GB2327950A

GB2327950A - Steam iron

Info

Publication number: GB2327950A
Application number: GB9716055A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Nick Hope
Original assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Current assignee: Kenwood Marks Ltd
Priority date: 1997-07-31
Filing date: 1997-07-31
Publication date: 1999-02-10
Anticipated expiration: 2017-07-31
Also published as: GB9716055D0; GB2327950B

Abstract

The invention provides an arrangement enabling the generation of steam to be temporarily interrupted by the user and includes a lever mechanism (17) which acts on a water supply valve (10), disposed between a water tank (6) and a heated steam chamber (6) and is normally biassed to close the valve. The lever has a trigger portion (19) which normally protrudes through an aperture in the handle of the iron, but which is depressed into the aperture, against the lever's bias, by the normal pressure exerted by the hand of a user, when the user grasps the handle to use the iron. When the trigger portion is thus depressed, the valve is opened and steam can be generated in the usual way. When, however, the user wishes to inhibit the steaming function, it is necessary merely to allow the trigger portion of the lever mechanism to emerge through the handle aperture, thereby to cut off the water supply from the tank to the steam chamber. The trigger may be locked in position to maintain the valve open.

Description

IMPROVEMENTS IN OR RELATING TO STEAM IRONS.

This invention relates to steam irons, and it relates in particular to the control of the steaming functions of such irons.

It is well known that domestic steam irons have the capability of generating (subject of course to the provision of an adequate water supply) so-called continuous steam.

Usually, but not always, the rate of production of steam is user-variable between set limits. Even at the minimum rate setting, however, significant amounts of steam can be continuously generated, and this is not always convenient for the user, who would sometimes prefer to use the iron dry.

Various arrangements have been proposed to enable the generation of steam to be temporarily interrupted by the user, but there remains a need for a robust, economical and user friendly arrangement for this purpose, and it is the object of this invention to provide such an arrangement.

According to the invention there is provided a steam iron comprising a handle, a water tank, a steam generating chamber, a conduit capable of conveying water from the tank to the chamber, a valve device, capable of blocking the flow of water through said conduit, and a user-operable arrangement for selectively interrupting the generation of steam in the chamber, the arrangement including a mechanical linkage comprising a lever mounted for pivotal movement, the lever having a trigger part resiliently urged to protrude from the handle of the iron and a remote part acting upon said valve device, the arrangement being such that the valve device is closed, blocking the passage of water from the tank to the chamber, when the trigger part of said lever protrudes from the handle, that the normal action of gripping the handle for use of the iron tends to press said trigger part of the lever into the handle, against said resilient urge, thus opening the valve device, and that the valve device can be closed by the user releasing pressure on the trigger part and allowing it to protrude from the handle.

Preferably, the iron includes control means for varying the rate of steam generation, and the user-operable arrangement is adapted to override the control means when the user elects to interrupt steam generation.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 shows, in schematic cut away view and in side elevation, the salient components of a steam iron in accordance with one example of the invention, and Figure 2 shows, in similar view to Figure 1, components of an iron in accordance with another example of the invention.

Referring now to Figure 1, it will be appreciated that several components of the iron which are well known and have no relevance to the invention are omitted for reasons of clarity.

In essence, the iron, generally shown at 1, comprises a main body part 2, including a handle 3, and carrying a heated sole plate 4. The body part 2 houses a water tank 5 of conventional construction and a steam chamber, shown in part at 6; the tank feeding water to the chamber through a conduit 7 containing an aperture 8. In conventional manner, the amount of water passing through aperture 8, and hence the amount of steam generated in chamber 6, is controllable by means including the suitably shaped pin 9 of a valve device 10, the pin 9 being vertically movable and configured relative to the aperture 8 such that the higher it is raised the more water passes by its tapered end and through the aperture. The vertical position of the pin 9 is controlled by means of a useroperable slider 11 which is directly coupled to, or integrally formed with, a linearlyramped cam member 12. Conveniently, as shown, the cam member 12 is disposed atop the water tank 5, and may run in a linear bearing in the top of the tank if desired. A sleeve 13 incorporated in the valve device 10, bears on the cam member 12 and is connected to the pin 9 by means of a compression spring 14 and a cap 15.

When the slider 11 is slid to its rearmost position, as shown in solid lines in the drawing, sleeve 13 bears on the lowest part of the linear ramp of cam member 12, minimising the compression force in spring 14 and allowing the pin 9 to assume its lowest position, under the influence of a second compression spring 16, thereby sealing the aperture 8 and stopping the generation of steam.

When, on the other hand, the slider 11 is moved forwards (i.e. towards the front of the iron), the cam member raises sleeve 13, thereby applying a force, through spring 14, onto cap 15, thus lifting the pin 9, causing the aperture 8 to be progressively opened so as to progressively increase the rate of steam generation. Thus, the steaming rate is variably controllable by user-operation of the slider 11.

In accordance with this example of the invention, a lever 17 is pivotally mounted at 18 for movement relative to the iron so as to permit the steam generation to be simply and reliably interrupted under the user's control. The lever 17 has a trigger part 19 which is resiliently urged, by means of a spring 20, to protrude through a slot formed in the handle 3 of the iron.

The end part 21 of lever 17 remote from the pivot 18 bears directly upon the cap 15 of the valve device 10 so rendering the lever 17 capable of actuating the valve device 10.

The arrangement is such that normal usage of the iron, i.e. with the steaming rate controlled by means of slider 11, is achieved merely by the normal action of the user gripping the handle 3, since this action forces the trigger part 19 into the aforementioned slot in the handle 3 and raises the end part 21 of lever 17 out of contact with the cap 15.

When the pressure exerted by the user on the trigger part 17 is released, however, either because ironing is finished or because the user wishes to interrupt steam generation, the trigger part 19 of lever 17 again assumes, under the influence of spring 20, the position in which it protrudes through the slot in the handle 3, thus causing the remote end part 21 of the lever 17 to bear down on the cap 15 of valve device 10, forcing the pin 9 into its lowest position and closing aperture 8 irrespective of the position of slider 11. It will thus be appreciated that, in this condition, the variable steam control is overridden by the steam interrupting function.

If desired, the trigger part 19 and the periphery of the slot in the handle 3 through which it protrudes can be formed with co-operative elements of any convenient kind to temporarily latch the trigger part into a position at which the end part 21 is clear of the cap 15, so as to temporarily disable the capability of the mechanism to interrupt the flow of steam.

Figure 2, wherein equivalent parts to those shown in Figure 1 carry the same reference numbers, shows an embodiment in which the trigger part 19, instead of being mounted for operation from below the handle 3, is mounted for operation from above it. Apart from this alteration, and the consequential use of a lever 17 formed with a pivot location 18 between the trigger part 19 and the end part 21, the embodiment of Figure 2 closely resembles that of Figure 1. In this embodiment it is preferred that the trigger part 19 and the handle 3, at or towards the rearmost end of the slot through which the trigger part can protrude, are formed with co-operative components 22a, 22b of a device which can be used, if desired, to latch the trigger part 19 into the handle 3, so disabling the steam interrupt function.

Although the invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, the slope of the cam member 12 may be reversed so that the steaming rate decreases as the slider 11 is pushed forwards.

Furthermore, it will be appreciated that the trigger part 19 of the lever 17 may protrude through the front or back, or indeed through either side, of the handle 3 rather than through the top or bottom thereof as illustrated. The iron, of course, need not be provided with a variable steam control and, if it is, the control may differ from that described herein.

The invention provides additional advantage in that should the user, having finished ironing, store the iron without switching off the steam function, the aperture 8 is closed, (provided that the trigger member 19 is not latched into the handle 3) and thus little or no water can issue from the sole plate. If desired, any latching of the trigger member 19 into the handle can be disabled in response to one or more parameters indicative that the ironing is finished. Such parameters can include disconnection of the electrical supply, cooling to a predetermined temperature and lack of movement of the iron for longer than a predetermined time, for example.

It will be appreciated that use of the invention causes frequent operation of the pin 9 relative to aperture 8, and this is advantageous in helping to keep the aperture (which is quite small) clean and clear of sediment, sludge or other deposits that could block it.

Claims

CLAIMS.

1. A steam iron comprising a handle, a water tank, a steam generating chamber, a conduit capable of conveying water from the tank to the chamber, a valve device, capable of blocking the flow of water through said conduit, and a user-operable arrangement for selectively interrupting the generation of steam in the chamber, the arrangement including a mechanical linkage comprising a lever mounted for pivotal movement, the lever having a trigger part resiliently urged to protrude from the handle of the iron and a remote part acting upon said valve device, the arrangement being such that the valve device is closed, blocking the passage of water from the tank to the chamber, when the trigger part of said lever protrudes from the handle, that the normal action of gripping the handle for use of the iron tends to press said trigger part of the lever into the handle, against said resilient urge, thus opening the valve device, and that the valve device can be closed by the user releasing pressure on the trigger part and allowing it to protrude from the handle.

2. An iron according to claim 1 including control means for varying the rate of steam generation, wherein the user-operable arrangement is adapted to override the control means when the user elects to interrupt steam generation.

3. An iron according to claim 2 wherein said control means includes a sliding member associated with a linearly ramped cam member capable of variably actuating said valve device.

4. An iron according to claim 2 wherein said slider member is mounted, for sliding movement, atop said water tank.

5. An iron according to any preceding claim wherein said valve device incorporates a spring-loaded pin member, urged by the spring-loading into its closed position.

6. An iron according to any preceding claim wherein said trigger part is urged to protrude outward through a top part of said handle.

7. An iron according to any preceding claim including a latch, operable by the user once the trigger part has been pressed in the handle, to inhibit the spring-assisted release of the trigger part until the latch is released by the user.

8. An iron according to claim 8, including means for automatically disabling said latch when the iron is switched off and/or remains unused for a predetermined time whilst still switched on.

9. An iron according to any preceding claim and substantially as herein described.