Kettle that automatically opens the spout cap when tilted to pour out water

Abstract

A kettle includes a kettle body, which has a spout and a support frame, a spout cap pivoted to the support frame, a handle fixedly mounted on the kettle body, a sliding grip coupled to the handle, a link coupled between the sliding grip and the spout cap, and a spring supported between the support frame and the front end of the link, such that when the user holds the sliding grip to tilt the kettle body, the sliding grip is moved relative to the handle to push the link forwards and to further open the spout cap and twist the spring; when the user returns the kettle to horizontal and releases the hand from the sliding grip, the spring automatically returns the sliding grip, causing the spout cap to close the spout again.

1 . A kettle comprising:
 a kettle body, said kettle body having a spout and a support frame;   a spout cap pivoted to said support frame and biasable relative to said support frame to close/open said spout;   a kettle handle fixedly fastened to said kettle body;   a sliding grip coupled to and movable along said kettle handle;   a link movably supported on said kettle handle, said link having a rear end connected to one end of said sliding grip and a front end pivoted to one end of said spout cap; and   a spring means installed in said support frame and supported between said support frame and the front end of said link to impart a spring force to said spout cap to hold said spout cap in the position closing said spout.   
   
   
       2 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said support frame is fixedly mounted on the periphery of said spout at one side. 
   
   
       3 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said kettle handle has at least one elongated slot; said sliding grip comprises a bottom grip shell disposed at a bottom side of said kettle handle, a top grip shell disposed at a top side of said kettle handle opposite to said bottom grip shell, and pivot means inserted through said at least one elongated slot of said kettle handle and connected between said top grip shell and said bottom grip shell to secure said top grip shell and said bottom grip shell to said kettle handle and to allow sliding movement of said top grip shell and said bottom grip shell relative to said kettle handle. 
   
   
       4 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said top grip shell of said sliding grip has a retaining hole on a front end thereof; said link has a retaining lug extended from the rear end thereof and fastened to the retaining hole of said top grip shell for synchronous movement with said sliding grip. 
   
   
       5 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein said bottom grip shell has at least one countersunk hole; said top grip shell comprises at least one screw hole corresponding to the at least one countersunk hole of said bottom grip shell; said pivot means comprises at least one screw respectively inserted through said at least one countersunk hole of said bottom grip shell and the at least one elongated slot of said kettle handle and respectively threaded into the at least one screw hole of said top grip shell. 
   
   
       6 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said support frame has a pivot member mounted therein; the front end of said link is inserted into said support frame and has a through hole coupled to the pivot member in said support frame. 
   
   
       7 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said pivot member is a rivet. 
   
   
       8 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said support frame has two pivot holes disposed at two opposite lateral sides and aligned in line; said spout cap has a spout cap handle, said spout cap handle having two through holes, and a pivot member inserted through the pivot holes of said support frame and affixed to the two through holes of said spout cap handle to pivotally secure said spout cap handle to said support frame. 
   
   
       9 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said pivot member is a rivet. 
   
   
       10 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein said spring means is a torsion spring, said torsion spring comprising a coiled spring body sleeved onto the pivot member in said spout cap handle of said spout cap, and two bearing arms respectively extended from two opposite ends of said coiled spring body and respectively supported on said support frame and the front end of said link. 
   
   
       11 . The kettle as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the pivot member in said spout cap handle of said spout cap is a rivet.