EP0713937B1 - Iron soleplate - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to the general technical field of apparatus designed to shape a textile article such as clothing, by subject to the combined action of heat treatment, mechanical treatment ironing and possibly a steam treatment.

The present invention relates to an iron comprising a heating body, a sole associated with the heating body, a heating circuit, associated or not with a vaporization chamber.

In prior art irons, the thermal energy transmitted to the soleplate ironing, is conventionally provided by heating elements such as tubular heating elements or by flat type heating elements including a resistive track. In this last case, the resistive track forms a circuit of heating defining a heating zone on the ironing sole, said track being inserted between two films of electrical insulation adhering against each other and now also in place the resistive track. In either case it is important maintain or control the temperature of the soleplate below one conservation temperature. To this end it is conventional to have recourse to means of temperature regulation or sensors, for example a thermostat, arranged in the iron in thermal relation with the heating element.

The present invention relates to the soles of such irons, more particularly at the outer surface of these intended to be in contact with the laundry.

The iron soles currently on the market are conventionally made from an aluminum alloy foundry piece constituting the body heater, comprising the heating element and whose outer surface intended to be in contact with the linen is emery and / or polished. This solution relatively old tends to disappear because giving performance poor sliding and ease of maintenance.

It is also known, according to a more recent technique, to carry out stainless steel soles which offer good resistance to wear and shocks, especially edges, but average sliding performance on the laundry.

Aluminum or enameled copper soles have also been proposed, having good sliding performance and ease of maintenance. Through against, for such soles, resistance to wear and impact, in particular edges is much worse than in the aforementioned case of stainless steel.

We also know embodiments of using soles aluminum having undergone surface treatments. However in this case, it is the service life of the surface treatment which is most often used in question.

According to a different technique, it is known to produce a sole, always at starting from a foundry piece usually made of aluminum on which is reported by various means, in particular by screwing, a plate or a cap intended to be in contact with the linen. As before, this plate or cap can be coated, as desired, with chrome, enamel, or even be made of stainless steel or from an aluminum-stainless steel laminate.

An iron according to the preamble of claim 1 is known from document EP-A-0 378 479.

The disadvantage of the various techniques which have just been listed is that they bring the laundry into contact with a mono-material surface, therefore forcing the designer to favor a characteristic of the sole, for example gliding, without being able to optimize other characteristics equally important mechanical factors such as resistance to mechanical shock from leading edge of the sole.

Consequently, the object of the invention is to produce an iron soleplate in combining at least two materials in such a way as to combine the advantages depending on the optimal characteristics sought for each area of the sole.

In particular, its object is to produce a sole whose surface material lower, in particular the central portion of the sole, is selected so as to give priority to sliding and cleanability, the leading edge or edges of said sole being made of a material favoring above all impact resistance.

Another object of the invention consists in making a sole whose characteristics ironing are improved.

To this end, the invention relates to an iron having the characteristics of claim 1.

According to an example of application, the sole is made from two materials: enameled aluminum and stainless steel. The edges of the sole are made of stainless steel and the portion substantially central of the sole is aluminum, preferably enameled.

Thus formed, the sole has better resistance, especially when deposits on the iron rest, because experience shows that it is the edges that are the most exposed. The substantially central portion of the enameled sole retains its good sliding properties.

la figure 1 représente une vue en plan d'une semelle selon un premier mode de réalisation de l'invention;

la figure 2 est une vue en coupe à échelle agrandie selon la coupe II-II de la figure 1;

la figure 3 représente une vue en plan d'une semelle selon un second mode de réalisation de l'invention;

la figure 4 est une vue en coupe à échelle agrandie selon la coupe IV-IV de la figure 3;

les figures 5 et 6 représentent une troisième forme d'exécution de la semelle où la bande de renfort est fixée par frappe à froid;

les figures 5A et 6A correspondent à des sections partielles desdites semelles;

la figure 7 représente une vue agrandie du point d'interpénétration des deux matériaux de la figure 6A.

The present invention also relates to the characteristics which will emerge during the description which follows and which should be considered in isolation or according to all their possible technical combinations. This description, given by way of nonlimiting examples, will make it easier to understand how the invention can be produced with reference to the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 shows a plan view of a sole according to a first embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale according to section II-II of Figure 1;

FIG. 3 represents a plan view of a sole according to a second embodiment of the invention;

Figure 4 is a sectional view on an enlarged scale according to section IV-IV of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 show a third embodiment of the sole where the reinforcing strip is fixed by cold striking;

FIGS. 5A and 6A correspond to partial sections of said soles;

FIG. 7 represents an enlarged view of the point of interpenetration of the two materials of FIG. 6A.

Figures 1 and 2 illustrate a first preferred embodiment of the iron according to the invention, comprising a vaporization chamber (not shown). Chimneys 3 provided in a heating body 4 ensure the delivery of steam from the chamber to the spray ports 2.

The characteristics relating to the sole with reinforced edges according to the invention are described below. It goes without saying that these characteristics also apply to a dry iron.

According to the basic characteristic of the invention, the sole is generally made up by a first material with a low coefficient of friction covering at least in part of its lower surface and having characteristics such as to give it qualities of wear resistance, but especially of sliding and cleanability.

A second material covers at least a lateral and / or lower part of its contour 4c and has characteristics giving it resistance qualities to shocks.

In Figures 1 and 2, we can see the inner part 4a of the heating body 4. This is most often made by molding a light alloy such as aluminum. On the flat bottom surface 4b of part 4a, a plate 5 is added to low coefficient of friction, preferably occupying the largest portion of the sole, in particular of its substantially central part, the contour 4c of the part lower 4a of said heating body 4 being covered at least partially by a border element 6.

According to the preferred embodiment of Figures 1 and 2, the border element 6 covers the lower part of the edge 4c on the one hand, thus forming the lower border the sole 6a; on the other hand, the rim 6 has an extension 6b folded over so as to also cover at least a portion of the lateral edge of the sole.

In the example illustrated, the side border 6b is formed by an extension of the bottom edge of sole 6a folded back so as to extend so substantially vertical along the contour 4c. It is understood that the inclination and the height of this portion 6b may vary depending on the construction of the iron. So is even for the width of the portion 6a. According to simplified variants, provision is made for limit the reinforced sole in a first case to the single portion 6a; in one second case, in the single portion 6b.

In this exemplary embodiment (FIG. 1), the border element 6 is arranged in the zone of the toe 7 of the sole 1. However the border element 6 can be disposed both in the area of the toe 7 and / or in the area of the heel 8 of said sole, and / or in any other advantageous portion of the contour of the sole, according to the characteristics sought.

It is also possible to provide that the border element 6 surrounds the entire contour. of this sole.

Furthermore the border element 6 is fixed on the toe 7 and / or the heel 8 of the part lower 4a of the heating body 4, firstly by bonding C of the lower edge 6a against the lower surface 4b of said body 4 and on the other hand by lugs fixing 9 punctually issuing from said rim 6 and able to penetrate into housings 10 of the lower part 4a of the heating body 4 to be there immobilized by twisting.

Bonding is preferably carried out by means of a silicone adhesive.

The second variant shown in Figures 3 and 4 differs essentially from the previous one in that the border element 6A is made up of from a strip, shaped to form a U-shaped section profile, closed in on itself and arranged advantageously over the entire contour of the lower part 4a of the heating body 4 for fixing it firmly by crimping peripheral. Of course other types of section could be considered.

So as to perfect the fixing, at least one of the branches 11, 12 of the U of the profile constituting the border element 6A, preferably, the lower branch 12, is bonded to the lower surface 4b of the heating body 4 with which it is in contact so as to strengthen its fixation.

Here again it will be a silicone adhesive C. It is obvious that the adhesive can also surround the entire internal surface of the U formed by the border element 6A.

In addition, in the case of an iron comprising a vaporization chamber, the plate to low coefficient of friction 5 is obtained by cutting a selected material, on which are provided spray orifices 2 further intended to ensure fixing by crimping, of known type, of said plate 5 in holes corresponding 13 of the lower part 4a of the heating body 4.

This fixing can be reinforced here again by combining a C adhesive with silicone. interposed between the plate 5 and the heating body 4.

Although in the various embodiments described so far the fixing of the different elements of the sole are produced most often by gluing, it is according to various variants, it is possible to fix the sole plate 5 and / or the border 6 by other means of known types, associated or not with bonding, such as for example by screwing, riveting, crimping, overmolding, welding, etc. Through elsewhere, in these embodiments, it is possible to use other types of materials than those presented so far. So, for example, the border element 6 can be made from another type of metal alloy, such as titanium, or from a non-metallic material, such as for example a material of ceramic type.

According to the successive exemplary embodiments presented in FIGS. 5 and 6, the mode the edge 6 is slightly different. In Figure 5, plate 5 at low coefficient of friction preferably has a side flange folded upwards. Furthermore, unlike the previous embodiment, this plate occupies advantageously an area corresponding substantially to the entire area of the sole.

The assembly of the border 6 having good resistance characteristics impact is preferably obtained by stamping or cold striking under strong pressure of plate 6 of relatively hard material against plate 5 of material softer to ensure their connection by interpenetration of materials; the material the softer 5 penetrating into the openings 14 provided in the harder material 6, as shown in Figure 7. Other assembly methods giving results similar, such as hot stamping, can also be considered.

As can be seen in this figure, the effect of cold pressing is twofold: there are both penetration of hard material 6 into soft material 5 and creep of soft material which comes to fill the orifices 14 provided in the hard material. This filling effect, comparable to the installation of a rivet, provides a rigid and durable support. On this mode fixing, it is advantageous to provide a multiplicity of orifices 14 distributed according to a arrangement given on the surface of the lower edge of the sole 6a. The arrangement or the distribution of the orifices can vary according to an infinity of possibilities, depending on the shape of the border 6a, the number of openings 14, their shape, their size, etc. In the example presented, the openings are circular. According to various variants, these openings can take a multitude shapes, according to the designer's imagination. This allows for a design which is both functional and aesthetic, the distribution can even be used to provide certain visual or decorative effects, or allow the reproduction of certain geometric shapes, patterns, lettering or other. The dimensional limits are very variable, depending on configuration, materials used, impact pressure, etc. The penetration space must be large enough to allow the creep of the soft material, without using excessive dimensions, which could risk making the mechanical connection between the two materials difficult.

Furthermore, it should be noted that this method of fixing the strip 6 by interpenetration materials provides an edge effect due to the presence of micro-edges 15 located at the junction of the two materials, at the periphery of the openings 14. It has It has been observed that the presence of these micro-edges 15 has a beneficial effect. on ironing.

In a nonlimiting manner in the choice of materials, the plate 5 with a low coefficient friction is obtained by cutting an aluminum blank, preferably enamelled, while the border element 6 is preferably made of stainless steel. Plate 5 and / or the border element 6 can obviously be made from other types of materials. Thus, for example, the border element 6 can be manufactured in titanium alloy.

FIG. 6 illustrates a variant of this latter embodiment where the plate 5 is replaced by the body 4 whose lower surface 4 'is shaped to play the role of plate 5 of the previous embodiment. The plate 5 is therefore in fact substituted by the lower surface 4 'of the body 4. The material used must obviously lend themselves to cold typing, and meet the requirements for gliding and cleanability desired for the central portion of the sole.

According to other variants not illustrated, it is planned to build a sole with edges reinforced according to the invention, part of the strip 6 is provided in a material given, at least one other part being made of at least one other material.

Finally it is interesting to note that the percentage of the part covered with relatively hard materials compared to relatively softer materials can vary freely in particular according to economic considerations, aesthetic, mechanical, etc.

In the parts covered by the relatively hard material, the percentage of relatively soft material flush through the openings used to the hooking can vary considerably, but is generally between 5% and 40 %, and preferably around 20%.

Claims (21)

1. A smoothing iron comprising a heater body (4). a soleplate (1) associated with the heater body, and a heater circuit which may optionally be associated with a steam chamber. the soleplate (1) being constituted by a first material (5. 4') having a low coefficient of friction covering at least a part of the bottom surface of said soleplate, and possessing mechanical characteristics which give it the qualities of resistance to wear, of sliding, and of cleanability, and by a second material covering at least a portion of the periphery of said soleplate, and possessing mechanical characteristics giving it the quality of resisting impacts, said smoothing iron being characterized in that the first material constitutes a plate (5) which is attached and fixed against the bottom surface (4b) of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body (4), or constitutes the bottom surface (4') of the heater body (4). and in that the second material constitutes a piece of trim (6) attached to at least a side portion and/or bottom portion of the periphery (4c) of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body (4).
2. An iron according to claim 1, in which the soleplate (1) is attached and fixed against the bottom surface (4b) of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body.
3. An iron according to claim 1, in which the portion of the soleplate made of a first material (4') is formed in the bottom portion of the heater body (4).
4. An iron according to any preceding claim, in which the first material (4', 5) occupies the major fraction of the soleplate (1), in particular, the substantially central portion thereof.
5. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the piece of trim (6) covers at least part of the bottom portion of the edge (4c) of the heater body (4) so as to form bottom trim (6a) for the soleplate, and/or at least part of the side portion of the edge (4c) of the heater body (4) so as to form side trim (6b).
6. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the piece of trim (6) is disposed in the region of the tip (7) of the soleplate, and/or in the region of the heal (8) of the iron.
7. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, in which the piece of trim (6) is disposed around the entire periphery of the soleplate.
8. An iron according to any preceding claim, in which the piece of trim (6) is fixed on the edge (4c) of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body (4), firstly by sticking (C) the bottom trim (6a) to the soleplate. and secondly by fixing-tabs (9) which project at intervals from said trim (6) and which are capable of penetrating into housings (10) of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body (4) where they are secured by twisting.
9. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the piece of trim (6A) is constituted by strip metal which is shaped to constitute a section member, in particular a channel section bar, which is formed into a closed loop and disposed around at least part of the periphery of the bottom portion (4a) of the heater body (4) in order to be fixed thereto by peripheral crimping.
10. An iron according to claim 9, in which at least one of the flanges (11, 12). preferably the bottom flange (12), of the section member constituting the trim (6A) is stuck to the bottom surface (4b) of the heater body (4) with which it is in contact so as to reinforce its fixing.
11. An iron according to any preceding claim, in which the piece of trim (6, 6A) is fixed by a mechanical fixing method such as screwing. riveting, crimping. overmolding, and welding, which may optionally be associated with adhesive.
12. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 4, in which the piece of trim (6) made of relatively hard material is assembled to the plate (4', 5) made of softer material in particular by cold die stamping said trim (6) under high pressure, in order to ensure that the trim and the plate are assembled together by interpenetration of their materials; the softer material (4', 5) penetrating into orifices (14) provided in the harder material (6).
13. An iron according to claim 12, in which the cold-pressing effect is such that it causes both penetration of the hard material (6) into the soft material (4', 5), and creep of the soft material which fills the orifices (14) provided in the hard material.
14. An iron according to claim 12 or 13, in which a plurality of orifices (14) are distributed in a given layout over the surface of the bottom trim (6a) of the soleplate.
15. An iron according to any one of claims 12 to 14. in which the layout of the orifices (14) produces certain decorative visual effects, or produces certain geometrical shapes, patterns, lettering, etc.
16. An iron according to any one of claims 12 to 15, in which the orifices (14) are of any shape, in particular circular.
17. An iron according to any one of claims 12 to 15, in which micro-ridges (15) are formed where the two materials join at the peripheries of the orifices (14).
18. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which the plate (4', 5) made of a first material is manufactured out of aluminum alloy, in particular enamelled-aluminum.
19. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which the plate (4', 5) made of a first material is manufactured out of titanium alloy.
20. An iron according to any one of claims 1 to 17, in which the piece of trim (6) made of a second material is made of stainless steel.
21. An iron according to any one of claims 12 to 17, in which the piece of trim (6) made of a second material is made of a non-metallic material, in particular a ceramic-type material.

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