Opening and closing safety device for a pressure cooker

Abstract: Opening/closing safety device to be mounted on a bayonet pan, consisting of a body (1) to which a side handle is attached (11), and a lid (2) to which an upper body is attached (3), which consists of a lever (4) which, when it is in its initial position, guarantees that there is no pressure inside the pan and which, when it is locked (pressure cooker), prevents the pan from opening.

Description: The invention consists of a device to be mounted on a bayonet pressure cooker and it has two different functions. Firstly, it guarantees that there is no pressure inside the pan when it is not correctly closed (safety closing) and secondly it guarantees that the user can only open the pan when there is no pressure inside it (safety opening). Background to the invention There are a few systems, for example the ones described in the patents EP 0 614 639 A1, EP 0 547 668 A1, WO 85/03851 and EP 0 736 282 A1, which describe safety mechanisms for opening and closing. EP 0 736 282 A1, which is the document that is considered to bear some similarity to the present invention, relates to a device for controlling the working valve of a pressure cooker characterised essentially in that it comprises: on the handle (20) of the lid, a control button (30) which moves angularly and which can be positioned selectively in predetermined angular positions; below a shutter (23) of the valve (24), a cylindrical body (32) which can rotate around its longitudinal axis; a raising slider (34) for said shutter (23); and between the slider (34) and the cylindrical body (32) a cam system for driving the axial movement of the slider (34) in order to raise the shutter (23) following a rotational movement of said control button (30). This mechanism, as can be seen from the above description, as well as permitting different cooking pressures, also guarantees that the lid does not open if there is any pressure inside the pan. However, it does not guarantee total safety when the pan is closed, i.e. pressure may be created inside the pan without the lid being totally closed. As regards the patents EP 0 614 639 A1 and EP 0 547 668 A1, the advantage of the mechanism described in relation to these patents is that as well as guaranteeing safety when opening the pan (as in the case of the abovementioned patents), it also guarantees safety when the pan is closed, which does not happen with the mechanisms described in the other patents. Furthermore, as regards the patent WO 85/03851, in order to close the pan, the mechanism described therein requires the user to press a button as well as turning the lid on top of the body, so that the pan is closed in such a way as to permit the presence of steam inside the pan. It is therefore necessary to carry out two different operations in order to operate the pan. This does not happen with the mechanism described, making it easier for the user to operate the pan. This mechanism guarantees complete safety for the user of the pressure cooker and it ensures that a single device provides total safety if the pan is not handled properly by the user. Brief description of the drawings The following figures are attached hereto and make up the opening and closing safety device. Figure 1 shows a side view seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in the rest position; Figure 2 shows a view from above seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in the rest position; Figure 3 shows a side view seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in a not fully closed position; Figure 4 shows a view from above seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in a not fully closed position; Figure 5 shows a side view seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in the closed position; and Figure 6 shows a view from above seen in cross-section of the mechanism mounted in the closed position. Detailed description of the invention As can be observed, the aforementioned device is intended to be mounted on a pressure cooker consisting of a body (1) and a lid (2), which are mounted by means of a bayonet system. The device is mounted on the lid (2) and consists of an upper body (3) to which a lever is attached (4), held in place by a screw (5). The lever turns on its central axis (6) and is kept in a rest position by means of a spring (7) which compresses it (this axis is parallel to the generator of the cylinder of the body). The lever (4) has a wide surface (8) at one end perpendicular to the central axis in the shape of a section of a circumference, and at the other end it has a foot (9) parallel to the axis with a rounded cross-section. A valve (10) is also mounted on the lid which goes up whenever there is any pressure, thus remaining in a closed position (guaranteeing that the pan is sealed). On the body there is a side handle (11) which allows the pan to be handled and which has a cavity (12), where there is a projection (13) which allows the foot (9) of the lever to slide when the pan is closed. As mentioned above, this device has two different functions. The first one is to prevent any pressure when the pan is not completely closed. When the pan is turned only slightly (fig. 3 and fig. 4) and is not completely closed, the foot (9) of the lever starts to slide above the projection (13) of the handle and the spring (7) relaxes, allowing the lever (4) to turn on its axis. When steam starts to form inside the pan, the valve (10) goes up immediately and bumps against the wider end (8) opposite the foot of the lever. In this way, the valve (10) is prevented from rising completely to the top, to the closed position, allowing the steam to escape through the escape orifice (16), thus guaranteeing that there is no pressure inside the pan. Only when the pan is completely closed (fig. 5 and fig. 6) will the lever (4) allow the valve (10) to move to its upper position, preventing the steam from escaping through the valve (10) and thereby allowing the pressure to increase inside the pan. The second function is to guarantee safety when the pan is opened. In order to guarantee that the pan is not inadvertently opened by the user when there is still pressure inside, thus running the risk of causing an accident, this device prevents the pan from being opened whenever there is any pressure inside. If there is pressure inside the pan, the valve (10) is closed in its upper position. If the user tries to turn the lid (2) in order to open the pan, the valve (10) will bump against the side of the lever (4), thus preventing it from turning on its axis. When this happens, the lower part (14) of the foot of the lever bumps against the projection (15) of the side handle, thereby preventing the lid (2) from turning on the body (1). Only when the pressure lowers inside the pan will the valve (10) move to the lower position, thus allowing the lever (4) to turn and the pan to be opened completely safely.

Claims: Opening/closing safety device to be mounted on a pressure cooker with a bayonet lock, consisting of a body (1) to which a side handle is attached (11), and a lid (2) to which an upper body is attached (3), the lid having a valve (10) which goes up whenever there is any pressure inside the pan and remaining in a closed position in order to guarantee that the pan is sealed. it prevents the existence of any pressure inside the pan when the pan is not completely closed; and it guarantees safety when the pan is opened and prevents it from being inadvertently opened when there is still pressure inside, characterised in that ; it consists of a lever (4) which turns on a central axis (6) perpendicular to the flat part of the lid (2) and which has one end in the shape of the section of a circumference with a sharp angle (8) and a foot (9) at the other end parallel to the axis of rotation with a rounded edge in order to allow it to slide, with the opposite side forming a comer that acts as a stopper, which, when the pan is closed, bumps against the projection (15) of an L-shaped cavity (12) situated on the side handle (11) of the pan; said lever (4), by means of its wider part (8), prevents the valve from rising to its closed position as soon as any pressure is detected inside the pan, if the pan is not completely closed, in order to allow the pressure to escape; and if there is pressure inside the pan, the lever prevents the lid from being opened, since the valve (10) will bump against the side of the lever (4), thus preventing it from turning on its axis (6) and causing the lower part (14) of the foot of the lever (4) to bump against the projection (15) of the side handle (11), thereby preventing the lid (2) from turning on the body (1). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the lever has a hole in the centre and fits into the axis in the upper body (3), which is secured by means of a screw (5) and has a spring (7) fitted between the upper body (3) and the lever (4), forcing it to rest in its initial position. Device according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the lower handle (11) has a L-shaped projection with a rounded elbow-bend (13) in order to allow the foot (9) of the lever (4) to slide, and in that it has on the other side a projection (15) for blocking the lever (4) when the pan is closed.

Inventors: MENDONCA SANTOS FERNANDO JORGE, MENDONCA SANTOS, FERNANDO JORGE
Applicants: CRUZINOX
Application year: 1998
Main classification: A47J27
IPC codes: A47J27