Patent Application
20120102793
The present invention generally relates to irons, and more particularly to an iron for quick garment touch ups and having a lip for ironing hard to reach areas on the garment.
There exists in the art irons for pressing garments. Typically, with conventional irons a garment is placed on a horizontal surface and the garment is pressed on a single side. These irons may include a button lip which allows for pressing the garment in hard to reach areas such as around buttons. However, these irons suffer from the drawbacks of not being portable, are too heavy to lift for pressing a hanging garment and require an ironing board, can only press one side of the garment, and the size and shape of the soleplate may prevent it from reaching hard to reach areas.
There also exists in the art portable, handheld irons for pressing hanging garments. These irons may also suffer from the drawbacks of the soleplate being sized and shaped improperly to reach hard to reach areas, may not have a button lip for reaching the hard to reach areas, and can't press both sides of the garment.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a portable, handheld iron for quick touch ups that is lightweight, convenient and easy to use, allows clothes to be ironed while still on the clothes hanger without the need for an ironing board, has soleplates that are not too large or improperly shaped to reach hard to get areas, has a button lip for reaching hard to reach areas, can iron both sides of the garment at the same time, and can be converted while traveling to an iron having a single soleplate for ironing in a more conventional manner.
A more complete understanding of the present invention, and the attendant advantages and features thereof, will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:
A portable iron is provided having a lip for ironing hard to reach areas on a garment such as around buttons.
Referring now to the drawing figures in which like reference designators refer to like elements, there is shown in
In the illustrated embodiment, the iron 10 includes a pair of opposing heated soleplates 25, 35 on an upper portion 20 and lower portion 30, respectively. The upper portion 20 and lower portion 30 are hingedly connected together at a hinge 40. The soleplates 25, 35 are suitably sized and shaped to maximize the heated surface area yet allow the soleplates 25, 35 to reach hard to reach areas. For example, the soleplates 25, 35 may be triangular-shaped and include tapered sides 25a, 35a that meet at respective relatively short ends 25b, 35b. As such, the tapered sides 25a, 35a and ends 25b, 35b allow portions of the soleplates 25, 35 to reach areas that are normally hard to reach when ironing such as around and between buttons, collars and pockets. In addition, the soleplates 25, 35 may include a lip or edge 26, 36 (see also
In addition, the housing portions 21, 31 may respectively include opposing tapered sides 21a, 31a that are parallel to the tapered sides 25a, 35a of the soleplates 25, 35. The tapered sides 21a, 31a of the housing portions 21, 31 may likewise meet at respective short ends 21b, 31b that are parallel to respective short ends 25b, 35b of the soleplates 25, 35.
The iron 10 may be used as a handheld iron where a fabric of a garment is inserted into a space between the heated opposing soleplates 25, 35 for pressing the fabric. The upper and lower portions 20, 30 are pivotally connected together with a hinge 40 to allow the fabric to be inserted between the soleplates 25, 35. The upper and lower portions 20, 30 may be biased by a spring 43 in an open or normal position. In use, the upper and lower portions 20, 30 are urged or squeezed together such that the space there between is minimized and the fabric is grasped between the opposing heated soleplates 25, 35 (
In an embodiment, at least one of the soleplates 25, 35 may be attached to the respective upper and lower portions 20, 30 via a spring arrangement (not shown). This allows the soleplates 25, 35 to be essentially spring-loaded and more effectively grasp the fabric when the upper and lower portions 20, 30 are urged or squeezed together.
In an embodiment, the hinge 40 may be a locking hinge that only allows the upper and lower portions 20, 30 to rotate relative to one another in a predetermined arc of rotation. For example, the predetermined arc of rotation may be from an angle of 30° between the upper and lower portions 20, 30 in the open or normal position to an angle of near 0° in the closed or ironing position. It should be understood that this is an exemplary embodiment only and not meant to be limiting as there may be other embodiments of the arc of rotation of the upper and lower portions 20, 30 relative to one another that are suitable.
In an embodiment, the pair of opposing soleplates 25, 35 are heated by heating elements (not shown) disposed between the respective soleplates 25, 35 and the housing portions 21, 31 they are attached to. The heating elements (not shown) are provided electrical power from an electrical cord 60 disposed to the rear of the iron 10. The electrical cord 60 may be connected to a source of power such as a conventional 110 vac source or other source. An electrical switch 45 that may be a variable switch such as a slide or rotary switch may be provided to control the electrical power from the cord 60 to the heating elements (not shown). An indicator 50 such as a lighted indicator may be provided on the upper portion 20 to indicate when the power is being provide to the heating elements (not shown). The operation of the heating elements (not shown), electrical controls such as switch 45, the lighted indicator 50, and the use of the electrical cord 60 for providing power from a source in an appliance such as an iron are known in the art and require no further discussion.
In another embodiment, only the upper soleplate 25 is heated by a heating element (not shown). In another embodiment, only the lower soleplate 3 is heated by a heating element (not shown).
Referring now to
In an embodiment, the iron 10 may include a slot 24 that is formed in an underside of the upper portion 20. The slot 24 is adjacent to the opposing soleplates 25, 35 and disposed between the soleplates 25, 35 and the hinge 40. The slot 24 is for receiving fabric and aids in maneuvering the soleplates 25, 35 into hard to reach areas such as around buttons while preventing the upper and lower portions 20, 30 from grabbing the garment.
Referring now also to
Referring now to
To enable the lower portion 30 of the iron 10 to be detached from the upper portion 20, the angled portion 32 of the lower portion 30 may include quick disconnect electrical connectors 37 at an end 32a. In an embodiment, the electrical connectors 37 may include male electrical connectors. The end 32a of the angled portion 32 may be electrically connected to a hinged portion 33 of the lower portion 30 by inserting the electrical connectors 37 into complementary electrical connectors 39 disposed in an end 33a of the hinged portion 33. In the above embodiment, the electrical connectors 39 are female electrical connectors. When the hinged portion 33 is attached to the angled portion 32, the electrical connectors 37, 39 provide electrical power to the soleplate 35 via the switch 45 and electrical cord 60 as described above.
In an embodiment, the angled portion 32 may be secured to the hinged portion 33 via a latch 38 (see also
Referring now to
The steam is provided to the plurality of vents 27 from a steam chamber 28 disposed adjacent thereto. The steam chamber 28 generates steam with heat generated by a heating element (not shown) disposed in the housing portion 21 adjacent to the steam chamber 28. The steam chamber 28 is provided water for generating steam from a water tank 29 that may be disposed in the angled portion 22 of the upper portion 20. The water tank 29 is filled through an opening (not shown) with distilled water from a source. The steam chamber 28 is fluidly connected to the water tank 29 via a conduit 29b. The water is delivered to the steam chamber 28 from water tank 29 when the upper portion 20 and lower portion 30 are squeezed together when the garment is being pressed. Thus, wrinkle releasing steam is delivered to the garment through the plurality of vents 27.
A plunger 42 disposed in the hinge 40 depresses a bellows 41 that provides pressurized air to the water tank 29 via a conduit 29a when the upper and lower portions 20, 30 are squeezed together when pressing a garment. The pressurized air forces water from the water tank 29 through the conduit 29b into the steam chamber 28. When the water is heated in the steam chamber 28 and expands, it is forced out of the vents 27 as steam onto the garment below.
In another embodiment, there is a related method of pressing a garment, comprising inserting the garment into a space between a pair of opposing first and second soleplates 25, 35 disposed on respective upper and lower portions 20, 30 hingedly connected together, the upper and lower portions 20, 30 normally in a first position, and moving the upper and lower portions 20, 30 from the first position to a second position wherein the space between the first and second soleplates 25, 35 is minimized thereby pressing the garment between the first and second soleplates 25, 35.
The method further includes directing steam from a plurality of vents 27 in at least one of the soleplates 25, 35 onto the garment in the second position. The method further includes pumping water from a tank 29 to a chamber 28 disposed adjacent to at the at least one of the soleplates 25, 35 and generating steam therein. The water is pumped to the chamber 28 when the upper and lower portions 20, 30 are moved from the first position to the second position. The water is pumped to the chamber 28 by a bellows 41 disposed in a hinge 40 connecting the upper and lower portions 20, 30.
The method further includes providing a first housing portion 21 forming the upper portion 20 here the first soleplate 25 is disposed, providing a second housing portion 31 forming the lower portion 30 where the second soleplate 35 is disposed, forming a space 26 between an outer periphery of the first soleplate 25 and the first housing portion 21. The outer periphery of the first soleplate 25 does not extend completely to an edge of the first housing portion 21. The method further includes forming another space 36 between an outer periphery of the second soleplate 35 and the second housing portion 31. The outer periphery of the second soleplate 35 does not extend completely to an edge of the second housing portion 31.
The method further includes moving the upper and lower portions 20, 30 from the second position to the first position wherein the space between the first and second soleplates 25, 35 is maximized thereby allowing the garment between the first and second soleplates 25, 35 to be released.
The iron in the above disclosure has been described as a portable, handheld iron. However, it is contemplated that the soleplates and button lip, bladder, and plunger of the present disclosure can be utilized in other irons, including but not limited to conventional irons, and the like.
All references cited herein are expressly incorporated by reference in their entirety.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to what has been particularly shown and described herein above. In addition, unless mention was made above to the contrary, it should be noted that all of the accompanying drawings are not to scale. A variety of modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention, which is limited only by the following claims.
