Electrical water heating appliances

Abstract

An electrical water heating appliance includes pump means connected to a water heating means via a water flow path. One or more flow-regulating valve means are arranged in the flow path to regulate the flow of water to the heating means so as to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate. The flow-regulating valve means may include a pressure-compensating valve means arranged to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate regardless of the water pressure. A suitable pressure-compensating valve means may include an elastic diaphragm arranged to regulate the flow by distorting in response to the pressure of water entering the valve means. The water heating means may be a water boiler for steam generation.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electrical water heating appliance comprising pump means connected to a water heating means via a water flow path, and further comprising valve means arranged in the flow path to regulate the flow of water to the heating means so as to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate. 
     
     
         2 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the valve means comprises a flow throttling arrangement. 
     
     
         3 . (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein the valve means comprises an elastic diaphragm arranged to regulate the flow by distorting in response to the pressure of water entering the valve means. 
     
     
         5 - 6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the elastic diaphragm is arranged to regulate the flow in a pressure-compensating manner. 
     
     
         8 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the pressure-compensating valve means provides a substantially uniform flow rate for pressures in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 bar or 1.0 to 2.0 bar. 
     
     
         9 . (canceled) 
     
     
         10 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the valve means has an adjustable flow rate. 
     
     
         11 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the valve means comprises first and second flow regulating valve means arranged in parallel with a user-operated flow switch arranged in series with one of the first and second flow regulating valve means. 
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a water filter means provided upstream of the pump means. 
     
     
         15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . An electrical water heating appliance comprising pump means connected to a water heating means via a water flow path, and further comprising pressure-compensating valve means arranged in the flow path to regulate the flow of water to the heating means so as to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate regardless of the water pressure. 
     
     
         17 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the pressure-compensating valve means comprises an elastic diaphragm arranged to regulate the flow by distorting in response to the pressure of water entering the valve means. 
     
     
         18 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein the elastic diaphragm constrains water that enters the valve means to pass through at least one flow control channel before reaching an outlet. 
     
     
         19 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein the diaphragm and flow control channel are configured so that the resistance to flow increases substantially proportional to the inlet water pressure. 
     
     
         20 - 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the pressure-compensating valve means provides a substantially uniform flow rate for pressures in the range of 1.0 to 3.0 bar or 1.0 to 2.0 bar. 
     
     
         23 . (canceled) 
     
     
         24 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the valve means has an adjustable flow rate. 
     
     
         25 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein the valve means comprises first and second flow regulating valve means arranged in parallel with a user-operated flow switch arranged in series with one of the first and second flow regulating valve means. 
     
     
         26 - 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . The electrical water heating appliance as claimed in  claim 16 , further comprising a water filter means provided upstream of the pump means. 
     
     
         29 . (canceled) 
     
     
         30 . A domestic steam generating appliance comprising a water reservoir, a water boiler arranged to heat water and generate steam in use, and pump means connected to the water reservoir to supply water to the boiler via a water flow path, and further comprising a pressure-compensating valve means arranged in the flow path to regulate the flow of water so as to achieve a substantially uniform flow rate of water to the boiler. 
     
     
         31 . The domestic steam generating appliance as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the water flow path includes an on/off valve for controlling the entry of water into the water boiler and an accumulator for storing water. 
     
     
         32 . The domestic steam generating appliance as claimed in  claim 30 , further comprising a water filter means provided upstream of the pump means. 
     
     
         33 . The domestic steam generating appliance as claimed in  claim 30 , wherein the appliance is cordless and comprises a mobile hand-held appliance part and a power base part.