EP3999681B1

EP3999681B1 - Container to collect the washing water of an iron

Info

Publication number: EP3999681B1
Application number: EP20760567.6A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Riccardo GIROTTO; Paolo FRANCO
Original assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Current assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Priority date: 2019-07-18
Filing date: 2020-07-16
Publication date: 2023-06-21
Anticipated expiration: 2040-07-16
Also published as: CN114286878A; EP3999681A1; WO2021009786A1; IT201900012222A1; ES2955809T3

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention concerns a container to collect the washing water of an iron suitable to provide a support for an iron during the performance of the cleaning and limescale removal operations. The container according to the invention can be used during the cleaning operations of so-called "cold" ironing systems, in which the steam is generated directly inside the plate of the iron.
The present invention also concerns a method for washing an iron.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Irons of "cold" ironing devices generally comprise a heating plate associated with a heating element, and in which there are passage holes for the steam, a water tank, inside or outside the iron, and a steam generation chamber inside the iron. To generate steam, water is injected into the steam generation chamber at room temperature, which turns into steam in contact with the heated plate.
It is known that, with use, limescale formations are generated in such irons in the steam generation chamber, or in general in the heating plate, which can compromise the functioning efficiency of the iron, or damage the garments to be ironed, if the limescale incrustations and deposits come out through the holes in the plate.
The need to periodically clean the steam generation chamber and/or the heating plate to remove any deposits of limescale and/or foreign substances is therefore known, thus preventing the occlusion of the steam outlet holes.
For these cleaning operations, a series of heating cycles and subsequent injections of cold water into the steam generation chamber are normally provided, to generate thermal shocks that have the function of breaking the limescale incrustations that can form inside the plate of the iron and, possibly, to expel them outside the plate itself.
During these operations, a large quantity of hot water and steam is expelled through the holes provided in the heating plate of the iron.
The user therefore has to carry out the cleaning operation so that the water and the condensed steam are collected in a container, or has to carry out cleaning in a suitable place to avoid water spills and damage to delicate parts due to water and/or steam.
Furthermore, during the cleaning operations it is necessary to keep all the nozzles or the outlet holes of the plate free, in order to allow the steam to escape from all the pipes and prevent their occlusion.
To facilitate the user during the execution of the cleaning operations, so that he/she does not have to support the iron manually, also considering that it is necessary to wait quite a considerable time for the cleaning cycle to end, containers are known that are suitable to act as a support for the iron, consisting of a tray made of thermoplastic material, suitable to collect hot water and possibly condensed steam inside it, which are delivered by the plate of the iron during the cleaning operations. This known tray is provided with an edge conformed in such a manner as to define a continuous support for the plate of the iron, so as to seal its perimeter, and with an aperture facing toward the front part, outside the support edge, through which the steam is conveyed.
One disadvantage of known accessories is that they are not very practical to transport, in particular when inside them there is the hot water that has escaped from the plate and the condensation water of the steam produced, since leakages or spills can occur during the transport thereof, which can cause inconvenience or safety problems for the user.
Therefore, to avoid getting burned, the user must wait a certain period of time to allow the hot water to cool down at the end of the cleaning cycle.
To facilitate the transport operation, another problem is also caused by the need to have the containers structured in such a way as to allow an easy and safe grip.
The accessories of known solutions provide lateral extensions on the container by means of which it can be easily picked up. The external walls, however, in contact with steam and hot water, can reach high temperatures, making it difficult to grip by means of the lateral extensions.
Another disadvantage of the known solution is caused by the fact that it is impractical to clean because of its conformation, effectively preventing the efficient and easy elimination of residual solids and residual humidity, in order to prevent the formation of mold.
Documents US-A-2655333 , WO-A-2007/029910 and DE-B-102011080147 describe some known accessories suitable to support an iron during normal ironing operations. These known accessories are only suitable to recover the condensation water, or the minimum leakages of steam that occur when the iron is positioned resting on the ironing plate.
These known accessories, in particular, have proved to be unsuitable for descaling and cleaning the iron, for example because they do not allow a correct escape of the steam and a correct collection of the washing water used during these operations.
The Applicant therefore set himself the problem of how to improve containers to collect water and/or steam during the cleaning operations of "cold" ironing systems that can overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art as described above.
In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a container suitable to be used during the cleaning operations of an iron which allows to house the iron safely and stably, avoiding fatigue for the user and at the same time to prevent possible damage caused by water and steam in the event that they can reach delicate surfaces.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a container to collect the washing water of an iron which allows to prevent the steam escaping from the holes in the plate from hitting the external surfaces of the iron itself, in particular the area of the handle of the iron and the electric contacts, in order to avoid both possible burns/scalds caused by the steam if it comes into direct contact with parts of the human body, and also damage to the electric/electronic components of the iron.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a container to collect the washing water which can be transported by the user immediately after the end of the cleaning cycle, when it contains hot water and/or limescale particles, safely and without any spillages of hot water, in order to empty it.
Another purpose of the invention is also to eliminate the risk of scalding for the user due to any possible liquid that might leak during transport and/or due to contact with the walls of the container itself.
Another purpose of the invention is also to make available a container to collect the washing water which allows optimal and easy cleaning and drying before the iron is stored after use, so as to eliminate residual solids and residual humidity, to prevent possible stagnation of water and/or the formation of mold.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim. The dependent claims describe other characteristics of the present invention or variants to the main inventive idea.
In accordance with the above purposes, embodiments describe here concern a container suitable to act as a support for a plate of a steam iron during a cleaning cycle thereof and to collect and contain steam and hot water and/or limescale.
The container according to the invention advantageously allows to safely and stably house the iron and to prevent, during the cleaning cycle, the steam generated by heating the water introduced into the plate from affecting the external surfaces of the iron itself, preventing the zone of the grip of the iron and the electrical contacts from being affected by the steam itself.
The container according to the invention comprises two half-shells, an upper one and a lower one, separable from one another.
The two half-shells can be connected to each other and held together during use by means of a plurality of removable connection members which can be advantageously driven by a user without the need for tools.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell is configured to support resting on it the plate of an iron, while the lower half-shell is configured to collect the water and/or steam emitted through holes provided on the plate during the cleaning cycles that, as known, are generally in a much higher quantity than the quantities of water and/or steam emitted during the ironing operations.
The lower half-shell comprises a base wall, possibly provided with support feet, to rest the container on a work surface, and lateral walls that delimit a containing compartment for water, steam, and possible residual solids.
The upper half-shell also comprises a lower wall delimited at least laterally by support shoulders, which is conformed to define, in the assembled condition of the container, an intermediate plane between the surface to support the plate and the containing compartment, which has the function of at least partly covering the latter. Such lower wall is provided with at least one aperture configured to allow the entry of water, steam and possible residual solids into the containing compartment. The support shoulders are disposed on opposite sides with respect to a median plane of the container and configured to support lateral peripheral portions of the plate. The support surface of the plate of the iron is defined by these support shoulders and is raised with respect to this intermediate plane.
In this way, at the end of the cleaning operations, the user can safely move and transport the container, since the intermediate plane at least limits, if not prevents, possible leakages of hot water, which could be harmful to a user.
In addition, in this way, in the assembled condition of the container, effective descaling and cleaning operations of the iron are guaranteed, allowing steam to correctly exit and washing water to be correctly collected.
According to some embodiments, the container has, according to a top view, a profile mating with the perimeter profile of the plate of an iron, with a substantially rectilinear rear part and a tapered front part. In this way, a preferential path is formed for the steam generated by heating the water introduced into the plate during the cleaning cycle, which is thus collected in the containing compartment and does not affect the external surfaces of the iron itself, especially the zone of the grip of the iron and the electrical contacts.
According to some embodiments, the support surface is inclined upward from the rear part toward the front part of the container.
For example, according to some embodiments, the support shoulders have a shape inclined upward from the rear part toward the front part of the container.
According to some embodiments, a plurality of support rubbers configured to provide a stable and secure support to the plate of the iron can be disposed on the support shoulders.
Such support rubbers in particular can be conformed in such a way as to constitute the only support surface of the plate of the iron itself and to define the virtual support surface for it.
The steam evacuation area, delimited by the lateral shoulders, is substantially inscribed in the flat projection of the perimeter of the plate of the iron.
The support rubbers can be disposed in positions such as to contact sectors of the peripheral zone of the plate of the iron, in which there are usually no holes or nozzles for the steam to exit, so as not to compromise the cleaning operations.
According to some embodiments, the virtual lying plane of the support surface is therefore located above the intermediate plane and is inclined with respect to the horizontal, and raised at the front part.
According to some embodiments, the support surface can have an angle of inclination comprised between 2° and 10°.
In this way, during use, the tip of the iron remains suspended and raised in correspondence with the front part, thus favoring the evacuation, toward the front part, of the steam that does not transit through the aperture in the intermediate plane toward the containing compartment.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell comprises upper lateral walls which extend with substantially constant height along the lateral and rear part of the upper half-shell.
According to some embodiments, the upper lateral walls are not continuous along the perimeter of the upper half-shell, so that in the front part they are substantially open, and define a passage gap for the steam.
According to variant embodiments, the external lateral walls of the upper half-shell can have a concave shape, that is, with an upper edge inclined toward the inside of the upper half-shell, suitable to act as an abutment plane for the steam that tends to exit laterally through the interspaces between the support rubbers, and once again deflect it downward.
The inclination of the virtual plane, the reduced height of the front portion and the shaping toward the inside of the upper edge of the external walls of the upper half-shell allow to convey substantially the entire jet of steam coming out of the plate of the iron toward the front part, and therefore reduce to a minimum the quantity of steam that can exit in the direction of the lateral and rear parts of the iron.
According to some embodiments, the intermediate plane has a second aperture disposed in correspondence with a rear part through which the hot water produced during the cleaning operation of the iron and/or derived from the condensation of the steam can flow into the containing compartment.
According to some embodiments, the intermediate plane has an inclination of at least 1° toward the rear part in order to convey the water toward the second aperture.
According to some embodiments, the lower half-shell comprises gripping portions, configured to allow a safe and stable grip by the user to allow to safely transport the container.
The lower half-shell also comprises insulating walls configured to separate containing areas, located in correspondence with the gripping wings, from the rest of the containing compartment, so as to thermally insulate the gripping wings.
According to other embodiments, the lower half-shell can comprise ribs that rise vertically from the base, separated from each other and from the lateral walls of the lower half-shell, suitable to act as baffles, allowing the passage of a reduced quantity of water between them and thus limiting the movement of the water during the transport of the tray.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other aspects, characteristics and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

fig. 1 is a perspective view of a container according to embodiments described here in an assembled condition;
fig. 2 is a section view of the container of fig. 1 along section line (I-I);
fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the container of fig. 1;
fig. 4 is a top view of the container of fig. 1;
fig. 5 is a top view of the lower half-shell.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We will now refer in detail to the various embodiments of the invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. The example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.
Embodiments described here concern a container 10 that can be used during the cleaning and washing operations of an iron to support the iron and collect the water and steam generated during such operations.
The container 10 according to the invention is applied mainly, although not exclusively, to clean the plates of "cold" ironing systems, in which the steam is generated directly inside the plate of the iron.
According to the invention, the container 10 comprises an upper half-shell 11 configured in such a way as to provide a support surface S for a plate of an iron, and a lower half-shell 12 configured to collect the water and steam emitted by the plate and which can be separated from the upper half-shell 11.
According to some embodiments, the container 10 and the respective half- shells 11, 12 have, according to a top view, a profile mating with the perimeter profile of the plate of an iron, with a substantially rectilinear rear part 10a and a tapered front part 10b.
The two half- shells 11, 12 are made in different bodies one from the other and can be selectively and quickly connected to and/or separated from each other by means of removable connection members 16.
The connection members 16 can be configured as coupling members of the same shape, snap-in, or bayonet type, or similar or comparable members so as to allow a user to activate/deactivate them simply and quickly.
According to some embodiments, the connection members 16 comprise first coupling elements 17 provided in correspondence with the external walls of one or the other of either the upper 11 or lower 12 shells and suitable to cooperate with mating second coupling elements 18 provided in correspondence with the respective external walls of the other one of either the upper 11 or lower 12 shells.
According to a possible solution, the first coupling elements 17 can each comprise a seating 17a made in an external wall of the upper half-shell 11, delimited at the lower part by an attachment tooth 17b, while the second coupling members 18 can comprise lever elements 18a suitable to be at least partly inserted in a respective seating 17a and to interfere with the tooth 17b.
The first and second coupling members 17, 18 can be driven by the user without the use of tools, simply by acting on the lever elements 18a to disengage them from the respective attachment teeth 17b, making it possible to separate the upper half-shell 11 from the lower half-shell 12.
According to some embodiments, there can be provided two pairs of respective first 17 and second coupling members 18 disposed in opposite positions of the container 10, for example opposite zones of the external lateral walls.
According to one variant, there can be provided three or more pairs of coupling members 17, 18, disposed distanced along the periphery of the container 10.
For example, another attachment tooth 17b, with a corresponding disengagement lever 18a can be positioned in the rear part 10a of the container 10.
In accordance with some embodiments, the lower half-shell 12 comprises a support base 19 and lateral containing walls 20 which delimit a containing compartment 21 suitable to receive and collect the water, steam and possible limescale residues emitted from the holes of the plate of the iron.
The lateral containing walls 20 have a height such as to define a volume suitable to collect the water used during washing and descaling operations, for example comprised between 2 and 4 cm.
According to some embodiments, support feet 22 connected to the base 19 can be provided, suitable to allow to position the lower half-shell 12 on a work surface.
As mentioned, in accordance with some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises the support surface S configured to support, during use, the plate of an iron.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises a lower wall 14 conformed in such a way as to define, in the assembled condition of the container 10, an intermediate plane P between the support surface S and the containing compartment 21.
According to some embodiments, the lower wall 14 defining the intermediate plane P is provided with at least one aperture 25 configured to allow the entry of water, steam and possible limescale residues emitted by the plate, into the containing compartment 21.
According to some embodiments, the aperture 25 is preferably disposed in correspondence with the front part 10b so as to be positioned, during use, below the zone of the plate of the iron in which usually the number of holes or nozzles for the steam to exit is greater.
According to some embodiments, the front aperture 25 has a shape and size coherent with the position of the holes in correspondence with the tip. In this way, most of the water and steam, together with possible residual solids, can transit directly through it and reach the containing compartment 21.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises support shoulders 15 configured to support the plate.
According to some embodiments, the support shoulders 15 laterally delimit the lower wall 14.
In accordance with some embodiments, the support shoulders 15 can be disposed on opposite sides with respect to a median longitudinal plane M of the container 10, so as to come into contact with peripheral lateral portions of the plate, without interfering with the exit holes for the steam.
According to some embodiments, the support shoulders 15 extend until they delimit at least a lateral portion of the first aperture 25, for example a portion having an extension comprised between about a third and about three quarters of the overall extension of the first aperture 25 along the median plane M.
The support shoulders 15, in particular the upper surfaces of the support shoulders 15, define as a whole the support surface S for the plate of the iron.
According to possible variants, the upper half-shell 11 comprises support rubbers 30 disposed along the support shoulders 15, configured to allow a stable and secure support of the plate.
According to these variants, the upper surfaces of the support rubbers 30 can define as a whole the support surface S for the plate.
According to some embodiments, the rubbers 30 define the only support surface S for the plate of the iron during the cleaning operations, which therefore does not come into contact with other parts or components of the container 10.
The support rubbers 30 can preferably be made of silicone rubber or other type of heat-resistant material.
According to possible variants, not shown, support flanges made directly on the rear half-shell 11 can be provided, for example extending from upper lateral walls 27 thereof toward the inside, defining in cooperation with each other the support surface S.
According to some embodiments, the rubbers and/or the flanges are separated and distanced from each other, so that the steam can possibly pass between one space and another.
According to some variants, it can be provided that the rubbers and/or the flanges are continuous on two opposite sides.
According to some embodiments, the support surface S can have an angle of inclination α with respect to the horizontal.
According to some embodiments, the angle of inclination α can for example be comprised between 2° and 10°.
According to some variants, the angle of inclination α is at least 3°, preferably at least 5°.
According to this embodiment, the support shoulders 15 have a shape inclined upward from the rear part 10a toward the front part 10b, that is, the part toward which the tip of the plate is facing, during use.
According to these embodiments, the plate of the iron, during use, is supported only in correspondence with its lateral portions, or at most the rear portion, while the front part of the tip remains substantially suspended, without any point of contact with the container 10.
According to some embodiments, the support shoulders 15 are not continuous along the profile of the upper half-shell 11, in particular in correspondence with the front portion 10b, between which a gap 29 is defined for the passage of the steam.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises a front peripheral band 23 which extends along the perimeter of the front portion 10b in the space comprised between the two support shoulders 15, having a height lower than that of the adjacent ends of the support shoulders 15.
The reduced height of the front peripheral band 23 allows to obtain a passage gap 29 for the steam between a lying plane of the support surface S and the front peripheral band 23 that has a height D comprised between about 5mm and about 15mm, preferably greater than 10mm. By way of example, the height D can be measured along the median plane M in correspondence with the front part 10b.
This passage 29, together with the inclination of the support surface S and the reduced height of the front peripheral band 23, favors an exit of the steam concentrated in the front zone of the tray 10 so as to allow its evacuation and at the same time prevent the steam from exiting in a massive manner from the perimeter zones, consequently affecting the external surfaces of the iron, and in particular the zone of the grip of the iron itself.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises a rear peripheral band 24 which extends along the perimeter of the rear portion 10a in the space comprised between the two support shoulders 15.
The peripheral bands 23, 24 can have equal heights, in particular substantially corresponding to the height of the shoulders 15 in correspondence with the rear portion 10a.
In this way, the peripheral bands 23, 24, together with the lateral shoulders 15, delimit a collection compartment for the water emitted by the plate of the iron.
According to some embodiments, the lower wall 14 can comprise a second aperture 26, for example in correspondence with the rear part 10a, suitable to allow the outflow of possible water, condensed steam, or residual solids emitted from the holes mainly disposed in a central or rear zone of the plate.
According to some embodiments, the lower wall 14 has a negative angle of inclination β with respect to the horizontal in the direction of the rear part 10a to favor the outflow of liquids and/or solids toward the second aperture 26.
According to possible solutions, the negative angle of inclination β can be comprised between about 0.5° and about 3°, for example about 1°.
According to some embodiments, the second aperture 26 can extend transversely with respect to the median plane M in correspondence with the rear peripheral band 24.
According to other embodiments, it can be provided that the rear peripheral band 24 has a conveying wall 29 which develops below the lower wall 14, delimiting the rear side of the second aperture 26, and configured to act as an abutment and chute for the water so as to convey it to the containing compartment 21.
According to some embodiments, the upper half-shell 11 comprises upper lateral walls 27 which extend with substantially constant height along the lateral and rear part 10b of the upper half-shell 11.
According to some embodiments, the upper lateral walls 27 are not continuous along the perimeter of the upper half-shell 11, so that in the front part 10b they have an open shape, delimiting the passage gap 28 for the steam.
In this way, a preferential passage is defined for the steam emitted by the plate during the cleaning cycles, which is conveyed toward the front part 10b of the container 10, that is, toward the opposite side with respect to the user, thus limiting possible steam leaks in the lateral and rear zones.
In one variant, the upper lateral walls 27 of the upper half-shell 11 can be shaped so as to be slightly concave toward the inside, so as to convey the possible residual steam that exits from the lateral zones once again toward the collection compartment, in any case allowing an easy insertion of the iron into the container 10.
According to some embodiments, the rubbers 30 can have an L-shape, with two segments 31, 32 angled with respect to each other, of which one segment is fixed, by gluing or other, onto one shoulder 15, and the other segment is fixed to an internal side 30 of the upper lateral wall 27.
In one variant, between the rubbers 30 there can be support edges preferably made of silicone rubber or other heat-resistant type of material. The support edges can be housed between one rubber 16 and the other on the lateral shoulders 15 or on the rear peripheral band 24, configured to support the plate of the iron together with the support rubbers 30 and help to close the passage to the steam in the lateral and back part of the iron.
According to some embodiments, the container 10 comprises one or more front and/or rear gripping portions 39 provided on the lower half-shell 12 and configured to allow a safe grip by the user allowing it to be transported even when there is hot water and/or steam condensate in the container 10.
According to some embodiments, the gripping portions 39 can consist of a flange 40 which extends from the lower half-shell 12 externally and in a direction perpendicular to the lateral containing walls 20.
According to some embodiments, the lower half-shell 12 comprises insulating walls 41 configured to thermally insulate the gripping portions 39, 40 with respect to the containing compartment 21.
According to some embodiments, the insulating walls 41 are disposed inside the containing compartment 21, and rise from the base 14 of the lower half-shell 12, and connect with respective ends to the lateral containing walls 20.
According to some embodiments, the insulating walls 41 can therefore delimit respective insulation areas 42, separating them from the containing compartment 21 in which the water and residual solids deriving from the cleaning operations accumulate.
In this way, the insulation areas 42 do not come into contact with hot water and, since they remain substantially empty, guarantee the thermal insulation of the lateral walls 20 and therefore of the gripping portions 39.
By way of example only, three insulating walls 41 can be provided, defining respective three insulation areas 42 in correspondence with the tapered front part 10b and the two corners of the rear part 10a where the gripping portions 39 are present.
Advantageously, the conformation of the container 10, and in particular of the lower wall 14 defining the intermediate plane P, in combination with the gripping portions 39 makes it possible to transport the tray 10 immediately after the end of the cleaning operations, even in the presence of hot water inside the tray 10 itself, in a manner that is safe for the user.
In one embodiment, the lower half-shell 12 comprises ribs 45 which extend vertically from the base 14, separated from each other and from the lateral walls 20, and suitable to act as baffles.
For example, there can be two separate semicircular ribs 45 which form an S and which, since they remain substantially separated from each other and from the lower lateral walls 20 of the lower half-shell 12, allow the passage of a reduced quantity of water both in the space between of them, and also between them and the lower lateral walls 20.
The ribs 45 can be positioned in a central zone 44 of the base 38 of the tray, for example orthogonally to the axis A-A (ref. fig. 4), in such a way as to limit the lapping of the water inside the containing compartment 21 thus facilitating the operations to transport the container 10 at the end of the cleaning operations.
According to other embodiments, it can be provided that the central zone 44 in correspondence with the ribs 45 is slightly hollowed with respect to the remaining part of the base 19, so as to facilitate a greater accumulation of water in it.
According to other embodiments, it can be provided that the coupling members 16 are also defined by mating shapes and conformations of respective coupling edges of the upper 11 and lower half-shell 12.
For example, according to some embodiments, the lower lateral walls 20 of the lower half-shell 12 can have in their upper part a seating 46, for example defined by an internal edge 47 and an external edge 48, suitable to receive a mating protrusion 49 provided in the lower part of the upper lateral walls 27.
According to some embodiments, the upper lateral walls 27 of the upper half-shell 11 can have a recess 50 in their lower end, corresponding to the shape of the external edge 48, so that when the upper half-shell 11 and the lower half-shell 12 are joined together, the lower ends of the upper lateral walls 27 are inserted into the seating 46 between the external edge 48 and the internal edge 47, with the external edge 48 abutting on the upper face of the recess 50 to ensure the stability of the container 10 in the assembled condition.
According to other embodiments, one or more abutment protrusions 51 can be provided which extend below the lower wall 14, configured to cooperate with respective insulating walls 41 to increase the stability of the coupling between upper 11 and lower half-shell 12.
It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the container 10 to collect water and steam generated during the cleaning operations of a plate of an ironing system as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.
It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of container, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

Claims

Container to collect the washing water of an iron, suitable to support a plate of a steam iron during a cleaning cycle, wherein the container comprises an upper half-shell (11) provided with a surface (S) to support said plate, and a lower half-shell (12) comprising a support base (19) and lateral containing walls (20) which delimit a containing compartment (21) configured to collect the water and steam emitted by said plate, in which said upper half-shell (11) and said lower half-shell (12) are selectively connectable and separable by means of removable connection members (16), characterized in that said upper half-shell (11) comprises a lower wall (14), conformed so as to define, in the assembled condition of the container, an intermediate plane (P) between said support surface (S) and said containing compartment (21), and provided with at least one aperture (25) configured to allow the entry of the water, steam and possible residual solids into said containing compartment (21), wherein said upper half-shell (11) also comprises support shoulders (15) disposed on opposite sides with respect to a median plane (M) of the container and configured to support lateral peripheral portions of the plate and wherein said support surface (S) is defined by said support shoulders (15) and is raised with respect to said intermediate plane (P).
Container as in claim 1, characterized in that said aperture (25) is disposed in correspondence with a front part (10b) of the container positioned, during use, below the tip of the plate of the iron.
Container as in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said upper half-shell (11) comprises support rubbers (30) disposed along said support shoulders (15), configured to allow a stable and secure support of the plate, in which said support rubbers (30) define said support surface (S).
Container as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that it comprises a front peripheral band (23) which extends between said support shoulders (15) along the perimeter of the front part (10b) of the container, which has a lower height than that of the respective adjacent ends of said support shoulders (15), so that a gap (29) for the passage of the steam is defined in said front part (10b).
Container as in claim 4, characterized in that said passage gap (29) has a height (D) measured between said support surface (S) and said front peripheral band (23) comprised between about 5mm and about 15mm.
Container as in claim 2, characterized in that said support surface (S) has an angle of inclination (α) with respect to the horizontal comprised between 2° and 10°, and is raised in correspondence with the front part (10b) of the container with respect to an opposite rear part (10a).
Container as in claim 2, characterized in that said lower wall (14) comprises a second aperture (26) provided in a rear part (10a) opposite said front part (10b) and has a negative angle of inclination (β) with respect to the horizontal in the direction of said rear part (10a) to favor the outflow of liquids and/or solids toward said second aperture (26).
Container as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said lower half-shell (12) comprises gripping portions (39) configured to allow a secure grip by the user, and insulating walls (41) configured to thermally insulate said gripping portions (39) with respect to said containing compartment (21).
Container as in any claim hereinbefore, characterized in that said lower half-shell (12) comprises ribs (45) which extend vertically from the base (14), separated from each other and from the lateral containing walls (20), and suitable to act as baffles.
Method to wash an iron with a container (10) as in any one of the claims from 1 to 9, comprising:
- supplying the container (10) in an assembled condition with the upper half-shell (11) connected to the lower half-shell (12);

- positioning the iron with the plate resting on the support surface (S) of the upper half-shell (11);

- performing a washing cycle of the iron and collecting the water and possible residual solids in the containing compartment (21) of the lower half-shell (12).