A steam generator including a heating chamber for heating water to generate steam, with a sidewall of the heating chamber being a heating element. The steam generator may be installed in an appliance, and may be removably installed in the appliance.

A steam treatment appliance includes a steam treatment space, a fixed water connection, and a receiving container fillable with fresh water via the fixed water connection and having a discharge opening. Arranged outside the steam treatment space is a steam generator having a water inlet for fluidic connection to the discharge opening of the receiving container and a water outlet for fluidic connection to the receiving container. A cleaning product inlet is fluidically connected to the receiving container. A valve system is switchable between a first switch position in which a closed liquid circuit is formed with at least the receiving container, the steam generator, and a pump while bypassing the steam treatment space, and a second switch position in which the liquid circuit is opened to connect the water outlet of the steam generator to a temporary waste water connection.

The temperature of a vaporizing device, e.g., the temperature of a heating element of the vaporizing device, may be controlled according to various aspects of the present disclosure. The vaporizing device may comprise a heating element, a power source, at least one sensor in electronic communication with the heating element and the power source, and a processor configured to control the temperature of the heating element. The method of controlling the temperature may comprise receiving a resistance measurement of the heating element from the at least one sensor, determining the temperature of the heating element based on the resistance measurement, and adjusting the amount of power supplied to the heating element based on the determined temperature of the heating element.

An aerosol-generating system is provided, including: a liquid storage portion including a container to hold a liquid aerosol-forming substrate and defining an opening at an end thereof; a heater assembly extending across the opening along a plane transverse to a longitudinal axis of the storage portion and including electrically conductive filaments having a substantially flat orientation; a capillary material between the storage portion and the assembly; and conductive contacts in electrical contact with contacts of the assembly, the storage portion being at a first side of the assembly, and first and second portions of a first airflow channel at a second side of the assembly, the first portion to direct air from outside the system in a direction towards a surface of the capillary material, and the second portion to direct air from the outside in a direction away from the surface before such air enters the first portion.

An aerosol-generating article may comprise a liquid storage portion containing a liquid aerosol-forming substrate, and a hydrochromic material provided on the liquid storage portion. The hydrochromic material has a first colour when in the presence of or when in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate and a second colour when in the absence of or when not in contact with the liquid aerosol-forming substrate. An aerosol-generating system may comprise the aerosol-generating article, an aerosol-generating element, and an aerosol-generating device. An aerosol-generating device may comprise an electrical power supply, an electronic photosensor, and a controller configured to control a supply of electrical power from the electrical power supply based on a value of an optical property sensed with the electronic photosensor.

A heating element includes a body, a heating wire, and two pins. The body is a concave member including a through hole. The two pins are disposed on two ends of the heating wire, respectively.

In a method for operating a household steam treatment appliance which includes an evaporator with a heatable water holding chamber and a fill level sensor with at least two measurement electrodes, which are disposed over one another at a distance from each other in the heatable water holding chamber, a water detection measured value provided for indicating wetting of the at least two measurement electrodes with water introduced into the water holding chamber is adapted in an adaptation process to an electrical conductivity of the water in the water holding chamber.

A steam generator is provided. The steam generator may include a steam chamber, a steam heater to supply heat into the steam chamber, a water supply, through which water to generate steam may be supplied into the steam chamber, one or more interference members disposed in the steam chamber to interfere with a flow of the water introduced through the water supply, and at least one discharge to discharge the steam generated in the steam chamber. The one or more interference members may be disposed under the at least one discharge and above the water supply.

A device with a steam generation function comprises a water storage cavity, a heating cavity with a steam outlet, a guide channel for communicating the water storage cavity with the heating cavity, and a heating element configured in the heating cavity, wherein the heating cavity has a first chamber and a second chamber communicated with the first chamber, and the first chamber is located on one side of the second chamber; and the heating element is configured in the first chamber, and the steam outlet is formed in the second chamber and is spaced from the first chamber in the horizontal direction by a preset first distance to prevent boiling water in the first chamber from being ejected via the steam outlet. The device provided by the present invention is safe in use.

In one aspect, apparatus is provided for generating an inhalable medium. The apparatus has a container for holding a liquid and a heater for volatilizing liquid held in the container. The apparatus further has a chamber for receiving a material. The apparatus has an outlet. In use liquid volatilized by the heater passes, in the form of at least one of a vapor and an aerosol, through material received in the chamber to thereby entrain one or more constituents from the material to produce the inhalable medium which passes out of the outlet.