in said base member, and including a control seat projecting outwardly from said bottom recess and formed with a plurality of control switches electrically connected to said brewing unit.

2. The coffee maker as defined in claim 1, wherein said neck is formed with an arcuate rail which has two opposite ends, said coffee maker further comprising a slide unit that is secured to said control unit, and that is slidably mounted on said arcuate rail between said opposite ends of said arcuate rail.

3. The coffee maker as defined in claim 2, wherein said base member includes an annular upper half and an annular lower half coupled to said upper half to define an inner space therebetween, said lower half including a bottom plate, and being formed with said neck, said neck being arcuate in shape, and having an arcuate side wall that projects upwardly from said bottom plate into said inner space and that defines a rear side of said bottom recess, two lateral side walls extending radially and respectively from two opposite ends of said arcuate side wall to define two lateral sides of said bottom recess, respectively, and a top wall that extends radially and outwardly from said arcuate side wall and that interconnect said lateral side walls, said neck being formed with an arcuate hollow rib that projects upwardly from said top wall into said inner space, said hollow rib defining a receiving space therein and being formed with an arcuate groove that is in spatial communication with said receiving space and said inner space, said arcuate rail defining a bottom side of said arcuate groove.

4. The coffee maker as defined in claim 3, wherein said control unit further includes a wire-holding seat disposed movably within said bottom recess, secured to said control seat, and having an inner wall in sliding contact with said arcuate side wall of said neck, two opposite lateral walls that extend radially and respectively from two opposite ends of said inner wall toward said control seat, and an upper wall that interconnects said lateral walls of said wire-holding seat and that slidably contacts said top wall of said neck, said slide unit including first and second slides that are secured to said upper wall of said wire-holding seat, and that project from said upper wall of said wire-holding seat into said receiving space in said hollow rib, that are disposed adjacent to said lateral walls of said wire-holding seat, respectively, and that have hook portions extending into said arcuate groove and anchoring on said rail.

5. The coffee maker as defined in claim 4, wherein said arcuate side wall of said neck is formed with an arcuate opening that is in spatial communication with said inner space and said bottom recess, said control unit further including a plurality of wires mounted on said wire-holding seat and having inner ends extending into said inner space through said arcuate opening in said arcuate side wall for connecting electrically with said brewing unit, and outer ends extending into said control seat for connecting electrically with said control switches.

6. The coffee maker as defined in claim 5, wherein said bottom plate of said lower half is formed with an arcuate sliding groove within said inner space adjacent to said arcuate side wall of said neck, said inner wall of said wire-holding seat being formed with an opening that permits extension of said wires therethrough, said base member further including an inverted L-shaped mounting piece that is disposed within said inner space in said base member, that has a horizontal section disposed slidably on said top wall of said neck, a vertical section extending downwardly from said horizontal section and into said arcuate sliding groove in said bottom plate, and a retention block that is secured to said vertical section, that extends through said arcuate opening in said arcuate side wall, and that is snugly fitted into said opening in said inner wall of said wire-holding seat such that said mounting piece simultaneously moves with said wire-holding seat when said wire-holding seat is moved within said bottom recess, said retention block being formed with a plurality of wire passages to permit extension of said wires therethrough.