EP3868951B1 - Portable crease removal device - Google Patents

Description

Technical area

The present invention relates to a portable steaming device comprising a handle and a steam emitting head connected to an upper end of the handle, the steam emitting head comprising a front end comprising a treatment face intended to come vertically opposite a garment to be steamed when the device is held in a vertical steaming position.

State of the art

It is known from the document US3620055 a portable steaming device comprising a steam emitting head connected to a handle, the steam emitting head comprising a treatment face intended to come vertically facing a garment to be steamed when the device is held with its handle oriented substantially vertically. Such a device has a rectangular-shaped treatment face, provided with a metal heating plate and steam outlet ports, which is intended to be applied against the garment to be steamed. A device with similar characteristics is also known from the document CN 207 552 756U .

Such a device has the advantage of being easy to handle, not bulky, and of allowing the removal of wrinkles from clothing. However, such a device has the disadvantage of having a reduced surface treatment face which does not allow rapid treatment of large surfaces. A known solution to remedy this drawback consists of increasing the size of the treatment face. However, in this case, the bulk of the head becomes greater and hides a significant part of the garment being treated, which can bother the user who then no longer has a good vision of the area of the garment being treated. .

Summary of the invention

An aim of the present invention is to propose a steaming device which overcomes these drawbacks and in particular to propose a portable steaming device comprising a treatment face which can have a relatively large treatment surface while offering good visibility. of the treated area.

To this end, the subject of the invention is a portable steaming device comprising a handle and a steam emission head connected to an upper end of the handle, the steam emission head comprising a front end comprising a face of treatment intended to come vertically opposite a garment to be steamed when the device is held in a vertical steaming position with the handle located under the head, characterized in that the steam emission head has a through opening which opens out on the treatment face and allows visual access through the steam emission head.

Such a device has the advantage of having an opening which offers visual access through the steam emission head, and therefore to the area being treated, which makes it possible to offer better ergonomics of use.

The device may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening opens onto a rear end of the steam emission head and advantageously extends longitudinally to the steam emission head.

Such a feature has the advantage of providing visual access across the entire length of the steam emitting head when the latter is aligned with the user's eye.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is provided in the center of the treatment face.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the treatment face comprises an end plate, advantageously heating, extending around the opening.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to smooth and dry the garment moistened by steam in order to improve wrinkle removal performance.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the end plate has a generally triangular shape.

Such a characteristic makes it easier to treat the corner areas of a garment, providing better ergonomics of use of the device.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the steam emission head comprises a support part of divergent shape which carries the end plate and comprises, upstream of the support part, a convergent part, the emission head steam having a section restriction at the junction between the support part and the converging part.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to optimize visibility around the treatment face and in particular the end plate.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the treatment face comprises at least one steam outlet hole.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is delimited by a wall which comprises at least one steam outlet hole disposed in the vicinity of the end plate.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening has a divergent shape at its end opening onto the treatment face.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to further improve visibility through the opening.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is closed by a transparent window.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to avoid the rise of steam through the opening.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the device comprises an instantaneous vaporization chamber and a water reservoir supplying the instantaneous vaporization chamber.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the reservoir is arranged in the steam emission head.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the handle comprises a lower end which is connected to a base enclosing the chamber of vaporization.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the vaporization chamber is supplied with water from the reservoir only by gravity.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to obtain a device that is inexpensive to manufacture and reliable.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the base has a shape adapted to allow the device to rest stably on its base in a rest position.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the lower part of the handle has a flared shape, the handle having a cross section gradually increasing as it approaches the base.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the device comprises an electrical power cord intended to be connected to a domestic electricity network.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the steam emission head has a slender shape extending transversely to the handle, preferably forming an angle α of between 55° and 90° relative to the longitudinal direction of the handle. , and preferably of the order of 65°.

Brief description of the figures

• [Fig 1] La figure 1 est une vue de côté d'un appareil de défroissage selon un mode particulier de réalisation de l'invention ;
• [Fig 2] La figure 2 est une vue en perspective de l'appareil de la figure 1;
• [Fig 3] La figure 3 est une autre vue en perspective de l'appareil de la figure 1.

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 non-limiting example, with reference to the drawings appended in which :

• [ Figure 1 ] There figure 1 is a side view of a steaming device according to a particular embodiment of the invention;
• [ Figure 2 ] There figure 2 is a perspective view of the device of the figure 1 ;
• [ Figure 3 ] There Figure 3 is another perspective view of the device of the figure 1 .

Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention have been represented. To make the drawings easier to read, the same elements bear the same references from one figure to another.

Note that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear" used to describe the steaming device refer to this device when it rests vertically flat on its base.

There figure 1 represents a portable steam ironing device comprising a portable plastic housing comprising a base 1 surmounted by a handle 2 and a steam emitting head 3, the lower part of the handle 2 having a flared shape, whose cross section gradually increases as it approaches the base 1.

The base 1 comprises a flat lower face 10 on which the device can rest stably in a rest position, illustrated in the figure 1 , in which the longitudinal axis L of the handle 2 is slightly inclined forward, of the order of 15°. The base 1 also includes an electrical power cord 11 allowing its connection to a domestic electrical network and has a rear face provided with a button 4 allowing the device to be powered on.

In accordance with figures 1 to 3 , the steam emission head 3 has a slender shape extending transversely to the handle 2, preferably forming an angle α of the order of 65° relative to the longitudinal direction of the handle.

The steam emission head 3 has a front end provided with a flat end plate 30 having a treatment face 30A intended to come vertically facing a garment to be steamed and comprises a through opening 9 which opens out, d on the one hand, on the treatment face 30A and, on the other hand, on a rear face of the head 3.

Preferably, the treatment face 30A and the end plate 30 have a generally triangular shape, the opening 9 extending longitudinally to the steam emission head 3 while being centered relative to the latter.

In accordance with figures 2 And 3 , the opening 9 has a triangular cross section which reproduces, with a reduced passage section, the shape triangular of the end plate 30, the opening 9 being delimited by a side wall 90 which has a first divergent end which opens into the center of the treatment face 30A and a second divergent end which opens into the center of the rear face of the head 3. For example, the end plate 30 may include an external edge having the shape of a triangle of 10 cm side and an internal edge, delimiting the first divergent end of the opening 9, having the shape of a triangle of 6 cm side.

As can be seen on the figure 2 , the first end of the side wall 90 has several steam outlet holes 32 distributed along the end plate 30, the holes 32 alternately having the shape of a slot extending along the side edges of the plate triangular end 30 and the shape of an opening arranged at the three corners of the triangle.

In accordance with the figure 1 , the end plate 30 is supported by a support part 31 which has a divergent shape, the steam emission head 3 having, upstream of the support part 31, a converging part 33 so that the head 3 of vapor emission has a section restriction at the junction between the support part 31 and the converging part 33.

The steam emission head 3 contains a reservoir 5 preferably disposed in a rear part of the head 3 and comprises a transparent envelope 50, defining the external wall of the reservoir 5, provided with a removable cap 52 allowing the filling of the reservoir 5 .

Preferably, the reservoir 5 feeds by gravity a vaporization chamber 6 arranged in the base 1 of the device, the vaporization chamber 6 being formed in an aluminum foundry conventionally containing an electrical resistance, not shown in the figures .

The reservoir 5 is connected to the vaporization chamber 6 by a conduit 7 advantageously equipped with a distributor 70 making it possible to control the passage of water through the conduit 7, the distributor 70 being returned to a closed position of the conduit 7 by return means, such as a spring, and being brought into an opening position of the conduit 7 when pressure is exerted manually on a trigger 71 placed on the front face of the handle 2.

The vaporization chamber 6 is connected by a conduit 60 to a vapor diffusion chamber 8 provided in a heating body placed in thermal contact with the end plate 30, the vapor diffusion chamber 8 communicating with the outlet holes 32 of steam provided at the edge of the treatment face 30A.

The operation of the device will now be described.

When the user wishes to use the device, he fills the tank 5 with water then starts the device by pressing button 4. The electrical resistance of the vaporization chamber 6 is then supplied with a current of so as to reach its operating temperature, advantageously regulated by means of a thermostat.

When the user wishes to use the device in a vertical steaming position, he brings the treatment face 30A vertically facing the garment to be steamed then presses the trigger 71, which has the effect of opening the distributor 70 and allow the flow of water through conduit 7 towards the vaporization chamber 6.

The steam produced in the vaporization chamber 6 then escapes through the conduit 60 towards the steam diffusion chamber 8 then through the steam outlet holes 32. The steam is then diffused onto the garment which, combined with the heating and drying action of the end plate 30, allows it to be smoothed out.

The device can also be used occasionally in a horizontal steaming position, for example to steam a garment placed horizontally against a table, by bringing the treatment face 30A horizontally above the garment.

During this steaming action, the opening 9 which passes longitudinally through the steam emission head 3, has the advantage of offering visual access to the area of the garment about to be treated, which makes it possible to improve the ergonomics of using the device. In particular, such an opening 9 makes it possible to have a device comprising both a metal plate 30 of dimensions important, making it possible to quickly treat a large surface, and to maintain good visual access to the part of the garment subjected to the treatment of the metal plate 30.

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, 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 a variant embodiment not shown, the opening provided through the head can be closed by a transparent window. Such an alternative embodiment has the advantage of making it possible to maintain visual access to the treatment zone using the opening while avoiding the rise of steam towards the user, through the opening.

Claims (10)

1. Portable smoothing apparatus comprising a handle (2) and a steam-emitting head (3) connected to an upper end of the handle (2), the steam-emitting head (3) having a front end comprising a treatment face (30A) for vertically facing a garment to be smoothed when the apparatus is held in a vertical smoothing position with the handle (2) situated beneath the head (3), characterised in that the steam-emitting head (3) comprises a through opening (9) which opens onto the treatment face (30A) and allows visual access to the area being treated through the steam-emitting head (3).
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterised in that the opening (9) opens out at a rear end of the steam-emitting head (3), the opening (9) advantageously extending longitudinally relative to the steam-emitting head (3).
3. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterised in that the opening (9) is provided in the centre of the treatment face (30A).
4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterised in that the treatment face (30A) comprises an end plate (30), advantageously a heating end plate, extending around the opening (9).
5. Apparatus according to claim 4, characterised in that the steam-emitting head (3) comprises a support part (31) of divergent shape which supports the end plate (30) and comprises, upstream of the support part (31), a convergent part (33), the steam-emitting head (3) having a cross-sectional restriction at the junction between the support part (31) and the convergent part (33).
6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterised in that the treatment face (30A) comprises at least one steam outlet hole (32).
7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that the opening (9) has a divergent shape at its end which opens out through the treatment face (30A).
8. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that it comprises an instantaneous vaporisation chamber (6) and a reservoir (5) of water supplied to said instantaneous vaporisation chamber (6).
9. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterised in that the vaporisation chamber (6) is supplied with water from the reservoir (5) solely by gravity.
10. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterised in that the steam-emitting head (3) has a slender shape extending transversely to the handle (2), preferably forming an angle a of between 55° and 90° relative to the longitudinal direction of the handle, and preferably of around 65°.

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