EP3536849B1

EP3536849B1 - Locking mechanism and an ironing device having the same

Info

Publication number: EP3536849B1
Application number: EP19160057.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Hao-Chan Wei; Wen-Pin Chen; Li-Ping Tsai
Original assignee: Tsann Kuen Zhangzhou Enterprise Co Ltd
Current assignee: Tsann Kuen Zhangzhou Enterprise Co Ltd
Priority date: 2018-03-05
Filing date: 2019-02-28
Publication date: 2021-02-17
Anticipated expiration: 2039-02-28
Also published as: ES2857955T3; CN110230181B; CN110230181A; EP3536849A1

Description

The disclosure relates to a locking mechanism, more particularly to a locking mechanism for an ironing device.
A conventional ironing device includes an iron and a base seat for receiving the iron thereon. The base seat is capable of only receiving the iron as there are no structural connections between the iron and the base seat to secure them to each other. Moving the entire ironing device is inconvenient as both the iron and the base seat would need to be moved separately, or with one hand under the base seat and one hand lifting the iron.
It is noted that patent publication US 7 681 343 B2 discloses an ironing appliance comprising an iron and a portable base provided with a surface for setting down the iron when the iron is not being used. This ironing appliance comprises means for immobilizing the iron on the base. Unlocking the iron can be done using an unlock button.
It is further noted that patent publication EP 2 955 265 A2 discloses a steam station comprising an iron and a base station, in which the base station comprises a locking mechanism for securing the iron, wherein the locking mechanism secures the iron around the middle of the iron. The locking mechanism is operable to lock/unlock by a single button or a latch.
It is also noted that patent publication CN 107489011 A discloses a base assembly and an ironing appliance, wherein the base assembly includes a base and a starting part, which is pulled out of the base. At least one position portion is provided in the base and connected to the starting portion to restrict the movement of the iron.
It is noted that patent publication EP 2 873 767 A1 discloses a split type steam iron and a locking structure thereof for use for clothing ironing equipment. A locking structure is arranged in the base, which comprises a reversible handle and a slide lock touched by the handle. The slide lock is unlocked through turning over the handle, and the handle is held by the hand to lift the iron.
Therefore, the object of the disclosure is to provide a locking mechanism that is adapted for securing an iron onto a base seat and that can alleviate the drawback of the prior art.
According to the disclosure, a locking mechanism according to claim 1 is provided. The locking mechanism is adapted for securing an iron onto a base seat, and includes a first securing member and a controlling member. The controlling member is operable for moving the first securing member from a secured position, where the iron is locked to the base seat, to a released position, where the iron is released from the base seat.
Another object of the disclosure is to provide an ironing device including the iron, the base seat and the abovementioned locking mechanism.
Other features and advantages of the disclosure will become apparent in the following detailed description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first embodiment of an ironing device according to the disclosure;
FIG. 2 is a partly exploded perspective view of the first embodiment;
FIG. 3 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the first embodiment;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a first securing member and a controlling member of the locking mechanism when the first securing member is in a secured position and the controlling member is in a locked position;
FIG. 5 is similar to FIG. 4, but illustrating the controlling member in an unlocked position;
FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view of the first embodiment, illustrating the first securing member in the secured position and the controlling member in the locked position;
FIG. 7 is similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating the first securing member in a released position;
FIG. 8 is similar to FIG. 6, but illustrating the first securing member between the secured position and the released position;
FIG. 9 is a partly exploded perspective view of a second embodiment of the ironing device according to the disclosure; and
FIG. 10 is a fragmentary side view of the second embodiment.

Before the present invention is described in greater detail, it should be noted that where considered appropriate, reference numerals or terminal portions of reference numerals have been repeated among the figures to indicate corresponding or analogous elements, which may optionally have similar characteristics.
Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a first embodiment of an ironing device according to the disclosure includes an iron 1, a base seat 2, and a locking mechanism 3 for securing the iron 1 onto the base seat 2.
The iron 1 has a head portion 11, a rear portion 12 and a handle 13. As the iron 1 is not the focus of the disclosure, further details are omitted for the sake of brevity.
The base seat 2 includes an insulating plate 21 disposed on a top thereof. The insulating plate 21 is shaped corresponding to a bottom of the iron 1 for securely receiving the iron 1 thereon. The insulating plate 21 has a plate body 211 and a first hinge portion 212 protruding from the plate body 211. The plate body 211 has a top surface formed with an installing slot 213. In this embodiment, both the first hinge portion 212 and the installing slot 213 are proximate to a front end of the base seat 2.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 4, the locking mechanism 3 includes a first securing member 31, a controlling member 32, a first resilient member 33, a second resilient member 34, a second securing member 35, and an engaging slot 36.
The first securing member 31 has a pivoting body 311, a first engaging portion 312 disposed on the pivoting body 311, and a second hinge portion 313 protruding downward from the pivoting body 311 and engaging the first hinge portion 212 of the insulating plate 21 so that the pivoting body 311 is pivotally mounted on the base seat 2. The first engaging member 31 is movable between a secured position (see FIGS. 4 and 6), where the iron 1 is locked to the base seat 2, and a released position (see FIG. 7), where the iron 1 is released from the base seat 2 and is permitted to be removed from the base seat 2. The first engaging portion 312 has a first hook section 314 (see FIG. 4) extending downward.
The controlling member 32 is disposed in the installing slot 213 of the base seat 2, and has a controlling body 321 and a second engaging portion 322 protruding from the controlling body 321 for engaging with the first engaging portion 312 when the first securing portion 31 is in the secured position. The second engaging portion 322 has a second hook section 323 that extends upward for engaging with the first hook section 314 of the first engaging portion 312.
Referring to FIGS 4 to 6, in this embodiment, the controlling member 32 is a button and is operable to move between a locked position (see FIG. 4 and 6) and an unlocked position (see FIG. 5) . When the first securing member 31 is in the secured position and the controlling member 32 is in the locked position, the second hook section 323 of the second engaging portion 322 of the controlling member 32 is engaged with the first hook section 314 of the first engaging portion 312 of the first securing member 31 for maintaining the first securing member 31 in the secured position. When the first securing member 31 is in the secured position and the controlling member 32 is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, the second engaging portion 322 is disengaged from the first engaging portion 312 for permitting the first securing member 31 to move to the released position.
Referring to FIG. 3, the first resilient member 33 is a torsion spring and has a first section 331 that is connected to the base seat 2 and a second section 332 that is connected to the first securing member 31. The first resilient member 33 is disposed for biasing the first securing member 31 toward the released position.
The second resilient member 34 is a compression spring disposed under the controlling member 32, and is connected to the controlling member 32 and abuts against the base seat 2 for biasing the controlling member 32 toward the locked position.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the engaging slot 36 is formed in an outer surface of the rear portion 12 of the iron 1. The second securing member 35 protrudes from the base seat 2, is spaced apart from the first securing member 31 and proximate to a rear end of the base seat 2, and is disposed for engaging the engaging slot 36.
When a user wishes to secure the iron 1 onto the base seat 2, the second securing member 35 on the base seat 2 is first engaged with the engaging slot 36 on the iron 1 so that the rear portion 12 of the iron 1 and the rear of the base seat 2 are secured. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 7, the head portion 11 of the iron 1 is then pressed down against the base seat 2. At this point, the first securing member 31 is at the released position (FIG. 7). The user may push the first securing member 31 in a direction as shown by an arrow in FIG. 7 against a resilient force of the first resilient member 33 to turn the first securing member 31 about the second hinge portion 313 and move the first engaging portion 312 toward the second engaging portion 322 of the controlling member 32, until the first hook section 314 (FIG. 4) and the second hook section 323 engage with each other, to secure the first securing member 31 at the secured position (FIGS. 4 and 6). In other words, when the first securing member 31 is at the secured position and the controlling member 32 is at the locked position as shown in FIGS. 4 and 6, the second engaging portion 322 is engaged with the first engaging portion 312 and the first securing member 31 abuts against and secures the head portion 11 of the iron 1 to secure the iron 1 onto the base seat 2. In this state, the user may move the base seat 2 by moving the iron 1, enabling moving of the entire ironing device using only one hand.
Referring to FIGS. 5, 6, and 8, when the user wishes to detach the iron 1 from the base seat 2, the controlling member 32 may be pressed downward in a direction as shown by an arrow in FIG. 5 and move the controlling member 32 to the unlocked position, where the second engaging portion 322 becomes disengaged from the first engaging portion 312. Consequently, the first securing member 31 is biased by the first resilient member 33 from the secured position shown in FIG. 6, through the position shown in FIG. 8, toward the released position (FIG. 7). When the first securing member 31 is at the released position, the iron 1 and the base seat 2 may be separated from each other by lifting the iron 1 forward to disengage the second securing member 35 from the engaging slot 36.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the first and second securing members 31, 35 are configured to be spaced apart in a front-rear direction to respectively secure the head portion 11 and the rear portion 12 of the iron 1 to the base seat 2. However, in other embodiments, the first and second securing members 31, 35 may be proximate respectively to any two opposite ends of the base seat 2.
In sum, by operation of the first securing member 31 from the released position to the secured position and operation of the controlling member 32 from the locked position to the unlocked position, the iron 1 and the base seat 2 may be easily secured to and released from each other. Both actions are simple and can be done with one hand, providing convenient usage. Furthermore, the elements of the locking mechanism 3 are few in numbers and have simple structures which reducing production costs.
Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a second embodiment of the ironing device according to the disclosure is similar to the first embodiment, the difference being that in this embodiment, the engaging slot 36 is formed in the outer surface of the base seat 2, and the second securing member 35 protrudes from the iron 1 for engaging the engaging slot 36. The second embodiment shares the benefits of the first embodiment.
In the description above, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details have been set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that one or more other embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. It should also be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment," "an embodiment," an embodiment with an indication of an ordinal number and so forth means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic may be included in the practice of the disclosure. It should be further appreciated that in the description, various features are sometimes grouped together in a single embodiment, figure, or description thereof for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure and aiding in the understanding of various inventive aspects, and that one or more features or specific details from one embodiment may be practiced together with one or more features or specific details from another embodiment, where appropriate, in the practice of the disclosure.

Claims

A locking mechanism (3) adapted for securing an iron (1) onto a base seat (2) and including:
a first securing member (31); and

a controlling member (32) being operable for moving said first securing member (31) from a secured position, where the iron (1) is locked to the base seat (2), to a released position, where the iron (1) is released from the base seat (2);

wherein said first securing member (31) has a pivoting body (311) adapted to be pivotally mounted on the base seat (2) for locking the iron (1) to the base seat (2) when said first securing member (31) is in the secured position, and a first engaging portion (312) disposed on said pivoting body (311); and

said controlling member (32) is adapted to be disposed on the base seat (2) and has a second engaging portion (322) for engaging with said first engaging portion (312) when said first securing portion (31) is in the secured position;

wherein said controlling member (32) is operable to move between a locked position and an unlocked position;

wherein when said first securing member (31) is in the secured position and said controlling member (32) is in the locked position, said second engaging portion (322) of said controlling member (32) is engaged with said first engaging portion (312) of said first securing member (31) for maintaining said first securing member (31) in the secured position; and

wherein when said first securing member (31) is in the secured position and said controlling member (32) is moved from the locked position to the unlocked position, said second engaging portion (322) is disengaged from said first engaging portion (312) for permitting said first securing member (31) to move to the released position;
the locking mechanism (3) being characterized in that said locking mechanism (3) further includes a first resilient member (33) having a first section (331) that is adapted to be connected to the base seat (2) and a second section (332) that is connected to said first securing member (31), said first resilient member (33) being disposed for biasing said first securing member (31) toward the released position.
The locking mechanism (3) as claimed in Claim 1, further characterized by a second resilient member (34) that is connected to said controlling member (32) for biasing said controlling member (32) toward the locked position.
The locking mechanism (3) as claimed in Claim 1 or Claim 2, further characterized by a second securing member (35) spaced apart from said first securing member (31) for engaging the iron (1) with the base seat (2).
The locking mechanism (3) as claimed in Claim 3, further characterized by an engaging slot (36) adapted to be formed in an outer surface of the iron (1), said second securing member (35) being adapted for protruding from the base seat (2) and for engaging said engaging slot (36).
The locking mechanism (3) as claimed in Claim 4, further characterized by an engaging slot (36) adapted to be formed on an outer surface of the base seat (2), said second securing member (35) being adapted for protruding from the iron (1) and for engaging said engaging slot (36).
The locking mechanism (3) as claimed in any one of Claims 3 to 5, characterized in that said first securing member (31) and said second securing member (35) are adapted to be proximate respectively to two opposite ends of the base seat (2).
An ironing device including a iron (1) and a base seat (2), characterized in that said ironing device further includes a locking mechanism (3) as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 6, for securing said iron (1) onto said base seat (2)
The ironing device as claimed in Claim 7, further characterized in that said locking mechanism (3) further has a second resilient member (34) that is connected to said controlling member (32) for biasing said controlling member (32) toward the locked position.
The ironing device as claimed in Claim 7 or Claim 8, further characterized in that said base (2) includes an insulating plate (21) disposed on a top thereof, said controlling member (32) and said first securing member (31) being disposed on said insulating plate (21).
The ironing device as claimed anyone of Claims 7 to 9, further characterized in that said locking mechanism (3) further has a second securing member (35) spaced apart from said first securing member (31) for engaging said iron (1) with said base seat (2).
The ironing device as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that said second securing member (35) is disposed on and protruding from said base seat (2), said locking mechanism (3) further having an engaging slot (36) that is formed in an outer surface of said iron (1) for engaging with said second securing member (35).
The ironing device as claimed in Claim 10, characterized in that said second securing member (35) is disposed on and protruding from said iron (1), said locking mechanism (3) further having an engaging slot (36) that is formed in a surface of said base seat (2) for engaging with said second securing member (35).
The ironing device as claimed in anyone of Claims 10 to 12, characterized in that said first securing member (31) and said second securing member (35) are proximate respectively to two opposite ends of said base seat (2).