Beverage supplying device having a drip tray comprising a convex droplet landing surface

• US 7,823,501 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2005
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Original Assignee: Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. (Koninklijke Philips N.V.)
• Inventors: Rijskamp, Peter, Prat-Pfister, Gael Louis Jacques
• Primary Examiner(s): Campbell; Thor S
• Application Number:
  US11/577,447
• Publication Number:
  US 20080087172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,849 Days
• Field of Search: 99279-323, 994/95, 99444-450, 994/00, 994/01, 99511-513, 99275-277
• US Class Current: 99/304
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 31/44 Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus filters or strainers A47J31/06

Abstract

A coffee maker with a drip tray (9) which serves for receiving coffee droplets falling from an outlet member of the coffee maker when a path between the outlet member and the drip tray (9) is free from interruptions such as a coffee cup. The drip tray (9) comprises a tray portion (91) and a cover (92) in which a convex droplet landing surface (93) for receiving droplets falling from the outlet member of the coffee maker is arranged. A coffee droplet dropping on this surface (93) breaks apart, gently flows off this surface (93), and is discharged to the tray portion (91) through a hole (95) arranged in the cover (92). In this way, a situation in which coffee splashes out of the tray portion (91) as a result of the direct impact of a coffee droplet is avoided, and the cleanliness of the coffee maker is enhanced.

Claims

1. Beverage supplying device comprising a beverage outlet member and a drip tray, the drip tray comprising a cover for closing off a top side of the drip tray, the cover including a droplet landing surface for receiving droplets of beverage issuing from the beverage outlet member, which droplet landing surface is located at a height that is higher than a bottom of the drip tray, wherein the cover includes an annular hole surrounding the droplet landing surface for letting through droplets of beverage, and wherein the hole is only interrupted by at least one connecting member for connecting the droplet landing surface to the cover.

2. Beverage supplying device according to claim 1, wherein a shape of the droplet landing surface deviates from a shape of a surface extending in a substantially horizontal plane.

3. Beverage supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet landing surface has a convex shape.

4. Beverage supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet landing surface is shaped as at least a portion of a top surface of a cover portion.

5. Beverage supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet landing surface is recessed with respect to a top surface of a surrounding portion of the cover, and wherein at least one cup rest is arranged on the cover portion of which the droplet landing surface is part, which cup rest has a planar top surface located substantially at the same level as the top surface of the surrounding portion of the cover.

6. Beverage supplying device according to claim 5, wherein the beverage outlet member comprises two outlet openings, and wherein the drop tray is provided with one cup rest which is substantially centrally arranged between two areas of the droplet landing surface on the cover portion of which the droplet landing surface is part.

7. Beverage supplying device according to claim 1, wherein the droplet landing surface is shaped as a top surface of an elevated portion of the bottom of the drip tray.

8. Drip tray for use in a beverage supplying device as claimed in claim 1.

9. Drip tray for a beverage supplying device, comprising a cover for closing off a top side of the drip tray, the cover including a droplet landing surface for receiving droplets of beverage issuing from an outlet member of the beverage supplying device, which droplet landing surface is located at a height that is higher than a bottom of the drip tray, wherein the cover includes an annular hole surrounding the droplet landing surface for letting through droplets of beverage, and wherein the hole is only interrupted by at least one connecting member for connecting the droplet landing surface to the cover.