Steam exhausting device and electric pressure cooker comprising steam exhausting device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11612266-B2
Application number	US-202016794965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 19, 2020
Priority date	Jul 10, 2019
Publication date	Mar 28, 2023
Grant date	Mar 28, 2023

Abstract

A steam exhausting device coupled to a cover of an electric pressure cooker includes: a housing that has an upper surface defining a first opening and a lower surface defining a second opening; a steam pipe that is spaced apart from the second opening and that extends along a vertical line passing the second opening; a pressure member arranged in the housing along the vertical line and configured to move down to a discharge end of the steam pipe; a lever disposed in the housing and having a first end connected to the pressure member; a button connected to a second end of the lever and configured to move vertically along a vertical axis passing the first opening, where the button includes a magnetic body; and an electromagnet disposed at a bottom surface of the housing. The vertical axis passes the electromagnet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A steam exhausting device coupled to a cover of an electric pressure cooker, the steam exhausting device comprising:
a housing having an upper surface that defines a first opening and a lower surface that defines a second opening vertically spaced apart from the first opening;
a steam pipe that is spaced apart from the second opening, that extends along a vertical line passing the second opening, and that is configured to receive steam generated by the electric pressure cooker;
a pressure member that is disposed in the housing, that is arranged along the vertical line passing the second opening, and that is configured to move down to a discharge end of the steam pipe;
a lever disposed in the housing, the lever having a first end connected to the pressure member;
a button connected to a second end of the lever and configured to move vertically along a vertical axis passing the first opening, the button comprising a magnetic body disposed on a lower surface of the button; and
an electromagnet disposed at a bottom surface of the housing, the vertical axis passing the first opening and the electromagnet.

2. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , further comprising a steam barrier layer made of an elastic material and disposed at a lower surface of the pressure member, the steam barrier layer being configured to block the discharge end of the steam pipe based on the pressure member moving down to the steam pipe,
wherein a cross-sectional area of the steam barrier layer is greater than a cross-sectional area of the second opening.

3. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , further comprising a steam guide member that surrounds the discharge end of the steam pipe and that is configured to change, to a horizontal direction, a direction of steam discharged toward the second opening through the discharge end of the steam pipe.

4. The steam exhausting device of claim 3 , wherein the steam guide member comprises an elastic body that is configured to, based on the pressure member moving down, be deformed by the pressure member to thereby block the discharge end of the steam pipe.

5. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the steam pipe or the electromagnet is bolted to a top plate of the cover that is configured to cover an inner pot of the electric pressure cooker.

6. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , wherein the housing comprises:
a first protrusion that is disposed inside the housing, that protrudes downward from the upper surface of the housing, and that is configured to guide movement of the pressure member; and
a second protrusion that is disposed inside the housing, that protrudes downward from the upper surface of the housing, and that is coupled to the lever.

7. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , wherein the pressure member comprises:
a pressure body that extends toward the second opening;
a pressure end disposed vertically below the pressure body, the pressure end having a cross-sectional area greater than a cross-sectional area of the pressure body; and
a spring having a first end fixed to the housing and a second end disposed at a boundary between the pressure body and the pressure end.

8. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , wherein the button further comprises:
a button body; and
a button operation part that is disposed at an upper portion of the button body and that protrudes to an outside of the upper surface of the housing through the first opening, and
wherein the magnetic body is fastened to a lower surface of the button body.

9. The steam exhausting device of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnet is configured to selectively generate attraction force for the magnetic body based on current applied from an outside of the housing.

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Park Byungkyu
• Nam Hyeunsik
• Kim Wan Soo
• Choi Woo Jin

Classifications

• A47J27/09

  Safety devices · CPC title

• A47J36/38

  for withdrawing or condensing cooking vapors from cooking utensils · CPC title

• A47J27/002

  Construction of cooking-vessels; Methods or processes of manufacturing specially adapted for cooking-vessels · CPC title

• A47J27/0802 Primary

  Control mechanisms for pressure-cookers · CPC title

• A47J27/092 Primary

  Devices for automatically releasing pressure before opening · CPC title