GB2079583A - Kettle with water level indicator - Google Patents

Abstract

A kettle having a body 1 has in a handle 3 a water level indicating device 5 comprising a curved spirit level tube 6. A window through which a bubble of the spirit level can be seen has a scale showing the quantity of water the kettle will contain when tilted to the attitude necessary to bring the bubble to the selected point on the scale and water is run into the kettle until its level reaches a tongue 4. The setting of the spirit level tube 6 and the position of the tongue can be arranged to alter the attitudes at which the kettle must be held to indicate the desired amounts of water, for example so that a spout-filled kettle is always tilted rearwards for convenience in filling. In a modification the water level indicating device is in the form of a weighted member marked with a scale readable against a fixed marker. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Kettle water level indicator This invention relates to kettles including both lidless kettles which are filled through their spouts and kettles filled through lid openings.

With any kettle it is desirable to heat no more waterthan is wanted in order to keep the amount of energy used to a minimum and sometimes to avoid having to wait any longer than is necessary. The right amount of water can be assessed more accurately if a water level indicator is provided.

Known water level indicators include suitably marked brackets, which in lidless kettles have to be viewed through the spout, a float operated mechanical indicator and a stepped transparent prism which darkens as each step becomes immersed in water.

The present invention provides a water level indicator of quite a different nature.

The present invention consists in a kettle having a water level indicating device with an indicator which alters in accordance with the attitude with respect to the horizontal at which the kettle is held, the device having a scale to show the amount of water the kettle contains when the kettle is held at a predetermined angle and the water level reaches a prescribed mark or an overflow level.

The indicator may be used by offering the kettle to a water tap at the required angle while it is being filled, either through a lid opening (if any) or the spout, filling being continued until water reaches the water level mark or begins to flow from the spout or other prescribed outlet. The indicator need not necessarily be used in this way. The kettle could be over-filled and then held at the angle corresponding to the required amount while the surplus is poured away.

Preferably the indicator is movable and the scale is fixed with respect to the kettle body but the device may have a scale which is movable with respect to a fixed index mark.

The indicator device may be a weighted member, for example, a pendulum orweighted pointer, pivoted about an axis which, when the device is in use, will be horizontal. However the indicator device is preferably of the spirit level type comprising a curved transparent tube nearly filled with liquid to leave a bubble or globule of trapped air as the indicator. The tube may be mounted in or on the body or handle of the kettle in a position in which it can be easily seen when the kettle is being filled. To protect the tube, or to obtain the necessary attitude for performing its function, the tube may be recessed at least partially, for example, at one end, into the surface in or on which it is mounted.The tube itself or the adjacent surface may be marked with a scale, either of actual quantities (for example pints) or proportions (for example Full, Half-full etc.), against which one end of the bubble is to be adjusted.

The invention is applicable both to electric kettles and to ordinary kettles for use on gas burners or other sources of externally-applied heat.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example, with reference to the accompanying diagrammatic drawings in which: Figure 1 is a vertical section of a lid less kettle having one form of water level indicating device according to the invention, Figure2 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view of part of the kettle shown in Figure 1 but to a larger scale, Figures 3 and 4 are similar to Figure 1 but showing the kettle tilted forwards and rearwards respectively, Figure 5 is a verticai section of a kettle with an opening for a lid and having another form of water level indicating device according to the invention, Figure 6 is a fragmentary, exploded perspective view of part of the kettle shown in Figure 1 but to a larger scale, Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 5 but with the kettle tilted rearwards, and Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of part of Figure 7.

The lidless kettle shown in Figures 1 to 4 has a body 1 with a spout 2 and a handle 3. Within the spout 2 is an inwardly projecting tongue 4 the free edge of which forms a prescribed mark to indicate the level to which water put into the kettle should reach. Alternatively an inscribed or raised line or an edge of an aperture or slot in the tongue 4 could form the prescribed mark.

The amount of water the kettle contains when the water level is at the prescribed mark varies according to the attitude at which the kettle is held. Figure 3 shows that there is less water in the kettle when the kettle is tilted forwards and filled with water up to the mark than when it is horizontal as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 4 similarly shows that the kettle will have more water in it if filled to the mark when the kettle is tilted rearwards than in the horizontal position of Figure 3.

A water level indicating device 5 of the spirit level type is fitted in the handle 3 and comprises, as shown in greater detail in Figure 2, a curved transparent tube 6 nearly filled with liquid to leave a bub ble or globule of trapped air 7 which is held, as by adhesive, in a groove 8 curved complementarilyto the tube 6, formed in a holder 9 made, for example, as a moulding in plastics and provided with a transparent window 10 through which the bubble 7 can be seen. The window 10 is marked with a scale indicating water volumes (as shown) or indicating the quantity of water as a proportion of the total capacity of the kettle, for example, "Full", "Half-full" etc.The window may be divided into "panes" corresponding to the markings of the scale and the length of the bubble, the bubble being brought into registration with the "pane" corresponding to the marked quantity required. The bubble serves as an indicator or pointer movable over a scale fixed with respect to the kettle body. The holder 9 and tube 6 are received in a recess 10 in the top surface of the handle. As illustrated the tube 6 is mounted symmetrically with respect to the horizontal so that in the horizontal position of the kettle as shown in Figure 1, the bubble 7 is central. The position of the bubble corresponding to the forwards and rearwards tilted attitudes is shown in Figures 3 and 4 respectively.

In Known kettles it is customary to have a marker, equivalent to the tongue 4, to show the maximum level to which the kettle should be filled when hori zontal. It will be understood that the prescribed mark on the tongue 4 in the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 4 must be at a lower level than this as it is to indicate the maximum level only when the kettle is tilted rearwards as shown in Fig ure 4.

Particularly with lidless kettles, which have to be filled through the spout, it may be more convenient for putting water into the kettle from a tap while using the indicating device if the kettle does not have to be tilted forwards. This can be arranged by setting the water level indicating device 5 in the handle rotated anti-clockwise through a small angle from the position shown in Figure 1 so that the bubble 7 reaches the rearward end of the tube 6 when the kettle is tilted slightly rearwards or, possibly, is horizontal. The bubble is moved forwards along the tube by tilting the kettle more and more rearwards.

The bubble is at the forward end of the tube when the kettle is tilted furthest back. The position of the tongue 4 must be lower than that shown in Figure 1 so that when the kettle is held in this attitude and the water is at the prescribed mark, the kettle contains the maximum allowable quantity. The kettle will still be tilted back or just horizontal when the water level indicating device is being used to show the minimum quantity. The kettle can thus be held under the tap at the appropriate attitude and the water level brought up to the prescribed mark to put the required quantity of water into the kettie.

In another modification the kettle is not provided with a prescribed mark, such as that formed by the tongue 4, but is so arranged that the water level reaches an overflow level when the kettle contains the amount of water corresponding to that shown by the indicator. For example, the kettle may be filled until it is just about to overflow at the spout. With such an arrangement the kettle must always be tilted forwards whatever the amount it is to contain and the tube 6 of the indicating device 5 must be set appropriately in the handle, for example, in a position rotated clockwise through a small angle from the position shown in Figure 1.

In the embodiment of Figures 5 to 8 parts corresponding to those in Figures 1 to 4 are given similar reference numerals. The body 1 of the kettle of Figures 5 to 8 has a filling opening fitted with a removable lid 11. The water level indicating device 5 has a movable easement in the form of a weighted member 12 pivoted bytrunnions 13 in bearing slots 14 formed in the walls of a recess 15 in the handle 3.

The pivotal axis of the trunnions 13 is horizontal and transverse to the length of the handle when the kettle is standing on a horizontal surface as in Figure 5.

The weighted member is a plastics moulding in the general form of a bell-crank of which one arm 16 is longer than the other 17 and sector shaped. The shorter arm 17 is provided at its free end with a weight 18 of dumbell shape.

A metal cover plate 19 closes the recess 15 and is held in place by adhesive or by screws. The cover plate 19 9 has an aperture 20 through which the arm 16 can protrude as it pivots.

The tongue 4 forming the prescribed mark for the water level is disposed opposite the spout and under the rear end of the handle where it can be observed through the lid opening when the lid 11 has been removed.

The shorter arm 17 and weight 16 can be regarded as a pendulum and will remain hanging nearly verti cal, causing the arm 16 to protrudethrough the aperture 20, when the kettle is tilted rearwards as shown in Figure 7. In Figure 5 the upper surface of the arm 16 is substantially flush with the surface of the handle when the kettle is standing on a horizontal surface. This corresponds to the full condition and the kettle filled to the prescribed mark will then con tain the maximum allowable amount of water. Figure 7 shows that if water is put into the kettle up to the prescribed mark while the kettle is tilted rearwards the amount of water in the kettle will be less than the maximum allowable amount.

When the kettle is in such an attitude the the arm 16 protrudes above the aperture 20 and its curved end face 21 is marked with a scale showing the corresponding amounts of water. The scale is read off against the adjacent edge of the aperture 20 which serves as an indicator fixed with respect to the kettle body, the scale in this instance being movable.

Claims (13)

1. A kettle having a water level indicating device with an indicator which alters in accordance with the attitude with respect to the horizontal at which the kettle is held, the device having a scale to show the amount of water the kettle contains when the kettle is held at a pre-determined angle and the water level reaches a prescribed mark or an overflow level.

2. A kettle according to claim 1 wherein the indicator is movable and the scale is fixed with respect to the kettle body.

3. A kettle according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the indicator device is of the spirit level type comprising a curved transparent tube nearly filled with liquid to leave a bubble or globule of trapped air as the indicator.

4. A kettle according to claim 3 wherein the tube of the spirit level is mounted in or on a handle of the kettle.

5. A kettle according to claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the tube of the spirit level is recessed, at least partially, into a surface in which it is mounted.

6. A kettle according to claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the indicator device comprises a weighted member pivoted about an axis which, when the - device is in use will be horizontal.

7. A kettle according to claim 6 wherein the weighted member is mounted in or on a handle of the kettle.

8. A kettle according to claim 6 or claim 7 wherein the weighted member is mounted in a recess in a surface of the kettle from which a portion of the weighted member protrudes, the extent of the protrusion indicating the amount of water.

9. A kettle according to any preceding claim and having a prescribed mark for the water level, wherein the prescribed mark is near the spout and such that the kettle is only partly filled when horizontal and the water level is at the prescribed mark, the indicator device being arranged to show a greater amount of water as the kettle is tilted rearwards.

10. A kettle according to claim 9 wherein the indicator device is arranged to show, when the kettle is tilted forwards with respect to the horizontal, a smaller amount of water than that when the kettle is horizontal.

11. A kettle according to any one of preceding claims 1 to 8 having a prescribed mark for the water level, wherein the prescribed mark is on the side of the kettle body opposite the spout, the indicator device being arranged to show a smaller amount of water when the kettle is tilted rearwards with respect to the horizontal than when it is horizontal.

12. A kettle having a water level indicating device substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 1 to 4 of the accompanying drawings.

13. A kettle having a water level indicating device substantially as described herein with reference to and as illustrated by Figures 5 to 8 of the accompanying drawings.