JPH0642920B2 - Steam iron and steam control method for steam iron - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a steam iron used in general households.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, this type of steam iron has been as shown in FIG. That is, the base 2 having the heater 1, the vaporization chamber 3 formed in a part of the base 2, and the vaporization chamber 3
A tank 5 for storing water 4 to be supplied to the tank, a nozzle portion 6 formed between the tank 5 and the vaporization chamber 3, an opening / closing rod 7 for opening / closing a water channel of the nozzle portion 6, and opening / closing of the opening / closing rod 7. It is composed of a steam button 8 for performing an operation. When the steam button 8 is operated to operate the opening / closing rod 7 to open the water passage of the nozzle portion 6, the water 4 in the tank 5 is dropped into the vaporization chamber 3 by gravity. Steam was starting to occur.

However, with such a structure, even if the steam button 8 is operated to open the water channel of the nozzle portion 6 and steam is generated, the iron body is brought into a self-supporting state or a state close thereto. Then, since the water surface in the tank 5 is below the nozzle portion 4, the water 4 does not drip into the vaporization chamber 3 and steam does not occur. For this reason, the iron body cannot be easily stretched into wrinkles while the clothes are hung on a hanger while the iron body is kept vertical.

Therefore, the present invention is designed to generate steam by operating the steam button when necessary even when the iron body is in a self-supporting state or a state close to the self-standing state.

Means for Solving the Problems And, in order to solve the above problems, the technical means of the present invention comprises a base having a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in the base, and a tank for storing water supplied to the vaporization chamber. , A pump for sending the water in the tank to the vaporization chamber, an automatic reset type steam button for exciting the operation of the pump, an independence detecting means for detecting the independence state of the iron body, and the iron body in the independence state. When placed, the pump control means stops the operation of the pump by the output of the self-sustaining detection means, and operates the pump when the steam button is operated while the self-sustaining detection means detects the self-supporting state of the iron body. It is equipped with.

Action The action of this technical means is as follows.

That is, when the steam button is operated to operate the pump once, and then the iron body is placed in a self-supporting state or a state close thereto, the self-supporting detecting means detects the self-supporting state of the iron body, and the output signal of the self-supporting detecting means The pump control means operates to stop the operation of the pump. Next, even if the iron body is in a self-sustaining state or a state close to it, when the steam button is operated again, the pump control means operates,
Pump operation resumes.

As a result, even if the iron body is in a self-supporting state or in a state close to it and the pump operation is stopped, that is, even if steam is not generated, the pump operation will start if the steam button is operated when necessary. Since steam can be generated, there is no problem that steam cannot be generated when the iron body is in a self-supporting state or a state close to it as in the past, and it is small when steam ironing is performed. If the iron body is placed in a self-sustaining state such as during a pause, the operation of the pump is surely stopped by the operation of the self-sustaining detection means and the pump control means. There is no need to replenish.

Embodiment One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 1 to 3, 9 is a base having a heater 10, 11 is a vaporization chamber formed in a part of the base 9,
Reference numeral 12 denotes a tank for storing water 13 to be supplied to the vaporization chamber 11, and 14 denotes water 13 in the tank 12 for vaporization chamber 11
A suction pipe 15 for sucking the water 13 in the tank 12 by a pump composed of a motor or a solenoid for feeding
And a discharge pipe 16 for sending to the vaporization chamber 11. 1
Reference numeral 7 denotes an automatic return type steam button for starting the pump 14, which is configured to protrude from the handle 18. 19
Is a pump control means constituted by a plurality of electronic parts for controlling the operation of the pump 14, and 20 is a self-sustaining detection means for detecting the self-standing state of the iron body, which is a reflection type photo sensor 21.
, A sphere 22 as a reflecting object, a case 24 having an inclined groove 23 for guiding the sphere 22, and a lid 25. The operation of the self-supporting detecting means 20 will be described in detail. When the iron body is in a horizontal state for ironing or a state close to the horizontal state, the ball 22 is formed in the inclined groove of the case 24 as shown in FIG. The phototransistor of the reflection type photosensor 21 is turned on because it stands still at the bottom of 23, that is, at a position facing the reflection type photosensor 21. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, when the iron body is placed in a self-supporting state or a state close thereto, the ball 22 does not stand at a position facing the reflective photosensor 21, so that the phototransistor of the reflective photosensor 21 is turned off. It becomes a state. As described above, the self-sustaining detecting means 20 having the above-described structure can detect that the iron body is in the self-sustaining state when the phototransistor of the reflective photosensor 21 is OFF.

The operation of the above configuration will be described. When the base 9 is heated by the heater 10, the steam button 1
If you press 7 once, the pump 14 will start and water 13 in the tank 12 will be activated regardless of the state of the iron body.
Through the water suction pipe 15, the pump 14, and the discharge pipe 15 to the vaporization chamber 1
It is sent to the inside of 1 and evaporates there to generate steam, so that ironing work with steam can be performed. Next, after temporarily setting the iron body in a horizontal state for ironing, when the ironing body is replaced, or when the iron body is placed in a self-supporting state when folded or after a short rest, the self-sustaining detection means 20. As a result, the self-supporting state of the iron body is detected, and the pump control means 19 stops the operation of the pump 14 in response to this output to stop the generation of steam. Further, when the iron is in such a state and the steam generation is stopped, when the steam button 17 is pressed again, the pump 14 starts the operation. Therefore, even if the iron body is in a self-supporting state or in a state close to it, the generation of steam can be obtained, and steam can be applied to clothes or the like that are hung on a hanger or the like, and wrinkles can be easily extended. Further, when the iron body is placed in a self-supporting state or a state close to it and the operation of the pump 14 is stopped, as a method of restarting the pump 14, the iron body is replaced by pressing the steam button 17 again as described above. When the self-sustaining state is released, the pump 14 can be activated by the operation of the self-sustaining detecting means 20 and the pump controlling means 19. In this case, once the steam button 17 is pressed, the generation of steam stops when the iron body is placed in the self-supporting state. If the iron body is released from the self-supporting state for ironing, the steam button 17 is not pressed again. Therefore, it is not necessary to press the steam button 17 every time the iron body is released from the self-supporting state, which is more convenient. When the steam button is pressed even when the iron body is in the self-supporting state, steam is generated. Will be obtained.

As a result, in the steam iron having the above-mentioned configuration, the generation of steam is obtained even when the steam iron is in an independent state or a state close to it, without the inconvenience that steam cannot be applied while hanging clothes or the like on a hanger as in the past. , Wrinkles can be easily stretched on clothes.

As described above, in addition to pressing the steam button 17 once to restart the pump 14 whose operation is stopped due to the iron body being in a self-supporting state, the pump can be pumped only while the steam button 17 is continuously pressed. 14 can also be activated. That is, since steam can be obtained only while the steam button 17 is continuously pressed, a necessary amount of steam can be generated when needed, and the water of the tank 12
The effect is that 3 can be used efficiently.

In this embodiment, the reflection type photo sensor 21 is applied as the self-sustaining detecting means 19, but other type of photo sensor, reed switch, mercury switch, micro switch or the like may be used. Any device that can detect the self-supporting state of the iron using optical means or the like may be used.

EFFECTS OF THE INVENTION As described above, the steam iron of the present invention includes a base having a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in the base, a tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, and water in the tank for the vaporization chamber. A pump that sends water to the pump, an automatic reset type steam button that excites the operation of this pump, a self-supporting detection unit that detects the self-supporting state of the iron body, and an output of the self-supporting detection unit when the iron body is placed in the self-supporting state. While the operation of the pump is stopped, the iron body is provided with a pump control means that operates the pump when the steam button is operated while the self-sustaining detection means is detecting the self-standing state of the iron body. Operates the pump arbitrarily by operating the steam button even if the steam is stopped in the state or a state close to that state. By doing so, steam can be jetted out, and wrinkles can be extended even when clothes or the like are hung on a hanger.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of the essential parts of a steam iron showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIGS. 2 to 3 are enlarged sectional views of the self-sustaining detecting means, and FIG. 4 is an essential part enlarged view of a conventional steam iron. FIG. 9 ... Base, 10 ... Heater, 11 ... Vaporization chamber, 12
... tank, 13 ... water, 14 ... pump, 17 ... steam button, 19 ... pump control means, 20 ... independence detection means.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A base having a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in the base, a tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, a pump for feeding water in the tank to the vaporization chamber, and a pump for the pump. Automatic return type steam button that excites the operation, self-sustaining detection means for detecting the self-supporting state of the iron body, and when the iron body is placed in the self-supporting state, the operation of the pump is stopped by the output of the self-supporting detection means, A steam iron comprising pump control means for operating the pump when the steam button is operated while the self-sustaining detection means detects the self-sustaining state of the iron body. 2. The pump control means, when the self-sustaining detection means detects the self-sustaining state of the iron body and the pump is in an operation stop state, operates the pump while pressing the steam button. The steam iron according to item 1. 3. A base having a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in the base, a tank for storing water to be supplied to the vaporization chamber, a pump for feeding water in the tank to the vaporization chamber, and a pump for the pump. Equipped with a manual operation means for exciting the operation, and an independence detection means for detecting the independence state of the iron body,
When the self-supporting detection means detects the self-supporting state of the iron body, the pump operation is stopped, and after the self-supporting detection means detects the self-supporting state of the iron body and the driving of the pump is stopped, the manual operation means is provided. The steam control method for a steam iron, wherein the pump is operated in priority to the output signal of the self-sustaining detection means when the output signal of 1. is input to the pump control means.