AU2004205175A1 - An electric kettle - Google Patents

Description

23. AUG. 2004 18:24 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P. 4/18 S&FRef: 662857

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Sunbeam Corporation Limited, an Australian company, ACN 000 006 771, of Units 5 6, 13 Lord Street, Botany, New South Wales, 2019, Australia Richard James Harrod Christopher Michael Desmond Ware Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) An electric kettle ASSOCIATED PROVISIONAL APPLICATION DETAILS (33] Country [31] Applic. No(s) AU 2003904544 (32] Application Date 22 Aug 2003 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- R58!M lR:\IBM PO6B60.doeSTL COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23 23. AUG, 2004 18:25 SPRUSON FERGUSON N0, 3 7!7 P. 5/18 AN ELECTRIC KETTLE Technical Field The present invention relates to jugs and kettles and more particularly to the electrical switches thereof Background of the Invention Kettles and jugs inlude a hollow body that receives water to be boiled.

Typically, the upper opening of the body is closed by means of a lid retained in a closed position by means of a catch. Located adjacent the handle is a switch that electrically connects the heating element to the supply of electric power. The user operates the io switch to move the switch between the on and off positions.

When water is to be poured from within the hollow body, a user moves the switch to the off position, if not already there, and then operates a separate mechanism to release the lid.

The above discussed arrangement has the disadvantage that the user must perform two different tasks (operate the switch and release the lid) to pour water from and to add water to the kettle.

Object of the Invention It is the object of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

Summary of the Invention There is disclosed herein a kettle or jug including: a hollow body to receive water to be heated, the body having an opening through which water is to pass; an electrically operated heating element to heat the water, 2S a lid mounted on the body for movement between a closed position at least substantially closing said opening, and an open position exposing said opening so that water may pass therethrough; securing means to retain the lid in the closed position and operable to provide for movement of the lid to the open position; [K sr .q1 COMS ID No: SUM1-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23 23. AUG. 2004 18:25 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P. 5/18 an electrical switch assembly operatively associated with the heating clement, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part movable between an on position at which the switch assembly is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the clement is operatively electrically isolated; and s connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means when the user manipulated part is moved to said off position so as to provide for movement of the lid to the open position.

Preferably, said securing means includes a catch to retain the lid in the closed position and said part is operatively associated with the catch to cause operation of the io catch to release the lid.

Preferably, the catch is mounted on the lid.

Preferably, the lid is urged to the open position by a spring.

Preferably, said electrical switch assembly includes a switch mechanism having an on and an off position, and said part is pivotally mounted and engagable with said is switch, said part being angularly movable between a first position at which it is engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the on position, and a second position engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the off position.

Preferably, said connecting means is a link extending between the catch and part, said link being moved to operate the catch to release the lid, with the part being angularly 2 moved in the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch.

Preferably, said link is linearly moved by said part.

Preferably, said link is moved between an operative position operating the catch to release the catch, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position.

2sBrief Description of the Drawings A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of an electric kettle; Figure 2 is a further schematic view of the kettle of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of a switch assembly employed in the kettle of Figure 1; 2 LrrJU4Pid _a COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23 23. AUG. 2004 18:25 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P. 7/18B Figures 4 to 6 are schematic side elevations of operative positions of the switch assembly of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of a modification of the electric kettle of Figure 1; s Figure 8 is a further schematic view of the kettle of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a schematic isometric view of portion of the kettle of Figures 7 and 8.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment In Figures to 6 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted an electric kettle 10. In this respect it should be appreciated that this prefered construction is also applicable to an electric jug. The kettle 10 includes a hollow body 11 that receives water to be boiled. To be submerged in the water or formed in or attached to the bottom wall of the body 11 is a heating element 12 that heats the water when electric power is delivered to the heating clement 12. The body 11 has a pouring spout 13 and an upper opening 14 closed by a lid 15. The lid 15 includes a base 16 and upper cap 17 that enclose a catch assembly 18. The catch assembly I8 engages under a lip 19 surrounding the upper opening 14.

Extending from the body 11 is a handle 20 that maybe integrally formed with or attached to a cover plate 21. The cover plate 21 overlays a concave wall portion 22 so as to provide a cavity 23 via which wiring extends to the element 12.

Mounted on the plate 21 and/or body 11 is a switch assembly 24. The switch assembly 24 includes a mounting plate 25 which in this embodiment is secured to the wall portion 22 via threaded fasteners passing through apertures 26. The assembly 24 further includes a commercially available switch that has a "toggle" operation so that it is biased to its two positions, that is the "off' and "on! positions. More particularly, the switch 27 has a projection 28 that is angularly moved to cause the switch 27 to move between the on and off positions thereof. Typically, the switch 27 would be a "bi-mete" switch and therefore is temperature sensitive so that upon water in the body 11 boiling, the switch 27 moves to the off position.

The plate 25 has a pair of projections 28, each with a socket 29. The sockets 29 3o are each shaped to receive a shafts 30 of the switch 27, More particularly, each shaft is retained fixed with respect to the plate 25, The shafts 30 are attached to a switch base 3 JFt;%ULJU)TID3spc dockAs COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 200448-23 23, AUG. 2004 18:26 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P, 8/18 31 of the switch 27. The switch 27 also includes a movable part 32 that has the projection 28 that is pivotally moved relative to the base 31 to cause operation of the switch 27- A button 33 is manipulated by a user to cause operation of the switch 27, more particularly to move the switch 27 between the on and off positions thereof. The button s 33 includes a pair of sockets 34 that pivotally support the button 33 on the shafts 30. The button 33 further has a pair of eyelets 35 that receive the extremities of the projection 28 so that the button 33 can cause movement of the part 32. The button 33 further has a roar projection 36 that causes operation of a connecting link 37. The link 37 is supported on the plate 25 for linear movement in the direction of the arrow 38. More particularly the link 37 is linearly movable between a rest (inoperative) position as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and an operative position as shown in Figure 6. In the position as shown in Figure 6 the leading portion 39 of the link 37 engages the catch assembly 18 to cause operation thereof so that the lid 15 is released. A spring 40 extends between the projection 53 of plate 25 and the projection 54 of link 37 to urge the link 37 to the rest position thereof.

Is The catch assembly 18 includes a pair of pivotally mounted arms 41 having catch extremities 42 that engage on the interior and underneath the lip 19. An actuating member 43 causes optration of the arms 41 to retract the extremities 42 and therefore release the lid 15. Each arm 41 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 44 and includes an extension 45 having a projection 46 engaged in an eyelet of the member 43. The member 2o 43 is caused to move linearly in the direction of the arrow 48 to cause movement of the arms 41 and operation of the extremities 42. A spring 49 that is under tension is attached at one extremity to the base 16 and another extnemity to the member 43 to urge the catch assembly 18 to a position at which the extremities 42 are protruding, that is a position at which they will engage beneath the lip 19, The member 43 has a pair of rear projections 50 that are engaged by the link 37.

Housed within a cylindrical sleeve 51 of the plate 25 is a spring 52 that engages the base 16 and plate 25, to urge the lid 15 to the open position.

In operation of the above described kettle 10, and more particularly operation of the switch assembly 24, a user activates the switch 27 by causing pivoting of the button 3o 33 in the direction of the arrow 53, By having the extremities of the projection 28 located in eyelets 35, the part 32 is moved so that the switch 27 is in the 'on" position. Electric power is then delivered to the element 12. When the water boils the switch 27 4 CtWUJS~rMA83i ttn= COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by I P Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23 23. AUG 2004 18:26 SPRISON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P. 9/18 automatically moves to the off position as shown in Figures 5 and 6. A user can then engage the button 33 and cause pivoting of the button 33 in the direction of the arrow This causes the projection 36 to move the link 37 in the direction of the arrow 38 to thereby operate the catch assembly 18 to release the lid 15. In this respect it should also be appreciated that a user can also cause pivoting of the button 33 from the on position to the off position by pivoting the button 33 in the direction of the mow 54. The button 33 is illustrated in the rest position in Figure 5. When in the off position the button 33 is angularly movable to release the lid 15. When the catch 18 is moved to a release configuration the lid 15 lifts under the influence of the spring 52. When the button 33 is Ii released, the button 33 is retuned to the rest position as shown in Figure 5 under the influence of the spring 40. When this occurs the spring 49 will return the catch 18 to the catch position so that when the lid 15 is closed it will automatically engage with the lip 19.

In Figures 7 to 9 there is schematically depicted a modification of the kettle described with references to Figures 1 to 6. In this embodiment the sleeve 51 has been replaced with a shaft 56 about which the spring 52 is located.

The above described embodiments have the advantages that a user of the jug merely manipulates the button 33 to operate the switch 29 and the catch 18.

(kNUaflTflMec=d~ch COMS ID No; SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23

Claims (1)

1. 23. AUG. 200H 18:26 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO,3717 P. 10/18 The claims defining the invention are as follows: 1 A kettle or jug including: a hollow body to receive water to be heated, the body having an opening through which water is to pass; Ian electrically operated heating element to heat the water, a lid mounted on the body for movement between a, closed position at least substantially closing said opening, and an open position exposing said opening so that water may pass therethrough; securing means to retain the lid in the closed position and operable to provide for movement of the lid to the open position; an electrical switch assembly operatively associated with the heating element, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part movable between an on position at which the switch assembly is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the element is operatively electrically isolated; and is connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means when the user manipulated part is moved to said off position so as to provide for movement of the lid to the open position. 2. The kettle or jug of claim 1, wherein said securing means includes a catch to retain the lid in the closed position and said part is operatively associated with the 2o catch to cause operation of the catch to release the lid. 3. The kettle or jug of claim 2 wherein, the catch is mounted on the lid. 4. The kettle or jug of claim 1, 2 or 3wherein, the lid is urged to the open position by a sprin& The kettle or jug of anyone of claims 1 to 4 wherein, said electrical 2s switch assembly includes a switch mechanism having an on and an off position, and said part is pivotally mounted and engagable with said switch, said part being angularly movable between a first position at which it is engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the on position, and a second position engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the off position. 6. The kettLe or jug of claim 5 wherein, said connecting means is a link extending between the catch and part, said link being moved to operate the catch to 6 W COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23 23.AUG.2004 18:27 SPRUSON FERGUSON NO. 3717 P. 11/18 release the lid, with the part being angularly moved in the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch. 7. The kettle or jug of claim 6 wherein, said link is linearly moved by said part. s 8. The kettle or jug of claim 6 or 7 wherein, said link is moved between an operative position operating the catch to release the catch, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position. 9. A kettle or jug substantiates as hereinbefore described with reference to to Figures 1 to 6, or Figures I to 6 as modified by Figures 7 to 9. Dated 23 August, 2004 Sunbeam Corporation Limited Patent Attorneys for the Applicant/Nominated Person SPRUSON FERGUSON 7 COMS ID No: SBMI-00881961 Received by IP Australia: Time 18:30 Date 2004-08-23