The invention relates to a small domestic appliance, in particular but not exclusively a kettle, having a tank for receiving a liquid to be heated in use, a heating plate being provided, which heating plate is arranged so as to be able to heat a liquid in the tank, a heating element being arranged so as to heat the heating plate in use

A number of small domestic appliances such as kettles, milk frothers, bottle warmers and Bain Maries are provided with heating elements either inside or outside a cavity which in use receives a liquid to be heated. An example of a kettle with the heating element inside the cavity is disclosed in GB824776. This type of kettle has fallen from favour as the non flat surface of the cavity encourages furring in hard water areas.

At some point in the life of a small domestic appliances, the heating element will fail either by exceeding its design life or due to external environmental factors. Sometimes the failure of the heating element can lead to a breach in the element housing. This invariably leads to the appliance no longer working and there can often be a noticeable soot mark on the inside of the appliance housing or on the work surface.

More abrupt failures are possible, in particular with cheaper appliances and it has been known for the failure to cause hot material to be expelled onto the housing. With a plastic housing, the hot material might even result in melting of the housing in an extreme case.

EP16497912 discloses a kettle which seeks to reduce cavitation and hence noise in the kettle by introducing angles into the heating plate. The angled surface raises new problems with respect the mounting of the two safety cut out bi metal plates.

It is also becoming increasingly desirable for heating elements for kettles in particular to be replaceable. The majority of heating elements on the market, as shown for example, in GB2499057 or GB2336986 are sheathed and more complex to replace. Consumers often buy a matching kettle and toaster but in particular in hard water areas, the element can be expected to have a shorter lifespan than the toaster. As consumers would prefer to keep the matching kettle and toaster, ideally the heating element can be replaced when it wears out. An example of such a kettle is shown in GB2524872

The present invention therefore seeks to provide a design which promotes a longer kettle or small domestic appliance lifespan.

According to the invention there is provided a small domestic appliance having a tank for receiving a liquid to be heated in use, a heating plate being provided, which heating plate is arranged so as to be able to heat a liquid in the tank, a heating element being arranged so as to heat the heating plate in use, operation of the heating element being controlled by control electronics, wherein a baffle for deflecting heat and protecting control circuitry is located between the element and the control electronics.

Preferably, the baffle comprises a channel connected to the heating plate and located spatially separated from the heating element. Preferably, the baffle comprises a plate like structure located between the heating element and the control electronics.

The design of the invention further functions as a heat deflector and reduces heat loss through the base of the kettle increasing the efficiency of the device.

An exemplary embodiment of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of a prior art kettle

Fig. 2 shows an exploded view of the base structure of a kettle according to the invention

Fig. 3 shows an alternative embodiment

Figure 1 shows an exploded view of a prior art kettle comprising a main body assembly 1, a pressure seal assembly unit 2, a C clip 3 and a subbase 4. The C-clip 3 and sub-base 4 may be a single unit. The pressure seal assembly unit 2 comprises a planar element 5, with a circumferential seal 6 as well as the electrical connections 7 to enable electricity to be supplied to the element 5. The kettle is assembled by inserting the pressure seal assembly unit into the jug body so that the planar element 5 forms the base to the water tank of the kettle with the circumferential seal ensuring that the seal is water tight. The c-clip is fitted into place to hold the element subassembly in place. The element protector and other internal parts are assembled and then the sub base 4 is fitted. Additional screws can now be fitted through the sub- base and into the assembled control. The assembly of the kettle requires the use of a specific assembly jig to ensure that the parts are not misaligned.

Figure 2 shows an exploded inverted view of the base structure of a kettle showing a substantially planar heating plate 15, which forms the base to the water tank of the kettle with a substantially annular heating element 16 mounted on the surface of the plate 15. The heating element comprises a coiled wire inside the tube shown, with the space between the interior surface of the tube and the wire being filled with a magnesium powder. The plate 15 is held in place by means of the retaining element 13 and the heating element is powered and controlled from the element controller/power connector 17. The annular heating element is covered by a baffle 18. The baffle is formed from a high temperature, non-combustible material such as steel. The baffle 18 may also be provided with an intumescent coating or formed from an intumescent material. The baffle is secured to the heating plate with a clearance of 3-4mm from the hearing element 16 so that the baffle can deflect and/or collect debris produced from the heating element. The baffle itself will typically be around 0.5mm thick. The heating element 16 comprises a conductor with a ceramic coating.

Figure 3 shows an alternative baffle design to that of Figure 2, in which the baffle 28 is generally flat and occupying the space between the inner and outer radii of the kettle base structure and so has a circular form. The baffle 28 is formed again from a non-combustible material. The baffle 28 could also be formed to follow the profile of the kettle body.

In a further embodiment to that of Figure 3, the baffle 28 is cup shaped. The invention could also be incorporated in other small domestic appliances having a heating element such as milk frothers, bottle warmers and Bain Maries.