EP0640713B1 - Iron for removing the lustre of the laundry - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an iron.

It often happens that ironing the linen slightly shines the fabric, especially when the iron is too hot or when the ironed fabric is sensitive. The buffing is often detectable with the shiny appearance which it gives to the laundry in a localized manner.

The user of the iron is then brought to brush the laundry using a suitable brush. However, this repeated action takes time. In addition, this requires constantly monitoring the condition of the fabrics during ironing to brush them if necessary.

An iron according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from document US-A-1,979,030.

This is why the present invention aims to provide an iron, the use of which dispenses with the brushing action usually consecutive to the ironing of fabrics sensitive to buffing.

The invention therefore relates to an iron comprising the features of claim 1.

The linen in contact with the sole is therefore also in contact with the fibers. When moving the iron on the laundry for ironing, the fibers brush the laundry. Ironing and sanding therefore take place simultaneously, during the same gesture of the user.

The user is therefore exempt from the specific manual brushing action as well as from permanent monitoring of the surface condition of the fabric.

According to various advantageous versions of the invention, the brushing fibers can comprise bristles, brushing fibers formed in the form of a velvet or else of a felt fabric.

The shine under the action of the bristles will be adapted to fabrics of ordinary resistance while the use of velvet or felt will be preferred for more delicate fabrics.

According to a preferred version of the invention, the iron comprises a cylindrical roller having on its periphery at least a part brushing fibers, the axis of the cylindrical roller being substantially parallel to the plane defined by the outer face of the sole and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the iron, the roller being mounted in rotation about its axis, the fibers being fixed to the roller by one of their ends towards the inside of the iron below said plane, the other end of the fibers extending outside the iron beyond said plane.

The roller may be free to rotate. In this case, the brushing fibers rub gently on the fabric. Depending on the stiffness of the bristles, they slightly penetrate the surface of the fabric from time to time in multiple places until the resistance opposed by the linen is sufficient for them to bend. When the iron advances, the roller turns and new bristles come into contact with the laundry. These multiple surface bites restore the linen to its original non-shiny appearance.

The roller can also be motorized. The brushing action of the laundry during ironing is then much more energetic.

According to another preferred version of the invention, the iron comprises a shoe comprising a flat surface lying substantially in the plane defined by the outer face of the soleplate of the iron, this surface having at least part of the brushing fibers.

This pad can be mounted resiliently relative to the iron so that in the relaxed position of the pad, said surfaceplane extends substantially outward from the iron, beyond said plane.

The pad produces friction and brushing comparable to the action of a manual brush.

• la figure 1 est une vue en élévation avec arrachement partiel d'un fer à repasser selon un premier mode deréalisation de l'invention;
• la figure 2 est une vue de la partie arrière du fer de la figure 1 durant son utilisation;
• la figure 3 est une vue en élévation de l'arrière d'un fer à repasser selon un deuxième mode de réalisation de l'invention.

Other characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the description which follows of several preferred embodiments of the invention. In the appended drawings given by way of nonlimiting examples:

• Figure 1 is an elevational view with partial cutaway of an iron according to a first embodiment of the invention;
• Figure 2 is a view of the rear part of the iron of Figure 1 during use;
• Figure 3 is an elevational view of the rear of an iron according to a second embodiment of the invention.

Figure 1 shows a first embodiment of the invention.

The iron 1 has at its base a sole 2 whose outer face is placed in contact with the linen during ironing.

The iron 1 comprises a member 3 carrying fibers 4 for brushing the laundry which is in contact with the sole 2.

The member 3 is a cylindrical roller 3 having on its periphery the fibers 4 which are bristles 4 in the present example. Depending on the characteristics desired for the bristles 4, in particular their rigidity, these will be of animal or synthetic origin.

The roller 3 is located at the rear of the iron 1, the axis 5 of the roller 3, inside the iron, being substantially parallel to the plane (p) defined by the outer face of the sole 2 and perpendicular to the direction longitudinal of iron 1.

The roller 3 is arranged so that the bristles 4 in contact with the linen are placed in the vicinity of the plane P defined by the outer face of the soleplate 2 of the iron.

The bristles 4 are fixed to the roller 3 by one of their ends 6 towards the inside of the iron below the plane P, that is to say above the plane P in FIG. 1.

Thus, the bristles 4 in contact with the linen extend substantially transversely to the plane P, their ends 6 and 7 being placed respectively on either side of the plane P.

The roller 3 is mounted in rotation about its axis 5.

The iron 1 comprises a motor 10 for rotating the roller 3 in the direction indicated by the arrow 15, namely the direction of progression of the iron on the laundry. The rotary movement produced by the motor around the axis 11 is transmitted to the roller 3 via the belt 12 possibly notched.

The handle 13 of the iron has a key 14 which is the motor control device 10, connected to the latter.

Under the action of the button 14, the roller 3 is rotated by the motor 10.

The roller 3 is mounted in "freewheel" so that when the motor 10 is stopped, the roller 3 is free to rotate around its axis 5 in the direction of the arrow 15.

The assembly constituted by the roller 3, the belt 12 and the motor 10 is integral with a support (not shown) internal to the iron 1, movable in vertical translation relative to the latter using conventional adapted means. The vertical translation of said support is controlled by the key 16 on the handle 13.

This translation is such that it allows the roller 3 to be retracted towards the inside of the iron. The retracted position 19 of the roller 3 is shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1. In this position, the bristles 4 are placed towards the inside of the iron entirely below the plane P defined by the outer face of the sole 2.

Alternatively, a version of the invention may be produced in which only the roller 3 is movable and retractable in translation, the motor 10 remaining fixed in the iron 1.

The embodiment of the invention which has just been described operates as illustrated in FIG. 2 and as indicated below.

The soleplate 2 of the iron 1 rests on the linen 17 placed on the ironing board 18.

As the motor 10 is not activated, the roller 3 is free to rotate and turns as the iron 1 advances on the laundry 17.

The bristles 4 slightly penetrate the surface of the fabric 17 punctually at multiple locations until the resistance opposed by the fabric is sufficient for them to bend.

When the iron 1 advances, the roller 3 rotates and new bristles 4 come into contact with the linen 17. The multiple pits on the surface restore its normal non-shiny appearance.

When the user presses the key 14, the motor 10 is started which causes the roller 3 to rotate in the direction of the arrow 15 as in FIG. 2.

The action of the roller 3 thus produces a brushing of the laundry 17 much more energetic than when using the roller 3 in freewheeling mode.

When the user does not wish to use the delustering device, he presses the key 16 which causes the roller to retract into position 19. The user then continues ironing as with an ordinary iron and the delustering no longer takes place .

According to a variant of this embodiment of the invention, the roller 3 is devoid of bristles but is coated on its periphery with a velvet or a felt fabric constituting the brushing fibers 4.

Of course, the diameter of the roller 3 and / or the position of the axis 5 will be adapted so that the surface of the felt or the pile is at the plane P, possibly very slightly beyond this plane P towards the outside of the iron.

The constitution of the other parts of the device and its use are similar.

This variant using felt and velvet is particularly suitable for delicate fabrics.

As is well known, the fibers of the surface of a pile have a common orientation. This orientation, which produces the characteristic reflections of velvet, is sensitive to touch. In one direction the velvet is slippery, in the other direction it offers resistance. We will therefore take care to arrange the pile in the direction producing resistance on the linen when the iron advances.

Figure 3 shows another embodiment of the invention in which the same elements have the same references.

In this embodiment, the member carrying the linen brushing fibers is a shoe 20.

The shoe 20 has a general shape of a rectangular parallelepiped. It is placed at the rear of the iron 1, in the vicinity of the plane P defined by the external face of the sole 2 of the iron.

The shoe 20 comprises a flat surface 21 lying substantially in the plane P. The flat surface 21 has the brushing fibers and for this purpose is covered with velvet or felt constituting the brushing fibers. As indicated above, the velvet will be arranged in the direction where the fibers of its surface offer resistance on the linen when advancing the iron.

The velvet or felt is placed in contact with the linen as an extension of the plane P.

At its front part, the shoe 20 is articulated to the iron 1 by means of the hinge 22. Conventionally, this comprises a return spring. Thus, the shoe 20 is mounted resiliently relative to the iron.

When the iron is not placed on the linen, the spring is in the relaxed position and the corresponding position 23 of the shoe 20, remote from the iron, is illustrated in phantom in FIG. 3.

Thus in this position, the flat surface 21 extends substantially towards the outside of the iron, beyond the plane P.

When the iron is placed on the linen in the ironing position, the shoe 20, shown in solid lines, is parallel to the plane P and, thanks to the return spring, presses lightly on the linen.

During ironing, the position of the iron on the table forces the pad 20 to remain parallel to the plane P. When the iron advances, the surface 21 having the felt or velvet rubs against the ironed fabric and produces a light brushing of this one, allowing to deluster it. This embodiment is particularly suitable for delicate fabrics which could be damaged by rigid bristles.

Advantageously, the iron 1 can include means for retaining the shoe 20 above the plane (P) so as to be able to prevent the shoe from returning to the relaxed position. These means can in particular comprise a suitable ball lock (30) acting for example on the articulated end of the pad 20 as shown in FIG. 3.

Thus, for ironing the laundry that does not require delamination, the shoe (20) can be retracted and locked above the plane P in the position (31) shown in dotted lines in FIG. 3.

Many modifications and improvements can be made to the invention without departing from the scope thereof.

For example, the skate may include rigid bristles.

The fibers may be of various types and of origin. For example, they can be woven, agglomerated, or arranged in an orderly fashion. Their rigidity and length will vary. They can also be arranged according to different configurations: for example along a tangent to the roller or according to a constant angle intermediate between the radial position and the tangent so as to give a preferential working direction and that in the other direction the fibers lie.

Also, the delustering device may have several rollers and / or interchangeable pads with different fiber stiffnesses adapted to the ironed fabrics.

Claims (8)

1. A smoothing iron (1) for ironing fabric, presenting a sole plate (2), including a member (3, 20) carrying fibers (4) for brushing the fabric (17) which is in contact with the sole plate (2), said member (3, 20) being situated to the rear of the iron (1) so that the fibers (4) are placed in the vicinity of the plane (P) defined by the outer face of the sole plate (2) of the iron, a portion of the fibers (4) extending out from the iron, beyond said plane (P), the iron (1) being characterized in that it includes a cylindrical roller (3) presenting at least a portion of the brushing fibers (4) on the periphery thereof.
2. A smoothing iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the axis (5) of the cylindrical roller (3) is substantially parallel to the plane (P) defined by the outer face of the sole plate (2) and perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the iron, the roller (3) being mounted to rotate about its axis (5), each fiber (4) being fixed to the roller (3) by one end (6) towards the inside of the iron relative to the plane (P), its other end (7) extending out from the iron, beyond said plane (P).
3. A smoothing iron according to claim 2, characterized in that the roller (3) can be retracted inside the iron so that the fibers (4) are placed entirely inside the iron away from the plane (P).
4. A smoothing iron according to claim 3, characterized in that the iron includes a motor (10) for rotating the roller (3).
5. A smoothing iron according to claim 4, and presenting a handle (13), the iron being characterized in that the control device (14) for the motor (10) is situated in the vicinity of the handle (13) of the iron.
6. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the brushing fibers comprise bristles (4).
7. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the brushing fibers are constituted in the form of a velvet.
8. A smoothing iron according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the brushing fibers are constituted by a felt fabric.

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