# US 9,516,986 B1 · Flash steam generator

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- Number: US 9,516,986 B1
- Document ID: US9516986B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 14/577,215
- Filed: 2014-12-19
- Granted: 2016-12-13
- Earliest claimed: 2013-03-18
- Applicants: Jennifer Beth Williams; Craig Raynold Duda
- Inventors: Jennifer Beth Williams; Craig Raynold Duda
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9516986B1

## CPC

- A47L 11/4086: {Arrangements for steam generation}
- A47L 7/0004: {Suction cleaners adapted to take up liquids, e.g. wet or dry vacuum cleaners (floor-scrubbing machines taking-up dirty liquid by suction A47L11/30)}
- A47L 11/4016: {specially adapted for collecting fluids}
- A47L 11/4088: {Supply pumps; Spraying devices; Supply conduits}
- B05B 14/10: the excess material being particulate (for spray booths B05B14/48)
- B08B 3/00: Cleaning by methods involving the use or presence of liquid or steam (B08B9/00 takes precedence)
- B08B 3/02: Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
- B08B 5/04: Cleaning by suction, with or without auxiliary action
- F22B 1/28: in boilers heated electrically
- B08B 2230/01: Cleaning with steam
- A47L: DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING (brushes A46B; cleaning quantities of bottles or of other hollow articles of one kind B08B9/00; laundry D06F); SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL (cleaning in general B08)
- B05B: SPRAYING APPARATUS; ATOMISING APPARATUS; NOZZLES (spray-mixers with nozzles B01F25/72; processes for applying liquids or other fluent materials to surfaces by spraying B05D)
- B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL
- F22B: METHODS OF STEAM GENERATION; STEAM BOILERS

## Abstract

A steam generator for use within a portable steam generating system. The steam generator is composed of a heater coil looped around an inner casing in a helical pattern with a continuous gap left between successive loops. An outer casing encloses the inner casing and heater coil, creating a channel for fluid flow in the gap between successive loops of the heater coil and the inner and outer casings. An opening allows fluid to be pumped in one end of the channel and heated as it travels along the channel. The fluid is superheated by the heater coil loops and is converted into steam and expands upon depressurization after exiting the steam nozzle. This steam generator can be disposed within a handheld housing within a steam generating system.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A steam generator for generating steam from a fluid, comprising
an inner casing with a corresponding length;
an outer casing, the outer casing being coaxially disposed about the inner casing and defining a closed space therebetween; and
a heater coil which is a generator of heat disposed in the space between the inner and outer casings,
wherein the heater coil is wound around the length of the inner casing in successive loops defining a gap between each successive loop of the heater coil, the space between the inner and outer casings being sized to sandwich the heater coil between the inner and outer casings to provide a closed flow path for the fluid in the gap defined by adjacent successive loops of the heater coil in direct contact with the fluid and adjacent portions of the inner and outer casings; and
openings defined through the outer casing communicating with the defined flow path to allow inflow of the fluid and the outflow of the steam, through selected ones of the openings; and
a hand-held housing, wherein the inner and outer casings and the heater coil are disposed within the housing.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The steam generator of claim 1, wherein the inner casing has a hollow interior for vacuum intake.