HK1066836B - Iron comprising a water filling slide valve - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to irons with a liquid tank.

The tank is usually a water tank used to hold the water to be sprayed.

The iron is known to have a water tank with a large opening for the user to fill it, usually placed in front of the iron so that the liquid does not flow when the iron is placed on the heel.

But during ironing the water in the tank is agitated and could leak out through the filling hole if measures were not taken to prevent or limit this inconvenience.

In many cases, the oblique position of the opening does not allow the iron to be filled vertically and requires control of the stopping of the vaporization. In addition, other organs such as the sprayer, drip-to-drop controls, over-steam and others have positive or ergonomic contra-filling techniques that do not allow the possibility of optimizing the dimensions of the filling and this is not easy to do, as the filling position is not known to reduce congestion.

US patent 4233763 describes an ironing iron according to the preamble to claim 1.

The following invention makes up for these disadvantages.

The purpose of the invention is achieved by an ironing iron, which has a liquid tank with a filling hole, because this hole is equipped with means of receiving and guiding the liquid through the hole to the tank, the said means passing through the hole and being mobile in translation between a first open position where the liquid can be introduced, and a second closed position where the said means are shoved into the iron and ensure the closure of the hole.

The means of receiving the liquid being elongated, they may be larger than the orifice which no longer needs to be precisely aimed at when the user fills the iron.

The liquid being guided, the opening can be small and therefore be arranged in the best way to supply the tank, without the organs such as drip, pump, over-steam controls, etc. being flooded during filling.

Preferably, the means of receiving and guiding the liquid include a longitudinal drawer, with an opening on a longitudinal side to receive the liquid, and open at its inner end to allow the liquid to flow.

A drawer or a long-drawing chamber is a hollow room consisting of two longitudinal sides, a bottom adjacent to these two sides, and a full outer end face, the remaining longitudinal side having an opening for receiving the liquid.

The water intake face has a large longitudinal opening, so that the liquid can be injected through a large section, which facilitates filling.

In addition, the drawer may have a hollow cross-section resembling a funnel.

Preferably the longitudinal drawer has a cross-section substantially corresponding to the filling hole and is permanently engaged to slide into the filling hole, the open end being directed towards the tank.

The long-draw remains constantly engaged in the opening and can slide between the first open position and the second closed position. In the closed position the long-draw is therefore hidden inside the tank. Simple construction arrangements, on the one hand, prevent the drawer from being removed out of the opening untimely, and on the other hand, allow it to be kept in the closed position.

A seal is used to seal the lengthwise drawer and the filling hole.

In one case, the drawer is arranged in the iron so that when the iron is placed on its heel, the opening of the drawer is facing upwards.

With the iron on its heel and the long drawer pulled out of the iron, the iron can be easily filled by pouring water through the large opening.

Preferably in this position, the drawer should be slightly tilted to the horizontal to facilitate natural flow of water into the tank.

Preferably in the second closed position, the opening is completely concealed in the tank.

The opening occupies only part of the corresponding side of the side drawer, so that in the second closed position the seal surrounding the filling hole rests on the full sides of the side drawer and ensures full sealing.

Preferably, the outer end face, closing the orifice in the second closed position, has means of manoeuvring the longitudinal drawer.

The outer end face is supported by shapes which enable the long-handled drawer to be held when opened and closed manually.

Preferably in the second closed position used during ironing, with the iron on its working surface, the drawer plunges into the water of the tank and thereby restrains the movement of the water of the tank, constituting an anti-leakage device.

In another embodiment, the means of receiving and guiding the liquid comprise a U-shaped part constituting three sides of a partially at least bottomless longitudinal drawer, the fourth side being an open inner end in the tank.

When the drawer is in the second closed position, hidden in the iron it clutters less inside and allows passage between the U branches to iron organs, e.g. control rods.

The advantage of the long drawer is that it slides over a full section of iron which forms a fixed bottom for the mobile drawer.

The benefits are similar to those of the previous version.

The U-piece of the drawer has a lip which provides a summary seal with the fixed bottom.

Preferably the U-piece is elastomer and forms a single piece with the seals providing the sealing with the fixed bottom and closing the orifice.

The invention will be better understood by the following examples and associated drawings. Figure 1 is a side view of an iron in a first version of the invention.Figure 2 is a view of the front of the iron in Figure 1, partially cut through a longitudinal plane, the receiving and guiding means of the liquid being in a first open position.Figure 3 is a view of the front of the iron in Figure 1, partially cut through a longitudinal plane, the receiving and guiding means of the liquid being in a second closed position.Figure 4 is a partial perspective view of the front of another iron according to the invention,The receiving and guiding means of the liquid are in a second closed position.Figure 5 is a partial perspective view of the front of the iron in Figure 4, the receiving and guiding means of the liquid being in a first open position.Figure 6 is a partial view in partial cut through a longitudinal plane of the iron in Figure 4, the receiving and guiding means of the liquid being in a second closed position.Figure 7 is a partial view in partial cut through a longitudinal plane of the iron in Figure 4, the receiving and guiding means of the liquid being in a first open position.Figure 8 is a partial view through a longitudinal plane of another iron according to the invention, the reception and guidance of the liquid being in a second closed position. Figure 9 is a partial view through a longitudinal plane of the iron of Figure 8, the reception and guidance of the liquid being in a first open position.

In a preferred version shown in Figures 1 to 3, a steam iron 1 has a sprayer 2, a drip control 3, a super steam control and a spray control 4, grouped on body 5 in front of the iron 1.

Iron 1 has a water tank 6 visible in Figures 2 and 3 whose filling hole 7 is located in front of and above the iron near the organs mentioned above.

The opening 7 is fitted with a seal 8 into which an elongated piece in the shape of a drawer or a jug 9 slides, occupying the entire section of the opening 7. A side end 91 of the drawer 9 is open inside the tank. A longitudinal side 92 of the drawer has an opening 93 larger than the opening 7 which is directed forward of the iron so that it is facing upwards when the iron is placed on its heel.

The drawer 9 is held in a first open position, as shown in Figure 2, by an elastic lock 94 and shapes 95 to prevent accidental extraction of the iron. In this position, the opening 93 is accessed from the outside of the iron.

The drawer 9 can slide along its longitudinal axis in the opening 7 between the open position and a second closed position visible in Figure 3. It is held in this second position by an elastic lock 96. In this position the joint 8 is on a full 97 part of the wall 92 and ensures complete sealing between the drawer 9 and the tank 6. The full end wall 98 of the drawer 9 then ensures the closure of the opening 7.

In this closed position drawer 9 plunges into the tank, into the water it can hold. A shape 61 from the bottom of tank 6 near the inner end 91 prevents the agitated water from entering the drawer during ironing.

The advantage of this wall 98 is that it has 99 shapes as shown in Figure 1 which allow the user to enter the drawer 9 and move it from one position to another.

During ironing, iron 1 is used with drawer 9 tucked into tank 6, held by lock 96 in the position shown in Figures 1 and 3. Water contained in the tank cannot escape and splash out through the hermetically closed hole 7. A small unrepresented vent is left between the tank and the atmosphere to prevent the tank from depressing. This small vent may be a small calibrated hole arranged forward of the iron on the end wall 98.

When the user wants to fill tank 6 she places the iron on her heel and pulls the drawer 9 to put it in the filling position. The drop-by-drop, located in the front of the tank when the iron is flat, can no longer be fed. The drawer is held by the shapes 95. This facilitates the use of the drawer, the user only pulling the drawer until it reaches the cap and is immobilized by the lock 94. The opening 93 is then accessed from above and can receive the filling water brought for example by a cup or the water net from a tap.

Water flows from the opening 93 along drawer 9 through the opening 7 and out of the drawer through its open inner side 91 from where it fills the tank 6. The opening 93 has a larger section than the section of the opening 7, which facilitates filling and allows the iron construction to reduce the space occupied by this opening.

In a second version shown in Figures 4 to 7, a steam iron 100 has a control acting by means of a rod 300 on a drip.

Iron 100 has a water tank 6 visible in Figures 6 and 7 with a filling hole 7.

The hole 7 is crossed by an elongated U-shaped piece forming three side faces of a drawer 9, occupying the entire section of the hole 7. This U-shaped piece is preferably rigid elastomer.

The drawer 9 may slide along its longitudinal axis in orifice 7 between a first open position as shown in Figures 5 and 7 and a second closed position as shown in Figures 4 and 6. In this movement, the U-piece remains in contact with an outer wall 101 of iron 100 by one of its 900 edges forming a seal lip, the other edge delimiting, with the orifice, a filling opening surface 93 larger than orifice 7, directed forward of the iron and upwards.

The drawer is held in the first open position by gently rubbing the 900 elastomer lip against the 101 wall. This wall 101 forms the bottom of drawer 9 with the U-piece forming the side faces. The opening 93 is then accessed from the outside of the iron. A passage is made from the outside of the iron to the tank 6 by the opening 93, drawer 9 and the end face 91.

In the second closed position, drawer 9 is shoved into the iron. The full-end 98 wall of the U-piece of drawer 9 then ensures the closure of the hole 7. The elastomer edges ensure the tightness of the closure. Thanks to the U-shape, drawer 9 has a low footprint inside the iron. Organs such as a 300 control rod can be placed between the branches of the U without interfering with the movement of the drawer.

The advantage of the 98 wall is that it has 99 shapes which allow the user to enter the U-piece in drawer 9 and move it from one position to another.

During ironing, iron 100 is used with drawer 9 unclogged. Water in the tank cannot escape and splash out through the hermetically closed hole 7. A small unrepresented vent is left between the tank and the atmosphere to prevent the tank from being depressed. This small vent may be a small calibrated hole arranged forward of the iron on the end wall 98.

When the user wants to fill tank 6 she opens drawer 9 and tilts the iron, raising the tip, to put it in the filling position, drawer 9 being tilted towards the tank. The drip, located in the front of the tank when the iron is flat, can no longer be fed. The opening 93 is then accessed from above and can receive the filling water supplied e.g. by a cup or by the water net from a tap.

Water flows from opening 93 along drawer 9 through opening 7 and out of the drawer through its open inner face 91 from where it fills tank 6.

The opening 93 to a larger section than the section of the hole 7, which facilitates filling.The design of a drawer with a bottomless U-shaped part allows the iron construction to reduce the space occupied by this organ and to arrange the neighbouring organs with greater latitude.

In a third version of the invention shown in Figures 8 and 9, an iron 200 is equipped with water filling devices similar to those in the second version. These devices also include a U-shaped part forming three side faces of a drawer 9, but the filling hole 7 extends along the plane of the drawer 9 along the slide and support mark 70. The full end face 98 of the drawer 9 carries, in addition to the manoeuvring devices 99, an operculum 201 which runs with the drawer 9.

In a first open position as shown in Figure 9, drawer 9 allows a direct and maximum passage of water to tank 6 between the branches of the U-piece.

In a second closed position, as shown in Figure 8, the side 98 of the U-piece closes part of the opening 7 while the operculum 201 closes part 70 of the opening in the sliding surface of drawer 9.

The use of this version is identical to that of the second version, which is preferable when the available space allows for an operculum.

As can be seen, these methods allow the iron to be constructed in an optimized manner and facilitate safe filling.

Claims (11)

1. A smoothing iron (1) including a liquid reservoir (6) having a filling orifice (7), said orifice (7) being provided with means (9) for receiving the liquid and guiding it through the orifice (7) towards the reservoir (6), said smoothing iron being characterized in that said means pass through the orifice (7) and are mounted to move in translation between an open first position in which the liquid can be fed in, and a closed second position in which said means are retracted into the iron (1) and close off the orifice (7).
2. A smoothing iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for receiving and guiding the liquid comprise an elongate slide (9) provided with an opening (93) in one longitudinal face for receiving the liquid, and open at its inner end (91) to enable the liquid to flow through.
3. A smoothing iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the means for receiving and guiding the liquid comprise a channel-section part constituting three side faces of an elongate slide (9), the fourth side face being an inner end (91) that is open inside the reservoir (6), one large face constituting a filling opening (93).
4. A smoothing iron according to claim 3, characterized in that the elongate slide (9) slides over an uninterrupted portion (101) of the iron that constitutes a stationary bottom for the moving slide (9).
5. A smoothing iron according to claim 4, characterized in that the channel-section part of the slide is provided with a lip (900) providing rudimentary sealing relative to the stationary bottom (101).
6. A smoothing iron according to claim 5, characterized in that the channel-section part is made of elastomer and is integral with the gaskets providing sealing relative to the stationary bottom and closing the orifice.
7. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the elongate slide (9) has a cross-section substantially corresponding to the filling orifice (7), and is permanently engaged to slide in said orifice.
8. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 2 to 7, characterized in that, in the closed second position, the opening (93) is fully retracted inside the reservoir.
9. A smoothing iron according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the open first position, the opening (93) faces upwards when the iron (1) is stood on its heel.
10. A smoothing iron according to claim 2, characterized in that, in the closed second position, with the iron being used on its work surface, the slide (9) dips into the water in the reservoir, and brakes the movements of the water in the reservoir.
11. A smoothing iron according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the uninterrupted outer end face (98) is provided with means for driving the elongate slide (9).