Priority is claimed to German patent application DE 10 2006 031 619.3, filed Jul. 6, 2006.
The invention relates to a beverage container.
Beverage containers, especially thermal carafes, are employed to hold various types of beverages. It is frequently the case that users cannot see which beverage is in the container, particularly when the container wall is not transparent. When a number of beverage containers have been prepared, it often happens that it is first necessary to open several of them in order to identify the beverage container with the desired content.
An aspect of the present invention is to provide a beverage container that, in a simple manner, allows the type of beverage present in the beverage container to be identified quickly without the need to open the beverage container.
The present invention provides a beverage container that includes a receptacle for holding a beverage and a display device operable to show the type of beverage present in the beverage container.
The present invention will be described in greater detail in the following with respect to specific embodiments and drawings, in which:
FIG. 1—shows a beverage container according to the invention;
FIG. 2—shows a detailed view of a display device in accordance with the invention;
FIG. 3—shows a detailed view of a closure in a side view in accordance with the invention; and
FIG. 4—shows a sectional view of the closure shown in
The present invention allows a person who has filled the beverage container to easily indicate to others which beverage has been filled in.
In an embodiment, the display device has a display surface on which at least two symbols indicating the beverage type are depicted, for example, in the form of letters and/or figures and/or images. For instance, symbols for coffee, tea, water or juice can be provided.
In an embodiment of the beverage container according to the invention, the display device has a viewing disk, optionally with a viewing window. The display device can be configured in such a way that the viewing disk and the display surface can be moved relative to each other, for example, they can be slid linearly or rotated so that, as desired, each of the symbols can be positioned visibly in the viewing window one at a time. In this manner, various display positions can be set. The viewing disk, for instance, can be rotatably mounted with a locking washer.
In an embodiment, the display surface can have, for example, several symbols arranged in a circle. The viewing disk in this embodiment may be rotatably mounted around an axis of rotation that runs through the center of the circle. Both the display surface and the viewing disk can be curved so as to adapt to the contour of the beverage container.
In an embodiment, the viewing disk is configured as a rotary dial of the type used in old telephones, so that users can simply use their fingertips to set the display position.
In an embodiment, the viewing disk can be temporarily locked—and once again unlocked—in at least one position, and optionally in any position. In order to temporarily lock the viewing disk relative to the display surface, the display device can include a latching device. In an embodiment, the latching device has a latching pin.
In an embodiment, the latching device has a spring that exerts a spring force on the latching pin and/or on the viewing disk. For instance, it can be provided that the latching pin is pressed by the spring into a latching groove in order to temporarily lock the viewing disk relative to the display surface.
In an embodiment, the beverage container has a closure, optionally with a stopper. The stopper can be spring-loaded and configured in such a way that users, for instance, by using an opening lever, can move the stopper into an open position and the spring force automatically presses the stopper into a closed position once the opening lever is released, thus sealing the beverage container.
In an embodiment that saves on parts and space, the spring exerts a spring force on the latching pin and/or on the locking washer and/or on the viewing disk as well as on the stopper. The spring is a component of the latching device and also a component of the beverage container closure.
The beverage container 1 is configured as a thermal carafe and has a screw-off closure 8. The closure comprises a stopper (not shown in this figure) that can be operated by an opening lever 9.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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10 2006 031 619.3 | Jul 2006 | DE | national |