JPH0739697A - Steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve workability by holding the selecting state of steam generation even when a set temperature is switched by controlling the heating of a base temperature while controlling the electrification of a heater based on the set temperature and a detected temperature, and holding the operation selection of a water supplying means due to a steam selecting means regardless of whether the set temperature is switched or not. CONSTITUTION:A microprocessor 21 controls the temperature of a base 3 to the set temperature by controlling the electrification of a heater 2 while controlling a heater driving circuit 24 based on temperature set information from a temperature setting part 22 and base temperature detection information from a temperature detector 6. On the other hand, the microprocessor 21 drives an electromagnetic pump 8 by controlling a pump driving circuit 20 based on steam selection information from a steam selection part 23. Even when the set temperature due to the temperature setting part 22 is switched for switching the base temperature, the operation selecting state of the electromagnetic pump 8 due to the steam selection part 23 is held and even when the set temperature is changed, the steam generation is continued as it is.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improvements in steam irons.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A steam iron has a base provided with a heater and a vaporization chamber, a tank containing water, an electromagnetic pump for supplying the water in the tank to the vaporization chamber, and whether or not to operate the electromagnetic pump. A steam selection switch, a temperature setting switch that sets the temperature of the base, and a temperature detection element that detects the temperature of the base are provided, and the heater is energized and controlled based on the temperature set by the temperature setting switch and the temperature detected by the temperature detection element. Is controlled to the set temperature. And the operation of the electromagnetic pump with the steam selection switch,
That is, when the steam generation is selected, the water in the tank is supplied to the vaporization chamber by the electromagnetic pump and the steam can be generated. When the non-operation of the electromagnetic pump is selected by the steam selection switch, the steam is not generated, which is a so-called dry state. .

In such a steam iron, conventionally, when the temperature setting switch is used to switch the set temperature while the steam selection switch is used to select the steam generation, the steam generation selection state is canceled. .

[0004]

However, in the case where the selection state of steam generation is canceled by changing the set temperature by the temperature setting switch as described above, it is necessary to redo the selection operation of steam generation every time the set temperature is changed. The work was troublesome.

Therefore, the present invention provides a steam iron that can maintain the selected state of steam generation even when the set temperature is switched while the steam generation is selected, and can improve workability. .

[0006]

According to the present invention, there is provided a base provided with a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in a part of the base, a tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, and a water in the tank. Water supply means for supplying to the vaporization chamber, steam selection means for selecting whether to operate the water supply means, temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of the base, temperature setting means for setting the temperature of the base, The heater is energized based on the set temperature of the temperature setting means and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means, and heating control means for heating and controlling the base temperature to the set temperature is provided, and the operation of the water supply means is selected by the steam selecting means. The temperature is held regardless of the switching of the set temperature by the temperature setting means.

[0007]

In the present invention having such a structure, the operation selection state of the water supply means by the steam selection means is maintained even if the set temperature is switched by the temperature setting means in order to switch the base temperature. Therefore, even if the set temperature changes, steam generation will continue as it is.

[0008]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2 show the structure of a steam iron. A base 3 having a heater 2 is provided at the bottom of an iron body 1, and a vaporization chamber 4 is formed in a part of the base 3. A steam outlet 5 communicating with the vaporization chamber 4 is provided near the tip of the bottom surface of the base 3.

Inside the base 3, a temperature detecting element 6 such as a thermistor for detecting the base temperature is provided.
A detachable tank 7 for storing water is provided at the front of the iron body 1, and a tank 7 is provided inside the iron body 1.
An electromagnetic pump 8 as a water supply means for supplying the above water to the vaporization chamber 4 is housed.

The iron body 1 has a heat shield plate 9 mounted on a base 3, and the heat shield plate 9 is covered with a heat shield cover 10. Then, the handle 11 is placed on the heat shield cover 10.
Is attached and the handle 11 is covered with a handle cap 12.

The iron body 1 is provided with a cord reel 13 at a rear portion thereof, and a power cord 14 is wound around the cord reel 13 and accommodated therein. A circuit board 15 is accommodated in the handle cap 12, and the circuit board 15 includes a state detector 16 for detecting whether the iron is in a self-supporting state or a horizontal state, and various circuit components constituting a control circuit unit. It is installed.

In the state detector 16, for example, a light emitting element and a light receiving element are arranged to face each other, a ball is movably provided between the two elements, and when the iron is in a self-standing state, the ball blocks light from the light emitting element. When the iron is in the horizontal state, the light from the light emitting element reaches the light receiving element by the movement of the ball, and during the ironing, the ball freely moves to randomly detect the self-standing state and the horizontal state. It has become.

The circuit board 15 also has a temperature setting switch 17 as temperature setting means for switching the temperature of the base 3 in six steps and turning off the power source, a steam selection switch 18 constituting steam selecting means, and the temperature setting switch. A plurality of light emitting elements 19 for displaying the temperature setting state and the power-off state by 17 and the steam generation state by the steam selection switch 18 are attached.

A pump drive circuit 20 for driving the electromagnetic pump 8 is provided behind the handle 11 in the iron body 1.
Is housed. Figure 3 is a block diagram of the control circuit.
Reference numeral 1 is a microprocessor that constitutes the main body of the control unit.

The microprocessor 21 stores the temperature setting information from the temperature setting switch 17 in the temperature setting unit 2
2, and the steam generation selection information by the steam selection switch 18 is taken in via the steam selection unit 23.

Further, the microprocessor 21 includes
The information from the state detector 16 and the information from the temperature detecting element 6 are taken in. The microprocessor 21 controls the heater driving circuit 24 based on the temperature setting information from the temperature setting unit 22 and the base temperature detection information from the temperature detection element 6 to control the power supply to the heater 2, and the base 3
The temperature is controlled to the set temperature.

Further, the microprocessor 21 controls the pump drive circuit 20 based on the steam selection information from the steam selection unit 23 to drive the electromagnetic pump 8.

Further, the microprocessor 21 is
The lighting of the light emitting element 19 is selectively controlled by the temperature setting information from the temperature setting unit 22 and the information from the steam selecting unit 23.

Further, the microprocessor 21 is
An internal timer is provided so that the state detector 16 indicates the horizontal state of the iron T1 while the heater 2 is energized and controlled.
If it is continuously detected for a period of time, the power supply to the heater 2 is stopped for the sake of safety, and if the state detector 16 continuously detects the self-supporting state of the iron for a time T2 which is sufficiently longer than the time T1, the power consumption is prevented. For safety, power supply to the heater 2 is stopped.

The steam selection switch 18 is a push-button switch of an automatic reset type, and each time the switch operation is performed, the steam generation selection and the steam non-generation selection are alternately repeated. As shown in FIG. 4, the flag memory F is set to "1" when steam is selected, and the flag memory F is set to "0" when steam is not selected.

The temperature setting switch 17 is a push-button type switch of an automatic reset type. Every time the switch is operated, the power is turned off and the temperature setting state of 6 steps is repeatedly switched between 7 steps. The processor 21 is adapted to perform the temperature setting control shown in FIG.

That is, when it is "off", the power supply to the heater 2 is turned off. When the temperature is other than "OFF", the heater 2 is energized based on the temperature detected by the temperature detecting element 6 to keep the temperature of the base 3 at the set temperature. And base 3
When the temperature reaches the set temperature, "1" is stored in the flag memory F.
If is set, the electromagnetic pump 8 is driven to perform steam generation control, and if "0" is set in the flag memory F, dry control without steam generation is performed.

When the set temperature is switched by the temperature setting switch 17 in this state, a new temperature is set, and thereafter,
Based on this, energization control of the heater 2 is performed. At this time, the contents of the flag memory F are kept as they are.

In the embodiment having such a configuration, when steam generation is selected by the steam selection switch 18, "1" is set in the flag memory F. When the temperature setting switch 17 is operated in this state to set the temperature, the heater driving circuit 24 controls the energization of the heater 2 to heat the base 3. Further, the temperature setting state is displayed by the light emitting element 19.

The temperature of the base 3 is detected by the temperature detecting element 6, and when the temperature of the base 3 reaches the set temperature, the pump drive circuit 20 can drive the electromagnetic pump 8 to enable ironing accompanied by steam generation. become.

When the temperature setting switch 17 is operated in this state to switch the set temperature, the set temperature is changed and temperature control based on the new set temperature is performed. At this time, the state of "1" set in the flag memory F is maintained as it is.

Therefore, it is not necessary to select steam generation again when the set temperature is switched, and steam generation is continued even under a new set temperature state. In this way, it is possible to improve workability without the trouble of performing an operation for selecting steam generation each time the set temperature is switched.

In order to stop the generation of steam,
It suffices to operate the steam selection switch 18 to set "0" in the flag memory F, whereby the dry control state without generation of steam is obtained. If the outlet is removed and the power is shut off, the flag memory F is cleared. Therefore, when the outlet is reinserted, the steam generation selection is canceled.

[0029]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the state where the steam generation is selected, the steam generation selected state can be maintained even if the set temperature is switched, and the work can be performed. It is possible to provide a steam iron that can improve the property.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a control unit of the same embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a process by operating a steam selection switch of the embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing control by operating a temperature setting switch of the embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 ... Iron body 2 ... Heater 3 ... Base 4 ... Vaporization chamber 6 ... Temperature detection element 7 ... Tank 8 ... Electromagnetic pump 17 ... Temperature setting switch 18 ... Steam selection switch 21 ... Microprocessor

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Hiroaki Sakai, 2570, Gosuda, Kamo-shi, Niigata 1 2570, Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd. Incorporated (72) Inventor Tetsuya Imai 2570 Gosuda, Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture 1570 Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd. (72) Inventor Isharu Tsubaki 2570 Gosuda, Kamo City, Niigata Prefecture 1 Toshiba Home Techno Co., Ltd.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A base provided with a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in a part of the base, a tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, and a water supply for supplying water in the tank to the vaporization chamber. Means, steam selecting means for selecting whether or not to operate the water supply means, temperature detecting means for detecting the temperature of the base, temperature setting means for setting the temperature of the base, and this temperature setting means. Energizing the heater based on the set temperature and the temperature detected by the temperature detecting means,
A steam control means for heating and controlling the base temperature to a set temperature is provided, and the operation selection of the water supply means by the steam selection means is held regardless of switching of the set temperature by the temperature setting means. Iron.