A waterproof motor structure for a steam iron.

Abstract

This application discloses a waterproof motor structure for a steam iron, relating to the field of motors. The waterproof motor structure includes a motor housing, a tail cap assembly mounted at the rear end of the housing, a stator assembly fixed within the housing, and a rotatable rotor assembly. This waterproof motor structure achieves heat dissipation and waterproofing by creating a slightly positive pressure state internally.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of electric motors, and in particular to a waterproof motor structure for a steam iron. Background Technology

[0002] In steam ironing machine applications, the motor, as the core power component, needs to be exposed to extreme conditions of high temperature (usually exceeding 100℃ steam environment) and high humidity (relative humidity can reach over 90%) for extended periods. Current technologies generally employ a fully sealed structure for waterproofing, such as using multiple layers of rubber seals, a waterproof shell, and sealant filling at seams to isolate external moisture. However, the high permeability of steam poses a challenge to traditional static sealing: on the one hand, sealing materials (such as rubber) are prone to thermal expansion or elastic decay at high temperatures, leading to increased gaps in the sealing surfaces, allowing water vapor to seep into the motor through capillary action; on the other hand, the temperature rise of the internal windings during motor operation is superimposed on the heat conduction from external steam, creating a double high heat load. The fully sealed structure blocks natural heat dissipation channels, leading to heat accumulation and accelerating problems such as aging of insulation materials, demagnetization of magnets, and bearing lubrication failure. For example, conventional sealing rings will harden and crack in environments above 120°C, and their waterproof performance will decrease by more than 40% after 500 hours of continuous operation. At the same time, if the internal temperature of the motor cannot be controlled below 80°C, the winding insulation life will be shortened to 30% of the standard operating condition.

[0003] The core contradiction causing the aforementioned technical bottlenecks lies in the synergistic failure mechanism of waterproofing and heat dissipation. While a fully sealed structure can prevent liquid water intrusion, it cannot effectively cope with the osmotic pressure difference driven by gaseous water vapor. Furthermore, the enclosed environment forces heat to be slowly conducted through the casing, reducing heat dissipation efficiency by more than 60% compared to an open structure. Some improvement solutions attempt to introduce a circulating water cooling system, such as setting an S-shaped flow channel within the water-cooled casing for forced heat dissipation. However, such designs increase the motor volume by more than 50%, and the complex piping interfaces become new weak points for water leakage. In addition, material compatibility issues are prominent in high-temperature environments. For example, traditional epoxy potting compounds are prone to interface peeling under alternating humid and hot conditions, while UV-cured adhesives, although possessing rapid sealing properties, have high-temperature resistance limited to below 150°C, making them unsuitable for the high-temperature steam contact requirements of steam irons.

[0004] Developing a new motor structure adapted to steam ironing machines has significant technical value. Utility Model Content

[0005] The purpose of this application is to overcome at least one deficiency of the prior art and provide a waterproof motor structure for a steam iron, which achieves heat dissipation and waterproofing by creating a slightly positive pressure state inside.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, this application discloses a waterproof motor structure for a steam ironing machine. The waterproof motor structure includes a motor housing, a tail cap assembly assembled at the rear end of the housing, a stator assembly fixed inside the housing, and a rotatable rotor assembly.

[0007] The motor housing and tail cover assembly are precisely fitted to form a completely sealed chamber, and the stator assembly and rotor assembly are optimized and assembled together and housed within this sealed chamber. The front end of the rotor assembly's power output shaft extends to the outside of the motor housing, and this extension is dynamically sealed using a waterproof bearing assembly.

[0008] A miniature centrifugal impeller is integrated at the end of the power output shaft of the rotor assembly. This impeller and the guide channel provided at the rear of the motor housing constitute the air intake.

[0009] The motor housing has a trapezoidal exhaust port at the tail end. A one-way pressure relief valve made of high-temperature resistant silicone is installed on the outside of the exhaust port, which allows gas in the chamber to be discharged outward in one direction only.

[0010] The lower part of the tail cap assembly is provided with an air intake channel whose cross-sectional area is 2-3 times larger than the opening cross-sectional area of ​​the exhaust port. This channel is connected to an external air intake pipeline and equipped with a one-way air intake valve with a flexible reset function. By making the cross-sectional area of ​​the air intake channel and the exhaust channel form a predetermined proportional relationship, a slightly positive pressure is maintained in the chamber during equipment operation.

[0011] To further enhance protective performance, the tail cover assembly adopts a composite layered structure design, including an outer metal protective shell and an inner ceramic fiber heat insulation layer, with an air insulation cavity between the two panels.

[0012] In some embodiments, the inner wall of the tail cap assembly has a moisture-absorbing layer comprising a multi-layered composite polymeric water-absorbing material, specifically made of cross-linked polyacrylate and nano-silica particles, which has moisture-absorbing properties and can effectively capture and fix residual water vapor in the chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, the bearing assembly includes at least two axially arranged sealing rings and a waterproof bushing made of composite material to ensure bidirectional sealing performance at the junction of the rotating shaft and the housing.

[0014] Compared with the prior art, this application has at least one of the following beneficial technical effects:

[0015] 1. By creating a slightly positive pressure state inside the motor, water vapor is effectively prevented from seeping back into the motor, solving the waterproofing problem caused by the degradation of the sealing material at high temperatures in traditional fully sealed structures, and improving the waterproofing performance of the motor.

[0016] 2. The slightly positive pressure state, combined with the airflow management system, not only achieves heat dissipation inside the motor, avoiding the problem of heat accumulation accelerating the aging of motor components under a fully sealed structure, but also eliminates the need to introduce a complex circulating water cooling system, preventing new water leakage risks caused by pipe interfaces, and reducing the difficulty and cost of heat dissipation.

[0017] 3. The tail cap assembly adopts a composite layered structure design and a moisture-absorbing layer with gradient adsorption characteristics, which further enhances the heat insulation and high temperature resistance of the motor, making it more suitable for the high-temperature steam environment of steam ironing machines, effectively extending the service life of the motor, and improving the reliability of the motor under extreme working conditions.

[0018] The beneficial effects listed above are not exhaustive of all advantages. Other potential beneficial effects and detailed technical implementation methods will be further disclosed in the embodiments or other descriptive sections of this application. Attached Figure Description

[0019] A better understanding of various aspects of this disclosure will be achieved by reading the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. The positions, dimensions, and extents of the structures shown in the drawings, etc., do not always represent actual positions, dimensions, and extents. In the drawings:

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of one embodiment disclosed in this application.

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a partial cross-sectional structure of the tail section in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0023] The present disclosure will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure can be presented in many different ways and is not limited to the embodiments described below; in fact, the embodiments described below are intended to make the disclosure more complete and to fully illustrate the scope of protection of the present disclosure to those skilled in the art. It should also be understood that the embodiments disclosed herein can be combined in various ways to provide further additional embodiments.

[0024] It should be understood that the same reference numerals denote the same elements in all the accompanying drawings. For clarity, the dimensions of certain features may be modified in the drawings.

[0025] It should be understood that the terminology used in this specification is for describing specific embodiments only and is not intended to limit this disclosure. All terms used in this specification (including technical and scientific terms) have the meanings commonly understood by those skilled in the art, unless otherwise defined. For the sake of brevity and / or clarity, techniques, methods, and apparatus known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail; however, where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and apparatus should be considered part of this specification.

[0026] Unless otherwise specified, the singular forms “a,” “the,” and “the” used in this specification include the plural forms. The terms “comprising,” “including,” and “containing” used in this specification indicate the presence of the claimed feature but do not exclude the presence of one or more other features. The term “and / or” used in this specification includes any and all combinations of one or more of the relevant listed items.

[0027] See attached document Figure 1 and 2 In this embodiment, a waterproof motor structure for a steam iron is used as an example to illustrate its implementation in detail. The waterproof motor structure mainly includes a motor housing 1, a tail cover assembly 2, a stator assembly 3, and a rotor assembly 4. These components work together to achieve effective waterproofing and heat dissipation of the motor in high-temperature and high-humidity environments.

[0028] The motor housing 1 is made of high-temperature resistant aluminum alloy, which has good mechanical strength and heat dissipation performance, and can provide reliable support and protection for the internal motor components. The tail cover assembly 2 is assembled at the rear end of the motor housing 1, and the two form a completely sealed chamber 5 through mechanical cooperation and sealing assembly.

[0029] In this embodiment, the tail cap assembly 2 is a composite structure. The outer layer 201 is a metal protective shell, which can be made of stainless steel. It has excellent corrosion resistance and impact resistance, and can resist the corrosion of chemical substances that may occur in the working environment of the steam iron and the damage to the motor caused by accidental collisions. The inner layer 202 is a ceramic fiber heat insulation layer. The ceramic fiber 202 itself has the characteristics of high temperature resistance and good heat insulation performance. It can effectively block the conduction of external high temperature steam to the inside of the motor, reduce the risk of damage to the internal components of the motor due to overheating. An air heat insulation cavity 203 is set between the two layers to further enhance the heat insulation effect and reduce the accumulation of heat on the tail cap assembly 2.

[0030] In this embodiment, the stator assembly 3 is fixed inside the chamber 5, and mainly includes a stator core and winding coils. The stator core is made of laminated silicon steel sheets with high magnetic permeability, which helps to improve the operating efficiency of the motor and reduce iron losses. The winding coils are made of high-strength, high-temperature resistant insulated enameled wire. This enameled wire can maintain good insulation performance in temperature environments above 200°C, effectively preventing problems such as insulation material aging and short circuits caused by high temperatures, and ensuring the stability and reliability of the motor during long-term operation.

[0031] The rotor assembly 4 is rotatably disposed in the magnetic field formed by the stator assembly 3, and its power output shaft 401 extends to the outside of the motor housing 1 for connection with the blades or other transmission mechanisms of the steam ironing machine to realize the transmission of power.

[0032] A waterproof bearing assembly 6 is fitted at the joint between the power output shaft 401 and the motor housing 1. The bearing assembly 6 includes at least two axially arranged sealing rings and a waterproof bushing made of composite material. The sealing rings can be made of high-quality rubber material and are specially treated to improve their high temperature resistance and wear resistance, so as to maintain a good sealing state during motor operation and prevent external moisture from seeping into the cavity 5 along the power output shaft.

[0033] To achieve micro-positive pressure waterproofing, a miniature centrifugal impeller 7 is integrated at the end of the power output shaft of the rotor assembly 4. The blades of the miniature centrifugal impeller 7 are injection molded from high-strength, high-temperature resistant engineering plastics, possessing excellent mechanical properties and resistance to deformation, and can maintain a stable shape and operating performance during high-speed rotation. When the motor is running, the rotor assembly 4 drives the miniature centrifugal impeller 7 to rotate at high speed, and the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the miniature centrifugal impeller 7 circulates the air inside the motor.

[0034] To facilitate the operation of the miniature centrifugal impeller 7, and as a necessary design for achieving slight positive pressure and heat dissipation, the motor housing 1 has an exhaust port 8, and a one-way pressure relief valve 9 made of high-temperature resistant silicone material is installed at the exhaust port 8. The valve core of the one-way pressure relief valve 9 adopts a conical sealing surface design. When the pressure inside the chamber 5 is greater than the external ambient pressure, the one-way pressure relief valve 9 is pushed open, allowing the gas inside the chamber 5 to be smoothly discharged to the outside.

[0035] The lower part of the tail cover assembly 2 is provided with an air intake channel 10. The cross-section of the air intake channel 10 is 2 to 3 times larger than the opening cross-section of the exhaust hole 8. This size ratio design can ensure that the air intake volume and exhaust volume are not equal during motor operation, so as to maintain a slightly positive pressure state inside the chamber 5.

[0036] Specifically, the air intake channel 10 is connected to an external air intake pipe and is equipped with a one-way air intake valve 11 with a flexible reset function. When the pressure inside the chamber 5 decreases, the one-way air intake valve 11 automatically opens, allowing clean and dry air from the outside to enter the chamber 5 through the air intake channel 10; while when the motor stops working, the one-way air intake valve 11 closes to prevent external moisture from flowing back into the chamber 5 through the air intake channel 10.

[0037] Understandably, the slightly positive pressure inside chamber 5 effectively prevents external water vapor from seeping back into the interior of chamber 5.

[0038] Furthermore, in some implementations, the inner wall of the tail cap assembly 2 is provided with a moisture-absorbing layer 204. This moisture-absorbing layer 204 comprises a multi-layered composite polymer water-absorbing material, specifically made of cross-linked polyacrylate and nano-silica particles. The cross-linked polyacrylate has superior water absorption properties, enabling it to quickly absorb any trace amounts of water vapor that may remain inside the chamber 5. The nano-silica particles, on the other hand, increase the mechanical strength and stability of the moisture-absorbing layer, preventing problems such as expansion, deformation, or detachment of the moisture-absorbing material after absorbing moisture, thus ensuring the long-term effectiveness and reliability of the moisture-absorbing layer 204. The moisture-absorbing layer 204 provides an additional protective barrier inside the motor. Even if a small amount of water vapor breaks through the sealing structure and enters the chamber 5, it can be promptly captured and fixed by the moisture-absorbing layer 204, thereby further improving the motor's waterproof performance and extending its service life.

[0039] In practical applications, such as during the operation of a steam ironing machine, when the motor starts running, the rotor assembly 4 drives the micro centrifugal blades 7 to rotate at high speed. The airflow generated by the impeller rotation flows from the air inlet channel 10 to the exhaust port 8 and is discharged from the outside of the chamber 5 through the one-way pressure relief valve 9, creating a slightly positive pressure state inside the motor. At this time, under the action of atmospheric pressure, external air enters the chamber through the one-way air inlet valve 11 and the air inlet channel 10, replenishing the pressure difference generated inside the motor due to exhaust. Because the cross-sectional area of ​​the air inlet channel and the exhaust channel form a predetermined proportional relationship, it ensures that the inside of the motor can continuously maintain a stable slightly positive pressure state, effectively preventing external water vapor from seeping into the motor through various possible gaps.

[0040] Meanwhile, the heat generated during motor operation is conducted outwards through the natural heat dissipation of the motor housing 1. Since the motor housing 1 is made of high-temperature resistant aluminum alloy, it has good heat dissipation performance, dissipating some heat into the surrounding environment. On the other hand, under the combined effect of a slightly positive pressure state and the airflow management system, hot air inside the motor is continuously expelled, while relatively cool air from the outside is continuously drawn in, forming a good air circulation. This further enhances the motor's heat dissipation effect and avoids the problem of heat accumulation leading to accelerated aging of motor components in a fully sealed structure. For example, after the steam iron has been working continuously for several hours, the internal temperature of the motor using the waterproof motor structure of this embodiment can be reduced by about 10℃-20℃ compared to a traditional fully sealed motor. This effectively slows down the aging rate of the winding insulation material, extends the motor's service life, and improves the motor's reliability and stability in high-temperature and high-humidity working environments. In contrast, after prolonged operation, the internal heat of a traditional fully sealed motor cannot be dissipated in time, causing the performance of the winding insulation material to rapidly decline, easily leading to short circuits, insulation failure, and other problems, seriously affecting the normal use and safety of the steam iron.

[0041] The waterproof motor structure for steam ironing machines provided in this embodiment achieves effective synergy between waterproofing and heat dissipation through ingenious structural design and material selection. It overcomes the shortcomings of existing fully sealed motor structures in terms of poor waterproofing and heat dissipation performance under high temperature and high humidity environments. It provides new technical ideas and solutions for motor design in high temperature and high humidity application scenarios such as steam ironing machines, and has significant technical value and application prospects.

[0042] While exemplary embodiments of this disclosure have been described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes and modifications can be made to the exemplary embodiments of this disclosure without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. Therefore, all changes and modifications are included within the scope of protection of this disclosure as defined by the claims. This disclosure is defined by the appended claims, and equivalents of those claims are also included.

Claims

1. A waterproof motor structure for a steam press, characterized by comprising: The waterproof motor structure includes a motor housing, a tail cover assembly mounted at the rear end of the housing, a stator assembly fixed inside the housing, and a rotatable rotor assembly. The motor housing and tail cover assembly are precisely fitted to form a completely sealed chamber. The stator assembly and rotor assembly are optimized and assembled and housed as a whole in this sealed chamber. The front end of the power output shaft of the rotor assembly extends to the outside of the motor housing, and this extension is dynamically sealed by a waterproof bearing assembly. A miniature centrifugal impeller is integrated at the end of the power output shaft of the rotor assembly. This impeller and the guide channel provided at the rear of the motor housing constitute the air intake. The motor housing has a trapezoidal exhaust port at the tail end. A one-way pressure relief valve made of high-temperature resistant silicone is fitted on the outside of the exhaust port, which allows gas in the chamber to be discharged outward in one direction only. The lower part of the tail cover assembly is provided with an air intake channel whose cross-section is 2-3 times larger than the cross-sectional size of the exhaust port. This channel is connected to the external air intake pipeline and is equipped with a one-way air intake valve with elastic reset function.

2. A waterproof motor structure for a steam press as defined in claim 1, wherein The tail cover assembly adopts a composite layered structure design, which includes an outer metal protective shell and an inner ceramic fiber heat insulation layer, with an air insulation cavity set between the two panels.

3. A waterproof motor structure for a steam press as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The inner wall of the tail cap assembly has a moisture-absorbing layer, which contains a multi-layered composite polymer water-absorbing material.

4. A waterproof motor structure for a steam press as defined in claim 1, wherein The bearing assembly includes at least two axially arranged sealing rings and a waterproof bushing made of composite material.

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