EP3577269B1 - Iron comprising a heat shield inserted between a housing and a heating body - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an iron comprising a housing, a heating body in which is embedded a heating resistor and a heat shield interposed between the heating body and the casing, the heat shield being held on the heating body by means of fixation.

It is known, requests for patent EP1143061 and EP0625609 , an iron comprising a plastic housing, a heating body in which is embedded a heating resistor and a heat shield interposed between the heating body and the housing. In these documents, the heat shield comprises a front end fixed directly to the heating body by means of a fixing screw.

However, such a solution has the drawback of exposing the heat shield to high temperatures, clearly above 200 ° C. This involves the use of a metallic material or of a thermosetting plastic material shaped by compression molding, such as BMC (Bulk Molding Compound). However, the use of such thermosetting materials does not make it possible to produce complex shapes, or to obtain parts having a good appearance and offering a wide range of colors. In addition, the parts made of BMC have the drawback of not having very good impact resistance. It is possible to remedy the appearance and color problems by painting the part made of BMC, however this has the drawback of greatly increasing the cost of manufacturing the part.

It is also known from the prior art, to solve the problems of appearance and cost, to produce the heat shield in a thermoplastic material of the PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) type, such a material having the advantage of being inexpensive and able to present a wide range of colors with a qualitative aspect.

However, such a material has the drawback of having little resistance to temperature so that it cannot come into direct contact with the heating body in areas where the temperature of the latter can exceed 200 ° C. To resolve this drawback, it is known to use a stainless steel fixing flange which is interposed between the heat shield and the heating body, such a fixing flange having the function of limiting the heat transfer by conduction taking place in the direction of heat shield. However, such a stainless steel fixing flange has the drawback of being expensive to produce.

Also, the aim of the present invention is to provide a steam iron comprising a heat shield which is fixed in a simple and inexpensive manner on the heating body. Another object of the invention is to provide an iron in which the means for fixing the heat shield make it possible to limit the heat transfer by conduction between the heating body and the heat shield.

To this end, the invention relates to an iron comprising a housing, a heating body in which is embedded an electrical resistance and a heat shield interposed between the heating body and the housing, the heat shield being held on the body. heating by fixing means, characterized in that the fixing means of the heat shield comprise a fixing flange on which the heat shield is fixed, the fixing flange coming into contact with the heating body and being made of a material thermoplastic having undergone an ionizing treatment to improve its resistance to temperature.

Such a feature allows the fixing of the heat shield using a fixing flange made by injection molding of thermoplastic material. Such a flange has the advantage of being able to have complex shapes and of being inexpensive to produce. In addition, the treatment by ionizing radiation makes it possible to improve the mechanical strength of the fastening flange at high temperature, in particular above 200 ° C.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange is made of polyamide reinforced with glass fibers and crosslinked under ionizing radiation.

Such reinforcement of the polyamide material with glass fibers makes it possible to create a three-dimensional network which is formed during the injection molding process and which improves the mechanical properties at high temperatures.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange is made of polyamide of crosslinked type 4.6 (PA46), of crosslinked type 6 (PA6) or of crosslinked type 6.6 (PA66).

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange is made of polyamide material of the PA66 type reinforced with 30% glass fibers.

Such a material has the advantage of having good mechanical resistance to heat. Indeed, experience has shown that such a material withstands the hot tip test at 360 ° C, this test consisting in applying a tip with a diameter of 1 mm (heated to the test temperature) with a load of 1 kg. on the material and ensure that the tip does not penetrate the material.

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

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the heat shield is made of a thermoplastic material, advantageously of the PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) type.

Such a material has the advantage of offering a wide range of colors, of presenting a beautiful appearance and of being inexpensive.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange comprises a barrel coming into contact with the heating body, the barrel having a bore intended to receive a fixing screw ensuring the immobilization of the fixing flange on the heating body.

According to yet another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange is fixed to the heat shield by means of a bayonet type connection.

Such a feature allows simple and rapid assembly of the fixing flange on the heat shield.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange comprises a lock which engages elastically in a locking groove formed on the heat shield to immobilize the fixing flange in a locked position.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the fixing flange comprises two fingers and is fixed to the heat shield by rotation between a position insert in which the two fingers of the mounting flange are aligned with a complementary shaped hole in the heat shield, and a locking position in which the heat shield is sandwiched between the two fingers and an element of the mounting flange.

• la figure 1 est une vue en perspective éclatée d'un fer à repasser selon un mode particulier de réalisation de l'invention ;
• les figures 2 et 3 sont des vues en perspective de la bride de fixation de l'écran thermique représentée seule.
• les figures 4 et 5 sont des vues de détail, en perspective, de l'extrémité avant de l'écran thermique avec la bride de fixation respectivement représentée dans une position de pré-assemblage et dans une position assemblée à l'écran thermique ;
• la figure 6 est une vue en perspective du dessous de l'écran thermique lorsque la bride de fixation est fixée à l'écran thermique ;
• la figure 7 est une vue en coupe longitudinale du corps chauffant assemblé avec l'écran thermique.

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 an exploded perspective view of an iron according to a particular embodiment of the invention;
• the figures 2 and 3 are perspective views of the heat shield mounting flange shown alone.
• the figures 4 and 5 are detail views, in perspective, of the front end of the heat shield with the mounting flange respectively shown in a pre-assembled position and in a position assembled to the heat shield;
• the figure 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of the heat shield when the mounting flange is attached to the heat shield;
• the figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of the heating body assembled with the heat shield.

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.

It will be noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear" used to describe the iron refer to this appliance when it lies flat. on its ironing plate.

The figure 1 shows an exploded perspective view of an iron conventionally comprising a housing 1 made of plastic, a heating body 2 and a heat shield 3 arranged between the heating body 2 and the housing 1 to limit the heat exchange between the heating body 2 and housing 1.

The iron comprises a gripping handle 10 formed by the upper part of the housing 1, the housing 1 containing a water reservoir 11 from which a manual pump actuated by a button 12 disposed at the front end of the handle draws. 10, the actuation of the button 12 allowing the emission of a water spray through a spray nozzle 13 arranged at the front end of the housing 1.

The heating body 2 is advantageously constituted by an aluminum foundry comprising an electrical resistance 20 with a power of the order of 2800W bent in the shape of a horseshoe, the electrical supply of the electrical resistance 20 being regulated by means of a thermostat 21 carried by the heating body 2. The heating body 2 has a flat lower face, having a pointed front end and a wide and rounded rear end, on which is fixed an ironing plate 22 intended to come into contact with the laundry .

The heating body 2 has, in a manner known per se, a vaporization chamber 23 closed in its upper part by a closure plate 24 provided with an orifice 24A intended to receive a drip plug, not shown in the figures. . The drip plug is supplied with water from the reservoir 11 and it pours a flow of water droplets into the vaporization chamber 23 making it possible to produce a flow of vapor escaping through the vapor outlet holes 22A provided. in the ironing plate 22.

The heat shield 3 is made by molding in a thermoplastic material and it has an enveloping shape adapted to cover the upper part as well as the side edges of the heating body 2, thus preventing any burn of the user by direct contact with the heating body. 2.

The upper part of the heat shield 3 comprises, in a manner known per se, a central opening 30 allowing the passage of a thermostat adjustment member 21 controlled by a slider 14 carried by the housing 1 and a front opening 31 allowing the passage. passage of the drip bushel.

The heat shield 3 is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material of the PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) type, such a material having the advantage of being inexpensive and of being able to present a wide range. of colors with a qualitative aspect.

Preferably, the heat shield 3 is fixed by screws 4 on the heating body 2 which are screwed into a threaded bore made in a front fixing stud 25 placed at the level of the pointed front end of the heating body 2, and in threaded bores made in two lateral fixing studs 26 arranged in the rear half of the heating body 2.

In order to withstand the high temperature prevailing in the vicinity of the electrical resistance 20 and in particular at the level of the front end of the iron, the heat shield 3 is fixed to the front fixing stud 25 by means of a mounting flange 5 shown separately on the figures 2 and 3 .

This fixing flange 5 is produced by an injection molding process in a polyamide material advantageously reinforced with glass fibers, then it undergoes crosslinking by ionizing radiation.

Crosslinking by ionization has the advantage of reinforcing the mechanical resistance to temperature of the plastic material, two types of radiation being able to be used for the process of crosslinking by ionization, gamma radiation or Beta radiation.

Preferably, the fixing flange 5 is made of plastic material of the Polyamide 6 (PA6), Polyamide 46 (PA 46) or Polyamide 66 (PA 66) type, advantageously reinforced with glass fibers with a percentage of between 10% and 40% . By way of example, the material used is a crosslinked polyamide of PA 66 type reinforced with 30% glass fibers such as sold under the name Staramid RF006K by the company Eurostar.

In accordance with figures 2 and 3 , the fixing flange 5 comprises a tubular barrel 50, intended to come into contact with the heating body 2, the barrel 50 comprising a lower face having corrugations making it possible to limit the contact surface with the heating body 2 and therefore the heat transfer by conduction.

The shank 50 has a bore 51 for the passage of the fixing screw 4 and has a peripheral surface provided with two locking fingers 52 arranged symmetrically with respect to the axis of the bore 51, the two fingers 52 being intended to engage in a hole 32 of complementary shape made at the front end of the heat shield 3 to produce a bayonet-type connection.

As can be seen on the figure 4 , the hole 32 has a central bore 32A having a diameter corresponding substantially to the outer diameter of the barrel 50 and has two lateral ears 32B arranged along the longitudinal axis of the heat shield 3 and adapted to allow the passage of the fingers 52.

The fixing flange 5 comprises, at the upper end of the barrel 50, a disc 53 which extends radially to the barrel 50 and which bears on the upper face of the heat shield 3 when the two fingers 52 are engaged in the opening, the space formed between the fingers 52 and the disc 53 corresponding substantially to the thickness of the heat shield 3 at the edge of the hole 32.

The fixing flange 5 also comprises a locking tongue 54 which extends radially from an edge of the disc 53 and which comprises a latch 55 having a lug 55A intended to engage in a locking groove 33 provided on the upper face. heat shield 3.

Thanks to this configuration, the mounting of the flange on the heat shield 3 is carried out simply by bringing the flange into an insertion position, shown in the figure. figure 4 , in which the fingers 52 of the fixing flange are aligned with the ears of the hole 32, then by turning the locking tab 54 clockwise a quarter turn to bring the fixing flange 5 into a position of lock, shown on figures 5 and 6 , in which the lug 55A is forcefully engaged, after elastic deformation of the locking tab 54, in a cavity formed in the locking groove 33.

In this locking position, the heat shield 3 is made integral with the fixing flange 5 by being immobilized radially by the adjustment of the barrel 50 in the bore of the hole 32 and by being immobilized axially by the engagement of the heat shield 3 between the disc 53 and the fingers 52 of the fixing flange.

When the fixing flange 5 is mounted on the heat shield 3, the latter can be assembled on the heating body 2 by means of the fixing screws 4, as shown in the figure. figure 7 , the heat shield 3 then having the advantage of do not come into direct contact with the front part of the heating body 2 where the temperature is the highest.

The iron thus produced has the advantage of using a plastic fixing flange which is inexpensive to produce, simple to assemble on the heat shield and which has very good mechanical resistance at the temperatures usually reached in the iron. environment of the heating body. Such a plastic flange also has the advantage of being able to have complex shapes and to be of low heat conductor, which makes it possible to create a thermal brake between the heating body and the heat shield.

In particular, such an attachment flange has the advantage of being able to be used in combination with a heat shield made of PBT material although such a material cannot withstand temperatures above 200 ° C. However, the PBT material has the advantage of being inexpensive and of allowing the production of a heat shield of any color, with a beautiful appearance.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and illustrated which have been given only by way of examples. 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 the example of embodiment shown, only the front fixing stud of the heating body receives a fixing flange made of crosslinked polyamide material to be interposed between the heating body and the heat shield, the lateral fixing studs having the advantage, by their location further from the electrical resistance, to remain constantly at a temperature below 200 ° C. However, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the fixing studs may also receive a fixing flange made of crosslinked polyamide material interposed between the heating body and the heat shield.

Claims (10)

1. An iron comprising a housing (1), a heating body (2) wherein an electrical element (20) is embedded and a heat shield (3) placed between the heating body (2) and the housing (1), the heat shield (3) being fastened to the heating body (2) by attachment means (4, 5), characterised in that said attachment means of the heat shield (3) comprises an attachment flange (5) to which the heat shield (3) is attached, said attachment flange (5) engaging with the heating body (2) and being made of a thermoplastic material that has undergone ionising treatment to improve the temperature resistance thereof.
2. Iron according to claim 1, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) is made of polyamide reinforced with glass fibre and cross-linked by means of ionising radiation.
3. Iron according to any of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) is made of crosslinked polyamide 4.6, crosslinked polyamide 6 (PA6) or crosslinked polyamide 6.6 (PA66).
4. Iron according to claim 3, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) is made from a 30% glass fibre reinforced PA66 polyamide material.
5. Iron according to any of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the heating body (2) is made from cast aluminium.
6. Iron according to any of claims 1 to 5 characterised in that the heat shield (3) is advantageously made of a thermoplastic material of the PBT (polybutylene terephthalate) type.
7. Iron according to any of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) comprises a barrel (50) engaging with the heating body (2), the barrel (50) having a bore (51) adapted to receive a fastening screw (4) to secure the attachment flange (5) to the heating body (2).
8. Iron according any of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) is attached to the heat shield (3) by a bayonet-type connection.
9. Iron according to claim 8, characterised in tat the attachment flange (5) comprises a latch (55), engaging in a locking groove (33) provided on the heat shield (3) to secure the attachment flange (5) into a locked position.
10. Iron according to claim 9, characterised in that the attachment flange (5) comprises two pins (52) and is rotatably attached to the heat shield (3) between an insertion position wherein the two pins (52) of the attachment flange (5) are aligned with a hole (32) with a complementary shape incorporated into the heat shield (3), and a locked position wherein the heat shield (3) is sandwiched between the two pins (52) and a member (53) of the attachment flange (5).

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