GB2229197A

GB2229197A - Steam iron

Info

Publication number: GB2229197A
Application number: GB9005528A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Der Meer Sijtze Van
Original assignee: Philips Gloeilampenfabrieken NV
Current assignee: Koninklijke Philips NV
Priority date: 1989-03-16
Filing date: 1990-03-12
Publication date: 1990-09-19
Anticipated expiration: 2010-03-12
Also published as: FR2644483B3; ES1013110Y; ES1013110U; DE9001827U1; FR2644483A3; GB2229197B; GB9005528D0; NL8900639A; CN1045826A

Abstract

A steam iron comprises a housing (1), a sole plate (2), a water reservoir (3), at least one heating element (4, 5) for heating the sole plate and the water reservoir, steam holes (6) located in the sole plate, a steam pipe (7) whose inlet (8) is located in a space (9) at the top of the water reservoir and whose outlet (10) is connected to the steam holes (6), and steam/water partition means provided in the water reservoir. The steam/water partition means consists of an inverted funnel (11) having a smaller opening (12) located near an upper wall (13) of the water reservoir and at a distance from the inlet (8) to the steam pipe (7) and a larger opening (14) located near the bottom (15) of the water reservoir (3), in a manner such that part of the bottom of the water reservoir heated by the heating element (5) is located within the periphery of the larger opening (14) of the funnel (11). Consequently, the vapour bubbles will develop only inside the funnel as a result of which only dry steam will be led to the steam holes (6) in the sole plate. <IMAGE>

Description

DESCRIPTION STEAM IRON The invention relates to a steam iron comprising a housing, a sole plate, a water reservoir, at least one heating element for heating the sole plate and the water reservoir, steam holes located in the sole plate, a steam pipe whose inlet is located in a space at the top of the water reservoir and whose outlet is connected to the steam holes, and steam/water partition means provided in the water reservoir.

Steam/water partition means are known in many embodiments.

They are usually formed by one or a plurality of partitions parallel with the bottom of the water reservoir while the steam has then to go a labyrinth-like way.

It is an object of the invention to improve said steam/water partition means in the water reservoir of a steam iron in a manner such that the steam arriving at the steam pipe contains virtually no water droplets.

For this purpose, the steam iron according to the invention is characterised in that the steam/water partition means are formed by an inverted funnel whose smaller opening is located near an upper wall of the water reservoir at a distance from the steam pipe inlet and whose larger opening is located near the bottom of the water reservoir, in a manner such that a part of the bottom of the water reservoir heated by the heating element is located within the periphery of the larger opening of the funnel.

The vapour bubbles developed under the funnel are led in the direction of the smaller opening and burst there. Water droplets taken along fall back into the water and only dry steam passes through the steam pipe to reach the steam holes in the sole plate.

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a diagrammatic cross-sectional view of a steam iron made in accordance with the present invention, and Figure 2 is a perspective view of a funnel-like steam/water partition which is provided in the water reservoir of the steam iron shown in Figure 1.

The steam iron comprises a housing 1, a sole plate 2, a water reservoir 3, a heating element 4 for heating the sole plate, a second heating element 5 for heating the water reservoir, steam holes 6 located in the sole plate and a steam pipe 7 whose inlet 8 is located in the space at the top of the water reservoir and whose outlet 10 communicates with the steam holes 6 located in the sole plate 2.

In the water reservoir there is provided an inverted funnel 11 whose smaller opening 12 is located at the top, that is to say, near the upper wall 13 of the water reservoir 3 and whose larger opening 14 is located near the bottom 15 of the water reservoir in a manner such that the part of the bottom 15 directly heated by the heating element 5 is located entirely within the periphery of the larger funnel opening. An opening is provided in the funnel wall through which the steam pipe 7 extends. In this embodiment the entire bottom 15 of the water reservoir is heated by the heating element 5. Consequently, the water in the reservoir outside the funnel will not boil and thus no vapour bubbles will arise there.

The vapour bubbles developed inside the funnel will rise and burst under the smaller opening 12. The water droplets carried along will fall back into the water. An opening 16 (Figure 2) is provided in the funnel to enable water in the reservoir outside the funnel to flow back to the inside of the funnel.

Therefore, the boiling process thus takes place only inside the funnel and the bursting of the vapour bubbles takes place at some distance from the inlet 8 to the steam pipe 7. Consequently, the steam above the water surface contains virtually no water droplets and may be led through the steam pipe to the steam holes 6 in the sole plate 2 as dry steam.

Claims

1. A steam iron comprising a housing, a sole plate, a water reservoir, at least one heating element for heating the sole plate and the water reservoir, steam holes in the sole plate, a steam pipe whose inlet is located in a space at the top of the water reservoir and the outlet connected to the steam holes, and steam/water partition means provided in the water reservoir, characterised in that the steam/water partition means comprises an inverted funnel whose smaller opening is located near an upper wall of the water reservoir and at a distance from the inlet to the steam pipe and whose larger opening is located near the bottom of the water reservoir, in a manner such that part of the bottom of the water reservoir heated by the heating element is located within the periphery of the larger opening of the funnel.

2. A steam iron as claimed in Claim 1, characterised in that an opening is provided in a wall of the funnel at or in the vicinity of the larger opening to provide communication between the portions of the water reservoir located inside and outside the funnel.

3. A steam iron constructed and arranged to operate substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as shown in the accompanying drawings.