Lip Seal for a Cooking Appliance and a Cooking Appliance Provided with Said Seal

Abstract

A lip gasket ( 1 ) designed to be mounted between the lid ( 2 ) and the bowl ( 3 ) of a cooking appliance ( 4 ) for the purpose of providing sealing between the lid ( 2 ) and the bowl ( 3 ), the gasket ( 1 ) comprising at least first and second lips ( 1 A, 1 B), interconnected by a heel, the lips ( 1 A, 1 B) and the heel ( 1 C) being such that, when the lips ( 1 A, 1 B) are brought together, they are suitable for defining a closed interstitial space ( 100 ), the gasket ( 1 ) being characterized in that it is provided with at least one geometrical discontinuity ( 80 ) suitable for acting, when the lips ( 1 A, 1 B) are brought together, to provide at least one path ( 9, 90 ) for putting the interstitial space ( 100 ) into communication with the outside. The invention applies to household cooking appliances.

1 . A lip gasket designed to be mounted between a lid and a bowl of a cooking appliance for the purpose of providing sealing between said lid and said bowl, comprising;
 first and second lips, interconnected by a heel, said first and second lips and said heel being such that, when the lips are brought together, they are suitable for defining a closed interstitial space;   said gasket having at least one geometrical discontinuity suitable for acting, when the lips are brought together, to provide at least one path for putting said interstitial space into communication with the outside.   
   
   
       2 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein said geometrical discontinuity is a discontinuity due to addition or removal of material. 
   
   
       3 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein said geometrical discontinuity comprises distance-keeper means for keeping the first and second lips apart from each other;
 said distance-keeper means being interposed between said first and second lips so as to prevent said lips from being pressed together, at least locally.   
   
   
       4 . The gasket of  claim 3 , wherein the distance-keeper means comprise at least one local bead of material. 
   
   
       5 . The gasket of  claim 4 , wherein each local bead forms a projection extending from the first lip towards the second lip. 
   
   
       6 . The gasket  claim 5 , wherein each local bead is formed by a rib. 
   
   
       7 . The gasket of  claim 6 , wherein each rib extends from the heel over substantially the entire length of the first lip in cross-section. 
   
   
       8 . The gasket of  claim 4 , wherein each local bead is formed integrally with the first lip. 
   
   
       9 . The gasket of  claim 4 , wherein it is provided with a plurality of local beads that are spaced apart from one another. 
   
   
       10 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein each lip respectively has an inside face and opposite outside face; the inside faces of the lips facing each other, the geometrical discontinuity comprising at least one notch provided in the inside face of one of the lips. 
   
   
       11 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein the bowl extends in an axial direction (X-X′) between a bottom and the lid, said gasket is shaped such that, when it is mounted between said lid and said bowl, the first and second lips extend substantially towards the bottom of the bowl. 
   
   
       12 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein said gasket is substantially of channel section, the flanges of the channel section forming respective ones of the first and second lips, the web of the channel section forming the heel. 
   
   
       13 . The gasket of  claim 1 , wherein said gasket is substantially annular in shape. 
   
   
       14 . The gasket of  claim 12 , wherein said gasket is substantially circularly symmetrical in shape, corresponding to its section being rotated about an axis of circular symmetry (X-X′) that is substantially parallel to the first flange and/or to the second flange of the channel section. 
   
   
       15 . A cooking appliance comprising:
 a bowl;   a lid designed to be received on said bowl so as to form a cooking enclosure; and   a gasket of  claim 1 , said gasket being mounted between said bowl and said lid.   
   
   
       16 . The appliance of  claim 15 , wherein the lid has a drop skirt, while the bowl has a bottom from which a side wall extends upwards to an entry rim; said lid and said bowl being arranged so that, when the lid is received on the bowl, the side wall surrounds the drop skirt, said gasket being interposed between the drop skirt and the side wall. 
   
   
       17 . The cooking appliance of  claim 15 , wherein said cooking appliance is a pressure-cooking appliance. 
   
   
       18 . The gasket of  claim 2 , wherein the geometrical discontinuity comprises distance-keeper means for keeping the first and second lips apart from each other, said distance-keeper means being interposed between said first and second lips so as to prevent said lips from being pressed together, at least locally.