Tabletop steam sterilizer

Abstract

Abstract A tabletop steam sterilizer having an automatic refill means for introducing a measured amount of water into the sterilizer at the start of each sterilizing cycle. The refill means include a water container having a known volume, and the container is completely emptied into the sterilizer at the start of each cycle and refilled at the end of the cycle partly with condensed steam and partly with water from a separate reservoir. In one embodiment, the container is a plunger chamber wherein a solenoid operated plunger is used to inject water into the sterilizing chamber. AT the end of the sterilizing cycle, steam exhausts through the plunger chamber into a water reservoir. The pressure of steam in the plunger chamber forces the plunger back in a return stroke and heats the chamber. Subsequent cooling of the plunger chamber creates a partial vacuum which draws water back into the plunger chamber from the reservoir to fill the chamber for the next cycle of operation. In another embodiment, the container gravity feeds into the sterilizing chamber. At the end of the sterilizing cycle, steam is exhausted through an ejector having its outlet in the container and its suction let in a water reservoir, so that water is pulled from the reservoir to condense the steam. This fills the container to overflowing so that the container is filled for the next cycle, the overflow being directed to the reservoir.

Inventors

• 👤 L Joslyn

Bibliographic Details