JPS5941760B2 - steam iron - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present invention is a steam system that can switch between steam and dry mode and flush out impurities such as lint that have accumulated in the steam passage by pouring a large amount of water from the tank into the vaporization chamber of the base. It relates to irons and aims to reduce costs and improve operability by simplifying the configuration.

Generally, a steam iron with this type of cleaning function has a relatively large opening in the tank, and a normally closed drain valve is disposed in this opening, and when the drain valve is opened, a large amount of water-based steam is discharged from the opening. It was designed to be poured into the passage to clean the inside of the steam passage.

For this reason, it is necessary to provide a special opening in the tank for cleaning, and to do so, it is necessary to provide a drain valve to open and close this opening, as well as an operating rod to open and close this drain valve. There was a problem that it became complicated and the cost increased.

Therefore, the inventors of the present invention have devised a system in which a dripping nozzle provided in a tank is made movable, and by moving the dripping nozzle, the bottom of the tank is opened wide and a large amount of water is discharged.

However, in this case, there were problems such as the movement of the dropping nozzle being unstable and causing malfunction.

The present invention aims to solve these problems and at the same time simplify the configuration, and embodiments thereof will be described below with reference to the drawings.

In the figure, 1 is a base with a heater 2, and a vaporization chamber 3.
have.

Reference numeral 4 denotes a steam passage communicating with the vaporization chamber 3, and a large number of steam ejection holes 5 are formed therein and open on the side of the shaded surface of the base.

Reference numeral 6 denotes a base lid installed on the base 1, which defines the vaporization chamber 3 and the steam passage 4.

A tank 7 is installed on the base lid 6, and has an opening 8 at the bottom for attaching a nozzle part.

Reference numeral 9 denotes a nozzle portion disposed in opposition to the mouth edge of the opening 8 on the side of the vaporizing chamber, and is brought into pressure contact with the opening edge by a spring 11.

Note that the opening 8 is formed larger than the nozzle hole 10 of the nozzle portion 9.

Reference numeral 12 denotes a guide for guiding the movement of the nozzle portion 9, which is attached to the vaporization chamber lid 3a, and has a through hole 13 formed in its upper outer periphery.

Reference numeral 14 denotes an opening/closing rod that is movable up and down in the tank 7 with its lower end facing the nozzle part 9. The opening/closing rod 14 is always pushed upward by a spring 15, and a spring 16 is installed at the tip of the opening/closing rod 14. An auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 is attached to allow for appropriate stroke expansion and contraction.

The auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 is fixed to the opening/closing rod 14 by a pin or the like so that the opening/closing rod 14 can move up and down, and normally moves up and down together with the opening/closing rod 14.

Further, the load of the spring 16 is set to be smaller than that of the spring 11.

Reference numeral 19 denotes a steam button for vertically operating the opening/closing rod 14 from the outside, and by pressing the steam button, the opening/closing rod can be pressed in three stages.

In the above configuration, the following operation will be explained.

First, when using a normal iron, when the steam button 19 is set to the highest position as shown in Figure 1, the opening/closing rod 14
is raised by the spring 15 together with the auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 to open the hole 10 of the nozzle portion 9.

Therefore, the water in the tank 7 drips into the vaporization chamber 3 from this nozzle hole 10 and is vaporized.

Then, it is ejected from the steam ejection hole 5 via the steam passage 4.

Next, when switching to dry mode or pouring mode during this ironing operation, press the steam button 19 to the position A' to close the nozzle hole 10 as shown in FIG. 2A.

At this time, the opening/closing rod 14 of this embodiment is provided with an auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 at its lower end so that it can be expanded and contracted.
Even if the opening/closing rod 14 is pressed excessively in order to engage the opening/closing rod 14, the nozzle portion 9 will not be pushed down and the opening 8 will open, which has the advantage of being safe to use.

The device is normally used as described above, but cleaning is performed by pushing the steam button 19 to the position α in FIG. 1.

That is, when the opening/closing rod 14 is further pushed down to the position α from the dry state, the auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 remains in contact with the nozzle part 9 and is further pressed, as shown by the opening in FIG.
6 is completely compressed, the opening/closing rod 14 and the auxiliary opening/closing rod 17 become substantially integrated, and the nozzle part 9 is moved by the spring 1.
Push down against the 1st subordinate force.

Therefore, the opening 8 that was previously closed by the nozzle part 9 is opened, and the water in the tank 7 flows through the opening 8 into the through hole 1.
A large amount of the gas is discharged into the vaporization chamber 3 through the gas flow chamber 3.

A portion of this water evaporates into high-pressure steam,
The steam is vigorously discharged from the vaporizing chamber 3 through the steam passage 4 and from the steam jet hole 5.

At this time, the water from the tank performs a cleaning action by washing away impurities such as limescale that have adhered to the vaporization chamber 3, steam passage 4, etc.

When the nozzle part 9 is pushed down, the spring 11 supporting the nozzle part 9 buckles and the nozzle part 9 tends to be tilted. Since the robot descends while being guided, there is no such fear and a reliable descending operation is performed.

In the above embodiment, this guide 12 was formed vertically on the vaporization chamber lid 3a, but it may also be formed integrally with the bottom wall of the vaporization chamber 3 and stand up, as shown in FIGS. 3a and 3b. It can be simplified.

Further, as shown in FIGS. 4a and 4b, a support portion 12a is integrally formed above the guide 12 to guide the vertical movement of the opening/closing rod 14,
It is also possible to stabilize the movement of the opening/closing rod 14.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b, a protruding wall 12' may be provided on the nozzle itself, and this protruding wall 12' may be used as a guide.

In the above embodiment, the nozzle portion 9 is moved toward the vaporization chamber, but it may be moved upward.

According to the present invention, since the nozzle moves to open the bottom of the tank, there is no need for a cleaning opening or a drain valve for opening and closing the opening, which greatly simplifies the configuration and reduces costs. You can aim for down.

Furthermore, since the nozzle section moves while being guided by a guide, its movement is stable and there is no possibility of it becoming stuck, improving reliability, and so on, which has great value.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a cutaway side view of a main part of a steam iron according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 (A) is a sectional view of the main part thereof. Figure 3 atb, Figure 4 a, b, Figure 5 a. b is a sectional view and a perspective view showing another embodiment. 1...base, 3...vaporization chamber, 7...
... Tank, 8 ... Opening for nozzle part attachment, 9 ... Opening nozzle part, 12 ... Guide, 12a ... Support part, 14...Opening/closing rod.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] 1. Consisting of a vaporization chamber formed on a base, a tank installed on the base, and a nozzle section located at the bottom of the tank and communicating with the vaporization chamber, the nozzle section being located at the bottom of the tank. A steam iron characterized in that the steam iron is movably arranged in an opening for mounting a nozzle part provided in the iron and is moved along a guide. 2. The nozzle part is movable on the side of the vaporization chamber, and its lower end is pressed by an opening/closing rod facing the nozzle part, and a guide for guiding the descent of the nozzle part is provided with the opening/closing rod. The steam iron according to claim 1, further comprising a support portion that guides vertical movement.