JP2010249410A - Steam generator - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To support a heating element in a state that scale hardly accumulates in an evaporation container of a steam generator. <P>SOLUTION: This steam generator 10 has the evaporation container 20 having a steam supply port 20a at its upper part and a drain port 20b at its lower part, an electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 wound on an outer periphery of the evaporation container 20, and the heating element 40 generating heat by being excited by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 and heating the water in the evaporation container 20. The heating element 40 is composed of a heat generating section 41a disposed at the same height position as a winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 and generating heat, and a non-heat generating section 41b not generating heat by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 as it is disposed at the height position higher than the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 at an upper side of the heat generating section 41a, and the heating element 40 is suspended in the evaporation container 20 in a state that its lower end is not kept into contact with the evaporation container 20, and the non-heat generating section 41b at its upper section is supported at an upper section of the evaporation container 20. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a steam generator used in a steam convection oven or the like.

  Patent Document 1 discloses a steam production apparatus that produces steam used for cooking food. This steam production apparatus has a vertically upward tubular boiler section that generates steam by a heating element housed therein, and heats the heating element by a magnetic field change generated by an exciting coil wound around the outer periphery of the boiler section. Steam is generated by heating the water in the tube. The lower end of this boiler part is provided with a connecting pipe part that communicates with a tubular header part provided below it and connected to a drainage system, and water in the boiler part passes through the connecting pipe to form the header part. To the drainage system. Therefore, the lower end of the boiler part is formed with a step part by a connecting pipe part having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the boiler part.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-094203

  In the steam production apparatus described in Patent Document 1, the heating element is accommodated in the tubular boiler part, but it is not described how the heating element is supported with respect to the boiler part. By the way, a step portion is formed at the lower end of the boiler portion by a connecting pipe portion having a smaller diameter than the diameter of the boiler portion. As an example of supporting the heating element in the boiler portion, the lower end of the heating portion is connected to the lower end portion of the boiler portion. It is possible to support the heating element by abutting it. However, when the lower end of the heating element is supported by contacting the lower end of the boiler part, the water remaining between the lower end of the heating element and the lower end of the boiler part when the water in the boiler part is drained. As a result, the scale is accumulated or the scale peeled off from the heating element is caught between the lower end of the heating element and the stepped portion at the lower end of the boiler part, so that the scale inside the boiler part may be clogged. The present invention aims to solve such problems.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention stores a predetermined amount of water and has an evaporation container having a steam outlet at the top and a drain at the bottom, an electromagnetic induction heating coil wound around the outer periphery of the evaporation container, A steam generator that is housed in an evaporation vessel and heated by an electromagnetic induction heating coil to generate heat and heat the water in the evaporation vessel. A heat generating part that generates heat at the same height as the winding position, and a non-heat generating part that is above the heat generating part and is higher than the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil so that it does not generate heat due to this electromagnetic induction heating coil The steam generator is characterized in that the heating body is suspended in the evaporation container with the lower end of the heating body supported on the upper part of the evaporation container without contacting the lower end thereof with the evaporation container. It is to provide.

  In the steam generating apparatus configured as described above, the heating body is suspended in the evaporation container with the lower end of the heating body supported on the upper part of the evaporation container without contacting the lower end thereof with the evaporation container. When the water in the evaporation container is drained from the drain outlet, water does not remain between the lower end of the heating body in the evaporation container and scale does not accumulate, and the evaporation container is peeled off from the heating body. The scale does not remain caught between the lower end of the heating element.

  In the steam generator configured as described above, the heating element is provided with a support part that detachably supports the heat generating part at the vapor outlet of the evaporation container and a handle part for attaching and detaching the heating element. For example, when supporting the support of the heating element at the vapor outlet at the top of the evaporation container, or when removing the heating element from the vapor outlet at the upper part of the evaporation container, hold the heating element handle to attach / detach By doing so, the heating element can be easily attached to and detached from the evaporation container.

  In the steam generating apparatus configured as described above, the heating body is configured to support the non-heating portion detachably on the vapor delivery port of the evaporation container, and water droplets that jump from the evaporation container to the support unit are delivered from the delivery port. If a shielding part that suppresses this is provided, it is possible to suppress the delivery of water droplets sent together with the steam from the delivery port without separately providing a member for suppressing delivery of water droplets at the delivery port of the evaporation container. .

It is side sectional drawing of the steam generator which concerns on this invention. It is a perspective view of a heating body.

  Hereinafter, one embodiment of a steam generator concerning the present invention is described using a drawing. A steam generator 10 according to the present invention is used in a cooking device such as a steam convection oven. As shown in FIG. 1, the steam generator 10 stores a predetermined amount of water and has a steam outlet 20a at the top and a drain at the bottom. The evaporation container 20 provided with 20b, the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 wound around the outer periphery of the evaporation container 20, and heat generated by being excited by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 to heat the water in the evaporation container 20. The heating body 40 is provided. The heating body 40 of the steam generating apparatus 10 is located at the same height as the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 and generates heat, and a heating part 41a that is above the heating part 41a is wound around the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30. The heating element 40 has a non-heating part 41b that does not generate heat by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 because it is higher than the position, and the heating body 40 evaporates the non-heating part 41b on the upper part without bringing its lower end into contact with the evaporation container 20. It is supported in the upper part of the container 20 and suspended in the evaporation container 20. Below, this steam generator 10 is explained in full detail.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the steam generator 10 includes a drain tank 11 installed in a machine room (not shown) of a heating cooker, an evaporation container 20 standing on the drain tank 11, and an outer periphery of the evaporation container 20. An electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 wound around, a heating body 40 accommodated in the evaporation container 20, and a steam delivery tube 50 for sending steam from the evaporation container 20 into a cooking chamber (not shown) of the heating cooker. A water level detection tank 60 and a float switch 61 for detecting the water level in the evaporation container 20 are provided.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the evaporation container 20 is made of a substantially cylindrical resin member having a steam outlet 20 a at the upper end and a drain outlet 20 b at the lower end, and is disposed on the drain tank 11 through a cylindrical connecting cylinder 21. Standing up. The evaporation container 20 has a shape in which no step portion is formed so that water is accumulated from the upper end steam outlet 20a to the lower end drain port 20b when drained from the drain port 20b. The connection tube 21 is provided with a drain ball valve 22 for draining the water stored in the evaporation container 20. When the drain ball valve 22 is opened, the water in the evaporation container 20 is drained at the lower end. It is discharged to the drain tank 11 through 20b. On the outer periphery of the evaporation container 20, two annular mounting brackets 23 and 24 are attached to an intermediate portion in the axial direction so as to be separated from each other in the vertical direction. On the outer periphery of the evaporation container 20, an electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 is wound between the upper and lower mounting brackets 23 and 24. Further, the upper and lower mounting brackets 23 and 24 are provided with a plurality of rod-like ferrites 25 on the outer peripheral side of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 so as not to leak electromagnetic waves generated by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 to the outside. .

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heating body 40 includes seven heating rods 41 suspended in the evaporation vessel 20 and a support holder (support) that supports these heating rods 41 integrally on the upper portion of the evaporation vessel 20. Part) 42. The seven heating rods 41 are made of a cylindrical conductive metal member, are located at the same height as the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30, and generate heat by the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30. The heat generating portion 41a includes non-heat generating portions 41b and 41c that are located above and below the heat generating portion 41a and do not generate heat due to being higher or lower than the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30. The heating body 40 is configured such that the lower non-heat generating portion 41b of the heating body 40 is supported by the upper outlet (upper) delivery port 20a of the evaporation container 20 by the support holder 42 without contacting the lower end of the evaporation container 20 with the lower end. It is suspended inside. Since the heating body 40 supports the non-heating part 41a of the heating rod 41 on the upper portion of the evaporation container 30 by the support holder 42, the support holder 42 and the evaporation container 30 can be deformed at a temperature that generates steam. No resin member can be used. Of the seven heating rods 41, one heating rod 41 has a hole (insertion hole) 41d in the direction perpendicular to the axial direction in the upper non-heating portion 41b. The temperature sensing part of the temperature sensor 43 that detects the temperature of the non-heating part 41b above 41 is inserted so as to be in contact with the non-heating part 41b. The temperature sensor 43 is for detecting emptying in the evaporation container 20 by detecting the temperature of the non-heating part 41 b of the heating rod 41.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the support holder 42 is formed of a substantially bottomed cylindrical resin member, and the outer peripheral surface of the support holder 42 is fitted with the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the evaporation container 20. A flange portion 42 a formed at the upper edge of 42 is engaged with the upper end of the evaporation container 20. Seven cylindrical holding parts 42b for holding the seven heating rods 41 are formed on the lower surface of the bottom wall of the support holder 42. The holding part 42b has a non-heating part 41b on the upper side of the heating bar 41. The upper end is fitted and fixed. The support holder 42 is provided with a handle portion 42c for attaching and detaching the heating body 40 that passes the positions of the inner peripheral surfaces facing each other. By holding the handle portion 42c, the heating body 40 is pulled upward. The operation of removing the heating body 40 from the evaporation container 20 is facilitated. The support holder 42 has a central portion of the bottom wall 42d and a plurality of vapor passage openings 42e formed from the peripheral edge to the peripheral surface of the bottom wall 42d, and most of the water droplets splashing in the evaporation container 20 Is suppressed from being delivered from the vapor outlet 20a of the evaporation container 20 by the bottom wall (shielding part) 42d of the support holder 42, and the steam generated in the evaporation container 20 passes through the passage openings 42e of the support holder 42. It passes through and is sent out from the vapor outlet 20a of the evaporation container 20.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the steam delivery cylinder 50 is for delivering steam generated in the evaporation container 20 into a cooking chamber (not shown), and the steam outlet 20 a at the upper end of the evaporation container 20 and cooking. A steam inlet provided in a warehouse (not shown) is connected. The steam delivery tube 50 is a water droplet separation tube portion 51 that is erected from the vapor delivery port 20a in the evaporation container 20 and is closed on the upper side, and is branched from an intermediate portion of the water droplet separation tube portion 51 to provide a steam outlet. It consists of the steam extraction cylinder part 52 connected to the steam inlet of a cooking chamber (not shown). The water droplet separation cylinder portion 51 collides with the top of the steam that rises vigorously including the water droplets from the vapor delivery port 20a in the evaporation container 20 to reduce the momentum, and drops the water droplets from the vapor with the reduced momentum. It is for separating into steam that does not contain water droplets. The steam extraction cylinder part 52 sends out the steam from which water droplets have been separated by the water drop separation cylinder part 51 from its outlet to a cooking chamber (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 1, the water level detection tank 60 is for detecting the water level in the evaporation container 20 by the float switch 61 provided in the inside. The water level detection tank 60 is erected in parallel with the side of the evaporation container 20, and the lower part of the water level detection tank 60 is connected to a position below the position where the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 of the evaporation container 20 is wound. The pipes 62 are connected in communication. The water level detection tank 60 is open to the atmosphere like the evaporation container 20, and the water level detection tank 60 has the same water level as the evaporation container 20. The float switch 61 detects the water level of the evaporation container 20 by detecting the water level in the water level detection tank 60, detects the position that is the upper end of the heat generating portion 41a of the heating rod 41 as the upper limit water level L1, A water level slightly below the upper limit water level L1 is detected as the lower limit water level L2. A water supply pipe 63 derived from a water supply source such as water supply is connected to the lower part of the water level detection tank 60, and the water supply pipe 63 supplies water to the water level detection tank 60 by opening the water supply valve 64. When the water in the evaporation container 20 decreases due to the generation of steam and the lower limit water level L2 is detected by the float switch 61, the water supply valve 64 is opened and the water level detection tank 60 and the evaporation container 20 are opened from the water supply pipe 63. When water is supplied to the water level detection tank 60 and the evaporation container 20 from the water supply pipe 63 and the upper limit water level L1 is detected by the float switch 61, the water supply valve 64 is closed and the water level is detected from the water supply pipe 63. The supply of water into the tank 60 and the evaporation container 20 is controlled to be stopped.

  The operation of the steam generator 10 configured as described above will be described. In the steam generator 10, when high-frequency power is supplied to the electromagnetic induction heating coil 30 in a state where water is supplied to the upper limit water level L <b> 1 as a predetermined amount in the evaporation container 20, the heating rod 41 in the evaporation container 20 is supplied. When the heat generating part 41a generates heat, water is heated and steam is generated. The steam generated in the evaporation container 20 is delivered from the steam delivery port 20a of the evaporation container 20 through the plurality of steam passage ports 42e of the support holder 42 of the heating body 40, and is heated by the steam delivery cylinder 50, not shown. It is sent into the cooking cabinet of the cooker. When steam is generated in the evaporation container 20, the water in the evaporation container 20 may splash from the water surface, but most of the splashed water (water droplets) is the bottom wall (shielding part) 42 d of the support holder 42. In this case, it is possible to prevent the evaporation container 20 from being sent out from the outlet 20a.

  Since the concentration of the scale component increases due to the generation of steam in the water in the evaporation container 20, the water in the evaporation container 20 needs to be drained after the generation of the steam. When the drain ball valve 22 is opened, the water in the evaporation container 20 is discharged to the drain tank 11 through the drain port 20b at the lower end. At this time, the evaporating container 20 is not formed with a step portion that retains water from the steam outlet 20a at the upper end to the drain outlet 20b at the lower end, and the heating body 40 accommodated in the evaporating container 20 The lower non-heating part 41b of the upper part is supported by the upper outlet (upper part) outlet 20a of the evaporation container 20 by the support holder 42 without contacting the lower end with the lower part of the evaporation container 20, and is suspended in the evaporation container 20. Yes. Therefore, when the water in the evaporation container 20 is drained from the drain port 20b, the scale does not accumulate because water remains between the lower part of the evaporation container 30 and the lower end of the heating rod 41 of the heating body 40. In addition, even if the scale is peeled off from the heating rod 41, the scale does not get stuck between the lower portion of the evaporation vessel 20 and the lower end of the heating rod 41.

  After the water in the evaporation container 20 is discharged, when removing the heating element 40 from the evaporation container 20 and washing the scale component, the heating element 40 is drawn upward by holding the handle portion 42c of the support holder 42. 40 can be easily removed from the evaporation container 20. In addition, after cleaning the evaporation container 20 and the heating body 40, the handle 42 c of the support holder 42 is held and the heating rod 41 is inserted into the evaporation container 20 so that the support holder 42 is supported by the outlet 20 a of the evaporation container 20. Thus, the heating body 40 can be easily supported on the upper portion of the evaporation container 20. In particular, when the heating body 40 is fixed to the evaporation container 20 by a scale attached between the outer peripheral surface of the support holder 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the upper end portion of the evaporation container 20, it is difficult to remove the heating body 40 from the evaporation container 20. However, by holding the handle portion 42c and rotating the heating body 40 in the circumferential direction with respect to the evaporation container 20, the heating body 40 fixed to the upper end of the evaporation container 20 with a scale can be easily removed. Will be able to.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Steam generator, 20 ... Evaporation container, 20a ... Outlet, 20b ... Drain outlet, 30 ... Electromagnetic induction heating coil, 40 ... Heating body, 41a ... Heat-generating part, 41b ... Non-heat-generating part, 42 ... Support part (support) Holder), 42c ... handle part, 42d ... shielding part (bottom wall).

Claims (3)

An evaporation vessel that stores a predetermined amount of water and has a steam outlet at the top and a drain at the bottom;
An electromagnetic induction heating coil wound around the outer periphery of the evaporation container;
A steam generator comprising a heating body that is contained in the evaporation container and generates heat by being excited by the electromagnetic induction heating coil to heat water in the evaporation container;
The heating body is located at the same height as the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil and has a heat generating portion that generates heat, and is located above the heat generating portion and higher than the winding position of the electromagnetic induction heating coil. This electromagnetic induction heating coil consists of a non-heat generating part that does not generate heat,
The steam generator is characterized in that the heating body is suspended in the evaporation container with the lower end of the heating body supported on the upper part of the evaporation container without contacting the lower end of the heater. . The steam generator according to claim 1,
The said heating body is provided with the support part which detachably supports the said non-heating part in the vapor | steam delivery port of the said evaporation container, and the handle part for attachment or detachment operation of the said heating body, The steam generator characterized by the above-mentioned. The steam generator according to claim 1,
The heating body removably supports the non-heat generating part on the vapor delivery port of the evaporation container, and a shielding part that suppresses water droplets splashing from the evaporation container to the support part from being sent out from the delivery port. And a steam generator.

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