U.S. patent application number 11/396530 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-05 for household electrical appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to SEB SA. Invention is credited to Denis Gruaz, Jean-Pierre Lubowicki.
Application Number | 20070074629 11/396530 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 33396856 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-05 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070074629 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Lubowicki; Jean-Pierre ; et
al. |
April 5, 2007 |
Household electrical appliance
Abstract
The object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus
for producing a DNA doped carbon cluster capable of introducing DNA
into the cavity of a carbon cluster. An apparatus for producing a
DNA doped carbon cluster comprising a radio frequency current
applying electrode which is composed of a porous material or a wire
mesh capable of retaining a solution containing DNA, a grounding
electrode placed opposite to the radio frequency current applying
electrode, and a power source for supplying a radio frequency
output to the radio frequency current applying electrode, wherein
the grounding electrode bears hollow carbon clusters on its
surface.
Inventors: |
Lubowicki; Jean-Pierre;
(Aix-Les-Bains, FR) ; Gruaz; Denis; (Villaz,
FR) |
Correspondence
Address: |
YOUNG & THOMPSON
745 SOUTH 23RD STREET
2ND FLOOR
ARLINGTON
VA
22202
US
|
Assignee: |
SEB SA
ECULLY
FR
|
Family ID: |
33396856 |
Appl. No.: |
11/396530 |
Filed: |
April 4, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10650675 |
Aug 29, 2003 |
7021199 |
|
|
11396530 |
Apr 4, 2006 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
99/372 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47J 37/0611 20130101;
Y10T 16/53613 20150115; Y10T 16/536 20150115 |
Class at
Publication: |
099/372 |
International
Class: |
A47J 37/06 20060101
A47J037/06 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 26, 2003 |
FR |
03 07742 |
Claims
1. An electrical appliance comprising a. base and a waffle-iron,
said base comprising a rear support and front support, said
waffle-iron comprising a top panel and bottom panel hinged to each
other to allow movement defining an open position and a closed
position, the waffle-iron comprising a forwardly-projecting handle
received in said front support, wherein the waffle iron is
pivotally mounted on the supports about a pivot axis to move
between at least a working angular position in which the hinge axis
is oriented horizontally and said top panel is above said bottom
panel, and an upside-down angular position in which the hinge axis
is oriented horizontally and said top panel is beneath said bottom
panel, said front support and said handle comprising cooperating
twist-lock structures that allow said top panel to move freely
relative to said bottom panel when the waffle-iron is in its
working angular position and which lock both panels in the closed
position when the waffle-iron is in its upside-down position.
2. The electrical appliance according to claim 1, wherein said
cooperating twist-lock structures comprise: a bearing comprised by
said front support having an internal cylindrical hole that has an
inner diameter and extends along the pivot axis, said bearing
having an upper opening having in the hinge axis direction a
dimension smaller than that of the inner diameter of said
cylindrical hole, a pivot connected to said bottom panel and
extending along the pivot axis remotely from said hinge, said pivot
engaged with said inner diameter of said cylindrical hole and
having a width in the hinge axis direction greater than the width
of said bearing opening, a locking element connected to said top
panel and extending remotely from said hinge along a longitudinal
direction that corresponds to the pivot axis direction when said
top panel is in its closed position, said locking element having in
the hinge axis direction a dimension equal to or smaller than that
of said hearing opening in order to pass through said opening when
the waffle-iron is in its working angular position, wherein said
pivot and said locking elements are configured to engage each other
within said cylindrical bearing hole and allow the locking element
to pass through the bearing opening when the waffle iron is in its
working angular position and lock the pivot and the locking element
securely together when the waffle iron is in its upside down
angular position.
3. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the engagement between the
pivot and the locking element within the cylindrical bearing hole
defines a dimension substantially equal to the inner diameter of
the said cylindrical hole in at least the opening direction that is
perpendicular to both the pivot axis direction and the hinge axis
direction.
4. The appliance of claim 2, wherein the pivot connected to the
bottom panel has a maximum width substantially the same as the
inner diameter of the cylindrical bearing hole.
5. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the base includes a clamping
tongue projecting from the front support along the pivot axis away
from the device and disposed beneath the hole.
6. An electrical appliance comprising a base and a waffle-iron,
said base comprising a rear support and a front support, said
waffle-iron comprising a top panel and bottom panel hinged to each
other to allow movement defining an open position in which the top
panel is angularly moved apart from the bottom panel and a closed
position in which both panels are one against the other, the
waffle-iron comprising a forwardly-projecting handle received in
said front support, wherein the waffle iron is pivotally mounted on
the supports about a pivot axis to move between at least a first
angular position in which the hinge axis is oriented horizontally
and said top panel is above said bottom panel, and an upside-down
angular position in which the hinge axis is oriented horizontally
and said top panel is beneath said bottom panel, said front support
and said handle comprising cooperating twist-lock structures that
allow said top panel to move freely relative to said bottom panel,
between said closed and open positions, when the waffle-iron is in
its first angular position and which lock both panels in the closed
position when the waffle-iron is in its upside-down position.
7. The electrical appliance according to claim 6, wherein said
cooperating twist-lock structures comprise: a bearing comprised by
said front support having an internal cylindrical hole that has an
inner diameter and extends along the pivot axis, said bearing
having an upper opening having in the hinge axis direction a
dimension smaller than that of the inner diameter of said
cylindrical hole, a pivot connected to said bottom panel and
extending along the pivot axis remotely from said hinge, said pivot
engaged with said inner diameter of said cylindrical hole and
having a width in the hinge axis direction greater than the width
of said bearing opening, a locking element connected to said top
panel and extending remotely from said hinge along a longitudinal
direction that corresponds to the pivot axis direction when said
top panel is in its closed position, said locking element having in
the hinge axis direction a dimension equal to or smaller that a
that of said bearing opening in order to pass through said opening
when the waffle-iron is in its working angular position, wherein
said pivot and said locking elements are configured to engage each
other within said cylindrical bearing hole and allow the locking
element to pass through the bearing opening when the waffle iron is
in its working angular position and lock the pivot and the locking
element securely together when the waffle iron is in its upside
down angular position.
8. The appliance of claim 7, wherein the engagement between the
pivot and the locking element within the cylindrical bearing hole
defines a dimension substantially equal to the inner diameter of
the said cylindrical hole in at least the opening direction that is
perpendicular to both the pivot axis direction and the hinge axis
direction.
9. The appliance of claim, 7, wherein the pivot connected to the
bottom panel has a maximum width substantially the same as the
inner diameter of the cylindrical bearing hole.
10. The appliance of claim 6, wherein the base includes a clamping
tongue projecting from the front support along the pivot axis away
from the device and disposed beneath the hole.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to a household electrical
appliance of the type comprising a support and a device of the
waffle-iron type pivotally mounted on the support.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A household electrical appliance is known of the type
comprising firstly a support and secondly a waffle-iron device
which comprises a top panel and a bottom panel hinged to each other
by a hinge to move between an open position and a closed position,
the device being pivotally mounted on the support about a pivot
axis to move between at least a working angular position in which
the axis of the hinge is oriented horizontally, the top panel being
above the bottom panel, and an upside-down second angular position
in which the axis of the hinge is oriented horizontally, the top
panel being beneath the bottom panel.
[0003] Such an appliance is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,116,688 in
which the device further comprises a central panel so as to form a
double waffle-iron, the top panel and the bottom panel each
including a handle connected to the corresponding panel via a
half-shaft extending along the pivot axis when the device is in the
closed position, the two half-shafts forming a pivot shaft when the
device is in the closed position.
[0004] Nevertheless, in such a household electrical appliance, it
is difficult to spread the waffle batter uniformly in the
waffle-iron: when the waffle-iron is full of waffle batter,
swelling of the batter causes the panels to move apart, and thus
the batter does not tend to spread uniformly over the surface of
the panels, but instead swells with a large component in the
panel-opening direction. It is plausible that in the appliance
described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,116,688, the central panel does not
move away from the panel placed beneath it (the bottom panel in the
working position or the top panel in the upside-down position)
because of the weight of the central panel and the weight of the
panel which is situated above it, however, whether or not that is
the case, there will always be movement apart between the central
panel and the panel which is situated above it. Furthermore, in a
device having only two panels, the weight of a single panel is
insufficient to prevent the panels moving apart. This moving apart
of the panels necessarily leads to batter being lost from the
appliance and to waffles that swell little.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] The problem posed is to make a household electrical
appliance of the above-specified type that is simple in structure,
and in which the conformation of the various component elements
enables batter to spread uniformly between the panels in
position.
[0006] The solution proposed by the present invention is an
appliance of the above-specified type further comprising a
releasable locking device acting on the relative movement between
the top and bottom panels to allow the top panel to move freely
relative to the bottom panel when the device is in its working
position, and to lock the top panel in its closed position relative
to the bottom panel when the device is in its upside-down
position.
[0007] Thus, by means of this configuration, once the batter has
been placed on the bottom panel, with the device being open in its
working position, the top panel is lowered so as to close the
device, and then the device is pivoted into its upside-down
position in which it is locked in the closed position. In the
invention, the locking of the two panels in the closed position
when the device is in its upside-down position enables the batter
to spread well.
[0008] In a particular embodiment, the locking device comprises a
locking element secured to the top panel, a pivot secured to the
bottom panel extending along the pivot axis opposite from the
hinge, and having a housing adapted to receive the locking element
when the two panels are in the closed position, and a bearing
carried by the support, in which bearing the pivot is pivotally
mounted, and including an opening which is disposed so as to allow
the locking element to pass through to open and close the device
when the device is in its working position, the bearing being
shaped in such a manner as to prevent the panels opening when the
device is in its upside-down position.
[0009] Thus, in this configuration, when the device in the working
position is closed, the locking element is disposed in the housing
after passing through the opening in the bearing, and when the
device is pivoted, the pivot and the locking element pivot in the
bearing. The pivot is held captive in the bearing given that it
extends over more than half a turn, and as soon as the pivot and
the locking element have pivoted through an angle that is
sufficient for the locking element (disposed in the pivot housing)
no longer to be fully in register with the opening of the bearing,
the locking element is also held captive in the bearing. Thus, the
two panels are locked together automatically as soon as the device
is subjected to pivoting through a predetermined sufficient
angle.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0010] Other advantages and features appear in the description of
an embodiment which is shown in the accompanying drawings and which
is given purely by way of non-limiting example.
[0011] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a household electrical
appliance in accordance with the present invention, the device
being closed in the working position.
[0012] FIG. 2 is an enlargement of zone II in FIG. 1.
[0013] FIG. 3 is a simplified section view perpendicular to the
pivot axis showing co-operation between the bearing, the pivot, and
the locking element in a first embodiment of the present
invention.
[0014] FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a second
embodiment.
[0015] FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing the device in an
open position
MORE DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0016] As can be seen in FIG. 1, a household electrical appliance 1
comprises a support 2 and a waffle-iron type device 3.
[0017] The waffle-iron 3 comprises two panels 4, 5 which are hinged
to each other by a hinge 6 to move between an open position and a
closed position. The waffle-iron 3 is pivotally mounted on the
support about a pivot axis 7 to move between at least one working
angular position in which the axis 8 of the hinge 6 extends
horizontally and in which the top panel 4 is above the bottom panel
5 when they are in the closed position (FIGS. 1 and 2), and an
upside-down second angular position in which the axis 8 of the
hinge 6 is oriented horizontally, the top panel 4 being underneath
the bottom panel 5 when they are in the closed position. The axis 8
of the hinge 6 is perpendicular to the pivot axis 7. Between the
working position and the upside-down position there is an angular
offset of half a turn.
[0018] In conventional manner, each panel 4, 5 comprises a shell 21
forming the body of the corresponding panel, a hot plate 22 which
is carried by the corresponding shell and which is adapted to
receive the food to be cooked, and an electrical resistance element
which is for heating the hot plate 22. In the present example, each
hot plate 22 is releasably connected to the corresponding shell 21
by a clip mechanism 23.
[0019] Advantageously, the support 2 has first and second stands
14a, 14b standing on a bottom plate 9 and on which the waffle-iron
device 3 is pivotally mounted at two opposite ends.
[0020] Astutely, the waffle-iron device has a single handle 17
situated at the end of an arm (also referred to as a blade) 16
connected to the top panel 4 and extending from one only of its
ends, remotely from the hinge 6 situated on the first stand 14a.
The arm 16 extends towards the second stand 14b when the device is
in the working position or in the upside-down position and rests
against it in both of these two positions. Furthermore, the
releasable locking device engages the arm 16 in said upside-down
position and disengages it in the working position so as to then
allow the top and bottom panels 4 and 5 to hinge freely about the
hinge 6.
[0021] It should also be observed that the bottom panel 5 is
connected to an arm (or blade) 18 extending along the first arm 16,
both in the working position and in the upside-down position of the
waffle-iron device, said arms 16, 18 bearing in both of these
positions against the second stand 14b in a pivot zone 10.
[0022] The bottom plate 9 of the support 2 comprises or supports a
drip tray which extends beneath the waffle-iron 3 for the purpose
of receiving waffle batter that falls therefrom. The support 2 also
has a front bearing 10a which is situated remote from the hinge 6,
and a back bearing 11 which is situated beside the hinge 6, the two
bearings 10a and 11 being in alignment on the pivot axis 7 and
serving to support the waffle-iron 3. Naturally, the two bearings
10a, 11 are situated high enough above the drip tray 9 to allow the
waffle-iron 3 to pivot freely about the pivot axis 7.
[0023] The waffle-iron 3 has a front pivot 12 which is situated
remote from the hinge 6 and which is mounted to turn freely in the
front bearing 10a, and a back pivot 13 which is situated beside the
hinge 6 and which is free to turn in the back bearing 11. Thus, the
two pivots 12 and 13 extend along the pivot axis 7 and form the
pivot shaft about which the waffle-iron 3 pivots.
[0024] The back pivot 13 is a cylinder held captive in the back
bearing 11 formed by a ring secured to the drip tray by two arms
which together form the first vertical stand 14a. As a result, the
only degree of freedom in movement of the back pivot 13 in the back
bearing 11 is in rotation about the pivot axis 7.
[0025] The front pivot 12 is secured to the bottom panel 5 and has
a housing 17 which is adapted to receive a locking element 16 when
the two panels 4 and 5 are in the closed position, which locking
element 16 is secured to the top panel 4. When the two panels 4 and
5 are in the open position (FIG. 5), the locking element 16 is
outside the housing 15, and when the two panels 4, 5 are in the
closed position, the locking element 16 is situated in the housing
15.
[0026] The front bearing 10a has an opening 19 disposed in such a
manner as to allow the locking element 16 to pass through for
opening and closing the waffle-iron 3 when the waffle-iron 3 is in
its working position. The opening 19 extends over less than half a
turn so as to hold the front pivot-12 captive and prevent the
panels 4 and 5 from opening when the waffle-iron 3 is in its
upside-down position.
[0027] Thus, the locking device has a bearing 10a arranged on said
support 2 for receiving the arm 18 of the bottom panel 5, said
bearing pivotally supporting the pivot 12 whose slot 15 receives a
portion (16) of said single handle 17.
[0028] It will be understood that when the waffle-iron 3 is in its
working position, while the top panel 4 is being moved relative to
the bottom panel 5, the locking element 16 passes freely through
the front opening 19 prior to being received in the housing 15 (in
the closing direction) or after leaving the housing 15 (in the
opening direction). It will also be understood that as soon as the
front pivot 12 has pivoted about the pivot axis 7 through an angle
such that the locking element 16 is no longer fully in register
with the opening 19, it can no longer leave the housing 15, and as
a result the waffle-iron 3 is locked in its closed position, and in
particular when the waffle-iron 3 is in its upside-down position,
the locking element 16 comes into abutment against the bottom
portion of the inside wall of the front bearing 10, thereby
preventing the waffle-iron 3 from being opened.
[0029] Furthermore, it should also be understood that in order to
avoid there being any clearance between the two panels 4, 5 when
the waffle-iron 3 is closed, it is preferable for the height of the
locking element 16 to be such that, when it is in abutment in the
housing 15, it is also in abutment against the inside surface of
the front bearing 10 (ignoring the clearance that is necessary to
enable the front pivot 12 to pivot in the front bearing 10).
[0030] In the present example, the locking element 16 is formed by
a blade 16 which extends perpendicularly to the axis 8 of the hinge
6 and along the pivot axis 7, and which connects the top panel 4 to
a handle 17. In the present embodiment, the waffle-iron has only
one handle 17 which is used both to pivot the waffle-iron 3 about
the pivot axis 7 and to open and close the top panel 4.
[0031] In the present embodiment, the front pivot 12 is connected
to the bottom panel 5 by a connection blade 18 which extends
perpendicularly to the axis 8 of the hinge 6 along the pivot axis
7. The connection blade 18 is slightly offset in the direction
defined by the axis 8 of the hinge 6 relative to the blade 16
forming the locking element 16, thereby enabling the two panels 4,
5 to be closed.
[0032] The general shape of the front pivot 12 is that of a
cylinder, and the housing 15 is formed by a slot 15 which passes
through the center of the pivot 12. The slot 15 extends along the
pivot axis 7 and when the waffle-iron 3 is in its working position,
the slot extends vertically. The dimensions of the slot 15
(widthwise, i.e. in the direction of the axis 8 of the hinge 6, and
heightwise, i.e. vertically when the waffle-iron 3 is in its
working position) corresponding to the dimensions of the blade 16
(i.e. respectively to its width and to its height).
[0033] In the present embodiment, the front bearing 10a is formed
by a ring which is secured to the drip tray by two arms 14
(possibly forming the second stand 14b) and including a groove 19
forming the opening 19. The groove 19 extends vertically and along
the pivot axis 7, and extends the housing 15 when the waffle-iron 3
is in its working position. The width of the groove 19 is slightly
greater than the width of the slot 15, and as a result it suffices
to pivot the waffle-iron only slightly in order to lock it in the
closed position. The inside diameter of the ring 10 corresponds to
the outside diameter of the front pivot 12 (ignoring the clearance
that is necessary to allow rotation).
[0034] Thus, the household electrical appliance 1 comprises: the
support 2; the bottom panel 5, which is pivotally mounted relative
to the support 2 about the pivot axis 7 and which is held captive
relative to the support 2; and the top panel 4, which is mounted to
turn relative to the bottom panel 5 (when the locking device is in
a configuration that allows the device 3 to be opened) about the
axis 8 of the hinge, and which is mounted to pivot relative to the
support 2 about the pivot axis 7 (in particular when the device 3
is closed).
[0035] In addition, in order to assist in closing the waffle-iron
3, the front bearing 10a has a clamping tongue 20 which projects
from the front bearing 10 along the pivot axis 7 away from the
waffle-iron 3 and which is disposed beneath the front pivot 12. The
clamping tongue 20 is used to bring the locking element 16 fully
into the housing 15 which can be advantageous when a large amount
of waffle batter has been placed between the panels 4, 5 or when
the device 3 is being used to grill Welsh rabbit (Welsh rabbit is
always made thicker than the cavity between the corresponding hot
plates 22, since cooking is better when the Welsh rabbit is clamped
by the hot plate 22).
[0036] As can be seen in FIG. 4, the bearing 10a may extend over
less than half a turn, the essential point being that it is shaped
in such a manner that the pivot 12 is held captive therein and the
locking element 16 comes into abutment against its inside surface
when the device 3 is in its upside-down position.
[0037] Naturally, the present invention is not limited to the
embodiment described above, it being possible, for example, to have
a device with a central panel, the pivot and the locking element
each being carried by an outer panel.
* * * * *