Patent Application
20130114370
The present invention generally relates to a magnetically-driven stirring structure, and more particularly to an agitation cup structure that adopts a simple operation to actuate a magnetic member disposed inside the cup to rotate in order to realize stirring of a drink contained in the cup without applying a spoon or a stirring bar and to make brewing of the drink easy and convenient.
People use a spoon or a stirring bar to stir a drink, such as coffee and tea, after the drink has been made, in order to uniformly mix the brew with water. The conventional way of stirring drink must remove the spoon or stirring bar out of the cup, after stirring is done. This may cause undesired drips of drink remaining on and carrying by the spoon or stirring bar to fall on a tabletop or other articles, and thus contaminating the surroundings. Further, it is quite common that no spoon or stirring bar is immediately available when people are making a drink. This is surely a trouble for people making drinks. The present invention aims to solve such problems by allowing a drink that is being brewed to be stirred through simple actuation so as to make brewing of drinks easy and convenient.
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a magnetically-driven stirring structure, which allows a magnetic member placed in a cup to rotate through a simple actuation in making a drink so as to effect stirring of the drink contained in the cup without using any spoon or stirring bar, so that making or brewing a drink is made easy and convenient and the structure is applicable to various types or styles of cups and jars.
The above mentioned magnetically-driven stirring structure comprises a transmission base, and a cup can be mounted to the transmission base or positioned on the transmission base. The transmission base comprises a rotary mechanism, and the rotary mechanism is coupled to a first magnetic member. The rotary mechanism is coupled to an operating member in such a way that the operating member is exposed outside the transmission base. With a second magnetic member being placed in the cup, in making or brewing a drink in the cup, through actuation caused by the operating member, the rotary mechanism is made rotating and driving the first magnetic member to rotate, whereby the second magnetic member placed in the cup is caused by magnetism to rotate in the same direction so as to achieve stirring of the drink contained in the cup.
In the magnetically-driven stirring structure mentioned above, the rotary mechanism accommodated inside the transmission base comprises a gear train comprising gears of various sizes and the first magnetic member is coupled to the gear train. The gear train is set in mating engagement with a driving gear, which is coupled to the operating member that is made in the form of a rotating disc having the handle mounted thereto and exposed outside the transmission base. The operating member, when caused to rotate by the handle, drives the gear train to rotate and thus driving the first magnetic member to rotate.
In the magnetically-driven stirring structure mentioned above, the rotary mechanism accommodated inside the transmission base comprises a gear train comprising gears of various sizes and the first magnetic member is coupled to the gear train. The gear train is set in mating engagement with a driving gear, and the driving gear is coupled to a winding spring. The driving gear is coupled to the operating member that is made in the form of a rotating disc having the handle mounted thereto and exposed outside the transmission base. Rotating the operating member with the handle causes the winding spring to be tightened, whereby the winding spring may get gradually released to drive the gear train to rotate and thus driving the first magnetic member to rotate.
The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.
Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.
The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.
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With the above described arrangement, to operate, a second magnetic member (a magnet or an article with magnetism) is first placed in a cup, whereby when a drink is to be made or brewed in such a cup, a user may operates the handle 142 to rotate the operating member 14, which in turn drives the gear train 11 and thus the first magnetic member 12 to rotate, allowing the second magnetic member disposed in the cup to be caused by magnetism to rotate in the same direction as that of the first magnetic member 12 and thus effecting stirring of the drink contained in the cup without using any spoon or stirring bar. Consequently, brewing or making a drink is made easy and convenient. The socket member 16, which is arranged at one side of the transmission base 1, may receive a curved bar to fit therein, so that the bar twists with the stirring operation of the stirring structure. This increases the interesting and fun in doing stirring.
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In summary, the present invention uses a transmission base that comprises a rotary mechanism and a magnetic member to receive a cup that comprises another magnetic member movably arranged therein to form a magnetically-driven stirring structure, whereby, in making a drink, through simple actuation, the magnetic member arranged in the cup is caused to rotate to effect stirring of the drink contained in the cup. The inconvenience of the conventional way of stirring that requires the use of a spoon or a stirring bar is thus eliminated, and brewing or making a drink is made easy and convenient.
It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.
While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.
