U.S. patent application number 15/544560 was filed with the patent office on 2017-12-28 for steam generating system with detachable cover.
The applicant listed for this patent is KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V. Invention is credited to JOLDERT MARIA BOERSMA, WILHELMUS HENDRIKUS MARIA BRUGGINK, KLAAS KOOIJKER, TIMOTHEUS JOHANNES MARIA VAN AKEN.
Application Number | 20170370572 15/544560 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 52358694 |
Filed Date | 2017-12-28 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170370572 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
BRUGGINK; WILHELMUS HENDRIKUS MARIA
; et al. |
December 28, 2017 |
STEAM GENERATING SYSTEM WITH DETACHABLE COVER
Abstract
The present application relates to a system for generating
steam, the system (1) comprising: a wall structure (3) forming a
steam chamber (3A); an opening (4) formed in a wall portion (3B) of
said wall structure (3); and a cover member (5) cooperating with
said wall portion (3B) such that the cover member (5) can take a
first position (P1) where the cover member (5) covers the opening
(4) and a second position (P2) where the cover member (5) uncovers
the opening (4); wherein said opening (4) has a cross-section
surface being at least 50% of the cross-section surface of said
wall portion (3B). The invention allows easy access to an inside
part of the steam chamber (3A), thanks to the opening (4) provided
in the wall portion (3B) of the steam chamber (3A), so that the
user of the system (1) can clean the inside part of the steam
chamber (3A) of scale.
Inventors: |
BRUGGINK; WILHELMUS HENDRIKUS
MARIA; (EINDHOVEN, NL) ; BOERSMA; JOLDERT MARIA;
(EINDHOVEN, NL) ; KOOIJKER; KLAAS; (EINDHOVEN,
NL) ; VAN AKEN; TIMOTHEUS JOHANNES MARIA; (EINDHOVEN,
NL) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS N.V |
EINDHOVEN |
|
NL |
|
|
Family ID: |
52358694 |
Appl. No.: |
15/544560 |
Filed: |
January 22, 2016 |
PCT Filed: |
January 22, 2016 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/EP2016/051392 |
371 Date: |
July 19, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F22B 37/48 20130101;
D06F 75/18 20130101; F22B 1/288 20130101; D06F 75/10 20130101; D06F
75/12 20130101; F22B 1/281 20130101 |
International
Class: |
F22B 1/28 20060101
F22B001/28; F22B 37/48 20060101 F22B037/48; D06F 75/18 20060101
D06F075/18 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jan 23, 2015 |
EP |
15152225.7 |
Claims
1. A system for generating steam, the system comprising: a wall
structure forming a steam chamber; an opening formed in a wall
portion of said wall structure; and a cover member cooperating with
said wall portion such that the cover member can take a first
position where the cover member covers the opening and a second
position where the cover member uncovers the opening; wherein said
opening has a cross-section surface being at least 50% of the
cross-section surface of said wall portion; wherein the cover
member comprises a steam outlet and the system comprises a nozzle,
such that when the cover member is in said first position, the
steam outlet faces said opening and said nozzle fluidly couples the
opening with the steam outlet to provide a passage configured to
direct the steam from the steam chamber to the steam outlet.
2. A system according to claim 1, wherein a seal gasket is disposed
between the cover member and said wall portion.
3. A system according to claim 1, further comprising a housing at
least partly enveloping the steam chamber, and wherein the cover
member cooperates with the housing to move the cover member between
the first position and the second position, wherein the cover
member comprises a first attachment element and the housing
comprises a second attachment element, the first attachment element
and the second attachment element being configured to engage and
disengage with each other by manual action of the cover member
relative to the wall portion.
4. A system according to claim 3, wherein the first attachment
element comprises a first elongate rail disposed on the cover
member and the second attachment element comprises a corresponding
second elongate rail disposed on the housing, wherein the first
rail comprises a first ledge and the second rail comprises a second
ledge, the first ledge and second ledge extending along at least a
portion of the corresponding rail, so that when the cover member is
in said first position, the respective ledges overlap and abut.
5. A system according to claim 3, wherein the housing includes a
further second attachment element comprising a sprung catch
arranged so as to engage with the cover member when the cover
member takes said first position.
6. A system according to claim 5, comprising a release button
moveably mounted on the housing and mechanically coupled to the
sprung catch, such that when the release button is actuated the
sprung catch is caused to disengage the cover member so that the
cover member is free to move from the first position to the second
position.
7. A system according to claim 5, wherein the first elongate rail
extends along one side of the cover member and the second elongate
rail extends along a corresponding side of the housing, the sprung
catch being disposed on the housing so as to engage the opposite
side of the cover member to that side of the cover member where the
first elongate rail is disposed.
8. A system according to claim 4, wherein the cover member is
slideable relative to the housing to engage and disengage the first
attachment element and second attachment element to attach and
detach the cover member to the housing, respectively.
9. A system according to claim 3, wherein at least one of the first
attachment element and second attachment element is resiliently
deformable to enable engagement with and disengagement from the or
each other attachment element.
10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the cover member can be
manually detached from the housing from said first position to said
second position, and can be manually attached to the housing from
said second position to said first position, without the use of a
tool.
11. A system according to claim 4, configured such that the first
elongate rail and the corresponding second elongate rail are curved
along their length, so that they may be moved into and out of
engagement to attach and detach the cover member to the housing by
rotational movement of the cover member relative to the
housing.
12. A system according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the
first elongate rail and second elongate rail is tapered such that
the thickness of the rail increases along the length of the rail,
such that when the elongate rails are moved into engagement, the
rotational movement of the cover member relative to the housing
causes the cover member to be drawn towards the wall portion.
13. (canceled)
14. A system according to claim 12 wherein said cover member is
adapted so that a water inlet may pass through the same wall of the
steam chamber as the opening.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a steam generation system,
in particular to a steam generating system with a detachable cover
to provide access for maintenance and cleaning.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Steam generation devices designed to substantially raise the
temperature of a body of water to generate steam are known to be
prone to deposits of scale forming on the heat source.
[0003] Scale is formed when dissolved solids in the water, such as
sulphates or carbonates of calcium and magnesium, are deposited as
the water is turned to steam. Scale deposits form an insulating
layer around the heat source resulting in a decline in the rate at
which heat is transferred from the heat source to the water. If the
heat source is not cleaned of scale, the rate and efficiency of
steam generation will decline through the operational life of the
steam generation unit. Furthermore, the insulating layer of scale
can cause the heat source to accumulate excess heat so that the
temperature of the working components exceeds that required for
safe and reliable operation.
[0004] Small amounts of scale are known to break away from the
insulating layer to become suspended in the water. As steam is
generated, some portion of these suspended particles of scale will
be transported by the steam and then deposited when the steam
condenses. Scale particles that are entrained in the steam reduce
the quality of the steam. Low quality steam is particularly
problematic in the example of a steam iron, where entrained scale
may become deposited on the garment to be treated by the steam iron
dirtying or staining the garment.
[0005] Scale is especially problematic for domestic steam
generation devices as domestic water sources often have a high
count of scale forming dissolved solids. Unless these devices are
cleaned of scale they will be subject to the above mentioned
problems.
[0006] Domestic steam generation devices generally comprise a
housing with a heat source, such as a heating element, disposed
therein to form a steam generation chamber. In order to provide
steam, as well as to ensure the user's safety, the housing will
enclose the heating element, with the steam and water provided
through a small aperture. This makes access to the heating element
difficult, if not impossible, for removing the scale.
[0007] It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,605 to provide an
opening directly over the steam chamber of a steam iron to allow
the user access to the sole plate (heating element) for cleaning. A
cap designed to be received in the opening encloses the steam
chamber. The cap may be removed completely from the iron by
unthreading a securing screw. U.S. Pat. No. 3,078,605 teaches the
use of a scraper for removing scale from the steam chamber. Scale
can also be removed by cleaning with a weak acid.
[0008] The requirement to unthread a securing screw in order to
access the steam chamber necessitates the use of a tool, therefore
adding a step to the cleaning process.
[0009] DE 198 47 670 A1 discloses a boiler for a domestic
electrical appliance comprising a body forming a steam chamber and
a plate crimped to the body and forming the base of the body.
[0010] U.S. Pat. No. 6,243,535 B1 discloses a steam generator for a
domestic apparatus comprising a body including a steam receptacle
and a cover secured to the body by means of studs.
[0011] WO 90/13771 A1 discloses a steam generator for use in a
wallpaper steamer, comprising a base having a central depression
and a lid for closing the base.
[0012] U.S. Pat. No. 3,538,306 A, U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,870 A, WO
96/22004 A1 disclose vaporisers having a steam reservoir and a
cover for closing the steam reservoir.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] It is an object of the invention to propose a system for
generating steam which substantially alleviates or overcomes the
problems mentioned above.
[0014] The invention is defined by the independent claims. The
dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.
[0015] According to the present invention there is provided, a
system for generating steam. The system comprises a wall structure
forming a steam chamber. The system comprises an opening formed in
a wall portion of said wall structure. The system comprises a cover
member cooperating with said wall portion such that the cover
member can take a first position where the cover member covers the
opening and a second position where the cover member uncovers the
opening. The opening has a cross-section surface being at least 50%
of the cross-section surface of said wall portion. The cover member
comprises a steam outlet and the system comprises a nozzle, such
that when the cover member is in said first position, the steam
outlet faces said opening and said nozzle fluidly couples the
opening with the steam outlet to provide a passage configured to
direct the steam from the steam chamber to the steam outlet.
[0016] By allowing the opening to be uncovered, the sure may gain
access to the inside part of the steam generator through the
opening to clean the steam generator of scale.
[0017] Preferably, a seal gasket is disposed between the cover
member and said wall portion.
[0018] This allows for high pressure steam generation without the
risk of steam being expelled in an unexpected manner and causing
injury to the user.
[0019] Preferably, the cover member comprises a first attachment
element and the wall portion comprises a second attachment element,
the first attachment element and the second attachment element
being configured to engage and disengage with each other by manual
action of the cover member relative to the wall portion.
[0020] The attachment elements allow the cover member to cooperate
with the wall portion so that the cover member may cover the
opening in the wall portion without the use of separate fastening
components, such as a screw.
[0021] Preferably, the first attachment element comprises a first
elongate rail disposed on the cover member and the second
attachment element comprises a corresponding second elongate rail
disposed on the wall portion, wherein the first rail comprises a
first ledge and the second rail comprises a second ledge, the first
ledge and second ledge extending along at least a portion of the
corresponding rail, so that when the cover member is in said first
position, the respective ledges overlap and abut.
[0022] Preferably, the wall portion includes a further second
attachment element comprising a sprung catch arranged so as to
engage with the cover member when the cover member takes said first
position.
[0023] Preferably, according to the present invention there is
provided a system for generating steam, comprising a release button
moveably mounted to the wall portion and mechanically coupled to
the sprung catch, such that when the release button is actuated the
sprung catch is caused to disengage the cover member to allow the
cover member to be detached from the wall portion.
[0024] Preferably, the first elongate rail extends along one side
of the cover member and the second elongate rail extends along a
corresponding side of the wall portion, the sprung catch being
disposed on the wall portion so as to engage the opposite side of
the cover member to that side of the cover member where the first
elongate rail is disposed.
[0025] Preferably, the cover member is slideable relative to the
wall portion to engage and disengage the first attachment element
and second attachment element to attach and detach the cover member
to the wall portion, respectively.
[0026] Preferably, at least one of the first attachment element and
second attachment element is resiliently deformable to enable
engagement with and disengagement from the/or each other attachment
element.
[0027] Preferably, the cover member can be manually detached from
the wall portion from said first position to said second position,
and can be manually attached to the wall portion from said second
position to said first position, without the use of a tool.
[0028] Preferably, the first elongate rail and the corresponding
second elongate rail are curved along their length, so that they
may be moved into and out of engagement to attach and detach the
cover member to the wall portion by rotational movement of the
cover member relative to the wall portion.
[0029] Preferably, at least one of the first elongate rail and
second elongate rail is tapered such that the thickness of the rail
increases along the length of the rail, such that when the elongate
rails are moved into engagement, the rotational movement of the
cover member relative to the wall portion causes the cover member
to be drawn towards the wall portion.
[0030] Preferably, according to the present invention there is
provided a system for generating steam comprising a housing at
least partly enveloping the steam chamber, and wherein the cover
member cooperates with the housing to move the cover member between
the first position and the second position.
[0031] Preferably, the cover member is adapted to allow the passage
of a water inlet entering said steam chamber.
[0032] These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent
from and elucidated with reference to the embodiments described
hereinafter.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0033] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way
of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in
which:
[0034] FIG. 1A is a schematic view of a first embodiment of the
invention in a closed position;
[0035] FIG. 1B is a schematic view of the first embodiment of the
invention in an open position;
[0036] FIG. 1C is a schematic cross sectional view along the line
X-X in FIG. 1A of the first embodiment of the invention with a
closure structure schematically shown;
[0037] FIG. 2A is a schematic view of a second embodiment of the
invention in a closed position;
[0038] FIG. 2B is a schematic view of the second embodiment of the
invention in an open position;
[0039] FIG. 3A is a schematic view of a third embodiment of the
invention in a closed position;
[0040] FIG. 3B is a schematic view of the third embodiment of the
invention in an open position;
[0041] FIG. 3C is a schematic cross sectional view along the line
Y-Y in FIG. 3A of the third embodiment of the invention with a
closure structure schematically shown;
[0042] FIG. 3D is a schematic view of a variant of the third
embodiment of the invention in a closed position;
[0043] FIG. 3E is a schematic view of the variant of the third
embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 3D, in an open
position;
[0044] FIG. 4A is a schematic view of a fourth embodiment of the
invention in a closed position;
[0045] FIG. 4B is a more detailed isometric cross section view of a
first implementation of the fourth embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 4A;
[0046] FIG. 5A is a partial isometric view of the implementation of
the fourth embodiment of the invention shown in FIG. 4B, in a
closed position;
[0047] FIG. 5B is a partial isometric view of the arrangement of
the fourth embodiment of the invention of FIG. 5A, in an open
position;
[0048] FIG. 6 is a partial isometric view of a cover member of the
implementation of the fourth embodiment of FIGS. 5A and 5B;
[0049] FIG. 7 is a partial isometric cross sectional view of a
second implementation of the fourth embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 4A;
[0050] FIG. 8 is a partial isometric cross sectional view of a
third implementation of the fourth embodiment of the invention
shown in FIG. 4A;
[0051] FIG. 9 is a partial isometric view of an embodiment of a
cover member for use with implementations of the fourth embodiment
of the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS
[0052] In all embodiments of the present invention, shown in FIGS.
1 to 9, there is provided a system (1) for generating steam, the
system comprising: [0053] a wall structure (3) forming a steam
chamber (3A); [0054] an opening (4) formed in a wall portion (3B)
of said wall structure (3); and [0055] a cover member (5)
cooperating with said wall portion (3B) such that the cover member
(5) can take a first position (P1) where the cover member (5)
covers the opening (4) and a second position (P2) where the cover
member (5) uncovers the opening (4), wherein said opening (4) has a
cross-section surface being at least 50% of the cross-section
surface of said wall portion (3B).
[0056] It shall be appreciated that in all embodiments of the
invention, the size and shape of the opening (4) provided in the
steam chamber (3A) is configured to provide access to the inside
part of the steam chamber (3A), such that it can be manually
cleaned of scale by the user; this may be achieved by rinsing or
scraping the scale deposits away.
[0057] Such embodiments of the invention cover any household steam
appliance and may include, but are not limited to, a steam iron, a
floor steamer or a steam generator.
[0058] In a first embodiment of the invention, shown in FIGS. 1A to
1C, the wall structure (3) forms a steam chamber (3A). It is
intended that the steam chamber (3A) is a parallelepiped, though
other shapes are included within the scope of the invention. A
water inlet (F1) is provided in a wall of the steam chamber (3A)
for introducing water into the steam chamber (3A). A heated surface
(not shown) disposed within the steam chamber, and arranged facing
the water inlet, is configured to provide the necessary heat to
convert water into steam. A steam outlet (F2) is formed in another
wall of the steam chamber (3A) to allow for the passage of steam
from the steam chamber (3A). In operation, water introduced through
the water inlet (F1) is directed onto the heated surface and
evaporated to steam, whereupon it is directed out of the steam
outlet (F2). In this first embodiment, the opening (4) is formed in
a separate wall to either the water inlet (F1) or the steam outlet
(F2).
[0059] The cover member (5) is configured to attach to the steam
chamber (3A) by cooperating attachment elements. First attachment
elements (8) provided on the cover member (5) comprise first
elongate rails (8A) upstanding perpendicularly from a face of the
cover member (5). In this embodiment, two elongate rails (8) are
provided that run in parallel. The cover member (5) further
comprises first ledges (8B) that extend from the upper edges of the
first elongate rails (8A) so that the first attachment element (8)
is L shaped in section.
[0060] Second attachment elements (9) are provided on the steam
chamber (3A) and comprise second elongate rails (9A) upstanding
perpendicularly from the outer face of the wall of the steam
chamber (3A) in which the opening (4) is formed. In this
embodiment, two second elongate rails (9A) are provided that run in
parallel and are disposed either side of the opening (4). The steam
chamber (3A) further comprises second ledges (9B) that extend from
the upper edges of the second elongate rails (9A) so that the
second attachment element (9) is L shaped in section.
[0061] The first attachment elements (8) are spaced apart
corresponding to the spacing of the second attachment elements (9),
such that the first ledges (8B) overlap the second ledges (9B) when
the cover member (5) is in the first position (P1), the first
ledges (8B) being disposed between the respective second ledges 9B
and the housing (2), so that the cover member (5) can only be
separated from the steam chamber (3A) by a sliding action of the
cover member (5) relative to the steam chamber (3A) in a direction
parallel to the attachment elements (8,9).
[0062] A second embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 2A
and 2B and differs from the first embodiment in that a steam outlet
(6) is formed in the cover member (5). When the cover member (5) is
in the first position (P1), so that the cover member (5) covers the
opening (4), the steam outlet (6) formed in the cover member (5)
communicates with the inside of the steam chamber (3A) to allow for
the passage of steam from the steam chamber (3A). The cover member
(5) is attached to the steam chamber (3A) by the same configuration
of attachment elements (8,9) as described above.
[0063] A third embodiment of the invention is shown in FIGS. 3A to
3E. In this embodiment, the cover member (5) is adapted so that the
water inlet (F1) may pass through the same wall of the steam
chamber (3A) as the opening (4). In one example of this embodiment,
shown in FIGS. 3A to 3C, the cover member (5) cooperates with the
steam chamber (3A) so that, when the cover member is in the first
position (P1), the cover member is disposed adjacent to the water
inlet (F1). In another example of this embodiment, shown in FIGS.
3D to 3E, the cover member (5) is provided with an aperture (25) so
that, when the cover member (5) is in the first position (P1), the
aperture (25) aligns with the water inlet (F1) so as to allow for
the passage of water through the aperture (25) and water inlet (F1)
and into the steam chamber (3A). The cover member (5) is attached
to the steam chamber (3A) by the same configuration of attachment
elements (8,9) as described above, shown in FIG. 3C.
[0064] A fourth embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. 4A,
and a first implementation of the fourth embodiment is shown in
FIG. 4B. The system further comprises an outer housing (2), wherein
the housing (2) may be configured to partly envelop the steam
chamber (3A) so that at least one side of the steam chamber (3A) is
covered by the housing (2). In the first implementation of the
fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, an opening (4A) is
provided in the housing (2), the opening (4A) in the housing (2)
being formed around the opening (4) in the steam chamber (3A), such
that the opening (4A) in the housing communicates with the inside
of the steam chamber (3A).
[0065] In this embodiment, the second attachment elements (9) are
provided on the housing (2), with second elongate rails (9A)
running parallel either side of the opening (4A) provided in the
housing (2). As above, the first attachment elements (8) are spaced
apart corresponding to the spacing of the second attachment
elements (9), such that the first ledges (8B) are in overlapping
relation with the second ledges (9B) when the cover member (5) is
in the first position (P1). Therefore, the cover member (5) can
only be separated from the steam chamber (3A) by a sliding action
of the cover member (5) relative to the housing (2) in a direction
parallel to the attachment elements (8,9).
[0066] In this embodiment, the cover member (5) further comprises a
steam outlet (6), the steam outlet (6) communicates with the inside
of the steam chamber (3A) when the cover member (5) is in the first
position (P1) to allow for the passage of steam through the steam
outlet (6) and out of the steam chamber (3A).
[0067] Referring to FIG. 4B, the cover member (5) comprises a
silicon seal (7). When the cover member (5) is in the first
position (P1), the seal (7) is disposed around the opening (4) in
the steam chamber (3A) and between the steam chamber (3A) and the
cover member (5).
[0068] A water inlet (not shown) is also provided to allow for the
passage of water from a water tank (not shown) to the inside part
of the steam chamber (3A). It is envisaged that the water tank is
formed integrally with the housing (2); in one such example, the
water tank comprises a separate chamber formed in the housing (2)
to store water and deliver water through the water inlet by any
suitable means.
[0069] The cover member (5) comprises a flat plate (16) wherein a
plurality of apertures (6A) is provided in the plate (16) for
delivering steam from the steam chamber (3A) when the device is
operational. On the back of the plate (16) there is formed a
surround (17) that is arranged to enclose the space between the
housing (2) and the flat plate (16) when the cover member (5) is
fitted to the housing (2). In more detail, the surround (17) is a
wall that extends around the outer edge of the plate (16) and is
upstanding therefrom, so that the plate's (16) surface on which the
surround (17) is disposed lies entirely within the confines of the
surround (17). A bracket (18) formed integrally with the surround
(17) and extending from the inner face of the surround (17) is
provided for retaining the seal (7). The bracket (18) comprises a
second wall (18A) that extends around the whole of the inner face
of the surround (17) and into the region enclosed by the surround
(17) to form an opening (4A) disposed opposite the flat plate (16).
A U-shaped channel (18B) for retaining the seal (7) extends around
the inner edge of the opening (4A). With the cover member (5) in
the first position (P1), the opening (4A) in the cover member (5)
faces the opening (4) in the steam chamber (3A) so that the seal
(7) is disposed around the opening (4) in the steam chamber (3A) so
that a seal is made that is impermeable by steam or water. In
operation of the system (1), steam passes through the openings
(4,4A) in the steam chamber (3A) and cover member (5) respectively,
and into the space enclosed by the surround (17) and the flat plate
(16), before passing out through the apertures (6A) formed in the
plate (16).
[0070] The seal (7) may be held in place by compression of the seal
(7) material; this may be achieved by sizing the seal (7) so as to
be marginally larger than the space within the U shaped channel
(19). Alternatively, the seal (7) may be held in place by a
suitable adhesive.
[0071] A nozzle (7A) is formed integrally with the seal (7), and
comprises a wall that extends around the opening (4A) provided in
cover member (5) and into the surround (17), abutting the plate
(16) to enclose the steam dispensing apertures (6). Therefore, with
the cover member (5) disposed in the first position (P1), the
nozzle (7A) fluidly couples the opening (4) formed in the steam
chamber (3A) with the apertures (6A) formed in the plate (16) to
provide a passage that directs the steam from the steam chamber
(3A) to the apertures (6A) formed in the plate (16).
Advantageously, the nozzle (7A) helps to prevent steam from
condensing inside the surround (17) by minimising the surface area
inside the surround (17) to which steam is exposed, thus reducing
the risk of condensate passing through the apertures (6A) formed in
the plate (16).
[0072] In the first to fourth embodiments, the cover member (5) is
configured so as to be removable from the housing (2) by a sliding
action, as depicted in detail in FIGS. 5A and 5B, to provide the
user with access to inside surfaces of the steam chamber (3)
through the opening (4) provided in the steam chamber (3A).
[0073] An example cover member (5) is shown in FIG. 6. In this
example, the first attachment elements (8) are disposed either side
of the opening (4A) and are arranged parallel to allow the cover
member (5) to be slideably engaged with the housing (2). It is
intended that the second attachment elements (9) conform to
substantially the same shape as the first attachment elements (8)
but are offset so as to lie within the first attachment elements
(8) when the cover member is in the first position (P1).
[0074] In further implementations of the fourth embodiment, shown
in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first attachment element (8) is provided
along one side of the upper edge of the surround (17) only, with
the second attachment element (9) being provided along a
corresponding side of the housing (2). To attach the cover member
(5) to the housing (2), the first attachment element (8) and second
attachment element (9) are engaged such that the respective first
and second ledges (8B, 9B) overlap; the opposite sides of the cover
member (5) and housing (2) are then brought together and secured in
place by a sprung catch (14) such that the cover member (5) is in
the first position (P1).
[0075] The sprung catch is a cantilevered tab (14) with a V-shaped
bend (14A) disposed in the free end such that an element of the tab
(14) extends from the main body of the tab (14). The tab may be
made from steel or any suitable resiliently deformable material.
The fixed end of the tab (14) is located permanently on the housing
(2), with the free end protruding into overlapping relation with
the top of the surround (17). To engage with the tab (14), there is
provided a recess formed in the inside face of the upper edge of
the surround (17) into which the V-shaped bend (14A) of the tab
(14) is received. Optionally, to disengage the V-shaped section
from the recess, the user is required to pull the two components
apart by exerting a force not normally encountered during normal
operation of the steam system (1), in this way the corresponding
edge of the surround (17) is prevented from becoming separated from
the housing (2) during normal operation of the steam system (1). It
shall be appreciated that alternative bend shapes can be envisaged
that prevent separation of the cover member (5) from the housing
(2) by a force acting to pull the two components apart
[0076] In the implementation of the fourth embodiment shown in FIG.
8, a button (15), shown in FIG. 8, may be provided to release the
tab (14). The button (15) is moveably mounted to the housing (2)
and mechanically coupled to the tab (14), such that when the button
(15) is depressed the tab (14) is caused to disengage the cover
member (5) so that the cover member (5) is free to move from the
first position (P1) to the second position (P2)
[0077] The button (15) is received in an opening formed in the
housing (2) adjacent to the fixed end of tab (14). One end of the
button (15), herein referred to as the operable end (15A), is
disposed so as to protrude from the outer surface of the housing
(2) when the tab (14) is in an initial position; the other end of
the button (15), herein referred to as the distal end (15B), is in
abutting relation with the tab (14). When the user presses on the
operable end (15A) of the button (15), the button (15) is displaced
and the distal end (15B) acts against the tab (14) to cause it to
bend along its unfixed length from the initial position to a
displaced position. The inherent elasticity of the material used to
form the tab (14) causes the bending of the tab (14) to be reacted.
As the user releases pressure on the button (15), the tab (14)
moves from the displaced position to the initial position, acting
on the distal end (15B) of the button to cause the button's
operable end (15A) to be restored to a protruding position from the
outer surface of the housing (2). The button (15) and the opening
in which it is received are shaped so that the button (15) is
constrained by the housing (2) when the tab (14) is in its initial
position. For example, this may be achieved by tapering the button
(15) such that the distal end (15B) is larger in section than the
operable end (15A), with the opening in the housing (2) having an
internal surface that substantially matches the shape of the
button's (15) exterior surface. In this example, the tab (14) acts
against the button (15) so that the button (15) is held against the
interior surface of the opening in the housing (2).
[0078] It shall be appreciated that the sprung catch (14) may
alternatively be mounted to the wall portion (3B) and arranged so
as to engage with the cover member (5) when the cover member (5)
takes said first position (P1) so that the cover member (5) mounts
directly to the wall portion (3B) (as per embodiments 1 to 3).
Equally, the release button (15) may be moveably mounted on the
wall portion (3B) and mechanically coupled to the sprung catch
(14), such that when the release button (15) is actuated the sprung
catch (14) is caused to disengage the cover member (5) to allow the
cover member (5) to be detached from the wall portion (3B).
[0079] In another implementation of the fourth embodiment, the
first and second attachment elements (8,9) are curved along their
length to enable the cover member (5) to be attached to the housing
(2) by rotation of the cover member (5) relative to the housing
(2). An example cover member (5) with curved first attachment
elements (8) is shown in FIG. 9. To mount the cover member (5) to
the housing (2), the cover member (5) is positioned relative to the
housing (2) so that the upper edge of the surround (17) and the
respective face of the housing (2) are aligned. The cover member
(5) is rotated around a central axis (26) to cause it to be
attached to the housing (2). The first and second attachment
elements (8,9) have radius of curvature equal to their distance
from the central axis (26). First and second attachment elements
(8,9) are positioned such that, as the cover member (5) is attached
to the housing (2), their respective first and second ledges (8B,
9B) are slid into abutting overlapping relation by rotation of the
cover member (5) about the central axis (26).
[0080] Optionally, the first attachment elements (8) have first
ledges (8B) that are tapered so that the thickness of the ledge
(8B) increases along the length of the ledge (8B), such that when
first and second attachment elements (8,9) are moved into
engagement, the rotation of the cover member (5) relative to the
housing (2) causes the cover member (5) to be drawn towards the
housing (2). It shall be appreciated that the second ledge (9B) may
also, or alternatively, be tapered so as to achieve the same
effect. It shall be appreciated that the first and second
attachment elements (8,9) provided on the wall portion (3B) in
embodiments 1 to 3 may also be curved in the manner described
hereinabove so that first and second attachment elements (8,9) may
be moved into and out of engagement to attach and detach the cover
member (5) to the wall portion (3B) by rotational movement of the
cover member (5) relative to the wall portion (3B).
[0081] In all above embodiments of the invention, the size and
shape of the opening provided in the steam chamber (3A) is
configured to provide access to the inside part of the steam
chamber (3A), such that it can be manually cleaned of scale by the
user; this may be achieved by rinsing or scraping the scale
deposits away. Rinsing can be achieved by introducing water into
the steam generator through the water inlet (F1), providing the
advantage of delivering water to only the location where it is
needed.
[0082] The above embodiments as described are only illustrative,
and not intended to limit the technique approaches of the present
invention. Although the present invention is described in details
referring to the preferable embodiments, those skilled in the art
will understand that the technique approaches of the present
invention can be modified or equally displaced without departing
from the protective scope of the claims of the present invention.
In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other
elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not
exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not
be construed as limiting the scope.
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