EP3377689B1 - Steam ironing apparatus comprising a hanger for arranging the clothing to be smoothed - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a steam ironing apparatus comprising a base enclosing a device for the production of a steam flow connected by a duct to a smoothing accessory comprising at least one hole for the emission of steam and relates more particularly to an apparatus in which the base comprises a hanger on which the garment to be smoothed can be placed when using the anti-crease accessory, the hanger being mounted to pivot on the base and being able to be immobilized in rotation by means a locking device.

It is known from the patent application US2008217364 an ironing appliance with a freely rotatable hanger mounted on the upper end of a mast.

It is known from the patent application WO2007 / 0108577 an ironing appliance comprising a bar mounted to rotate at the lower end of a mast, the appliance comprising a locking device making it possible to immobilize the hanger in various predetermined angular positions.

It is known, from the patent application CN203360893U , a steam ironing appliance comprising a steam generating base comprising a mast equipped with a hanger at its upper end, the hanger being mounted to rotate around the longitudinal axis of the mast and comprising a locking device making it possible to immobilize the hanger in different predetermined angular positions.

Such an ironing device provided with a rotating hanger has the advantage of making the garment smoothing operation more ergonomic by allowing the user to rotate the garment around the mast and then to immobilize it in different angular positions.

However, the hanger locking device disclosed in this document has the drawback of only allowing the hanger to be immobilized in a limited number of predetermined positions. In addition, the locking device disclosed in this document has the disadvantage of ensuring insufficient immobilization of the hanger in rotation when the spring used in the device. blocking is weakly rigid, and to be difficult to assemble when the spring used is sufficiently rigid to ensure good immobilization of the hanger. Finally, the locking device described in this document uses a spring-mounted pawl system which has the drawback of being relatively noisy when the position of the hanger is manually modified by the user.

Also, an aim of the present invention is to provide an ironing appliance remedying these drawbacks and which is simple and economical to produce.

To this end, the invention relates to a steam ironing apparatus comprising a base enclosing a device for the production of a flow of steam connected by a duct to an anti-crease accessory comprising at least one hole for the emission. steam, the base comprising a hanger on which the garment to be smoothed can be placed when using the steamer accessory, the hanger being mounted to pivot on the base about an axis by means of a pivot connection and capable of being immobilized in rotation by means of a locking device, characterized in that the locking device comprises a control member which can be moved manually by the user from an unlocked position, allowing free rotation of the hanger, towards a locked position in which the hanger is immobilized in rotation, and in that the movement of the control member from the unlocked position to the locked position causes the movement and / or the deformation of a braking from an initial position, allowing free rotation of the pivot linkage, to a braked position in which the braking element is held under pressure against an element to prevent rotation of the hanger and allows the hanger to lock around the axis in any angular position.

Such a device provided with a locking device provided with a friction braking element has the advantage of being simple and economical to implement and ensuring the immobilization of the hanger by the only friction forces generated by the pressure exerted by the braking element thus allowing locking of the hanger in any angular position. In addition, such a device has the advantage of being robust and silent.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the braking element is integral in translation with a rod and the control member is constituted by a control lever pivotably mounted at one end of the rod, the control lever comprising a part forming a cam causing the translational movement of the rod during the pivoting of the control lever.

Such a control device has the advantage of being simple and economical to produce, of ensuring good compression of the braking element and of offering very good ergonomics of use.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the control lever pivots by an angle of between 45 ° and 90 °, and advantageously of the order of 90 °, to go from the unlocked position to the locked position and the control lever. The control is advantageously arranged substantially perpendicular to the rod when it occupies one of the locked or unlocked positions and is arranged in alignment with the rod when it occupies the other position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the braking element is an elastically deformable element passing from an initial shape, advantageously having a restricted diameter, to a modified shape, advantageously having an increased diameter, when the control lever changes from the unlocked position to the locked position, the braking element passing from the initial shape to the modified shape by being deformed by the force exerted by a part integral with the rod.

Such a deformable braking element has the advantage of offering greater flexibility during the operation of the control lever and of allowing possible rotation of the hanger without damaging the locking device when the user forces the hanger to do so. turn without first placing the control lever in the unlocked position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the pivot connection allowing the rotation of the hanger on the base comprises a shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing, the braking element being compressed between a disc and one end of the shaft when the control lever. control occupies the blocked position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the braking element consists of an elastomer ring.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the braking element consists of a rigid flange, advantageously of frustoconical shape.

By rigid flange is meant a flange whose deformation remains substantially invisible when the flange is brought from the initial position to the braked position. For example, the flange can be made of polycarbonate.

Such a feature has the advantage of allowing more powerful locking of the hanger in rotation.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the pivot connection allowing rotation of the hanger on the base comprises a hollow shaft rotatably mounted in a bearing, the flange being disposed in a sleeve fixed to one end of the shaft.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to obtain a locking device that is compact and easy to assemble.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the sleeve has an upper end provided with a frustoconical wall against which the flange comes to rest when the control lever occupies the blocked position.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the control member is arranged in a cavity of the hanger, the cavity advantageously opening out on two opposite sides of the hanger.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to have a control member which is integrated into the volume of the hanger and does not interfere with the positioning of the clothes on the hanger. In addition, when the cavity opens onto both sides of the hanger, this allows easy access to the control member regardless of the orientation of the hanger.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the base comprises a vertical mast, advantageously telescopic, which carries the hanger.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the hanger is arranged near the top of the mast.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the accessory is a smoothing brush or an iron.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the hanger has a notch intended to receive the steamer head, the notch ensuring that the steamer head is held in position on the hanger when the user does not wish to use it.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the cavity receiving the control member is provided at the base of the notch.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the axis of rotation of the hanger is disposed substantially vertically when the base rests on the ground.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the axis of rotation of the hanger is arranged coaxially with the mast.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective d'un appareil de repassage selon l'invention ;
• la figure 2 est une vue en perspective éclatée d'un premier mode de réalisation d'un système d'accouplement du cintre sur le mât destiné à équiper l'appareil de la figure 1 ;
• La figure 3 est une vue de dessus du cintre de la figure 2 ;
• les figures 4A et 4B sont des vues en coupe selon la ligne IV-IV de la figure 3 avec le levier de commande respectivement disposé dans une position débloquée et dans une position bloquée ;
• La figure 5 est une vue en perspective éclatée d'un deuxième mode de réalisation d'un système d'accouplement du cintre sur le mât destiné à équiper l'appareil de la figure 1 ;
• les figures 6A et 6B sont des vues en coupe du cintre de la figure 5, selon un plan de coupe semblable à celui des figures 4A et 4B, avec le levier de commande respectivement disposé dans une position débloquée et dans une position bloquée ;

The aims, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the description given below of a particular embodiment of the invention presented by way of nonlimiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which :

• the figure 1 is a perspective view of an ironing appliance according to the invention;
• the figure 2 is an exploded perspective view of a first embodiment of a system for coupling the hanger to the mast intended to equip the apparatus of the figure 1 ;
• The figure 3 is a top view of the hanger of the figure 2 ;
• the figures 4A and 4B are sectional views along line IV-IV of the figure 3 with the control lever respectively arranged in an unlocked position and in a locked position;
• The figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of a system for coupling the hanger to the mast intended to equip the apparatus of the figure 1 ;
• the figures 6A and 6B are sectional views of the hanger of the figure 5 , according to a cutting plane similar to that of figures 4A and 4B , with the control lever respectively arranged in an unlocked position and in a locked position;

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

The figure 1 show a steam ironing appliance comprising a base 1 for the generation of steam connected by a flexible duct 2 to a smoothing brush 3 comprising holes for the emission of steam, the base 1 comprising, in a manner known per se, a water tank 10 connected to a boiling chamber, not shown in the figures, allowing continuous production a flow of steam saturated with water, the boiling chamber being connected directly to the flexible duct 2 so that the steam produced by the boiling chamber can escape freely towards the anti-crease brush 3.

Such a base 1 for the generation of steam is well known to those skilled in the art and is for example technically similar to the base for the generation of steam described in detail in the patent application. WO 2004/023957 .

Preferably, the base 1 comprises a mast 11 comprising three telescopic sections extending substantially vertically when the base 1 rests flat on the ground, the mast 11 comprising an upper end supporting a hanger 4 on which the laundry to be smoothed can be willing. The hanger 4 is advantageously made of plastic material and has a notch 40 at its top, better visible on the figure 2 , which forms a receiving housing for the anti-crease brush 3.

In accordance with figures 2 and 4A , the hanger 4 is mounted to pivot on the mast 11 about an axis coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the mast 11, the rotation of the hanger 4 being obtained by means of a pivot connection comprising a shaft 5, integral with the hanger 4, which rotates in a bearing 6 carried by a sleeve 60 arranged at the upper end of the mast 11.

More particularly according to the invention, the apparatus comprises a locking device which makes it possible to immobilize the hanger 4 in position, the locking device comprising a control lever 7 which can occupy an unlocked position in which the hanger 4 can rotate freely. on the mast 11 and a locked position in which the hanger 4 is immobilized in position.

In the first embodiment illustrated on figures 2 , 4A and 4B , the locking device comprises an elastically deformable braking element 8 disposed at a lower end of the shaft 5, inside the bearing 6, the braking element 8 being sandwiched between the lower end of the shaft 5 and a disc 80 fixed to a lower end of a rod 81 slidably mounted in the shaft 5 and the upper end of which is connected to the control lever 7.

The braking element is advantageously constituted by an elastic spacer 8, made of elastomeric material, with a thickness of the order of 1 cm which is crossed by the rod 81, the elastic spacer 8 having an annular shape which, when it is not compressed, has an external diameter of the order of 2 cm, corresponding to the diameter of the shaft 5.

Preferably, the rod 81 has a cross-section in the form of a cross which slides in an opening 50 of complementary shape made in the center of the shaft 5 in order to prevent the rotation of the rod 81 on itself.

As can be seen from figures 4A and 4B , the rod 81 has an upper end which opens, outside the hanger 4, into a cavity 41 formed at the base of the notch 40 intended to receive the anti-crease head 3, the upper end of the rod 81 being connected to the control lever 7 by a pivot connection of axis 82 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod 81.

The control lever 7 comprises an upper part 70 forming a gripping zone and a lower part forming a cam 71 which comes into contact with a wall 42 formed in the bottom of the cavity 41, the cam 71 having a shape adapted to cause the translational movement of the rod 81 in the direction of the approach of the disc 80 towards the lower end of the shaft 5 when the control lever 7 switches from the unlocked position, illustrated in the figure figure 4A , in the locked position, shown on the figure 4B .

Preferably, the part of the wall 42 on which the cam 71 comes to bear comprises a metal washer 43 which locally reinforces the bearing zone to prevent too rapid wear of the wall 42 in contact with the cam 71 during manipulation of the control lever 7.

The operation of the locking device will now be described in relation to the figures 4A and 4B .

When the user wishes to be able to freely turn the hanger 4 around the mast 11, he places the control lever 7 in the unlocked position illustrated on the figure. figure 4A , in which the control lever 7 is tilted by 90 ° relative to the axis of the rod 81. In this position, the shape of the cam 71 allows the descent of the rod 81 through the opening 50 of the shaft so that the disc 80 does not exert pressure on the elastic spacer 8 which then has an initial shape in which the external diameter of the elastic spacer 8 is smaller than the internal diameter of the bearing 6.

In this position of the control lever 7, the shaft 5 can rotate freely in the bearing 6 and the hanger 4 can be manually oriented by the user in the position he wishes.

When the user wishes to immobilize the hanger 4 in a given position, all he has to do is grab the control lever 7 and tilt it 90 ° to the locked position illustrated on the figure. figure 4B in which the control lever 7 is aligned with the axis of the rod 81. The tilting of the control lever 7 towards this blocked position causes the rod 81 to move upwards, due to the profile of the cam 71 which rests on the washer 43 covering the wall 42, so that the disc 80 compresses the elastic spacer 8 against the lower end of the shaft 5. This compression causes a deformation of the elastic spacer 8, in particular a swelling of its diameter, which then rubs against the bearing 6 and blocks the rotation of the shaft 5. The hanger 4 is then immobilized in position and the user can perform ironing operations without risk of rotation of the hanger 4.

Of course, if the user wishes to be able to rotate the hanger 4 on the mast 11, all he has to do is bring the control lever 7 back to the unlocked position to release the pressure exerted by the elastic spacer 8 on the bearing 6 .

Such a locking device therefore has the advantage of being simple and economical to produce and allows the hanger to be immobilized in any angular position. In addition, such a locking device has the advantage of not breaking when the user forces the hanger to rotate it without having first positioned the control lever in the unlocked position. In fact, when such a case occurs, the elastic spacer begins to slide inside the bearing when the torque exerted becomes greater than the frictional forces, preventing any breakage of the locking device.

The figures 5 , 6A and 6B illustrate a second embodiment of the device for locking the hanger 4 in rotation which can be fitted to the device of the figure 1 , the hanger 4 being mounted to pivot on the mast 11 by means of a pivot connection comprising a shaft 106, hollow, arranged at the upper end of the mast 11, the rotating shaft 106 in a bearing 105 formed in a sleeve 151 integral with the hanger 4 and being coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the mast 11.

In this second embodiment, the locking device comprises a braking element constituted by a flange 108 made of a rigid plastic material of the polycarbonate type and has a generally frustoconical shape.

The flange 108 is placed in a sleeve 160 attached to the inside of the shaft 106 and made integral in rotation with the latter by the insertion of fingers 161 carried by the internal surface of the shaft 106 in slots 162 formed on the latter. shirt 160.

The sleeve 160 is inserted into the hollow shaft 106 through the top of the latter and has an upper end closed by a frustoconical wall 163 comprising a lower surface having a shape complementary to the frustoconical flange 108.

The flange 108 is fixed to the lower end of a rod 181 passing through an opening 163A formed at the top of the frustoconical wall 163 and is mounted to slide in translation in an opening 152 formed at the upper end of the sleeve 151, the rod 181 having a non-circular cross section cooperating with the shape of the opening 152 to prevent the rotation of the rod 181 in the opening 152 so that the hanger 4 is integral in rotation with the rod 181. By way of example , the rod 181 and the opening 152 have a rectangular cross section.

As can be seen from figures 6A and 6B , the rod 181 has an upper end which opens into the cavity 41 formed at the base of the notch 40 of the hanger, the upper end of the rod 181 being connected to a control lever 107 by a pivot linkage 182 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rod 181.

The control lever 107 comprises an upper part forming a gripping zone and a lower part forming a cam 171 which comes into contact with a wall 142 formed in the bottom of the cavity 41, the cam 171 having a shape adapted to cause the translational displacement of the rod 181 in the direction of the pressurization of the flange 108 against the frustoconical wall 163 of the sleeve 160 when the control lever 107 rocks from the unlocked position illustrated, on the figure 6A , in the locked position shown on the figure 6B .

The operation of the locking device according to the second embodiment will now be described in relation to the figures 6A and 6B .

When the user wishes to be able to freely turn the hanger 4 around the mast 11, he places the control lever 107 in the unlocked position, illustrated in the figure. figure 6A , in which the control lever 107 is axially aligned with the rod 181. In this position, the shape of the cam 171 allows the descent of the rod 181 through the opening 152 of the sleeve 151 so that the flange 108 occupies an initial position in which the frustoconical wall of the flange 108 does not exert pressure against the frustoconical wall 163 of the sleeve 160.

In this position of the control lever 107, the sleeve 151 can rotate freely on the shaft 106 and the hanger 4 can be manually oriented by the user in the position he wishes.

When the user wishes to immobilize the hanger 4 in a given position, it suffices for him to grasp the control lever 107 and to tilt it by 90 ° towards the blocked position illustrated on the figure. figure 6B . The tilting of the control lever 107 towards this blocked position causes a displacement of the rod 181 upwards, due to the profile of the cam 171 which rests on the wall 142, so that the flange 108 is pressed against the wall frustoconical 163 of the liner 160. The upper surface of the flange 108 then rubs against the lower surface of the frustoconical wall 163 and block the rotation of the rod 181 relative to the liner 160. However, the liner 160 being made integral by rotation of the shaft 106 by the insertion of the fingers 161 in the slots 162, the locking in rotation of the rod 181 relative to the shaft 106 prevents the rotation of the hanger 4 on the mast 11 which is then immobilized in position . The user can then perform ironing operations without risk of the hanger 4 rotating.

Of course, if the user wishes to be able to rotate the hanger 4 on the mast 11 it suffices for it to bring the control lever 107 back into the unlocked position to release the pressure exerted by the flange 108 on the frustoconical wall 163.

The locking device according to this second embodiment has the advantage of being simple and economical to produce and of ensuring a more powerful rotation locking than that described in the first embodiment thanks to the friction of the flange made of rigid material. against the tapered wall of the liner.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated which has been given only by way of example. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Thus in another variant embodiment not shown, the apparatus may include, in addition to the hanger, an upper bar provided with clips, extending between the two longitudinal ends of the hanger, making it possible to hold the garment to be ironed.

Thus in another variant embodiment not shown, the hanger may also include an ironing surface, such as a curtain, which can be stretched vertically between the hanger and a lower bar attached to the mast.

Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the control member of the locking device may be constituted by a lever mounted to rotate about the longitudinal axis of the rod, the lever coming to rest on a wall provided with reliefs forming cams so that the rotation of the lever around the longitudinal axis of the rod causes the lever to move in translation along this longitudinal axis.

Claims (10)

1. A Steam ironing appliance comprising a base (1) containing a device for producing a stream of steam connected by a conduit (2) to a smoothing accessory (3) comprising at least one hole for emitting steam, said base (1) comprising a coat hanger (4) on which the garment to be smoothed can be hung while the steaming accessory (3) is in use, the coat hanger (4) being pivotally mounted on the base around an axis by means of a pivot connection and being able to be prevented from rotating by means of a locking device, the locking device comprising a control member (7; 107) that can be moved by the user by hand from an unlocked position that allows the coat hanger (4) to rotate freely into a locked position in which the coat hanger (4) is prevented from rotating, characterised in that the movement of the control member (7; 107) from the unlocked position into the locked position causes the movement and/or deformation of a braking element (8; 108) from an initial position that allows free rotation of the pivot connection, towards a braked position in which the braking element (8; 108) is kept pressed against an element (6, 163) to prevent the coat hanger (4) from rotating and to allow a locking of the coat hanger around the axis in any angular position.
2. The ironing appliance according to claim 1, characterised in that the braking element (8; 108) is integral in translation with a rod (81; 181), and in that the control member consists of a control lever (7; 107) pivotally mounted at one end of said rod (81; 181), the control lever (7; 107) having a camming portion (71; 171) causing a translation of the rod (81; 181) during pivoting of the control lever (7; 107).
3. The ironing appliance according to claim 2, characterised in that the control lever (7; 107) pivots on the order of an angle between 45° and 90° to move from the unlocked position into the locked position and in that the control lever (7; 107) is advantageously arranged substantially perpendicular to the rod (81; 181) when it occupies one of the locked or unlocked positions and is arranged in alignment with the rod (81; 181) when it occupies the other position.
4. The ironing appliance according to any one of claims 2 to 3, characterised in that the braking element (8) is an elastically deformable element passing from an initial shape to a modified shape under the force exerted by a part (80) integral with the rod (81) when the control lever (7) moves from the unlocked position into the locked position.
5. The ironing appliance according to claim 4, characterised in that the pivot connection allowing the rotation of the coat hanger (4) on the base (1) comprises a shaft (5) pivotally mounted in a bearing (6) and in that the braking member (8) is compressed between a disc (80) and an end of the shaft (5) when the control lever (7) is in the locked position.
6. The ironing appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the braking element (108) consists of a rigid flange, advantageously of frustoconical shape.
7. The appliance according to claim 6, characterised in that the pivot connection allowing the rotation of the coat hanger (4) on the base (1) comprises a hollow shaft (106), pivotally mounted in a bearing (105) and in that the flange (108) is arranged in a jacket (160) attached to one end of the shaft (106).
8. The appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the control member (7; 107) is arranged in a cavity (41) of the coat hanger, the cavity (41) advantageously opening on two opposite sides of the coat hanger (4).
9. The appliance according to any of claims 1 to 8, characterised in that the base (1) comprises a vertical mast (11), advantageously telescopic, which carries the coat hanger (4).
10. The appliance according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the accessory (3) is a smoothing brush (3) or an iron.

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