Electrically heated facial sauna appliance

DETAILED DESCRIPTION This invention provides a portable, hand-held, leakproof, electric steam generating apparatus which in its preferred embodiment is a facial sauna.
The apparatus comprises a generally circular housing with a lower portion having a larger circumference than the upper portion which generally acts as a steam outlet nozzle.
The lower housing has in its base a water fill tube leading to a water tank inside the base.
The base of the water tank seals the lower portion of the lower housing from the water or other aqueous fluid in the water tank.
There are interior baffle portions in the lower housing which define the lower portion of the water tank.
A heater having a heating element is in the sealed off portion of the lower housing and has a heat transfer surface in the water tank to generate steam.
The upper housing which is sealed to the lower housing by a lap seam has air inlet means with means to control the volume of air, e.
g.
a circumferential row of air inlets between the top of the upper housing and the lap seam with a rotatable ring having holes around the upper outer housing over the circumferential row of air inlets.
The ring is rotated to control the air flow volume.
The housing contains walls defining an upper portion of the water tank connected to the lower portion of the water tank by passageways in a common baffle.
The upper water tank inner baffle defines a steam exit pathway from the portion of the water tank where the steam is generated.
The upper water tank also acts as a water trap when the apparatus is overturned.
The steam exit pathway connects said steam generating area to a steam-air mixing chamber in a portion of the upper housing where the air enters from, e.
g.
the circumferential row of air inlets and preferably a second annular air inlet.
A fan and a motor are attached to a motor housing defined by walls in the center top portion of the upper housing, with the fan in the steam-air mixing chamber.
The steam mixed with air by the fan exits through an annular steam outlet around the motor housing