KR20240032046A - Transparent kettle with display - Google Patents

Abstract

A kettle is provided having a fluid chamber having transparent or translucent walls and a display panel positioned within or on the transparent or translucent wall, wherein the display panel is surrounded on at least three sides by the translucent or transparent wall. .

Description

Transparent kettle with display

<Cross-reference with related applications>

This application takes priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/219,006, filed July 7, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. This application is also a continuation-in-part of U.S. Design Patent Application No. 29/798,782, filed July 9, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

The present invention relates to a transparent kettle with a display applied or integrated into one side of the kettle. In particular, the invention relates to a kettle having transparent or translucent walls and a display panel surrounded on at least three sides by said walls.

There is a wide variety of electric kettles for heating fluids such as water. Such kettles often provide a control interface so that a user can activate the kettle to heat the liquid contained therein. These control interfaces may have a display, such as a digital display, that can be used to provide various information to the user. This information may include target temperature, actual temperature, current or target mode for the kettle, or various other information requested by the user.

Traditionally, such kettles have a base containing electronics to power and/or control the kettle. The kettle may be placed on the stand during the heating process and then removed from the stand to dispense the liquid contained therein. Likewise, when removed from the pedestal, the kettle is no longer constrained to a vertical orientation, and liquid can be poured out of the kettle.

Since heating a liquid such as liquid water with electricity consumes a lot of power, the stand can be plugged into a wall outlet, etc., and when the kettle is placed on the stand, the kettle draws power from the stand and heats the liquid contained therein. can do. This can be achieved through an electrical container through which electricity can be supplied to the kettle and passed through a resistor or some other heating element integrated into the kettle itself.

While the power electronics may be provided within the base, the control electronics may be provided within the base or on the kettle itself. Since heating consumes a lot of power but the control electronics consumes considerably less power, the control electronics can be provided on the stand and supported by a battery rechargeable by the power electronics when the kettle is placed on the stand. It can be.

Traditionally, the location of control interfaces on (and in) such kettles is limited. If the kettles are entirely opaque, for example formed of plastic, the control panel may be located somewhere on a housing thick enough to protect such control electronics from the heat generated by the kettle. If the kettle is transparent, such as made of transparent plastic or glass, the control electronics are located on a pedestal or in a limited set of positions on the kettle with a thick opaque housing that can be easily electrically connected to the pedestal. Accordingly, such control panels, which could include a display as well as a control interface with buttons, dials, etc., were limited to the bottom housing of the kettle adjacent to the pedestal or to a handle that was artificially thickened to allow for such a control interface.

There is a need for an electric kettle that is not aesthetically and functionally restrictive to provide a control interface on the kettle's base, handle, or lower housing.

A kettle is provided having a fluid chamber having a transparent or translucent wall and a display panel positioned within or on the transparent or translucent wall, the display panel being surrounded on at least three sides by the translucent or transparent wall.

Typically, the display panel has an opaque material such that the display panel is not transparent or translucent and the remainder of the wall is transparent or translucent.

In some embodiments, the kettle has a fluid chamber with a substantially circular cross-section, and a transparent or translucent wall surrounds the fluid chamber.

In some embodiments, the kettle further includes a fluid chamber base. The fluid chamber base has a housing comprising an opaque material, the housing surrounding the kettle and associated electronics. Then, the base of the transparent or translucent wall is mated and combined with the fluid chamber base to form an internal space of the fluid chamber.

In some embodiments, the kettle has a fixed base for mating with the fluid chamber base. The stationary stand has electrical components and at least one electrical contact. The fluid chamber base has at least one electrical contact for interfacing with a stationary pedestal, the stationary pedestal providing power to the fluid chamber base.

In some such embodiments, the display panel is adjacent to the fluid chamber base and has a connecting edge between the display panel itself and the fluid chamber base. Electrical wiring associated with the display panel then passes through the connecting edge from the fluid chamber base to the display panel.

In some embodiments, the kettle has a handle segment comprising an opaque material. The handle portion may be adjacent to the fluid chamber base and may have a connecting edge between the handle portion itself and the fluid chamber base. And, the electrical wiring associated with the display panel may pass through a connecting edge from the fluid chamber base toward the handle portion.

In some embodiments, the display panel is adjacent to the handle portion and has a second connecting edge between the display panel itself and the handle portion. Electrical wiring associated with the display panel may then pass through the second connecting edge from the handle portion toward the display panel.

In some embodiments, the kettle further includes an upper trim comprising an opaque material, the upper trim having a second connecting edge between the upper rim itself and the handle portion. Additionally, the display panel may be adjacent to an upper edge and may have a third connection edge between the upper edge and the display panel. Electrical wiring associated with the display panel may then pass through the second connecting edge into the upper trim and from the upper trim to the display panel through the third connecting edge.

In some such embodiments, the upper rim may be integrated into the lid of the kettle and the third connecting edge has electrical contacts for connecting the upper rim to the display panel.

In some embodiments, the display panel is opaque plastic.

In some embodiments, the transparent or translucent wall is transparent glass or plastic.

In some embodiments, the display panel includes a user interface including controls and a display that provides information related to the actual state of the kettle or a user selection associated with the kettle.

In some such embodiments, the user interface includes capacitive touch controls. In some such embodiments, the controls of the user interface are backlit.

1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a kettle according to the present disclosure.
Fig. 2 is a side view of the kettle of Fig. 1;
Figure 2 is a rear view of the kettle of Figure 1.
FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the kettle 100 of FIG. 1 taken along lines 4A-4A and 4B-4B of FIG. 2, respectively.
Figure 5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a kettle according to the present disclosure.
Fig. 6 is a side view of the kettle of Fig. 5;
Figure 7 is a rear view of the kettle of Figure 5.
Figure 8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a kettle according to the present disclosure.
Figure 9 is a side view of the kettle of Figure 8.
Figure 10 is a rear view of the kettle of Figure 8.
Fig. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the kettle of Fig. 8 taken along line 11-11 of Fig. 10;

The description of exemplary embodiments in accordance with the principles of the invention is intended to be read (and interpreted) in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are to be regarded as a part of the entire written description. In the description of embodiments of the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is intended solely for convenience of explanation and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. Relative terms, such as lower, upper, horizontal, vertical, beyond, under, top and bottom, as well as their derivatives (e.g. horizontally, down, up, etc.), refer to the direction or discussion being described at the time. It should be interpreted as indicating the direction indicated in the drawing. These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the device be configured or operated in a particular orientation unless explicitly indicated as such. “Attachment,” “attachment,” “connection,” “coupling,” “interconnected,” and similar terms refer to a relationship in which structures are fixed or attached to one another, directly or indirectly, through intervening structures, and specify Unless explicitly stated otherwise, it refers to both movable or rigid attachments or relationships. Additionally, the features and advantages of the present invention are explained with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Accordingly, the invention should not be limited to those exemplary embodiments that illustrate some possible non-limiting combinations of features that may exist alone or in other combinations of features; The scope of the invention is defined by the claims appended hereto.

This disclosure describes the best mode or ways of practicing the invention as currently contemplated. This description is not intended to be understood in a limiting sense, but rather provides an example of the invention presented for illustrative purposes only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, to advise those skilled in the art of the advantages and configurations of the invention. do. In the various accompanying drawings, the same reference characters indicate the same or similar parts.

1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a kettle 100 according to the present disclosure. Figure 2 is a side view of the kettle 100 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a rear view of the kettle 100 of Figure 1. FIGS. 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views of the kettle 100 of FIG. 1 taken along lines 4A-4A and 4B-4B of FIG. 2, respectively.

As shown, the kettle 100 generally has a fluid chamber 110 for containing liquid. Typically, the fluid chamber 110 can contain a liquid, such as water, and the kettle 100 will be used to boil the water. The fluid chamber 110 has a transparent or translucent wall 120 and a display panel 130 positioned within or on the transparent or translucent wall. As shown, the display panel 130 is surrounded on at least three sides 140a, b, and c by translucent or transparent walls 120.

The display panel 130 includes an entirely opaque material. Accordingly, the wall 120 is transparent or translucent but the display panel is not. For example, the wall 120 may be made of transparent plastic or glass, and the display panel may be made of opaque plastic or metal.

The kettle 100 may be equipped with a fluid chamber base 150. The fluid chamber base 150 has a housing 160 comprised entirely of an opaque material, which surrounds the kettle 100 and associated electronics. The fluid chamber base 150 may accommodate control electronics and/or heating elements associated with a kettle, for example. The base of the transparent or translucent wall 120 may be combined with the fluid chamber base 150 to form the interior space of the fluid chamber 110.

The kettle 100 may further include a fixed stand 170 for coupling to the fluid chamber base 150. The fixed stand 170 is typically equipped with electrical components and at least one electrical contact portion. The fluid chamber base 150 has at least one electrical contact portion for connection with the stationary pedestal 170 when the fluid chamber base itself is placed on the stationary pedestal. In this way, the stationary pedestal 170 supplies power to the fluid chamber base 150.

In some embodiments, the stationary stand 170 includes only power electronics, while all control electronics are confined to the fluid chamber 110 portion of the kettle 100. In these embodiments, the control electronics may be provided in the fluid chamber base 150 and a battery may similarly be provided therein. Thus, the battery can be charged using power drawn from the stationary pedestal 170 by at least one electrical contact portion.

Since the stationary stand 170 generally includes power electronics for providing power to any heating elements embedded within the fluid chamber base 150, the kettle 100 is connected to the fluid chamber base 150. When positioned on the fixed pedestal 170, it can only be used to heat the liquid contained within the fluid chamber 110.

In the depicted embodiment, the display panel 130 is positioned adjacent the fluid chamber base 150 and may have a connecting edge 180 between the display panel 130 itself and the fluid chamber base 150. there is. In some such embodiments, the electrical wiring 190 associated with the display panel 130 passes through a connecting edge 180 from the fluid chamber base 150 toward the display panel 130.

As shown in Figure 4B, in some embodiments, the fluid chamber 110 has a substantially circular cross-section. In these embodiments, the transparent or translucent wall 120 surrounds the fluid chamber 110.

As shown, the display panel 130 typically includes a user interface including controls 200 and a display 210. The display 210 provides information related to the actual state of the kettle 100 or user selections associated with the kettle, such as the selected mode. The user interface controls 200 may include capacitive touch controls, and these controls of the user interface may be backlit.

5 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a kettle 500 according to the present disclosure. Figure 6 is a side view of the kettle 500 of Figure 5. Figure 7 is a rear view of the kettle 500 of Figure 5.

8 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of a kettle 800 according to the present disclosure. Figure 9 is a side view of the kettle 800 of Figure 8. Figure 10 is a rear view of the kettle 800 of Figure 8. FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the kettle 800 of FIG. 8 taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10.

Both the kettle 500 shown in FIG. 5 and the kettle 800 in FIG. 8 are similar to the kettle 100 shown in FIG. 1 . As such, similar elements are given identical reference numerals, and only differences between embodiments are discussed herein. Accordingly, all three embodiments of the kettles 100, 500, and 800 have a fluid chamber 110 with a transparent or translucent wall 120 and a fluid chamber 110 formed by the wall on at least three sides 140a, b, and c. It is equipped with an enclosed display panel 130.

As shown, the kettles 100, 500, and 800 may be provided with corresponding handle portions 510. The handle portions may be formed of an opaque material such as plastic, and may have a handle rest portion 520 and a handle grip portion 530.

The handle portion 510 may be provided adjacent to the fluid chamber base 150 and may thus have a connecting edge 540 between the handle portion and the fluid chamber base. In such an embodiment, and as mentioned above with respect to the connecting edge 180 between the display panel 130 and the fluid chamber base 150 in the kettle 100 of FIG. 1, the electrical power associated with the display panel 130 The wiring 190 may pass from the fluid chamber base 150 to the handle portion 510 through the connection edge 540.

In some such embodiments, such as the kettle 500 of Figure 5, the display panel 130 is adjacent the handle portion 510 and has a second connecting edge between the display panel 130 itself and the handle portion 510. It has (550). Next, the electrical wiring 190 associated with the display panel 130 may pass through the second connection edge from the handle portion 510 toward the display panel 130.

In some such embodiments, electrical wiring may pass through the handle rest portion 520 , so that the second connecting edge 550 may be between the handle rest portion and the display panel 130 .

In some alternative embodiments, such as the teapot 800 of Figure 8, the teapot also has an upper rim 810 comprising an opaque material. Next, the upper border 810 may have a second connecting edge 820 between the upper border itself and the handle portion 510.

In this embodiment, the display panel 130 may be placed adjacent to the upper edge 810. The kettle 800 may have a third connection edge 830 between the upper edge 810 and the display panel 130. Electrical wiring 190 associated with display panel 130 may pass from fluid chamber base 150 into handle portion 510 via said connecting edge 540 . The electrical wire 190 may then pass from the handle segment 510 to the upper border 810 through the second connecting edge 820 . Then, the electrical wiring 190 may further penetrate the third connection edge 830 from the upper edge 810 to the display panel 130.

In such embodiments, electrical wiring 190 associated with the display panel 130 extends from the fluid chamber base 150 into the handle portion 510 and from the handle portion into the upper rim 810 and finally the upper rim 810. passes into the display panel 130. Each of the fluid chamber base 150, the handle portion 510, the upper border 810 and the display panel 130 may be opaque, for example provided as an opaque plastic or as a metal element, so that the The electrical wiring 190 always remains hidden. Additionally, the opaque material may be provided with an insulating material to protect the electrical wiring 190 from the heat of the liquid within the fluid chamber 110 or from a heating device within the fluid chamber base 150.

In the kettle 800 of FIG. 8 , the electrical wiring 190 passes through the handle rest portion 520 or handle grip portion 530 and thus a second connecting edge 820 adjacent the upper rim 810. It can penetrate.

In the illustrated embodiments, the kettles 100, 500, 800 are provided with a lid 840. This lid 840 can be used to cover the fluid chamber 110 to prevent vapors from escaping during use and to increase the rate at which a liquid, such as water, can be heated. This lid 840 can be opened to allow access to the interior of the fluid chamber 110 so that the kettles 100, 500, and 800 can be easily filled. In some embodiments, the upper rim 810 is positioned on the kettle 100, 500, 800 such that when the lid 840 is opened the rim is lifted away from the top of the transparent or translucent wall 120. Can be integrated into the lid of. In some, alternative embodiments, the flange 810 is secured to the wall 120 such that the rim itself surrounds the lid 840 and remains fixed when the lid 840 is opened. . In embodiments where the rim 810 is integrated into the lid 840, the rim may be provided with electrical contact portions for connecting the upper rim to the display panel 130 at a third connecting edge 830. .

Although the invention has been described in some detail and with some particularity in relation to several illustrated embodiments, it is not intended to be limited to any such details or embodiments or to any particular embodiment, but: In light of the prior art, reference should be construed to the appended claims to give the broadest possible interpretation of these claims, and thus effectively encompass the intended scope of the invention. Additionally, although the foregoing has described the invention as an operable description according to the embodiments contemplated by the inventor, substantial modifications of the invention not currently contemplated may nevertheless represent equivalents thereto.

Claims (15)

As a kettle,
a fluid chamber having transparent or translucent walls; and
A kettle comprising: a display panel positioned within or on a transparent or translucent wall, the display panel being surrounded on at least three sides by a translucent or transparent wall. According to claim 1,
The kettle, wherein the display panel comprises an opaque material, wherein the display panel is not transparent or translucent and the remainder of the wall is transparent or translucent. According to claim 1,
The kettle of claim 1, wherein the fluid chamber has a substantially circular cross-section, and the transparent or translucent wall surrounds the fluid chamber. According to claim 1,
It further includes a fluid chamber base, wherein the fluid chamber base has a housing comprising an opaque material, wherein the housing encloses the electronics associated with the kettle and the base of the transparent or translucent walls surrounds the interior of the fluid chamber. A kettle mated with the fluid chamber base to form a space. According to claim 4,
further comprising a stationary pedestal for mating with the fluid chamber base, wherein the stationary pedestal includes electrical components and at least one electrical contact portion, and the fluid chamber base includes at least one stationary pedestal for connecting with the stationary pedestal. A kettle comprising electrical contacts, wherein the stationary base provides power to the fluid chamber base. According to claim 4,
The display panel is adjacent the fluid chamber base and has a connecting edge between the display panel and the fluid chamber base, and wherein electrical wiring associated with the display panel extends the connecting edge from the fluid chamber base to the display panel. Penetrating jug. According to claim 4,
further comprising a handle portion comprising an opaque material, the handle portion adjacent the fluid chamber base and having a connecting edge between the handle portion itself and the fluid chamber base, wherein the electrical device associated with the display panel and wherein wiring passes through the connecting edge from the fluid chamber base to the handle portion. According to claim 7,
The display panel is adjacent the handle portion and has a second connecting edge between the display panel itself and the handle portion, and wherein electrical wiring associated with the display panel extends from the handle portion to the display panel. Kettle, penetrating the connecting edge. According to claim 7,
further comprising an upper border comprising an opaque material, the upper border having a second connecting edge between the upper border itself and the handle portion, the display panel being adjacent the upper border and the upper border and the display panel; and a third connecting edge between, and wherein the electrical wiring associated with the display panel passes through the second connecting edge to the upper rim and through the third connecting edge from the upper rim to the display. Kettle passing through panel. According to clause 9,
The upper rim is integrated into the lid of the kettle, and the third connecting edge has electrical contacts for connecting the upper rim to the display panel. According to claim 1,
A kettle wherein the display panel is opaque plastic. According to claim 1,
A teapot, with transparent or translucent walls being transparent glass or plastic. According to claim 1,
The display panel includes a user interface including controls and a display, wherein the display provides information associated with the actual state of the kettle or a user selection associated with the kettle. According to claim 13,
The kettle, wherein the user interface includes capacitive touch controls. According to claim 13,
The kettle, wherein the controls of the user interface are backlit.