FR3127958A1 - APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF LAUNDRY WITH STEAM INCLUDING AN IRONING AND/OR SMOOTHING TOOL - Google Patents

Abstract

Apparatus for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and/or smoothing tool (3), at least one pole (40) which supports a holding element (5) on which a garment can be hung and/or pressed to allow it to be processed using the tool (3), and a support device (8) comprising a receiving housing in which the tool (3) can be placed in a stable manner during the inactive phases of ironing and/or smoothing, the said support device (8) comprising a fixing member allowing it to be fixed on the mast (40), characterized in that the support device (8) comprises a joint (9) making it possible to modify the orientation of the reception housing by relative to the fixing device. Figure for abstract: Fig. 3

Description

APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF LAUNDRY WITH STEAM INCLUDING AN IRONING AND/OR SMOOTHING TOOL

The present invention relates to the field of appliances for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and/or smoothing tool and at least one pole which supports a holding element on which a garment can be hung and/or pressed to allow its processing using the tool. The invention relates more particularly to an appliance comprising a support device comprising a fixing member allowing its fixing on the mast and comprising a receiving housing in which the tool can be placed in a stable manner during the inactive phases of ironing and/or or smoothing.

State of the art

It is known from the Chinese utility model CN205603917U, a steaming device comprising a steaming head and two telescopic poles supporting a hanger on which a garment can be hung, the device also comprising a support device, provided with a housing for reception in which the steamer head can be placed, which is fixed to one of the masts by a connecting arm. In this document, the housing for receiving the support device forms a removable module of the connecting arm which can be engaged in three distinct 90° orientations.

However, such a support device has the disadvantage of being not very ergonomic in use, since it requires the user to detach the module forming the reception housing when he wishes to modify its orientation with the risk of dropping it and/or burning yourself with the steamer head.

Also, an object of the present invention is to provide an ironing/smoothing appliance remedying these drawbacks.

To this end, the subject of the invention is an appliance for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and/or smoothing tool, at least one mast which supports a holding element on which a garment can be hung and/or supported to allow it to be processed using the tool, and a support device comprising a receiving housing in which the tool can be placed in a stable manner during the inactive ironing and/or steaming phases, the support device comprising a fixing member allowing it to be fixed on the mast, characterized in that the support device comprises a hinge making it possible to modify the orientation of the receiving housing with respect to the fixing member.

Such a joint makes it possible to modify the orientation of the receiving housing without having to disassemble a module from the support device, which limits the risk of the tool falling and greatly improves the ergonomics of use of such a support device.

The apparatus may further have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the articulation is a pivot connection allowing the pivoting of the receiving housing around a vertical axis.

Such a feature makes it possible to change the orientation of the receiving housing to orient it in the direction of the user.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the joint is a ball joint.

Such a characteristic makes it possible both to orient the receiving housing from left to right but also from bottom to top.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the support device comprises a connecting arm extending between the fixing member and the receiving housing and the articulation is arranged on the connecting arm.

Such a characteristic makes it possible to have a part of the connecting arm which rotates at the same time as the reception housing, which makes it possible to offset the reception housing on one side or the other of the device to bring it closer to the user.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the connecting arm comprises a first part and a second part articulated on one another by means of the articulation.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the fixing member is arranged at one end of the first part and the receiving housing is arranged at one end of the second part, the second part of the arm having a length greater than or equal to 1cm.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the first part of the arm comprises a hinge which is introduced into a hinge formed in the second part of the arm.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the hinge and the hinge are made of plastic material and are obtained directly from molding with the first part and the second part of the arm.

According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a base, containing a water reservoir, connected by a conduit to the ironing tool.

Brief description of figures

The aims, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the description given below of a particular embodiment of the invention presented by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the appended drawings in which :

There is a perspective view of an ironing appliance according to a particular embodiment of the invention, with a support device arranged in a first orientation;

There is a perspective view of the device from the with the support device arranged in a second orientation, the iron not being illustrated in this figure;

There is a perspective view of the device from the with the support device arranged in a third orientation;

There is a perspective view of the support device, equipping the apparatus of the ;

There is another perspective view of the support device of the shown with the receiving housing arranged in another orientation;

There is an exploded perspective view of the support device of the .

Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention have been represented. To facilitate reading of the drawings, the same elements bear the same references from one figure to another.

It will be noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "longitudinal", "transverse", used to describe the appliance refer to this appliance when it lies flat on its base as shown in the .

There and the represent a steam ironing appliance comprising a portable base 1 connected by a flexible conduit 2 to a steam iron 3, the base 1 being electrically connected to a domestic network by a cable, not visible in the figures.

The base 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, a removable reservoir and a pump which draws water from the reservoir to send it to the iron 3.

The iron 3 comprises a flat soleplate 30 surmounted by a case comprising a gripping handle 31 provided with a free rear end projecting laterally from the body. The box contains, in a manner known per se, an aluminum foundry located in thermal contact with the soleplate and comprising an instantaneous vaporization chamber, provided with a heating resistor, into which water from the tank 10 is injected by the pump. The operation of the pump being controlled by a trigger 32 arranged under the front end of the handle 31, the pump and the vaporization chamber being advantageously sized to allow the production of a steam flow of the order of 25 g/ mn continuously when the trigger 32 is actuated, the soleplate 30 conventionally comprising holes for the emission of steam.

The device comprises a base 4 on which the base 1 rests removably, the latter being provided with a handle 11 at its upper end to facilitate its transport.

Preferably, the base 4 comprises two telescopic poles 40 extending vertically and comprising an upper end supporting an ironing board 5 comprising a flat ironing surface 50, intended to be covered with a cover, on which laundry to be smoothed can be arranged.

In accordance with FIGS. 2 and 4 to 6, one of the telescopic poles 40 supports a support device 8 on which the iron 3 can be placed during inactive ironing/crease-smoothing phases, the support device 8 comprising an arm 8A, 8B which extends transversely to the mast 40 and whose end is fixed to the latter by a fixing member 83. The fixing member 83 is advantageously constituted by a sleeve which is engaged around the mast 40 and which comprises ribs 83A which fit into grooves provided vertically on the mast 40 and thus prevent its rotation around the mast 40.

The support device 8 advantageously comprises a plastic body having a receiving housing 81 in which the case of the iron 3 is intended to be inserted. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the receiving housing 81 comprises a flat surface 80 supporting thermally insulating pads 82 against which the soleplate 30 is intended to rest when the iron 3 rests in the receiving housing 81 , the lower end of the receiving housing 81 being bordered by a skirt 84 which has a shape adapted to stably retain the iron 3 in the receiving housing 81.

Preferably, the surface 80 forms an angle of the order of 15° with respect to the vertical plane and the skirt 84 has a notch 84A in its middle part for the passage of the handle 31 of the iron.

More particularly according to the invention, the support device 8 comprises a joint 9 making it possible to modify the orientation of the housing for receiving the iron 3 with respect to the sleeve 83.

In the particular embodiment illustrated in the figures, this articulation 9 is constituted by a pivot link, integrated in the arm 8A, 8B, which makes it possible to pivot the receiving housing 81 with respect to a vertical axis, the pivot link dividing the arm 7 into a first part 8A which is integral with the fixing member 83 and a second part 8B on which the receiving housing 81 is fixed.

In accordance with the , the pivot connection is advantageously constituted by the combination of a hinge 90, formed at one end of the first part of the arm 8A, which engages in a hinge 91 formed at the end of the second part 8B of the arm. Preferably, the second part 8B of the arm has a length of between 1 and 10 cm and advantageously of the order of 5 cm. Such a length has the advantage of offsetting the receiving housing 81 towards the front or the rear of the device when the second part of the arm is pivoted.

To reduce the manufacturing cost, the hinge 90 as well as the hinge are preferably obtained directly from molding with the first 8A and the second part 8B of the arm, the latter being advantageously made of plastic material.

Thus, as illustrated in the , the support device 8 can be arranged with the first part 8A and second part 8B aligned relative to each other so that the surface 80 of the receiving housing 81 is oriented in a lateral position in which the housing reception 81 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane passing through the masts 40.

In this lateral position, the ergonomics of use of the device during the phases of fitting or removing the iron 3 in the receiving housing 81 of the support device 8 remains substantially the same whether the user is disposed facing board 5 or behind board 5.

However, the user also has the possibility of orienting the surface 80 towards the front of the device, as illustrated in the , by pivoting the second part 8B of the arm with respect to the first part 8A. The user then has a better view of the receiving housing 81 when he is positioned facing the board 5, which makes it possible to improve the ergonomics of use of the device in this position of the user.

Conversely, when the user is positioned behind the board 5 to carry out crease-smoothing work, he also has the possibility of orienting the surface 80 towards the rear of the appliance, as illustrated in the , by pivoting the second part 8B of the arm relative to the first part 8A in the other direction. He then has a perfect view of the receiving housing 81, which also allows him to use the support device 8 with great ergonomics of use.

The support device according to the invention therefore has the advantage of offering great ergonomics of use whether the user is positioned in front of the board or behind the board, by allowing the user to orient the housing for receiving the iron to pass in his direction.

In addition, the positioning of the pivot link at an intermediate part of the arm has the advantage of allowing the reception housing to be offset towards the front or the rear of the board when the second part of the arm is pivoted, which makes it possible to bring the receiving housing closer to the user.

Finally, such a support device has the advantage of being simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated which has been given only by way of example. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without thereby departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

Thus, in a variant embodiment not shown, the pivot link may be arranged at the end of the arm, directly at the interface between the arm and the support surface.

Thus, in another variant embodiment not shown, the pivot link could be replaced by a ball joint.

In yet another alternative embodiment, not shown, at least part of the arm of the support device may be telescopic.

In yet another alternative embodiment, not shown, the arm of the support device can be removably fixed to the mast supporting the board, for example by a clamp fixing system.

Claims (9)

Apparatus for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and/or smoothing tool (3), at least one pole (40) which supports a holding element (5) on which a garment can be hung and/or pressed to allow it to be processed using the tool (3), and a support device (8) comprising a receiving housing (81) in which the tool (3) can be placed in a stable manner during inactive ironing phases and/or smoothing, the said support device (8) comprising a fixing member (83) allowing it to be fixed on the mast (40), characterized in that the support device (8) comprises a joint (9) allowing the orientation of the receiving housing (81) relative to the fixing member (83). Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulation (9) is a pivot connection allowing the reception housing (81) to pivot about a vertical axis. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the articulation (9) is a ball joint. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the support device (8) comprises a connecting arm (8A, 8B) extending between the fixing member (83) and the receiving housing ( 81) and in that the joint (9) is arranged on the connecting arm (8A, 8B). Apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the connecting arm comprises a first part (8A) and a second part (8B) hinged to one another by means of the hinge (9). Apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the fixing member is arranged at one end of the first part (8A) and the receiving housing is arranged at one end of the second part (8B) and in that the second part (8B) of the arm has a length greater than or equal to 1 cm. Device according to any one of Claims 5 to 6, characterized in that the first part (8A) of the arm comprises a hinge (90) which is introduced into a hinge (91) made in the second part (8B) of the arm . Apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the hinge (90) and the hinge (91) are made of plastic material and are obtained directly from molding with the first part (8A) and the second part (8B) of the arm. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that it comprises a base (1), containing a water reservoir (10), connected by a conduit (2) to the tool (3) of ironing.