HK1013671B - Iron with a removable reservoir - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a removable tank iron.

Removable tank irons are known, in which the water circulation of the iron, connected to the vaporization chamber, is fed by the water contained in the removable tank.

However, this tank, because it is housed in the iron body, has a reduced capacity and the autonomy of the iron is therefore necessarily limited.

The tank must therefore be filled frequently, which means that the ironing must be stopped.

In addition, when a product is to be added to the water in the tank to treat certain fabrics, the user should assess the amount of water used in the ironing of the fabric. If the amount of water containing the treatment product is too large, the user should throw it away and rinse the tank before filling it with another treatment solution to continue ironing other fabrics.

In addition, the user should sort the ironing cloth in advance to avoid changing the type of water in the tank too often.

The present invention addresses the above drawbacks, and in particular provides the user with an ironing iron whose autonomy and flexibility are greatly improved compared with conventional removable tank ironing irons.

The ironing iron of the invention has a housing suitable for housing a filling tank, a water circulation circuit connected to a vaporization chamber and connecting devices suitable for moving a movable valve that closes an outlet of the tank.

According to a first version of the invention, the iron is characterised by the fact that it includes as accessories a series of cassette-type filling tanks, the filling tanks being closed and having in their upper part an air intake hole closed by a second movable valve, the iron having a push-forming medium suitable for moving the second valve, a water spraying device and secondary connecting means suitable for connecting the water spraying device to the filling tank.

According to a second version of the invention, the iron is characterised by the fact that it comprises as accessories a series of cassette-type filling tanks and a second series of cassette-type filling tanks, the latter being closed, with an exit orifice, a movable valve covering the said exit orifice, an air intake orifice located at their top and a second movable valve covering the said air intake orifice, the iron comprising a water spraying device, a second housing suitable for housing a second series of tank, second connecting devices suitable for connecting the water spraying outlet to a second series of tank and the second movable valve covering the said tank, and the means of moving the devices.

Thus, thanks to the series of refill tanks, the user can pre-fill each tank with water of various characteristics and change the water tank very quickly during ironing, either to replace an empty tank or to use water loaded with a different linen treatment product depending on the fabric to be ironing.

Thus, the spray solution can be changed without wasting time and the user does not have to sort the linen beforehand, given the ease with which he can change the spray solution according to the linen to be ironing.

Thus, the water sprayed can be taken from another tank, which allows, for example, to apply a treatment product on the laundry which would not withstand the temperature of the vaporization chamber.

According to a preferred version of the invention, at least one apparent wall of a charging tank housed in the iron is transparent.

The user can thus control the water level in the charging tank at any time.

Further features and advantages of the invention will be described below.

The following drawings are provided as examples, but not limited to: Figure 1 is a side view of a first embodiment of the invention;Figure 2 is a partial cut-out view according to II-II in Figure 1;Figure 3 is a side view of a second version of the invention;Figures 4A and 4B are schematic views of the iron according to the invention.

As shown in Figure 1, the ironing iron 1 has a water circulation circuit 5 connected to a vaporization chamber 3 which runs parallel to the heating sole 2 of the iron 1.

Water is supplied to the evaporation chamber 3 by a user-adjustable drip system 4 to vary the flow rate of the evaporated water.

The iron includes as accessories a series of casket-type 7 charging tanks, which have a substantially parallel-epipedal shape. Iron 1 has a housing 8 to house a tank 7 inside the iron 1 body.

The refill tanks 7 may be pre-filled with tap water or demineralised water before ironing to prevent the ironing iron from becoming clogged.

The user can thus have several tanks 7 filled with water of different characteristics at his disposal and easily change the type of water vaporized by the iron according to the linen to be ironed by changing the refill tank 7.

As shown in Figure 2, the iron comprises connecting devices 9 suitable for connecting the water circulation circuit 5 to the filling tank 7.

Each filling tank 7 has an outlet 12 closed by a movable valve 13 and the iron connecting device 9 is suitable for moving the valve 13.

Thus, when the filling tank 7 is outside the iron, the valve 13 closes the outlet hole 12, which prevents water losses when the user handles the tank, especially when filling and introducing the tank into the iron.

The outlet 12 is located near the bottom of the filling tank 7, which allows water 6 to flow, under the influence of gravity alone, from tank 7 into the water circulation circuit 5 of iron 1.

The connecting device 9 of the iron 1 consists of a rod 9 running parallel to the direction of introduction of the charging tank into housing 8 of the iron 1.

This rod 9 is suitable for passing through the exit orifice 12 and for pushing the valve 13 back against the action of an elastic means of release 14, such as a spring 14.

Thus, the connection of tank 7 to the water circulation circuit 5 is automatic when tank 7 is introduced into the iron 1.

Similarly, when this tank 7 is removed from iron 1 while it is not empty, the elastic means of release 14 allows the valve 13 to be pushed back against the outlet hole 12, thus avoiding any loss of water during tank 7 changes.

On the other hand, the filling tank 7 is closed and has an air intake 15 in the upper part of the tank 7 to facilitate the flow of water out of the tank 6.

This air intake 15 is closed by a second movable valve 16 with an iron in the form of a push-up device 17 suitable for moving the second valve 16.

Thus, when the filling tank 7 is outside the iron 1, the outlet holes 12 and the air intake holes 15 are closed, which allows the handling of the tank 7 in all directions without the water in it escaping.

The recharging tanks can therefore be sold without any inconvenience if they are pre-filled with a particular product.

The means forming the pusher 17 is a second rod 17 extending parallel to the direction of introduction of the filling tank 7 into housing 8 of the iron 1, the second rod being suitable for passing through the air intake 15 and for pushing the second valve 16 back against the action of an elastic backing medium 18.

This means of restraint 18 may be a spring or a curved metal blade fixed to an inner wall of tank 7.

The user may fill the filling tank 7 via the outlet holes 12 or the air intake holes 15 by removing valves 13, 16 from holes 12, 15.

According to an improved version of the invention, shown in Figure 3, the ironing iron has a water spraying device 10 which allows the user to spray water on the linen. Iron 1 includes as accessories a second set of 19 cassette-type charging tanks and a second housing 20 suitable for housing a second set of 19 tanks. Second connecting devices 9 are suitable for connecting the 10 spraying device to a 19 second set of tanks.

These connecting devices 9 are similar to those used to connect tank 7 of the first set of accessories to the water circulation circuit 5 supplying the vaporization chamber 3.

Second series 19 tanks may also have an air intake.

Thus, the spraying device can be fed by another type of water, different from that contained in tank 7 of the first series.

The second series of tanks 19 may have a smaller capacity than the first series of accessories 7 due to the small amount of water sprayed during ironing.

The second series of refill tanks 19 are filled with water 21 containing a laundry treatment product which cannot withstand high temperatures.

This allows the spraying of treatment products on the laundry which would not withstand the temperature of the vaporization chamber 3.

This iron makes it possible to apply two different spray and vaporization treatments to laundry in an optimal way.

As shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the iron has housing 8, 20 leading to a side face 23 of iron 1 to allow the user to place the iron on his heel 24 during rest phases.

Iron 1 may also have housing 8, 20 leading to the back face 24 of iron 1.

Preferably, at least one apparent wall 11, 22 of the charging tanks 7, 19 housed in iron 1 is transparent.

Thus, the user can monitor at all times the water level 6, 21 contained in the tanks 7, 19 housed in iron 1, without having to extract the tanks 7, 19 from iron 1.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples above and many modifications can be made to them without going beyond the scope of the invention.

Thus, steam ironing iron 1 with a water spraying device 10 may have secondary connecting devices 9 suitable for connecting the spraying device 10 to the filling tank 7, the latter being also connected to the water circulation circuit 5 connected to the vaporization chamber 3.

Claims (10)

1. A smoothing iron having a removable reservoir including a housing (8) designed to house a refill reservoir (7), a water circulation circuit (5) connected to a steam-generating chamber (3), and fastening means (9) designed to displace a moving valve (13) closing an outlet orifice (12) of said reservoir (7), said iron being characterized in that it includes, as accessories, a set of refill reservoirs (7) of the cassette type, each of said refill reservoirs (7) being closed and including an air intake orifice (15) in the top portion thereof and closed by a second moving valve (16), the iron (1) including button-forming means (17) designed to displace said second valve (16), a water-spraying device (10), and second fastening means (9) designed to connect the water-spraying device (10) to said refill reservoir (7).
2. A smoothing iron having a removable reservoir including a housing (8) designed to house a refill reservoir (7), a water circulation circuit (5) connected to a steam-generating chamber (3), and fastening means (9) designed to displace a moving valve (13) closing an outlet orifice (12) of said reservoir (7), said iron being characterized in that it includes, as accessories, a set of refill reservoirs (7) of the cassette type, and a second set of refill reservoirs (19) of the cassette type, each of said refill reservoirs (7, 19) being closed, including an outlet orifice (12), a moving valve (13) closing said outlet orifice (12), an air intake orifice (15) situated in the top portion thereof, and a second moving valve (16) closing said air intake orifice (15), the iron (1) including a water-spraying device (10), a second housing (20) designed to house a reservoir (19) of said second set, second fastening means (9) designed to connect the water-spraying device (10) to the reservoir (19) of said second set and to displace the moving valve (13) closing the outlet orifice of said reservoir (19), and button-forming means (17) designed to displace the second moving valves (16).
3. A smoothing iron according to claim 1 or 2, in which said refill reservoirs (7, 19) can be filled with a product (6) selected from the following:

   · water;

   · demineralized water; and

   · water containing a fabric treatment product.
4. A smoothing iron according to claims 2 and 3, characterized in that the refill reservoirs (19) of said second set are filled with water (21) containing a fabric treatment product which does not withstand high temperatures.
5. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that it includes at least one housing (8, 20) opening out to a side face (23) of the iron (1).
6. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that it includes at least one housing (8, 20) opening out to a rear face (24) of the iron (1).
7. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that at least one visible wall (11, 22) of the refill reservoirs (7, 19) housed in the iron (1) is transparent.
8. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the outlet orifice (12) is situated close to the bottom of the refill reservoir (7, 19).
9. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that each fastening means (9) of the iron (1) is constituted by a rod (9) extending parallel to the direction in which the refill reservoir (7, 19) is inserted in the housing (8, 20) of the iron (1), said rod (9) being designed to pass through the outlet orifice (12) and to push the valve (13) against the action of a resilient return means (14).
10. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the button-forming means (17) is a second rod (17) extending parallel to the direction in which the refill reservoir (7, 19) is inserted in the housing (8, 20) of the iron (1), said second rod (17) being designed to pass through the air intake orifice (15) and to push said second valve (16) against the action of a resilient return means (18).