HK1105440B - Iron having a sole plate with a special arrangement of steam exits - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to irons with a sole, fixed to a heating body, with steam exhaust holes and refers in particular to an ironing iron with a sole with a particular arrangement of steam exhaust holes.

The US patent 4 642 922 describes an ironing iron with a removable sole with multiple small diameter steam outlet holes evenly distributed on the sole. This sole is reported on a body with multiple plots coming into contact with the sole, between the steam outlet holes, the plots stiffening the sole, the space between the linen plots defining steam distribution channels.

However, the body of such an iron has the disadvantage of having many complex and expensive plots, and the steam distribution channels between these plots have a weak cross section and can be quickly blocked by tar deposits.

Thus, the purpose of the present invention is to remedy these disadvantages by proposing an ironing iron with a sole with a special arrangement of the steam outlet holes ensuring good diffusion of steam to the linen and good heat transfer from the body to the sole and which can be combined with a heating body that is simple and economical to make.

The purpose of the invention is achieved by an ironing iron comprising a sole fixed to a body, the sole comprising a network of at least 200 steam outlets, the network of steam outlets being fed steam by a distribution chamber extending on the lower side of the body in front of the network of steam outlets, characterised by the fact that the steam outlets have a cross-section of less than 4 mm2 and form a mesh in which the holes are arranged side by side with a step of less than 10 mm and that the body is a heating body, the sole comprising a band of more than 10 mm in width protruding from the bottom of the body, lacking a cross-section of less than 10 mm, extending over the network of the latter, coming into contact with the thermal distribution band, and the body being heated by the outlet.

This feature has the advantage of allowing a homogeneous diffusion of the steam through the network with a high density of small diameter steam outlet holes and the successive drying of the laundry by the wide strip of material passing through the network.

Of course, the sole can be advantageously fitted with several networks of holes and the meshwork of the network can have various geometric shapes, for example rectangular or triangular.

According to another feature of the invention, the surface area of the strip of material is between 10 and 30% of the total surface area of the sole and the surface area occupied by the network of vapour outlet holes is at least 50% of the surface area of the sole.

According to another feature of the invention, the steam exhaust system is supplied with steam by a distribution chamber extending on the lower face of the heater body in front of the steam exhaust system, the strip being in thermal contact with protruding support surfaces in the distribution chamber.

According to another feature of the invention, the sole consists of a central network and a peripheral network of steam exhaust holes of a cross-section of less than 4 mm2, the holes being arranged side by side with a pitch of less than 10 mm, an intermediate area without steam exhaust holes extending between the central network and the peripheral network, the intermediate area forming a band, surrounding the central network with a width of more than 10 mm.

According to another feature of the invention, the central and peripheral network of vapour outlet holes are substantially concentric.

According to another feature of the invention, the distribution chamber has a peripheral chamber facing the peripheral network and a central chamber facing the central network, the central chamber being connected to the peripheral chamber by channels facing the intermediate zone.

According to another feature of the invention, the sole is a co-laminated sole with an outer skin of stainless steel and an inner skin of aluminium in contact with the heating body.

This feature has the advantage of allowing excellent heat transfer from the heating body to the sole and good resistance to scratches on the ironing surface.

According to another feature of the invention, the peripheral network has holes of larger diameter in the back of the sole.

This feature facilitates the removal of any tar particles which may escape from the iron vaporization chamber, for example following a self-cleaning procedure.

According to another feature of the invention, the steam outlet holes are obtained by punching.

According to another feature of the invention, the distribution chamber is supplied with steam through holes leading out on the upper side of the heating unit through a chimney with a bisected end.

The purposes, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood by reference to the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, which is given as a non-limiting example, by reference to the attached drawings in which: Figure 1 is a split perspective view of an iron sole assembly according to the invention, visible from above; Figure 2 is a split perspective view, visible from below, of the sole assembly according to Figure 1; Figure 3 is a split perspective view of a sole assembly according to a variant of the iron assembly according to the invention, visible from above; Figure 4 is a split perspective view, visible from below, of the sole assembly according to Figure 3; Figure 5 is a split perspective view of the heating body according to Figure 3; Figure 6 is a cut-out view according to line VI-VI of Figure 5.

Only the elements necessary for the understanding of the invention have been represented, and to facilitate the reading of the drawings the same elements have the same references from one figure to the other.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the steam iron has a sole assembly visible in Figures 1 and 2. This assembly, which is normally located below the water tank of the iron, has a sole 1 with a pronounced front tip and a heating body 2 attached to the sole 1.

The heating body 2 is advantageously made of aluminium and typically comprises a resistive heating element 21 with a horse-iron arc and a casing 22 designed to accommodate a temperature control thermostat.

Heating unit 2 has a large vaporization chamber 23 in its upper part, closed by a closing plate, not shown in the figures.

Water from the iron tank is brought, as is known, by a drip device into the vaporization chamber 23 and the steam thus generated is distributed by a U-shaped channel 24 extending on the upper face of the heater 2 and the two branches of which extend considerably along the edge of the heater.

Channel 24 has, at the level of the rear half of heater 2 and near the front tip of the sole 1, holes 25 through the heater and into a steam distribution chamber 26 extending on the lower face of the heater 2 and feeding steam outlet holes 10 from the sole 1.

In accordance with Figure 2, these 10 vapour outlet holes are distributed on the sole 1 following a central network 11 and a peripheral network 12, bounded by dots in Figure 2.

In particular, according to the invention, the 10 holes of each net 11.12 form a mesh in which the 10 holes are arranged side by side with a pitch of less than 10 mm and preferably of the order of 5 mm. The 10 holes have a cross section of less than 4 mm2 and are, for example, obtained by punching the sole 1 so as to present a rounded edge on the lower face of the ironing. Preferably, the 10 steam outlet holes are circular and have a diameter of less than 2 mm and preferably of the order of 1.5 mm.

In the embodiment shown in Figures 1 and 2, the peripheral meshwork 12 has more than two hundred steam outlet holes arranged on each side of the sole 1, in four rows running parallel to the sole edge and joining at the level of the front tip of the sole 1 to form a series of 10 holes arranged in a triangle at the level of the front point of the sole 1. The peripheral meshwork 12 also has, in the back of the sole, a series of 10 steam outlet holes arranged in several rows in a circle, the 10 holes near the back edge of the sole and near the longitudinal axis of the sole having a larger inner diameter of about 2 to 3 mm, facilitating the eventual escape of particles.

The central network 11 has more than fifty steam outlet holes 10 arranged in a triangular mesh concentric to the peripheral network 12.

The advantage of the 1st sole is that it has an outer material strip 13 of about 15 mm width, free of vapour outlet holes, surrounding the peripheral network and an intermediate material strip 14 free of vapour holes, of about 15 to 20 mm width, extending between the central network 11 and the peripheral network 12.

Preferably, the area of the intermediate material band 14 is between 10 and 30% of the total surface of the sole and the area occupied by the peripheral and central networks is more than 50% of the surface of the sole 1.

The outer material strips 13 and 14 come into contact with heater 2 and provide heat transfer from heater 2 to the sole 1, with a seal between heater 2 and outer strip 13 in a nozzle 27 to ensure the sealing of the steam distribution chamber 26.

As can be seen in Figure 2, the steam distribution chamber 26 has a peripheral chamber 26A with arms, of a depth of about 2 mm and a width of more than 15 mm, facing the peripheral network 12.

In order to rigidise the sole 1 and to have a good heat transfer between heater 2 and heater 1, heater 2 has support surfaces protruding in the middle of the steam distribution chamber 26 and on which the intermediate band 14 of the sole is glued. These support surfaces consist essentially of a V-shaped surface 28A and a U-shaped surface 28B arranged head-on, the two surfaces 28A, 28B having arms of more than 10 mm width delimiting a central chamber 26B, of substantially triangular shape and a depth of 1,2 in the order of 11 holes wide, facing the centre. The central chamber 26B is fed by two V-channels, each of which is of the order of 10 mm, and is separated from the central support network by a longitudinal support channel of 26 mm, and 28B, 28A, 28B, 28B, 28B.

The heating body 2 also has 28C plots coming into contact with the sole 1 into holes 10 of the peripheral network 12 on the back of the sole, these 28C plots stiffening the sole and contributing to the transfer of heat to the sole.

Preferably, and in order to improve the heat transfer from heater 2 to the sole 1 while maintaining good scratch resistance of the sole, the sole 1 is co-laminated and has a stainless steel bottom skin of about 0,2 mm thickness as the ironing surface and an aluminium top skin of about 1,3 mm thickness in contact with the heater.

The resulting iron has a sole with a multitude of small diameter perforations, which has the advantage of allowing steam to penetrate the laundry more uniformly, which facilitates the ironing operation. In addition, the presence of an intermediate area without steam outlet holes allows the laundry to dry by transmitting the heat of the heating body, facilitates the fixing of the sole to the heating body, particularly by bonding, and ensures good rigidity to the sole.

In one embodiment of the invention, the ironing iron is combined with a separate steam generator and has the sole assembly shown in Figures 3 to 6. This sole assembly consists of a 201 sole and a heating body 202 comprising a heating element 221 and having, in its upper part, a heating chamber 223 into which the pressurized steam from the boiler of the separate steam generator is injected to spray any water droplets present in the steam.

The steam from the heating chamber is distributed by two channels 224 extending on either side of the heater 202, following the curvature of the 201-soled edge considerably.

These 210 vapour outlets are distributed along a central network 211 and a peripheral network 212 separated by a strip of intermediate material 214, devoid of 210 vapour outlet holes, glued to support surfaces 228A, 228B protruding in the middle of the distribution chamber 226, the central networks 211 and peripheral network 212 and the distribution chamber 226 having characteristics similar to those described for the embodiment of Figures 1 and 2.

In this variant, in which the sole assembly is adapted for use with a separate steam generator iron, the holes 225 through the heating body have the particularity of being topped by a chimney 229 protruding in the middle of the channel and the upper end of which is cut obliquely so that the upper side 229A of the chimney is inclined with respect to the axis of the hole 225 through.

According to Figures 4 and 6, the orientation of the upper face 229A differs from one hole 225 to the other and allows the creation of turbulence which improves the distribution of steam between the different holes 225 when pressurised steam is sent into the heating chamber 223, so that a more homogeneous distribution of steam is obtained over all 210 holes of the sole.

The invention is not, of course, limited to the method of implementation described and illustrated, which has been given only as an example.

Thus, in a variant embodiment of the invention, the shape and number of rows of the central and peripheral network may be different.

Thus, in variants of the invention, the strip of material without a vapour outlet hole may cross the network of holes transversely or extend only locally through the network.

Claims (9)

1. A pressing iron comprising a soleplate (1; 201) fixed to a body (2; 202), said soleplate (1; 201) having a pattern (11, 12; 211, 212) of at least 200 steam outlet holes (10; 210), the pattern (11,12 ; 211, 212) of steam outlet holes being supplied with steam by a distribution chamber (26; 226) extending on the lower face of the body (2; 202), opposite the pattern of steam outlet holes (10, 210), characterised in that the steam outlet holes (10; 210) have a cross-sectional area of less than 4 mm² and form a mesh wherein the holes (10, 210) are disposed side by side with a spacing less than 10 mm and in that said body (2; 202) is a heating body, the soleplate (1; 201) comprising at least one band (14; 214) having a width greater than 10 mm, free of steam outlet holes, which interrupts said pattern (11, 12; 211, 212) by extending over said pattern, the band (14 ; 214) being in thermal contact with bearing surfaces (28A, 28B ; 228A, 228B) provided on the heating body (2; 202) and projecting into the distribution chamber (26; 226).
2. A pressing iron according to claim 1, characterised in that the surface area of the band (14, 214) is between 10 and 30% of the entire surface area of the soleplate and in that the surface area occupied by the pattern (11, 12; 211, 212) of steam outlet holes is at least 50% of the surface area of the soleplate (1; 201).
3. A pressing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that said soleplate is composed of:

   - a central pattern (11; 211) and a peripheral pattern (12; 212) of steam outlet holes (10; 210) having a cross-sectional area of less than 4 mm², said holes (10, 210) being disposed side by side with a spacing of less than 10 mm,

   - an intermediate zone free of steam outlet holes extending between the central pattern (11; 211) and the peripheral pattern (12; 212), said intermediate zone forming a band (14; 214), surrounding the central pattern (11; 211) with a width greater than 10 mm.
4. A pressing iron according to claim 3, characterised in that the central pattern (11; 211) and the peripheral pattern (12; 212) of steam outlet holes are substantially concentric to one another.
5. A pressing iron according to claim 4, characterised in that the distribution chamber (26) has a peripheral chamber (26A) extending opposite the peripheral pattern (12) and a central chamber (26B) extending opposite the central pattern (11), the central pattern (26B) being connected to the peripheral chamber (26A) by channels (26C) extending opposite the intermediate zone (14).
6. A pressing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the soleplate (1, 201) is a colaminated soleplate having an exterior skin, or sheet, of stainless steel and an interior skin, or sheet, of aluminium in contact with the heating body (2, 202).
7. A pressing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the peripheral pattern (12; 212) has holes (10, 210) of larger diameter at the rear part of the soleplate (1; 201).
8. A pressing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that said steam outlet holes (10; 210) are produced by punching, or stamping.
9. A pressing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the distribution chamber (226) is supplied with steam through holes (225) opening, on the upper face of the heating body (202), through at least one chimney (229) having a bevelled, or chamfered, end.