Liquid heating vessels
AssigneeStrix Limited
InventorJohn Crawshaw Taylor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A control for engagement with the external base of a liquid heating vessel comprises a carrier mounting two bimetallic actuators at opposite ends thereof. The actuators operate at the same temperature. Attached to the carrier is a moulding which provides a cordless electrical connector for the vessel, as well as mounting switch means operable by the actuators through push rods. The push rod acts on a leaf spring to open the contacts, and upon further movement engages an arm of a trip lever, so tripping the lever and causing a further arm of the lever to engage the leaf spring open the contacts fully.
Claims49
An integrated cordless electrical connector and thermally sensitive control unit for mounting beneath a base of a water receiving container of a water boiling vessel, the base being provided with an electric heating element, the integrated connector and control unit comprising:
- a cordless electrical connector of a type engageable with a corresponding connector part irrespective of their relative angular orientation;
- a pair of thermally sensitive bimetallic actuators arranged at spaced apart locations on a face of the control unit at respective locations each spaced laterally from a central axis of the connector, the actuators being arranged to make good thermal contact with the base or element such that temperature can be sensed effectively by the respective actuators at spaced apart locations on the base or element in use;
- and
- electrical switch contacts associated with each of the actuators and operatively coupled thereto by respective coupling means, the switch contacts and their associated coupling means being arranged to a side of the cordless connector, such arrangement being such that the actuators can each operate independently of the other in use to open the associated contacts and interrupt a power supply to the element of the vessel when overheating occurs due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but neither operates in normal boiling operation of the vessel.
An integrated cordless electrical connector and thermally sensitive control unit for mounting beneath a base of a water receiving container of a water boiling vessel, the base being provided with an electric heating element, the integrated connector and control unit comprising:
- a cordless electrical connector of a type engageable with a corresponding connector part irrespective of their relative angular orientation;
- a pair of thermally sensitive bimetallic actuators arranged at spaced apart locations on a face of the control unit at respective locations each spaced laterally from a central axis of the connector, the actuators being arranged to make good thermal contact with the base or element such that temperature can be sensed effectively by the respective actuators at spaced apart locations on the base or element in use, and operable at substantially a same temperature;
- electrical switch contacts associated with each of the actuators and operatively coupled thereto by respective push rod coupling means, the switch contacts and their associated coupling means being arranged to a side of the cordless connector, such arrangement being such that the actuators can each operate independently of the other in use to open the associated contacts and interrupt a power supply to the element of the vessel when overheating occurs due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but neither operates in normal boiling operation of the vessel.
A liquid heating vessel comprising a water receiving container having a base provided with an electric heating element and an integrated cordless electrical connector and thermally sensitive control unit mounting beneath the base of the water receiving container such that bimetallic actuators of said unit are arranged in good thermal contact with spaced apart locations on the base or element, the integrated connector and control unit comprising:
- a cordless electrical connector of a type engageable with a corresponding connector part irrespective of their relative angular orientation;
- a pair of thermally sensitive bimetallic actuators arranged at spaced apart locations on a face of the control unit at respective locations each spaced laterally from a central axis of the connector, the actuators being arranged to make good thermal contact with the base or element such that temperature can be sensed effectively by the respective actuators at spaced apart locations on the base or element in use;
- and
- electrical switch contacts associated with each of the actuators and operatively coupled thereto by respective coupling means, the switch contacts and their associated coupling means being arranged to a side of the cordless connector, the respective switch contacts being arranged in respective lines of an electrical supply to the element of the vessel, such arrangement being such that the actuators can each operate independently of the other in use to open the associated contacts and interrupt a power supply to the element of the vessel when overheating occurs due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but neither operates in normal boiling operation of the vessel.
An integrated, thermally sensitive, overheat protection control unit for mounting in thermal contact with an electrically heated base of a liquid receiving container of a water boiling vessel, the control unit comprising:
- a moulded plastics control body;
- a pair of spaced apart, thermally sensitive, resettable, overheat protection bimetallic actuators arranged at spaced apart locations on a face of the control body for making equally good thermal contact with the base in use and operable when an element of the vessel overheats due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but not during normal boiling operation of the vessel;
- and
- two sets of switch contacts provided in the control body, each set being associated with a respective actuator and openable by its respective actuator when that actuator operates so as to interrupt a supply of energy to the element of the vessel, said actuators being intended to operate at substantially a same temperature.
An integrated, thermally sensitive, overheat protection control unit for mounting in thermal contact with an electrically heated base of a liquid receiving container of a water boiling vessel, the control unit comprising:
- a moulded plastics control body;
- a pair of spaced apart, thermally sensitive, resettable, overheat protection bimetallic actuators arranged peripherally on the control unit at spaced apart locations on a face of the control body for making equally good thermal contact with the base in use and operable when an element of the vessel overheats due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but not during normal boiling operation of the vessel;
- and
- two sets of switch contacts provided in the control body, each set being associated with a respective actuator, arranged in a respective pole of an electrical supply to the element of the vessel and openable by its respective actuator when that actuator operates so as to interrupt a supply of energy to the element of the vessel, said actuators being intended to operate at substantially a same temperature.
A water boiling vessel comprising a water receiving container having an electrically heated base and an integrated, thermally sensitive, overheat protection control unit, which control unit comprises:
- a moulded plastics control body;
- a pair of spaced apart, thermally sensitive, resettable, overheat protection bimetallic actuators arranged peripherally on the control unit at spaced apart locations on a face of the control body for making equally good thermal contact with the base in use and operable when an element of the vessel overheats due to the vessel being switched on dry or boiling dry, but not during normal boiling operation of the vessel;
- two sets of switch contacts provided in the control body, each set being associated with a respective actuator, arranged in a respective pole of an electrical supply to the element of the vessel and openable by its respective actuator when that actuator operates so as to interrupt a supply of energy to the element of the vessel, said actuators being intended to operate at substantially a same temperature, said unit being mounted in good thermal contact with an underside of the base of the water receiving container of the vessel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.