This disclosure relates to a cooker, and more particularly, the lid of the cooker.
Electric cooking appliances, such as electric pressure cookers (EPCs) and air fryers, are commonly used household appliances. The variety of different cooking household appliances occupies much space, so it would be beneficial to have an appliance that can perform different types of cooking.
The embodiments disclosed herein can be better understood with reference to the following drawings and description. The components in the figures are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the disclosure. Moreover, in the figures, like referenced numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the different views.
While cookers having multiple functions in combination, such as pressure cooking and air frying functions, can be beneficial for their versatility, to include such different functions, the weight of the cooker and/or the cooker lid may be increased significantly.
As shown in
The lid 100 is positionable above the cooker body 500. The heater 110 is configured to provide heat to the cooker body 500. The fan 120 is proximate the heater, and the fan 120 is configured to generate air flow to a cooking space 510 in the cooker body 500. For example, the air flow may bring the heat produced by the heater 110 to the cooking space 510 to heat the food housed in the cooking space 510. The motor 130 is coupled to and configured to drive the fan 120, such that the fan 120 can provide the air flow. The fan 120 and the heater 110 positioned in the lid 100 may allow the pressure cooker 10 to function as an air fryer.
The one or more first protrusions 140 are configured to engage with the cooker body 500 to lock the lid 100 to the cooker body 500 to preserve pressure in the cooker body 500. When the pressure cooker 10 is working, the first protrusions 140 can provide a solid engagement to prevent the pressure in the pressure cooker 10 from opening the lid 100.
The tab 150 is operably coupled with the first protrusions 140. The coupling can be direct or indirect coupling. The tab 150 is movable between a first position P1 and a second position P2 (as shown in
The lid 100 may further include a connector 160. The connector 160 may be positioned inside the lid 100. The connector 160 may be coupled to the first protrusions 140 at one location and coupled to the tab 150 at another location. For example, the connector 160 may include a first arm 161, and the first arm 161 may extend through an external facing first slot 102 to be coupled to the tab 150. With the connector 160 extending between the first protrusions 140 and the tab 150, a movement by the user of the tab 150 can move the first protrusions 140 toward another position. As an example, the first slot 102 may be curved and follow the curvature of the periphery of the lid 100.
In one embodiment, the connector 160 may further include a second arm 162. The second arm 162 may extend upwardly (e.g., away from the cooker body 500) through a second slot 103 (as shown in
As an example, the lid 100 may further include a ring 170 (as shown in
Correspondingly, the cooker body 500 may include one or more second protrusions 540 (as shown in
As an example, the third arm 105 may be coupled with the connector 160 via a loop 165 of the connector 160 surrounding the third arm 105. The third arm 105 may be inserted into the loop 165. The third arm 105 may be made of different material from the connector 160. For example, the third arm 105 can be made of metal like the ring 170 of the lid 100, and the third arm 105 may be welded with the ring 170.
After the tab 150 moves from the first position P1 to the second position P2, the first protrusions 140 may be disengaged with the cooker body 500. But, the lid 100 may not be opened at this time because a latch 180 may be engaged with the cooker body 500 by having a hook shaped lower end inserted into a concave 520 of the cooker body 500. The tab 150 can be moved further to a third position P3. This movement can further disengage the latch 180 with the cooker body 500, such that the lid 100 can be opened, for example, by a biasing force. Further, the lid 100 may be biased to be pop opened once the latch 180 is released.
In one embodiment, the connector 160 may further include a fourth arm 163 extending in a direction opposite the second position P2. For example, when the connector 160 is positioned at the first position P1, the fourth arm 163 extends opposite to the predetermined route Rt defined by the first slot 102. The fourth arm 163 may move along with the movement of the connector 160 caused by a user's operation on the tab 150. The latch 180 is movable between an engaged position where the latch 180 is engaged with the cooker body 500 at the concave 520 and a disengaged position where the latch 180 is not engaged with the cooker body 500. The fourth arm 163 may be configured to move the latch 180 from the engaged position to the disengaged position when the tab 150 is moved from the second position P2 to the third position P3, to allow a biasing force to at least partially open the lid 100.
In one embodiment, the lid 100 may further include a base 182, which defines the third slot 104. The lid 100 may include a cantilever 181 connected to the base 182 at a hinge 183. The fourth arm 163 may be configured to engage the cantilever 181 when the tab 150 is moved from the second position P2 to the third position P3, such that the cantilever 181 is pushed to pivot about the first hinge 183, to eventually touch the upper portion 180U of the latch 180, and to move the latch 180 from the engaged position to the disengaged position.
In one embodiment, the latch 180 may pivot about a hinge 184 and is biased by a spring 521. Therefore, when the cantilever 181 engages the latch 180, the upper end 180U of the latch 180 moves forward and away from the center of the lid 100; the lower end 180D of the latch 180 moves backward toward the center C of the lid 100. The lower end 180D of the latch 180 may thereby be disengaged with the concave 520 of the cooker body 500, which received the lower end 180D of the latch 180. The spring 521 may bias the latch 180 to maintain the latch 180 at the engaged position. The spring 521 can be a compression spring, an extension spring, a conical spring, a torsion spring, a laminated or leaf spring, or a disc or belleville spring, or other type of elastic component.
According to one embodiment, the lid 100 may further include an elastic stopper 164 configured to bias the connector 160 or the third arm 105 toward the second position P2 when the connector moves between the second position P2 and the third position P3. For example, the elastic stopper 164 may push the connector 160 or tab 150 backward from the third position P3 to the second position P2, such that the cantilever 181 can move backward and that the latch 180 can be moved back to the engaged position based on the biasing force from the spring 521. As an example. the elastic stopper 164 may include a spring extending over the third slot 104. The elastic stopper 164 may include a compression spring, an extension spring, a conical spring, a torsion spring, a laminated or leaf spring, or a disc or belleville spring, or other type of elastic components. As shown in
Additionally, in one exemplary embodiment, the lid 100 may be biased toward an open position. For example, the lid 100 may be biased by an elastic component, such as a spring, positioned at a periphery of the cooker body 500 opposite the tab 150. The biasing force may come from an elastic component 191 located at a hinge 190 about which the lid 100 pivots. The lid 100 may couple with the cooker body 500 at the hinge 190. The hinge 190 may be positioned at an opposite side of the cooker body 500 from the tab. Because the lid 100 is biased, the lid 100 may be pop opened once the first protrusions 140 are first disengaged with the cooker body 500 (when the tab 150 arrives the second position P2) and then the latch 180 is positioned at the disengaged position (when the tab further moves toward the third position P3 from the second position P2).
The biasing force of the lid 100 may help the lid 100 to be opened. The lid 100 of this disclosure may include a motor, a fan, a heater, and other component for pressure cooking, air frying, or other cooking functions, and therefore, the lid 100 may be heavier than a lid of a traditional pressure cooker. The biasing force helps a user open the lid 100. The tab 150 helps the user to easily disengage the first protrusions 140 and the latch 180 at a predefined sequence. The tab 150 positioned at an outer periphery of the pressure cooker allows a user to use less force (due to mechanical advantage of using a longer leverage), and the connection between the first protrusions 140 and the tab 150 allows the first protrusions 140 to move the same radial distance as the tab 150 (as opposed to some fraction thereof), such that a user can move the first protrusions 140 without much unnecessarily movement.
In one exemplary embodiment, the pressure cooker 10 may include a handle 200. The handle 200 may extend outwardly from the lid 100 adjacent the first slot 102. The handle may be positioned directly above a control panel 300 of the pressure cooker 10. The handles 200 may extend outward from the control panel 300. The handle 200 may form a trench 210, such as a closed trench 210. The tab 150 may be movable within the trench 210. The trench 210 may have side walls enclosing the trench's 210 periphery, which may provide protection to the fingers of a user when the user is operating the tab 150. The handle 200 may define an outermost periphery at a side of the lid 100 opposite to the hinge 190 connecting the lid 100 to the cooker body 500. The first slot 102 can be formed on an inner side wall of the handle 200. The inner side wall may be forward facing to a user.
According to an exemplary embodiment, the tab 150 may be positioned at a location between the valve 111 and the cooker body 500 along a vertical axis. For example, the tab 150 may be positioned at a lower position than the location of the pressure releasing valve 111. The valve 111 is used to release the pressure in the pressure cooker, and may be located at the top of the lid 100. If a user wants to open the pressure cooker 10 safely, the pressure may need to be released first. The valve 111 can provide a rapid way to release the pressure in the cooker body 500, but however, if the pressure kept in the pressure cooker 10 is still very high, the progress of releasing the pressure can be frightening due to the amount of the releasing steam. Having a tab 150 at a lower position (and preferably and optionally in an closed trench), may provide a longer distance between the tab 150 and the pressure-releasing valve 111. The positioned and configuration may also let a user feel protective. Correspondingly, the handle 200 may be positioned at a lower position than the valve 111 such that the tab 150 can move within the closed trench 210. For example, the closed trench 210 may have a bottom wall 211 as shown in
Although the subject matter has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as illustrative forms of implementing the claims.
One skilled in the art will realize that a virtually unlimited number of variations to the above descriptions are possible, and that the examples and the accompanying figures are merely to illustrate one or more examples of implementations.
It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various other modifications can be made, and equivalents can be substituted, without departing from claimed subject matter. Additionally, many modifications can be made to adapt a particular situation to the teachings of claimed subject matter without departing from the central concept described herein. Therefore, it is intended that claimed subject matter not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that such claimed subject matter can also include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims, and equivalents thereof.
In the detailed description above, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of claimed subject matter. However, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that claimed subject matter can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, devices, or systems that would be known by one of ordinary skill have not been described in detail so as not to obscure claimed subject matter.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “one aspect,” or “an aspect” can mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with a particular embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of claimed subject matter. Thus, appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “in on aspect,” or “an aspect,” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily intended to refer to the same embodiment or to any one particular embodiment described. Furthermore, it is to be understood that particular features, structures, or characteristics described can be combined in various ways in one or more embodiments. In general, of course, these and other issues can vary with the particular context of usage. Therefore, the particular context of the description or the usage of these terms can provide helpful guidance regarding inferences to be drawn for that context.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/392,984, filed on Jul. 28, 2022, pending, the entirety of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
63392984 | Jul 2022 | US |