ES2360072T3 - IMPROVEMENTS IN DOMESTIC STEAM IRONERS WITH VAPORIZING CHAMBERS AND EQUIPPED WITH INDEPENDENT HEATING ELEMENTS. - Google Patents

Abstract

Steam iron, preferably a domestic steam iron, comprising: an ironing element or soleplate (1), which in use comes into contact with a garment to be ironed and which includes holes (17) through which steam comes out ; a steam generator (2) that is fed with water from a tank, preferably by means of a micro-pump, and has a vaporization chamber (3) in which steam is generated and a front opening (4) through from which the steam is taken to the holes (17) of the sole (1); a first heating element (5) for the sole (1) and a second heating element (6) for the steam generator (2); thermostatic temperature regulators for the sole (1) and for the steam generator (2); and thermal fuses (9, 10) for the sole (1) and for the steam generator (2), characterized by the fact that: the vaporization chamber (3) includes a rear outlet (11) and the generator steam (2) includes a pair of deep channels (12), preferably integrated therein, which extend collaterally to the vaporization chamber (3) and that communicate the front opening (4) of the steam generator (2) with the rear outlet (11) of the vaporization chamber (3).

Description

The present invention relates to a steam iron according to the preamble of independent claim 1.

In the first generation of steam irons, the heat needed to vaporize the water was generated by the same resistance responsible for heating the sole.

Domestic steam irons of this type operate in a temperature range of 100ºC to 200ºC. Within this temperature range and close to 100º C the steam is not saturated and is designated as “wet steam”, since it is close to the limit between the liquid state and the vapor state, but still has a considerable proportion of the liquid phase, and in which a part of the vapor phase easily passes into the liquid phase as soon as a relatively small temperature drop occurs. On the contrary, when the temperature rises, a more highly saturated water vapor is obtained, which is designated as "dry steam (approximately, above 120 ° C), and the liquid phase becomes less and less significant, and of such that at the higher levels of the indicated temperature range, the vapor phase becomes increasingly stable, and, in order to return to the liquid phase, a significant decrease in temperature is required.

Due to what has been indicated above, when it comes to the actual practice of ironing, there are no real problems when working at a temperature within the highest levels of the work area, where a good amount of steam is provided dry ”, and the high temperature of the iron itself is suitable for the fabric to be ironed, and, consequently, the garment does not suffer any damage.

However, when you have to iron fabrics and delicate garments, it is necessary that the temperature of the ironing element is at the lower limit of the working range. As this ironing element and the vaporizer compartment are heated by the only heating resistance, the result is that the steam produced available for ironing is "wet steam". A consequence of this is that, during ironing, a drip occurs that moistens the clothes and becomes a nuisance and decreases the quality of the ironing. This phenomenon is aggravated by the cooling of the sole around its steam outlets, whose cooling is very significant since it is very close to the temperature of the ejected steam and the ironing element.

At present, a new generation of domestic steam irons is known in which regardless of the assembly comprising the ironing element, the resistance and the thermostatic element of conventional steam irons, the sole itself incorporates an autonomous vaporizer integrated with a chamber of vaporization that has a water supply channel connected to the water tank of the iron and the vaporization chamber, which is provided with its own heating resistance which has its own thermostat to regulate the temperature in this vaporization chamber; The autonomous vaporizer has a steam outlet connected to a complementary inlet for the steam in the ironing element, and to provide the correct passageway for the steam to the outlet orifices. In this way, steam production becomes thermally independent of the ironing element and the iron provides dry steam at any temperature, improving the dripping effect and allowing the ironing element to operate at a lower temperature (but still above 100 ° C). ) and improves ironing quality.

However, in these domestic steam irons, there are still certain problems that require correction or improvement.

One of these problems is the tendency to produce an accumulation of lime that progressively obstructs the passage of steam to the outlets of the sole, due to the lack of a conduit for the passage of steam and / or the lack or insufficiency of means of filtration of lime residues transported by steam.

Another problem lies in the way to solve the passage of steam between the vaporizer and the sole, as independent units connected to each other. In this sense, it is known to use a brass bushing simultaneously joined by its ends to the vaporizer and the sole, incorporating at each junction point a peripheral annular silicone gasket. It is assumed that with this mounting concept, the brass bushing, as well as the silicone gaskets, work in an unfavorable and uneven way.

Another problem lies in the fact that the control of the temperature of the sole and the vaporizer are based on the presence of thermostats that are not sufficiently sensitive and have a slow response time, which results in the continuation of the drip, although less, since the reliability of ironing remains unsatisfactory.

Another frequent problem is that the steam outlets of the sole are distributed over the entire length of the sole, even when they are only close to the side edges of the sole. This means that during steam ironing, the garment retains moisture after the steam stroke, which is not desirable when delicate items are ironed.

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Patent EP1314811 refers to a domestic steam iron having a sole with an autonomous steam assembly consisting of a steam chamber having a water supply conduit that is connected to a tank. The steam chamber has an independent heating resistor with a thermostat to regulate the temperature in the chamber. The set has a steam outlet connected to a complementary steam inlet that exists in the sole.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an improved geometry between the vaporization chamber and the sole.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved internal structure of the vaporization chamber.

The present invention provides a steam iron according to independent claim 1. This solution involves a considerable increase in the size of the passage section for the circulation of water vapor, due to both the greater depth of the channels and the provision of two channels instead of one. At the same time, the possession of two channels provides an alternative that guarantees the circulation of steam to the sole in the event that one of the channels is clogged or strangled considerably.

In order to ensure better vapor circulation without obstructions between the steam generator, that is, the vaporizer, and the sole, another preferred feature of the invention is that the rear outlet of the vaporization chamber is closed with a mesh immovable that has a conveniently smaller passage than the passage sections in the front opening and the channels.

As the outlet of the vaporization chamber is at the rear and the steam must flow along the vaporizer to reach its front opening, the risk of clogging is reduced and a homogeneous temperature is provided in the vaporizer assembly, and , therefore, it is guaranteed that the steam that leaves this chamber is only steam and not steam more water.

Another preferred aspect of the present invention is that the front vaporizer opening comprises a tube that is produced as a single unit in the vaporizer and that can be introduced into a corresponding hole in the sole, so that said tube incorporates an external joint , waterproof and immovable, which acts between the vaporizer and the sole, and is made of a material that is suitable for working at compression and at high temperatures. With this solution, a single joint is provided that does not act as a separator, but rather as a compression piece. This arrangement preferably uses a gasket of a fluoro-elastomeric material that works better in compression than silicone and, in addition, withstands high temperatures. On the other hand, the coupling of the vaporizer with the sole is direct, that is, it does not require the use of an additional connecting piece, such as the brass bushing, and better resists the stresses imposed by the ironing action and by the changes of temperature.

Another of the preferred features of the invention resides in the thermostatic means for regulating the temperature of the sole and the vaporizer, which consists of primary and secondary thermal probes. The thermal probes used are expected to be NTC (negative temperature coefficient) thermistors that are very sensitive and have a rapid response time compared to the traditional thermostats that have been used so far. These properties of thermal probes provide much more precision and efficiency that is reflected in the quality of ironing when compared to other known steam irons. In this regard, it should be noted that it is known to resort to the insertion of a third safety thermostat connected in series with the vaporizer, because, given the delay in the response of the main thermostat of the vaporizer, it is necessary to short-circuit it every time it is activated the micro-pump, that is, when the water enters the vaporizer resistance acts immediately; otherwise, all the water would not be vaporized, but a mixture of steam and water would be obtained. It is advantageous to use an NTC probe as a substitute for these two conventional thermostats, that is, normal and safety. On the other hand, the use of NTC probes makes the plate technology more electronic, and more consistent and compatible with the use of computer-programmed control chips and displays that show relevant information regarding the condition of the iron and the selected ironing mode.

Another of the preferred features of the invention is that the holes in the sole are preferably smaller in number and are concentrated in the front part thereof in the form of an arrowhead, and that they have the particularity that grooves are split from them. they extend towards the back of the sole in the form of grooves. With this solution, the humidification of the garment is carried out by the front of the sole, and drying is achieved as it passes through the rest of the sole so that an ironing of superior quality is obtained.

In another preferred aspect of the present invention, the relationship between the width of the vaporization chamber and the width of the sole is of the order of three quarters, and the geometry of the vaporization chamber is such that its sides are parallel to those of The sole This configuration proposed here represents a considerable and significant increase in the capacity of the vaporization chamber. At the same time, the greater absolute width of the vaporization chamber allows the mesh that closes the rear part of the vaporization chamber to be larger. Finally, the lime accumulation capacity is considerably greater, so that the shelf life of the product is prolonged.

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Another of the preferred features of the invention is that the front vaporizer opening comprises a vertical tube whose other open end penetrates into an expansion chamber provided in the sole, and which is closed below by means of a sheet that is preferably made of stainless steel and covering the bottom surface of the sole as the contact element with the item to be ironed. This solution has proven to be more convenient since the sole is less likely to be subject to possible blockage due to lime buildup.

A possible variant of the above is that the front vaporizer opening has a vertical duct that closes at its other end, and has lateral openings that communicate with an expansion chamber located in the sole, and is sealed below with a sheet preferably made of stainless steel, and covers the bottom surface of the sole as the contact element with the item to be ironed.

Another of the preferred features of the invention is that the interior of the vaporization chamber contains at least one partition or partition that extends along its entire height and joins one of the side walls thereof, but without reaching the wall of the opposite side. As will be seen later, a preferred embodiment contains two such partitions. This solution tries to prevent the passage of the generated steam to the sole from being too direct, so as to ensure that the outgoing steam does not carry with it still liquid water that is present with the steam at a specific stage of the vaporization process, until the preset temperature is reached, at which all the water in the vaporization chamber has been vaporized

The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a top view of an assembly comprising a sole 1 and a vaporizer 2 of a steam iron according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the sole 1 is illustrated without its upper part at the front, and with a first detail illustrating exclusively the vaporizer 2 whose lid has been removed and a second detail illustrating the insertion of the tube 14 of the vaporizer 2 into the hole 15 of the sole 1.

Figure 2 is an enlargement of section II-II of Figure 1 and illustrates mesh 13.

Figure 3 is an enlargement of detail III of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view from above of the sole 1 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a view of the underside of the sole 1 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top view of the assembly constituted by the sole 1 and the vaporizer 2 according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Figure 7 is section VII-VII in Figure 6, in which a larger detail of the vertical duct 3a, 3b and the expansion chamber 1a is shown.

Figure 8 is a perspective view showing the assembly of Figure 6 without the vaporization chamber cover 3.

Figure 9 is a perspective view of the vaporization chamber 3 of the assembly of Figure 6 from its lower surface which includes a greater detail illustrating the arrangement of the vertical duct 3a.

Figure 10 is a perspective view of the vaporization chamber 3 of the assembly of Figure 6 from its lower surface which includes a greater detail illustrating a modification in the embodiment of the vertical duct 3b

A preferred embodiment of the present invention relates to a domestic steam iron which, in its general structure, comprises an ironing element or soleplate 1 that comes into contact with the garment to be ironed and which includes holes on its outer face 17 through which the steam comes out, a steam generator or vaporizer 2, which has water from a tank incorporated into the iron by means of a micro-pump (not shown) and comprises a vaporization chamber 3 where the steam is generated, which passes through a front opening 4 of the vaporizer 2 to the sole 1 to exit outside through the holes 17 thereof, heating elements or resistors 5, 6 one for each, sole 1 and vaporizer 2, thermostatic temperature regulators 7, 8 different for regulating the temperature of sole 1 and vaporizer 2, and thermal fuses 9, 10 for sole 1 and for vaporizer 2.

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This embodiment in general is illustrated in Figure 1, in which the vaporization chamber 3 has a rear outlet 11, which communicates with the front opening 4 of the vaporizer 2 by means of a pair of deep channels 12 that are integrated into the vaporizer 2 and extend along the sides thereof of the vaporization chamber 3. In this way, the steam generated in the vaporization chamber 3 passes to the rear outlet 11, is directed through the channels 12 collaterally towards the front opening 4 and reaches the sole 1 to be ejected by the holes 17 thereof. This embodiment establishes better conditions for steam circulation than in known existing steam irons, which reduces the possibility of blockage due to the accumulation of lime and a better and constant supply of steam for more efficient ironing.

In this embodiment the rear outlet 11 of the vaporization chamber 3 is closed by a fixed mesh 13, which has a smaller passage size than the sections of the channels in the front opening 4 and the channels 12 of the vaporizer 2. This embodiment prevents , or at least significantly reduces the accumulation of lime in the front opening 4 and the channels 12 of the vaporizer 2.

In this embodiment, the front opening 4 of the vaporizer 2 comprises a tube 14, which is formed entirely in the vaporizer 2 and is inserted into the corresponding hole 15 of the sole 1. The tube 14 incorporates an external, fixed and sealed joint 16 acting between the vaporizer 2 and the sole 1, which is made of a suitable material to withstand the required compression, as well as the high temperatures. In a preferred embodiment, the seal 16 is of a fluoro-elastomeric material. This solution provides a remarkable improvement over the existing solutions in steam irons that use a separate bronze cover that is inserted at the same time with silicone gaskets on the sole 1 and the vaporizer 2. Such silicone gaskets behave well at high temperatures, but they don't work well under compression.

In this embodiment, the thermostatic temperature regulators 7, 8 for regulating the temperature of the sole 1 and the vaporizer 2 comprise thermal sensors. These thermal sensors 7, 8 operate with such high precision and speed that it is not necessary to use a second conventional safety thermostat for the vaporizer 2, and also allow the implementation of computer programmable microprocessors and LCD screens, which facilitates the representation of the stages of work of the iron in a certain moment, thus allowing to iron more efficiently and reliably with greater accuracy in determining the appropriate temperature for each type of garment, and a greater speed in the introduction of changes in ironing temperature

In this embodiment, the holes 17 of the sole 1 are presented in a small number, and are concentrated in the front part of the sole 1 in an arrowhead formation. From the holes 17 split channels 18, in the form of grooves, extending to the rear of the sole 1. As illustrated in Figure 5, in a preferred embodiment, the sole 1 includes seven holes 17 with their associated channels 18, with the three central channels extending to a position approximately one third of the length of the sole 1 from the front end thereof, and with the other four channels extending to a position approximately one quarter of the sole length 1, measured from the rear end of the sole

This embodiment allows the garment to receive the steam required for ironing at the beginning of the iron movement, and allows, during the rest of this movement, there is a progressive increase in the degree of drying to total dryness, which translates in a professional quality ironing process.

In a preferred embodiment, the ratio between the width of the vaporization chamber 3 and the sole 1 is approximately 3: 4, with the geometry of the vaporization chamber 3 such that its sides are parallel to the sides of the sole 1. This arrangement provides a considerable increase in the volume of the vaporization chamber 3 compared to existing steam irons, which, as illustrated in Figure 8, allows the mesh 13 to be substantially larger, thus allowing the accumulation of large quantities of lime from the water and, consequently, facilitating a longer shelf life of the steam iron. Lime deposits usually cause catastrophic failure of steam irons

As illustrated in Figures 7 and 9, in one embodiment the front opening 4 of the vaporizer 2 comprises a vertical tube 3a, whose most distant end is opened in an expansion chamber 1a that is formed in the sole 1 and closed by below by means of a sheet 19, preferably stainless steel, which covers the bottom surface of the sole 1 and defines the element that contacts the item to be ironed. Figure 7 also clearly illustrates the joint 16, in a position that ensures the tightness between the vaporization chamber 3 and the sole 1 against the circulating steam that, through the expansion chamber 1a, exits the outside of the sole 1 and sheet 19 through holes 17

As illustrated in Figure 10, in a variant the front opening 4 of the vaporizer 2 can have a vertical duct 3b that is closed at its most distant end and that includes a side openings 3c that provide fluid communication with the expansion chamber 1a of the sole 1.

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As illustrated in Figure 8, in one embodiment, the interior of the vaporization chamber 3 contains at least one 3d partition that occupies the entire available height and joins one of the side walls of the vaporization chamber 3, but without that extends to the opposite wall. In a preferred embodiment, the vaporization chamber 3 includes two 3d partitions that are arranged in opposite directions and that define a wavy pattern between the front and the rear outlet 11 of the vaporization chamber 3.

The following references are used in the drawings:

one.

 1st sole. Steam expansion chamber in the sole 1

2.

 Vaporizer or steam generator

3.

 Vaporization chamber in the vaporizer 2 3a. Vertical tube in the vaporization chamber 3 3b. Vertical duct in the vaporization chamber 3 3c. Side openings in vertical duct 3b 3d. Partition in the vaporization chamber 3

Four.

 Front opening of vaporizer 2

5.

 First heating element, of the sole 1

6.

 Second heating element, vaporizer 2

7.

 First thermal sensor, sole 1

8.

 Second thermal sensor, vaporizer 2

9.

 First thermal fuse, sole 1

10.

 Second thermal fuse, from vaporizer 2

eleven.

 Rear outlet of vaporization chamber 3

12.

 Vaporizer channels 2

13.

 Mesh at rear outlet 11

14.

 Vaporizer tube

fifteen.

 Hole in the sole 1

16.

 meeting

17.

 Sole holes 1

18.

 Channels in the sole 1

19.

 Foil, preferably stainless steel

Finally, it will be understood that the present invention has been described in its preferred embodiments and that it can be modified in many different ways without departing from the scope of protection of the invention defined in the appended claims.

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Claims (9)

1. Steam iron, preferably a domestic steam iron, comprising: an ironing element or soleplate (1), which in use comes into contact with a garment to be ironed and which includes holes (17) through which it exits the steam; a steam generator (2) that is fed with water from a tank, preferably by means of a micro-pump, and has a vaporization chamber

(3)

in it the steam is generated and a front opening (4) through which the steam is taken to the holes

(17)

 of the sole (1); a first heating element (5) for the sole (1) and a second heating element

(6)

 for the steam generator (2); thermostatic temperature regulators for the sole (1) and for the steam generator (2); and thermal fuses (9, 10) for the sole (1) and for the steam generator (2), characterized by the fact that: the vaporization chamber (3) includes a rear outlet (11) and the generator steam (2) includes a pair of deep channels (12), preferably integrated therein, which extend collaterally to the vaporization chamber (3) and communicate the front opening

(4)

 of the steam generator (2) with the rear outlet (11) of the vaporization chamber (3).

2.

 Steam iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the rear outlet (11) of the vaporization chamber (3) is closed by a mesh (13), preferably immovable, which defines steps smaller than the sections of passage in the front opening (4) and in the channels (12) of the steam generator (2).

3.

Steam iron according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the front opening

(4) of the steam generator (2) comprises a tube (14) that is completely formed inside the steam generator (2), is inserted into a corresponding hole (15) of the sole (1) and has a gasket external (16), waterproof and immovable, which operates between the steam generator (2) and the sole (1) and is made of a material suitable for working at compression and at high temperatures.

Four.

 Steam iron according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the thermostatic temperature regulators of the sole (1) and the steam generator (2) comprise NTC thermistors (7.8) for the sole ( 1) and for the steam generator (2).

5.

 Steam iron according to claim 1, characterized in that the sole (1) includes seven holes (17) located in the front section of the sole (1) in an arrowhead formation, and seven associated channels (18 ), preferably in the form of grooves, which extend towards the rear of the sole (1), with the three central channels (18) extending to a location one third of the sole length (1) measured from the part front of it, and the remaining four channels (18) extending to a location three quarters of the sole length (1) measured from the front of it.

6.

Steam iron according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ratio between the width of the vaporization chamber (3) and the width of the sole (1) is approximately 3: 4, and the geometry The vaporization chamber (3) is characterized by the fact that its sides are parallel to the sides of the sole (1).

7.

Steam iron according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the sole (1) includes an expansion chamber (1a) and comprises a sheet (19), preferably of stainless steel, which covers the bottom surface of the sole (1) in the expansion chamber (1a), in order to enclose it, and defines the contact surface with the garment to be ironed, and the front opening (4) of the steam generator (2) comprises a vertical tube (3a) , one of whose ends opens to the expansion chamber (1a) of the sole (1).

8.

Steam iron according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sole (1) includes an expansion chamber (1a) and comprises a sheet (19), preferably stainless steel, which covers the lower surface of the soleplate (1) in the expansion chamber (1a), in order to enclose it, and defines the contact surface with the garment to be ironed, and the front opening (4) of the steam generator (2) comprises a vertical duct ( 3b), one of whose ends is closed and includes lateral openings (3c) that are in fluid communication with the expansion chamber (1a).

9.

Steam iron according to any of the preceding claims, characterized in that the vaporization chamber (3) comprises side walls and at least one partition (3d) that is attached to a side wall, but without reaching the opposite wall , and occupies all available height.