EP3031979B1 - Iron comprising a body and a metal sole plate added against the body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an iron comprising a body and a metal sole plate which is attached to the body, the sole plate comprising a lower face defining an ironing surface and having at least locally a folded edge which defines a peripheral edge of said ironing surface, and relates more particularly to an iron in which the folded edge of the sole plate comes into contact with the body to contribute to the attachment of the sole plate on the body.

It is known, patent applications EP 0 682 724 , WO2010023141 and BE500170 , an iron comprising a sole plate, or cap, which is attached to a heating body, the soleplate comprising a lower face defining an ironing surface and having a folded edge defining a peripheral edge of the ironing surface. In this document, the sole plate is mechanically fixed against the body by sending the folded edge into contact with the body.

Such a solution has the advantage of allowing a simple and inexpensive mechanical fastening of the soleplate to the heating body, this mechanical fastening being able to ensure, on its own, the attachment of the soleplate to the body or in addition to a layer of glue used to attach the soleplate to the body.

However, such a peripheral edge coming to grip the heating body has the disadvantage of being relatively thick which makes it difficult to iron around the buttons of clothing. In addition, the large thickness of such a peripheral edge also affects the visual appearance of the iron.

Also, the object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron having an ironing sole which is fixed simply and inexpensively to the body of the iron and has a thin peripheral edge. Another object of the invention is to provide an iron in which the attachment of the sole plate offers total freedom in the positioning of the steam outlet holes of the soleplate.

For this purpose, the subject of the invention is an iron comprising a body and a metal soleplate which is attached to the body, the soleplate comprising a lower face defining an ironing surface and having at least locally an edge. device at which the sole plate is folded towards the body and comes into contact with the latter to contribute to the attachment of the sole plate on the body, characterized in that the peripheral edge has a portion folded at 180 ° to the level of which the soleplate extends parallel to the ironing surface and in that the portion folded at 180 ° is extended by a catching portion engaging the body.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to obtain an iron in which the peripheral edge of the ironing surface is flattened, thus having a small thickness making it possible to simplify the ironing around the buttons of the garments.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the peripheral edge of the ironing surface has a thickness substantially equal to, or less than, twice the thickness of the sole plate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the attachment portion comprises successively, starting from the portion folded at 180 °, an intermediate portion folded upwards, then a free end which is folded against the body to ensure the fixation of the soleplate on the body.

Such attachment of the sole plate by the attachment portions located at the periphery of the sole plate has the advantage of being simple and economical to implement. In addition, this attachment is independent of the positioning of the steam outlet holes on the sole plate so that the distribution of the steam outlet holes on the soleplate can be changed without affecting the fixing the soleplate.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the intermediate portion extends perpendicularly to the ironing surface.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the free end of the part The hooking portion is aligned with the intermediate portion when the soleplate is placed on the body, and is then mechanically folded against the body to secure the sole plate.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the ironing surface and the peripheral edge of the sole plate are coated with a coating, such as enamel.

Such a coating makes it possible to improve the mechanical characteristics of the ironing surface and in particular the sliding and / or the scratch resistance.

According to yet another advantageous feature of the invention, the attachment portion is not covered by the coating.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to prevent the coating from cracking during the folding of the fastening part.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fastening portion is covered with the coating at the same time as the peripheral edge and the ironing surface of the soleplate.

Such a feature simplifies the process of applying the coating, the coating can be applied without having to hide the attachment parts.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the soleplate is made of aluminum.

Such an aluminum soleplate has the advantage of being easily shaped and well transmit heat.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the thickness of the sole plate is between 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the body is heated and contains an electrical resistance.

• les figures 1 et 2 sont des vues en perspective éclatée d'un ensemble de semelle de fer à repasser selon un mode particulier de réalisation de l'invention, l'ensemble de semelle comprenant une plaque de semelle et un corps chauffant ;
• la figure 3 est une vue en perspective de l'ensemble de semelle de fer de la figure 1 avec le corps chauffant et la plaque de semelle assemblés ;
• la figure 4 est une vue de dessus de l'ensemble de semelle de fer de la figure 3;
• la figure 5 est une vue en coupe selon la ligne V-V de la figure 4 ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en coupe, semblable à la figure 5, avant pliage de la partie d'accrochage contre le corps chauffant.
• La figure 7 est une vue de dessus de la plaque de semelle avant pliage.
• La figure 8 illustre une vue de détail, en coupe transversale, d'un ensemble de semelle selon une variante de réalisation de l'invention.

The aims, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the description given hereinafter of a particular embodiment of the invention, as well as from an alternative embodiment, presented as examples. nonlimiting, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

• the figures 1 and 2 are exploded perspective views of an iron sole assembly according to a particular embodiment of the invention, the sole assembly comprising a sole plate and a heating body;
• the figure 3 is a perspective view of the iron sole set of the figure 1 with the heating body and the soleplate assembled;
• the figure 4 is a top view of the iron sole set of the figure 3 ;
• the figure 5 is a sectional view along line VV of the figure 4 ;
• the figure 6 is a sectional view, similar to the figure 5 before folding the hooking part against the heating body.
• The figure 7 is a top view of the soleplate before folding.
• The figure 8 illustrates a detail view, in cross section, of a sole assembly according to an alternative embodiment of the invention.

The figure 1 represents a set of iron soleplate conventionally located beneath a water tank, not shown in the figures, this assembly comprising a metal sole plate 1 and a heating body 2 intended to be attached to the soleplate 1.

The heating body 2 is advantageously constituted by an aluminum foundry comprising a curved electrical resistance 20 shaped horseshoe and a boss 21 provided for receiving a temperature control thermostat.

The heating body 2 comprises, in its upper part, a vaporization chamber 22 intended to be closed by a closure plate, not shown in the figures.

The water of the iron reservoir is brought, in a manner known per se, by a device drip into the vaporization chamber 22 and the steam thus generated is distributed by a peripheral channel 23 extending around the vaporization chamber, on the upper face of the heating body 2.

As can be seen on the Figures 2 to 4 , the channel 23 has holes 24 passing through the heating body 2 and opening into a steam distribution chamber 25 extending on the underside of the heating body 2, the distribution chamber 25 feeding a network of steam outlet holes 10 of the soleplate 1.

The sole plate 1 has a planar underside which defines an ironing surface including a void area of vapor outlet holes, which extends through the vapor exit hole array, and at which the face upper plate 1 comes into contact with surfaces of the heating body 2 so as to ensure a good heat transfer of the heating body 2 to the sole plate 1, a seal being disposed at the periphery of the heating body 2 to ensure vapor tightness between the sole plate 1 and the heating body 2.

In accordance with Figures 5 and 6 , the sole plate 1 has a peripheral edge 11 which defines the periphery of the ironing surface, the peripheral edge having a portion 12 folded at 180 ° obtained by successively folding the soleplate 1 upwards, then inwardly of the ironing surface, and by folding it against the upper surface of the soleplate 1.

The soleplate 1 locally comprises, in the extension of the portion 12 folded at 180 °, fastening portions 13 comprising an intermediate portion 13A facing upwards forming a 90 ° elbow with the folded portion, this intermediate portion 13A extending by a free end 13B which extends vertically upwards, so that the heating body 2 can be inserted between the hooking parts 13 and applied against the sole plate 1 during the iron assembly process to redo.

Such a free end 13B is then folded horizontally at the edge of the heating body 2 so that the attachment portions 13 exert a pressure on the heating body 2 which maintains the soleplate 1 in contact with the heating body 2.

As can be seen on the figure 1 these attachment portions 13 are advantageously distributed along the periphery of the heating body 2, the soleplate 1 comprising, in the example illustrated in the figures, two lateral catching parts 13 constituted by tongues extending on each side of the sole plate 1 from a pointed front end of the soleplate 1, on substantially two-thirds of the length of the sole plate 1, and a rear hooking portion 13 formed by a tongue extending at the rear end of the soleplate 1, the heating body 2 advantageously comprising at the height of these attachment portions 13 a flat peripheral edge having a housing 26 visible on the figure 1 adapted to receive the attachment portion 13.

The soleplate 1 may also advantageously comprise guide portions 14 constituted by interposed tabs which remain oriented vertically and which cooperate with the edge of the heating body 2 to laterally guide the soleplate 1 with respect to the heating body 2.

The figure 7 illustrates, by way of example, the shape of the sole plate 1 before folding, this sole plate 1 being obtained by cutting an aluminum sheet having a thickness of between 0.8 mm and 1.5 mm. This sole plate 1 is then subjected to a first folding step in which the gripping portions 13 and the guide portions 14 are bent at 90 °, then to a second folding step in which the sole plate 1 is folded at 180 ° along the periphery of the ironing surface, shown in dotted lines on the figure 7 , in order to obtain a sole plate as illustrated on the figure 1 wherein the peripheral edge 11 of the ironing surface has a thickness substantially equal to twice the thickness of the sole plate 1.

Preferably, the insole plate 1 thus produced is partially enamel-coated before being assembled with the heating body 2, the enamel-coated surface being able to be limited to the ironing surface and to the peripheral edge 11 of the sole plate. 1, the attachment parts 13 can remain in the raw state, that is to say, not coated with email, to prevent the formation of cracks in the enamel during folding of the attachment parts 13.

However, in an alternative embodiment of the invention, the parts hooking 13 may also be coated with enamel at the same time as the ironing surface, to simplify the process of applying the coating. Indeed, the attachment parts 13 have the advantage of being masked by the housing of the iron when the heating body 2 is assembled to the iron so that any cracks forming at the coating of parts of the iron will remain invisible to the user.

The sole assembly thus produced has the advantage of being simple and inexpensive to manufacture, the soleplate having the advantage of being mechanically connected to the heating body by a simple process of folding the parts of collisions.

In addition, the iron equipped with such a sole assembly has the advantage of having a soleplate having a flattened peripheral edge, having a small thickness, for easy ironing around the buttons of clothing.

The figure 8 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the sole assembly illustrated in the preceding figures, wherein the soleplate 1 comprises one or more steam outlet holes 10A formed adjacent the peripheral edge 11 of the soleplate 1, and advantageously close to the front tip of the soleplate 1.

In this embodiment, the sole plate 1 advantageously comprises a thinner thickness at the periphery of the ironing surface to promote the diffusion of steam to the outer edge of the ironing surface.

Such an ironing variant has the advantage of having steam outlet holes at the periphery of the ironing surface for greater efficiency when ironing in the hard-to-reach corners of the clothing, such as the contours of buttons or the collars of the shirts.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the described and illustrated embodiments which have been given only as examples. 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 alternative embodiment of the invention not shown, the attachment portions may cover the entire periphery of the heating body or be only located in several locations along the periphery of the heating body.

Thus in an alternative embodiment of the invention not shown, the soleplate may be made of stainless steel.

Thus in an alternative embodiment of the invention not shown, the soleplate may be coated with a coating of inorganic polymer type deposited by a sol gel process.

Thus in an alternative embodiment of the invention not shown, the body on which is fixed the soleplate may not be heated.

Claims (9)

1. Iron comprising a body (2) and a metal sole plate (1) which is added against the body (2), the sole plate (1) comprising a lower face defining an ironing surface and comprising locally at least one peripheral edge (11) on the level of which the sole plate (1) is folded up in the direction of the body (2) and touches this body to contribute to fixing the sole plate (1) onto the body, characterised in that the peripheral edge (11) comprises a section (12) folded up at 180° on the level of which the sole plate (1) extends parallel to the ironing surface and where the peripheral edge (11) presents a thickness equal to or less than twice the thickness of the sole plate (1), and this in that the section (12) folded up at 180° is extended by a fastening section (13) touching the body (2).
2. Iron according to claim 1, characterised in that the fastening section (13) successively comprises, coming from the section (12) folded up at 180°, an intermediary portion (13A) folded up towards the top, then a free end which is folded against the body (2) to ensure the sole plate (1) is fixed onto the body (2).
3. Iron according to claim 2, characterised in that the intermediary portion (13A) extends perpendicularly to the ironing surface.
4. Iron according to any one of the claims 2 to 3, characterised in that the free end (13B) of the fastening section (13) is aligned with the intermediary portion (13A) at the time of placing the sole plate (1) onto the body (2), then is mechanically folded against the body (2) to ensure the fixing of the sole plate (1).
5. Iron according to any one of the claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the ironing surface and the peripheral edge (11) of the sole plate (1) are covered with a coating, such as enamel.
6. Iron according to claim 5, characterised in that the fastening section (13) is not covered by said coating.
7. Iron according to any one of the claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the sole plate (1) is made from aluminium.
8. Iron according to any one of the claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the thickness of the sole plate (1) is between 0.8mm and 1.5mm.
9. Iron according to any one of the claims 1 to 8, characterised in that said body (2) is heating and contains electrical resistance (20).

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