DE20013529U1 - Steam ironing system with a stationary steam generator - Google Patents

Description

GROSSE ESCHENHEIMER STRASSE 39
D-60313 FRANKFURT

GERDA DANNENBERG

PA. EP, Dipl.-Ing.

SIEGMAR SCHUBERT

PA. ER ET. Dipl.-Ing.

DR. DIETHER GUDELf

PA. EP, Dr. phil.

Telephone: 069-2872 74 Telephone: 069-287464 Fax: 069-2872 42

FRANKFURT

2 August 2000
SS/Gi

Eugster/Frismag AG Im Hof 20

CH-8590 Romanshorn

DR. PETER WEINHOLD

P.A. E.P. ET, Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Chem.

DR. PETER FUERNISS

P.A. EP, ET, Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Chem.

FERDINAND A. BRANDL PA, EP. ET. Dipl.-Phys.

HELMUT C. HÜBNER PA, EP. ET. Dipl.-Ing.

KONRAD T.WINTER PA, ER ET. Dipl.-Ing.

DR. WALTER ROSS PA. HE ET. Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Ing.

DR. JÜRGEN KAISER PA. ET, Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Chem.

DR. WILLI POLTE PA. EP, ET, Dr.-Ing. Dipl.-Ing.

PETER KINDERMANN PA, EP, ET, Dipl.-Ing.

BERND HENNINGER PA. ET, Dipl.-Ing.

DR. DYDRA DONATH PA. Dr. jur.

DR. WOLFGANG RITTHALER PA. EP. ET, Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Chem.

DR. MICHAEL WITZ PA. ET. Dr. rer. nat. Dipl.-Chem.

DR. CORNELIA STOPPKOTTE PA. EP. ET. Dr. phil. Dipl.-Chem.

FREISING

Steam ironing system with a stationary steam generator

Bank details:

Dresdner Bank Frankfurt 04 704150 00 (bank code 50080000)

Postbank Frankfurt 112951-601 (BLZ 50010060) VAT no.: DE S12127333

Steam ironing system with a stationary steam generator

The invention relates to a steam ironing system with a stationary steam generator according to the preamble of claim 1.

In such known steam ironing systems, which are also known as steam ironing stations, the steam used for ironing is generated outside the iron in a separate stationary steam generator. From there, the steam is fed into the iron via a flexible, steam-conducting hose, from whose soleplate it exits via steam outlets to moisten the ironed item. The steam not only moistens the item being ironed, which is necessary for certain types of fabric to influence the shape of the fibers, which is the aim of the actual ironing, but also ensures intensive heating of the item being ironed by releasing heat during condensation, which is due to a far better heat transfer and heat distribution than would be possible through heat-conducting contact with the hot soleplate of the iron without the influence of steam. The aim of the known ironing stations is to achieve as uniform a steam distribution as possible over the entire soleplate surface by means of a large number of steam outlet holes distributed almost evenly over the soleplate surface of the associated iron, in order to apply steam evenly to the ironed item and to avoid partial burns or so-called bare ironing of the ironed item. - Although the iron is equipped with an additional electric heater to heat the soleplate of the iron and to avoid steam condensation in the iron, which is connected to the separate steam generator in a steam-conducting manner, there is a desire for a greater supply of moisture and/or heat, at least when ironing certain textiles, in order to achieve a high quality of ironing result.

For this purpose, the state of the art uses pumps, for example, which are intended to supply increased moisture and/or heat to the items being ironed by briefly increasing the amount of steam. The disadvantage of this solution or other systems in which increased amounts of steam are delivered to the items being ironed for a short time is the system-related shortness of steam generation if the system or ironing station is not designed to continuously deliver larger amounts of steam, which would also increase the manufacturing and energy costs.

The object of the invention is to create a steam ironing system of the type mentioned at the outset, while avoiding these disadvantages, which allows an alternatively increased steam exposure of the critical ironing material for improved ironing results even over a longer period of time, without the need for more powerful, more complex steam generators.

This object is achieved by the steam ironing system having the features specified in claim 1.

The solution is based on the principle that for ironing certain items, steam is not released over practically the entire soleplate surface of the iron,

but only over a section of the total surface of the sole, 25

in which certain steam outlet holes are grouped. The increased amount of steam can also be released from these preferred steam outlet holes in the long term by blocking or at least greatly reducing the steam supply to the subset of steam outlet holes that do not belong to the preferred group.

Preferably, according to claim 7, the subset of steam passage openings which is in at most reduced steam-conducting connection with the steam generator is arranged essentially in the middle and rear section of the sole, while the remaining, namely preferred steam passage openings are arranged in a

front section of the soleplate. This takes into account the fact that the tip of the soleplate is used most frequently when ironing problematic areas of the fabric, such as shirt collars, piping, cuffs, button strips.
5

The increased steam release from the preferred group of steam outlet holes is particularly effective in the section of the sole in which these steam outlet holes are arranged if the steam outlet holes belonging to the other subset are completely blocked off from steam supply.

However, it may be advisable to supply the latter subset of steam outlet holes with at least a reduced amount of steam in order to avoid the otherwise possible burning or shine of the ironed item through the non-preferred area of the soleplate of the iron. For this purpose, the switchable steam reduction/blocking device, which is used for the optional steam distribution in the section of the preferred group of steam outlet holes and the other subset of steam outlet holes, is

holes, formed according to claim 2.

Preferably, the switchable steam reduction/blocking device according to claim 3 is arranged in the iron and has a switch that can be operated from the outside, i.e. from the outside of the iron.

The steam reduction/blocking device further has a steam inlet nozzle connected to the steam-conducting hose and at least one first steam outlet nozzle which is connected to the partial quantity of steam outlet holes to be blocked. This switchable steam reduction/blocking device

The device can be made compact so that it takes up little space in the iron and can be conveniently operated directly on the outside of the iron.

According to claim 4, this construction of the steam reduction 35

The locking device can be completed by having a second steam outlet nozzle which is connected to the other nozzles, i.e.

preferred steam outlet holes, and that the steam inlet nozzle leads into a chamber of the steam reduction/blocking device which, in the first switch position, is open to the first steam outlet nozzle and the second steam outlet nozzle, whereby a substantially uniform steam distribution over the sole surface can be achieved, and which, in the second switch position, is only open to the first steam outlet nozzle, whereby the steam flowing into the chamber can flow exclusively to the preferred steam outlet holes through the second steam outlet nozzle.

The switching element contained in the steam reduction/blocking device can be a rotary valve, which is rotatably mounted in a rotary valve housing. The rotary valve can be easily operated by turning a rotary valve knob, for example on the top of the iron, whereby the rotary valve knob can be designed to lock into certain rotational positions. However, a locking device is not absolutely necessary, so that

In some cases, intermediate positions can be deliberately set.
20

In an alternative according to claim 6, the switching element in the steam reduction/blocking device is a valve piston which is displaceable in a valve cylinder housing. The valve piston delimits a chamber in the valve cylinder housing 25

and in particular closes a steam outlet port for the subset of the steam outlet holes to be blocked in a specific piston position.

It should be noted at this point that in the case where the steam reduction/blocking device is arranged in the iron, the ironing station can otherwise be of conventional design.

The iron used according to the invention can advantageously have the further feature according to claim 8 that the partial set of steam outlet openings through which the steam exits in

· · ■

·

·

a switchover position should only be reduced or should be blocked completely, and the group of the other, preferred steam outlet openings each open into a first steam chamber or a second steam chamber. At least the first steam chamber is connected to the steam reducing/blocking device in a steam-conducting manner, and the second steam chamber is constantly connected to the steam generator. The latter connection can also be made via the steam reducing/blocking device if it is designed according to claim 4. The steam chamber ensures that steam is evenly released over the entire soleplate surface of the iron or the section of the soleplate that is subjected to increased steam in the second switchover position of the steam reducing/blocking device.

According to claim 9, the two steam outlet openings of the steam reduction locking device can be compactly attached directly to the two steam chambers.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to a drawing with 5 figures, from which further features and

Advantages of the invention can result. It shows:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section through an iron belonging to the steam ironing system with a switchable steam

reducing/locking device in a first embodiment

form of the switching element, namely a rotary valve,

Fig. 2 is a view of the soleplate of the iron according to claim 1 from the inside, wherein the soleplate is in a different

Scale is shown,
30

Fig. 3 in disassembled view schematically

a plan view of the rotary valve and the bottom of the rotary valve housing in which the rotary valve is mounted, in a first switching position,

Fig. 3a the rotary valve and the bottom of the rotary valve housing-35

housing in a second switch position,

Fig. 4 also shows a disassembled plan view of a variant of the rotary valve with the associated bottom of the rotary valve housing in a first switching position,

Fig. 4a a variant of the rotary valve according to Fig. 4 in a second switching position and

Fig. 5 is a section through a second embodiment of the steam reduction locking device with a valve piston as a switching element in a first switching position.

In Fig. 1, an iron comprises a steam soleplate 1 with an electric heating element 2 arranged therein, which is connected to an electric supply line 3. A front steam chamber 4 and a rear steam chamber 5 are formed in the soleplate 1, which are separated from each other by a partition wall 6, see also Fig. 2. The rear steam chamber 5 is also referred to as the first steam chamber and the front steam chamber 4 as the second steam chamber. The two steam chambers 4, 5 are covered by a steam chamber cover 7 in the iron. The two steam chambers are above non-

designated projections in the steam chamber lid are connected to a steam reducing/blocking device, which is generally designated 8. A flexible, steam-conducting hose 9 opens into this, which leads to a separate steam generator (not shown). The interior of the iron is protected by a

Iron housing 10 completed.

As can be seen from Fig. 1 and 2, steam outlet openings are arranged in the soleplate 1 of the iron, which lead into the steam chambers 4, 5. The partition wall 6 separates a group of steam outlet holes 11, which lead into the front steam chamber 4, from a subset of steam outlet holes 12, which lead into the rear steam chamber 5.

The steam reducing/blocking device 8 consists of a basic

version according to Fig. 1,3,3a essentially consists of a rotary valve housing 13 and a rotary valve rotatably mounted therein.

• ft · · · · ft · '· ft · · · ·■

ft ft ft ft · · · · ft ft

· ft·· ft« «·· ·· ft

slide 14, which can be operated via a rotary slide rod 15 with a rotary slide button 16 above the iron housing 10. A steam inlet nozzle 17 connected to the steam-conducting hose 9 opens into the side of the rotary slide housing 13. An undesignated base of the rotary slide housing 13 has a first steam outlet nozzle 18 and a second steam outlet nozzle 19 diametrically opposite one another, which are connected to the rear steam chamber 5 and the front steam chamber 4 in a steam-conducting manner. The steam inlet nozzle 17 and the steam outlet nozzles 18,19 open into a chamber 20 in the steam reduction locking device 18. The rotary slide valve 14 has steam channels 21,22 arranged corresponding to the two steam outlet nozzles 18,19 and a further steam channel 23 in between at the same circumferential distance to the two steam channels 21,22.

During normal ironing operation, the rotary valve 14 is set according to Fig. 3 so that the chamber 20 in the rotary valve housing 13 is connected via the steam channel 21 in the rotary valve 14 to the steam outlet nozzle 19 for the front steam chamber 4.

connection and via the steam channel 22 and the steam outlet nozzle 18 with the rear steam chamber 5. This allows steam to emerge practically evenly over the entire surface of the soleplate 1 from the steam outlet holes 11,12. For increased steam release in the area of the front steam outlet holes 11,

the rotary valve is rotated by means of the rotary valve knob 16 and the rotary valve spindle 15 into the position shown in Fig. 3a, in which it can, if necessary, lock into place, but does not have to. In the so-called second switchover position, only the steam outlet nozzle 19, which leads to the front steam chamber 4, is connected to the chamber 20 via the steam channel 23, while the chamber 20 is closed off from the steam outlet nozzle for the rear steam chamber 5 by the rotary valve 14. Thus, the steam from the steam chamber 20 can only flow into the front steam chamber 4, from which it is released in a more concentrated manner via

the steam outlet holes 11 into the item being ironed.

A variant of the rotary valve is designated 24 in Fig. 4. The rotary valve 24 belongs to a steam reduction locking device, which is otherwise constructed in accordance with the steam reduction locking device 8 discussed above, with identical elements having the same reference numerals. The rotary valve 24 differs from the rotary valve 14 in that a narrower steam channel 25 is arranged diametrically opposite the further steam channel 23, which is also provided here for peak steam generation, which, like the further steam channel 23, only becomes effective in the second switch position according to Fig. 4a. In this second switch position, the steam outlet nozzle 18 for the rear steam chamber 5 is not completely blocked, but steam passes from the chamber 20 to the rear steam chamber 5 in a reduced amount in order to supply it with a safety amount of steam that prevents otherwise possible burning or shine in the rear area of the soleplate 1. As can be seen from Fig. 4,4a, the diameter of the narrower steam channel 25 is considerably smaller than that of the wider steam channel 23, which is connected to the front steam chamber 4 for peak steam supply. In the

second embodiment of the steam reducing/blocking device, it essentially comprises a valve cylinder housing 26 in which a valve piston 27 is arranged against the force of a compression spring

28 can be moved by pressing on a valve piston tappet 29

which is connected to an actuator not shown

A chamber 30 in the valve cylinder housing 26 is closed with the exception of the nozzles discussed below and sealed to the outside by a seal 31. A steam inlet nozzle 32, a steam outlet nozzle 33 for the rear steam chamber 5 and a steam

outlet nozzle 34 for the front steam chamber 4.

In the first switching position shown in Fig. 5, the valve piston 27 is pushed upwards by the compression spring 28,

which is attached to an unmarked collar on the valve piston tappet 35

29. In this first switching position, the

Inlet port 32 and outlet ports 33,34 with chamber 30

in steam-conducting connection, so that the steam flowing into the chamber 3 0 can be distributed evenly via the outlet nozzles 33,34 over all steam outlet holes 11,12 in the sole 1.

In a second switching position (not shown), however, the valve piston tappet 29 is pressed down so far that it closes off the remaining chamber 30 from the steam outlet connection 33 for the rear steam chamber 5, so that the steam from the chamber 30 can only escape to a greater extent via the steam outlet connection 34 into the front steam chamber 4. The embodiment according to Fig. 5 is also particularly suitable for electromagnetic actuation.

Claims (9)

1. Steam ironing system with a stationary steam generator and an iron connected to the latter via a steam-conducting hose line ( 9 ), which iron has a heated soleplate ( 1 ) with a number of steam outlet holes ( 11 , 12 ), characterized in that a switchable steam reduction/blocking device ( 8 ) is arranged in terms of flow between the steam generator and a subset of the steam outlet holes ( 12 ) in the soleplate ( 1 ), such that the subset of steam outlet holes ( 12 ) is in a maximum steam-conducting connection with the steam generator in a first switchover position and is in a reduced steam-conducting connection with the steam generator at most in a second switchover position, and that the remaining steam outlet holes ( 11 ) are in a steam-conducting connection with the steam generator in both switchover positions. 2. Steam ironing system according to claim 1, characterized in that the switchable steam reducing/blocking device ( 8 ) in the second switch position does not completely block the partial amount of steam outlet holes ( 12 ) from the steam generator, but only supplies it with reduced steam. 3. Steam ironing system according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the switchable steam reduction/blocking device ( 8 ) is arranged in the iron, that it has a switching element that can be operated from the outside, that it has a steam inlet nozzle ( 17 ) connected to the steam-conducting hose line ( 9 ) and that it has at least one first steam outlet nozzle ( 18 ) connected to the partial set of steam outlet holes ( 12 ). 4. Steam ironing system according to claim 3, characterized in that the steam reducing/blocking device has a second steam outlet nozzle ( 19 ) which is connected to the other steam outlet holes ( 11 ), and that the second steam outlet nozzle ( 19 ) leads into a chamber ( 20 ) of the steam reducing/blocking device ( 8 ) which is open to the first steam outlet nozzle ( 18 ) and the second steam outlet nozzle ( 19 ) in the first switchover position and which is only open to the second steam outlet nozzle ( 19 ) in the second switchover position. 5. Steam ironing system according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the switching element in the steam reduction/blocking device ( 8 ) is a rotary valve ( 14 ) which is rotatably mounted in a rotary valve housing ( 13 ). 6. Steam ironing system according to claims 1-4, characterized in that the switching element is a valve piston ( 27 ) which is displaceable in a valve cylinder housing ( 26 ). 7. Steam ironing system according to the preceding claims, characterized in that the subset of steam outlet holes ( 12 ) which is in possibly reduced steam-conducting connection with the steam generator in the second switchover position of the steam reduction/blocking device is arranged essentially in a middle and rear section of the soleplate ( 1 ) and that the remaining steam outlet openings ( 11 ) are grouped in a front section of the soleplate ( 1 ). 8. Steam ironing system according to claim 7, characterized in that the subset of steam outlet openings ( 12 ) and the group of the remaining steam outlet openings ( 11 ) each open into a first steam chamber ( 5 ) and a second steam chamber ( 4 ), that at least the first steam chamber ( 5 ) is connected to the steam reducing/blocking device ( 8 ) in a steam-conducting manner and that the second steam chamber ( 4 ) is in a steam-conducting connection to the steam generator. 9. Steam ironing system according to claim 8, characterized in that the two steam outlet nozzles ( 18 , 19 ) of the steam reducing/blocking device are attached directly to the two steam chambers ( 5 , 4 ).