CN109312955B

CN109312955B - Water boiler

Info

Publication number: CN109312955B
Application number: CN201780038561.2A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朱塞佩·德隆奇; 安东尼奥·洛伦宗
Original assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Current assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Priority date: 2016-04-21
Filing date: 2017-04-19
Publication date: 2021-08-10
Anticipated expiration: 2037-04-19
Also published as: WO2017182534A1; EP3446046B1; EP3446046A1; ITUA20162801A1; ES2885098T3; CN109312955A

Abstract

A boiler for generating steam and/or heating water, the boiler comprising a container (12), the container (12) being provided with at least one water feed hole (14) for introducing water into the container (12). The boiler comprises a heating element (18) associated with the container (12), and a discharge orifice (22) connected to a discharge pipe (26).

Description

Water boiler

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a boiler for generating steam and/or heating water, which can be used in household appliances as well as in professional machines, such as ironing or cleaning devices, coffee machines, food steamers for cooking food, steam cookers, etc.

Background

In household appliances and professional machines, boilers are used to selectively generate steam and/or heat water, which generally comprise a hermetically closed metal container provided with at least one access hole to introduce water into the metal container; and a discharge hole to discharge the water from the container.

According to some embodiments, at least for the boiler associated with the ironing or cleaning device, the boiler further comprises an aperture for discharging the steam.

A heating element (typically an electrical resistance or an electrical plate) is typically associated with the metal container, which is selectively activated to generate a desired amount of steam and/or heat the water to a desired temperature.

The boiler generally comprises one or more detection devices to detect the temperature and/or pressure inside the metal container, in order to monitor them, to verify that they have reached the desired values, and to prevent them from exceeding the set threshold values, which could damage the metal container and the boiler itself.

It is known that when using a boiler, as the water is heated, scale is formed inside the metal container, consisting of calcium carbonate and/or other minerals (e.g., magnesium, potassium, silicon, etc.) that are normally dissolved in the water.

These scale formations can deposit on the inner walls of the metal container and form a scale shell of increasing thickness on the inner walls of the metal container.

One problem that can result from the formation of scale is that it can reduce the heating effect when it deposits in correspondence with the heating element or on the wall with which the heating element cooperates.

Failure of the heating element to properly transfer heat to the water within the container wastes energy, requiring higher energy consumption to properly heat the water.

Furthermore, since the means for detecting temperature and/or pressure are generally installed outside the metal container, the detection is affected by the scale deposited on the inside in correspondence with the outside where these means are located.

In fact, the minerals contained in the scale shell of the scale are thermally insulating, so that they can delay or distort the detection of temperature and/or pressure inside the metal container.

A distorted or delayed detection of temperature and/or pressure may cause the safety threshold to be exceeded and thus may cause damage to the boiler.

Furthermore, if the scale remains suspended, it can leave the container through possible evacuation of steam, which can block the fluid circuit through which the steam is evacuated and/or the means for regulating this fluid circuit

Document US 2015/0068170 describes an iron comprising a compartment for containing steam, integrated in the iron, connected to two side channels for conveying steam. The connection is obtained by means of a steam passage tube having a cavity and a removal aperture communicating with the outside of the iron, the removal aperture being closed by a cover. Typically, the cover is fully inserted into the cavity, i.e. into the iron. The inclination of the passage tube does not promote the accumulation of scale because the inclined surface is directed upwards in the position of use of the iron.

Document US5,345,704 describes an iron comprising a compartment for containing steam, integrated in the iron, connected to a decalcifying aperture. The decalcification aperture is provided with a removable collector, which is provided inside the iron. When the iron is placed on its shelf, i.e. in a vertical position, scale may collect in the removable collector.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a boiler for the production of steam and/or heating water which allows to limit the formation of scale inside a metal container.

Another object is to provide a boiler which allows simple and quick removal of the scale formed inside the metal container.

Another object is to provide a boiler for generating steam and/or heating water that is simple and economical, while being reliable and durable.

Another object is to provide a boiler capable of preventing waste of energy for heating water inside thereof.

The applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, a boiler for generating steam and/or heating water comprises a container able to contain water, provided with a water feed hole for introducing water inside the container, and a discharge hole for removing water and possible scale from the container.

According to some embodiments, the boiler further comprises a steam discharge hole associated with the discharge means to regulate the discharge of steam.

A drain pipe may also be associated with the metal container, connected and arranged to project outside the side wall of the metal container, communicating with the discharge hole, to facilitate the discharge of water.

The discharge pipe is arranged in the lower half of the side wall of the metal container, in a preferred but non-limiting solution, at least slightly inclined downwards, to facilitate the water discharge operation.

According to one aspect of the invention, a collection cap is associated with the discharge tube during use, the collection cap being configured to collect scale present in the water inside the metal container.

Due to this configuration, when the collecting cover is closed and the boiler is operating, no water or steam flows through the collecting cover during operation. Furthermore, due to the position and configuration of the discharge pipe, the collection lid is constantly wetted by water, thereby promoting the accumulation of scale.

According to another aspect of the invention, the collection lid is arranged to protrude to the outside with respect to the container during use and has a cavity inside the collection lid adapted to contain and hold scale.

According to other embodiments, a scale holding element, such as a gasket, a metal mesh, or the like, may be provided inside the cavity.

The invention also relates to a collecting cover associated, during use, with the metal container of the boiler and provided with a cavity suitable for collecting and retaining scale.

Drawings

These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a boiler for generating steam in accordance with embodiments described herein;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view of FIG. 1 according to embodiments described herein.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It should be understood that elements and features of one embodiment may be readily incorporated into other embodiments without further recitation.

Detailed Description

The embodiments described with reference to figures 1 to 2 relate to a boiler 10 for generating steam and/or heating water, which boiler 10 can be used in household appliances and professional machines, for example for ironing or cleaning devices, coffee machines, steamers for cooking food, steamers and the like.

The boiler 10 comprises a metal container 12, the metal container 12 being capable of containing water to be converted into steam, the compartment being hermetically closed and provided with a feed water hole 14 for introducing water into the interior of the compartment.

According to some embodiments, the container 12 may include a first shell 12a and a second shell 12b, the first shell 12a and the second shell 12b being connected and hermetically sealed to each other along respective peripheral edges to resist pressure generated within the container 12.

The container 12 is also provided with a discharge hole 22 to allow the water and/or scale that may be present in the container 12 to be discharged.

According to a possible solution, the discharge hole 22 is provided in a position cooperating with the bottom of the container 12 or close to the bottom of the container 12, to facilitate the operations of discharging the water and emptying the container 12.

According to some embodiments, the container 12 may also be provided with a steam vent that is connected to the device to vent and condition the steam 16.

The boiler 10 also includes a heating element 18, the heating element 18 being associated with the vessel 12 and being selectively activated to heat water within the vessel 12. The heating element 18 may be a resistor or an electric plate located outside the container 12, in contact with the bottom of the container, or inside the container, in direct contact with the water to be heated.

According to some embodiments, the boiler 10 further comprises one or more detection devices 20, the detection devices 20 being configured to detect a temperature and/or a pressure within the vessel 12 and being disposed on an outer surface 24 of the vessel 12.

According to an aspect of the present invention, a drain pipe 26 is further provided, the drain pipe 26 being connected to the discharge hole 22 and being disposed to protrude outwardly with respect to the side wall 13 of the container 12.

The discharge pipe 26 is arranged on the lower part of the height of the side wall 13, advantageously on the lower half of the height of the side wall 13, and advantageously inclined downwards with respect to the horizontal position in which the container 12 is located, to promote the discharge of water from the container 12.

According to some embodiments, the drain tube 26 is connected to the container 12 by screwing, provided on the respective contact surfaces of the discharge hole 22 and the drain tube 26 with cooperating threads suitable for mutual coupling.

According to a variant embodiment, the discharge pipe 26 is connected to the container 12 by welding, so as to fix the two portions to each other.

According to one aspect of the invention, the boiler comprises a collecting cap 30, the collecting cap 30 being associated with the drain pipe 26 during use and being configured to close the drain pipe 26 and collect scale from the water present in the container 12.

Due to the lower position of the drain tube 26 on the side wall 13 of the container 12, and due to the slightly downwardly inclined configuration of the drain tube 26, the collection lid 30 continues to be wetted by the water inside the container 12, which promotes the accumulation of scale inside the container 12.

According to some embodiments, the collection cap 30 and the drain pipe 26 are provided with respective threaded

portions

34, 28 to allow releasable mutual coupling by screwing.

According to another aspect of the invention, the collection cap 30 protrudes completely outside with respect to the container 12 during use, and has a cavity 38 inside the collection cap 30, the cavity 38 being adapted to contain and hold scale.

According to possible embodiments, the cavity 38 is cylindrical in shape, or the cavity 38 has a polygonal cross-section defined by one or more side walls 38a and a bottom wall 38 b.

The cavity 38 extends continuously from the drain hole 22 and the drain tube 26 and may receive liquid present in the container 12.

According to a possible embodiment, the cavity 38 has an internal volume adapted to contain at least 5ml of fluid.

According to other variant embodiments, the cavity 38 has an internal volume suitable for containing at least 7ml of fluid.

According to a possible embodiment, the cavity 38 has an internal volume adapted to contain at least 10ml of fluid. In this way, maintenance operations on the boiler 10, particularly those for removing scale, may be performed less frequently while still ensuring that the boiler 10 is operating efficiently.

According to some embodiments, the collection cap 30 includes a collection body 32, and a cavity 38 is formed in the collection body 32.

According to a possible solution, the collecting body 32 comprises a threaded portion 34, the threaded portion 34 cooperating with the threaded portion 28 provided on the outer surface of the discharge pipe 26.

According to a possible solution, the collecting body 32 can be made of a metallic material or a heat-resistant plastic material, i.e. the collecting body 32 does not tend to deform at the temperatures which can be reached by the water and/or steam in the container 12 or in the container 12.

According to some embodiments, the collection cap 30 further comprises a grip 36, the grip 36 being fixedly connected to the collection body 32 and adapted to be gripped by a user to screw/unscrew the collection cap 30 with respect to the discharge tube 26.

According to a possible solution, the grip 36 may have, on the outer surface, protrusions and/or projections acting as friction elements, so as to facilitate the grip of the user.

According to other embodiments, inside the cavity 38 there may be an element for retaining scale 40, such as a gasket, a metal mesh or the like, which has the function of catalysing and/or improving the accumulation of scale inside the collection lid 30.

When the boiler 10 is in operation, particularly when water is introduced into the vessel 12, the water level inside the vessel 12 fluctuates. This fluctuation promotes the deposition of scale within the cavity 38 of the collection lid 30.

According to some embodiments, a user may simply and quickly remove collection cap 30 by simply unscrewing collection cap 30 from drain tube 26. The configuration of the collection lid 30 also allows the level of scale present therein to be displayed and is easy to remove, emptying the cavity 38.

According to other variant embodiments, container 12 and/or discharge pipe 26 may be conformed such that collection lid 30 is inclined downwards.

In this way, the deposition of scale within the cavity 38 may be further promoted due to gravity.

According to some embodiments, a sealing element 42 is provided between the discharge pipe 26 and the collection cover 30, the sealing element 42 being configured to ensure a fluid-tight seal therebetween, preventing water from leaking to the outside.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the boiler 10 as described, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of boiler 10, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

Claims

1. A boiler for producing steam and/or heating water, comprising a metallic container (12), said container (12) being hermetically closed and provided with at least one water feeding mouth (14), said water feeding mouth (14) being intended to introduce water into said container (12), said boiler comprising a heating element (18), said heating element (18) being associated with said container (12), said container (12) comprising a first shell (12a) and a second shell (12b), said first shell (12a) and said second shell (12b) being connected and hermetically sealed to each other along respective peripheral edges, wherein said boiler comprises a discharge hole (22) for water and a discharge tube (26) connected to said discharge hole (22), wherein said discharge hole (22) is arranged to cooperate with the bottom of said container (12), or close to the bottom of the container (12), the drain pipe (26) being arranged at the lower part of the side wall (13) of the container (12), the drain pipe (26) being inclined downwards with respect to the container (12) in a horizontal position and the drain pipe (26) projecting outwards with respect to the side wall (13), the boiler further comprising a collection lid (30), the collection lid (30) being associated with the drain pipe (26) during use, the collection lid (30) being arranged to project completely from the container (12) and outside the container (12) during use, the collection lid (30) being provided internally with a cavity (38), the cavity (38) being configured to receive and retain scale inside it.

2. The boiler according to claim 1, characterized in that the cavity (38) extends continuously from the discharge hole (22) and the discharge pipe (26).

3. Boiler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cavity (38) has an internal volume adapted to contain at least 7ml of fluid.

4. Boiler according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said cavity (38) has an internal volume adapted to contain at least 10ml of fluid.

5. Boiler according to claim 1, characterized in that inside said cavity (38) there is a scale retention element (40), said scale retention element (40) having the function of catalysing and/or improving the accumulation of scale inside the collection cover (30).

6. Boiler according to claim 5, characterized in that the scale holding element (40) comprises a pad, a metal mesh.

7. Boiler according to claim 1, characterized in that said container (12) and/or said discharge pipe (26) are conformed such that said collection lid (30) is inclined downwards.

8. Boiler according to claim 1, characterized in that said collection cover (30) and said discharge pipe (26) are provided with respective threaded portions (28, 34) to allow mutual connection by screwing.