EP1174539A1

EP1174539A1 - Professional steam iron with removable rear cold water tank

Info

Publication number: EP1174539A1
Application number: EP00115506A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Douglas Hulme
Original assignee: Buckfield Contracting Ltd
Current assignee: Euroflex SRL
Priority date: 2000-07-19
Filing date: 2000-07-19
Publication date: 2002-01-23
Anticipated expiration: 2020-07-19
Also published as: ATE280261T1; EP1174539B1; DE60015115D1

Abstract

The invention is a new steam iron with removable cold water tank (S) applied to the rear part of the iron (F) itself. The tank is provided with an opening (S1) on its upper part and with an opening (S2) with valve (S21) on the lower part of its contact surface with the iron, while the iron is provided, on its upper part, with a plug-shaped protrusion (F1) that closes the upper opening (S1) of the tank and, on the lower part of the rear surface housing the tank, with a mouth (F2) connected to the vaporization chamber. When the tank is applied to the iron, the mouth (F2) on the back of the iron houses and opens the valve (S21) positioned in the lower opening of the tank.

Description

The present invention concerns steam irons and in particular it concerns new steam iron with removable cold water tank.
Steam irons with cold water tank have a fixed tank positioned inside the iron itself.
The irons with incorporated tank are provided with water fill opening on the front vertical side or on the front upper horizontal side.
The electrical connections of these irons involve the whole appliance, since they receive current from the flex connected to the rear part of the iron and they supply power both to the soleplate and the control switch positioned on the front part of the iron.
To fill up the water tank it is necessary to place the iron in vertical position in the first case or in horizontal position in the second case, positioning the opening so that it faces upwards.
It is neither unlikely nor unusual that during the filling and/or topping up of the incorporated tank the water flows out and falls on the iron, be it poured therein directly or by means of a funnel.
This causes several drawbacks, some of which are serious and dangerous
In fact the water that leaks on the soleplate vaporizes quickly and it may cause burns and scalds to the hands and face of the person who is filling the water tank. The situation becomes even more dangerous if the water that leaks on to the iron penetrates among the electrical contacts with the risk of causing short circuits.
A professional iron is known, which is provided with rear fixed water tank with fill opening on its upper horizontal part.
This type of iron cannot be positioned vertically, since the water would flow out of the fill opening, thus causing the same inconveniences described above with respect to the safety of the filling operations.
In order to eliminate all the above mentioned drawbacks, a new professional steam iron with removable rear cold water tank has been designed and implemented.
The water tank of the new steam iron can be removed and is applied on to the rear part of the iron itself.
Basically, the back of the new iron is provided with a proper seat for the water tank and with suitable connections for the passage of water from the tank into the iron. The electric connection area between the iron flex and the electrical parts of the iron itself is internal, positioned before the water tank compartment and completely separated from it.
The water tank is provided with two openings on the contact surface with the back of the iron, one opening positioned above and the other below.
The upper opening of the water tank is obtained on the vertical side of the iron.
This solution makes it possible to position the iron vertically without causing the water to flow out of the tank; the water accumulates towards the tank side that is opposite the opening, without flowing out or leaking from the opening itself.
Furthermore, this system does not require an additional plug, since the fill opening is closed when the tank is positioned in its compartment and rests against the fixed side of the iron.
The lower opening of the tank serves to connect the tank with the iron and is vaporization chamber and is provided with a suitable valve that remains closed, thus preventing the water from flowing out of the tank when this is separated from the iron, while it opens to permit the passage of water only when the tank is correctly applied to the iron.
The rear part of the iron has a compartment with couplings suitable for housing and holding the removable tank.
In the upper part of the rear compartment of the iron there is a plug-shaped protrusion suitable for fitting in and closing the upper opening of the tank completely when this is applied to the iron.
The lower part of the rear compartment of the iron is provided with a mouth suitable for housing the tank valve and opening it. When the water tank is correctly applied to the iron, the tank valve fits exactly into the mouth of the iron compartment and at the same time, thanks to the shape of said mouth, the valve is opened, so that the water contained in the tank can flow through said mouth.
Inside the iron said mouth is connected - directly or through a pump - to the vaporisation chamber.
To fill the tank with water it is sufficient to remove it from the iron and pour the water through the upper fill opening of the tank itself.
There is no risk of pouring water on the hot soleplate or on the electrical parts of the iron, since the iron is not involved in the filling operation.
When the tank is applied to the iron, the tank valve is opened, thus connecting the tank with the duct that conveys water to the vaporization chamber, while the upper, opening of the tank is closed by the plug-shaped protrusion provided on the rear compartment of the iron where the tank is positioned.
One or two or more elastic coupling devices keep the tank in the correct position.
A practical embodiment of the invention is presented in the enclosed drawing.
The figure shows a vertical section of the new iron (F) provided with removable water tank (S).
On the contact surface with the back of the iron (F), the water tank (S) is provided with an upper fill opening (S1) and with a lower opening (S2) with a suitable valve (S21) that remains closed when the water tank (S) is separated from the iron (F).
The rear part of the new iron (F) is provided with a compartment (Fp) wit couplings suitable for housing the temovable water tank (S) and keeping it in the correct position.
The upper part of the rear compartment (Fp) of the iron (F) is provided with a plug-shaped protrusion (F1) suitable for closing the upper opening (S1) of the water tank (S) completely when the latter is applied to the iron (F), while in the lower part of the same compartment (F1) there is a mouth (F2) suitable for housing the valve (S21) of the water tank (S) and opening it.
The area with the electrical connections (Fe) between the flex and the electrical parts of the iron (F) is included between the handle (Fi) and the compartment (F1) that houses the water tank (S) and is separated from the water connection (F2).
When the water tank (S) is correctly applied to the iron (F), the valve (S21) of the tank (S) fits into the mouth (F2) of the compartment of the iron (F) and at the same time, thanks to the shape of said mouth (F2), the valve is opened, so that the water contained in the tank (S) can flow through said mouth (F2) that is connected - directly or through a pump - to the vaporization chamber.
Therefore, with reference to the above description and to the enclosed drawing, the following claims are put forth.

Claims

Steam iron with cold water tank, characterized in that the tank is applied to the rear part of the iron and can be removed.
Steam iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the tank is provided with an opening on its upper part and with an opening with valve on the lower part of its contact surface with the iron, and wherein the iron is provided, on its upper part, with a plug-shaped protrusion that closes the upper opening of the tank and, on the lower part of the rear surface housing the tank, with a mouth connected to the vaporization chamber.
Steam iron according to claims 1, 2, characterized in that when the tank is positioned in contact with the iron the lower mouth of the iron houses and opens the valve positioned in the lower opening of the water tank.