Electric heating – Heating devices – Combined with container – enclosure – or support for material...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-22
2001-07-31
Pelham, Joseph (Department: 3742)
Electric heating
Heating devices
Combined with container, enclosure, or support for material...
C219S435000, C219S441000, C219S518000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06268591
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the general technical field of electric cooking appliances of the type having a cooking enclosure as well as a movable or removable element, such as for example a removable bowl, a lid, or even a door, and heating means. The present invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, directed to electric fryers. The invention concerns specifically safety and/or control devices for such appliances.
It is known to manufacture electric fryers with a removable bowl in which the heating means are mounted at the bottom of a case provided to receive the removable bowl. In order to prevent such an appliance from operating in the absence of a bowl or in the presence of an incorrectly positioned bowl, it is known to equip the appliance with a device for detecting the presence of the bowl, this device including a switch provided to interrupt the supply of current to the heating means if the bowl is not present, or is not correctly positioned, in the case. It is also known to provide electric cooking appliances with a main on-off switch.
The patent document GB 2 222 025 discloses a safety and/or control device for an electric appliance, the appliance having an enclosure associated with heating means mounted in a removable manner on a current supply base. The safety and/or control device includes at least one switch arranged to close the supply circuit of the heating means, this switch including a case and an actuating button, or actuator, a sensing element movable between a first, heating, position and a second, off, position, and a control means accessible from outside of the case and movable between an on position and an off position. The appliance also includes a bistable actuator cooperating with the switch. The actuator is controlled by the sensing element, the control means and a camming surface of the base. Such an arrangement is expensive to fabricate when it is desired to control a switch by two sensing elements or a control element.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to simplify the structure and reduce the cost of manufacture of electric cooking appliances of the type described above.
The above and other objects are achieved by a safety and/or control device for an electric cooking appliance, the appliance having a case defining a cooking enclosure and means for heating the enclosure, the device comprising:
at least one switch arranged to close a circuit for supplying current to the heating means, this switch including a case and an actuating button,
at least one sensing element which is movable between a first position, called a “safe” position, corresponding to a predetermined configuration for placing the appliance into operation, and a second position, called an “unsafe” position, corresponding to another configuration in which the appliance should not be placed into operation, and
if desired, a control means accessible from outside the case and movable between an on position and an off position,
wherein the case of the switch is movably mounted in such a manner as to be capable of being displaced, by the control means while the control means move into the on position, or by the sensing element, from a non-active position of the case of the switch in which the switch is in an open or closed state and an active position of the case of the switch in which the switch is pivoted into another one of the closed and open states by the sensing element as the sensing element moves into its safe position, or as the control means moves into its on position, or in response to another detection element moving into its safe position.
These arrangements particularly permit the use of a device for detecting the presence of a bowl also as a main on-off switch of the appliance, or even to utilize a common switch for a device for detecting the presence of the bowl and a device for detecting the closing of a lid.
According to one embodiment, the case of the switch is mounted to be free to rotate about an axis, the sensing element in its safety position is arranged to act on the case, or the actuator button, of the switch, the control means in its on position or the other sensing element in its safety position are then capable of acting on the actuator button, or the case of the switch.
Advantageously, then, the case of the appliance is made of a plastic material and the axis of rotation is defined by molding a pivot shaft on that case.
Then, according to another feature of the invention, the control means are mounted to rotate and include a cam capable, in the on position of the control means to actuate the actuating button, or the case, of the switch, when the sensing element is in its safe position.
According to another embodiment, the case of the switch is mounted on the control means, or on one of the sensing elements, the actuating button of the switch is capable of being actuated by the sensing element, or the control means, or the other sensing element.
Objects according to the invention are further achieved by a safety and/or control device for an electric cooking appliance, the appliance having a case defining a cooling enclosure and means for heating the enclosure, the device comprising:
at least one switch arranged to close a circuit for supplying current to the heating means, this switch including a case and an actuating button,
at least one sensing element which is movable between a first position, called a “safe” position, corresponding to a predetermined configuration for placing the appliance into operation, and a second position, called an “unsafe” position, corresponding to another configuration in which the appliance should not be placed into operation, and
if desired, a control means accessible from outside the case and movable between an on position and an off position,
wherein a transmission element mounted on the sensing element, or on the control means, has a movable part including a control zone, displaceable by the control means or another sensing element, or the first-mentioned sensing element, and an actuation zone capable of cooperating with the switch when, on the one hand, the sensing element is in the safe position and, on the other hand, the control means is in the on position or when the other sensing element is in its safe position, the transmission element then occupying an active position in which the switch is in an open or closed state, the switch being in its other state when the first-mentioned sensing element is in the unsafe position, or when the control means is in the stop position, or when the other sensing element is in the unsafe position, the actuation zone then being capable of cooperating with the switch.
These arrangements also permit use of a device for detecting the presence of a bowl also as a main switch for turning the appliance on and off, or even utilizing a common switch for a device for detecting the presence of a bowl and a device for detecting the closing of a lid.
Advantageously, the actuation zone includes a cam surface extending transversely to the direction of displacement of the actuation zone between the position occupied by the actuation zone when, on the one hand, the sensing element is in the unsafe position and, on the other hand, the control means is in the stop position, or when the other sensing element is in the unsafe position, and the position occupied by the actuation zone when, on the one hand, the sensing element is in the safe position and, on the other hand, the control means are in the on position or the other sensing element is in the safe position.
This arrangement allows the actuation of the switch to be facilitated regardless of the order of actuation of the sensing element, or of the control means, or of the second sensing element.
According to one form of construction, the case of the switch is mounted in a fixed position in the case of the appliance and the actuation zone cooperates with the actuating button of the switch when the transmission element occupies the active position.
According to another for
Browdy & Neimark
Pelham Joseph
Seb S.A.
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