EP0592334B1 - Steam iron comprising a grid for distributing the water - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the technical field general vaporization devices, and in particular steam irons in which it is necessary ensure the vaporization of a liquid before its expulsion in the form of vapor.

The present invention relates to an iron with steam comprising an ironing sole, means of heating, and a vaporization chamber provided with a coating favoring the vaporization of the ironing, usually water.

It is already known in the prior art to improve the water spray quality by applying to the bottom of the steam chamber of the iron, a coating, such as sodium silicate. This product, or others equivalent products, are known for their properties hydrophilic and wettability ensuring spreading and diffusion of water on the bottom of the vaporization chamber. This gives better vaporization of the water, resulting in a decrease in the emission of water in the form liquid via vapor outlets located under the sole.

However, it turns out that the use of such coatings is not able to ensure a good quality of vaporization, especially in modern irons whose vapor flows are high and for example equal or more than 30 grams per minute. So the coatings of sodium silicate type have a resistance that may qualify as insufficient for thermal shock, and a limited adhesion to the bottom of the spray chamber. There was also a marked trend towards dissolution of these products in water thus greatly reducing the duration of life of irons.

Furthermore, it is known in the prior art, from through document DE-A-3006783, to have a wire grid directly on the bottom of a non-coated spray chamber promoting the vaporization of water.

The mounting of such a grid does not, however, limit sufficient the phenomenon of heat build-up and performance vaporization are thus insufficient for a use of an iron which requires a quantity of steam important.

It has also already been noted that during the handling of the iron during the ironing operation, the mass of water contained in the vaporization chamber was subject to movement continuous. Such movements affect good distribution of water, and negatively affect the amount water spray.

The object assigned to the invention therefore aims to remedy the various drawbacks listed above and to provide a steam iron whose quality vaporization is improved regardless of handling or movement to which the iron is subjected.

Another object of the invention is to provide an iron for iron with steam, the distribution of water in the vaporization chamber is improved using means particularly simple and effective.

The objects assigned to the invention are achieved using a steam iron with a soleplate ironing, heating means and a vaporization provided with a coating favoring the water spray characterized in that the spraying has a grid above the coating water distribution.

• La figure 1 représente selon une vue en perspective éclatée un fer à repasser conforme à l'invention pourvu d'une grille de répartition.
• La figure 2 représente selon une vue en coupe transversale longitudinale un fer à repasser conforme à l'invention pourvu d'une grille de répartition associée à deux couches de matériaux.
• La figure 3 montre selon une vue en coupe transversale partielle un détail de réalisation de la structure du fond de la chambre de vaporisation.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention will emerge more clearly on reading the description given below, by way of nonlimiting example with reference to the appended drawings in which:

• Figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an iron according to the invention provided with a distribution grid.
• Figure 2 shows in a longitudinal cross-sectional view an iron according to the invention provided with a distribution grid associated with two layers of material.
• Figure 3 shows in a partial cross sectional view a detail of the structure of the bottom of the vaporization chamber.

Figure 1 shows an iron soleplate according to the invention comprising an ironing sole 1 provided with steam passage openings 2, on which is fixed by any suitable means a heating sole 3 metallic provided with a heating means 4 constituted by example of an armored resistor. The heated sole 3 internally defines in a manner known per se, a room spray 5 connected by at least one channel 6 to a series of perforations 7 in relation to the orifices of vaporization 2. The entire heating sole 3 is intended to be closed by a cap 8 attached to said heating sole 3. The vaporization chamber 5 is in relationship with the iron tank (not shown) in the figures) by means of a bore 9 arranged at through the cap 8 above said chamber spray 5.

In its simplest variant, iron ironing board according to the invention comprises a spray 5 provided with a coating 11 (FIGS. 2 and 3), extending at least in part on the bottom of said chamber to promote the vaporization of water. The coating 11 comprises at least one layer of a material having hydrophilic and / or wettability properties intended for favor respectively, the spreading of water on the surface of the coating 11, and its absorption in the thickness of said coating. Advantageously, the coating 11 has also bonding properties favoring its adhesion On the bottom of the vaporization chamber 5. Advantageously, also, the coating 11 will be chosen from the materials having good thermal insulation properties of so as to constitute a thermal brake allowing a relative lowering of the chamber temperature spraying 5 to promote spraying. The coating 11 thus forms a first layer which can be advantageously chosen from materials such as sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, paints or varnishes, cements (Fiber Frax), compounds based on silica, carbonates, metal oxides, enamels, or compounds capable of being deposited in the form of a deposit plasma.

In its simplest variant, the spray 5 has a grid above the covering 11 15 of water distribution. The latter preferably extends over the entire bottom of the vaporization chamber 5 and is advantageously in direct contact with said bottom. The grid 15 can obviously be arranged at a distance above from the bottom of the vaporization chamber 5, and by example at 1 or 2 mm. The grid 15 is provided, at least at least right of drilling 9 of means 16 of deflection and distribution of water on the surface of the coating 11. De preferably the deflection and distribution means 16 consist of a series of strips 16 (a) projecting above of the lower extension plane P of grid 15. The grid 15 defines as shown for example in the Figure 1, a series of openings 17 forming the mesh of said grid 15. Advantageously the strips 16a surround at least partially, and preferably the openings completely 17. The height of the strips 16a from the plane P is advantageously of an average value between 0.5 and 5 mm, and preferably between 1 and 3 mm. The cross section of the strips 16a is advantageously comparable to a rhombus, one of the vertices is oriented in such a way that it constitutes the point the highest of the strap height as it is shown in Figure 3. The two upper faces 16b of strips 16a thus constitute deflection surfaces and distribution of the water intended to be vaporized, and thus evenly distribute the volume of water in the openings 17, and consequently over the entire surface of the vaporization chamber 5. The surfaces 16b may well obviously be flat or curved, or even can be irregular and for example provided with notches or ridges. The shape of the openings 17 can be hexagonal, in nest bee, square and is preferably also assimilable to a rhombus. Preferably, the grid 15 is produced in a expanded metal, preferably aluminum or alloy aluminum, or even any other stainless metal.

According to another alternative embodiment of the invention, the grid 15 can be coated, at least partially, with a hydrophilic material with properties of wettability. Preferably the grid 15 is coated in an entire layer of sodium silicate to promote spreading the water at the same level as the grid 15.

According to another alternative embodiment, as shown in Figure 1 the coating comprises in addition to the first layer coating 11, a second layer 20 consisting of a permeable, filamentary and / or fibrous material having hydrophilic and wettability properties. The second layer 20 preferably extends over the entire surface of the first coating layer 11, and is chosen from materials such as glass mat, felts or fibers aramids (NOMEX), mineral fibers, carbon, veranes (fiberglass), fabrics metallic, or expanded micro-metal fabrics. such as this is shown in figure 1, the second layer 20 can be made of a material having a shape mesh square or diamond for example, medium size lower than the mesh of the grid 15 in order to constitute a second level of bursting and channeling of the drops of water. Advantageously, also, the second layer 20 is made of a material including in its structure an element thermal conductor such as metallic paste aluminum or zinc. We thus jointly ensure at the second layer 20 both a distribution mechanical water drops across the thickness and at the surface of said layer 20, and a pre-vaporization of water by the additional thermal contribution provided by the dough metallic. The second layer 20 is advantageously made in a material with an average grammage between 30 and 500 grams per square meter and preferably between 100 and 150 grams per square meter.

The grid 15 is held in abutment against the second layer 20 by any suitable means, for example using a plate 25 also ensuring the closure of the chamber vaporization 5. In such a case the grid 15 forms a cradle (Figure 2), also extending against the walls side of the vaporization chamber 5, held in compression position by plate 25.

The functioning of the assembled iron soleplate in an iron conforming to a preferred version of the invention is as follows.

The water from the tank is poured out through the piercing 9 in the vaporization chamber 5 and the drops of water undergo a first mechanical burst at the level of the grid 15 and advantageously strips 16a. This first mechanical effect ensures a first distribution of the drops in the vaporization chamber 5. The distribution of the drops of water is then accentuated during the passage of the drops to the level of the second layer 20 which undergo a spreading at level of the surface of said layer, then a diffusion and spreading in the thickness of said layer 20. Finally, the distribution of water drops can be considered optimal and complete at the level of the coating 11 thus forming the third level of distribution. Besides, it turns out than using grid 15 as part of compression ensures, together with the bonding properties and adhesion of the coating 11, a mechanical strength of particularly high and stable multi-layer assembly in time. It has finally been found that whatever handling and moving the iron during the ironing operation, the preferred areas of diffusion of water drops was particularly reduced. Indeed, the deflection and the distribution of water can be considered satisfactory upon contact of the drops with level of the grid 15, each opening 17 channeling the water drops and preventing or at least strongly limiting all transverse movements of the water drops. Good results are obtained with the combination of a grid 15 and of a coating 11.

It is obvious that all of the materials used must be chosen to withstand conventional thermal stresses involved in any iron iron.

Claims (15)

1. A steam iron including an ironing soleplate (1), heater means (4), and a steam-generating chamber (5) provided with a lining (11, 20) for improving steam generation, said iron being characterized in that the steam-generating chamber (5) contains a water distributor grid (15) above the lining (11, 20), said lining (11, 20) comprising at least one layer of a material having hydrophilic and/or wettability properties.
2. An iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the grid (15) is provided with deflector and distributor means (16) for deflecting and distributing the water above and on the surface of the lining (11, 20).
3. An iron according to claim 2, characterized in that the deflector and distributor means (16) consist in a series of strips (16a) projecting above the plan (P) in which the grating (15) extends.
4. An iron according to claim 3, characterized in that the strips (16a) surround at least partially the openings (17) forming the mesh of the grid (15).
5. An iron according to claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the strips (16a) have a mean height lying in the range 0.5 mm to 5 mm, and preferably in the range 1 mm to 3 mm.
6. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the grid (15) is lined with a hydrophilic material that has wettability properties, preferably such as sodium silicate, so as to improve spreading of the water.
7. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the grid (15) abuts directly against the lining (11).
8. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the grid (15) is made of an expanded metal, preferably aluminium or an aluminum alloy.
9. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the lining (11, 20) comprises a first layer (11) of a material having hydrophilic, wettability, thermal insulation, and bonding properties, to which layer a second layer (20) adheres, the second layer (20) being of a material that is permeable, filamentary and/or fibrous, and that has hydrophilic and wettability properties.
10. An iron according to claim 9, characterized in that the first layer (11) is chosen from sodium silicate, calcium carbonate, paints or varnishes, cements, compounds based on silica, carbonates, metallic oxides, enamels, or compounds suitable for being deposited in the form of plasma deposits.
11. An iron according to claim 9, characterized in that the material of the second layer (20) is chosen from materials such as glass mats, aramid fibers or felts, inorganic fibers, carbon fibers, glass fiber, metal fabrics, and expanded micro-metal fabrics.
12. An iron according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the second layer (20) is made of a material including in its structure a heat-conducting element, such as zinc or aluminum metallic paste.
13. An iron according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the second layer (20) is made in a material having a weight lying in the range 30 grams per square meter to 500 grams per square meter, and preferably in the range 100 grams per square meter to 150 grams per square meter.
14. An iron according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the second layer is made of a material having a mesh of mean size smaller than that of the mesh of the grid (15).
15. An iron according to any preceding claim, characterized in that the grid (15) forms a cradle held in a compressed position against the second layer (20).

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