Electric pressure cooker to prevent clogging of steam exhaust flow path

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12433442-B2
Application number	US-202016780591-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 3, 2020
Priority date	Feb 20, 2019
Publication date	Oct 7, 2025
Grant date	Oct 7, 2025

Abstract

An electric pressure cooker includes: a main body; an inner pot configured to be accommodated in the main body; a lid fastening ring configured to be fastened to an upper surface of the main body; an inner lid that is disposed radially inside of the lid fastening ring and that includes a steam outlet and a first flow path guide member that are disposed at a lower surface of the inner lid; and an inside lid that is configured to be coupled to the lower surface of the inner lid and that includes a second flow path guide member disposed at an upper surface of the inside lid. The inner lid and the inside lid define a steam flow path configured guide steam generated in the inner pot to the steam outlet by the first flow path guide member and the second flow path guide member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electric pressure cooker, comprising:
a main body that defines a cooking space, the main body having an upper surface that defines a body opening;
an inner pot configured to be accommodated in the cooking space, the inner pot having an upper surface that defines a pot opening;
a lid fastening ring configured to be fastened to the upper surface of the main body;
an inner lid that is disposed radially inside of the lid fastening ring and that is configured to block the upper surface of the inner pot, the inner lid comprising a steam outlet and a first flow path guide member that are disposed at a lower surface of the inner lid; and
an inside lid configured to be coupled to the lower surface of the inner lid, the inside lid comprising a second flow path guide member disposed at an upper surface of the inside lid,
wherein the inner lid and the inside lid define a steam flow path by the first flow path guide member and the second flow path guide member, the steam flow path being configured to guide steam generated in the inner pot to the steam outlet, and
wherein the second flow path guide member comprises a depression that extends downward from the inside lid and is recessed downward relative to a lower surface of the inside lid, the depression being integrally formed with the inner lid and having an unperforated surface that separates the steam flow path from the cooking space.

2. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising an inner pot packing that is configured to be installed to the inner lid along a circumference of the inner pot, the inner pot packing being configured to cover a space between the inner lid and the inner pot.

3. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the main body comprises a body fastening ring disposed at the upper surface of the main body, and
wherein the lid fastening ring is configured to be rotationally fastened to the body fastening ring.

4. The electric pressure cooker of claim 3 , wherein the main body defines a fastening groove in the body fastening ring, and
wherein the lid fastening ring is configured to be inserted into the fastening groove and then rotated relative to the body fastening ring to thereby be fastened to the body fastening ring.

5. The electric pressure cooker of claim 4 , wherein the lid fastening ring comprises a plurality of engaging portions, and
wherein the body fastening ring comprises a plurality of guide protrusions that are configured to, based on the lid fastening ring being inserted into the fastening groove and then rotated relative to the body fastening ring, engage with the plurality of engaging portions, respectively.

6. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a steam exhauster disposed at an upper surface of the inner lid and configured to discharge steam to an outside of the electric pressure cooker according to a user command.

7. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a pressure controller disposed at an upper surface of the inner lid and configured to discharge steam to an outside of the electric pressure cooker based on a pressure of steam introduced through the steam outlet exceeding a preset pressure.

8. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a fastening boss disposed at the lower surface of the inner lid; and
a packing member disposed in the inside lid,
wherein the inside lid is configured to be coupled to the lower surface of the inner lid based on the fastening boss being inserted through the packing member.

9. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path guide member comprises a flow path guide wall that protrudes from the lower surface of the inner lid and that is configured to contact the upper surface of the inside lid, the flow path guide wall being curved to define the steam flow path in a horizontal zigzag shape.

10. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path guide member comprises a first flow path guide wall that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner lid, and
wherein the second flow path guide member further comprises a second flow path guide wall that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the inside lid.

11. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path guide member comprises a first circular flow path guide wall that protrudes downward from the lower surface of the inner lid, and the first circular flow path guide wall having a first radius,
wherein the second flow path guide member further comprises a second circular flow path guide wall that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the inside lid and that is concentric with the first circular flow path guide wall, the second circular flow path guide wall having a second radius different from the first radius, and
wherein the first circular flow path guide wall and the second circular flow path guide wall define the steam flow path in a vertical zigzag shape.

12. The electric pressure cooker of claim 11 , wherein the steam outlet extends along a vertical line, and
wherein a center of the first circular flow path guide wall and a center of the second circular flow path guide wall are defined in the vertical line.

13. The electric pressure cooker of claim 11 , wherein a lower end of the first circular flow path guide wall is spaced apart from the upper surface of the inside lid, and
wherein an upper end of the second circular flow path guide wall is spaced apart from the lower surface of the inner lid.

14. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path guide member comprises a spiral flow path guide wall that has an inlet defined at one side, that protrudes from the lower surface of the inner lid, and that is configured to contact the upper surface of the inside lid, the spiral flow path guide wall having a first radius,
wherein the depression has a circular shape that is concentric with the spiral flow path guide wall, the depression having a second radius less than the first radius, and
wherein the spiral flow path guide wall and the depression define the steam flow path in a spiral shape.

15. The electric pressure cooker of claim 14 , wherein a center of the spiral flow path guide wall is defined at the steam outlet.

16. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a coupling guide boss that protrudes from the lower surface of the inner lid,
wherein the inside lid defines a coupling guide hole configured to receive the coupling guide boss, and
wherein the first flow path guide member and the second flow path guide member define the steam flow path based on the coupling guide boss being inserted into the coupling guide hole.

17. The electric pressure cooker of claim 16 , further comprising:
a fastening boss disposed at the lower surface of the inner lid and spaced apart from the coupling guide boss; and
a packing member disposed in the inside lid and configured to receive the fastening boss.

18. The electric pressure cooker of claim 17 , wherein the coupling guide boss is disposed radially outward relative to the fastening boss at the lower surface of the inner lid.

19. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the steam outlet comprises a plurality of steam outlets spaced apart from each other, and
wherein the steam flow path passes through at least one of the plurality of steam outlets.

20. The electric pressure cooker of claim 1 , wherein the first flow path guide member and

Assignees

• Lg Electronics Inc

Inventors

• Nam Hyeunsik
• Kim Wan Soo
• Park Byungkyu

Classifications

• A47J27/09

  Safety devices · CPC title

• A47J27/002

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

• A47J27/0802

  Control mechanisms for pressure-cookers · CPC title

• A47J36/10

  Lid-locking devices · CPC title

• A47J27/0815 Primary

  where vessel and lid have adapted shapes to provide for the locking action · CPC title