KR100915449B1 - Steam Generator - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention, the water level sensor for detecting the water level in the steam generator, to prevent the malfunction caused by the bubbles generated when the water boils, thereby to prevent the risk of overheating of the steam generator and the resulting damage In order to achieve this object, a housing, a heat supply for heating the water stored in the housing, a level sensor disposed in the housing, for detecting the level of the stored water, and the water stored in the housing Provided is a steam generator having a floater floating in the stored water to remove bubbles generated by heating by its own weight.

Description

Steam Generator

The present invention mainly relates to a steam generator used in a laundry treatment apparatus for processing laundry such as a drum washing machine, a tower type washing machine, a refresher and the like. However, the steam generator of the present invention is not limited to the laundry treatment apparatus, and the steam generator may be used without limitation in the apparatus in which the steam generator is used.

In general, a laundry treatment device is a laundry device that removes contamination on clothes, bedding, etc. (hereinafter, referred to as 'laundry') by using chemical decomposition of water and detergent and physical action such as friction between water and laundry. And a refresher that simply blows steam to the laundry and washes easily.

The laundry treatment apparatus is a tower-type washing machine that forms a vortex in the washing water in the washing tank in a form in which the washing tank is standing and washes using friction between the laundry, and uses a lifter formed in the drum for the laundry administered in the drum by the rotating drum. Raise it up, it is divided into a drum type washing machine for washing the laundry by the physical impact force generated when the laundry falls again.

On the other hand, in recent years, a laundry treatment apparatus having a steam generator for generating heated steam and applying the steam to laundry is provided. When such a steam generator is provided, the temperature inside the washing tank is increased through steam to increase the solubility of the detergent, and the contaminants attached to the laundry are swelled so that they can fall off during washing. do.

However, in order to generate heated steam, the steam generator must be provided with a heat supply for supplying heat to the water. At this time, when the water is boiled by the heat provided by the heat supply, since the temperature of the water does not rise at the point of boiling due to latent heat, the water acts as the cooling water so that the problem of overheating of the heat supply does not occur. However, if the water is mostly evaporated due to the continuous heat supply, and thus the water level is lowered and the heat supply rises above the water, there is no means for cooling the heat supply and the temperature of the heat supply continues to rise. This results in overheating of the heat supply, resulting in a problem of breaking the heat supply, and also a risk of fire.

In order to solve this problem, the steam generator is generally provided with a water level sensor for detecting the water level. However, when water is boiled, bubbles are generated in the process of steam splashing from the surface of the water, and the bubbles reach the water level detector, which causes a problem of not properly detecting the water even though the water level is lowered below the proper level. Therefore, research is being conducted to solve this problem, but there is no suitable solution.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steam generator which prevents a water level sensor which detects the water level of water from causing a malfunction due to bubbles generated when water is boiling.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a housing, a heat supply for heating the water stored in the housing, a level sensor disposed in the housing and sensing a level of the stored water, and in the housing. Provided is a steam generator having a floater floating in the stored water to remove bubbles generated by the storage of the heated water by its own weight.

The water level sensor is preferably provided with a sensing rod for contacting the stored water to detect the water level by electrical means.

The water level sensor may be fixed above the floater, and the sensing rod may extend to penetrate a hole formed in the floater.

The floater includes a base part; And when there is no stored water enough to float the floater in the water, in order to prevent the sensing rod from falling out of the hole formed in the floater, it may be provided with a leg to have the floater to have a minimum height.

In addition, the floater may be in the form of a mesh.

In addition, the steam generator may be further provided with a guider so that the floater only moves in the vertical direction according to the water level.

On the other hand, the steam generator may be used in a laundry machine such as a drum washing machine or a tower type washing machine or a laundry treatment device such as a refresher for simply washing the cloth with steam.

The present invention prevents the water level sensor of the steam generator from malfunctioning due to bubbles generated when the water boils and thus failing to detect the water level in the steam generator lowered below a dangerous level. And, through this prevents the risk of damage or fire of the steam generator due to overheating.

1 is a perspective view showing a drum washing machine of a first embodiment of the present invention,

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line II-II of FIG.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1,

4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 3,

5 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line V-V of FIG. 4,

6 is a cross-sectional view showing the position of the floater when water in the steam generator evaporates and the water level is lowered.

7 is a cross-sectional view showing the floater of the second embodiment of the present invention;

8 is a cross-sectional view showing a floater in a third embodiment of the present invention;

9 is a partial perspective view briefly showing the guider and the floater.

<Description of Symbols for Major Parts of Drawings>

100, 200, 300: steam generator 110: housing

120: level sensor 122: sensing rod

130, 230, 330: floater 132: base portion of the floater

134: leg portion of the floater 140: heat supply

128: connection 350: guider

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with a drum washing machine as a basic device. However, this is only intended to prevent duplication of description because the present invention is freely available regardless of the type of laundry treatment apparatus, the present invention is not limited to the drum washing machine as described above.

Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

Hereinafter, the overall overview of the washing machine according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3.

The washing machine 1 includes a cabinet 2 forming an exterior of the washing machine 1, a washing tank 40 installed inside the cabinet 2 and washing laundry, and a rear of the washing tank 40. A drive source 5 mounted on the drive source 5 to generate a driving force transmitted to the washing tub 40, a cabinet cover 8 mounted on the front of the cabinet 2, and having a laundry entrance 8A in the center thereof, The door 10 rotatably installed in the cabinet cover 8 to open and close the laundry entrance 8A of the cabinet cover 8, the steam generator 100, and the washing tank 40, which supply steam to the inside of the washing tank 40. ) Is provided with a detergent supply (60) for supplying detergent with water supplied inside.

The washing tub 40 is installed in the cabinet 2 so as to be buffered by a spring 12A and a damper 12B to store wash water, and the driving source inside the tub 30. The drum 20 is rotatably installed by the drum to form a plurality of through holes 20A through which the laundry is accommodated and the washing water passes, and the laundry is lifted to a predetermined height when the drum 20 is rotated, and then gravity It may be composed of a lifter 22 installed on the inner side of the drum 20 to fall by.

On the other hand, since the washing tub 40 is limited to a drum washing machine, it has a structure including a drum and a tub, but in other types of washing apparatuses, the washing tub is not necessarily limited thereto.

A water supply device 80 is formed on the upper side of the washing tank 40 to form a water supply passage of the washing tank 40 or the steam generator 100, and the water supply device 80 is installed in the cabinet 2. It is composed of a water supply valve 82 for regulating the flow of water introduced from the outside, and a water supply hose 84, one end of which is connected to the water supply valve 82 to guide the water to the tub 30 and the steam generator 100. do.

The steam generator 100 is generally installed on the upper side in the cabinet to supply steam to the inside of the washing tank 40 during steam washing or steam rinsing. The steam generator 40 is installed in communication with the water supply flow path formed between the water supply valve 82 and the washing tank 40, so that the water (W) to be changed to steam from the water supply device 80 is the steam generator 100 Is supplied.

At this time, the steam generator 100 is provided with a water level sensor (described later) for detecting whether the water level of the water (W) stored therein is appropriate, and corresponding to the amount of water (W) detected from the water level sensor The water supply valve 82 is adjusted to adjust the amount of water supplied into the steam generator.

Hereinafter, the steam generator 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 to 5.

The steam generator 100 stores the water supplied to the steam generator and includes various housings 110, a heat supply 140 for heating the water W stored in the housing 110, and the housing 110. The water level sensor 120 is disposed in the water level sensor 120 to detect the level of the water W, and the water reservoir to remove, by its own weight, bubbles generated when the water W stored in the housing 110 is heated. It is provided with a floater 130 floating in the water (W).

The housing 110 is preferably sealed to be waterproof because it must contain water, but the housing itself is not necessarily waterproof, and the housing may be designed by installing a storage tank in the housing.

The heat supply 140 may supply heat to the water (W) using heat generated when electricity is transferred through a heating wire, but is not limited thereto, and there is no limitation as long as it can supply heat. .

The water level detector 120 may use various means, but generally, a means for sensing the water level by energizing electricity when contacting the stored water is used. As a representative example of such a water level sensor, as shown in FIG. 4, the water level sensor 120 is provided with a sensing rod 122 including a material through electricity so as to energize electricity when the water (W) is touched. Is utilized. In addition, the sensing rod 122 may be configured with a plurality of sensing rods having different lengths to vary the level of water that can be sensed.

On the other hand, the water (W) is not necessarily limited to pure water, various additives may be added for washing, various additives may be added to lower the boiling point or to achieve other effects.

Hereinafter, the features of the steam generator 100 and the function of the floater 130 provided in the steam generator 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 6.

When electricity is supplied to the heat supply 140 to generate heat, the water W stored by the heat is heated. When the water reaches the boiling point of the water, the water is converted into steam to generate steam supplied into the washing tank 40.

By the way, if the heat supply to the heat supply 140 is continuously energized to generate heat, the water (W) that is stored in the end is mostly evaporated, the water level of the water (W) is lowered. Then, the heat supply 140 is exposed to the water by the lowered water level. At this time, the water (W) is also performing the cooling water function of the heat supply 140, when the heat supply 140 is exposed to the surface of the heat supply is continuously raised, and eventually, the heat supply The temperature will exceed the design temperature, causing breakage of the heat supply. Even if the heat supply 140 is not damaged due to its overheating, if the temperature rises above the ignition point of various parts of the washing machine, there is a fear that a fire may occur in the washing machine.

Therefore, it is very important to maintain the water level in the steam generator 100 at a constant level in order to control the temperature of the heat supply 140 to an appropriate level. However, continuous supply of water without considering the water level in the housing 110 is also not suitable because of the limited water storage capacity of the housing 110. Therefore, in the steam generator 100, a water level detector 120 capable of detecting the water level of the water W is essential, and corresponding to the level detected by the water level detector 120 in the housing 110. The amount of water supplied should be controlled.

At this time, the adjustment of the amount of water supplied in the housing 110 may be made when the water level sensor 120 is operated in a stable manner by accurately grasp the amount of water remaining in the housing 110 remains. Therefore, if the stable operation of the water level sensor 120 is not made, it is impossible to adjust the amount of water supplied to the housing 110 at an appropriate time, which causes the above-described heat problem of the heat supply 140. . Therefore, stable operation of the level sensor 120 is a very important problem.

Hereinafter, the operation of the level sensor 120 and the function of the floater 130 will be described.

In the state where the water stored in the housing 100 has a sufficient level, the level sensing means provided in the level sensor 120, that is, a plurality of sensing rods 122 are in contact with the water, Electricity is energized between the sensing rods 122a and 122b. Then, the energized electricity is transmitted to the controller (not shown) as a signal to keep the water supply valve 82 supplied with water to the steam generator 100 in a locked state. Therefore, no water is eventually supplied to the steam generator 100.

When the heat is continuously supplied from the heat supply 140 and the water W stored in the housing 100 is mostly evaporated, the water level of the water W is lowered. In addition, the water W no longer touches or touches any one of the plurality of sensing rods 122. As a result, electricity is not supplied to the sensing rods 122a and 122b, and the signal is transmitted to the controller to open the water supply valve 82 and water is supplied to the housing 110. When the amount of water supplied is sufficient so that all the sensing rods 122a, 122b, and 122c are immersed in water, electricity is supplied to all the sensing rods, and the energized signal is transmitted to the controller to supply the water supply valve 82. Will be locked.

At this time, a large amount of bubbles are generated on the surface of the water (W) in the process of heating the water (W) in the housing to generate steam. The bubble can also be energized because the bubble physically maintains a state as a liquid through which electricity is electrically energized. At this time, although the bubble is in physical contact with the sensing rod 122 even though the water level is not enough to reach the sensing rod 122, the sensing rod is eventually submerged in water. In the same way as above, it enables energization between sensing rods. Due to the energization, the wrong signal is transmitted to the control unit (not shown), and accordingly, even though water is to be supplied into the housing 110, the water supply valve 82 does not open so that the water in the housing 110 does not open. Is not supplied. As a result, the level sensor 120 malfunctions due to the generation of these bubbles, and as a result, a problem of overheating of the heat supply 140 occurs due to lack of water supply. Therefore, a means for reducing the generation of bubbles is required so that bubbles generated when water is boiling do not come into contact with the sensing rod 122 of the level sensor.

At this time, the floater 130 is formed to float on the water, thereby the floater 130 is pressed on the surface of the water by its weight while floating on the water. Then, when the air bubbler presses the surface of the water by its own weight, even when the water W stored in the housing boils and a large amount of bubbles are generated, the bubbles become larger than a predetermined level before they reach the sensing rod 122. Bubbles are previously burst by pressure due to the weight of the floater 130. Due to the function of the floating air, even though the water (W) stored in the housing is lowered below a predetermined level by evaporation, bubbles directly contact the sensing rods 122, thereby greatly reducing the electricity supply. The malfunction of the level sensor 120 can be prevented.

Meanwhile, the floater 130 may be formed of a material that floats in water so that the floater 130 may float in water, and may include a material having a specific gravity lower than that of water or a porous material.

On the other hand, since the floater 130 should perform a function of reducing the bubbles that touch the sensing rod 122, it is preferable to float on the surface of the water (W) around the sensing rod 122. In addition, in order to prevent the floating rod 130 from penetrating the sensing rod 122 to prevent the floating rod from floating due to sufficient water stored in the housing 110, the hole for allowing the sensing rod 122 to pass therethrough. 136 may be formed.

On the other hand, when the hole 136 is formed, it is preferable that the floater has a height greater than or equal to a predetermined level in order to prevent the water level from being so low that the sensing rod falls out of the hole 136. To this end, the floater 130 has a base portion 132 for pressing the surface of the water and the base portion 132 is located at a predetermined height or more legs to prevent the detection rod from falling out of the hole 136 It is preferable to have a part 134.

Hereinafter, a second embodiment of the steam generator 200 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 7.

The steam generator according to the present embodiment may be implemented in the same manner as the steam generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the floater. Omit.

The floater 230 provided in the steam generator 200 may be formed in a mesh shape. If the surface area of the floater covers the surface of the water is large, the pressure can be increased by limiting the movement of the steam generated on the surface of the water. However, when the floater is formed in a mesh shape, steam can freely escape through the mesh space 230a, so that the occurrence of the above-described problem can be eliminated even though the ratio of the floater to cover the surface of the water increases. In addition, the mesh-type floater serves to hold the bubbles generated at the surface of the water to the surface tension generated by the mesh space 230a when the water is boiling. In addition, the size of bubbles generated when water boils is limited to the size of the mesh-like surface space. This mesh function greatly reduces the probability that the bubble touches the sensing rod. This in turn increases the positive effect of preventing malfunction of the water level sensor.

Hereinafter, a third embodiment of the steam generator 300 of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 8 to 9.

The steam generator according to the present embodiment may be implemented in the same manner as the steam generator according to the first embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the floater. Omit.

The steam generator 300 includes a floater 330 formed to float in water and a guider 350 for restricting the movement of the floater so that the floater moves only in the vertical direction according to the water level of the water (W). . In this case, the guider 350 may be manufactured in the shape of a slot, and a height limiting jaw 350a may be formed to limit the height at which the floater can go up to the maximum and the height at which it can go down to the lowest.

Due to the presence of the guider 350, the floater can be raised too high to press the sensing rod, or lowered too low to prevent the sensing rod from falling out of the hole 336 formed in the floater 330. Therefore, the presence of this guider enables its stable operation even if the floater does not have legs separately.

In addition, when the floater 330 is formed of a material that conducts electricity, and the floater 330 floats and collides with the sensing rod, the floater 330 may be energized regardless of the water level. However, by placing the guider, it is possible to prevent such a problem by limiting the planar movement of the floater 330.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments shown in the drawings, this is merely exemplary, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications and equivalent other embodiments are possible. Therefore, the true technical protection scope of the present invention will be defined by the technical spirit of the appended claims.

In addition to laundry treatment devices such as tower type washing machines, drum washing machines, and refreshers, it is utilized in general steam generators capable of generating steam, thereby preventing misdetection of water levels in the steam generator.

Claims (12)

housing; A heat supply for heating the water stored in the housing; A level sensor disposed in the housing and configured to sense a level of the stored water; And And a floater that floats in the stored water to remove, by its own weight, bubbles generated by heating the water stored in the housing. The method of claim 1, The water level sensor has a steam generator comprising a sensing rod for contacting the stored water to detect the water level by electrical means. The method of claim 2, The water level detector is fixed above the floater, the sensing rod is a steam generator extending to pass through the hole formed in the floater The method of claim 3, wherein The floater base portion; Wow If there is no water stored enough to float the floater, the steam generator having a leg portion to have the floater to have a minimum height, in order to prevent the detection rod from falling out of the hole formed in the floater. The method of claim 1, Steam generator in which the float is formed in a mesh form. The method of claim 1, And a guider disposed in the housing such that the floater moves only in the up and down direction according to the water level. Cabinet; A washing tank disposed in the cabinet to process laundry; And A heat supply disposed in the cabinet and configured to heat the water stored in the housing; a level sensor disposed in the housing to sense a level of the stored water; and heating the water stored in the housing. And a floater that floats in water to remove bubbles generated when the bubbles are generated by self-weight. The laundry treatment apparatus includes a steam generator for supplying steam into the washing tank. The method of claim 7, wherein The water level sensor laundry treatment apparatus comprising a sensing rod for contacting the water stored in the water to detect the water level by electrical means. The method of claim 8, The water level sensor is fixed to the upper side of the floater, the sensing rod is laundry processing apparatus extending to pass through the hole formed in the floater. The method of claim 9, The floater base portion; Wow When there is no stored water enough to float the floater, laundry treatment apparatus comprising a leg portion to have the floater to have a minimum height, in order to prevent the sensing rod from falling out of the hole formed in the floater. The method of claim 7, wherein Laundry machine is formed in the form of the floating net mesh. The method of claim 7, wherein And a guider disposed in the housing such that the floater moves only in the up and down direction according to the water level.