EP2808439B1 - Steam ironing appliance - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steam ironing apparatus comprising an iron having an ironing sole comprising a front part provided with steam outlet holes and a rear part without steam outlet holes, the exit holes. of steam being fed by a diffusion chamber covering the front part of the soleplate.

It is known, patent applications DE 42 38 502 and GB 2,437,283 , a steam ironing apparatus comprising an iron comprising a sole provided with a front portion provided with steam outlet holes and a rear portion without steam outlet holes, the steam outlet holes of the soleplate being fed by a diffusion chamber covering the front part of the soleplate.

An ironing apparatus provided with such an iron has the advantage of having a soleplate provided with a steam emission zone distinct from a zone for pressurizing and drying the laundry, constituted by the part back of the sole, for greater ironing efficiency.

However, such an ironing apparatus has the disadvantage of producing too dry a vapor that does not provide an optimal ironing quality.

Also, an object of the present invention is to overcome this disadvantage by providing an ironing apparatus provided with an iron having a very high ironing efficiency. Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that is simple and economical to implement.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is a steam ironing apparatus comprising an iron comprising a soleplate comprising a front part provided with steam outlet holes and a rear part devoid of steam outlet holes, the holes vapor outlet being fed by a diffusion chamber covering the front part of the soleplate, characterized in that the diffusion chamber is fed by a distribution circuit of vapor in a heating body in thermal contact with the rear part of the soleplate and in that the diffusion chamber is adapted to lower the temperature of the steam from the steam distribution circuit so that the vapor temperature at the steam outlet holes is between 100 ° C and 120 ° C.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to obtain a stream of vapor with an optimized temperature and humidity level to ensure good humidification of the laundry.

Preferably, the rear portion of the soleplate is heated by heat exchanges only establishing with the heating body receiving the steam distribution circuit, the sole being devoid of any additional heating element.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the diffusion chamber of the front part of the soleplate is formed in a body having a temperature of less than 120 ° C. under the normal operating conditions of the apparatus.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to have a diffusion chamber which does not overheat the steam.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the diffusion chamber is formed in a non-heating body, disposed on the front part of the soleplate, the non-heating body being distinct from the heating body disposed on the rear part of the soleplate.

By non-heating body is meant a body without any heating element intended to increase the temperature of the body. By heating body is meant a body provided with a heating element, such as a heating resistor, to increase the temperature of the body.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body comprises a heating element extending only above the rear portion of the sole.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating element has a power of between 500 and 800W.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the distribution circuit comprises a device for the elimination of condensates.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body is a foundry closing a shielded electrical resistance, the steam distribution circuit comprising an overheating channel for the vaporization of the condensates.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body is made of aluminum.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the heating body comprises a screen-printed flat heating element which is surmounted by a device for the separation of the condensates, advantageously of cyclonic type.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the device for the separation of the condensates comprises a condensate recovery tank, the recovery tank being in thermal contact with the flat heating element and comprising an outlet orifice which is connected to a inlet port of the device for condensate separation.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the surface of the soleplate covered by the diffusion chamber represents at least 30% of the total surface of the soleplate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sole is in one part and is advantageously made in a stainless steel sheet or in an aluminum sheet with a thickness of less than 5 mm.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sole is made of aluminum coated with enamel or stainless steel.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the heating body comprises an electrical resistance which is embedded in a foundry which covers the rear part of the sole.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the rear part of the sole coming into contact with the heating body represents at least 30% of the total surface of the sole and preferably at least 50% of the total surface of the sole.

Such a technical characteristic makes it possible to offer a good heat exchange between the heating body and the rear part of the sole intended to dry the laundry.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the apparatus comprises a steam generating base enclosing a vessel for the generation of pressurized steam connected by a cord to the iron.

• la figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un appareil de repassage selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective du dessous d'un premier mode de réalisation du sous-ensemble semelle, chambre de diffusion de vapeur et corps chauffant équipant le fer à repasser de l'appareil de repassage de la figure 1, la semelle étant représentée séparée du corps chauffant et de la chambre de diffusion de vapeur
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective du dessus du sous-ensemble de la figure 2 assemblé ;
• la figure 4 est une vue en perspective éclatée du sous-ensemble de la figure 2 ;
• la figure 5 une vue en perspective d'un second mode de réalisation du sous-ensemble semelle, chambre de diffusion de vapeur et corps chauffant équipant le fer à repasser de la figure 1;
• la figure 6 une vue en perspective éclatée du sous-ensemble de la figure 5 ;
• la figure 7 est une vue du dessus du sous-ensemble de la figure 5;
• La figure 8 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne VIII-VIII de la figure 7.

The aims, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention, presented by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the appended drawings. wherein :

• the figure 1 is a side view of an ironing apparatus according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is a perspective view from below of a first embodiment of the sole subassembly, vapor diffusion chamber and heating body equipping the iron of the ironing apparatus of the figure 1 , the soleplate being shown separately from the heating body and the vapor diffusion chamber
• the figure 3 is a perspective view from above of the subset of the figure 2 assembled;
• the figure 4 is an exploded perspective view of the subset of the figure 2 ;
• the figure 5 a perspective view of a second embodiment of the sole subassembly, vapor diffusion chamber and heating body equipping the iron of the figure 1 ;
• the figure 6 an exploded perspective view of the subset of the figure 5 ;
• the figure 7 is a top view of the subset of the figure 5 ;
• The figure 8 is a sectional view along line VIII-VIII of the figure 7 .

Only the elements necessary for the understanding of the invention have been represented. To facilitate the reading of the drawings, the same elements bear the same references from one figure to another.

The figure 1 represents an ironing apparatus comprising a base 100 generating steam and an iron 1 interconnected by a cord 101, the iron 1 conventionally comprising an ironing sole 2 surmounted by a plastic housing incorporating a handle of gripping.

The base 100 has an inclined plane on which the iron 1 can come to rest during inactive ironing phases and contains, in a manner known per se, a tank 102 for the production of steam under a pressure of about 4 to 6 bar, the tank 102 being supplied with water from a reservoir 103 by means of a pump 104.

The base 100 is connected to the domestic electrical network by an electric wire 105 which allows both the power supply of heating means of the tank 102, not shown in the figures, and the power supply of the iron 1 through cord 101.

In accordance with the figure 2 , the sole 2 of the iron has a front portion 21 provided with steam outlet holes 20 and a rear portion 22 without steam outlet holes, the front portion 21 of the sole 2 being covered with a non-heating body constituted by a lid 3 which defines a vapor diffusion chamber 30 above the steam outlet holes 20 of the sole 2, the rear portion 22 of the sole 2 being covered with a heating body 4 having a flat bottom surface contacting the upper surface of the sole 2, the rear portion 22 of the sole 2 being in contact with the heating body 4 advantageously representing at least 50% of the total surface of the sole 2.

Preferably, the sole 2 is made of stainless steel or an aluminum sheet coated with enamel on its underside and the cover 3 is made by molding in an aluminum foundry or in a plastic material.

In accordance with figures 3 and 4 , the heating body 4 comprises a U-shaped electrical resistor 40 which is embedded in an aluminum foundry and comprises a steam distribution circuit running in the vicinity of the electrical resistance 40, the vapor distribution circuit being delimited by a bottom wall 41 and side walls 42 formed in the heating body 4 and being closed in its upper part by a closure plate 5 attached to the heating body 4.

The closure plate 5 comprises a steam inlet port 50 to which is connected a steam pipe, not shown in the figures, which is integrated in the cord 101 connecting the steam generator base 100 to the iron 1, this steam pipe for supplying the distribution circuit with the pressurized steam produced by the tank 102.

Preferably, the steam distribution circuit comprises an expansion chamber 43 at which opens the inlet port 50, and an overheating channel 44 disposed in the extension of the expansion chamber 43, the overheating channel 44 snaking in the heating body 4 bypassing a boss 45 for receiving a heating resistor control thermostat 40 and having a reduced passage section, substantially constant.

The heating resistor 40 advantageously has a power of between 500 W and 800 W which makes it possible to regulate the temperature of the lower surface of the heating body 4 around a set temperature of the thermostat of between 100 ° C. and 210 ° C. during an ironing session. Such power is adapted to ensure the vaporization of all possible condensates present in the stream of vapor from the bead 101 during the course of the steam in the overheating channel 44.

The overheating channel 44 opens on the front face of the heating body 4 at an outlet orifice 46, visible on the figure 4 , coming opposite a rear side face of the cover 3, the latter comprising an inlet orifice 31 coming opposite the outlet orifice 46 of the heating body 4, a sealing gasket 6, represented by FIG. only on the figure 3 , being interposed between the heating body 4 and the lid 3 to ensure a tight connection between the outlet orifice 46 and the inlet orifice 31.

As can be seen on the figure 2 , the vapor diffusion chamber 30 is constituted by a cavity whose lower face is delimited by the front part 21 of the sole and whose upper and peripheral walls are delimited by the cover 3, the cover 3 having projecting walls inside the diffusion chamber 30 which form a circular diffusion channel 32 provided with lateral slots 32A ensuring a homogeneous distribution of the vapor above the front part 21 of the sole 2.

The operation of such an ironing apparatus will now be described.

At the start of the apparatus, the tank 102 is heated and the water it contains is brought to a boil, the pressurized steam produced by the tank 102 being transmitted through the bead 101 to the iron 1. this transmission of the vapor through the bead 101, the temperature of the steam is lowered so that condensates can form in the stream of steam arriving in the iron 1, especially when the cord 101 is cold at the start of the device.

These possible condensates are removed during the passage of the steam flow in the distribution circuit of the heating body 4 by being vaporized in the overheating channel 44, and the superheated steam is transmitted into the vapor diffusion chamber 30 formed in the lid 3 covering the front portion 21 of the sole 2.

The passage of the vapor stream in the diffusion chamber 30 is accompanied by a decrease in the temperature of the vapor, because of the low temperature prevailing in the diffusion chamber 30 in the absence of a heating element on the lid 3, the temperature of the vapor then falling to a temperature of between 100 ° C and 120 ° C at the outlet steam holes 20 of the sole, such a lowering of the steam temperature resulting in to increase the moisture content of the steam by increasing the number of small water droplets, with a diameter of less than 10 μm, contained in the vapor stream.

The diffusion of this wet vapor flow makes it possible to guarantee excellent moistening of the laundry, without the formation of a visible water drop on the laundry, the front portion 21 of the soleplate 2 covered by the diffusion chamber 30 also having the advantage of to be at a low temperature, preferably less than 110 ° C, which does not overheat the laundry and contributes to a better condensation of steam in the laundry to iron.

The ironing apparatus thus produced thus has a sole 2 provided with an unheated front portion 21 provided with steam outlet holes 20 which makes it possible to obtain an excellent moistening of the linen, which guarantees a good ironing performance. , while the rear portion 22 of the soleplate which is heated and without steam outlet holes makes it possible to quickly evaporate all the moisture contained in the laundry during the movement of the iron 1 forward.

This gives an ironing apparatus with optimal ironing performance.

The Figures 5 to 8 are a sub-assembly sole 202, heating body 204 and vapor diffusion chamber 230 according to a second embodiment of the invention, this sub-assembly being intended to equip the iron 1 illustrated on the figure 1 .

According to these figures, the sole 202 has a front portion 221 provided with steam outlet holes 220 and a rear portion 222 without steam outlet holes, the front portion 221 of the sole 202 being covered with a non-heating body constituted by a cover 203 which defines a vapor diffusion chamber above the steam outlet holes 220, the rear portion 222 of the soleplate 202 being covered with a heating body 204 having a planar lower surface engaging the surface upper sole 202.

In accordance with the figure 6 , the heating body 204 comprises a screen-printed flat heating element 240 which comes into contact with the rear part of the sole plate 202, this screen-printed flat heating element 240 advantageously having a power of between 500W and 800W.

In accordance with Figures 7 and 8 , the flat heating element 240 is surmounted by a cyclonic device 206 for condensate removal comprising a frustoconical cavity 260 provided with a steam inlet orifice 261 which arrives tangentially to the wall of the frustoconical cavity 260 and comprising a vapor outlet orifice 262 disposed centrally in the upper part of the frustoconical cavity 260.

The inlet orifice 262 of steam is connected to a steam inlet pipe, not shown in the figures, which is integrated in the connecting cord 101 connecting the iron to the base 100, the outlet orifice 262 being connected by a conduit 263 to an inlet orifice 231 formed on the upper face of the lid 203.

The cyclonic device also comprises a condensate recovery tank 264 disposed under the frustoconical cavity 260, this recovery tank 264 communicating with the frustoconical cavity 260 through an opening 265 formed in the bottom of the frustoconical cavity 260 and coming into direct contact with the frustoconical cavity 260. flat screened heating element 240. The recovery tank 264 is advantageously provided with an outlet orifice 266 which is connected to the inlet orifice 261 of the frustoconical cavity 260 by a tube 267.

The cover 203 according to this second embodiment is similar to the lid 3 previously described in FIGS. Figures 2 to 4 and is distinguished from the latter essentially by the location of the inlet port.

In this variant embodiment, the cyclonic device 206 makes it possible to separate any condensates present in the vapor stream from the vapor by the effect of the centrifugal force, these condensates then flowing by gravity along the wall of the cavity. frustoconical 260 and then falling into the recovery tank 264 before being vaporized under the effect of the heat generated by the flat heating element 240, the steam thus produced being reinjected by the tube 267 at the entrance of the frustoconical cavity 261 .

The flow of vapor freed of its condensates passes through the conduit 263 and is then sent into the diffusion chamber 230 where the temperature of the vapor drops to a temperature between 100 ° C and 120 ° C at the exit holes steam 220 of the sole.

The sole subassembly, heating body and vapor diffusion chamber thus produced thus makes it possible to obtain ironing performances comparable to the performances obtained with the first embodiment, with however the advantage of greater reactivation of the rear part. from the soleplate to the thermostat setpoint temperature changes, the serigraphed flat element having the advantage of having a very low inertia thermal.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the embodiment described and illustrated which has been given by way of example. Modifications are possible, particularly from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Thus, in an embodiment variant not shown, the tank for the production of steam can be shipped directly into the iron and / or be constituted by an instantaneous vaporization chamber.

Claims (10)

1. Steam ironing appliance comprising an iron (1) with a soleplate (2; 202) for ironing, comprising a front part (21; 221) equipped with steam outlets (20; 220) and a back part (22; 222) without steam outlets, the steam outlets (20; 220) being supplied by a diffusion chamber (30; 230) covering the front part (21; 221) of the soleplate, the diffusion chamber (30; 230) being supplied by a steam distribution circuit housed in a heating body (4; 204) in thermal contact with the back part (22; 222) of the soleplate, said heating body (4; 204) being equipped with a heating element to increase its temperature, characterised in that the diffusion chamber (30; 230) is housed in a non-heating body (3; 203), not provided with any heating element, positioned on the front part of the soleplate (2; 202), the non-heating body (3; 203) being separate from the heating body (4; 204) positioned on the back part (22; 222) of the soleplate, the diffusion chamber (30; 230) lowering the temperature of the steam from the steam distribution circuit, the steam temperature dropping to a temperature of between 100 °C and 120 °C at the steam outlets (20; 220).
2. Ironing appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the diffusion chamber of the front part (21; 221) of the soleplate is housed in a body (3; 203) having a temperature less than 120 °C under normal operating conditions of the appliance.
3. Ironing appliance according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the heating body (4; 204) comprises a heating element (40; 240) extending only above the back part (22; 222) of the soleplate (2; 202).
4. Ironing appliance according to claim 3, characterised in that the power of the heating element is between 500 W and 800 W.
5. Ironing appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the distribution circuit comprises a device to eliminate the condensates (44; 206).
6. Ironing appliance according to claim 5, characterised in that the heating body (4) is a casting enclosing a sheathed electrical element (240), said steam distribution circuit comprising an overheating channel (44) to vaporise the condensates.
7. Ironing appliance according to claim 5, characterised in that said heating body (4) comprises a flat screen-printed heating element (204) which is surmounted by a device to separate the condensates (206), advantageously of cyclonic type.
8. Ironing appliance according to claim 7, characterised in that the device for separating the condensates (206) comprises a container (264) for collecting the condensates, said container (264) being in thermal contact with the flat heating element (204) and comprising an outlet hole (266) which is connected to a steam inlet hole (261) of the device to separate the condensates (206).
9. Ironing appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the area of the soleplate (2; 202) covered by the diffusion chamber (30; 230) represents at least 30 % of the total area of the soleplate (2; 202).
10. Ironing appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that it comprises a steam generating base (100) containing a tank (102) to generate pressurised steam connected by a cord (100) to the iron (1).

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