GB2257023A - Water heaters eg. kettles - Google Patents

Abstract

A water heater eg. kettle (1) comprises a body (2) for containing water, a spout (7) for pouring water from the water heater (1), a chamber (39) within the body (2) which, in use, communicates with water in the water heater (1). The chamber (39) comprises a skirt (36) which, in use, extends through and below the surface of water in the water heater (1). The chamber (39) also has an orifice (22) which allows for the egress of steam from chamber (39) and wherein the chamber (39) is, in use, adapted to trap a proportion of steam evolved in consequence of the water heater boiling, with the steam being able to escape via the orifice (22). <IMAGE>

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATIP;G TO WATER HEATERS This invention relates to a water heater and in a particular aspect it relates to an electric kettle.

Whistling kettles are knows which have a body, a spout for filling the kettle and a removable cap for locating over the spout and which cap contains a whistle to be operated by steam.

However, the caps for such kettles are often lost.

An improved whistling kettle has a body, a spout for filling the kettle, a handle, a closure for the spout which is pivotally mounted to the body and a mechanism having an operator located in the handle for Causing the closure to pivot from a first, spout covering, position to a second position in which the spout is not covered and wherein a whistle is mounted in the closure.

While that improved whistling kettle does not suffer from the disadvantage of losing the cap, many people, particularly the elderly and infirm, find difficulty in simultaneously lifting the kettle by the handle, operating the mechanism to bring the closure to the second position nd tipping the kettle to pour out water.

A similar problem occurs in kettles provided with a thermostat to switch the kettle off when it boils in that to actuate the thermostat it is usual to provide a closure for a spout which can be moved from a first, spout covering, position to a second posltion in which the spout is not covered.

A water heater in accordance with the invention comprises a body for containing water, a spout for pouring water from the water heater, a chamber within the body which, in use, is in communication with water in the water heater; the chamber comprising a wall which, in use, extends through and below the surface of water in the water heater, wherein the chamber has an orifice for egress of steam therefrom and wherein the chamber is, in use, adapted to trap a proportion of steam evolved in consequence of the water heater boiling for escape of steam via the orifice.

A whistle means or thermostat means may be located adjacent said orifice to, in use, indicate or detect boiling of theAwater heater.

The spout may be permanently open to maintain communication between the interior and exterior of the water heater.

A steam chamber may be provided into which the orifice opens and which has an opening to atmosphere.

Whistle means may be located at the opening to, in use, indicate boiling of the water heater.

Thermostat means may be provided in communication with the steam chamber to, in use, detect boiling of the water heater.

The thermostat means may not close the opening.

The outlet from the chamber may open into the spout. Such an arrangement has the advantage that an water which comes out of the outlet during pouring will go into the spout.

The chamber may be open at its bottom.

The chamber may have a volume of less than half that of the body as a whole. In a preferred instance, the chamber has a volume of about onequarter that of the body.

The chamber may have a plan cross-sectional area of less than half, preferably less than one third, and more preferably about one quarter of the plan cross-sectional area of the body.

The orifice may have a cross-sectional area of less than 1.0%, preferably less than 0.5% and more preferably 0.3% of the plan cross-sectional area of the chanber.

The orifice may have a cross-sectional area of less than 5%, preferably less than 2% and more preferably less than 1% of the cross-sectional area of the spout.

The water heater may have an electric element for heating water or the water heater may be of a type that is heated externally.

The chamber may be integrally formed with a part of the body or may be a separately formed integer.

The water heater may comprise a base and a cover and the chamber may in part be defined by a skirt attached to and depending from the underside 0 the cover.

The skirt may have a wall which, with the cover, in part defines the steam chamber.

The cover may have an aperture in which the thermostat means is received.

In addition to said orifice there may be an aperture to the chamber which aperture is oriented to direct a substantial part of steam in the chamber out of the opening.

Reset means adapted to be manually operated may be provided to reset the thermostat means after cooling.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with -reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a first embodiment of a kettle in accordance with the invention; Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of the kettle of Figure 1; Figure 3 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part of the kettle of Figure 1, and Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of part of a second embodiment of a kettle in accordance with the invention.

The kettle 1 shown in the Figures 1,2 and 3 comprises a body 2 formed of an upper part 3 and a lower part 4 which are sealingly joined together.

The lower part contains an electrical heater element (not shown) and electrical connection means (not shown) to enable electrical power to ba conveyed to the- hatr- element.

The upper part 3 has a handle 6 for lifting and tilting the kettle and a spout 7 for filling and emptying the kettle.

It is to be noted that the spout 7 has no cover of any sort and thus that nothing needs to be opened for filling or emptying purposes The handle 6 has a cover 8 which at one end 9 locates with the lower part 4 and at the other end 11 has a tang 12 which fits into a slot 14 in the upper part 3.

Various wiring, not shown, is located under the cover 8.

The cover 8 has an indicator window 16 behind which a neon lamp (not shown) will be located The window 16 is integrally formed with a spring arm 17 and a reset arm 18 and when the window 16 is depressed it will move the arm 18 down against the bias of the arm 17.

A first opening 19 is provided in the upper part 3 and a manually resettable thermostatic switch 21 is located in and closes that opening.

A second opening 22 is provided in the upper part 3 for a purpose to be explained.

A skirt 26, a flange 27 and fingers 28 depend from the underside of the upper part 3.

A baffle member 31 locates within the skirt 26 and is adhered thereto with the flange 27 and fingers 28 assisting the location of the baffle member.

The baffle member 31 has an inclined top portion 32 having two holes 33 and 34. The hole 33 is directed towards the thermostatic switch 21 and the hole 34 is directed towards the opening 22.

The baffle member 31 also has a depending skirt 36.

In plan, the baffle member 31 has its greatest crosssectional area at 37 located remote from the spout 7 and it may be that the heater element is such or is arranged so that more heat is generated remote from the spout 7 than adjacent the spout 7.

The shape of the skirt 36 is shown in dash line Fig 1.

The skirt 36 has a lug 38 which indicates the level to which the kettle should be filled.

The skirt defines a chamber 39 within the kettle and that chamber opens through holes 33 and 34 into steam chamber 41 defined by top portion 32; flange 27 and part of the upper part 3 and then through opening 22 to the outside of the kettle body.

In use, when water boils some steam will exit via the spout 7 but a proportion will collect in the chamber 39, pass into the steal chamber 41 and heat the thermostatic switch 21 so that it opens to stop heating of the water.

In practice, more steam will be collected in th chamber 39 than is needed to heat the switch 21 and to dissipate steam the hole 34 is provided and is directed towards the opening 22 and will in part be directed by the tang 12.

The opening 22 also has a further function in that it is open at all tines and allows steam to freely escape from the steam chamber. Thus, the switch 21 will cool more rapidly and can be reset more quickly than if the opening 22 were not present.

Ideally, the switch 21 should be resettable in 20 seconds, or less, preferably 15 seconds or less and most preferably 12 seconds or less.

The kettle 51 shown in Fig. 4 is similar to the kettle 1 excepting it has no switch 21 and in consequence certain integers are omitted, the handle 81 is differently shaped, the opening 22 is omitted, the hole 34 is omitted and the opening 19 has been replaced by a whistle-opening 191.

In use the kettle 51 will whistle when it boils.

The opening 22 and hole 34 were omitted as being unnecessary and to allow for a loud whistle.

Claims (16)

1. A water heater comprising a body for containing water, a spout for pouring water from the water heater, and a chamber within the body which, in use, is in communication with water in the water heater; the chamber comprising a wall which, in use, extends through and below the surface of water in the water heater, wherein the chamber has an orifice for egress of steam therefrom and wherein the chamber is, in use, adapted to trap a proportion of steam evolved in consequence of the water heater boiling for escape of steam via the orifice.

2. A water heater as claimed in Claim 1, wherein there are whistle means or thermostat means located adjacent the orifice to, in use, indicate or detect boiling of the water heater.

3. A water heater as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the spout is permanently open to maintain communication between the interior and exterior of the water heater.

4. A water heater as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 3, comprising a steam chamber into which the orifice opens and which has an opening to atmosphere.

5. A water heater as claimed in Claim 4, wherein there is whistle means located at the opening to, in use, indicate boiling of the water heat.

6. A water heater as claimed in Claim 4, wherein there is thermostat' means in communication with the steam chamber to, in use, detect boiling of the water heater.

7. A water heater as claimed in Claim 6, wherein the thermostat means does not close said opening.

8 A water heater as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the chamber has a plan cross-sectional area of less than half, preferably less than one third, and more preferably about one quarter of the plan cross sectional area of the body.

9. A water heater as claimed in Claim l, wherein the orifice has a cross-sectional area of less than 1.0t, more preferably less than 0.St and most preferably 0.3t of the plan cross-sectional area of the chamber.

10. A water heater as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the orifice has a cross-sectional area of less than 5%, more preferably less than 2% and most preferably less than 1t of the cross-sectional area of the spout.

11. A water heater as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the water heater comprises a base and a cover and the chamber is in part defined by a skirt attached to and depending from the urderside of the cover.

12. A water heater as claimed in Claim 4 and Claim 11, wherein the skirt has a wall which, with the cover, in part defines the steam chamber.

13. A water heater as claimed in Claim 7 and Claim 12, wherein the cover has an aperture in which the thermostat means is received.

14. A water heater as claimed in Claim 7, wherein in addition to the orifice there is an aperture to the chamber which aperture is oriented to direct a substantial part of steam in the chamber out of the opening.

15. A water heater as claimed in Claim 7, including reset means adapted to be manually operated to reset the thermostat means after cooling.

16. A whistling kettle substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings