JP7227489B2 - Seal structure for electrical equipment - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a seal structure used in electric equipment for heating and boiling liquids, such as an electric kettle. It relates to a sealing structure for sealing.

In an electric kettle, a kettle body provided with a heating means is placed on a power base, and power is supplied to the kettle body from the power base to energize the heating means (see Patent Document 1, for example).

An electric kettle has a spout on the upper edge of a container body into which water is poured, and a handle is arranged on the peripheral edge facing the spout. The container body is closed by a lid body, and the lid body is formed with a pouring passage that communicates the container body and the spout.

Further, the lid body is provided with a steam chamber in which steam generated by heating in the container main body is allowed to flow into and condense (liquefy). The steam chamber is formed with a drain hole that can communicate with the container body, and condensed water in the steam chamber is collected in the drain hole provided in the steam chamber.

The lid body is provided with a valve plate that moves up and down in conjunction with the operation of a lid button provided on the lid body. A seal with a hole seal is installed. When the lid button is operated to push down the valve plate, the seal is released and the container main body and the hot water pouring passage communicate with each other. At this time, the condensed water accumulated in the drain hole is returned to the container body. In this state, hot water can be poured out by tilting the kettle body forward.

Japanese Patent No. 6265225

The plug seal and the drain hole seal are formed from one sealing part. The plug seal is pressed against the passage wall forming the pouring passage to ensure liquid tightness. Further, the drain hole seal is pressed against the hole wall forming the drain hole to ensure liquid tightness.

The plug seal and the drain hole seal are flexibly deformed by being pressed against the passage wall and the hole wall, respectively. This deformation can distort the other seal. As a result, the sealing performance between the plug seal and the pouring passage may deteriorate. Also, the water in the steam chamber and the drain hole may leak through the drain hole seal into the pouring passage.

Then, when the kettle body is tilted or the lid is removed and turned upside down, water may spill out from the spout or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a sealing structure for an electric device capable of improving the sealing performance of a sealing portion that seals a pouring passage communicating with the pouring passage and a drain hole, and an electric device having the same. .

The seal structure of the electrical equipment of the present invention is
a container body having a spout on the upper edge;
A lid that closes a container body, the hot water pouring passage provided in the lid communicating with the spout and the container body, and a steam chamber formed inside the lid and communicating with the container body. , a drain hole communicating between the steam chamber and the container body, wherein the pouring passage and the drain hole are closed by a seal mounted on a slidable valve plate;
A cover seal structure for an electrical device,
The seal portion has a plug seal that closes the pouring passage and a drain hole seal that closes the drain hole, and a recess is formed between the plug seal and the drain hole seal.

The seal portion has a seal body that fits into a disk-shaped valve plate, the plug seal is annularly formed on the outer periphery of the seal body, and the drain hole seal protrudes inwardly from the seal body. preferably, the recess being formed between the plug seal and the seal body.

Preferably, the plug seal is thinner than the drain hole seal.

The electric appliance can be an electric kettle.

According to the seal structure for electrical equipment according to the present invention, the seal portion is recessed between the plug seal and the drain hole seal. Further, even if the plug seal is pressed against the passage wall of the pouring passage and deformed, the recesses absorb the influence of the deformation. Further, even if the drain hole seal is pressed against the hole wall and is deformed, the recesses absorb the effect of the deformation. Therefore, since the effect of bending deformation does not reach between the plug seal and the drain hole seal, the sealing portion can ensure its sealing performance.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric kettle. FIG. 2 is a right side view of the electric kettle. FIG. 3 is a front view of the electric kettle. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view along line AA of FIG. FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along line BB of FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the kettle body along line CC of FIG. 2; FIG. FIG. 7 is a perspective cross-sectional view showing the internal configuration of the electric kettle. FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view along line DD of FIG. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the lid. FIG. 10 is a rear view of the lid. 11 is a cross-sectional view along line HH of FIG. 9. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view along line II of FIG. 9. FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view along line JJ of FIG. 10. FIG. FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a seal portion. 15 is a cross-sectional view along line KK of FIG. 14. FIG. FIG. 16 is an enlarged view of the circled portion L in FIG. 11, where (a) is a seal portion without a dent, and (b) is an enlarged view of the pouring space and the drain hole sealed by a seal portion having a dent. be.

The electrical equipment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the electric kettle 10, which is a kettle-shaped electric water heater, will be exemplified as the electric equipment, but the electric equipment is not limited to the electric kettle 10, and may be home electric appliances such as a kettle or a coffee maker. good too. Further, the electric kettle 10 to be described has a configuration in which the kettle body 20 can be placed on the power base 110, but the power base 110 may of course be configured integrally with the electrical equipment. .

1 to 3, the electric kettle 10 includes a kettle-shaped kettle body 20, a lid body 50 attached to the kettle body 20, and a power base 110 on which the kettle body 20 is placed. I get it.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the kettle body 20 can adopt a double structure in which an outer cover 30 and a container body 40 for containing water are fitted inside the outer cover 30. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 8, the exterior cover 30 and the container body 40 are formed with a spout 21 extending outward from the inside of the container body 40 in front of the upper edge. Further, the exterior cover 30 is provided with a handle 22 on the back side facing the spout 21 . As shown in FIG. 8, the handle 22 is provided with a switch 23 and a part of the steam detection mechanism 70, which will be described later.

The container main body 40 has an inner surface shape that substantially follows the outer cover 30, and a bottom plate 41 made of stainless steel is arranged on the bottom surface. A heating means 42 such as a heater is arranged below the bottom plate 41 . A power receiving portion 43 having a power receiving terminal 44 is recessed in the center of the bottom surface of the kettle body 20 .

The power receiving part 43 of the kettle main body 20 is placed on a power base 110 having a dish-shaped placement surface 111 to receive power supply, as shown in FIG. 4 and the like. The power supply base 110 has a power supply section 112 protruding from substantially the center of the mounting surface 111 and having a power supply terminal 113 electrically connectable to the power reception terminal 44 of the power reception section 43 . When the kettle main body 20 is placed on the power base 110, the power receiving portion 43 is fitted with the power feeding portion 112, and the power receiving terminal 44 and the power feeding terminal 113 are electrically connected. The power supply terminal 113 is connected to a commercial power source via a power cord (not shown).

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, the container body 40 has a flange 45 protruding inward slightly above the center, so that the seal packing 53 of the lid 50 can come into contact therewith.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the container body 40 has a steam detection mechanism 70 disposed at a position higher than the flange 45 described above. The steam detection mechanism 70 has a steam inlet 71 opened in the container body 40 and a steam outlet 72 opened above the steam inlet 71 . It is composed by connecting with The steam passage 73 is provided with a steam detection means 74 such as a bimetal switch. When the water in the container body 40 boils, steam enters the steam passage 73 from the steam inlet 71 and turns off the switch 23 in conjunction with the bimetal switch. I am trying to switch to

The illustrated steam inlet 71 and steam outlet 72 are provided with a steam hole seal 75 so as to surround the outer periphery thereof, and a lid side steam inlet 82 and a lid side steam inlet 82 provided in the lid body 51 of the lid 50 to be described later. A steam hole seal 75 is brought into close contact with 82 to enable communication.

The lid body 50 is attached to the upper edge side of the container body 40 of the kettle body 20 configured as described above. In the illustrated embodiment, the lid 50 is attachable to and detachable from the kettle body 20, but it may be configured to be openable and closable by means of a hinge or the like.

As shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 and 8, the lid body 50 includes a lid body body 51 having a peripheral wall 52 with an enlarged upper diameter, and a lid body cover 54, which can be detachably attached to the upper edge of the container body 40. fits. A seal packing 53 is annularly attached to the lower edge of the peripheral wall 52 of the lid body 51 . It contacts the flange 45 and keeps the container body 40 liquid-tight.

The lid body cover 54 covers the upper surface of the lid body body 51, and as shown in FIGS. Lever 56, 56 which has 55 at the tip is arranged opposite to the left-right direction. The levers 56 , 56 are urged outward by springs 57 , 57 , and the engaging pawl 55 protrudes through the peripheral wall 52 . By approaching the center side against the urging force of the springs 57, 57, the engaging claws 55, 55 are retracted and disengaged from the engaging receiving portion 47, so that the lid body 50 can be removed.

A lid button 60 is arranged between the levers 56, 56 as shown in FIGS. The lid button 60 is associated with a core 61 having a valve plate 62 . The lid button 60 is biased upward by a spring 63, and is configured to move downward and stop when pressed, and move upward when pressed again.

As shown in FIG. 13, the cover main body 51 has a short cylindrical pouring space 91 defined by an annular passage wall 92 slightly forward on the lower surface side. A pouring path 93 is formed obliquely upward in the pouring space 91 , and the pouring path 93 opens at the spout 21 . A pouring passage 90 is constituted by the pouring space 91 and the pouring passage 93 .

11 to 13, a horizontal wall 94 is formed on the upper surface of the pouring space 91, and a steam chamber 81 closed by a steam chamber cover 80 is formed on the upper portion of the horizontal wall 94. ing. Steam from the container main body 40 flows into the steam chamber 81 and condensation occurs. As shown in FIGS. 11 and 16(b), the steam chamber 81 is formed with a drain hole 84 that communicates with the pouring space 91, and the water generated by condensation can be discharged through the drain hole 84. there is Specifically, the drain hole 84 is formed inside the passage wall 92 of the molten metal pouring space 91, and the drain hole 84 is defined by a hole wall 85 having a downwardly convex vertical wall 86. As shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 8, 10 and 13 , the steam chamber 81 has a steam chamber inlet 83 formed in the peripheral wall 52 on the rear side opposite to the pouring path 93 . The steam chamber inlet 83 is sized and shaped to communicate with the steam outlet 72 of the container body 40 . Directly below the steam chamber inlet 83, a lid-side steam inlet 82 having a size and shape that communicates with the steam inlet 71 of the container body 40 is formed.

As a result, the steam generated in the container body 40 enters the steam passage 73 through the steam inlet 71 from the lid-side steam inlet 82 , activates the steam detecting means 74 , and passes through the steam outlet 72 to the steam chamber of the lid 50 . It passes through inlet 83 and enters steam chamber 81 . The steam that has entered the steam chamber 81 is condensed inside the steam chamber 81 and flows to the drain hole 84 side.

The pouring space 91 and the drain hole 84 are closed by a seal portion 100 attached to the core 61 as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 . The core 61 includes a disk-shaped valve plate 62 having an outer diameter substantially equal to the inner diameter of the pouring space 91 and a valve stem 64 projecting upward from the valve plate 62 . The upper end of valve stem 64 extends upwardly through horizontal wall 94 and steam chamber cover 80 and is screwed 66 to lid button 60 .

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13, the pouring space 91 is provided slightly forward of the lid body 51. Therefore, when the valve stem 64 is projected from the center of the valve plate 62, the valve stem 64 is positioned closer to the front. As a result, the lid button 60 also needs to be provided at a position closer to the front of the lid body cover 54, which is undesirable in terms of design in relation to the arrangement of the levers 56,56. Therefore, the valve stem 64 protrudes slightly rearward from the valve plate 62 , that is, at the center of the lid body cover 54 . Since the valve stem 64 is displaced from the center of the valve plate 62, when the valve stem 64 is moved up and down, the valve plate 62 may tilt and may not slide in parallel. Therefore, in this embodiment, a guide rod 65 is erected in parallel with the valve stem 64 in front of the valve stem 64 . Further, the guide rod 65 is slidably fitted in a guide hole 67 recessed upward in the horizontal wall 94 .

The seal portion 100 is an annular packing that fits around the outer periphery of the valve plate 62, as shown in FIGS. The seal portion 100 includes an annular seal body 101 , a plug seal 103 formed on the outer periphery of the seal body 101 , and a drain hole seal 104 protruding from the inner periphery of the seal body 101 . A groove 102 is formed on the inner peripheral side of the seal body 101 , and the seal body 101 is attached to the valve plate 62 by fitting the groove 102 to the outer periphery of the valve plate 62 . Further, the outer peripheral side of the seal body 101 can come into contact with the inner peripheral side of the passage wall 92 . The seal portion 100 is an important member that liquid-tightly isolates the container main body 40 and the pouring passage 90 and also liquid-tightly isolates the container main body 40 and the steam chamber 81 .

The plug seal 103 is an annular seal that contacts the outer peripheral side of the passage wall 92 on the outer peripheral side of the seal body 101 . Plug seal 103 is formed slightly upward as shown in FIGS. It is formed thinner than the seal main body 101 and the drain hole seal 104 in order to improve the adhesion.

Therefore, when the seal main body 101 and the plug seal 103 are brought into close contact with the passage wall 92, the plug seal 103 formed obliquely upward is pushed downward as shown in an enlarged view 16(a) of the encircled portion L in FIG. As a result, there is a risk of bending between the plug seal 103 and the seal body 101 . This bending lowers the sealing performance of the seal portion 100 . As a result, as indicated by an arrow U in FIG. 16( a ), water or hot water flows backward from the drain hole 84 and spills out from the spout 21 . Therefore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, a recess 105 is formed between the seal main body 101 and the plug seal 103 . By forming the recess 105 , when the plug seal 103 abuts against the passage wall 92 , the plug seal 103 adheres to the passage wall 92 and the recess 105 portion as a base, as shown in FIG. 16( b ). It bends downward as an end, and the influence of the bending is absorbed by the recess 105 to prevent deformation of the seal body 101 and the drain hole seal 104 . Therefore, the plug seal 103, the seal main body 101, and the drain hole seal 104 can each have good sealing properties.

The drain hole seal 104 is formed to protrude inside the seal body 101 so as to match the position of the drain hole 84 . As shown in an enlarged view 16(b) of the encircled portion L in FIG. The standing wall 86 is deformed so as to be embedded in the drain hole seal 104 . As a result, the sealing performance of the drain hole seal 104 can be enhanced as much as possible, and the drain hole 84 of the steam chamber 81 does not communicate with the pouring space 91 or the container body 40 unless the lid button 60 is pressed. there is As a result, when the kettle body 20 is overturned, water or hot water can be prevented from flowing backward from the container body 40 through the drain hole 84 and spilling out.

In the electric kettle 10 configured as described above, the levers 56 , 56 of the lid 50 are pinched and brought close to each other, the lid 50 is removed, and water is poured into the container body 40 .

Subsequently, the lid body 50 is pushed down on the upper edge and attached. At this time, as shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the lid button 60 of the lid body 50 is moved to the raised position, and the valve plate 62 pushed up pushes up the valve plate 62 so that the plug seal 103 and the seal body 101 are in a passageway. It adheres to the wall 92 and leaves the drain hole seal 104 blocking the drain hole 84 . Since the seal portion 100 has a recess 105 formed between the seal body 101 and the plug seal 103, the seal body 101 and the drain hole seal 104 are not deformed when the plug seal 103 is in close contact with the passage wall 92, and the passage is closed. It maintains good contact with the wall 92 . Also, the standing wall 86 of the drain hole 84 is buried in the drain hole seal 104 to maintain a good tight contact state.

In this state, the power base 110 connects the power cord to the commercial power supply, and the kettle main body 20 is placed on the power base 110 . Subsequently, the switch 23 of the handle 22 is pressed. As a result, power is supplied from the power supply terminal 113 to the heating means 42 via the power receiving terminal 44, and the heating means 42 heats and boils the water.

When the water boils, steam is generated within the container body 40 . Since the container body 40 is maintained in an airtight state by the seal packing 53 and the seal portion 100 of the valve plate 62, the generated steam is formed on the peripheral wall 52 of the lid 50 as indicated by the arrow V in FIG. The steam enters the steam passage 73 through the steam inlet 71 from the lid-side steam inlet 82 . Since the steam detection means 74 is arranged in the steam passage 73, the steam activates the steam detection means 74 and pushes up the switch 23 to turn it off. Thereby, the heating by the heating means 42 is stopped.

Also, the steam flowing into the steam passage 73 passes through the steam chamber inlet 83 of the lid 50 from the steam outlet 72 and enters the steam chamber 81 . The steam that has entered the steam chamber 81 is condensed in the steam chamber 81, flows to the drain hole 84 side, and accumulates.

Then, the user grabs the handle 22 to lift the kettle body 20 and presses the lid button 60 of the lid body 50 to lower the valve plate 62 and the seal portion 100, thereby opening the pouring space 91 and the drain hole 84. do. At this time, the steam chamber 81 , that is, the condensed water accumulated in the drain hole 84 drops from the drain hole 84 and returns to the container main body 40 . By tilting the kettle body 20 forward in this state, the hot water in the container body 40 is discharged from the spout 21 through the pouring path 93 communicating with the pouring space 91 .

When the lid button 60 is pressed after pouring the molten metal, the valve plate 62 and the sealing portion 100 are raised by the biasing force of the spring 63 to block the molten metal pouring space 91 and the drain hole 84 . Then, the kettle body 20 can be returned to the power base 110 .

On the other hand, the kettle body 20 may be accidentally overturned while the container body 40 is filled with water or hot water. Kettle body 20 according to embodiments of the present invention has drain hole 84 sealed by drain hole seal 104, as described above. Therefore, even if the kettle body 20 is overturned and water flows into the steam chamber 81 through the steam inlets 82, 71, the steam passage 73, the steam outlet 72, and the steam chamber inlet 83, it will not flow out. Also, the water or hot water in the container body 40 does not leak outside through the drain hole 84. - 特許庁Further, the pouring space 91, which is the pouring passage 90, is sealed by the plug seal 103 and the seal body 101, and the dent 105 suppresses bending deformation. Water and hot water do not flow out into the hot water path 93 .

The above description is for the purpose of illustrating the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention described in the claims or restricting the scope thereof. Further, the configuration of each part of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and of course various modifications are possible within the technical scope described in the claims.

10 Electric kettle 20 Kettle body 22 Handle 30 Exterior cover 40 Container body 50 Lid 70 Steam detection mechanism 100 Seal part 101 Seal body 103 Plug seal 104 Drain hole seal 105 Recess

Claims (4)

a container body having a spout on the upper edge;
A lid that closes a container body, the hot water pouring passage provided in the lid communicating with the spout and the container body, and a steam chamber formed inside the lid and communicating with the container body. , a drain hole communicating between the steam chamber and the container body, wherein the pouring passage and the drain hole are closed by a seal mounted on a slidable valve plate;
A cover seal structure for an electrical device,
The seal portion has a plug seal that blocks the pouring passage and a drain hole seal that blocks the drain hole, and a recess is formed between the plug seal and the drain hole seal.
A seal structure for electrical equipment, characterized by: The seal portion has a seal body that fits into a disk-shaped valve plate, the plug seal is annularly formed on the outer periphery of the seal body, and the drain hole seal protrudes inwardly from the seal body. and wherein the recess is formed between the plug seal and the seal body.
The seal structure for electrical equipment according to claim 1 . The plug seal is thinner than the drain hole seal.
The seal structure for electrical equipment according to claim 1 or 2. The electric appliance is an electric kettle,
4. The seal structure for a lid body of an electrical device according to claim 1.

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