GB2301525A - Kettle - Google Patents

Abstract

A kettle (1,Fig.1) has a removable lid (4,Fig.1) in which the lid is releasably retained in an opening (3,Fig.1) of the kettle by a latch mechanism (Figs.3,4 and 5). The latch mechanism includes a lever 8 extending through an opening 9 formed in the lid 4 and having an internal portion 10 engageable with retaining means 11 inside the kettle and an external portion 12 shiftable by a user to move the lever 8 between engaged and released positions with respect to the retaining means 11. Cooperating surfaces 13,14 on said lid 4 and lever 8 at said opening form both a pivot 15 for the lever and a vapour seal 16 for the opening 9.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO KETTLES This invention relates to kettles and more particularly to kettles with removable lids.

In kettles with removable lids it is important that hot vapour not pass in any significant amount around the lid (except through a defined spout) so as to cause damage or inconvenience to a user. To this end, particularly in order to avoid accidental lifting of the lid such as by vapour pressure most lids are a tight fit in the opening in the kettle and thus difficult to remove. More recently lids have been designed with latch mechanisms to hold the lid in place until intentionally removed. However, most of these mechanisms are relatively complicated.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a kettle with a removable lid having a latch mechanism with relatively few parts and which is easy and safe to operate.

To this end, the present invention provides a kettle having a removable lid in which the lid is releasably retained, preferably in a close fitting manner, in an opening of the kettle by a latch mechanism, wherein the latch mechanism includes a lever extending through an opening formed in the lid and having an internal portion engageable with retaining means inside the kettle and an external portion shiftable by a user to move the lever between engaged and released positions with respect to the retaining means, cooperating surfaces on said lid and lever at said opening forming both a pivot for the lever and a vapour seal for the opening.

In a preferred embodiment the pivot and seal are formed by the lever extending through a said opening in a recess formed in the underside of the lid and a profiled portion of said lever is a snap fit in the recess. The profiled portion of the lever may be biassed such as by a spring into said recess or may be a snap fit therein. The lever suitably includes a laterally extending rod-like portion interconnecting said internal and external portions thereof and said recess extends laterally with the rod-like portion of the lever a snap fit therein, the internal lever portion having surface portions at each side which engage detents on the side walls of the kettle.Advantageously the lid includes an upstanding hand grip portion and said lever extends upwardly alongside said hand grip portion so that pressing the lever towards said hand grip portion effects release of said latch mechanism.

Desirably, in order to retain the lever in its engaged position it is spring loaded to that position such as by the spring engaging between the lever and the lid and being mounted externally of the vapour seal so that it is not affected by vapour from the kettle. Suitably the spring is a compressible wire spring attached at one end to the lever and at its other end to an upstanding portion of the lid.

This spring may also effect the biassing of the profiled, e.g. rod-like, portion of the lever into the recess in the underside of the lid.

In the context of this document a vapour seal is intended to mean a seal effective to prevent the passage of sufficient vapour deleteriously to affect a human skin surface close to it.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a side view of one embodiment of kettle with a removable lid according to the invention, Figure 2 is a top plan view of the kettle, Figure 3 is an enlarged partial sectional view showing the latch mechanism for the lid in greater detail, Figure 4 shows the lever of the latch mechanism, and Figure 5 is a view like that of Figure 3 showing the latch mechanism unlatched.

Referring to the drawings, the embodiment of kettle 1 illustrated comprises a container body 2 having an opening 3 in its top into which fits a removable lid 4 so as to leave a spout opening 5 at the front of the kettle. The kettle 1 is electrically heated and has an element 6 and an electrical socket 7.

The lid 4 fits snugly in the opening 3 in a close fitting manner so that vapour does not leak around the edge thereof (except through the spout opening 5) in any amount at all or at least in an amount sufficient to damage or inconvenience a user particularly when positioning their hand for lifting the kettle or removing the lid. On the other hand the fit between the lid 4 and kettle is not so tight as to require physical effort to detach the lid.

The lid 4 is releasably retained in the opening 3 by a latch mechanism shown in greater detail in Figures 3, 4 and 5. The mechanism comprises generally a lever 8 extending through an opening 9 formed in the lid 4 and having an internal portion 10 engageable with retaining means in the form of detents or lugsll inside the kettle and an external portion 12 shiftable by a user to move the lever 8 between engaged and released positions with respect to the detents 11. Cooperating surfaces 13, 14 on the lid 4 and lever 8 respectively form both a pivot 15 for the lever and a vapour seal 16 at the opening 9. As will be seen, the opening 9 is provided in a recess 17 formed in the underside of the lid 4 and a profiled portion 18 of the lever is a snap fit in the recess 17. The recess 17 and profiled portion 18 respectively form the cooperating surfaces 13, 14.

The lever 8 is spring loaded to its engaged position with the detents 11 by a spring 19 as described in more detail below.

More specifically the lever 8 at its lower end has sufficient lateral dimension that engaging surface portions 20 at each side thereof engage with the detents 11 which are provided on the insides of the side walls of the kettle body. The lever includes a laterally extending rod-like portion between the internal and external portions 10, 12 thereof which forms the profiled portion 18. This rod-like portion 18 is a snap fit in the recess 17 which is suitably profiled with curved surfaces to receive and embrace the element 18 so that a positive pivot location is provided and the surface portions of the element 18 vapour seal the opening 9 in all positions of the lever.

The lid 4 includes an upstanding handle 21 and the lever 8 extends upwardly alongside the handle so that by pressing the lever towards the hand grip between thumb and fingers the lever is pivoted to release the latch mechanism so that the lid may be lifted to remove it from the kettle body.

In order to retain the lever in its engaged position when the lid is on the kettle body the lever is loaded to its engaged position by a spring 19. As shown the spring 19 engages between the lever 8 and the lid 4 externally of the vapour seal.

As discussed above in order to release the lid from the kettle the lever is squeezed towards the hand grip to disengage it from the detents and the lid lifted from the kettle. Suitably the detents have guide surfaces lla at their upper sides so that the lever may be reengaged therewith by simply pushing the lid down on to the kettle so that the engaging portions 20 of the lever slide over the surfaces lia and are engaged behind the detents 11 by the pressure of the spring 22.

It will be understood that whilst a specific embodiment of the present invention has been described herein above various modifications and changes may be made to the specific details referred to herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

While in a preferred form the lever extends through a single opening in the lid it is to be understood that it is within the scope of this invention as defined in the claims that more than one lever or lever part may be provided, each of which lever or part extends through a different opening in the lid, said cooperating surfaces being provided between the levers or lever parts and the lid at each said opening.

It is also within the scope of the invention that more than one latch mechanism be provided.

Claims (8)

1 A kettle having a removable lid in which the lid is releasably retained in an opening of the kettle by a latch mechanism, wherein the latch mechanism includes a lever extending through an opening formed in the lid and having an internal portion engageable with retaining means inside the kettle and an external portion shiftable by a user to move the lever between engaged and released positions with respect to the retaining means, cooperating surfaces on said lid and lever at said opening forming both a pivot for the lever and a vapour seal for the opening.

2 A kettle according to claim 1 in which the pivot and seal are formed by the lever extending through a said opening in a recess formed in the underside of the lid, a profiled portion of said lever being a snap fit in the recess.

3 A kettle according to claim 2 in which the lever includes a laterally extending rod-like portion interconnecting said internal and external portions thereof said rod-like portion being a snap fit in a laterally extending recess, the internal lever portion having surface portions at each side which engage detents on the side walls of the kettle.

4 A kettle according to claim 1, 2 or 3 in which the lid includes an [upstanding) hand grip portion and said lever extends upwardly alongside said hand grip portion so that urging the lever towards said hand grip portion effects release of said latch mechanism.

5 A kettle according to any preceding claim in which the lever is spring loaded to its engaged position.

6 A kettle according to claim 5 in which the spring engages between the lever and the lid and is mounted externally of the vapour seal.

7 A kettle according to claim 6 in which the spring is a compressible wire spring attached at one end to the lever and at its other end to an upstanding portion of the lid.

8 A kettle having a removable lid and constructed, arranged and adapted to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.