GB2159397A - Electrical hand-held steam brush - Google Patents

Abstract

A hand-held steam brush includes a water tank 12, a steam producer 5 and a piston pump 22. In order to permit sensible assembly of the steam brush and ensure that the electrical connections are protected from harmful influences such as water and steam, enable the water tank to be removed easily and maintain the operational qualities of the appliance even when it is not used for long periods, the hand-held steam brush also includes a carrier mounting the steam producer 5 and an electrical connection box 7. The pump 22 is mounted in the water tank and the water tank 12 is divided into two chambers by a dividing wall 13. A cover 9 covers the steam producer 5 and the electrical connection box 7 end is releasably secured to the carrier 1 by means of a push-in hinge 10. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electrical hand-held steam brush The invention relates to an electrical hand-held steam brush having a watertank, a piston pump and an electrically heated steam producer.

A hand-held steam brush is already known (DE-OS 21 03 560). This appliance does not have any pre-assembled individual parts and the watertank is fixedly installed inside the appliance. With an ap pliance ofthis kind it is possible for the userto fill the appliance with water while it is still electrically live and in this way run a risk of an electric shock. The pump is separate from the water tank. The disadvantage of this is that if the appliance is not used forsometime the pump dries out. This significantly impairs the operat ing qualities of the pump. From DE-OS 22 03 469, another hand-held steam brush is known wherein the essential components can be pre-assembled. Howev er, here again the pump is separate from the water tank, resulting in the disadvantages described above.

Admittedly, the water tank is releasably connected to 'the hand-held steam brush but it has to be laboriously unscrewed from the appliance in orderto fill it up.

Both these known appliances have the furtherdis- advatagethatwhen the water tank is half empty the pump does not suck in anywaterwhen the brush is used in an inclined position. This means that these hand-held steam brushesarevirtuallyonlyoperation- al in a vertical position.

According to the invention, there is provided an electrical hand-held steam brush comprising a carrier providing brush holding means externally thereof, an electrically heated steam producer being releasably connected to the inside of the carrier and communicat ing with atmosphere via at least one steam channel in said carrier, an electrical connection cavity being at least partly defined by the carrier and a cover being releasably connected to the carrier so as to cover the steam producer and said cavity, wherein a handle is releasably connected to the cover and contains a water tank, there being a wall dividing said tank into a storagechamberandan overflowchamberand a piston pump adapted to supply said steam producer with water, said pump being disposed in the water tank and communicating with said overflow chamber by a pump intake tube passing through the dividing wall.

At least in the preferred embodiments of the invention, there is provided a hand-held steam brush which consists of a few pre-assembled individual parts, the electrical connections of which are securely protected from harmful influences such as water and vapour and thewatertank ofwhich can easily be removed, whilst its operational qualities are not affected by long periods of disuse. In particular, the watertankwith the pump and pump actuating means and the carrier with steam producerand connection cavity each constitute a pre-assembled unit. Furth ermore since the pump is disposed in the water tank it cannot dry out even over long periods of disuse and thereby putthe pump out ot action.

Preferably said electrical connection cavity is closed by a lid and said cover is releasably connected to the carrier by a push-in hinge so as to cover both the steam producerandthe lid of said cavity. Preferably the watertankserves as the handle which is releasably secured to the cover.

In a preferred embodimentthewall dividing the watertankintoanoverflowchamberanda storage chamber is provided in the region of the fill opening of the watertank and includes a vent, an overflow channel being provided to connect the storage and overflow chambers. As a result, the hand-held steam brush may be used both vertically and horizontally. As a result of the constant movement of the brush the overflow chamber is constantly filled from the storage chamber so that even if the storage tank is almost empty and the hand-held steam brush is held in an inclined position,water is taken in through the intake tube extending into the overflow chamberand can be evaporated in the steam producer.Advantageously, the pump actuating means and the tank securing means may be articulated on the water tank so as to be pivotable about an axis counterto the force of a spring. In this way, it is possibleto save on one compression spring and one spindle and the appliance can be kept very small in construction since two functions can be performed by one device.

Furthermore, the tank securing means and the pump actuating means can form a unit with the water tank.

Preferably, the pump piston is connected to the pump actuating means by a linkage, the axis ofthis linkage extending substantially at rightanglesto the axis of the pump cylinder, so that the pumpcan be operated by thumb pressure, thereby substantially simplifying the handling ofthe steam brush.

Preferably, the handle and the carrier define a cable channel which enables a connecting cable to be securely held without affecting the handling of the brush.

Afill opening ofthe watertank is preferably closed offbya cap provided with a protective rubber sleeve.

On the cap there may be provided a hanging device for convenient storage of the hand-held steam brush.

A specific embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows a cross-section ofthe hand-held steam brush.

The hand-held steam brush shown in the drawing consists of a watertank 12 serving as a handle, a steam producer 5 and a piston pump 22. The piston pump 22 is mounted in the tank 12 and connected to the steam producer 5 via a hose line 30. A carrier 1 includes steam channels 4 which connect the steam producer5to the atmosphere. The steam producer 5 i secured to the inside 6 of the carrier 1. An electrical connection cavity comprises a connection box 7 for the electrical connecting cables, cable clips and traction relief formed on the inside 6 ofthe carrier 1.

The connection box 7 can be closed off by means of a lid 8. The outside 2 of the carrier 1 forms an outer wall of the hand-held steam brush and includes a brush This print embodies corrections made under Section 117(1) of the Patents Act 1977.

holder 3 which releasably holds a brush 39. A cover9 is releasablyfixed to the carrier 1 via a push-in hinge 10. The watertank 12 is divided by a dividing wall 13 into a storage chamber 14 and an overflow chamber 15. Provided in the dividing wall 13 is an overflow channel 31 and a vent35. A pump intake tube 27 and a pump pressure tube 32 with associated valve mechanisms 33,34 extend through the dividing wall 13 into the overflow chamber 15.

Pump actuating means 16 and tank securing means 17 are articulated on the watertank 12 so as to be pivotable abouta common spindle 19. The pump actuating means 16 consist of a key 36 and a linkage 20 which is movably connected to the key 36 and the pump piston 21. When the key 36 is pivoted about the spindle 19 counterto the pressure of a spring 18, the piston 21 is moved in the direction of the arrow by the linkage 28 extending substantially at right angles to ,e cylinder axis 29 and the water is conveyed from the pump cylinder37through the hoseline30 into the steam producer 5. The spring 18 urges the key 36 and hence the piston 21 back into their original positions.

Atthe same time, water is sucked into the pump cylinder37 from the overflowchamber 15. The tank securing means 17 consist of a latch 38 which can be pivoted about the spindle 19 counter to the pressure of the spring 18. Using the latch 38, the tank 12 can be securely fastened to the cover 9 and can readily be removed from the cover 9 again at any time, e.g. for filling, by pivoting the latch counterto the pressure of the spring 18.

The free end of the watertank 12 is closed off by a protective cap 24. A hanging device 41 and a protective rubber sleeve 25 for a connecting cable are formed on the protective cap 24. A cable channel 23 in which there is mounted a cable protector40 forthe connecting cable is formed in the wall 26 of the water tank and on the carrier 1. This ensures that the connecting cable is safely guided to the connection box7 and cannot therefore interfere with the handling ofthe appliance.

When the hand-held steam brush isoperated,the overflowchamber 15 is constantlyfilied with water from the storage chamber 14via the overflow channel 31 and prevented from running back bythe dividing wall 13. As a result,watercan be sucked in and evaporated in the steam producer 5 even when the tank 12 is almost empty and the brush is held in an inclined position.

Modifications of the invention or the specific embodimentthereof referred to orsuggested herein may be apparentto those skilled in the art and this disclosure is intended to encompass any such mod ifications.

Claims (9)

1. An electrical hand-held steam brush comprising a carrier providing brush holding means externally thereof, an n electrically heated steam producer being releasably connected to the inside of the carrier and communicating with atmosphere via at least one steam channel in said carrier, an electrical connection cavity being at ;;east partly defined by the carrier and a cover being releasably connected to the carrier so as to cover the steam producer and said cavity, wherein a handle is releasably connected to the cover and contains a water tank, there being a wall dividing said tank into a storage chamberand an overflow chamber and a piston pump adapted to supply said steam producer with water, said pump being disposed in the water tank and communicating with said overflow chamber by a pump intake tube passingthrough the dividing wall.

2. A brush as claimed in claim 1, wherein said electrical connection cavity is closed by a lid and said cover is releasablyconnectedtothecarrierbya push-in hinge so as to cover both the steam producer and the lid of said cavity.

3. Abrushasclaimed in claim 1 or2,whereinsaid dividing wall includes a vent and an overflow channel connects the storage and overflow chambers.

4. A brush as claimed in claim 1,2 or3,wherein pump actuating meansandtanksecuring means are articulated on the handle so as to be pivotable about a spindle counterto the force of a spring and the pump actuating means are operatively connected to the pump piston via a linkage.

5. A brush as claimed in claim 4, wherein the axis of the linkage extends substantially at right angles to the axis of the pump cylinder.

6. A brush as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the handle and carrier define a cable channel.

7. A brush as claimed in claim 6, wherein a cable protector is fixed in the channel.

8. A brush as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein a protective cap with a hanging device and a protective rubber sleeve for a cable is fixed to the free end ofthe handle.

9. A brush as claimed in any preceding claim, wherein the handle and the outerwall of the water tank form a unit.

1 0.An electrical hand-held steam brush substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawing.