GB2179961A

GB2179961A - Electric iron

Info

Publication number: GB2179961A
Application number: GB08522918A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Michael John Morecroft; Peter Hallam Wright
Original assignee: TI Russell Hobbs Ltd
Current assignee: TI Russell Hobbs Ltd
Priority date: 1985-09-17
Filing date: 1985-09-17
Publication date: 1987-03-18
Also published as: GB2179961B; GB8522918D0

Abstract

An electric iron 1 and base unit 2 are described in which an electrical connector 3 normally contained in the base unit 2 when the iron is used in a cordless mode is detachable therefrom and is attachable to the iron 1 whereby it may be used in a 'corded' mode. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electric irons This invention relates to electric irons.

Recently the use of so-called cordless irons have been proposed in which an electric iron, containing a conventional mains powered heating element, instead of being provided with an electrical mains supply cable is provided with a set of electrical contacts which mate with corresponding contacts carried by a base stand on which the iron is placed when it is not being used. The base stand is normally free standing on or clamped to an ironing board and its contacts are energised from the mains by a conventional electrical cable.

One problem with such cordless irons, especially when they have steam and shot-ofsteam facilities, is that they tend to cool down fairly quickly which makes the ironing of heavy materials such as linen and denim very time consuming since the iron has to be continually replaced on its base unit in order for it to be re-heated.

This problem is overcome in accordance with the present invention by providing an electric iron having electrical contacts which co-operate with corresponding electrical contacts carried by a base unit on which the electric iron is placed when not in use, the base unit having an electrical cable for energising the electrical contacts thereof, the electrical cable being detachable from said base unit and attachable to said iron for directly energising the electrical contacts of said iron.

In one arrangement for carrying out the invention it may be arranged that the electrical contacts of said base units are detachable therefrom with said electrical cable, the detached electrical contacts and electrical cable being attachable to the electrical contacts of said iron.

In another arrangement for carrying out the invention the electrical cable may be detachable from the electrical contacts of said base unit and may be provided with further electrical contacts which are attachable to the electrical contacts of said iron.

In a preferred arrangement, the electrical contacts of said base unit will be 'hooded' or otherwise protected to prevent electric shocks being given.

The invention is applicable to standard electric irons as well as so-called ergonomic electric irons.

By the way of example only, embodiments of the invention will now be described reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figures la and 7b depict an electric iron and base unit respectively in accordance with the present invention; Figure 2 depicts the electric iron of Fig. la in its 'corded' mode; Figures 3a and 3b depict an ergonomic electric iron and base unit respectively in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 4 depicts the ergonomic electric iron of Fig. 3a in its 'corded' mode.

In Fig. la of the drawings there is shown a so-called cordless electric iron 1 which is adapted to co-operate with a stand 2 shown in Fig. lb. In use stand 2 would be rested on or preferably clamped to an ironing board (not shown) and would be used as a rest for the iron 1 when it is not being used. Typically the iron 1 would be placed in an on-end position on the stand 2 as depicted in dashed outline in Fig. 1 b although it is envisaged that the iron could be placed on a suitable base unit in any convenient position.

Contained within the base unit 2 of Fig. lb is an electrical connector 3 which is provided with electrical contacts (not shown) which are connected to a mains supply (not shown) by means of an electrical cable 4. The electrical contacts of the connector 3 are designed to co-operate with corresponding electrical contacts (not shown) contained within the end face 5 of the electric iron 1 shown in Fig. la, when the iron is rested on the base unit 2. In this position mains supply is applied to the electrical contacts of the iron 1 and causes it to be heated up in the normal way. When it is desired to use the iron 1 for ironing purposes it is removed from the base unit 2 and is used to iron in the normal way, either on an ironing board or elsewhere.When the iron is removed from the base unit 2 it immediately starts to cool down but is caused to be re-heated when the iron 1 is returned to the base unit 2 as it would be in normal use in order to rearrange the article being ironed.

However, some materials such as heavy linen or denim require a comparatively hot iron and a high level of steam causing the iron 1 of Fig. 1a in its cordless mode to cool down too rapidly, thus requiring it to be frequently returned to its base unit 2 in order for it to be re-heated.

In order to overcome this problem it is provided that the electrical connector 3 which forms part of the base unit 2 is detachable from the base unit 2 together with the electrical cable 4 and is attached directly to the iron 1 as depicted in Fig. 20. In this way the iron 1 can be used in a 'corded' mode in which it is continuously connected to a mains supply via the cable 4.

The electrical connector 3 may be removably retained in the base unit 2 by any suitable means such as one or more clips and may be attached to the iron 1 again by any suitable means.

Although not shown in Fig. 1 b, the electrical contacts of the electrical connector 3 are preferably 'hooded' or otherwise protected to prevent electric shocks being given.

Although in the embodiment shown in Figs.

1a and 1 b it is envisaged that the electrical connector 3 which makes contact with the electrical contacts (not shown) of the iron 1 when it is resting on the base unit 2, is removably attached to the base unit 1, it is also envisaged that the cable 4 may be detached from the connector 3 by means of a further connector, the connector 3 being permanently fixed in the base unit 2 and the further electrical connector being used to couple the electrical cable 4 to the iron 1.

Although the embodiment of Figs. 1a and 1b and Fig. 2 depict the iron 1 in an on-end configuration in its rest mode with the electrical connector 3 attached to the end face 5 of the iron 1, it is envisaged that any suitable configuration of the iron may be used as its rest position and the electrical connector 3 may be arranged to contact the iron 1 at any suitable location.

In Figs. 3a and 3b and Fig. 4 there is depicted views corresponding to those shown in Figs. la and 1b and Fig. 2 respectively of a so-called ergonomic iron embodying the principles of the invention already described. The reference numberals used in the corresponding views are the same and the principles of operation and construction described in relation to Figs. la, 1b and 2 apply to Figs. 3a, 3b and 4 also.

Claims

1. An electric iron having electrical contacts which co-operate with corresponding electrical contacts carried by a base unit on which the electric iron is placed when not in use, the base unit having an electrical cable for energising the electrical contacts thereof, the electrical cable being detachable from said base unit and attachable to said iron for directly energising the electrical contacts of said iron.

2. An electric iron as claimed in claim 1, in which the electrical contacts of said base unit are detachable therefrom with said electrical cable, the detached electrical contacts and electrical cable being attachable to the electrical contacts of said iron.

3. An electric iron as claimed in claim 1, in which the electrical cable is detachable from the electrical contacts of said base unit and is provided with further electrical contacts which are attachable to the electrical contacts of said iron.

4. An electric iron as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the electrical contacts of said base unit are hooded or otherwise protected to prevent electric shocks being given.

5. An electric iron as claimed in any preceding claim, in which the base unit is adapted to be free standing on an ironing board.

6. An electric iron as claimed in any of claims 1 to 4, in which the base unit is adapted to be clamped to an ironing board.

7. An electric iron substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to the accompanying drawings.