Description

Field of the art

The present invention regards accessories for electronic devices, more in particular the industry relating to casings for protecting the latter commonly referred to as“covers” or “cases”.

Prior art

The ever-increasing presence of electronic devices in the market has led to the development of a market for accessories relating to these new and indispensable tools within a short time. Just like the electronic devices, nowadays available for all needs, at any price and any taste, even the casings and gadgets related thereto are increasingly surprising in terms of the variety of solutions they offer.

They still have the object of protecting the electronic device against wear and impacts, especially as regards the screen which usually occupies the entire front surface of the device. This particularly applies to smartphones and tablets which, nowadays, are capable of replacing conventional PCs or laptops in all situations. Being relatively small devices, they are kept in the pocket or in the bag and they are inevitably at contact with other objects that could damage them, a bunch of keys for example. Thus, the casing was conceived for protecting the wholeness of the portable devices and, over the years, it has acquired increasingly additional and supplementary functions with respect to the purposes of the electronic device.

A few examples, even subject of international patents, are recharging casings like the ones proposed by the Korean patent n° KR100161745 Bl, filed recently. The aforementioned document describes a smartphone casing provided with a small photovoltaic panel which, if exposed to Sunlight, recharges the battery of the device to which it is connected.

There does not seem to be a model of a casing for any portable electronic device capable of producing a hot beverage, specifically coffee, leaving such functionality victim of jokes in that a similar object has been considered impossible up to date.

Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide a casing for any electronic device available in the market, suitable to protect the device and provided with a special equipment that allows dispensing a hot beverage, coffee in particular.

Description of the invention

According to the present invention, a hot beverage dispensing system integrated in a cover of any portable electronic device, such as, for example, a smartphone is provided.

The numerous advantages offered by the present invention include the overall thickness of the casing which, despite its revolutionary capacity to dispense a hot beverage, maintains a thickness comprised between 18 mm and 1 mm, preferably 14 mm.

In addition, all normal functionalities of the smartphone are advantageously guaranteed, even when preparing and dispensing the beverage.

Though the latter is dispensed at a temperature comprised between 50°C and 60°C, the special technical solutions described hereinafter in detail actually prevent any possible overheating of the casing and thus the smartphone.

Among other advantages of the present invention, the quick preparation time which varies between 20 seconds and 2 minutes, preferably 30 seconds and 40 seconds depending on the temperature of the external environment, should be observed. As a matter of fact, such time span is the time required for heating the beverage contained in the pod up to 50°C-60°C. Thus, the following are present in the casing at contact with the internal surface thereof: - a common lithium rechargeable battery with dimensions comprised between 70 mm X

11 mm X 100 mm and 11 mm X 30 mm X 2.5 mm, preferably 35 mm X 60 mm X 5 mm;

- a plurality of septa suitable to define the contours of the space designated to house the pod containing the beverage to be heated;

- a small metal pipe provided with an internal end suitable to be connected with said pod and an external end suitable to convey the beverage about to flow out by now, towards a hole or another outflow device, arranged on one of the lateral edges of said casing;

- an electrical resistor, with thickness comprised between 1.2 mm and 0.6 mm, preferably 0.8 mm, arranged adhering to the internal surface of said casing at the position of the pod;

- an insulation layer, preferably made of Kapton material, interposed between said electrical resistor and the internal surface of said casing;

- a common push/open-type mechanism, suitably positioned to allow the stable and reversible housing of said pod.

Advantageously, said pod may contain coffee, chocolate, tea, infusions, herbal tea or chamomile, in predetermined blends already containing the right dose of water, sugar and any other ingredient that can accompany the pre-selected beverage.

Advantageously, even for hygiene reasons, said pod is of the disposable type.

The switching ON and thus the preparation of the beverage may advantageously occur by pressing a common button or, even more preferably, by means of a special“App” that the user can download and install on the portable electronic device thereof.

As a matter of fact, the casing is advantageously provided with a circuit board, advantageously communicating, with said“App” previously installed on the associated electronic device. Such circuit board is suitable to manage the switching ON, the operation and the switching OFF of the battery, of the resistor and of the valves described hereinafter, for the proper operation of the entire equipment.

Advantageously, said“App” may include online means for purchasing the favourite type of pods and it can also provide data regarding the number and the type of beverages prepared by means of the present system.

Furthermore, advantageously included in a version of the present invention is at least one temperature sensor which, communicating with the circuit board which manages the entire system, is capable of emitting an alarm signal should it detect an excessive thermal exchange between the hot components integrated in the casing and the components of the smartphone. The core of the present invention consists in said pod, or in the device containing the beverage to be heated. It contains the beverage under vacuum. The housing in the casing into which said pod is inserted is configured in a manner such that the internal end of the small pipe is at a membrane of said pod suitable to break, upon contact with said small pipe, for the through-flow of the beverage. Furthermore, in order to guarantee the continuous outflow of the beverage, said pod is advantageously provided with a check valve arranged on the base which allows the inflow of air but not the outflow of the beverage.

Said pod has a capacity comprised between 50 ml and 10 ml, preferably 20 ml.

Thus, after inserting the pod and activating the mechanism, by means of the button or by means of an“App”, the resistor heats the pod and upon reaching the temperature, when an acoustic signal is emitted by said“App” (or another type of signal), the electronic device connected to the casing can be advantageously inclined, like a coffeepot or teapot, so as to determine the outflow of the beverage. As a matter of fact, an opening valve is arranged at the external end of the small pipe close to the outlet hole. The former is controlled by said circuit board to open upon reaching the desired temperature and allow the outflow of the beverage upon inclining the device.

In order to guarantee the cleaning of the small pipe and any other component that can come into contact with the beverage, pods containing a sanitising liquid are advantageously provided. Through the same operation, said sanitising liquid is conveyed in the various components of the system for the cleaning thereof.

Description of the figures

The invention will be described hereinafter in at least one preferred embodiment, provided by way of non-limiting illustration, with reference to the attached figures, wherein:

- FIGURE 1 illustrates a general three-dimensional view of the casing 1 in the operating mode while it is connected to the electronic device 100. It shows the beverage flowing out from the outlet hole 5 and the switching ON button 11.

- FIGURE 2(a) shows the components included in the casing 1, whose profile is dashed. It shows the battery 6, the circuit board 8, the push/open mechanism 9, the pod 2 with the membrane 2.1 and the check valve 2.2, the small pipe 4 with the internal end 4.1 and the external end 4.2 which ends in the external end 5.

- FIGURE 2(b) shows the components integrally joined with the casing 1, while those contained therein are only dashed besides the outlet hole 5 arranged on the lateral edge 1.3 of the casing 1; it shows the switching ON button 11, the septa 100-100’ which defines the housing of the pod 2 and the resistor 3 arranged at said housing.

Detailed description of the invention

Now, the present invention will be illustrated purely by way of non-limiting or non-binding example, with reference to the figures illustrating some embodiments regarding the present inventive concept.

With reference to FIG. 1 the end result of an embodiment of the present invention and i.e. when the casing 1, connected to the electronic device 100 which, in this case, is one of the most commonly available smartphones in the market, dispenses a hot beverage is shown.

The outflow of the beverage from the casing 1 is determined by the inclination of the electronic device 100 done by the user, as if it were a coffeepot or a teapot.

It should be observed that though the illustrations refer to a casing 1 for smartphones, the present invention can also apply to casings 1 of any shape and for any portable electronic device 100 such as, for example, tablets and portable PCs or laptops. All this without jeopardising the use thereof, in that all components that allow the production of a hot beverage, are configured to confer to the casing 1 a 14 mm-thickness or a thickness comprised between 18 mm and 1 mm in any case.

Given the heating function of the dispensing system 1 subject of the present patent, the casing 1 is necessarily provided with an insulating surface, made of any thin insulating material, preferably made of Kapton, arranged at least at a resistor 3. Such insulator is suitable to separate the internal components of the rear surface of the casing 1, so as to avoid the external overheating and thus the impossibility of the user to handle the electronic device 100 while the system is operating.

At the lower part, the system is provided with a rechargeable battery 6, preferably a lithium battery, with dimensions comprised between 70 mm X 11 mm X 100 mm and 11 mm X 30 mm X 2.5 mm, preferably 35 mm X 60 mm X 5 mm. Said battery 6 is suitable to be reversibly switched ON by a pressing a special button 11 or by means of remote control sent by a common dedicated“App” that the user had previously downloaded and installed on the electronic device 100 thereof. The switching ON of the rechargeable battery 6 leads to the activation of a circuit board 8 which adjusts the heating of a resistor 3 which is integrally joined to the internal surface of said casing 1, at the position of a pod 2 containing the desired beverage.

Said pod 2, which can contain any beverage at an amount preferably equivalent to 20 ml, or any other amount comprised between 50 ml and 10 ml, is under vacuum and it represents the fundamental element for the operation of the present invention.

The operation is as follows:

- the user positions the pod 2 in the special housing defined by a plurality of septa 10-10’- ... integrally joined to the internal surface of the casing 1;

- such arrangement is suitably configured in a manner such that the internal end 4.1 of the small pipe 4 is positioned at contact with a membrane 2.1 of said pod 2 suitable to break upon contact;

- upon pressing the button 11 or by means of the“App”, the user determines the activation of the circuit board 8;

- the latter determines the heating of the resistor 3 until the content of pod 2 reaches 50°C-60°C; such heating requires a time comprised between 20 seconds and 2 minutes, preferably comprised between 30 seconds and 40 seconds;

- the circuit board 8 causes the opening of an opening valve 7, arranged in proximity of the external end 4.2 of the small pipe 4 and a light and/or acoustic signal is emitted by the electronic device 100;

- by inclining the electronic device 100 and the casing 1, the user causes the outflow of the hot beverage previously contained in the pod 2;

- the pod 2, which was previously under vacuum, being provided with a check valve 2.2 arranged on the bottom thereof, allows the constant and linear outflow of the beverage;

- at the end of the operation, the opening valve 7 shuts, still upon command by said circuit board 8 and the user can remove the pod 2 which is empty by now and dispose it in the dustbin.

Said pod 2, is of the disposable type and it guarantees the proper preservation of the beverage under vacuum for at least 3 months prior to use thereof.

In an embodiment, the system is also provided with at least one common pressure sensor which, communicating with said circuit board 8, allows the latter to send possible alarm signals should there be recorded an excessive thermal exchange with the other components of the system.

The housing of the pod 2 and the removal thereof after use, are facilitated by a push/open- type mechanism 9 arranged in proximity of the housing of said pod 2.

The pod 2 will be separately available in dedicated points of sale, in various flavours and blends such as, for example, coffee with or without sugar, chocolate, tea and much more.

It should be observed that the pods 2 can be loaded with any beverage suitable to be consumed hot, in a version previously mixed, for example, with milk, with water, with sugar or other flavoured substances.

A special pod 2 which, instead of the beverage, contains a sanitising liquid for cleaning the internal components of the system, particularly of the small pipe 4, will also be provided. Lastly, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, said circuit board 8 is provided with a common data connection system of the USB type.

Lastly, it is clear that the invention described up to now may be subjected to modifications, additions or variants obvious to a man skilled in the art, without departing from the scope of protection outlined by the attached claims.