Steamer

Abstract

To provide a steamer capable of ejecting steam even when power feeding from AC source is unintentionally interrupted for some reason, on a continuing basis from the time with power feeding.SOLUTION: A steamer main unit comprises an electromagnetic pump 24 which supplies water stored in a tank assembly to a vaporization chamber, such that the water in the tank assembly is vaporized in the vaporization chamber heated by a heater 6 to be ejected as steam to the outside, an electric double-layer capacitor 45 which supplies electric power to the electromagnetic pump 24, a power feeding plug with a power source cord for feeding power to the steamer main unit, a microcomputer 66 for controlling the electromagnetic pump 24, and a zero-cross circuit 71 for detecting presence / absence of power feeding to the steamer main unit. When the zero-cross circuit 71 detects absence of power feeding to the steamer main unit during driving of the electromagnetic pump 24, the microcomputer 66 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 to be continuously driven with the electric power from the electric double-layer capacitor 45.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a steamer that sprays steam onto textile products such as clothing to remove wrinkles, and that can be used both with and without a cord. [Background technology]

[0002] There have been several steamers of this type in the past. For example, in Patent Document 1, the applicant of the present application has proposed a configuration that includes a steamer body that sprays steam to the outside, a stand on which the steamer body is detachably placed, and a power supply plug with a power cord that supplies power to the steamer body, and the power supply plug can be attached and detached to either the steamer body or the stand. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-54575 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a steamer equipped with a steam generating mechanism that mechanically opens and closes a needle valve, which acts as a valve body, to drip water from a tank and send it into the vaporization chamber to generate steam. However, this structure has limitations on the ability to spray steam, such as making it difficult for water to drip from the tank when the internal pressure of the vaporization chamber is high, and requiring water to be immersed in the water passage from the tank to the vaporization chamber in order to drip water. In response to these problems, the applicant of the present application has proposed incorporating an electromagnetic pump driven by a DC motor into a steam iron instead of the conventional mechanical steam generating mechanism. However, in Patent Document 1, switching between corded and cordless modes is performed using a cordless selector switch, so if the steam iron is configured to supply water from a tank to the evaporation chamber using an electromagnetic pump, if the power cord is disconnected while steam is being emitted or a power outage occurs, or if the power supply from the AC power source is unintentionally lost for some reason, the electromagnetic pump will come to an emergency stop, making it impossible to continue to emit steam.In addition, there is a risk that water will leak from the electromagnetic pump during the emergency stop, causing a water leak through the evaporation chamber.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide a steamer that can continue to spray steam from the time when power is supplied, even if the power supply from the AC power source is unintentionally cut off for some reason. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The steamer of the present invention vaporizes the liquid stored in the tank in the vaporization chamber heated by the heating means and ejects the steam to the outside. It is something that a liquid supplying means that operates upon receiving a drive signal and supplies the liquid in the tank to the vaporization chamber; a power storage means that supplies power to the liquid supplying means; a power supply plug with a power cord that supplies power to the steamer; a control means that sends the drive signal to the liquid supplying means and controls the operation of the liquid supplying means; and a power outage detection means that detects whether or not power is being supplied to the steamer. The heating means does not operate using the power storage means as a power source, and there are two states: a corded state in which the power supply plug is attached to the steamer and commercial power is supplied to the steamer, and a cordless state in which the power supply plug is detached from the steamer and commercial power is not supplied to the steamer; the power failure detection means can detect whether the steamer is in the corded state or the cordless state by detecting whether power is being supplied to the steamer or not when use is started; and if the power supply is lost during operation of the liquid delivery means when power is being supplied to the steamer because the power supply plug is detached from the steamer, the power cord is removed from the outlet, or a power failure occurs even though the power supply plug is attached to the steamer, the power failure detection means receives power from the power storage means and detects that power is not being supplied to the steamer. The control means When power is supplied to the steamer When the power supply is turned off while the liquid delivery means is being driven If it becomesBy receiving power from the power storage means and continuing to send the drive signal, the liquid delivery means is controlled so as to be continuously driven by the power of the power storage means. The detection of the absence of power supply to the steamer by the power failure detection means is the same operation at the start of use and while the liquid delivery means is in operation. It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, since the power storage means supplies operating power to the liquid delivery means, the control means can control the liquid delivery means to be continuously driven, and therefore it is possible to continuously eject steam from the time when power is supplied to the liquid delivery means from the AC power source. Furthermore, by preventing an emergency stop of the liquid delivery means, it is possible to prevent water leakage from the liquid delivery means and water leakage via the vaporization chamber. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a right side view of the steamer according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a plan view of the steamer. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the steamer as seen from the front right side. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the steamer body. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of the steamer body. [Figure 6] Same as above, (A) a view from above of the steamer body with the handle cover removed, (B) a view from an angle of the steamer body with the handle cover removed. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is a circuit block diagram showing the electrical connection configuration of the steamer. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the plug unit attached to the stand, as viewed from the front right side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the steamer of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0010] Figures 1 to 8 show a steamer according to one embodiment of the present invention. Explaining the overall configuration in each of these figures, the steamer of this embodiment is mainly composed of a steamer main body 1 that heats and vaporizes liquid water and sprays steam to the outside, a plug unit 2 that supplies commercial power to the steamer main body 1 from a household outlet (not shown), and a stand 3 that is used while placed on a floor surface S and on which the steamer main body 1 is detachably placed.

[0011] Steamer main body 1 has a recessed power receiving section 5 at the rear that receives power, and a metal base 7 at the bottom in which a heater 6 is embedded as heating means. Base 7 is configured so that a base plate 9 serving as a hanging surface member is provided on the bottom surface of base substrate 8, which is a die-cast molded product, and is tightly fixed to base substrate 8 by fastening members 10 fixed to base plate 9. A steam chamber, i.e., evaporation chamber 11, is formed inside base 7 near heater 6, and multiple steam holes 12 communicating with this evaporation chamber 11 are formed in base plate 9, which forms the underside of base 7. Base 7 also has a steam cover 13, which serves as a metal plate-like top lid, and the upper surface of evaporation chamber 11 is formed by steam cover 13 attached and fixed to base substrate 8.

[0012] Reference numeral 15 denotes a resin cover provided to cover the top and sides of base 7, and reference numeral 16 denotes a handle fixed to the top of cover 15 and formed in a roughly O-shape with its front and rear ends connected 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 handle 16. Tank assembly 17 is composed of a tank cover 18 and a tank base 19, both of which are made of resin, and by attaching and fixing tank base 19 so as to cover the bottom opening of tank cover 18, a liquid storage space 20 is formed inside tank assembly 17.

[0013] Reference numeral 21 denotes a water inlet provided at the front of the tank assembly 17, which directly communicates with the aforementioned storage space 20. Opposite this water inlet 21 and at the front of the handle 16 is a water inlet lid 22 that allows the water inlet 21 to be opened and closed manually, and by lifting the water inlet lid 22 forward to open the water inlet 21, liquid water can be added to the tank assembly 17 or unnecessary water can be discarded from the tank assembly 17. Inside the steamer body 1, an upper storage space 23 separated from the storage space 20 by a standing wall 18A formed at the rear of the tank cover 18 is provided with an electromagnetic pump 24 for supplying water stored in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11, which is heated by the heater 6. The electromagnetic pump 24 is connected to a suction pipe 25 that communicates with the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 and a discharge pipe 26 that communicates with the vaporization chamber 11, and the electromagnetic pump 24 and the tank assembly 17 are connected in a liquid-tight state. This prevents the water contained in the storage space 20 from entering the space inside the rear end of the handle 16 where the electromagnetic pump 24 is located, regardless of the position in which the steamer body 1 is used, and when the electromagnetic pump 24 is operating, the water sucked into the electromagnetic pump 24 through the suction pipe 25 from the storage space 20 can be sent to the vaporization chamber 11 through the discharge pipe 26.

[0014] Furthermore, the upper accommodation space 23 in this embodiment is provided with an upper space 23A in which the main body of the electromagnetic pump 24 is disposed, and a lower space 23B in which the intake port and discharge port of the electromagnetic pump 24, the suction pipe 25, and the discharge pipe 26 are disposed, and the upper space 23A and the lower space 23B are separated by a partition wall and a surface in which the intake port and discharge port of the electromagnetic pump 24 are disposed. Therefore, the tank assembly 17 and the lower space 23B are disposed from the front to the rear inside the handle 16, and these tank assembly 17 and lower space 23B entirely cover the upper part of the lower accommodation 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 lower space 23B act as layers that insulate from heat from the base 7, and temperature rise of components disposed inside the handle 16, such as the electromagnetic pump 24 disposed in the upper space 23A and the components mounted on the board 37, can be prevented as described later.

[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. The handle base 28 comprises a base 28A attached to the cover 15, a forward connecting portion 28B rising in a U-shape in front of the base 28A, an extension portion 28C extending rearward from the front connecting portion 28B, and a rear connecting portion 28D rising in a U-shape behind the base 28A and connecting to the rear end of the extension portion 28C. The extension portion 28C and the rear connecting portion 28D, which form the continuation of the upper and rear portions of the handle base 28, have a generally U-shaped cross section, and a generally plate-like handle cover 29 is disposed to cover one side opening of these portions. The extension portion 28C of the handle base 28 and the handle cover 29 form a grip portion 31 for the user to grip the upper portion of the steamer body 1 with their hand.

[0016] The rod-shaped grip 31 has a cavity 33 between it and the body 32 of the steamer body 1, and is formed so that a hand can be inserted into this cavity 33 to grip the grip 31. In other words, the body 32 here refers to the flat central upper surface portion of the steamer body 1 facing the grip 31, excluding both side portions of the tank assembly 17, and in this embodiment, it is formed as the base 28A of the handle base 28.

[0017] The temperature limit for the grip 31, based on the "carrying handle" temperature stipulated in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act, is 60°C for metal, ceramic, or glass handles and 75°C for handles made of other materials such as plastic when the reference ambient temperature is 20°C. Therefore, 75°C is used. On the other hand, temperatures between 44°C and 50°C are relatively low enough that prolonged contact with the same area of ​​skin can result in necrosis of the underlying muscles, potentially resulting in a "low-temperature burn." While the contact time required for a "low-temperature burn" to occur is generally considered to be 3-4 hours or more for a temperature of 44°C, 30 minutes to 1 hour for a temperature of 46°C, and 2-3 minutes for a temperature of 50°C, this time also varies depending on the physical condition of the person in contact. Therefore, the temperature of the grip 31 in this embodiment is designed to be below 50°C, preferably below 45°C, taking into account the time the grip 31 is held during use of the steamer body 1.

[0018] Considering the practicality of being able to hold the steamer body 1 of this embodiment in one hand in a cordless state, when 50 mL or more of water is poured into the tank assembly 17 and water is contained in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17, the steamer body 1 is configured to be lightweight and compact, weighing 0.9 kg or less, preferably 0.8 kg or less, with 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 the handle 16, i.e., the size of the grip portion 31, must fit within the above-mentioned product dimensions, the grip portion 31 must have a shape and dimensions that are easy for the user to hold in their hand. Therefore, the cross-sectional outer dimensions of the 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 the grip portion 31 (hereinafter referred to as the vertical width) is, for example, 22 to 28 mm, preferably 24 to 26 mm. The cross-sectional outline of grip 31 has four rounded corners to make it easy for the user to grip, and the circumference of this cross-sectional outline is configured to be, for example, 101 to 125 mm, preferably approximately 110 to 118 mm. The dimensions of the cross-sectional space inside grip 31 are calculated by subtracting the thickness of the resin forming the outer shell, for example, 2.0 to 3.0 mm, from the cross-sectional outline. For example, if grip 31 is 32 mm wide and the resin is 2.5 mm thick, the width of the internal space of grip 31 will be 32 mm - 2.5 mm - 2.5 mm, or 27 mm.

[0019] Located on the front side of the grip 31, located at the top of the steamer body 1, are two manually operable controls: a temperature setting / off button 35, which serves as a first control for setting the temperature of the base 7 and for turning the power on and off; and a steam volume setting button 36, which serves as a second control for setting the flow rate of steam emitted from the steam holes 12. These operation buttons 35 and 36 are mounted on a circuit board 37 located inside the grip 31. In this embodiment, the circuit board 37 is made of a glass cloth-based epoxy resin laminate. The upper limit of the operating temperature of this glass cloth-based epoxy resin laminate is 130°C, based on the upper limit of the operating temperature for "insulating materials used in electrical appliances" stipulated in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act. As described above, if the width of the interior space of the grip 31 is 27 mm, the width W of the circuit board 37 must be limited to less than 27 mm, preferably 26 mm or less, in order to accommodate the circuit board 37 within the handle 16 to which the grip 31 is attached. Furthermore, when each component mounted on the substrate 37 (described later) is mounted, for example, by soldering to the copper foil that forms the circuit pattern of the substrate 37, the temperature of the soldered portion of the substrate 37 is limited to 90°C or less, taking into consideration expansion and contraction due to the influence of heat at the soldered portion of the substrate 37. The number and type of operating bodies are not limited to those in this embodiment, and operating bodies other than the push-type may also be used. Furthermore, it is not important which function is assigned to which operating body.

[0020] Electromagnetic pump 24, including the suction pipe 25 and discharge pipe described above, is incorporated into liquid passage 46 leading from tank assembly 17 to vaporizing chamber 11. Electromagnetic pump 24 supplies water from tank assembly 17 to vaporizing chamber 11, and is disposed inside the rear end of handle 16 as described above as a liquid supply unit that varies the flow rate of water supplied to vaporizing chamber 11 according to the steam flow rate set by steam amount setting button 36. A DC motor-driven pump may be used as electromagnetic pump 24.

[0021] In this case, the control device 40 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 so that the microcomputer 66, which will be described later, repeatedly turns on and off the electromagnetic pump 24 when the base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid in accordance with the temperature of the base 7 based on a detection signal from the temperature detection means 41, making it possible to send a predetermined amount of water from the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11, and the amount of water sent 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 turning on and off the electromagnetic pump 24. On the other hand, when the base 7 is lower than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, the microcomputer 66 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 to stop driving.

[0022] Inside the steamer main body 1, a lower storage space 54 is formed between the tank base 19, which forms the bottom surface of the tank assembly 17, and the upper surface of the base 7, which is heated by the heater 6, and which accommodates the temperature detection means 41 and other components placed on the upper surface of the steam cover 13, covered by the cover 15. The upper surface of the cover 15 is interposed as a heat shield 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. 4, that is, when the steamer main body 1 is horizontal, the electromagnetic pump 24 and the various components mounted on the board 37, which will be described later, such as the power generator 43, are all positioned higher than the tank base 19 and the lower storage space 54.

[0023] In this embodiment, the base 7 and lower storage space 54 disposed within the cover 15 form a first space 56, and the space within the tank assembly 17 disposed within the handle 16, the upper space 23A and lower space 23B of the upper storage space 23, and the space within the grip portion 31 form a second space 57. Therefore, the tank base 19, the wall below the lower space 23B, and the power receiving portion 5 act as the outer shell of the first space 56. The base 28A, the front connecting portion 28B, the extension portion 28C, and the rear connecting portion 28D also act as the outer shell, forming a cavity 33 at the bottom of the second space 57. This cavity 33 acts as an outside-air communication space through which outside air communicates. This configuration prevents heat within the first space 56 from interfering with components within the second space 57, and also prevents heat within the second space 57 from interfering with components within the first space 56.

[0024] Specifically, the tank assembly 17 and upper storage space 23 are arranged from the front to the rear inside the handle 16, and the tank assembly 17 and upper storage space 23 completely cover the upper part of the lower storage space 54. A cavity 33 is formed above the tank assembly 17, so that air and water layers are formed in both the lower part of the first space 56 and the upper part of the second space 57. The water and air in the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17, the air in the upper space 23A and the lower space 23B of the upper storage space 23, the outside air connected to the cavity 33, and the air in the lower storage space 54 act as heat-blocking layers, preventing heat from being generated from the base 7 in the first space 56 from interfering with the components mounted on the circuit board 37 located inside the grip portion 31 in the second space 57 and the electromagnetic pump 24 located inside the upper space 23A, and preventing these components from overheating. Therefore, by storing the electromagnetic pump 24 in the upper space 23A as described above, it is possible to suppress an increase in the ambient temperature of the electromagnetic pump 24. Furthermore, since the heat shield 15A of the cover 15 is also disposed in the lower storage space 54, this heat shield 15A also effectively blocks heat from the base 7, further preventing an increase in temperature of the electromagnetic pump 24 and the components mounted on the board 37. The base 7, which includes the vaporization chamber 11 and the heater 6 as a steam generating means, is stored in the first space 56. The temperature of the base 7 becomes high because 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 higher than that of the second space 57. However, with this configuration, the heat due to the temperature increase in the first space 56 is minimized from affecting the components in the second space 57, thereby suppressing an increase in temperature of the components in the second space 57.

[0025] In addition to the temperature setting / off button 35 and steam volume setting button 36, the board 37 is equipped with a temperature indicator lamp 38 as a display means consisting of an array of LEDs located on the upper front side of the grip portion 31, a buzzer 42 as an alarm means that notifies the operating status of the steamer main body 1 by sound, a control device 40 that controls the operation of the heater 6, electromagnetic pump 24, temperature indicator lamp 38, and buzzer 42, which are loads on the steamer main body 1, a power generator 43, a power supply circuit 44, etc.

[0026] The temperature display lamp 38 displays the operating state in response to the operation of the temperature set / off button 35 or the steam volume setting button 36, such as the temperature set by the temperature set / off button 35, or whether the temperature of the base 7 detected by the temperature detection means 41 has reached the set temperature, and corresponds to the display means that displays the operating state of the steamer main body 1. Here, the temperature detection means 41 is attached and fixed to the base 7 inside the steamer main body 1 as a sensor unit that displays the operating state of the steamer main body 1.

[0027] 7 is a circuit block diagram showing the electrical connection configuration of the steamer of this embodiment. In the diagram, 61 is an alternating current (AC) power source such as a commercial power source, and AC power supplied from this AC power source 61 is applied to the heater 6 and the power supply circuit 44 of the power generator 43 via the plug unit 2 and the power receiving unit 5. The power supply circuit 44 rectifies and smooths this AC power to convert it into DC power, which is then supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 and the control device 40.

[0028] To explain the connections of the power generator 43, a pair of input terminals of a power supply circuit 44 and a series circuit of the heater 6 and the relay circuit 68 of the control device 40 are connected in parallel to the power receiving unit 5. The anode of a diode 63 is connected to the output terminal of the power supply circuit 44, and the cathode of the diode 63 is connected to various parts of the steamer main body 1, such as the microcomputer 66 of the control device 40 and the electromagnetic pump 24. A series circuit of a constant current circuit 62 and a diode 64 is connected to another output terminal of the power supply circuit 44, and the cathodes of the diode 63 and the diode 64 are connected together. An electric double layer capacitor 45 is connected between the connection point of the output side of the constant current circuit 62 and the anode of the diode 63 and the ground line GL.

[0029] The power generation device 43 has a power generation function inside the steamer main 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 main body 1, an electric double layer capacitor 45 as a power supply storage means, a constant current circuit 62 (see FIG. 7) as a rapid charging circuit for the electric double layer capacitor 45, and diodes 63, 64 (see FIG. 7) for preventing backflow. Therefore, the power generation device 43 functions as a charging / discharging means for the electric double layer capacitor 45. There are no particular limitations on the number of boards 37 incorporated into the steamer main body 1 or which components are mounted on which boards 37.

[0030] The power supply circuit 44 receives power from the AC power supply 61 via the plug unit 2, and sends out the operating power required to operate the temperature indicator lamp 38, the buzzer 42, and each part of the control device 40, which are mounted on the board 37, as well as the operating power required to operate the electromagnetic pump 24. The power supply circuit 44 may be configured to send power separately to each of the multiple output terminals.

[0031] Constant current circuit 62 rapidly charges electric double layer capacitor 45 using power supplied from power supply circuit 44, and includes control unit 62A such as a control IC that controls the current output by constant current circuit 62. Control unit 62A monitors the output voltage of constant current circuit 62, and when the output voltage exceeds a certain voltage threshold, controls constant current circuit 62 so that a voltage at a predetermined current value is output. Note that while this embodiment employs constant current circuit 62 equipped with control unit 62A, a constant voltage circuit equipped with a control unit such as a control IC may be used instead, and in this case, the same effect can be obtained without being affected by the amount of charge stored in electric double layer capacitor 45.

[0032] The electric double-layer capacitor 45 is charged with output power from the constant current circuit 62 and supplies power to various components of the steamer body 1. When the electric double-layer capacitor 45 is mounted on the circuit board 37 and the circuit board 37 is stored within the handle 16, it is preferable that the height H of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 be as low as possible. On the other hand, when using the steamer body 1 in a cordless state, it is necessary to secure a storage capacity for powering the electromagnetic pump 24, temperature indicator lamp 38, and buzzer 42. This requires the electric double-layer capacitor 45 to be large, making it impossible to store within the handle 16, which has the above-mentioned cross-sectional dimensions of the grip 31. Therefore, in this embodiment, the electric double-layer capacitor 45 is divided into two pieces, which are arranged in series in the longitudinal direction of the handle 16, i.e., the longitudinal direction of the handle 31, resembling a bamboo stalk when viewed from above. This configuration reduces the width and height of the electric double-layer capacitor 45, allowing it to be stored within the handle 16. The number of electric double-layer capacitors 45 is not limited to two, and may be one, or three or more. Furthermore, while the ambient temperature for use of electric double-layer capacitor 45 is generally −20 to 70°C or −45 to 85°C, it is known that high temperatures of electric double-layer capacitor 45 can affect its power storage performance. Therefore, in this embodiment, the ambient temperature of 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 board 37 where electric double-layer capacitor 45 and power generator 43 serving as a charge / discharge circuit for electric double-layer capacitor 45 are mounted is configured to be less than 90°C, preferably less than 85°C.

[0033] 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 charges the electric double layer capacitor 45. When the steamer body 1 is in a cordless state without commercial power supplied from the plug unit 2, power from the electric double layer capacitor 45 is supplied to each component of the steamer body 1 connected to the cathode of the diode 64. In this embodiment, the steam release rate of the steamer body 1 in cordless mode and the operating time of each component are configured to be 9 mL / min, preferably 12 mL / min, for 60 seconds or more, preferably 90 seconds or more, taking practicality into consideration. Furthermore, if commercial power is supplied to the steamer body 1 from the plug unit 2 when the steamer body 1 is in an unused, off state and none of the components are operating, the power supply circuit 44 is preferably configured to automatically charge the electric double layer capacitor 45 via the constant current circuit 62 using that commercial power.

[0034] In this embodiment, an electric double layer capacitor 45 is used as the storage means for power supply, but the present invention is not limited to this, and other small secondary batteries such as nickel-cadmium batteries, nickel-metal hydride batteries, and lithium-ion batteries may also be used.

[0035] The control device 40 is mainly composed of a microcomputer 66 as a control means for the steamer main body 1, a switching element 67 that drives the electromagnetic pump 24, a relay circuit 68 that turns the heater 6 on and off, a switch (SW) circuit 69 that sends operation signals from the temperature setting / off button 35 and the steam volume setting button 36 to the microcomputer 66, an LED circuit 70 that turns the temperature display lamp 38 on and off, a zero-cross circuit 71 that detects the AC voltage applied to the power receiving unit 5 and sends it to the microcomputer 66, and an alarm circuit 72 that turns the buzzer 42 on and off.

[0036] Temperature detection means 41 is connected to the input side of microcomputer 66 and detects the temperature of base 7 and transmits the detected temperature to microcomputer 66 as described above. Switching element 67 is formed, for example, by an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) and is connected between electromagnetic pump 24 and ground line GL. Microcomputer 66 is also connected to the gate of the IGBT, which serves as a control terminal. A pulse drive signal, such as a PMW (Pulse Width Modulation) control signal, is output from the output side of microcomputer 66, which switches on and off the DC power from power generator 43 to electromagnetic pump 24 in response to the switching operation of switching element 8, thereby driving electromagnetic pump 24. Therefore, microcomputer 66 and switching element 67 function as liquid supply control means for controlling the supply of water to vaporization chamber 11, which serves as steam generation means, and heater 6.

[0037] Relay circuit 68 turns heater 6 on and off in accordance with a control signal from microcomputer 66. The output side of microcomputer 66 is connected to the primary side of a relay included in relay circuit 68, and heater 6 is connected to the secondary side of this relay. Therefore, microcomputer 66 and relay circuit 68 function as heating control means for controlling heater 6, which heats vaporization chamber 11.

[0038] The switch circuit 69 is connected between the temperature set / off button 35 and the steam amount setting button 36 and the input side of the microcomputer 66, and when the temperature set / off button 35 or the steam amount setting button 36 is operated, it sends an operation signal to the microcomputer 66. Therefore, the temperature set / off button 35, the steam amount setting button 36, and the switch circuit 69 function as operation means for operating the microcomputer 66 and the switching element 67 as the liquid delivery control means, and the microcomputer 66 and the relay circuit 68 as the heating control means. The LED circuit 70 is connected between the output side of the microcomputer 66 and the temperature indicator lamp 38, and turns the temperature indicator lamp 38 on and off in accordance with the control signal from the microcomputer 66.

[0039] Zero-cross circuit 71 detects the AC voltage applied to power receiving unit 5 and transmits the detected voltage to microcomputer 66 in order to protect the contacts of relay circuit 68 from the high-output AC power from power receiving unit 5, and is connected between the connection point of relay circuit 68 and power receiving unit 5 and the input side of microcomputer 66. Based on the detection signal from zero-cross circuit 71, microcomputer 66 sends a control signal so that the relay of relay circuit 68 is turned on / off when the voltage applied to the relay is 0V. Therefore, zero-cross circuit 71 functions as a power outage detection means that detects whether commercial power is being supplied to steamer main unit 1, and also as a detection means that detects whether steamer main unit 1 is in corded or cordless state based on whether power is being supplied.

[0040] The notification circuit 72 is connected between the output side of the microcomputer 66 and the buzzer 42, and turns the buzzer 42 on and off in accordance with a control signal from the microcomputer 66. In this embodiment, the notification circuit 72 is configured to change the sound and tone of the buzzer 42 in accordance with the control signal from the microcomputer 66.

[0041] When operating power is provided by the power generator 43, the control device 40 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 by the power generator 43, the control device 40 also controls and drives the buzzer 42 to notify 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 by the power 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 amount setting button 36 is sprayed out of the steamer body 1 through the steam hole 12. At this time, the electromagnetic pump 24 is also configured to be supplied with operating power from the power generator 43 and to operate in accordance with the set steam flow rate.

[0042] The configuration of the plug unit 2 and the stand 3 will be described with reference to Figure 8. The plug unit 2 mainly comprises a flexible power cord 74 and a power supply plug 75 attached to the base end of the power cord 74. Although not shown, the tip of the power cord 74 is provided with a power plug that can be inserted into and removed from a household outlet. In this embodiment, the plug unit 2, i.e., the power supply plug 75 with the power cord 74, is configured to be attachable and detachable to both the steamer main body 1 and the stand 3.

[0043] The power plug 75 is provided with a cordless selector switch 76 that can be manually operated to enable or disable the power plug 75 from fitting into the recessed power receiving portion 5 of the steamer body 1. The cordless selector switch 76 is slidable back and forth on the top surface of the power plug 75. When the power plug 75 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 detached from the steamer body 1, the cordless selector switch 76 is moved forward on one side to disengage the steamer body 1 from the power plug 75. On the other hand, in order to use the steamer body 1 in a corded state with the power plug 75 detached from the stand 3 and the plug unit 2 attached to the steamer body 1, the cordless selector switch 76 is moved backward on the other side to engage the steamer body 1 and the power plug 75. At this time, the front portion of the power supply plug 75 is attached to the power receiving unit 5 of the steamer main body 1, but the rear portion of the power supply plug 75 including the cordless selector switch 76 is exposed and not surrounded by the power receiving unit 5, allowing the user to manually operate the cordless selector switch 76 at any time. The power receiving unit 5 of the steamer main body 1 is provided with a pair of power receiving terminals 77 that can be electrically connected to the power supply terminals (not shown) of the plug unit 2.

[0044] The stand 3 is equipped with a main body mounting section 78 formed at an angle with respect to the floor surface S so that the front of the steamer main body 1 can be mounted with its front facing diagonally upward, a recessed plug accommodating section 79 provided behind the main body mounting section 78, and a cord outlet section 80 provided at the rear of the stand 3 for pulling the power cord 74 out of the stand 3 when the power supply plug 75 is attached to the plug accommodating section 79. When the power supply plug 75 is inserted from the open front side of the plug accommodating section 79, the power supply plug 75 is fitted and held in the plug accommodating section 79, but when the power supply plug 75 is pulled out towards the front from this state, the power supply plug 75 is disengaged from the plug accommodating section 79.

[0045] In addition to the cordless selector switch 76, the power plug 75 also includes a mating tab 82 and a shutter member 83. The mating tab 82 is constantly biased by a first elastic member, such as a spring, provided inside the power plug 75 so that it protrudes from the top surface of the power plug 75. When the cordless selector switch 76 is moved forward to the "cordless" side against the bias of the first elastic member, the length of the mating tab 82 protruding from the top surface of the power plug 75 decreases. As a result, when the cordless switch 76 is on the "cordless" side, the length of the mating claws 82 protruding from the top surface of the power plug 75 is small, so if the power plug 75 is stored and held in the plug storage section 79 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 78 of the stand 3 can be inserted into and removed from the power plug 75 without interfering with the mating claws 82, making it possible to use the steamer main body 1 cordlessly.

[0046] On the other hand, when the cordless selector switch 76 is moved to the "corded" side, rearward, only the biasing force of the first elastic member acts on the mating tab 82, so that the length of mating tab 82 protruding from the top surface of the power plug 75 increases compared to the "cordless" state. Therefore, when the cordless selector switch 76 is on the "corded" side and the recess 5 of the steamer body 1 is inserted into the power plug 75, the mating tab 82, which protrudes significantly due to the biasing force of the first elastic member, fits into a receptacle (not shown) formed on the power receiving unit 5, and the steamer body 1 can be used with the plug unit 2 attached as a cord unless the cordless selector switch 76 is switched to the "cordless" side.

[0047] The resin shutter member 83 is constantly biased by a second elastic member (not shown), such as a torsion spring, provided inside the power plug 75 in a direction that prevents any of the conductive power supply terminals (not shown) provided inside the power plug 75 from being exposed through a pair of power supply holes 84 formed in the front of the power plug 75. In this embodiment, whether the steamer body 1 is used cordlessly or with a cord, when the recess 5 of the steamer body 1 is inserted into the power supply plug 75, the shutter member 83 rotates against the biasing force of the second elastic member so that the power supply terminals are exposed from the power supply holes 84, and the power receiving terminal 77 of the steamer body 1 is inserted through the power supply holes 84 of the power plug 75 and comes into contact with the power supply terminals. This makes it possible to supply power to the steamer body 1 from a household outlet via the plug unit 2.

[0048] Next, the operation of the steamer configured as described above will be explained. The water inlet lid 22 on the steamer main body 1 is opened and closed to fill the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 with a predetermined amount of water. Next, the power supply plug 75 of the plug unit 2 is fitted and accommodated in the plug accommodation portion 79 of the stand 3, and the steamer main body 1 is placed on the main body placement portion 78 of the stand 3, or the power supply plug 75 is inserted and fitted into the power receiving portion 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 75.

[0049] When the temperature setting / off button 35 or steam volume setting button 36 is not operated immediately after power is supplied, the power is supplied to the power supply circuit 44 of the power 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 62 by 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 62, the voltage of electric double-layer capacitor 45 rises linearly up to a predetermined voltage value. When control unit 62A detects from the output voltage of constant current circuit 62 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 62A controls constant current circuit 62 to supply power at a predetermined current value. This increases the voltage of electric double-layer capacitor 45 more than linearly. Even when electric charge accumulates and electric double-layer capacitor 45 reaches its full capacity, 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. This allows electric double-layer capacitor 45 to be charged quickly even when its voltage is high, enabling it to be charged quickly even in products with short charge-discharge cycles, such as steamers and cordless irons. Furthermore, increasing the storage capacity of electric double-layer capacitor 45 can also reduce the negative effect of increased charging time.

[0051] When control unit 62A detects from the output voltage of constant current circuit 62 that the voltage of electric double layer capacitor 45 has increased to a value at which charging is complete, control unit 62A controls constant current circuit 62 to stop the supply of power from constant current circuit 62. 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 62 also has a function of protecting electric double layer capacitor 45 from overcharging.

[0052] When the supply of power from the constant current circuit 62 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 diode 64, together with power from the power supply circuit 44 via diode 63. Furthermore, when the control unit 62A detects that the voltage of the electric double layer capacitor 45 has dropped to a value at which recharging begins, the control unit 62A controls the constant current circuit 62 so that power is again supplied from the constant current circuit 62 at a predetermined current value, and the electric double layer capacitor 45 is recharged until its voltage rises to the value at which charging is completed as described above.

[0053] Here, when the user presses the temperature setting / off button 35 from the off state and sets a temperature that matches the fabric of the clothing or other object that will be steamed, or a temperature that corresponds to the amount of steam to be emitted, inside the steamer main body 1, the microcomputer 66 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 setting / off button 35, and heats the base 7 including the evaporation chamber 11.

[0054] When the base 7 reaches a certain temperature or higher as a result of the power being supplied to the heater 6, the microcomputer 66 sends a control signal to the LED circuit 70, causing one of the LEDs in the temperature indicator lamp 38 corresponding to the set temperature to blink. When the microcomputer 66 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 70, causing the blinking LED to switch to a lit state, and also sends a control signal to the alarm circuit 72, causing the buzzer 42 to switch on for a predetermined period of time.

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

[0056] Specifically, when the cordless selector switch 76 is set to the "cordless" position and the user grasps the handle 31 and lifts the steamer body 1 forward, the power supply plug 75 of the plug unit 2 is disconnected from the power receiving section 5 of the steamer body 1 without interference from the mating tab 82, cutting off the supply of commercial power to the steamer body 1. This cuts off the supply of DC power from the output terminal of the power supply circuit 44 mounted on the circuit board 37, and also cuts off charging of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 from the constant current circuit 62. Furthermore, the power supply via the diode 63 is also cut off, causing the cathode potential of the diode 63 to drop. When the cathode potential of the diode 64, i.e., the potential of the charged electric double-layer capacitor 45, becomes higher than the cathode potential of the diode 63, the electric double-layer capacitor 45 supplies operating power via the diode 64 to the temperature indicator lamp 38, buzzer 42, control device 40, and other devices mounted on the circuit board 37. The microcomputer 66 of the control device 40, now activated by this, sends control signals to control the aforementioned LED circuit 70 and alarm circuit 72 based on the set temperature, which is based on the operation signal from the switch circuit 69 set by the temperature set / off button 35, and the temperature of the base 7, which is based on the detection signal from the temperature detection means 41. One of the LEDs in the temperature display lamp 38 lights up or flashes in accordance with the control signal using the operating power provided by the electric double-layer capacitor 45, and the buzzer 42 turns on and 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 unit 1, the temperature of the base 7, which indicates the operating status of the steamer main unit 1, can continue to be displayed and confirmed by the temperature display lamp 38 located on the top surface of the steamer main unit 1, using power from the electric double-layer capacitor 45, and a drop in the temperature of the base 7 can be alerted by the buzzer 42.

[0057] When the microcomputer 66 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 71 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 72 to activate the buzzer 42, for example by making a single beep, 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 the steamer main body 1 is cordless.

[0058] When a user uses the steam function, while gripping handle 31, they press steam volume setting button 36 with their finger, causing switch circuit 69 to send an operation signal to microcomputer 66. Microcomputer 66 receives the operation signal from switch circuit 69 and, based on the temperature of base 7 detected by a detection signal from temperature detection means 41, sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of switching element 67 if base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid. As described above, operating power is also supplied to electromagnetic pump 24 from electric double-layer capacitor 45 via diode 64 in the cordless state, so that electromagnetic pump 24 can be operated by the pulse drive signal from microcomputer 66, and water from storage space 20 of tank assembly 17 is sent through discharge pipe 26 and liquid passage 46 to vaporization chamber 11. The water reliably reaches heated vaporization chamber 11 and is vaporized there, and steam can be ejected from the bottom of steam unit 1 through steam hole 12 at the set flow rate.

[0059] Furthermore, if the user wishes to stop the steam function, by pressing the steam amount setting button 36 once with a finger from the initial position while steam is being emitted, the switch circuit 69 sends an operation signal for the steam amount setting button 36 to the microcomputer 66, and the microcomputer 66 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67. 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 interrupted. Note that the steamer main body 1 of this embodiment is configured so that steam is emitted when the steam amount setting button 36 is pressed once and that steam emission is stopped when the steam amount setting button 36 is pressed once again, but it may also be configured so that steam is emitted only while the steam amount setting button 36 is pressed and held down.

[0060] When the user uses the dry function, the steamer main body 1 is used without operating the steam amount setting button 36. At this time, the microcomputer 66 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67, so the electromagnetic pump 24 stops operating and water is no longer sent from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11. Therefore, in this case, the steamer main body 1 can be used as a dry steamer in which steam does not spray from any of the steam holes 12.

[0061] Thereafter, when the temperature of the base 7 drops below a certain temperature, the microcomputer 66 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 66 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 62A of the constant current circuit 62, and when the electric double layer capacitor 45 has a predetermined amount of charge stored, for example, the microcomputer 66 controls the buzzer 42 to emit a buzzer alert in a different manner, such as from a "beep" to a "beep-beep," depending on the decrease in the amount of charge stored, to alert the user. 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 62A detects this decrease in the amount of electricity stored, the microcomputer 66 sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 72 to drive the buzzer 42 to further change the buzzer alarm, for example to a ``beep beep beep'' sound, to notify the user that the amount of electricity stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 has run out, and also sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 70 to cause the temperature indicator lamp 38 to display a different display from before and after the zero cross circuit 71 detected that power was not being supplied to the steamer main body 1, for example by turning all of the LEDs of the temperature indicator lamp 38 off or all of them flashing, to notify the user that the amount of electricity stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 has run out.

[0062] 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. When the power supply plug 62 is inserted into the power receiving unit 5, the power supply plug 75 of the plug unit 2 engages with the power receiving unit 5, the power receiving terminal 77 passes through the power supply hole 84 of the power supply plug 75 and contacts the power supply terminal, 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 circuit board 37. When the microcomputer 66 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 71 and determines that AC voltage has been applied to the power receiving unit 5, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer body 1 has changed from disconnected to connected, and sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 72 to activate the buzzer 42, for example, to beep three times, and sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 70 to change the display of the indicator lamp 38 to notify the user that the steamer body 1 is corded.

[0063] If the user places the steamer body 1 on the stand 3 without stopping the steam function, the microcomputer 66 sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67. When the microcomputer 66 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 71 and determines that AC voltage is being applied to the power receiving unit 5 without receiving an operation signal from the switch circuit 69, it detects that the connection of the plug unit 2 to the steamer body 1 has changed from disconnected to connected, and accordingly stops sending the pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67. In response to this, the electromagnetic pump 24 stops operating, cutting off the delivery of water from the storage space 20 of the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11 and stopping the steam from being emitted from the steamer body 1. Therefore, even if the user forgets to stop the steam from being emitted from the steamer body 1 in cordless mode, the steam from the steamer body 1 automatically stops when the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, ensuring safety.

[0064] On the other hand, when using the steamer main body 1 with a cord, pressing the temperature set / off button 35 from the off state to set a temperature suited to the fabric of the clothing or other object to be steamed causes the microcomputer 66 of the control device 40 inside the steamer main body 1 to send a control signal to the relay circuit 68 to control the on / off of the heater 6 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, thereby heating the base 7 including the vaporization chamber 11. At this point, the power supply circuit 44 may stop the power supply from another output terminal on the constant current circuit 62 side to terminate charging of the electric double layer capacitor 45.

[0065] Thereafter, when the base 7 reaches a certain temperature or higher as a result of the power being supplied to the heater 6, the microcomputer 66 sends a control signal to the LED circuit 70, 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 flash. When the microcomputer 66 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 70 to switch the flashing LED to a lit state, and also sends a control signal to the alarm circuit 72 to control the buzzer 42 to be switched on for a predetermined period of time.

[0066] When the cordless changeover switch 76 is on the "corded" side, if the user grips the grip portion 31 with their hand and lifts the steamer body 1 forward, the power supply plug 75 and the plug accommodating portion 79 will be disengaged while the engaging claws 82 remain engaged with the receiving portion formed in the power receiving portion 5, and the steamer body 1 will be removed from the stand 3 in a corded state with the plug unit 2 still attached.

[0067] Furthermore, when a user uses the steam function, as in the case of a cordless appliance, while holding grip 31 in his / her hand, he / she presses steam amount setting button 36 from the initial position with his / her finger. This causes switch circuit 69 to send an operation signal to microcomputer 66 according to the position to which steam amount setting button 36 is pressed, thereby setting the steam flow rate. Microcomputer 66 receives the operation signal from switch circuit 69 and, based on the temperature of base 7 detected by a detection signal from temperature detection means 41, sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of switching element 67 if base 7 is higher than the vaporization temperature of the liquid, controlling the operation of electromagnetic pump 24 so that steam at the set flow rate is sprayed from steam hole 12. Electromagnetic pump 24 then draws water from storage space 20 of tank assembly 17 through suction pipe 25 and delivers it to vaporization chamber 11 through discharge pipe 26 and liquid passage 46. In this embodiment, when the steamer main body 1 is used with a cord, power can be supplied at all times and the heater 6 is driven even while the steamer main body 1 is in use, eliminating the need to consider heat storage in the base 7, allowing a larger volume of steam to be ejected than when the steamer main body 1 is used cordlessly. In addition, the connection or non-connection of the plug unit 2 is automatically set by a detection signal from the zero cross circuit 71 without the need for manual setting by the user, and the amount of steam to be varied between corded and cordless can also be set automatically.

[0068] If, while steam is being emitted from the steamer unit 1, power is unintentionally lost from the AC power source 61 for some reason, such as when the steamer unit 1 is forcibly moved to a location longer than the length of the power cord 74, or when the power plug 75 is disconnected from the power receiving unit 5 due to an incomplete engagement of the power plug 75's mating tab 82, or when a power outage occurs in the AC power source 61, 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 at the cathode of the diode 63 drops, and the potential of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 becomes higher than the potential at the cathode of the diode 63. This electric power is then supplied from the electric double-layer capacitor 45 via the diode 64 to the electromagnetic pump 24, as well as to the temperature indicator lamp 38, buzzer 42, and control device 40 mounted on the circuit board 37. Therefore, power is also supplied to the microcomputer 66 of the control device 40, allowing the microcomputer 66 to continue to control the various components of the steamer unit 1.

[0069] When the microcomputer 66 receives a detection signal from the zero-cross circuit 71 and determines that no AC voltage is being applied to the power receiving unit 5, it determines that the plug unit 2 has switched from connected to disconnected in the steamer body 1, and sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 72 to activate 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 61 has been lost. Therefore, the user can easily know that power supply from the AC power source 61 has been lost unintentionally for some reason by checking the "power" LED of the indicator lamp 38 or by listening to the buzzer 42.

[0070] Furthermore, the microcomputer 66 sends a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67 so as to continue to eject steam when power is being supplied from the AC power supply 61. As described above, because operating power is also supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 from the electric double layer capacitor 45 via the diode 64, the electromagnetic pump 24 can be controlled to be continuously driven by the pulse drive signal from the microcomputer 66, and therefore it is possible to continuously eject steam from when power was being indirectly supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 from the AC power supply 61 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. In this case, it is preferable that the microcomputer 66 is configured to vary the amount of steam to be sprayed depending on whether or not power is being supplied from the AC power source 61; when power is being supplied from the AC power source 61, a large amount of steam can be sprayed from the steam holes 12, but when power is not being supplied from the AC power source 61, the amount of steam is reduced compared to when power is being supplied, thereby ensuring the duration of steam spray.This means that the amount of steam can be automatically varied according to the situation, and the user can easily know if power is being supplied from the AC power source 61 unintentionally for some reason.

[0071] In addition, the microcomputer 66 may be configured to control the electromagnetic pump 24 to operate with the same output as when it was being powered by the AC power source 61, and to control the electromagnetic pump 24 to supply the same amount of water to the evaporation chamber 11.Even if the power supply from the AC power source 61 is cut off, the same amount of water as when it was being powered by the AC power source 61 can be supplied to the evaporation chamber 11, and the same amount of steam as when it was being powered by the AC power source 61 can be continuously sprayed from when it was being powered, until the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45, i.e., the power of the electric double layer capacitor 45, decreases, thereby improving the convenience of the steamer main body 1.

[0072] Thereafter, the microcomputer 66 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 62A of the constant current circuit 62, and when the electric double layer capacitor 45 has a predetermined amount of charge stored therein, the microcomputer 66 controls the buzzer 42 to emit a buzzer alert in a manner that changes from "beep" to "beep beep" depending on the decrease in the amount of charge, thereby alerting the user. When the charge stored in the electric double-layer capacitor 45 further decreases, causing the voltage of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 to drop to a predetermined value at which the electromagnetic pump 24 cannot be driven, and the control unit 62A detects this decrease in charge, the microcomputer 66 sends an operation signal to the alarm circuit 72 to activate the buzzer 42 to further change the buzzer sound, for example, to a "beep beep beep" sound, thereby notifying the user that the electric double-layer capacitor 45 has run out of charge. The microcomputer 66 also sends an operation signal to the LED circuit 70 to cause the temperature indicator lamp 38 to display a different display than before and after the zero-cross circuit 71 detected that power was no longer being supplied to the steamer main body 1, for example, by turning all of the LEDs on the temperature indicator lamp 38 off or blinking, thereby notifying the user that the electric double-layer capacitor 45 has run out of charge. The subsequent process is the same as when using the steamer cordless, so a detailed description will be omitted.

[0073] Returning to the explanation of using the steamer body 1 with a cord, if the steam amount setting button 36 is pressed once with a finger from the initial position while steam is being emitted, the microcomputer 66 stops sending a pulse drive signal to the control terminal of the switching element 67, thereby stopping the steam function. When the steamer body 1 is then placed on the stand 3, the power supply plug 75 engages with the plug housing 79 when the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3 from the front to the rear, and the power supply plug 75 engages with the plug housing 79. Also, around the time the steamer body 1 is placed on the stand 3, if the temperature setting / off button 35 is pressed until all of the LEDs of the temperature indicator lamp 38 are turned off, the relay circuit 89 is controlled to cut off power to the heater 6.

[0074] When the user uses the dry function, the process is the same as when using it cordlessly, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0075] As described above, the steamer main body 1 as a steamer of this embodiment vaporizes water as a liquid stored in the tank assembly 17 as a tank in the vaporization chamber 11 heated by the heater 6 as a heating means, and sprays steam to the outside from the steam hole 12, and includes the electromagnetic pump 24 as a liquid supplying means for supplying the water in the tank assembly 17 to the vaporization chamber 11, the electric double layer capacitor 45 as a power storage means for supplying power to the electromagnetic pump 24, and the heater 6, the electromagnetic pump 24, and the electric double layer capacitor 45 as a power storage means for supplying power to the steamer main body 1. The device is equipped with a power supply plug 75 with a power cord 74 that directly or indirectly supplies power from an AC power source 61 to the capacitor 45, a microcomputer 66 as a control means for controlling the electromagnetic pump 24, and a zero-cross circuit 71 as a power outage detection means for detecting whether or not power is being supplied to the steamer main body 1, and is configured so that when the zero-cross circuit 71 detects that there is no power being supplied to the steamer main body 1 while the electromagnetic pump 24 is operating, the microcomputer 66 controls the electromagnetic pump 24 to continue operating using power from the electric double layer capacitor 45.

[0076] In this case, because operating power is supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 from the electric double layer capacitor 45, the microcomputer 66 can control the electromagnetic pump 24 to continue to operate, and therefore it becomes possible to eject steam continuously from the time when power was being indirectly supplied to the electromagnetic pump 24 from the AC power supply 61 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.

[0077] Furthermore, the microcomputer 66 of this embodiment may be configured to vary the amount of steam to be sprayed depending on whether or not power is being supplied from the AC power source 61; when power is being supplied from the AC power source 61, a large amount of steam can be sprayed from the steam holes 12; but when power is not being supplied from the AC power source 61, the amount of steam is reduced compared to when power is being supplied, thereby ensuring the duration of steam spray. This allows the amount of steam to be automatically varied according to the situation, and also allows the user to easily know if power is unintentionally cut off from the AC power source 61 for some reason.

[0078] Furthermore, the steamer main body 1 of this embodiment further includes a temperature indicator lamp 38 as display means for displaying the operating status of the steamer main body 1, and when the zero-cross circuit 71 detects that there is no power being supplied to the steamer main body 1 while the electromagnetic pump 24 is running, the microcomputer 66 is configured to control the temperature indicator lamp 38 so that, using the power of the electric double-layer capacitor 45, it displays a different display than before the zero-cross circuit 71 detected that there is no power being supplied to the steamer main body 1, for example, turning off the "power" LED on the indicator lamp 38. Therefore, by checking the "power" LED on the indicator lamp 38, the user can easily know that there has been an unintentional loss of power from the AC power source 61 for some reason.

[0079] Furthermore, the microcomputer 66 of this embodiment further includes a control unit 62A as a charge amount detection means for detecting the charge amount of the electric double-layer capacitor 45. When the control unit 62A detects that the voltage of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 has dropped to a predetermined value at which the electromagnetic pump 24 cannot be driven and that the charge amount has dropped, the microcomputer 66 controls the temperature indicator lamp 38 to display a different display than before and after the zero-cross circuit 71 detected that no power was being supplied to the steamer main body 1, for example, by turning off all of the LEDs of the temperature indicator lamp 38 or by making all of the LEDs blink. Therefore, by checking the temperature indicator lamp 38, the user can easily know when the charge amount of the electric double-layer capacitor 45 has dropped and power needs to be supplied to the steamer main body 1 from the AC power source 61.

[0080] The steamer main body 1 of this embodiment also includes a buzzer 42 as notification means for sounding the operating state of the steamer main body 1, and the microcomputer 66 is configured to control the buzzer 42 to be driven by power from the electric double layer capacitor 45 when the zero cross circuit 71 detects that there is no power supply to the steamer main body 1 while the electromagnetic pump 24 is running. Therefore, by checking the notification from the buzzer 42, the user can easily know that there has been an unintentional loss of power from the AC power supply 61 for some reason.

[0081] Furthermore, the steamer main body 1 of this embodiment further comprises a control unit 62A as a charge amount detection means for detecting the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45, and the microcomputer 66 is configured to activate the buzzer 42 when the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 reaches a predetermined amount, and to control the buzzer 42 so that the notification method changes, for example from "beep" to "beep beep," depending on the decrease in the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45. Therefore, by checking the notification from the buzzer 42, the user can easily know how much the amount of charge stored in the electric double layer capacitor 45 has decreased and the timing when power needs to be supplied to the steamer main body 1 from the AC power source 61.

[0082] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The term "steamer" as used in the present invention applies to any device that sprays steam to remove wrinkles from clothing, including, for example, a steamer suitable for spraying steam onto clothing from a distance, as shown in this embodiment, as well as a steam iron suitable for spraying steam while ironing by pressing the ironing surface of the base against the clothing. Furthermore, various sensors other than the temperature detection means 41 may be used to drive and control the operation of the display unit, and the display unit is not limited to an LED, but various other display elements and indicators may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Steamer body (steamer) 6 Heater (heating means) 11 Vaporization chamber 17 Tank assembly (tank) 24 Electromagnetic pump (liquid transfer means) 38 Temperature display lamp (display means) 42 Buzzer (notification means) 44 Power supply circuit 45 Electric double layer capacitor (electric storage means) 62A control unit (charge amount detection means) 63 Diode (first diode) 64 Diode (Second Diode) 66 Microcomputer (control means) 71 Zero cross circuit (power outage detection means) 75 Power plug

Claims

1. A steamer that vaporizes a liquid stored in a tank in a vaporization chamber heated by a heating means and ejects steam to the outside, a liquid supplying means that operates in response to a drive signal and supplies the liquid in the tank to the vaporization chamber; a power storage means for supplying power to the liquid delivery means; a power plug with a power cord for supplying power to the steamer; a control means for sending the drive signal to the liquid delivery means to drive and control the liquid delivery means; A power outage detection means for detecting whether or not power is being supplied to the steamer; Equipped with The heating means does not operate using the power storage means as a power source, The power supply plug is attached to the steamer, and a cord is attached to supply commercial power to the steamer; a cordless state in which the power plug is removed from the steamer and commercial power is not supplied to the steamer; The power outage detection means can detect whether the steamer is in the corded state or the cordless state by detecting whether power is being supplied to the steamer or not when the steamer is first used, The power failure detection means receives power from the power storage means and detects that power is not being supplied to the steamer when the power supply plug is disconnected from the steamer, the power cord is removed from the outlet, or a power failure occurs even though the power supply plug is attached to the steamer and power is not being supplied while the liquid supply means is being driven while power is being supplied to the steamer, and the control means receives power from the power storage means and continues to send the drive signal, thereby controlling the liquid supply means to continue to be driven by the power of the power storage means, when the power supply is lost while the liquid supply means is being driven while power is being supplied to the steamer and power is not being supplied to the steamer, A steamer characterized in that the power outage detection means detects the absence of power supply to the steamer in the same manner at the start of use and while the liquid delivery means is operating.

2. A power supply circuit is provided which converts the power supplied from the power supply plug into DC power and supplies the DC power, The steamer described in claim 1, characterized in that the control means, the power outage detection means, and the liquid delivery means operate using the power supply circuit as a power source when power is supplied to the steamer, and operate using the storage means as a power source when the supply of DC power from the power supply circuit is stopped.

3. An anode of a first diode is connected to an output terminal of the power supply circuit, The control means, the power failure detection means, and the cathode of the second diode are connected to the cathode of the first diode; 3. The steamer according to claim 2, wherein the storage means is connected to the anode of the second diode.

4. 2. The steamer according to claim 1, wherein the control means is configured to vary the amount of steam to be ejected depending on whether or not power is supplied to the steamer.

5. Further provided is a display means for displaying the operating status of the steamer, The control means controls the display means so that when the power outage detection means detects that there is no power supply, the display means displays a different display than before the power outage detection means detects it, using the power stored in the storage means. A steamer according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. further comprising a charge amount detection means for detecting a charge amount of the charge storage means, The steamer described in claim 5, characterized in that when the power storage amount detection means detects that the power storage amount has decreased to a predetermined value at which the liquid delivery means cannot be driven, the control means controls the display means to display a different display than before and after the power outage detection means detects that there is no power supply.

7. Further provided is a notification means for notifying the operating state of the steamer by sound, The control means controls the power storage means to drive the notification means when the power outage detection means detects that there is no power supply. A steamer according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. further comprising a charge amount detection means for detecting a charge amount of the charge storage means, The steamer according to claim 7, characterized in that the control means activates the notification means when the amount of stored electricity is a predetermined amount, and controls the notification means to change the way of notification according to the decrease in the amount of stored electricity.

Images