Electric Steam Vaporizer

Abstract

A safety device for a steam vaporizer having a liquid reservoir base with a removable top. A pair of electrodes depend from the top into the reservoir base for heating a liquid. To remove the top from the base, spaced terminals provided in a terminal block must be disengaged from shorting conductors on the base reservoir, thereby opening the power circuit to the electrodes, In one embodiment, the terminal block is an integral part of the top. In another embodiment, the block is secured to the top by connector cord of such length that the block terminals must be disengaged from the shorting conductors in order to remove the top with its dependent electrodes from the base.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention is generally directed to electric steam vaporizers, and particularly to a safety device which breaks the electrical connection to an electric steam vaporizer whenever the top is removed from the vaporizer base.

Steam vaporizers having electrical-heating elements are well known and are adapted to provide steam vapor either alone or in combination with a vaporized medicament for the treatment of colds, coughs, bronchitis, and other disorders of the respiratory system. The vaporizers often have an electric-heating element which extends from the top of the vaporizer into a reservoir of water or other liquid to be vaporized. An electrolyte may be added to the water to increase the current flow and thereby increase the quantity of steam generated.

Because of the electrical-heating element circuit and the presence of water, the hazard of possible electrical shock is always present. This hazard is reduced by placing the heating element in a sleeve which permits the water to flow around the heating element. Such a sleeve must be readily removable to permit cleaning deposits which accumulate on electrode portions of the heating element. Even with a protective sleeve there is a danger that the power source will be connected while the sleeve is removed for cleaning the electrodes.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprehends a steam vaporizer including a safety device which opens the electric circuit to the heating element whenever the top of the vaporizer is removed from its liquid reservoir base. Two electrodes depend from the removable top into the reservoir base for heating a liquid. In one embodiment, a first pair of insulated terminals are positioned in a terminal block and are connected to the two depending electrodes. A second pair of insulated terminals in the terminal block are connected to a power line. The two pairs of terminals are in alignment and when the vaporizer top is positioned on the base the terminal block has openings which receives a cooperating pair of conductive rods mounted on the reservoir base. One of the first pair of terminals is electrically connected to an aligned one of the second pair of terminals and the other of the first pair of terminals is electrically connected to the other of the second pair of terminals. The terminal block may either be an integral part of the removable top or of the base. In still another embodiment the block is not a part of either the base or the top but is connected adjacent the top such that an operator must disengage the block from a pair of rods mounted on the base prior to removing the top from the base. Disengaging the terminal block from the rods opens the electric circuit between the heater element and the power line.

It is a primary object of this invention to provide an electric steam vaporizer having a safety device which reduces the hazard of electric shocks.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following detailed description of a preferred form thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a partially cutaway perspective view of one embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of one of the terminals;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 with the vaporizer top partially removed from the base;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 6-6 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary elevational view of still another embodiment of the invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a vaporizer according to the present invention is generally indicated by the reference number 10. The vaporizer 10 has a reservoir base 12 for holding water or other liquids to be vaporized. A removable top 14 covers a large opening 16 which extends through an upper portion 18 of the base 12. In the present embodiment, the heating means consists of two generally parallel heating electrodes 20 which depend from the top 14 into a liquid held in the reservoir base 12. However, other types of heating means, for example, an electrical resistance-type heating element, can be used in place of the parallel electrodes 20. An insulator sleeve 22 defines a heating chamber and reduces the hazard of electric shock from the exposed electrodes 20.

The upper ends of the electrodes 20 are connected to one end of a two conductor wire 24. The other end of the two conductor wire 24 is connected to a pair of insulated first terminals 26 in a terminal block 28. A pair of insulated second terminals 30 in the terminal block 28 are connected to a conventional two conductor power line 32. The free end of the power line 32 is terminated in a standard plug 33.

The upper portion 18 of the base 12 has a raised portion 34. A pair of metallic rods 36 are vertically mounted on the raised portion 34 of the reservoir base 12. The rods 36 are mounted parallel to each other and are insulated from each other. Two holes 38 extend through a lower shell 40 of the terminal block 28 and are spaced to receive the parallel rods 36.

One of the terminals 26 and 30 is shown in detail in FIG. 3. The terminal is generally tubular shaped with a cylindrical opening 42 extending through it. The diameter of the opening 42 is sufficiently large to receive one of the rods 36. A lower end 44 of the terminal is threaded for attachment to a cooperating threaded hole in the terminal block 28. A hex-shaped flange 46 is spaced above the threaded lower end 44 to aid in assembling the terminal block 28. A tab 48 is cut into the upper end 50 of the terminal and is slightly bent into the cylindrical opening 42. When one of the rods 36 is inserted in the opening 42, the tab 48 is biased against the rod 36 to assure a good electrical connection.

Referring to FIGS. 5--7, the terminal block 28 includes the lower shell 40 and a mating upper shell 52. One or more screws 54 may be used to hold the two shells 40 and 52 together. The pair of first terminals 26 are mounted in the lower shell 40 such that openings 42 in the terminals 26 are aligned with the openings 38 through the lower shell 40. Connectors 56, which are either crimped onto or soldered to the two conductors at one end of the wire 24, are placed under the flanges 46 on the terminals 26 before screwing the terminals 26 into the lower shell 40. A strain reliever 58 is crimped to the wire 24 to reduce strain on the connectors 56 from any tension on the wire 24.

The power line 32 is connected to the pair of second terminals 30 and the upper shell 52 in a manner similar to that described for the connection between the wire 24, the pair of first terminals 26 and the lower shell 40. The second terminals 32 are located in the upper shell 52 such that, when the terminal block 28 is assembled, the openings 42 through the pair of second terminals 30 are aligned with the openings 42 in the pair of first terminals 26. When the terminal block 28 is positioned on the raised portion 34, each of the rods 36 extends through one of the holes 38 in the lower shell 40, through an adjacent first terminal 26, and into the aligned second terminal 30. Therefore, when the terminal block 28 receives the pair of rods 36, an electrical connection is made between the power line 32 and the wire 24 which connects to the heating electrodes 20. The electrical connection is broken whenever the terminal block 28 is disengaged from the pair of rods 36. The electrical connection is broken as soon as the rods 36 are removed from the terminals 30, even prior to complete physical disengagement of the terminal block 28 from the rods 36. Therefore, the electrical connection is broken before the time that a large enough space is defined between the block 28 and the raised portion 34 to receive a metallic object. This lessens the danger of an electrical shock.

Referring now to FIG. 4, the vaporizer 10 is shown with the terminal block 28 positioned on the raised portion 34. In this embodiment, the length of the wire 24 is sufficiently short and the top 14 cannot be removed from the base 12 as long as the terminal block 28 engages the pair of rods 36. Because the terminal block 28 must be removed prior to removing the top 14, the electrical connection to the heating electrodes 20 is always open whenever the top 14 is removed from the base 12. Thus the hazard of electrical shock is greatly reduced.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a second embodiment of the invention is shown. In this embodiment the lower portion of the terminal block and the removable top are integral parts of a single rigid removable top 60. As with the first embodiment described above, the wire 24 is connected to a first pair of terminals 26. The terminals 26 are connected the removable top 60. The power line 32 is connected to a second pair of terminals 30, which are mounted in an upper shell 62. The upper shell 62 is attached to the removable top 60 by screws 64. Thus, whenever the top 60 is removed from the reservoir base 12, the pair of rods 36 must disengage the electrical path of communication between the first and second pairs of terminals 26 and 30.

In both of the above-described embodiments, it is preferable to have the power line 32 attached to the upper pair of terminals. Thus when the top is removed from the reservoir base, the pair of terminals adjacent to the openings 38 are not connected to the power source. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 8, an overcurrent protection device 66 may be incorporated in the vaporizer. There is always a danger with vaporizers that an inexperienced operator will mix too much electrolyte and water. High currents resulting from the excessive amounts of electrolyte may overload the electrical circuit or may cause the vaporizer to emit dangerously hot liquid droplets. The overcurrent protection device 66 opens the electrical circuit between the power line 32 and the electrodes 20 whenever a predetermined current is reached.

Referring to FIG. 9, another embodiment according to the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, a removable top 70 has an integral outwardly extending portion 72. A pair of conductive rods 74 depend from the portion 72 and are in electrical communication with a heating element 76.

A pair of terminals 78 are mounted on the upper portion 80 of a reservoir base 82. A power supply line 84 is electrically connected to the pair of terminals 78. A cover shell 86 is connected to the upper portion 80 of the base 82. The pair of terminals 78 is in vertical alignment with a pair of openings 90 which extend above the respective terminals.

When the top 70 is positioned on the base 82 the conductive rods 74 are received by the openings 90 and serve as a path of electrical communication between the power supply line 84 and the heating element 76.

It will be appreciated that other arrangements of the safety device may be used and that changes may be made in the elements of the safety device without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

I claim:

1. An electrical vaporizer comprising, in combination, a liquid reservoir base, a removable top mounted on said base, electrical-heating means depending from said top into said reservoir base, a pair of mutually insulated electrically conductive members mounted on said base, an insulator block secured to said top by means comprising conductive wires and having opening means for receiving said conductive members, two pairs of aligned spaced terminals positioned in said insulator block and accessible through said opening means, each one of said terminals being electrically insulated from the others of said terminals, said conducting members establishing paths of electrical communication between aligned ones of said pairs of terminals when said insulator block is positioned on said base with said conductive members received within said opening means and wherein the electrical communication is broken when said top is removed from said base and said insulator block is removed from said conductive members, a power cord having one end in electrical communication with one terminal of each pair of aligned terminals and its other end adapted for connection to a source of electrical power, said means comprising conductive wires having one end in electrical communication with the other terminal of each pair of aligned terminals and its other end in electrical communication with said heating means, said insulator block being secured to said top by means comprising conducting wires at a distance such that said insulator block must be removed from said conductive members in order to remove said top from said base.

2. An electrical vaporizer, according to claim 1, wherein said conductive members comprise a pair of parallel metallic rods.

3. An electrical vaporizer, according to claim 2, wherein said opening means for receiving said conductive members comprise a pair of openings aligned with said pairs of aligned terminals and adapted to receive said metallic rods.

4. An electrical vaporizer, according to claim 1, wherein said heating means comprise two generally parallel heating electrodes.