Electric kettle

Abstract

To provide a structure that can restrain hot water from leaking from a steam port, and can also restrain hot water from jetting from a pouring pipe when a swan-necked type electric kettle falls down.SOLUTION: A lid of an electric kettle has a first steam port 66, and a first slit 661 provided in an edge of the first steam port 66. When the electric kettle falls down, a first closing member 63 closes the first steam port 66. Thereby, hot water can be restrained from leaking from the first steam port 66. In addition, the first closing member 63 does not close the first slit 661. For this reason, when the electric kettle falls down, a part of steam in a storage container can be discharged to the outside via the first slit 661. Therefore, an internal pressure in the storage container can be restrained from excessively increasing. Therefore, hot water can be restrained from jetting from a pouring pipe due to the internal pressure in the storage container.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an electric kettle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, electric kettles that use electricity to boil water are known. For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose crane-mouth type electric kettles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-177840 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-117160 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] This type of electric kettle has a steam vent on the lid. When steam is generated inside the container by boiling water, the steam is released from the steam vent. This prevents the internal pressure of the container from becoming excessively high. The steam vent needs to be of a certain size in order to release the steam generated inside the container without delay.

[0005] On the other hand, if the lid is simply provided with a steam vent, hot water will leak out from the steam vent if the electric kettle is tipped over. Therefore, some electric kettles have a blocking member inside the lid that blocks the steam vent when the kettle is tipped over.

[0006] However, in a crane-mouth electric kettle, hot water is also stored inside the outlet pipe for pouring hot water. Therefore, if the steam vent is completely blocked when the kettle is tipped over, the internal pressure may increase and the hot water stored in the outlet pipe may spray out.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a structure in a crane-mouth type electric kettle that can prevent hot water from leaking from the steam vent when the kettle is tipped over, and also prevents hot water from spurting out from the pouring tube. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention is an electric kettle comprising: a storage container having a cylindrical side wall; a lid covering an upper part of the storage container; a heating unit that heats liquid in the storage container; and a pouring tube extending forward and upward from a lower end of the side wall of the storage container, wherein the lid has a first cavity that communicates with an internal space of the storage container, a first steam port that discharges steam from the first cavity to the outside of the lid, a first slit provided on an edge of the first steam port, and a first closing member disposed within the first cavity, wherein the first closing member does not close the first steam port and the first slit when the electric kettle is upright, and closes only the first steam port out of the first steam port and the first slit when the electric kettle is upside down.

[0009] According to the present invention, when the electric kettle falls over, the first closing member closes the first steam port. This makes it possible to prevent hot water from leaking from the first steam port. Furthermore, the first closing member does not close the first slit. Therefore, when the electric kettle falls over, a portion of the steam in the storage container can be discharged to the outside through the first slit. This makes it possible to prevent the internal pressure of the storage container from rising excessively. This makes it possible to prevent hot water from gushing out of the pouring tube due to the internal pressure of the storage container.

[0010] In particular, the lid further includes a second cavity communicating with the first cavity, a second steam port for discharging steam from the second cavity to the outside of the lid, and a second closing member disposed in the second cavity, and the second closing member preferably closes the second steam port when the electric kettle is upright, and does not close the second steam port when the electric kettle is tipped over. In this way, when the electric kettle is tipped over, the second steam port is opened, so that part of the steam in the storage container can be discharged to the outside through the second steam port. This can further prevent the internal pressure of the storage container from rising excessively. Therefore, it can further prevent hot water from gushing out of the pouring tube.

[0011] Moreover, it is preferable that the lid has a valve on the underside of the second cavity that opens due to the weight of the liquid. With this, if the electric kettle falls over and hot water seeps into the second cavity, the weight of the hot water can be used to open the valve by standing the electric kettle upright again, and the hot water can be returned from the second cavity to the storage container. This also makes it possible to prevent hot water from directly seeping into the second cavity from the storage container. This reduces the amount of hot water that seeps into the inside of the lid.

[0012] In addition, the lid body has a lid body and a packing attached to the outer periphery of the lid body to seal the space between the lid body and the storage container, and the lid body has a second slit on the outer periphery, and a fine hole extending in the vertical direction is formed between the second slit and the packing. In this way, when the electric kettle falls over, a part of the steam in the storage container can be discharged to the outside through the second slit. This can further prevent the internal pressure of the storage container from rising excessively. Therefore, it can further prevent hot water from spouting out of the pouring tube. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the present invention, when the electric kettle falls over, the first closing member closes the first steam port. This makes it possible to prevent hot water from leaking from the first steam port. Furthermore, the first closing member does not close the first slit. Therefore, when the electric kettle falls over, a portion of the steam in the storage container can be discharged to the outside through the first slit. This makes it possible to prevent the internal pressure of the storage container from rising excessively. This makes it possible to prevent hot water from gushing out of the pouring tube due to the internal pressure of the storage container. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electric kettle. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the electric kettle excluding the exterior body. [Figure 4] FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is an exploded oblique view of the lid body and the water stop unit. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a water stopping structure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, when the electric kettle 1 is in an upright position, the side of the spout pipe 40 of the electric kettle 1 is referred to as the "front" and the side of the handle 53 is referred to as the "rear". In addition, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction and the up-down direction is referred to as the left-right direction.

[0016] <1. Overall structure of electric kettle> Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a crane-mouth type electric kettle 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of the electric kettle 1. Fig. 3 is a side view of the electric kettle 1 excluding an exterior body 50. The electric kettle 1 is an electric water heater that heats water stored inside. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the electric kettle 1 of this embodiment includes a storage container 10, a lid body 20, a heating unit 30, a pouring tube 40, and an exterior body 50.

[0017] The storage container 10 is a container that stores water or hot water inside. The storage container 10 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The storage container 10 has a bottom 11 and a cylindrical side wall 12 that extends upward from the edge of the bottom 11. To improve heat retention, an insulating layer may be provided on the outside of the side wall 12.

[0018] The lid body 20 is a unit that covers the opening at the top of the storage container 10. The lid body 20 is detachable from the upper end of a main body cover part 51, which will be described later. When the lid body 20 is attached, the top of the storage container 10 is covered by the lid body 20. When the lid body 20 is removed, the top of the storage container 10 is opened, and the storage container 10 can be refilled with water.

[0019] The heating unit 30 is a heater for heating the water in the storage container 10. The heating unit 30 is disposed on the lower surface of the bottom 11 of the storage container 10. For example, a mica heater or a sheath heater is used for the heating unit 30. When the electric kettle 1 is in use, the heating unit 30 generates heat by being supplied with electric power. As a result, the water in the storage container 10 is heated to become hot water.

[0020] The pouring pipe 40 is a pipe for pouring hot water from the storage container 10. The pouring pipe 40 is formed of, for example, stainless steel. The pouring pipe 40 has a connection port 41 at one end and a spout 42 at the other end. The connection port 41 of the pouring pipe 40 is connected to the front of the lower end of the side wall 12 of the storage container 10. The pouring pipe 40 extends forward and upward from the connection port 41 in a generally S-shape. The spout 42 of the pouring pipe 40 is located above the upper end of the storage container 10.

[0021] The exterior body 50 is a cover that covers the outer surface of the electric kettle 1. The exterior body 50 is formed of, for example, a synthetic resin. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the exterior body 50 has a main body cover part 51, an outlet tube cover part 52, and a handle 53. The main body cover part 51 is a substantially cylindrical part that covers the storage container 10, the lid body 20, and the heating part 30. The outlet tube cover part 52 is a tubular part that covers the outlet tube 40.

[0022] The handle 53 extends rearward from the rear edge of the upper end of the body cover part 51. That is, the handle 53 and the dispensing tube 40 are located on opposite sides of the central axis A of the storage container 10. The handle 53 is provided with a switch 54 for switching the power supply to the heating part 30 ON / OFF.

[0023] When using the electric kettle 1, the user first removes the lid 20 and supplies water into the storage container 10. Then, the user attaches the lid 20 and switches the switch 54 from OFF to ON. This causes the heating unit 30 to generate heat, heating the water in the storage container 10. The user then grasps the handle 53, lifts the electric kettle 1, and tilts it forward. This causes the hot water in the storage container 10 to flow through the pouring pipe 40 and be poured out from the spout 42 into an external container.

[0024] <2. About the structure of the lid> Next, a detailed structure of the above-mentioned lid body 20 will be described. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lid body 20. Fig. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the lid body 20. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the lid body 20 has a lid main body 21, a packing 22, a lid cover 23, and a water stop unit 24.

[0025] The lid body 21 is a bottomed cylindrical part constituting the lower part of the lid body 20. The lid body 21 has a substantially disk-shaped lid bottom 211 and a substantially cylindrical lid side 212 extending upward from the edge of the lid bottom 211. The lid bottom 211 is provided with two first openings 213 and one second opening 214. The two first openings 213 and the one second opening 214 are holes that penetrate the lid bottom 211 in the up-down direction. The second opening 214 is located forward of the first opening 213. A third opening 215 is provided in a front portion of the lid side 212. The third opening 215 is a hole that penetrates a front portion of the lid side 212 in the front-rear direction.

[0026] The packing 22 is attached to the outer periphery of the lower part of the lid body 21. The packing 22 is an annular sealing member. The packing 22 is formed of an elastically deformable elastomer or silicone rubber. The lower end of the packing 22 is brought into close contact with the edge of the opening at the top of the storage container 10 while elastically deforming. This seals the gap between the top of the storage container 10 and the lid body 20. Therefore, the hot water in the storage container 10 is prevented from leaking out from between the storage container 10 and the lid body 20 to the outside.

[0027] The lid cover 23 is a substantially disk-shaped part that constitutes the upper part of the lid body 20. The lid cover 23 covers the opening at the top of the lid body 21. The lid cover 23 has a pair of knobs 231 that are gripped by a user. The lid cover 23 is also provided with an exhaust port 232. The exhaust port 232 is a hole for discharging steam inside the storage container 10 to the outside. The exhaust port 232 penetrates the lid cover 23 in the vertical direction. The exhaust port 232 is located forward of the central axis A of the storage container 10.

[0028] The water stop unit 24 is a unit for discharging steam to the outside while preventing hot water from leaking out of the storage container 10 when the electric kettle 1 falls over. The water stop unit 24 is housed inside the lid body 20 composed of the lid body 21 and the lid cover 23. FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the lid body 21 and the water stop unit 24. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the water stop unit 24 has a first housing 61, a steam passage 62, two first closing members 63, a second housing 64, and a second closing member 65.

[0029] The first housing 61 is a housing disposed above the first opening 213 of the lid body 21. A first cavity 610 is formed inside the first housing 61. The first cavity 610 communicates with the internal space of the storage container 10 via the first opening 213. In addition, two first steam ports 66 are provided on the top surface of the first housing 61. The two first steam ports 66 are holes for discharging steam from the first cavity 610. Each of the first steam ports 66 penetrates the top surface of the first housing 61 in the up-down direction.

[0030] As shown in Fig. 6, in this embodiment, the two first steam ports 66 are different in size. As shown in an enlarged view in Fig. 6, a first slit 661 is provided on the edge of the larger of the two first steam ports 66. The first slit 661 is a cutout that is smaller than the first steam port 66.

[0031] The steam passage 62 is a duct that connects the first cavity 610 and the exhaust port 232 of the lid cover 23. One end of the steam passage 62 is connected to the two first steam ports 66. The other end of the steam passage 62 is connected to the exhaust port 232.

[0032] The first closing member 63 is a member for closing the first steam port 66 when the electric kettle 1 topples over. The first closing member 63 is disposed within the first cavity 610. The water-stop unit 24 of the present embodiment has two first closing members 63 for closing each of the two first steam ports 66. However, the number of the first steam ports 66 may be one, and the number of the first closing members 63 may also be one. The first closing member 63 is formed of, for example, stainless steel having a specific gravity greater than that of water. The shape of the first closing member 63 is, for example, spherical.

[0033] The first closing member 63 is movable in the vertical direction within the first cavity 610. When the electric kettle 1 is upright, the first closing member 63 is disposed on the bottom surface of the first cavity 610 by gravity. At this time, the first opening 213 of the lid body 21 is not blocked by the first closing member 63. Also, when the electric kettle 1 is upright, the two first steam ports 66 and the first slit 661 are not blocked by the first closing member 63 either. Therefore, the steam in the storage container 10 is discharged to the outside of the lid body 20 through the first opening 213, the first cavity 610, the first steam port 66, the steam passage 62, and the exhaust port 232.

[0034] When the electric kettle 1 topples over, a part of the hot water in the storage container 10 infiltrates into the first cavity 610 through the first opening 213. However, when the electric kettle 1 is in a toppled state, the two first closing members 63 roll toward the first steam port 66 side due to their own weights. Then, the two first closing members 63 each close the first steam port 66. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the hot water in the first cavity 610 from leaking to the outside through the first steam port 66.

[0035] In this way, when the electric kettle 1 is overturned, the first steam port 66 is blocked by the first blocking member 63. However, even in this state, the first blocking member 63 does not block the first slit 661. That is, of the first steam port 66 and the first slit 661, only the first steam port 66 is blocked by the first blocking member 63. Therefore, even when the electric kettle 1 is overturned, the first cavity 610 communicates with the steam passage 62 through the first slit 661, which is a fine hole. Therefore, a part of the steam in the first cavity 610 can be discharged to the outside through the first slit 661. This makes it possible to suppress the internal pressure of the storage container 10 from rising excessively. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the internal pressure of the storage container 10 from spouting out of the pouring tube 40 due to the internal pressure of the storage container 10.

[0036] The second housing 64 is a housing disposed in front of the first housing 61. A second cavity 640 is formed inside the second housing 64. The first cavity 610 and the second cavity 640 communicate with each other via a communication passage 641. A second steam vent 67 is provided on the front surface of the second housing 64. The second steam vent 67 is a hole for discharging steam from the second cavity 640 to the outside of the lid body 20. The second steam vent 67 communicates from the front surface of the second cavity 640 to the outside of the lid body 20 via the third opening 215 of the lid main body 21.

[0037] The second closing member 65 is a member for closing the second steam port 67. The second closing member 65 is disposed in the second cavity 640. The second closing member 65 is formed of, for example, stainless steel, which has a higher specific gravity than water. The shape of the second closing member 65 is, for example, spherical.

[0038] The second closing member 65 is movable within a predetermined range within the second cavity 640. When the electric kettle 1 is upright, the second closing member 65 rolls toward the second steam vent 67 due to the inclination provided on the bottom surface of the second cavity 640. Therefore, when the electric kettle 1 is upright, the second steam vent 67 is closed by the second closing member 65.

[0039] However, when the electric kettle 1 falls over, the second closing member 65 rolls due to gravity and moves away from the second steam port 67 as shown by the imaginary line (two-dot chain line) in FIG. 6. This opens the second steam port 67. That is, when the electric kettle 1 is in a state where it ...

[0040] As shown in FIG. 5, the lid body 20 has a valve 68 on the lower surface of the second cavity 640. The valve 68 is fitted into the second opening 214 of the lid body 21. The valve 68 is normally closed, but opens when pressure is applied from above. If the electric kettle 1 falls over and hot water enters the second cavity 640, the weight of the hot water opens the valve 68 when the electric kettle 1 is turned upright again. This allows the hot water to return from the second cavity 640 through the valve 68 to the storage container 10. This prevents the hot water from remaining stored in the second cavity 640.

[0041] Furthermore, by providing the valve 68, when the electric kettle 1 falls over, it is possible to prevent boiling water from directly entering the second cavity 640 from the storage container 10. This makes it possible to reduce the amount of boiling water that enters the inside of the lid 20.

[0042] As shown enlarged in FIG. 5, the lid body 21 has a second slit 69 on the outer periphery of the lower part. In this embodiment, the second slit 69 is provided below the third opening 215. The second slit 69 is a groove extending in the vertical direction inside the packing 22. A fine hole extending in the vertical direction is formed between the second slit 69 and the packing 22. When the electric kettle 1 is in a state where it is turned over, a part of the steam in the storage container 10 is discharged to the outside through the second slit 69. This makes it possible to further suppress the internal pressure of the storage container 10 from increasing excessively. In particular, when the electric kettle 1 is turned over, even if both the first slit 661 and the second steam port 67 are blocked by hot water, the steam can be discharged to the outside through the second slit 69. Therefore, it is possible to further suppress the hot water from spouting from the spouting tube 40 due to the internal pressure of the storage container 10.

[0043] <3. Modifications> Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment.

[0044] <3-1. First modified example> The electric kettle 1 may have a water stop structure 70 between the storage container 10 and the pouring pipe 40 to further prevent hot water from gushing out from the pouring pipe 40. Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the water stop structure 70. In the example of Fig. 7, an intermediate chamber 71 is provided between the storage container 10 and the pouring pipe 40. The intermediate chamber 71 has a fourth opening 72 between it and the pouring pipe 40.

[0045] The water stopping structure 70 also has a third closing member 73. The third closing member 73 is made of, for example, stainless steel, which has a higher specific gravity than water. The third closing member 73 is disposed in the intermediate chamber 71. The third closing member 73 is movable in the vertical direction within the intermediate chamber 71.

[0046] When the electric kettle 1 is upright, the third closing member 73 is disposed near the bottom surface of the intermediate chamber 71 due to its own weight, as shown by the solid line in Fig. 7. Therefore, in this state, the fourth opening 72 is open, so that the intermediate chamber 71 and the flow path in the pouring pipe 40 communicate with each other via the opening 72.

[0047] On the other hand, when the electric kettle 1 falls over, the third closing member 73 moves toward the opening 72 due to its own weight in the intermediate chamber 71, as shown by the imaginary line (two-dot chain line) in Fig. 7. As a result, the upper surface of the third closing member 73 closes the opening 72. This makes it possible to prevent the hot water in the storage container 10 from spouting out to the outside via the intermediate chamber 71, the opening 72, and the pouring pipe 40.

[0048] In order to prevent hot water from spurting out of the pouring pipe 40, the electric kettle 1 may have a water-stopping structure different from the structure in Fig. 7. For example, a valve that is opened and closed by a user's operation may be provided between the storage container 10 and the pouring pipe 40 as the water-stopping structure. The water-stopping structure may also be provided midway along the pouring pipe 40.

[0049] <3-2. Other variations> In the above embodiment, the two first steam ports 66 are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. However, the two first steam ports 66 may be arranged side by side in the front-rear direction.

[0050] Also, in the above embodiment, the number of first steam ports 66 was two. However, the number of first steam ports 66 may be one or three or more. In that case, as long as the internal pressure can be relieved to a desired degree, the number and location of the first slits 661 may be any number.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the lid body 20 has the first cavity 610 and the second cavity 640. However, the lid body 20 does not have to have the second cavity 640. In that case, the lid body 20 does not have to have the second steam port 67 and the valve 68.

[0052] In the above embodiment, the lid body 20 has the second slit 69. However, the lid body 20 does not have to have the second slit 69.

[0053] In the above embodiment, the first closing member 63 and the second closing member 65 have a spherical shape. However, the first closing member 63 and the second closing member 65 may have another shape, such as a rectangular parallelepiped.

[0054] In the above embodiment, the liquid stored in the electric kettle 1 is water. However, the liquid stored in the electric kettle 1 may be other liquids such as tea.

[0055] In addition, the detailed shape of the electric kettle 1 may differ from that shown in the drawings of the present application. In addition, the elements appearing in the above-described embodiment and modified examples may be appropriately selected within a range that does not cause a contradiction. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 1: Electric kettle 10: Storage container 20: Lid 21: Lid body 22: Packing 23: Lid cover 24: Water stop unit 30: Heating part 40: Pour pipe 50: Exterior body 61: First unit 62: Steam passage 63: First closing member 64: 2nd unit 65: Second blocking member 66: First steam port 67: Second steam port 68: Valve 69: Second slit 610: 1st cavity 640: Second cavity 641 :Communication path 661: First slit A: Central axis

Claims

1. An electric kettle comprising: a storage container having a cylindrical side wall; a lid covering an upper portion of the storage container; a heating unit for heating a liquid in the storage container; and a pouring pipe extending forward and upward from a lower end of the side wall of the storage container, The lid body is A first cavity portion communicating with an internal space of the storage container; a first steam port for discharging steam from the first cavity to an outside of the lid; a first slit provided on an edge of the first steam port; a first blocking member disposed within the first cavity; having The first blocking member is When the electric kettle is in an upright position, the first steam port and the first slit are not blocked, When the electric kettle is overturned, only the first steam vent is closed out of the first steam vent and the first slit.

2. 2. The electric kettle according to claim 1, The lid body is a second cavity portion communicating with the first cavity portion; a second steam port for discharging steam from the second cavity to the outside of the lid; a second blocking member disposed within the second cavity; and The second blocking member is When the electric kettle is in an upright position, the second steam vent is closed; The electric kettle, when the electric kettle is overturned, does not close the second steam vent.

3. 3. The electric kettle according to claim 2, The lid has a valve on a lower surface of the second cavity that opens due to the weight of liquid.

4. An electric kettle according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The lid body is The lid body and A packing attached to the outer periphery of the lid body and sealing the gap with the storage container; having The lid body has a second slit on an outer periphery, The electric kettle, wherein a fine hole extending in the vertical direction is formed between the second slit and the packing.

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