CN114903337B

CN114903337B - Water-steam separation device, steam generator and steam cooking utensil

Info

Publication number: CN114903337B
Application number: CN202110172387.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 叶乾超; 杨捷
Original assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Washing Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Current assignee: Midea Group Co Ltd; Foshan Shunde Midea Washing Appliances Manufacturing Co Ltd
Priority date: 2021-02-08
Filing date: 2021-02-08
Publication date: 2023-09-05
Anticipated expiration: 2041-02-08
Also published as: CN114903337A

Abstract

The invention discloses a water-steam separation device, a steam generator and a steam cooking utensil, wherein the water-steam separation device is suitable for being arranged in a shell of the steam generator and comprises a separation plate and a diversion structure, the separation plate is suitable for being arranged opposite to a steam outlet of the steam generator and is used for separating water in steam, the diversion structure is arranged on the separation plate and is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet and protruding out of the separation plate along the direction towards the direction close to the steam outlet, the peripheral wall of the diversion structure forms a diversion surface, and the diversion surface is used for guiding water on the diversion surface to the separation plate. According to the water-steam separation device, dryness of steam discharged by the steam generator can be effectively reduced, and the water resource utilization rate is improved.

Description

Water-steam separation device, steam generator and steam cooking utensil

Technical Field

The invention relates to the technical field of steam cooking, in particular to a water-steam separation device, a steam generator and a steam cooking appliance.

Background

In the related art, in the operation process of the steam cooking appliance, the water spraying or overflow phenomenon exists in the steam generator, namely, more water is carried by steam and sprayed out from the steam outlet, so that the taste of food in the cooking cavity is poor, more water is accumulated in the cooking cavity, the cleaning is complicated, meanwhile, the water consumption of the water tank of the steam cooking appliance is faster, and the water utilization rate is lower.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the technical problems existing in the prior art. Therefore, the invention aims at providing the water-steam separation device which can effectively reduce the dryness of the steam discharged by the steam generator and improve the water resource utilization rate.

The invention also provides a steam generator with the water-steam separation device.

The invention also provides a steam cooking utensil with the steam generator.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a water-steam separation device is adapted to be provided within a housing of a steam generator and comprises: a separation plate adapted to be disposed opposite a steam outlet of the steam generator and to separate water from the steam; the guide structure is arranged on the separation plate and is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet and protruding out of the separation plate along the direction close to the steam outlet, and the peripheral wall of the guide structure is formed into a guide surface so as to guide water on the guide surface to the separation plate.

According to the water-steam separation device, the flow guide structure is arranged on the separation plate, so that the flow guide structure protrudes out of the separation plate towards the direction of the steam outlet, and the flow guide structure is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet, so that when the water-steam separation device is applied to the steam generator, the dryness of steam sprayed by the steam generator can be effectively reduced; when the steam generator is applied to the steam cooking appliance, the food taste can be improved, the steam cooking appliance can be cleaned conveniently, and the utilization rate of water resources is improved.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the flow directing structure decreases progressively, or increases progressively, or remains the same, in a direction perpendicular to the separator plate in a direction away from the separator plate.

In some embodiments, the flow directing surface is formed as a surface of revolution.

In some embodiments, the area of the orthographic projection of the flow guiding structure is larger than the area of the orthographic projection of the steam outlet in a direction perpendicular to the separation plate.

In some embodiments, the separator plate has a first return port formed therethrough.

In some embodiments, the separation plate is adapted to divide the interior of the housing into a first chamber for containing water and a second chamber located on at least part of the upper side of the first chamber, the steam outlet being formed at the top of the second chamber, the separation plate comprising: the first plate part is suitable for being horizontally arranged, and the flow guide structure is arranged on the first plate part; and the second plate part is connected with the first plate part, and a steam outlet is formed on the second plate part so as to be communicated with the first chamber and the second chamber.

In some embodiments, the second plate portion is vertically arranged, and the steam exhaust port is formed at an upper end of the second plate portion.

In some embodiments, the water vapor separation device further comprises: the noise reduction structure is formed on the first plate part and is arranged at intervals with the flow guide structure, and the noise reduction structure is formed by protruding a part of the first plate part towards the direction close to the steam outlet.

In some embodiments, a second return port is formed at the bottom end of the noise reducing structure.

In some embodiments, the second return port is formed on a side of the noise reduction structure facing away from the flow directing structure.

The steam generator according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: the shell is internally provided with a cavity, and a water inlet and a steam outlet which are respectively communicated with the cavity are formed in the shell; the water-steam separation device is arranged in the shell and divides the cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, a steam outlet is formed in the water-steam separation device, the steam outlet is communicated with the first cavity and the second cavity, the first cavity is used for containing water, the second cavity is positioned on the upper side of at least part of the first cavity, and the steam outlet is formed in the top of the second cavity; and the heating device is used for heating the first chamber.

According to the steam generator disclosed by the invention, the dryness of steam sprayed by the steam generator can be reduced by adopting the water-steam separation device, so that when the steam generator is applied to a steam cooking appliance, the food taste can be improved, the cleaning of the steam cooking appliance is facilitated, and the utilization rate of water resources is improved.

In some embodiments, the water inlet is formed on one side of the second chamber; or the water inlet is formed at the upper part of the first chamber, the shell is provided with a boss, a water inlet channel is defined in the boss, and the first chamber and the water inlet are respectively communicated with two axial ends of the water inlet channel.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the water inlet channel increases gradually in a direction of the water inlet towards the first chamber.

In some embodiments, the steam generator further comprises: the temperature equalizing device is arranged outside the shell, the temperature equalizing device is arranged between the shell and the heating device, and the temperature equalizing device is in contact with the outer surface of the shell.

In some embodiments, the first chamber comprises a first subchamber and a second subchamber which are communicated, the heating device is used for heating the first subchamber, and the separation plate is arranged on the top of the second subchamber.

In some embodiments, a drain is also formed at the bottom of the housing, the drain communicating with the chamber and being spaced apart from the inlet and outlet, respectively.

A steam cooking appliance according to a third aspect of the present invention includes the steam generator according to the above second aspect of the present invention.

According to the steam cooking utensil provided by the invention, the steam generator is adopted to improve the taste of food, so that the steam cooking utensil is convenient to clean, and the utilization rate of water resources is improved.

Additional aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention.

Drawings

The foregoing and/or additional aspects and advantages of the invention will become apparent and may be better understood from the following description of embodiments taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a steam generator according to one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is another cross-sectional view of the steam generator shown in FIG. 1;

fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view of a steam generator according to another embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 6 is a schematic view of the water vapor separation device shown in fig. 5.

Reference numerals:

steam generator 100,

A shell 1, a water inlet 1a, a steam outlet 1b, a water outlet 1c,

Chamber 10, first chamber 10a, second chamber 10b, first subchamber 10c, second subchamber 10d,

Boss 11, water inlet channel 110,

A water-vapor separation device 2,

A separation plate 21, a first return port 21a, a steam outlet 21b,

A first plate 211, a second plate 212,

A flow guiding structure 22, a flow guiding surface 22a,

A noise reduction structure 23, a second return port 23a,

A first noise reduction structure 231, a second noise reduction structure 232,

A heating device 3 and a temperature equalizing device 4.

Detailed Description

Embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like or similar reference numerals refer to like or similar elements or elements having like or similar functions throughout. The embodiments described below by referring to the drawings are illustrative and intended to explain the present invention and should not be construed as limiting the invention.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, or examples, for implementing different structures of the invention. In order to simplify the present disclosure, components and arrangements of specific examples are described below. They are, of course, merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, the present invention may repeat reference numerals and/or letters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationship between the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed. In addition, the present invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but one of ordinary skill in the art will recognize the applicability of other processes and/or the use of other materials.

Hereinafter, the water-vapor separation device 2 according to the embodiment of the present application is described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Wherein the water-steam separation device 2 is adapted to be arranged in the housing 1 of the steam generator 100, and water-steam separation can be achieved.

As shown in fig. 2-4, the water-steam separation device 2 comprises a separation plate 21, the steam generator 100 is provided with a steam outlet 1b, the steam generator 100 is used for discharging steam through the steam outlet 1b, the separation plate 21 is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet 1b, and the separation plate 21 can be used for separating water in the steam, so that the dryness of the steam discharged by the steam generator 100 is reduced.

As shown in fig. 2-4, the water-steam separation device 2 further includes a flow guiding structure 22, the flow guiding structure 22 is disposed on the separation plate 21, the flow guiding structure 22 is adapted to be disposed opposite to the steam outlet 1b, and the flow guiding structure 22 is adapted to be protruded from the separation plate 21 along a direction close to the steam outlet 1b, so that for the separation plate 21 and the flow guiding structure 22, a distance between the flow guiding structure 22 and the steam outlet 1b may be smaller than a distance between the separation plate 21 and the steam outlet 1 b.

Since the steam generator 100 can boil water by heating the water, a large amount of steam is generated, and the water is easily sprayed from the steam outlet 1b due to the boiling of water, etc.; when the water-vapor separation device 2 in the application is applied to the steam generator 100, certain water-vapor separation can be realized through the action of the separation plate 21, and the dryness of steam discharged by the steam generator 100 is reduced, however, if a certain amount of water is still mixed after the steam passes through the separation plate 21, the water flows to one side of the separation plate 21 facing the steam outlet 1b, and the water is easy to overflow through the steam outlet 1b, and because the flow guide structure 22 is arranged opposite to the steam outlet 1b and the flow guide structure 22 protrudes out of the separation plate 21 towards the direction close to the steam outlet 1b, the flow guide structure 22 can play a role of shielding the steam outlet 1b to a certain extent, so that the dryness of the steam discharged by the steam generator 100 is prevented from being sprayed out of the steam outlet 1b, and the dryness of the steam generator 100 is further reduced.

When the steam generator 100 using the water-steam separation device 2 is applied to a steam cooking appliance, good food taste can be ensured, excessive water accumulation in a cooking cavity is avoided, maintenance and cleaning of the steam cooking appliance are facilitated, and meanwhile, the utilization rate of the steam cooking appliance to water is improved, so that the effect of saving water is achieved.

Wherein, the outer peripheral wall of the diversion structure 22 is formed into a diversion surface 22a, the diversion surface 22a is used for guiding the water on the diversion surface 22a to the separation plate 21, so that the water on the diversion structure 22 is prevented from being gathered on the diversion structure 22 and is easy to be sprayed out from the steam outlet 1b, thereby ensuring the dryness of the steam sprayed out by the steam generator 100.

According to the water-steam separation device 2 of the embodiment of the invention, the flow guiding structure 22 is arranged on the separation plate 21, so that the flow guiding structure 22 protrudes from the separation plate 21 towards the steam outlet 1b, and the flow guiding structure 22 is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet 1b, thereby effectively reducing the dryness of steam sprayed by the steam generator 100 when the water-steam separation device 2 is applied to the steam generator 100; when the steam generator 100 is applied to the steam cooking appliance, the taste of food can be improved, the cleaning of the steam cooking appliance is facilitated, and the utilization rate of water resources is improved.

In some embodiments of the invention, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding structure 22 gradually decreases, or gradually increases, or remains unchanged, in a direction perpendicular to the separating plate 21, in a direction away from the separating plate 21, and then the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding structure 22 may gradually decrease, or gradually increase, or remain unchanged, in a direction from the separating plate 21 towards the steam outlet 1b, in other words, the area of the outer contour corresponding to the flow guiding surface 22a may gradually decrease, or gradually increase, or remain unchanged, in a direction from the separating plate 21 towards the steam outlet 1 b. Therefore, the structure of the flow guiding structure 22 can be designed in a diversified manner, and the specific structure of the flow guiding structure 22 can be flexibly adjusted according to the differentiated requirements of practical applications.

For example, in the direction from the separator 21 toward the steam outlet 1b, the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed in a columnar structure, such as a cylindrical structure or a prismatic structure, when the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding structure 22 is kept constant all the time, and the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed in a spherical structure or a tapered structure, such as a conical structure or a pyramid structure, when the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding structure 22 is gradually reduced or gradually increased toward the direction approaching the steam outlet 1 b. Of course, the arrangement of the flow guiding structure 22 is not limited thereto.

For example, in the example of fig. 2 to 4, when the water-vapor separation device 2 is applied to the steam generator 100, the separation plate 21 may include a first plate portion 211, the first plate portion 211 may be disposed below the steam outlet 1b, the flow guiding structure 22 may be disposed at an upper side of the first plate portion 211, and the flow guiding structure 22 is disposed to protrude upward from the first plate portion 211, the cross-sectional area of the flow guiding structure 22 is gradually reduced from bottom to top in a direction perpendicular to the first plate portion 211, and the flow guiding surface 22a is configured to include a spherical surface and a cylindrical surface, the spherical surface and the cylindrical surface being disposed along an axial direction of the flow guiding structure 22, and the cylindrical surface being connected at a lower side of the spherical surface. The height of the sphere and the height of the cylindrical surface can be specifically set according to practical applications.

It should be noted that, in the present application, the specific processing manner of the flow guiding structure 22 is not particularly limited; for example, the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed as an integral piece with the separating plate 21, for example, the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed by protruding a part of the separating plate 21, where the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed as a hollow structure, for example, the flow guiding structure 22 may be separately formed with the separating plate 21, and then the flow guiding structure 22 is fixed on the separating plate 21, where the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed as a hollow structure or a solid structure.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2 and 3, the guide surface 22a is formed as a revolution surface, facilitating the processing of the guide surface 22 a. The term "rotation surface" is understood to mean a curved surface formed by rotating a curve around a fixed straight line, and the term "curve" is understood in a broad sense to include a planar curve and a spatial curve.

Of course, the guide surface 22a may be formed as a non-rotating surface; for example, the guide surface 22a may include a first guide surface and a second guide surface disposed along the circumferential direction of the guide structure 22, where the first guide surface is formed as a part of a cylindrical surface, and the second guide surface is formed as a part of a conical surface, so as to further enrich the structural design of the guide structure 22.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the guide surface 22a includes at least one of a cylindrical surface, a conical surface, and a spherical surface, and the guide surface 22a may be configured to: 1. a cylindrical surface; 2. the guide surface 22a may be formed as a cylindrical surface or a conical surface; 3. a spherical surface; 4. including cylindrical and conical surfaces, which may then be disposed axially along the guide surface 22 a; 5. including cylindrical and spherical surfaces, which may be disposed in the axial direction of the guide surface 22 a; 6. including a conical surface and a spherical surface, which may be disposed along the axial direction of the guide surface 22 a; 7. including cylindrical, conical and spherical surfaces. Therefore, the structural design of the flow guiding surface 22a is enriched, the diversified design of the flow guiding structure 22 is realized, and the actual differentiation requirement is met better.

For example, in the example of fig. 2-4, the guide surface 22a includes a spherical surface and a cylindrical surface, the cylindrical surface being connected to the underside of the spherical surface.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 3, in the direction perpendicular to the separating plate 21, the area of the orthographic projection of the flow guiding structure 22 is larger than the area of the orthographic projection of the steam outlet 1b, and then in the direction perpendicular to the separating plate 21, the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the flow guiding structure 22 may be located outside the outer contour of the orthographic projection of the air outlet 1b, so that in the direction from the separating plate 21 toward the steam outlet 1b, so as to effectively ensure the "shielding effect" of the flow guiding structure 22 on the steam outlet 1b, and reduce the dryness of the steam sprayed by the steam generator 100.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 6, a through first backflow port 21a is formed on the separation plate 21, so that the first backflow port 21a penetrates through the separation plate 21 along the thickness direction of the separation plate 21, and water on one side of the thickness of the separation plate 21 can flow to the other side of the thickness of the separation plate 21 through the first backflow port 21a, so that when the water-vapor separation device 2 is applied to the steam generator 100, water on one side of the separation plate 21 facing the steam outlet 1b can flow to one side of the separation plate 21 facing away from the steam outlet 1b through the first backflow port 21a, and then is convenient to flow back to a cavity for containing water in the casing 1, thereby avoiding water from collecting on the separation plate 21, effectively avoiding water on the separation plate 21 from easily overflowing from the steam outlet 1b due to boiling and the like, and guaranteeing dryness of steam sprayed by the steam generator 100.

Of course, it is understood that the first return port 21a may not be formed in the separation plate 21, as shown in fig. 3.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2 to 4, the separation plate 21 is adapted to divide the chamber 10 within the housing 1 into a first chamber 10a and a second chamber 10b, the first chamber 10a being used to hold water, the second chamber 10b being located at least partially on the upper side of the first chamber 10a, the second chamber 10b may be located at the upper side of a portion of the first chamber 10a (as shown in fig. 2 and 4), or the second chamber 10b may be located at the upper side of the entire first chamber 10 a. Wherein the steam outlet 1b is formed at the top of the second chamber 10 b.

As shown in fig. 2 and 4, the separating plate 21 includes a first plate portion 211, where the first plate portion 211 is adapted to be horizontally disposed, and the flow guiding structure 22 is disposed on the first plate portion 211, so that the first plate portion 211 is adapted to be located between the second chamber 10b and at least a portion of the first chamber 10a, and thus the first plate portion 211 is located at the bottom of the second chamber 10b, so that the steam outlet 1b can be disposed vertically opposite to the first plate portion 211, and it is convenient to implement that the flow guiding structure 22 and the steam outlet 1b are disposed vertically opposite to each other.

As shown in fig. 3, the separation plate 21 further includes a second plate portion 212, the second plate portion 212 is connected to the first plate portion 211, a steam outlet 21b is formed on the second plate portion 212, the steam outlet 21b is communicated with the first chamber 10a and the second chamber 10b, and then the water in the first chamber 10a is heated and converted into steam, and then the steam can flow into the second chamber 10b through the steam outlet 21b, and finally is discharged through the steam outlet 1 b. Obviously, the arrangement of the second plate portion 212 does not affect the normal discharge of steam, and meanwhile, when the high-temperature steam encounters the second plate portion 212, the moisture carried by the high-temperature steam can be condensed on the second plate portion 212, so that excessive water can be prevented from being carried into the second chamber 10b, and then the water in the second chamber 10b is reduced, so that the water amount overflowed from the steam outlet 1b is further reduced, and the dryness of the steam sprayed by the steam generator 100 is further reduced.

It is understood that the number and arrangement of the steam outlets 21b may be specifically set according to actual requirements.

Alternatively, the second plate portion 212 and the first plate portion 211 may be formed as a single piece, so as to save an assembling process between the first plate portion 211 and the second plate portion 212, and at the same time, a connection structure for connecting the first plate portion 211 and the second plate portion 212 may not be required to be processed, which is beneficial to simplifying the structure of the separation plate 21; for example, in the example of fig. 3 and 6, the second chamber 10b is located at an upper side of a portion of the first chamber 10a, the second chamber 10b may be disposed flush with another portion of the first chamber 10a in an up-down direction, and at this time, the second plate portion 212 and the first plate portion 211 may be bent to be connected, and then the first plate portion 211 and the second plate portion 212 may be formed by bending the separation plate 21, respectively. Of course, the second plate 212 and the first plate 211 may be formed separately, and the second plate 212 and the first plate 211 may be fixedly connected.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2 to 4, the second plate portion 212 is vertically (e.g., vertically in fig. 3), and the steam discharge port 21b is formed at an upper end of the second plate portion 212 such that the steam discharge port 21b is spaced far from the bottom wall of the first chamber 10a, which is advantageous in preventing water of the first chamber 10a from splashing to the second chamber 10b through the steam discharge port 21b under boiling, and further reducing the amount of water carried into the second chamber 10 b.

It will be appreciated that the second plate portion 212 may also be arranged obliquely with respect to the vertical direction, which may increase the contact area of the second plate portion 212 with the high temperature steam to some extent, so that more water carried in the high temperature steam condenses on the second plate portion 212. The second plate 212 may extend obliquely from the bottom up toward the first chamber 10a, or may extend obliquely from the bottom up toward the second chamber 10 b.

Alternatively, in the example of fig. 3, the second plate portion 212 may extend upward from the edge of the first plate portion 211, and the separation plate 21 may be formed as a single piece, which is convenient for processing. At this time, the second plate portion 212 may extend vertically upward from the edge of the first plate portion 211, or the second plate portion 212 may extend obliquely upward from the edge of the first plate portion 211. Of course, the second plate portion 212 may be disposed at a distance from the edge of the first plate portion 211.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2 to 4, the water vapor separation device 2 further includes at least one noise reduction structure 23, where the noise reduction structure 23 is formed on the first plate portion 211, and the noise reduction structure 23 may be spaced apart from the flow guiding structure 22, and the noise reduction structure 23 may be formed by a portion of the first plate portion 211 protruding toward a direction close to the steam outlet 1b, so that the noise reduction structure 23 is formed as a hollow structure, and compared with the first plate portion 211, a distance between a top wall of the noise reduction structure 23 and a bottom wall of the first chamber 10a is relatively far, if water in the first chamber 10a is heated and boiled, the water is liable to beat the first plate portion 211 to generate noise, and the noise reduction structure 23 may reduce the beat of the water to some extent, reducing the working noise of the steam generator 100, which is beneficial to improving the sound quality of the steam generator 100.

It may be understood that one or more noise reducing structures 23 are provided, when one noise reducing structure 23 is provided, the noise reducing structures 23 are spaced from the flow guiding structure 22, and when a plurality of noise reducing structures 23 are provided, each noise reducing structure 23 is spaced from the flow guiding structure 22.

Alternatively, when the noise reduction structure 23 is plural, plural noise reduction structures 23 may be provided around the flow guiding structure 22.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 6, the first plate portion 211 may be formed with a first backflow port 21a, and the first backflow port 21a may penetrate through the first plate portion 211 along the thickness direction of the first plate portion 211, so that water on one side of the thickness of the first plate portion 211 may flow to the other side of the thickness of the first plate portion 211 through the first backflow port 21a, so that when the water-vapor separation device 2 is applied to the steam generator 100, water in the second chamber 10b may flow back into the first chamber 10a through the first backflow port 21a, so as to reduce the amount of water in the second chamber 10b, further reduce the amount of water overflow of the steam generator 100, and since the first backflow port 21a is formed on the first plate portion 211, the position of the first backflow port 21a is lower than the top end of the noise reduction structure 23, and the position of the first backflow port 21a is also lower than the top end of the flow guide structure 22, so that the water in the second chamber 10b may flow back into the first chamber 10a, and the residual water in the second chamber 10b may be avoided.

The first backflow port 21a may be disposed between the noise reduction structure 23 and the flow guiding structure 22, or may be disposed between two adjacent noise reduction structures 23, or may be disposed separately from the noise reduction structure 23 and the flow guiding structure 22. Therefore, the position of the first return opening 21a is flexibly set, and a proper setting position can be specifically selected according to practical application.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2-4, a through second backflow port 23a is formed at the bottom end of the noise reduction structure 23, and the second backflow port 23a may penetrate through the noise reduction structure 23 along the thickness direction of the noise reduction structure 23, so that water in the second chamber 10b may flow back into the first chamber 10a through the second backflow port 23a to reduce the water amount in the second chamber 10b, thereby reducing the water overflow amount of the steam generator 100, and meanwhile, since the second backflow port 23a is located at the bottom end of the noise reduction structure 23, the second backflow port 23a is located at the lowest position of the second chamber 10b, so that the water in the second chamber 10b may flow back into the first chamber 10a entirely, and water residues in the second chamber 10b are avoided.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2-4, the second return port 23a is formed on the side of the noise reduction structure 23 facing away from the flow guiding structure 22, so that the noise reduction structure 23 can act as a shield for the steam outlet 1b to a certain extent, and even if the water in the first chamber 10a splashes into the second chamber 10b through the second return port 23a under the boiling action, the water is difficult to overflow through the steam outlet 1b, so that the overflow amount of the steam generator 100 is effectively reduced.

For example, in the example of fig. 3, the diversion structures 22 are respectively provided with the first noise reduction structures 231 at both sides in the first direction (for example, the front-rear direction in fig. 3), the first noise reduction structures 231 may be formed into a substantially square structure, the first noise reduction structures 231 extend in the second direction (for example, the left-right direction in fig. 3), the second return openings 23a on the first noise reduction structures 231 are located at one side of the first noise reduction structures 231 away from the diversion structures 22 in the first direction, one side of the diversion structures 22 in the second direction is provided with the second noise reduction structures 232, the second noise reduction structures 232 are also formed into a substantially square structure, and the second noise reduction structures 232 extend in the first direction, and the second return openings 23a on the second noise reduction structures 232 are located at one side of the second noise reduction structures 232 away from the diversion structures 22 in the second direction. Of course, the specific structure of the noise reduction structure 23 is not limited to a square structure.

Next, a steam generator 100 according to an embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention is described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

As shown in fig. 1 and 2, the steam generator 100 includes a housing 1, a chamber 10 is defined in the housing 1, a water inlet 1a and a steam outlet 1b are formed in the housing 1 to be respectively communicated with the chamber 10, a user can add a certain amount of water into the housing 1 through the water inlet 1a, or other components such as a water tank assembly and the like can inject a certain amount of water into the housing 1 through the water inlet 1a, and steam generated by the steam generator 100 can be discharged through the steam outlet 1 b.

As shown in fig. 3, the steam generator 100 may further include a water-vapor separation device 2, the water-vapor separation device 2 being provided in the case 1, and the water-vapor separation device 2 dividing the chamber 10 into a first chamber 10a and a second chamber 10b, the water-vapor separation device 2 may be formed with a steam discharge port 21b, the first chamber 10a being in communication with the second chamber 10b through the steam discharge port 21b, the first chamber 10a being for containing water, the second chamber 10b being located at least partially on an upper side of the first chamber 10a, the second chamber 10b being located at an upper side of a portion of the first chamber 10b, or the second chamber 10b being located entirely on an upper side of the first chamber 10 b. Wherein, the steam outlet 1b is formed at the top of the second chamber 10b, and the arrangement of the steam outlet 1b is relatively matched with the flow trend of steam, so that the generation of large steam outlet resistance is avoided, and meanwhile, the arrangement of the water-steam separation device 2 is facilitated, so that the flow guiding structure 22 effectively 'shields' the steam outlet 1b. Wherein the water-vapor separation device 2 is a water-vapor separation device 2 according to the above-described first aspect of the present invention,

as shown in fig. 3, the steam generator 100 further includes a heating device 3, where the heating device 3 is used to heat the first chamber 10a, so that the water in the first chamber 10a is changed into steam by heat, and the high-temperature steam flows into the second chamber 10b through the steam outlet 21b and then is discharged out of the housing 1 through the steam outlet 1b.

Therefore, according to the steam generator 100 of the embodiment of the invention, by adopting the water-steam separation device 2, the dryness of steam sprayed by the steam generator 100 can be reduced, so that when the steam generator 100 is applied to a steam cooking appliance, the taste of food can be improved, the cleaning of the steam cooking appliance is facilitated, and the utilization rate of water resources is improved.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the water inlet 1a is formed at one side of the second chamber 10b, for example, the water inlet 1a is formed at the top side, or the peripheral side, of the second chamber 10b, and then the water inlet 1a is far away from the bottom wall of the first chamber 10a, and scale is generated on the inner wall of the first chamber 10a due to the water heating process in the first chamber 10a, so that the water inlet 1a can be effectively prevented from being scaled on the wall surface of the water inlet 1a due to the influence of the boiling of the water in the first chamber 10a, the water inlet 1a is easily blocked, and the normal smoothness of the water inlet 1a is ensured.

Of course, the arrangement of the water inlet 1a is not limited thereto; in other embodiments, as shown in fig. 1 and 2, the water inlet 1a may be formed at an upper portion of the first chamber 10a to ensure that a sufficient space is provided between the water inlet 1a and a bottom wall of the first chamber 10a, the housing 1 has a boss 11, the boss 11 defines a water inlet channel 110 therein, and the first chamber 10a and the water inlet 1a are respectively connected to two axial ends of the water inlet channel 110, thereby further increasing a space between the water inlet 1a and the bottom wall of the first chamber 10a and avoiding scale from affecting the water inlet 1a.

The "upper portion of the first chamber 10 a" may be understood as a portion above the middle portion of the second chamber 10 b.

For example, in the example of fig. 1 and 2, the water inlet 1a is formed at the top of the first chamber 10a, the boss 11 is located at the top of the housing 1, the water inlet passage 110 may extend in the up-down direction, the water inlet 1a communicates at the upper end of the water inlet passage 110, and the first chamber 10a communicates at the lower end of the water inlet passage 110.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2 and 4, along the direction of the water inlet 1a toward the first chamber 10a, the cross-sectional area of the water inlet channel 110 is gradually increased, which is beneficial to increasing the wall surface area of the water inlet channel 110, and at the same time, the occupied space of the boss 11 can be saved, so that even if water in the first chamber 10a generates scale on the wall surface of the water inlet channel 110 due to boiling, the water inlet 1a is not easily blocked, and the smoothness of the water inlet 1a is effectively ensured.

Alternatively, the boss 11 may be formed in a tapered mesa structure such as a truncated cone structure, or a spherical mesa structure (as shown in fig. 1 and 3), or the like; for example, when the boss 11 is formed in a truncated cone structure, the outer peripheral wall of the truncated cone structure is formed as a conical surface.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 1-3, the steam generator 100 further includes a temperature equalizing device 4, the heating device 3 is disposed outside the housing 1, the temperature equalizing device 4 is disposed between the housing 1 and the heating device 3, and the temperature equalizing device 4 contacts with the outer surface of the housing 1, so that the temperature equalizing device 4 can more uniformly transfer the heat of the heating device 3 to the housing 1, so as to uniformly heat the water in the first chamber 10 a.

For example, in the example of fig. 3, the temperature equalizing device 4 may be formed into a plate structure, at this time, the temperature equalizing device 4 may be formed into a temperature equalizing plate, a surface on one side of the thickness of the temperature equalizing device 4 contacts with the outer surface of the housing 1, and the heating device 3 is disposed on the other side of the thickness of the temperature equalizing device 4, so that the temperature equalizing device 4 has a simple structure, which is beneficial to saving the occupied space of the steam generator 100.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2, the first chamber 10a includes a first sub-chamber 10c and a second sub-chamber 10d which are connected, and the heating device 3 is configured to heat the first sub-chamber 10c, so that the water in the first sub-chamber 10c is heated more, and the water in the first sub-chamber 10c boils more strongly than the water in the second sub-chamber 10d, and the separation plate 21 is disposed on top of the second sub-chamber 10d, so that the water in the second sub-chamber 10d boils less, which is beneficial to avoid the water in the second sub-chamber 10d from strongly beating the separation plate 21 to generate noise, so as to ensure the sound quality of the steam generator 100.

In some embodiments of the present invention, as shown in fig. 2, a water outlet 1c is further formed at the bottom of the housing 1, and the water outlet 1c is communicated with the chamber 10, so that water in the housing 1 can be conveniently and completely discharged through the water outlet 1c, thereby avoiding bacteria from being easily bred due to residual water in the housing 1, and being beneficial to ensuring the cleanness of the interior of the housing 1. Wherein the drain opening 1c and the water inlet opening 1a and the steam outlet opening 1b may be provided at intervals, respectively, so that interference of the respective components is avoided when the steam generator 100 is connected to other components.

It will be appreciated that the water inlet 1a of the housing 1 may also have a water draining function, and the water outlet 1c may not be provided in the housing 1.

The steam cooking appliance according to the embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention includes the steam generator 100 according to the above-described embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention.

According to the steam cooking utensil provided by the embodiment of the invention, the steam generator 100 is adopted, so that the phenomenon of water spraying or water overflow of the steam cooking utensil in the operation process can be effectively avoided, the taste of food is improved, meanwhile, the trouble of cleaning caused by more water accumulation in the cooking cavity of the steam cooking utensil can be avoided, the maintenance of the steam cooking utensil is facilitated, the too fast water consumption of the steam cooking utensil can be avoided, and the effects of saving water and improving the water resource utilization rate are achieved.

Other constructions and operations of the steam cooking appliance according to the embodiment of the present invention are known to those of ordinary skill in the art, and will not be described in detail herein.

The steam generator 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to fig. 1 to 6 in two specific embodiments. It is to be understood that the following description is exemplary only and is not intended to limit the invention in any way.

Example 1

In this embodiment, as shown in fig. 1 to 4, the steam generator 100 includes a housing 1, a water-vapor separation device 2, a heating device 3 and a temperature equalizing device 4, where the housing 1 may include two sub-housings, the two sub-housings being fastened together up and down to define a chamber 10 together, the water-vapor separation device 2 being disposed in the housing to divide the chamber 10 into a first chamber 10a and a second chamber 10b, the first chamber 10a being used for containing water, the second chamber 10b being located on an upper side of a portion of the first chamber 10a, the second chamber 10b being disposed flush with another portion of the first chamber 10a in an up-down direction; the first chamber 10a includes a first sub-chamber 10c and a second sub-chamber 10d, the first sub-chamber 10c and the second sub-chamber 10d being arranged in a left-right direction, the heating device 3 being configured to heat water in the first sub-chamber 10c, the second chamber 10b being located directly above the second sub-chamber 10d, the first sub-chamber 10c may correspond to a "boiling zone", and the second sub-chamber 10d may correspond to a "non-boiling zone".

It should be noted that the water in the second sub-chamber 10d does not necessarily not boil, but the water in the first sub-chamber 10c boils more strongly than the water in the second sub-chamber 10 d.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the heating device 3 is provided outside the housing 1, the temperature equalizing device 4 is formed in a plate-like structure, and the temperature equalizing device 4 is provided between the housing 1 and the heating device 3, one thickness side surface of the temperature equalizing device 4 is in contact with the outer surface of the housing 1, and the other thickness side surface of the temperature equalizing device 4 is in contact with the heating device 3. Wherein the heating device 3 may be formed in a U-shaped structure, and the heating device 3 may include a heating pipe; the temperature equalizing device 4 extends from one end of the length of the housing 1 to the other end of the length of the housing 1 such that the temperature equalizing device 4 is disposed corresponding to the first chamber 10 c.

As shown in fig. 3, the temperature equalizing device 4 is formed with a mounting structure, which can realize the mounting of the steam generator 100; the mounting structure may be formed as a mounting post.

As shown in fig. 2, a water inlet 1a, a steam outlet 1b and a water outlet 1c are formed on the shell 1, the water inlet 1a is formed at the top of the first chamber 10a, a boss 11 is arranged at the outer side of the shell 1 corresponding to the first chamber 10a, the boss 11 is formed into a spherical table-shaped structure, a water inlet channel 110 is defined in the boss 11, the water inlet 1a is communicated with the upper end of the water inlet channel 110, the first chamber 10a is communicated with the lower end of the water inlet channel 110, and the cross section area of the water inlet channel 110 is gradually increased from top to bottom; the steam outlet 1b is formed at the top of the second chamber 10b, and the water outlet 1c is formed at the bottom of the chamber 10. Wherein, the water inlet 1a, the steam outlet 1b and the water outlet 1c may be provided with connection pipes, respectively, so as to facilitate connection of the steam generator 100 with other components.

As shown in fig. 2 and 3, the water-vapor separation device 2 includes a separation plate 21 and a flow guiding structure 22, the separation plate 21 separates the chamber 10 into a first chamber 10a and a second chamber 10b, the separation plate 21 includes a first plate portion 211, the first plate portion 211 is horizontally disposed, and the first plate portion 211 is located between the second chamber 10b and the second sub-chamber 10d, the flow guiding structure 22 is disposed on the first plate portion 211, the flow guiding structure 22 may be formed by a portion of the first plate portion 211 protruding upward, the flow guiding structure 22 is disposed opposite to the steam outlet 1b vertically, for example, a central axis of the flow guiding structure 22 may coincide with a central axis of the steam outlet 1b, the flow guiding structure 22 is formed into a substantially spherical mesa structure, and then a flow guiding surface 22a of the flow guiding structure 22 includes a spherical surface and a cylindrical surface located at a lower side of the spherical surface, and on a horizontal plane, an area of forward projection of the flow guiding structure 22 is larger than an area of forward projection of the steam outlet 1b, that is located outside an outline of forward projection of the air outlet 1 b.

As shown in fig. 3, the separation plate 21 further includes a second plate portion 212, the second plate portion 212 is vertically disposed, the second plate portion 212 is disposed at an edge of the first plate portion 211, a flange is formed at an upper end of the second plate portion 212, and a connection hole is formed on the flange so as to fixedly connect the second plate portion 212 with the housing 1, and a steam exhaust port 21b is further formed at an upper end of the second plate portion 212, and the steam exhaust port 21b penetrates through the second plate portion 212 along a thickness direction of the second plate portion 212 to communicate the first sub-chamber 10c and the second chamber 10b. The plurality of steam exhaust ports 21b may be provided, and the plurality of steam exhaust ports 21b may be arranged at intervals along the extending direction of the upper edge of the second plate portion 212.

The water-vapor separation device 2 further comprises a noise reduction structure 23, the noise reduction structure 23 is formed on the first plate portion 211, the noise reduction structure 23 and the flow guide structure 22 are arranged at intervals, the noise reduction structure 12 is formed by protruding a part of the first plate portion 211 upwards, a through second backflow port 23a is formed on one side, away from the flow guide structure 22, of the noise reduction structure 23, the second backflow port 23a is formed at the bottom of the noise reduction structure 23, the first plate portion 211 can be formed into the lower edge of the second backflow port 23d, and water on the first plate portion 211 can flow back to the first cavity 10a through the second backflow port 23 a.

Example two

As shown in fig. 5 and 6, the present embodiment is substantially the same as the first embodiment in that like parts are given like reference numerals, except that: the number and arrangement modes of the noise reduction structures 23 on the separation plate 21 are different, and the specific structures of the diversion structures 22 are different, wherein the noise reduction structures 23 can be arranged in three rows, each row comprises a plurality of noise reduction structures 23, two rows of noise reduction structures 23 are respectively arranged on the front side and the rear side of the diversion structure 22, the rest row of noise reduction structures 23 can be arranged flush with the diversion structure 22, a first through reflux port 21a is formed on the first plate part 211, the first reflux port 21a is formed between two adjacent rows of noise reduction structures 23, and the first reflux port 21a is arranged at intervals with the diversion structure 22; the flow guiding structure 22 is formed substantially as a hemispherical structure.

In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc. indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings are merely for convenience in describing the present invention and to simplify the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element being referred to must have a specific orientation, be configured and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as limiting the present invention. Furthermore, features defining "first", "second" may include one or more such features, either explicitly or implicitly. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise indicated, the meaning of "a plurality" is two or more.

In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless explicitly specified and limited otherwise, the terms "mounted," "connected," and "connected" are to be construed broadly, and may be either fixedly connected, detachably connected, or integrally connected, for example; can be mechanically or electrically connected; can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and can be communication between two elements. The specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention will be understood in specific cases by those of ordinary skill in the art.

In the description of the present specification, reference to the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "illustrative embodiments," "examples," "specific examples," or "some examples," etc., means that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of the invention. In this specification, schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiments or examples. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, materials, or characteristics described may be combined in any suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples.

While embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that: many changes, modifications, substitutions and variations may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and principles of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A water vapor separator device adapted to be disposed within a housing of a steam generator and comprising:

a separation plate adapted to be disposed opposite a steam outlet of the steam generator and to separate water from the steam;

The guide structure is arranged on the separation plate, is suitable for being arranged opposite to the steam outlet, protrudes out of the separation plate along the direction close to the steam outlet, and forms a guide surface on the peripheral wall of the guide structure to guide water on the guide surface to the separation plate;

the separator plate is suitable for dividing the casing into a first cavity and a second cavity, wherein the first cavity is used for containing water, the second cavity is positioned on the upper side of at least part of the first cavity, the steam outlet is formed at the top of the second cavity, and the separator plate comprises:

the first plate part is suitable for being horizontally arranged, and the flow guide structure is arranged on the first plate part;

a second plate portion connected to the first plate portion, the second plate portion having a steam discharge port formed thereon to communicate the first chamber and the second chamber;

the second plate part is vertically arranged, and the steam exhaust port is formed at the upper end of the second plate part;

further comprises:

the noise reduction structure is formed on the first plate part and is arranged at intervals with the flow guide structure, and the noise reduction structure is formed by protruding a part of the first plate part towards the direction close to the steam outlet;

A through second reflux port is formed at the bottom end of the noise reduction structure;

the second return port is formed on a side of the noise reduction structure facing away from the flow guiding structure.

2. The water vapor separator device of claim 1, wherein the cross-sectional area of the flow directing structure decreases or increases or remains constant in a direction away from the separator plate in a direction perpendicular to the separator plate.

3. The water vapor separator device of claim 2, wherein the flow guide surface is formed as a surface of revolution.

4. The water-vapor separator device of claim 1, wherein an area of an orthographic projection of the flow guiding structure is larger than an area of an orthographic projection of the steam outlet in a direction perpendicular to the separator plate.

5. The water vapor separator device of claim 1, wherein the separator plate has a first return port formed therethrough.

6. A steam generator, comprising:

the shell is internally provided with a cavity, and a water inlet and a steam outlet which are respectively communicated with the cavity are formed in the shell;

a water-vapor separation device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the water-vapor separation device is arranged in the shell and divides the cavity into a first cavity and a second cavity, a steam outlet is formed on the water-vapor separation device, the steam outlet is communicated with the first cavity and the second cavity, the first cavity is used for containing water, the second cavity is positioned on the upper side of at least part of the first cavity, and the steam outlet is formed on the top of the second cavity;

And the heating device is used for heating the first chamber.

7. A steam generator according to claim 6, wherein,

the water inlet is formed at one side of the second chamber; or alternatively, the process may be performed,

the water inlet is formed at the upper part of the first chamber, a boss is arranged on the shell, a water inlet channel is defined in the boss, and the first chamber and the water inlet are respectively communicated with two axial ends of the water inlet channel.

8. The steam generator of claim 7, wherein the cross-sectional area of the water inlet passage increases gradually in a direction of the water inlet toward the first chamber.

9. The steam generator of claim 7, further comprising:

the temperature equalizing device is arranged outside the shell, the temperature equalizing device is arranged between the shell and the heating device, and the temperature equalizing device is in contact with the outer surface of the shell.

10. The steam generator of claim 7, wherein the first chamber comprises a first subchamber and a second subchamber in communication, the heating device is configured to heat the first subchamber, and the separator plate is disposed on top of the second subchamber.

11. The steam generator of claim 7, wherein a drain is further formed at the bottom of the housing, the drain being in communication with the chamber and spaced apart from the inlet and outlet, respectively.

12. A steam cooking appliance characterized by comprising a steam generator according to any of claims 6-11.