JP2017516538A - Steamer Head - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a treatment surface, a treatment surface from which steam is discharged from the treatment surface, and a vapor generation surface, wherein the vapor generation surface is supplied with liquid to be converted into vapor. , Having a steamer head. The treatment surface is in thermal communication with the vapor generation surface. The vapor generating surface is such that when the treatment surface is oriented vertically, the liquid can descend to the vapor generating surface and flow through the vapor generating surface to be converted to vapor. It has an angle with respect to the treatment surface.

Description

  The present invention relates to a steamer head. The invention also relates to a steam device having a steamer head. The invention has several applications, for example in the field of garment care.

  It is known to use fabric steamers to remove wrinkles from vertically placed fabrics such as clothing. Such fabric steamers generally have a steam generating unit and a steamer head connected to the steam generating unit by a flexible hose through which steam is sent to the steamer head. The steamer head comprises one or more steam holes for releasing steam into the fabric to be treated. The garment is hung vertically and then treated with steam from the steamer head to remove wrinkles from the garment fabric. However, such a steamer head can cause dripping of unvaporized water that has accumulated in the steam generation unit.

  Steam irons are also known for removing wrinkles from fabric placed on an ironing board by the use of heat and steam. A typical steam iron has a bottom plate through which steam is released into a garment cloth. However, such steam irons are only suitable for treating horizontally placed fabrics because in other orientations steam irons cannot produce steam effectively and stably.

  It is an object of the present invention to provide a steamer head and / or steam device that, among other things, significantly reduces or overcomes the above-mentioned problems.

  The invention is defined by the independent claims, while the dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.

  In accordance with the present invention, a treatment surface is a treatment surface from which steam is released from the treatment surface, and a vapor generation surface that is supplied to the vapor generation surface to convert liquid to vapor. A steamer head is provided. The treatment surface is in thermal communication with the vapor generation surface. The vapor generation surface is such that when the treatment surface is oriented vertically, the liquid descends to the vapor generation surface and can flow through the vapor generation surface and be converted to vapor. , Having an angle with respect to the treatment surface.

  When a liquid such as water is supplied to the steamer head, the liquid descends to the vapor generating surface and flows along the vapor generating surface, and the liquid is dispersed over the surface area of the vapor generating surface. To do. By increasing the surface area of the vapor generating surface in contact with the liquid, it is possible to maximize the rate of heat transfer from the vapor generating surface to the liquid and to increase the rate of evaporation of the liquid. Become. Furthermore, the liquid is prevented from accumulating on the vapor generation surface. In addition to this, the flow rate of the liquid along the vapor generating surface is minimized compared to, for example, a vertically arranged vapor generating surface, so that heat is more effectively transferred to the liquid and the liquid is vaporized. Evaporate into. The fact of having a treatment surface configured to be in thermal communication with the vapor generating surface allows the fabric to be treated to be dried by heat from the vapor generating surface, and the vapor is at the treatment surface. Condensation is prevented.

  In one embodiment, the vapor generating surface makes an angle between 75 and 150 degrees with respect to the treatment surface. The angle between the steam generation surface and the treatment surface may be 135 degrees or less. In such a configuration, when the treatment surface is arranged vertically, the angle of the vapor generation surface with respect to the horizontal is 45 degrees or less, and the liquid is prevented from flowing from the vapor generation surface so quickly that it does not evaporate into vapor. To do. In order to prevent liquid supplied to the vapor generating surface from flowing toward the treatment surface and being discharged from the treatment surface when the fabric treatment surface is arranged vertically, the vapor generating surface and the The angle between the treatment surface and the treatment surface may be 90 degrees or more.

  At least a part of the steam generation surface may be flat. This may allow a uniform spread of the liquid on the vapor generating surface. The vapor generating surface may be oriented upward when the treatment surface is oriented vertically. Therefore, the liquid can descend to the vapor generating surface under gravity. In one embodiment, the treatment surface is flat.

  In one embodiment, the steamer head further comprises a heater for heating the steam generating surface.

  The heater may be in thermal communication with the steam generation surface. Therefore, heat is efficiently transferred to the steam generating surface.

  The treatment surface and the vapor generation surface may be integrally formed.

  In one embodiment, the treatment surface is configured to have a predetermined temperature difference with respect to the steam generation surface. The steamer head may have a layer of material having a predetermined thermal conductivity and thickness. Therefore, when the steam generating surface is heated to generate steam, the treatment surface is prevented from becoming too hot.

  In one embodiment, the steamer head includes a steam generating element that forms the steam generating surface and a treatment element that forms the treatment surface. The steam generating element is detachably attachable to the treatment element. This helps simplify manufacturing and minimize costs. A thermally conductive paste may be disposed between the steam generating element and the treatment element. The thermally conductive paste improves heat transfer between the vapor generating element and the treatment element and increases the temperature of the treatment surface.

  In one embodiment, the steamer head has a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid to the vapor generating surface, and the liquid outlet is located on the vapor generating surface when the treatment surface is oriented vertically. And is configured to allow the liquid to descend to the vapor generating surface by gravity. Therefore, water can be supplied to the steam generating surface under the force of gravity, so that water can be supplied to the steam generating surface without the use of a pump.

  The steamer head is further a handle portion configured to determine the orientation of the steamer head, wherein the treatment surface is disposed substantially vertically when the handle portion is in a normal operating position. You may have.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a steam apparatus having a steamer head according to the present invention. In one embodiment, the steam device is a fabric steamer, and in another embodiment, the steam device is a steam cleaner.

  These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and will be elucidated with reference to the embodiments described hereinafter.

  Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a steamer head according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of the steamer head of FIG. 1 in a vertical position. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a steamer head according to another embodiment of the present invention in a vertical position. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional side view of the steamer head of FIG. 3 at a position between horizontal and vertical. FIG. 6 is a schematic side cross-sectional view of a steamer head according to another embodiment of the present invention in a vertical position.

  1 and 2, a steamer head 10 for a fabric steamer according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The steamer head 10 forms a nozzle having a main body 11 from which a handle portion 12 extends.

  The steamer head 10 has a bottom plate 13 disposed at an end portion of the main body 11 which is a distal end with respect to the handle portion 12. The main surface of the bottom plate 13 has a fabric treatment surface 13A that faces the opposite side of the handle portion 12 and is applied to the fabric 17 to be treated during use. The bottom plate 13 has a plurality of openings 13B extending through the thickness of the bottom plate 13. However, it will be understood that in one embodiment, the bottom plate has one opening.

  A steam generation unit 14 having a plate is disposed in the main body 11 of the steamer head 10 and has a main surface having a steam generation surface 14A. The steam generation surface 14 </ b> A forms a wall portion of the steam chamber 14 </ b> B disposed in the main body 11 of the steamer head 10. A heater 15 is disposed in the steam generation unit 14. The heater 15 has a resistive heating element connected to a power source (not shown). The bottom plate 13 and the steam generation unit 14 are integrally formed and have a heat conductive material such as metal. Therefore, when the heater 15 is operated to heat the steam generation unit 14, heat is transferred from the steam generation unit 14 to the bottom plate 13, and the bottom plate 13 is also heated by the heater 15. The treatment surface is in thermal communication with the steam generation surface.

  A flexible hose 16 extends from the handle portion 12 at the distal end relative to the body 11. A flexible hose 16 extends between the steamer head 10 and a base unit (not shown) having a water tank (not shown) and a pump (not shown). The pump is configured to supply water from the water tank to a nozzle 16 </ b> A disposed in the body 11 of the steamer head 10. The nozzle 16A is configured to inject the liquid water supplied to the nozzle onto the vapor generation surface 14A so that the liquid water spreads over the vapor generation surface 14A. Therefore, when the steam generation surface 14A is heated by the heater 15, the liquid water is evaporated into steam in the steam chamber 14B. The generated steam flows along the steam chamber 14B, exits from the opening 13B in the bottom plate 13, and is discharged from the cloth treatment surface 13A, so that the portion of the cloth 17 applied to the cloth treatment surface 13A becomes the steam treatment surface 13A. Treated by.

  Vapor released from the fabric treatment surface 13A is generated in the steamer head 10 and therefore need not be supplied from an external source using an external hose. Generating the vapor externally and then passing the vapor through the external hose to the steamer head 10 causes the vapor to cool and condense in the external hose, causing a drop of liquid water from the fabric treatment surface 13A. This is advantageous because it can result in the release of water and can damp the fabric being treated. Further, since the heater 15 used for generating steam in the steamer head 10 also heats the bottom plate 13, formation of a wet spot on the cloth treatment surface 13A due to condensation is prevented. Otherwise, such wet spots can be sent to the fabric being treated. The heated bottom plate 13 also provides the advantage of drying the fabric being treated.

  The steam generation surface 14 </ b> A forms an angle α <b> 1 that is 90 degrees with respect to the cloth treatment surface 13 </ b> A, and the cloth treatment surface 13 </ b> A faces away from the handle portion 12 of the steamer head 10. A steam generation surface 14A that is angled with respect to the fabric treatment surface 13A of the bottom plate 13 so that the steam generation surface 14A is not positioned vertically when the fabric treatment surface 13A is applied to a vertically placed fabric 17. When the steamer head 10 is used to treat a vertically disposed fabric 17 (as shown in FIG. 2), the liquid water supplied by the nozzle 16A to the vapor generating unit 14 is vaporized. It is possible to spread on the generation surface 14A. More specifically, when the steamer head 10 is arranged such that the cloth treatment surface 13A is oriented vertically and applied to the vertically arranged cloth 17, an angle of 90 degrees with respect to the cloth treatment surface 13A. The steam generation surface 14A forming α1 is arranged horizontally, and the nozzle 16A is positioned above the steam generation surface 14A. Therefore, when a pump (not shown) is activated and liquid water is supplied to the steamer head 10, the liquid water descends from the nozzle 16A to the vapor generation surface 14A and enters the vapor generation surface. The liquid water spreads over a larger surface area of the vapor generation surface 14A than when the vapor generation surface 14A is arranged vertically. The increased surface area of the vapor generating surface 14A in contact with the liquid water provides a fast heat transfer from the heater 15 to the liquid water, thereby allowing the liquid water to evaporate more quickly into the vapor. It can be made to be. Furthermore, since the steam generating surface 14A is arranged horizontally rather than being tilted or arranged vertically, when the fabric treatment surface 13A is applied to the vertically arranged fabric 17, the steam is generated by gravity. Liquid water is prevented from collecting at the lower end of the chamber 14B.

  The steamer head 10 is also suitable for use with fabrics that are not vertically arranged. For example, if the steamer head 10 is used to treat a fabric that is tilted by an angle between vertical and horizontal, the steam generating surface 14A will not be positioned vertically. More specifically, the steam generation surface 14A is not perpendicular to the horizontal, but is inclined by an angle between the horizontal and vertical, which is offset from the cloth treatment surface 13A by an angle α1 of 90 degrees, Thereby, the liquid water descends from the nozzle 16A to the steam generation unit 14 and can spread on the steam generation surface 14A. Furthermore, since the vapor generation surface 14A is not vertically disposed, liquid water flows at a lower speed along the vapor generation surface 14A, and the liquid water is evaporated from the heater 15 for evaporating the liquid water into the vapor. High speed heat transfer to.

  The steam generation unit 14 has a protrusion 14C extending from the steam generation surface 14A. The protruding portion 14C is disposed between the nozzle 16A and the bottom plate 13, and prevents liquid water supplied to the vapor generation surface 14A from leaking out of the vapor chamber 14B and being discharged from the cloth treatment surface 13A. To do. More specifically, when the cloth treatment surface 13A is directed so that the vapor generation surface 14A is inclined downward toward the cloth treatment surface 13A, the liquid water supplied to the vapor generation surface 14A is projected 14C. And gather at the protrusion 14C.

  3 and 4, there is shown a steamer head 20 for a fabric steamer according to another embodiment of the present invention. The steamer head 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is similar to the steamer head 10 described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, and similar features have the same reference numerals. The difference is that the steam generating surface 14A of the steamer head 20 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 forms an angle α1 of 135 degrees with respect to the cloth treatment surface 13A. The angle α <b> 1 between the cloth treatment surface 13 </ b> A and the steam generation surface 14 </ b> A is an angle such that the cloth treatment surface 13 </ b> A faces away from the handle portion 12 of the steamer head 20.

  The steam generation surface 14A inclined with respect to the cloth treatment surface 13A of the bottom plate 13 is supplied to the steam generation unit 14 by the nozzle 16A when the steamer head 20 is used to treat the cloth 17 placed vertically. The liquid water can spread over the vapor generating surface 14A.

  To treat a vertically placed fabric 17, the user places the fabric treatment surface 13 </ b> A against the top of the vertically placed fabric 17 (as shown in FIG. 3). The cloth treatment surface 13A is oriented vertically, and therefore the steam generation surface 14A, which forms an angle α1 of 135 degrees with respect to the cloth treatment surface 13A, is inclined at 45 degrees between horizontal and vertical, and the nozzle 16A Is positioned above the steam generation surface 14A. Therefore, when a pump (not shown) is actuated to supply liquid water to the steamer head 20, the liquid water descends from the nozzle 16A to the vapor generating surface 14A, along the vapor generating surface 14A. As a result, the liquid water spreads over a larger surface area of the vapor generation surface 14A than when the vapor generation surface 14A is arranged vertically. The increased surface area of the vapor generation surface 14A in contact with liquid water means that faster heat transfer from the vapor generation unit 14 to the liquid water is possible, thereby allowing the liquid water Can be evaporated into steam more quickly. Further, since the vapor generating surface 14A is not vertically disposed, liquid water will flow at a slower rate along the vapor generating surface 14A toward the bottom end of the vapor chamber 14B, and thus liquid water will flow into the vapor. Faster heat transfer from the heater 15 to the liquid water to be evaporated will be obtained.

  The user may then treat the remaining portion of the fabric 17 by lowering the steamer head 20 along the fabric 17 placed vertically in the direction of arrow “A” shown in FIG. When the steamer head 20 is moved down along the cloth 17, the user's arm moves in an arcuate shape, so that as the steamer head 20 is moved down along the cloth 17, the user's arm and handle portion 12 is moved into the cloth. As a result, the angle extending with respect to 17 changes and the angle of the fabric treatment surface 13A relative to the fabric 17 also changes. Therefore, in order to prevent a gap from being formed between the cloth treatment surface 13A and the cloth 17, the user is directed to the bottom of the cloth 17 in the direction of the arrow “B” shown in FIG. You may pull This results in the fabric 17 being tilted with respect to the horizontal so that the fabric 17 remains flush with the fabric treatment surface 13A. When the steamer head 20 is pulled down along the cloth 17 so that the cloth 17 and the cloth treatment surface 13A are inclined with respect to the vertical, the angle of the steam generating surface 14A with respect to the horizontal is reduced, and the steam generating surface 14A is arranged closer to the horizontal. Will come to be. Therefore, the liquid water supplied by the nozzle 16A can still descend from the nozzle 16A to the vapor generation unit 14 and spread over the vapor generation surface 14A, facilitating effective vapor generation.

  The steamer head 20 is also suitable for use with horizontally placed fabrics, which is that the steam generating surface 14A is tilted to an angle between vertical and horizontal, rather than being positioned vertically. Because it becomes. More specifically, when the fabric treatment surface 13A is disposed horizontally, the vapor generation surface 14A is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the horizontal and vertical, so that liquid water generates vapor from the nozzle 16A. It is possible to descend to the unit 14 and spread over the steam generation surface 14A. Furthermore, since the vapor generation surface 14A is not vertically arranged, liquid water will flow along the vapor generation surface 14A at a lower speed, and thus from the heater 15 that evaporates the liquid water to vapor into the liquid water. A higher rate of heat transfer is obtained.

  Referring now to FIG. 5, there is shown a steamer head 30 for a fabric steamer according to another embodiment of the present invention. The steamer head 30 shown in FIG. 5 is similar to the steamer head 10 described above in connection with FIGS. 1 and 2, and similar features have the same reference numerals. The difference is that the integrally formed bottom plate 13 and steam generation unit 14 are omitted and replaced by a bottom plate 33 and a steam generation unit 34 fastened to each other.

  The bottom plate 33 and the steam generation unit 34 have main surfaces each having a cloth treatment surface 33A and a steam generation surface 34A. The steam generation surface 34 </ b> A forms a wall portion of the steam chamber 34 </ b> B disposed in the steamer head 30. A heater 35 is disposed in the steam generation unit 34. The heater 35 has a resistive heating element connected to a power source (not shown).

  The steamer head 30 has a bracket 36 that extends from the bottom plate 33 in a direction opposite to the direction in which the cloth treatment surface 33A faces. The bracket 36 has a plurality of screw holes 37A, and the steam generation unit 34 has a plurality of screw holes 37B. The steam generating unit 34 is received relative to the bracket 36 such that the screw hole 37A of the bracket 36 is aligned with the screw hole 37B of the steam generating unit 34. Bolts or screws 38 are received in the aligned screw holes 37A, 37B for fastening the steam generating unit 34 to the bracket 36 and thus to the bottom plate 33. Alternatively or in addition, the steam generation unit 34 may be secured to the bracket 36 using an adhesive (not shown) or other fastening means.

  In order to improve heat transfer between the steam generation unit 34 and the bracket 36, a thermally conductive paste 39 is disposed between the steam generation unit 34 and the bracket 36. Therefore, when the heater 35 is operated to heat the steam generating surface 34A, heat is transferred to the bracket 36. The bracket 36 and the bottom plate 33 are integrally formed and have a heat conductive material. Therefore, heat is transferred from the heater 35 through the bracket 36 to heat the cloth treatment surface 33A of the bottom plate 33.

  The thermally conductive paste 39 improves the heat transfer between the steam generating unit 34 and the bracket 36, thereby increasing the temperature of the bottom plate 33. However, it should be understood that in alternative embodiments, the thermally conductive paste 39 may be omitted and the steam generating unit 34 may be in direct contact with the bracket 36.

  Since the steam generation unit 34 is not formed integrally with the bottom plate 33, the steam generation unit 34 can be manufactured separately, for example, in another factory and subsequently fixed to the bottom plate 33. Furthermore, if the steam generation unit 34 fails, the steam generation unit 34 can be easily removed from the steamer head 30 and repaired or replaced.

  In the embodiment described above, in order to prevent the steam from leaking from the steam chambers 14B, 34B into the steamer heads 10, 20, 30, a sealing portion (not shown) is provided around the steam chambers 14B, 34B. Not provided).

  In the embodiment described above, the steam generation surfaces 14A and 34A form an angle α1 of 90 degrees or 135 degrees with the cloth treatment surfaces 13A and 33A. However, the angle α1 between the steam generation surfaces 14A and 34A and the cloth treatment surfaces 13A and 33A may be between 75 degrees and 150 degrees. Preferably, the angle α1 between the steam generating surfaces 14A, 34A and the fabric treatment surfaces 13A, 33A is not more than 135 degrees so that when the fabric treatment surfaces 13A, 33A are arranged vertically, the horizontal The angle of the steam generation surfaces 14A and 34A with respect to the water becomes 45 degrees or less, and the problem that water evaporates too quickly from the steam generation surfaces 14A and 34A and vapor evaporation cannot be obtained effectively is reduced. Preferably, when the fabric treatment surfaces 13A, 33A are arranged vertically, the liquid water supplied to the vapor generating units 14, 34 flows towards the bottom plates 13, 33 and the openings 13B in the bottom plates. In order to prevent the liquid from flowing out of the steam, the angle α1 between the steam generation surfaces 14A and 34A and the cloth treatment surfaces 13A and 33A is 90 degrees or more.

  In the embodiment described above, the bottom plates 13, 33 were heated by the same heaters 15, 35 that heat the steam generation units 14, 34, but in an alternative embodiment (not shown). A first heater for heating the bottom plate and a second heater for heating the steam generating unit. In other embodiments (not shown), the bottom plate is not heated by a heater. In one embodiment, the bottom plate is configured to have a predetermined different temperature for the steam generating unit. The steamer head has, for example, a layer of material with a predetermined thermal conductivity and thickness. The layer of material may be disposed between the bottom plate and the steam generation unit. In other embodiments, for example, a heat insulating layer disposed between the bottom plate and the steam generating unit is thermally conductively isolated from the steam generating unit.

  In the embodiment described above, a water tank and pump were provided in the base unit (not shown), but in an alternative embodiment (not shown), the pump and / or water tank is a steamer. You may arrange | position in a head. In another embodiment (not shown), the pump is omitted and instead liquid water is sent by gravity from the nozzle to the vapor generating unit. This is possible because the nozzle is located above the steam generating surface when the steamer head is in use, for example when the fabric treatment surface is applied to a vertically arranged fabric. . Therefore, liquid water can descend from the nozzle to the vapor generation surface under gravity without requiring any pumping action.

  In the embodiment described above, the steamer heads 10, 20, 30 have been described for use with a fabric steamer to remove wrinkles from the fabric, but the steamer head of the present invention is also suitable for steam cleaning applications. It should be understood that it is also suitable for use in. For example, the steamer head may be used with a steam cleaning device to remove dust and debris from furniture cloth or carpet. In one such embodiment (not shown), the steamer head has a brush or mop pad attached to the bottom plate of the steamer head to assist in removing dust and debris from the fabric. .

  The above described embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the technical techniques of the present invention can be modified or equivalent without departing from the spirit and scope of the technical techniques of the present invention. It will be understood that such modifications and variations are also within the scope of the present invention. In the claims, the word “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the claim.

Claims (14)

A treatment surface, wherein the vapor is released from the treatment surface;
A vapor generation surface, wherein the vapor generation surface is supplied with liquid to be converted to vapor, and the treatment surface is in thermal communication with the vapor generation surface; and
The steam generation surface, wherein when the treatment surface is oriented vertically, the liquid descends to the vapor generation surface and flows through the vapor generation surface to produce steam. A steamer head having an angle with respect to the treatment surface such that it can be transformed.   The steam generating surface has an angle between 75 and 150 degrees with respect to the treatment surface, and preferably has an angle between 90 and 135 degrees with respect to the treatment surface. The steamer head described in 1.   The steamer head according to claim 1, wherein at least a part of the steam generation surface is flat.   The steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the steam generation surface is oriented in an upward direction when the treatment surface is oriented vertically.   The steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a heater for heating the steam generation surface.   The steamer head according to claim 5, wherein the heater is in thermal communication with the steam generation surface.   The treatment surface is configured to have a predetermined temperature difference with respect to the vapor generating surface, and preferably the steamer head includes a layer of material having a predetermined thermal conductivity and thickness. The steamer head as described in any one of thru | or 6.   The steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the treatment surface and the steam generation surface are integrally formed.   The steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising: a steam generating element that forms the steam generating surface; and a treatment element that forms the treatment surface.   The steamer head according to claim 9, wherein the steam generating element is detachably attachable to the treatment element.   The steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the treatment surface is flat.   The steamer head further includes a liquid outlet for supplying the liquid to the vapor generating surface, the liquid outlet being disposed above the vapor generating surface when the treatment surface is oriented vertically. The steamer head according to claim 1, wherein the steamer head is configured to allow the liquid to descend to the vapor generation surface by gravity.   A handle portion further comprising a handle portion configured to orient the steamer head such that the treatment surface is positioned substantially vertically when the handle portion is in a normal operating position. The steamer head according to any one of Items 1 to 12.   A steam apparatus comprising the steamer head according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

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