Liquid heater

Abstract

The liquid heater comprises a kettle body, a kettle cover and a damper, the kettle body is provided with a fixing base, the kettle cover is provided with a rotating support, the kettle cover is rotationally connected to the fixing base through the rotating support so as to open or close a top opening of the kettle body, and the damper comprises a shell and a damping shaft arranged on at least one side of the shell; damping liquid is arranged between the damping shaft and the shell, the shell is fixedly connected with the rotating support so as to rotate relative to the damping shaft along with the rotating support, the liquid heater further comprises a fixing shaft, the damping shaft is provided with a shaft hole matched with the fixing shaft, and the rotating support and the damper are installed on the fixing base through the fixing shaft. The shell rotates, the damping shaft is fixed, the rotation of the shell enables the shell and the damping liquid to have a larger contact area, the flowing of the damping liquid is more uniform, and therefore stable and uniform damping force can be provided, cover opening and closing are more stable, and the cover opening and closing experience of a user is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of household appliance technology, specifically relating to a liquid heater. Background Technology

[0002] Existing liquid heaters, taking electric kettles as an example, mostly achieve lid opening through a lid opening and closing mechanism. When opening the lid, the torque of the torsion spring connected to the lid's pivot is used to achieve automatic opening. When closing the lid, the torque of the torsion spring on the lid's pivot is used to reduce the noise caused by the rapid impact between the lid and the kettle body. Although this lid opening and closing mechanism is convenient to use, in actual application, the water condensed on the lower surface of the lid will be splashed out due to the fast opening speed of the lid, which reduces the user experience.

[0003] To address the drawback of the relatively fast opening speed of existing electric kettles, various technologies have been disclosed in the prior art that reduce the opening speed by adding damping structures.

[0004] Patent document CN01420038819.2 discloses an electric kettle, comprising: a kettle body, the kettle body being a cavity with an open top; a kettle lid, the kettle lid being rotatably mounted on the kettle body and capable of opening or closing the opening of the kettle body; a damping plate is provided on the kettle body, and a damping silicone plug is provided on the kettle lid, the damping silicone plug abutting against the damping plate along the direction of the kettle lid's rotation axis, so that when the kettle lid rotates relative to the kettle body, friction is generated between the damping silicone plug and the damping plate, and the friction can reduce the rotation speed of the kettle lid. The damping force generated by the damping silicone plug and damping plate in this technical solution has the following drawbacks: Long-term friction between the damping silicone plug and the damping plate easily leads to material wear, causing the damping force to gradually weaken or even lose its damping effect; the inherent characteristics of electric kettles mean the damping silicone plug is constantly exposed to high temperature and humidity, which accelerates its aging and shortens its lifespan; due to the structural properties of the damping silicone plug, its environmental adaptability is poor, especially when using the kettle in extremely cold or frigid regions, where the damping silicone plug may harden due to ambient temperature, leading to a sharp increase in opening resistance and affecting damping stability; furthermore, if the assembly tolerance between the damping silicone plug and the damping plate is too large, the damping effect will be weak or nonexistent; if the interference fit between the damping silicone plug and the damping plate is too large, the resistance will be high, making it difficult to open the lid. Therefore, to maintain stable contact between the damping silicone plug and the damping plate, the contact pressure needs to be precisely controlled, which increases the difficulty of processing and assembly.

[0005] To address the technical problems of easy wear and poor environmental adaptability of silicone damping components, patent document CN201410494236.5 discloses an electric kettle, comprising: a kettle body, including a main body and a handle, the main body having a cavity with an opening at the top; a handle located on one side of the main body; a kettle lid, rotatably mounted on the handle via a connector, and capable of opening the cavity or closing it; and a damper, including a housing and a rotating component, damping oil being disposed between the rotating component and the housing, the rotating component being rotatably mounted within the housing, and the housing being fixed to the handle. The rotating part is fixedly connected to the lid, and the connecting part is coaxial with the rotating part. The connecting part is a rotating shaft, which is pivotally connected between the handle and the lid. The rotating part is provided with a connecting hole, through which the rotating shaft passes and connects to the handle. This technical solution utilizes the buffering and damping characteristics of damping oil. When the lid rotates, it increases the relative rotational friction between the rotating part and the shell, thereby reducing the relative rotational speed between the rotating part and the shell. This further enhances the automatic slow-opening effect of the lid, allowing sufficient time for condensed water to flow back into the pot along the inside of the lid, thus preventing condensed water from splashing everywhere due to the lid being opened too quickly. The damping force generated by the damper housing and rotating component in this technical solution has the following drawbacks: The electric kettle's rotating shaft is an extremely thin shaft, and the rotating component of the damper that is compatible with it is also an extremely thin rotating component. When the rotating component in the damper rotates relative to the housing, the damping oil between the rotating component and the housing will generate shear force to form damping force. Because the outer diameter of the rotating component is extremely thin, its rotation relative to the housing will affect the distribution and flow of the damping oil, resulting in uneven local flow velocity and affecting the uniformity of the damping force; the extremely thin rotating component rotates synchronously with the kettle lid, bearing the torque from the kettle lid and the shear resistance of the damping fluid. This can lead to fatigue deformation or fracture of rotating parts under long-term torsional stress, and the high viscosity of the damping oil can exacerbate the load on the rotating parts, affecting their service life. Moreover, the rotating parts are extremely thin, and using them as rotating components requires higher precision to ensure an appropriate gap between them and the housing to accommodate the damping oil and prevent leakage, which significantly increases the sealing cost. In addition, the damping oil expands or contracts with temperature changes. The extremely thin rotating parts cause their expansion coefficient to be greatly affected by the external temperature, which in turn affects the damping gap between the rotating parts and the housing due to changes in external temperature, thus affecting the damping effect and even causing damping oil leakage. Utility Model Content

[0006] This application provides a liquid heater to solve the technical problem that when using existing hydraulic dampers, the extremely fine rotating inner shaft in the hydraulic damper has poor driving force for the flow of damping fluid, resulting in poor stability of the damping force, and the rotating inner shaft is prone to fatigue deformation or breakage, thus leading to damping failure.

[0007] The technical solution adopted in this application is as follows:

[0008] A liquid heater includes a body, a lid, and a damper. The body has a fixed base, and the lid has a rotating bracket. The lid is rotatably connected to the fixed base via the rotating bracket to open or close the top opening of the body. The damper includes a housing and a damping shaft disposed on at least one side of the housing. A damping fluid is present between the damping shaft and the housing. The housing is fixedly connected to the rotating bracket to rotate relative to the damping shaft with the rotating bracket. The liquid heater also includes a fixed shaft. The damping shaft has a shaft hole adapted to the fixed shaft. The rotating bracket and the damper are mounted on the fixed base via the fixed shaft.

[0009] Unlike existing hydraulic dampers that use a stationary outer shell and a rotating inner shaft to achieve relative motion, the damper in this application uses a stationary damping shaft and a rotating outer shell to generate damping force during relative motion, thus influencing the opening and closing speed of the cover. In this application, the outer shell rotates while the damping shaft remains stationary. During the relative rotation, the damping fluid also generates shear force. However, because the rotating component is the outer shell, which is thicker than the damping shaft, it can withstand greater torque and stress. The damping shaft, on the other hand, does not bear the torque generated by rotation, resulting in a more stable structure and a longer service life for the damper in this application. During the relative rotation of the outer shell and damping shaft, the rotation of the outer shell provides a larger contact area with the damping fluid, resulting in more uniform fluid flow. This provides a stable and uniform damping force, making the opening and closing of the cover smoother and improving the user's experience. In practical applications, liquid heaters are used in different environments, such as extremely cold or tropical regions. The ambient temperature not only affects the contraction or expansion of the damping fluid, but also the outer shell and the damping shaft. Because the outer shell is thicker, its expansion coefficient is less affected by the ambient temperature. Therefore, the method of rotating the outer shell and fixing the damping shaft in this application can keep the damping gap between the outer shell and the damping shaft less affected by the ambient temperature, ensuring that the damping fluid will not leak. This ensures both the damping effect and the service life of the liquid heater.

[0010] Compared to the existing silicone damping methods, the damper in this application achieves modular assembly. The shell, damping shaft, and damping fluid work together to form the damper, resulting in stronger modularity and easier assembly. Moreover, both the rotating bracket and the damper are mounted on the fixed base via fixed shafts, making it easier to ensure the relative position and concentricity between the rotating bracket and the damper after assembly, thereby improving the overall assembly quality and performance.

[0011] The rotating bracket includes a bracket body and a rotating shell disposed on the bracket body. The rotating shell is suspended relative to the bracket body to form an elastic deformation space between the rotating shell and the bracket body. The rotating shell is provided with a partition gap in the circumference. The outer shell is squeezed and assembled into the rotating shell.

[0012] Existing technologies use a method where the damper's outer shell is fixed while the damping shaft rotates with the rotating support. Therefore, the design of the rotating support is relatively simple, requiring only space to allow for rotation and avoidance of the outer shell. However, this application differs. In this application, the outer shell needs to rotate synchronously with the rotating support, maintaining a relatively stationary relationship. The key challenge is facilitating assembly while ensuring consistent motion after assembly. In this solution, the rotating shell of the rotating support is suspended relative to the support body, creating an elastic deformation space between them. This space absorbs and mitigates vibrations during rotation, reducing noise and making the rotation smoother and quieter, thus improving the user experience. Furthermore, the rotating shell has circumferential gaps that work in conjunction with the elastic deformation space. This allows the rotating shell to have sufficient elasticity when the outer shell is squeezed into it, facilitating assembly and improving convenience and efficiency. It also reduces the probability of deformation due to hard compression, further enhancing assembly convenience and efficiency. Furthermore, the combination of elastic deformation space and partition gap allows the rotating shell to undergo slight elastic deformation during the assembly process, thereby accommodating certain assembly errors and ensuring tightness after assembly. This not only improves assembly quality but also makes the connection between the assembled shell and the rotating support tighter, ensuring synchronous movement between the two.

[0013] The outer shell is inserted into the rotating shell through the partition gap, the circumference of which is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell.

[0014] The presence of the partition gap enhances the elasticity of the rotating shell. The outer shell can be pressed and assembled into the rotating shell along its axial direction. During assembly, the partition gap can be appropriately widened to facilitate the insertion of the outer shell. However, assembling the outer shell along the axial direction requires axial alignment between the outer shell and the rotating shell during assembly. Only when the alignment is accurate can the outer shell be pushed into the rotating shell axially. If the alignment is off, even with the partition gap, the outer shell will be difficult to install. In this technical solution, the partition gap is located circumferentially in the rotating shell. Compared to installing the outer shell along the axial direction of the rotating shell, the method of inserting the outer shell into the rotating shell through the partition gap reduces the requirements for alignment and assembly accuracy during the assembly process. The method of pressing and assembling the outer shell into the rotating shell along the circumferential partition gap mainly relies on radial compression and elastic deformation between the outer shell and the rotating shell. Even if there is a certain assembly error between the outer shell and the rotating shell, it can be adapted and compensated for by elastic deformation, thereby helping to improve the assembly efficiency of the outer shell and the rotating shell and reduce production costs. Moreover, since the circumference of the partition gap is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell, the outer shell will be tightly wrapped inside the rotating shell. After assembly, the outer shell can fit tightly with the rotating shell, reducing the gap between the two and improving the overall assembly tightness. This avoids relative rotation between the outer shell and the rotating shell, ensuring the synchronicity of their movements.

[0015] The kettle body is provided with a lid opening switch and a driven component driven by the lid opening switch. The rotating bracket also includes a linkage part, one end of which abuts against the driven component and the other end is directly connected to the rotating shell.

[0016] Because the rotating shell is suspended relative to the support body, its elastic margin is increased, but its structural strength is reduced. This technical solution sets the linkage part to be directly connected to the rotating shell. On the one hand, it can strengthen the structural strength of the rotating shell and reduce the probability of deformation or even breakage under stress. On the other hand, it can directly transmit the driving force of the cover opening switch and the driven part to the rotating shell, reducing the torque. This ensures the timeliness of the action response of the rotating shell and the outer shell, and also extends the service life of the rotating support.

[0017] The linkage part and the rotating shell are integrally formed.

[0018] If the linkage and rotating shell are molded separately and then assembled, it not only increases the assembly steps, but also easily causes stress concentration at the connection point between the linkage and the rotating shell when the driven component applies force to the linkage. This can easily lead to breakage at the connection point, resulting in failure to open the cover. This technical solution uses an integral molding method for the linkage and rotating shell, which eliminates assembly steps and further improves the structural strength of the rotating shell, extending its service life.

[0019] One of the rotating bracket and the outer shell is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the other is provided with a limiting groove that matches the limiting protrusion. The limiting protrusion is inserted into the limiting groove to prevent the outer shell and the rotating bracket from rotating relative to each other.

[0020] In this technical solution, the cooperation between the limiting protrusion and the limiting groove effectively prevents relative rotation between the outer shell and the rotating bracket during use, ensuring that their relative positions are fixed, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the lid's rotation. Furthermore, the design of the limiting protrusion and the limiting groove provides clear positioning for the assembly of the outer shell and the rotating bracket, making the assembly simpler and faster, reducing the time and difficulty of alignment and adjustment during assembly, and contributing to improved assembly efficiency.

[0021] The rotating bracket is provided with a support part, the support part is provided with a through hole for the fixed shaft to pass through, the fixed seat is provided with a fixing hole for fixing the fixed shaft, and the damping shaft, the fixed shaft, the through hole and the fixing hole are arranged coaxially.

[0022] The fixed shaft of the liquid heater is an extremely thin shaft. Even though this fixed shaft does not rotate in this application, it serves to assemble the rotating bracket and damper onto the fixed base. During the rotation of the lid, the rotating bracket and the outer casing rotate around the fixed shaft, generating centrifugal force. This centrifugal force acts on the fixed shaft, subjecting the fixed bearing to radial load. This technical solution provides physical support for the fixed shaft by providing a support portion on the rotating bracket through which the fixed shaft passes, eliminating the need for additional bearings or bushings. This reduces the number of parts, saves costs, avoids tolerance accumulation caused by multiple parts, and reduces the probability of bending deformation or even breakage of the extremely thin fixed shaft under stress. In particular, it improves reliability during frequent lid opening and closing, extending the service life of the liquid heater. The damping shaft, fixed shaft, through hole, and fixed hole are arranged coaxially, which avoids uneven distribution of damper friction caused by damping shaft eccentricity, improves the stability of damping effect, reduces vibration and abnormal noise during rotation, and improves the smoothness of lid opening and closing.

[0023] The fixed base is provided with two oppositely arranged brackets, each bracket having a fixing hole for fixing the fixed shaft. An installation space for installing the rotating bracket and the damper is formed between the two brackets. After assembly, the rotating bracket and the damper are assembled as a component and mounted to the fixed base through the fixed shaft.

[0024] This application involves numerous components related to the movement of the lid relative to the body of the kettle. Assembling each component individually would significantly reduce assembly line efficiency. This technical solution integrates the rotating bracket and damper as a single component, assembling them to a fixed base via a fixed shaft. This simplifies and speeds up the assembly process. During assembly, the pre-assembled rotating bracket and damper are simply fixed to the fixed base as a module via the fixed shaft, greatly reducing assembly steps and time. Furthermore, this technical solution allows for a tighter integration of the rotating bracket and damper, improving the integration between components and facilitating both manufacturing and post-production management.

[0025] The damping shaft includes a damping part built into the housing and an anti-rotation part connected to the damping part and protruding outward. The fixing seat is provided with a limiting part, which abuts against the anti-rotation part to limit the rotation of the damping shaft.

[0026] The damping shaft in this application needs to remain stationary relative to the rotational motion of the housing; therefore, an anti-rotation structure is required to prevent the damping shaft from moving. The design of the limiting and anti-rotation parts in this technical solution provides clear positioning for the assembly of the damper and the fixed base, making the assembly simpler and faster, and reducing the time and difficulty of alignment and adjustment during assembly. Furthermore, the cooperation between the limiting and anti-rotation parts effectively prevents unnecessary rotation of the damping shaft during use, ensuring the stability and reliability of the damping shaft and avoiding weakening of the damping force or even damping failure due to accidental rotation.

[0027] The maximum rotation angle of the outer shell is greater than the opening angle of the lid.

[0028] If the maximum rotation angle of the outer shell is less than the opening angle of the lid, in certain special cases, such as when the user operates too forcefully, causing the lid to open beyond the preset angle, or when the lid needs to be forcibly rotated beyond the preset angle due to obstruction by foreign objects, the smaller rotation angle of the outer shell will cause the damping to fail during the over-travel rotation of the lid. This will result in the lid opening rapidly within the over-travel angle range, causing the condensate accumulated on the lid to be flung out. This technical solution sets the maximum rotation angle of the outer shell to be greater than the opening angle of the lid, which can reserve a margin beyond the actual opening requirements. This ensures that when the lid is fully opened within the preset travel range, the outer shell still has rotation space. Even if the lid is opened beyond the travel range, the rotation margin of the outer shell can allow the damper to provide damping force for the lid to continue opening, avoiding the lid "bouncing" phenomenon caused by the sudden loss of damping at the end of the travel range. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of this application and form part of this application, illustrate exemplary embodiments and are used to explain this application, but do not constitute an undue limitation of this application. In the drawings:

[0030] Figure 1 This is a cross-sectional view of the liquid heater when the lid is in the open state according to one embodiment of this application;

[0031] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Enlarged view of part A;

[0032] Figure 3 This is a cross-sectional view of a liquid heater according to one embodiment of this application;

[0033] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Enlarged view of part B;

[0034] Figure 5 This is an exploded view of the rotating support and damper according to one embodiment of this application;

[0035] Figure 6 This is an assembly perspective view of the rotating support and damper according to one embodiment of this application;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a side view of the rotating bracket and damper assembled according to one embodiment of this application;

[0037] Figure 8 for Figure 7 CC-direction sectional view;

[0038] Figure 9 This is an assembly drawing of the rotating bracket, damper, fixed base, and driven component according to one embodiment of this application;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a perspective view of the fixing base according to one embodiment of this application.

[0040] in,

[0041] 1. Rotating bracket; 11. Bracket body; 12. Rotating shell; 13. Partition gap; 14. Support part; 15. Through hole; 16. Linkage part; 17. Elastic deformation space; 18. Limiting groove;

[0042] 2. Damper; 21. Housing; 22. Damping shaft; 221. Damping part; 222. Anti-rotation part; 23. Limiting protrusion;

[0043] 3. Fixing base; 31. Bracket; 311. Fixing hole; 32. Limiting lug; 33. Slot;

[0044] 4. Fixed shaft;

[0045] 5. Elastic components;

[0046] 6. Lid opening switch;

[0047] 7. Driven component;

[0048] 8. Teapot lid;

[0049] 9. The body of the teapot. Detailed Implementation

[0050] To more clearly illustrate the overall concept of this application, a detailed explanation is provided below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0051] Many specific details are set forth in the following description to provide a thorough understanding of this application. However, this application may also be implemented in other ways different from those described herein. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed below. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specified, the embodiments of this application and the features thereof can be combined with each other.

[0052] Furthermore, it should be understood in the description of this application that the terms "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0053] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a communication connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0054] In this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the "above" or "below" of the second feature can mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. In the description of this specification, references to terms such as "an embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., indicate that a specific feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this application. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples.

[0055] like Figures 1 to 4 As shown, a liquid heater includes a body 9, a lid 8, and a damper 2. The body 9 is provided with a fixed base 3, and the lid 8 is provided with a rotating bracket 1. The lid 8 is rotatably connected to the fixed base 3 via the rotating bracket 1 to open or close the top opening of the body 9. The damper 2 includes a housing 21 and a damping shaft 22 provided on at least one side of the housing 21. There is damping fluid between the damping shaft 22 and the housing 21. The housing 21 is fixedly connected to the rotating bracket 1 to rotate with the rotating bracket 1 relative to the damping shaft 22. The liquid heater also includes a fixed shaft 4. The damping shaft 22 is provided with a shaft hole adapted to the fixed shaft 4. The rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 are mounted on the fixed base 3 via the fixed shaft 4.

[0056] The liquid heater in this application can be a soy milk maker, a food processor, or a health pot, etc.

[0057] In one specific implementation, the kettle body 9 includes a kettle body and a handle located on one side of the kettle body, with a fixing seat 3 located on the upper part of the handle.

[0058] In one embodiment, the lid 8 includes an upper lid and a lower lid, with a sandwich structure formed between the upper and lower lids for one end of the rotating bracket 1 to extend into and be fixed therein, so that the lid 8 rotates synchronously with the rotating bracket 1. The fixing method between the rotating bracket 1 and the lid 8 can be snap-fit, screw connection, or adhesive, etc., and is not limited here.

[0059] In another embodiment, the lid 8 includes an upper lid and a lower lid, the upper lid having an extension extending toward the handle side, the extension forming a rotating support 1.

[0060] In another embodiment, the lid 8 includes an upper lid, a middle lid, and a lower lid, the middle lid having an extension extending toward the handle side, the extension forming a rotating support 1.

[0061] like Figure 5 , Figure 7 and Figure 8As shown, a specific example is given of a damping shaft 22 provided on one side of the axial direction of the housing 21. However, this application is not limited to this, and damping shafts 22 may also be provided on two opposite sides of the axial direction of the housing 21.

[0062] Unlike existing hydraulic dampers that use a stationary outer shell and a rotating inner shaft to achieve relative motion, the damper 2 in this application uses a stationary damping shaft 22 and a rotating outer shell 21 to generate damping force during relative motion, thus influencing the opening and closing speed of the cover. In this application, the outer shell 21 rotates while the damping shaft 22 remains stationary. During the relative rotation, the damping fluid also generates shear force. However, because the rotating component is the outer shell 21, which is thicker than the damping shaft 22, it can withstand greater torque and stress. The damping shaft 22, on the other hand, does not need to bear the torque generated by rotation, resulting in a more stable structure and a longer service life for the damper 2 in this application. During the relative rotation of the outer shell 21 and the damping shaft 22, the rotation of the outer shell 21 provides a larger contact area with the damping fluid, resulting in more uniform fluid flow. This provides a stable and uniform damping force, making the opening and closing of the cover smoother and improving the user's experience. In practical applications, liquid heaters are used in different environments, such as extremely cold or tropical regions. The ambient temperature not only affects the contraction or expansion of the damping fluid, but also affects the outer shell 21 and the damping shaft 22. Because the outer shell 21 is thicker, its expansion coefficient is less affected by the ambient temperature. Therefore, the method of rotating the outer shell 21 and fixing the damping shaft 22 in this application can keep the damping gap between the outer shell 21 and the damping shaft 22 less affected by the ambient temperature, ensuring that the damping fluid will not leak. This ensures both the damping effect and the service life of the liquid heater.

[0063] Compared to the existing silicone damping methods, the damper 2 in this application achieves modular assembly. The outer shell 21, damping shaft 22, and damping fluid work together to form the damper 2, resulting in stronger modularity and easier assembly. Moreover, both the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 are mounted on the fixed base 3 via the fixed shaft 4, making it easier to ensure the relative position and concentricity between the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 after assembly, thereby improving the overall assembly quality and performance.

[0064] The assembly method of the outer shell and the rotating bracket in this application can adopt any of the following embodiments:

[0065] Implementation Method 1: This implementation method is not illustrated. In this implementation method, the rotating bracket includes a bracket body with a support portion. The support portion has a top opening and a lower clamping groove adapted to the outer shell. The outer shell is inserted into the lower clamping groove through the top opening. The rotating bracket also includes a locking portion with an upper clamping groove. The locking portion can cover the top opening and is connected to the support portion. The outer shell is clamped and fixed in the clamping groove formed by the cooperation of the upper and lower clamping grooves. The connection method between the locking portion and the support portion is not limited and can be a snap-fit ​​connection or a screw connection, etc.

[0066] Implementation Method Two: Existing technology uses a method where the damper's outer shell is fixed while the damping shaft rotates with the rotating support. Therefore, the design of the rotating support is relatively simple, requiring only space to allow rotational clearance from the outer shell. However, this application is different. In this application, the outer shell 21 needs to rotate synchronously with the rotating support 1, and the two are relatively stationary. The key is how to facilitate assembly while ensuring consistent motion after assembly. Therefore, in this Implementation Method Two, as... Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the rotating bracket 1 includes a bracket body 11 and a rotating shell 12 disposed on the bracket body 11. The rotating shell 12 is suspended relative to the bracket body 11 to form an elastic deformation space 17 between the rotating shell 12 and the bracket body 11. The rotating shell 12 is provided with a partition gap 13 in the circumferential direction. The outer shell 21 is squeezed and assembled into the rotating shell 12.

[0067] In this second embodiment, the rotating shell 12 of the rotating bracket 1 is suspended relative to the bracket body 11, forming an elastic deformation space 17 between the rotating shell 12 and the bracket body 11. This elastic deformation space 17 can absorb and mitigate vibrations during the rotation of the rotating bracket 1, reducing noise caused by vibrations and making the entire rotation process smoother and quieter, thus improving the user experience. Furthermore, the rotating shell 12 has a circumferential partition gap 13, which works in conjunction with the elastic deformation space 17 to ensure that the rotating shell 12 has a certain elastic margin when the outer shell 21 is squeezed into it. This facilitates the squeezing and assembly of the outer shell 21, improving assembly convenience and efficiency, and reducing the probability of deformation of the outer shell 21 and the rotating shell 12 due to hard squeezing, further enhancing assembly convenience and efficiency. Furthermore, the cooperation between the elastic deformation space 17 and the partition gap 13 allows the rotating shell 12 to undergo slight elastic deformation during the assembly of the outer shell 21 to the rotating shell 12, thereby adapting to certain assembly errors and ensuring the tightness after assembly. This not only improves the assembly quality but also makes the connection between the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1 stronger after assembly, ensuring the synchronous movement between the two.

[0068] In this second embodiment, the method of pressing and assembling the outer shell into the rotating shell can be any one of the following embodiments:

[0069] Example 1: This Example 1 is not illustrated. In this example, the perimeter of the partition gap is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell. The outer shell is axially pressed into the rotating shell. Due to the existence of the elastic deformation space and the partition gap, when the outer shell is pushed into the rotating shell along the axial direction, the rotating shell tends to be expanded to facilitate the insertion of the outer shell. After the outer shell is inserted, the rotating shell tightly wraps around the outside of the outer shell so that it drives the outer shell to rotate synchronously when the rotating shell rotates.

[0070] Example 2: Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the outer shell 21 is inserted into the rotating shell 12 through the partition gap 13, and the circumference of the partition gap 13 is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell 21.

[0071] In this embodiment 2, the partition gap 13 is opened in the circumferential direction of the rotating shell 12. Compared with the method in embodiment 1 where the outer shell 21 is inserted into the rotating shell 12 along the axial direction, the method of inserting the outer shell 21 into the rotating shell 12 through the partition gap 13 can reduce the requirements for alignment and assembly accuracy during the assembly process. The method of inserting the outer shell 21 into the rotating shell 12 by pressing along the circumferential partition gap 13 mainly relies on the radial compression and elastic deformation between the outer shell 21 and the rotating shell 12. Even if there is a certain assembly error between the outer shell 21 and the rotating shell 12, it can be adapted and compensated by elastic deformation, thereby helping to improve the assembly efficiency of the outer shell 21 and the rotating shell 12 and reduce production costs. Moreover, since the circumference of the partition gap 13 is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell 21, the outer shell 21 will be tightly wrapped inside the rotating shell 12. After assembly, the outer shell 21 can fit tightly with the rotating shell 12, reducing the gap between the two and improving the overall assembly tightness, thereby avoiding relative rotation between the outer shell 21 and the rotating shell 12 and ensuring the synchronization of their movements.

[0072] Because the rotating shell 12 is suspended relative to the support body 11, its elastic margin is increased, but its structural strength is reduced. Therefore, as a preferred embodiment of this second embodiment, as... Figure 1 and Figure 9 As shown, the kettle body 9 is equipped with a lid-opening switch 6 and a driven member 7 driven by the lid-opening switch 6. The rotating bracket 1 also includes a linkage part 16, one end of which abuts against the driven member 7, and the other end is directly connected to the rotating shell 12. In this embodiment, by setting the linkage part 16 to be directly connected to the rotating shell 12, the structural strength of the rotating shell 12 can be strengthened, reducing the probability of deformation or even breakage under stress. On the other hand, the driving force of the lid-opening switch 6 and the driven member 7 can be directly transmitted to the rotating shell 12, reducing the torque. This ensures the timely response of the rotating shell 12 and the outer shell 21, and also extends the service life of the rotating bracket 1.

[0073] As an example in this embodiment, the linkage 16 and the rotating shell 12 are integrally formed. By adopting the method of integrally forming the linkage 16 and the rotating shell 12, assembly steps can be eliminated, and the structural strength of the rotating shell 12 can be further improved, extending its service life. As another example in this embodiment, the linkage 16 and the rotating shell 12 are formed separately, and the two can be connected and fixed by means of adhesive, snap-fit, etc.

[0074] This embodiment does not limit the structural composition of the cover opening switch and the driven component, nor the driving method of the rotating bracket; any of the following examples can be used:

[0075] Example 1: such as Figure 1 As shown, the lid opening switch 6 is a push-button switch. When it is subjected to external force, it can move downward along the body 9 to trigger the driven member 7. The driven member 7 is rotatably connected to the fixed base 3. One end of the driven member 7 is a push-button end that can be triggered by the lid opening switch 6, and the other end is a drive end that abuts against the linkage part 16 to drive the entire rotating bracket 1 and the outer shell 21 to rotate by driving the linkage part 16 to rotate.

[0076] Example 2: Not illustrated in Example 2, the lid opening switch is a horizontal push-type switch. The lid opening switch is slidably mounted on the body of the kettle. When subjected to external force, it can move laterally along the kettle body to trigger the driven component. The driven component is slidably mounted on a fixed base. One end of the driven component is a push end that can be triggered by the lid opening switch, and the other end has a driving ramp. The linkage part has a mating ramp adapted to the driving ramp. When the driven component moves laterally, the engagement of the driving ramp and the mating ramp can drive the entire rotating bracket and the outer casing to rotate.

[0077] Implementation Method 3: For example Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, the outer shell 21 is provided with a limiting protrusion 23, and the rotating bracket 1 is fitted with a limiting groove 18 that matches the limiting protrusion 23. The limiting protrusion 23 is inserted into the limiting groove 18 to prevent relative rotation between the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1. Alternatively, the limiting groove 18 can be provided on the outer shell 21, and the limiting protrusion 23 can be provided on the rotating bracket 1 to engage with the limiting groove 18. In this third embodiment, the cooperation between the limiting protrusion 23 and the limiting groove 18 can effectively prevent relative rotation between the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1 during use, ensuring that their relative positions are fixed, thereby improving the stability and reliability of the lid 8's rotation. Moreover, the design of the limiting protrusion 23 and the limiting groove 18 provides a clear positioning for the assembly of the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1, making the assembly of the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1 simpler and faster, reducing the time and difficulty of alignment and adjustment during the assembly process, and helping to improve the assembly efficiency between the two.

[0078] As an equivalent alternative to this third embodiment: a magnetic element can be provided in one of the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1, and a mating element that can magnetically engage with the magnetic element can be provided in the other one, so as to strengthen the tightness of the connection between the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1 through magnetic engagement, so as to achieve synchronous rotation of the two; a buckle can be provided in one of the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1, and a fastening position that matches the buckle can be provided in the other one, so as to strengthen the tightness of the connection between the outer shell 21 and the rotating bracket 1 through the snap-fit ​​engagement between the buckle and the fastening position.

[0079] Implementation Method Four: This Implementation Method Four is a combination of Implementation Method Two and Implementation Method Three, that is, as follows: Figures 5 to 7 As shown, the rotating support 1 includes a support body 11 and a rotating shell 12 disposed on the support body 11. The rotating shell 12 is suspended relative to the support body 11 to form an elastic deformation space 17 between the rotating shell 12 and the support body 11. The rotating shell 12 is provided with a circumferential partition gap 13. The outer shell 21 is press-fitted into the rotating shell 12, and the outer surface of the outer shell 21 is provided with a limiting protrusion 23 extending axially along the outer shell 21. The rotating shell 12 is provided with a limiting groove 18 that matches the limiting protrusion 23. The limiting protrusion 23 is inserted into the limiting groove 18 to prevent relative rotation between the outer shell 21 and the rotating support 1. This fourth embodiment further improves the tightness of the connection between the rotating support 1 and the outer shell 21, realizing synchronous movement between the two.

[0080] The fixed shaft 4 of the liquid heater is an extremely thin shaft. Even though this fixed shaft 4 does not perform rotation in this application, it serves to assemble the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 onto the fixed base 3. During the rotation of the lid 8, the rotating bracket 1 and the outer casing 21 rotate around the fixed shaft 4, generating centrifugal force. This centrifugal force acts on the fixed shaft 4, causing it to bear a radial load. Therefore, as a preferred embodiment of this application, such as... Figure 5 , Figure 6 , Figures 8 to 10 As shown, the rotating bracket 1 is provided with a support part 14, the support part 14 is provided with a through hole 15 for the fixed shaft 4 to pass through, and the fixed seat 3 is provided with a fixing hole 311 for fixing the fixed shaft 4. The damping shaft 22, the fixed shaft 4, the through hole 15 and the fixing hole 311 are arranged coaxially.

[0081] This embodiment provides physical support for the fixed shaft 4 by providing a support part 14 for the fixed shaft 4 to pass through on the rotating bracket 1, eliminating the need for additional bearings or bushings. This reduces the number of parts, saves costs, avoids tolerance accumulation caused by the assembly of multiple parts, and reduces the probability of bending deformation or even breakage of the extremely thin fixed shaft 4 under stress. In particular, it improves reliability during frequent opening and closing of the cover and extends the service life of the liquid heater. The damping shaft 22, fixed shaft 4, through hole 15 and fixed hole 311 are arranged coaxially, which avoids uneven distribution of friction force in the damper 2 caused by the eccentricity of the damping shaft 22, improves the stability of the damping effect, reduces vibration and abnormal noise during rotation, and improves the smoothness of opening and closing the cover.

[0082] Preferably, the liquid heater further includes an elastic element 5 for assisting in opening the lid, the elastic element 5 being, for example, a torsion spring. In one specific implementation, such as... Figure 9 As shown, the elastic element 5 can be sleeved on the outside of the support part 14 to provide assistance for opening the lid 8.

[0083] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the support part 14 is connected to the rotating shell 12 to further enhance the structural strength of the rotating shell 12.

[0084] This application does not limit the assembly order of the fixed base 3, the rotating bracket 1, and the damper 2, and it can adopt any of the following embodiments:

[0085] Implementation Method 5: This implementation method 5 is not illustrated. In this implementation method 5, the fixed base is provided with two oppositely arranged brackets. The brackets are provided with fixing holes for fixing the fixed shaft. An installation space for installing the rotating bracket and the damper is formed between the two brackets. The brackets are provided with bearing positions for supporting the rotating bracket. During installation, the rotating bracket is first placed at the bearing position of the fixed base, then the damper is installed on the rotating bracket, and finally the fixed shaft passes through the damper and the rotating bracket to assemble the two into the fixed base.

[0086] Implementation Method Six: This application involves numerous components for realizing the movement of the lid 8 relative to the body 9. Assembling each component individually would significantly reduce assembly line efficiency. Therefore, as... Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the fixed base 3 is provided with two oppositely arranged brackets 31. The brackets 31 are provided with fixing holes 311 for fixing the fixed shaft 4. The two brackets 31 form an installation space for installing the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2. After the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 are assembled, they are assembled as a component to the fixed base 3 through the fixed shaft 4.

[0087] In this sixth embodiment, the rotating bracket 1 and the damper 2 are assembled as a single component onto the fixed base 3 via the fixed shaft 4. This simplifies and speeds up the assembly process. During assembly, the pre-assembled rotating bracket 1 and damper 2 are simply fixed to the fixed base 3 as a module via the fixed shaft 4, significantly reducing assembly steps and time. Furthermore, this sixth embodiment allows for a tighter integration of the rotating bracket 1 and damper 2, improving the integration between components and facilitating both manufacturing and post-production management.

[0088] As a preferred embodiment of this application, such as Figure 4 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the damping shaft 22 includes a damping part 221 built into the housing 21 and an anti-rotation part 222 connected to the damping part 221 and protruding outward. The fixing seat 3 is provided with a limiting part, and the limiting part and the anti-rotation part 222 abut against each other to limit the rotation of the damping shaft 22.

[0089] In this embodiment, the design of the limiting part and the anti-rotation part 222 provides a clear positioning for the assembly of the damper 2 and the fixed seat 3, making the assembly of the damper 2 and the fixed seat 3 simpler and faster, and reducing the time and difficulty of alignment and adjustment during the assembly process. Moreover, the cooperation between the limiting part and the anti-rotation part 222 can effectively prevent unnecessary rotation of the damping shaft 22 during use, ensuring the stability and reliability of the damping shaft 22, and avoiding the weakening of damping force or even damping failure caused by accidental rotation.

[0090] In a specific implementation, such as Figure 4 , Figure 9 and Figure 10 As shown, the fixed base 3 is provided with two oppositely arranged brackets 31. The brackets 31 are provided with fixing holes 311 for fixing the fixed shaft 4. One of the brackets 31 is provided with a limiting lug 32 extending from the other bracket 31. A groove 33 that is adapted to the anti-rotation part 222 is formed between the limiting lugs 32. The limiting lugs 32 and the groove 33 formed by their cooperation constitute the limiting part.

[0091] In this application, the maximum rotation angle of the outer casing 21 can be less than or equal to the opening angle of the lid 8. However, in certain special cases, such as when the user operates too forcefully, causing the opening angle of the lid 8 to exceed the preset angle, or when the lid 8 needs to be forcibly rotated beyond the angle due to obstruction by foreign objects, the smaller rotation angle of the outer casing 21 will cause the damping to fail during the overtravel rotation of the lid 8, resulting in the lid 8 opening rapidly within the overtravel angle range and splashing out the condensed water accumulated on the lid 8.

[0092] Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of this application, the maximum rotation angle of the outer shell 21 is greater than the opening angle of the lid 8. This setting allows for a margin exceeding the actual opening requirements, ensuring that when the lid 8 is fully opened within the preset stroke range, the outer shell 21 still has rotation space. Even if the lid 8 is opened beyond the stroke range, the rotation margin of the outer shell 21 can still provide damping force for the damper 2 to continue opening the lid 8, avoiding the "bouncing" phenomenon of the lid 8 caused by a sudden loss of damping at the end of the stroke.

[0093] For any parts not mentioned in this application, existing technologies may be used or referenced.

[0094] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. The same or similar parts between the various embodiments can be referred to each other. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments.

[0095] The above descriptions are merely embodiments of this application and are not intended to limit this application. The technical features or structures in the foregoing different embodiments can be arbitrarily combined to form other specific technical solutions as needed. For those skilled in the art, this application can have various modifications and variations. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of this application should be included within the scope of the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A liquid heater, comprising a kettle body, a kettle lid, and a damper, wherein the kettle body is provided with a fixed base, the kettle lid is provided with a rotating bracket, and the kettle lid is rotatably connected to the fixed base via the rotating bracket to open or close the top opening of the kettle body, characterized in that, The damper includes a housing and a damping shaft disposed on at least one side of the housing. A damping fluid is present between the damping shaft and the housing. The housing is fixedly connected to the rotating bracket so as to rotate with the rotating bracket relative to the damping shaft. The liquid heater also includes a fixed shaft. The damping shaft is provided with a shaft hole adapted to the fixed shaft. The rotating bracket and the damper are mounted on the fixed base through the fixed shaft.

2. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating bracket includes a bracket body and a rotating shell disposed on the bracket body. The rotating shell is suspended relative to the bracket body to form an elastic deformation space between the rotating shell and the bracket body. The rotating shell is provided with a partition gap in the circumference. The outer shell is squeezed and assembled into the rotating shell.

3. A liquid heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, The outer shell is inserted into the rotating shell through the partition gap, the circumference of which is smaller than the diameter of the outer shell.

4. A liquid heater according to claim 2, characterized in that, The kettle body is provided with a lid opening switch and a driven component driven by the lid opening switch. The rotating bracket also includes a linkage part, one end of which abuts against the driven component and the other end is directly connected to the rotating shell.

5. A liquid heater according to claim 4, characterized in that, The linkage part and the rotating shell are integrally formed.

6. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, One of the rotating bracket and the outer shell is provided with a limiting protrusion, and the other is provided with a limiting groove that matches the limiting protrusion. The limiting protrusion is inserted into the limiting groove to prevent the outer shell and the rotating bracket from rotating relative to each other.

7. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The rotating bracket is provided with a support part, the support part is provided with a through hole for the fixed shaft to pass through, the fixed seat is provided with a fixing hole for fixing the fixed shaft, and the damping shaft, the fixed shaft, the through hole and the fixing hole are arranged coaxially.

8. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The fixed base is provided with two oppositely arranged brackets, each bracket having a fixing hole for fixing the fixed shaft. An installation space for installing the rotating bracket and the damper is formed between the two brackets. After assembly, the rotating bracket and the damper are assembled as a component and mounted to the fixed base through the fixed shaft.

9. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The damping shaft includes a damping part built into the housing and an anti-rotation part connected to the damping part and protruding outward. The fixing seat is provided with a limiting part, which abuts against the anti-rotation part to limit the rotation of the damping shaft.

10. A liquid heater according to claim 1, characterized in that, The maximum rotation angle of the outer shell is greater than the opening angle of the lid.

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