GB2043706A - Steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

A steam iron (1) of the flush-boiler type comprises a handle formed in the gripping zone (8) as a water containing vessel. The handle forms a single piece with the upper iron body (9) and communicates at its front with a substantially vertical duct (11) provided in the body. A deformable rubber-like cup (13) is fixed to the duct (11) and has a drip-valve aperture (14) closable by a plunger (15). A transparent cap (17) enables observation of the water level. A water inlet (20) is sealable by a plug. An end piece (18) enables the iron to stand in its rest position. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Steam iron This invention relates to a steam iron of the drip type, i.e. of the type in which the steam is formed by water dripping on to a heated plate of an evaporation chamber, which is provided immediately above the ironing plate and which communicates lowerly with steam outlet bores present in the ironing plate.

A water-containing vessel must be provided in steam irons, this vessel being normally located immediately above the ironing plate and being normally constructed as a separate component. This results in rather high production costs both with regard to its construction, but to an even greater extent with regard to its assembly. This is because water feed conduits, steam removal conduits and their relative seals have to be provided during assembly.

Even those irons in which the vessel is partly formed in the body and is closed lowerly by a base which is as wide in practice as the heating plate do not obviate the said drawbacks.

In addition, a water vessel disposed immediately above the heating plate results in a heating platevessel unit which is of considerable height, and out of proportion to the iron considered overall, in which the said unit extends normally to a level higher than the centre line.

This means that the iron is unbalanced in a downward direction, and is consequently tiring to the user, especially if the user wishes to stand the iron on its rear face with its point upwards when not in use. Moreover, in order not to make the iron of an excessive overall size, the handle dimensions and diameter have to be kept small, and the handle is therefore uncomfortable to grip.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the aforesaid drawbacks by providing a steam iron which does not involve high construction and assembly costs for the water-containing vessel, and in which the volumetric proportions of the handle and base of the iron are optimised both from the point of view of iron manageability and balance, and from the point of view of comfortable gripping.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple structure of relatively easy practical construction of reliable use and efficient operation.

These objects are attained by the steam iron according to the present invention, characterized in that the iron handle is in the form of a watercontaining vessel in the gripping zone.

Further characteristics will be more apparent from the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an iron according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example on the accompanying drawing, in which the single figure represents a partly sectional diagrammatic side view of the steam iron according to the invention.

In the figure, the drip-type steam iron according to the invention is indicated overall by the reference numeral 1.

The steam iron 1 comprises, in known manner, an ironing plate 2, a lower metal casing 3, an electric heating element 4 and an evaporation chamber 5 comprising a plurality of steam outlet bores 6 through the plate 2, and an upper inlet 7 for the dripping water.

The water vessle 8 of the iron according to the invention is formed in the iron handle in the gripping zone.

The iron handle is constructed in a single piece with the iron body, which is indicated overall by 9 and extends lowerly until it rests on the top of the metal casing 3. Below the combined handle-vessel 8, the body 9 comprises a flat zone in which a temperature adjustment knob 10 is disposed in known manner.

Advantageously, the body is of moulded plastics, and in particular thermoplastics construction.

To the front of the handle there is provided a substantially vertical duct 11 which communicates via 12 with the combined handle-vessel 8. A cup 13 of deformable rubber-type material is fixed in a sealed manner on to the lower end of the duct 11. The cup 13 lowerly comprises an aperture 14 for passage of the water as individual droplets, and the aperture 14 can be closed in known manner for stopping steam production by means of a plunger 15 of vertical axis, which is controlled from the outside.

At the aperture 14, the cup 13 extends downwards in the form of a tubular portion 16, the lower edge of which becomes pressed to form a seal against the upper surface of the evaporation chamber 5 when the iron is assembled.

Advantageously, the rear end of the handle, which in this particular case is open as a result of the body moulding process, is sealed by a cap 17 of transparent material, which enables the water level in the combined handle-vessel to be observed. An end piece 18 with an inclined flat rear surface is fixed to the rear of the iron to enable the iron to be stood in its rest position, and comprises an opening 19 at the cap.

At its front end, the vessel extends upwards in the form of a tubular element 20 through which the water is introduced, and which can be sealed by a plug, not shown in the figure, after filling.

Accessible members such as a direct water sprayer and the button for operating the plunger 15 are disposed in known manner to the front of the element 20.

The invention so conceived attains the proposed objects, and in particular is of low manufacturing cost as the vessel is constructed with the body, and the seals are provided in a simple and functional manner by means of the cup 13, and in addition its heating plate and cover form a very low unit which means that the handle can be made high in order to give better balancing and optimum gripping. In addition, the presence of water in the grip ensures constant cooling of the user's palm, which is of particular advantage in hot climates and for prolonged iron use.

The invention so conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications, all of which fall within the scope of the inventive idea.

Furthermore, all details can be replaced by others technically equivalent.

In practice, the materials used and the shapes and dimensions can be chosen at will according to requirements, without leaving the scope of protection of the following claims.

Claims (6)

1. ~. A steam iron, characterized in that the ivon handle is in the form of a water-containing verse in the gripping zone.
2. 2. An iron as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that said handle forms a single piece with the upper iron body, and communicates at its front with a sub stantiallyvertical duct provided in said body.
3. 3. An iron as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that a cup of deformable material, lowerly comprising an aperture to enable the waterto drip, is fixed in a sealed manner to the bottom of said duct, and is compressed so that it seals against the inlet of the evaporation chamber when the iron is assembled.
4. 4. An iron as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the rear end of the handle is closed by a cap of transparent material which enables the water level in the combined handle-vessel to be observed.
5. 5. An iron as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that at the front of said handle the vessel extends upwards in the form of a tubular element for water introduction.
6. 6. A steam iron substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.