GB2108825A - Water boiling appliances - Google Patents

Abstract

An electrically heated water boiling appliance (such as an electric kettle), provided with a thermally- sensitive switch unit responsive to steam generated when water boils in the appliance for terminating the supply of electrical power to the heating element of the appliance, has a handle 1 formed with an integral steam duct 6 for conveying steam generated by water boiling in the appliance to the switch unit 4. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Improvements relating to water boiling appliances This invention concerns improvements relating to water boiling appliances and in particular concerns water boiling appliances incorporating an electrically powered water heating element and an automatic stream-sensing facility arranged to terminate or at least reduce the supply of current to the element in response to the generation of steam when the water in the appliance boils. The invention is particularly, through not exclusively, concerned with electric kettles, pots, pans, urns, jugs and like water heating vessels.

Electric kettles are well known wherein boiling of the water in the kettle causes stream to be ejected from the kettle interior through an opening in the kettle wall and/or via a duct communicating with the kettle interior so as to thermally contact a temperature responsive switch or switch actuating element arranged to determine the supply of electrical power to the heating element of the kettle, and the art is replete with special arrangements for directing the steam generated in the kettle interior when the water boils upon the temperature sensitive element which commonly comprises a bimetallic element or an appropriate thermally-responsive memory metal configuration.

The present invention provides inter alia an improved handle for such a water boiling appliance as aforementioned wherein the handle is formed with an integral duct for conveying steam generated by water boiling in the appliance to a thermally responsive switch or switch actuating element determining the supply of electrical heating power to the kettle. As will become apparent from the following descriptions, the handle conveniently is of a two-part, moulded plastics construction displaying advantageous features particularly as regards securement of the handle to the body of the appliance.

Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from consideration of the following detailed descriptions given with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a schematic sectional, side-elevational view showing an exemplary form of kettle handle according to the invention fitted to a kettle body; Figs. 2A and 2B are fragmentary views showing in side sectional elevation and from-beneath plan views respectively the fixing of the front end of the kettle handle to the kettle body; Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the fixing of the rear end of the kettle handle to the kettle body; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line A... A in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on the line B ... B in Fig. 4;; Fig. 6 is a side view from the direction of the arrow X in Fig. 5; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line C... C in Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a view taken in the direction of the arrow Y in Fig. 7.

Referring first to Fig. 1 , there is shown therein a handle 1 fitted on an only partially shown kettle body 2 formed of stainless steel for example and incorporating an electrically powered heating element 3 (only the head portion of which is shown) and a Type Z4 steam sensing control unit 4 as manufactured by ourselves. It is to be clearly appreciated that the overall shape and configuration of the kettle and kettle handle shown are susceptible to variation without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention as disclosed herein, and that the particular shape and configuration shown is illustrative only and in no way restrictive of the invention.

The handle 1 is formed of two halves, each substantially a mirror image of the other, formed by injection moulding of a suitable rigid or semirigid synthetic plastics material such as, for example, glass-filled nylon. The two halves are married up to one another as illustrated in the cross-sectional views of Figs. 5 and 7 and are secured to one another by means of the retaining rivets 5 shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 7 and by virtue of the engagement of the front and rear ends of the handle with the kettle body.

As shown in Fig. 1, the kettle handle is moulded so as to include an internal passageway 6 serving for ducting steam from the kettle interior to the Z4 control unit 4. The steam issues through a vent hole formed in the kettle wall and into the passageway 6 by way of a formation 7 on the handle which is engaged in the vent hole in the kettle wall, the formation 7 being shown with greater particularity in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 as having portions 8 adapted to engage with the kettle wall 9 around the vent opening 10 therein so as to aid in the securement of the handle to the kettle. A sealing ring 11 interposed between the handle 1 and the kettle wall 9 limits the escape of steam from the kettle interior other than via the passageway 6 in the handle.

Within the passageway 6 there is formed a dividing wall 12 which extends substantially vertically in the normal orientation of the kettle and serves to prevent water from the kettle interior from carrying over with the steam and entering the temperature sensitive control unit 4.

The cross-sectional views of Figs. 5 and 7 illustrate how the dividing wall 12 is defined by means of two mutually opposed upstanding ribs which come together within the handle interior, and Fig. 7 further illustrates clearly the vent defined by the formation 7 for enabling steam from the kettle interior to enter the passageway 6.

Figs. 2A and 2B show the front end securement of the handle 1 to the kettle body 2. An oval opening is formed in the kettle body for accepting a correspondingly shaped key portion 1 3 of the handle when the handle is disposed bodily at a 900 position with respect to its customary position as shown in Fig. 1 , the said key portion 13 then being incapable of retraction through the opening when the handle 1 is moved bodily into its proper position and, as shown clearly in Fig. 2B, the major axes of the oval key portion 13 and the opening in the kettle wall extend transversely with respect to one another.

At its rear end, that is the end whereat the handle 1 associates with the Z4 control unit 4, the handle 1 is designed to be retained to the kettle body 2 by means of the conventional arrangement utilized for securing the element to the kettie. Only the element head 14 is shown in the figures, reference being had especially to Figs. 1 and 3, and as is conventional the externally screwthreaded skirt 1 5 of the element head extends through an element retaining opening in the kettle wall and is engaged by an internally screwthreaded locking ring 16, a sealing 1 7 being interposed between a flange formed on the element head and the kettle wall. The rear end of the kettle handle, as is shown most clearly in Figs.

1 and 3, is arranged to be locked in by means of the locking ring 1 6 as it is tightened on the element head skirt 15.

The locking ring 1 6 is formed with a flanged forward face, that is the face which translates forwardly as the locking ring is tightened on element head skirt 15, and the flange 1 8 on this face is arranged to engage with complementarilyshaped flange portions 1 9 formed on the parts of the two halves of the handle which are designed to be locked in by the locking ring 1 6.As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, the flange portions 1 9 together constitute a somewhat greater than semi-circular flange upstanding from the handle parts 20 which are shaped correspondingly to the external profile of the element head skirt 1 5. The flange portions 1 9 engage within the locking ring flange 1 8 as the locking ring is tightened and this engagement serves to maintain the two handle halves together at that location. The securement of the rear of the handle to the kettle thus not only utilizes the conventional locking ring type element fixment, but advantageously adapts this conventional technique for the securing together of the two handle halves themselves.

Various additional features, such as for example the shelf 21 shown most clearly in Figs. 4 and 5 for dispersing and deflecting excess steam outwardly away from the hand of a user, can be seen readily from the drawings and will not be specifically described. It is however to be understood that all such features are incorporated herein.

It is furthermore to be well understood that the handle illustrated is susceptible to considerable variation and modification, both as regards its design shape and as regards its functional attributes, without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, it is to be noted that whilst the handle has been described in the foregoing in conjunction with an Otter Controls Z4 control and has been designed to conjoin with such a control, the present invention is not limited to use with Z4 control units.

Claims (10)

1. A water boiling appliance comprising an electrically powered heating element, a temperature-responsive switch unit arranged for determining the supply of electrical power to the said heating-element, and a handle formed with an integral duct for conveying steam generated by water boiling in the appliance to the said switch unit whereby the supply of electrical power to the heating element of the appliance is automatically determined by operation of said switch unit when water contained within the appliance boils.

2. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 wherein said handle is of a moulded plastics construction.

3. An appliance as claimed in claim 2 wherein said handle is formed of two parts each a mirror image of the other and said two parts are assembled and retained together.

4. An appliance as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein a vent hole is formed in a wall of the appliance and a formation on the handle engages with said vent hole to aid in the securement of the handle to the appliance, the said formation permitting steam generated within the appliance to vent through said vent hole into the duct formed in the handle.

5. An appliance as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein the handle is formed with a key portion engageable through an opening in a wall of the appliance when the handle is in a first orientation and incapable of retraction through the said opening when the handle is reoriented to its operative position relative to the body of the appliance, the said key portion and opening thereby serving as a means of securement of the handle to the appliance.

6. An appliance as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein means are provided in said duct to inhibit water from the appliance interior from carrying over with steam generated when water boils in the appliance and accessing the switch unit.

7. An appliance as claimed in any of the preceding claims wherein said heating element comprises an element head formed with an externally screw-threaded skirt which extends through an element-retaining opening in a wall of the appliance and is engaged by an internally screw-threaded locking ring for securing the element in the appliance, and said locking ring is arranged furthermore to engage with a part of said handle for securing the handle to the appliance.

8. An appliance as claimed in claim 7 as dependent upon claim 3 wherein said locking ring and said handle part are so arranged that the locking ring also serves to secure together the two mirror image parts of the handle.

9. An appliance as claimed in claim 1 and substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

10. A handle for an appliance as claimed in any of the preceding claims.