CN108611831B

CN108611831B - Steam ironing device comprising a steam generating base and an iron connected to each other by a conduit

Info

Publication number: CN108611831B
Application number: CN201711319161.7A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 弗雷德里克·科莱
Original assignee: SEB SA
Current assignee: SEB SA
Priority date: 2016-12-13
Filing date: 2017-12-12
Publication date: 2021-11-12
Anticipated expiration: 2037-12-12
Also published as: CN208151736U; FR3060030A1; EP3336242A1; FR3060030B1; CN108611831A

Abstract

The invention relates to a steam ironing device comprising a steam generating base (100) and an iron (1), the steam generating base (100) and the iron (1) being connected to each other by a conduit (101) for transporting steam, the iron (1) comprising an ironing surface, a heating sole plate (3) for heating the ironing surface, and an evaporation chamber (43) for evaporating condensate carried by steam from the conduit (101), the heating sole plate (3) comprising a first electrical resistance (31), the first electrical resistance (31) being arranged in alignment with a hot area of the ironing surface, the evaporation chamber (43) being arranged in a heating body (4), the heating body (4) comprising a second electrical resistance (41), the evaporation chamber (43) being arranged in alignment with a cold area of the ironing surface, the cold area comprising a steam outlet aperture (20), characterized in that the steam output aperture (20) is supplied with steam by a steam diffusion chamber (7), the steam diffusion chamber (7) being arranged outside the evaporation chamber (43) between the evaporation chamber (43) and a cold region of the ironing surface.

Description

Steam ironing device comprising a steam generating base and an iron connected to each other by a conduit

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a steam ironing device comprising a steam generating base and an iron connected to each other by a conduit for transporting steam, wherein the iron comprises an ironing surface, a heating sole plate for heating the ironing surface, and a vaporizing chamber for vaporizing condensate entrained by steam from the conduit. The invention relates in particular to an ironing apparatus comprising an iron in which the heating soleplate comprises a first electrical resistance arranged in alignment with a hot area of the ironing surface and in which an evaporation chamber is arranged in a heating body comprising a second electrical resistance, the heating body being arranged in alignment with a cold area of the ironing surface, the cold area comprising steam outlet holes.

Background

It is known in patent application EP1852544 to disclose a steam ironing device comprising an external water container connected by a conduit to an iron having such characteristics. However, this device has the disadvantage of having a complex construction and of placing the insulating means between the different parts of the ironing surface, which results in high manufacturing costs. Moreover, such a device does not allow to wet the fabric being ironed sufficiently to obtain an optimal ironing performance and does not allow to provide a very large steam flow.

Disclosure of Invention

The present invention therefore aims to overcome these drawbacks by providing an ironing device comprising a steam generating base connected to an iron by means of a steam conduit, which has improved ironing performance. Another object of the invention is to provide a device that is simple and economical to implement.

The present invention therefore relates to a steam ironing device, comprising a steam generating base and an iron, the steam generating base and the iron being connected to each other by a conduit for transporting steam, the iron comprising an ironing surface, a heating sole plate for heating the ironing surface and an evaporation chamber for evaporating condensate entrained by steam from the conduit, the heating soleplate comprising a first electrical resistance, which is arranged in alignment with a hot area of the ironing surface, the evaporation chamber being arranged in a heating body comprising a second electrical resistance, the evaporation chamber being arranged in alignment with a cold region of the ironing surface, the cold zone comprising a steam outlet hole supplied with steam by a steam diffusion chamber, the steam diffusion chamber is arranged outside the evaporation chamber, between the evaporation chamber and the cold area of the ironing surface.

Arranged in line with said area means that the component is arranged above the area when the iron is placed horizontally on the ironing surface.

The device thus realised has the advantage of having a heated soleplate used as a hot area for mainly heating the ironing surface, which allows to obtain a high temperature at the level of the hot area of the ironing soleplate, which has a cold area, with a much smaller heat flow being transported by the hot soleplate towards the cold area. Furthermore, the cold area of the ironing surface is used to diffuse the steam generated by the evaporation chamber, which is diffused without flowing on the heating sole plate, but remains in the environment of the cold area being ironed, which at the same time allows to avoid overheating of the steam and excessive heating of the cold area by the steam, when it is conveyed from the evaporation chamber towards the steam outlet hole of the cold area. Thus, an iron is obtained having a configuration that allows to obtain a large thermal gradient between a cold area of the ironing surface for diffusing the steam and a hot area for drying the garment, said cold area facilitating the condensation of the steam in the garment and the moistening of the garment.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the thermal zone corresponds to a minimum closed convex surface in which the perpendicular projection of the first resistance is contained.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating soleplate and the heating body do not contact each other in an area aligned with the cold area of the ironing surface.

Preferably, the heating soleplate and the heating body are in contact with each other only at contact surfaces which are distributed at the periphery of the cold area along a perpendicular projection on the ironing surface, so as to establish a controlled thermal gradient between the cold area and the heating soleplate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating sole plate has a zero material thickness opposite the cold area, or between the cold area and the hot area, or at least is reduced with respect to the thickness of the heating sole plate opposite the hot area.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body and the heating base plate are realized in two distinct parts, and the heating body is embedded on the heating base plate.

This feature allows to reduce the heat exchange between the heating body and the heating soleplate, which allows to thermally separate the heating body and the heating soleplate and to more easily control the temperature thereof.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam diffusion chamber is located outside the space swept by the hot area of the ironing surface, when the hot area moves in a plane perpendicular to the ironing surface.

This configuration allows the vapor diffusion chamber to be kept away from the environment that is overheated by the heated soleplate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first electrical resistance is a sheathed electrical resistance of substantially U-shape, the vapor diffusion chamber being located outside the space swept by the resistance when said resistance is moved in a plane perpendicular to the ironing surface.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the supply of said first resistance is regulated by a first thermostat.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the first thermostat comprises a preset temperature or starting temperature, the preset temperature being comprised between 90 ℃ and 240 ℃.

This feature allows to obtain a hot zone whose temperature can be adjusted according to the fabric to be ironed.

According to another feature of the invention, the preset temperature of the first thermostat is adjustable by the user.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the supply of the second resistor is regulated by a second thermostat, the preset or starting temperature of which is comprised between 100 ℃ and 135 ℃.

This feature allows to obtain a strong humidity of the steam at the outlet of the evaporation chamber, so as to obtain a better ironing performance.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the preset temperature of the second thermostat is not adjustable by the user.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the preset temperature of the second thermostat is automatically adjusted by the control unit according to the preset temperature of the first thermostat or according to the measurement of the temperature of the heating soleplate.

This feature allows the preset temperature of the second thermostat to be automatically increased when the temperature of the heated soleplate drops below a predetermined threshold.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cold zone is provided on the front half of the ironing surface and the hot zone is provided on the rear half of the ironing surface.

This feature allows, when moving the iron towards the front, to use the moist steam released through the cold areas of the soleplate for wetting the fabric to be ironed a first time, and then to use the hot areas for drying the fabric.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam outlet apertures of the cold zone are distributed over a width on the ironing surface which represents at least 40% of the maximum width of the ironing surface, and preferably more than 65% of the maximum width.

This feature allows to have a greater portion of the ironing surface contributing to moistening the garment when the iron is moved from back to front, in order to obtain a higher ironing efficiency.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam outlet holes of the cold area are distributed over a length on the ironing surface which represents at least 40% of the total length of the ironing surface.

This feature allows to have a greater portion of the ironing surface contributing to moistening the garment when the iron is moved sideways, so as to obtain a higher ironing efficiency.

According to another feature of the invention, the hot area of the ironing surface comprises steam outlet holes.

This feature allows to improve ironing performance when the iron is moved from front to back.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the ironing surface is carried by a cover formed in a single piece, which is embedded under the heating soleplate.

This feature allows to simplify the construction of the iron and provides a greater freedom of design.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the cover is realized in aluminium or steel plate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heated soleplate comprises an opening opposite the cold area of the ironing surface, which opening is at least partially obscured by the cover.

Such an opening allows to greatly limit the heat exchange between the cold area of the ironing surface and the heated soleplate by implementing a simple and economical mechanism.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body is mechanically connected to the heating soleplate by fixing points provided at the edges of the opening.

According to another characteristic of the invention, a sealing gasket is provided between the heating body and the edge of the opening of the heating soleplate.

This feature allows at the same time to limit the heat transfer between the heating body and the heating base plate and to ensure the tightness of the diffusion chamber.

According to another feature of the invention, the opening extends in width over more than 40% of the width of the ironing surface and preferably over more than 65% of the width of the ironing surface.

The width of the ironing surface refers to the width of the ironing surface at the height of the opening.

This feature allows to obtain a cold zone of greater width on the ironing surface, for better moistening of the garment.

Preferably, the opening extends over more than 40% of the maximum width of the ironing surface in width, and preferably over more than 65% of the maximum width of the ironing surface.

The maximum width refers to the total width of the ironing surface.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a collector arranged in the opening, the collector comprising an aperture opposite each steam outlet aperture of the cold area of the ironing surface.

This feature allows to pre-orient the steam flow in the direction of the steam output holes towards the cold areas of the ironing surface, so as to limit the heat exchange established between the steam flow and the heating soleplate and avoid heating of the steam.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the collector is fixed to the heating body.

This feature allows to have a collector in thermal contact with the heating body, which collector typically has a lower temperature than the heating soleplate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the collector is realized in stainless steel or aluminium alloy sheet.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam generating base comprises a tank for generating steam under pressure.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body and/or the heating sole plate are realized in aluminium castings.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the evaporation chamber comprises means for separating the vapour condensate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the separation means of the condensate comprise a circuit for circulation of the vapour, having an abrupt change of direction, and comprising a holding cavity for the condensate downstream of the abrupt change of direction.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the evaporation chamber comprises a junction, which is used as a temperature measurement point of the second thermostat, close to the holding cavity for the condensate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the temperature of the front half of the ironing surface is maintained between 95 ℃ and 130 ℃ when the iron is in operation and whatever the preset temperature of the hot zone.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the ironing surface is flat.

Drawings

The objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood from the following description of several embodiments thereof, given by way of non-limiting example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a side view of an ironing apparatus according to the present invention;

figure 2 is a top perspective view of a sub-assembly of an iron fitted with the ironing apparatus of figure 1, realised according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

figure 3 is an exploded perspective view of the subassembly of figure 2;

figure 4 is a top view of the subassembly of figure 2, not equipped with a closing lid;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view along the line V-V of FIG. 4;

figure 6 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the subassembly shown in figure 5;

figure 7 is a bottom perspective view of the subassembly of figure 5 with the cover unassembled;

figure 8 is a cross-sectional view of the subassembly according to the second embodiment, along a section plane similar to that of figure 5;

figure 9 is an exploded perspective view of a subassembly according to a third embodiment of the invention;

figure 10 is a bottom perspective view of the subassembly of figure 9 with the cover unassembled;

figure 11 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the subassembly of figure 10;

figure 12 is a bottom perspective view of a sub-assembly according to a fourth embodiment of the invention;

figure 13 is a partially cut-away perspective view of the subassembly of figure 12.

Detailed Description

Only the elements necessary for an understanding of the present invention are shown. To facilitate reading of the drawings, like elements between different drawings bear like reference numerals.

It is noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear" used to describe the iron refer to the iron in a state of use when the ironing board is placed on a horizontal surface.

Fig. 1 shows an ironing apparatus comprising a steam generating base 100 and an iron 1, said steam generating base 100 and iron 1 being connected to each other by a conduit 101, said iron 1 comprising a housing realized in plastic material integrating a grip handle.

The base 100 comprises an inclined plane against which the iron 1 can rest during the rest phase of ironing and the base 100 contains, in a known manner, a tank 102 for generating steam at a pressure of about 4 to 6 bar, the tank 102 being supplied with water from a reservoir 103 by a pump 104.

The base 100 is connected to the household electrical grid by means of an electric cord 105, said cord 105 allowing both to power the heating means of the tank 102 and to power the iron 1 through the conduit 101.

As shown in fig. 2 to 7, the iron 1 comprises a cover 2, the cover 2 comprising a flat lower surface defining an ironing surface for contact with the garment, the cover 2 being connected to a heating sole plate 3, the heating sole plate 3 comprising a substantially flat lower wall directly in contact with the cover 2, the lower wall being affixed to the heating sole plate 3 by means of a silicone adhesive.

The cover 2 is advantageously made of an aluminium plate, approximately 1.4mm thick, covered with enamel on its underside and comprising a front portion, which is arranged in front of a transverse axis Y passing through the middle of the cover 2 and has a substantially triangular shape with a tip at its front end, and a rear portion, arranged behind the transverse axis Y, with a wider width and with a rounded rear edge at the end.

Preferably, said heating soleplate 3 is constituted by an aluminium casting in which a heating element is embedded, said heating element being realized by a U-shaped armoured first electrical resistance 31, which first electrical resistance 31 extends only in the rear portion of the heating soleplate 3, which rear portion of said heating soleplate 3 is mounted on the rear portion of said cover 2, so as to create a hot zone at the rear portion of the cover 2, where the temperature of the ironing surface is highest.

The power supply of said first resistor 31 is regulated by a first thermostat advantageously constituted by a relay controlled by an electronic card connected to an NTC probe, not shown in the figures, which abuts against a projection 32 arranged on the rear part of said heated soleplate 3.

The first electrical resistance 31 advantageously has a power of between 300W and 600W and the first thermostat comprises a preset temperature that can be adjusted by the user over a range advantageously between 90 ℃ and 240 ℃ and preferably between 110 ℃ and 200 ℃, corresponding to the temperature of the point a located in the hot area of the ironing surface, near the centre of the enclosure 2.

By way of example, the heating sole plate 3 can be realised by moulding in an aluminium alloy casting having a mass of about 175g, moulded on an armoured electrical resistance of about 450W power.

The heating soleplate 3 comprises, opposite the front portion of the enclosure 2, a front portion without heating elements, which comprises a transverse opening 30, said transverse opening 30 limiting the heat exchange by conduction between the heating soleplate 3 and the enclosure 2 and thus creating, in the front portion of the enclosure 2, a cold zone in which the temperature of the ironing surface is lower than in a hot zone located in the rear portion of the enclosure.

In the example shown in the figures, the opening 30 has a substantially triangular shape, which conforms to the shape of the front portion of the hood 2, the width of said opening 30 representing at least 65% of the width of the hood 2. The opening 30 further comprises, at its rear end, two projections extending on either side of the rounded front end of the first resistor 31.

As shown in fig. 3, iron 1 further comprises a heating body 4, said heating body 4 being fitted on said heating soleplate 3, this heating body 4 preferably being constituted by an aluminium casting in which a heating element is embedded, said heating element being constituted by a U-shaped armoured second electrical resistance 41, which also has a power advantageously comprised between 300W and 600W.

The heating body 4 is arranged above the opening 30 and has a substantially triangular profile substantially conforming to the shape of said opening 30, said heating body 4 comprising a peripheral edge comprising six fixing holes 40 for receiving stainless steel screws fixed to six fixing contacts 33, said six fixing contacts 33 being arranged on said heating base plate 3 at the edge of the opening 30, a sealing gasket 5 made of silicone advantageously being arranged between the heating body 4 and the heating base plate 3.

As shown in fig. 3 and 4, the heating body 4 comprises an upper face on which a peripheral wall 42 projects, said peripheral wall 42 laterally delimiting a space comprising an evaporation chamber 43 of the instantaneous evaporation type, said evaporation chamber 43 being arranged aligned with said cold area and closed at its upper end by a cover 6, said cover 6 resting on the upper edge of the peripheral wall 42.

By way of example, the heating body 4 can be realised by moulding in an aluminium alloy casting having a mass of about 175g, moulded on an armoured electric resistance having a power of about 450W, the cover 6 being realised in an aluminium alloy casting having a mass of about 80 g.

The cover 6 supports a second thermostat 60 fixed to a contact 44, said contact 44 projecting in the evaporation chamber 43 and passing through the cover 6, said second thermostat 60 being connected to a second resistance 41 in order to regulate the temperature of the evaporation chamber 43 to around a fixed preset temperature, which is not adjustable by the user, slightly greater than 100 ℃ and preferably about 105 ℃.

The second thermostat 60 is advantageously realized by a mechanical thermostat of the bimetallic type, requiring less precision for the temperature regulation of the heating body 4 than for the heating soleplate 3.

The lid 6 comprises a joint 61, said joint 61 being connected to a steam pipe, not shown in the figures, integrated in a duct 101 connecting the steam generating base 100 and the iron 1, which joint 61 allows the steam generated by the tank 102 to be used to supply the evaporation chamber 43.

As shown in fig. 4 to 6, the connection 61 opens into the evaporation chamber 43 at the injection point 45, through which the vapor is discharged by the injection point 45 through a separation device of the condensate, which comprises a first duct 43A and a second duct 43B, the first duct 43A extending helically around a circular central space where the junction 44 projects, the second duct 43B communicating with this central space through a side opening 43C. The second duct 43B extends outside the first duct 43A and has a shape such that the steam flow makes a 180 ° bend by passing from the first duct 43A to the second duct 43B through the side opening 43C. The second duct 43B then extends towards the direction of the front end of the heating body 4, where said second duct 43B communicates with two channels 46 passing through the heating body 4 in order to open onto the lower face of said heating body 4 in the vapor diffusion chamber 7, said vapor diffusion chamber 7 being arranged in the opening 30 of the heating sole plate 3 between the evaporation chamber 43 and the cover 2.

As shown in fig. 3 and 7, the evaporation chamber 7 allows supplying a first group 21 of steam outlet holes 20, located mainly in the front portion of said enclosure 2, in the cold area of the ironing surface, and a second group 22 of steam outlet holes 20, located in the rear portion of the enclosure 2, in the hot area of the ironing surface. The steam outlet holes 20 of said first set 21 are arranged mainly directly opposite the diffusion chamber 7, so that the steam diffused through these holes does not come into contact with the heating soleplate 3 and is not heated by this heating soleplate 3 before being diffused outside the hood 2.

Preferably, the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21 are distributed over the entire surface of the hood 2 on which said openings 30 are mounted, so as to diffuse the steam over a width corresponding to at least 65% of the width of the hood 2.

The steam outlet holes 20 of the second group 22 are supplied in an indirect manner with steam through a distribution channel 47 arranged on the rear part of the hood 2, the steam being diffused to the outside of the hood 2 after being heated at said distribution channel 47.

The operation of such an ironing apparatus and the advantages brought by such a structure will now be described.

At start-up of the apparatus, the tank 102 is heated and the water contained in the tank is heated to boiling, and steam under pressure generated by the tank 102 is transported through the conduit 101 towards the iron 1. As the steam is transported through the duct 101, the temperature of the steam decreases, so that condensate is formed in the steam flow reaching the iron 1.

As the vapor stream passes in the evaporation chamber 43, larger condensate is eliminated. In fact, the flow of steam through the first and

second channels

43A, 43B allows to separate the water vapour from the condensate, a sudden change of direction of the steam flow being established at the inlet of the second channel 43B, allowing to separate the steam flow from the condensate and to keep said condensate in the central space. Furthermore, the sudden increase in the passage section established at the central space of the evaporation chamber 43 allows to reduce the speed of the steam flow and to collect, by gravity, the condensate in the bottom of the central space, which is conveyed in the form of large drops or in the form of a liquid film, which is driven by the flow of the steam onto the walls of the evaporation chamber 43.

These condensates are gradually evaporated by the evaporation chamber 43, the energy consumed for evaporating the condensates having the advantage of contributing to a reduction in the temperature of the evaporation chamber 43 and therefore avoiding the evaporation chamber 43 being overheated by the heat flow generated by the heating of the soleplate 3 when the preset temperature of the heating soleplate 3 is greater than 200 ℃. Conversely, when the preset temperature of the first thermostat is low, close to 100 ℃, the presence of the second resistance 41, and the regulation of the second resistance 41 by the second thermostat 60, allows to maintain the temperature of the evaporation chamber 43 at a temperature close to 105 ℃, which allows to gradually evaporate the condensate collected in the central space.

This configuration of the evaporation chamber 43 allows obtaining, at the outlet of the evaporation chamber 43, a steam with only tiny water droplets, which passes through the channels 46 in order to be conveyed into the diffusion chamber 7 arranged above the front portion of the hood 2.

The diffusion chamber 7 is remote from the hot area of the enclosure 2, the steam located in the diffusion chamber 7 being diffused with a higher humidity through the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21, that is to say, the tiny drops of water carried along are applied to the fabric being ironed.

Thus, by means of the steam coming from the steam output holes 20 arranged in the front portion of the hood 2, a good moistening of the laundry is obtained.

In particular, this configuration allows to establish a large thermal gradient between point B, located in the cold region of the ironing surface, and point a, located in the hot region of the ironing surface, since the geometry allows to confine the heat flow between the centre of the enclosure 2, which is directly heated by the heating soleplate 3, and the front portion of the enclosure 2. In fact, when the point a of the hood 2 has a temperature of 180 ℃, the opening 30 arranged in the heating soleplate 3 allows limiting the maximum heat flow to around 18W, which can pass by conduction through the peripheral edge of the heating soleplate 3 laterally surrounding the opening 30.

Thus, the temperature of the heating soleplate 3, and therefore of the rear portion of the ironing surface, can be adjusted to around a preset temperature greater than 240 ℃, while maintaining the temperature in the front portion of the ironing surface, and in particular around point B, at around 100 ℃, which can reach a maximum temperature of about 130 ℃ as the case may be, over a peripheral area where the cover 2 is in contact with the peripheral edge of the heating soleplate 3 surrounding the opening 30.

The steam with high humidity released by the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21 can therefore condense rapidly in the thickness of the laundry, which allows to obtain better ironing performance, the condensation in the laundry being facilitated by the low temperature of the ironing surface, which is about 100 ℃, in the vicinity of the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21, which avoids overheating of the laundry.

Due to the heat distribution and the temperature of the diffused steam close to the condensation temperature, the wrinkle removing performance of fabrics such as linen or cotton, which require higher ironing temperatures, is improved.

Furthermore, when the iron is moved forward, the area of the garment previously wetted by the steam outlet holes 20 of the cold area of the ironing surface is dried by the rear portion of the ironing surface, which has a higher temperature, which allows to obtain a very good ironing performance.

When the preset temperature of the ironing surface is about 100 ℃, the temperature of the front portion of said enclosure 2 remains greater than 90 ℃, due to the heat exchange established by radiation with the heating body 4, by convection with the steam, or by conduction with the portion of the heating sole plate 3 surrounding the opening 30, which is sufficient to avoid the steam condensing directly on the enclosure 2 and at the same time forming, by capillarity, a wetting of the laundry, leading to an excessively long drying time.

Finally, the steam released by the steam output holes 20 of the second group 22 has the advantage of having a lower humidity than the steam released by the first group 21, since the reheating of the steam is carried out as it diffuses through the distribution channels of the heating soleplate 3, so that the release of steam through these holes does not hinder the drying of the laundry by the rear portion of the hood 2. Conversely, when only the rear portion of the enclosure 2 is used to iron a specific area of the garment, the presence of the second set 22 of steam outlet apertures 20 allows improving the efficiency of the iron, the iron 1 being moved only towards the rear over a specific area of the garment.

Fig. 8 shows a subassembly of an iron according to a second embodiment of the invention.

This sub-assembly differs from the iron described in the first embodiment in that the ironing surface is constituted directly by the flat lower face of the heating sole plate 3, and the iron does not comprise a cover fitted under the heating sole plate 3.

In this embodiment, the heating soleplate 3 comprises an area 34 in the front portion of the ironing surface, in which area 34 the thickness of the heating soleplate 3 is reduced, which area 34 is located at a through opening, which is preset in the first embodiment and advantageously has at least the area of the front portion of the ironing surface.

The thickness of the heating soleplate 3 is reduced at an area 34, which area 34 forms a cavity in the upper part of the heating soleplate 3, which cavity is closed in its upper part by the heating body 4 and constitutes with the heating body 4 a steam diffusion chamber 7, which area 34 of the heating soleplate is equipped with steam outlet holes 20.

The operation of the iron according to this second embodiment is similar to that for the iron of the first embodiment, the reduced thickness of the heating sole plate 3 at the area 34 allowing to limit the heat transfer by conduction through the heating sole plate 3 between the hot area located in the rear portion of the ironing surface and the cold area located in the front portion of the ironing surface.

Fig. 9 to 11 show a subassembly of an iron according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

This iron differs from the iron described in the first embodiment only in that it comprises, in addition to all the elements described in the first embodiment, a collector 8 arranged transversely with respect to the opening 30 of the heated soleplate 3.

The collector 8 is mechanically integral with the heating body 4 and has dimensions slightly smaller than those of the opening 30 so as to be positioned in the opening 30 without coming into contact with the heating soleplate 3.

The collector 8 is advantageously realised by punching of a stainless steel or aluminium alloy plate, which is inlaid on spikes projecting on the lower face of the heating body 4, the collector 8 preferably comprising a discharge hole 80 opposite each steam outlet hole 20 of the first group 21, so as to predetermine the flow of steam towards these steam outlet holes.

Such a collector 8 allows to further limit the heat exchange established between the steam flow and the heated soleplate 3, which allows to further reduce the steam temperature at the steam output apertures 20 of the first group 21, so as to achieve a greater degree of humidification of the laundry and better ironing performance.

Fig. 12 and 13 show a cover/heating sole plate/heating body subassembly of an iron according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in these figures, the iron according to this embodiment differs from the iron of the first embodiment by the presence of the collector 8 transversely with respect to the opening 30 of the heating sole plate 3, and by the shape of the cover 2.

In this embodiment, the collector 8 is equipped with outlet holes 80, said outlet holes 80 allowing, as in the third embodiment described above, to pre-orient the steam flow towards the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21, so as to limit the heat exchange established between the steam flow and the heated soleplate.

The iron further comprises a cover 2, said cover 2 having the characteristic of having a recessed area 23 in its front portion, at said recessed area 23 the cover 2 comprising a plane recessed by about 2 to 5mm with respect to an ironing plane of the cover 2 in contact with the garment.

As shown in fig. 11, the recessed area receives a portion of the steam outlet holes 20 of the first group 21, thus forming a cavity between the enclosure 2 and the garment to be ironed, in which the steam coming from the evaporation chamber 43 is diffused.

Such recessed areas 23 allow to further improve the moistening of the garments by limiting the heat exchange carried out between the hood 2 and the garments, the steam diffused into the cavity being condensed to a greater extent in the garments, because of the lower temperature thereof.

The invention is of course in no way limited to the embodiments shown and described, which are given by way of example only. Changes may be made, especially in matters of construction of different elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without exceeding the scope of the invention.

Thus, in a variant of embodiment not shown, the hood may comprise only the first set of steam outlet holes and not the second set of steam outlet holes.

In a variant embodiment that is not shown, the heating element can thus be realized by a flat heating element produced by screen printing.

In a variant embodiment, not shown, the preset temperature of the second thermostat can therefore be automatically adjusted by the control unit as a function of the preset temperature of the first thermostat or as a function of a measurement of the temperature of the heating soleplate.

Claims

1. Steam ironing device comprising a steam generating base (100) and an iron (1), the steam generating base (100) and the iron (1) being connected to each other by a conduit (101) for transporting steam, the iron (1) comprising an ironing surface, a heating sole plate (3) for heating the ironing surface, and a vaporizing chamber (43) for vaporizing condensate carried by steam from the conduit (101), the heating sole plate (3) comprising a first electrical resistance (31), the first electrical resistance (31) being arranged in alignment with a hot area of the ironing surface, the vaporizing chamber (43) being arranged in a heating body (4), the heating body (4) comprising a second electrical resistance (41), the vaporizing chamber (43) being arranged in alignment with a cold area of the ironing surface, the cold area comprising a first set of steam outlet holes (20), the hot area of the ironing surface comprising a second set of steam outlet holes, characterized in that the steam outlet holes (20) of the first set are supplied with steam by a steam diffusion chamber (7), the steam diffusion chamber (7) being arranged outside the evaporation chamber (43) between the evaporation chamber (43) and a cold region of the ironing surface, the steam outlet holes of the second group being supplied with steam by the steam diffusion chamber (7) through a distribution channel (47) of the heating soleplate (3), the heating body (4) and the heating soleplate (3) are realized in two different parts, and the heating body (4) is fitted on the heating soleplate (3), the heating soleplate and the heating body being in contact with each other only at the contact surface, the contact surface is distributed at the periphery of the cold zone along a perpendicular projection on the ironing surface so as to establish a controlled thermal gradient between the cold zone and the heated soleplate.

2. Ironing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the hot area of the ironing surface is defined as the smallest closed convex surface in which the perpendicular projection of the first electrical resistance (31) is contained, and in that the steam diffusion chamber (7) is located outside the space swept by the hot area of the ironing surface when the hot area moves in a plane perpendicular to the ironing surface.

3. Ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the supply of said first electric resistance (31) is regulated by a first thermostat.

4. Ironing apparatus according to claim 3, characterised in that the preset temperature of the first thermostat can be adjusted by the user.

5. Ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the supply of said second electric resistance (41) is regulated by a second thermostat (60), the preset temperature of said second thermostat (60) being comprised between 100 ℃ and 135 ℃.

6. Ironing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that said preset temperature of said second thermostat (60) is not adjustable by the user.

7. Ironing device according to any one of claims 1-2, characterised in that the cold area is provided on a front half of the ironing surface and the hot area is provided on a rear half of the ironing surface.

8. Ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that said ironing surface is carried by a cover (2) formed in a single piece, said cover (2) being embedded underneath said heating soleplate (3).

9. Ironing device according to claim 8, characterized in that the heated soleplate (3) comprises an opening (30) opposite the cold area of the ironing surface, which opening (30) is at least partially obscured by the cover (2).

10. Ironing apparatus according to claim 9, characterized in that said heating body (4) is mechanically connected to said heating soleplate (3) by fixing points provided at the edges of said opening (30).

11. Ironing apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that a sealing gasket (5) is provided between the heating body (4) and the edge of the opening (30).

12. Ironing device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that it comprises a collector (8) arranged in said opening (30), said collector (8) comprising an aperture (80) opposite each steam outlet aperture (20) of a cold area of the ironing surface.

13. Ironing device according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that the steam outlet apertures (20) of the cold area are distributed over a width on the ironing surface, said width representing at least 40% of the maximum width of the ironing surface.

14. Ironing device according to any one of claims 1-2, characterized in that the steam outlet apertures (20) of the cold area are distributed over a width on the ironing surface which represents more than 65% of the maximum width of the ironing surface.