Steamer

Abstract

To provide a steamer having a visual confirmation window through which liquid stored in a tank can be visually confirmed easily.SOLUTION: A steamer 1 of the invention has an outer shell body 9 and a tank assembly for storing water. The tank assembly is disposed inside the outer shell body 9. A visual confirmation window 95 is provided on the outer shell body 9 along a longer direction of the tank assembly. The water amount in the tank assembly can be visually confirmed even when feeding water in the tank assembly or using the steamer 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steamer that ejects steam onto textile products such as clothing to remove wrinkles. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional steamer that ejects steam to remove wrinkles from clothes and the like is described in Patent Document 1. The steamer described in Patent Document 1 includes a tank assembly (17) that stores water for generating steam. Water is supplied to the tank assembly (17) through a water inlet (24).

[0003] When a user fills the tank assembly (17) with water, the front of the steamer faces upward, so that the water inlet (24) opens upward. The user fills the tank assembly (17) while checking the amount of water in the tank assembly (17) through a viewing window (shown as a vertically long oval in FIG. 10 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-54575 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, this viewing window is small and formed on the front side of the steamer, and there is a problem that it is difficult to visually check the remaining amount of water during use. Also, referring to Fig. 6 of Patent Document 1, there is no viewing window, and when the steamer is held in the right hand, the viewing window is provided on the side far from the user, so there is a problem that it is difficult for a right-handed user to check the viewing window.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a steamer equipped with a viewing window that makes it easy to see the liquid stored in the tank. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The steamer of the present invention comprises an outer shell, a tank for storing liquid, a vaporization chamber that generates steam from the liquid; a steam button that continuously ejects the steam; and a transmission mechanism that controls the supply of the liquid from the tank to the vaporization chamber by operating the steam button. the outer shell has a main body and a handle, the main body and the handle are connected by a front connecting portion and a rear connecting portion, a gripping space is formed between the main body and the handle, and the tank is disposed inside the outer shell; The transmission mechanism is disposed within the tank, On both the left and right sides of the outer shell, there are viewing windows formed in an elliptical ring shape so as to surround the gripping space. Separate The viewing window provided on the main body is provided on an upper portion of the main body. Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the steamer of the present invention, the amount of liquid stored in the tank can be easily recognized. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a steamer, a plug unit, and a stand according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a right and left side view of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the steamer of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a partial vertical cross-sectional view of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 1 is a perspective view showing the steam button and shot button and their surroundings of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial longitudinal cross-sectional view of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a storage space and the like of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a steamer according to an embodiment of the present invention, viewed from below. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a steam button and a shot button of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a steam button and a shot button of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the structure of a steam button and a shot button of a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 2 is a top view of the inside of the handle of the steamer of one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the steamer of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Not all of the configurations described below are essential requirements for the present invention.

[0011] 1 to 14 show an embodiment of the present invention, and as shown in FIG. 1, the steamer 1 is provided with a plug unit 2 that supplies power to the steamer 1, and a stand 3 on which the steamer 1 is placed. The plug unit 2 is configured to be detachable from either the steamer 1 or the stand 3. In the following description, the side on which a water inlet lid 33 (described later) is provided is the front side of the steamer 1, the side on which a power switch 19 (described later) is provided is the rear side of the steamer 1, the right side of the steamer 1 is shown in FIG. 2, and the left side of the steamer 1 is shown in FIG. 3.

[0012] Steamer 1 has 4 units OneThe steamer 1 has a handle 5 formed on the main body 4. The main body 4 and the handle 5 are connected by a front connection part 6 and a rear connection part 7. Therefore, the steamer 1 is a so-called closed handle type in which the rear side of the handle 5 is connected to the main body 4, and a gripping space part 8 having a roughly elliptical shape in side view is formed between the main body 4 and the handle 5. The main body 4, the handle 5, the front connection part 6 and the rear connection part 7 are integrated by the outer shell 9, which is the outer case, and there is no clear boundary between them.

[0013] As shown in Fig. 4, the main body 4 is provided at its lower part with a metal base 12 in which a heater 11 is embedded as a heating means. The base 12 is configured such that a base plate 14 serving as a hanging surface member is provided on the bottom surface of a base substrate 13 formed by die casting, and is fixed in close contact with the base substrate 13 by a fastening member 15 fixed to the base plate 14. A vaporization chamber 16 located near the heater 11 is formed inside the base 12, and a plurality of steam holes 17 communicating with the vaporization chamber 16 are formed in the base plate 14 forming the lower surface of the base 12. The base 12 is also provided with a steam cover 18 serving as a metal plate-shaped upper lid, and the upper surface of the vaporization chamber 16 is formed by the steam cover 18 attached and fixed to the base substrate 13.

[0014] Vaporization chamber 16 is provided with a thermostat 20 which is electrically connected to power switch 19 and heater 11. When power switch 19 is turned on, thermostat 20 detects the temperature of vaporization chamber 16 and sequentially controls the power supply to heater 11 based on this detection. Through such control, the temperature of vaporization chamber 16 is kept almost constant at about 160°C. The set temperature of vaporization chamber 16 may be set to a temperature other than 160°C.

[0015] A tank assembly 21 corresponding to a tank for storing liquid is provided from the inside of the front connection part 6 to the inside of the main body 4 located below the gripping space part 8. The tank assembly 21 is composed of a tank cover 22 and a tank base 23, both made of resin, and a liquid storage space 24 is formed inside the tank assembly 21 by attaching and fixing the tank base 23 so as to cover the bottom opening of the tank cover 22. In addition, a path former 27 is attached to the underside of the tank base 23, forming a steam path 25 through which water, which is the liquid for steam, flows and a shot path 26 through which water, which is the liquid for shots, flows. The space between the tank base 23 and the path former 27 becomes the steam path 25 and the shot path 26 (see FIG. 5).

[0016] As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, a check valve 29 made of silicone resin is provided on the top surface 28 on the front side of the tank cover 22, and the check valve 29 allows air to be taken into the tank assembly 21. As described later, when the water in the tank assembly 21 flows into the steam path 25 or the shot path 26, air is taken into the tank assembly 21 through the check valve 29. The check valve 29 is disposed at a position below the shot button 35. The check valve 29 has a circular opening 30 located on the outside of the tank assembly 21 and a linear opening 31 in the form of a slit located on the inside of the tank assembly 21. When the storage space 24 becomes negative pressure, air flows in through the circular opening 30, and the check valve 29 elastically deforms to increase the opening of the linear opening 31, thereby taking in air into the tank assembly 21. On the other hand, when the pressure in the storage space 24 is the same as the atmospheric pressure, the linear opening 31 is hardly open, and the water in the storage space 24 is unlikely to flow out from the linear opening 31 to the outside. The check valve 29 is provided on the top surface 28, which is the highest position of the tank assembly 21, and the steamer 1 is unlikely to become flooded unless it is tilted so that the front side is downward.

[0017] The front connection part 6 is provided with a water inlet 32 ​​that communicates directly with the storage space 24. A water inlet lid 33 that can be opened and closed manually is provided on the water inlet 32, and by lifting the water inlet lid 33 forward to open the water inlet 32, liquid water can be stored in the tank assembly 21 (storage space 24) or unnecessary water can be discharged from the tank assembly 21 (storage space 24).

[0018] A steam button 34 and a shot button 35 are arranged side by side on the front part of the handle 5 (the upper part of the front connection part 6). The steam button 34 and the shot button 35 can be pressed down, and when the steam button 34 is pressed and held down, steam continues to come out of the steam hole 17, and when the shot button 35 is pressed down and the finger is released from the shot button 35, a predetermined amount of steam comes out of the steam hole 17 for a short time. In addition, when the term "steam button" is used in the present invention, the name of the button is not limited to "steam button", and any button with a different name that is used for a button that is operated to continuously emit steam is also considered to be a "steam button". In addition, when the term "shot button" is used in the present invention, the name of the button is not limited to "shot button", and any button with a different name that is used for a button that is operated to emit steam for a short time is also considered to be a "shot button".

[0019] A transmission mechanism is provided in the storage space 24 for transmitting the force exerted by operating the steam button 34 and causing the water in the storage space 24 to flow into the steam path 25. The transmission mechanism is mainly composed of a transmission rod 41 connected to the steam button 34, a transmission body 42 which is a swinging body, a support cylinder 43 which supports the middle part of the transmission body 42, and a drip rod 44 which is a movable body. As shown in FIG. 7, the upper part of the transmission rod 41 is disposed outside the tank assembly 21, and the lower part is disposed in the storage space 24.

[0020] As shown mainly in Figs. 7 to 9, the steam button 34 is biased upward by a compression coil spring 45, which is a biasing means. The transmission rod 41 is inserted into the compression coil spring 45, and the lower end of the compression coil spring 45 abuts against a spring stopper 46 provided in the middle part of the transmission rod 41. The upper end of the compression coil spring 45 abuts against a connecting part 47 of the steam button 34 that is connected to the transmission rod 41. That is, the compression coil spring 45 is disposed between the connecting part 47 and the spring stopper 46. When the steam button 34 is not pressed down, the compression coil spring 45 is in an extended state, and when the steam button 34 is pressed down, the compression coil spring 45 is in a compressed state. Therefore, when the steam button 34 is pressed down, the biasing force of the compression coil spring 45 is transmitted to the spring stopper 46, and the transmission rod 41 moves downward. The compression coil spring 45 and the spring stopper 46 are also part of the transmission mechanism.

[0021] The transmitting body 42 extends in the front-rear direction of the tank assembly 21, and has a long and narrow rectangular bottom plate portion 48 and a wall portion 49 erected from the outer periphery of the bottom plate portion 48. It is formed flat on the bottom plate portion 48, and the wall portion 49 ensures the strength of the transmitting body 42. In addition, since the transmitting body 42 comes into contact with water, it is made of stainless steel, which is resistant to rust.

[0022] The front, middle, and rear parts of the transmission body 42 are formed with a front hole 50, an intermediate hole 51, and a rear hole 52, which are through holes, respectively. The transmission rod body 41 is connected to the front part in a state where it is inserted through the front hole 50. The support tube part 43, which is suspended downward from the inner wall of the tank cover 22, is inserted through the intermediate hole 51. The support tube part 43 is fixed with a screw 54 to a stopper member 53 disposed on the lower side of the transmission body 42. The stopper member 53 and the screw 54 are also part of the transmission mechanism. In addition, a pair of plate-shaped ribs 55 are formed on the left and right sides of the side part of the support tube part 43. The drip rod 44 is connected to the rear part in a state where it is inserted through the rear hole 52. When the transmission rod body 41 moves upward, the front part of the transmission body 42 moves upward and the rear part moves downward with the support tube part 43 as a fulcrum. On the other hand, when the transmission rod body 41 moves downward, the front part moves downward and the rear part moves upward with the support tube part 43 as a fulcrum. That is, the front part of the transmission body 42 functions as a force point, the middle part as a fulcrum, and the rear part as a point of action, and the transmission body 42 swings (rotates) like a seesaw. The distance from the front hole 50 to the middle hole 51 is longer than the distance from the middle hole 51 to the rear hole 52, so that the moment of force on the force point side when the steam button 34 is pressed down is increased. Therefore, even if the steam button 34 is pressed down with a weak force, the rear part of the transmission body 42 can be lifted. A predetermined gap (about 2 to 3 mm) is formed between the rib 55 of the support tube part 43 and the transmission body 42, so that the vertical movement of the transmission body 42 is limited within a predetermined range.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 4, the upper part of the drip rod 44 is inserted into a guide tube part 56 that is vertically installed downward from the inner wall of the tank cover 22. The guide tube part 56 is inserted into a compression coil spring 57 that is a biasing means that biases the rear part of the transmission body 42 downward. This compression coil spring 57 is disposed between the tank cover 22 and the bottom plate part 48 of the transmission body 42. The drip rod 44 also has a needle 58 that is integrally formed at the lower end, and a rod sleeve 59 that serves as a water-stopping member that is attached to the lower part of the drip rod 44. The guide tube part 56, the compression coil spring 57, the needle 58, and the rod sleeve 59 are also part of the transmission mechanism.

[0024] A bottom hole 60, which is a hole penetrating the tank base 23, is formed in the rear part of the tank base 23. A needle valve 62 serving as a valve body is attached to a peripheral portion 61 of the bottom hole 60. A drip port 63, which is a hole penetrating in the vertical direction, is formed in the needle valve 62, and the needle 58 of the drip rod 44 is inserted into this drip port 63, and the drip port 63 is closed by the rod sleeve 59 and the needle valve 62 coming into close contact with each other. On the other hand, the drip rod 44 moves upward, and the rod sleeve 59 and the needle valve 62 separate from each other, thereby opening the drip port 63. As shown in FIG. 10, the bottom hole 60 and the drip port 63 are located on an imaginary center line L1 passing through the center of the tank assembly 21 in the left-right direction (width direction). In this embodiment, the virtual center line L1 is the center line of the tank assembly 21 in the left-right direction (width direction), and is the center line of the steamer 1 in the left-right direction (width direction), but is not actually formed on the steamer 1, and indicates an approximate center position in the left-right direction (width direction) of the tank assembly 21. In this embodiment, since the tank assembly 21 has a substantially left-right symmetrical shape, the virtual center line L1 is defined as an approximate center position in the left-right direction (width direction) of the tank assembly 21, but depending on the shape of the tank assembly 21, a line that divides the tank assembly 21 into left and right so that the capacity of the storage space 24 is approximately the same may be defined as the virtual center line L1.

[0025] As shown in Fig. 10, the transmission rod body 41 and the front hole 50, the support cylinder part 43 and the intermediate hole 51 are located to the right of the imaginary center line L1, and the drip rod 44 and the rear hole 52 are located on the imaginary center line L1, so that the imaginary straight line L2 passing through the front hole 50, the intermediate hole 51 and the rear hole 52 forms a predetermined angle θ (θ ≠ 0°) with the imaginary center line L1. In other words, the transmission body 42 is disposed obliquely at an angle θ with respect to the imaginary center line L1, which is the center line extending in the front-rear direction of the steamer 1. Note that the imaginary straight line L2 is not actually formed on the steamer 1, but indicates the positional relationship between the front hole 50, the intermediate hole 51 and the rear hole 52.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 11 to Fig. 13, the storage space 24 and the like are provided with a water suction mechanism for causing water in the storage space 24 to flow into the shot path 26 by pressing down the shot button 35. The water suction mechanism mainly comprises a compression coil spring 71, which is a biasing means for biasing the shot button 35 in an upward direction, a piston 72 for sucking up water, and a tubular water suction pipe 73 for causing water to flow into the piston 72. The water suction pipe 73 extends rearward along the tank base 23 from the piston 72 disposed below the shot button 35, and an intake port 74 formed at the rear end of the water suction pipe 73 is disposed in a position close to the rear end of the tank assembly 21 and close to the imaginary center line L1 of the tank assembly 21. The intake port 74 may be disposed on the imaginary center line L1.

[0027] The suction pipe 73 is disposed to the left of the transmission body 42 and the imaginary center line L1. However, for example, when the steam button 34 and the shot button 35 are disposed in the reversed position, the suction pipe 73 is disposed to the right of the transmission body 42 and the imaginary center line L1. The suction pipe 73 has a bent portion 75 formed in the rear portion thereof, which is bent toward the imaginary center line L1. This bent portion 75 allows the suction port 74 to be disposed in a position close to the imaginary center line L1 and further to the drip port 63. Note that the suction port 74 can be positioned at a desired position by forming a plurality of bent portions 75. Alternatively, the suction pipe 73 may be disposed obliquely with respect to the imaginary center line L1, and the suction port 74 may be disposed in a position close to the imaginary center line L1, the rear end of the tank assembly 21, or the drip port 63.

[0028] As shown in Fig. 5, the steam path 25 and the shot path 26 join at the joining section 36, and below (downstream) the joining section 36, there is provided an inflow prevention mechanism 76 for preventing water from flowing into the vaporization chamber 16 when the base 12 is lower than the vaporization temperature. The inflow prevention mechanism 76 mainly comprises a bimetal 77 as a thermosensitive body that senses the temperature of the base 12 and deforms, and an on-off valve 78 that opens and closes the passage in response to the bimetal 77. The bimetal 77 is stored in a concave bimetal storage chamber 79 provided on the upper surface of the base substrate 13, and when the base 12 is lower than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, the bimetal 77 is in a return state, and the on-off valve 78 moves in a direction to close the passage, whereas when the base 12 is equal to or higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, the bimetal 77 is in an inverted state, and the on-off valve 78 moves in a direction to open the passage. When the passage is opened, the water flowing through the steam passage 25 or the shot passage 26 is dripped into the vaporization chamber 16 .

[0029] Here, the flow of water when using steam will be described. First, when the user presses down the steam button 34, the transmission rod 41 moves downward together with the steam button 34. As the transmission rod 41 moves down, the front side of the transmission body 42 is pushed downward with the support tube 43 as a fulcrum, and the rear side of the transmission body 42 is lifted upward against the biasing force of the compression coil spring 57. As a result, the drip rod 44 connected to the rear part of the transmission body 42 moves upward, and a gap is formed between the rod sleeve 59 and the needle valve 62. That is, the drip port 63 opens, and the water in the storage space 24 flows into the steam path 25 from this opening. The water in the steam path 25 flows into the vaporization chamber 16 via the inflow prevention mechanism 76. The water that becomes steam (vapor) in the vaporization chamber 16 is discharged to the outside from the steam hole 17. As long as the steam button 34 is pressed, the drip port 63 remains open, allowing steam to continue to be released, but when the steam button 34 is no longer pressed, the steam button 34 moves upward due to the biasing force of the compression coil spring 45, and the rear side of the transmission body 42 moves downward due to the biasing force of the compression coil spring 57. As a result, the steam button 34 returns to its initial position, the drip rod 44 moves downward to close the drip port 63, and the release of steam stops.

[0030] On the other hand, the flow of water when using a shot will be described below. First, when the user presses down the shot button 35 (FIG. 12) while the shot button 35 is in the initial position (FIG. 11), and then releases his / her finger from the shot button 35, the shot button 35 moves upward due to the urging force of the compression coil spring 71 and returns to the initial position. At this time, the water in the storage space 24 is sucked up from the suction port 74 by the piston 72 (FIG. 13), flows through the suction pipe 73, and flows into the shot path 26. The water in the shot path 26 flows into the vaporization chamber 16 through the inflow prevention mechanism 76, becomes steam (vapor) in the vaporization chamber 16, and is released to the outside from the steam hole 17. That is, the shot button 35 is designed to release a predetermined amount of steam by one press. When the user presses down the shot button 35 again and releases his / her finger, a predetermined amount of steam is released again.

[0031] As shown mainly in FIG. 4 and FIG. 14, a hollow space 81 communicating with the storage space 24 is formed inside the front side of the handle 5. The space 81 has an upper surface 82, a bottom surface 83, and a side surface 84, and is formed separately from the outer shell 9. The space 81 is disposed behind the steam button 34 and the shot button 35. A communication hole 85, which is a communication part communicating with the storage space 24, is formed in the front side of the bottom surface 83 and in the center part in the left-right direction (width direction). The bottom surface 83 is an inclined part inclined downward toward the communication hole 85, and gradually narrows toward the communication hole 85. Therefore, even if water flows into the space 81, the water easily flows toward the communication hole 85. In this embodiment, the bottom surface 83 is an inclined part that is inclined as a whole, but the inclined part may be partially formed, such as the periphery of the communication hole 85 being inclined and the other part being flat. A replacement hole 86, which is a replacement part, is formed on the upper surface 82 of the space 81. The replacement hole 86, which is a small through hole, communicates the inside and outside of the space 81 and allows air to flow in and out of the space 81. The replacement hole 86 can be formed at a desired position, taking into consideration a position that is less likely to be flooded when water flows into the space 81. A plurality of replacement holes 86 may be formed. In this embodiment, the communication hole 85 is used as the communication part, but it is not limited to a hole-shaped one, and other structures may be used as long as air can flow between the storage space 24 and the space 81. In addition, the replacement hole 86, which is a through hole, is used as the replacement part, but it is not limited to a through hole, and other structures may be used as long as air can flow between the inside and outside of the space 81.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 4, an opening / closing rod 87, which is an opening / closing mechanism for opening and closing the communication hole 85, is disposed in the storage space 24. The opening / closing rod 87 extends parallel to the transmission rod 41, and a lower portion of the transmission rod 41 and a lower portion of the opening / closing rod 87 are connected by a connection plate 88. Therefore, the transmission rod 41 and the opening / closing rod 87 move vertically as a unit. As shown in FIG. 10, the opening / closing rod 87 is located on the imaginary center line L1. A packing 89 serving as a cylindrical water-stopping member is attached to the upper portion of the opening / closing rod 87. A small diameter portion 90 having a small diameter is formed in a portion of the opening / closing rod 87 above the position where the packing 89 is attached.

[0033] When the steam button 34 is in its initial position and not pressed down, the small diameter portion 90 is inserted into the communication hole 85, and the packing 89 comes into contact with the peripheral portion of the communication hole 85, thereby blocking the communication hole 85. On the other hand, when the steam button 34 is pressed down and the transmission rod 41 moves downward, the opening / closing rod 87 also moves downward together with the connection plate 88, the packing 89 moves away from the peripheral portion of the communication hole 85, and the communication hole 85 opens. In other words, when the water in the storage space 24 is caused to flow into the steam path 25, the communication hole 85 opens, and the air in the space 81 flows into the tank assembly 21. In addition, when the communication hole 85 opens, there is a possibility that the water in the storage space 24 will flow into the space portion 81, but the communication hole 85 opens only when the steam button 34 is pressed down, and since the storage space 24 is in a negative pressure state, air flows from the space portion 81 into the storage space 24, so water is unlikely to flow into the space portion 81. In addition, since the diameter of the communication hole 85 is small, even if water flows into the space portion 81, it is only a small amount, and it dries in the space portion 81 or returns to the storage space 24 together with air when the communication hole 85 opens next time or later, so the possibility that the water in the space portion 81 will flow out of the space portion 81 through the replacement hole 86 is extremely low.

[0034] The size (volume) of the space 81 can be any desired size (volume) as long as it can be accommodated in the handle 5. In this embodiment, as shown in Fig. 14, there is surplus space 91 on both the left and right sides and the rear part of the space 81 inside the handle 5. Therefore, it is possible to make the space 81 even larger. Also, if there is space inside the front connection part 6, etc., the space 81 may be expanded into the front connection part 6, etc.

[0035] A pilot lamp 92, which is a light-emitting part, is provided at the rear part of the surplus space 91 of the handle 5. When the power switch 19 is turned on, the heater 11 is driven and the pilot lamp 92 is turned on. When the temperature of the vaporization chamber 16 reaches 160°C and stabilizes, the pilot lamp 92 is turned off. When the steamer is used with a cord connected to the plug unit 2, the temperature of the vaporization chamber 16 drops, the pilot lamp 92 is turned on when the heater 11 is driven, and the pilot lamp 92 is turned off when the temperature stabilizes. Therefore, when the steamer is used with a cord, the pilot lamp 92 is turned on and off repeatedly. Since at least a part of the light of the pilot lamp 92 passes through the viewing window 95, the user can recognize that the heater 11 is raising the temperature by visually checking that the pilot lamp 92 is turned on, and can recognize that the temperature of the vaporization chamber 16 has stabilized and steam or shots can be used by visually checking that the pilot lamp 92 is turned off. In other words, the pilot lamp 92 indicates the driving state of the steamer 1 (heater 11).

[0036] The top surface 82 and side surface 84 of the space 81 are connected to the outer shell 9 without any gaps by a partition wall 93. The partition wall 93 forms the front wall of the surplus space 91. This partition wall 93 is disposed rearward of the replacement hole 86. Therefore, even if water that has flowed into the space 81 flows out of the replacement hole 86 into the space 94 in front of the partition wall 93, the water will not flow into the surplus space 91, and the water will not come into contact with electronic components such as the pilot lamp 92.

[0037] As shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the steamer 1 has a viewing window 95 on both the left and right sides thereof so as to surround the gripping space 8. The viewing window 95 constitutes a part of the outer shell 9, and is formed in an elliptical ring shape on the main body 4, the handle 5, the front connecting portion 6, and the rear connecting portion 7. The viewing window 95 on the main body 4 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the main body 4 and the tank assembly 21. The viewing window 95 on the handle 5 is provided along the longitudinal direction of the handle 5. The viewing window 95 on the main body 4 is provided below the gripping space 8 and in the upper part of the main body 4. The viewing window 95 on the handle 5 is provided above the gripping space 8 and slightly above the handle 5 in the vertical direction. The viewing window 95 on the front connecting portion 6 is provided in front of the gripping space 8 and in the center part of the front connecting portion 6 in the longitudinal direction. The viewing window 95 provided in the rear connection part 7 is provided behind the gripping space part 8, in the center part in the front-rear direction of the rear connection part 7. The viewing window 95 is made of a synthetic resin having translucency, so that the water in the storage space 24 and the light of the pilot lamp 92 can be visually confirmed.

[0038] The bottom 96 of the viewing window 95 is at approximately the same height as the position of the tank base 23 of the tank assembly 21. In addition, the letters "-" and "MAX" 97 are displayed on the outer shell 9 of the main body 4 immediately below the viewing window 95, below the front connection part 6. The letter "-" 97 is a single scale. This indicates the upper limit (full) position of the water storage volume when water is supplied to the storage space 24 from the water inlet 32 ​​in a state where the steamer 1 is upright at the front side of the steamer 1, that is, in a state where the steamer 1 is upright with the water inlet 32 ​​facing upward. In addition, the viewing window 95 of the front connection part 6 is provided with multiple scales 98, making it easy for the user to recognize the water volume in the storage space 24. That is, the letters "-" and "MAX" 97 and the scales 98 are marks for recognizing the water volume in the tidal space 24. In this embodiment, the letters "-" and "MAX" 97 are displayed only on the right side of the main body 4, but they may be displayed only on the left side or on both the left and right sides. Additionally, the scale 98 is displayed only on the right side of the main body 4, but it may be displayed only on the left side, or on both sides, or may be displayed in the viewing window 95 of the rear connection part 7. Additionally, the characters 97 "-" and "MAX" may be other indications, such as an arrow (not shown), as long as they indicate the upper limit (full) position of the stored water volume. Additionally, other indications may be used, such as changing the number, thickness, length, etc. of the scale 98, as long as they are helpful in visually checking the water volume.

[0039] As described above, the steamer 1 of this embodiment includes the outer shell 9 and the tank assembly 21 for storing water, and the tank assembly 21 is disposed inside the outer shell 9. The outer shell 9 is provided with a viewing window 95 along the longitudinal direction of the tank assembly 21. Therefore, when supplying water to the tank assembly 21 and when the steamer 1 is in use, the amount of water in the tank assembly 21 can be easily viewed.

[0040] In addition, in the steamer 1 of this embodiment, the outer shell 9 has a main body 4 and a handle 5, a gripping space 8 is formed between the main body 4 and the handle 5, and a viewing window 95 is provided below the gripping space 8 and in the upper part of the main body 4. Therefore, even when the handle 5 is being gripped, the viewing window 95 can be reliably viewed.

[0041] In addition, the steamer 1 of this embodiment has viewing windows 95 provided on both the left and right sides of the steamer 1, so that the amount of water in the tank assembly 21 and the illumination of the pilot lamp 92 can be visually confirmed from both the left and right sides. Therefore, whether the steamer 1 is held in the right hand or the left hand, the amount of water in the tank assembly 21 and the illumination of the pilot lamp 92 can be confirmed without changing the grip.

[0042] Furthermore, the steamer 1 of this embodiment is provided with a pilot lamp 92 inside the outer shell 9 that indicates the operating state of the steamer 1 by emitting light, and the viewing window 95 transmits at least a portion of the light emitted by the pilot lamp 92, so that the user can recognize that the vaporization chamber 16 is being heated by the heater 11 by visually checking that the pilot lamp 92 is lit. Also, by visually checking that the pilot lamp 92 has gone from lit to off, the user can recognize that the vaporization chamber 16 has reached a temperature at which steam can be generated (160 ℃ ) and it can be recognized that it is stable.

[0043] The steamer 1 of this embodiment also has letters 97 and scales 98 that indicate the amount of water visible through the viewing window 95. This allows the user to easily recognize the full water position when filling the tank assembly 21 with water, and serves as a guide when filling the desired amount of water. Also, the user can easily see the remaining amount of water while using the steamer 1.

[0044] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 。 [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Steamer 4. Main unit 5 Handle 6 Front connection part 7 Rear connection part 8 Gripping space 9. Exoskeleton 16 Vaporization chamber 21 Tank assembly (tank) 23 Tank Base 32 Water inlet 34 Steam Button 41 Transmission Mechanism 92 Pilot lamp (light-emitting part) 95 Viewing window 96 Bottom 97 Characters (stamps) 98 scale marks L1 Virtual center line

Claims

1. An outer shell; A tank for storing liquid; a vaporization chamber for generating steam from the liquid; A steam button for continuously ejecting the steam; a transmission mechanism for controlling the supply of the liquid from the tank to the vaporization chamber by operating the steam button; The shell has a body and a handle. The main body and the handle are connected by a front connection part and a rear connection part, and a gripping space is formed between the main body and the handle, The tank is disposed inside the shell, The transmission mechanism is disposed within the tank, A viewing window having an elliptical ring shape is provided on each of the left and right sides of the outer shell so as to surround the gripping space, A steamer characterized in that the viewing window provided in the main body is provided in an upper portion of the main body.

2. 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein the lowest part of the viewing window is located at substantially the same position as a tank base which is the bottom part of the tank.

3. 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the transmission mechanism is located on a virtual center line in the width direction of the tank.

4. A light-emitting unit is provided inside the outer shell to indicate the operating state of the steamer by emitting light, 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein the viewing window transmits at least a portion of the light emitted by the light-emitting portion.

5. A water inlet for injecting and discharging the liquid into the tank is provided on the front side of the front connection portion, the shell has a marking visible through the viewing window indicating the amount of the liquid; 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein the mark indicates the full water position of the tank when the steamer is held upright with the water inlet facing upward.

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