U.S. patent number 3,733,723 [Application Number 05/285,219] was granted by the patent office on 1973-05-22 for steamer.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Mitsuo Ide, Kenichi Iwami, Shigeru Takakuwa.
United States Patent |
3,733,723 |
Takakuwa , et al. |
May 22, 1973 |
STEAMER
Abstract
A steamer having pressure imparting means for imparting pressure
to a flexible tank containing water for compressing the tank
thereby forcedly feeding water in the tank into a vaporizing
chamber, in which steamer manual push button means are provided so
that steam can be ejected and ejection of steam can be ceased as
desired in response to the manipulation of the manual push button
means.
Inventors: |
Takakuwa; Shigeru (Suita,
JA), Iwami; Kenichi (Kawanishi, JA), Ide;
Mitsuo (Takaishi, JA) |
Assignee: |
Matsushita Electric Industrial Co.,
Ltd. (Osaka, JA)
|
Family
ID: |
26399115 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/285,219 |
Filed: |
August 31, 1972 |
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Sep 7, 1971 [JA] |
|
|
46/69440 |
May 17, 1972 [JA] |
|
|
47/58026 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
38/69; 392/399;
392/404 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F
75/30 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
D06F
75/30 (20060101); D06F 75/00 (20060101); A47j
051/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;38/77.5,77.8,77.83,69
;68/222 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Lawson; Patrick D.
Claims
We claim:
1. A steamer comprising an outer casing serving as a grip portion
to be grasped by hand, steam ejecting means mounted on said casing
and including a heater and a vaporizing chamber, a tank mounting
member disposed within said casing and having a water filling valve
member and a water feed valve member therein, an expansible and
contractible tank fixed at an open end portion to said tank
mounting member for containing water therein, pressure imparting
means for imparting pressure and compressing said tank for forcedly
feeding water contained within said tank into said vaporizing
chamber, a water passage leading from said tank to said vaporizing
chamber, and manual push button means for manually actuating said
water feed valve member and said pressure imparting means.
2. A steamer as claimed in claim 1, comprising a pressure imparting
member securely connected to the bottom of said tank, a compression
spring disposed between the lower surface of said pressure
imparting member and said casing, a guide rod for guiding said
pressure imparting member in the expanding and contracting
direction of said tank, a valve actuating rod mounted at one end
thereof on a lower portion of said guide rod and at an intermediate
portion thereof on an upper portion of said guide rod so as to be
swingable around and vertically movable on said guide rod, said
valve actuating rod having at the other end thereof an arm normally
biased away from the upper end of said water filling valve member,
a lever pivoted to said pressure imparting member by a pivot pin
and having one end thereof suitably bent to be engaged by said
valve actuating rod, and a first manual actuating button mounted on
the other end of said lever, whereby, in response to a first
movement of said first manual actuating button, said valve
actuating rod is caused to swing around said guide rod and said arm
is advanced to a position engaging and actuating said water filling
valve member for urging said water filling valve member toward the
open position.
3. A steamer as claimed in claim 2, comprising a guide plate fixed
to said casing, a second manual actuating button mounted on said
guide plate for advancing and retracting movement relative to said
guide plate thereby actuating said water feed valve member, a
locking rod mounted on said casing so as to be rotatable around its
axis, said locking rod having an L-shaped upper engaging end
portion engaged by the inner surface of said second manual
actuating button and an L-shaped lower engaging end portion spaced
normally from the upper surface of said pressure imparting member,
and a spring having one end thereof anchored to said guide plate
and the other end thereof engaging the upper engaging end portion
of said locking rod, whereby said locking rod engages at the lower
engaging end portion thereof with the upper surface of said
pressure imparting member when said pressure imparting member is
moved to its lowermost position by the depression of said first
manual actuating button.
4. A steamer as claimed in claim 3, wherein, in response to the
actuation of said second manual actuating button, said water feed
valve member is urged to its open position, and at the same time,
the upper engaging end portion of said locking rod swings in the
direction of the force imparted to said second manual actuating
button, while the lower engaging end portion of said locking rod
swings away from said pressure imparting member thereby unlocking
said pressure imparting member from the locked position.
5. A steamer as claimed in claim 3, wherein a protective cover is
detachably fitted on said casing so as to cover the members
including said steam ejecting means, said first manual actuating
button and said second manual actuating button.
6. A steamer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said pressure imparting
means includes a pressure imparting member securely connected to
the bottom of said tank, a compression spring disposed between the
lower surface of said pressure imparting member and said casing,
and a guide rod for guiding said pressure imparting member in the
expanding and contracting direction of said tank.
7. A steamer as claimed in claim 6, wherein said tank is in the
form of a bellows of plastic material having a closed bottom, and
the portion adjacent to said closed bottom has a diameter smaller
than that of the portion adjacent to the open end thereof.
8. A steamer as claimed in claim 6, wherein the tank-side open end
portion of said water passage leading to said vaporizing chamber
extends into said tank by a length substantially equal to the
height of said tank in the fully compressed state, and means is
provided in said tank so as to occupy substantially all the
internal space of said tank except said open end portion of said
water passage extending into said tank when said tank is in the
fully compressed state.
9. A steamer as claimed in claim 1, wherein another manual
actuating button is provided on said pressure imparting means and
projects from said casing in the vicinity of the bottom of said
tank.
10. A steamer as claimed in claim 1, wherein a spring is mounted
within said tank for normally urging said tank in the expanding
direction, and said pressure imparting member is not integrally
connected to said tank.
11. A steamer as claimed in claim 1, wherein said steam ejecting
means includes a base and a block defining said vaporizing chamber,
said heater being embedded in one of the walls of said block, said
base being securely fixed in fluid-tight relation to one wall
surface of said block and having at least one steam ejection
opening, and a thermostat is mounted on another wall surface of
said block for sensing and adjusting the temperature within said
vaporizing chamber.
12. A steamer as claimed in claim 11, wherein a pair of partition
plates are disposed opposite to each other within said vaporizing
chamber for forming a detour passage for steam, and the partition
plate nearer to said base is provided with an opening at a position
opposite to said steam ejection opening in said base.
13. A steamer as claimed in claim 11, wherein a cover of heat
insulating material is used to cover substantial portions of said
steam ejecting means including said thermostat to provide a
thermally insulated unit, and said thermally insulated unit is
mounted on said casing.
14. A steamer as claimed in claim 11, wherein nozzle means is
disposed in said water passage leading from said tank to said
vaporizing chamber to regulate the quantity of water fed into the
vaporizing chamber from said tank, and said nozzle means is
disposed at a position nearer to said tank where the temperature is
relatively low.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a steamer for finishing fabrics such as
clothing with steam.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Irons, presses and like means are generally used to apply heat and
pressure to fabrics such as clothing in the presence of a spray of
liquid such as water for finishing the clothing. Recently,
finishing with steam only is increasingly preferred for the removal
of wrinkles and curls produced on woolen fabrics, knit products or
clothes during manufacture or for the removal of stains or fine
wrinkles attached to or produced on the fabrics during use since
steam would not in any way adversely affect the features and
properties of the fibers forming the fabrics. Finishing means of
this kind are disclosed already in publications, for example, U.S.
Pat. No. 3,372,499 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,436,851. However, the prior
art steam finishing means of this kind have been very inconvenient
for handling in practical use. A steam finishing means used
principally for the finishing of fabrics such as clothing must be
such that not only it can sufficiently remove surface wrinkles and
curls but also it can attain a full finishing effect on the
interior and every part of the fabrics with simple
manipulation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
With a view to solve the problem it is an object of the present
invention to provide a steamer in which compressing means is
provided to compress a freely expansible and contractible tank for
forcedly feeding water within the tank into a vaporizing chamber so
that the steamer can be operated to suit any desired operating
conditions without being in any way restricted by the direction of
ejection of steam.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a steamer
which is provided with a manual actuating button for actuating a
water filling valve so that water filling valve can be necessarily
opened during filling or replenishing water into the tank or during
discharging water from the tank in response to the depression of
the manual actuating button.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a steamer
which is provided with another manual actuating button for
actuating a water feed valve so that steam can be ejected and
ejection of steam can be stopped as desired in response to the
manipulation of the manual actuating button and release of the
depressing force imparted to the manual actuating button
respectively thereby ensuring efficient use of steam without
wasteful losses of steam.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a steamer in
which a heater is embedded in the wall of the vaporizing chamber
for ensuring sufficient vaporization of water forcedly supplied
into the vaporizing chamber and a thermostat is mounted on the wall
surface of the vaporizing chamber for maintaining the temperature
within the vaporizing chamber at a predetermined constant value
thereby ensuring satisfactory ejection of steam.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention
will be apparent from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawing.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
FIG. 1 is a side elevation with parts in vertical section of a
steamer embodying the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but showing a tank in a fully
compressed state.
FIG. 3 is a front elevation with parts in vertical section of the
steamer, the section being taken on the line III--III', in FIG.
1.
FIG. 4 is a section taken on the line IV--IV' in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the manner of
operation of a manual actuating button for actuating a water
filling valve.
FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the manner of
operation of another manual actuating button for actuating a water
feed valve.
FIG. 7 is a section taken on the line C--C' in FIG. 4.
FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the steamer in the state in which a
protective cover is fitted on the steamer casing.
FIG. 9 is a front elevation of the steamer covered with the
protective cover.
FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the protective cover.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
Referring to FIGS. 1-6, a steamer according to the present
invention comprises a casing 1 of plastic material such as ABS or
noryl resin forming a grip portion to be grasped by hand. A steam
ejecting section 2 is mounted on the casing 1 and includes therein
a vaporizing chamber 3 defined by a block of material such as an
aluminum alloy and a base 4 of the same material as that of the
block. A heater 5 is embedded in the wall of the block defining the
vaporizing chamber 3. This heater 5 is of the armored type in which
an electric resistance wire 5' extends through a protective sheath
6 and is electrically insulated from the protective sheath 6 by a
heat resisting electrical insulator 7 such as a mass of compressed
magnesium oxide particles. A cord 60 is connected to the heater 5
for supplying current thereto. A pair of partition plates 8 and 8'
are disposed opposite to each other within the vaporizing chamber
3. The partition plate 8 nearer to the base 4 is provided with a
relatively small opening 9 at a position opposite to one of a
plurality of steam ejection openings 10 bored in the base 4. Such
an arrangement is advantageous in that the opening 9 in the
partition plate 8 can be easily cleaned from the exterior when the
opening 9 is clogged. The other partition plate 8' is bent in the
form of L to define a space 11 between the bent portion thereof and
one of the inner wall surfaces of the vaporizing chamber 3 so that
a detour passage 12 for steam can be defined between the partition
plates 8 and 8'.
A mass of metal fibers 13 is packed within the vaporizing chamber 3
in order to sufficiently vaporize water fed into the vaporizing
chamber 3. A thermostat 14 is mounted on one of the outer wall
surfaces of the block defining the vaporizing chamber 3 at the side
remote from the base 4 so that the temperature within the
vaporizing chamber 3, which is heated by the heater 5, can be
adjusted and maintained at a desired value. A packing 15 is mounted
between the base 4 and the block defining the vaporizing chamber 3
for sealing the base 4 steam-tightly. A cover 16 is secured to the
steam ejecting section 2 by screws 17 so as to completely cover the
thermostat 14. This cover 16 is of a plastic material such as a
phenol resin having a relatively high resistance to heat. This
cover 16 is provided with a projection 18 along its peripheral
surface and this projection 18 fits in a corresponding recess 19 of
the casing 1 in such a manner as to define a hollow space between
the steam ejecting section 2 and the casing 1. Further, this cover
16 ensures reliable operation of the thermostat 14 which is sharply
sensitive to the heat generated by the heater 5, and at the same
time, prevents undesirable overheating of the casing 1 by the heat
of steam existing in the steam ejecting section 2. A plurality of
heat radiating openings 68 are provided on the side wall portions
of the casing 1 adjacent to the steam ejecting section 2.
A tank mounting member 20 is disposed within the casing 1, and a
water filling valve member 21 and a water feed valve member 22 are
mounted in the tank mounting member 20. A water filling port 24 is
disposed above the tank mounting member 20 within the casing 1 and
is sealed by a packing 23 in fluid-tight relation. An expansible
and contractible tank 25 is secured at 27 upper end opening to a
portion 37 of the tank mounting member 20 in fluid-tight relation
by means of a snap ring 26. This tank 25 is molded from a plastic
material such as polypropylene or polyethylene by a method of, for
example, blow molding. The thickness of the plastic film forming
the tank 25 is desirably as thin as possible and is preferably from
0.1 to 0.5 mm since the hinge action of the plastic film is
utilized for the expansion and contraction of the tank 25. Needless
to say, any other various thicknesses may be selected as desired
depending on the design. The tank 25 is in the form of a bellows
having a closed bottom, and the diameter of the portion adjacent to
the bottom is smaller than that of the portion adjacent to the
upper end opening so that the tank 25 can be molded to have a
uniform thickness at these portions. A fastening screw 27 is used
to fasten the opposite ends 26' of the snap ring 26 so as to
securely fasten the upper end opening of the tank 25 to the lower
end portion of the tank mounting member 20. A water supply conduit
28 leads from the water feed valve member 22 mounted in the tank
mounting member 20 to the vaporizing chamber 3 and is in the form
of a tube of heat resisting material such as silicone rubber. A
nozzle member 30 having a water flow regulating orifice 29 is
disposed within the water supply conduit 28 at a position nearer to
the water feed valve member 22 where the temperature is relatively
low.
A pressure imparting member 31 is connected to the bottom of the
tank 25 and is vertically movable by being guided by a guide rod 32
in the expanding and contracting direction of the tank 25. To
attain the connection between the tank 25 and the pressure
imparting member 31, the tank 25 is provided with an integral
projection 71 extending downward from the center of the bottom
surface thereof. This projection 71 fits snugly in an opening 72 in
the pressure imparting member 31, and a rubber ring 73 is fitted in
an annular groove 74 on the projection 71 to ensure a tight joint.
The guide rod 32 is fixed in upright position adjacent to the inner
wall of the casing 1 by being tightly received in holding portions
70 and 70' of the casing 1 at the upper and lower end thereof. The
pressure imparting member 31 is formed with an integral guide ring
33, and the guide rod 32 extends through this guide ring 33 so that
the pressure imparting member 31 can be smoothly guided along the
guide rod 32. A compression spring 34 is disposed between a lower
wall portion 35 of the casing 1 and the lower end surface of the
pressure imparting member 31 so as to normally urge the pressure
imparting member 31 upward for compressing the tank 25. An annular
wall 36 extends from the portion 37 of the tank mounting member 20,
at which the tank 25 is secured to the tank mounting member 20,
toward the tank 25 so as to prevent water from remaining within the
tank 25 in the position in which the tank 25 is fully compressed by
the pressure imparting member 31. The annular wall 36 has a height
which is equal to or greater than the height x of the tank 25 in
the fully compressed state shown in FIG. 2. This annular wall 36
serves also to define a water passage for feeding water from the
tank 25 into the water conduit 28 leading to the vaporizing chamber
3. In the fully compressed state of the tank 25, the substantial
portion of the inner space of the tank 25 except the space defined
by the annular wall 36 is occupied by a block 38 as best shown in
FIG. 2. Thus, a minimum amount of water will remain within the tank
25 when the tank 25 is fully compressed as seen in FIG. 2.
Referring to FIG. 5, an L-shaped lever 39 is pivoted by a pivot pin
40 to an extension of the guide ring 33 which is integral with the
pressure imparting member 31. A manual actuating button 42 is
mounted on one end of the L-shaped lever 39 and projects externally
from a window 41 bored in the wall of the casing 1. A water
quantity indicator 43 is disposed on the outer surface of the
casing 1 along the window 41 so that the quantity of water within
the tank 25 can be indicated by the vertical movement of the manual
actuating button 42. A rod 44 extends in parallel with the guide
rod 32 for actuating the water filling valve member 21. This rod 44
is fitted at one end and at an intermediate portion thereof on a
lower portion and an upper portion respectively of the guide rod 32
so as to be swingable around the axis of the guide rod 32. The
other end of the rod 44 is provided with an arm 45 which is
normally biased away from the upper end of the water filling valve
member 21. In response to a first movement of the manual actuating
button 42, the rod 44 swings in such a direction that the arm 45 is
advanced to engage the upper end of the water filling valve member
21 to urge the valve member 21 to its partly open position, and in
response to a second movement of the manual actuating button 42,
the arm 45 forces the water filling valve member 21 further
downward against the force of a spring 46 so that the water filling
valve member 21 is urged to its full open position. A spring 47 is
mounted on the guide rod 32 and engages the valve actuating rod 44
for normally biasing the rod 44 in a direction in which the water
filling valve member 21 is kept in the closed position. Thus, in
response to the depression of the manual actuating button 42, the
lever 39 swings around the pivot pin 40 with the result that the
bent end portion 39' of the lever 39 engaging the rod 44 causes
swinging movement of the rod 44 against the force of the spring 47
and the arm 45 engages the upper end of the water filling valve
member 21 for forcing the water filling valve member 21 slightly
downward. As the manual actuating button 42 is further depressed,
the water filling valve member 21 is urged to its full open
position and the pressure imparting member 31 is also forced
downward against the force of the spring 34.
Referring to FIG. 6, another manual actuating button 48 is provided
so that the water feed valve member 22 can be urged to its open
position in response to the manipulation of the manual actuating
button 48. The manual actuating button 48 is provided with a
projection 51 which extends into a small hole 50 in a guide plate
49 fixed to the casing 1 so as to ensure smooth manipulation of the
manual actuating button 48. A spring 52 is anchored at one end
thereof to the guide plate 49. The other end of the spring 52
extends toward the manual actuating button 48 so as to normally
bias the manual actuating button 48 away from the water feed valve
member 22 which is normally kept in the closed position. A locking
rod 53 having an L-shaped engaging portion 54 at the upper end
thereof and an L-shaped engaging portion 55 at the lower end
thereof is rotatable around its axis by being supported at its
intermediate portion by a plurality of pairs of projections 56 and
a pair of supporting plates 57 provided on the inner wall surface
of the casing 1. The upper L-shaped end portion 54 of the locking
rod 53 is disposed between the spring 52 and the inner end surface
48' of the manual actuating button 48. A portion of the pressure
imparting member 31 is tapered as shown by 58 in FIG. 3 at a
position opposite to the L-shaped lower end portion 55 of the
locking rod 53. A spring 59 is mounted on the projection 51 of the
manual actuating button 48 for normally biasing the button 48 away
from the water feed valve member 22. A bottom cover 61 is fixed to
the bottom of the casing 1 by a screw 62 as seen in FIG. 1.
In operation, current is supplied at first to the heater 5 for
heating the steam ejecting section 2 including the vaporizing
chamber 3. The manual actuating button 42 is depressed slightly for
the purpose of filling water into the tank 25. In response to the
depression of the manual actuating button 42, the lever 39 mounting
the button 42 swings in a direction of the arrow a in FIG. 5 around
the pin 40. As a result, the valve actuating rod 44 swings in a
direction of the arrow b in FIG. 5 around the guide rod 32 against
the force of the spring 47 thereby advancing the arm 45 in a
direction of the arrow c. The arm 45 engages the upper end of the
water filling valve member 21 and urges the valve member 21
slightly toward the open position so that the interior of the tank
25 communicates with the atmosphere. When the manual actuating
button 42 is further depressed from the above state against the
force of the compression spring 34, the pressure imparting member
31 is moved in a direction of the arrow d by being guided by the
guide rod 32 thereby expanding the tank 25. The expansion of the
tank 25 can be smoothly carried out since air can now freely enter
the tank 25. As the pressure imparting member 31 is moved downward
to a lower position within the casing 1, the tapered portion 58 of
the pressure imparting member 31 is finally brought to a position
opposite to the lower engaging end portion 55 of the locking rod
53, and the lower end 33' of the guide ring 33 is also brought to a
position very close to the lower end portion 44' of the valve
actuating rod 44. When the manual actuating button 42 is further
depressed from the above state, the tapered portion 58 of the
pressure imparting member 31 urges the lower engaging end portion
55 of the locking rod 53 against the force of the spring 52 thereby
causing rotation of the locking rod 53 in a direction of the arrow
e in FIG. 6. As soon as the upper surface of the pressure imparting
member 31 moves downward past the lower extremity 55' of the lower
engaging end portion 55 of the locking rod 53, the locking rod 53
is restored to the original position by being urged in a direction
of the arrow f in FIG. 6 by the force of the spring 52 and engages
at the engaging portion 55 thereof with the upper surface of the
pressure imparting member 31 to lock the pressure imparting member
31 against upward movement. At the same time, the lower end 33' of
the guide ring 33 urges the valve actuating rod 44 in a direction
of the arrow g in FIG. 5 against the force of the spring 47 so that
the water filling valve member 21 is further biased toward the full
open position by the arm 45. Thereafter, water is filled into the
tank 25 through the water filling port 24. The steamer is ready for
use when the temperature within the vaporizing chamber 3 attains a
high level enough to vaporize water and the desired temperature is
maintained within the vaporizing chamber 3 by the action of the
thermostat 14.
Ejection of steam can be easily done by merely pushing the manual
actuating button 48. More precisely, when the manual actuating
button 48 is pushed in a direction of the arrow h in FIG. 6 against
the force of the springs 59 and 52, the upper engaging end portion
54 of the locking rod 53 swings in a direction of the arrow i in
FIG. 6, and at the same time, the lower engaging end portion 55
swings also in a direction of the arrow e in FIG. 6, thereby
unlocking the pressure imparting member 31 from the locked
position. Thus, the pressure imparting member 31 is forced upward
by the force of the compression spring 34 to impart pressure to the
tank 25 for compressing the same. Simultaneously with this
unlocking operation, the water feed valve member 22 is urged to the
open position by the manual actuating button 48. Therefore, water
within the compressed tank 25 is fed into the vaporizing chamber 3
through the water passage including the water feed valve member 22,
orifice 29 in the nozzle member 30 and water conduit 28. The water
fed into the vaporizing chamber 3 is turned into steam in the
vaporizing chamber 3 and steam is led through the space 11, steam
detour passage 12 and opening 9 to be ejected from the steam
ejection openings 10. When subsequently the force imparted to the
manual actuating button 48 is released, the water feed valve member
22 is urged to the closed position again to shut off the feed of
water into the vaporizing chamber 3 from the tank 25 and ejection
of steam ceases. When the manual actuating button 48 is
continuously pushed by hand, water within the tank 25 can be
continuously fed into the vaporizing chamber 3 so that steam can be
continuously ejected. In lieu of manually continuously pushing the
manual actuating button 48, a mechanism may be employed which can
continuously maintain the manual actuating button 48 in the steam
ejecting position once the button 48 is pushed. Such a mechanism
can be easily realized by anyone skilled in the art on the basis of
known techniques.
The quantity of water within the tank 25 decreases gradually with
the ejection of steam. The water content of the tank 25 can be
known from the reading of the water quantity indicator 43 since the
manual actuating button 42 moves upward with the upward movement of
the tank 25. Upon completion of the steaming, the same process as
that taken in the water filling operation may be carried out for
discharging water from the tank 25.
When a large quantity of steam is required during steaming
operation, the manual actuating button 42 may be manually forced
upward to compress the tank 25 by the combined force of the manual
force and the force of the compression spring 34. In such a case,
water can be fed into the vaporizing chamber 3 in a quantity larger
than when it is temporarily or relatively continuously fed into the
chamber 3 so that a larger quantity of steam can be obtained.
In a modification shown in FIG. 7, the steamer is not provided with
the compression spring 34. This modification is constructed so that
the tank 25 can be compressed by manually urging a manual actuating
button 42' upward in a direction of the arrow j. Thus, the
structure shown in FIG. 7 is featured by the fact that the quantity
of water fed into the vaporizing chamber 3 can be freely selected
by the load or force imparted to the button 42' in the upward
direction.
Referring to FIGS. 8, 9 and 10, a protective cover 63 is provided
for protecting the steamer against damage and preventing
unintensional water discharge and any other trouble. The protective
cover 63 covers a part of the steamer including a part of the
casing 1, manual actuating buttons 42 and 48 and steam ejecting
section 2. This cover 63 is made of a plastic material such as
polypropylene or ABS resin, but any other suitable material may be
employed. The plastic material above described is most suitable
from the viewpoint of portability, design image and ease of
manufacture.
The protective cover 63 includes a water filling port cover portion
64 projecting inwardly from the bottom thereof so as to fit snugly
into the water filling port 24. Thus, even when water within the
tank 25 is incompletely discharged or when the user forgets the
discharge of water after he has used the steamer, water is
prevented from spilling out of the water filling port 24. A pair of
button protecting portions 65 and 65' project outwardly from the
side walls of the protective cover 63 so as to cover the respective
manual actuating buttons 42 and 48. A base protecting portion 66 of
the protective cover 63 extends to the lower end of the base 4 of
the steam ejecting section 2 so as to prevent any damage to the
external surface of the base 4.
Thus, even if the user forgets to completely discharge water from
the tank 25 before he stores the steamer in a storage or when the
user carries the steamer while placing it in a bag or the like,
such possibilities can be completely avoided that water spills out
of the water filling port 24 or the manual actuating button 48 is
unintensionally pushed by an external pressure to feed water into
the vaporizing chamber 3 thereby giving rise to corrosion of the
steam ejecting section 2. Further, this protective cover 63 is
detached from the casing 1 prior to the use of the steamer so that
it can be used as a water metering cup. In such an application, it
is convenient to put a suitable mark 67 on the protective cover 63
so as to indicate the water level corresponding to the capacity of
the tank 25.
The embodiment above described has been illustrated in the type in
which the tank 25 and the pressure imparting member 31 are
integrally connected to each other so that the tank 25 follows the
vertical movement of the pressure imparting member 31. However, a
spring may be disposed within the tank 25 for normally biasing the
tank 25 in the expanding direction and the pressure imparting
member 31 may not be connected integrally with the tank 25. This
modification is effective in preventing the tank 25 from being
deformed or distorted. Further, a cover of heat insulating material
may be used to cover substantial portions of the steam ejecting
section including the thermostat to provide a thermally insulated
unit, and this thermally insulated unit may be mounted on the
casing.
* * * * *