GB2419607A

GB2419607A - Steam station with water filter

Info

Publication number: GB2419607A
Application number: GB0423717A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Christina Goodrick-Meech
Original assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Priority date: 2004-10-26
Filing date: 2004-10-26
Publication date: 2006-05-03
Also published as: GB0423717D0

Abstract

The steam station includes a base unit 1 and a casing 2 housing primary and secondary water reservoirs, 3 and 4 respectively. A water treatment means includes a cartridge 7. The cartridge contains a treatment medium to reduce the content of scale-producing materials in the water. An indication of actual or forthcoming expiry of the useful life of the filter medium is provided. The indication may be provided by a colour change to the medium itself or an additive thereto. The cartridge and casing may contain a transparent or translucent window to enable the cartridge to be visible. Alternatively the indication may be provided by a ratchet mechanism that links the motion of part of the steam station to a progressively mobile mechanical indicator. Water filtered through the treatment medium fills the secondary reservoir and exits through outlet tube 9 to the inlet of an electrical tubular through-flow heater 5. Fill aperture 10 and lid 11 allow water to be added and steam outlet 6 allows steam to be channelled to an iron or cleaning head.

Description

STEAM STATION

This invention relates to steaming apparatus for ironing and other uses (such as cleaning), and it relates especially though not exclusively to such apparatus intended for use in the home.

Whilst it has long been the practice for certain electrically heated domestic smoothing irons to contain a reservoir for water that can be locally boiled in the iron under user control, to generate steam for direct application to the clothing or other materials being pressed, more recent developments have moved towards the use of so-called "steam stations", wherein a base unit that is separate from a smoothing iron contains a steam chamber used to generate steam for application to the iron by way of suitable tubing; the iron having a switch or other control device, operable by the user, to select whether or not steam is applied to the materials being pressed. Such arrangements have the advantage, inter alia, that greater quantities of steam can be made available for chosen pressing operations, as the reservoirs used in the irons themselves are necessarily of limited capacity.

Further developments to steam stations have resulted in improvements such as the use of water reservoirs which can be detached from the base unit to facilitate filling, and the use of reservoirs, or communicating vessels, that are constructed to make the water level readily visible, so that a user knows when to top up the base unit with water. It is also known to construct the base unit so as to minimise the amounts of water boiled at any time, with economy and energy conservation in view. Such steam stations are known, for example, from US 6615515-B 1 and US 6640472-B 1.

A recent innovation, described in UK patent application No. GBO4!3900.2 and assigned to the present applicant, provides for the steam generated in the steam station to be readily usable for purposes other than ironing and, in one particular embodiment described in that application, there is provided an outlet additional to that which feeds steam to the iron, into which a tubular connection can be plugged in order to apply the steam to a choice of head devices adapted for cleaning or other purposes.

Currently, however, despite all of their sophistication, and despite the fact that steam irons as such have routinely been provided with facilities for water treatment aimed at softening the water used therein, steam stations can exhibit operational difficulties, resulting, for example, in tendencies for the heater efficiency to reduce over time, due at least in part to scale formation, and for water-borne scale to clog, or otherwise adversely affect the regular flow of steam from, orifices at the iron and/or at the heads used for cleaning and/or other purposes.

It is an object of this invention to address such difficulties and, in accordance with one example of the invention there is provided a steam station comprising at least one outlet through which steam can pass, a water reservoir in communication with an electrically operated heater arranged to generate steam for application to said outlet; the steam station further comprising water treatment means disposed to treat water to be heated in the heater, such as to reduce the content of scaleproducing materials therein, wherein the water-treatment means comprises a filter medium contained within a cartridge device housed in fluid communication with water added to said reservoir; and wherein S indicator means are provided for indicating expiry of the useful life of the filter medium, as a result of usage and/or effluxion of time.

By this means, a user of the steam station is made aware of the need to refill or replace spent cartridges, to thereby ensure that an effective filter medium is at all times exposed to the water.

The indicator means may take any convenient form, such as a colour change associated with the medium itself, or an additive thereto; such an arrangement requiring part at least of a readily visible portion of the cartridge to be sufficiently transparent or translucent to permit a user to observe the colour change.

An alternative, or additional, indicator means may respond to motion of a part of the steam station that is opened, or otherwise moved, when water is to be added to the reservoir, or the steam station otherwise readied for operation.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention, may comprise a ratchet mechanism linking the motion of said steam station part to a 2S progressively mobile mechanical indicator; for example, one of the same general kind as that disclosed in EP-0756583-B 1 and EP-0861 809-B 1.

It is further preferred, however, that electrical signals indicative of motion of the said part are generated, and supplied to an electronic indicating device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and/or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Microprocessor devices may be employed in known manner to drive such electronic indicating devices.

A particularly preferred embodiment of the invention detects the switching on of power to the steam station as a primary indication of usage, whereby electrical signals indicative of such switching operations are generated and an electronic display indicative of usage of the steam station is derived therefrom.

In a further preferred embodiment, an electrical indication of usage is derived by means of a reed switch or other sensor located so as to respond to a component, such as a magnet, contained in or associated with a tubular connector that is connectable to said outlet to convey the steam therefrom to a remote location, such as an iron or a cleaning head.

In all embodiments of the inventioii utilising electrical or electronic indicator means, such electrical power as may be required to drive components such as sensors, displays and microprocessors may be derived from the mains electricity supply (suitably processed as necessary), or any or all such components may be battery powered.

Preferably, the power is primarily derived from the mains supply, but is backed up by battery in case of mains failure, or to allow for prolonged periods of non-use.

In all embodiments, the water reservoir may be supplied with water either directly through a filler orifice or indirectly by way of a removable tank, which may be carried to a faucet for filling. If a removable tank is S used, it is preferably provided with means whereby the water level therein is rendered readily visible to a user. Such means may comprise the use of a transparent or translucent medium for part of the tank itself, or the ilicorporation of one or more windows through which the water level can be discerned. The tank and/or the window may advantageously bear capacity markings to enable a user to readily decide when the tank should be filled or topped tip with water.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, certain embodiments thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which: Figure 1 shows, in side elevation and in part cross-sectional view, a steam station in accordance with one example of the invention; and Figure 2 shows, in similar view to Figure 1, the base part of a steam station in accordance with another example of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, there is shown a steam station in accordance with one example of the invention. It will be appreciated that, since many components of the steam station illustrated are conventional, such components will either not be referenced at all or, if mentioned, will not he described in detail.

The steam station's base unit is shown generally at 1, and comprises a casing 2 which houses the principal components if the steam station, as will be described. Mounted within the casing 2 are primary and secondary water reservoirs 3, 4 respectively, and an electrically operated heater 5 comprising a tubular, through-flow water heater of known kind.

The heater 5 is plumbed into fluid communication with the reservoir 4 and arranged to heat water supplied to it from the reservoir 3 in order to generate steam, which issues from a steam outlet 6. 1 ()

If desired, as is known, the steam outlet 6 may be coupled by way of a tubular, steam-handling connection (not shown) to an iron or to a cleaning head, or a steam-control head used for an alternative purpose.

The casing 2 may usefully, as indicated previously, be provided with more than one steam outlet, so that a first tubular conduit, used for ironing, can be attached to a first outlet, and a second tubular conduit, used for cleaning and/or other purposes, can be attached to a second steam outlet. In such an arrangement, it is sometimes preferred for the first outlet, at least, to be provided with a manually operable controller to enable a user to adjust the volume of steam issuing from the respective outlet.

In any event, the steam station of Figure 1 further comprises a water treatment means disposed to treat water to be heated in the heater.

The water treatment means in this example comprises a cartridge 7 Containing a water treatment medium inteiided to reduce the content of scale-producing materials therein. In this example, the filter cartridge 7 is positioned such that its lid 8 which, in known manner, is configured to comprise a water inlet to the cartridge, is disposed at a low point of the primary water reservoir 3. Water filtered through the water treatment s medium within the cartridge 7 fills the secondary reservoir 4, which is connected by a water outlet tube 9 to the inlet of the heater 5.

It will be observed that the water outlet tube 9 is plumbed to an upper region of the reservoir 4. This configuration is used particularly for cartridges whose water-filtration media are intended to be kept constantly wet. For alternative media, the plumbing of the tube 9 may differ.

A user of the steam station 1 can add water to the primary reservoir 3 by way of a fill aperture 10 provided in the casing 2 aiid closed by way of a filler lid 11.

It will be appreciated that the cartridge 7 is mounted so as to be readily removable from the steam station for replacement or for recharging of the water-treatment medium therein and accordingly, in this embodiment of the invention, the dimensions of the fill aperture 10 are designed to accommodate access to, and removal of, the cartridge. If preferred, access to the cartridge may be gained by other means. For example, a part of the top cover of the casing 2 may be hinged, and thus liftable to expose the cartridge.

In this respect, it is of importance for a user to know when to replace or recharge a filter cartridge, in order to ensure that an effective filter medium is at all times exposed to the water, and thus an indication of actual or forthcoming expiry of the useful life of the filter medium, as a result of usage and/or effluxion of time, is preferably provided.

Such an indication may take any convenient form, such as a colour change associated with the medium itself, or an additive thereto; such an arrangement requiring part at least of the cartridge to be sufficiently transparent or translucent, and for the casing 2 to be provided with a window, or some other means whereby the aforementioned part of the cartridge is made readily visible, to permit a user to observe the colour change.

Alternatively or additionally, the indication may be provided by a specific indicator means located on the casing 2 of the steam station.

Such an indicator means may respond, for example, to motion of a part of the steam station (such as the lid ii covering the water-fill aperture 10) that is opened, or otherwise moved, when water is to be added to the reservoir, or when the steam station is otherwise readied for operation.

In such circumstances, the indicator means may comprise a ratchet mechanism linking the motion of said steam station part to a progressively mobile mechanical indicator; for example, one of the same general kind as that disclosed in EP-0756583-B 1 and EP-086 1 809-B 1.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 1, however, electrical signals indicative of motion of the said part, or the fitment of a tubular connection to an outlet of the casing, are generated by any convenient means, such as one or niore magnetic reed switches which are not shown, but are well known in the art, and supplied to en electronic indicating device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) device 12, and/or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Microprocessor devices may be employed in known manner to process the electrical signals and to drive such electronic indicating devices.

Instead of generating electrical signals in response to the motion of said part of the steam station, or the attachment of a tubular connection thereto, it is preferable in some respects to detect the switching on of electrical power to the steam station as a primary indication of usage, whereby electrical signals indicative of such switching operations are generated and the indication provided by the electronic display 12, indicative of usage of the steam station, and thus the likely condition of the water treatment medium, is derived therefrom.

However the signals are generated, a preferred configuration is for the display 12 to show an accumulating count representing the actual number of uses of the steam station, or a decrementing count, indicating how many uses can be tolerated before replacement of the cartridge is advisable. In addition, a day-by-day background count, purely indicative of elapsed time since the previous installation of a cartridge, is preferably performed by the microprocessor, and used to display, either by means of the LCD itself, or by illumination of an adjacent LED, when the cartridge fill has time-expired. In some embodiments, it may be preferred to show the elapsed time count as the principal display and to use a usage-related count as a back-up.

Clearly alternative or additional warnings, such as audible warnings, can be provided if preferred; any audible warning preferably (once having been actuated) being operative to sound each time the steam station is switched on until the cartridge is replaced. In this respect, the audible alarm may operate for a fixed time period and/or be capable of being switched off by means of a user-operated cancellation button, effective until the next switching-on of the steam station.

In all embodiments of the invention utilising electrical or electronic indicator means, such electrical power as may be required to drive components such as sensors, displays and microprocessors may be derived from the mains electricity supply (suitably processed as necessary to effect functions such as voltage reduction and stabilisation), or any or all such components may be battery powered. Preferably, the power is primarily derived from the mains supply, but is backed up by battery in case of mains failure, or to allow for prolonged periods of non- use.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figure 2, wherein all components conm-ion to Figure 1 carry corresponding reference numbers, the secondary water reservoir 4 is supplied with water indirectly by way of a removable tank 13, which may be carried to a faucet for filling. If a removable tank such as 1 3 is used, it is preferably provided with means whereby the water level therein is rendered readily visible to a user.

Such means may comprise the use of a transparent or translucent medium for part of the tank itself, or the incorporation of one or more windows through which the water level can be discerned. The tank and/or the window may advantageously bear capacity markings to enable a user to readily decide when the tank should be filled or topped up with water.

The water outlet tube 9 is, in this instance, plumbed in near the base of the secondary reservoir 4. If it is necessary to maintain the filter medium in cartridge 7 in a permanently wet condition, a weir arrangement is provided by a wall 14.

In general terms, it will be appreciated that the relative dimensions of the primary and secondary water reservoirs, or of the tank and the secondary reservoir in the case of Figure 2, can be adjusted as required to suit any set of operational and/or design criteria for the steam station, and no criticality is ascribed thereto. Furthermore, there are many electronic and mechanically driven displays known in the art of water-filter usage indication (for example, from the art of jug-based water filter units used in the home) and it is not intended to exclude any viable display technique from the scope of this invention.

Claims

CLAIMS: I. A steam station comprising at least one outlet through which

steam can pass, and a water reservoir in communication with an electrically S operated heater arranged to generate steam for application to said outlet; the steam station further comprising water treatment means disposed to treat water to be heated in the heater, such as to reduce the content of scale-producing materials therein, wherein the water-treatment means comprises a filter medium contained within a cartridge device housed in fluid communication with water added to said reservoir; and wherein indicator means are provided for indicating expiry of the useful life of the filter medium, as a result of usage and/or effluxion of time.
2. A steam station according to claim 1 wherein water is constrained to flow through the filter medium in the device on its passage to said reservoir.
3. A steam station according to claim I or claim 2, wherein the cartridge device is mounted so as to be readily removable from the steam station for replacement or recharging.
4. A steam station according to any preceding claim, wherein said indicator means comprises a colour change associated with the medium itself, or an additive thereto, and wherein part at least of a readily visible portion of the cartridge is sufficiently transparent or translucent to permit a user to observe the colour change.
5. A steam station according to any preceding claim, wherein said indicator means is conditioned to respond to motion of a mobile part of the steam station that is opened, or otherwise moved, when water is to be added to the reservoir, or the steam station otherwise readied for operation.
6. A steam station according to claim 5, wherein said indicator means comprises a ratchet mechanism linking the motion of said mobile part to a progressively mobile mechanical indicator.
7. A steam station according to claim 5 or claim 6, further including means for generating electrical signals indicative of motion of the said mobile part, and for supplying said signals, or signals derived therefrom, to an electronic indicating device.
8. A steam station according to any preceding claim, further including means for generating electrical signals indicative of the presence of a component associated with a tubular connector that is connectable to said outlet to convey steam to a remote location, and for supplying said signals, or signals derived therefrom, to an electronic indicating device.
9. A steam station according to any preceding claim, further including means for generating electrical signals indicative of the switching on of power to the steam station, and for supplying said signals, or signals derived therefrom, to an electronic indicating device.
10. A steam station according to any of claims 7, 8 or 9, wherein said electronic indicating device comprises a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and/or one or more light-emitting diodes (LEDs).
11. A steam station according to any of claims 7 to 10, further including a microprocessor device to drive said electronic indicating device.
12. A steam station according to any of claims 7 to 11, wherein electrical power required for said electronic indicating device is derived from the mains electricity supply.
13. A steam station according to any of claims 7 to 12, wherein said electronic iiidicating device is battery powered.
14. A steam station according to any preceding claim, wherein said water reservoir is supplied with water directly through a filler orifice.
15. A steam station according to any one of claims 1 to 13 wherein said water reservoir is supplied with water indirectly by way of a removable tank.
16. A steam station according to claim 15 wherein said tank is provided with means whereby the water level therein is rendered readily visible to a user.
17. A steam station substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as shown in the accompanying drawings.