GB2237728A

GB2237728A - Hot liquid safety container

Info

Publication number: GB2237728A
Application number: GB8924926A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Neil * Smith Glendon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1989-11-04
Filing date: 1989-11-04
Publication date: 1991-05-15
Also published as: GB8924926D0

Abstract

A device for heating/storing hot liquids, e.g. a kettle, has a sealed liquid holding container 3 so that the potentially dangerous hot liquid cannot escape unless the user operates a trigger mechanism located in the handle 1. The trigger mechanism is placed in the handle such that when the device is picked up by the handle the trigger mechanism is operated automatically. The said trigger mechanism is connected via a control cable 10 to the flow arrester mechanism located in the spout 16. Operating the said trigger mechanism opens the normally closed flow arrester mechanism allowing the free flow of liquid. The liquid holding container is at all other times sealed. <IMAGE>

Description

This invention relates to a hot liquid safety container.

Over the years kitchens have been made safer by improving the design of appliances to reduce the risk of injury. One area that has not significantly improved is the heating and storage of hot/boiling liquids such as water. The most common appliance to heat liquid is the kettle. The kettle provides a way of heating liquid with automatic shutoff when boiling temperature has been reached. If the kettle is knocked over, however, the liquid is allowed to flow freely out of the spout over whoever and whatever happens to be near. The lid of these kettles is not secured so they too often fall off allowing an ever greater flow of liquid.

According to the present invention the unrestricted flow of liquid is prevented by the use of flow arrester mechanism in the spout and if a lid is fitted it is a type that is sealable. The flow arrester mechanism is naturally closed and can only be opened by operating a trigger situated in the handle of the hot liquid safety container. The trigger is designed such that if one picks the hot liquid safety container up by the handle then the trigger is automatically opened allowing unhindred usage, but if the device is dropped the flow arrester mechanism shuts instantly preventing the flow of the liquid held therein.

The hot liquid safety container is intended to be used as a base for the design of appliances such as kettles and teapots.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows in cross-section, the hot liquid safety container with the trigger mechanism and flow arrester mechanism in the natural closed position; Figure 2 illustrates the operation of the trigger mechanism and therefore the flow arrester mechanism; and Figure 3 shows the flow arrester mechanism, in the closed position, from a plan view.

Referring to the drawing the hot liquid safety container consists of a liquid holding container 3, a handle 1, a trigger mechanism, a spout 16, a flow arrester mechanism and a control cable 10. The spout provides an inlet/outlet from the liquid holding container. The hot liquid safety container can also have a lid which allows access to the liquid holding container. This lid if fitted should be of a sealing type so that no liquid cannot escape even if the device is inverted.

If the device was to be made into a kettle then a heating device could be fitted in the liquid holding container; it would be necessary to also fit a device to release pressure caused by the inevitable production of steam. All the normal modern kettle accessories should also be fitted - e.g. Auto boil shut off, under and overfill sensors.

The trigger mechanism is mounted in the handle. It consists of a finger grip 2, which pivots at a point at one end of it 9. The control cable, is connected to the finger grip at point 13, usually at the point furthest from the pivot.

The finger grip is designed so that in order to pick the kettle up by the handle, the user fingers must clench around the finger grip, compressing it. Compressing the finger grip in the aforementioned manner draws it towards the back of the handle in the direction of the arrow 14 and therefore the control cable is drawn in the same direction.

The flow arrester mechanism consists of an encasement 12, whereby any liquid flowing out of the liquid holding container must pass through an opening in the encasement. A plate 6, shaped such that it locates in the opening and seats on the encasement forms a seal prohibiting any liquid flow through the opening and in or out of the liquid holding container.

The plate is attatched to and therefore rotates with a horizontal axis rod 8. The horizontal axis rod ensures that the plate rotates between the position where the plate seals the opening in the encasement (the sealing position) and at least to the point where the plate offers least resistance to the flow of liquid past it. The horizontal axis rod and plate together form the gate of the flow arrester mechanism and will be referred to as such. A spring mechanism 5, is connected to the gate in order that and in such a way that when no other force is applied to the gate (e.g. from the trigger mechanism) the plate is held in the aforementioned sealing position.The force applied to the gate by the spring mechanism should be enough to the hold the plate in the sealing position even if there is internal pressure (e.g. if the kettle is inverted), but the force should not be so strong as to make rotating the gate to the point of least resistance of the flow of liquid past the plate when using the trigger mechanism excessivly difficult.

A pulley 4, is connected to the gate and the control cable such that when the trigger is closed and the control cable pulled in the aforementioned manner the pulley has rotational movement induced and therefore so does the gate (as shown by arrow 15). This is achieved by wrapping the control cable around the pulley and fixing it to the same.

The control cable is routed around the side of the body and should be in a sleeving 11, to reduce wear and stop fouling.

The sleeving would be anchored at both ends by the stops 7.

The stops seal the points where the liquid holding container is punctured in order to allow the control cable sleeving through.

The pulley, horixontal axis rod, spring mechanism and control cable need to work in dry conditions to reduce the risk of fouling by deposits held in the liquid (e.g. limestone scale in hard water). Areas 17 and 18 are sealed, providing this protection and they seal the area of the spout that is not covered by the flow arrester mechanism thus ensuring that no liquid may flow in or out of the liquid holding container without going through the flow arrester mechanism.

Claims

1. A hot liquid safety container comprising of a liquid holding chamber, a handle, a spout, a flow arrester mechanism to allow control of the flow of liquid through the spout and a means to trigger the flow arrester mechanism.

2. A hot liquid safety container as claimed in claim 1 wherein the trigger for the flow arrester mechanism is situated in the handle thus ensuring the automatic opening of the flow arrester mechanism when the hot liquid safety container is picked up by the aforementioned handle.

3. A hot liquid safety container as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the flow arrester mechanism is spring loaded such that unless the trigger is operated the flow arrester mechanism remains closed.