JPS6252599B2 - - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a steam iron for general household use.

Construction of conventional examples and their problems In recent years, steam irons have been proposed that are equipped with an increased steam generator to remove stubborn wrinkles that are difficult to remove with normal steam output. However, what these steam irons have in common in their construction is that, as shown in Figure 1, a heater 1 is buried and a vaporizing chamber 2 is installed.
A drip nozzle 9 is provided on a base 6 to which a base lid 5 is fixed via gaskets 7 and 8. In addition, the water in the tank 10 is
Water droplets supplied to the vaporization chamber 2 instantly turn into steam, and as shown by arrows, the water droplets supplied to the vaporization chamber 2 are adjusted.
The steam was sent directly to the steam distribution chamber 4 and ejected from the steam nozzle 3. In addition to this general steam generation structure, there is also a structure that uses a built-in pump in the tank to forcibly send a certain amount of water to the vaporization chamber 2 and vaporize it instantly, if necessary. When used at the same time, the amount of steam increases, and the explosive vaporizing power that instantaneously vaporizes the water sent from the pump means removes the hard substances remaining in the vaporizing chamber 2 and the steam distribution chamber 4 from the steam outlet 3. It is also known to expect the so-called cleaning effect of blowing away.

The biggest challenge with such a steam iron with an increased steam generator is to have explosive vaporization ability, and especially if it is used in combination with normal steam generation, the temperature of the vaporization chamber will drop, so it is necessary to devise a new method. I needed it.

However, in order to accurately detect the temperature of the hanging surface, the base 6 is generally equipped with a thermostat located approximately in the center, isolated from the outer wall of the vaporization chamber, while maintaining an insulating distance, making it easy to connect the thermostat to the vaporization chamber. I couldn't even make it bigger. The solution to this problem was to increase the surface area by installing mazes and weirs inside the vaporization chamber, but with this method, residual hard substances accumulated in the narrow mazes and weirs over many years of use, resulting in clogging. There was a drawback that the steam iron would lose its functionality.

On the other hand, when a pump means is built into the tank, it is preferable that the pump means and the vaporization chamber are connected in a straight line, and in order to improve operability, it is usually preferable to position the increasing steam button behind the steam generation opening/closing button. good. However, in conventional steam irons, in order to increase the amount of water injected into the tank as much as possible, the allowable amount of water is set to a point where water does not enter the lower nozzle when the iron stands on its own, and of course the pump means is submerged in water. It was on. In this case, there will be no problem if a tank with enough room to inject the maximum amount of water is provided at a position where the pump means is not submerged in water. Because of the importance placed on it, the drip nozzle is generally designed to be as large as possible to prevent water from entering it, and it is desirable that it be in a straight line with the discharge port of the pump means connected to the vaporizing chamber.

In such a tank with little room, if the pumping side check valve 39 of the pump means 38 is set in a no-load state, the check valve 39 will move in the direction of the dotted arrow when the iron stands on its own as shown in Fig. 2. move,
The water in the tank passes through the pump means to the outlet 40.
It will continue to flow out as shown by the solid line arrow.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION The present invention solves these conventional problems and provides a steam iron that can easily generate increased steam.

Structure of the Invention The present invention includes a base heated by a heater, a vaporizing chamber provided on the upper surface side of the base, a first steam passage located downstream of the vaporizing chamber, and a hanging surface side of the base. a removable base lid that covers a recess provided in communication with the first steam passage and forms a second steam passage between the base and the base; a steam ejection hole that spews steam from a hanging surface of the base; A tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, a water supply device for normal steam generation,
Equipped with pump means for temporarily supplying a large amount of water,
Conventionally, the vaporization chamber and the first steam passage are communicated at the rear of each, and a communication part between the first steam passage and the second steam passage is provided at the front of the base. By eliminating the mazes and weirs that were previously used, and preventing clogging due to the accumulation of evaporation residue such as limescale, it has become possible to use it for a long time, and the structure of this type of steam iron with a steam increaser has been streamlined. This is what I did.

Description of the Embodiment The base of the embodiment is to remove all conventional labyrinths and weirs to create one large vaporization chamber, and as a means of improving vaporization capacity, the water discharge port from the pump means is connected to a heater with the highest thermal efficiency. Small holes are provided radially toward the wall and the entire surface of the vaporization chamber, and the steam is ejected from the nozzle through the first steam passage and the second steam passage formed by the base and the back cover of the base.

Therefore, the water sent from the pump means is dispersed through the radial small holes without causing a sudden temperature drop in any part of the vaporization chamber, and is particularly efficient because it vaporizes over the entire surface of the vaporization chamber, including the heater wall. In addition, in the event that water droplets spill out from the vaporization chamber, they are completely vaporized while passing through the first steam passage and are distributed to the steam ejection holes in the second steam passage.

Next, the pump means is constructed so that it can prevent water from flowing out even if it is submerged in water by providing a check valve holding spring in addition to the check valve. The discharge side guide pipe of the pump means is constructed by, for example, ultrasonic welding by butting together the cylindrical parts, and no special parts are required. Furthermore, when using a removable tank, how to connect it to the vaporization chamber,
For example, by fixing a flexible member such as heat-resistant silicone rubber to the vaporization chamber side and fitting the drip nozzle from the bottom of the tank with the discharge port protruding from the discharge side guide pipe of the pump means, it can be easily and airtightly installed and removed. This is the result.

In FIGS. 3 to 8, reference numeral 12 designates a base in which a heater 13 buried in a U-shape is formed with a vaporization chamber 14 on the inside and a first steam passage 15 on the outside.
A steam outlet 16 is provided on the hanging surface side of this base 12.
A base back cover 18 having a second steam passage 17 formed between it and the base 12 is detachably provided with a screw 18a. Reference numeral 19 denotes a base upper lid, which has a drip nozzle 22 protruding from the bottom of the tank 21 and a discharge port 23 of the pump means A between it and the heat insulating plate 20.
Flexible cylindrical members 24, 24a made of heat-resistant silicone rubber or the like are installed independently to fit the two. The tank 21 is usually provided with the above-mentioned drip nozzle 22 as a water supply device for generating steam, and is controlled by an opening/closing rod 26 that is linked with a steam button 25. When steam is required, the opening/closing rod 26 is pushed upward by the action of a spring 27 to open the drip nozzle 22.

Reference numeral 28 is a steam increase button for raising and lowering the pump means A having a check valve 29. Reference numeral 30 denotes a check valve holding spring which always acts to hold down the check valve 29 by means of a stopper 31. 32 is a pumping tube, and 33 and 34 are cylindrical parts molded simultaneously with the tank members 21a and 21b forming the tank 21, respectively.Both the cylindrical parts 33 and 34 are joined together by, for example, ultrasonic welding, and the discharge side A guide tube 35 is configured. Reference numeral 36 denotes a distal end member having a radial small hole 37.

To explain the operation in the above configuration, when performing normal steam ironing, when the steam button 25 is positioned upward, the dripping nozzle 22 is opened, and the water in the tank 21 is guided to the vaporization chamber 14.
It instantly turns into steam and is guided from the vaporization chamber 14 to the second steam passage 17 through the first steam passage 15 and the tip opening as shown by the arrow in FIG. When you want to smooth out particularly stubborn wrinkles in some areas during ironing, by operating the increasing steam button 28, water is sucked up from the water pumping tube 32, overcoming the load of the check valve presser spring 30, and the discharge side guide tube 35 The gas is diffused into the vaporization chamber 14 through the radial small holes of the distal end discharge port 23, and is partially vaporized without a rapid temperature drop. In case vaporization chamber 1
The water droplets repelled from the steam passage 15 are also completely vaporized in the first steam passage 15.

In addition, when the iron stands on its own, pump means A
Even if the water pumping tube 32 is immersed in water, the upper end of the water pumping tube 32 is fixed to the check valve 2 by the check valve pressing spring 30.
By using a check valve retaining spring, even if the tank 21 is a type of steam iron that can be attached to and detached from the iron body as in the embodiment, the tank can be made smaller and at the same time. The configuration of the pump means A can be rationalized.

In addition, what is shown in FIG. 8 is an example in which the discharge port of the pump means A in the vaporization chamber is placed on the heater wall, thereby eliminating the discharge port component having radial small holes.

Effects of the Invention As is clear from the above embodiments, the steam iron of the present invention is provided with a vaporizing chamber on the upper surface side of the base and a first steam passage located downstream of the vaporizing chamber, and on the hanging surface side of the base. A second steam passage is provided between the base and the base by a detachable base lid, and the vaporization chamber and the first steam passage are communicated at the rear of each, and the first steam passage and the second steam passage are connected. The unique passage structure in which the section is located at the front of the base eliminates the need for winding labyrinths and weirs, so the simple passage structure allows for effective generation of increased steam by means of a pump, reducing limescale. The passageway is also less likely to be clogged due to such factors. In addition, the powerful steam generated when the increased steam is generated can move limescale etc. on the passage surface downstream and guide it to the second steam passage, so it can not only clean the first steam passage on the top side of the base. By removing the base lid, limescale and the like in the second steam passage can be easily removed. Therefore, it is possible to use the device for a long period of time even in areas with water containing a large amount of mineral substances, and it is possible to obtain stable steam ejection.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the main part of a conventional steam iron, Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the main part of the tank when the conventional steam iron is made to stand on its own, and Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the main part of an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a sectional view taken along line BB' in FIG. 3, FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view of the pump means in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG.
The figure is a plan view of the same base with the base top cover removed, and Figure 7 is a plan view of the same base with the base back cover removed.
FIG. 8 is a sectional view of a main part in another embodiment. 12...Base, 13...Heater, 14...
Vaporization chamber, 15... First steam passage, 16... Steam outlet, 17... Second steam passage, 18
...Base back cover, 21...Tank, 22...Water supply device for normal steam generation (dripping nozzle), A...
...pump means.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1 A base heated by a heater, a vaporization chamber provided on the upper surface side of this base, a first steam passage located downstream of this vaporization chamber, and the first steam passage provided on the hanging surface side of this base. a removable base lid that covers a recess provided in communication with the base and forms a second steam passage between the base and the base; a steam ejection hole that spouts steam from the hanging surface of the base; and water that is supplied to the vaporization chamber. A tank for storing steam, a water supply device for normal steam generation, and a pump means for temporarily supplying a large amount of water, and the vaporization chamber and the first steam passage are connected at the rear of each, and the first steam passage and the first steam passage are connected to each other at the rear. A steam iron with a connecting section for two steam passages located at the front of the base.