A self-cleaning steam device and its operating method

Abstract

The present invention discloses a self-cleaning steam device and its operation method. The operation method includes a steam operation process and a pickling process. The device includes: a housing with a handheld part at the lower end. A cavity serving as a water tank is formed inside the handheld part. A water pump and a drain valve are provided inside the housing; a steam generator body, which has a cleaning cavity serving as a vaporization chamber. The inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity is inclined downward in the front-to-back direction; a drain port is also provided on the cleaning cavity; and the inner wall of the cleaning cavity is made of acid-resistant material, allowing the weakly acidic mixed liquid injected into the water tank to flow into the cleaning cavity and flow along the inclined inner bottom surface to remove the scale attached to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity, and then flow back into the water tank through the drain port and the drain valve in sequence. Its technical solution ensures that the cleaning cavity will not be corroded due to pickling, and the descaling operation can complete the self-cleaning process with one key without disassembling the product, which can effectively improve the service life of the device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of steam equipment, and particularly relates to a self-cleaning steam equipment and an operation method thereof. Background Art

[0002] For existing steam equipment, the most important factors affecting performance and service life are scale. Scale will block channels and cause a sharp decline in heat conduction efficiency. Basically, the portable steam generators used in the market are made of aluminum and have a maze-shaped diversion steam channel. Once scale is generated inside, it is basically difficult to remove.

[0003] A commonly used method in the market is to flush with water. This method not only cannot remove hard scale, but also a large amount of residual water cannot be discharged from dead ends, resulting in internal corrosion of the steam generator; or the equipment is disassembled and then flushed, which is rather troublesome and users may not be able to reinstall it to the initial state, easily affecting its subsequent use effect; there is also a relatively risky method of using pickling, but acid has strong corrosiveness to aluminum, easily causing performance degradation and potential safety hazards; therefore, it is difficult for the prior art to completely solve the problem of scale in steam equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0004] In view of the above problems existing in the prior art, there is provided a self-cleaning steam equipment and an operation method thereof, aiming to be able to achieve the purpose of removing scale by pickling without causing corrosion problems and without the need for disassembly, so as to overcome the above technical defects.

[0005] The specific technical solutions are as follows:

[0006] A self-cleaning steam equipment, comprising:

[0007] A housing having a hand-held part at the lower end, and a cavity serving as a water tank is formed inside the hand-held part. A water pump and a drain valve communicating with the water tank are further provided inside the housing;

[0008] A steam generating body is assembled inside the housing. A cleaning cavity serving as a vaporization chamber is formed inside the steam generating body, and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity is inclined downward in the front-to-back direction; a drain port communicating with the drain valve is further opened on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity, and the drain port is located adjacent to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity;

[0009] A water distribution seat, one end of which communicates with the water pump and the other end extends into the cleaning cavity, for injecting a liquid flow into the cleaning cavity through the water pump;

[0010] Moreover, the inner wall of the cleaning cavity is made of acid-resistant material, allowing the weak acid mixture injected into the water tank to flow into the cleaning cavity through the water pump, flow along the inclined inner bottom surface, so as to remove the scale attached to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity, and then flow back into the water tank through the drain port and the drain valve in sequence.

[0011] Preferably, a first labyrinth flow channel is further arranged in the steam generator body around the cleaning cavity, and at least one first water-vapor outlet communicating with the first labyrinth flow channel is formed on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity for discharging semi-dry and semi-wet steam, and the semi-dry and semi-wet steam is vaporized again in the first labyrinth flow channel to obtain fully dry steam;

[0012] A hot plate is further installed on the front end face of the housing, and at least one steam outlet is formed on the hot plate. A second labyrinth flow channel is further arranged on the side of the hot plate facing the steam generator body. At least one second water-vapor outlet communicating the first labyrinth flow channel and the second labyrinth flow channel is formed on the front side wall of the cleaning cavity. The second labyrinth flow channel is used for vaporizing and purifying the dry steam, and the dry steam flows out through the steam outlet.

[0013] Preferably, the first water-vapor outlet is located at the upper edge of the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity to prevent the weakly acidic mixed liquid from flowing into the first labyrinth flow channel during the pickling process.

[0014] Preferably, the first labyrinth flow channel is separated by multiple first guide plates arranged in the steam generator body, and the second labyrinth flow channel is separated by at least one second guide plate arranged on one side of the hot plate.

[0015] Preferably, a plurality of hemispherical protrusions arranged in an array are further protruded on the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity to increase the evaporation area of the cleaning cavity.

[0016] Preferably, the steam generator body includes a base, a cover plate and a heating element, and the cleaning cavity and the first labyrinth flow channel are both formed in the base and are detachably closed by the cover plate;

[0017] The heating element is embedded in the base and is located below the cleaning cavity and the first labyrinth flow channel to maintain the vaporization temperature in the cleaning cavity and the first labyrinth flow channel.

[0018] Preferably, the water distribution seat includes a pipe connection head and a water distribution rib formed integrally and distributed up and down. The pipe connection head has a longitudinally penetrating liquid flow hole. The water distribution rib has a plurality of radially arranged radial rib plates. A bottom plate connected to all the radial rib plates is further arranged on the lower end surface of the water distribution rib;

[0019] Between every two adjacent radial rib plates, the upper surface of the bottom plate is inclined downward in the direction from the inside to the outside and forms a lower water surface. At least a part of the upper end of the water distribution rib is located in the liquid flow hole to divide the liquid flow flowing into the liquid flow hole into multiple parts and flow along the radial rib plates to the lower water surface and further flow into the cleaning cavity.

[0020] Preferably, a water tank upper cover is formed at the upper end of the cavity, and a water tank water outlet, a water tank return port and a water tank pressure relief port communicating with the water tank are formed in the water tank upper cover;

[0021] The water outlet of the water tank is connected to the water inlet of the water pump through a pipeline, and the water return port of the water tank is connected to the drain valve outlet of the drain valve through a pipeline. A negative pressure hole is also provided on the housing, and there is a gap inside the housing that allows the airflow of the negative pressure hole to communicate with the pressure relief port of the water tank.

[0022] Preferably, a base for supporting the self-cleaning steam device is detachably assembled on the outer periphery of the lower end of the handheld part, and the lower end surface of the handheld part forms a water tank outlet communicating with the water tank and is provided with a screw cap.

[0023] The present invention also discloses an operation method of the self-cleaning device as described above, including a steam operation process and a pickling process, and the steam operation process includes:

[0024] Step 1, inject clean water into the water tank, and start the water pump and the heating element in the steam generator.

[0025] Step 2, the water pump transports the clean water in the water tank to the water distribution seat and inputs it into the cleaning cavity, and the clean water is initially vaporized under the action of the heating element to obtain semi-dry and semi-wet steam.

[0026] Step 3, the semi-dry and semi-wet steam flows into the first labyrinth flow channel in the steam generator to be secondarily vaporized to obtain fully dry steam.

[0027] Step 4, the fully dry steam flows into the second labyrinth flow channel of the ironing board to be tertiary vaporized for further vaporization and purification, and is ejected from the steam outlet on the ironing board.

[0028] The pickling process includes:

[0029] Step a, inject a weakly acidic mixed solution into the water tank, and support the self-cleaning steam device on a flat surface by the base to keep the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity in a state of inclining downward from front to back.

[0030] Step b, start the drain valve and the heating element in the steam generator, and the heating element works intermittently to maintain an environment of 50°C to 60°C in the cleaning cavity.

[0031] Step c, the water pump transports the weakly acidic mixed solution in the water tank to the cleaning cavity, and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity is inclined to cause the weakly acidic mixed solution to flow under the action of gravity and remove the scale attached to the inner wall of the cleaning cavity.

[0032] Step d, under the action of the drain valve, the weakly acidic mixed solution flows back into the water tank through the drain port.

[0033] The beneficial effects of the above technical solutions are as follows:

[0034] (1) The self - cleaning steam device includes a housing, a handheld part, a water tank, a water pump, a drain valve, a steam generator, a cleaning chamber, and a water distribution base. The inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber is inclined and is correspondingly provided with a drain port. The inner wall of the cleaning chamber is made of acid - resistant material, enabling a weakly acidic mixed solution used as a descaling agent to be injected into the water tank and then flow through the water pump, the cleaning chamber, the drain port, and the drain valve in sequence and return to the water tank, ensuring that the cleaning chamber will not be corroded by pickling. Moreover, the descaling operation can complete the self - cleaning process with one key without disassembling the product, effectively improving the service life of the device.

[0035] (2) The first water - vapor outlet is located at the upper edge position of the rear side wall of the cleaning chamber, so as to make the liquid water content in the steam flowing into the first labyrinth flow channel lower, and to prevent the weakly acidic mixed solution from flowing into the first labyrinth flow channel during the pickling process.

[0036] (3) The structural design of the water distribution base causes the liquid flow to be divided into several parts and flow to multiple positions in the cleaning chamber, thus making vaporization more sufficient.

[0037] (4) The self - cleaning steam device is supported by a base on a flat ground or tabletop to keep the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber in a state of inclining downward from front to back, ensuring that the weakly acidic mixed solution can remove the scale attached to the inner wall of the cleaning chamber under the action of gravity and flow to the drain port during the pickling process.

[0038] The operation method of the self - cleaning steam device can obtain dry steam with extremely low liquid water content through multiple vaporization processes during the steam operation process. The liquid water is attached to the deflector or further heated and vaporized. The pickling process enables descaling and cleaning to be achieved with one key without disassembling the device, extending the service life of the device. Description of the Drawings

[0039] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention;

[0041] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention with the upper housing removed;

[0042] Figure 4 is a side sectional view of a partial component of the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention;

[0043] Figure 5 is a split - structure diagram of the steam generator, ironing board, and heating tube in the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 6 is a perspective view of the water distribution base in a partially cut - away state in the self - cleaning steam device of the present invention;

[0045] Figure 7 This is a perspective view of the upper cover of the water tank in the self-cleaning steam device of the present invention. Detailed implementation mode

[0046] In order to make the technical means, creative features, achieved purposes and effects of the present invention easy to understand, the following embodiments will specifically describe the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. And it is defined that Figure 2 the direction from left to right shown on the paper surface is the direction from front to back in this embodiment, and the up and down directions shown on the paper surface are the up and down directions in this embodiment.

[0047] Embodiment 1

[0048] Referring to Figures 1 to 7 as shown in, the self-cleaning steam device provided in this embodiment includes:

[0049] A housing 1, with a handheld part 2 at the lower end, and a cavity serving as a water tank 20 is formed inside the handheld part 2. A water pump 6 and a drain valve 7 communicating with the water tank 20 are also provided inside the housing 1;

[0050] A steam generating body 3, assembled inside the housing 1. A cleaning cavity 31 serving as a vaporization chamber is formed inside the steam generating body 3, and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity 31 is inclined downward in the direction from front to back; a drain port 34 communicating with the drain valve 7 is also opened on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity 31, and the drain port 34 is located at a position adjacent to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity 31;

[0051] A water distribution seat 5, with one end communicating with the water pump 6 and the other end extending into the cleaning cavity 31, for injecting a liquid flow into the cleaning cavity 31 through the water pump 6;

[0052] Moreover, the inner wall of the cleaning cavity 31 is made of an acid-resistant material, allowing the weakly acidic mixed liquid injected into the water tank 20 to flow into the cleaning cavity 31 through the water pump 6, flow along the inclined inner bottom surface, remove the scale adhering to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity 31, and then flow back into the water tank 20 through the drain port 34 and the drain valve 7 in sequence.

[0053] Based on the above technical solution, the self-cleaning steam device includes a housing 1, a handheld part 2, a water tank 20, a water pump 6, a drain valve 7, a steam generating body 3, a cleaning cavity 31, and a water distribution seat 5. The inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity 31 is inclined and a drain port 34 is correspondingly provided. The inner wall of the cleaning cavity 31 is made of an acid-resistant material, enabling the weakly acidic mixed liquid used as a descaling agent to be injected into the water tank 20 and flow back to the water tank 20 through the water pump 6, the cleaning cavity 31, the drain port 34, and the drain valve 7 in sequence, ensuring that the cleaning cavity 31 will not be corroded by pickling, and the descaling operation can complete the self-cleaning process with one key without disassembling the product, effectively improving the service life of the device.

[0054] In a preferred embodiment, in combination with Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown in, a first labyrinth flow channel 32 is further disposed in the steam generating body 3 around the cleaning cavity 31, and at least one first water-vapor outlet 38 communicating with the first labyrinth flow channel 32 is opened on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity 31 for discharging semi-dry and semi-wet steam, and secondary vaporization is performed in the first labyrinth flow channel 32 to obtain fully dry steam;

[0055] A hot plate 4 is further installed on the front end face of the housing 1. The hot plate 4 has at least one steam outlet 42. A second labyrinth flow channel 41 is further provided on the side of the hot plate 4 facing the steam generating body 3. At least one second water-vapor outlet 39 communicating the first labyrinth flow channel 32 and the second labyrinth flow channel 41 is opened on the front side wall of the cleaning cavity 31. The second labyrinth flow channel 41 is used for vaporizing and purifying the dry steam and discharging it from the steam outlet 42. Further, the first water-vapor outlet 38 is located at the upper edge position of the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity 31 to make the liquid water content in the steam flowing to the first labyrinth flow channel 32 lower and avoid the weak acidic mixed liquid from flowing into the first labyrinth flow channel 32 during the pickling process.

[0056] As a further preferred embodiment, the first labyrinth flow channel 32 is separated by a plurality of first guide plates 33 arranged in the steam generating body 3, and the second labyrinth flow channel 41 is separated by at least one second guide plate 43 arranged on one side of the hot plate 4. It can lengthen the travel of the steam flow and increase the vaporization time to minimize the liquid water content in the steam ejected from the steam outlet 42. Further, in combination with Figure 5 As shown in, a plurality of hemispherical protrusions 35 arranged in an array are further protruded on the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity 31 to increase the evaporation area of the cleaning cavity 31. Further, the steam generating body 3 includes a base 30, a cover plate 301, and a heating element 10. The cleaning cavity 31 and the first labyrinth flow channel 32 are both formed in the base 30 and are detachably closed by the cover plate 301. The heating element 10 is embedded in the base 30 and is located below the cleaning cavity 31 and the first labyrinth flow channel 32 for maintaining the vaporization temperature in both the cleaning cavity 31 and the first labyrinth flow channel 32. Further, the heating element 10 is a coiled or multi-folded electric heating tube to make the temperature in the cleaning cavity 31 and the first labyrinth flow channel 32 more uniform. And, the above-mentioned acid-resistant material is copper, stainless steel and their alloys, but not limited thereto, and both the base 30 and the cover plate can be made of acid-resistant material, or an acid-resistant material is coated on the inner surface of the cleaning cavity 31.

[0057] In a preferred embodiment, specifically as Figure 2 , Figure 5 , Figure 6As shown in the figure, the water distribution base 5 includes a pipeline connector 51 and a water distribution rib 52 that are integrally formed and distributed vertically and horizontally. The pipeline connector 51 has a longitudinally penetrating liquid flow hole 56, and the water distribution rib 52 has a plurality of radially arranged radial rib plates 54 arranged circumferentially. The lower end surface of the water distribution rib 52 also has a bottom plate 53 that is connected to all the radial rib plates 54. And between every two adjacent radial rib plates 54, the upper surface of the bottom plate 53 is a downwardly inclined surface in the direction from the inside to the outside, and is configured as a lower water surface 55. At least a part of the upper end of the water distribution rib 52 is located in the liquid flow hole 56, so as to divide the liquid flow flowing into the liquid flow hole 56 into multiple portions and flow along the radial rib plates 54 to the lower water surface 55, and further flow into the cleaning chamber 31. The liquid flow is divided into several portions and flows to multiple positions in the cleaning chamber 31, thereby making the vaporization more sufficient. Further, in the direction from top to bottom, the radial radius of the radial rib plate 54 gradually increases, so that the liquid flow is further dispersed. In addition, in this embodiment, the radial rib plates 54 are evenly arranged in the circumferential direction and the number is four, that is, the included angle between them is 90 degrees, but it can also be designed with more or fewer radial rib plates 54 and the included angle between them can be designed to be uneven, and it is not limited to this. And the cover plate 301 of the steam generator 3 has an installation hole for passing through the water distribution base 5.

[0058] As a further preferred embodiment, as Figure 3 and Figure 5 shown, the lower end surface of the water distribution base 5 abuts against the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 31. This can maximize the avoidance of liquid flow sputtering.

[0059] In a preferred embodiment, in combination with Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 7 shown, as the upper end of the cavity of the water tank 20 is formed with a water tank upper cover 14, the water tank upper cover 14 is formed with a water tank outlet 15, a water tank return port 16 and a water tank pressure relief port 17 that communicate with the water tank 20. The water tank outlet 15 is connected to the water inlet 61 of the water pump 6 through a pipeline, the water tank return port 16 is connected to the drain valve outlet 72 of the drain valve 7 through a pipeline, and a negative pressure hole 18 is also opened on the housing 1, and there is a gap inside the housing 1 that allows the negative pressure hole 18 to communicate with the air flow of the water tank pressure relief port 17, so as to play a role in adjusting the air pressure inside the water tank 20. A rubber plug can also be embedded in the water tank pressure relief port 17 to further reduce the probability of water in the water tank 20 flowing out from the pressure relief port.

[0060] In a preferred embodiment, as Figure 2 shown, a heat insulation cover 9 is also installed inside the housing 1, and the steam generator 3 is accommodated in the heat insulation cover 9. Further, in combination with Figure 5 shown, the drain port 34 is connected to the drain valve 7 through a drain connection pipe 71 made of an acid-resistant material.

[0061] In addition, a control board 19 is also installed inside the housing 1. An electronic temperature controller 36 and a mechanical temperature controller 37 are closely attached to the lower end of the steam generator 3. A steam switch 11 is installed on the front side of the handheld part 2, and a cleaning switch 12 is installed on the rear end cover of the housing 1. They are all electrically connected to the control board 19 for electrical control. Since they are components commonly used in the prior art, detailed description is omitted here. There is also a power cord outlet 13 on the rear end cover of the housing 1. For this product, a power cord for electrically connecting to the control board 19 can be separately set and externally connected to the mains for power supply, or a rechargeable power source can be arranged in the housing 1 for power supply, and it is not limited to this.

[0062] In a preferred embodiment, specifically as Figure 1 , Figure 2 shown, a base 8 for supporting the self-cleaning steam device is detachably assembled on the outer periphery of the lower end of the handheld part 2, and a water tank outlet communicating with the water tank 20 is formed on the lower end surface of the handheld part 2 and a rotary cover 21 is screwed thereon. Further, a TDS sensor electrically connected to the control board 19 is provided between the water tank 20 and the water pump 6 to count the cumulative TDS value. Specifically, the probe of the TDS sensor extends into the pipeline connected between the water tank 20 and the water pump 6. Among them, TDS refers to Total dissolved solids (total dissolved solids), corresponding to the scale content remaining in the cleaning chamber 31. And there is also a program for counting the cumulative usage duration of the device in the control board 19, and a duration threshold and a TDS threshold are set. When the cumulative TDS value reaches the threshold or the cumulative usage duration reaches the duration threshold, a cleaning reminder is triggered, and the control board 19 gives a reminder through the lamp display embedded on the housing 1.

[0063] Specifically, the TDS of the water added to the water tank 20 each time is different, and there are various methods for calculating the content of impurities accumulated in the boiler. In this solution, the water pump 6 pumps 0.5 g (0.5×10⁻³ liters) of water per second, and the TDS is 300 ppm at this time. Then, 1.5×10⁻⁴ grams of impurities will be stored in the cleaning chamber 31. The cleaning chamber 31 of this solution can store at least 15 g of hard scale. However, in order not to change the steam performance of the whole machine, the thickness of the hard scale is less than 2 mm. It is recommended to start automatic cleaning when the hard scale reaches 5 g. If the user uses hard water with 300 ppm, the water system will remind to flush after using about 16 L of water.

[0064] As a further preferred embodiment, the above-mentioned weakly acidic mixed liquid is a mixed liquid of citric acid and clear water, and the ratio of citric acid to clear water is between 1:20 and 1:50. If the machine reminds of cleaning, it is preferably used with a ratio of 1:20. In addition, a water pipe connected to the water tank outlet 15 is provided in the water tank 20, and a counterweight is arranged at the lower end of the water pipe to ensure the stability of the operation of the water pump 6. Since it is a commonly used solution, detailed description is omitted here.

[0065] In the specific use of this embodiment, first, clean water is injected into the water tank 20, and the steam switch 11 prompts the operation of the water pump 6 and the heating element 10 in the steam generator 3; then, the water pump 6 transports the clean water in the water tank 20 to the water distribution seat 5 and inputs it into the cleaning chamber 31, and under the action of the heating element 10, the clean water is initially vaporized to obtain semi-dry and semi-wet steam; then, the semi-dry and semi-wet steam is input into the first labyrinth flow channel 32 in the steam generator 3 for secondary vaporization to obtain fully dry steam; subsequently, the fully dry steam flows into the second labyrinth flow channel 41 of the ironing board 4 through the second water-vapor outlet 39 of the steam generator 3 for further vaporization and purification by three-time vaporization, and is ejected from the steam outlet 42 on the ironing board 4.

[0066] Meanwhile, when the TDS sensor detects that the cumulative TDS value reaches the threshold or the total machine usage duration reaches the threshold, a cleaning reminder is triggered and the pickling process is executed. The pickling steps of this embodiment are as follows: First, a weakly acidic mixed solution is injected into the water tank 20, and the self-cleaning steam device is supported by the base 8 on a flat ground or tabletop to keep the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 31 in a state of tilting downward in the front-to-back direction, and the cleaning switch 12 prompts the operation of the drain valve 7 and the heating element 10 in the steam generator 3, and the heating element 10 works intermittently to maintain an environment of 50°C to 60°C in the cleaning chamber 31; then, the water pump 6 transports the weakly acidic mixed solution in the water tank 20 to the water distribution seat 5 and inputs it into the cleaning chamber 31, and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 31 is inclined, so that the weakly acidic mixed solution flows under the action of gravity and removes the scale attached to the inner surface of the cleaning chamber 31; then, under the action of the drain valve 7, the weakly acidic mixed solution flows back to the water tank 20 through the drain port 34 and the drain connecting pipe 71.

[0067] Embodiment 2, based on the self-cleaning steam device provided in the above Embodiment 1, the operation method provided in this embodiment includes a steam operation process and a pickling process, and the steam operation process includes:

[0068] Step 1, inject clean water into the water tank 20, and start the water pump 6 and the heating element 10 in the steam generator 3;

[0069] Step 2, the water pump 6 transports the clean water in the water tank 20 to the water distribution seat 5 and inputs it into the cleaning chamber 31, and under the action of the heating element 10, the clean water is initially vaporized to obtain semi-dry and semi-wet steam;

[0070] Step 3, the semi-dry and semi-wet steam flows into the first labyrinth flow channel 32 in the steam generator 3 for secondary vaporization to obtain fully dry steam;

[0071] Step 4, the fully dry steam flows into the second labyrinth flow channel 41 of the ironing board 4 for further vaporization and purification by three-time vaporization, and is ejected from the steam outlet 42 on the ironing board 4.

[0072] The pickling process includes:

[0073] Step a: Inject a weakly acidic mixed solution into the water tank 20. Support the self-cleaning steam device on a flat surface by the base 8 to keep the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 31 in a state of inclining downward in the front-to-back direction; specifically, in the state shown in Figure 2 the figure.

[0074] Step b: Start the drain valve 7 and the heating element 10 in the steam generator 3, and the heating element 10 works intermittently to maintain an environment of 50°C to 60°C in the cleaning chamber 31; thereby avoiding the vaporization of the weakly acidic mixed solution and keeping it in a better acidification performance.

[0075] Step c: The water pump 6 transports the weakly acidic mixed solution in the water tank 20 to the water distribution seat 5 and inputs it into the cleaning chamber 31. The inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber 31 is inclined, prompting the weakly acidic mixed solution to flow under the action of gravity and remove the scale adhering to the inside of the cleaning chamber 31;

[0076] Step d: Under the action of the drain valve 7, the weakly acidic mixed solution flows back into the water tank 20 through the drain port 34.

[0077] Based on the above technical solutions, the operation method of the self-cleaning steam device includes a steam operation process and a pickling process. In the steam operation process, the clear water is vaporized and purified three times, enabling the steam ejected from the steam outlet 42 of the ironing board 4 to have a high degree of vaporization and a low liquid content. During the pickling process, only the liquid flow in the water tank 20 needs to be replaced with a weakly acidic mixed solution and poured out after the pickling is completed to complete the self-cleaning and descaling process, without disassembling and cleaning the device, which is more convenient to operate and extends the service life of the device.

[0078] The above is only the preferred embodiment of the present invention, which is illustrative rather than restrictive to the present invention. Those skilled in the art understand that many changes, modifications, and even equivalents can be made within the spirit and scope defined by the claims of the present invention, but all will fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A self-cleaning steam device, characterized in that, Comprising: A housing (1) having a hand-held portion (2) at the lower end, and a cavity serving as a water tank (20) is formed within the hand-held portion (2). A water pump (6) and a drain valve (7) communicating with the water tank (20) are further provided within the housing (1); A steam generating body (3) assembled inside the housing (1). A cleaning cavity (31) serving as a vaporization chamber is formed within the steam generating body (3), and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity (31) slopes downward in the front-to-back direction; a drain port (34) communicating with the drain valve (7) is further provided on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity (31), and the drain port (34) is located adjacent to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity (31); A water distribution seat (5) having one end communicating with the water pump (6) and the other end extending into the cleaning cavity (31) for injecting a liquid flow into the cleaning cavity (31) through the water pump (6); Moreover, the inner wall of the cleaning cavity (31) is made of an acid-resistant material to allow the weakly acidic mixed liquid injected into the water tank (20) to flow into the cleaning cavity (31) through the water pump (6), flow along the inclined inner bottom surface to remove scale adhering to the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity (31), and flow back into the water tank (20) successively through the drain port (34) and the drain valve (7); A first labyrinth flow channel (32) arranged around the cleaning cavity (31) is further provided within the steam generating body (3), and at least one first water-vapor outlet (38) communicating with the first labyrinth flow channel (32) is provided on the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity (31) for discharging semi-dry and semi-wet steam, and secondary vaporization occurs within the first labyrinth flow channel (32) to obtain fully dry steam; A hot plate (4) is further installed on the front end face of the housing (1). The hot plate (4) has at least one steam outlet (42). A second labyrinth flow channel (41) is further provided on the side of the hot plate (4) facing the steam generating body (3). At least one second water-vapor outlet (39) communicating the first labyrinth flow channel (32) and the second labyrinth flow channel (41) is provided on the front side wall of the cleaning cavity (31). The second labyrinth flow channel (41) is used for vaporizing and purifying the dry steam, which then flows out through the steam outlet (42).

2. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, wherein The first water-vapor outlet (38) is located at the upper edge of the rear side wall of the cleaning cavity (31) to prevent the weakly acidic mixed liquid from flowing into the first labyrinth flow channel (32) during the pickling process.

3. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first labyrinth flow channel (32) is separated by multiple first baffle plates (33) arranged within the steam generating body (3), and the second labyrinth flow channel (41) is separated by at least one second baffle plate (43) arranged on one side of the hot plate (4).

4. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A plurality of hemispherical protrusions (35) arranged in an array are further protruded on the inner bottom surface of the cleaning cavity (31) to increase the evaporation area of the cleaning cavity (31).

5. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, wherein, The steam generating body (3) includes a base (30), a cover plate (301), and a heating element (10), and the cleaning chamber (31) and the first labyrinth flow channel (32) are both formed in the base (30) and are detachably closed by the cover plate (301); The heating element (10) is embedded in the base (30) and is located below the cleaning chamber (31) and the first labyrinth flow channel (32) to maintain the vaporization temperature in the cleaning chamber (31) and the first labyrinth flow channel (32).

6. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, wherein, The water distribution base (5) includes a pipeline connector (51) and a water distribution rib (52) that are integrally formed and distributed up and down. The pipeline connector (51) has a longitudinally penetrating liquid flow hole (56). The water distribution rib (52) has a plurality of radially arranged rib plates (54) arranged circumferentially. The lower end surface of the water distribution rib (52) also has a bottom plate (53) connected to all the radially arranged rib plates (54); Between every two adjacent radially arranged rib plates (54), the upper surface of the bottom plate (53) is inclined downward in the direction from the inside to the outside and is configured as a water surface (55). At least a part of the upper end of the water distribution rib (52) is located in the liquid flow hole (56) to divide the liquid flow flowing into the liquid flow hole (56) into multiple portions and flow along the radially arranged rib plates (54) to the water surface (55), and further flow into the cleaning chamber (31).

7. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, characterized in that, A water tank upper cover (14) is formed at the upper end of the cavity. A water tank water outlet (15), a water tank return port (16), and a water tank pressure relief port (17) communicating with the water tank (20) are formed in the water tank upper cover (14); The water tank water outlet (15) is connected to the water inlet (61) of the water pump (6) through a pipeline. The water tank return port (16) is connected to the drain valve outlet (72) of the drain valve (7) through a pipeline. A negative pressure hole (18) is also formed on the housing (1), and there is a gap inside the housing (1) that allows the negative pressure hole (18) to communicate with the water tank pressure relief port (17) in terms of air flow.

8. The self-cleaning steam device according to claim 1, wherein A base (8) for supporting the self-cleaning steam device is detachably assembled on the outer periphery of the lower end of the handheld part (2), and a water tank outlet communicating with the water tank (20) is formed on the lower end surface of the handheld part (2), and a screw cap (21) is screwed thereon.

9. A method for operating a self-cleaning device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, It includes a steam operation process and a pickling process, and the steam operation process includes: Step 1: Inject clean water into the water tank (20), and start the heating element (10) in the water pump (6) and the steam generating body (3); Step 2: The water pump (6) transports the clean water in the water tank (20) to the water distribution base (5) and inputs it into the cleaning chamber (31), and the clean water is initially vaporized under the action of the heating element (10) to obtain semi-dry and semi-wet steam; Step 3: The semi-dry and semi-wet steam flows into the first labyrinth flow channel (32) in the steam generating body (3) for secondary vaporization to obtain fully dry steam; Step 4: The fully dry steam flows into the second labyrinth flow channel (41) of the ironing board (4) for further vaporization and purification by triple vaporization, and is ejected from the steam outlet (42) on the ironing board (4). The pickling process includes: Step a: Inject a weakly acidic mixed solution into the water tank (20), and support the self-cleaning steam device on a flat surface by the base (8) to keep the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber (31) in a state of tilting downward in the front-to-back direction. Step b: Start the drain valve (7) and the heating element (10) in the steam generator (3), and the heating element (10) works intermittently to maintain an environment of 50°C to 60°C in the cleaning chamber (31). Step c: The water pump (6) transports the weakly acidic mixed solution in the water tank (20) into the cleaning chamber (31), and the inner bottom surface of the cleaning chamber (31) is inclined to cause the weakly acidic mixed solution to flow under the action of gravity and remove the scale attached to the inner surface of the cleaning chamber (31). Step d: Under the action of the drain valve (7), the weakly acidic mixed solution flows back into the water tank (20) through the drain port (34).

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