Patent Publication Number: US-2016242588-A1

Title: Tamper Resistant Hot Pot

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 14/626,523, filed Feb. 19, 2015, currently pending, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY 
     The following disclosure relates to a tamper resistant hot pot. In particular, the disclosure relates to a hot pot that may be used in institutional environments, such as prisons, detention facilities, or other like institutions, where there is a risk of a user tampering with the hot pot and creating an unsafe condition for institutional personnel and/or the user. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of a hot pot. 
         FIG. 2  is an exploded view of the hot pot of  FIG. 1  with the base detached from a body to show a heating element and other components of disposed in a hollow interior of the base. 
         FIG. 3  shows a bottom view of a base of the hot pot. 
         FIG. 4  shows an alternate bottom view of the base of the hot pot. 
         FIG. 5  shows a partial cross-sectional view of the hot pot showing an interior of the base and additional detail of the heating element. 
         FIG. 6  shows a top view into an interior of a base of the hot pot with a heating element support and a body of the hot pot removed to show additional detail of the interior compartment formed by the base. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The hot pot  10  comprises a body  12 . The body is generally a cylindrical member with an open top  14 . The body  12  may have a spout  16  at the top  14  to facilitate the pouring of liquids from the body of the hot pot. The body  12  may be provided with a lid  18  that seals over the open top  14 , and may adjustably seal the spout  16  to regulate the flow of the liquid therefrom. The lid  18  may releasably press fit into the opening of the top  14  of the body. In the alternative, the lid may be removably connectable, i.e., via threading, to the top of the body. The body  12  may have a handle  20  projecting from its outer diameter surface to allow a user the ability to grip and pour the hot pot. The body  12  may have a bottom  22  opposite the top  14 . The bottom  22  may have a bottom peripheral edge  24  defining the bottom of the body. The body  12  may be formed with an outward extending rim  26  adjacent the bottom of the body. The outward extending rim  26  may project from the body at an axial distance from a bottom peripheral edge  24  of the body. For instance, as best shown in  FIG. 5 , the body  12  has a bottom peripheral edge  24  which extends axially beyond the point where the outward extending rim  26  projects radially from the body. 
     A heating element support  30  may extend across the body  12  at or adjacent to the bottom  22  of the body. The heating element support  30  supports a heating element  32 . The heating element  32  may be disposed in a channel  34 . The channel  34  may present itself as a raised portion projecting into the volume defined by the body  12 . An outer peripheral edge  36  of the heating element support may be shaped to cooperate with the bottom peripheral edge  24  of the body. For instance, the outer peripheral edge  36  of the heating element support  30  may be crimped or clamped around the bottom edge  24  of the body  12  thereby attaching the body and the heating element support together. The bottom  22  of the body  12  may have grooves  38  or other features to allow such connections. The body and the heating element support may also be attached by other means including ultrasonic welding, tack or spot welding, or adhesive. The outer peripheral edge  36  of the heating element support  30  may extend to an area adjacent to but not interfering with the outwardly extending rim  26  of the bottom of the body  12 . 
     A base  40  supports the body  12  and the heating element support  30 . The base  40  comprises a generally cylindrical member with an annular side wall  42  and a bottom plate  44 . The bottom plate  44  extends across the annular side wall  42  to define an interior volume of the base. Components for operating the hot pot may be disposed in the interior of the base  40 . The base  40  may have an inner wall  46  formed adjacent to the side wall  42  in the interior of the base. The inner wall  46  may project from the bottom plate  44 . The inner wall  46  and side wall  42  may support the heating element support  30 . The inner wall  46  being spaced from the side wall  42  provides double wall protection for components disposed in the interior of the base and gives added strength to the base  40 , making it more difficult to separate base from body by pulling electrical cord. The inner wall  46  may have a first portion  48  in general close proximity to the side wall, and a second portion  50  radially spaced from the outer portion. Radial wall portions  52  may extend between the first and second inner wall portions  48 , 50  to define a power cord knot compartment  54 . The material forming the side wall  42 , inner wall  46 , and the bottom plate  44  may be of a sufficient light transmissive material to allow viewing of the hollow interior of the base. For instance, the base  40  may be made from a material that is translucent or transparent. Such material would allow viewing of the contents of the base to determine whether contraband was contained therein. 
     An aperture  56  formed in the sidewall may communicate with the power cord knot compartment  54 . A power cord  58  may extend through the aperture  56  in the sidewall and into the power cord knot compartment  54 . A strain relief  60  may be provided on the power cord  58  in the aperture  56  to secure the power cord to the side wall  42 . To provide additional support for the power cord  58 , the power cord may be anchored to the base  40  in the power cord knot compartment  54 . The power cord knot compartment  54  may have a cover  62 . The cover  62  may be supported in the interior by the inner wall radial wall portions  52  and the inner wall second portion  50 . Projections  64  may extend from the base bottom plate  44  into the power cord knot compartment  54 . The projections  64  may form a mounting surface for the cover  62 . The projections  64  may have screw holes formed therein to allow the power cord knot compartment cover  62  to be anchored to the projections with mechanical fasteners. Together the strain relief  60  disposed in the aperture  56  of the side wall  42  and the anchor provided by the power cord knot compartment  54  may allow the power cord to be anchored to the base reliably and securely. The cover  62  may inhibit tampering with the power cord  58 . The inner wall second portion  50  may have a gap  66  formed therein so that leads (not shown) extending from the power cord  58  may be directed to the heating element  32  of the heating element support  30 . A water or condensation drain  68  may be formed in the power cord knot compartment  54  adjacent to a cylindrical projection  64 . With the water drain  68  in the power cord knot compartment  54 , any attempted access to the hollow interior of the base through the water drain may be more difficult as the power cord knot compartment in effect forms a labyrinth seal for the water drain. The handle  20  on the body  12  may be located angularly offset (for instance, about 45 degrees) from the power cord  58  and the power cord compartment  54  rather than in a parallel configuration to limit the ability to create leverage when using the handle to pull the electric cord in attempting to dislodge the base  40  from the body  12 . 
     The base side wall  42  may have an outward extending lip  70  projecting radially from an outer periphery of the side wall at an upper-most portion of the side wall. The side wall lip  70  may be arranged to abut the body outward extending rim  26 . The side wall lip  70  may be crimped or mechanically connected with the body outward extending rim  26 . A security ring  72  may be provided around the outward extending rim and the sidewall lip. The security ring  72  may cover all or a portion the outward extending rim  26  and all or a portion of the side wall lip  70 . The security ring  72  may be ultrasonically welded or otherwise mechanically attached to the hot pot around the side wall lip  70  and the body outward extending rim  26 . The security ring  72  may be configured to prevent tampering with the connection between the base and the body. The security ring  72  may be brightly colored (for instance, orange or yellow, or fluorescent variations thereof) to provide a visual indication whether it has been tampered with or otherwise altered. The security ring  72  may be attached to the hot pot in such a manner that attempted removal of the security ring may decrease or prevent normal functionality of the hot pot. For instance, the security ring may be attached to the hot pot such that removal of the security ring from the hot pot may render the hot pot inoperative, e.g., result in damage to the side walls of the base, and/or the body, such that the hot pot will not be able to contain a liquid received therein. 
     The base  40  may have a center boss  80  in the bottom plate  44 . The center boss  80  may include a radial web  82  extending therefrom across the bottom plate and projecting inward into the hollow interior of the base. One or more radial webs may be provided. A radial web  82  may be formed with a finger  84  on its distal end projecting axially into the hollow interior of the base. The finger  84  may be sized and dimensioned to accommodate a thermostat element  86  disposed in the hollow interior of the base. As best shown in  FIG. 4 , the thermostat element  86  is disposed between the heating element support  30  and the finger  84 . To provide further support for the thermostat element  86 , the thermostat element  86  may be mounted to the heating element support  30  with mechanical fasteners  88 . The finger  84  may be sized and dimensioned to press fit the thermostat element  86  between the finger and the heating element support  30 . To provide further support for the thermostat element  86 , a cross rib  90  may be provided on the finger  86 . The cross rib  90  may extend across the thermostat element  86  in a direction generally transverse to the web  82  and the finger  84 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the cross rib  90  press fits against the thermostat element  86  and provides additional support for the thermostat element  86  in the hollow interior of the base, and deters alteration of temperature. Also, as shown in the drawings, the thermostat element  86  is located away from the water drain  68  and the power cord compartment  54  to reduce the potential of gaining access to the thermostat element via the water drain. 
     A mechanical fastener may extend through the base center boss  80  to the heating element support  30  to maintain structural integrity for the hot pot. The mechanical fastener may comprise first and second threaded portions  92 , 94  which cooperate with a threaded bushing  96  in the hollow interior of the base. The first threaded portion  92  may comprise a threaded projection extending from the heating element support  30  to engage one side of the threaded bushing  96 . The second threaded portion  94  may comprise a threaded member directed through the center boss  80 . The second threaded portion  94  extend may be configured to prevent its removal. The head of the second threaded portion  94  may have a unidirectional drive that prevents removal of the second threaded portion. The head may also be coated with a material to prevent second threaded portion from being removed. Additionally, the head of the second threaded portion  94  may be disposed in the boss to prevent its removal. The boss  80  may have a recessed counter bore and the head of the second threaded screw portion  94  may be disposed in the recessed counter bore, and a cover  98  may extend across the center boss and be spaced apart from the head of second threaded portion  94  in the recessed counter bore. The cover  98  may be ultrasonically welded to the base  40  or may be attached to the base in such a way as to prevent access to the center boss and/or head of the second threaded portion  94 . The cover  98  or coating may be brightly colored to provide a visual indication of whether it has been tampered with or otherwise altered. 
     The base may have other web members  100  to provide structural integrity for the base and hot pot, and tabs  102  to faillite assembly of the base  40 , heating element support  30  and body  12 . The base may also have features  104  to allow locating switching and indicator lights. 
     The hot pot as described herein may be used to warm up food. However, the hot pot has features that may limit the ability of a user to tamper with the hot pot, for instance, the temperature limiting devices (i.e. the thermostat element and the thermal cut-off). The hot pot security ring may limit the ability of a user to gain unauthorized access to the hollow interior of the base from between the body and the base. The combination of the power cord sidewall aperture strain relief and the power cord knot compartment anchor may provide additional safeguards for tampering with the power cord. The combination of the power cord sidewall aperture strain relief and the power cord knot compartment anchor may limit the ability of a user to gain access to the interior of the hot pot from the power cord connection. The double wall construction of the base also assists in preventing access to the internal temperature limiting devices of the hot pot. 
     In view of the foregoing, it will be seen that the several advantages of the invention are achieved and attained. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. As various modifications could be made in the constructions and methods herein described and illustrated without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the foregoing description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative rather than limiting. Thus, the breadth and scope of the present invention should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, but should be defined only in accordance with the following claims appended hereto and their equivalents.