Beverage dispenser with universal portable top-mounted beverage condition status light indicator, universal portable top-mounted beverage condition status light indicator and method

In a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body extending between a closed bottom and an open top, a removable top closure including an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator, comprising:

• a light dome overlying the top closure with a body having a bottom, a closed top and surrounding side wall that is at least partly transparent or translucent, said light dome being of sufficient width and height to be easily visible from lateral positions at levels both even with, and beneath, the bottom of the light dome from substantially all sides of the light dome;
• a status indicator lamp to shine light upwardly into the light dome and through the at least partly transparent or translucent side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a bottom and a too connected to an underside of the light dome, said electronics housing protectively surrounding a rower supply, and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp;
• a sensor probe assembly with an elongate sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing and through the inlet to a distal end located adjacent the closed bottom of the hollow body and protectively surrounding at least one elongate sensor probe for sensing the at least one condition of the beverage to which the controller is responsive with a distal end located adjacent to the closed bottom, and means for connecting the sensor probe to the controller;
• a funnel assembly with a funnel and a down-tube extending downwardly from the funnel to a distal end adjacent the closed bottom to convey beverage received by the funnel to a location adjacent the closed bottom, and in which
• at least one of the elongate sensor probe housing and the elongate sensor probe is frangible to facilitate shortening by breaking off an end portion and is protectively surrounded by the down-tube.

In a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body extending between a closed bottom and an open top, a removable top closure including an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator, comprising:

• a light dome overlying the top closure with a body having a bottom, a closed top and surrounding side wall that is at least partly transparent or translucent, said light dome being of sufficient width and height to be easily visible from lateral positions at levels both even with, and beneath, the bottom of the light dome from substantially all sides of the light dome;
• a status indicator lamp to shine light upwardly into the light dome and through the at least partly transparent or translucent side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a bottom and a top connected to an underside of the light dome, said electronics housing protectively surrounding a power supply, and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp;
• and
• a sensor probe assembly with an elongate sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing and through the inlet to a distal end located adjacent the closed bottom of the hollow body and protectively surrounding at least one elongate sensor probe for sensing the at least one condition of the beverage to which the controller is responsive, with a distal end located adjacent to the closed bottom, and means for connecting the sensor probe to the controller, and in which
• at least a lower, distal end portion of both the sensor probe housing and the sensor probe are frangible to facilitate removing an end piece of both the sensor probe housing and the sensor probe by at least one of (a) breaking at any selected location, (b) breaking along a score line, and (c) cutting with a cutting tool.

In a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body extending between a closed bottom and an open top, a removable top closure including an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator, comprising:

• a light dome overlying the top closure with a body having a bottom, a closed top and surrounding side wall that is at least partly transparent or translucent, said light dome being of sufficient width and height to be easily visible from lateral positions at levels both even with, and beneath, the bottom of the light dome from substantially all sides of the light dome;
• a status indicator lamp to shine light upwardly into the light dome and through the at least partly transparent or translucent side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a bottom and a top connected to an underside of the light dome, said electronics housing protectively surrounding a power supply, and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp;
• and
• a sensor probe assembly with an elongate sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing and through the inlet to a distal end located adjacent the closed bottom of the hollow body and protectively surrounding at least one elongate sensor probe for sensing the at least one condition of the beverage to which the controller is responsive with a distal end located adjacent to the closed bottom, and means for connecting the sensor probe to the controller, and in which
• the lower distal end portion of the sensor stem probe is scored with a groove at a location near a lower portion of the sensor probe to facilitate shortening of the sensor stem probe by manually breaking off a lower end portion of the sensor stem at the score line.

In a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body extending between a closed bottom and an open top, a removable top closure including an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator, comprising:

• a light dome overlying the top closure with a body having a bottom, a closed top and surrounding side wall that is at least partly transparent or translucent, said light dome being of sufficient width and height to be easily visible from lateral positions at levels both even with, and beneath, the bottom of the light dome from substantially all sides of the light dome;
• a status indicator lamp to shine light upwardly into the light dome and through the at least partly transparent or translucent side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a bottom and a top connected to an underside of the light dome, said electronics housing protectively surrounding a power supply, and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp;
• a sensor probe assembly with an elongate sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing and through the inlet to a distal end located adjacent the closed bottom of the hollow body and protectively surrounding at least one elongate sensor probe for sensing the at least one condition of the beverage to which the controller is responsive with a distal end located adjacent to the closed bottom, and means for connecting the sensor probe to the controller, and in which a lower portion of the sensor probe is frangible and scored with a groove at a location near a lower portion of the sensor stem to facilitate shortening of the sensor stem probe by manually breaking off a lower end portion of the sensor probe.

For use with a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body with a surrounding sidewall extending between a closed bottom and a top with an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body and a faucet for dispensing beverage from the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator assembly, comprising:

• a status indicator light dome with an interior defined by a closed top and surrounding side wall with at least a portion that is translucent or transparent to enable the transmission of light within the light dome laterally outwardly from the surrounding side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• a beverage status lamp for providing light within the interior of the status indicator light dome when energized to transmit light from within the dome in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a power supply and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively automatically energize the status indicator lamp independently of operation of the faucet to indicate beverage status;
• a frangible sensor assembly mounted to and extending downwardly from the electronics housing, said frangible sensor assembly including
• an elongate frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing to a lower end portion adjacent the bottom of the hollow body, said lower end portion being frangible to enable shortening of the lower end portion, and
• an elongate frangible sensor probe connected with the controller and protectively mounted within and protectively, substantially surrounded by, at least the frangible lower end portion of the frangible sensor stem housing and connected to the electronics housing,
• said elongate frangible sensor probe having a bottom portion located within the lower end portion of the elongate sensor probe housing that is also frangible to facilitate shortening of the bottom portion of the frangible sensor probe by manual breaking;
• and
• means for supporting the status light dome above the top with the frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly through the inlet into the hollow body from adjacent the top of the hollow body to adjacent the bottom of the hollow body.

For use with a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body with a surrounding sidewall extending between a closed bottom and a too with an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator assembly, comprising:

• a status indicator light dome with an interior defined by a closed top and surrounding side wall with at least a portion that is translucent or transparent to enable the transmission of light within the light dome laterally outwardly from the surrounding side wall in substantially all lateral directions;
• a beverage status lamp for providing light within the interior of the status indicator light dome when energized to transmit light from within the dome in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a power supply and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp to indicate beverage status;
• a frangible sensor assembly mounted to and extending downwardly from the electronics housing, said frangible sensor assembly including an elongate frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing to a lower end portion adjacent the bottom of the hollow body, said lower end portion being frangible to enable shortening of the lower end portion, and an elongate frangible sensor probe connected with the controller and protectively mounted within and protectively, substantially surrounded by, at least the frangible lower end portion of the frangible sensor stem housing and connected to the electronics housing, said elongate frangible sensor probe having a bottom portion located within the lower end portion of the elongate sensor probe housing that is also frangible to facilitate shortening of the bottom portion of the frangible sensor probe;
• and means for supporting the status light dome above the top with the frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly through the inlet into the hollow body from adjacent the top of the hollow body to adjacent the bottom of the hollow body, and in which the frangible lower end portion of the elongate frangible sensor probe housing has at least one of
• (a) a groove scored in the lower end portion of the sensor stem housing to facilitate manual breaking off of a part of the lower end portion of the stem housing at the location of the scored groove, or
• (b) a plurality of grooves scored in the lower end portion of the of the probe housing at a plurality of locations spaced along the lower end portion to facilitate breaking off a part of the lower end portion of the probe housing at said plurality of locations.

For use with a beverage dispenser having an opaque hollow insulating body with a surrounding sidewall extending between a closed bottom and a top with an inlet for receipt of beverage into the hollow body, the improvement being a beverage status indicator assembly, comprising:

• a status indicator light dome with at least a portion that is translucent or transparent to enable the transmission of light within the light dome laterally outwardly in substantially all lateral directions;
• a beverage status lamp for providing light within the interior of the status indicator light dome when energized which passes through the translucent or transparent light dome in substantially all lateral directions;
• an electronics housing with a power supply and a controller responsive to at least one condition of the beverage to selectively energize the status indicator lamp to indicate beverage status;
• a frangible sensor assembly mounted to and extending downwardly from the electronics housing, said frangible sensor assembly including an elongate frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly from the electronics housing to a lower end portion adjacent the bottom of the hollow body, said lower end portion being frangible to enable shortening of the lower end portion, and an elongate frangible sensor probe connected with the controller and protectively mounted within and protectively, substantially surrounded by, at least the frangible lower end portion of the frangible sensor stem housing and connected to the electronics housing, said elongate frangible sensor probe having a bottom portion located within the lower end portion of the elongate sensor probe housing that is also frangible to facilitate shortening of the bottom portion of the frangible sensor probe;
• another elongate frangible sensor probe connected with the controller and protectively mounted within and protectively, substantially surrounded by, at least the frangible lower end portion of the frangible sensor probe housing and connected to the electronics housing, said other elongate frangible sensor probe having a bottom portion located within the lower end portion of the elongate sensor stem housing that is also frangible to enable shortening of the bottom portion of the frangible sensor probe;
• means for supporting the status light dome above the top with the frangible sensor probe housing extending downwardly through the inlet into the hollow body from adjacent the top of the hollow body to adjacent the bottom of the hollow body;
• and in which each of the one and the other elongate frangible sensor probes have one of
• (a) a scored groove in the lower portion of each that are aligned with each other to facilitate breaking off bottom end pieces of the one and the other elongate frangible sensor probes of equal length, or
• (b) a plurality of scored grooves in the lower portion of each that are aligned with each other, respectively, to facilitate breaking off bottom end pieces of equal length from both the one and the other elongate frangible sensor probes.