Steam appliance with pump
View Patent ↗A steam appliance having a water pump controlled by an actuator or motion switch response to movement of the appliance is provided. In one embodiment, a micro-switch is turned ON and OFF by movement of a micro-switch actuator in operative engagement with the towel frame at the base if the appliance. In another embodiment, the actuator is operatively connected to a mechanical pump to activate the pump. The motor switch or actuator will be displaced whenever the unit is moved by a user, thus causing the pump to pump water to the boiler. Steam is then fed to a steam pad that may have a replaceable fabric pad fit snugly on the frame to distribute clean steam to a surface to be steamed.
1. A steam appliance, comprising:
a housing having a steam outlet opening and an actuator opening;
a water reservoir in the housing having a water inlet and water outlet;
a pump connected to the outlet of the water reservoir and to a water inlet of a steam generator;
a steam frame connected to the outlet of the steam generator;
an actuator for actuating the pump to pump water to the steam generator in response to movement of the appliance, the actuator extending from the steam frame into the housing, whereby the actuator is displaced when the appliance is moved;
the movement of the actuator activates the pump to pump water to the steam generator.
2. The steam appliance of claim 1 further comprising:
an electrical pump to pump water from the reservoir to the steam generator; and
at least one pump micro-switch connected to the electric pump and operatively connected to the portion of the actuator that extends into the housing.
3. The steam appliance of claim 1 wherein the pump actuator extending in the housing forms a part of the steam frame and has a post portion operatively connectable to the at least one micro-switch.
4. The steam appliance of claim 3 , including three micro-switches to activate the pump wherein movement of the post portion of the actuator in response to either a forward movement, a downward pressure or a backward movement of the appliance.
5. The steam appliance of claim 3 , wherein the pump actuator is biased away from the at least one micro-switch.
6. The steam appliance of claim 1 , wherein the steam appliance is a hand-held steam brush including a user handle.
7. The steam appliance of claim 6 , wherein the handle includes a trigger to close the at least one micro-switch to activate the pump.
8. The steam appliance of claim 1 , further including a fabric steam pad for distributing steam.
9. The steam appliance of claim 1 , wherein the actuator contacts the frame and is displaced in response to movement of the frame relevant to the housing.
10. The steam appliance of claim 9 , with the actuator opening in the housing and the actuator has a first end contacting the frame and an elongated post extending into the housing with the first end biased away from the housing; and
the steam frame connected to the housing at at least a first region and contacting the contact surface of the actuator at a second region; and
wherein movement of the appliance displaces the second region of the steam frame towards the housing to move the pump actuator and pump water to the steam generator.
11. The steam appliance of claim 10 , including an electric pump and a micro-switch connected thereto, and wherein the actuator contacts the micro-switch when the appliance is moved.
12. The steam appliance of claim 1 , including:
the steam frame for distributing steam generated mounted to the bottom of the housing by two frame supports and having a portion of at least one support extending into the housing; and
at least one of the frame supports being a pump actuator with a post that activates the pump when the appliance is moved and the actuator is displaced towards the housing.
13. The steam appliance of claim 12 , wherein the frame is biased away from the housing.
14. The steam appliance of claim 13 , further including an electric pump and at least one micro-switch operatively connected to the pump and displacement of the handle lever displaces the actuator to contact the micro-switch to activate the pump.
15. The steam appliance of claim 13 , wherein the pump is a mechanical pump and the post of the frame support is operatively connected to the pump and displacement of the steam frame displaces the post to operate the pump.
16. The steam appliance of claim 6 , wherein the handle includes a handle lever portion pivotally connected to the housing and contacting the pump actuator so that any movement of the handle lever towards the housing displaces the actuator to activate the pump.
17. The steam appliance of claim 16 , wherein the pump is a mechanical pump activated by movement of the actuator.
18. The steam appliance of claim 16 , further including an electric pump and at least one micro-switch operatively connected to the pump and displacement of the handle lever displaces the actuator to contact the micro-switch to activate the pump.