Control assembly for cordless liquid heating device

Abstract

A control assembly for a cordless liquid heating device is provided. The control assembly comprises a cordless base connector that is mounted on a cordless power base, and an adapter (8) that is mounted on a liquid heating container. The adapter (8) comprises a pin (54) having a first electrical contact (56) and a second electrical contact (58) configured to connect to a corresponding first electrical contact and a corresponding second electrical contact in the cordless base connector. The adapter (8) further comprises a third electrical contact (62) extending around the pin (54) and having an annular shape, configured to connect to a corresponding third electrical contact in the cordless base connector. The adapter (8) also comprises a fourth electrical contact (64) extending around the third electrical contact (62) and having an annular shape, configured to connect to a corresponding fourth electrical contact in the base connector. The third electrical contact (62) and the fourth electrical contact (64), as well as the corresponding third electrical contact and the corresponding fourth electrical contact, provide live and neutral connections to the liquid heating vessel.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control assembly for a cordless liquid heating device, a support structure forming part of such a control assembly, and a method of manufacturing at least an adapter of such a control assembly.

Background Art

[0002] A cordless liquid heating device typically includes a liquid heating container that can be placed on a cordless power base. Such a cordless liquid heating device often includes a control assembly that includes an adapter disposed within the liquid heating container and a cordless base connector disposed within the cordless power base. When the liquid heating container is placed on the cordless power base, the adapter and the cordless power base mate to facilitate the transmission of power and / or data between the liquid heating container and the cordless power base. Two of the main types of control assemblies used include a three-pole assembly and a five-pole assembly. The three-pole assembly typically provides live, neutral, and earth connections, while the five-pole assembly typically provides live, neutral, earth, and data connections (using two poles of the assembly).

[0003] The control assemblies described above often take the form of a 360° assembly, which allows the liquid heating vessel to be mounted on a cordless power base at any angular position. To facilitate this configuration, adapters in the prior art typically feature a central contact pin surrounded by multiple radially spaced annular contacts. A 3-pole adapter assembly has a central pin, which is surrounded by a first annular contact radially spaced from the pin and a second annular contact radially spaced from the first annular contact. A 5-pole adapter typically has a pin, a first annular contact, and a second annular contact, similar to those in a 3-pole adapter, plus two additional annular contacts, each radially spaced from the first and second annular contacts. Such a 5-pole adapter may be relatively wide because it is necessary to provide sufficient spacing between each contact. Consequently, the adapter's support structure that supports the contacts may also be relatively wide. A relatively wide support structure means increased manufacturing costs for the support structure and, consequently, for the adapter. [Overview of the Initiative]

[0004] The object of the present invention is to solve or at least mitigate at least one of the above-mentioned problems, and in view of a first aspect, the present invention provides a control assembly for a cordless liquid heating device comprising a liquid heating container and a cordless power base. The control assembly is A cordless base connector that can be attached to a cordless power base, An adapter that is attached to a liquid heating container, wherein the adapter is configured to mate with a cordless base connector when the liquid heating container is installed on a cordless power base, and the adapter is A pin having a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact configured to connect to a corresponding first electrical contact and a corresponding second electrical contact in a cordless base connector, A third electrical contact having an annular shape extending around a pin and positioned radially offset from the pin, configured to connect to a corresponding third electrical contact in a cordless base connector, A fourth electrical contact having an annular shape extending around a third electrical contact and positioned radially offset from the third electrical contact, the fourth electrical contact being configured to connect to a corresponding fourth electrical contact in a cordless base connector, The third and fourth electrical contacts in the adapter, together with the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts in the cordless base connector, are configured to provide live and neutral connections to the liquid heating vessel.

[0005] Unlike conventional control assemblies that utilize a pin to hold a single electrical contact, the control assembly according to the present invention utilizes a pin to hold both a first and a second electrical contact. The applicant has found that by including additional electrical contacts in the pin, it is possible to reduce the number of radially offset and surrounding contacts, such as annular contacts. Thus, the radial spread of electrical contacts on the outermost part of the adapter and the corresponding electrical contacts in the cordless base connector can be reduced compared to conventional control assemblies. This reduces the overall footprint of the adapter and cordless base connector.

[0006] In addition to this, by incorporating a second electrical contact into the pin, one of the annular contacts that would surround the pin can be eliminated compared to a typical conventional control assembly. As those skilled in the art will understand, the amount of material required to form a contact on a pin can be significantly less than the amount of material required to form such an annular contact. Therefore, the control assembly according to the present invention uses less material to form the electrical contacts. Since the contacts are usually formed from silver-plated copper or copper alloys, this can lead to significant cost reductions in the manufacture of the control assembly.

[0007] Furthermore, in the control assembly according to the present invention, the third and fourth annular electrical contacts, together with the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts in the cordless base connector, are configured to provide live and neutral connections to the liquid heating vessel. Thus, one of the third and fourth annular contacts can be considered a live contact, and the other of the third and fourth annular contacts can be considered a neutral contact. The same applies to the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts in the cordless base connector. The applicant has found that providing live and neutral connections using the third and fourth annular electrical contacts is more advantageous than using the first and second contacts which form part of the pin. Specifically, since the first and second contacts on the pin are part of a single pin and can be relatively close together, using these contacts as live and neutral contacts may result in arcing and tracking problems. In contrast, using the third and fourth annular electrical contacts advantageously avoids such arcing and tracking problems. When the adapter is attached to a liquid heating container, the third and fourth electrical contacts may be connected to electrically driven components in the liquid heating appliance, such as a heating element. Similarly, when the cordless base connector is attached to a cordless power base, the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts may be connected to the live power supply and neutral power supply sections within the cordless power base.

[0008] The adapter described above can be considered a cordless adapter. Similarly, since both the adapter and the cordless base connector have electrical contacts, the adapter can be considered an electrical adapter, for example, a cordless electrical adapter, and the cordless base connector can be considered a cordless base electrical connector.

[0009] In some countries, providing a ground connection to a liquid heating vessel is not mandatory. Therefore, the control assembly described above may have sufficient contacts to enable the liquid heating vessel to function properly. However, in other countries, the presence of a ground contact is required to meet standard requirements. Therefore, in some embodiments, the adapter further includes a fifth electrical contact located radially offset from the pin, configured to connect to a corresponding fifth electrical contact in a cordless base connector, the fifth electrical contact being configured to provide a ground connection to the liquid heating vessel. Thus, such a control assembly provides a ground connection to the liquid heating vessel in countries where grounding is required. The fifth electrical contact can be located at any suitable position within the adapter, and similarly, the corresponding fifth electrical contact can be located at any suitable position within the cordless base connector. However, in a series of embodiments, the fifth electrical contact is located radially outward from the fourth electrical contact. Therefore, the fifth electrical contact providing the ground connection may be the most radially outward contact. If the fifth electrical contact is the most radially outward contact and has an annular shape, the fifth electrical contact may be the largest contact of all contacts. In this case, having a fifth electrical contact as a ground contact further reduces the material cost of the control assembly. This is because the ground contact can be manufactured from brass, which is cheaper than the silver-plated copper that can be used for the live and neutral contacts. Since the ground contact is only used in case of failure and does not switch current, there is no need to silver-plat it.

[0010] The fifth electrical contact and the corresponding fifth electrical contact may have any suitable form. In a series of embodiments, the fifth electrical contact has an annular shape. In such embodiments, the corresponding fifth electrical contact may be a point contact. In other embodiments, the fifth electrical contact is a point contact and the corresponding fifth electrical contact has an annular shape. Being a point contact means that each contact extends only within a limited angular range along the periphery of the connector or adapter. Thus, a point contact contacts only the limited angular portion of the annular contact with which it contacts. Nevertheless, by providing one contact having an annular shape and a point contact together, these contacts facilitate connection regardless of the angular direction in which the connector and adapter are mated. The corresponding first, second, third, and fourth contacts in a cordless base connector may also be point contacts. By using annular contacts connected to point contacts, the total amount of material required to provide the electrical connection can be reduced compared to having at least both contacts in a given annular shape.

[0011] The third, fourth, and fifth electrical contacts (if provided) may all extend around a common central axis. In other words, they may be coaxial. This central axis may be a pin, for example, an axis extending through the center of the pin.

[0012] The first and second electrical contacts in the adapter can be used for any suitable purpose. For example, in addition to the third and fourth electrical contacts, the first and second electrical contacts can also be used for power transmission, although at a different voltage than the power transmission via the third and fourth electrical contacts. For example, the first and second electrical contacts can be used to transmit power at a voltage of 12V to a pump in a liquid heating container, for example. However, in a series of embodiments, the first and second electrical contacts in the adapter, together with the corresponding first and second electrical contacts in the cordless power base, provide a signal connection for transmitting data between the adapter and the cordless base connector. Thus, the first electrical contact can be considered a first signal contact, and the second electrical contact can be considered a second signal contact. Data transmission through the first and second electrical contacts and the corresponding first and second electrical contacts may use only relatively low currents and / or potential differences. Therefore, even though both the first and second electrical contacts are located on pins, the risk of arc discharge can be relatively low.

[0013] The first and second electrical contacts can provide any suitable data transmission. For example, the cordless power base may include a controller, and the liquid heating vessel may include electronic components, such as a temperature sensor. Thus, the first and second electrical contacts, together with the corresponding first and second electrical contacts, can facilitate data transmission between the electronic components in the liquid heating vessel and the controller in the cordless power base.

[0014] In a series of embodiments, the adapter constitutes part of a control device attached to a liquid heating vessel. In some embodiments, the adapter may be integrally formed with the control device or attached to the control device. The control device may include means for at least partially controlling the operation of the liquid heating vessel. The control device may include at least one temperature monitoring means configured to monitor the temperature of the liquid heating vessel, for example, the temperature at the base of the heating chamber of the liquid heating vessel. The temperature monitoring means may include, for example, a temperature-sensing actuator configured to activate a switch at a predetermined temperature. The switch may be configured to cut off the power supply to the liquid heating vessel, for example, a heating element inside it.

[0015] In a further series of embodiments, the control device comprises an electronic component to which first and second electrical contacts of a pin are electrically connected. Thus, the first and second electrical contacts can facilitate the transmission of power and / or data between the electronic component and further components located within a cordless power base.

[0016] Electronic components can be arranged on the control device in any suitable manner. For example, electronic components may be mounted on the top surface of the control device and connected by wires to a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact, respectively. In another set of embodiments, the control device includes a bracket extending away from the center of the control device, and the electronic components are mounted to one end of the bracket. This configuration may be particularly preferred when it is undesirable or unnecessary to mount the electronic components near the center of the control device.

[0017] In another set of embodiments, the pins and electronic components are formed as a module to be inserted into an adapter. The module may include a mounting body to which the electronic components and pin components can be attached. For example, the first and second contacts may be mounted on the mounting body and electrically connected to the electronic component, and the electronic component may also be mounted on the mounting body. In some embodiments, the mounting body may include a mounting mechanism that functions to secure the electronic component in place on the mounting body. The mounting body may include a pin-like portion configured to accommodate the first and second electrical contacts. The pin-like portion may include a hollow core shaped to accommodate the first electrical contact. The second electrical contact may be located on the outer surface of the pin-like portion. The material of the pin-like portion may function to electrically insulate the first and second contacts. The mounting body may be formed from an electrically insulating material. By providing the electronic components and pins together as a module, the pins and electronic components can be easily inserted and mounted within a control assembly.

[0018] The electronic component in any of the embodiments described above may include any suitable electronic component. In a series of embodiments, the electronic component includes a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor may include, for example, a thermistor, such as a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. In embodiments where the electronic component and contact pins are formed as part of a module, if the electronic component is a temperature sensor, this can ensure consistent and proper positioning of the temperature sensor. Naturally, the electronic component may include other suitable electronic components. For example, the electronic component may include a motor, a solenoid, a relay, or a display device.

[0019] Third and fourth electrical contacts, providing live and neutral connections for a liquid heating vessel, may be spaced apart from each other by a gap sufficient to minimize the possibility of arc discharge between the two contacts. However, the applicant found that separating the third and fourth electrical contacts with a gap could increase the overall dimensions of the adapter. Therefore, in a series of embodiments, the third and fourth electrical contacts are separated by an annular insulating member, with the third electrical contact in contact with the inward-facing surface of the annular insulating member and the fourth electrical contact in contact with the outward-facing surface of the annular insulating member. The applicant found that by using an insulating member, i.e., a body of material, rather than spacing the third and fourth electrical contacts in air, it is possible to position the third and fourth electrical contacts closer to each other. In other words, the thickness of the insulating member can be smaller than the gap required to properly space the third and fourth electrical contacts. Therefore, the use of insulating material makes it possible to further reduce the footprint of the adapter and cordless base connector. In other embodiments, the third and fourth electrical contacts may be separated by an annular insulating material, but they do not necessarily need to be in contact with the inward-facing and outward-facing surfaces. Instead, the third electrical contact may be located on the first side of the annular insulating material, and the fourth electrical contact may be located on the opposite side of the annular insulating material. This arrangement still may use less space than simply separating these contacts with air.

[0020] In a further series of embodiments, the adapter has an axis extending through the contact pins, and the insulating member extends axially longer than the third and fourth electrical contacts in the direction toward the exposed ends of the contact pins. This effectively extends the insulating member longer than the third and fourth electrical contacts, increasing the distance in the air between the third and fourth electrical contacts. Thus, it is possible to further reduce the risk of arc discharge between the third and fourth electrical contacts.

[0021] In embodiments comprising a control device, the control device may include a support structure to which the pins, third electrical contacts, and fourth electrical contacts (and, if provided, fifth electrical contacts) are attached, and the annular insulating member may be integrally formed with the support structure. The support structure may be formed from injection-molded plastic.

[0022] The first and second electrical contacts may be provided on the pin in any suitable manner. In a series of embodiments, the pin includes an insulating member positioned between the first and second electrical contacts. The insulating member may function to electrically insulate the first and second electrical contacts from each other. The insulating member may have any suitable shape depending on the relative arrangement of the first and second electrical contacts on the pin. In embodiments in which the contact pin and electronic components are provided as a module, the insulating member may be provided by the mounting body of the module. The first and second electrical contacts may be mounted on the mounting body.

[0023] The first and second electrical contacts can be insulated from each other in any suitable arrangement. In a series of embodiments, the first and second electrical contacts are separated from each other along the axis of the pin. By being separated from each other, the first and second electrical contacts can be considered to be electrically isolated, i.e., insulated from each other. Separating the first and second electrical contacts along the axis of the pin has the advantage that the first and second electrical contacts can be connected to the corresponding first and second electrical contacts in the cordless base connector regardless of the angular direction in which the adapter is positioned in the cordless base connector. The corresponding first and second electrical contacts in the cordless base connector can have a suitable shape so as to contact the first and second electrical contacts when the adapter and the cordless base connector are mated. The first and second electrical contacts may each extend around the entire pin, for example, along its entire circumference. In some embodiments, the first electrical contact protrudes from the tip of the pin, and the second electrical contact extends along the circumferential direction of the pin.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are separated from each other around the axis of the pin. Separating the first and second electrical contacts around the axis of the pin provides another means for electrically isolating the first and second electrical contacts from each other. Furthermore, regardless of the angular position in which the adapter is positioned on the cordless power base, it is still possible to easily connect the first and second electrical contacts to the corresponding first and second electrical contacts on the cordless power base.

[0025] The pin may have any suitable cross-sectional shape. In a series of embodiments, the pin has a generally cylindrical shape. A pin having a generally cylindrical shape, such as a cylindrical shape, can advantageously be easily positioned at any angular position on the cordless base connector. In some embodiments, the tip of the pin may be pointed. A pointed tip may further facilitate installing the adapter on the cordless base connector.

[0026] In some embodiments, the control assembly is a 360° cordless control assembly. A 360° cordless control assembly can advantageously allow the adapter (and the liquid heating container to which it is fixed) to be installed in any angular orientation on the cordless base connector (and thus the cordless power base). This can improve the ease of use of the device. Thus, the adapter can be a 360° adapter and the cordless base connector can be a 360° cordless base connector. The shapes of such an adapter and cordless base connector can both be generally cylindrical shapes, such as a cylindrical shape, that facilitate mating in any angular orientation.

[0027] In some embodiments, the pin is disposed at the center of the adapter. Disposing the pin at the center of the adapter can further improve the ease of attaching the assembly to the liquid heating container and the cordless power base.

[0028] The present invention also relates to a cordless liquid heating device comprising a control assembly. Thus, when viewed from a second aspect, a cordless liquid heating device comprising a cordless power base connected to a main power supply, a liquid heating container configured to be installed on the cordless power base, and a control assembly according to any of the above aspects or embodiments, wherein an adapter is attached to the liquid heating container and a cordless base connector is attached to the cordless power base, is provided.

[0029] Being configured to be mounted on a cordless power base means that the liquid heating vessel can be lifted off the cordless power base and returned to the cordless power base. Because the control assembly can be made smaller, the size of the liquid heating vessel and / or cordless power base can be reduced compared to those of conventional technology.

[0030] In a further series of embodiments, the liquid heating vessel comprises a chamber for containing a predetermined amount of liquid to be heated and a heating element for heating the liquid in the vessel, wherein the third and fourth electrical contacts are electrically connected to the heating element. The cordless power base comprises a power cable suitable for connection to a mains power source, wherein the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts inside it may be connected to the live and neutral connections of the power cable. Naturally, the liquid heating vessel may also include any other suitable electrically driven components, such as an electric motor, relay, solenoid, display device, etc., and the third and fourth electrical contacts may be electrically connected to such components.

[0031] The liquid heating container may include a first electronic component to which the first and second contacts of the adapter are connected, and the cordless power base may include a second electronic component to which the corresponding first and second contacts of the cordless base connector are connected. Thus, the first and second electrical contacts, together with their corresponding first and second electrical contacts, can provide an electrical connection between the first and second electronic components. The first electronic component may include a temperature sensor, a motor, etc. The second electronic component may include an electronic controller. The first and second electrical contacts, together with their corresponding first and second electrical contacts, can facilitate data transmission between the first and second electronic components.

[0032] As described in the background art section above, 3-pole and 5-pole control assemblies are known in the prior art. Both the adapters and cordless base connectors of such control assemblies include support structures that hold each of the electrical contacts. In the prior art, different support structures need to be formed for 3-pole and 5-pole control assemblies. The applicant has found that manufacturing separate support structures for each different type of control assembly can be inefficient. Therefore, viewed in a third aspect, the present invention provides a support structure for forming at least a portion of an adapter configured to provide an electrical connection to a corresponding cordless base connector. This support structure includes: A pin housing capable of accommodating multiple different types of pins, wherein the multiple different types of pins include at least a first pin that holds a first electrical contact and a second pin that holds both the first and second electrical contacts, A first annular contact housing capable of housing a third electrical contact having an annular shape, A second annular contact housing portion capable of housing a fourth electrical contact having an annular shape, It comprises a third housing capable of accommodating a fifth electrical contact.

[0033] Therefore, the applicant found that using a single support structure, it is possible to form various different adapters depending on which pin is inserted into the structure and / or which of the third, fourth, and fifth electrical contacts is housed in the support structure. The ability of the pin housing to accommodate multiple different types of pins means that multiple different pins can be interchangeably inserted into the pin housing, but at any given time only a single pin is housed there.

[0034] As an example, a three-pole adapter can be formed by inserting a first pin that holds the first electrical contact into the pin housing, inserting a third electrical contact into the first annular contact housing, and inserting a fourth electrical contact into the second annular contact housing. In contrast, a five-pole adapter can be formed by instead placing a second pin that holds the first and second electrical contacts into the pin housing, placing a third electrical contact into the first annular contact housing, placing a fourth electrical contact into the second annular contact housing, and placing a fifth electrical contact into the third housing.

[0035] These housings may have any suitable form / shape to accommodate each contact. In a series of embodiments, the pin housing is an opening extending through the support structure into which a pin can be inserted. The pin housing may include a retaining mechanism configured to engage with the pin or a member connected thereto, thereby allowing the pin to be properly secured in place. The first, second, and third annular contact housings may each comprise a structure having a corresponding annular shape. For example, each housing may comprise an annular wall into which each electrical contact can be mounted. Each such housing may additionally or alternatively have an opening extending into the support structure, the opening having a shape such as to accommodate projections or tabs extending from each electrical contact. Such openings may function to position at least each electrical contact.

[0036] In a series of embodiments, the first annular contact housing, the second annular contact housing, and the third housing are arranged radially offset from each other with respect to the pin housing. By arranging the first annular contact housing, the second annular contact housing, and the third housing radially offset, it is possible to appropriately isolate each electrical contact within the support structure when they are attached to the support structure, so that each contact is electrically insulated from each other.

[0037] In another set of embodiments, the support structure comprises only a pin housing, a first annular housing, a second annular housing, and a third housing for accommodating electrical contacts. These electrical contacts are suitable for connection with corresponding electrical contacts in a cordless base connector to which an adapter can be mated. According to such embodiments, the support structure may accommodate as few as five electrical contacts (assuming that a pin can hold a maximum of two electrical contacts).

[0038] The support structure may have any suitable form and may be formed from any suitable material. In a series of embodiments, the support structure is formed from a plastic body. The support structure may include, for example, an injection-molded plastic body. In some embodiments, the third housing may be capable of housing a fifth electrical contact having an annular shape.

[0039] The applicant has found that by using the support structure described above, a novel method for manufacturing / assembling the adapter can be employed. Thus, in view of a fourth aspect, a method is provided for forming at least an adapter of a control assembly, the adapter being configured to be attached to a liquid heating container. This method is The steps include forming a support structure according to any of the embodiments described above, A step to determine whether a pin is needed, and if a pin is needed, Select either a first pin that holds the first electrical contact, or a second pin that holds both the first and second electrical contacts. The steps include inserting the selected pin into the pin housing, The steps include inserting a third electrical contact having an annular shape into the first annular contact housing, The procedure includes the step of inserting a fourth electrical contact having an annular shape into a second annular contact housing.

[0040] By using the support structure and method described above, it is advantageously possible to quickly and easily manufacture and assemble multiple different adapters.

[0041] In some countries, an earth connection may not be required. In such cases, it may be determined that a pin is not needed. If it is determined that a pin is not needed, the pin is not inserted into the support structure. Therefore, only the subsequent steps of inserting the third and fourth electrical contacts into the support structure need to be performed. This can form a two-pole adapter. For example, there may always be a pin required to meet certain electrical standards. In this case, the step of determining whether a pin is needed may be omitted. Even then, the steps of selecting a pin and inserting the selected pin may be included.

[0042] If a pin is required and a first pin is selected (for example, because the adapter is not required to facilitate data transmission), this method forms a 3-pole adapter. In contrast, if a second pin is selected and inserted into the pin housing, this method forms a 4-pole adapter. A third and a fourth electrical contact may provide live and neutral connections. If the first pin is selected, the first electrical contact may provide a ground connection; on the other hand, if the second pin is selected, the first and second contacts may provide data connections.

[0043] In a further series of embodiments, the method further comprises the step of inserting a fifth electrical contact into a third housing. When a second pin holding the first and second electrical contacts is selected and inserted, such embodiments form a five-pole adapter. The fifth electrical contact may provide a ground connection to a liquid heating vessel to which the adapter is attached.

[0044] In a series of embodiments, the second pin holding the first and second electrical contacts is part of a module that includes the second pin and an integrated electronic component electrically connected to the first and second electrical contacts of the second pin. Such a pin module simplifies the assembly process because the pin, contacts, and integrated electronic component can be quickly and easily inserted into a support structure.

[0045] The applicant has found that the above-mentioned advantages are not necessarily limited to the formation of an adapter. Therefore, in view of a further embodiment, a connector support structure is provided for forming at least a portion of a cordless base connector configured to provide an electrical connection to a corresponding adapter. The support structure is, It comprises a first contact housing configured to accommodate a corresponding first electrical contact, a second contact housing configured to accommodate a corresponding second electrical contact, a third contact housing configured to accommodate a corresponding third electrical contact, a fourth contact housing configured to accommodate a corresponding fourth electrical contact, and a fifth contact housing configured to accommodate a corresponding fifth electrical contact.

[0046] Therefore, the connector support structure may accommodate up to five electrical contacts. Any number of electrical contacts can be attached to the connector support structure to form a desired cordless base connector.

[0047] In some embodiments, the support structure includes a centrally located cylindrical boss with a hollow core, and an annular wall spaced apart from the cylindrical boss and surrounding it, defining an annular groove between the cylindrical boss and the annular wall. Here, the first and second contact accommodates are located within the hollow core of the cylindrical boss, the second and third contact accommodates are located at the base of the hollow core, and the fifth contact accommodate is located on the outward-facing surface of the annular wall. Thus, various contact accommodates can be appropriately arranged to position contacts for connection with corresponding contacts in the adapter.

[0048] The support structure may be formed from a plastic material. The support structure may also be injection molded.

[0049] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a method for forming a cordless base connector for a control assembly is provided. The cordless base connector is configured to be mounted on a cordless power base. The method is as follows: The steps include forming a connector support structure according to any of the embodiments described above, The steps include determining the number of electrical contacts required within the cordless base connector, The procedure includes the step of inserting at least two of the corresponding first electrical contacts, corresponding second electrical contacts, corresponding third electrical contacts, corresponding fourth electrical contacts, and corresponding fifth electrical contacts into the respective first electrical contact housings, second electrical contact housings, third electrical contact housings, fourth electrical contact housings, and fifth electrical contact housings.

[0050] Therefore, multiple different cordless base connectors can be formed using a single connector support structure. This reduces the number of parts required to manufacture different cordless base connectors.

[0051] According to a further aspect of the present invention, a control assembly for a cordless liquid heating device comprising a liquid heating container and a cordless power base is provided. The control assembly is A cordless base connector that can be attached to a cordless power base, An adapter forming part of a control device attached to a liquid heating container, comprising an adapter configured to mate with a cordless base connector when the liquid heating container is installed on a cordless power base, wherein the adapter is A pin having a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact configured to connect to a corresponding first electrical contact and a corresponding second electrical contact in a cordless base connector, A third electrical contact having an annular shape extending around a pin and positioned radially offset from the pin, configured to connect to a corresponding third electrical contact in a cordless base connector, A fourth electrical contact having an annular shape extending around a third electrical contact and positioned radially offset from the third electrical contact, the fourth electrical contact being configured to connect to a corresponding fourth electrical contact in a cordless base connector, The third and fourth electrical contacts in the adapter, together with the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts in the cordless base connector, are configured to provide live and neutral connections to the liquid heating vessel.

[0052] Any feature of the embodiments of the present invention described above may also be applied to the above embodiments of the present invention.

[0053] In any of the above embodiments or models, the liquid heating container may be suitable for heating any suitable liquid, such as water, milk, tea, coffee, etc. The liquid heating device in any of the above embodiments may be a household countertop liquid heating device, such as a kettle, coffee maker, milk frother, etc. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0054] Some preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described for illustrative purposes only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0055] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cordless liquid heating device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a control assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0057] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the bottom surface of the control device shown in Figure 2.

[0058] Figure 4 is a cutaway view of the control device shown in Figure 2.

[0059] Figure 5 shows the support structure of the control device shown in Figure 2.

[0060] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the underside of the support structure shown in Figure 5, and shows the adapter placed inside it.

[0061] Figure 7 is a bottom plan view of the support structure shown in Figure 5.

[0062] Figure 8 is a top plan view of the support structure shown in Figure 5.

[0063] Figure 9 is a cutaway view of the support structure shown in Figure 5.

[0064] Figure 10 is a perspective view of the control device shown in Figure 2, in which several components are obscured to show the live and neutral electrical connections.

[0065] Figure 11 shows a module comprising pins and electronic components according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] Figure 12 is a cutaway view of the module shown in Figure 11.

[0067] Figure 13 is a perspective view of the mounting body of the module shown in Figure 11.

[0068] Figure 14 is a perspective view of the second electrical contact shown in the preceding figure.

[0069] Figure 15 is a perspective view of the first electrical contact shown in the preceding figure.

[0070] Figure 16 is a perspective view of the cordless base connector shown in Figure 2.

[0071] Figure 17 is a cutaway view of the cordless base connector, showing the corresponding first electrical contact and the corresponding second electrical contact.

[0072] Figure 18 is a perspective view of a control device according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0073] Figure 19 is a perspective view of a control device according to a further embodiment of the present invention.

[0074] Figure 20 is a diagram of the control device shown in Figure 18, where several of its components are obscured to show the electrical connections within the control device.

[0075] Figure 21 is another view showing the underside of the control device shown in Figure 18, with further components obscured to show electrical connections.

[0076] Figure 22 shows a control assembly according to another embodiment of the present invention, the adapter being a 3-pole adapter.

[0077] Figure 23 is a view of the underside of the control device shown in Figure 22, and shows the three contacts of its adapter.

[0078] Figure 24 is a diagram of the control unit, and its various components are obscured to show the electrical connections within the control unit.

[0079] Figure 25 is a perspective view of a 3-pin cordless base connector.

[0080] Figure 26 is a perspective view of the pins of an adapter according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] Figure 27 is a flowchart showing a method for forming an adapter according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0082] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a cordless liquid heating device 2 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The cordless liquid heating device 2 comprises a liquid heating container 4 and a cordless power base 6. The liquid heating container 4 comprises an adapter 8, and the cordless power base comprises a cordless base connector 10 (hereinafter referred to as "connector 10"). According to one embodiment of the present invention, the adapter 8 and the connector 10 together form a control assembly 13. In the illustrated embodiment, the adapter 8 is attached to a control device 12 installed inside the liquid heating container 4 and forms part of the control device 12. The liquid heating container comprises a heating base 14 which is heated by a heating element 16. The heating base 14 at least partially defines a chamber 20 which contains and heats a liquid, such as water, during the operation of the device 2. The cordless power base 6 comprises a power cord 18 which can be connected to a suitable power source, such as a main power supply (not shown). The power cord 18 is electrically connected to appropriate components within the cordless power base 6 and can be directly or indirectly connected to a connector 10 provided on the cordless power base 6.

[0083] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of a control assembly 13 according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control assembly 13 includes a cordless base connector 10 that is attached to a cordless power base 6 and an adapter 8 that is attached to a liquid heating container 4. In the illustrated embodiment, the control assembly 13 is in the form of a 5-pin control assembly 13. That is, the adapter 8 and the connector 10 each have 5 electrical contacts.

[0084] In the illustrated embodiment, the adapter 8 is provided together with the control device 12. The control device 12 includes a support structure 22 in which the adapter 8 is formed. The support structure 22 may be formed from injection-molded plastic. A metal plate 24 may be attached to the top of the support structure 22, which can support further components. The control device 12 includes a plurality of thermal actuators 26 that can be configured to monitor the temperature of components in the liquid heating container 4, such as the heating element 16. The thermal actuators 26 may operate to open an electrical circuit (not visible) in the control device 12 when a predetermined temperature is detected.

[0085] A module 28, which includes a temperature sensor 30, is also installed within the control device 12. The module 28 is mounted such that the temperature sensor 30 is in a fixed position relative to the support structure 22 of the control device 12. As can be seen in Figure 2, the control device 12 includes a first electrical tab 32 and a second electrical tab 34. Although not visible in this figure, these first electrical tabs 32 and 34 may be connected to a third electrical contact and a fourth electrical contact in the adapter 8, respectively. These contacts are shown in Figure 3. The first electrical tab 32 and 34 may be connected to electrically driven components in the liquid heating container 4, such as a heating element 16.

[0086] The connector 10 comprises a connector support structure 36 to which a plurality of corresponding electrical contacts are attached. The connector support structure 36 defines a central boss 38 having an opening 40. The connector support structure 36 further comprises an annular wall 42 that surrounds the central boss 38 at a distance, and the wall 42 defines an annular opening 44. Although not visible, the corresponding first electrical contact and the corresponding second electrical contact are located within the cylindrical opening 40, the corresponding third electrical contact 46 and the corresponding fourth electrical contact 48 are located within the annular opening 44, and the corresponding fifth electrical contact 50 is located on the outermost wall 52 of the connector support structure 36.

[0087] Next, further details of the adapter 8 will be described. Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the bottom of the control device 12 shown in Figure 2. In this figure, the adapter 8 is more clearly visible. As can be seen in this figure, in some embodiments, the adapter 8 comprises a pin 54. This pin comprises a first electrical contact 56 and a second electrical contact 58. The first electrical contact 56 extends from the tip of the pin 54, and the second electrical contact 58 extends along the pin 54 and around it. The first electrical contact 56 and the second electrical contact 58 are separated from each other by an insulating member 60 which functions to electrically insulate the first electrical contact 56 and the second electrical contact 58 from each other. As shown, the pin 54 may be located in the center of the adapter 8. In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 3, the shape of the pin 54 is substantially cylindrical, for example, cylindrical. Of course, the pin 54 may have any other suitable shape.

[0088] The adapter 8 further comprises a third electrical contact 62, a fourth electrical contact 64, and a fifth electrical contact 66. The third electrical contact 62, the fourth electrical contact 64, and the fifth electrical contact 66 all have annular shapes. As can be seen in Figure 3, the third electrical contact 62 and the fourth electrical contact 64 can be separated from each other by an annular insulating member 68. As can be seen in Figure 3, the support structure 22 defines the outermost annular wall 70. The fifth electrical contact 66 is mounted against the inner surface of this outermost annular wall 70 (not visible in this figure). As is also clear from Figure 3, the third electrical contact 62, the fourth electrical contact 64, and the fifth electrical contact 66 are each spaced radially at different distances from the pin 54.

[0089] Although not visible in Figure 3, the third electrical contact 62 and the fourth electrical contact 64 provide live and neutral connections within the adapter 8. In other words, they facilitate the supply of power to the adapter 8 and to the electrically driven components connected to it. Once the adapter 8 is attached to the liquid heating container 4, the third electrical contact 62 and the fourth electrical contact 64 can ultimately be connected to the electrically driven components, such as the heating element 16.

[0090] Similarly, although not visible in Figure 3, the fifth electrical contact 66 may provide an earth connection to the inside of the adapter 8, the control device 12, and the liquid heating container 4 to which the control device 12 is mounted.

[0091] The control assembly 13 can take the form of a 360° cordless control assembly, which allows the adapter 8 to be mounted on the cordless base connector 10 in any angular direction. This is achieved by comprising an adapter 8 having a cylindrical profile and a cordless base connector having a corresponding complementary cylindrical profile.

[0092] Figure 4 is a cutaway view of the control device 12, focusing on its adapter 8. In this figure, pin 54 is more clearly visible, along with the first electrical contact 56, the second electrical contact 58, the third electrical contact 62, the fourth electrical contact 64, and the fifth electrical contact 66. As can be seen in Figure 4, the adapter 8 extends roughly along the axis indicated by the dashed line AA. This axis runs through the center of the adapter 8, and consequently through the center of pin 54.

[0093] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 4, the annular insulating member 68 extends longer along axis AA than the third electrical contact 62 and the fourth electrical contact 64. As a result, an annular rim 72 without electrical contacts is formed at the upper end of the annular insulating member 68. This increases the air gap between the third electrical contact 62 and the fourth electrical contact 64, further reducing the possibility of arc discharge occurring between the two electrical contacts.

[0094] Figure 5 shows a perspective view of the support structure 22 of the control device 12 in which the adapter 8 is formed. In other words, the support structure 22 is the support structure for the adapter 8. The support structure 22 may be formed from a single piece of injection-molded plastic. The support structure 22 includes a plurality of contact accommodates, which will be described with reference to the following figures.

[0095] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing the support structure 22 of the control device 12, focusing on its adapter 8. In this figure, the outermost annular wall 70 and the annular insulating member 68 are more clearly visible. The outermost annular wall 70 and the annular insulating member 68 are integrally formed with the support structure 22. As can be seen from this figure, the adapter 8 includes a hole 74 configured to accommodate the pin 54 when the control device 12 is assembled. Therefore, the hole 74 can be considered a pin housing because it has the shape and position to accommodate the pin 54. The support structure 22 may have a further structure on the side opposite to the side shown in Figure 6 that accommodates the pin 54 and / or a module 28 that includes the pin 54 as part of it.

[0096] In the embodiment shown in Figure 6, the annular insulating member 68 functions to form both a first annular housing and a second annular housing. The inner surface 69 defines the first annular housing because it is the surface on which the third electrical contact 62 is mounted. The outer surface 71 defines the second annular housing because it is the surface on which the fourth electrical contact 64 is mounted. The inner surface 73 of the outermost annular wall 70 also defines a third housing for accommodating the fifth electrical contact 66.

[0097] Figure 7 shows a view of the underside of the support structure 22. Referring to both Figures 6 and 7, the support structure 22 is provided with a number of mounting holes for mounting various electrical contacts. Specifically, the support structure 22 is provided with third electrical contact mounting holes 76A, 76B for accommodating a projection mechanism on the third electrical contact 62. The support structure 22 is further provided with fourth electrical contact mounting holes 78A, 78B for accommodating a projection mechanism on the fourth electrical contact 64. The support structure 22 is also provided with fifth electrical contact mounting holes 80A, 80B for accommodating a projection mechanism on the fifth electrical contact 66. The support structure 22 is further provided with a third electrical contact connection hole 92, a fourth electrical contact connection hole 94, and a fifth electrical contact connection hole 96, through which the connection tabs of the corresponding third electrical contact 62, fourth electrical contact 64, and fifth electrical contact 66 extend, respectively, so that they can be properly connected to components or electrical circuits in the control device 12. While specific shapes of mounting mechanisms have been described so far, it will be understood that the support structure 22 may be provided with any suitable housings capable of accommodating pins and various electrical contacts.

[0098] Figure 8 is a top view of the support structure 22, showing how the third electrical contact mounting holes 76A, 76B, the fourth electrical contact mounting holes 78A, 78B, and the fifth electrical contact mounting holes 80A, 80B, along with the third electrical contact connection hole 92, the fourth electrical contact connection hole 94, and the fifth electrical contact connection hole 96, penetrate the entire depth of the support structure 22 and extend to the top surface 98 of the support structure 22.

[0099] Figure 9 is a cutaway view of the support structure 22, focusing on its adapter 8. As can be seen from this figure, the adapter 8 may further comprise an upright annular wall 100 in addition to the annular insulating member 68 and the outermost annular wall 70. The upright annular wall 100 may extend over a smaller area along the axial direction of the adapter 8, indicated by the dashed line AA, than the annular insulating member 68. The upright annular wall 100 may have a function to assist in the positioning of the third electrical contact 62 within the adapter 8, and may further assist in supporting the third electrical contact 62 in place. The upright annular wall 100 may also function to provide a suitable amount of electrical insulation between the base of the second electrical contact 58 and the base of the third electrical contact 62. The bases of the second electrical contact 58 and the base of the third electrical contact 62 may be at different potentials.

[0100] Figure 10 shows the control device 12, with various components obscured to more clearly illustrate the electrical connections within the control device 12. As can be seen from this figure, the first electrical tab 32 is electrically in contact with the first intermediate connecting member 102, which is connected to the first connecting tab 104 extending from the fourth electrical contact 64. The second electrical tab 34 is electrically in contact with the second intermediate connecting member 106, which is connected to the second connecting tab 108 extending from the third electrical contact 62. Thus, the first electrical tab 32 provides a means of connection to the fourth electrical contact 64, and the second electrical tab 34 provides a means of connection to the third electrical contact 62. The first electrical tab 32 and the second electrical tab 34 can provide live and neutral connections to electrical components in the liquid heating vessel 4, such as the heating element 16.

[0101] As described above, in some embodiments, the pin 54 may be part of a module 28 that can be inserted into a support structure 22, thereby allowing the adapter 8 to be formed quickly and easily. Figure 11 shows a module 28 that can be inserted into a control device 12. The module 28 includes a pin 54 having a first electrical contact 56 and a second electrical contact 58. The first electrical contact 56 and the second electrical contact 58 are separated by an insulating member 60. The module 28 includes a mounting body 110 to which various components of the module 28 are attached. The module 28 further includes an electrical component in the form of a temperature sensor 30. The temperature sensor 30 may include a negative temperature coefficient (NTC) thermistor. The following figures show cross-sectional and partial views of the module 28 to illustrate the various components of the module 28.

[0102] Figure 12 shows a cutaway view of module 28. As can be seen from this figure, module 28 may include a spring member 112, for example, in the form of a coil spring 112, which can be configured to elastically bias the temperature sensor 30 upward. This elastic bias acting on the temperature sensor 30 can act to hold the temperature sensor 30 in close contact with the component whose temperature is to be monitored when the control device 12 is attached to the liquid heating container 4. A first wire 126 and a second wire 128 extend from the temperature sensor 30 and are connected to a first electrical contact 56 and a second electrical contact 58, respectively.

[0103] Figure 13 shows the mounting body 110 of module 28 alone. As can be seen from this figure, the insulating member 60 is integrally formed with the mounting body 110. The mounting body 110 includes a pin-shaped portion 114 that functions to provide the insulating member 60. The pin-shaped portion 114 includes a hollow core (not visible in this figure) through which a first electrical contact 56 extends. The pin-shaped portion 114 has an opening at its end so that when the first electrical contact 56 is inserted into the pin-shaped portion 114, the first electrical contact 56 protrudes from the tip 116 of the pin-shaped portion 114. The pin-shaped portion 114 further includes a contact housing portion 118 comprising a peripheral portion 120 and an axially extended portion 122. The peripheral portion 120 and the axially extended portion 122 each house a corresponding portion of the second electrical contact 58. Although not visible in this figure, the base 124 of the mounting body 110 has openings through which a first electrical contact 56 and a second electrical contact 58 can extend, respectively, to facilitate electrical connections within the module 28. The mounting body 110 further includes a mounting mechanism 130 that can function to fix the module 28 in place on the control device 12. The mounting mechanism 130 can engage with a suitably shaped projection on a support structure 22 that functions to hold the module 28 in place on the control device 12.

[0104] Figure 14 is a perspective view showing the second electrical contact 58 alone. As can be seen from this figure, the second electrical contact 58 includes a circumferential extension 138 formed to extend around the peripheral portion 120 on the mounting body 110. The second electrical contact 58 also includes an axial extension 140 having a shape that fits into the axial housing 122 on the mounting body 110. The second electrical contact 58 further includes a contact tab 142 to which the second wire 128 shown in Figure 12 can be connected.

[0105] Figure 15 is a perspective view showing the first electrical contact 56 alone. The first electrical contact 56 has an elongated portion 144, which has a shape and dimensions such that it can extend through the hollow core of the contact housing 118, and the tip 146 of the first electrical contact 56 protrudes from the contact housing 118. The tip 146 makes it possible to form an electrical connection with the first electrical contact 56.

[0106] Figure 16 shows a perspective view of the connector 10 of the control assembly 13. In this figure, the corresponding third electrical contact 46, the corresponding fourth electrical contact 48, and the corresponding fifth electrical contact 50 can be seen. Figure 17 shows a cutaway view of the connector 10. As can be seen from this figure, the corresponding first electrical contact 148 and the corresponding second electrical contact 150 are located within the hollow core 152 of the central boss 38. As shown, the corresponding first electrical contact 148 is oriented to contact the tip of the pin 54, thereby making contact with the first electrical contact at its end. In contrast, the corresponding second electrical contact 150 is oriented to contact the second electrical contact 58.

[0107] Referring to the diagram above, when the control device 12, specifically its adapter 8, is mated with the connector 10, an electrical connection is formed between them. Specifically, the first electrical contact 56 contacts the corresponding first electrical contact 148, and the second electrical contact 58 contacts the corresponding second electrical contact 150. These contacts 56, 58, 158, and 150 may be for providing data transmission between the adapter 8 and the connector 10. Therefore, when contact is made, data can be transmitted from the temperature sensor 30 to the connector 10, for example, to a controller located on the cordless power base 6.

[0108] When mated, the third electrical contact 62 contacts the corresponding third electrical contact 46, and the fourth electrical contact 64 contacts the corresponding fourth electrical contact 48. These contacts provide live and neutral connections, thereby facilitating power transmission between the adapter 8 and the connector 10.

[0109] Similarly, when mating, the fifth electrical contact 66 will come into contact with the corresponding fifth electrical contact 50. These contacts may provide a ground connection between the adapter 8 and the connector 10.

[0110] The embodiments described above are not the only forms of control devices that can be formed. Figure 18 shows a perspective view of a control device 1012 according to another embodiment of the present invention. The control device 1012 is substantially identical to the control device 12 described above, with the exception of some minor differences described below. Importantly, however, the control device 1012 includes an adapter 1008 that substantially corresponds to the adapter 8 described above.

[0111] Unlike the above-described embodiment in which the temperature sensor 30 is provided as part of module 28, in the embodiment shown in Figure 18, the temperature sensor 1030 is mounted on a bracket 1154 that extends away from the support structure 1022 of the control device 1012. The bracket 1154 may be mounted on a metal plate 1024. In this embodiment, the first wire 1126 and the second wire 1128 are longer than in the above-described embodiment. The ends of the wires 1126 and 1128 are provided with spade connectors 1156 and 1158, one of which can be seen in Figure 18 (the other can be seen in Figure 21). Each spade connector 1156 and 1158 can be appropriately connected to the first and second electrical contacts (not shown in Figure 18) of the adapter 1008.

[0112] Figure 19 shows another embodiment of the control device 2012. The control device 2012 is substantially identical to the control device 12 described above, with the following differences. Unlike the first embodiment described above, the temperature sensor 2030 in this further embodiment is also not provided as part of a module. Instead, the temperature sensor 2030 is simply mounted on a metal plate 2024 on top of the control device 2012. Here again, the first wire 2126 and the second wire 2128 extend from the temperature sensor 2030 and terminate at spade connectors 2156 and 2158. These are suitably connected to the first and second electrical contacts (not visible in this figure).

[0113] Figure 20 shows a diagram of the control device 1012 shown in Figure 18, where the metal plate 1024 and bracket 1154 are obscured to show the components below. As can be seen from this diagram, the first spade connector 1156 and the second spade connector 1158 are connected to the first intermediate connector 1160 and the second intermediate connector 1162, which are connected to the contact tab 1142 of the second electrical contact (not visible in this diagram) and the contact tab 1147 of the first electrical contact (not visible in this diagram). The temperature sensor is connected to the first and second electrical contacts.

[0114] Figure 21 is a view of the control device 1012 from below, showing only a limited number of electrical components to illustrate the electrical connection to the temperature sensor 1030. As can be seen from this figure, the contact tab 1147 of the first electrical contact 1056 is in contact with the second intermediate connector 1162, and the contact tab 1142 of the second electrical contact 1058 is in contact with the first intermediate connector 1160. Spade connectors 1156 and 1158 are connected to the first intermediate connector 1160 and the second intermediate connector 1162, thereby providing the electrical connection to the temperature sensor 1030. These figures show how the temperature sensor 1030 is connected to the first and second electrical contacts.

[0115] In the embodiments described above, the control assembly is in the form of a 5-pole control assembly. However, in some embodiments of the present invention, the control assembly may have fewer contacts. Accordingly, Figure 22 shows a perspective view of another control assembly 3013 according to another embodiment of the present invention. Similar to the prior embodiments, the control assembly 3013 comprises a control device 3012 including an adapter 3008. The control assembly 3013 further comprises a cordless base connector 3010. However, unlike the embodiments described above in which the adapter and connector each have five electrical contacts, the adapter 3008 and the cordless base connector 3010 each have three electrical contacts, so this embodiment becomes a 3-pole control assembly 3013. Although this embodiment is shown as comprising a control device 3012, it will be understood that the adapter 3008 does not necessarily have to be part of such a control device 3012 and may instead be provided independently.

[0116] Importantly, in the embodiment shown in Figure 22, the support structure 3022 is identical to the support structure 22 in the embodiment described above. Therefore, a single support structure is used to form both the 5-pole control assembly and the 3-pole control assembly. This reduces the number of different parts that must be manufactured to create different control assemblies.

[0117] Figure 23 shows a perspective view of the bottom of the control device 3012. In this embodiment, the adapter 3008 has a different pin 3054. This pin 3054 has only the first electrical contact 3056, rather than both the first and second electrical contacts. The adapter 3008 further has a second electrical contact 3062 (identical to the third electrical contact 62 in the above embodiment) and a third electrical contact 3064 (identical to the fourth electrical contact in the above embodiment). In this embodiment, a fifth electrical contact is not inserted into the adapter 3008.

[0118] Figure 24 shows a diagram of the control device 3012, in which several components are obscured to more clearly show the electrical connections to the second electrical contact 3062 and the third electrical contact 3064. As can be seen from this diagram, the first power connection tab 3160 can be connected to the first connection tab 3104 extending from the second electrical contact 3062, and the second power connection tab 3162 can be connected to the second connection tab 3108 extending from the third electrical contact 3064. The first power connection tab 3160 and the second power connection tab 3162 may be connected to any components in the liquid heating vessel that require power.

[0119] Figure 25 shows a perspective view of the cordless base connector 3010. As can be seen from this figure, the cordless base connector 3010 includes a corresponding first electrical contact 3148, a corresponding second electrical contact 3046, and a corresponding third electrical contact 3048. Although not shown in this embodiment, the cordless base connector 3010 may have the same connector support structure as the 5-pin cordless base connector 10 described above.

[0120] In all of the embodiments described above, the adapter is shown as part of the control device, but it will be understood that it is also possible to omit the control device and provide the adapter independently, or for the adapter to form part of a different component.

[0121] In the embodiment of the 5-pole adapter 8 described above, the first electrical contact 56 and the second electrical contact 58 are axially offset along the pin 54. However, this is not mandatory, and instead, these contacts may be circumferentially offset. Figure 26 shows a perspective view of pin 4054 according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, pin 4054 comprises a first electrical contact 4056 and a second electrical contact 4058. However, unlike the preceding embodiment in which the electrical contacts are separated along axis A-A, in this embodiment the first and second electrical contacts are separated along the circumferential direction of pin 4054. Even with this arrangement, it may be possible to achieve an electrical connection that can be established regardless of the angular direction between the adapter and the corresponding connector by appropriately positioning the corresponding contacts within the cordless base connector.

[0122] As described above, the 3-pole control assembly and the 5-pole control assembly each include an adapter having a common support structure. Figure 27 shows a flowchart of a method for forming an adapter for a control assembly according to one embodiment of the present invention, illustrating how different adapters can be formed using a common support structure.

[0123] This method includes forming a support structure in step S1. The support structure formed in step S1 may have the form of the support structure 22 described above. The support structure may be formed by injection molding. In step S2, it is determined whether a pin is necessary. This determination can be made based on an evaluation of the number of electrical contacts required in the adapter.

[0124] If a pin is required, the method proceeds to step S3 and selects a first pin having a first electrical contact, or a second pin having a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact. The first pin may be selected if it is desirable to manufacture a 3-pole adapter, and the second pin may be selected if it is desirable to manufacture a 5-pole adapter. The method then proceeds to step S4 and inserts the selected pin, i.e., the first or second pin, into the support structure. Next, the method proceeds to step S5 and inserts a third electrical contact having an annular shape into the first annular contact housing. Subsequently, the method proceeds to step S6 and inserts a fourth electrical contact into the second annular contact housing. If a 5-pole adapter is required and the second pin has been selected and inserted in steps S3 and S4, the method may include step S7 of inserting a fifth electrical contact into the third housing.

[0125] In step S2, if it is determined that a pin is not needed, for example, because a ground connection is not required, the method may instead proceed to steps S5 and S6 to insert the third and fourth electrical contacts, and omit steps S3 and S4. This makes it possible to form a two-pole adapter.

[0126] Although this method has been described in order, it will be understood that each step of this method can be performed in any appropriate order. For example, steps S5, S6, and S7, which involve inserting the third, fourth, and optionally fifth electrical contacts, may be performed prior to steps S2, S3, and S4, which involve determining whether a pin is needed, selecting a pin, and inserting that pin. Also, in some embodiments where it is pre-configured that the adapter needs to have a pin, it will be understood that the step of determining whether a pin is needed may be omitted, and instead, the process may proceed directly to steps S3 and S4.

[0127] The method described above is similarly applicable to the formation of cordless base connectors. This method may include forming a connector support structure and then inserting an appropriate number of corresponding first, second, third, fourth, and fifth electrical contacts into the connector support structure. Thus, a cordless base connector can have a number of contacts corresponding to the paired adapters.

[0128] Although the present invention has been described in detail in relation to only a limited number of embodiments, it will be readily apparent that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the present invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, changes, substitutions, or equivalent configurations that, while not described herein, fall within the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, although various embodiments of the present invention have been described, it will be understood that the aspects of the present invention may include only some of the embodiments described. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited by the foregoing description but is limited only by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A control assembly for a cordless liquid heating device comprising a liquid heating container and a cordless power base, A cordless base connector that is attached to the aforementioned cordless power base, The adapter is attached to the liquid heating container and is configured to engage with the cordless base connector when the liquid heating container is installed on the cordless power base, and the adapter is configured to engage with the cordless base connector. A pin having a first electrical contact and a second electrical contact configured to connect to a corresponding first electrical contact and a corresponding second electrical contact in the cordless base connector, A third electrical contact having an annular shape extending around the pin and positioned radially offset from the pin, the third electrical contact configured to connect to a corresponding third electrical contact in the cordless base connector, A fourth electrical contact having an annular shape extending around the third electrical contact and positioned radially offset from the third electrical contact, the fourth electrical contact being configured to connect to the corresponding fourth electrical contact in the cordless base connector, A control assembly in which the third and fourth electrical contacts in the adapter are configured together with the corresponding third and fourth electrical contacts in the cordless base connector to provide live and neutral connections to the liquid heating vessel.

2. The control assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a fifth electrical contact located radially offset from the pin, the fifth electrical contact configured to connect to a corresponding fifth electrical contact in the cordless base connector, the fifth electrical contact configured to provide a ground connection to the liquid heating vessel.

3. The control assembly according to claim 2, wherein the fifth electrical contact is located radially outward from the fourth electrical contact.

4. The control assembly according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fifth electrical contact has an annular shape.

5. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact in the adapter, together with the corresponding first electrical contact and the corresponding second electrical contact in the cordless power base, provide a signal connection for transmitting data between the adapter and the cordless base connector.

6. The adapter forms part of a control unit that is attached to the liquid heating container, according to any of the preceding claims.

7. The control assembly according to claim 6, wherein the control device comprises an electronic component to which the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact of the pin are electrically connected.

8. The control assembly according to claim 7, wherein the pins and the electronic components are formed as a module inserted into the adapter.

9. The control assembly according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the electronic component includes a temperature sensor.

10. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the third electrical contact and the fourth electrical contact are separated by an annular insulating member, the third electrical contact is in contact with the inward-facing surface of the annular insulating member, and the fourth electrical contact is in contact with the outward-facing surface of the annular insulating member.

11. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pin comprises an insulating member disposed between the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact.

12. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are separated from each other along the axis of the pin.

13. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact are separated from each other around the axis of the pin.

14. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pin has a substantially cylindrical shape.

15. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the control assembly is a 360° cordless control assembly.

16. The control assembly according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the pin is located in the center of the adapter.

17. A cordless power base that connects to the main power supply, A liquid heating container configured to be installed on the cordless power base, A control assembly according to any of the prior claims, comprising: A cordless liquid heating device in which the adapter is attached to the liquid heating container and the cordless base connector is attached to the cordless power base.

18. The liquid heating device according to claim 17, wherein the liquid heating container comprises a chamber for containing a predetermined amount of liquid to be heated and a heating element for heating the liquid in the liquid heating container, and the third electrical contact and the fourth electrical contact are electrically connected to the heating element.

19. A support structure for forming at least a portion of an adapter configured to provide an electrical connection to a corresponding cordless base connector, A pin housing capable of accommodating multiple different types of pins, wherein the multiple different types of pins include at least a first pin that holds a first electrical contact and a second pin that holds both the first and second electrical contacts, A first annular contact housing portion capable of housing a third electrical contact having an annular shape, A second annular contact housing portion capable of housing a fourth electrical contact having an annular shape, A support structure comprising a third housing portion capable of accommodating a fifth electrical contact.

20. The support structure according to claim 19, wherein the first annular contact housing, the second annular contact housing, and the third housing are arranged radially offset from each other with respect to the pin housing.

21. The support structure according to claim 19 or 20, wherein the support structure comprises only a pin housing portion, a first annular housing portion, a second annular housing portion, and a third housing portion for housing electrical contacts.

22. The support structure according to any one of claims 19 to 21, wherein the support structure is formed from a plastic body.

23. A method for forming at least an adapter for a control assembly, wherein the adapter is configured to be attached to a liquid heating vessel, and the method is The steps of forming a support structure according to any one of claims 19 to 22, A step to determine whether a pin is needed, and if a pin is needed, Select either a first pin that holds the first electrical contact, or a second pin that holds both the first and second electrical contacts. The steps include inserting the selected pin into the pin housing, The steps include inserting a third electrical contact having an annular shape into the first annular contact housing, A method comprising the step of inserting a fourth electrical contact having an annular shape into the second annular contact housing.

24. The method according to claim 23, further comprising the step of inserting a fifth electrical contact into the third housing.

25. The method according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the second pin holding the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact is part of a module including the second pin and an integrated electronic component electrically connected to the first electrical contact and the second electrical contact of the second pin.

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