WO2008054094A1

WO2008054094A1 - Ironing board with hanger

Info

Publication number: WO2008054094A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/005307
Authority: WO
Inventors: Kwang-Hyun Hwang
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-10-28
Filing date: 2007-10-26
Publication date: 2008-05-08
Anticipated expiration: 2009-04-28

Abstract

A double- sided ironing board combined with a hanger is provided. The double- sided ironing board comprises an ironing plate and a support for supporting the ironing plate. A user can put clothes, such as dress shirts, blouses and skirts, needing ironing on the double-sided ironing board, and readily iron the front and back sides of the clothes while turning the double-sided ironing board. In the case of a conventional ironing board, clothes are ironed on one side of the conventional ironing board. In addition, the use of the support allows a user to iron the clothes on the double-sided ironing board in a convenient manner. The double-sided ironing board may further comprise a cover for covering the ironing plate. When the cover is wet during ironing, the user removes the wet cover from the ironing plate after ironing and places the ironed clothes in a wardrobe without the need of separating the ironed clothes from the ironing board, thereby simultaneously performing both ironing and hanging of the clothes. In another embodiment, there is provided a double-sided ironing board for exclusive use in stand-up steam ironing, which is currently in the spotlight. Specifically, the double-sided ironing board comprises a door- or wall-hanging part for hanging the ironing plate on a door or wall instead of the support. A user can iron clothes on the double-sided ironing board while turning the ironing board. The hanging part allows the user to iron clothes in a convenient manner.

Description

Description IRONING BOARD WITH HANGER

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates to a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger. More specifically, the present invention relates to a double- sided three-dimensional ironing board in which a user can put clothes needing ironing on the ironing board, readily iron the front and back sides of the clothes while turning the ironing board, and place the ironed clothes in a suitable space such as a wardrobe without the need of separating the ironed clothes from the ironing board, thereby simultaneously performing both ironing and hanging of the clothes. Background Art

[2] A prior art ironing board consists of an ironing plate and legs supporting the ironing plate. Since only one side of the ironing plate is used for ironing, there is a difficulty in that clothes such as dress shirts needing ironing must be stretched on the ironing plate by hand. Due to this difficulty, ironed portions of the clothes are again wrinkled, i.e. secondary wrinkling.

[3] Further, the ironing board must be hidden in a corner out of sight in a living room after ironing due to its bad appearance, thus causing inconvenience in moving the ironing board before and after ironing.

[4] In the case of a typical stand-up steam iron that is currently in the spotlight, a user holds the steam iron by his/her one hand and irons clothes needing ironing in a state where the clothes are hung on a hanger while pulling the clothes in the downward direction by the other hand, inevitably causing inconvenience in ironing the clothes. Another problem associated with the use of the stand-up steam iron is that clothes composed of textile requiring a force for ironing are not satisfactorily ironed. Further, since a support of the stand-up steam iron is not stable enough to hang the clothes, a door- or wall-hanging part is used instead. Disclosure of Invention

Technical Problem

[5] The present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems of the prior art, and it is one object of the present invention to provide an ironing board in which a user can put clothes needing ironing on the ironing board, readily iron the front and back sides of the clothes while turning the ironing board, and place the ironed clothes in a suitable space such as a wardrobe without the need of separating the ironed clothes from the ironing board, thereby simultaneously performing both ironing and hanging of the clothes. [6] It is a further object of the present invention to provide a double-sided three- dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger in which a user can readily iron clothes hung on a wall in his/her standing position and the ironed clothes can be placed in a wardrobe without being separated from the ironing board, thereby partially relieving the user from the burden of household chores and maintaining a clean indoor environment.

[7] It is a particular object of the present invention to provide a double-sided three- dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger that can be hung on a wall or placed on a table or desk without being bound to a particular place for ironing, thus offering convenience in use.

[8] It is still another object of the present invention to provide a double- sided three- dimensional ironing board for exclusive use in stand-up steam ironing wherein the ironing board is hung on a door or wall to serve as a hanger at ordinary times and wherein a user can put clothes on the ironing board and iron the clothes while turning the ironing board by his/her one hand. Technical Solution

[9] According to the present invention, the above objects can be accomplished by the provision of a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger, comprising an ironing plate 10 having a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end; a first support-coupling member 20a fixed to one end of the neck portion 13 by fixing members and having a lower coupler 23a, spaces 27a formed at both side ends of the lower coupler 23a to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25a formed inside the respective spaces 27a, and a latch 21a formed between the guide members 25a; a second support-coupling member 20b fixed to one end of the neck portion 13 opposite to the first support-coupling member 20a by the fixing members and having a lower coupler 23b, spaces 27b formed at both side ends of the lower coupler 23b to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25b formed inside the respective spaces 27b, and a latch 21b formed between the guide members 25b; and a support 30 coupled to one of the latches 21a and 21b to be turnable along the guide members 25 a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b.

[10] The support 30 escapes from one of the latches 21a and 21b and is turned along the guide members 25a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b by an externally applied force to be coupled to the other latch 21a or 21b, so that the upper and lower sides of the ironing plate 10 are changed.

[11] Preferably, the ironing plate 10 is formed with a hooking portion 11 extending from the neck portion 13.

[12] Preferably, the ironing board also functions as a hanger and further comprises a cover provided with a zipper at its one side to detachably cover the ironing plate 10. [13] The cover is preferably a laminate of a cloth and a sponge attached under the cloth.

[14] It is preferable that the cloth be cotton.

Advantageous Effects

[15] The constitutions and effects of the present invention will become apparent from the following preferred embodiments and provide the following advantages. The double-sided ironing board of the present invention is easy to handle and reduces the time and energy required for ironing. In addition, a user can iron clothes on the ironing board of the present invention regardless of the ironing place and position. For example, the user can use the ironing board of the present invention to iron clothes on the floor of a room in his/her sitting position or on a table or desk in his/her standing position.

[16] Particularly, since clothes can be hung on the ironing board of the present invention, the clothes can be ironed using a currently available stand-up steam iron, thereby enhancing the ironing effect.

[17] Further, in a state the hanger-combined double-sided ironing board of the present invention is hung on a door or wall, the user can readily iron clothes (e.g., dress shirts and upper garments) put on the ironing board in his/her standing position while turning the ironing board by his/her one hand. Also, the user can readily iron trousers in a state the trousers are hung on a hanger of a door- or wall-hanging part. The double-sided ironing board of the present invention can be used exclusively for stand-up steam ironing by hanging the ironing board on a door or wall using a hooking portion only without a neck portion while turning the ironing board.

[18] Further, conventional ironing boards cause inconvenience in the placement of the ironing boards and ironed clothes after ironing, whereas the ironing board of the present invention and the ironed clothes can be placed together in a wardrobe. That is, the ironing board of the present invention is advantageous in terms of storage.

[19] Further, taking into consideration the decorative effects when the ironing board of the present invention is hung on a door or wall, both sides of the ironing board can be sewn using suitable clothes with different colors and patterns according to the indoor environment or the user's preferences to achieve maximum aesthetic effects.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[20] FIG. 1 is a front view of a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to the present invention. [21] FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1.

[22] FIG. 3 is a view of a coupling member by which a support is coupled to an ironing plate in FIG. 1. [23] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an operational state of the ironing board of FIG. 1.

[24] FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

[25] FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a state in which the ironing board of FIG. 1 functions as a hanger.

[26] FIG. 7 is a front view of a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[27] FIGs. 8 and 9 are a front view and a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to another embodiment of the present invention is installed on a door, respectively.

[28] FIGs. 10 and 11 are a front view and a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to another embodiment of the present invention is installed on a door, respectively. Mode for the Invention

[29] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[30] FIG. 1 is a front view of a double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a side view of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a view of a coupling member by which a support is coupled to an ironing plate in FIG. 1.

[31] As shown in FIGs. 1 to 3, the double-sided ironing board combined with a hanger according to the present invention comprises: an ironing plate 10 having a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end; a first support-coupling member 20a fixed to an upper surface of the neck portion 13 by bolts B as fixing members and having spaces 27a formed at its both side ends to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25a formed inside the respective spaces 27a, and a latch 21a formed between the guide members 25a; a second support-coupling member 20b fixed to a lower surface of the neck portion 13 opposite to the first support-coupling member 20a by the bolts B and having spaces 27b formed at its both side ends to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25b formed inside the respective spaces 27b, and a latch 21b formed between the guide members 25b; and a support 30 coupled to one of the latches 21a and 21b to be turnable along the guide members 25a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b.

[32] The ironing plate 10 is made by coloring both surfaces of medium density fiberboard (MDF) to produce various color effects, followed by thick lamination coating to prevent hot vapor from entering during ironing. The ironing plate 10 is designed to have a length of 80-97 cm so that a long dress shirt or skirt can be put thereon and ironed at one time. In addition, the ironing plate 10 is designed to have a width of about 44 cm so as to be surrounded by 100% cotton having a length of one yard (91.11 cm), thus achieving a reduction in cost and ease of use in terms of portability and turning.

[33] The ironing plate 10 is simply made of MDF or wood. The ironing plate 10 can be made of various materials by known techniques. For example, the ironing plate 10 may be made by injection molding of plastic or molding or casting of a lightweight aluminum alloy.

[34] The support 30 escapes from one of the latches 21a and 21b and is turned along the guide members 25a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b by an externally applied force to be coupled to the other latch 21a or 21b, so that the upper and lower sides of the ironing plate 10 are changed. The support 30 is made by bending an iron or stainless steel wire.

[35] The ironing plate 10 is formed with a hooking portion 11 extending from the neck portion 13. When it is intended to exclusively use the ironing board for stand-up steam ironing, the shapes of the neck portion 13 and the hooking portion 11 may be modified in various ways. For example, the length of the neck portion 13 and the hooking portion 11 may be varied to perform the function of the hooking portion 11 only. Although not shown, the ironing board of the present invention can also be used exclusively for ironing clothes in a state where the ironing plate 10 is hung on a door or wall.

[36] As shown in FIG. 6, the ironing board of the present invention further comprises a cover provided with a zipper 41 at its one side to detachably cover the ironing plate 10.

[37] The cover 40 is preferably a laminate of a cloth 43 and a sponge 45 attached under the cloth. It is preferable that the cloth 43 be cotton.

[38] As shown in FIG. 6, the zipper 41 is as thin as possible and is provided across one side of the ironing plate 10 (i.e. at a portion extending from the neck portion 13 to the bottom of the ironing plate 10) so as to readily exchange the cover 40. As a result, the ironed clothes can be hung on the ironing board in a dry state at any time. The cloth 43 is 20-40 thread-count 100% cotton. The sponge 45 has a thickness of 2-3 cm and is adhered under the cloth in a laminating manner so as not to cause damage to the ironing function and user's wrists. This configuration of the cover 40 offers convenience and a good tactile feeling in the user's wrists during ironing. During ironing, the cloth 43 is not thermally deformed and produces no malodor. In addition, the cloth 43 causes no trouble even when being washed with other clothes in a washer. Immediately after ironing, the cover is removed from the ironing plate 10 and dried or washed, and another cover is put on the ironing plate 10. Then, the ironed clothes are put on the covered ironing plate 10 and hung using the hooking portion 11 in a wardrobe, resulting in ease of use and ensuring clean placement of the ironed clothes. Both surfaces of the cover 40 are sewn using suitable clothes with different colors and patterns depending on the indoor environment or the user's preferences. The user can select one of the surfaces of the cover 40 according to his/her preference.

[39] Various designs and patterns can be printed on the cloth 43 of the cover 40 to produce the ironing board as a product for sales promotion or as a souvenir.

[40] The operation of the double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger according to the present invention will be explained below.

[41] FIG. 4 is a view illustrating an operational state of the ironing board of FIG. 1, and

FIG. 5 is a side cross-sectional view of FIG. 4.

[42] The support 30 is positioned on the upper side of the ironing plate 10 before ironing, as shown in FIG. 1. A user turns the support 30 along the guide member 25a within the space 27a to locate the support 30 below the hooking portion 11 in a state where the support 30 is latched by the latch 21a, as shown in FIG. 4. Thereafter, the support 30 is allowed to touch the bottom where the ironing plate 10 is located so that the ironing plate 10 can be inclined at an angle suitable for ironing, as shown in FIG. 5.

[43] After complete ironing of the clothes on the front side of the ironing plate 10, the user forces the support 30 to escape from the latch 21a and turn along the guide members 25b (FIG. 2) within the spaces 27b (FIG. 2) opposite to the spaces 27a to locate the support 30 below the hooking portion 11 in a state where the support 30 is latched by the latch 21b (FIG. 2) so that the opposite side of the ironing plate 10 directs upward. As a result, the back side of the clothes can be ironed.

[44] FIG. 7 illustrates a double-sided ironing board combined with a hanger according to another embodiment of the present invention. The ironing board comprises upper and lower ironing plates 10, each of which is formed with quarter-circular arcs at both ends of the contact face between the upper and lower ironing plates 10, wherein the quarter- circular arcs are connected to form semicircular recesses 14. Cut-away grooves 14a having a depth of about 1 cm are formed in each of the semicircular recesses 14.

[45] Clips 15 are provided to detachably clamp the recesses 14 when the upper and lower ironing plates 10 are coupled to each other. Taking into account to the thickness of the recesses 14, the clips 15 are formed by bending both ends of iron or stainless steel disks to have a "_" shape. The upper and lower end portions of the clips 15 are partially cut and inwardly bent to form bent portions 15a. The bent portions 15a are coupled to the respective cut-away grooves 14a to reinforce the unity of the ironing plates 10.

[46] The ironing board can be packaged for transportation or gift giving in a simple manner as follows. First, MDF is cut into half. Then, an iron or stainless steel disks having a diameter of 10 cm are folded to form semicircular clips 15 in a "_" shape. Two 1 cm-long cut-away grooves 14a are formed at both sides of each of the MDF pieces. The semicircular clips 15 can be readily inserted through the cut-away grooves 14 to connect the two MDF pieces. When the iron or stainless clips 15 have a thickness of 1.2 mm, there is no danger that the bent portions are broken or the cut portions are separated off when the ironing board is hung on a door or wall. In doing so, the ironing board can be packaged in a box as small as 45 x 50 x 5 (cm ). Therefore, since the ironing board is simple to carry and transport, it can be used as a product for sales promotion or gift giving.

[47] The upper ironing plate has a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end and is formed with a hooking portion 11 extending from the neck portion 13. A hole may be formed instead of the hooking portion 11.

[48] The ironing plates 10 are simply made of MDF or wood. The ironing plates 10 can be made of various materials by known techniques. For example, the ironing plates 10 may be made by injection molding of plastic or molding or casting of a lightweight aluminum alloy.

[49] FIGs. 8 through 11 illustrate double-sided ironing boards combined with a hanger according to other embodiments of the present invention. Each of the double-sided ironing boards comprises: an ironing plate 10 having a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end and a hole 11a formed at an upper portion of the neck portion 13; and a hanging part for hooking the hole 1 Ia to hang the ironing plate 10 on a door or wall. Taking into consideration the size of the ironing board, the hole 11a only may be formed at one end of the ironing plate 10 by substantially removing the neck portion 13 from the ironing board.

[50] Various hangers (e.g., a trouser hanger) may be installed on the hanging part to iron trousers on the ironing plate.

[51] The ironing plate 10 is simply made of MDF or wood. The ironing plate 10 can be made of various materials by known techniques. For example, the ironing plate 10 may be made by injection molding of plastic or molding or casting of a lightweight aluminum alloy.

[52] The hanging part may directly extend from the neck portion 13 of the ironing plate

10 without the need for the formation of the hole 11a.

[53] As in the proceeding embodiments, the ironing board functions as a hanger and may further comprise a cover provided with a zipper at its one side to detachably cover the ironing plate 10. The cover is a laminate of a cloth and a sponge attached under the cloth. It is preferable that the cloth be cotton.

[54] The ironing plate 10 is made by coloring both surfaces of medium density fiberboard (MDF) to produce various color effects, followed by thick lamination coating to prevent hot vapor from entering during ironing. The ironing plate 10 is designed to have a length of 80-97 cm so that a long dress shirt or skirt can be put thereon and ironed at one time. In addition, the ironing plate 10 is designed to have a width of about 44 cm so as to be surrounded by 100% cotton having a length of one yard (91.11 cm), thus achieving a reduction in cost and ease of use in terms of portability and turning.

[55] The hanging part may be a door-hanging part 50 for hanging the ironing plate 10 on a door or a wall-hanging part 60 for hanging the ironing plate 10 on a wall. The hanging part serves to fix the ironing board to the door or wall and makes the ironing plate 10 turnable to facilitate the ironing of clothes on the ironing board.

[56] The door-hanging part 50 is made by bending an iron or stainless steel plate to have a " π

" shape whose width is about 5 cm corresponding to the thickness of the door and both ends extend in a horizontal direction so as to be fixed to an upper end of the door. A slide hole 52 is formed at one end of the extended portions and a hook 54 is connected to the slide hole 52 by an escape-preventing member 56. With this configuration, the ironing plate 10 is turnably hung on the hook 54. A multipurpose hanger 58 for hanging ironed clothes, hats and clothes needing ironing thereon is integrated with the extended portion opposite to the slide hole 52 (FIGs. 8 and 9).

[57] The hook 54 for fixing the ironing plate 10 is moveable forwardly and backwardly along the slide hole 52 and is easily turnable without escaping from the slide hole 52 by the escape-preventing member 56.

[58] The wall-hanging part 60 is made by bending an iron or stainless steel plate to have a "_" shape whose width is about 5 cm so as to be fixed to the wall. A nail is used to fix the vertical portion of the wall-hanging part 60 to the wall through a fixing hole 63. A slide hole 62 is formed through the horizontal portion of the wall-hanging part 60 and a hook 64 is connected to the slide hole 62 by an escape-preventing member 66. With this configuration, the ironing plate 10 is turnably hung on the hook 64 (FIGs. 10 and 11).

[59] The hook 64 for fixing the ironing plate 10 is moveable forwardly and backwardly along the slide hole 62 and is easily turnable without escaping from the slide hole 62 by the escape-preventing member 66.

[60] Although the present invention has been described herein with reference to the foregoing embodiments, these embodiments do not serve to limit the scope of the present invention. Many modifications and variations of the present invention can be readily made by those skilled in the art. Such modifications and variations are intended to come within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[61]

Claims

[1] A double-sided three-dimensional ironing board combined with a hanger, comprising an ironing plate 10 having a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end; a first support-coupling member 20a fixed to one end of the neck portion 13 by fixing members and having a lower coupler 23a, spaces 27a formed at both side ends of the lower coupler 23a to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25a formed inside the respective spaces 27a, and a latch 21a formed between the guide members 25 a; a second support-coupling member 20b fixed to one end of the neck portion 13 opposite to the first support-coupling member 20a by the fixing members and having a lower coupler 23b, spaces 27b formed at both side ends of the lower coupler 23b to have a predetermined depth, guide members 25b formed inside the respective spaces 27b, and a latch 21b formed between the guide members 25b; and a support 30 coupled to one of the latches 21a and 21b to be turnable along the guide members 25a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b.

[2] The ironing board according to claim 1, wherein the support 30 escapes from one of the latches 21a and 21b and is turned along the guide members 25 a and 25b within the spaces 27a and 27b by an externally applied force to be coupled to the other latch 21a or 21b, so that the upper and lower sides of the ironing plate 10 are changed.

[3] The ironing board according to claim 1, wherein the ironing plate 10 is formed with a hooking portion 11 extending from the neck portion 13.

[4] The ironing board according to claim 3, wherein the ironing board functions as a hanger and further comprises a cover 40 provided with a zipper 41 at its one side to detachably cover the ironing plate 10.

[5] The ironing board according to claim 4, wherein the ironing board is adapted to be used exclusively for ironing clothes in a state where the ironing plate 10 is hung on a door or wall.

[6] The ironing board according to claim 4, wherein the ironing board is adapted for exclusive use in stand-up steam ironing.

[7] The ironing board according to claim 5 or 6, wherein the cover 40 is a laminate of a cloth 43 and a sponge 45 attached under the cloth 43.

[8] The ironing board according to claim 7, wherein the cloth 43 is cotton.

[9] The ironing board according to claim 8, wherein both surfaces of the cover 40 are sewn using clothes with different colors and patterns to attain decorative effects.

[10] The ironing board according to claim 9, wherein the cloth 43 of the cover 40 is printed with a design or pattern to produce the ironing board as a product for sales promotion or as a souvenir.

[11] The ironing board according to claim 10, wherein the ironing plate 10 is made of

MDF or wood, by injection molding of plastic, or by molding or casting of a lightweight aluminum alloy.

[12] A double-sided ironing board combined with a hanger, comprising an ironing plate 10 having a neck portion 13 formed at its upper end and a hole

11a formed at an upper portion of the neck portion 13; and a hanging part for hooking the hole 1 Ia to hang the ironing plate 10 on a door or wall.

[13] The ironing board according to claim 12, wherein the ironing plate 10 is a one- piece body or is divided into two or more smaller plates.

[14] The ironing board according to claim 13, wherein the divided ironing plates are upper and lower ironing plates and have semicircular recesses 14 formed at both ends of the contact face between the upper and lower ironing plates, and wherein clips 15 are provided to detachably clamp the recesses 14 and fix the upper ironing plate to the lower ironing plate.

[15] The ironing board according to claim 14, wherein the hanging part is a door- hanging part 50 for hanging the ironing plate 10 on a door or a wall-hanging part 60 for hanging the ironing plate 10 on a wall.

[16] The ironing board according to claim 15, wherein the door-hanging part 50 is made by bending a plate to have a "_" shape whose width corresponds to the thickness of the door and both ends extend in a horizontal direction so as to be fixed to an upper end of the door, and has a slide hole 52 formed at one end of the extended portions and a hook 54 connected to the slide hole 52 by an escape- preventing member 56.

[17] The ironing board according to claim 15, wherein the wall-hanging part 60 is made by bending a plate into a "_" shape so as to be fixed to the wall, and has a fixing hole 63 through the vertical portion, a slide hole 62 through the horizontal portion and a hook 64 connected to the slide hole 62 by an escape-preventing member 66.

[18] The ironing board according to claim 12, wherein the ironing plate 10 is formed with a hooking portion 11 extending from the neck portion 13.

[19] The ironing board according to claim 12, wherein the ironing plate 10 is made of

MDF or wood, by injection molding of plastic, or by molding or casting of a lightweight aluminum alloy. [20] The ironing board according to claim 15, wherein the door-hanging part 50 has a multipurpose hanger 58 provided at the extended portion opposite to the hook 54 to hang ironed clothes, hats and clothes needing ironing thereon.