Beverage warmer
AssigneeHamilton-Dunn Research Co.
InventorWilliam H. Hamilton
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage warmer assembly comprising a support unit having an electrically heated surface on which a beverage-container unit such as a cup may rest, the container unit and the support unit having magnetically coacting elements so mounted to the respective units that a switch is (a) connected for electrical heating of the surface for one orientational relation of container-unit seating on the surface and (b) is inoperative for a different orientational relation of container-unit seating on the surface.
Claims33
A beverage warmer comprising electric-heater means having an electrically heated non-magnetic surface, an energizing electrical circuit for said means having a magnetically operable normally open switch mounted adjacent said surface in a predetermined location, and a non-magnetic beverage container having a closed bottom with a periphery adapted for stabilized removable mounting on said surface, said container having thereon a magnet near one to the exclusion of another region of said periphery, said switch being locally responsive to said magnet to close for a mounted condition of said container when said container is oriented to place said one region in operative proximity to said switch, and said switch being sufficiently non-responsive to said magnet to thereby remain open when said container is oriented to place said other region in proximity to said switch.
A beverage warmer comprising a support providing an upwardly facing non-magnetic heating surface, an electrical heating element disposed to heat said surface, an electrical energizing circuit for said element including a normally open magnetic switch mounted in a predetermined location on said support and below said surface, and a non-magnetic beverage container having a closed bottom with a periphery adapted for stabilized removable mounting on said surface, said container having a permanent magnet fixed in a lower portion thereof near one to the exclusion of another region of said periphery, said switch being locally responsive to said magnet to close for a mounted condition of said container when said container is oriented to place said one region in operative proximity to said switch, and said switch being sufficiently non-responsive to said magnet to thereby remain open when said container is oriented to place said other region in proximity to said switch.
A beverage warmer comprising a support base mounting a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic material having an upper planar face serving as a heating surface, an electrical heating element secured adjacent the bottom of said plate member, an electrical energizing circuit for said element including a normally open magnetic-reed switch mounted on the base below said member substantially centrally thereof, and a non-magnetic beverage container adapted to rest on said surface, said container having a permenent magnet fixed in a lower portion thereof whereby to cause said switch to close to activate said circuit only when the container is oriented to dispose the magnet effectively adjacent said switch.
A beverage warmer comprising a support base mounting a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic material having an upper planar face serving as a heating surface, an electrical heating element secured adjacent the bottom of said member to heat said surface, an electrical energizing circuit for said element including a normally open magnetic reed switch mounted on said base below said member, a non-magnetic beverage container adapted to rest on said surface, said container having a permanent magnet fixed in the lower portion thereof whereby to cause said switch to close to activate said circuit only when the container is oriented to dispose the magnet effectively adjacent said switch, and visible index means on the upper part of said support facilitating operative orientation of said container.
A beverage warmer comprising a supporting base unit including a circular horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, and switch means operatively connected to said heating means and including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one angular relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for an angularly offset relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switch means operatively connected to said heating means and including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for a different orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member, and said base unit including an indicator responsive to an excitational condition of said heating means.
A beverage warmer comprising a supporting base unit including a circular horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switch means operatively connected to said heating means, and actuating means for said switch means, said actuating means including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one angular relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for an angularly offset relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switch means operatively connected to said heating means, actuating means for said switch means, said actuating means including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for a different orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member, and said base unit including an indicator responsive to an excitational condition of said heating means.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switch means operatively connected to said heating means, actuating means for said switch means, said actuating means including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for a different orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member, and said base unit including an externally observable reference device locally external to said container unit when the latter is seated on said plate member, and said container unit including an externally local indicium by which visual comparison can be made against said reference device, whereby it can be known from such visual observation whether or not said units are oriented for switched connection of said heating means to the electrical source.
A beverage warmer comprising a support providing an upwardly facing non-magnetic heating surface, an electrical heating element disposed to heat said surface, an electrical energizing circuit for said element including a magnetic-reed switch having an axis of reed elongation and mounted in a predetermined location on said support with said elongation axis parallel to and below said surface, and a non-magnetic beverage container having a closed bottom with a periphery adapted for stabilized removable mounting on said surface, said container having a permanent magnet fixed centrally in a lower portion thereof, said permanent magnet being polarized on an axis parallel to the mounting plane of said bottom whereby said switch may be locally responsive to said magnet to close for a mounted condition of said container when said container is oriented to place said axis in generally parallel relation with said magnet in operative proximity to said switch, and said switch being sufficiently non-responsive to said magnet to thereby remain open when said container is oriented in said operative proximity but with said axis substantially divergent from said generally parallel relation.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, a magnetic-reed switch operatively connected to said heating means, magnetically coacting elements in each of said units for activating said switch means;
- said magnetically coacting elements comprising an armature of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixed to the bottom of said beverage-container unit and spanning a single generally diametrical alignment between two spaced points on said bottom, and magnetic-flux-conducting core means fixedly carried by said base unit and establishing two oppositely poled regions near but beneath said plate member and spaced substantially to the extent of the span between said points, said core means including a path portion of relatively high reluctance between a permanent magnet and a gap containing said magnetic reed switch, whereby upon orientation of said units with said armature spanning said poled regions the core path reluctance to said gap reduces and said gap becomes polarized, thereby operating said switch for connection of said heating means to an electrical source of energy, and said switch being inoperative to so connect said heating means for an orientation of said units wherein said armature does not substantially span said poled regions.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, a magnetic-reed switch operatively connected to said heating means, magnetically coacting elements in each of said units for activating said switch means;
- said magnetically coacting elements comprising an armature of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixed to the bottom of said beverage-container unit and spanning a single generally diametrical alignment between two spaced points on said bottom, first means including a permanent magnet fixed to said base unit and establishing a magnetic pole near but beneath said plate member at a first locale of said plate member, and second means fixed to said base unit and near but beneath said plate member at a second locale of said plate member, said second locale being spaced from said first locale substantially to the extent of the span between said points, and said second means establishing a magnetic-flux-conducting path to said switch when said container unit is so positioned on said plate member as to bridge said first and second locales, whereby upon orientation of said units with said armature bridging both said locales, the polarization of said magnet is transmitted via said armature to operate said switch for connection of said heating means to an electrical source of energy, and said switch is inoperative to so connect said heating means for an orientation of said units wherein said armature does not substantially bridge said locales.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switching means operatively connected to said heating means and activating means for said switching means, said activating means including magnetically coacting core-path members in each of said units;
- said coacting members comprising an armature element of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixed to the bottom of said beverage-container unit and spanning two spaced points on said bottom, and a core element of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixedly carried by said base unit and characterized by separate pole faces near but beneath two plate-member locales which are spaced substantially to the extent of the space between said points, one of said coacting core-path members being permanently polarized, whereby a change in core-path reluctance accompanies completion or disruption of a core-path circuit via both said members, said switching means including means inductively coupled to said base-unit core-path member and responsive only to a single polarity of induced signal to connect said heating means to an electrical source.
A beverage warmer comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switching means operatively connected to said heating means and actuating means for said switching means, said actuating means including magnetically coacting core-path members in each of said units;
- said coacting members comprising an armature element of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixed to the bottom of said beverage-container unit and spanning two spaced points on said bottom, and a core element of magnetic-flux-conducting material fixedly carried by said base unit and characterized by separate pole faces near but beneath two plate-member locales which are spaced substantially to the extent of the space between said points, means polarizing the core-path member of said base unit, the container-unit core-path member being unpolarized, whereby a change in core-path reluctance accompanies completion or disruption of a core-path circuit via both said members, said switching means including means inductively coupled to said base-unit core-path member and responsive only to a single polarity of induced signal to connect said heating means to an electrical source.
A beverage warmer assembly comprising a base unit including a horizontal plate member of non-magnetic heat-conducting material, and a beverage-container unit removably adapted for seating upon and heating via said plate member, said base unit further including electrical heating means mounted beneath and in heat-transfer relation with said plate member, switch means operatively connected to said heating means, actuating means for said switch means, said actuating means including magnetically coacting elements in each of said units, said elements being so mounted in the respective units that said switch means is operative to connect said heating means to an electrical source of energy for one orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member and is inoperative to so connect said heating means for a different orientational relation of container-unit seating upon said plate member.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.