Electric kettle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11490758-B2
Application number	US-202016826457-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 23, 2020
Priority date	Mar 21, 2019
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

An electric kettle may include a body configured to form a space in which fluid, such as water is contained, a heating module provided inside of the body to heat fluid, and a base on which a lower surface of the body is seated and which supplies power to the heating module in a state in which the body is seated. The base may include a connector which is exposed through a side surface of the base and to which a power cable for receiving external power may be connected, and a connector mounting portion formed along a circumference of the connector and protruding further outward than a side surface of the base and a front surface of the connector so as to block fluid or foreign matter from flowing into the connector.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric kettle, comprising:
a body configured to form a space in which fluid is contained;
a heating module provided inside of the body to heat the fluid; and
a base on which a lower surface of the body is seated and which supplies power to the heating module in a state in which the body is seated, wherein the base comprises:
a connector which is exposed through a side surface of the base and to which a power cable for receiving external power is connected; and
a connector mounting portion formed along a circumference of the connector and protruding further outward than a side surface of the base and a front surface of the connector so as to block fluid or foreign matter from flowing into the connector.

2. The electric kettle according to claim 1 , wherein the base comprises:
a base body which forms a lower surface of the base and in which the connector mounting portion is formed;
a base cover connected to the base body and forming an upper surface of the base; and
a side plate that connects circumferences of the base body and the base cover and forms a side surface of the base.

3. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein a side opening, which is cut in a shape corresponding to the connector mounting portion, is formed in the side plate.

4. The electric kettle according to claim 3 , wherein a plate groove is recessed in a circumference of the connector mounting portion, and wherein an end of the side opening is inserted into the plate groove.

5. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein the connector mounting portion comprises:
a mounting portion front surface that protrudes outward from the side plate;
a mounting portion rear surface disposed behind the mounting portion front surface and covered by the side plate; and
a plate groove that accommodates an end of the side plate between the mounting portion front surface and the mounting portion rear surface.

6. The electric kettle according to claim 5 , wherein an upper end of the mounting portion front surface is rounded to have a curvature corresponding to an outer surface of the base.

7. The electric kettle according to claim 6 , wherein at least one guide protrusion that protrudes forward from an inner side of the plate groove is formed at an upper end of the mounting portion rear surface, and wherein the at least one guide protrusion has a slant that decreases in a forward direction.

8. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein the connector mounting portion protrudes upward from an outer end of the base body, and a plate groove is recessed in a circumference of the connector mounting portion, and wherein a side opening, which is cut in a shape corresponding to the connector mounting portion and inserted into the plate groove, is formed at a lower end of the side plate.

9. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein the body is made of stainless steel, and wherein the side plate is made of a same material as a material of the body.

10. The electric kettle according to claim 9 , wherein a base rim that protrudes upward along the circumference of the base body to support the side plate at an inside is further formed.

11. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein a connector guide that protrudes upward from a rear side to support the connector is formed in the base body spaced apart rearward from the connector mounting portion.

12. The electric kettle according to claim 11 , wherein a pair of connector guides is spaced apart to support edges of both side surface and a rear surface of the connector.

13. The electric kettle according to claim 2 , wherein a module hole open to expose a lower power module contacting an upper power module of the heating module is formed at a center of the base cover.

14. The electric kettle according to claim 13 , wherein the base cover comprises:
a slanted portion that decreases from the module hole toward an outside; and
a flat portion that extends horizontal to a ground at an outer end of the slanted portion.

15. The electric kettle according to claim 13 , wherein an upper drain hole that passes through the base cover and a hole guide that extends downward along a circumference of the upper drain hole are formed in the flat portion, and wherein a lower drain hole that communicates with the hole guide is formed in the base body.

16. The electric kettle according to claim 15 , wherein a partition wall that extends upward to accommodate a lower end of the hole guide is formed in a circumference of the lower drain hole.

17. The electric kettle according to claim 13 , wherein a bottom surface of the base cover is provided with a base printed circuit board (PCB) which is formed in a plate shape in which the lower power module passes through a center thereof and in which the connector and the lower power module are connected to control an operation and power supply of the lower power module.

18. The electric kettle according to claim 1 , wherein the connector comprises:
a connector front portion in contact with an inner surface of the connector mounting portion to form an appearance of a front surface; and
a connector body that extends rearward along a circumference of an open front surface of the connector front portion and forming an accommodating groove into which the power cable is inserted.

19. The electric kettle according to claim 18 , wherein at least one restraint groove and at least one restraint protrusion formed in shapes corresponding to each other are formed on an inner surface of the connector mounting portion and an outer surface of the connector, and wherein when the connector is mounted, the at least one restraint groove and the at least one restraint protrusion are connected to each other to couple the connector to the connector mounting portion.

20. The electric kettle according to claim 18 , wherein the connector front portion is disposed at a more inner side than a front surface of the connector mounting portion.

21. An electric kettle, comprising:
a body configured to form a space in which fluid is contained;
a heating module provided inside of the body to heat the fluid; and
a base on which a lower surface of the body is seated and which supplies power to the heating module in a state in which the body is seated on the base, wherein a lower power module provided in the base mates with an upper power module provided in the body, and wherein the base comprises:
a connector which is exposed through a side surface of the base and to which a power cable for receiving external power is connected; and
a connector mounting portion formed along a circumference of the connector and protruding further outward from a side surface of the base and a front surface of the connector so as to block fluid or foreign matter from flowing into the connector.

22. The electric kettle according to claim 21 , wherein the base comprises:
a base body which forms a lower surface of the base and in which the connector mounting portion is formed;
a base cover connected to the base body and forming an upper surface of the base; and
a side plate that connects circumferences of the base body and the base cover and forms a side surface of the base, wherein a side opening, which is cut in a shape corresponding to the connector mounting portion, is formed in the side plate.

23. The electric kettle according to claim 22 , wherein the connector mounting portion comprises:
a mounting portion front s

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Si Minkyu
• Ahn Jaehoon

Classifications

• A47J27/21166 Primary

  Constructional details or accessories · CPC title

• H01R13/50

  formed as an integral body (H01R13/514 takes precedence) · CPC title

• A47J27/2105 Primary

  of the cordless type, i.e. whereby the water vessel can be plugged into an electrically-powered base element · CPC title

• A47J27/21175

  Covers · CPC title

• A47J27/21091

  of electronic type · CPC title