阅读说明：本技术 液体加热容器 (Liquid heating container ) 是由 M·G·柯林森 于 2019-11-19 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种液体加热设备,用于在电磁炉上使用,包括液体加热容器和铁磁加热板(5),铁磁加热板设置成位于容器内部,与容器的基部(3)相邻。铁磁加热板(5)设置成在远离容器的基部(3)的基本上垂直的方向垂直地可移动并返回。提升铁磁加热板的装置包括热敏致动器(11、12、14、15、16),其中铁磁加热板(5)机械地联接至热敏致动器。热敏致动器包括存储能量的装置(11)、流体地连接至容器的蒸汽室(13)以及用于包括热敏设备(14)的致动器的可释放的闭锁机构(15),热敏设备设置成当受到从容器中的沸水进入蒸汽室(13)的蒸汽的接近的影响时在预定温度下运行。热敏致动器还包括便于手动干预致动器的操作并允许用户设置或重置致动器位置的装置。(A liquid heating apparatus for use on an induction cooker comprises a liquid heating vessel and a ferromagnetic heating plate (5) arranged to be located inside the vessel adjacent a base (3) of the vessel. The ferromagnetic heating plate (5) is arranged vertically movable and returned in a substantially vertical direction away from the base (3) of the container. The means for lifting the ferromagnetic heating plate comprises a heat sensitive actuator (11, 12, 14, 15, 16), wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate (5) is mechanically coupled to the heat sensitive actuator. The heat sensitive actuator comprises means (11) for storing energy, a steam chamber (13) fluidly connected to the container, and a releasable latching mechanism (15) for the actuator comprising a heat sensitive device (14) arranged to operate at a predetermined temperature when influenced by the proximity of steam from boiling water in the container entering the steam chamber (13). The thermally sensitive actuator also includes means to facilitate manual intervention in the operation of the actuator and to allow a user to set or reset the position of the actuator.)

1. A liquid heating apparatus for use on an induction hob, comprising:

a container that receives, contains, heats and dispenses water, the container being made of a non-ferromagnetic material;

a ferromagnetic heating plate disposed inside the container adjacent to a base of the container, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate is disposed vertically movable and returned in a substantially vertical direction away from the base of the container; and

a means for lifting the ferromagnetic heating plate, the means comprising a thermally sensitive actuator, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate is mechanically coupled to the thermally sensitive actuator;

the thermal actuator includes:

a means for storing energy;

a vapor chamber fluidly connected to the container;

a releasable latching mechanism for an actuator comprising a heat sensitive device arranged to operate at a predetermined temperature when influenced by the proximity of steam entering the steam chamber from boiling water in the container; and

means for facilitating manual intervention in the operation of said actuator and allowing a user to set or reset the position of said actuator.

2. A liquid heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the orientation of the ferromagnetic heating plate when moved remains substantially parallel to the base of the container.

3. A liquid heating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the thermally sensitive actuator comprises a connector mechanically coupling the ferromagnetic heating plate to the thermally sensitive actuator.

4. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the connector is a substantially structurally rigid component.

5. A liquid heating apparatus according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate is attached or connected to the connector in a cantilevered arrangement.

6. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in any of claims 3 to 5, wherein the thermally sensitive actuator further comprises a guide for the connector.

7. Liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the thermally sensitive actuator is provided partially inside the container and partially outside the container.

8. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein some components of the releasable latching mechanism are included as part and/or separately in a handle attached to the container.

9. A liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the steam chamber is fluidly connected with an upper portion of the body of the container above a maximum fill level.

10. Liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the heat sensitive apparatus comprises one or more of the following temperature sensors: a bimetallic temperature sensor, a shape memory material temperature sensor, a phase change material temperature sensor, and an electronic temperature sensor.

11. A liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate is made of a material having a predetermined curie point temperature, and the curie point temperature is in a range of not less than 100 ℃ and not more than 360 ℃.

12. The liquid heating apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the curie point temperature is in a range of not lower than 110 ℃ and not higher than 260 ℃.

13. A liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate comprises a downward projection from the ferromagnetic heating plate acting as a pillar.

14. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 13, wherein the height of the protrusions is between 0.1mm and 10 mm.

15. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein the height of the protrusions is between 0.5mm and 3 mm.

16. A liquid heating apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plate comprises an arrangement of perforations therein.

17. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the ferromagnetic heating plates are encapsulated, coated or plated with other materials to provide corrosion protection.

18. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising a water outlet and a filter element disposed in the water outlet to prevent scale from being dispensed and to act as a vapour escape limiter.

19. A liquid heating apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a button or switch provides said means to facilitate manual intervention in the operation of the actuator and to allow a user to set or reset the position of the actuator.

20. A liquid heating apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the latching mechanism can be manually overridden or released by physically pressing the button or switch downwards to then operate a push release mechanism whereby the latching mechanism is released by moving or deflecting a part of the mechanism.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to liquid heating vessels and in particular to an arrangement for a liquid heating apparatus for use with an induction hob.

Background

Liquid heaters, in particular domestic heaters commonly used for the preparation of hot beverages and beverages such as tea, coffee, chocolate and soup, are commonly referred to as kettles. Generally, they are provided as functional containers that receive, contain, heat and dispense liquids, typically water. Induction cooktops are becoming more and more common for preparing food and beverages in domestic kitchens and in order to function effectively it is necessary that pots, pans and kettles used thereon contain magnetic material, in whole or in part.

A typical electromagnetic kettle refers to a range kettle, in the structure of which a ferromagnetic material is incorporated into a portion of the base or bottom of the kettle, and when these electromagnetic kettles are used on different stoves of different specifications, when the water is heated to the boiling point, the water will sometimes boil for a longer period of time than is required before the stove automatically limits or cuts off power to the induction coil, which results in inefficient power being consumed and also in excessive steam being generated. To minimize any over boiling, it is useful to include a steam siren as part of the kettle design so that the automatic control of the oven can be manually interrupted or the kettle removed from the oven when a person is alerted by an audible siren. There are many reasons that can lead to excessive boiling: the thermal sensors' distance from the water, the thermal characteristics of the different materials, poor contact between the jug and the stove, the air gap involved, the quantity of water, the altitude of the location, the position of the jug on the surface of the hob, and many variations in the design and construction of such jugs and induction cookers from different manufacturers. If the kettle boils dry, it is undesirable for the induction hob to not shut off automatically, in which case there will be no audible whistle from the kettle.

By way of example, prior art CN202051519U and WO2016/074743a1 provide a variation of efficient automatic power limiting or cutting as a solution. Both thus provide a kettle which is equipped with a container (vessel) or container (container) for water to be heated and which consists of a non-magnetic or non-ferromagnetic material. Disposed within and at the bottom or base of the container is a movable magnetic or ferromagnetic heating plate or pedestal that is moved upwardly away from the bottom of the container by a thermally activated actuator when the water boils. There are, however, variations in the specification, the main difference being that WO2016/074743a1 employs a shape memory material which together with an intermediate component is both a thermal sensor and an actuator, and employs a ferromagnetic heater plate material with a curie point temperature limit as a dry-boil solution. CN202051519U employs within the assembly a bimetal as a thermal sensor, a known steam switch component that is being investigated for use in other kettle devices, wherein the movement and force of the bimetal is amplified by a lever, spring and toggle mechanism acting as an actuator to lift the heating plate and to automatically prevent over-boiling of water. Here, an alternative solution to prevent a dry-boil situation is disclosed: which is an additional shape memory feature located below the heating plate that will expand and raise the heating plate away from the bottom of the container when a predetermined temperature above the boiling temperature is reached, an alternative dry cooking device discloses a heating plate consisting of two or more parts, one of which moves relative to the other to reduce the current flowing in the heating plate, and is actuated by a shape memory material when the predetermined temperature is reached.

The disclosed prior art has been found to suffer from drawbacks. There are many different induction cookers available and each configured and arranged differently, the automatic shut down function, sometimes also referred to as the (ferromagnetic) object detection function, exhibits a different or variable level of sensitivity to the heating plate when it is raised, and therefore cannot reliably or consistently provide automatic power limitation to the cooker or cannot automatically shut down the cooker when water is boiling. The heating plates and devices disclosed in the prior art are configured to cause the heating plate to tilt in an irregular orientation when lifted without means for guiding the heating plate, so the orientation of the heating plate is inconsistent and unpredictable during and when it has been lifted, and the alternative prior art discloses a predictable and consistent rotating heating plate that rotates about a pivot fixed to the bottom inner surface of the container, however, the heating plate in such devices changes or increases its tilt angle relative to the bottom of the container. In both embodiments, automatic limitation or cutting of power operation by the object detection sensing function of the furnace is unreliable.

The present invention provides a device for a kettle which allows it to operate correctly in a consistent, reliable and safe manner.

CN200945093Y discloses a cooking utensil for an induction cooker, wherein a magnetic conductive heating body is arranged in a container and a central shaft is arranged on the magnetic conductive heating body. The central shaft passes through a spring chamber with a built-in compression spring, the spring chamber is arranged at the bottom of a cover body, and the cover body is arranged at the top of the container. A fixing pin is provided on a center shaft in the cover body. The bimetal piece is fixed to the inner bottom of the cover body at one end and is arranged by being jointed with the fixing pin at the other end. The handle disposed at the top end of the central shaft enables a user to press the magnetically conductive heating body down to the bottom of the container to begin induction heating, thereby compressing the compression spring and engaging the free end of the bimetallic strip over the retaining pin. As the temperature in the container rises, steam is generated and enters the cover through the steam guide hole, thereby increasing the temperature of the bimetal. When the temperature reaches a certain value, the bimetallic strip deforms upwards, the fixing pin is disengaged and the central shaft moves upwards under the force of the compression spring, so that the magnetic conductive heating body is lifted and separated from the bottom of the container.

The disclosed prior art has been found to suffer from drawbacks. The arrangement seen in CN200945093Y requires the bimetal to deform before the central shaft can move upwards under the force of the compression spring. Manual intervention is not possible to lift the magnetically conductive heating body. Furthermore, when the magnetically conductive heating body returns to the bottom of the container, the bimetallic strip must cool and reset to engage the retaining pin.

The present invention provides a device for a kettle that allows a user to set or reset a lifting device for a ferromagnetic heating plate.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention as disclosed in the following description relates to an arrangement for a liquid heating appliance (kettle) for use on an induction hob, which solves the drawbacks of the prior art as described above.

According to the present invention, there is provided a liquid heating apparatus for use on an induction hob as defined in claim 1.

A kettle is disclosed that is configured with a container that receives, contains, heats, and dispenses water and is made of a non-ferromagnetic material. The container is configured with an opening at the top, a sidewall, and a base, and can receive and contain water therein. Preferably, the base of the container is substantially flat so as to enable close proximity to the top surface of the induction hob. It is also preferred that the container is configured with a water outlet to assist in pouring the contained water from the container and/or a handle to assist in pouring, filling and general manual handling and placement of the kettle. The opening in the top of the container is preferably configured with a movable lid capable of substantially closing the opening in the top of the container, yet the water outlet is still able to function properly and allow pouring of water even if the lid is closed.

A ferromagnetic heating plate is disposed inside the container adjacent to the base of the container. The ferromagnetic heating plate is arranged to be movable, vertically movable in a substantially vertical direction away from the base of the container and back. The movement of the ferromagnetic base as a whole equally over distance provides for maximum reduction of the induced current passing through it and therefore provides an improved means for the induction hob object detection sensing function to operate with a higher degree of reliability than the prior art described above.

The means for lifting the ferromagnetic heating plate comprises a heat-sensitive actuator which is a device comprising a connector, a guide, means for storing energy such as a spring, a button or switch providing means for facilitating manual intervention in the operation of the actuator and allowing a user to set or reset the position of the actuator, a steam chamber fluidly connected with an upper portion of the body of the container, a releasable latching or securing means for the actuator containing the heat-sensitive device, the heat-sensitive device being arranged to operate at a predetermined temperature when influenced by the proximity of steam from boiling water entering the steam chamber from the container. The ferromagnetic heating plate is mechanically coupled to the thermally sensitive actuator, preferably to a connector, wherein the connector is a substantially structurally rigid component, which facilitates and ensures that the movement is repeatable and guided. The connector is a structurally substantially rigid element and the ferromagnetic heating plate attached or connected to the connector is configured in a preferably cantilevered arrangement. The latching, holding fixture of the thermally sensitive actuator may optionally be manually overridden or released by physically pressing a button or switch downward to then operate a push release mechanism so that the holding latch or fixture is released by moving or deflecting a portion of the mechanism.

The thermally sensitive actuator is arranged partly inside and partly outside the container, however in an alternative arrangement the device is optionally arranged wholly inside the container. Thus, some components of the mechanism may be included as part and/or separately in the handle to which the kettle is attached and/or the lid of the kettle.

Preferably, the ferromagnetic heating plate is made of a material having a predetermined curie point temperature, and the curie point temperature is in a range of not less than 100 ℃ and not more than 360 ℃. More preferably, the Curie point temperature is in the range of not less than 110 ℃ and not more than 260 ℃. The use of ferromagnetic material with a customizable maximum achievable temperature ensures that the kettle remains safe and continues to be usable after a boil-dry condition when the kettle is not operating properly and continues to boil water until the kettle is dry, or an unfilled use condition when the kettle is opened before being filled with water. In both cases where there is no water, no steam can be generated within the container, and a steam-actuated temperature sensor so fluidly connected to the container and configured as part of the latching, retention and securing mechanism of the thermally sensitive actuator will not function. The property of ferromagnetic materials is that once the temperature reaches a specified curie point temperature, the material loses its permanent magnetic properties, and thus the object detection sensing function of the induction cooker then automatically limits power to the induction coil or shuts down power to the coil and shuts down the cooker.

List of drawings

Fig. 1 shows a schematic side view of a kettle, and its arrangement in cross-section.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of a ferromagnetic heating plate.

Fig. 3 shows another plan view of the ferromagnetic heating plate.

Fig. 4 shows a perspective view of the underside of the ferromagnetic heating plate.

Figure 5 shows a side view of the kettle.

Fig. 6-8 are sectional views of the kettle of fig. 1 and its arrangement, showing different states during operation.

Fig. 9-11 are sectional views of another variant of the jug and its arrangement, showing different states during operation.