Steam generator and clothes care apparatus having the same

Abstract

A clothes care apparatus includes a main body including a care room accommodating clothes and a steam generator configured to generate steam to be supplied to the care room. The steam generator includes a case having a first side surface and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface with respect to a center line. A first housing is coupled to the case between the first side surface and the center line, and a second housing is coupled to the case between the second side surface and the center line. A first electrode is supported by the first housing, and a second electrode is supported by the second housing and separated from the first electrode.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A clothes care apparatus comprising:
 a main body including a care room configured to accommodate clothes; and   a steam generator configured to generate steam to be supplied to the care room, and including a case and first and second water level sensors configured to sense a water level of the steam generator, the first water level sensor comprising:
 a first housing coupled to the case; and 
 a first electrode coupled to the first housing; and 
   the second water level sensor comprising:
 a second housing coupled to the case and spaced apart from the first housing; and 
 a second electrode supported by the second housing so as to be separated from the first electrode. 
   
     
     
         2 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first electrode and the second electrode do not included a coating so as to inhibit inaccurate detection due to scale. 
     
     
         3 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the first electrode is a low water level electrode configured to sense a low water level inside the case, and   the second electrode is a high water level electrode configured to sense a high water level inside the case, and having a length shorter than a length of the low water level electrode.   
     
     
         4 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 3 , further comprising a common electrode coupled to the first housing. 
     
     
         5 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the second housing and the first housing are arranged symmetrically on opposite sides of a reference line dividing the case. 
     
     
         6 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a first air cap coupled to the first housing and accommodating a portion of the first electrode; and   a second air cap coupled to the second housing and accommodating a portion of the second electrode.   
     
     
         7 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the case comprises a plurality of partition walls adjacent to the first air cap and the second air cap, respectively, and extending upward from a bottom of the case. 
     
     
         8 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first air cap is configured to form an air pocket in a space in the first air cap in which the portion of the first electrode is accommodated and the second air cap is configured to form an air pocket in a space in the second air cap in which the portion of the second electrode is accommodated, to inhibit water from entering the spaces in the first and second air caps. 
     
     
         9 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising a plurality of sealing members positioned between the first housing and the first air cap and between the second housing and the second air cap, respectively, to form the air pockets. 
     
     
         10 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the first air cap comprises:
 a first flange having a shape corresponding to a lower surface of the first housing; and   a plurality of partition walls extending toward a bottom of the case from the first flange and configured to form an air pocket.   
     
     
         11 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the second air cap comprises:
 a second flange having a shape corresponding to a lower surface of the second housing; and   a plurality of partition walls extending toward a bottom of the case from the second flange and configured to form an air pocket.   
     
     
         12 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein a length of the first electrode extending beyond the first air cap is longer than 3 mm and shorter than 15 mm. 
     
     
         13 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein
 the case comprises a first side surface, and a second side surface opposite to the first side surface with respect to a center line of the case,   the first housing is coupled to the case between the first side surface and the center line, and   the second housing is coupled to the case between the second side surface and the center line.   
     
     
         14 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the case further comprises:
 a third side surface connected to the first side surface and the second side surface; and   a fourth side surface opposite to the third side surface with respect to a reference line perpendicular to the center line, and wherein   the first housing is coupled to the case between the first side surface, the third side surface, the center line, and the reference line, and   the second housing is coupled to the case between the second side surface and the center line, such that the second housing is on the reference line and diagonal to the first housing.   
     
     
         15 . The clothes care apparatus of  claim 13 , further comprising a third housing coupled to a third electrode and coupled to the case in alignment with the first housing between the first side surface and the center line, wherein
 the first electrode is a low water level electrode configured to sense a low water level inside the case,   the second electrode is a high water level electrode configured to sense a high water level inside the case, and   the third electrode is a common electrode.   
     
     
         16 . A steam generator comprising:
 a case having a center line; and   first and second water level sensors configured to sense a water level inside the case, the first water level sensor comprising:
 a first housing coupled to one side of the case; and 
 a first electrode coupled to the first housing, 
 a first air cap coupled to the first housing and accommodating a portion of the first electrode; 
   the second water level sensor comprising;
 a second housing coupled to an other side of the case, which is opposite the one side of the case with respect to the center line 
 a second electrode coupled to the second housing; and 
 a second air cap coupled to the second housing and accommodating a portion of the second electrode. 
   
     
     
         17 . The steam generator of  claim 16 , wherein
 the first air cap is configured to form a first air pocket which is configured to inhibit water from entering a space in which the portion of the first electrode is accommodated, and   the second air cap is configured to form a second air pocket which is configured to inhibit water from entering a space in which the portion of the second electrode is accommodated.   
     
     
         18 . The steam generator of  claim 16 , wherein the case comprises a plurality of partition walls extending upward from a bottom of the case between the first air cap and the second air cap. 
     
     
         19 . The steam generator of  claim 16 , wherein
 the first electrode is a low water level electrode configured to sense a low water level inside the case, and   the second electrode is a high water level electrode configured to sense a high water level inside the case and having a length shorter than a length of the low water level electrode, and   the steam generator further comprises a common electrode coupled to the first housing together with the low water level electrode.   
     
     
         20 . The steam generator of  claim 16 , wherein the first housing and the second housing are coupled to the case at a same height with respect to the case.