KR100721708B1 - A steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an iron main body, a container mounted inside the main body to store iron water, steam amount adjusting buttons and a water supply pipe disposed above and inside the main body to adjust and supply water in the container step by step, and It is mounted on the bottom surface of the main body, and the upper surface of the lower heating plate is formed so that a plurality of bosses integrally formed with a plurality of steam blowing holes protrude, and the electric power is applied to the thin film heater formed on the upper surface of the lower heating plate The first heating unit is configured to apply electric power to the second heating unit, the upper heating plate installed in a state spaced apart from the second heating unit, and the thin film heater formed on the bottom surface of the upper heating plate to generate electrical power. Characterized in that it comprises a heat generating portion.

The present invention does not require a separate preparation time for preheating the heating plate, so it is convenient to perform ironing immediately without the hassle of holding an iron or placing it on a cradle while the iron is preheated. It will have the effect of saving user's time.

Description

Steam Iron {A Steam Iron}

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a conventional steam iron.

Figure 2 is a bottom view showing the bottom structure of a conventional steam iron.

Figure 3 is a front view showing the inside of the steam iron partially cut in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 4 is a sectional view showing the main part of the coupling structure of the upper, lower heating plate of the steam iron according to the present invention.

5 is a detail view of the portion “A” of FIG. 4.

Figure 6 is a detailed view showing a steam jet hole formation structure of the present invention.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure for explaining an embodiment of the heat generating unit according to the present invention.

Figure 8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure for explaining another embodiment of the heat generating unit according to the present invention.

9 to 11 are exemplary views showing various embodiments of a conductor pattern formed on a thin film heater according to the present invention.

12 to 13 are exemplary views showing embodiments of various arrangement patterns of the metal pad and the thin film heater according to the present invention.

Figure 14 is a schematic diagram showing the specifications of the specimen for testing the heat generating characteristics of the heat generating unit according to the present invention.

15 is a graph measuring a temperature change value according to time displacement in a state in which a constant current (50 W) is applied to the specimen of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 is a graph measuring a temperature change value according to a displacement of an amount of current applied for a time (10 seconds) specified in the specimen of FIG. 14.

<Description of the symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

101: main body 103: container

105: steam control button 107: adjusting member

109: water supply pipe 110: upper heating plate

113: registration protrusion 120,120 ': first / second heating portion

122: insulating film 123: thin film heater

124: conductor pattern 125: metal pad

127: protective layer 130: lower heating plate

131: boss 131a: heat-sealed portion

133: steam jet hole 135: packing member

140: power supply

The present invention relates to a steam iron, and more particularly, steam capable of instantaneous high temperature heating of the heating plate in order to be able to perform ironing immediately without the hassle of holding the iron or placing it on the holder while the iron is warmed up. It's about an iron.

As is generally known, the steam iron heats the heating plate to a high temperature by using an exothermic action by electric resistance, and supplies a predetermined amount of water to the heating plate heated to a high temperature, thereby generating steam generated in the heating plate. It is an electric device that is used to blow out the wrinkles of the cloth by using a hot plate heated at the same time while blowing through.

1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a conventional steam iron, Figure 2 is a bottom view showing the bottom structure of a conventional steam iron.

In the conventional steam iron as shown in the figure, a container 2 in which an appropriate amount of water is contained is installed inside the iron body 1, and a heating plate 4 into which the heating element 3 is inserted is disposed below the iron iron. .

In the appropriate place of the heating plate 4, a plurality of steam blowing holes 5 are formed, and a water supply region 6 is formed between the steam blowing holes 5.

On the upper side of the water supply region 6, water droplets fed toward the upper side of the water supply region 6, which will be described later, are aggregated and easily vaporized to apply a water-soluble coating solution to prevent deterioration of steam performance.

On the other hand, the steam amount adjustment button 7 is installed at a suitable place of the main body 1, and the lower side of the steam amount adjustment button 7 is selectively raised and lowered to supply a predetermined amount of water to the heating plate 4. The adjusting member 8 and the water supply pipe 9 are disposed.

In addition, a pumping unit 10 for pumping water in the container 2 and an injection unit 11 for spraying the pumped water are disposed in front of the main body 1.

Therefore, when power is supplied to the main body 1, the heating element 3 inserted into the heating plate 4 generates heat at a high temperature, and the high heat is conducted to the heating plate 4 to heat the heating plate 4. It is sweetened with.

As described above, when steaming the iron to be heated in a state in which the heating plate 4 is heated at a high temperature, the steam amount adjusting button 7 is operated step by step.

That is, when the control button (7) is operated in stages, the control member (8) for sealing the water supply pipe (9) is raised and lowered, and the heating plate (4) formed on the heating plate 4 is heated at high temperatures according to the opening and closing degree A predetermined amount of water is supplied to the water supply region 6 step by step.

In this way, the predetermined amount of water to be supplied is vaporized at the same time as the upper side of the water supply region 6 generated by the heat generating element 3 in a high heat is evaporated, the vaporized water vapor through the steam jet hole (5) It is ejected.

However, the steam iron of the prior art as described above has a slow heating of the heating plate (4) by the heating element (3) takes a lot of time for preheating in a hurry to the mind of the user using the iron in a busy morning Or if you forget the preheating facts while doing other things while the iron is preheated, the iron was overheated.

In addition, the conventional steam iron has a large cost burden for the use of electricity because the power consumption required for the heat generation of the heating element (3) has a big problem, and a large amount of cloth is collected, and at the same time to bear the inconvenience of ironing at once. In addition, since it is difficult to mount a large-capacity rechargeable battery capable of generating heat to the heating element 3, there was a problem that it is virtually impossible to wirelessize the steam iron.

In addition, the conventional steam iron has a problem in that the steam is generated by dropping the water droplets on the heating plate 4, so that the temperature of the heating plate 4 falls when the steam is generated, the ironing performance is deteriorated, Even after turning off, there was a problem that the post-treatment is delayed as the heating plate 4 takes a long time to cool.

Lastly, the steam iron of the prior art as described above has a large volume of the heating element and the size of the product increases as the support structure for mechanically installing the heating element is added, while the majority of the structure is made of a metal material There was a problem that the iron is heavy.

An object of the present invention for solving the conventional problems as described above is the instantaneous high temperature heating of the heating plate so that ironing can be performed immediately without the hassle of holding the iron or placing it on the holder while the iron is warmed up To provide a possible steam iron.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron to realize a slimming at the same time by wireless construction by configuring a heating unit using a thin film heater capable of low power drive using a small, medium rechargeable battery.

Another object of the present invention for solving the conventional problems as described above is to separate the heating plate for generating the cloth and the heating plate for generating steam, so that the temperature of the lower heating plate is maintained without falling even when steam is generated. To provide a steam iron.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron which allows the post-treatment (cleaning up) to be performed in a short time by turning off the power and cooling the heating part and the heating plate after ironing.

Steam iron according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the object as described above is equipped with a container to store the iron in the iron body, a heating plate having a plurality of steam ejection holes on the bottom surface of the body is mounted In the steam iron that the steam is ejected through the steam jet hole to be ironed, the heating plate is separated into a lower heating plate for ironing the cloth, and an upper heating plate for generating steam, the upper, lower heating plate It is characterized by mounting each of the heating units using the thin film heater.

Steam iron according to an embodiment of the present invention for achieving the above object is an iron body; A container mounted inside the body to store iron water; A steam amount adjusting button and a water supply pipe disposed at upper and inner sides of the main body to adjust and supply water in the container step by step; A lower heating plate mounted on a bottom of the main body and configured to protrude from a plurality of bosses formed integrally with a plurality of steam jet holes on an upper surface thereof; A second heating unit configured to generate electric heat by applying power to the thin film heater formed on the upper surface of the lower heating plate; An upper heating plate installed to be spaced apart from the second heating unit by a predetermined interval; Characterized in that it comprises a first heating unit for applying electrical power to the thin film heater formed on the lower surface of the upper heating plate to generate electrical heat.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings for the configuration and operation according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail.

3 is a front view showing the inside of the steam iron in a partially cut state according to the present invention, the steam iron according to the present invention as shown in the figure is a container to store the iron in the iron body 101 (103) is mounted, and the steam amount adjustment button 105 and the water supply pipe 109 to adjust the water supply step by step in the upper and the inside of the main body 101 to adjust the water is disposed, the main body ( The upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 are provided on the bottom surface of the 101 to be provided with a plurality of steam jet holes and separate heating parts 120 and 120 ′.

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view of the main portion showing the coupling structure of the upper and lower heating plate of the steam iron according to the present invention, Figure 5 is a detailed view "A" of Figure 4, Figure 6 is a steam jet hole forming structure of the present invention Detailed view shown.

Referring to the heating plate mounting structure according to the present invention as shown in the drawings in detail, first is provided with a lower heating plate 130 is mounted on the bottom of the iron body 101 to form a bottom surface.

The lower heating plate 130 is a portion in which the iron is made in contact with the fabric, and is manufactured to form a pointed streamline for the convenience of ironing.

In addition, a plurality of steam ejection holes 133 are formed to be distributed around the outer circumference of the lower heating plate 130, and through-hole bosses 131 are integrally formed at the positions of the steam ejection holes 133. The boss 131 protrudes a predetermined length upward.

At this time, some of the plurality of bosses 131 is formed to protrude in the form of a simple protrusion that does not have a steam jet hole 133.

In addition, a second heating part 120 ′ is formed on the upper surface of the lower heating plate 130 to generate heat using the thin film heater 123. The second heat generating unit 120 ′ is deposited in a thin film form. The total thickness of the second heating unit 120 ′ is less than 0.2 mm, so that the product can be made slimmer and can be driven with low power (eg 300 W). By using 123, heat is generated at a very high speed by the supply of an external power source, so that the iron can be used quickly.

The physical properties and material properties of the second heat generating unit 120 ′ will be described in detail later.

In addition, the upper heating plate 110 is installed in a state spaced apart from the second heating unit 120 ′ and the lower heating plate 130 by a predetermined interval.

At this time, the upper heating plate 110 is mounted in a form that is mounted on the boss 131 of the lower heating plate 130, the matching protrusions 113 for matching with each boss 131 is formed, the matching projection As the center of the 113 and the center of the boss 131 is formed through, the steam generated in the upper heating plate 110 is formed to form a steam jet hole 133 is discharged to the outside.

The upper heating plate 110 is deposited on the bottom surface of the first heat generating unit 120 that generates heat using the thin film heater 123. At this time, the configuration and operation of the first heat generating unit 120 is the same as the second heat generating unit 120 'and a description thereof will be described later.

A predetermined packing member 135 may be installed between the boss 131 and the matching protrusion 113 to maintain watertightness.

As such, after the upper heating plate 110 is coupled to the boss 131, a simple protrusion shape projecting upwardly is thermally fused using a separate heating means to make permanent coupling between the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 120. To lose.

In this case, the upper / lower heating plates 110 and 130 may include both conductive (metal) and non-conductive materials.

In particular, the lower heating plate 130 may be manufactured in a form in which the second heat generating part 120 ′ is omitted so that the ironing is performed only at a steam temperature.

Figure 7 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure for explaining an embodiment of the heat generating unit according to the present invention, the first / second heat generating unit 120, 120 'of the present invention is made of a non-conductive material An example is provided below the lower heating plates 110 and 130.

As shown in the drawing, the first and second heating parts 120 and 120 'of the present invention include upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of a non-conductive material, and upper and lower heating plates 110. It is mounted in the form of a thin film on the outer surface of the 130 is electrically connected to the thin film heater 123 and the thin film heater 123 which is instantaneously heated by high temperature by instantaneous heating according to its own electrical resistance. In order to protect the metal pad 125 and the thin film heater 123 from the external environment, the metal pad 125 having a specific pattern may be uniformly applied to the front surface of the thin film heater 123. It consists of a protective layer 127 coated to a predetermined thickness.

In this case, as the material of the upper / lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the non-conductive material, heat-reinforced plastics, heat-resistant resins, ceramics, glass, ceramics, stones, and the like that can withstand at least 250 ° C. or more may be used.

8 is an enlarged cross-sectional view showing a cross-sectional structure for explaining another embodiment of the heat generating unit according to the present invention, wherein the first / second heat generating unit 120 (120 ') of the present invention is made of a conductive material / An example in which the lower heating plates 110 and 130 are installed on the rear surface is described.

As shown in the drawing, the first and second heating parts 120 and 120 ′ of the present invention include upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of a conductive material, and upper and lower heating plates 110 ( 130 is coated with a predetermined thickness on the inner surface of the insulating film 122 to provide electrical insulating properties and excellent thermal conductivity, and a thin film is mounted on the lower portion of the insulating film 122 to receive power from the outside. Electrical bonding is made to the thin film heater 123 which is instantaneously heated at high temperature by instantaneous heating according to electrical resistance, and the power supplied from the outside is uniformly applied to the entire surface of the thin film heater 123. The metal pad 125 having a specific pattern to enable the metal pad 125 and the thin film heater 123 is formed of a protective layer 127 coated to a predetermined thickness so as to be protected from an external environment.

Here, the thickness of the upper / lower heating plate 110, 130 made of the conductive material is preferably made of 0.3mm ~ 2mm, a metal such as aluminum or stainless steel may be used as the material.

In this case, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, by forming a separate conductor pattern 124 on the thin film heater 123, the current is evenly distributed and supplied to the entire surface of the thin film heater 123 so that the thin film heater 123 may be provided. Excessive heat generation can be prevented from concentrating on a specific part of the body) to ensure stable heat generation characteristics.

Hereinafter, the insulating film 122, the thin film heater 123, the conductor pattern 124, the metal pad 125 and the protective layer 127 constituting the first and second heat generating parts 120 and 120 ′ of the present invention. The physical properties and structural conditions required for each component, etc., are described in more detail as follows.

First, the insulating film 122 is made thinner as much as possible so that the heat generated from the thin film heater 123 can be conducted to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 at a high speed, and the upper and lower heating plates 110 ( An insulating film using a ceramic or polymer material such as alumina (aluminum oxide, Al2O3) or magnesia (magnesium oxide, MgO) or the like, or a mixed material of the two insulating films to electrically insulate the 130 and the thin film heater 123 from each other. Is done.

In addition, the insulating layer 122 may have a thin thickness such that heat generated by the thin film heater 123 may be conducted to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 at a high speed, and the upper and lower heating plates ( The range of 0.5 μm to 500 μm, in particular 0.5 μm to 200 μm, is sufficient to electrically insulate between 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123, and the thickness may vary depending on the material.

The conditions of the insulating film 122 is as follows.

First, the insulating film 122 must electrically insulate between the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123, and to electrically isolate the thin film heater 123 supplied with external power. When the voltage of about 100V is applied to the thin film heater 123, the breakdown of the insulating film 122 should not occur and the electrical leakage current of the insulating film 122 should be 20 μA or less.

In addition, when the high temperature heat is generated in the thin film heater 123, the insulating film 122 and the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123 do not physically desorb from each other. The contact between the lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the contact between the insulating film 122 and the thin film heater 123 should be excellent.

In addition, when the high temperature heat is generated in the thin film heater 123, the insulating film 122 does not chemically react with the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123, respectively, and the surface roughness of the insulating film 122 is Must be excellent

That is, when the surface roughness of the insulating film 122 is not excellent, since the insulating film 122 affects the electrical resistivity of the thin film heater 123, the insulating film 122 affects the electrical resistivity of the thin film heater 123. It is desirable to have a surface roughness of a degree that does not affect.

An oxide insulating film obtained by oxidizing the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of a metal material, such as aluminum or stainless steel, with an arc is used as the insulating film 122 to satisfy the above conditions. On the surface of the lower heating plates 110 and 130, an insulating film coated with ceramic, glass, porcelain, or the like, or a polymer-based material on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of a metal material such as aluminum or stainless steel ( Polyimide, Polyamide, Teflon, PET, etc.) is used to form an insulating film or the like formed on the surface of the upper and lower heating plates 110, 130 of one or two or more of the polymer insulating film.

An embodiment of a method of forming an oxide insulating film is as follows.

First, an arc or the like is applied to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of a metal material such as aluminum (Al) or beryllium (Be) or titanium (Ti) or stainless steel (immersed in an alkaline electrolyte). The electrical energy of the upper and lower heating plates 110, 130 and the metal atoms on the surface of the oxygen and the external oxygen to cause an electrical / chemical reaction, the characteristics of the surface of the upper and lower heating plates 110, 130 in the form of an oxide film By forming.

As the oxide insulating layer, Al 2 O 3, ZrO 3, Y 2 O 3, or the like may be used, and the oxide insulating layer may be formed on the upper / lower heating plates 110 and 130 by a plasma spray coating method.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the process of forming the oxide insulating layer on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 will be described.

First, the concentration of the alkaline electrolyte filled in the bath is evaluated, and the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of aluminum so that external power can be supplied to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of aluminum. The upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the aluminum material are immersed in the alkali electrolyte in the container with the wires connected thereto, and then external power is supplied to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the aluminum material. The upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of the aluminum material are oxidized.

Next, as a strong power source in the form of a high frequency alternating current (AC) is applied to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the aluminum material by the oxide insulating film forming process, the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the aluminum material are instantaneously. An arc is generated on the surface, and thus, an oxide insulating film is formed on the upper / lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of the aluminum material because the oxidation is dense and the pinhole concentration is very small.

Aluminum oxide may be formed on the surface of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of aluminum, or titanium oxide may be formed on the surface of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of titanium. A beryllium oxide may be formed on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of the beryllium material.

On the other hand, the polymer insulating film is formed by coating a polymer-based material having a uniform thickness to ensure the electrical insulation on the upper and lower heating plates 110, 130 of the metal material.

In particular, the polymer insulating film should be less thermally deformed when heat is generated in the thin film heater 123. In addition, the polymer insulating film should be excellent in contactability so that physical desorption from the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123 does not occur when the high temperature heat is generated in the thin film heater 123. The upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123 should not cause chemical reactions, respectively, and should have excellent surface roughness.

An embodiment of the process of forming the polymer insulating film will be described below.

First, the polymer insulating layer is formed by using a liquid organic polymer material, and is coated with a uniform thickness on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of a metal material.

Here, as the coating method, a spin coating method, a spray coating method, a dipping coating method, a screen printing method, or the like is used.

In addition, the polymer material may be a polyimide-based material, a polyamide-based material, a teflon-based material, a paint-based material, silver-ston, Tefgel-S ( tefzel-s), epoxy, rubber, etc. may be used, or a material that is sensitive to ultraviolet rays (UV) may also be used.

For example, one embodiment of a process of forming a polyimide-based material on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 by spray coating is as follows.

First, the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 are organically washed with acetone, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and the like, and then the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 are fastened at high speed (eg; The polyimide-based material is sprayed on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 while rotating at 2,000 rpm or more, and then heat-treated the polyimide-based material coated on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130.

The polymer insulating film having a high thermal stability and a glassy temperature (GT) of 300 ° C. or more is formed on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 by the spray coating method.

In addition, by slowly cooling the polyimide-based material during the heat treatment of the polyimide-based material, the adhesion between the polymer insulating film and the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 is excellent, and the upper and lower heating plates of the polymer-based material are sprayed during the coating process. The coating on the surfaces of (110) and (130) improves the uniformity of thickness, and the pinhole concentration of the polymer insulating layer is very small so that no electric leakage current is generated.

Meanwhile, the double insulating film of the oxide insulating film and the polymer insulating film forms an oxide insulating film on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 surfaces of the metal material, and then coats a polymer-based material with a uniform thickness on the oxide insulating film or vice versa. The polymer-based material may be coated on the surface of the heating plate of the material, and an oxide insulating layer may be formed thereon.

The total thickness of the double insulating film of the oxide insulating film and the polymer insulating film is the thickness of the result of the oxide insulating film formed on the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 alone and the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 of the polymer insulating film alone. The thickness of the resultant formed on the surface can be made smaller than the sum of the respective thicknesses, and the dielectric breakdown can be minimized compared to the individual insulating films.

Here, the main reason for the oxide insulating film insulation breakdown may be caused by the external power supplied to the thin film heater 123 being transferred into the pinhole due to the pinhole formed in the oxide insulating film.

The main reason for the breakdown of the polymer insulating film may be due to bubble generation due to the application of liquid Pr at the time of forming the polymer insulating film, and then the dielectric breakdown may occur at the portion where the bubble was present after the polymer insulating film was solidified.

Therefore, it is preferable to compensate for the occurrence of dielectric breakdown inherent in each of the oxide insulating film or the polymer insulating film with a double insulating film of the oxide insulating film and the polymer insulating film.

The thickness of the insulating film 122 is preferably in the range of 0.5 μm to 500 μm, especially 0.5 μm to 200 μm for thermal efficiency (the thickness varies depending on the material), and the dielectric breakdown voltage of the insulating film 122 ( The breakdown voltage is 1,000 V or more, the leakage current of the insulating film 122 is 20 μA or less when the voltage reaches 100 V, and when the heat is generated in the thin film heater 123 (thermal cycle), the insulating film 122 ) To prevent desorption (peeling) from each of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the thin film heater 123.

Next, the thin film heater 123 will be described. The thin film heater 123 is mounted on the insulating film 122 in the form of a thin film having a thickness of 0.05 μm to several μm (eg, 0.05 μm to 2 μm), and the metal When external power (DC power or AC power) is supplied through the pad 125, joule heating is generated by its own electrical resistance.

Here, due to the thin film characteristics of the thin film heater 123, that is, the small volume, the heat generation rate and the cooling rate may be made very fast, and the temperature generated by the self electrical resistance may exceed 500 ° C. Alternatively very fast temperature rises are possible.

The conditions of the thin film heater 123 are as follows.

First, the thin film heater 123 is capable of increasing the temperature at a faster rate than the conventional heater due to the thin film property, but due to this thin film property, the current flow rate (current flux), etc. can be very large, its own electrical / thermal Chemical resistance is required.

That is, the thin film heater 123 should have a high electrical strength (heater strength), and the self-resistance to the energy applied continuously through the metal pad 125 should be high, but the long life of the thin film heater 123 can be maintained. Do.

In addition, the thin film heater 123 is mounted on the insulating film 122, so that the insulating film 122 is not detached due to heat generation and the peeling between the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 and the insulating film 122 should not occur. do.

In addition, the thin film heater 123 is a device that is continuously subjected to a thermal shock, it should be such that a significant increase in the change in its resistance is not caused by the thermal shock.

In addition, the thin film heater 123 may generate heat at a high temperature while being exposed to air (oxygen), but it is necessary to prevent a significant increase in its resistance due to such oxidation.

In order to satisfy the above conditions, a thin metal having a high melting point (eg, Ta, W, Pt, Ru, Hf, Mo, Zr, Ti, etc.) may be used as the material of the thin film heater 123, Combined two-component metal alloys (e.g. TaW, etc.) are used, or two-component metal-nitride series (e.g., WN, MoN, ZrN, etc.) combined with metal-nitride is used, or metal-silicides ( Two-component metal-silicide series (for example, TaSi, WSi, etc.) combining metal-silicide is used.

In addition, the thin film heater 123 may have a thickness of several μm or less (eg, a difference in thickness occurs depending on a material, such as a range of 0.05 μm to 2 μm).

In particular, the heat capacity of the thin film heater 123 itself may be made very small so that the temperature of the thin film heater 123 may be instantaneously raised, that is, to minimize the time taken to heat itself.

That is, the heat capacity of the thin film heater 123 is expressed as a function using the thickness as a parameter, and as the thickness of the thin film heater 123 becomes thin, the value thereof decreases. On the other hand, the life of the thin film heater 123 may be shorter as the thickness becomes thinner.

Therefore, in the present invention, the optimum thickness range of the thin film heater 123 may be derived through various simulations and experiments to satisfy two conditions for instantaneously raising the temperature of the thin film heater 123 and extending the life. On the other hand, there is a slight difference depending on the material of the thin film heater 123, it turns out that it is a minute difference.

That is, the optimum thickness of the thin film heater 123 is derived based on the following equation.

(resistivity)는 박막 히터(123) 소재의 고유한 비저항값이고, Rs(sheet resistance)는 박막 히터(123)의 면 저항값이고, t(thickness of film)는 박막 히터(123)의 두께이다. 한편, 두께와 고유 비저항값은 비례 관계에 있음을 알 수 있다.here,

(resistivity) is a specific resistivity value of the thin film heater 123 material, Rs (sheet resistance) is the sheet resistance value of the thin film heater 123, t (thickness of film) is the thickness of the thin film heater 123. On the other hand, it can be seen that the thickness and the specific resistivity are in proportion.

Therefore, when the simulation using the above-described parameters as input data in consideration of the specific resistance range of the thin film heater 123 material, the optimum thickness range of the thin film heater 123 according to the characteristics of each product according to the material (eg; 0.05 μm to 2 μm, etc.).

The thin film heater 123 is formed on the insulating film 122 by the vacuum deposition method, the vacuum deposition method PVD (Sputtering, Reactive Sputtering, Co-Sputtering, Evaporation, E-beam, etc.) and CVD (LPCVD, PECVD, etc.) ) Is used.

9 to 11 are exemplary views showing various embodiments of a conductor pattern formed on a thin film heater according to the present invention. As shown in the figure, the electrical resistance is lower than the thin film heater on the thin film heater 123 and the thermal conductivity is low. The high conductor pattern 124 may be formed in various shapes and shapes at various intervals.

If the thin film heater 123 in which the conductor pattern 124 is not formed is used, a temperature difference occurs between the electrode introduction portion and the center portion of the thin film heater 123 at the initial stage of power supply, so that the entire surface of the thin film heater 123 is formed. The uniform temperature distribution may not be achieved, or overheating may occur in a portion of the thin film heater 123, which may cause fatal damage (deterioration) to the thin film heater 123 or the insulating film 122. 123 may be extremely short.

That is, in order to prevent such a phenomenon and to generate uniform heat generation on the entire surface of the thin film heater 123 within a faster time at the initial power supply, various shapes as shown in FIGS. 9 to 11 on the thin film heater 123. And to form a conductive pattern 124.

As such, when the conductor pattern 124 is formed on the thin film heater 123, the production yield may be improved as compared to a single thin film heater in which the conductor pattern is not formed in the thin film heater 123. This is because a single thin film heater in which a sieve pattern is not formed can solve a conventional problem leading to deterioration of the quality of the entire resistor even when a small thickness difference of a part of the entire thin film heater or damage of some thin films such as scratches.

Next, with reference to the metal pad 125, the metal pad 125 is mounted on the thin film heater 123, and serves to uniformly supply power supplied from the outside to the thin film heater 123. . In this case, the metal pad 125 may be uniformly grounded on the entire surface of the thin film heater 123 so as to have a uniform (constant) current density on all surfaces of the thin film heater 123.

In particular, the width (thickness) of the metal pad 125 is greater than or equal to the width (thickness) of the thin film heater 123 in order to have a uniform current density in all surfaces of the thin film heater 123. good.

12 to 13 are exemplary views showing various arrangement patterns of the metal pad and the thin film heater according to the present invention. As shown in the drawing, the plurality of heat generating thin film cells may be formed in the shape of the metal pad 125. It can be formed into a pattern having various positions, shapes, sizes and numbers.

The reason for forming the thin film cell is to divide the heat generating area into several parts while preventing the ground parts of the metal pad 125 and the thin film heater 123 from being powered from being destroyed due to overheating when a large amount of power is supplied at a time. In order to control the resistance value of each region.

The material forming the metal pad 125 as described above ensures stability to the temperature of the metal pad 125 when heat is generated from the thin film heater 123, prevents an increase in resistance due to oxidation, and the thin film heater. Metals such as Al, Au, W, Pt, Ag, Ta, Mo, Ti, H, Cu, etc. to prevent desorption from 123 may be used.

Finally, the protective layer 127 is mounted on the outer surfaces of the thin film heater 123 and the metal pad 125 to electrically / chemically protect the thin film heater 123 and the metal pad 125 from the external environment. As the material of the protective layer 127, SiNx, SiOx, AlOx, Polymer, Polyimide, Teflon, etc. may be used, and the thickness of the protective layer 127 is an optimal thickness capable of exhibiting heat insulation and a protective function. It is determined, and preferably in the range of about 0.1 μm to 20 μm.

The protective layer 127 may be formed in both the thin film heater 123 on which the conductor pattern 124 is formed and the thin film heater 123 in a state where the conductor pattern is not formed.

14 is a schematic view showing the specifications of the specimen for testing the heating characteristics of the heat generating unit according to the present invention, Figure 15 is to measure the temperature change value according to the time displacement in a state in which a constant current (50W) is applied to the specimen of Figure 14 One graph is shown, and FIG. 16 shows a graph measuring a temperature change value according to the displacement of the amount of current applied during the time (10 seconds) specified in the specimen of FIG.

In this case, the temperature values measured through FIGS. 14 through 16 may include a thin film heater 123, a conductor pattern 124, an insulating layer 122, a metal pad 125, upper and lower heating plates 110, 130, and the like. It should be noted that different results may be obtained depending on resistance values, thicknesses, materials, and the like of each component.

As shown in FIG. 15, it can be seen that a saturation characteristic appears at 287 ° C. after a predetermined time when 50 watt power is applied.

As shown in FIG. 16, it can be seen that the surface temperature change that increases for 10 seconds according to the power change has a linear increase characteristic.

The first and second heat generating parts 120 and 120 ′ according to the present invention as described above reflect the design conditions of the product, and thus each component such as a thin film heater, a conductor pattern, an insulating film, a metal pad, a thin film cell, and a heating plate is used. By applying different resistance values, thicknesses, materials, etc. of the elements, the time to reach the surface temperature and power consumption can be reduced according to the characteristics of the product to produce the optimum product.

Referring to the operation of the steam iron according to the present invention having the configuration as described above are as follows.

First, turn on the steam iron. At this time, the power is to be supplied through the rechargeable power supply unit 140 mounted on the steam iron rear end.

The power supply is input to the metal pads 125 of the first and second heat generating parts 120 and 120 ′, and is uniformly supplied to the entire area of the thin film heater 123 to generate self-heating.

The high temperature heat due to the heat generation of the thin film heater 123 is transferred to the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 through the insulating film 122.

In this case, the heated lower heating plate 130 is heat exchanged to iron the cloth, and the upper heating plate 110 is heat exchanged to steam the water droplets supplied through the water supply pipe 109.

As described above, the thin film heater 123 is also rapidly heat generated by a low power external power, which is characterized in that the rapid heating to more than 150 degrees Celsius in 30 seconds when the 350W power is applied. Therefore, rapid use is possible.

After the ironing is finished as described above, the power is turned off and at the same time rapid cooling of the heat generating unit 120, 120 'and the heating plate 110, 130 is made possible to rapid after-treatment.

As mentioned above, although the present invention has been described by way of examples, the embodiments of the present invention are merely examples and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may modify or alter the present invention in various forms within the principles and scope described in the claims herein.

According to the present invention having the above-described configuration and action, as the high temperature heat generation of the heat generating part by the thin film heater proceeds momentarily, the iron is held while the iron is preheated because it does not require a separate preparation time for preheating the heating plate. Ironing can be performed immediately without the hassle of mounting on a cradle, which is convenient and has the effect of helping to save user time.

In addition, according to the heat generator of the present invention uses a thin film heater capable of low power driving, the cost burden according to the power consumption is less, and can be mounted on the iron, the driving of the heating unit can be driven by a small rechargeable battery of the steam iron There is an effect that the wireless is made.

In addition, according to the steam iron of the present invention, the lower heating plate for ironing the cloth and the upper heating plate for generating steam are separated from each other, so that the temperature of the lower heating plate is maintained as it is even when steam is generated, thereby maintaining a constant ironing performance. In addition, after the ironing is finished, the heat generating unit and the heating plate start to cool down at the same time, there is an effect that the post-treatment (cleanup) is made in a short time.

Finally, the present invention has the effect of minimizing the volume and weight of the iron because it is possible to slim the heating portion.

Claims (15)

The iron body is equipped with a container for storing iron water, and a heating plate having a plurality of steam jet holes is mounted on the bottom surface of the main body, and steam is jetted through the steam jet holes so that ironing is performed. To The heating plate is divided into a lower heating plate 130 for ironing the cloth and an upper heating plate 110 for generating steam, and the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 are each heat generating unit 120 using a thin film heater. Steam iron designed to mount 120 '. Iron body 101; A container 103 mounted inside the main body 101 to store iron water; A steam amount adjusting button 105 and a water supply pipe 109 disposed on the upper side and the inside of the main body 101 to adjust and supply water in the container 103 step by step; A lower heating plate 130 mounted on a bottom surface of the main body 101 and configured to protrude a plurality of bosses formed integrally with the plurality of steam jet holes 133 on the upper surface thereof; A second heat generating part 120 'configured to apply electric power to the thin film heater 123 formed on the upper surface of the lower heating plate 130 to generate electric heat; An upper heating plate 110 installed to be spaced apart from the second heating unit 120 'by a predetermined interval; A first heat generating part 120 applying electric power to the thin film heater 123 formed on the bottom surface of the upper heating plate 110 to generate electric heat; Steam iron comprising a. The method of claim 2, By forming a plurality of matching protrusions 113 protruding a predetermined length to the bottom surface of the upper heating plate 110, the matching protrusions 113 to match the inner diameter of the boss 131 of the lower heating plate 130, the upper heating plate ( Steam iron, characterized in that the steam outlet hole 133 through which the 110 and the lower heating plate 130 is formed. The method of claim 3, wherein Some of the bosses 131 of the lower heating plate 130 forms a protrusion projecting to the upper side of the upper heating plate 110, and the thermal fusion unit 131a for thermally bonding the protruding protrusion to make a permanent bond Steam iron, characterized in that to form. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The first / second heat generating unit 120 (120 '), Upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of a non-conductive material; A thin film heater 123 mounted on a rear surface of the upper / lower heating plates 110 and 130 to be instantaneously heated at high temperature by instantaneous heating according to its own electrical resistance by receiving power from the outside; And A metal pad 125 having electrical connection to the thin film heater 123 and having a specific pattern such that power supplied from the outside may be uniformly applied to the entire surface of the thin film heater 123; Steam iron comprising a. The method of claim 5, The first / second heat generating unit 120 (120 '), Upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 made of a conductive material; An insulating film 122 coated on a rear surface of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 to a predetermined thickness to provide electrical insulation and excellent thermal conductivity; A thin film heater 123 mounted in the form of a thin film on the lower portion of the insulating film 122 and receiving power from the outside to instantaneously generate high temperature by instantaneous heating according to its own electrical resistance; And A metal pad 125 having electrical bonding to the thin film heater 123 and having a specific pattern such that power supplied from the outside may be uniformly applied to the entire surface of the thin film heater 123; Steam iron comprising a. The method of claim 6, Steam iron, characterized in that the metal pad 125 and the thin film heater 123 is coated with a protective layer 127 of a predetermined thickness to protect from the external environment. The method of claim 6, By forming a conductor pattern 124 through which the current flows on the thin film heater 123, the current applied through the metal pad 125 is uniformly supplied to the entire surface of the thin film heater 123, and heat generation characteristics are improved. Steam iron, characterized in that to stabilize. The method of claim 6, Steam iron, characterized in that the metal pad 125 forms a pattern to form a plurality of heat generating thin film cells. The method of claim 6, The thin film heater 123 is a combination of two-component metal-nitride or metal-silicide in which a single metal or a two-component metal alloy or a metal-nitride is combined. A steam iron comprising any one of a component metal silicide or a thick film conductive paste. The method of claim 6, The metal pad 125 is set so that its width is greater than or equal to the width of the thin film heater so that current density can be uniformly supplied to the thin film heater 123, and is stable to temperature during heat generation, and according to oxidation Steam iron, characterized in that the material is made of any one of Al or Au or W or Pt or Ag or Ta or Mo or Ti to prevent resistance increase and physical peeling. The method of claim 6, The insulating film 122 may be an oxide insulating film formed by oxidizing the surfaces of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130 with an arc or a polymer insulating film or a polymer insulating film formed by coating a polymer on the surfaces of the upper and lower heating plates 110 and 130. And a double insulating film having a polymer insulating film formed on a surface of the heating plate. The method of claim 12, And the insulating film 122 has an insulation breakdown voltage of 1000 V or more and a leakage current of 20 mA or less when a 100 V voltage is applied. The method of claim 12, The oxide insulating film is any one of metal oxides including aluminum oxide or beryllium oxide or titanium oxide, and the polymer of the polymer insulating film is polyimide or polyamide or teflon or paint. Or silver-ston or tefzel-s or epoxy or rubber. The iron body is equipped with a container for storing iron water, and a heating plate having a plurality of steam jet holes is mounted on the bottom surface of the main body, and steam is jetted through the steam jet holes so that ironing is performed. To The heating plate is provided with an upper heating plate 110 for generating steam is spaced apart a predetermined height from the bottom plate, the upper heating plate 110 is to mount the heat generating unit 120 using a thin film heater.

Images