IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO THE CONTROL OF ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENTS

摘要

An inlet connector for a cordless electrical water heating appliance is of a kind adapted to be mated with a complementary base connector throughout 360 DEG of relative rotational orientation between the appliance and its base and is adapted to be secured centrally to the underside of the heating element of the appliance, preferably a thick film heating element. Two heating element overtemperature controls are integrated with the inlet connector by being received in pockets formed around the circumferential periphery of a moulded plastics body part of the inlet connector. In one emobiment each control consists of a bimetal supported in a spring metal carrier which has an integral part formed into a bistable, overcentre switch-operating mechanism. In another embodiment one control comprises a fusible component. Resetting of the or each bimetallic control is effected in response to lifting the applicance off its base and then reseating it on the base. The fusible component control holds the fusible component under spring tension so that when it melts in response to an overtemperature condition, the spring is released and causes rapid opening of a set of switch contacts. A steam sensor can be coupled directy to the connector.