JP5239354B2 - Electric kettle - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an electric kettle, and more specifically, includes a container body in which an inner container made of metal that is heated by a heater is housed in an outer case, and a lid body that closes the inner container at the upper end of the container body. The lid is provided with a pouring path for pouring the content liquid toward the upper front of the container, an open / close mechanism for opening and closing the pouring path, and a steam passage with a water stop function at the time of falling to allow the steam to escape to the outside It relates to a handy type electric kettle.

Kettles have been used for a long time as so-called “kettles” that simply boil hot water on a stove. It has become widespread (for example, see Patent Document 1).
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-157

  However, the conventional electric kettle known from Patent Document 1 or the like gives priority to simplicity while being heated by a heater, and the kettle container remains exposed to the outside, the outflow of the contents liquid at the time of falling, the vapor There was no safety against the release. Regarding the safety of the user and the safety of the electrical product itself, the risk factor increases as it is used conveniently.

  Therefore, the present applicant has previously proposed an electric kettle with improved safety, although it does not perform a heat retaining function or complicated control unlike an electric pot (Japanese Patent Application No. 2007-52328). As shown in FIG. 15 (b), this includes a container c containing a metal inner container b that is heated by a heater a in an outer case i, and an inner container b at the upper end of the container c. A lid d for closing, a pouring path e for pouring the content liquid toward the upper front end of the container body c, an opening / closing mechanism f for opening and closing the pouring path e, and steam to the outside And a steam passage g with a water stop function at the time of falling is provided, and a handle h is provided on the container c to provide a handy type electric kettle that can be easily handled.

  In this case, the inner container b, which is a kettle container, is covered with the outer case i, so that the user does not touch it directly to feel hot or get burned, and the heating efficiency is somewhat increased. Further, the content liquid can be poured out only when the inner container b is closed by the lid body d and the pouring path e provided in the lid body d is opened by the opening / closing mechanism f, and the container body c falls down when not pouring including hot water. Even so, it is possible to prevent the content liquid from flowing out through the discharge channel e. Further, the steam passes through a predetermined steam passage g provided in the lid body d, and a predetermined safety position, specifically, a position where the operation part f1 of the opening / closing mechanism f and the attachment / detachment operation part j of the lid body d are provided. For example, because it is released to the lower part of the vessel c, the risk of unlimited discharge from the spout m is suppressed, and the water stop function at the time of the fall, that is, the fall provided in the steam passage g The water stop valve k moves to a position that closes the steam passage g in response to the fall of the vessel c, thereby preventing the liquid content from flowing out through the vapor passage g even if the vessel c falls. can do.

  On the other hand, the steam passage g is bulged around the outer side of the inner container b in order to make contact with the steam sensor l for detecting boiling by detouring through the inside of the container body c through the lid body d and releasing it to the outside. Even if the outer case i is locally expanded to the outside, there is not enough space as a result of being restricted in size to protect the ease of handling, and the aperture shape that narrows from the middle of the inner container b to the mouth As necessary space is secured.

  However, the volumetric efficiency of the container c also decreases rapidly, and in use, the remaining amount of the container c is inclined and the content liquid is poured out, and the use efficiency is lowered. Yes. FIG. 15 (b) shows the remaining amount when the container c is tilted to the horizontal, but a considerable amount still remains, and if the container c is not tilted to a position close to an inverted position, the remaining amount is reduced. There are some inconveniences.

  The inventors of the present invention have studied this, and the main reason is the throttle shape of the inner container b. Further, the connection port c2 of the shoulder portion c1 of the container body c with the inner container b is fitted inside the mouth portion b1 of the inner container b, and the inside of the connection port c2 is further inserted into the lid d. The outlet e1 is the smallest diameter portion of the inner container b as well as the largest diameter portion of the inner container b because the outlet e1 opening of the outlet e is internally fitted. One of the reasons is that it can be provided only greatly away from the part b1.

  The object of the present invention is to solve such a problem, and the lid is provided with a pouring path, an opening / closing mechanism for the pouring path, and a steam passage with a water stop function at the time of falling, and the remaining amount is not bulky. An object of the present invention is to provide an electric kettle with a small volume and a high volume ratio.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the electric kettle of the present invention closes the inner container through a sealing member at the upper end of the container containing the metal inner container that is heated by the heater in the outer case. In a handy type electric kettle equipped with a lid, the pouring path for pouring the content liquid from the outlet opening in the inner container to the spout toward the upper front of the container, An open / close mechanism that opens and closes the exit path and a steam passage with a water stop function at the time of falling that releases steam to the outside are provided, and the inner container has a cylindrical shape with a substantially straight body, and seals the sealing member of the lid as more closed to the contact from the upper to the position, the outlet, the content in a region surrounded by the sealing member of the cover, at a larger inclination angle of the located above the sealing position the device body Smaller tilt change than accepting liquid Spout directs the, and, with respect to the body portion wall front portion of the inner container, so that the remaining amount is less at the time when the front of the opening edge in the vicinity viewed in plan tilted to the device body position to the horizontal Te It is characterized in that it was provided.

In such a configuration, since the inner container has a cylindrical shape with a substantially straight body portion and is closed by abutment from above to the sealing position of the sealing member of the lid body, In the region surrounded by the sealing member of the lid body, the outlet of the pouring channel is positioned above the sealing position, so that the liquid content can be received at a larger inclination angle of the container body. With a small change in inclination, it is directed to the spout, and the front part of the mouth of the outlet of the spout channel is located in the vicinity of the front part of the inner wall of the inner container in plan view. It is easy to make it smaller than in the previous example, and the remaining amount with respect to the angle of tilting the container when pouring the content liquid can be made smaller than that in the previous example by the amount of the smaller amount. In addition, the upper end diameter of the inner container is almost the same as the body diameter, and the inner diameter of the container increases with the lid closing the inner container by contacting the seal member from above at the upper end of the container. The pouring path, the opening / closing mechanism, and the steam passage in the lid satisfy the functions required for them, and it is easy to collect and arrange them without overlapping each other.

According to the electric kettle of the present invention, the inner container having a substantially straight body is closed by abutment of the sealing member of the lid from above to a predetermined sealing position, and is surrounded by the sealing member of the lid. In this area, the outlet of the outlet channel is located above the sealing position, so that the liquid content can be received at a larger inclination angle of the container and directed to the outlet with a smaller inclination change . It is easy to bring the front of the wall of the body and the front of the mouth of the outlet of the pouring channel closer together, the remaining amount with respect to the tilt angle of the body is reduced, and the content is at a smaller tilt angle than the previous examples of the body The liquid is efficiently drained and is easy to use. In addition, the lid that abuts the seal member from above on a predetermined seal corresponding to the upper end of the large diameter, which is almost the same as the diameter of the barrel of the inner container and can increase volumetric efficiency, eliminates the bulkiness of the container. The diameter is increased, and the pouring path, opening / closing mechanism, and steam passage in the lid body are concentrated and arranged without any bulkiness in the upper and lower sides, satisfying the functions required for them, and the body body can be made thinner than the previous example.

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. However, the present invention is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention to the following embodiments, but is merely an illustrative example, unless otherwise specified.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, a container 4 in which a metal inner container 2 made of stainless steel or the like that is heated by a heater 1 is housed in a resin outer case 3, A lid 5 that closes the inner container 2 is provided at the upper end. Furthermore, a pouring path 6 for pouring the content liquid toward the upper end front of the container body 4, an opening / closing mechanism 7 for opening and closing the pouring path 6, and a water stop function at the time of falling that allows the steam to escape to the outside. A hand-held electric kettle that can be easily handled by providing a handle 9 on the container body 4. As a result, the inner container 2 that is a kettle container is covered with the outer case 3 so that the user does not touch it directly to cause hot feelings or burns, and the heat insulating property due to the outer case 3 being made of resin. Since the air insulation action between the inner container 2 and the outer case 3 is also helped and the temperature of the outer surface of the container body 4 can be suppressed, the thermal safety when touched is increased. Also, the heating efficiency is somewhat increased due to their heat insulating effect.

  Further, the inner container 2 is closed by the lid 5 and the content liquid can be poured out only when the pouring path 6 provided in the lid 5 is opened by the opening / closing mechanism 7, and the container body 4 falls down when not pouring including the time of boiling water. Even so, the outflow of the content liquid through the pouring channel 6 can be prevented. Further, the steam passes through a predetermined steam passage 8 provided in the lid 5, and a predetermined safe position on the predetermined path, specifically, the operation unit 11 from the outside of the lid 5 of the opening / closing mechanism 7 and the lid of the lid 5. 5 Since the discharge is performed at the rear portion of the lid 5 shown in FIG. 1, for example, away from the position where the external operation unit of the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 is provided from the outside, the discharge is unlimited from the spout 13 of the container 4 15 (a), FIG. 15 (a), FIG. 15 (a), and FIG. 15 (a) and FIG. 16 can prevent the liquid content from flowing out through the vapor passage 8 even if the container body 4 falls down.

  However, as described above, this alone does not solve the problem of maintaining the shape of the container 4 that is not bulky, reducing the remaining amount at the time of dispensing, and increasing the volumetric efficiency. In order to eliminate this, in the present embodiment, the lid body 5 is made to pour the content liquid 16 from the outlet 15 opened in the inner container 2 toward the outlet 17 toward the upper front end of the container body 4. 1, 7, 8, 11, and 12, and the opening and closing as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 7, 8, and 11 that open and close the dispensing path 6. A mechanism 7 and a steam passage 8 as shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 15 (a), and FIG. In addition, the inner container 2 has a cylindrical shape having a substantially straight body as shown in FIGS. 1, 15, and 16, and the sealing member 21 of the lid 5 is moved to a predetermined sealing position 2 a in the container body 4. The outlet 15 is opened in the vicinity of the body wall front portion 2b of the inner container 2 in a plan view in the region surrounded by the sealing member 21 of the lid 5. It is provided so that the front portion 15a of the edge is located.

  As described above, the inner container 2 has a cylindrical shape with a substantially straight body portion, and the sealing member 21 of the lid is closed by contact with the predetermined sealing position 2a from above. The mouth portion of the vessel 2 does not require the inner fitting with the shoulder portion 4a or the lid 5 side of the vessel body 4 or the inward wraparound, and the inner container 2 in the region surrounded by the seal member 21 of the lid body 5. Since the front portion 15a of the opening edge of the outlet 15 of the pouring channel 6 is located in the vicinity of the body wall front portion 2b in plan view, it is easier to make the space smaller than the preceding example. Only when the content liquid 16 is poured out, the remaining amount with respect to the tilt angle of the container body 4 can be made smaller than in the preceding example. When the container 4 is tilted to the horizontal, the remaining amount is as shown in FIG. 15A, and is smaller in each stage as compared with the preceding example of FIG. 15B.

  Further, the diameter of the upper end portion 2a of the inner container 2, that is, the inner diameter is the same as or substantially equal to the diameter of the trunk portion, and the seal member 21 of the lid 5 comes into contact with the predetermined seal position 2a from above. Along with the lid 5 that closes 2, the inside diameter of the body 4 becomes large, and the lid 5 has a pouring path 6, an opening / closing mechanism 7, and a steam passage 8 that satisfy the functions required for them, and is easily arranged in an integrated manner. Become.

  As a result, the inner container 2 having a substantially straight body is closed by abutment of the sealing member 21 of the lid 5 from above on the predetermined sealing position 2a, and the sealing member 21 of the lid 5 In the enclosed area, it is easy to bring the body wall front part 2b of the inner container 2 and the front phase 15a of the opening edge of the outlet 15 of the pouring channel 6 close to each other, and the remaining amount with respect to the inclination angle of the container 4 is as shown in FIG. As illustrated in FIG. 15A, the content is reduced, and the content liquid is efficiently discharged at a small inclination angle as compared with the preceding example illustrated in FIG. In addition, the lid body 5 that abuts the seal member 21 on the large-diameter upper end 2a, which is substantially the same as the body diameter of the inner container 2 and enhances the volumetric efficiency, becomes large without the bulkiness of the container body 4, so Satisfying that the pouring path 6, the opening / closing mechanism 7 and the steam passage 8 are centrally arranged to satisfy the functions required for the lid 5 without overlapping, that is, without being bulky. The part around can be made slimmer than the previous example.

  The sealing position 2a as described above may be a part of the opening 4b portion of the shoulder portion 4a of the container body 4 that is connected to the upper end of the inner container 2 from above, but as in the example shown in the drawing If the lid 5 is brought into contact with the upper end 2a of the upper end of the inner container 2 directly from above to close the inner container 2, the seal can be achieved. In order to ensure a more reliable and sealing property, an inner fitting part or an inner contact part to the upper end part 2a opening of the sealing member 21 having substantially the same diameter as that of the body part of the inner container 2 is provided. The front portion 15a of the opening edge of the outlet 15 provided in the lid 5 can be brought closer to the front portion 2b of the body wall of the inner container 2 without being protruded inward or wrapped around. In addition, when the upper end 2a of the inner container 2 forming the sealing position 2a is an outward flange 2a bent outward as shown in the drawing, the outward flange 2a has a wide contact with the seal member 21 abutting from above. Since the contact surface is provided and the sealing performance is further improved, it is preferable to eliminate the need for a sealing structure that projects and seals inside the upper end portion 2a in order to secure the sealing performance of the sealing member 21. Further, as shown in the figure, the outward flange 2a is supported on the step 4c below the opening 4b of the shoulder 4a from below through the seal packing 22 so that the inner flange 2 is fitted to the inner container 2 on the body 4 side. It is suitable to connect the both without.

  In this case, as shown in FIG. 1, the bottom portion 42 and the content of the bottom portion 42 and the contents are applied to the lower end of the body portion 41 integrally molded with the shoulder portion 4a and the body portion 4a1 of the container body 4 from the bottom. By connecting the bottom of the container 2 with the screw 23, the assembly of the container 4 can be easily performed and maintenance is also possible. Of course, fixing the heater 1 to the bottom of the inner container 2 is advantageous in terms of heating efficiency such as adhesion, and the internal power supply unit 24 to the heater 1 is externally fixed to the bottom 42 side. Conveniently, the power supply device 25 can be connected by direct fitting as shown in the figure. However, prior to the connection between the main body portion 41 and the bottom portion 42, the heater 1 side and the internal power supply device portion 24 need to be connected in advance, and the connection is between the unconnected main body portion 41 and the bottom portion 42. Therefore, a wiring length is required that enables operations such as connection release and parts replacement by separating both the main body portion 41 and the bottom portion 42.

  Further, the connecting structure in the vertical direction between the main body portion 41 and the bottom portion 42 is formed between a holding hole 41a opened downward on the main body portion 41 and a holding hole 42a opened upward on the bottom portion 42 as shown in the figure. In addition, the handle 9 can be sandwiched and assembled, and it becomes easy to provide the handle 9 on the container body 4, and it is possible to perform independent maintenance by removing it.

  For this purpose, the base 9a of the handle 9 to be attached to the body 4 needs to have a size and form extending from either the main body part 41 or the bottom part 42 to one side from these connecting parts. When the part is closer to the lower part of the body 4, a size and shape that are long in the vertical direction are suitable for satisfying it. In the illustrated example, an inner loop body 9b, a gripping portion outer peripheral wall 9c fitted to the gripping portion outer side, and a mounting base portion 9a outside so that the handle 9 and its mounting base portion 9a form a substantially rectangular loop. A steam sensor 26 is formed in a hollow shape by the base outer peripheral wall 9d to be fitted, detects boiling by touching the upper portion of the steam, opens a power supply path from the internal power supply device 24 to the heater 1, and cuts off power supply. This is also used as a power on / off switch. In this connection, the upper part of the handle 9 is provided with a steam introduction path 31 through which steam is introduced and brought into contact with the bimetal 26a portion of the steam sensor 26 from the steam passage 8 of the container body 4, and the steam that has touched the bimetal 26a is placed in the container. The body 4 side is U-turned, and has an inclined bottom surface 31a that returns the dew condensation water, and is formed so as to expand downward toward the body 4 side. A return path 32 formed in the attachment base 9a from the introduction path 31 is guided to the lower part of the handle 9, and flows out from an outlet 32a there. Here, the return path 32 is located near the container body 4, and as shown in the drawing, the return path 32 portion around the slim body portion 4 a 1 of the container body 4 is closer to the inner container 2 than the other parts. By doing so, even if the condensed water flows down in the return path 32, it is easy to evaporate by the heat from the inner container 2, and it is possible to prevent the condensed water from going out and getting wet around. . For this reason, even if the temperature of the portion of the return path 32 rises to some extent, there is no fear that the hand holding the handle 9 will touch, and thermal safety is ensured.

  As shown in the figure, the connection between the steam sensor 26 and the power supply circuit to the heater 1 is performed by a lead wire 34 wired through a passage 33 provided in the gripping portion of the handle 9, so that the steam introduction path 31 and the return path 32 can be connected. Pull away, making it difficult for steam and condensed water to affect the wiring. In particular, in the vicinity of the steam sensor 26, the steam introduction path 31 and the passage 33 are partitioned by an attachment member 35 of the steam sensor 26 for further safety. In order to serve as an on / off switch for the heater 1, the steam sensor 26 has a passive member 26b that stabilizes the bimetal 26a with the leaf spring 36 in a position where the power supply circuit to the heater 1 is kept open and in a closed state. Then, the operation member 37 connected to the passive member 26b and the shaft 26c moves between the swing around the shaft 26c and the operation window 38 that exposes the operation member 37 to the upper rear side of the handle 9 as shown in FIG. The bimetal 26a is switched between the off position and the on position according to the position, and the operation member is used for detecting boiling by detecting the temperature of the steam. 37 is self-off. Such a vapor sensor 26 is a commercially available product.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 11, the opening / closing mechanism 7 is positioned in the vicinity of the rear side of the spout 17 for pouring the content liquid toward the front upper end of the container 4 of the lid 5. It is. Thus, since the opening / closing mechanism 7 is located in the vicinity of the rear side of the spout 17 of the lid body 5, the whole from the outlet 15 to the spout 17 of the spout path 6 that is opened and closed by the open / close mechanism 7 is covered by the lid. The space can be set close to the front side of the body 5, and the operation part 11 of the opening / closing mechanism 7 can be used as the vicinity of the spout 17 or the spout 13 connected to the spout 17, thereby enhancing the visual relevance of both. That is, since the opening / closing mechanism 7 is positioned in the vicinity of the rear side of the spout 17 of the lid 5, the entire portion of the pouring path 6 that is opened and closed by the open / close mechanism 7 from the outlet 15 to the spout 17 is the lid 5. It is possible to install a small space by approaching the front side, and it is advantageous for installation of other necessary equipment, and the operation part 11 of the opening / closing mechanism 7 is close to the spout 17 or the spout 13 connected to it as shown in the illustrated example. The high visual relevance of both makes it easy to use without misoperation.

Further, the steam passage 8 is provided on the rear side of the lid 5 opposite to the opening / closing mechanism 7,
It can be installed near the rear part of the lid 5 with little space, and can be sufficiently distant from the operation unit 11 to release steam to the outside. In this way, the steam passage 8 is located on the rear side of the lid body 5 opposite to the opening / closing mechanism 7 side that is frequently externally operated by the manipulator 11, and it is possible to enlarge the lid body 5. Even when it is discharged, it is kept sufficiently away from the operation unit 11, and the safety of the user against steam can be achieved. The water stop function at the time of falling of the steam passage 8 can be realized by various valve bodies that close the steam passage 8 when the vessel body 4 falls down. In the example shown in FIGS. 1, 15, and 16, a metal inner lid 43 is attached to the lower side of the bottom plate 71 where the outlet 15 of the lid 5 is opened by screws 44 or the like as shown in FIGS. The sealing member 21 provided around the peripheral wall 45 of the lid 5 is provided between the outer periphery of the lid 5 and the outer periphery of the inner lid 43 by utilizing the thermal protection of the resin lid 5. In conjunction with the clamping, the valve chamber 46 is formed between the rear plate 71 of the lid 5 and the inner lid 43 to accommodate the water stop valve 14 at the time of falling. The valve chamber 46 has a valve chamber upper part 46b having a valve port 46a located in the middle of the steam passage 8, a seating part 46c that is joined to the valve chamber upper part 46b from below to seat the stop valve 14 at the time of falling, and And a valve chamber lower part 46e having a steam inlet 46d around it, and the seating surface 46c1 of the seating part 46c is shaped like a mortar so that the stop valve 14 at the time of falling has the same shape and settles down. It is.

  Accordingly, when the body 4 is tilted to the extent shown in FIG. 16, that is, the tilt of the seating surface 46c1 is reversed with respect to the horizontal, the water stop valve 14 at the time of the fall is opened along the tilt of the seating surface 46c1. It moves to the side of 46a, it is closed, it can prevent that the content liquid 16 flows out outside through the vapor | steam channel | path 8, and when the content liquid 16 arrives, it will be closed more reliably by the dynamic pressure. If the valve chamber 46 is provided near the inside of the inner container 2 of the steam passage 8 as shown in the illustrated example, it is preferable that the content liquid 16 is prevented from flowing into an extra portion of the steam passage 8. However, providing the valve chambers 46 at a plurality of locations in the steam passage 8 can increase the chance of water stoppage. In the present embodiment, instead of providing a plurality of valve chambers 46, the steam passage 8 is caused by a delay in closing the stop valve 14 at the time of falling or the like on the way from the valve port 46 a to the steam discharge port 47 opening at the rear upper surface of the lid 5. Even if it flows in after the valve opening 46a, the inflow may occur depending on the liquid reservoir 8a in which the steam passage 8 is partially expanded or the labyrinth form by utilizing a dead space due to the large lid 5 or the like. Thus, the content liquid 16 does not reach the vapor discharge port 47 or is delayed so that the fall of the container body 4 can easily prevent the content liquid 16 from flowing out. The guide to the water stop position of the water stop valve 14 at the time of the fall due to the inclination of the seating surface 46c1 is performed in any direction around the axis, and the water stop is achieved regardless of the direction in which the body 4 falls. Is done.

  Further, in connection with the provision of the inner lid 43, the inner lid 43 is provided with an outlet 15 of the inner lid 43 so as not to hinder the discharge of the content liquid 16 and the discharge of vapor as shown in FIG. 4. The corresponding range is provided with a communication hole 48 through which mainly the content liquid 16 to be dispensed passes, and a communication hole 49 through which mainly the discharge steam is passed around the valve chamber 46. In order to make it easy to pass, the number of communication holes 48 is extremely smaller than the number of the communication holes 48, and the internal solution 16 is restricted from reaching the valve chamber 46 when the container 4 falls.

  Moreover, the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 is provided between the opening / closing mechanism 7 of the lid 5 and the steam passage 8 as shown in FIGS. 1, 6, 10, and 11. Thereby, the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 of the lid 5 can be installed using the dead space 52 between the opening / closing mechanism 7 and the steam passage 8 in front and back of the lid 5, and the center position of the lid 5 in the front-rear direction Thus, the lid 5 can be easily locked on the side of the vessel 4 without being biased in position and locking force, and can be locked stably. Further, the lid 5 can be easily handled without being biased even when the lid 5 is attached and detached with the release of the lock.

  Specifically, the lid 5 has a concave portion 4d formed above the step 4c below the opening 4b of the shoulder 4a of the vessel 4 and is formed in a recessed portion 4d as shown in FIGS. With a fitting with a certain amount of play, the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 allows the attachment / detachment. The above-mentioned fitting with play is a so-called plug fitting type in which both the lid 5 and the recessed portion 4d have a gentle inclination of a draft angle at the time of resin molding, are fitted in the axial direction, and are removed from the fitting. It is supposed to be removed.

  As shown in FIGS. 13 and 14, the attaching / detaching mechanism 12 for attaching / detaching the lid 5 individually exposes the thumb 61 and the index finger or ring finger 62 facing the thumb 61, as shown in FIGS. A pair of left and right engaging members 63 having outwardly operating pieces 63a, 63a adapted to be hung on the lid 5 are provided in the lid body 5, and the engagement of each engaging member 63 by a spring 64 acting between these engaging members 63 is provided. The joining piece 63b is configured to always protrude from windows 45a provided at two places on the left and right of the diameter line of the peripheral wall 45 of the lid 5. Opposing to this, there are locking recesses 65 in which the protruding engagement pieces 63b are engaged at two places on the diameter line of the peripheral surface of the recess 4d formed by the shoulder 4a of the vessel body 4 in FIGS. As shown in FIG.

  As a result, when the finger is put on the pair of left and right operation pieces 63a, the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 is received by the repulsive force of the spring 64 without retracting the engaging member 63 against the spring 64. Can be easily and stably gripped and can be handled freely. Therefore, the lid 5 can be gripped by the attaching / detaching mechanism 12 and can be plug-fitted in the axial direction from above to the recessed portion 4d of the container 4 as shown in FIGS. In the plug fitting intermediate attachment / detachment mechanism 12, the engagement piece 63b protruding from the peripheral wall 45 of the lid 5 abuts on the opening edge of the recessed portion 4d from above. However, the engaging piece 63b receives the pushing force toward the retreat side by the opening edge of the recessed portion 4d because the lower surface of the projecting portion is the inclined surface 63b1, and retreats against the spring 64 as shown in FIG. Be made. For this reason, the lid 5 can be further plug-fitted into the recessed portion 4d only by applying a light pushing force without any special operation. The plug fitting final stage lid 5 has its sealing member 21 pressed against the flange 2a at the upper end of the inner container 2 which is a predetermined sealing position on the side of the container 4 by a predetermined amount, and the inner container 2 is shown in FIGS. Close as shown in 2. Simultaneously with this closed state, the engaging piece 63b of the engaging member 63 faces the locking recess 65 on the inner surface of the recessed portion 4d as shown by the phantom line in FIG. Since it is released, it is projected again from the peripheral wall 45 by the spring 64 and engages with the locking recess 65. As a result, the engagement piece 63b prevents the lid 5 from being pulled upward by the flat upper surface being caught by the same flat lower surface of the locking recess 65, and the repulsive force of the seal member 21 causes the engagement portion 63b to be pulled out. The gap can be kept in the pressure contact state in the vertical direction. That is, the lid 5 can be locked in the closed state and stabilized in the vertical direction. However, the plug fitting to the recessed portion 4d of the lid 5 can be performed with the retraction of the pair of engaging members 63 by manual operation.

  Here, the locking recess 65 is designed so that the receiving amount of the engagement piece 63b is received at a push-back position that gives the spring 64 an appropriate compression state, so that the recess 4d has a play and is plug-fitted. Since the left and right centripetal function of holding the lid 5 being held at the neutral position where the spring force of the spring 64 balances left and right is exhibited, the lid 5 can be stabilized in the neutral position and the axial position in the left-right direction. In this connection, the spout 13 formed in the shoulder 4a of the vessel body 4 has a step 4d1 which is lowered toward the recessed portion 4d at the base as shown in FIGS. The spout 17 of the lid 5 is received and connected. As a result, the content liquid poured out through the pouring path 6 of the lid 5 flows from the pouring port 17 to the pouring port 13 and is poured out. 17 is small, and the lid 5 can be easily handled as a single unit, and the content liquid to be poured out by connection with the spout 13 can be poured out from a position away from the outer surface of the body part of the container 4 by a necessary amount. In addition, the fitting of the spout 17 with the stepped portion 4d1 exhibits a positioning function around the axis when the lid 5 is plug-fitted into the recessed portion 4d from above, and at the end of plug fitting, The function of preventing the body 5 from rotating around the axis is also exhibited. Accordingly, the lid 5 rattles around the axis, assuming that the engagement between the engagement piece 63b and the locking recess 65 has a moderate play for facilitating engagement / disengagement around the axis of the lid 5. This can be prevented.

  As shown in FIGS. 1, 13, and 14, the lid 5 is further fitted to the bottom plate 71 and the lower plate 71 having the peripheral wall 45 from above and the lower plate 71 shown in FIGS. 13 and 14 at that time. The first hook piece 81 and the elastic engagement with the locking portion 82 or the upper plate 70 screwed with the screw 72 are formed in a hollow shape. In addition to the previously described vapor discharge port 47, the upper plate 70 includes an operation window 73 for exposing the operation portion 11 of the opening / closing mechanism 7 and an operation piece 63a of the attachment / detachment mechanism 12 as shown in FIGS. An attaching / detaching operation concave portion 74 that is protruded to perform the attaching / detaching operation, and a spout lid 70 a extending above the spout 17 and spout 13 are integrally formed. In addition to the valve chamber 46 described above, the lower plate 71 is interposed between the lower plate 71 and the intermediate plate 75 sandwiched between the upper plate 70 shown in FIGS. 1, 8, 11, and 12, as shown in FIG. 7, 8, and 12, the intermediate plate 75 is formed to form the pouring path 6 having the outflow port 15 and the pouring port 17, and the pouring portion inner lid 75 a that fits under the pouring portion lid 70 a. , And the auxiliary intermediate plate 76 shown in FIGS. 1, 6, and 11 sandwiched between the intermediate plate 75 and the upper plate 70 to form a steam passage 8 having a liquid pool 8a, and a pouring path 6 Adjacent to the rear portion, the inside of the inner container 2 is communicated with the liquid reservoir 8a of the steam passage 8, and outside air is sucked into the inner container 2 from the steam discharge port 47 when the content liquid 16 is poured out. An intake passage 77 is formed to smoothly discharge the content liquid 16 without causing negative pressure inside.

  Here, in the attaching / detaching mechanism 12, the engaging member 63 is fitted to the connecting boss 170 as shown in FIG. 6 with the window 63c of its own as shown in FIG. In this state, it is sandwiched between the upper and lower plates 70, 71 and protrudes from the guide portion 8 b protruding upward from the liquid reservoir 8 a formed by the auxiliary intermediate plate 76, and the lower surface of the upper plate 70 so as to face this. The guide convex part 70b provided is guided from the left and right sides so that the cover body 5 is smoothly advanced and retracted so that the lid 5 is smoothly attached and detached with the unlocking. However, the guide on the front side of the engaging member 63 may use another part instead of the guide convex part 70b, for example, another structural protrusion, and depending on the case, it may be moved upward by the liquid reservoir 8a. It may be a protruding portion.

  Further, the opening / closing mechanism 7 is formed in a sliding hole 83 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7A formed at a position concentric with the outlet 15 of the intermediate plate 75 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 7B. The valve shaft 84a is supported so as to be vertically slidable through two O-ring type seal members 85 at the upper and lower portions, and the outlet 15 is separated from and connected to the lower end valve body 84b of the valve shaft 84a through the seal member 86 from below. And a movable cam member 87 for opening and closing is rotatably connected to the valve shaft 84a of the valve 84 and is urged upward by a spring 88 to guide the vertical sliding of the movable cam member 87. As shown, a plurality of sets of fixed cams 91 are formed on the inner periphery of the guide cylinder 70c formed on the lower surface of the upper plate 70 so as to switch between opening and closing of the valve 84 in the circumferential direction. In addition to this, the outer periphery of the movable cam member 87 is radially overlapped. Each time the projecting movable cam 87a is engaged and the movable cam member 87 is pushed down against the spring 88, the valve 84 is opened as shown in FIG. Then, it is repeatedly switched to the rotational position where the holding of the opening is released and the valve 84 is closed as shown in FIG. Such a configuration has long been known as a so-called knock mechanism that switches between a protruding state and a retracted retracted state of a ballpoint pen, and is also known in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-160831, and requires special features. Therefore, detailed illustration and description are omitted here.

  In the present embodiment, the outer peripheral engagement piece 11a is shown in FIG. 1 as the cap 11 having the operation portion 11 fitted to the movable cam member 87 so as to be relatively rotatable from above as shown in FIG. As described above, the movable cam member 87 is pushed down by engaging with the opening edge 73a of the operation window 73 from the inside, and the movable cam member 87 is pushed down, but the arc rotation of the movable cam member 87 at that time is affected. Not to be affected. Further, the valve 84 also prevents the rotation of the valve 84 by fitting the guide pin 84c protruding integrally on the valve body 84b with the guide hole 80 of the lower plate 71 shown in FIG. Does not affect the rotation of the machine, so that it is not affected. The seal member 86 provided on the valve body 84b is separated from and in contact with the lower end opening 77a of the intake passage 77 adjacent to the outflow port 15, and the valve 84 is closed, that is, the discharge passage 6 is closed. The inner container 2 is closed during the pouring so that the inner container 2 is not discharged through a route other than the predetermined steam passage 8.

  In the plug fitting structure between the lid 5 and the recessed portion 4d of the container 4 as described above, the connection between the steam passage 8 and the steam introduction path 31 of the handle 9 is made between the peripheral wall 45 of the lid 5 and the container 4. It is connected at the same time as the plug fitting between the plug fitting region and the recessed portion 4d, and the connection is released by releasing the fitting. Such a connection is such that the steam is discharged mainly from a predetermined position by the steam discharge port 47 or the steam reliably reaches the steam sensor 27 part through the steam introduction path 31 so that boiling is detected without delay. Therefore, it is necessary to prevent the steam from leaking out at this connection portion. For this reason, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 18, the connection is made through the seal member 92. However, even if the connection is continuous through the seal member 92, the seal member 21 described above is connected. It is more reliable to carry out the crimping in the axial direction in which the lid 5 is plug-fitted into the recessed portion 4d as in the crimping with the flange 2a. However, as described above, the plug fitting region is a region in which the peripheral wall 45 of the lid 5 and the recessed portion 4d of the container body 4 are plug-fitted with some play, so that the axial direction, that is, the vertical direction It is difficult to provide a plane space for connection with direction crimping.

  Therefore, an attempt was made to use the axial crimping between the oblique surfaces using the draft described above in this plug fitting region, but allowing smooth plug fitting to the recessed portion 4d of the lid 5, In addition, it is very difficult to obtain a sufficient pressure-bonded state of the seal member 92 for sufficient sealing between the connecting portions.

Corresponding to this, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 1, 7, and 17, the lower portion of the vapor discharge port 47 at the rear of the lid 5 is set against the draft surface of the peripheral wall 45. The connection surface 45b which is inclined more greatly than the connection port 8c of the steam passage 8 is formed so as to penetrate the steam introduction port 31b corresponding to the connection port 8b. The connection port 4d2 is formed so as to protrude with a greatly inclined seal surface 92a, and the maximum initial value when the plug is fitted between the connection surface 45b and the seal surface 92a as shown in FIG. The lid 5 is plugged into the recessed portion 4d so that the connection surface 45b increases the axial overlap with the seal surface 92a while satisfying the relationship of gap G> pressure contact margin S, and the overlap amount is L. ₀ connection surface 45b from the time when the sealing surface 92 It begins to contact, connection surface 45b until the amount of overlap or later becomes the largest L ₁ is gradually pressed against the sealing surface 92a, to ensure a final pressure margin S to. With this final pressure contact allowance S, the connection ports 8c, 4d2 are connected to each other while securing the sufficient pressure contact of the seal member 92 at the same time as the plug fitting to the recessed portion 4d of the lid 5 is completed. Moreover, in the pressure welding for the pressure welding allowance S, the amount of pressure contact is increased while sliding only within a limited range of the remaining overlap L ₃ between the connection surface 45b and the seal surface 92a in the final stage of plug fitting. Therefore, there is no catching and the sliding resistance does not work so much, so that the attachment of the lid 5 by plug fitting is easily achieved. Since the lid 5 is extracted in a direction to reduce the pressure contact, it can be performed more easily.

  As shown in FIG. 17, the pressure contact allowance S is set uniformly between the connection surface 45 b and the seal surface 92 a, but this makes the inclination angle of the seal surface 92 a larger than the inclination angle of the connection surface 45 b. Then, when the pressure contact allowance S is set so as to gradually increase from the uppermost side to the lowermost side between the connection surface 45b and the seal surface 92a, it is possible to avoid or connect when the lid 5 is plug-fitted into the recessed portion 4d. While being advantageous in reducing the resistance, a firm connection can be obtained at the final stage.

  The connection port 4d2 is integrally formed outwardly with the peripheral wall 45, and is fitted into a vertical cylinder 4e that faces the upper end of the steam introduction path 31, and is connected to the steam introduction path 31 to be connected to the inner end of the elastic saddle pipe 93 The seal member 92 is integrally formed there. The seal member 92 has a seal lip 92b that protrudes toward the connection surface 45b and is curved toward the inner diameter side. The seal surface 92a is formed by a curved surface that is convex toward the connection surface 45b of the seal lip 92b. ing. As a result, the connection between the connection ports 8c and 4d2 via the seal member 92 is lighter, and is achieved in a sufficiently contacted state in which more annular contact continuity and sufficient contact surface width are ensured.

  By the way, the reaction force of the pressure contact due to the pressure contact allowance S between the connection surface 45b and the seal surface 92a is the engagement stop in the radial direction between the spout 17 of the lid 5 and the step portion 4d1 of the spout 13 of the vessel 4. The lid 5 is received by the function, and is stably held in the front-rear direction without the influence of the plug fitting with play with the recessed portion 4d, and the connection between the connection ports 8c and 4d2 via the seal member 92 is achieved. There will be no loosening or poor connection.

  In the steam passage 8, steam from the liquid reservoir 8 a substantially corresponding to the installation height range is provided between the steam discharge port 47 and the connection port 8 c, which are separated from each other in the rear part of the lid body 5. The flow dividing wall 94 for dividing the flow into the vapor discharge port 47 side and the connection port 8c side is formed so as to face the lower side of the vapor discharge port 47, and the steam that is actively generated in the boiling stage has a low airflow resistance. The hindrance to the outlet 47 side is obstructed, and the steam introduction path 31 side is surely circulated and the boiling sensor 26 reliably detects boiling without delay. On the contrary, the steam generated actively in the boiling state enters through the intake passage 77 on the side where the intake passage 77 is opened at the portion of the lower plate 71 where the valve port 46a of the steam passage 8 opens into the liquid pool 8a. In order to avoid this, a Γ-shaped guide wall 95 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 1 guided to the rear side of the lid 5 can be provided.

  Finally, as shown in FIG. 1, the container body 4 has a stationary surface 101 on the bottom surface of the bottom plate 71. The stationary body 101 is installed on the power supply table 102 by the stationary surface 101, and an external power supply device provided there. 25 is connected to an internal power supply device 24 so that it can be heated by being supplied with power from a household power source connected to the power supply stand 102. After boiling, it is removed from the power supply stand 102 and carried by the handle 9, and can be moved to the required position. Can be used for repeated dispensing on the spot.

  If the power supply stand 102 is equipped with a power supply cord 103 connected to a household power supply together with the cord take-up reel 104 as shown in the example shown in FIG. Although illustration is omitted, it is preferable to have a stopper mechanism that performs winding by a spring force and stops at a predetermined drawing position, but is not limited thereto.

  The present invention is practically applied to a high-performance model equipped with a pouring path, an opening / closing mechanism of the pouring path, and a steam passage with a water stop function at the time of a fall, and is not bulky, has a high volume ratio, and has a small remaining amount Is realized.

It is sectional drawing of the electric kettle which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is an external appearance perspective view of the same electric kettle. It is a perspective view of the state where the lid of the electric kettle was removed. It is a perspective view which shows the cover body of the same electric kettle in the upside down state. It is a perspective view in the upright state of the cover body of the same electric kettle. It is the perspective view which combined and combined the attachment / detachment mechanism with the upper board and auxiliary | assistant intermediate | middle board of the cover body of the electric kettle. It is the perspective view which removes the inner cover of the cover body of the electric kettle, and shows the valve of the opening / closing mechanism in an upside down state, and a perspective view of the single valve. It is the perspective view of an upright state which removed and looked at the upper board of the lid of the electric kettle. It is the perspective view which looked at the upper end half part containing the handle | steering-wheel of the container of the same electric kettle in cross section. It is the top view seen by removing the upper-plate half part of the cover body of the same electric kettle. It is the perspective view of the formation state seen by removing the upper board of the lid body of the electric kettle. It is the perspective view in the upside down state seen by removing the inner lid of the lid of the electric kettle. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment / detachment mechanism part of the cover body of the electric kettle in the non-operation state from which an engaging member protrudes. It is sectional drawing which shows the attachment / detachment mechanism part of the cover body of the same electric kettle in the operation state which made the engaging member retreat from the protrusion position. It is explanatory drawing which shows the residual amount state at the time of horizontal pouring of the electric kettle compared with the residual amount state at the time of horizontal pouring of the electric kettle of a prior example. It is sectional drawing which shows the water stop state at the time of a fall in the steam channel | path of the same electric kettle. It is sectional drawing which shows the connection part of the vapor | steam channel | path of the cover body of the same electric kettle, and the vapor | steam introduction path of a handle. It is a partial sectional view showing another example of the electric kettle.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Heater 2 Inner container 2a Upper end part (outward-facing flange, predetermined sealing position)
2b Body part front part 3 Exterior case 4 Body 5 Lid 6 Extraction path 7 Opening / closing mechanism 8 Steam passage 9 Handle 11 Operation part 12 Detachment mechanism 13 Spout 15 Outlet 15a Opening edge front 16 Content liquid 17 Outlet

Claims (1)

In a handy type electric kettle provided with a container housing a metal inner container for boiling water with a heater in an outer case, and a lid closing the inner container via a sealing member at the upper end of the container body,
On the lid body, a pouring path for pouring the content liquid from the outlet opening in the inner container to the pouring outlet toward the front end of the upper body, an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the pouring path, and the steam to the outside With a steam passage with a water stop function when falling,
The inner container has a cylindrical shape with a substantially straight body, and is closed by abutment from above on the sealing position of the sealing member of the lid, and the outlet is surrounded by the sealing member of the lid. In the region, the content liquid is received at a larger inclination angle of the vessel body than the seal position, and is directed to the spout with a smaller inclination change, and with respect to the front portion of the body wall of the inner container An electric kettle provided such that the front portion of the opening edge is positioned in the vicinity in plan view so that the remaining amount becomes smaller when the body is tilted to the horizontal .

Images