AU2007101195B4 - An electric kettle - Google Patents

Description

13- DEC- 2007 20:31 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 +612 93224000 NO. 4317 P. 3 P/l1o 1 Regulallon 32

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION INNOVATION PATENT Invention Title: An electric kettle The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to us: COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13. DEC. 2007 23:31 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3±+612 93224333 NO. 4317 P. AN ELECTRIC KETTLE Background of the invention Kettles and jugs include 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 electricaly connects the boating element to the supply of electric power. The user operates the switcb 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 arrangement has the disadvantage that the user must perform two different tasks, namely o operating the switch and then releasing the lid in two separate actions to pour water from and add water to the kettle.

Summary of the invention According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a kettle or jug including: a hollow body to receive water to be heated, the body having a front pouring spout and a top opening through which water is to pass and including a handle opposite the pouring spout; an electrically operated heating element to heat the water; a lid mounted on the body via a switch assembly 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; the switch assembly including an electrical switch operatively associated with the heating element, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part extending through an opening in the handle and movable between an on position at which the electrical switch is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the element is operatively electrically isolated by the electrical switch; a spring adapted to urge the lid to the open position; and connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means, the user manipulated part being operable at said off position, to provide for movement of the lid to the open position under the influence of the spring; 2 COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time (1-tm) 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13. DEC. 2007 20:32 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3±+612 93224000 NO 4317 P. 6 wherein said user manipulated part is moveable in a predetermined direction when moving from the on position to the off position, with said securing means being operated by said connecting means to release the lid by farther movement of said user manipulated part in said predetermined diretion from said off position to actuate said connecting means.

0 Said securing means may include a catch assembly mounted on the lid to retain the lid in the closed M_ position, said catch assembly being movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and being spring biased into said extended position.

The connecting means may include a link extending between the catch assembly and said user manipulated part, said link being linearly moved to operate the catch assembly to release the lid, with the user manipulated part being pivoted from the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch assembly.

O The link is may be moved between an operative position operating the catch assembly to release the catch 0 assembly, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch assembly, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position.

The link may be substantially U-shaped, and may include a pair of leading projections which operate on the catch assemibly, and a trailing bight portion which is biased against a rear projection on an underside of the user manipulated part of the switch assembly when in the off position.

a switch assembly including an electrical switch operatively associated with the heating element, the electrical switch 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 by thec electrical switch a spring adapted to urge the lid to the open position; connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means at said off position to provide for movement of the lid to the open position under the influence of the spring; and wherein said user manipulated part is moveable in a pie-determined direction when moving fr-om. the on position to the off position, with said securing means being operated to release the lid by further movement of said user manipulated part in said detiom.

Brief 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: Figur I is a schematic isometric view of an electric kettle; Fig=r 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 Figre 1; 3 COMS ID No: ARCS-i 72318 Received by IP Australia: lime 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13, DEC. 2007 20:32 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 +612 93224000 NO. 4317 P. 7 SFigures 4 to 6 are schematic side elevations of operative positions of the switlh 0 assembly of Figure 3; 0 Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of a modification of the electric kettle of '3 Figure 1; Figure 8 is a further schematic view of the kettle of Figre 7 and Figure 9 is a schematic isometric view of portion of the kettle ofFigures 7 and 8.

0 In Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted San electric kettle 10. In this respect it should be appreciated that this preferred c 10 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 element 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 is enclose a catch assembly 18. The catch assembly 18 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 fiuther 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 is 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-metal" 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 rceive 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 3A COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13, DEC, 2007 20:32 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 +612 93224000 N0. 4317 P. 8 0 ~31 of the switch 27. The switch 27 also includes a movable part 32 that has the projection U 28 that is pivotaly moved relative to the base 31 to cause operation of the switch 27, 0 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 rear o projection 36 that causes operation of a connecting link 37. The link 37 is supported on r' 'the plate 25 for linear movement in the direction of the arrow 38. More particularly the 0 io link 37 is linearly movable between a rest (inoperative) position as shown in Figures 4 s !and 5, and an operative position as shown in Pigure 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.

The catch assembly 18 includes a pair of pivotally mounted anms 41 having catch extremities 42 that engage on the interior and underneath the lip 19. An actuating member 43 causes operation of the arms 41 to retract the extremities 42 and therefore release the lid 15. Each ann 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 ofthe arms 4] and operation of the extremities 42. A spring 49 that is under tension is attached at one extremity to the base 16 and another extremity to the member 43 to urge the catch assembly 18 to a position at which the extrenmities 42 are protruding, that is a position at which they will engage beneath the lip 19.

y 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 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 COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13. UC. 2007 20:32 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 +612 93224000 NO. 4317 P. 9 automaticall moves to the off position as shown in Figures 5 end 6. A iser can then o gaPse the button.33 and cause pivoting of the button 33 in the direction of the arrow SThis causes the projection 36 to move the link 37 in the direction of the arow 38 to en thereby operate the.atch assembly 18 to release the lid 15. In this respect it should also Sbe appreciated that a user can also cause pivoting i thIe uiton 33 hlur i±i Oil jiOSmiOU ?Ci the off position by pivoting the button 33 in the direction of the Mrow 54. The buttoi 33 0n ~is illustrated in the rest position in Figura 5. When in the off position the button 33 is Sangularly movable to release thd lid 15. When the catch 18 is moved to a release configraltion the lid 15 lifts under the influence of the spring 52. When the button 33 is o to released, the button 33 is returned to the rest position as shown in Figure 5 under-the influence of the spring 40. When this occurs the spring 49 will retwn th. catch 18 to thec catch position so that when the lid-S15 is closed it will aUtomatically engage with the lip 19.

I Figur 7 to 9 there is scherntically depicted a modification of the kettle Is desribed with references to Figures to 6. In this embodims t the sleeve 5l1 bas been rplaced with a shaft 56 about which the spring 52 is located.

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

While the present invention has been'described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words Which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined by the appended claims.

COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13

Claims (1)

13. DEC.2007 20:32 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 T612 93224000 NO. 4317 P, The claims defining the invention are as follows: o 1- A kettle or jug including: M_ a hollow body to receive water to be heated, the body having a front pouring spout and a top opening through which water is to pass and including a handle opposite the pouring spout; an electrically operated heating element to heat the water; a lid mounted on the body via a switch assembly for movement between a closed position at least 2 10 substantially closing said opening, and an open position exposing said opening so that water may pass 100eetruh seuigman0orti the lid in the closed position and operable to provide for movement of teldto the open position; the switch assembly including an electrical switch operatively associated with the heating element, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part extending through an opening in the handle 16 and movable between an on position at which the electrical switch is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the element is operatively electrically isolated by the electrical switch; a spring adapted to urge the lid to the open position; and connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing mean, the user manipulated part being operable at said off position, to provide for movement of the lid to the open position under the influence of the spring; wherein said user manipulated part is moveable in a predetermined direction when moving from the on position to the off position, with said securing means being operated by said connecting means to release the lid by further movement of said user manipulated part in said predetermined direction from said off position to acteate said connecting means. 2. The kettle or jug of claim 1, wherein said securing means includes a catch assembly mounted on the lid to retain the lid in the closed position, said catch assembly being movable between an extended position and a retracted position, and being spring biased into said extended position. 3. The kettle or jug of claim 2 wherein, said connecting means is a link extending between the catch assembly and said user manipulated part, said link being linearly moved to operate the catch assembly to release the lid, with the user manipulated part being pivoted from the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch assembly. COMS ID No: ARCS-i 72318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13 13, DEC. 2007 20:33 FREEHILLS SYDNEY 3 +612 93224000 NO.,43 17 P. I1I 4. The kettle or jug of claim 3 wherein said link is moved between an operative position operating the catch assembly to release the catch assembly, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch assembly, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position. 5. The kettle or jug of claim 4 wherein the link is substatially U-shaped, and includes a pair of leading projections which operate on the catch assembly, and a trailing bight portion which is biased against a rear projection on an underside of the user manipulated part of the switch assembly when in the off position. Dated- 13 December 2007 Freehills Patent Trade Mark Attorneys Patent Trade Mark Attorneys for the Applicant: Sunbeam Corporation Limited 7 COMS ID No: ARCS-172318 Received by IP Australia: Time 20:32 Date 2007-12-13