Liquid heating and dispensing appliance

Abstract

A compact appliance for rapidly heating small quantities of water and dispensing the heated water into a cup or vessel. The appliance includes a stainless steel reservoir having a heating element brazed to the bottom thereof and a thermostat which extends through the bottom wall of the reservoir to sense the temperature of the liquid contained therein. The thermostat is a manually resettable thermostat which is operable by means of a lever extending through the front wall of the appliance in close proximity to a second lever which operates a valve to dispense the heated liquid into a vessel. The cover for the reservoir is provided with means to return the condensed water vapor to the reservoir rather than permitting it to run into the interior of the housing.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The trend toward the use of materials and mixes which make it easy to prepare instantly beverages which formerly required cooking and brewing has resulted in a demand for appliances which boil water quickly and easily. Since the housewife is accustomed to heating or boiling water in a saucepan on the stove, any appliance which essentially does nothing more than heat or boil water must be both inexpensive and provide additional advantages if it is to be an acceptable appliance. Some of the first and least expensive appliances of this type involve immersion heaters which are merely inserted into a cup or small vessel to heat the contents. Such appliances are hazardous in that if they are not used with considerable care, there is a danger of receiving an electrical shock or of burning oneself in handling the exposed heating element.

Other more sophisticated appliances for heating and boiling liquids consist of electrified teakettles which are nothing more than teakettles with built-in electrical heating elements. While such appliances could quickly heat quantities of liquid more efficiently and more rapidly than similar vessels used in connection with the burner or heating elements of the stove, they were expensive and unappealing to the housewives since they offered little advantage other than the improved efficiency. The electric kettles, however, looked and functioned much like the non-electric kettles which have always been used on the surface units of the stove.

There have been some attempts at making small heating pots which would rapidly heat a small quantity of water. Such small electrical vessels are difficult to handle and again have enjoyed little commercial success. It is evident, however, that in view of the increased use of instant coffee, tea, soup, bouillon, cocoa and other drinks, there exists a substantial demand for an inexpensive appliance for heating water to a temperature just below the boiling point.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention includes a water reservoir made of stainless steel to prevent corrosion and having associated with it a sheathed heating element brazed to the bottom of the reservoir. The heating element is of extremely high wattage so that one cup of water can be heated to the boiling point in less than a minute, and two cups in less than a minute and a half. The low mass of the reservoir contributes to the speed with which the heating is accomplished since very little of heat input is required to increase the temperature of the vessel itself. A thermostat is provided to de-energize the heating element when the water within the vessel is just below the boiling point. In order to obtain prompt response for the thermostat, particularly in view of the light weight of the reservoir and the poor heat conducting characteristics of stainless steel, the thermostat is positioned to extend through the wall of the reservoir where it will be in contact with the water contained therein. By utilizing light gage material for the reservoir, the lip of the reservoir by which it is supported on the plastic housing remains relatively cool in spite of the high heat input by the heating element.

The thermostat is of a manually resetable type and is controlled by a lever which extends outside of the housing in which the reservoir is supported. A plastic valve is provided at the outlet of the reservoir to control the dispensing of the heated water into a vessel which may be positioned below the reservoir. A silicone rubber tube connects the reservoir to the plastic valve so that the plastic is effectively insulated from the high temperatures existing at the bottom of the reservoir during energization of the heating element. The appliance housing is formed with a recess or pocket below the reservoir which is intended to receive a cup or small vessel into which the heated water may be dispensed. The reservoir valve is controlled by a second lever which also extends outwardly of the housing where it may be manually actuated.

The cup shaped reservoir is closed by a hingeable cover which has a cylindrical wall positioned to extend into the reservoir itself. The cylindrical wall tends to restrict the area in which water vapor will condense on the cover to the area within the cylindrical wall. This results in the condensed moisture being returned to the reservoir rather than leaking into the interior of the housing where electrical shorts might be caused. A second baffle located between the cylindrical wall and the hinge on the cover tends to direct additional condensed moisture back into the reservoir, particularly when the cover is opened.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved appliance for quickly and efficiently heating and dispensing water.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive appliance which automatically heats a small quantity of water to a temperature just below the boiling point at which time a signal is provided to indicate to the operator that the water is ready to be dispensed by valve means into a cup or vessel.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a water heating appliance which has an open top reservoir for easy filling and a cover which is formed with baffles to prevent water condensation from being dispensed or leaking into areas other than the reservoir itself.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide an improved water heating appliance having a simple and inexpensive valve and control means for dispensing the water heated therein.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds and the features of novelty which characterize the invention will be pointed out in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the specification.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a water heating and dispensing appliance embodying our invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevational view of the water heating and dispensing appliance of FIGS. 1 and 2 with all but one corner of the closure plate of the rear housing opening removed to expose the interior portions;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the thermostat control lever;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the control lever for operating the water dispensing valve;

FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the reservoir for the liquid heating and dispensing appliance;

FIG. 7 is a bottom perspective view of the hinged cover for the reservoir;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the top of the closure plate;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 9--9 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged sectional view taken on line 10-10 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram of the electrical circuit of the appliance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1 a water heating and dispensing appliance designated generally by reference number 11. The appliance 11 includes a housing 12 which is made up of a forward housing member 13 and a rear closure member 14. As may best be seen in FIG. 2, the forward housing member 13 provides an upper chamber 15 and a cord storage space 16, both of which are closed by the closure member 14.

The forward housing member 13 is formed with a horizontally extending base portion 17 which has low walls 18 along either edge thereof, which walls tend to position or locate a cup or vessel which might be placed on the base portion 17. Extending upwardly from the rear edge of the base portion 17 is a cylindrical wall 20, which with the base portion 17 and walls 18 defines the pocket or recess within which the cup or vessel may be received.

The cylindrical wall 20 is connected at its edges to walls 21 which extend upwardly the entire length of the housing member 13. As is most evident from FIG. 1, the walls 21 become wider toward the top of the housing member 13 and are joined at their forward edges by a front wall 22. Angling upwardly from the top of the cylindrical wall 20 to the front wall 22 is a wall 23 which is best shown in FIG. 2. The angled wall 23, together with the front wall 22 and the sidewalls 21 define in part the chamber 15 within which a reservoir 25 is received. Considered from broad functional standpoint, the housing 12 described above consists of a base which supports a reservoir enclosing portion by means of a column-like portion defined by walls 20 and 21. The housing 12 is little more than a frame to support and enclose the reservoir and its associated heating and valving means.

The reservoir 25 is a drawn stainless steel cup having cylindrical sidewalls 25a and a bottom wall 25b. The reservoir 25 has a very low mass and heat capacity being small in size having a capacity of only 10 ounces and being made of lightweight material having a thickness of only 1/32 inch. At the center of the bottom wall 25b, there is an opening defined by a down turned flange 25c. Connected to the flange 25c is a discharge spout 26. Also secured to the bottom of the reservoir 25 is a sheathed heating element 27 which is best shown in FIG. 6. The heating element 27 is a sheathed heating element having a helical configuration with approximately 21/4 turns as is evident in FIG. 6. The heating element includes a steel outer tubular sheath 27a within which a resistance wire element 27b is supported by compacted magnesium oxide 27c. The heating element is formed with downwardly turned ends 27d from which the element terminals 27e extend.

At the top or mouth of the reservoir 25, there is provided an annular flange 25d. The housing member 13 is formed with a horizontal wall 28 which is provided with enlarged opening 29 which is shouldered in order to support the annular flange 25d. A suitable room temperature vulcanizing adhesive material is utilized between the annular flange 25d and the shoulder formed on the reservoir opening 29 to insure against any leakage from around the reservoir 25 into the chamber 15. The reservoir 25 is retained in place by the adhesive mentioned above, as well as a bracket 31 which extends downwardly as shown in FIG. 2 to a position where it receives a screw which is threaded into engagement with a boss 32 formed on the inside of the front wall 22 of the housing member 13. To assemble the bracket 31, the sheathed heating element 27 and the discharge spout 26 to the bottom of the stainless steel reservoir 25, a copper brazing process is used. The three elements may be brazed to the reservoir in a single operation.

In order to sense the temperature of water received within the reservoir 25, there is provided a small thermostat 34 which extends through an opening formed in the bottom 25b of the reservoir 25. The thermostat 34 has a sealing flange 34a located beneath the bottom wall of the reservoir 25b. A suitable room temperature vulcanizing adhesive is placed between the flange 34a and the bottom wall 25b to prevent leakage through the opening provided for the thermostat 34. In order to retain the thermostat 34 in place while the adhesive is curing and to assure a secure assembly, there is provided a bracket 35 which is somewhat U-shaped as shown in FIG. 2 and has a centrally disposed opening in which the discharge spout 26 is received. One upwardly extending leg of the bracket 35 engages the reservoir bottom 25 and the other upwardly extending leg engages the thermostat flange 34a. An assembly washer 36 having projecting portions in interfering engagement with the discharge spout 26 retains the bracket 35 in assembled position.

The thermostat 34 is of a conventional disc type being calibrated to open the electrical circuit when the water nears the boiling point. The thermostat 34 includes electrical terminals 37 and 38, as well as a centrally disclosed manual reset button 39 as are best shown in FIG. 6. The manual reset button may be pushed upwardly to close the electrical circuit through the thermostat 34 and begin the heating of water within the reservoir 25. The actuation of the reset button 39 is accomplished by means of the lever 40 which is shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 3, the reset lever 40 is pivoted about trunnions 40a which are received within rearwardly facing slots 41 formed on walls 42 which are positioned parallel to and adjacent a slot 43 formed in the front wall 22. The outer end of the lever 40 is formed with a projection 40b on which is received the actuator bar 44. The end of the reset lever 40 remote from the projection 40b is provided with a horizontally disposed flat portion 40c which is positioned to abut against the recess button 39. Thus when a downward pressure is applied against the actuator bar 44, the lever 40 is rotated about trunnions 40a causing the portion 40c to move into actuating engagement with the reset button 39.

In order to retain the lever 40 in position in the slots 41 and rotate the lever 40 out of engagement with the reset button 39, there is provided a leaf spring 45 which bears against the angled portion 40d of the reset lever 40. The leaf spring 45 has a mounting portion 45a which is received on an integrally molded projection on the front wall 22 of the forward housing member 13. Extending downwardly and rearwardly from the mounting portion 45a is a portion 45b which extends into engagement with angled portion 40d.

For the purpose of controlling the flow from the reservoir 25, there is provided a valve 47 which is located immediately below the reservoir 25. The valve 47 is made up of two simple plastic parts within which a simple plunger type valve is received. These plastic parts include the main valve body 48 which has an inlet passageway 48a, a valve seat 48b and guide means 48c for a valve rod 49. The valve body 48 also includes a channel portion 48d which defines half of the valve outlet or discharge. Positioned rearwardly of valve seat 48b is a valve cover 50 which is formed with a channel 50a which cooperates with channel 48d to provide a discharge passageway from the valve 47. This discharge passageway formed by channels 48d and 50a extends through an opening 23a formed in the angled wall 23 of the housing member 13.

The movable part of the valve 47 includes the valve rod 49 which supports at its rearwardly projecting end a valve sealing member 51 which is made of a resilient material such as rubber and is retained in a groove of reduced diameter adjacent the end of the rod 49. The other end of the rod 49 is formed with an enlargement 49a against which a spring 52 abuts to urge the valve sealing member 51 into engagement with the valve seat 48b. The guide 48c serves to guide the enlargement 49a and encloses the spring 52 which at its end toward the sealing member 51 seats against a metal washer overlying a rubber washer (not shown) to seal against water leakage along rod 49. It should be appreciated that the valve 47 is extremely simple in construction and simple to fabricate. To assemble the various parts the rod 49 is simply inserted through the spring 52 and its associated sealing washers which are placed in the guide 48c. The valve sealing member 51 is then assembled to the end of the rod 49 by merely slipping it over the end of the rod. The sealing member 51 then prevents the rod from being detached from the valve body 48. The valve cover 50 and the valve body 48 are retained together and assembled to the forward housing member 13 by means of screws 53 which extend into threaded openings formed in mounting bosses 54 formed on the upper surface of the angled wall 23.

The reservoir discharge spout 26 is connected to the inlet passageway 48a of the valve 47 by means of a piece of flexible tube 55. The discharge spout 26 is formed with a ridge or enlargement 26a which tends to retain the flexible tubing 55 in position on the discharge spout 26. The tubing 55 is preferably made of a silicone tubing so as to resist the high temperatures found in the areas adjacent to the heating element 27. The tubing 55 also serves to insulate the plastic valve body 48 from the effects of the high temperatures present on the bottom of reservoir 25 during heating of water therein.

For the purpose of actuating the valve rod 49, there is provided a valve actuating lever 57 which is shown in perspective in FIG. 5. The lever 57 is somewhat similar to the lever 40 in that it is supported on trunnions 57a which are received in slots 58 formed in the walls 59 which walls are located in spaced parallel relationship extending as is best shown in FIG. 3. The lever 57 has a forward projection 60 on one end thereof which receives an actuating bar 61 which is exposed at the front of the housing 12 as shown in FIG. 1. The lever 57 is formed with a flat plate-like portion 57b which extends generally radially with respect to the trunnions 57a and is positioned to engage the end of the valve rod 49 as may be seen in FIG. 2. Thus when the actuating bar 61 is depressed, the valve actuating lever 57 is rotating counter-clockwise as shown in FIG. 2 causing the plate-like portion 57b to force the rod 49 rearwardly thus unseating the sealing member 51 with respect to the valve seat 48b.

In order to bias the valve actuating lever 57 clockwise as shown in FIG. 2, there is provided a leaf spring 62 which is positioned to engage angled portion 57c of the lever 57. The spring 62 has a mounting portion 62a which is received on a boss molded integrally with the front wall 22 as is best shown in FIG. 2. Extending rearwardly and downwardly from the mounting portion 62a is the body portion 62b which at its rearward end engages portion 57c of the lever 57. The spring 62 not only biases the lever 57 in a clockwise direction but also retains the trunnions 57a assembled in the slots 58.

The reservoir 25 is provided with a cover 65 which is hingeably secured to the housing 12 at the rear edge thereof. The cover 65 has a generally horizontally disposed body portion 65a which terminates at its edges in a downwardly extending peripheral flange 65b which normally rests in engagement with the top wall 28 of the housing member 13. At the forward end extending outwardly from the peripheral flange 65b near the front of the cover 65 are handle extensions 65c which permit the cover to be lifted upwardly for filling the reservoir 25. Along the portion of flange 65b extending along the rear edge of the cover 65 there are provided integrally mounted axle members 65d which are spaced from the flange 65b by slots 65e. At the upper edge of the rear closure member 14, there are provided two spaced forwardly facing channel shaped members 14a (see FIG. 8). The upper ends of the channel shaped members 14a extend through openings 65e in the cover 65. When the cover 65 is lifted to provide access to the reservoir 25, the axle members 65d rotate in the channel portions 14a thus permitting the cover 65 to pivot with respect to the housing 12.

The inner ends of the axle members 65d extend beyond the openings 65e and are connected to the flange 65b. These connected portions of the axle members 65d are received in an upwardly facing channel member 66 which is molded integrally with the housing member 13 and extends rearwardly as is best shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 10. The upwardly facing channel member 66 is positioned between the channel portions 14a. The aligned channels provided by the member 66 and the portions 14a pivotally connect the cover 65 to housing 12 by means of the axle members 65d. In order to assemble the cover to the housing, the axle members 65d are laid in the upwardly facing channel member 66 with the cover in the horizontal position and the rear closure member 14 is assembled to the forward housing member 13 and retained in position by screws 67 which extend through the closure member into threaded engagement with the housing member 13.

Because of the small area of the reservoir 25 and the fact that the water contained therein is heated to a temperature just below the boiling point, there is a considerable amount of water vapor which tends to condense on the cover 65. In order to prevent this condensation from leaking into the housing 12 or down the sides of the appliance 11, the cover 65 is provided with a cylindrical wall 65f which is of slightly smaller diameter than the reservoir 25 and which extends downwardly into the reservoir 25 a distance of approximately three-eighths inch. As water condenses on the cover 65, most of it tends to condense in the area within the cylinder wall 65f. Accordingly, when the cover is lifted to a vertical position to permit the filling of the reservoir 25, the moisture tends to stay within the cylindrical wall and when the cover is returned to its horizontal position, the condensed moisture is poured back into the reservoir.

There is invariably a small amount of moisture which condenses outside of the cylindrical wall 65f. In order to prevent this moisture from leaking through the hinge into the housing 12 when the cover is moved to the vertical position, a low baffle wall 65g is provided. The wall 65g extends above the top wall 28 except at its midpoint where two wall portions meet at an apex 65h. This apex 65h is located above the edge of the reservoir 25 so that water which runs down the cover 65 when it is in its vertical position tends to run toward the apex 65h and pour back into the reservoir 65 when the cover 65 is moved to the horizontal position. Thus, with the cylindrical wall 65f which extends somewhat into the reservoir 65 and the baffle 65g which is located entirely above the upper edge of the reservoir 65, all the condensation on the cover 65 is returned to the reservoir 25.

Turning now to the electrical connections for the appliance 11, there is provided a power cord 68 which has a suitable plug on the outer end and extends inwardly through the opening 69 at the lower rear portion of the housing 12 into the cord storage space 16. Toward the top of the space 16 there are provided a bar of spaced posts 70 and 71 as are best shown in FIG. 3. These posts are spaced a distance from wall 72 so that the power cord 68 can be looped around post 70 with a double line of cord fitting snuggly between the post 71 and the wall 72. This arrangement of the posts provides an inexpensive strain relief for the end of the cord attached to the appliance 11. After extending through the strain relief, the power cord extends upwardly through an opening 73 in the wall 70 and is connected to the heating element and thermostat in the manner shown in FIG. 3.

One side of the power cord is connected directly to the heating element 27 with a signal light 74 shown schematically in FIG. 11 and shown pictorially in FIGS. 2 and 3 connected in parallel with the heating element. The other side of the line is connected to the terminal 38 of the thermostat 34. The terminal 37 of the thermostat is connected by a fuse link 75 to the other end of the heating element 27.

In the operation of the appliance 11 a quantity of water to be heated is placed in the reservoir 25 and the heat actuator bar 44 is depressed. This action pivots the lever 40 causing the inner end portions 40c to engage the reset button 39 which closes the thermostat 34 completing the circuit to the heating element 27. The energization of the heating element 27 causes the parallel connected signal light 74 to be lit, this being feasible through a lens 73 mounted in an opening in the front wall 22 of the housing 12. In the preferred embodiment, the heating element 27 had a rating of 1,450 watts at a 120 volt A.C. This large wattage heating element and the low thermal mass of the reservoir causes the water within the reservoir 25 to be heated to a temperature just below the boiling point very rapidly. Because of the rapidity of heating the water, it is necessary to have the thermostat extending into the water itself rather than simply being mounted on the outer surface of the reservoir 25. Even so, the lag in response makes it necessary for the thermostat to be calibrated to turn off at approximately 175.degree.F rather than near the boiling point which is the desired temperature for the water being heated. When the thermostat 34 senses the 175.degree.F temperature, it opens the circuit cutting off the power to the heating element 27 and extinguishing the signal light 74. The user of the appliance then knows that the water contained in the reservoir has been heated to the proper temperature. He then places a cup or other small vessel on the base portion 17 beneath the water discharge from the valve 47 and depresses the valve actuating bar 61. This action causes the lever 57 to be rotated whereby the portion 57b engages the rod 49 opening the valve 47 and permitting the water in the reservoir 25 to discharge downwardly into the cup or vessel.

In the meantime, there will be some water condensing on the cover 65 of the appliance 11. When the cover 65 is again lifted to the vertical position to add more water to the reservoir 25, any condensation contained therein will be trapped by the cylindrical wall 65f and the baffle 65g and later returned to the reservoir 25 rather than leaking down through the hinge into the interior of the housing 12.

The light weight of the reservoir and the fast heating cycle permits the reservoir 25 to be mounted directly on the plastic housing without causing any damage to the plastic. In spite of the high temperatures produced at the surface of the sheathed heating element 27, the supporting flange or lip 25d attains a temperature of only about 175.degree.F at the time the water is at the desired temperature of just below the boiling point.

While there has been shown and described a particular embodiment of the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects, and it is, therefore, contemplated in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

What is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A water heating appliance comprising a housing of plastic heat insulating material having a base, a support extending upwardly from said base, and a reservoir enclosing portion; said base including means for supporting a small open vessel adjacent to said support; said reservoir enclosing portion having a top wall with an opening formed therein and a closure for said opening; a lightweight reservoir of drawn sheet metal having a low heat capacity and being cup shaped with a mouth provided with an outwardly extending peripheral flange; said reservoir being received in said reservoir enclosing portion with said flange in sealed engagement with said top wall; a sheathed heating element having a wattage in excess of 1,000 watts brazed to the bottom of said reservoir; a manually resettable thermostatic switch secured to said reservoir and responsive to open the electrical circuit to said heating element when the water in said reservoir is at a temperature below the boiling point; said thermostat being mounted in the bottom of said reservoir extending through an opening to respond to the temperature of the water within said reservoir; a bottom outlet in said reservoir; manually operable valve means connected to said bottom outlet to control the flow of water from said reservoir and having dispensing means extending outwardly from said reservoir enclosing portion above said vessel support means to discharge water into said vessel.

2. The combination of claim 1 including first lever means pivotally mounted on said reservoir enclosing portion and engagable with said valve means to control the flow of water from said reservoir, and second lever means pivotally mounted on said reservoir enclosing portion and engagable with said thermostatic switch to reset it.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said valve means includes a plastic housing and is rigidly supported on the inside of said reservoir enclosing portion with said dispensing means extending downwardly through an opening in the bottom of said reservoir enclosing portion, a silicone rubber tube providing a fluid connection between said reservoir and valve means.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said closure includes a flat body portion which overlies the mouth of said reservoir and a peripherally disposed downwardly extending lip on said body portion, said closure having a downwardly extending cylindrical wall which is spaced from and projects into said reservoir to restrict water condensation to the area of said closure within said cylindrical wall, said lip being positioned outwardly of said cylindrical wall and engaging said top wall surrounding said reservoir.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said closure is pivoted to said housing by a hinge formed in part by one edge of said closure lip, said closure having a condensate flow baffle which extends across said body portion between said hinge and said cylindrical wall to direct the flow of condensation deposited on said closure outside of said cylindrical wall back into said reservoir when said closure is opened and closed.

6. A water-boiling appliance comprising a small capacity reservoir being of cup shape with a heating element in good heat exchange relation with the bottom wall thereof, "said reservoir having a bottom outlet a housing which supports said reservoir" with said outlet above a recessed pocket in which a cup or receptacle may be placed, said housing having a top opening in which said reservoir is received, said reservoir being formed at the mouth thereof, with a flange which overlies the housing portion defining said opening and being sealed thereto by a sealant material, a cover for said reservoir pivoted to said housing, said cover having a downwardly extending cylindrical wall which is spaced from and projects into said reservoir to restrict water condensation to the area of said cover within said cylindrical wall, said cover includes a flat body portion which overlies the mouth of said reservoir and a peripherally disposed outwardly extending lip on said body portion, said lip being positioned outwardly of said cylindrical wall and engaging said housing surrounding said reservoir, said cover being pivoted to said housing by a hinge formed in part by one edge of said cover lip, said wall extending from said closure a distance greater than the distance from the mouth of said reservoir to said hinge.

7. The combination of claim 6 wherein said cover has a condensate flow baffle which extends across said body portion between said hinge and said cylindrical wall to direct the flow of condensation on said cover outside of said cylindrical wall back into said reservoir when said cover is opened and closed.

8. An appliance for heating water comprising an upright housing having an enclosure at the upper portion thereof and a recessed pocket to receive a container at the lower portion thereof, said housing having a base defining the bottom of said pocket and supporting said housing, a cup-shaped water reservoir mounted in said upper portion, said reservoir having a high wattage sheathed heating element brazed to the bottom of said reservoir, a manually resetable thermostat extending through the wall of said reservoir into the interior thereof, said thermostat being manually resetable by means of a first lever which is pivoted within said upper portion of said housing and extends to the exterior thereof, a manually operable valve for dispensing water from said reservoir, said valve being positioned in conduit means extending from said reservoir to the upper portion of said pocket, a second lever mounted in said housing adjacent said first lever and being manually operable to open said valve, a signal light supported on said housing and connected in circuit with said heating element to indicate that said heating element is energized, said housing including a closure plate for a rearwardly facing opening, a cover for said reservoir hingedly connected to said housing, a hinge for said cover formed by forwardly facing channels on said plate in which axle members on said cover are received.