Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/001—Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance
  • C02F1/003—Processes for the treatment of water whereby the filtration technique is of importance using household-type filters for producing potable water, e.g. pitchers, bottles, faucet mounted devices
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J27/00—Cooking-vessels
  • A47J27/21—Water-boiling vessels, e.g. kettles
  • A47J27/21166—Constructional details or accessories
  • A47J27/21183—Water filters
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47J—KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES
  • A47J31/00—Apparatus for making beverages
  • A47J31/44—Parts or details or accessories of beverage-making apparatus
  • A47J31/60—Cleaning devices
  • A47J31/605—Water filters
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F1/00—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage
  • C02F1/02—Treatment of water, waste water, or sewage by heating
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C02—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F—TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE
  • C02F2307/00—Location of water treatment or water treatment device
  • C02F2307/04—Location of water treatment or water treatment device as part of a pitcher or jug

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an electric kettle comprising a liquid container having an upper opening, a pouring spout, a handle, an electric heating device for heating the liquid placed in the container and a cover arranged on the upper part of the container.
• Electric kettles are generally used to boil water to prepare hot drinks such as tea or coffee.
• scale particles appear, some of which deposit on different parts of the kettle, and in particular on the parts of the kettle in contact with water during the heating period.
• the water, once heated, is poured out of the container and carries with it the limestone particles which are suspended there as well as those which can form a sort of scum on the surface of the heated water.
• the presence of the filter does not exempt the user from having to regularly clean the various parts which are submerged during the heating periods and which quickly scale up. This is particularly true for the heater, the efficiency of which then decreases significantly.
• Use of a brush or other device equivalent to perform manual cleaning of the kettle is tedious and generally ineffective, the various submerged parts are not easily accessible. If he wants to clean the kettle properly, the user must then buy a commercially available descaling solution.
• the object of the invention is to produce an electric kettle fitted with a filter which can remedy the drawbacks mentioned above.
• the object of the invention is in particular to produce a kettle which delivers to the user a heated liquid free of lime or other sediments while eliminating the need to regularly clean said kettle.
• the kettle is equipped with a demineralization filter intended to be traversed by the liquid when filling the container.
• the cover of the kettle is hollow and has a lower opening in which is arranged a demineralization filter, an upper filling opening and a reservoir communicating with the outside of the kettle through said upper opening filling and with the interior of the kettle through said lower opening.
• This arrangement defines a buffer volume made necessary by the difference between the liquid inlet flow rate through the upper filling opening and the liquid outlet flow rate through the lower opening through the demineralization filter.
• This arrangement also has the advantage of making a cover with a cold wall since the vapor which rises above the liquid when it is heated does not lick the upper wall of the cover. There is therefore no risk of the user getting burned on contact with this wall. In addition, this vapor destroys the bacteria which can form within the material forming the demineralization filter.
• the demineralization filter can be tilted so as to increase the volume of the reservoir while ensuring, however, that said demineralization filter remains situated above the maximum level of liquid authorized in the container when the kettle is in its normal heating position, and that the inclined position of said demineralization filter ensures that it does not come into contact with the heated liquid, or at least not to impede its flow, during the pouring of said liquid by the spout .
• the demineralization filter is removably mounted on the lower opening of the cover, which makes it possible to change it when it is no longer effective.
• the lack of effectiveness of the demineralization filter can be signaled by a visual saturation indicator known per se fixed on the demineralization filter. It is then possible to exchange the used demineralization filter for a new demineralization filter. It is obvious that this exchange must be as infrequent as possible in order to guarantee the user a good comfort of use.
• the demineralization filter is formed from a plate comprising two plane faces which are parallel to each other, each composed of a ribbed fabric with fine mesh, and between which is contained a limestone absorbent material and other sediments, preferably an ion exchange resin.
• the resin retains the particles of limestone and other sediments and lets the liquid cleaned of these impurities pass into the container.
• FIG. 1 represents a view in vertical section of a possible embodiment of an electric kettle fitted with a demineralization filter according to the invention
• FIG. 2 represents a top view of the cover of the electric kettle of FIG. 1;
• FIG. 3 represents a bottom view of the cover of FIG. 2;
• FIG. 4 represents a perspective view of the region of the spout of the kettle of FIG. 1 /
• FIG. 5 represents a perspective view of the demineralization filter of the electric kettle of FIG. 1.
• the electric kettle comprises a box 1 containing a container 3 intended to contain water capable of being brought to a boil by an electric heating resistance 4, and a hollow handle 5 comprising a grip part 6 as well as 'a base 7 secured to the outer wall 8 of the container 3.
• the elements 1, 3 and 5 can advantageously be made of plastic.
• the resistance 4 is electrically controlled by a thermosensitive switch 9 which is arranged outside the container 3 in the lower region of the housing 1.
• the switch 9 is sensitive to the temperature of the vapor conveyed by a conduit 10 which extends parallel to the outer wall 8 of the container 3 from the upper region of the housing 1 to the switch 9 and the mouth 11 of which is located above the maximum authorized water level N in the container 3.
• the electric kettle comprises an electric power supply unit 12 comprising an operating member 13 which can be moved between an "on” position and an “off” position by manually actuating a button 14, and arranged so as to be brought into its "off” position when the steam directed into the duct 10 heats the thermosensitive switch 9 sufficiently to activate it.
• the button 14 is arranged in an opening in the lower part of the handle 5.
• the container 3 flares at a place in its upper part 30 so as to form a pouring spout 15.
• a hollow cover 20 which comprises a lower opening 21, in which a filter is arranged demineralization 25, an upper filling opening 22 and a reservoir 23 communicating with the outside of the kettle through said filling opening 22 and with the inside of the kettle through said lower opening 21 ( Figures 1, 3, 4).
• the cover 20 is designed so that it is certain that the demineralization filter 25 is located above the maximum liquid level N authorized in the container 3 when the kettle is in its normal heating position.
• the filter 25 is flat and is located in an inclined plane with respect to the horizontal when the kettle is in its normal heating position.
• the demineralization filter 25 (see FIGS. 1 and 5) is formed by a plate 26 comprising a lateral edge 26c conforming to the profile of the lower opening 21 and by two plane and parallel faces between them 26a and 26b between which is contained a absorbent material of limestone and other sediments, preferably an ion exchange resin.
• Each face 26a and 26b is formed of a fine mesh fabric 29, for example polyester, which retains the absorbent material and which is divided into several sectors 31 by ribs 27 and 28 perpendicular to each other. These ribs 27 and 28 serve to stiffen the fine mesh canvas 29.
• the container 3 and the cover 20 have the same vertical plane of symmetry coincident with the section plane of Figure 1.
• the plane to which the demineralization filter 25 belongs is then chosen perpendicular to this plane of symmetry.
• the demineralization filter 25 is removably attached to the lower opening 21 using a boss 42 and a flexible tongue 40 provided with a lug 41.
• a part of the demineralization filter 25 is released, which then suffices to grasp by the sides and move away from the lower opening 21 to remove it.
• the seal of the contact between the demineralization filter 25 and the lower opening 21 is provided by a means not shown, for example by a seal running along the lower opening 21, on the demineralization filter side.
• a saturation indicator 32 is provided on the face of the demineralization 25 opposite to the reservoir 23. It then suffices for the user to take a look at the part of the lid normally located in the container 3 to know whether he must change the demineralization filter 25.
• a saturation indicator 32 is here formed of a tablet 32a, the color of which becomes identical to that of a reference tablet 32b when the demineralization filter 25 ceases to be effective. It would also be possible to use directly as an indicator a material whose color would change with its capacity to absorb limestone or other sediments.
• the use of the kettle is as follows.
• the user ensures that the cover 20 is well located on the upper part 30 of the container 3.
• he introduces through the filling opening 22 the water generally drawn from a domestic tap.
• This water flows on the filter inclined towards the lowest region of the reservoir 23 and flows by gravity through the demineralization filter 25.
• the water inlet flow rate through the filling opening 22 is generally higher at the water outlet flow rate through the demineralization filter 25 and the reservoir 23 then acts as a buffer volume avoiding any untimely overflow and ensuring a regular flow through the entire surface of the demineralization filter.
• the demineralization filter 25 As the demineralization filter 25 is mounted inclined with its highest point located in the region of the spout 15, the water flows through the space left between the cover 20 and said spout 15 without licking the bottom wall 26b of the filter 25. Even after many uses, the various submerged parts remain clean and show practically no scale deposit.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Hydrology & Water Resources (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Water Supply & Treatment (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Cookers (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=9452901

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (13)

Citations (4)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1993
  • 1993-11-16 FR FR9313667A patent/FR2712474B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 1994
  • 1994-11-09 WO PCT/FR1994/001316 patent/WO1995013733A1/fr not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1994-11-09 EP EP95901476A patent/EP0729313A1/de not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (4)

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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