JPH02116400A - steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To suppress the rising of a temperature in the handle part of an iron, to miniaturize a water supplying device and an iron main body and to improve operation convenience by impressing a high voltage when the water supplying device is turned on and impressing a low voltage when a turning-on condition is held. CONSTITUTION:When a base 1 is in a heating condition by a heater 2, for example, a microcomputer 20 is started by a switch, etc., and a first transistor 15 is turned on. In such a case, since resistance is not included between a full wave rectifying circuit 13 and a solenoid 8, a high voltage V1 is impressed to the solenoid 8. Next, when a second transistor 16 is turned on, the first transistor 15 is simultaneously turned off. At such a time, the voltage to be impressed to the solenoid 8 is passed through a resistor 17, the voltage goes to be a voltage V2 which is lower than the V1. A plunger 9 is held in an upper direction even by this low voltage V2. Namely, when steam is generated, since the voltage impressed to the solenoid 8 can be low, the self heat generation of the solenoid 8 is suppressed and the solenoid 8 is miniaturized.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF INDUSTRIAL APPLICATION The present invention relates to a household steam iron for removing wrinkles from clothing and the like.

Conventionally, as shown in FIG. 5, in this type of steam iron, a water supply device for supplying water in a tank to a vaporizing chamber of a base is composed of a solenoid 21 and a plunger. It has been common practice to use two transistors 22.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention However, with this type of structure, during normal use when ironing is performed while jetting steam,
Since a high voltage is always applied to the solenoid 21, there is a problem that power consumption is large and the solenoid becomes high temperature due to self-heating. However, in order to suppress the temperature rise, it is necessary to make the solenoid larger, and the larger solenoid must be mounted in a part of the iron where the ambient temperature is lower, making it difficult to mount it inside the iron. As a result, the iron body became large and ironing work was difficult to perform.

Furthermore, the low atmospheric temperature area inside the iron is located adjacent to the grip of the iron, and there is a problem in that the grip becomes hot due to heat from the solenoid during actual use.

Therefore, the first object of the present invention is to suppress the heat generation of the water supply device, thereby downsizing the water supply device and the corresponding iron.

The second purpose is to suppress heat generation in the water supply device and also to prevent the water supply device from stopping even when the power supply voltage is momentarily interrupted or a strong shock is applied.

Means for Solving the Problems And in order to achieve the above first object, the present invention includes:
A high voltage v1 is applied to the water supply apparatus when the water supply apparatus is turned on, and a low voltage v2 is applied to the water supply apparatus when the water supply apparatus is kept in the ON state.

Further, in order to achieve the second object, the present invention provides a high voltage v1 at predetermined intervals when the water supply device is kept in an ON state at a low voltage v2.

Function: With the above configuration, the iron of the present invention applies a high voltage v1 only when the water supply device is turned on, that is, when the load driving the water supply device is large, and thereafter applies a low voltage v2 when the water supply device is kept in the ON state. is applied to the water supply device, the power consumption of the water supply device is small, and as a result, self-heating is suppressed.

Furthermore, since heat generation is suppressed, the water supply device can be made smaller and can be easily mounted inside the iron.

Furthermore, if the water supply device is kept in the ON state with a low voltage v2, and if a high voltage v1 is applied at regular intervals, a power outage occurs in which the power supply voltage drops momentarily, and strong drips occur. By adding it, the water supply device changes from ON to O.
Even if the water supply device changes to the FF state, the high voltage v1 is applied at predetermined time intervals, so the water supply device maintains the ON state again, making it possible to stably generate steam.

EXAMPLE Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described based on the accompanying drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, 1 is a pace having a heater 2, 3 is a vaporization chamber formed in a part of this pace 1, and 4
6 is a tank for storing water 6 to be supplied to the vaporization chamber 3, and 6 is a nozzle provided below the tank 4, communicating the vaporization chamber 3 and the tank 4 through a small hole. A water supply device 7a is composed of a solenoid 8 and a plunger 9. 10 is an opening/closing rod provided below the plunger 9, which opens and closes the small hole of the nozzle/I/6 by vertical movement of the plunger 9, thereby controlling the outflow of water 5 in the tank 4 to the vaporization chamber 3. . 11 is the plunger 9. This is a spring that urges the opening/closing rod 10 downward, and when the solenoid 8 is energized, the plunger 9. The opening/closing rod 10 rises.

Figure 2 shows the circuit configuration of the water supply control means 7b, in which the input terminal of the full-wave rectifier circuit 13 is connected to the AC power supply 12, and the smoothing capacitor 14 is connected to the output terminal of the full-wave rectifier circuit 13. There is. The solenoid 8 is connected to the smoothing capacitor 14 via a PNP type first transistor 15. Further, a PIP type second transistor 16 and a resistor 17 are connected to the output terminal of the full-wave rectifier port 1I813 and the first transistor 15. Said first and second
Transistor 15.16 Pace fd Resistor FC' 8
+19 to the output port of the microcomputer 2o. Note that this microcomputer 20 is configured to be started, for example, by operating a switch.

To explain the operation of the above configuration, when the base 1 is heated by the heater 2, the microcomputer 20 is started, for example, by a switch or the like, and first the first transistor 15 is turned on. in this case,
Since no resistance is included between the full-wave rectifier circuit 13 and the solenoid 8, a high voltage v1 is applied to the solenoid 8, and the plunger 8 and the opening/closing rod 1o are applied against the force of the spring 11.
to rise. Next, the second transistor 16 is turned on and the first transistor 16 is turned off at the same time.

At this time, since the voltage applied to the solenoid 8 is applied via the resistor 17, it becomes a voltage v2 lower than vl.

In order to hold the plunger 9 upward against the force of the spring 11, a smaller power is required compared to when pulling the plunger 9 downward, so even with this low voltage v2, the plunger 9 can be held upward. is retained. In other words, when steam is being generated, the voltage applied to the solenoid 8 may be low, so during normal use, the self-heating of the solenoid 8 is extremely suppressed, making it possible to downsize the solenoid 8. It becomes possible.

In addition, as the solenoid 8 becomes smaller, the water supply device 7
Since it is possible to make the iron smaller, it is easier to install it inside the iron, and the iron itself can be made smaller at the same time, which improves the work efficiency of ironing work.

Furthermore, as mentioned above, since the heat generated by the solenoid 8 is suppressed, the grip part of the iron does not become hot, allowing comfortable ironing.

FIG. 4 shows another embodiment, in which, in addition to the above-mentioned embodiment, only the minimum necessary time T2 is required to pull up the plunger 9 against the force of the spring 11 at every fixed time T1 for the first transistor 15. It is designed to be turned on. In this case, if a power outage occurs in which the power supply voltage drops instantaneously as shown in FIG. 4, the plunger 9 moves downward by the spring 11 and water supply is stopped, but the first transistor 15 is turned on again. Water supply is started again, and as a result, stable steam generation can be obtained. In addition to the drop in power supply voltage, if a strong impact is accidentally applied to the iron during ironing work, the plunger 9 may fall downward due to the force of the spring 11, as described above, for at least T1 time. Since the plunger 9 is pulled up again during the ironing process, stable steam jetting can be obtained without stopping the steam during ironing.

Effects of the Invention As described above, in the present invention, when the water supply device is turned on, a high voltage v1ζ is applied to the water supply device when the ON state is maintained, and a low voltage v2 is applied to the water supply device. The self-heating of the iron has been suppressed, and the temperature rise at the grip of the iron has been suppressed.
Since the water supply device can be made smaller, it can be easily installed inside the iron, and the iron itself can also be made smaller, making it possible to obtain an iron that is easy to use.

Furthermore, by applying a high voltage v1 to the water supply device at regular intervals, in addition to the above-mentioned effects, the present invention also enables the water supply device to operate even when the power supply voltage drops momentarily or when a strong impact is applied during ironing. It is possible to obtain stable steam generation without continuous stoppage.

[Brief Description of the Drawings] Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the main parts of a steam iron showing an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a circuit diagram of the same, and Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the solenoid voltage and water supply device of the steam iron. A graph showing the operating state, FIG. 4 shows the lenoid voltage in another embodiment,
A graph showing the operating state and power supply voltage of the water supply device, and FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of a conventional steam iron. 1...Heater, 2...Base, 3...
...fi conversion room. 4...Tank, 6...Water, 7a...
. . . Water supply device, 7b . . . Water supply control means. -Yo

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) A base having a heater, a vaporization chamber formed on this base, and a tank that stores water to be supplied to this vaporization chamber,
a water supply device that supplies water in the tank to the vaporization chamber;
and a water supply control means for controlling this water supply device, and the water supply control means has a high voltage V_1 when turning on the water supply device.
, a steam iron in which a low voltage V_2 is applied to the water supply device when the ON state is maintained. (2) The steam iron according to claim 1, wherein when the water supply device is held in an ON state at a low voltage V_2 by the water supply control means, a high voltage V_1 is applied at predetermined time intervals.