FR2688013A1 - STEAM IRONING PLANTS INCLUDING AN IRON. - Google Patents

Abstract

Steam ironing plant comprising an iron (1) equipped with a heating soleplate (2) having steam outlet holes (3), a steam generator (4) communicating with said steam holes, a tank of steam independent water (5), an electric pump (9) comprising a housing (10) and a movable member (11) for driving the water between an inlet port (12) connected to said water tank (5) ) and a delivery orifice (13) connected to said steam generator (4), as well as a means (15) for treating the water intended in particular to demineralize it. According to the invention, the pump (9) is in particular of the centrifugal type and has free circulation of water between the two inlet (12) and discharge (13) orifices at least when the drive member (11 ) is at rest.

Description

Steam ironing plants comprising an iron The invention

  relates to steam ironing plants comprising an iron equipped with a heating soleplate having steam outlet holes, a steam generator communicating with said steam holes, an independent water tank, an electric pump comprising a housing and a movable member for driving water between an inlet port connected to said water tank and a discharge port connected to said steam generator, and a water treatment means intended in particular for

demineralize it.

  In the ironing plants known to date, forced displacement pumps are used, for example, peristaltic pumps or pumps of the electromagnetic type with a plunger core which comprise two-way valves preventing any free flow of water through the pipe. Therefore, in order to avoid the drawbacks due to an overpressure in the steam generator when the steam holes become crumbled, it is necessary to install on the ducts load shedding safety devices. valve type, calibrated valve, which are generally expensive and difficult to control In addition, these pumps are able to defuse when the water tank is empty and it is

  impossible to reprime them as long as there is a counter

  pressure in the steam generator.

  The object of the invention is in particular to eliminate these

  disadvantages, and reduce the cost of manufacturing 5 ironing plants.

  According to the invention the pump has a free flow of water between the two inlet and discharge ports

  at least when the drive member is at rest.

  According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the pump is of the centrifugal type and the movable member is constituted by a impeller integral with a drive shaft and rotatably mounted in the casing with at least one set

peripheral.

  Thus, thanks to the use of such a pump, when the drive member is at rest, the water can circulate freely in the housing since it encounters no obstacle, particularly because of the absence of sealing between casing and movable member and the absence of valve This free circulation allows the water to return to the cold water tank either by gravity or under the action of a possible overpressure at the generator of

steam.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the water treatment means is mounted in the pipeline between the

  steam generator and said pump.

  Thus, thanks to this arrangement, the water treatment means can be placed in the iron, which was made impossible in the previous plants since it was necessary to demineralize the water upstream of the pump in order to avoid scaling of metal pump elements

such as springs and valves.

  The features and advantages of the invention will emerge

  from the following description, as a

  for example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: Figure 1 shows schematically and in partial section an ironing plant according to the invention comprising an iron, a cold water tank associated with an electric pump and placed horizontally, FIG. 2 shows in partial section, on an enlarged scale, a self-priming pump according to the invention immersed in a water tank; FIG. 3 represents on a smaller scale an alternative embodiment of a water reservoir associated with a

  pump according to the invention and hung vertically.

  As represented in FIG. 1, the steam ironing plant comprises an iron 1 equipped with a heating soleplate 2 having steam outlet holes 3, a steam generator 4 communicating with said steam holes 3, a reservoir independent water 5 whose housing 6 comprises a filling opening 7 closed by a vent plug 8 schematically in broken lines, a pump with an electric motor 9 having a housing 10 and an internal movable member there driving water between an intake port 12 connected to said reservoir and a discharge port 13 connected by a pipe 14 to the steam generator 4, and a means 15 for treating the water

  intended in particular to demineralize it.

  In the exemplary embodiment described by way of nonlimiting example, the steam generator 4 is integrated in the iron 1 and is equipped, in a manner known per se, with a drip water flow device. comprising a small chamber 16 whose outlet orifice 17 is provided with an adjustable needle 18 and whose inlet port is connected by the pipe 14 to the water treatment means 15 Of course, the steam generator 4 could be independent of the iron and installed on line 14 or in the housing

  6 of the tank modified for this purpose.

  According to the invention, the pump 9 has a free flow of water between the two intake and discharge ports 12 at least when the drive member 11 is at rest. According to a preferred embodiment, the pump 9 is centrifugal type and the movable member 11 is constituted by a blade wheel integral with a drive shaft 19 and rotatably mounted in the housing 10 with at least one peripheral clearance (referenced e in Figure 1), said housing 10 having the inlet orifice 12 arranged axially, and the discharge orifice 13 arranged at its periphery In addition to the centrifugal pumps, it is possible to use, as pump with free circulation of water, pumps known per se in which the drive, pallets or rollers, comes rubbing against the crankcase under the effect of centrifugal force when in motion, and cleans a game

  when it is at rest under the effect of an elastic return.

  As can be seen in FIG. 1, the centrifugal pump 9 used is of the vertical submerged housing type and is mounted for this purpose in a well 20 formed in the housing 6 of the tank 5 with its suction inlet 12 turned towards the bottom The housing 10 is located near the bottom of the tank and is sealingly mounted in the well by means of a peripheral seal 20 'Thus the impeller is always immersed when the reservoir is

filled with water.

  According to an alternative embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the pump 9 is self-priming, and the casing 10 comprises for this purpose an additional degassing opening 21 arranged on the upper wall of the casing traversed by the drive shaft 19. the user has to fill the tank 5 with water, the air having accumulated in the casing 10 can escape under the pressure of the water through the opening 21, allowing the impeller 11 'be

new submerged.

  The advantages associated with the use of a pump with free flow of water of the centrifugal type, for example, are in particular: reduction of the manufacturing cost of the plant, reliability of the pump due to the absence of valve and spring ; virtually no-load operation of the pump;

  safety assured in case of steam overpressure in the pipeline; steady flow of water at the outlet of the pump without damaging pulsation for the needle 18 and the chamber 4.10 as in the case of an electromagnetic pump.

  According to another characteristic of the invention, the water treatment means 15 is mounted in the pipe 14 between the steam generator 4 and the pump 9, and comprises a cassette 13 comprising at least one filter 22 arranged at the outlet water and a water demineralization product such as a resin Preferably, the cassette 13 comprises two filters, the filter 22 and a filter 23 arranged at the inlet of the cassette and intended to retain the impurities contained in In a first embodiment, shown diagrammatically in FIG. 1, this cassette 15 is installed in the housing 6. In a second embodiment (FIG. 1), the cassette 15, (shown in broken lines), is arranged in said iron 1 and is removably mounted, in a manner known per se, to allow its exchange when

the resin is saturated.

  This arrangement makes it possible, in addition to placing the cassette in the iron for a better view of its saturation state, to install the pump 9 as close as possible to the bottom of the tank 5 so as to facilitate its initiation and the setting

pressure of the water circuit.

  In addition, thanks to the particular combination of a pump with free circulation of water and the cassette disposed downstream of the pump, it is possible to date to equip the iron with a cold water spraying device comprising a pump 24 piston 24 'whose discharge port is connected to a spray nozzle 25 located at the front of the iron and whose inlet port 26 is connected to the water pipe 14 by means of a connector 27 secured to the small chamber 16 This connector 27 and the chamber 16 are part of the same

  molded part to reduce the manufacturing cost.

  Thus, the Applicant has overcome a prejudice that forbade him to equip a spray nozzle with known irons, including a so-called "forced" water circulation pump such as an electromagnetic or peristaltic pump. Piston pump can not create sufficient vacuum in line 14 to both actuate the valves of the "forced" water circulation pump and overcome the loss of pressure of the demineralization cassette in order to pump On the other hand, thanks to the invention, the vaporization pump 25, by repeated action on the piston 24 ', easily draws water from the tank 5 through the cassette 15 and the clearance e existing between the casing Furthermore, the cassette 13, due to its arrangement, makes it possible to reduce the pressure of the water in the pipe and to obtain a regulation of the flow of water which is particularly advantageous and effective for the treatment of water. Reg the flow of water in the steam generator at the small chamber 16 and

of the needle 18.

  In addition, the use of a centrifugal pump housing immersed allows to use the ironing unit is as shown in Figure 1 with the water tank in the horizontal position, or as illustrated in Figure 3 with the tank water 5 suspended vertically by a hook 28 to a support 29 secured for example of the base of a

  ironing board (not shown).

  In the case where the water tank 5 is in charge, that is to say, located at a level higher than the working plane where the iron rests, the water pipe 14 connected to the steam generator 4 comprises a valve 30 whose opening allowing the passage of water is controlled by a thermal element 31

7 2688013

  such as a bimetallic strip in connection with the heating soleplate 2.

  So this thermal element releases the passage of water

only when the iron is hot.

Claims (8)

claims   1) steam ironing plant comprising an iron (1) equipped with a heating soleplate (2) having holes (3) for steam outlet, a steam generator (4) communicating with said steam holes, a independent water tank (5), an electric pump (9) having a housing (10) and a movable member (11) for driving water between an inlet (12) connected to said water tank (5) and a discharge port (13) connected to said steam generator (4), and a means (15) for water treatment intended in particular to demineralize it; characterized in that the pump (9) has a free circulation of water between the two inlet (12) and discharge (13) at least when the drive member (11) is at rest.   2) steam ironing plant according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (9) is of the centrifugal type and the movable member (11) is constituted by a paddle wheel integral with a drive shaft (19). ) and rotary mount   in the housing (10) with at least one peripheral clearance (e).   3) Steam ironing plant according to claim 2, characterized in that the pump (9) being of the vertical type immersed housing, said housing (10) comprises an opening (21) called degassing made in the region of the housing which is traversed by the drive shaft (19) of the impeller (11).   4) Steam ironing plant according to any one of preceding claims,   characterized in that the water treatment means (15) is mounted in the pipeline (14) between the generator of vapor (4) and said pump (9).   Steam ironing plant according to claim 4, characterized in that the water treatment means (15) comprises a cassette comprising at least one filter (22).   arranged at the outlet of water and a demineralization product of water such as a resin.   6) Steam ironing plant according to any one of preceding claims,   characterized in that the iron is equipped with a water spray device which comprises a pump (24) whose discharge port is connected to a spray nozzle (25) located at the front of the iron and whose inlet port (26) is connected to the water pipe (14) at   means of a connector (27) arranged downstream of the water treatment means.   7) Steam ironing plant according to claim 6, characterized in that the heating sole comprises the steam generator, the latter is equipped with a drip flow device comprising a small chamber (16) whose orifice outlet (17) is provided with an adjustable needle (18) and whose inlet port is connected by the   channeling by means (15) of water treatment.   8) Steam ironing plant according to claim 7, characterized in that the small chamber (16) and the connection   (27) are part of the same molded part.   9) Steam ironing plant according to any one of preceding claims,   characterized in that the water pipe (14) connected to the steam generator (4) comprises a valve (30) whose opening allowing the passage of water is controlled by a thermal element (31) in connection with the sole heating (2).