Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F79/00—Accessories for hand irons
  • D06F79/02—Stands or supports neither attached to, nor forming part of, the iron or ironing board

Definitions

• the present invention concerns a support base for a steam ironing apparatus, for domestic or professional use, suitable to support a steam iron both during the normal steps of non-use during ironing and also while the cleaning and limescale removal operations are carried out.
• the support base in particular is configured to collect the water and/or steam generated by the iron during the washing operations.
• Steam ironing apparatuses for domestic use are known, generally comprising an iron and a support base for the iron, connected together.
• Ironing apparatuses are usually divided into two groups, generally called “hot” or “cold”.
• hot ironing apparatuses
• the support base acts as a boiler and the steam is generated inside it and subsequently fed to the iron
• cold ironing apparatuses
• the support base contains water at room temperature, which is fed into a boiler or steam generation chamber inside the iron, in which it is transformed into steam in contact with a heated plate.
• limescale can compromise the functioning efficiency of the iron, or damage the garments to be ironed, in the event that the incrustations and limescale deposits come out through the holes in the plate.
• ironing apparatuses which provide a cleaning and/or washing cycle which comprises heating cycles and subsequent injections of cold water into the boiler or steam generation chamber, to generate thermal shocks which have the function of breaking the encrustations of limescale and subsequently expelling them, through the plate or through a suitable discharge aperture.
• the user must therefore carry out the cleaning operation so that the water and the condensed steam collect in a container, or carry out the cleaning in a suitable place to prevent spillages of water and damage to delicate parts due to water and/or steam.
• containers are known that are suitable to function as a support for the iron, consisting of a little tank made of thermoplastic material, suitable to collect the hot water and possibly the condensed steam inside it, which are delivered by the plate of the iron during the cleaning operations.
• the user may not have the accessory available whenever he/she performs a cleaning operation, or may not find it, or even the container may be accidentally thrown away, or it may break or be damaged, thus entailing a delay in the execution of the cleaning cycles.
• Document EP-A-2 410 088 describes a steam ironing apparatus comprising a support base in which there is a water tank and a boiler, which is connected by means of a three-way valve on one side to the iron to feed steam into it, and on the other side to an external container.
• the support base described in EP-A-2 410 088 allows to carry out cleaning operations on the boiler, but is not suitable to be used for cleaning and descaling operations on an iron positioned above it.
• Document GB-A-2 156 864 describes a steam generation apparatus for domestic use, comprising a box-like body to which an iron can be connected, and in which a sleeve is provided which can be connected in a removable and sealed manner to the plate of the iron in order to receive the steam emitted through the holes on the plate and convey it through a duct toward the outside of the box-like body.
• the Applicant therefore set himself the problem of how to improve support bases for ironing apparatuses in order to overcome the disadvantages of the state of the art as seen above.
• one purpose of the present invention is to provide a multifunctional support base for an iron, which can be used to support the iron both during the normal steps of non-use during ironing and also during the cleaning and maintenance operations.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a support base which does not require any separate and distinct accessory in order to be able to carry out the cleaning and maintenance operations.
• Another purpose is to provide a support base that allows to clean the iron and collect the water and limescale residues during the cleaning cycle of the ironing apparatus in a simple and fast way.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an ironing apparatus that allows to perform the cleaning of the iron in the times necessary to keep the ironing apparatus in good condition, thus allowing to effectively clean the limescale from the iron.
• Another purpose of the present invention is to provide an ironing apparatus that can be transported by the user immediately after the end of the cleaning cycle, safely and without the risk of spillages of hot water.
• 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.
• embodiments described here concern a support base for an ironing apparatus suitable to support a steam iron both during the normal steps of non-use during ironing, and also during the cleaning and maintenance operations, also allowing to collect and contain steam and hot water and/or limescale.
• the support base comprises a base body provided with an upper portion configured to support an iron.
• the base body is at least partly hollow and defines a housing compartment below the upper portion.
• the upper portion comprises at least one discharge aperture able to drain water and/or steam and/or limescale residues generated during the cleaning of the ironing apparatus toward means for collecting the discharge water.
• the support base comprises a tank for collecting the discharge water, disposed in the housing compartment and connected to the discharge aperture.
• the collection tank can be removed from the base body in order to allow to eliminate the discharge water safely.
• the support base also comprises, inside the housing compartment, a tank suitable to contain water, and feed means configured to feed water and/or steam to the iron.
• the support base according to the invention is suitable to carry out a number of different functions.
• it advantageously allows to support the iron also during the cleaning and maintenance operations, preventing the user from having to use separate and distinct accessories for these operations.
• the support base according to the invention has the further advantage that the support element is always available to the user each time the iron is used. In this way, it is possible to efficiently clean the limescale from the ironing apparatus in a timely manner.
• the support base can comprise a discharge collector, through which water and/or steam and/or limescale residues produced during the cleaning of the ironing apparatus are moved away from the at least one discharge aperture and conveyed into the collection tank.
• the support base can also comprise a conveyor pipe located between the discharge collector and the collection tank, consisting of a portion for connection to the discharge collector and an end portion.
• the end portion can be conformed to connect, also by means of gaskets, to an entrance of the collection tank, and is able to constitute, together with the entrance, a sealed hydraulic circuit.
• embodiments described here also concern an ironing apparatus comprising a support base according to the invention and an iron.
• the ironing apparatus thanks to the conformation of the support base, 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 hot water leaks, in order to eliminate the water collected.
• embodiments described here also concern a method to clean an ironing apparatus.
• - fig. 1 is a top view of a support base according to embodiments described here;
• - fig. 2 is a section view of the support base of fig. 1 along section line (II-II);
• - fig. 3 is a schematic lateral view of the support base of fig. 1 and fig. 2 associated with an iron in a configuration of use.
• Embodiments described here with reference to the attached drawings concern a support base 10 for a steam ironing apparatus 12, suitable to support an iron 11.
• the support base 10 supports the iron 11 both during the normal steps of non-use during ironing, and also during the cleaning and maintenance operations, and collects the water and/or steam and/or limescale residues generated during these operations.
• the support base 10 according to the invention is suitable to be applied mainly, although not exclusively, to “cold” ironing apparatuses 12, in which the steam is generated directly inside the plate of the iron 11.
• the support base 10 comprises a base body 13 which has a front part 13a, disposed, during use, in correspondence with the tip of the iron 11, and a rear part 13b opposite the front part 13 a.
• the base body 13 is provided with an upper portion 15 suitable to support the iron 11, and a lower portion 16 configured to allow the support base 10 to rest on a work surface.
• the upper portion 15 can be inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, so that the front part 13a is positioned higher than the rear part 13b.
• the support surface for the iron 11 can have an angle of inclination a comprised between 10° and 30°.
• the base body 13 is at least partly hollow and defines, below the upper portion 15, a housing compartment 28.
• the support base 10 comprises, inside the housing compartment 28, a tank 27 able to contain clean water, which, during use, is connected to the iron 11 by means of a water feed pipe 32.
• the tank 27 can be of the fixed or removable type.
• the support base 10 can also comprise a plurality of electrical and/or electronic components 31 disposed inside the housing compartment 28 of the base body 13, able to move the water and/or steam, such as for example electronic cards, pumps and suchlike, possibly connected to the iron 11 by means of electric cables, for example integrated in a single cord together with the water feed pipe 32.
• a plurality of electrical and/or electronic components 31 disposed inside the housing compartment 28 of the base body 13, able to move the water and/or steam, such as for example electronic cards, pumps and suchlike, possibly connected to the iron 11 by means of electric cables, for example integrated in a single cord together with the water feed pipe 32.
• the upper portion 15 comprises at least one discharge aperture 18 able to drain water and/or steam and/or limescale residues during the cleaning of the ironing apparatus 12 toward means 21, 22 for collecting the discharge water.
• the upper portion 15 has a substantially continuous surface which delimits the base body 13 at the upper part.
• the discharge aperture 18 can be made as an eyelet, or a slit made through through the upper portion 15, which has much smaller sizes than the extension of the upper portion 15 itself.
• it can have a width, measured along a longitudinal median plane of the base body 13, comprised between about 1 and about 5 cm.
• the extension of the discharge aperture 18 in the transverse direction to the median plane can be comprised between 20% and 50% of the width of the base body 13.
• the support base 10 comprises a collection tank 22 connected to the discharge aperture 18, into which water and/or steam and/or limescale residues are directed and made to flow.
• the collection tank 22 can be disposed in the housing compartment 28, below the upper portion 15.
• the support base 10 can have, in its upper portion 15, a housing seating 14 suitable to house at least the plate of the iron 11.
• the housing seating 14 is delimited at the lower part by a bottom wall 29.
• the housing seating 14 is advantageously delimited laterally by external edges 30 which delimit the area in which the iron 11 can rest, so that it is not positioned incorrectly, possibly decreasing the stability of the ironing apparatus 12.
• the external edges 30 extend over the entire perimeter of the bottom wall 29.
• the holes for the steam and/or cleaning and washing water to exit are positioned inside the housing seating 14, so that the water and/or the steam exiting from the holes is at least partly collected in the housing seating 14, preventing it from exiting laterally.
• the at least one discharge aperture 18 can be positioned in a zone advantageously disposed in order to be at the lowest point of the housing seating 14, such as for example at one end thereof facing toward the rear part 13b.
• the housing seating 14 can have a depth increasing from the front part 13a toward the rear part 13b, and the discharge aperture 18 can be positioned in the zone that has a greater depth, so as to facilitate the conveying of water toward it.
• the discharge aperture 18 is made through in the bottom wall 29, in the proximity of an external edge 30.
• the support base 10 can comprise, in its upper portion 15, a mat 17 on which to rest the iron 11, conformed to support the iron 11.
• the mat 17 can be made, at least partly, of heat-resistant material.
• the mat 17 can substantially cover the entire upper portion 15 of the support base 10, or at least the housing seating 14.
• the mat 17 can be able to support the iron 11 both during the steps of non-use during ironing, and also during the cleaning operations.
• the at least one aperture 18 is made through in the mat 17.
• the mat 17 can have a raised conveying edge 19, in correspondence with its end positioned close to the discharge aperture 18, so as to convey water and/or steam and/or limescale residues into the discharge aperture 18, preventing them from flowing outside of the housing seating 14.
• the upper portion 15 can comprise one or more support rubber pads 20 made of heat-resistant material, for example silicone rubber, which protrude from an upper surface thereof, the tops of which can define a support plane P of the iron 11.
• support rubber pads 20 made of heat-resistant material, for example silicone rubber, which protrude from an upper surface thereof, the tops of which can define a support plane P of the iron 11.
• the support rubber pads 20 are preferably positioned inside the housing seating 14, protruding with respect to the bottom wall 29.
• the support rubber pads 20 can be shaped and disposed so as to delimit a specific zone, in the vicinity of the discharge aperture 18, so as to prevent the water exiting from the pate of the iron 11 during the cleaning operations from wetting and/or dirtying the entire surface of the mat 17 itself.
• fig. 2 shows two rubber pads 20 distanced from each other along the longitudinal axis of the support base 10.
• the two rubber pads 20 are C-shaped and are disposed in a position opposite each other, with the free ends facing respectively toward the front part 13a and the rear part 13b, so as to provide a stable support for the plate of the iron 11.
• the rubber pads 20 can also be in greater number, and have different shapes and conformations.
• the rubber pads 20 can be attached to the mat 17, for example by gluing or other, or be made in a single body with the mat 17.
• the housing seating 14 itself is made of heat-resistant material and is itself provided with rubber pads 20 or other support elements suitable to support the plate of the iron 11.
• the collection means comprise a discharge collector 21, connected to the discharge aperture 18, through which water and/or steam and/or limescale residues produced during the cleaning of the ironing apparatus 12 can be moved away from the upper portion 15 of the support base 10.
• the discharge collector 21 is disposed in the housing compartment 28 inside the base body 13.
• one or both of the collection tank 22 and the discharge collector 21 are disposed at least partly outside the base body 13.
• the collection tank 22 is disposed in a lower zone with respect to the height of the discharge aperture 18, so that water and/or steam and/or limescale residues collected are made to flow into the collection tank 22 by effect of the force of gravity.
• the collection tank 22 can be disposed below the tank 27 for the clean water in correspondence with the front part 13a, in such a way as to occupy the portion of the housing compartment 12 with a greater volume, and to optimize the spaces, while the movement components 31 can be disposed in correspondence with the rear part 13b, also to facilitate the connection with the iron 11.
• a conveyor pipe 23 comprising a connection portion 24 suitable to be attached to the discharge collector 21 and a terminal portion 25 conformed to connect to the collection tank 22.
• the collection tank 22 can have an entrance 26 conformed so that it can connect, also by means of some gaskets, to the terminal portion 25, so as to constitute a hydraulic circuit as sealed as possible, so as to prevent water spills during transport of the entire ironing apparatus 12.
• the discharge collector 21, the conveyor pipe 23 and the collection tank 22 can be easily cleaned by means of flexible cleaning accessories of suitable diameter, such as, for example, pipe cleaners.
• the collection tank 22 can be washed separately, once extracted from the ironing apparatus 12, for example in order to pour the water and limescale collected.
• the collection tank 22 can have, in the portion facing the front end 13a, a recessed portion 34 configured to facilitate the grip by a user when gripping the collection tank 22 and extracting it from the base body 13.
• the discharge collector 21 can be integrated in the mat 17.
• both the discharge collector 21 and also the conveyor pipe 23 can be integrated in the mat 17.
• the discharge collector 21 and the conveyor pipe 23 can be made in a single piece.
• the collection tank 22 may not be present, and the discharge collector 21 may be configured to convey water and/or steam and/or limescale residues produced during the cleaning of the iron 11 to the outside of the support base 10, for example through a designated aperture.
• the support base 10 can comprise a control and command unit, not shown in the drawings, configured to control and command the functioning of the ironing apparatus 12.
• control and command unit can also be connected to one or more user interfaces 33, positioned for example on the iron 11 or on the support base 10.
• a user can set the functioning parameters of the ironing apparatus 12, such as for example the temperature of the plate and/or the type of steam delivery, or other, and/or check the functioning of the ironing apparatus 12, for example by means of a light that indicates the iron 11 is switched on or that the iron 11 is heating up or is ready for use, and possibly start a cleaning cycle.
• Embodiments described here also concern a method to clean an ironing apparatus 12 comprising the support base 10 and an iron 11.
• the method according to the invention provides to position the iron 11 on an upper portion 15 of the support base 10, to start a cleaning cycle by activating movement components 31 to feed clean water from a tank 27, comprised in the support base 10, to a steam generation chamber, or boiler, inside the iron 11, and heating devices to heat the water in the iron 11 and generate thermal shocks suitable to remove possible limescale encrustations, expel the water, steam and possible solid residues from the iron 11 toward the upper portion 15 and convey them through a discharge aperture 18 made in the upper portion 15 toward the tank 22 for collecting the discharge water inside the base body 13.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Irons (AREA)
• Beans For Foods Or Fodder (AREA)
• Treatment Of Fiber Materials (AREA)
• Spinning Or Twisting Of Yarns (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (2)

Family

ID=69106083

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (4)

Family Cites Families (10)

• 2019
  • 2019-08-29 IT IT102019000015201A patent/IT201900015201A1/it unknown
• 2020
  • 2020-08-04 CN CN202080059735.5A patent/CN114269981A/zh active Pending
  • 2020-08-04 WO PCT/IT2020/050195 patent/WO2021038605A1/en unknown
  • 2020-08-04 EP EP20764795.9A patent/EP4022122B1/en active Active

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