GB1569377A - Ironing - Google Patents

Description

(54) IMPROVEMENTS IN AND RELATING TO IRONING (71) I, AUGUSTO RAMALHO, a citizen of Mozarnbique, of Rua 1 A Av. Dr.

Oliveira Salazzar, Block 15, No. 34 - 10th Floor Right, Maputo, Mozambique, do hereby declare the invention for which I pray that a patent may be granted to me, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the following statement: The present invention relates to the ironing of article s or textile fabric.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of ironing an article of exile fabric which comprises (a) placing on the article a sheet of porous resiliently com saible material so that said porous sheet is ill contact with said article, the uppermost face of said porous sheet being covered by a layer of water-wettable matenal (i.e. hydrophilic material); (b) wetting said upper layer with water; (c) applying to the upper layer a heated iron to compress the sheet whilst vaporizing steam from the applied water to pass through the porous sheet to the article and (d) subsequently removing the iron. When the iron is moved from one location on the upper layer, the porous sheet at that location recovers its uncompressed state drawing steam and dust from the article being ironed. In this manner, articles can be ironed without the Information of lustre or shine.

The porous sheet can be of any desired peripheral shape but preferably is rectangular in outüne. The porous resiliently compressible material can be an expanded plastics material, especially foamed synthetic rubber, and the sheet thereof is conveniently of from 5 to 8 mm thick. Preferably, the water-wettable material is a textile material which is secured by, for example, sewing about its periphery to the porous sheet. Alternatively, or in addition, the porous sheet may be secured at its edges to the textile material by welding. Suitably, the textile material can be a cloth of linen or linen and cotton. Alternatively, the waterwettable material may comprise a layer of synthetic rubber which is less porous than porous sheet.

The method can be used to iron any article of textile fabric such as flannel, gaberdine, Manchester cloth, mohair, velvet and corduroy. When the porous sheet and upper layer have been used for a proionged period, they can be cleaned by, for example, washing with detergent or soap, rinsed with clean water and then dried.

The following is a description by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings of an assembly for use in a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of the assembly; Figure 2 is a side view of the assembly shown in Figure 1; Figure 3 is a section through the porous layer of the assembly of Figure 1 showing diagrammatically how steam circulates through said layer; and Figure 4 is a section through the porous layer corresponding to that of Figure 3 but showing the layer compressed under the weight of an iron.

An ironing assembly generally indicated at 1 comprises a rectangular sheet 2 of foamed synthetic rubber having a length of 48 cm, a width of 30 cm and a thickness of 7 mm.

One face of said sheet 2 is covered with a linen cloth 3 stitched about its periphery to the sheet 2. This assembly is used in the manner described above with reference to the invention in general. It should be noted that when the iron is removed from the assembly, the porous layer returns, owing to its inherent resiliency, from the compressed state shown in Figure 4 to its normal state shown in Figure 3.

The ironing assembly according to the invention can also be used in combination with another like ironing assembly wherein a first ironing assembly is laid on a substantially flat surface with the textile material uppermost to act as a conventional ironing board and an article to be ironed is laid on the textile material. A second ironing assembly is then laid on the first assembly and ironing can then be carried Out as described above.

It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details particularly described above and that alterations or modifications to those details can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

WHAT I CLAIM IS:- 1. A method of ironing an article of textile fabric which comprises (a) placing on the article a sheet of porous resiliently compressible material so that said porous sheet is in contact with said article, the uppermost face of said porous sheet being covered by a layer of water-wettable material (as hereinbefore defined); (b) wetting said upper layer with water; (c) applying to the upper layer a heated iron to compress the porous sheet whilst vaporizing steam from the applied water to pass through the porous sheet to the article, and (d) subsequently removing the iron.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the porous material comprises an expanded plastics material.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the porous material comprises foamed synthetic rubber.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the porous material is from 5 to 8 mm thick.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the water-wettable material is a textile material.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the textile material is secured to the sheet of porous material by sewing around its periphery.

7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the water-wettable material comprises a layer of synthetic rubber which is less porous than a porous sheet.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the porous material is secured at its edges to the water-wettable material by welding.

9. A method of ironing substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (9)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. It will be appreciated that the invention is not restricted to the details particularly described above and that alterations or modifications to those details can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. WHAT I CLAIM IS:-

1. A method of ironing an article of textile fabric which comprises (a) placing on the article a sheet of porous resiliently compressible material so that said porous sheet is in contact with said article, the uppermost face of said porous sheet being covered by a layer of water-wettable material (as hereinbefore defined); (b) wetting said upper layer with water; (c) applying to the upper layer a heated iron to compress the porous sheet whilst vaporizing steam from the applied water to pass through the porous sheet to the article, and (d) subsequently removing the iron.

2. A method as claimed in Claim 1, wherein the porous material comprises an expanded plastics material.

3. A method as claimed in Claim 2, wherein the porous material comprises foamed synthetic rubber.

4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the porous material is from 5 to 8 mm thick.

5. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims wherein the water-wettable material is a textile material.

6. A method as claimed in Claim 5 wherein the textile material is secured to the sheet of porous material by sewing around its periphery.

7. A method as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 4 wherein the water-wettable material comprises a layer of synthetic rubber which is less porous than a porous sheet.

8. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding Claims, wherein the porous material is secured at its edges to the water-wettable material by welding.

9. A method of ironing substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.