JPH0790097B2 - Steam iron - Google Patents

Description

Description: FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a steam iron for general household use.

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is a steam iron for generating steam using a water supply pump as shown in FIG. That is, the vaporization chamber 3 is provided in a part of the base 2 containing the heater 1, and the water suction pipe 6 and the discharge pipe 7 are connected to the water supply pump 5 mounted above the tank 4. The discharge pipe 7 of the pump 5 communicates with the vaporization chamber 13 via a connecting pipe 8. A control device 9 controls the pump 5. To explain the operation in the above configuration, the water in the tank 4 is sucked up by the water suction pipe 6 by the action of the pump 5, and is sent to the vaporization chamber 3 through the discharge pipe 7 and the connection pipe 8.

However, in the above configuration, water must be sucked up through the water suction pipe 6, a strong suction force of the pump 5 is required, and the shape of the pump 5 is inevitably increased, so that the iron It was unsuitable to be mounted on. Further, by increasing the suction force, the vibrations and vibration noises generated from the pump 5 itself also increase, which is disadvantageous in that the usability is deteriorated. Further, water must be moved to the vaporization chamber 3 through the water suction pipe 6 and the discharge pipe 7, and it takes time from starting the pump 5 to generating steam, which is inconvenient. In addition, a check valve is provided in the pump 5, and water passes through it,
It included factors that could cause failure in terms of durability.

The present invention solves the above-mentioned conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron which is small, compact, easy to use and excellent in durability.

Means for Solving the Problems To achieve this object, a steam iron according to the present invention comprises a base heated by a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in a part of the base, and a water supply valve for supplying water to the vaporization chamber. A water storage tank having a mouth formed at the bottom, a drip valve that opens and closes the water supply valve mouth and is biased in the closing direction, and an air pump, and the discharge side of the air pump faces the drip valve. The air pressure in the opening direction is applied to the drip valve when the air pump is operated.

Operation With this configuration, when the air pump is operated, the drip valve is pushed open by the air pressure, so that the water in the water storage tank can drip to the vaporization chamber side and generate steam.

Examples Hereinafter, one example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1, a vaporization chamber 9 is provided in a part of a base 8 in which a heater 7 is embedded, and a tank 10 for storing water is arranged on the base 8. Reference numeral 11 is an electric air pump provided above the tank 10. A temperature detecting element 12 is attached near the vaporization chamber 9 on the base 8, and the air pump 11 and the temperature detecting element 12 are connected to a controller 14 built in a handle 13. Discharge hole 15 of air pump 11
Is connected to an air supply pipe 16 toward the bottom of the tank 10, and its tip is on the upper surface of a drip valve 18 that opens and closes a water supply valve port 17 formed at the bottom of the tank 10 facing the vaporization chamber 9. Has reached The drip valve 18 is housed in a valve guide 19 so as to be vertically movable, and is normally biased via a spring 20 to close the water supply valve port 17.

The operation of the steam iron configured as described above will be described below.

Pressurized air from the air pump 11 is sent to the upper surface of the drip valve 18 through the discharge hole 15 and the air supply pipe 16, and the drip valve 18 is pushed down by the air pressure to open the water supply valve port 17. Therefore, the water in the tank 10 drops into the vaporization chamber 9 to generate steam. As the air pump 11, there are a method of converting the rotational movement of the electric motor into vertical movement using an eccentric shaft to vibrate the diaphragm, a method of vibrating the diaphragm by the reciprocating movement of a solenoid, a method of using a vibrator plate, and the like. Either is fine. A heat resistant rubber member such as silicone rubber is used for the seal portion of the drip valve 18.

As described above, according to the present invention, since the dropping pressure is opened by the air valve of the air pump, the volume of the pump itself can be made smaller than that of the conventional water supply pump, and is suitable for mounting on an iron. In addition, the vibration noise is small, and it is possible to exert a convenient ironing function. Further, since water is not passed through the pump, failure is unlikely to occur, and the amount of dropping, that is, the amount of steam can be easily controlled by changing the air pressure of the pump.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a steam iron according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway sectional view of a conventional steam iron. 7 ... Heater, 8 ... Base, 9 ... Vaporization chamber, 10 ...
Tank, 11 …… Air pump, 17 …… Water supply valve opening, 18 ……
Drip valve.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A base heated by a heater, a vaporization chamber formed in a part of the base, a water storage tank having a water supply valve port at the bottom for supplying water to the vaporization chamber, and the water supply valve port. It is equipped with a drip valve that is opened and closed and is biased in the closing direction, and an air pump.The discharge side of the air pump faces the drip valve, and when the air pump is operating, the air pressure in the opening direction A steam iron designed to work.