FR2618810A1 - Appliance for ironing clothes - Google Patents

Abstract

The appliance is noteworthy, particularly in that it includes machinery 1 capable of delivering air and/or steam. On this machinery there is mounted an inflatable and expandable form (shape) produced from an airtight material supplied with inflation air by a generator which is independent of the generators of ironing fluids. On the said machinery there is also mounted a cover 3 made from a non-expandable material, the ironing fluid, hot air and/or steam, being diffused from the machinery between the wall of this cover and that of the inflatable form (shape).

Description

The present invention relates to a garment ironing device.

It is known to iron clothes by putting them on a form through which a gaseous or liquid fluid is sprayed at a suitable temperature.

Thus, US Patent No. 2,284,232 (RICHA) describes an apparatus consisting of a rigid form supplied with ironing fluid and on which is arranged an expandable form under the effect of the pressure of the air which receives the clothing and compresses it against a shell defining an outer enclosure.

The general shape conformation is given by a rigid metal frame.

Therefore, this type of device is particularly bulky, which prohibits its use for domestic purposes.

Likewise, French Patent No. 1,530,502 (REBISCOUL) describes an apparatus comprising a mannequin on which the clothing is put on and through which the mannequin is injected with hot air and steam.

Tests carried out by the applicant have shown that ironing through a mannequin according to these two prior patents was only partially satisfactory, since the ironing fluid is also the inflation fluid of the mannequin, this requires a large amount of fluid under pressure during each ironing cycle.

Therefore, this type of device requires significant machinery, resulting in a high cost of the device.

The object of the invention is to provide a space-saving device of simple use and not requiring bulky machinery so as to produce a device suitable for domestic use.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus requiring to iron the delivery of the smallest amount of vapor possible after total or partial inflation of the hollow form which receives the garment and which, according to the invention, remains under pressure total or partial during successive ironing cycles.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus capable of ironing different sizes of clothing with the same shape, which is not the case for apparatuses with a partially rigid form such as the aforementioned US patent.

To this end, to reduce the problems of space, the device according to the invention comprises a machine capable of delivering pressurized air and / or water vapor.

On this machinery, a removable airtight closed shape is arranged, of conformation corresponding to that of the garment to be ironed and this shape which receives the garment is kept under pressure after inflation, and cooperates with a flexible outer cover which covers the garment, the ironing and drying fluid being diffused between the two.

As a result, since the ironing fluid is independent of the fluid necessary for pressurizing the shape, a very small amount can be delivered, which makes it possible to reduce the dimensions of the steam generator and therefore of the machinery and which increases the ironing rate from one cycle to another.

The inflation fluid can be hot or unheated air from the same generator as the hot air used during ironing.

In this case after inflation of the flexible form, the air supply duct to the latter is closed for maintaining the pressure and the air can even be diverted by bypass or any other means towards the zone comprised between the flexible form and the cover.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the flexible shape which receives the garment to be ironed is made of a material with a high coefficient of elasticity and the flexible outer cover is not extensible, which makes it possible, from a basic size, to more or less significant inflation of the shape, to carry out the ironing of a large scale of sizes within the limit of the dimension of the outer cover.

According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the outer cover removably mounted on the machinery is provided with shaping and stiffening elements by inflation, which allows it to be folded for storage.

Other advantages and characteristics of the invention will appear on reading the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which: - Figure 1 is a view of the apparatus in the use position.
tion prior to the fitting of the garment, - Figure 2 is a view of the device with the outer cover
being put in place, - Figure 3 is a view of the appliance in the ironing position, - Figure 4 is a schematic view of the machinery, - Figure 5 is a top view of the box containing the ma
chinerie, - Figure 6 is a bottom view of the flexible form.

In the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, the flexible shape is of the bustier type for ironing clothes of the sleeve type.

However, it goes without saying that without departing from the scope of the invention, the flexible form can be of the kind suitable for clothing of the leg type or for any other type of clothing.

The apparatus according to the invention essentially comprises three assemblies: - machinery contained in a box 1 of reduced size
for example of the wheel type, - an inflatable form 2, - an outer cover 3 preferably flexible in two parts.

The case 1 comprises an upper plate 4 on which the inflatable form 2 and the preferably flexible cover will be disposed in a removable manner which, when not in use, are separated from the case and folded back, which facilitates the storage of the device.

The plate 4 is provided with orifices for the delivery of hot air and steam from the components of the machinery.

The machinery, in addition to the servo system for its organs of the known type such as remote control, programmable automaton or adapted electronic circuit, essentially comprises a steam generator 5 of known type supplied with water before use from a reservoir 6 and a servo-controlled pump 7.

It also comprises at least one and preferably two hot air generators 8 respectively constituted in a known manner of a fan sucking the air from the outside of the case by orifices not shown with which it is provided and blowing it after passing through. through a heating resistor to the outside through a hole in the plate.

The machinery also includes a forced air generator 9 which delivers the air, an electric clamp 9A or any other means which, depending on whether it is open or closed, allow the passage of air to the form or block the air in the form or that it is again open to deflate the form.

A compressor 10 with an electric valve 11 feeds the flexible cover as stated below.

 The inflatable form 2 is placed on the plate 4 before use.

This inflatable form is provided at its base with a rigid plate 12 provided with a conduit 13 which fits into the outlet of the forced air generator 9.

Preferably, the plate is provided with an arc-circle reservation 15 to leave free the hot air outlets of the generators and the steam outlet.

The inflatable form 2 according to the invention is made of an airtight material and having a good coefficient of elasticity. Preferably, it is made of rubber.

This arrangement makes it possible, on the one hand, to keep the form inflated, the air supply to the form being closed after inflation by an electric clamp or other means, and this for as long as the user wishes to repeat itself the ironing cycles and on the other hand, to reduce or increase at will the volume of this shape 2, either to adapt it to the size of the garment, or as will be explained to subject this garment to a tension which facilitates the ironing operation.

The inflation fluid can be hot or unheated air from the same generator as the hot air used during ironing.

In this case, after inflating the flexible form, the air supply duct to it is closed to keep it in pressure and the air can be diverted by bypass or any other means towards the zone between the form soft and the cover.

In this case, the air can be heated from the steam generator before being sent in the flexible form by means of a heating element.

It is also conceivable that the heating element is only placed on the air circuit opening out between the flexible form and the cover; in this case, the flexible form receives only unheated air.

After or before fitting the flexible, elastic and airtight inflatable form, preferably before it is inflated, a cover 3 is placed.

The cover 3 corresponds to the conformation of the type with sleeves or legs or others of the inflatable form 2.

It is made of a flexible material that is not extensible or has a low coefficient of extensibility, such as synthetic fabric.

Preferably, the cover is made of a material which is not breathable but in its shape with sleeves as shown in the drawings, these are open at their ends.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, the cover consists of two parts 3A, 3B joined by their longitudinal median plane and fixed on a support, in an arc or an oblong which rests on the plate 4 where it can be fixed by any known means such as fasteners of the type called velcro.

The two parts 3A and 3B are provided on their longitudinal joint plane with means making it possible to join them together to close the cover and enclose the flexible form 2.

According to a provision of the invention, the two parts of the cover are provided at their joint plane with shaping and stiffening means.

These means can be rigid pre-folded or foldable structures introduced into passers-by of the contiguous edges of each part 3A-3B.

In this case, the user will have to close the cover manually at the appropriate time.

It is also conceivable that the cover is made of rigid shells; however, it is more advantageous for storage problems to make the cover with flexible parts.

In this configuration of the flexible cover, each of the two parts is provided with stiffening and shaping means which are preferably constituted by an expandable pneumatic channel 16, a rubber air chamber for example.

This channel 16 traverses the two banks of each part 3A-3B and is provided with a supply orifice which receives a conduit 17 for discharging the pressurized air supplied by the compressor.

Since the compressor is only used to inflate this channel 16, the flexible form being inflated by the blower, the machine according to the invention does not require a large capacity compressor.

The use of the machine according to the invention is as follows
After placing the inflatable form 2 and the cover 3 on the housing 1, the user controls the temperature setting of the steam generator.

The warm-up time is programmed and a duration of the order of a few minutes at the end of which it is interrupted.

At the end of the warm-up, the flexible form is pre-inflated, using the forced air generator.

This pre-inflation is programmed to be carried out until a minimum size is obtained, which is the threading size of the garment.

Preferably, at this stage, the form 2 is inflated without further elastic expansion.

After putting on the garment, the user adapts the size of the shape by expansion until obtaining that of the garment, a more or less significant expansion which can be obtained depending on the size of the garment, taking into account the significant natural elasticity of the flexible shape.

The user can, by an additional inflation of the form 2, tension the garment to eliminate the folds.

In an automated embodiment of the device, this inflation supplement is timed after the size has been selected.

The compressor which feeds the swelling channel of the two parts of the cover is then started.

This has the effect of pressurizing the channel which passes from a horizontal or substantially horizontal position to a vertical position (figure) by lifting and bringing the two parts of the cover which closes thus automatically, the user being able to secure them by the attachment means with which their banks are provided.

After closing the flexible cover, the garment is preheated by blowing hot air from the generators, between the inflatable form and the cover.

 Then steam is injected from the steam generator between the cover and the form.

Drying is then carried out with hot air from the hot air generators.

The form 2 being inflated independently of the ironing fluid, steam and hot air which are diffused in the interval between the form and the cover, only reduced quantities of ironing fluid are necessary, which makes it possible to use dimensioned members reduced, especially in terms of steam and to generate it very quickly.

In addition, the natural elasticity of the inflatable form allows, within the limit of the internal volume of the cover, to iron different sizes of clothing in close cycles.

Indeed, after ironing a garment by opening the solenoid valve, the air diffused by the compressor in the inflatable chamber of the cover portion is evacuated.

This causes the cover to open.

 The inflatable form by timed opening always of the rovanne electroclamp is then partially deflated until it reaches minimum inflation size, which allows the donning of a new garment and the start of another cycle.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the sleeves are mounted retractable in the form by means of internal elastic straps or other return members.

Therefore, their expansion takes place only after that of the shape, making the most of the air pressure.

This allows the sleeves to be made of the same material as the bustier instead of using materials with different thicknesses or coefficients of elasticity, which therefore simplifies manufacturing.

In addition, the sleeves of the form being retracted, the garment should only be placed on them and no longer threaded.

Claims (1)

 R1 / Apparatus for ironing clothing by threading it,  on a suitable conformation form, inflation and  extension thereof, characterized in that the said apparatus  comprises machinery (1) capable of delivering air and / or  the vapor that on this machinery is mounted an inflated form  lable and expandable made of a material impermeable to  the air, supplied with inflation air by a generator and  maintained in pressure by obturation and that on said ma  chinerie is fitted with a cover made of non-expandable material,  the ironing fluid, hot air and / or steam being diffused  from the machinery between the wall of this cover and that  of the inflatable form. R2 / Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the  machinery includes a steam generator and one or more  heat generators supplying fluids, air or  steam, between the inflatable form and the cover and a general  forced air in the inflatable form regardless of  ironing fluids. R3 / Apparatus according to claim 1 and claim 2  characterized in that the cover 3 is formed from two parts  (3A-3B) contiguous along the median longitudinal axis of the  cover they constitute.  R4 / Apparatus according to the preceding claim characterized in  that each part of the cover (3A-3B) includes on the edge of its  parting line with the other part of the cover, an ali chamber  lined in air to lift, shape and stiffen the  cover. R5 / Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the  inflatable form (2) is removably mounted on the  machinery (1). R6 / Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the  cover (3) is removably mounted on the housing (1)  machinery. R7 / Apparatus according to claim 1 characterized in that the  sleeves of the flexible shape are retractable therein. R8 / Apparatus according to claim 7 characterized in that the  sleeves of the flexible form have elastic straps  internal so that their inflation takes place after that of  the flexible shape.