Steamer

Abstract

To provide a steamer capable of stopping steam jetting without performing conventional steam stoppage operation.SOLUTION: A steamer body 1 comprises a steam hole 12 for jetting steam, a grip part 31 held by a user at the time of using, a control device 40 and an electromagnetic pump 24 that cause the steam hole 12 to jet steam continuously for a fixed time, a touch sensor switch 48 for detecting a user holding the grip part 31, and the control device 40 for stopping steam jetting. When the touch sensor switch 48 does not detect a user holding the grip part during steam jetting, the control device 40 stops steam jetting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steamer capable of continuously spraying steam onto textile products such as clothing. [Background technology]

[0002] With regard to this type of steamer, the applicant of the present application has proposed, for example in Patent Document 1, the idea of ​​incorporating an electromagnetic pump driven by a DC motor into a steam iron, instead of a conventional mechanical steam generation mechanism. In this case, by repeatedly turning on and off electricity to the DC motor to drive the electromagnetic pump, it becomes possible to smoothly eject steam from the ejection part regardless of the internal pressure of the vaporization chamber or in whatever position the iron body is in when used. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-87592 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the technology of Patent Document 1, when using a steamer with steam continuously spraying out, if the steamer body is placed on a stand without stopping the steam spray, steam continues to spray out from the steamer body, which may cause the steam to adhere to the stand or steamer body and get wet or dirty.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention has an object to provide a steamer that can stop steam emission without performing the conventional steam stopping operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The steamer of the present invention comprises a jetting part for jetting steam, a gripping part for gripping when in use, and a gripping detection means for detecting that the gripping part is being gripped. An operating body for operating the steam ejection / stop is electrically connected to the gripping detection means and the operating body, A jet stop means for stopping the jetting of the steam; A continuous ejection means for continuously ejecting steam from the ejection portion for a certain period of time based on an instruction from the operating body; When the gripping detection means does not detect the gripping during the ejection of the steam, the ejection stopping means stops the ejection of the steam. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, the ejection of steam can be stopped by releasing the grip portion while steam is being ejected continuously for a certain period of time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the steamer according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the steamer from the right rear. [Diagram 3] Same as above, (A) is a partial oblique view seen from the rear right side of the steamer body showing the state when used with a cord, and (B) is a partial oblique view seen from the rear right side of the steamer body showing the state when used cordless. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the steamer body. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of the steamer body as viewed from the front right side. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a partially cutaway perspective view of the plug unit, showing the internal structure of the power supply plug. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing the plug unit attached to the stand as viewed from the front right side. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a circuit block diagram showing the electrical connection configuration of the steamer. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is an oblique view of the steamer body of a steamer in a second embodiment of the present invention, viewed from the rear left side. [Figure 10]FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the steamer body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the steamer of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, common parts are designated by common reference numerals throughout the drawings.

[0010] 1 to 8 show a steamer in the first embodiment of the present invention. The overall configuration will be described in each of these figures. The steamer in this embodiment is a steamer body 1 that heats and vaporizes liquid water and ejects steam to the outside, and is configured to be placed on a stand 3 that is used while placed on a floor surface S. This stand 3 is equipped with a plug unit 2 that supplies commercial power to the steamer body 1 from a household outlet (not shown), and the steamer body 1 is configured to be detachable from the plug unit 2. The plug unit 2 is configured to be detachable from both the steamer body 1 and the stand 3, and the steamer body 1 is configured to be usable in either a corded state in which the plug unit 2 is attached and used, or a cordless state in which the plug unit 2 is removed and used.

[0011] The steamer body 1 has a concave power receiving section 5 for receiving the plug unit 2 at the rear, and a metal base 7 with a heater 6 embedded therein as a heating means at the bottom. The base 7 has a base plate 9 as a hanging surface member provided on the bottom surface of a base substrate 8 made of a die-cast molded product, and is fixed in close contact with the base substrate 8 by a fastening member 10 fixed to the base plate 9. Inside the base 7, a steam chamber, i.e., a vaporization chamber 11, is formed near the heater 6, and a plurality of steam holes 12 communicating with the vaporization chamber 11 are formed as openings in the base plate 9 forming the lower surface of the base 7. The base 7 also has a steam cover 13 as a metal plate-shaped upper lid, and the upper surface of the vaporization chamber 11 is formed by the steam cover 13 attached and fixed to the base substrate 8.

[0012] Reference numeral 15 denotes a resin cover provided so as to cover the upper and side portions of the base 7, and reference numeral 16 denotes a handle fixed to the top of the cover 15 and formed in a generally U-shape with an open rear end when viewed from the side. A tank assembly 17 corresponding to a tank for storing liquid is provided from the front to the rear inside the handle 16. The tank assembly 17 is composed of a tank cover 18 and a tank base 19, both of which are made of resin, and a liquid storage space 20 is formed inside the tank assembly 17 by attaching and fixing the tank base 19 so as to cover the bottom opening of the tank cover 18.

[0013] Reference numeral 21 denotes a water inlet provided at the front of the tank assembly 17 and directly connected to the storage space 20. A water inlet lid 22 that allows the water inlet 21 to be manually opened and closed is provided at the front of the handle 16 opposite the water inlet 21, and the water inlet lid 22 is raised forward to open the water inlet 21, allowing liquid water to be stored in the tank assembly 17 or unnecessary water in the tank assembly 17 to be discarded. Inside the steamer body 1, an electromagnetic pump 24 is provided in an upper storage space 23 separated from the storage space 20 by a vertical wall 18A formed at the rear of the tank cover 18, for supplying water stored in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 heated by the heater 6. The electromagnetic pump 24 is connected to a suction pipe 25 communicating with the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 and a discharge pipe 26 communicating with the vaporization chamber 11, and the suction pipe 25 is liquid-tightly connected to a connecting pipe 27 formed in the vertical wall 18A and extends from the upper storage space 23 of the electromagnetic pump 24 to the water storage space 20. As a result, the electromagnetic pump 24 and the tank assembly 17 are liquid-tightly connected, and no matter what position the steamer body 1 is used in, the water stored in the storage space 20 does not enter the space inside the rear end of the handle 16 in which the electromagnetic pump 24 is disposed, and the water sucked into the electromagnetic pump 24 through the suction pipe 25 from the storage space 20 during operation of the electromagnetic pump 24 can be sent to the vaporization chamber 11 through the discharge pipe 26.

[0014] In the steamer body 1 of this embodiment, the tank assembly 17 and the upper storage space 23 are provided from the front to the rear inside the handle 16, and the tank assembly 17 and the upper storage space 23 cover the upper part of the lower storage space 54 described later, so that the water or air in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 and the air in the upper storage space 23 act as a layer that suppresses the transfer of heat from the base 7, and the temperature rise of the parts arranged inside the handle 16, such as the electromagnetic pump 24 and the parts mounted on the first board 37A and the second board 37B described later, can be suppressed. Here, the use environmental temperature of the electromagnetic pump 24 is generally limited to 50°C when the electromagnetic pump 24 is a diaphragm pump intended for water supply, and therefore, in this embodiment, the temperature in the upper storage space 23 is configured to be less than 50°C, preferably less than 45°C.

[0015] The handle 16 is composed of two parts, a handle base 28 and a handle cover 29, both of which are made of resin such as polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), or ABS resin, and is located at the top of the steamer body 1 and has a rod-shaped grip 31 extending from the front to the rear. The grip 31, which is the grip part, has a gap 33 between it and the abdomen 32 of the steamer body 1, and the rear of the grip 31 has an open shape without being connected to any part of the steamer body 1 so that the hand can be inserted into the gap 33 from the rear of the steamer body 1 to grip the grip 31 with the hand. The abdomen 32 here refers to the flat central upper surface part of the steamer body 1 facing the grip 31, and is formed as the base 28A of the handle base 28. In addition to this base 28A that is attached onto the cover 15, the handle base 28 is composed of a connecting portion 28B that rises in a U-shape on the front side of the base 28A, and an extension portion 28C that extends rearward from the front connecting portion 28B. The grip portion 31 of the steamer body 1 is formed by covering the extension portion 28C with a handle cover 29.

[0016] Here, the temperature limit of the grip 31 is 75°C, because when the temperature of the "handle for carrying" stipulated in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law is applied, the handle made of metal, ceramic, or glass is 60°C when the reference ambient temperature is 20°C, and the handle made of other materials such as plastic is 75°C. On the other hand, for example, 44 to 50°C is a relatively low temperature at which there is a risk of suffering a "low-temperature burn" due to necrosis of the muscles under the skin in contact with the same part of the skin when the handle is in contact with the skin for a long time. It is generally said that the contact time until this "low-temperature burn" develops is 3 to 4 hours or more when the temperature of the contact part is 44°C, 30 minutes to 1 hour when the temperature of the contact part is 46°C, and 2 to 3 minutes when the temperature of the contact part is 50°C, but it is also known that it varies depending on the physical condition of the person in contact, such as the physical condition of the person in contact. Therefore, the temperature of the grip 31 in this embodiment is configured to be less than 50°C, taking into consideration the time the grip 31 is held when the steamer main body 1 is used, and is preferably configured to be less than 45°C.

[0017] Considering the practicality of being able to hold the steamer body 1 of this embodiment in one hand in a cordless state, the amount of water poured into the tank assembly 17 is 50 mL or more, preferably 65 mL or more, and when water is contained in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17, the steamer body 1 is configured to be lightweight and compact, with a weight of 0.9 kg or less, preferably 0.8 kg or less, a total length of 190 mm or less, preferably 180 mm or less, a width of 80 mm or less, preferably 75 mm or less, and a total height of 150 mm or less, preferably 140 mm or less. Therefore, while the size of handle 16, i.e., the size of grip portion 31, needs to fall within the above-mentioned product dimensions, grip portion 31 is required to have a shape and dimensions that are easy for the user to grip with his / her hand, so the dimensions of the cross-sectional outer shape of grip portion 31 are formed such that the width is, for example, 29 to 35 mm, preferably 31 to 33 mm, and the width in the thickness direction of grip portion 31 (hereinafter referred to as the vertical width) is, for example, 22 to 28 mm, preferably 24 to 26 mm. Furthermore, the cross-sectional outer shape of grip portion 31 is formed with four rounded corners to make it easy for the user to grip with his / her hand, and the circumference of this cross-sectional outer shape is configured to be, for example, 101 to 125 mm, preferably about 110 to 118 mm. The dimensions of the cross-sectional space inside grip portion 31 are calculated by subtracting the thickness of the resin forming the outer shell, for example 2.0 to 3.0 mm, from the outer cross-sectional dimensions. For example, if grip portion 31 has a width of 32 mm and a resin thickness of 2.5 mm, the width of the internal space of grip portion 31 will be 32 mm - 2.5 mm - 2.5 mm, or 27 mm.

[0018] In front of the grip 31 located at the top of the steamer main body 1, there are disposed two manually operable operating bodies, a temperature setting / off button 35 as a first operating body for setting the temperature of the base 7 and turning the power on and off, and a steam button 36 as a second operating body for turning on and off the steam emitted from the steam hole 12. These operating buttons 35 and 36 are mounted on a first board 37A as a printed circuit board located inside the front of the grip 31. The first board 37A of this embodiment and a second board 37B described later are made of a glass cloth-based epoxy resin laminate material, and the upper limit of the operating temperature of this glass cloth-based epoxy resin laminate material is 120°C when the upper limit of the operating temperature of the "insulating material used in electrical appliances" specified in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law is applied. Here, when the width of the internal space of the grip portion 31 is 27 mm as described above, the width W of the first board 37A and the second board 37B is limited to less than 27 mm, preferably 26 mm or less, in order to store the first board 37A and the second board 37B in the handle 16 to which the grip portion 31 is provided. In addition, when each component mounted on the board 37 described later is mounted on the copper foil, which is the circuit pattern of the first board 37A and the second board 37B, for example, by soldering, the temperature of the soldered portion is limited to 90° C. or less in consideration of the expansion and contraction due to the influence of heat at the soldered portions of the first board 37A and the second board 37B. The number and type of the operating bodies are not limited to those in this embodiment, and may be operating bodies other than the push type. In addition, it is not important to assign any function to any operating body.

[0019] In addition to the temperature setting / off button 35 and the steam button 36, the first board 37A is provided with an indicator lamp 38 with a number of LEDs arranged on the upper front side of the grip 31, a buzzer 42 as an alarm unit that notifies by sound when the power is turned on and off and when the base 7 has reached the set temperature, and a control device 40 that controls the operation of the heater 6, the electromagnetic pump 24, the indicator lamp 38, and the buzzer 42, which are loads on the steamer main body 1. The indicator lamp 38 indicates whether the temperature set by the temperature setting / off button 35 or the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 has reached the set temperature, indicates the setting of the amount of steam emitted from the steam hole 12, and indicates whether the steamer main body 1 is in a corded or cordless state, and corresponds to a display means that indicates the operating state of the steamer main body 1. The temperature detection means 41 is attached and fixed to the base 7 inside the steamer main body 1 as a temperature sensor unit that indicates the operating state of the steamer main body 1.

[0020] Inside the grip 31, a second board 37B for power supply is disposed behind the first board 37A for control. These boards 37A and 37B are electrically connected to each other by wiring 47. The second board 37B is equipped with a power generation device 43 that has a power generation function of converting AC power into DC power inside the steamer body 1 and making it a power of a predetermined voltage, in addition to the external commercial power from the plug unit 2, a power supply circuit 44 that receives the power generated by the power generation device 43 and outputs appropriate operating power to each part of the steamer body 1, and a capacitive touch sensor switch 48. The number of boards 37A and 37B incorporated in the steamer body 1 and which parts are mounted on which boards 37A and 37B are not particularly limited.

[0021] The power generation device 43 has a power generation function inside the steamer body 1, separate from the external commercial power from the plug unit 2, and is mainly composed of a power supply circuit 44 that receives external commercial power from the plug unit 2 and outputs appropriate operating power to each part of the steamer body 1, an electric double layer capacitor 45 as a power supply storage means, a constant current circuit 82 (see FIG. 7) as a rapid charging circuit for the electric double layer capacitor 45, and diodes 84, 85 (see FIG. 7) for preventing reverse current. Therefore, the power generation device 43 functions as a charging and discharging means for the electric double layer capacitor 45.

[0022] The control device 40, which controls the power supply from the electric double layer capacitor 45 to the electromagnetic pump 24, controls and drives the indicator lamp 38 based on the set temperature based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35, the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41, and the presence or absence of the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer body 1 based on the detection signal from the zero cross circuit 92 described later, when operating power is provided from the generator 43. In addition, when operating power is provided from the generator 43, the control device 40 controls and drives the buzzer 42 to notify the power on / off based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35, and also controls and drives the temperature indicator lamp 38 based on the set temperature based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35 and the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41. When operating power is provided from the generator 43, the control device 40 controls the drive of the electromagnetic pump 24 so that steam at a flow rate set based on the operation signal from the steam button 36 is sprayed outside the steamer body 1 through the steam hole 12. At this time, the electromagnetic pump 24 is also supplied with operating power from the power generation device 43 and is configured to operate in accordance with the set steam flow rate.

[0023] The buzzer 42 sounds when the power supply to the steamer body 1 is turned on or off, when the base 7 reaches the set temperature or when the temperature drops, or when the amount of electricity stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 drops. For example, when the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1 is stopped, such as when a power outage occurs or when the plug unit 2 is disconnected from the power receiving part 5 of the steamer body 1, the buzzer sounds once, for example, a "beep beep" sound, and when the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1 is started, such as when the power is restored or when the plug unit 2 is inserted and fitted into the power receiving part 5 of the steamer body 1, the buzzer sounds three times, for example, "beep beep beep," and different buzzers are used to notify the stop and start of the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1. This allows the user to more easily know when the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1 is stopped or started. In addition, the buzzer 42 changes the buzzer alert, for example, from "beep" to "beep beep" to "beep beep beep", depending on the decrease in the amount of charge stored in the electric double-layer capacitor 45, allowing the user to more easily know when the amount of charge stored in the electric double-layer capacitor 45 is decreasing, and when the steamer main body 1 is used cordlessly and each part of the steamer main body 1 is operating on power from the electric double-layer capacitor 45, the user can easily know when the amount of charge stored in the electric double-layer capacitor 45 is decreasing and when commercial power needs to be supplied to the steamer main body 1.

[0024] The touch sensor switch 48 detects whether the user touches the grip portion 31 by measuring the capacitance generated between the hand and the electrode of the touch sensor switch 48 when the user grips the grip portion 31 with his / her hand. In this embodiment, the touch sensor switch 48 includes a touch sensor body 48A having an electrode and a conductive spring portion 48B electrically connected to the electrode. One end of the spring portion 48B is connected to the touch sensor body 48A, and the other end 48C is expanded in a spiral shape. The touch sensor switch 48 is disposed so that the conductive spring portion 48B is interposed between the electrode of the touch sensor body 48A and the contact location P of the handle cover 29. In addition, by increasing the contact area at the contact location P between the end 48C and the handle cover 29, the difference in capacitance between the non-contact state where the user's hand is not touching the contact location P and the contact state where the hand is touching the contact location P is increased, thereby improving sensitivity. Therefore, the touch sensor switch 48 also functions as a grip detection means for detecting that the user is gripping the grip portion 31, which is a grip portion.

[0025] In this embodiment, the contact location P is disposed on the upper surface of the grip portion 31, but the present invention is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the touch sensor switch 48 detects whether the user touches or does not touch the grip portion 31 when the user grips the grip portion 31. For example, the contact location P may be disposed on the lower surface or side surface of the grip portion 31, and the touch sensor switch 48 may be disposed according to the arrangement. The sensitivity of the touch sensor switch 48 may be further improved by reducing the thickness of the contact location P of the handle cover 29 that contacts the end portion 48C, or by using a material having a high relative dielectric constant, such as acrylic or glass, for the material of the contact location P. The material of the contact location P of the handle cover 29 or the color of the outer surface may be changed to guide the user to the position of the touch sensor switch 48 and to use that location as a mark for gripping with the hand.

[0026] The electromagnetic pump 24, including the suction pipe 25, discharge pipe, and connecting pipe 27, is incorporated in the liquid passage 46 leading from the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11. The electromagnetic pump 24 supplies water from the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11, and is disposed in the upper storage space 23 inside the steamer main body 1 as a liquid supply unit that varies the flow rate of water supplied to the vaporization chamber 11 according to the steam flow rate set by the temperature setting / off button 35 and the steam switch 39.

[0027] In this case, the control device 40 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 so that the microcomputer 87 described later repeats power on / off to the electromagnetic pump 24 when the base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid according to the temperature of the base 7 based on a detection signal from the temperature detection means 41, making it possible to pump a predetermined amount of water from the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11, and the amount of water pumped from the electromagnetic pump 24, and therefore the steam flow rate from the steam hole 12, can be increased or decreased as desired by changing the timing of power on / off to the electromagnetic pump 24. On the other hand, when the base 7 is lower than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, the microcomputer 87 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 to stop driving.

[0028] Inside the steamer main body 1, a lower storage space 54 is formed between the tank base 19 forming the bottom surface of the tank assembly 17 and the upper surface of the base 7 heated by the heater 6, and contains the temperature detection means 41 and other components placed on the upper surface of the steam cover 13 covered with the cover 15. The upper surface of the cover 15 is interposed as a heat insulating part 15A in the lower storage space 54 between the tank base 19 and the base 7, and when the bottom surface of the base 7 is oriented horizontally as shown in FIG. 5, that is, when the steamer main body 1 is horizontal, the electromagnetic pump 24 and the various components mounted on the boards 37A and 37B, such as the power generation device 43, are all located at a higher position above the tank base 19 and the lower storage space 54.

[0029] In this embodiment, the base 7 and the lower storage space 54 disposed in the cover 15 form the first space 56, and the space in the tank assembly 17, the upper storage space 23, and the space in the grip portion 31 disposed in the handle 16 form the second space 57. Therefore, the tank base 19, the wall below the upper storage space 23, and the power receiving portion 5 act as the outer shell of the first space 56. The base portion 28A, the connecting portion 28B, and the extension portion 28C also act as the outer shell, forming a gap 33 at the bottom of the second space 57, and this gap 33 acts as an outside air communication space through which outside air communicates. Therefore, the heat in the first space 56 is prevented from interfering with the components in the second space 57, and the heat in the second space 57 is prevented from interfering with the components in the first space 56.

[0030] Specifically, the tank assembly 17 and the upper storage space 23 are provided from the front to the rear inside the handle 16, the tank assembly 17 and the upper storage space 23 cover the entire upper part of the lower storage space 54, and a gap 33 is formed above the tank assembly 17, so that air layers and water layers are formed in both the lower part of the first space 56 and the upper part of the second space 57, and the water and air in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17, the air in the upper storage space 23, the outside air communicating with the gap 33, and the air in the lower storage space 54 act as heat-blocking layers, preventing heat generated from the base 7 in the first space 56 from interfering with the various components mounted on the board 37 located inside the grip portion 31 in the second space 57 and the electromagnetic pump 24 located inside the upper storage space 23, and preventing temperature increases in these components. Therefore, as described above, by storing the electromagnetic pump 24, whose use limit is generally 50°C, in the upper storage space 23, the upper limit value of the use temperature of the electromagnetic pump 24 can be designed and guaranteed. In addition, since the heat shielding portion 15A of the cover 15 is also arranged in the lower storage space 54, this heat shielding portion 15A also effectively blocks heat from the base 7, and the temperature rise of the electromagnetic pump 24 and each component mounted on the board 37 can be further prevented. The base 7 having the vaporization chamber 11 and the heater 6 as a steam generating means is stored in the first space 56, and the temperature of the base 7 becomes high because the water sent into the vaporization chamber 11 is vaporized in the vaporization chamber 11 heated by the heater 6, and therefore the temperature of the first space 56 becomes high compared to the second space 57. However, due to this configuration, the heat due to the temperature rise in the first space 56 is configured to be as little affected as possible by each component in the second space 57, and the temperature rise of each component in the second space 57 can be suppressed.

[0031] The configuration of the plug unit 2 and the stand 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 7 and 8. The plug unit 2 mainly comprises a flexible power cord 61 and a power supply plug 62 provided at the base end of the power cord 61. Although not shown, a power plug that can be inserted into and removed from a household outlet is provided at the end of the power cord 61. The power supply plug 62 has a plug base 63 and a plug cover 64, both made of resin, as outer casing members, and the plug base 63 closes the opening at the bottom of the plug cover 64. In this embodiment, the power supply plug 62 with the power cord 61 is configured to be detachable from either the steamer body 1 or the stand 3.

[0032] The power supply plug 62 is provided with a cordless changeover switch 65 that can be manually operated to make the power supply plug 62 engageable or disengageable with the concave power receiving section 5 of the steamer body 1. The cordless changeover switch 65 is provided on the upper surface side of the power supply plug 62 so as to be slidable back and forth. When the power supply plug 62 is attached to the stand 3 as shown in FIG. 8, in order to use the steamer body 1 in a cordless state with the plug unit 2 removed from the steamer body 1, the cordless changeover switch 65 is moved forward on one side to release the engagement between the steamer body 1 and the power supply plug 62. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 3, in order to use the steamer body 1 in a corded state with the power supply plug 62 removed from the stand 3 and the plug unit 2 attached to the steamer body 1, the cordless changeover switch 65 is moved backward on the other side to engage the steamer body 1 and the power supply plug 62. At this time, the front portion of the power supply plug 62 is attached to the power receiving unit 5 of the steamer body 1, but the rear portion of the power supply plug 62 including the cordless changeover switch 65 is exposed and not surrounded by the power receiving unit 5, allowing the user to manually operate the cordless changeover switch 65 at any time. The power receiving unit 5 of the steamer body 1 is provided with a pair of power receiving terminals 67 that can be electrically connected to the power supply terminals 66 of the plug unit 2.

[0033] The stand 3 is provided with a main body mounting section 69 formed at an incline with respect to the floor surface S in order to mount the steamer main body 1 with its front facing diagonally upward, a concave plug accommodating section 70 provided behind the main body mounting section 69, and a cord pull-out section 71 provided at the rear of the stand 3 for pulling out the power cord 61 to the outside of the stand 3 when the power supply plug 62 is attached to the plug accommodating section 70. When the power supply plug 62 is inserted from the open front side of the plug accommodating section 70, the power supply plug 62 is fitted and held in the plug accommodating section 70, while when the power supply plug 62 is pulled out toward the front side from this state, the power supply plug 62 is disengaged from the plug accommodating section 70.

[0034] In addition to the cordless switch 65 described above, the power supply plug 62 also has a fitting tab 73 and a shutter member 74. The fitting tab 73 is constantly biased so as to protrude from the top surface of the power supply plug 62 by a first elastic member 75, such as a spring, provided inside the power supply plug 62. When the cordless switch 65 is moved to the "cordless" side against the bias of the first elastic member 75, the length by which the fitting tab 73 protrudes from the top surface of the power supply plug 62 is reduced. As a result, when the cordless switch 65 is on the "cordless" side, the protruding length of the mating tab 73 from the top surface of the power supply plug 62 is small. Therefore, if the power supply plug 62 is stored and held in the plug storage section 70 of the stand 3 as described above, the power receiving section 5 of the steamer main body 1 placed on the main body mounting section 69 of the stand 3 can be inserted into and removed from the power supply plug 62 without interfering with the mating tab 73, making it possible to use the steamer main body 1 cordlessly.

[0035] On the other hand, when the cordless changeover switch 65 is moved to the "corded" side at the rear on the other side, only the biasing force of the first elastic member 75 acts on the fitting claw 73, so the length of the fitting claw 73 protruding from the top surface of the power supply plug 62 increases compared to the "cordless" case. Therefore, when the cordless changeover switch 65 is on the "corded" side and the recess 5 of the steamer body 1 is inserted into the power supply plug 62, the fitting claw 73, which protrudes significantly due to the biasing force of the first elastic member 75, fits into a receiving portion (not shown) formed in the power receiving portion 5, and the steamer body 1 can be used with the cord with the plug unit 2 attached unless the cordless changeover switch 65 is switched to the "cordless" side.

[0036] The resin shutter member 74 is constantly urged by a second elastic member (not shown) such as a torsion spring also provided inside the power plug 62 in a direction such that none of the conductive power supply terminals 66 provided inside the power plug 62 are exposed from a pair of power supply holes 76 formed in front of the power plug 62. Whether the steamer body 1 is used cordlessly or corded, when the recess 5 of the steamer body 1 is inserted into the power supply plug 62, the shutter member 74 rotates against the urging force of the second elastic member so that the power supply terminals 66 are exposed from the power supply holes 76, and the power receiving terminal 67 of the steamer body 1 passes through the power supply holes 76 of the power plug 62 and comes into contact with the power supply terminals 66. This makes it possible to supply power to the steamer body 1 from a household outlet via the plug unit 2. Therefore, by covering the pair of power supply holes 76, which are openings for the contacts of the power supply plug 62 as a power supply means, with the shutter member 74, it is possible to prevent steam from entering the power supply plug 62 even if steam is ejected from the steam holes 12 of the steamer body 1 before the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, thereby ensuring insulation between the electrodes in the power supply plug 62 and reducing the risk of corrosion of the contacts and conductive plate.

[0037] 9 is a circuit block diagram showing the electrical connection configuration of the steamer of this embodiment. In the figure, 81 is an alternating current (AC) power source such as a commercial power source, and AC power supplied from this AC power source 81 is applied to the heater 6 and the power supply circuit 44 of the power generation device 43 via the plug unit 2 and the power receiving unit 5. The power supply circuit 44 rectifies and smoothes this AC power to convert it into DC power, and supplies this DC power to the electromagnetic pump 24 and the control device 40.

[0038] The connection of the power generating device 43 will be described. A pair of input terminals of the power supply circuit 44 and a series circuit of the heater 6 and the relay circuit 89 of the control device 40 are connected in parallel to the power receiving unit 5. The anode of the diode 84 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit 44, and each part of the steamer main body 1, such as the microcomputer (microcomputer) 87 of the control device 40 and the electromagnetic pump 24, is connected to the cathode of the diode 84. A series circuit of the constant current circuit 82 and the diode 85 is connected to another output terminal of the power supply circuit 44, and the cathodes of the diode 84 and the diode 85 are connected to each other. An electric double layer capacitor 45 is connected as an electric storage device between the connection point of the output side of the constant current circuit 82 and the anode of the diode 84 and the ground line GL. In this embodiment, the electric double layer capacitor 45 is used as the electric storage device, but other capacitors such as an aluminum electrolytic capacitor may be used, or a secondary battery may be used.

[0039] The power supply circuit 44 receives power supplied from the AC power supply 81 via the plug unit 2, and sends out the operating power required to operate the indicator lamp 38, the buzzer 42, and each part of the control device 40 mounted on the board 37, as well as the operating power required to operate the electromagnetic pump 24. The constant current circuit 82 uses the power supplied from the power supply circuit 44 to rapidly charge the electric double layer capacitor 45, and includes a control unit 82A such as a control IC that controls the current output by the constant current circuit 82. The control unit 82A monitors the output voltage of the constant current circuit 82, and when the output voltage exceeds a certain voltage value, controls the constant current circuit 82 so that a voltage at a predetermined current value is output.

[0040] The electric double layer capacitor 45 is charged with the output power from the constant current circuit 82 and supplies power to each part of the steamer main body 1. Here, when the electric double layer capacitor 45 is mounted on the second board 37B and the second board 37B is stored in the handle 16, it is preferable that the height of the electric double layer capacitor 45 is as low as possible. On the other hand, when the steamer main body 1 is used in a cordless state, it is necessary to secure a storage amount for power to drive the electromagnetic pump 24, the temperature display lamp 38, and the buzzer 42, so that the electric double layer capacitor 45 becomes large and cannot be stored in the handle 16 having the above-mentioned dimensions of the cross-sectional outer shape of the grip part 31. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electric double layer capacitor 45 is divided into two pieces, which are multiple pieces, and arranged in a row in the longitudinal direction of the handle 16, i.e., in the longitudinal direction of the grip part 31, so that it looks like a bamboo joint when viewed from above, and is also connected in series. By configuring in this way, the width and height of the electric double layer capacitor 45 can be suppressed and it can be stored in the handle 16. The number of electric double layer capacitors 45 is not limited to two, and may be one or three or more. The ambient temperature of the electric double layer capacitor 45 is generally −20 to 70° C. or −45 to 85° C., but it is known that when the temperature of the electric double layer capacitor 45 is high, the electric storage performance is affected. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ambient temperature of the electric double layer capacitor 45 is configured to be less than 70° C., preferably less than 65° C., and the temperature of the soldered portion of the board 37 where the electric double layer capacitor 45 and the power generation device 43 as the charge / discharge circuit of the electric double layer capacitor 45 are mounted is configured to be less than 90° C., preferably less than 85° C.

[0041] When commercial power is supplied to the steamer body 1 from the plug unit 2, DC power from the power supply circuit 44 is supplied to the constant current circuit 62, and the output power of the constant current circuit 62 is charged to the electric double layer capacitor 45. When the steamer body 1 is in a cordless state where commercial power is not supplied to the steamer body 1 from the plug unit 2, power from the electric double layer capacitor 45 is supplied to each part of the steamer body 1 connected to the cathode of the diode 64.

[0042] The control device 40 is mainly composed of a microcomputer 87 as a control means for the steamer main body 1, a switching element 88 that drives the electromagnetic pump 24, a relay circuit 89 that turns the heater 6 on and off, a SW (switch) circuit 90 that transmits operation signals from the temperature setting / off button 35 and the steam button 36 to the microcomputer 87, an LED circuit 91 that turns the indicator lamp 38 on and off, a zero-cross circuit 92 that detects the AC voltage applied to the power receiving unit 5 and transmits it to the microcomputer 87, and an alarm circuit 93 that turns the buzzer 42 on and off.

[0043] The temperature detection means 41 is connected to the input side of the microcomputer 87, and detects the temperature of the base 7 and transmits it to the microcomputer 87 as described above. The touch sensor switch 48 is also connected to the input side of the microcomputer 87, and detects the touch / non-touch of the user to the grip portion 31 and transmits it to the microcomputer 87 as described above. The switching element 88 is composed of, for example, an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and is connected between the electromagnetic pump 24 and the ground line GL. The microcomputer 87 is also connected to, for example, the gate of the IGBT, which serves as a control terminal, and a pulse drive signal, for example, a PMW (Pulse Width Modulation) control signal, is sent from the output side of the microcomputer 87, and the DC power from the power generation device 43 to the electromagnetic pump 24 is interrupted in accordance with the switching operation of the switching element 8, thereby driving the electromagnetic pump 24.

[0044] The SW circuit 90 is connected between the temperature set / off button 35 and the steam button 36 and the input side of the microcomputer 87, and when the temperature set / off button 35 or the steam button 36 is operated, the SW circuit 90 transmits an operation signal to the microcomputer 87. The LED circuit 91 is connected between the output side of the microcomputer 87 and the indicator lamp 38, and turns the indicator lamp 38 on and off according to a control signal from the microcomputer 87. The relay circuit 89 turns the heater 6 on and off according to a control signal from the microcomputer 87, and the output side of the microcomputer 87 is connected to the primary side of a relay included in the relay circuit 89, and the heater 6 is connected to the secondary side of this relay.

[0045] Zero cross circuit 92 detects the AC voltage applied to power receiving unit 5 in order to protect the contacts of the relay of relay circuit 89 from the high-output AC power from power receiving unit 5 and transmits the detected voltage to microcomputer 87, and is connected between the connection point of relay circuit 89 and power receiving unit 5 and the input side of microcomputer 87. Based on the detection signal from zero cross circuit 92, microcomputer 87 transmits a control signal so that the relay of relay circuit 89 is turned ON / OFF when the voltage applied to the relay is 0V. The zero-cross circuit 92 also functions as a power outage detection means that detects the power waveform of the AC voltage supplied via the power receiving unit 5 through the power cord 61 and detects whether commercial power is being supplied to the steamer main body 1, and as a connection detection means that detects whether the plug unit 2 and the power receiving unit 5 are electrically connected based on whether power is being supplied, and detects whether the steamer main body 1 is in a corded or cordless state.The microcontroller 87 is configured to detect whether the plug unit 2 is connected or not and whether power is being supplied from commercial power based on the presence or absence of this power waveform based on the detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 92.

[0046] The notification circuit 93 is connected between the output side of the microcomputer 87 and the buzzer 42, and turns the buzzer 42 on and off in accordance with a control signal from the microcomputer 87. The notification circuit 93 is configured to change the sound or tone of the buzzer 42 in accordance with the control signal from the microcomputer 87.

[0047] When the control device 40 is given operating power from the power generator 43, it controls and drives the temperature display lamp 38 based on the set temperature based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35 and the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41. When the control device 40 is given operating power from the power generator 43, it controls and drives the buzzer 42 to notify the power on / off based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35, and also controls and drives the temperature display lamp 38 based on the set temperature based on the operation signal from the temperature set / off button 35 and the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41. The control device 40 has a timing means (not shown) such as a timer, and when it is given operating power from the power generator 43, it controls the drive of the electromagnetic pump 24 so that steam at a flow rate set based on the operation signal from the steam button 36 is continuously sprayed out of the steamer body 1 through the steam hole 12 for a fixed period of time, such as 60 seconds, while detecting the user's contact with the grip portion 31 by the detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48. At this time, the electromagnetic pump 24 is also given operating power from the power generator 43 and is configured to operate according to the set steam flow rate. Therefore, the control device 40 and the electromagnetic pump 24 function as a continuous ejection means for sending water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 through the discharge pipe 26 and the liquid passage 46 to the vaporization chamber 11 and ejecting steam from the steam hole 12 for a certain period of time, and the control device 40 also functions as an ejection stopping means for stopping the operation of the electromagnetic pump 24 to stop the delivery of water to the vaporization chamber 11, thereby stopping the ejection of steam.

[0048] Next, the operation of the steamer with the above configuration will be described. The water inlet lid 22 provided on the steamer main body 1 is opened and closed to store a predetermined amount of water in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17. Next, the power supply plug 62 of the plug unit 2 is fitted and stored in the plug storage section 70 of the stand 3, and the steamer main body 1 is placed on the main body placement section 69 of the stand 3, or the power supply plug 62 is inserted and fitted into the power receiving section 5 of the steamer main body 1 without using the stand 3, and commercial power supplied from a household outlet is supplied to the steamer main body 1 via the power supply plug 62. Here, when using the steamer body 1 cordlessly, the cordless changeover switch 65 of the plug unit 2 is moved to the "cordless" side toward the front on one side to reduce the protruding length of the mating claw 73 from the top surface of the power supply plug 62, and when using the steamer body 1 with a cord, the cordless changeover switch 65 is moved to the "corded" side toward the rear on the other side, and the mating claw 73, which protrudes significantly due to the biasing force of the first elastic member 75, is engaged with the receiving portion formed in the power receiving part 5.

[0049] In the off state immediately after power supply, in which the temperature setting / off button 35 and the steam button 36 are not operated, commercial power is supplied to the power supply circuit 44 of the generator 43 via the power receiving unit 5, and DC power is sent from the output terminal of this power supply circuit 44 to each part of the steamer main body 1. In addition, the electric double layer capacitor 45 is automatically charged via the constant current circuit 82 by the DC power sent from another output terminal of the power supply circuit 44.

[0050] When electric double-layer capacitor 45 is charged via constant current circuit 82, the voltage of electric double-layer capacitor 45 rises linearly up to a predetermined voltage value. Then, when control unit 82A detects from the output voltage of constant current circuit 82 that this voltage has risen to exceed a predetermined voltage value when a predetermined amount of charge is stored in electric double-layer capacitor 45, control unit 82A controls constant current circuit 82 so that power is supplied from constant current circuit 82 at a predetermined current value. As a result, the rise in voltage of electric double-layer capacitor 45 increases more than the previous linear function, and even when electric charge is stored and the capacity of electric double-layer capacitor 45 becomes full, the charging speed does not slow down, and electric double-layer capacitor 45 can be charged at a constant current regardless of the amount of charge stored in electric double-layer capacitor 45, and can be charged in a short time.

[0051] When control unit 82A detects from the output voltage of constant current circuit 82 that the voltage of electric double layer capacitor 45 has risen to a value at which charging is complete, control unit 82A controls constant current circuit 82 to stop the supply of power from constant current circuit 82. This makes it possible to prevent overcharging of electric double layer capacitor 45, which would otherwise occur if charging continued even after charging of electric double layer capacitor 45 is complete. Therefore, constant current circuit 82 also has a function of protecting electric double layer capacitor 45 from overcharging.

[0052] When the supply of power from the constant current circuit 82 is stopped, the electric double layer capacitor 45 gradually discharges, and this discharged power is sent to each part of the steamer main body 1 via the diode 85 together with the power from the power supply circuit 44 via the diode 84. When the control unit 82A detects that the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 45 has dropped to a value at which recharging begins, the control unit 82A controls the constant current circuit 82 so that power is again supplied from the constant current circuit 82 at a predetermined current value, and the electric double layer capacitor 45 is charged again until its voltage rises to the value at which charging is completed as described above.

[0053] Here, when the user presses the temperature set / off button 35 from the off state and sets a temperature that matches the fabric of the clothing from which steam will be emitted, or a temperature that corresponds to the amount of steam to be emitted, inside the steamer main body 1, the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40 sends a control signal to the relay circuit 89 to control the heater 6 to be turned on and off so that the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 approaches the temperature set by the temperature set / off button 35, and heats the base 7 including the evaporation chamber 11.

[0054] Thereafter, when the base 7 reaches a certain temperature or higher as a result of current being passed through the heater 6, the microcomputer 87 sends a control signal to the LED circuit 91 to control one of the indicator lamps 38 corresponding to the set temperature to blink, and when the microcomputer 87 determines that the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 has reached the set temperature, it sends a control signal to the LED circuit 91 to control the blinking LED to switch to a lit operation, and also sends a control signal to the alarm circuit 93 to control the buzzer 42 to be switched ON for a predetermined period of time.

[0055] When the steamer body 1 is used cordlessly, the electric double layer capacitor 45 is used as a power source to operate each part of the steamer body 1, except for the heater 6, which consumes a large amount of power.

[0056] Specifically, when the user grips the grip portion 31 with his / her hand, the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40 determines that the user's contact with the grip portion 31 has been detected based on a detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48, and controls the switching element 88 to send a pulse drive signal to the control terminal in conjunction with the detection signal, so that steam can be ejected by operating the steam button 36. In this embodiment, since air layers and water layers are formed in both the upper part of the first space 56 and the lower part of the second space 57, the heat of the base 7 generated in the first space 56 is prevented from being transmitted to the grip portion 31 in the second space 57, and the temperature rise of the grip portion 31 is suppressed. Therefore, the user can safely grip the grip portion 31 without suffering low-temperature burns or the like.

[0057] After that, when the user lifts the steamer body 1 forward, the cordless changeover switch 65 is set to the "cordless" side on one side of the front as described above, so that the power supply plug 62 is disconnected from the power receiving part 5 of the steamer body 1 without interfering with the mating claw 73, and the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1 is stopped. This stops the supply of DC power from the output terminal of the power circuit 44 mounted on the second board 37B, and the charging of the electric double layer capacitor 45 from the constant current circuit 82 is also stopped. In addition, the supply of power via the diode 84 is also stopped, so the potential of the cathode of the diode 84 drops. Then, when the potential of the cathode of the diode 85, i.e., the potential of the charged electric double layer capacitor 45, becomes higher than the potential of the cathode of the diode 84, the electric double layer capacitor 45 supplies operating power via the diode 85 to the indicator lamp 38, the buzzer 42, the control device 40, and the like mounted on the first board 37A. The microcomputer 87 of the control device 40, which is operated by this, sends out control signals to control the LED circuit 91 and the notification circuit 93 described above based on the set temperature based on the operation signal from the SW circuit 90 set by the temperature set / off button 35 and the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41, and one of the LEDs in the indicator lamp 38 lights up or blinks in accordance with the control signal using the operating power provided by the electric double-layer capacitor 45, and the buzzer 42 turns on / off in accordance with the control signal using the operating power provided by the electric double-layer capacitor 45. Therefore, even during cordless use of the steamer main body 1, the temperature of the base 7, which is the operating state of the steamer main body 1, can be continuously displayed and confirmed by the indicator lamp 38 provided on the upper surface of the steamer main body 1 using the power from the electric double-layer capacitor 45, and the buzzer 42 can be used to notify when the temperature of the base 7 drops.

[0058] When the microcontroller 87 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 92 and determines that no AC voltage is being applied to the power receiving unit 5, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer main body 1 has changed from present to absent, and sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 93 to drive the buzzer 42, and sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 91 to change the display of the indicator lamp 38, thereby notifying the user that the steamer main body 1 is cordless.

[0059] Here, when the user wishes to utilize the steam function, while holding grip portion 31 in the hand, he or she presses steam button 36 once from the initial position with a finger, causing SW circuit 90 to send an operation signal to microcomputer 87. Microcomputer 87 receives the operation signal from SW circuit 90 and detects the user's touch of grip portion 31 based on a detection signal from touch sensor switch 48. Then, according to the temperature of base 7 based on the detection signal from temperature detection means 41, if base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, it sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of switching element 88. As described above, in the cordless state, the electromagnetic pump 24 is also supplied with operating power from the electric double layer capacitor 45 via the diode 85, so that the electromagnetic pump 24 can be operated by a pulse drive signal from the microcomputer 87, and the water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 is sent to the vaporization chamber 11 through the discharge pipe 26 and the liquid passage 46, the water reaches the heated vaporization chamber 11 reliably and is vaporized there, and the steam is ejected at a set flow rate through the steam hole 12 from the bottom surface of the steam main body 1. Then, when the timer detects that a certain time, for example, 60 seconds, has elapsed since the steam was ejected, the microcomputer 87 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88. In response to this, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops its operation, the ejection of water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 is cut off, and the ejection of steam stops.

[0060] Furthermore, when the user wishes to stop the steam function, by pressing the steam button 36 once from the initial position with a finger while steam is being emitted, the SW circuit 90 sends an operation signal of the steam button 36 to the microcomputer 87, and the microcomputer 87 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88. In response to this, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops its operation, and the delivery of water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 is cut off.

[0061] When the user uses the dry function, the steamer body 1 is used without operating the steam button 36. At this time, the microcomputer 87 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, so the electromagnetic pump 24 stops operating and water is not sent from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11. Therefore, in this case, the steamer body 1 can be used as a dry steamer in which steam does not spray from any of the steam holes 12.

[0062] Thereafter, when the temperature of the base 7 drops below a certain temperature, the microcomputer 87 controls the operation of the electromagnetic pump 24 in accordance with the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41. The microcomputer 87 also detects the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 45, i.e., the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45, for example, by a signal from the control unit 82A of the constant current circuit 82, and notifies the user by controlling the buzzer 42 to issue a buzzer alert in a manner that changes from "beep" to "beep beep" in accordance with the decrease in the amount of stored charge, for example, when the electric double layer capacitor 45 has reached a predetermined amount of stored charge. Then, when the amount of electricity stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 decreases further and the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 45 drops to a predetermined value at which the electromagnetic pump 24 cannot be driven and the control unit 82A detects that the amount of electricity has decreased, the microcomputer 87 sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 93 to drive the buzzer 42 to further change the buzzer alarm, for example to a "beep beep beep", to notify the user that the electric double layer capacitor 45 has run out of electricity, and further sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 91 to cause the temperature indicator lamp 38 to display a different display from before and after the zero cross circuit 92 detected that there was no power being supplied to the steamer main body 1, for example by causing all of the LEDs of the temperature indicator lamp 38 to be turned off or all to blink, to notify the user that the electric double layer capacitor 45 has run out of electricity.

[0063] When the user places the steamer body 1 on the stand 3, the steamer body 1 is placed from the front to the rear of the stand 3, and when the power supply plug 62 is inserted into the power receiving unit 5, the power supply plug 62 of the plug unit 2 fits into the power receiving unit 5, the power receiving terminal 67 passes through the power supply hole 76 of the power supply plug 62 and comes into contact with the power supply terminal 66, commercial power is supplied to the steamer body 1, and DC power is supplied from the output terminal of the power supply circuit 44 mounted on the second board 37B. When the microcomputer 87 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 92 and determines that an AC voltage has been applied to the power receiving unit 5, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer main body 1 has changed from not connected to connected, and sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 93 to activate the buzzer 42, for example by beeping three times, and sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 91 to change the display of the indicator lamp 38, thereby notifying the user that the steamer main body 1 is corded.

[0064] Here, a case where the user places the steamer body 1 on the stand 3 without stopping the steam function will be described. When the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3 in a cordless state without the power supply plug 62 being inserted into the power receiving unit 5, the microcomputer 87 sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, and since neither the operation signal from the SW circuit 90 nor the detection signal from the zero cross circuit 92 is received, steam is still sprayed from the steamer body 1. When the user releases the grip 31 at this time, the microcomputer 87 detects the non-contact of the user with the grip 31 by the detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48 and determines that the contact with the grip 31 has disappeared, and stops sending the pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88 in conjunction with this. In response to this, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops its operation, the delivery of water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 is interrupted, and the steamer body 1 stops spraying steam. Therefore, if you forget to stop the steam emission from the steamer body 1 in cordless mode, or if you want to interrupt the steam emission from the steamer body 1 midway, the steam emission from the steamer body 1 will automatically stop when you release the grip 31, preventing the steam from sticking to the stand 3 or the steamer body 1 and causing them to get wet or dirty, making for a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0065] In addition, when the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3 with the power supply plug 62 plugged into the power receiving unit 5 while the steamer body 1 is in the cordless state, the microcomputer 87 sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88. When it receives a detection signal from the zero cross circuit 92 and determines that an AC voltage has been applied to the power receiving unit 5 without receiving an operation signal from the SW circuit 90, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer body 1 has switched from not connected to connected, and stops sending the pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88 in conjunction with this. In response to this, the steamer body 1 stops spraying steam as described above. Therefore, if you forget to stop the steam emission from the steamer body 1 in cordless mode, or if you interrupt the steam emission from the steamer body 1 midway, the steam emission from the steamer body 1 will automatically stop when the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, preventing the stand 3 or steamer body 1 from getting wet or dirty due to steam adhering to them, making it a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0066] On the other hand, when using the steamer main body 1 with a cord, when the temperature set / off button 35 is pressed from the off state to set a temperature according to the fabric of the clothing or the like that will be the object of steam ejection, inside the steamer main body 1, the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40 sends a control signal to the relay circuit 89 to control the heater 6 to be turned on and off so that the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 approaches the temperature set by the temperature set / off button 35, and heats the base 7 including the evaporation chamber 11.

[0067] Thereafter, when the base 7 reaches a certain temperature as a result of current being passed through the heater 6, the microcomputer 87 sends a control signal to the LED circuit 91, just as in the case of a cordless device, to control one of the LEDs in the temperature indicator lamp 38 corresponding to the set temperature to blink, and when the microcomputer 87 determines that the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 has reached the set temperature, it sends a control signal to the LED circuit 91 to control the blinking LED to switch to a lit state, and also sends a control signal to the alarm circuit 93 to control the buzzer 42 to be switched ON for a predetermined period of time.

[0068] When the user grips the grip 31 with his / her hand, the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40 determines that the user's contact with the grip 31 has been detected by the detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48, and in conjunction with this, enables a pulse drive signal to be sent to the control terminal of the switching element 88, allowing steam to be emitted by operating the steam button 36. When the cordless changeover switch 76 is on the "corded" side, if the user lifts the steamer main body 1 forward, the engagement between the power supply plug 62 and the plug housing 70 is released while the engagement claw 73 remains engaged with the receptacle formed in the power receiving part 5, and the steamer main body 1 is removed from the stand 3 in a corded state with the plug unit 2 still attached.

[0069] Also, when a user uses the steam function, as in the case of the cordless appliance, when the user presses the steam button 36 from the initial position once with a finger while holding the grip 31 with his / her hand, the SW circuit 90 sends an operation signal to the microcomputer 87, and the microcomputer 87 receives the operation signal from the SW circuit 90 and detects the touch of the user to the grip 31 by the detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48, and according to the temperature of the base 7 based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41, if the base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, it sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88 and controls the drive of the electromagnetic pump 24 so that the set flow rate of steam is sprayed from the steam hole 12, and the electromagnetic pump 24 sends water sucked through the suction pipe 25 from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 through the discharge pipe 26 and the liquid passage 46. Then, when the timer means detects that a certain time, for example, 60 seconds, has elapsed since the steam was sprayed, the microcomputer 87 stops sending the pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88. In response to this, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops its operation, the delivery of water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 is cut off, and the ejection of steam stops.

[0070] Here, during steam emission from the steamer main body 1, for example, if the steamer main body 1 is forcibly moved to a position longer than the length of the power cord 61, or if the fitting claws 73 of the power supply plug 62 are incompletely fitted and the power supply plug 62 is disconnected from the power receiving unit 5, or if the AC power supply 81 is cut off for some reason, as described above in the case of cordless use, the supply of DC power from the output terminal of the power supply circuit 44 stops, the potential of the cathode of the diode 84 drops, and the potential of the electric double layer capacitor 45 becomes higher than the potential of the cathode of this diode 84, and the electric double layer capacitor 45 supplies operating power to the electromagnetic pump 24 in addition to the temperature display lamp 38, buzzer 42, control device 40, etc. mounted on the first board 37A via the diode 85. Therefore, operating power is also supplied to the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40, so that the microcomputer 87 can continue to control each part of the steamer main body 1.

[0071] When the microcomputer 87 receives a detection signal from the zero cross circuit 92 and determines that no AC voltage is being applied to the power receiving unit 5, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer main body 1 has switched from connected to disconnected, and sends an operation signal to the notification circuit 72 to drive the buzzer 42, for example by beeping once, and sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 70 to change the display of the indicator lamp 38, for example by turning off the "power" LED of the indicator lamp 38, thereby notifying the user that power supply from the AC power source 81 has been lost. Therefore, the user can easily know that power supply from the AC power source 81 has been lost unintentionally for some reason by checking the "power" LED of the indicator lamp 38 or by listening to the buzzer 42.

[0072] Furthermore, the microcomputer 87 sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88 so that steam continues to be ejected when power is being supplied from the AC power source 81. As described above, since the electromagnetic pump 24 is also supplied with operating power from the electric double layer capacitor 45 via the diode 85, the electromagnetic pump 24 can be controlled to be continuously driven by the pulse drive signal of the microcomputer 87, and therefore it is possible to eject steam continuously from when power was being indirectly supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 from the AC power source 81 via the power supply circuit 44. Furthermore, by preventing an emergency stop of the electromagnetic pump 24, it is possible to prevent water from leaking from the electromagnetic pump 24 and leaking from the steam hole 12 via the vaporization chamber 11.

[0073] Returning to the explanation of the case where the steamer main body 1 is used with a cord, when the steam button 36 is pressed once with a finger from the initial position while steam is being emitted, the microcomputer 87 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, and stops the steam function. When the steamer main body 1 is then placed on the stand 3, the power supply plug 75 fits into the plug housing 79 when the steamer main body 1 is placed on the stand 3 from the front to the rear. Also, around the time when the steamer main body 1 is placed on the stand 3, if the temperature setting / off button 35 is pressed until all the LEDs of the temperature display lamp 38 are turned off and the heater 6 is turned off, the relay circuit 89 is controlled to cut off the power.

[0074] If the user releases the grip 31 of the steamer body 1 without stopping the steam function, the microcomputer 87 detects the user's non-contact with the grip 31 through a detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48, determines that the user has lost contact with the grip 31, and stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88 in conjunction with the detection signal. In response to this, the steamer body 1 stops spraying steam. Therefore, even if the steamer body 1 is used in a corded state and the user forgets to stop the steam spray from the steamer body 1 during steam spray, or if the steam spray is interrupted midway, the steam spray from the steamer body 1 automatically stops when the user releases the grip 31, so there is no need to operate the steam button 36 again, and there is no risk of the steam adhering to the stand 3 or the steamer body 1 and getting wet or dirty, making it a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0075] When the user uses the dry function, the process is the same as when using it cordlessly, so an explanation will be omitted.

[0076] As described above, the steamer body 1 of the steamer of this embodiment comprises the steam hole 12 as an ejection portion for ejecting steam, the grip portion 31 as a holding portion that is held by the user during use, the control device 40 and the electromagnetic pump 24 as continuous ejection means for continuously ejecting steam from the steam hole 12 for a certain period of time, the touch sensor switch 48 as a grip detection means for detecting that the user is gripping the grip portion 31, and the control device 40 as an ejection stop means for stopping the ejection of steam. When the detection signal from the touch sensor switch 48 disappears during the ejection of steam and the touch sensor switch 48 no longer detects that it is being held by the user, the control device 40 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops operating, and the ejection of steam is stopped.

[0077] By configuring it in this manner, even if you forget to stop the steam emission from the steamer body 1 during a certain period of continuous steam emission, or if you interrupt the steam emission midway, the steam emission from the steamer body 1 will automatically stop when you release the grip 31, so there is no need to operate the steam button 36 as an off switch, and there is no risk of steam adhering to the stand 3 or steamer body 1 and getting them wet or dirty, making it a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0078] The steamer of this embodiment is equipped with a steamer body 1 as a main body having a steam hole 12 for spraying steam, and a stand 3 on which the steamer body 1 is detachably placed. The steamer body 1 is equipped with a control device 40 and an electromagnetic pump 24 for continuously spraying steam from the steam hole 12 for a certain period of time, a control device 40 for stopping the spraying of steam, a power receiving unit 5 as a main body side connection part electrically connected to a plug unit 2 engaged with the stand 3, and a zero cross connection detection means for detecting that the plug unit 2 engaged with the stand and the power receiving unit 5 are electrically connected. The stand 3 has a power supply terminal 66 of the plug unit 2 as a stand-side connection part electrically connected to the power receiving terminal 67 of the power receiving unit 5, and a shutter member 74 as a shielding means for shielding the power supply terminal 66 when the power supply terminal 66 is not connected to the power receiving terminal 67. When the zero-cross circuit 92 detects that the power receiving terminal 67 and the power supply terminal 66 are electrically connected during steam emission, the control device 40 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, causing the electromagnetic pump 24 to stop operating, and the emission of steam is stopped.

[0079] By configuring in this way, even if you forget to stop the steam ejection from the steamer body 1 during a certain period of continuous steam ejection, or if you interrupt the steam ejection midway, the steam ejection from the steamer body 1 automatically stops when the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, so there is no need to operate the steam button 36 as an off switch, and there is no risk of steam adhering to the stand 3 or the steamer body 1 and getting wet or dirty, making it a configuration that takes safety into consideration. Also, even if steam is ejected from the steam hole 12 of the steamer body 1 before the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, it is possible to prevent steam from entering the power supply plug 62, ensuring insulation between the electrodes in the power supply plug 62, and suppressing the risk of corrosion of the contacts and conductive plates.

[0080] 8 and 9 show a steamer according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the steamer body 1' of this embodiment, a switch mechanism 96 is provided instead of the touch sensor switch 48 provided in the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, so the description will be omitted.

[0081] When a user grips the grip portion 31 with his or her hand, the switch mechanism 96 operates by gripping the push button 96A together with the grip portion 31, and turns ON / OFF depending on the position of the push button 96A relative to the switch body 96B. In this embodiment, the switch mechanism 96 is a mechanical microswitch having a push button 96A and a switch body 96B, and is turned ON only while the push button 96A is pressed, and when the hand is released from the grip portion 31 to release the push button 96A, the push button 96A returns to its initial position and returns to the OFF state. This momentary operation is adopted, and the user's contact with the grip portion 31 is detected. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and other switches such as a push button switch or switches with other operation methods may be used.

[0082] The switch mechanism 96 of this embodiment is provided on the underside of the second substrate 37B, and a hole 97 for the push button is drilled near the center of the longitudinal direction of the extension portion 28C, and the push button 96A protrudes downward through the hole 97. Therefore, when the user grips the grip portion 31 with his / her hand, the finger other than the index finger, for example, the ring finger, which operates the steam button 36, contacts the push button 96A, and the push button 96A is pushed into the grip portion 31. Note that the present invention is not limited to this, and any configuration may be used as long as the user pushes the push button 96A into the grip portion 31 when gripping the grip portion 31. For example, the hole 97 for the push button may be drilled on the upper surface or side surface of the grip portion 31 to protrude the push button 96A upward or laterally.

[0083] Next, the operation of the steamer configured as above will be described. When a user grips the grip portion 31 with their hand, the push button 96A is pushed into the grip portion 31, and the switch mechanism 96 is turned ON. When the microcomputer 87 of the control device 40 detects that the switch mechanism 96 has been turned ON by a detection signal from the switch mechanism 96, it determines that the user's contact with the grip portion 31 has been detected, and in conjunction with this, enables a pulse drive signal to be sent to the control terminal of the switching element 88, so that steam can be sprayed by operating the steam button 36. Thereafter, when the user wishes to use the steam function, while holding grip portion 31 in his / her hand, he / she presses steam button 36 once from the initial position with his / her finger, which causes SW circuit 90 to send an operation signal to microcomputer 87. Microcomputer 87 receives the operation signal from SW circuit 90 and detects the user's contact with grip portion 31 based on a detection signal from switch mechanism 96. Then, according to the temperature of base 7 based on the detection signal from temperature detection means 41, if base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, it sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of switching element 88, and sprays steam at the set flow rate.

[0084] Also, when the user releases the grip 31 of the steamer body 1' without stopping the steam function, the push button 96A returns to the initial position and returns to the OFF state. When the microcomputer 87 detects that the switch mechanism 96 has been turned OFF by a detection signal from the switch mechanism 96, it determines that the user's grip has not been detected and that there is no longer any contact with the grip 31, and in conjunction with this, stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88. In response to this, the steam ejection from the steamer body 1 stops. Therefore, even with this configuration, if you forget to stop the steam ejection from the steamer body 1 during steam ejection or if you interrupt the steam ejection midway, the steam ejection from the steamer body 1 automatically stops when you release the grip 31, so there is no need to operate the steam button 36 again, and there is no risk of the steam adhering to the stand 3 or the steamer body 1 and getting wet or dirty, making this a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0085] As described above, the steamer body 1' of the steamer of this embodiment comprises the steam hole 12 as an ejection portion for ejecting steam, the grip portion 31 as a holding portion that is held by the user during use, the control device 40 and the electromagnetic pump 24 as continuous ejection means for continuously ejecting steam from the steam hole 12 for a certain period of time, the switch mechanism 96 as a grip detection means for detecting that the user is gripping the grip portion 31, and the control device 40 as an ejection stop means for stopping the ejection of steam.When the switch mechanism 96 detects that the switch mechanism 96 has turned to the OFF state during ejection of steam by a detection signal from the switch mechanism 96, if the switch mechanism 96 does not detect that it is being held by the user, the control device 40 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 88, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops operating, and the ejection of steam is stopped.

[0086] With this configuration, even if you forget to stop the steam emission from the steamer body 1 during a certain period of continuous steam emission, or if you interrupt the steam emission midway, the steam emission from the steamer body 1 will automatically stop when you release the grip 31, so there is no need to operate the steam button 36 as an off switch, and there is no risk of steam adhering to the stand 3 or steamer body 1 and getting them wet or dirty, making this a configuration that takes safety into consideration.

[0087] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. The name "steamer" of the present invention applies to any device that ejects steam to remove wrinkles from clothes, and includes, for example, a steamer suitable for ejecting steam onto clothes from a distance as shown in the present embodiment, as well as a steam iron suitable for ejecting steam while pressing the ironing surface of the base against the clothes. The handle 16 may be O-shaped by providing a rear connecting portion that connects the rear of the extension portion 28C to the rear of the base portion 28A, or may be a so-called stick type in which the grip portion 31 extends behind the base portion 28A. Even in this case, it is sufficient that the electromagnetic pump 24 and the electric double layer capacitor 45 provided in the handle 16, which is the second space, are not easily affected by the temperature rise in the first space 56 housing the base 7 equipped with the vaporization chamber 11 and the heater 6 as the steam generating means, and for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the lower housing space 54 and the upper housing space 23 are interposed between the base 7 and the electromagnetic pump 24. The configuration and shape of each part of each embodiment are not limited to those shown in the drawings and can be modified as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1,1' Steamer body (Steamer, body ) 1 2 Steam hole (outlet) 24 Electromagnetic pump (continuous ejection means) 31 Grip (grip) 40 Control device (continuous ejection means, ejection stop means) 43 Power generation equipment 45 Electric double layer capacitor (electricity storage means) 48 Touch sensor switch (grasp detection means) ) 9 6 Switch mechanism (grasp detection means)

Claims

1. A jetting portion for jetting steam; A gripping portion to be gripped during use; A gripping detection means for detecting that the gripping portion is being gripped; An operating body for operating the steam ejection / stop; A jetting stop means electrically connected to the gripping detection means and the operating body and stopping the jetting of the steam; and a continuous ejection means for ejecting steam continuously for a certain period of time from the ejection portion based on an instruction from the operating body, A steamer characterized in that, when the gripping detection means does not detect the gripping while the steam is being ejected, the ejection stopping means stops the ejection of the steam.

2. The continuous ejection means has an electromagnetic pump, 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic pump stops its operation in response to a signal from the jetting stopping means.

3. A power storage means for supplying power to the electromagnetic pump; 3. The steamer according to claim 2, further comprising a power generation device which converts AC power into DC power to produce power of a predetermined voltage and charges and discharges the power storage means.

4. A control device for controlling the supply of power from the power storage means to the electromagnetic pump, 4. The steamer according to claim 3, wherein the control device has the functions of the continuous ejection means and the ejection stopping means.

5. A steamer as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that when the grip detection means does not detect the grip, the steam is not ejected even when the operating body is operated.

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