Device and method for generating steam

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10228126-B2
Application number	US-201615507865-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 20, 2016
Priority date	Aug 4, 2015
Publication date	Mar 12, 2019
Grant date	Mar 12, 2019

Abstract

The invention relates to a device for generating steam. The device comprises a water outlet arrangement having an open end to spray water onto a water receiving arrangement. The water receiving arrangement comprises an interior surface defining a chamber in which the open end is arranged so that water sprayed from the open end is sprayed onto the interior surface. The device further comprises a heating element for heating the interior surface up to a temperature for generating steam from water sprayed on the interior surface. The interior surface is formed by two separate cavities, the open end comprising a spray nozzle received within each cavity so that each spray nozzle sprays water onto a region of the interior surface, each region being defined by the cavity in which a respective spray nozzle is received. This allows the water sprayed by the water outlet arrangement be more uniformly spread on the interior surface, leading to more effective heating and more steam may be generated per unit time.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A device for generating steam, said device comprising:
a water outlet arrangement comprising:
an open end comprising:
a first spray nozzle and a second spray nozzle;

a water receiving arrangement surrounding the open end, the water receiving arrangement comprising:
an interior surface defining a chamber comprising:
two separate cavities, wherein the open end is configured to:
spray, intermittently water from the first spray nozzle and the second spray nozzle onto the interior surface in a corresponding one of the two separate cavities, wherein the interior surface is heated when water is not sprayed and cooled when water is sprayed; and

a heating element configured to:
heat the interior surface of each of the two separate cavities up to a temperature sufficient to generate steam from said water sprayed onto the interior surface.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the interior surface of a corresponding one of the first cavity and the second cavity is curved.

3. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the interior surface of a corresponding one of the first cavity and the second cavity is concave.

4. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the the first cavity and the second cavity are arranged symetrically along a symetrical axis (L 1 ).

5. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a channel fluidly communicating with the chamber, the channel extending through the water receiving arrangement to an outer surface of the water receiving arrangement.

6. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a receptacle for collecting scale fallen from the interior surface of a corresponding one of the first cavity and the second cavity.

7. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the water receiving arrangement comprises:
a cast material providing thermal contact between the heating element and the interior surface.

8. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising a pump configured to:
pump water to the water outlet arrangement.

9. The device according to claim 8 , further comprising:
a trigger mechanism configured to:
control the pump to pump water to the water outlet arrangement when the trigger mechanism is activated by an user.

10. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a water tank fluidly communicating with the water outlet arrangement, the water tank being configured to:
store water sprayed by the water outlet arrangement.

11. A method of generating steam in a device for generating steam, the method comprising:
controlling a spraying of water through an open end of a water outlet arrangement onto an interior surface of a water receiving arrangement surrounding the open end, the interior surface defining a chamber comprising two cavities,
heating the interior surface by a heating element up to a temperature for generating steam from the water sprayed onto the interior surface, wherein the open end comprising a spray nozzle received within each cavity, and
spraying intermittently onto the interior surface so that the interior surface is alternately heated and cooled.

12. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the step of:
holding the device in a substantially vertical manner so that scale formed on the interior surface falls off the interior surface into a receptacle positioned below.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Wadhwa Sahil
• Jiang Yong
• Bruggink Wilhelmus Hendrikus Maria
• Lee Chen-Shiang

Classifications

• F22B27/16 Primary

  involving spray nozzles for sprinkling or injecting water particles on to or into hot heat-exchange elements, e.g. into tubes {(F22B1/287 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• F22B1/282

  with water or steam circulating in tubes or ducts · CPC title

• F22B1/287 Primary

  with water in sprays or in films · CPC title

• F22B1/288

  Instantaneous electrical steam generators built-up from heat-exchange elements arranged within a confined chamber having heat-retaining walls · CPC title