U.S. patent application number 14/760595 was filed with the patent office on 2015-12-10 for hand-held appliance.
This patent application is currently assigned to Koninklijke Philips N.V.. The applicant listed for this patent is KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V.. Invention is credited to BOON KHIAN CHING, BAN NEE CHOO.
Application Number | 20150354128 14/760595 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 47563207 |
Filed Date | 2015-12-10 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150354128 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CHOO; BAN NEE ; et
al. |
December 10, 2015 |
HAND-HELD APPLIANCE
Abstract
The present application relates to a hand-held appliance
comprising a housing including a reservoir to contain water and a
tube to convey water from the reservoir for delivery to a surface.
The tube extends into the reservoir and comprises multiple tube
inlets spaced from each other within the reservoir so that, when
the reservoir contains water, a tube inlet is submerged
irrespective of the orientation of the housing. In one embodiment,
the tube inlet comprises a separate valve assembly associated with
each tube inlet so that a valve assembly associated with a
submerged tube inlet opens to allow flow of water through that tube
inlet and a valve assembly associated with a non-submerged tube
inlet closes to prevent the flow of air through said non-submerged
tube inlet. In an alternate embodiment, the appliance may be
provided with a single valve member that allows water to flow
through the valve assembly via a first opening, whilst also
preventing the flow of air through the valve assembly through a
second opening.
Inventors: |
CHOO; BAN NEE; (EINDHOVEN,
NL) ; CHING; BOON KHIAN; (EINDHOVEN, NL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. |
AE Eindhoven |
|
NL |
|
|
Assignee: |
Koninklijke Philips N.V.
Eindhoven
NL
|
Family ID: |
47563207 |
Appl. No.: |
14/760595 |
Filed: |
December 31, 2013 |
PCT Filed: |
December 31, 2013 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB2013/061448 |
371 Date: |
July 13, 2015 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
68/222 ;
68/213 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A47L 11/34 20130101;
D06F 87/00 20130101; D06F 75/14 20130101 |
International
Class: |
D06F 87/00 20060101
D06F087/00; A47L 11/34 20060101 A47L011/34; D06F 75/14 20060101
D06F075/14 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 14, 2013 |
EP |
13151100.8 |
Claims
1. A hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a reservoir
to contain water and a tube to convey water from the reservoir for
delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a portion that extends
into the reservoir, wherein the tube comprises multiple tube inlets
spaced from each other within the reservoir so that, when the
reservoir contains water, a tube inlet is submerged irrespective of
the orientation of the housing, the tube inlet also comprising a
separate valve assembly associated with each tube inlet so that a
valve assembly associated with a submerged tube inlet opens to
allow flow of water through that tube inlet and a valve assembly
associated with a non-submerged tube inlet closes to prevent the
flow of air through said non-submerged tube inlet.
2. A hand-held appliance according to claim 1, wherein each valve
assembly comprises a housing and a single valve member movable
within the housing between a first position in which the tube inlet
is open to allow water to flow past the single valve member into
the tube inlet and a second position in which the inlet is closed
to prevent the passage of air into the tube inlet.
3. A hand-held appliance according to claim 2, wherein the valve
member drops under its own weight into its first position and in a
direction away from its associated inlet.
4. A hand-held appliance according to claim 1, wherein each valve
assembly is removably mounted to an end of the tube over the tube
inlet.
5. A hand-held appliance according to claim 1, wherein the tube
portion comprises a primary tube portion extending into the
reservoir and a secondary tube portion attached to a free end of
the primary tube portion at a junction, a separate valve assembly
being mounted to each end of the secondary tube portion remote from
said junction.
6. A hand-held appliance according to claim 5, wherein the
secondary tube portion comprises two inlets and is integrally
formed with a connector for attachment to said free end of the
primary tube portion to effect fluid communication between the
secondary tube portion and the primary tube portion.
7. A hand-held appliance according to claim 5, wherein the
secondary tube portion is formed of a plurality of independent
sections, each section being attached to said free end of the
primary tube portion via a connecting element to effect fluid
communication between each independent section and the primary tube
portion.
8. A hand-held appliance according to claim 7, wherein the
secondary tube portion comprises two independent sections and the
connecting element is substantially T-shaped so that each
independent section extends away from each other in opposite
directions and the primary tube portion extends substantially at
right-angles to each independent section.
9. A hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a reservoir
to contain water and a tube to convey water from the reservoir for
delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a portion that extends
into the reservoir, wherein the tube comprises two inlets spaced
from each other within the reservoir so that, when the reservoir
contains water, at least one of said inlets is submerged
irrespective of the orientation of the housing, the tube portion
comprising a valve assembly having and outlet, first and second
openings and a single valve member within said assembly that allows
water to flow through the valve assembly via the first opening,
whilst also preventing the flow of air through the valve assembly
through the second opening, the valve member being configured such
that it drops under its own weight into an alternate position in
response to a change in the orientation of the steamer to allow
water to flow through said second opening via one of said inlets
whilst preventing the flow of air through said first opening via
the other of said inlets.
10. A hand-held appliance according to claim 9, wherein the tube
portion comprises a primary tube portion, a free end of said
primary tube portion being in fluid communication with the outlet
of the valve assembly, and a secondary tube portion extending from
each of the first and second openings of the valve assembly, said
secondary tube portions being configured such that the valve member
drops in a direction toward the opening from which a secondary tube
portion having the uppermost inlet extends, depending upon the
orientation of the hand-held appliance, to prevent the flow of air
through said opening from said secondary tube portion.
11. A hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a
reservoir to contain water and a tube to convey water from the
reservoir for delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a tube
portion that extends into the reservoir and comprises a primary
tube portion and a secondary tube portion connected to a free end
of the primary tube portion, wherein the secondary tube portion
comprises an inlet at each end spaced from each other within the
reservoir, and a valve element received within the secondary tube
portion, said valve element being slideable under its own weight in
response to a change in orientation so that, depending upon the
orientation of the steamer, an uppermost inlet is closed to prevent
the flow of air into the secondary tube portion and the lowermost
inlet is open to allow the flow of water into the secondary tube
portion.
12. A hand-held appliance according to claim 1, comprising a
heating chamber, wherein the tube is configured to convey water
from the reservoir to the heating chamber to generate steam prior
to delivery to a surface.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a hand-held appliance in
which a water reservoir is mounted within a housing that is held in
the hand and which has an outlet or nozzle to discharge fluid or
steam onto a surface, such as a garment, a fabric article such as a
curtain or fabric covered items of furniture. The hand-held
appliance of the invention may also be used to clean solid surfaces
such as floors or counter tops by the application of steam and/or
fluid to the surface.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] A conventional hand-held garment steamer 1 is illustrated in
FIG. 1, and comprises a housing 2 containing a water tank or
reservoir 3 and a heating chamber 4. Water is delivered from the
reservoir 3 to the heating chamber 4 via a delivery system
comprising a pump 5 and a tube 6 that has a portion 7 which extends
into the reservoir 3 and which has an inlet 8 at its free end for
the flow of water into the portion 7 of the tube 6 and along the
tube 6 into the heating chamber 4. Water delivered to the heating
chamber 4 is converted into steam for delivery to the surface being
steamed through an outlet 9. In FIG. 1, the housing 2 is orientated
in its intended position of use so that steam is ejected through
the outlet 9 in a substantially horizontal direction, as indicated
by arrow A.
[0003] The portion 7 of the tube 6 extends into the reservoir 3
such that the inlet 8 is positioned at the lowest point in the
reservoir 3 when the hand-held steamer is held in its intended
orientation during use so that substantially all the water in the
reservoir 3 will be drawn into the heating chamber 4, i.e. in the
vertical orientation shown in FIG. 1, in which steam exits the
outlet 9 substantially horizontally. However, it is also desirable
to be able to use the hand-held steamer 1 in other orientations
such as when steaming garments or fabric articles placed on an
ironing board or when steaming fabric covered items of furniture.
In these circumstances, the hand-held steamer 1 will be held in a
non-vertical orientation and may even be held horizontally so that
steam is exits the housing through the outlet 9 in a substantially
vertical direction. However, when a conventional hand-held steamer
is held in this way, the inlet 8 will not always be submerged in
water in the reservoir 3, especially when the reservoir 3 is only
partially full. This results in air being drawn into the heating
chamber 4 rather than water, preventing efficient steam
generation.
[0004] The present invention seeks to provide a hand-held appliance
that overcomes or substantially alleviates the problems with a
conventional hand-held appliance, such as those identified above,
and which maintains adequate delivery of fluid or steam to a
surface irrespective of the orientation of the appliance.
[0005] Although reference is primarily made to a hand-held steamer
for steaming garments or fabric articles, it will be appreciated
that the appliance of the invention may be used for a variety of
different purposes and may, for example, be used for cleaning solid
surfaces such as floors or windows as well as steam ironing of
fabric articles or garments. Furthermore, the appliance need not be
capable of generating steam, in which case the fluid, such as water
contained in the reservoir can be delivered directly onto a surface
to be cleaned. However, it is preferable that the appliance is
provided with a heating chamber so that water contained in the
reservoir is delivered to the heating chamber to be turned into
steam prior to delivery to a surface. It is also envisaged that the
appliance may be provided with a switch that provides a user with
the option to deliver liquid or steam to a surface. For example, it
may be possible to use the appliance with the heating chamber
switched off.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] According to a first aspect of the present invention, there
is provided a hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a
reservoir to contain water and a tube to convey water from the
reservoir for delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a portion
that extends into the reservoir and comprises multiple inlets
spaced from each other within the reservoir so that, when the
reservoir contains water, an inlet is submerged irrespective of the
orientation of the housing, the tube portion also comprising a
separate valve assembly associated with each tube inlet so that a
valve assembly associated with a submerged tube inlet opens to
allow flow of water through that inlet and a valve assembly
associated with a non-submerged tube inlet closes to prevent the
flow of air through said non-submerged tube inlet.
[0007] As the tube portion contains multiple inlets, at least one
tube inlet will always be in a submerged position irrespective of
the orientation of the appliance. The hand-held appliance will
therefore continue to emit fluid or steam consistently in whatever
position or orientation it is held in. As the tube inlets which are
located above the water line are closed by the valve which is
associated with the non-submerged tube inlet, no air will be drawn
into the heating chamber through that, or those, tube inlet(s).
[0008] Preferably, each valve assembly comprises a housing and a
single valve member movable within the housing between a first
position in which the inlet is open to allow water to flow past the
valve into the inlet and a second position in which the inlet is
closed to prevent the passage of air into the inlet.
[0009] The valve member may drop under its own weight into its
first position and in a direction away from its associated
inlet.
[0010] In a preferred embodiment, each valve assembly is removably
mounted to an end of the tube over the inlet.
[0011] The aforementioned features provide a hand-held appliance in
which an independent, but identical valve design is used for each
tube inlet. As a separate valve assembly is removably attached to
each end of the tube over an inlet, the assembly becomes more
flexible and easier to manufacture and assemble. It also means that
more than two inlets can be used without having to re-design the
valve assembly, as a separate but identical valve assembly is
simply provided for each inlet. The length of the tube portion
within the reservoir is also irrelevant, as the valve assembly can
be attached to the end of a tube of any length. It is therefore
applicable to hand-held appliances having reservoirs of various
different sizes and shapes. As each valve assembly may be
removable, they can be replaced easily due to wear or malfunction
without replacing the other valve assembly or assemblies.
[0012] In a preferred embodiment, the tube portion comprises a
primary tube portion extending into the reservoir and a secondary
tube portion attached to a free end of the primary tube portion at
a junction, a separate valve assembly being mounted to each end of
the secondary tube portion remote from said junction. The primary
tube portion may extend into the reservoir so that its free end is
positioned roughly at a central point within the reservoir. The
secondary tube portion can then extend to opposite ends of the
reservoir so that at least one inlet will always be submerged in
any water in the reservoir irrespective of the orientation of the
appliance.
[0013] The secondary tube portion may comprise two inlets and may
be integrally formed with a connector for attachment to said free
end of the primary tube portion to effect fluid communication
between the secondary tube portion and the primary tube portion.
The connector may comprise a connection piece integrally formed
with the secondary tube portion for fluidly connecting the
secondary tube portion to the free end of the primary tube portion.
Ideally, the secondary tube portion may be a linear or straight
section of tubing, and the connection piece can extend at right
angles from the secondary tube portion at a point midway between
each end of the secondary tube portion so that each tube inlet is
positioned at approximately the same distance away from the free
end of the primary tube portion. The connection piece may simply be
a short, hollow length of tube that is a push fit into the free end
of the primary tube portion so as to effect fluid communication
between the primary tube portion and the secondary tube
portion.
[0014] In an alternate embodiment, the secondary tube portion may
be formed of a plurality of independent sections. In this case,
each independent section may be attached to the free end of the
primary tube portion via a connecting element to effect fluid
communication between each independent section and the primary tube
portion. The secondary tube portion may comprise two independent
sections and so the connecting element may, for example, be
T-shaped so that each end of the `T` forms a connector that is a
push fit within the end of each tube to be connected. If the
connecting element is substantially T-shaped, each independent
section may extend away from each other in opposite directions and
the primary tube portion may extend substantially at right-angles
to each independent section.
[0015] According to a second aspect of the invention, there is
provided a hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a
reservoir to contain water and a tube to convey water from the
reservoir for delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a portion
that extends into the reservoir and comprises two inlets spaced
from each other within the reservoir so that, when the reservoir
contains water, at least one of said inlets is submerged
irrespective of the orientation of the housing, the tube portion
comprising a valve assembly having an outlet, first and second
openings and a single valve member within said valve assembly that
allows water to flow through the valve assembly via the first
opening, whilst also preventing the flow of air through the valve
assembly through the second opening, the valve member being
configured such that it drops under its own weight into an
alternate position in response to a change in the orientation of
the appliance to allow water to flow through said second opening
whilst preventing the flow of air through said first opening.
[0016] The appliance according to this aspect of the invention has
a simple valve construction, as only one valve member is required
to control flow through each of the first and second openings.
[0017] Preferably, the tube comprises a primary tube portion that
extends into the reservoir so that a free end of said primary tube
portion is in fluid communication with the outlet of the valve
assembly, and a secondary tube portion extends from each of the
first and second openings of the valve assembly, said tube portions
being configured such that the valve member drops in a direction
toward the opening from which a tube portion having the uppermost
inlet extends, depending upon the orientation of the hand-held
appliance, to prevent the flow of air through said opening from
said secondary tube portion.
[0018] According to a third aspect of the invention, there is
provided a hand-held appliance comprising a housing including a
reservoir to contain water and a tube to convey water from the
reservoir for delivery to a surface, wherein the tube has a portion
that extends into the reservoir, said portion comprising a primary
tube portion and a secondary tube portion connected to a free end
of the primary tube portion, said secondary tube portion comprising
an inlet at each end spaced from each other within the reservoir,
and a valve element received within the secondary tube portion,
said valve element being slideable under its own weight in response
to a change in orientation of the valve element so that, depending
upon the orientation of the steamer, an uppermost inlet is closed
to prevent the flow of air into the secondary tube portion and the
lowermost inlet is open to allow the flow of water into the
secondary tube portion.
[0019] Preferably, the hand-held appliance according to any aspect
of the invention includes a heating chamber and the tube is
configured to convey water from the reservoir to the heating
chamber to generate steam prior to delivery to a surface.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0020] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of a conventional
hand-held appliance in the form of a steamer;
[0021] FIG. 2a shows a cross-sectional side view of part of a
hand-held appliance in the form of a steamer according to a first
embodiment of the present invention in a first orientation;
[0022] FIG. 2b shows the hand-held steamer of FIG. 2a but in a
second orientation;
[0023] FIG. 3 shows a slightly modified version of the hand-held
steamer shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b;
[0024] FIG. 4a shows a cross-sectional side view of part of a
hand-held steamer according to a second embodiment of the present
invention in a first orientation;
[0025] FIG. 4b shows the hand-held steamer of FIG. 4a but in a
second orientation;
[0026] FIG. 5a shows a cross-sectional side view of part of a
hand-held steamer according to a third embodiment of the present
invention in a first orientation;
[0027] FIG. 5b shows the hand-held steamer of FIG. 5a but in a
second orientation.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0028] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way
of example only, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 5 of the accompanying
drawings.
[0029] There is shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b a partial view of a first
embodiment of a hand-held appliance 10 that is capable of
generating steam and which comprises a housing 2 and a reservoir 3,
similar to the conventional hand-held steamer 1 described with
reference to FIG. 1 above. However, the portion 7 of the tube 6
(see FIG. 1) that extends into the reservoir 3 now has two tube
inlets 11, 12 which are positioned at opposite ends of the
reservoir 3. A valve assembly 13, 14 is positioned at each inlet
11, 12. When the hand-held steamer 10 is positioned in the
orientation shown in FIG. 2a, i.e. in the same orientation as the
hand-held steamer 1 shown in FIG. 1, inlet 11 is lowest and will be
submerged in any water contained in the reservoir 3. The valve
assembly 13 associated with the inlet 11 will then be in an open
position to allow water to flow from the reservoir 3 into the
portion 7 of the tube 6, whereas the valve assembly 14 associated
with the other inlet 12, which is positioned above inlet 11, will
be closed to prevent air from entering the portion 7 of the tube
6.
[0030] Each valve assembly 13, 14 is attached to the portion 7 of
the tube 6 over each inlet 11,12. Each valve assembly 13,14 is
preferably releasably attached to the portion 7 to enable
independent removal and replacement of each valve assembly 13,14,
although it is envisaged that one or both valve assemblies 13,14
can be permanently attached to the portion 7 or otherwise formed
integrally with it. Each valve assembly 13,14 contains a valve
member in the form of a weighted body or ball 15 that drops due to
gravity and does not float. As shown in FIG. 2a, both bodies 15
have dropped under gravity so that the body 15 of the valve
assembly 14 associated with the upper inlet 12 is in contact with a
valve seat 16 at the end of the portion 7, thereby closing the
upper inlet 12 and preventing the passage of air into the portion
7. However, the body 15 of the valve assembly 13 associated with
the lower inlet 11 is in a position in which it is distanced from
its corresponding valve seat 16, thereby allowing water to flow
into the portion 7 past the body 15. The body 15 is held in a cage
17 to constrain its movement and prevent it from falling out. The
cage 17 has openings or passages therein to allow water to flow
around the body 15 and into the inlet 11 when the body 15 is spaced
from its valve seat 16.
[0031] FIG. 2b illustrates the same hand-held steamer 10 as shown
in FIG. 2a, but in an orientation in which steam is directed out of
the outlet 9 (see FIG. 1) in the housing 2 onto the garment being
steamed in a vertically downward direction. The housing 2 may be
held in this orientation when, for example, a fabric article that
has been placed on an ironing board or on a table or such like is
being steamed or, when steaming an item of furniture. As can be
appreciated from FIG. 2b, in this orientation, inlet 12 is now
positioned below inlet 11 and will be submerged in any water
contained in the reservoir 3 whereas, depending on the amount of
water in the reservoir 3, inlet 11 will be above the water line.
Therefore, valve assembly 13 associated with inlet 11 is closed to
prevent the ingress of air whilst valve assembly 14 associated with
inlet 12 is open to maintain a flow of water to the heating chamber
4 (see FIG. 1).
[0032] As shown in FIGS. 2a and 2b, the portion 7 of the tube 6
within the reservoir 3 may comprise a primary tube portion 18 that
extends from a flow control valve 19 in the wall of the reservoir
3, which is connected to a secondary tube portion 20. The inlet 11
is at one end of the secondary tube portion 20 and the other inlet
12 is at the opposite end of the secondary tube portion 20. The
secondary tube portion 20 has an integral connector 21 positioned
midway between the inlets 11, 12 to fluidly connect it to a free
end of the primary tube portion 18. The secondary tube portion 20
may extend diagonally across the inside of the reservoir 3 so that,
when the housing 2 is in the position shown in FIG. 2b, inlet 12
will be below inlet 11. The primary tube portion 18 and/or the
secondary tube portion 20 may be formed from rigid or flexible
parts or a combination of both.
[0033] A modified version of the steamer 10 shown in FIGS. 2a and
2b is shown in FIG. 3. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, the secondary
tube portion 20 is formed in two parts 20a, 20b fluidly connected
together by a separate T-shaped connector 22, which also fluidly
connects the two parts 20a, 20b to the free end of the primary tube
portion 18. Each secondary tube portion 20a, 20b may be formed from
flexible or rigid tubing.
[0034] Although the embodiments of FIGS. 2a, 2b and FIG. 3 each
have a secondary tube portion 20, 20a, 20b that has two inlets, it
will be appreciated that the secondary tube portion 20a, 20b could
also be provided with more than two inlets, each inlet being
positioned in a different location within the reservoir 3. Further
inlets may be required depending upon the shape of the reservoir 3
and so as to ensure that at least one inlet will be submerged in
any water remaining in the reservoir 3 irrespective of the
orientation of the steamer.
[0035] Another embodiment will now be described, with reference to
FIGS. 4a and 4b. In this embodiment, the primary tube portion 18 is
connected directly a single fluid flow control valve 23 which is
located roughly centrally within the reservoir 3. Secondary tube
portions 24a, 24b are fluidly attached to, and extend in opposite
directions from, the fluid flow control valve 23. An inlet 25, 26
is provided at the end of each secondary tube section 24a, 24b. In
this embodiment, the fluid flow control valve 23 comprises a valve
housing 27 containing a weighted body 30 which toggles between a
first position at one end of the valve housing 27, as shown in FIG.
4a, in which it sits against a first valve seat 28 to close the
secondary tube portion 24a and stop ingress of air into inlet 25;
and a second position, as shown in FIG. 4b, in which it sits
against a second valve seat 29 at the opposite end of the valve
housing 27 to close the secondary tube portion 24b and stop ingress
of air into inlet 26. The weighted body 30 moves between its first
and second positions under gravity and in response to a change in
the orientation of the housing 2. When the housing 2 is in an
orientation in which steam is emitted from the outlet 9 (see FIG.
1) in a substantially horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 4a, the
body 30 sits against valve seat 28 to close the secondary tube
portion 24a and, when the housing 2 is in an orientation in which
steam is emitted from the outlet 9 in a substantially vertical
direction as shown in FIG. 4b, the body 30 sits against valve seat
29 to close the secondary tube portion 24b. As shown in FIG. 4b,
the secondary tube portion 24a is positioned so that the inlet 25
is lower than the inlet 26 at the end of the other secondary tube
portion 24b when the housing 2 is in the orientation shown in FIG.
4b so that the inlet 25 will always be submerged in any water
contained in the reservoir 3 when the housing 2 is in this
position.
[0036] A further embodiment is shown in FIGS. 5a and 5b. In this
embodiment, the portion 7 of the tube 6 has a secondary tube
portion 31 connected to the free end of the primary tube portion
18, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 2a and 2b. However, in this
embodiment the valve assembly is formed by a rod 32 slideably
received in the secondary tube portion 31 so that it protrudes from
the inlets 33, 34 at each end of the secondary tube portion 31. An
enlarged head 35a, 35b is provided at each end of the rod 32 and
carries a sealing disc 36a, 36b that faces its corresponding inlet
end 33, 34 of the secondary tube portion 31.
[0037] When the housing 2 is in a position shown in FIG. 5a, in
which the outlet 9 (see FIG. 1) is positioned to eject steam in a
substantially horizontal direction, the rod 32 slides downwardly
under its own weight within the secondary tube portion 31 so that
the sealing disc 36a on the uppermost head 35a contacts and seals
against the inlet 33 preventing the flow of air into the secondary
tube portion 31. At the same time, the sealing disc 36b on the
lowermost head 35b is spaced from its corresponding inlet 34,
thereby allowing any water in the reservoir 3 to pass into and
along the secondary tube portion 31 via the annular passage defined
by the rod 32 and the inner surface of the secondary tube portion
31 when the lowermost inlet 34 is submerged. When the housing 2 is
orientated in the position shown in FIG. 5b, in which the outlet 9
is positioned so that steam is ejected in a substantially vertical
direction, the rod 32 slides within the secondary tube portion 31
so that the sealing member 36a is now spaced from the lowermost
inlet 33 and the uppermost inlet 34 is closed by the other sealing
member 36b, thereby allowing any water in the reservoir 3 to flow
into the secondary tube portion 31 via the annular passage defined
by the rod 32 and the inner surface of the secondary tube portion
31 when the lowermost inlet 33 is submerged.
[0038] It will be appreciated that the term "comprising" does not
exclude other elements or steps and that the indefinite article "a"
or "an" does not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain
measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does
not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to
an advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be
construed as limiting the scope of the claims.
[0039] Although claims have been formulated in this application to
particular combinations of features, it should be understood that
the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes
any novel features or any novel combinations of features disclosed
herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation
thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as
presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any
or all of the same technical problems as does the parent invention.
The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated
to such features and/or combinations of features during the
prosecution of the present application or of any further
application derived therefrom.
* * * * *