Previously, many types of enclosures have been used to protect and envelop coffee brewing apparatus however in most cases the enclosures have been constructed of sheet metal formed by bending into specific shapes. In most cases the enclosures are not watertight and do not provide any assurance of protection if a leak is encountered within the system.
A search of the prior art did not disclose any patents that read directly on the claims of the instant invention, however the following U.S. patents are considered related:
Patent Number Inventor Issue Date 5,875,703 Rofles Mar. 2, 1999 5,836,236 Rofles et al. Nov. 17, 1998 5,404,794 Patel et al. Apr. 11, 1995 5,063,836 Patel Nov. 12, 1991
Rofles own U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,703 teaches an improvement on a coffee brewer and hot water dispenser which permits larger capacity by the use of a bypass hot water cycle adding a predetermined volume of water to the container and supplementing the control by expanding its capabilities using multiple sequencing or the brew cycle for increasing the volume of brewed coffee. The enclosure is conventional metal components including a separate base column, housing, cover, back, plate etc. No liquid detector is included in the solid state electronic controller.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,236 issued to Rofles et al., in which the first named inventor is the present inventor, discloses a coffee brewer and hot water dispenser which brews both coffee and also dispensed hot water from a separate system, both housed in the same enclosure. The enclosure is the same as above being fabricated utilizing conventional sheet metal techniques which are cut in the flat and bent or joggled to form the structure then painted and finally bolted or riveted together to complete the enclosure. Again no mention is given to add a liquid detector as its use would not be practical with the type of construction taught for fabricating the enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,404,794 of Patel et al. discloses a coffee making machine having a reservoir connected to an external water supply via a valve which divides the water into separate hot and cold water tanks. Heated water from a boiler is fed into an expansion chamber and then discharged into the ground coffee through a spray head at the end of an expansion chamber. The enclosure is made of a pair of laterally spaced rectangular arms forming a base with a column located at one end which basically houses most of the operating parts of the coffee-making machine. Again no provisions are made for any leak prevention.
Patel in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,836 teaches a coffee making machine of the type adapted to be connected to city water supply. The device includes a reservoir having a level sensor controlling a water refill valve to the reservoir and a heating element which heats the water therein. A level sensor functions to permit automatic refill of the reservoir at the appropriate level for subsequent brewing of a full pot of coffee irrespective of the water pressure and the previous route of the water. A solid state circuit board controls the operational sequence and functions of the machine. The device includes a base with a warming plate on which a coffee pot may rest and columns upon which most of the operating components are mounted. There is little more taught about the enclosure however in viewing the product protected by this patent the material is metal formed and attached together in a conventional manner. As above, no mention is made of the desirability of protecting the machine from leakage since its construction would not permit this function.