I, like many people, frequently enjoy a cup of coffee during my drive to work. My car does not have cupholders, so if I turn a corner too fast... Even if you are fortunate enough to achieve compatibility between your travel mug and the various iterations of cupholders found in today's vehicles, the coffee still sloshes around and spills. So the idea is to put a roof mount coffee maker inside the car. It would mount where the overhead interior light is (because who uses it anyway). It could be wired to the remote car starter so that when you start the car in the morning (I live where I have to warm my vehicle up) the coffee maker produces a single-cup portion of coffee into a resevoir. Now here's the great part - instead of using a cup there is a tube from the resevoir (like one of those beer baseball hats) that you can suck the coffee out of. Of course, the tube has a valve so that you only get coffee when you suck on the tube. You want cream and sugar? Hey, they can do it in vending machines... Cleaning? Do they ever clean those vending machines?-- georgie, Jan 14 2002 Coffee maker http://www.vicky.in...l-coffee-maker-mc-8i have used a car coffee maker. though its looks luxurious from some people's point of view. its an excellent addition to your car especially when you driver for longer distance [apvkt, Apr 20 2013] Unlike beer, hot coffee could scald your mouth, causing you to lose the tube and have coffee drip all over your clothes and car.
Take your time and have a good cup of coffee. "...the world went and got itself in a big damn hurry."-- seal, Jan 14 2002 What vending machine? It's a coffee maker.
mmmmm coffee...-- phoenix, Jan 14 2002 I am imagining a Starbucks building of the future, shaped like a giant drip coffee pot, where cars equipped such as [georgie] has described merely drive into the spot where the caraffe would normally go and receive coffee, dispensed in large drips, directly into the roof reservoir.-- bristolz, Jan 14 2002 This idea is a good example of why casual inventors are so seldom successful. Most people who do not have long and intimate experience with the product area in which they're inventing simply are not aware of the reasons their invention would fail.
In this case, it's natural to assume that the overhead interior light assembly is bolted or welded or glued to the underside of the car's metal roof. In fact, for a variety of reasons, this is rarely, if ever, the case. The light assembly is held up by the "headliner," which is typically a laminate of a fiberglass composite, a thin layer of polyurethane foam, and a face fabric. To facilitate assembly and also recycling, the fiberglass and foam are being replaced by new materials and technologies, none of which makes the headliner stronger. In fact, headliners are becoming weaker. And the headliners are also not attached to the underside of the metal roof, but are made somewhat rigid and are held in place by a spring-like tension that results from bending them into place. The result is that the center of the headliner is barely able to hold the light in place (which is why many lights are moved forward, to the edge of the headliner, where it's stronger), and there's no way a headliner could ever support a coffee machine *and* the coffee.-- beauxeault, Jan 14 2002 I like this idea as my mother usually travels with a coffee cup precariously balanced on the dash or wedged between her knees, but fear it would be similar to my gran's tea maker, which needs stocking every night with tea, sugar, water and jugs of milk. If it was truly workable you have a double vote. - We DO use the interior light for reading and finding many lost things.-- atomic point dexter, Jan 14 2002 beau, I agree with your analysis of weak headliners. However, I said that I would mount it WHERE the interior light is, not necessary by the same method. I certainly wouldn't mind a couple of bolts through the metal roof of my '83 Ford!
cool idea bristolz...but Starbucks? It would be like taking your car to a drive-thru oil change garage that takes 3 hours!-- georgie, Jan 14 2002 Well, then, whatever your coffee preference is [georgie]. I don't understand, though, are you saying Starbucks is slow or . . . ?-- bristolz, Jan 14 2002 You can make a cup of coffee in a car using hot water and one of those Hotel/Motel Express Coffeedrippers.-- thumbwax, Jan 15 2002 Not a bad idea except for the technical difficulties brought up by the car pro. But what's with just one cup?? I usually perc up nine cups in the morning to perc up... After all, drink the coffee now - you can sleep when you die.-- cliff, Jan 15 2002 Are you serious? I have 4 cups a Year at the most.-- thumbwax, Jan 15 2002 No wonder I have regarded you with some suspicion, [TW].-- bristolz, Jan 15 2002 I'm there. Just tell me what website to go to to order one, and where to enter my credit card number.-- ploopyboy, Sep 19 2002 Add this to the car toastie maker and you have a winner.-- Gulherme, Sep 19 2002 I'm a Belgian student product designer. I'm designing a coffee maker for use in a car. To put it on the roof is offcourse not a good idea :) However I'm finding most difficulties in finding the best place to put the coffemaker. It would work on the 12v lighter inside the car. Every part would be integrated. The water bassin is replaced by a standard platic bottle. There's also a bassin for milkcarthidges so you don't have to mix the milk with the coffee afterwards. Idem ditto for the sugar.And the design is based on an ancient way of making coffee, the vacuum coffee pot. This ancient system makes the best quality coffee and it doesn't use any (paper) filther. The garbage is put in a separate bassin that can be emptied in a garbage can afterwards. All your ideas are welcome. Especially if you know a way of putting the coffeemaker on a good (ergonomic) place inside the car. (GoudenCarolus@yucom.be)-- GoudenCarolus, Apr 15 2003 //After all, drink the coffee now - you can sleep when you die.//
SONG REWRITE TIME!
In heaven there's no coff-ee You must drink it now, you see 'cos when from this life you flee All your friends will drink all of your coffee.-- supercat, Apr 15 2003 Would I have to take it back to the dealership to change the filter?
(vacuum coffee pot... is that what I might call a percolator, or is it more akin to a bodem?)-- rapid transit, May 20 2003 I think its more like a potfore.-- bungston, May 20 2003 I was hoping it would use the gearbox to grind the beans, then the engine heats the water which flows through the coffee maker which is fitted between the engine and the radiator. Freshly made coffee can be supplied through the tube continuously. If you don't feel like drinking coffee hang the tube out the window...-- Captain_Ignorant, Apr 23 2013 random, halfbakery