Abstract:
The invention concerns an electric kettle comprising a power supply base ( 1 ) including electrical connection means ( 3 ), and, a removable container ( 2 ) including a reservoir ( 4 ), a electrical heating element ( 5 ), matching electrical connection means ( 8 ) adapted to co-operate with the electrical connection means ( 3 ) of the base ( 1 ), and control means ( 9 ) adapted to interrupt electric power supply of the electrical heating element ( 5 ) and which comprise a switch mobile between an open position and a closed position. The invention is characterized in that the power supply base ( 1 ) comprises a manual control knob ( 11 ) mobile between a neutral position and an activating position, and the kettle comprises transmission means ( 12 ) adapted to shift the switch in closed position when the manual control knob ( 11 ) is placed in activating position.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     This invention relates to a so-called cordless electric kettle comprising a power supply base and a removable receptacle suitable for being electrically connected to the base. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A cordless kettle of which the power supply base comprises electrical connection means suitable for being connected to an external electrical source, and, of which the receptacle comprises a container suitable for containing the liquid to be heated, an electrical heating device suitable for heating the liquid in the container, complementary electrical connection means that are suitable, when the receptacle is placed on the power supply base, for cooperating with the electrical connection means and supplying electrical power to the heating device, and control means suitable for controlling the electrical power supply of the electrical heating device, and that include a switch movable between an open position and a closed position, is known. 
     In such a kettle, the assembly providing electric power to the heating device and the control of said electrical power is arranged between the power supply base and the receptacle, and the control means are arranged on the receptacle. 
     SUMMARY 
     In such a kettle, the manual control button is arranged in close proximity to either the upper or lower end of the receptacle handle. Regardless of the position of the manual control button, its presence detracts from the appearance of the receptacle, which is, however, the part of the kettle seen by users, with the power supply base remaining in the kitchen. Moreover, when the control button is located at the lower end of the handle, it is difficult to reach when the receptacle is placed on the base. And when the button is located at the upper end of the handle, a complex mechanism is necessary to transmit the movement of the manual control button to the on switch located near the heating means. 
     Furthermore, some kettles of the aforementioned type allow for an electrical connection between the receptacle and the power supply base regardless of the angular position in the horizontal plane of the receptacle on the base. In such a kettle, the manual control button may be even less accessible when it makes an angle close to 180° with the side of the base accessible to the user. Therefore, although in such a kettle the receptacle can be placed in any angular position on the base, it is preferable to have it in a position in which the manual control button is accessible. 
     The problem is that of providing a kettle in which the manual control button does not detract from the appearance of the receptacle, and which is easily accessible regardless of the angular position of the receptacle on the base when the kettle allows for an electrical connection over 360° around the vertical axis. 
     According to the invention, the power supply base includes a manual control button movable between a resting position and an activation position, and the kettle includes transmission means that are suitable, when the receptacle is placed on the base, for moving the switch from its open position to its closed position when the manual control button is shifted from its resting position to its activation position. 
     According to a specific embodiment of the invention, when the electrical connection means of the power supply base and the complementary electrical connection means of the receptacle are in contact, the transmission means are suitable for moving the switch to the closed position when the manual control button is put in activation position. 
     According to a different embodiment, the transmission means are designed so that the switch is in closed position when the manual control button is put in activation position, regardless of the angular position of the receptacle on the power supply base. 
     Other distinctive features and advantages appear in the light of the following. 
     In the appended drawings, given by way of non-limiting example: 
    
    
     
       DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view of the power supply base of the electric kettle according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded perspective view of the receptacle of the electric kettle according to the invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a cross-sectional view of the kettle, with the manual control button in resting position, and the electrical system of the kettle not being shown; and 
         FIG. 4  is a view similar to that of  FIG. 3 , with the manual control button in activation position. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     An electric kettle includes a power supply base  1  and a receptacle  2  removable from the power supply base  1  suitable for being electrically connected to the power supply base  1 . 
     The power supply base  1  comprises electrical connection means  3  suitable for being connected to an external electrical source by means of a conventional electric plug. 
     The receptacle  2  comprises a container  4  suitable for containing the liquid to be heated. 
     The receptacle  2  also comprises an electrical heating device  5  suitable for heating the liquid in the container  4 . In the example shown in  FIG. 2 , the heating device  5  includes an electrical resistor  6  connected to the base wall  7  of the container  4  which thus constitutes a heating wall. 
     The receptacle  2  also comprises complementary electrical connection means  8  suitable, when the receptacle  2  is placed on the power supply base  1 , for cooperating with the electrical connection means  3  and supplying electrical power to the heating device  5 . In the present example, electrical connection means  3  and complementary electrical connection means  8  are suitable for establishing the electrical connection regardless of the angular position of the receptacle  2  on the power supply base  1 , with the conductors (phase, neutral and ground) being arranged concentrically (see  FIG. 1 ). 
     In addition, the receptacle  2  comprises control means  9 , suitable for controlling the electrical power supply of the electrical heating device  5 . In the present example, these control means  9  are integral with the complementary electrical connection means  8  and constitute an electrical system known to those skilled in the art. The control means  9  conventionally include a first bimetal strip which is connected to a heat sensor and which enables the electrical power supply to be cut if the heating device  5  becomes overheated (for example, due to operation while dry), a second bimetal strip which is connected to a thermostat sensitive to a predetermined temperature of the vapor carried by a vapor channel  10 , and which enables the electrical power supply to be cut when the liquid to be heated reaches the predetermined temperature, and a bistable switch movable between an open position and a closed position, which is suitable for being manually controlled, enabling the heating of the liquid to be started and stopped voluntarily, and which shifts from its closed position to its open position when complementary electrical connection means  8  are disconnected from electrical connection means  3 . 
     According to the invention, the power supply  1  includes a manual control button  11  movable between a resting position and an activation position. 
     The kettle includes transmission means  12  which are suitable for putting the switch in the closed position when the manual control button  11  is put in activation position, with the receptacle  2  of course being connected to the power supply base  1  by bringing the electrical connection means  3  of the power supply base  1  into contact with the complementary electrical connection means  8  of the receptacle  2 . 
     The transmission means  12  include transmission elements  13  which are housed in the power supply base  1 , and complementary transmission elements  14  which are housed in the receptacle  2 . 
     The transmission elements  13  are movable between a resting position in which the manual control button  11  is in resting position, and an activation position in which the manual control button  11  is in activation position. The complementary transmission elements  14  are movable between a resting position, and an activation position in which transmission elements  13  are in the activation position and the switch is in the closed position, with the receptacle  2  being connected to the power supply base  1 . 
     As shown in  FIGS. 1 ,  3  and  4 , the transmission elements  13  include a lever  15  pivotably mounted about a pivot pin  23 , and a slidably-mounted plunger  16 . Similarly, as shown in  FIGS. 2 ,  3  and  4 , the complementary transmission elements  14  include two slidably-mounted sliding elements  17 , and an arm  18  mounted so as to pivot about a rotation pin  36  and be assembled with the switch (and therefore the control means  9 ). 
     The manual control button  11  is slidably mounted in a housing  19  that opens into an upper surface area  20  of the power supply base  1 . Therefore, the manual control button  11  is accessible regardless of the angular position of the receptacle  2 , and does not detract from the appearance thereof. 
     The lever  15  has a first end  21  to which the manual control button  11  is pivotably attached, thereby enabling the latter to move easily into the housing  19 . The lever  15  has a second end  22  to which the plunger  16  is pivotably attached. The lever  15  and the plunger  16  are movable between a resting position in which the manual control button  11  is in the resting position, and an activation position in which the manual control button  11  is in the activation position. In the present example, a spring  24  constantly urges the lever  15 , the manual control button  11  and the plunger  16  into their respective resting positions. 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the receiving wall  26  on which the receptacle  2  rests when it is connected to the power supply base  1  comprises two arc-shaped openings  25 . The plunger  16  is designed so that its upper portion can pass through the openings  25  so as to project outside the receiving wall  26  when it is in its activation position (see  FIG. 4 ). 
     In the present example, the transmission means  12  are designed so as to shift the switch into closed position when the manual control button  11  is put in the activation position, regardless of the angular position of the receptacle  2  on the power supply base  1 . Consequently, in this example, the openings  25  are arranged co-axially and radially outside the electrical connection means  3 , and, therefore, must be separated from one another by a large enough angle to enable the electrical connection means  3  to be integral with the receiving wall  26 . Here, the two openings  25  are separated by around 60° and each extend along an angular sector close to 120°. 
     The plunger  16  has a general hollow cylinder shape suitable for sliding about the electrical connection means  3  (see  FIG. 1 ). It has two side walls  27  angularly separated from one another, with the upper end of each side wall  27  being suitable for passing through an opening  25 . 
     To avoid any damage, when the plunger  16  is in the resting position, it does not project from the receiving wall  26  (see  FIG. 3 ). 
     Clearly, the lever  15  is arranged so that the plunger  16  is located in the central area of the receiving wall  26  and so that, in activation position, said plunger projects sufficiently to urge the complementary transmission elements  14  into their contact position. 
     The receptacle  2  includes a base wall  28  that has an annular shoulder  29  projecting from the receptacle  2  in the axial direction, and a central recess  30 . The annular. shoulder  29  rests directly on the receiving wall  26  of the power supply base  1 . 
     Each sliding element  17  is slidably mounted, between a resting position and an activation position, in a guide  31  integral with the receptacle  2 , with the lower end of the guide  31  opening into the central recess  30  and forming an orifice  32 . Each sliding element  17  includes an upper end forming a collar  33  which is suitable for abutting the upper end of the guide  31  so as to define the resting position of the sliding element  17 . Each sliding element  17  includes a lower end which is suitable for projecting from the orifice  32 , and which is protected from any damage by the difference in elevation between the annular shoulder  29  and the central recess  30 . 
     To make contact possible between the sliding elements  17  and the plunger  16 , then to enable the latter to drive the former, the orifices  32  are at least partially facing at least one portion of the openings  25  when the receptacle  2  is connected to the power supply base  1 . 
     In the present example, the transmission means  12  are designed so as to shift the switch into closed position when the manual control button  11  is put in activation position, regardless of the angular position of the receptacle  2  on the power supply base  1 . Therefore, in this example, the orifices  32  are arranged radially outside the complementary electrical connection means  8 , and are separated from one another so that there is always at least one orifice  32  facing at least one of the openings  25 . Here, the two orifices  32  are separated from one another by around 90°. 
     When the receptacle  2  is placed on the power supply base, the lower portion of at least one sliding element  17  is located directly above the upper end of the plunger  16 . When the manual control button  11  goes from its resting position to its activation position, it passes through a position in which the plunger  16  comes into contact with at least one sliding element, thus defining a contact position of the manual control button  11 , the lever  15  and the plunger  16 . 
     The plunger  16  can drive each sliding element  17  opposite it until the plunger  16  engages the orifice  32 . The transmission means  12  are obviously arranged so that each sliding element  17  is in its activation position before the plunger  16  engages the receptacle  2 . 
     The arm  18 , attached to the bistable switch, has a free end  35  facing the collars  33  of all of the sliding elements  17 . 
     When the manual control button  11  shifts from its resting position to its activation position, it passes through a position in which at least one sliding element  17 , driven by the plunger  16 , comes into contact with the free end  35  of the arm  18 , thus defining a transmission position of the manual control button  11 , the lever  15 , the plunger  16  and the sliding elements  17 . 
     Since the arm  18  is integral with the bistable switch, once the equilibrium position of the switch has been passed, the arm  18  moves into its activation position and the switch moves into its closed position. The transmission means  12  are obviously arranged so that the arm is in equilibrium position before the plunger  16  engages the receptacle  2 . 
     The arm  18  is obviously arranged so that its free end  35  is located in the central area of the base wall  28 , and so that it drives the switch into closed position before the plunger  16  engages the receptacle  2 . 
     Thus, the kettle according to the present invention has the advantage of being capable of using control means, electrical connection means and complementary electrical connection means that are known and available, i.e. without using specially designed elements, thereby obviously reducing the production costs. 
     The present invention is obviously not limited to the embodiment corresponding to  FIGS. 1 to 4 . It is, for example, possible to have a kettle in which the receptacle can be placed in only one angular connection position on the power supply base. 
     It is also possible to have transmission means different from those described above. For example, it would be possible to have electrical connection means surrounding the transmission elements, and complementary electrical connection means surrounding the complementary transmission elements. 
     It would also be possible to have a single sliding element with a cylindrical shape equivalent to the shape of the plunger described with respect to the present figures, with the orifices being separated from one another by a angle large enough to enable the complementary electrical connection means to be secured to the base wall. 
     The number of openings and orifices can obviously be modified, while at least one orifice must be located opposite at least one opening when the receptacle is connected to the base.