This application claims priority to French Patent Application No. 1652447 filed Mar. 22, 2016, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a steam de-wrinkling appliance comprising a de-wrinkling head connected by a line to a base for producing a steam flow, wherein the de-wrinkling head comprises a rear portion forming a handle and a flared front portion comprising a surface equipped with one or a plurality of steam exit holes through which the steam flow originating from the base can be distributed. The invention more particularly relates to an appliance comprising a device for reducing the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes, said flow area-reducing device comprising a movable member that can assume a retracted position, in which the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes is maximal, and a restriction position, in which the movable member reduces the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes.
Description of Related Art
The patent application filed under the number FR 1560114 by the applicant discloses a steam de-wrinkling appliance having a base for producing a steam flow, which base is connected by a line to a de-wrinkling head comprising a rear portion forming a handle and a flared front portion comprising a surface equipped with a plurality of steam exit holes, through which the steam flow originating from the base is distributed. In this document, the de-wrinkling head comprises a device for blocking or reducing the steam flow toward a portion of the steam exit holes, making it possible to concentrate the steam flow toward the other steam exit holes of the sole.
Such a de-wrinkling appliance has the advantage of making it possible to treat thin, steam-permeable textiles effectively by selecting a distribution via all of the steam exit holes of the sole, and to treat areas that are more difficult to de-wrinkle with a more precise treatment by selecting a distribution of steam via a limited number of steam exit holes.
An object of this invention is to propose a de-wrinkling appliance which allows the user to choose between a diffuse steam emission through the sole and a concentrated distribution, but which has a different design than the one described in the prior art.
To this end, the invention has as an object a steam de-wrinkling appliance comprising a de-wrinkling head connected by a line to a base for producing a steam flow, the de-wrinkling head comprising a rear portion forming a handle and a flared front portion comprising a surface having one or a plurality of steam exit holes for distributing the steam flow originating from the base, characterized in that the flared front portion encloses a single steam plenum chamber that supplies steam to the steam exit hole or holes and further characterized in that the de-wrinkling head comprises a device for reducing the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes, the flow area-reducing device comprising a movable member capable of assuming a retracted position, in which the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes is maximal, and a restriction position, in which the movable member reduces the area of the flow toward the steam exit hole or holes.
Such a steam de-wrinkling appliance has the advantage of being simple and economical to embody and of possessing a de-wrinkling head with very good ergonomics and very good ironing performance.
According to another feature of the invention, the surface has at least a first group of steam exit holes and a second group of steam exit holes, the movable member capable of assuming a retracted position, in which the plenum chamber communicates freely with the entirety of the first and second groups of steam exit holes, and a restriction position, in which the movable member covers, at least partially, the second group of steam exit holes or isolates the steam plenum chamber in order to reduce, even stop, the distribution of steam through the second group of steam exit holes.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member can be actuated from the outside of the de-wrinkling head by means of a control element, the actuation of the control element making it possible to shift the movable member from the retracted position into the restriction position.
Such a feature enables further improvement of the ergonomics.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member moves in translation in order to shift from the retracted position into the restriction position.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member moves in translation in a direction that is essentially perpendicular to the axis of the steam exit holes.
According to another feature of the invention, the control element is connected to the movable member by a rotatably mobile lever.
Such a construction makes it possible to obtain a reversal of the movement direction of the movable member with respect to the movement direction of the control element for greater compactness and better ergonomics of the de-wrinkling head.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member moves in translation in a direction essentially parallel to the axis of the steam exit holes.
According to another feature of the invention, the control element is connected to the movable member by a part that is movable in translation.
According to another feature of the invention, the flow-blocking or flow-reducing device comprises a spring that tends to return the movable member to the retracted position.
Such a feature makes it possible to obtain an automatic movement of the movable member back into the retraction position such that the flow is automatically distributed via all of the steam exit holes when the control element is not actuated manually by the user.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member is disposed in the steam plenum chamber.
Such a feature makes it possible to obtain greater compactness of the de-wrinkling head.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member comprises at least one partition that isolates the plenum chamber when the member assumes the restriction position.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member comprises two partitions connected to one another by a crosspiece, the steam emitted from the line entering the space formed between the two partitions.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member covers the holes of the second group of steam exit holes when it assumes the restriction position.
According to another feature of the invention, the movable member comprises pins that engage in the holes of the second group of steam exit holes when it assumes the restriction position.
Such pins have the advantage of ensuring that the movable member is guided axially in relation to the steam exit holes and of reducing the flow area for the steam.
According to another feature of the invention, the line has an end connected to the base, which communicates freely with a boiling chamber, and an end connected to the de-wrinkling head, which communicates freely with the plenum chamber.
Such a feature makes it possible to obtain an appliance with a simple construction that does not use any means of controlling the emission of steam between the base and the de-wrinkling head.
According to another feature of the invention, the surface receiving the steam exit holes is flat and comprises a generally triangular contour.
Such a shape has the advantage of achieving good ergonomics for use and good de-wrinkling performances.
According to another feature of the invention, the steam exit holes are distributed in a V on the surface of the de-wrinkling head, the steam exit holes of the first group being disposed at the pointed end of the V.
According to still another feature of the invention, the total number of steam exit holes is greater than or equal to five holes.
Such a feature makes it possible to obtain a steam distribution via a number of steam exit holes that is sufficient for ensuring the distribution of steam over a large surface, in order to treat textiles that are sufficiently permeable to steam rapidly.
According to another feature of the invention, the first group of steam exit holes comprises less than five steam exit holes and preferably three steam exit holes.
Such a feature makes it possible to concentrate the steam on just some holes for a more precise steam flow.
According to another feature of the invention, the handle comprises a longitudinal end where the line engages in the de-wrinkling head, and an opposite end where the handle extends to form the flared front portion.
Such a feature makes it possible to achieve good maneuverability and good ergonomics for the de-wrinkling head.
According to another feature of the invention, the steam exit hole or holes open directly into the plenum chamber.
The objects, aspects, and advantages of this invention will be more clearly understood by studying the following description of several special embodiments of the invention that are given as non-limiting examples, and by referring to the appended drawings, wherein:
Only the elements needed for understanding the invention have been illustrated. To make the drawings easier to interpret, the same elements have the same reference signs from figure to figure.
The de-wrinkling head 1 is connected by a flexible line 2 to a base, which is not illustrated in the figures and is similar to the one described in more detail in Patent Application FR 2 912 429, said base having, in a manner known per se, a water tank and a boiling chamber, which boiling chamber is equipped with a steam exit orifice connected directly to the de-wrinkling head by the line 2.
The de-wrinkling head 1 comprises a body having a cylindrical rear portion forming a handle 3 and a flared front portion 4 formed in the longitudinal extension of the handle 3. The flared front portion 4 has a flat surface 5 with an overall triangular contour, with curved sides and a front tip 50 formed in the longitudinal extension of the handle 3, the flat surface 5 making a ca. 25° angle with the longitudinal direction of the handle 3.
Preference is given to the handle 3 and the flared front portion 4 of the de-wrinkling head 1 being assembled from two half-shells 11, 12, which are made of plastic and visible in
According to
According to
More particularly according to the invention, the de-wrinkling head 1 comprises a controllable device for reducing the flow area provided by the steam exit holes 51, 52 of the sole 13.
In this first embodiment, the device comprises a switch 7 making it possible to reduce, even block, the steam flow transmitted toward the second group of steam exit holes 52 in such a way that a greater portion of the steam flow produced by the base, even the entirety of said steam flow, is sent through the first group of steam exit holes 51.
The switch 7 is advantageously disposed near the front end of the handle 3 and is mounted for translatory movement on the body of the de-wrinkling head 1.
According to the first embodiment of the invention, the switch 7 is connected by a lever 8 to a cover 9 mounted for translatory movement on the sole such that the translatory movement of the switch 7 along the de-wrinkling head induces the translatory movement of the cover 9 along the sole 13 in an essentially opposite direction.
According to
In the special exemplary embodiment illustrated in the figures, the lever 8 is rotatably mounted on the manifold 6 by means of a circular sector 80 disposed essentially at mid-height on the lever 8, which pivots in a circular recess 62 formed on the upper face of the manifold 6, said circular recess 62 having a slot allowing the passage of the lower portion of the lever 8, which is visible in
As can be seen in
The mechanism thus embodied enables the switch 7 to assume a first position illustrated in
The switch 7 can also assume a second position, namely a steam concentration position shown in
When the switch 7 is in the second position, the de-wrinkling head 1 thus embodied therefore makes it possible to concentrate the steam flow on the first group of steam exit holes 51, i.e. on the holes disposed near the front tip 50 of the surface 5.
Concentrating the steam flow on a limited number of holes in this manner has the advantage of making it possible to obtain a powerful and precise steam flow for more effectively targeting a particular area to de-wrinkle.
In this variant of embodiment, the sole 13A comprises a single steam exit hole 51A in lieu of the first and second groups of steam exit holes. According to this figure, the steam exit hole 51A advantageously has the form of a V-shaped slot that extends over the area of the sole initially having the two groups of steam exit holes.
The functioning of the de-wrinkling head 1 equipped with the sole 13A thus embodied is otherwise similar to that described above.
Indeed, when the cover 9 is in the retracted position (illustrated with a solid outline in
When the cover 9 is in the flow area restriction position (illustrated with dashes in
Concentrating the steam flow on a limited zone of the steam exit hole 51A in this manner has the advantage of making it possible to obtain a powerful and precise steam flow for more effectively targeting a particular area to de-wrinkle.
In this second embodiment, the de-wrinkling head 101 comprises a body having a cylindrical rear portion forming a handle 103 in which the line 102 engages, and further comprises a flared front portion 104 formed in the longitudinal extension of the handle 103.
According to
In a manner similar to the first embodiment, the sole 113 comprises a flat surface 105 equipped with a first group of steam exit holes 151 having three holes distributed in a V near the front tip 150 of the surface 105 and with a second group of steam exit holes 152 comprising two times three holes disposed in the extension of the holes disposed in a V of the first group 151 of steam exit holes.
According to
The de-wrinkling head 1 comprises a switch 107 disposed near the front end of the handle 103 that makes it possible to reduce, even block, the steam flow transmitted toward the second group of steam exit holes 152 in such a way that a greater portion of the steam flow produced by the base, even the entirety of this steam flow, is sent through the first group of steam exit holes 151.
More particularly according to this second embodiment, the switch 107 is pivot-mounted on the body of the de-wrinkling head 101 and comprises a lower face abutting with a push-piece 108A disposed at the end of a rod 108 mounted on the manifold 106 for translatory movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the surface 105.
The lower end of the rod 108 comprises two transversal arms 108B, which are visible in
According to
The switch 107 can also be moved by pressing it manually into a second, so-called steam concentration position illustrated in
Exactly as in the first embodiment, the de-wrinkling head 101 thus embodied makes it possible to obtain a steam flow that can be distributed over the entirety of the first and second groups of steam exit holes 151, 152 when the switch 107 is in the resting position, or concentrated only on the first group of steam exit holes 151, in other words on the holes disposed near the front tip 150 of the surface 105 when the user moves the switch 107 into the second position by pressing it.
Exactly as in the first embodiment, in a variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the de-wrinkling head could obviously likewise comprise a sole equipped with a single steam exit hole in the shape of an elongate slot, a portion of which would be covered by the cover when the user moves the switch into the second position by pressing it.
Similarly to the first and second embodiments, the de-wrinkling head 201 comprises a body having a cylindrical rear portion forming a handle 203 in which the line 202 is engaged, and a flared front portion 204 formed in the longitudinal extension of the handle 203.
According to
Similarly to the first embodiment, the sole 213 comprises a surface 205 advantageously equipped with a first group of steam exit holes 251 having three holes distributed in a V near the front tip 250 of the surface 205, and with a second group of steam exit holes 252 having two times three holes disposed in the extension of the holes disposed in a V of the first group of steam exit holes 251.
According to
The de-wrinkling head 201 comprises a switch 207 that is pivot mounted on the body of the de-wrinkling head 201 near the front end of the handle 203, the switch 207 making it possible to reduce, even block, the steam flow transmitted toward the second group of steam exit holes 252 in such a way that a greater portion of the steam flow produced by the base, even the entirety of this steam flow, is sent through the first group of steam exit holes 251.
More particularly according to the third embodiment of the invention, the switch 207 comprises a lower face abutting with a crosspiece 208 linking two partitions 209, the crosspiece 208 being mounted, for translatory movement in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the surface 205, on a rod 206A with a square cross section borne by the manifold 206.
According to
The two partitions 209 have a flat lower end 209A facing grooves 254 formed on the sole 213, the holes of the first group of steam exit holes 251 being disposed in the space formed between the two grooves 254 and the holes of the second group of steam exit holes 252 being disposed outside this space.
According to
By pressing it by hand, the switch 207 can also be moved into a second, or steam concentration, position shown in
Exactly as in the preceding two embodiments, the de-wrinkling head 201 thus embodied makes it possible to obtain a steam flow that can either be distributed over the entirety of the first and second groups of steam exit holes 251, 252 when the switch 207 is in the resting position, or concentrated essentially on just the holes of the first group of steam exit holes 251, i.e. the ones disposed near the front tip 250 of the surface 205, when the user moves the switch 207 into the steam concentration position.
Such a concentration of the steam flow on a limited number of steam exit holes near the front tip of the flat surface has the advantage of making it possible to obtain a powerful and precise steam flow suitable for more effectively targeting a specific zone to de-wrinkle.
By means of an easily and cost-effectively implemented solution, such a design thus makes it possible to improve the performances of a vertical de-wrinkling appliance that utilizes a steam flow.
Indeed, the appliance thus embodied enables rapid and effective treatment of clothes made of fabrics highly permeable to steam when the switch is in the first position, owing to the distribution of steam via a large number of steam exit holes covering a large treatment surface.
Conversely, when the user wishes to de-wrinkle a garment made of a fabric that is relatively impermeable to steam and that requires a more rapid steam flow, or when said user wishes to treat a specific zone of the garment, all that is necessary is to move the switch into the second position in order to obtain more powerful steam jets via a limited number of steam exit holes.
An appliance with improved versatility and effectiveness in terms of treating garments is thus obtained.
Obviously the invention is not limited in any way to the embodiment described and illustrated here, which was only given as an example. Modifications are still possible, particularly from the standpoint of the constitution of the diverse elements or by substituting equivalent techniques, without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention in any way.
In a variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the steam flow toward the second group of steam exit holes could thus be blocked by means of a cover that is moved manually on the outer surface of the sole in such a way as to cover and block off the holes of the second group of steam exit holes.
In a variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the flat surface receiving the steam exit holes could thus make an angle of ca. 60° with the longitudinal direction of the handle.
In another variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the surface receiving the steam exit holes could thus have a curved shape.
In a variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the movable member could thus be movable in rotation for switching from the retracted position to the restriction position.
In a variant of embodiment not illustrated here, the control switch of the cover or of the partitions could thus consist of an adjustment wheel that turns about the handle.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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16 52447 | Mar 2016 | FR | national |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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2241945 | Cissell | May 1941 | A |
8347531 | Krebs et al. | Jan 2013 | B2 |
Number | Date | Country |
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2746460 | Jun 2014 | EP |
1560114 | Mar 1969 | FR |
2912429 | Aug 2008 | FR |
2971796 | Aug 2012 | FR |
1215764 | Dec 1970 | GB |
2005068706 | Jul 2005 | WO |
Entry |
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Chelle, Jacky, FR 2971796 Espacenet translation, Domestic iron, has ironing plate, inlet channel that is integrated into sole, outlet formed in cover resulting in network of vapor diffusion in direction of one of groups of steam outlet holes, and joint reducing or blocking vapor supply, 2012 (Year: 2012). |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20170275809 A1 | Sep 2017 | US |