JP3946664B2 - Insulation structure at the bottom of the liquid container - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a bottom insulating structure of a liquid container such as an electric pot or a humidifier.
[0002]
[Prior art]
The bottom structure of a liquid container such as an electric pot or a humidifier is generally equipped with a heater on the bottom surface of the inner container housed in the outer shell of the container, and a heat shield on the lower surface of the heater holding plate fixed to the bottom surface of the inner container. A metal plate in which the upper end of a foot bracket (sometimes referred to as a mounting bracket) is fixed via a plate, and the lower end of the foot bracket overlaps the bottom of the container outer shell and the bottom surface of the bottom. The bottom plate of the liquid container is fixed with a screw screwed through the bottom plate, and the bottom plate is fastened between the screw head and the bottom of the container outer shell. (See Patent Document 1).
[0003]
The bottom screw pulls in the inner container and presses the peripheral edge of the opening against the shoulder member, and also serves to connect and fix the bottom surface of the inner container to the bottom of the outer shell, so that the inner container, shoulder member, outer shell, bottom plate, etc. It plays an important role in uniting.
[0004]
In this case, the bottom screw is passed through only the outer shell and the foot bracket is connected and fixed to the bottom of the outer shell, and the metal bottom plate is overlapped and fixed to the outer shell bottom. This is to prevent the outer shell bottom from being deformed by a large load acting when the bottom screw is tightened, that is, to reinforce the outer shell bottom by the bottom plate.
[0005]
However, if the insulation performance of the heater deteriorates for some reason in the bottom structure, the screw head and bottom plate exposed to the bottom of the liquid container are charged through the heater holding plate, heat shield plate, foot bracket, and bottom screw. There is a problem that becomes a part.
[0006]
In order to solve this problem, in Patent Document 1 described above, the foot bracket is directly fixed to the bottom of the outer shell with a bottom screw without any bottom plate, and a predetermined interval is set downward from the screw head of the bottom screw. In this case, a metal bottom plate is fitted and the bottom plate is fixed to the bottom of the outer shell by another fixing screw.
[0007]
According to the above structure, since the bottom screw is covered by the bottom plate and the bottom plate does not come into contact with the bottom screw, the bottom plate exposed to the bottom surface of the liquid container and its fixing screw are insulated, and the insulation performance of the heater deteriorates. Even if there is a problem, there is no inconvenience that the exposed part becomes a charged part.
[0008]
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-113744 (Prior Art Section, FIGS. 9 and 10 and Example 1, FIGS. 1 and 2)
[0009]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, since the above structure is a structure in which the foot bracket is directly connected and fixed to the bottom of the outer shell by the bottom screw, the reinforcing action by the bottom plate cannot be obtained, and therefore the bottom of the outer shell is deformed by the load when the bottom screw is tightened. Flatness may be impaired. A bottom support ring is attached to the annular groove to rotatably support a liquid container such as an electric pot at the outer shell bottom. However, if the flatness of the outer shell bottom is impaired, the liquid container rotates smoothly on the ring. This causes a problem that the usability is impaired.
[0010]
In addition, according to the above structure, two types of screws are required: a bottom screw for connecting and fixing the foot bracket to the bottom of the outer shell, and a fixing screw for connecting and fixing the bottom plate to the bottom of the outer shell. There is also a problem that the number of work processes increases.
[0011]
Therefore, the present invention prevents the outer shell bottom from being deformed when the bottom screw is tightened, and does not cause a substantial increase in the work process, so that the charging unit is not exposed to the bottom of the liquid container. Let it be an issue.
[0012]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention is configured such that a heater is attached to the bottom surface portion of the inner container housed in the outer shell, and a heat shield plate is interposed on the lower surface of the heater pressing plate fixed to the bottom surface of the inner container. The upper end of the foot bracket is fixed, and the lower end of the foot bracket is fixed with a bottom screw that is screwed through the bottom of the outer shell and a metal bottom plate superimposed on the bottom of the bottom, and the screw head In the liquid container in which the bottom plate is tightened between the bottom portion of the container and the outer shell, an annular insulating member is interposed between the head of the bottom screw and the screw insertion hole of the bottom plate, and the insulating member A configuration was adopted in which the provided sleeve portion was interposed between the inner periphery of the screw insertion hole and the leg portion of the bottom screw, and the head of the bottom screw was covered with an insulating cap.
[0013]
According to the above configuration, the bottom plate is insulated by the sleeve portion of the insulating member, and the screw head of the bottom screw is covered by the insulating cap. As a result, even if the heater retainer plate, heat shield plate, foot bracket and bottom screw may become the charging part, the bottom plate will not become the charging part, and the head of the bottom screw is covered by the insulating cap. Therefore, the charging part is not exposed.
[0014]
The insulating member includes a small-diameter sleeve portion that is formed on the inner periphery of the annular portion and is fitted on the leg portion of the bottom screw, and is formed on the outer periphery of the annular portion and is fitted on the head portion of the bottom screw. What was formed with the large diameter sleeve part can be used. A configuration in which an engagement rib with the insulating cap is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the large-diameter sleeve portion of the insulating member, or a configuration in which the insulating member is integrated with the bottom screw by insert molding may be employed.
[0015]
Furthermore, as another means for solving the above problems, a heater is attached to the bottom surface portion of the inner container housed in the outer shell, and a heat shield plate is provided on the lower surface of the heater pressing plate fixed to the bottom surface of the inner container, A bottom plate fixed to the bottom of the outer shell, and provided with a heat shield plate connecting portion and a bottom plate connecting portion that are vertically opposed to the heat shield plate and the bottom plate, and screwed between the connecting portions from below the bottom plate connecting portion. In a liquid container connected by screws, an annular first insulating member is interposed between the bottom screw head and the bottom plate connecting portion, and a sleeve portion provided on the first insulating member is connected to the bottom plate. An annular second insulating member that is interposed between the inner periphery of the screw insertion hole of the portion and the leg portion of the bottom screw, and in which the leg portion of the bottom screw passes between the screw insertion holes of the heat shield plate connection portion and the bottom plate connection portion And a structure in which an insulating cap is put on the head of the bottom screw. It is possible.
[0016]
In this case, the foot bracket is omitted and the heat shield plate and the bottom plate are directly connected. However, the bottom plate is insulated by the first and second insulating members and the insulating cap in the same manner as described above. In addition, the head of the bottom screw is not exposed.
[0017]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The electric pot of the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 has a heater 3 attached to the bottom surface of the inner container 2 housed in the outer shell 1, and is fixed to the bottom surface of the inner container 2 on the lower surface of the heater 3. The heater presser plate 4 is pressed, and the upper end of the foot bracket 6 is fixed by the connecting screw 7 with the heat shield plate 5 interposed on the lower surface of the heater presser plate 4. A temperature sensor 8 is mounted at the center of the bottom of the inner container 2, and a liquid passage 11 is connected to a liquid outlet 9 provided at the bottom of the inner container 2, and a pump 12 interposed in the middle of the liquid passage 11 The liquid in the inner container 2 is discharged from the discharge port 13 to the outside. The outer peripheral edge of the upper end of the inner container 2 is engaged and supported by the shoulder member 14 in a suspended state.
[0018]
The bottom portion of the outer shell 1 is shown as being integrated with the body portion in the illustrated case, but may be formed of a member different from the body portion. In any case, the bottom surface portion 16 continuous to the peripheral wall portion 15 is formed in an annular shape with a predetermined width, and an annular groove 18 opened downward is provided on the bottom surface portion 16 (see FIG. 2). A rotation support ring 19 is rotatably mounted in the annular groove 18. As a result of the rotation support ring 19 being grounded and the bottom surface portion 16 and other portions being slightly separated from the ground surface, the entire electric pot is rotatably supported.
[0019]
A bottom plate support step 21 is formed by recessing one step into the inner periphery of the annular groove 18. The peripheral edge of the metal bottom plate 22 is pressed against the bottom plate support step 21 from below. A bottom screw fixing portion 23 is formed inside the bottom plate supporting step portion 21 so as to be recessed in another step at two opposing positions on the entire circumference and projecting inwardly.
[0020]
The bottom screw fixing portion 23 is provided with a vertical screw insertion hole 24, and the lower end fixing portion 26 of the foot bracket 6 is placed on the upper end of the screw insertion hole 24. The foot bracket 6 has a crank shape in which the lower end fixing portion 26 and the upper end fixing portion 25 are horizontal and the intermediate portion 27 is vertical, and a screw hole 28 is provided in the lower end fixing portion 26. The screw hole 28, the screw insertion hole 24 and the screw insertion hole 22a (see FIG. 3) of the bottom plate 22 are combined in a concentric state, and the bottom screw 29 is screwed from below. As shown in FIG. 3, a slightly enlarged diameter portion 24 a is provided at the lower end portion of the screw insertion hole 24.
[0021]
An annular portion 32 of the insulating member 30 is interposed between the screw insertion hole 22 a of the bottom plate 22 and the head portion 29 a of the bottom screw 29. The insulating member 30 is integrally formed of an insulating synthetic resin. A small-diameter sleeve portion 31 is formed upward on the inner periphery of the annular portion 32, and a large-diameter sleeve portion 33 is formed downward on the outer periphery of the annular portion 32. Is done. An engagement rib 34 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter sleeve portion 33.
[0022]
The small diameter sleeve portion 31 is fitted into the screw insertion hole 22 a of the bottom plate 22 and the enlarged diameter portion 24 a of the screw insertion hole 24 of the bottom screw fixing portion 23, and the leg portion 29 b of the bottom screw 29 is inserted into the small diameter sleeve portion 31. It is inserted. Further, the head portion 29 a is fitted into the large diameter sleeve portion 33.
[0023]
In the insulating member 30, the annular portion 32 insulates the bottom plate 22 from the head 29 a of the bottom screw 29, and the small diameter sleeve portion 31 includes a screw insertion hole 22 a of the bottom plate 22 and a leg portion 29 b of the bottom screw 29. Insulate.
[0024]
A rubber insulating cap 35 is placed on the head 29a, and the inner peripheral edge of the insulating cap 35 is engaged with the outer periphery of the engaging rib 34 (see FIG. 2). The insulating cap 35 and the large-diameter sleeve portion 33 of the insulating member 30 cover the screw head 29a and prevent the head 29a from being directly exposed to the outside. Since the insulating cap 35 is made of rubber and easily adheres to the mating large-diameter sleeve portion 33, it performs a sealing action to prevent water from entering the screw head 29a. The same sealing action is performed even if the insulating member 30 is made of rubber and the insulating cap 35 is made of synthetic resin. This sealing action prevents water accumulated on the grounding surface of the electric pot from coming into contact with the metal portion of the screw head 29a and causing current to flow to the outside. Further, when there is a cause of water leakage in the inner container 2, the water may be collected around the screw leg portion 29b. However, the annular portion 32 of the insulating member 30 is connected to the screw head portion 29a and the bottom screw fixing portion 23. Therefore, the water accumulated above and the water accumulated on the ground surface do not come into contact with each other, and current conduction through the water is cut off.
[0025]
The insulating member 30 may be an independent component as described above. However, as shown in FIG. 4A, the insulating member 30 may be integrally formed with the bottom screw 29 by insert molding. Further, as shown in FIG. 4B, the insulating member 30 is formed only by the annular portion 32 and the small diameter sleeve portion 31 formed on the inner periphery thereof, and the screw head 29a is covered by the insulating cap 35. It may be.
[0026]
Next, the second embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 will be described. In this case, the foot bracket 6 in the first embodiment is omitted, and a part of the heat shield plate 5 is directed downward at two centrally symmetric portions near the outer peripheries of the heat shield plate 5 and the bottom plate 22. A trapezoidal heat shield plate coupling portion 36 is formed by cutting and raising, and a part of the bottom plate 22 is cut upward to face the trapezoidal bottom plate coupling portion 37. A screw hole 38 is provided at the lower end portion of the heat shield plate connecting portion 36 (see FIG. 7), and a screw insertion hole 39 facing the screw hole 38 is provided in the bottom plate connecting portion 37.
[0027]
A bottom screw 29 is inserted from the bottom of the bottom plate connecting portion 37, and between the head portion 29a and the bottom plate connecting portion 37, an insulating synthetic resin similar to the insulating member 30 of the first embodiment is used. The annular portion 32 of the integrally formed first insulating member 30 is interposed. A small-diameter sleeve portion 31 is formed upward on the inner periphery of the annular portion 32, and a large-diameter sleeve portion 33 is formed on the outer periphery of the annular portion 32. An engagement rib 34 is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the large diameter sleeve portion 33.
[0028]
The small diameter sleeve portion 31 is inserted into the screw insertion hole 39 of the bottom plate connecting portion 37 and insulates between the screw insertion hole 39 and the screw leg portion 29b. Further, a screw head 29 a is fitted into the large diameter sleeve portion 33, and an insulating cap 35 is put on the screw head 29 a and the large diameter sleeve portion 33.
[0029]
An annular second insulating member 41 is interposed between the screw hole 38 of the heat shield plate connecting portion 36 and the screw insertion hole 39 of the bottom plate connecting portion 37, and the second insulating member 41 is the small diameter sleeve portion. 31 is inserted outside. The second insulating member 41 insulates between the heat shield plate connecting portion 36 and the bottom plate connecting portion 37.
[0030]
Since the bottom insulation structure of the second embodiment is configured as described above, even if the insulation performance of the heater 3 deteriorates and the heater presser plate 4, the heat shield plate 5, and the bottom screw 29 become charging parts, the external parts are external. Since the bottom plate 22 exposed to the surface is insulated from the heat shield plate 5 by the first insulating member 30 and the second insulating member 41, it does not become a charging part. Further, the screw head 29a is covered by the insulating cap 35, and the metal portion is not exposed. In addition, a sealing action is performed as in the case of the first embodiment.
[0031]
In the case of the second embodiment described above, the bottom screw 29 does not pass through the bottom surface portion 16 of the outer shell 1, and is fastened to the screw hole 38 of the heat shield plate coupling portion 36 through the screw insertion hole 39 of the bottom plate 22. The load at the time of screw tightening is directly applied to the bottom plate 22. The bottom plate 22 is made of metal and has a strength capable of withstanding the load. Although the outer peripheral edge of the bottom plate 22 is pressed against the bottom plate support portion 21 of the bottom surface portion 16 of the outer shell 1, the load is distributed to the bottom plate support portion 21 through the bottom plate 22. Absent.
[0032]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, at the bottom of a liquid container such as an electric pot, the bottom plate exposed at the bottom is insulated even if the insulation performance of the heater deteriorates and the metal part becomes a charged part. This part will not become a live part. In addition, since the screw head of the bottom screw is covered with an insulating cap, the screw head is not exposed. Therefore, even if the user touches these parts, there is no fear of electric shock. In addition, the load accompanying the tightening of the bottom screw is received by the bottom plate and is not received only by the bottom surface portion of the outer shell. Therefore, deformation of the bottom surface portion of the outer shell can be prevented, which hinders the rotation support of the entire liquid container. Never come.
[0033]
Furthermore, a seal is achieved by fitting an insulating member that insulates the bottom plate and an insulating cap that covers the screw head, thereby avoiding contact between the screw head and water accumulated on the grounding surface. Further, by sandwiching the annular portion of the insulating member, conduction caused by the continuation of the water accumulated on the leg side of the bottom screw and the water accumulated on the ground surface is interrupted.
[0034]
In addition, since the load acting when tightening the bottom screw is received via the bottom plate, it can be avoided that it is received only by the outer shell, so deformation of the bottom surface of the outer shell is prevented and it is smoothly rotated and supported, resulting in good usability. It is done.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of the same. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded cross-sectional view of the same. FIG. 5 is a partial sectional view of the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along line XX in FIG. 5. FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged sectional view of FIG.
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Outer shell 2 Inner container 3 Heater 4 Heater holding plate 5 Heat shield plate 6 Foot bracket 7 Connecting screw 8 Temperature sensor 9 Liquid outlet 11 Liquid passage 12 Pump 13 Discharge port 14 Shoulder member 15 Peripheral wall part 16 Bottom face part 18 Groove 19 Rotation Support ring 21 Bottom plate support step portion 22 Bottom plate 22a Screw insertion hole 23 Bottom screw fixing portion 24 Screw insertion hole 24a Wide diameter portion 25 Fixing portion 26 Fixing portion 27 Intermediate portion 28 Screw hole 29 Bottom screw 29a Head portion 29b Leg portion 30 Insulating member (First insulation member)
31 Small-diameter sleeve portion 32 Annular portion 33 Large-diameter sleeve portion 34 Engaging rib 35 Insulating cap 36 Heat shield plate connecting portion 37 Bottom plate connecting portion 38 Screw hole 39 Screw insertion hole 41 Second insulating member

Claims (3)

A heater (3) is attached to the bottom of the inner container (2) housed inside the outer shell (1), and a heat shield (4) is attached to the lower surface of the heater holding plate (4) fixed to the bottom of the inner container (2). 5) is used to fix the upper end of the foot bracket (6), and the lower end of the foot bracket (6) is overlapped with the bottom of the outer shell (1) and the bottom surface of the bottom (22) In a liquid container in which the bottom plate (22) is fastened between the screw head (29a) and the bottom of the outer shell (1). An annular insulating member (30) is interposed between the head (29a) of the screw (29) and the screw insertion hole (22a) of the bottom plate (22), and the insulating member ( 30 ) is connected to the annular portion ( 32). small diameter sleeve portion which is fitted to the leg portion (29 b) of the bottom thread formed on the inner peripheral (29)) of (31), the annular portion of the (outer periphery formed bottom screws 32) (29) head (2 is formed by the large diameter sleeve portion (33) which is fitted to a), wherein the circumference of the screw insertion hole of the annular portion (32) of the bottom plate (22) of said insulating member (30) (22a) bottom screws It is interposed between the head portion (29a) of (29), the legs of the screw insertion hole inner circumference and bottom screws (22a) (29) of the small-diameter sleeve portion (31) of the bottom plate (22) ( is interposed between the 29 b), the engaging rib (34) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter sleeve portion (33), said bottom screw (large diameter sleeve portion and the head portion (29a) of the 29) (33) A bottom insulating structure for a liquid container, wherein an insulating cap ( 35 ) placed on the top is engaged with an engaging rib ( 34 ) of the large-diameter sleeve portion ( 33 ) . The bottom insulating structure of a liquid container according to claim 1, wherein the insulating member (30) is integrated with the bottom screw (29) by insert molding. A heater (3) is attached to the bottom of the inner container (2) housed inside the outer shell (1), and a heat shield (4) is attached to the lower surface of the heater holding plate (4) fixed to the bottom of the inner container (2). 5), a bottom plate (22) is applied to the bottom of the outer shell (1), and the heat shield plate connecting portion (36) and the bottom plate connected to the heat shield plate (5) and the bottom plate (22), respectively. In a liquid container provided with a portion (37) and connected to each other by a bottom screw (29) screwed from below the bottom plate connecting portion (37), a head (29a) of the bottom screw (29) a first insulating annular member between the bottom plate connecting part (37) (30) is interposed, said first insulating member (30) is formed on the inner periphery of the annular portion (32) said bottom screw ( small diameter sleeve portion which is fitted to the leg portion (29 b) of 29) and (31), large to be fitted on the head (29a) of the outer periphery formed bottom thread of the annular portion (32) (29) Diameter sleeve ( 3 3) and is formed by the the head of the the around the screw insertion hole of the annular portion (32) of the bottom plate connecting part of the insulating member (30) (37) (39) the bottom screw (29) (29a) The small diameter sleeve portion ( 31 ) is interposed between the inner periphery of the screw insertion hole ( 39 ) of the bottom plate connecting portion ( 37 ) and the leg portion ( 29b ) of the bottom screw ( 29 ) , the engaging rib (34) is provided on the outer circumferential surface of the large diameter sleeve portion (33), said bottom insulating cap over the screw a large diameter sleeve section head (29a) (29) (33) (35) the large diameter sleeve portion (33) engaged with the engaging rib (34) of the screw holes of the heat shield plate connecting portion (36) (38) and the bottom plate connecting part (37) screw insertion holes (39) A bottom insulating structure for a liquid container, characterized in that an annular second insulating member ( 41 ) is interposed therebetween .

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