GB2405078A

GB2405078A - An electric kettle with a lockable lid

Info

Publication number: GB2405078A
Application number: GB0418777A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Richard James Harrod; Christopher Michael Desmo Ware
Original assignee: Sunbeam Corp Ltd; Sunbeam Corp
Current assignee: Sunbeam Corp Ltd; Sunbeam Corp
Priority date: 2003-08-22
Filing date: 2004-08-23
Publication date: 2005-02-23
Anticipated expiration: 2024-08-23
Also published as: GB2405078B; HK1073987A1; GB0418777D0

Abstract

An electric jug or kettle (10) has a button (33) that operates a switch to deliver electric power to the heating element to be immersed in water within the hollow of the body (11). Operation of the button (33) to the off position also operates a catch assembly to release the lid (15). Preferably, the lid (15) is urged by a spring to an open position. The button (33) has a rear projection engaging a connecting link (37) which acts on the catch assembly of the kettle lid.

Description

AN ELECTRIC KETTLE

The present invention relates to jugs and kettles and more particularly to the electrical switches thereof.

Kettles and jugs include a hollo'Fr body that receives water to be boiled.

Typically, the upper opening of the body is closed by means of a lid retained in a closed position by means of a catch. Located adjacent the handle is a switch that electrically connects the heating element to the supply of electric power, The user operates the lo switch to move Me switch between the on and offpositions.

When water is to be poured Tom within the hollow body, a user moves the switch to the opposition, if not already there, and then operates a separate mechanism to release the lid.

The above discussed arrangement has the disadvantage that the user must t5 perform two different tasks (operate the switch and release the lid) to pour water from and to add water to the kettle.

It is the object of at least a preferred embodiment of the present invention to overcome or substantially ameliorate the above disadvantage.

There is disclosed herein a kettle orjug including: a hollow body to receive water to be heated, the body having an opening through which venter is to pass; an electrically operated heating element to heat the water; a lid mounted on the body for movement between a closed position at least substantially closing said opening, and an open position exposing said opening so that water may pass therethrough; securing means to retain the lid in the closed position and operable to provide for movement of the lid to the open position; an electrical switch assembly operatively associated with the heating element, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part movable between an on position at which the switch assembly is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the element is operatively electrically isolated; and connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means when the user manipulated part is moved to said offposition so as to provide for movement of the lid to the open position.

Preferably, said securing means includes a catch to retain the lid in the closed position and said part is operatively associated with the catch to cause operation of the lo catch to release the lid.

Preferably, the catch is mounted on the lid.

Preferably, the lit is urged to the open position by a spring.

Preferably, said electrical switch assembly includes a switch mechanism having an on and an off position, and said part is pivotally mounted and engagable with said I5 switch, said part being angularly movable between a first position at which it is engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the on position, and a second position engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the opposition.

Preferably, said connecting means is a link extending between the catch and part, said link being moved to operate the catch to release the did, with the part being angularly moved in the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch.

Preferably, said link is linearly moved by said part.

Preferably, said link is moved between an operative position operating the catch to release the catch, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position.

A preferred form of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure 1 is a schematic isometric view of an electric kettle; Figure 2 is a further schematic view of the kettle of Figure 1; Figure 3 is a schematic isometric view of a switch assembly employed in the kettle of Figure 1; Figures 4 to 6 are schematic side elevations of operative positions of the switch assembly of Figure 3; Figure 7 is a schematic isometric view of a modification of the electric kettle of Figure 1; Figure 8 is a further schematic view of the kettle of Figure 7; and Figure 9 is a schematic isometric view of portion of the kettle of Figures 1 and 8.

In Figures 1 to 6 of the accompanying drawings there is schematically depicted an electric kettle 10. In this respect it should be appreciated that this preferred lo construction is also applicable to an electric jug. The kettle 10 includes a hollow body 11 that receives water to be boiled. To be submerged in the water or formed in or attached to the bottom wall of the body 11 is a heating element 12 that heats the water when electric power is delivered to the heating element 12, The body 1 I has a pouring spout 13 and an upper opening 14 closed by a lid 15. The lid 15 includes a base 16 and upper cap 17 that enclose a catch assembly 18. The catch assembly 18 engages under a lip 19 surrounding the upper operung 14.

Extending from the body 11 is a handle 20 that maybe integrally formed with or attached to a cover plate 21. The cover plate 21 overlays a concave wall portion 22 so as to provide a cavity 23 via which wiring extends to the element 12.

lo Mounted on the plate 21 andJor body 11 is a switch assembly 24. The switch assembly 24 includes a mounting plate 25 which in this embodiment is secured to the wall portion 22 via threaded fasteners passing through apertures 26. The assembly 24 hoer includes a commercially available switch that has a "toggle" operation so that it is biased to its two positions, that is the "off' and "on" positions. More particularly, the switch 27 has a projection 28 that is angularly moved to came the switch 27 to move between the on and off positions thereof Typically, the switch 27 would be a "bi-metal" switch and therefore is temperature sensitive so that upon water in the body I 1 boiling, the switch 27 moves to the off position.

The plate 25 has a pair of projections 28, each with a socket 29. The sockets 29 are each shaped to receive a shafts 30 of the switch 27. More particularly, each shaft 30 is retained fixed with respect to the plate 25. The shaRs 30 are attached to a switch base 31 of the switch 27. The switch 27 also includes a movable part 32 that has the projection 28 that is pivotally moved relative to the base 31 to cause operation of the switch 27.

A button 33 is manipulated by a user to cause operation of the switch 27, more particularly to move the switch 27 between the on and off positions thereof The button 33 includes a pair of sockets 34 that pivotally support the button 33 on the shafts 30. The button 33 further has a pair of eyelets 35 that receive the extremities of the projection 28 so that the button 33 card cause movement of the part 32. The button 33 furler has a rear projection 36 that causes operation of a connecting link 37. The link 37 is supported on the plate 25 her linear movement in the direction of the arrow 38. More particularly the lo link 37 is linearly movable between a rest (inoperative) position as shown in Figures 4 and 5, and an operative position as shown in Figure 6. In the position as shown in Figure 6 the leading portion 39 of the link 37 engages the catch assembly 18 to cause operation thereof so that the lid 15 is released. spring 40 extends between the projection 53 of plate 25 and the projection 54 of link 37 to urge the link 37 to the rest position thereof.

The catch assembly 18 includes a pair of pivotally mounted arms 41 having catch extremities 42 that engage on the interior and underneath the lip 19. An actuating member 43 causes operation of the arms 41 to retract the extremities 42 and therefore release the lid 15. Each elm 41 is pivotally mounted on a pivot pin 44 and includes an extension 45 having a projection 46 engaged in an eyelet of the member 43. The member 43 is caused to move linearly in the direction of the arrow 48 to cause movement of the arms 41 and operation of the extremities 42. A spring 49 that is under tension is attached at one extremity to the base 16 and another extremity to the member 43 to urge the catch assembly 18 to a position at which the extremities 42 are protruding, that is a position at which they will engage beneath the lip 19.

The member 43 has a pair of rear projections 50 that are engaged by the link 37.

Housed within a cylindrical sleeve 51 of the plate 25 is a spring 52 that engages the base 16 and plate 25, to urge the lid 15 to the open position.

In operation of the above described kettle 10, and more particularly operation of the switch assembly 24, a user activates the switch 27 by causing pivoting of the button 33 in the direction of the arrow 53. By having the extremities of the projection 28 located in eyelets;5, the part 32 is moved so that the switch 27 is in the "on" position, Electric power is then delivered to the element 12. When the water boils the switch 27 automatically moves to the off position as shown in Figures 5 and 6. A user can then engage the button 33 and cause pivoting of the button 33 in the direction of the arrow 55.

This causes the projection 36 to move the link 37 in the direction of the arrow 38 to thereby operate the catch assembly 18 to release the lid 15. this respect it should also be appreciated that a user can also cause pivoting of the bettors 33 from the on position to the off position by pivoting the button 33 in the direction of the arrow 54. The button 33 is illustrated in the rest position in Figure 5. When in the off position the button 33 is angularly movable to release the lid 15, When the catch 18 is moved to a release configuration the lid 15 lids tmder the influence of the spring 52. Where the button 33 is lo released, the button 33 is resumed to the rest position as shown in Figure 5 under the influence of the spring 40. When this occurs the spnog 49 will return the catch 18 to the catch position so that when the lid is is closed it will automatically engage with the lip 19.

In Figures 7 to 9 there is schematically depicted a modification of the kettle described with references to Figures 1 to 6. In this embodiment the sleeve 51 has been replaced with a shaft 56 about which the spring 52 is located.

The above described embodiments have the advantages that a user of the jug merely manipulates the button 33 to operate the switch 29 and the catch 18.

While the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that the words which have been used are words of description rather than limitation and that changes may be made to the invention without departing from its scope as defined by the appended claims.

Bach feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently of other disclosed and/or illustrated features.

The text of the abstract filed herewith is repeated here as part of the specification.

An electric jug or kettle having a button that is operated to deliver electric power to the heating element to be immersed in water within the hollow of the body. Operation of the button to the off position also operates a catch assembly to release the lid. Preferably, the lid is urged by spring to an open position. s

Claims

CLAIMS: 1. A kettle or jug including: a hollow body to receive water to be

heated, the body having an opening through Which water is to pass; an electrically operated heating element to heat the water; a lid mounted on the body for movement between a closed position at least substantially closing said opening, and an open position exposing said opening so that water may pass therethrough, securing means to retain the lid in the closed position and operable to provide for lo movement of the lid to the open position; an electrical switch assembly operatively associated with the heating element, the switch assembly having a user manipulated part movable between an on position at which the switch assembly is configured to provide electric power to the element, and an off position at which the element is operatively electrically isolated; and connecting means extending between the securing means and said user manipulated part to cause operation of the securing means when the user manipulated part is moved to said opposition so as to provide for movement of the lid to the open position.
2. The kettle or jug of claim 1, wherein said securing means includes a catch to retain the lid in the closed position and said part is operatively associated with the catch to cause operation of the catch to release the lid,
3. The kettle or jug of claim 2 wherein, the catch is mounted on the lid.
4. lithe kettle or jug of claim 1, 2 or 3wherein, the lid is urged to the open position by a spring
5. The kettle or jug of any one of claims 1 to 4 wherein, said electrical switch assembly includes a switch mechanism having an on and an off position, and said part is pivotally mounted and engagable with said switch, said pelt being angularly movable between a first position at which it is engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the on position, and a second position engaged with the switch so that the switch is in the off position.
6. The kettle or jug of claim 5 wherein, said connecting means is a linlc extending between the catch and part, said link being moved to operate the catch to release the lid, with the part being angularly moved in the off position to cause movement of the link to operate the catch.
7. The kettle or jug of claim 6 vvherein, said link is linearly moved by said part.
8. The kettle or jug of claim 6 or 7 wherein, said link is moved between an operative position operating the catch to release the catch, and an inoperative position with respect of the catch, and the kettle includes a spring urging the link to move to the inoperative position,
9. A kettle or jug substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to lo Figures I to 6, or Figures I to 6 as modified by Figures 7 to 9.