GB2432848A

GB2432848A - Ironing apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2432848A
Application number: GB0524617A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Janis Joanne Ashton
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-12-02
Filing date: 2005-12-02
Publication date: 2007-06-06
Also published as: GB0524617D0

Abstract

The Ironing apparatus (10,20) includes a chamber (13), a fan-assisted air heater (15,25) within the chamber (13,23) to impel air therefrom in heated condition, and an apertured surface (12,22) to receive the heated air and impart that heated air through the apertures (14,24) to assist in ironing material in contact with, or in close proximity to, the apertured surface (12,22). The surface (12,22) may be provided in or as a wall of the chamber (13,23), or alternatively the chamber (13,23) may be provided in a separate unit coupled to the surface (12,22) by conduit means. The ironing apparatus (10,20) may be provided by an ironing board (11) or by a manually movable iron (20), or an ironing system may be provided comprising both an ironing board (11) and a manually movable iron (20), each constituting the ironing apparatus.

Description

IRONING APPARATUS

DESCRIPTION

Technical Field

This invention relates to ironing apparatus.

Background

It is known to provide ironing apparatus comprising a manually movable steam iron having a sole plate with apertures therein from which steam can exude, the iron having, or being coupled by a conduit to, a chamber containing water, and a heater to boil up the water in the chamber and produce the necessary steam. It is also known to provide ironing apparatus comprising an ironing board having an upper surface provided with apertures therein from which steam can exude, the ironing board having, or being coupled by a conduit to, a chamber containing water, and a heater being provided with to boil up the water in the chamber and produce the necessary steam. So far as the applicant is aware there has been no prior suggestion of providing a system that combines these two forms of ironing apparatus.

The use of steam ironing is primarily to remove creases arising from the washing machine or more especially from a tumble dryer -which is an expensive machine to purchase and run (due to high usage of electricity) and occupies considerable space.

The use of water to produce steam for the ironing apparatus (iron or ironing board) can cause limescale and, occasionally, rust which can stain the fabric material being ironed.

Summary of the Invention

It is therefore considered desirable to provide ironing apparatus which can overcome or at least reduce the above-mentioned and/or other disadvantages associated with steam ironing.

According to one aspect of this invention there is provided ironing apparatus comprising a chamber, a fan-assisted air heater within the chamber to impel air therefrom in heated condition, and an apertured surface to receive the heated air and impart that heated air through said apertures to assist in ironing material in contact with the surface. The surface may be provided in or as a wall of the chamber, or alternatively the chamber may be provided in a separate unit coupled to said surface by conduit means.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises an ironing board having a base unit that houses a permanently fixed, fan-assisted heating element. The warm air generated by the heating element will be directed by the fan upwards through a metal grille-type surface. This ironing surface may be covered by a permeable, non-flammable, air vented and filtered cover of polyester fabric that fits on to the ironing board to provide the ironing surface as a soft base for ironing of fabric placed thereon to be ironed. The air vents in the ironing board and its cover allow free flow of dry air from the heating element directly on to the fabric material (e.g. clothes) being ironed, thus drying and ironing them at the same time, the two tasks being performed with one action.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises an iron having a chamber in communication with apertures in the iron's sole plate, the chamber housing a fan-assisted heating element that forces warm air out from the iron's sole plate. This can maximise drying results and does away with water tanks and steam generators usually present in steam irons.

According to another aspect of this invention there is provided an ironing system comprising an ironing board and a manually movable iron, each constituting ironing apparatus according to said one aspect of the invention.

Brief Description of the Drawings

By way of example one embodiment of this invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings of which: Figure 1 is a partly-broken-away schematic perspective view of a first embodiment of ironing apparatus according to this invention; Figure 2 is a schematic underneath plan view of a second embodiment of ironing apparatus according to this invention.

Detailed Description of Example(s) of the Invention The ironing apparatus 10 of Fig 1 comprises an ironing board 11 having a main surface 12 to be contacted by fabric material to be ironed (e.g. clothes, sheets, tablecloths and the like). This surface 12 is the upper face of the top wall of a chamber 13 beneath the surface 12. An array of apertures 14 is provided in the plane of said surface 12. A fan-assisted air heater 15 is provided within the chamber 13 to impel dry air therefrom, in heated condition, through said apertures 14 to assist in ironing the fabric material in contact with the surface 12. Advantageously the apertured surface 14 is provided by a metal mesh.

The ironing board 10 may be provided with foldable X-legs 17 and optionally these may be provided with wheels or castors 18 to facilitate mobility of the ironing board in either its erect state illustrated or when collapsed with the X-legs 17 folded up.

The ironing board 11 may further be provided with a small chamber 19 alongside chamber 13. This chamber 19 may be used to accommodate an iron, e.g. an iron such as that described below with reference to Fig 2, and may have a pivoted cover or closure member 1 9a which, when in the closed position, may serve as a rest for the iron.

In a modification, instead of the fan-assisted air heater 15 being within the chamber 13, it may alternatively be provided in a separate unit (not shown) that is coupled to said chamber 13 by conduit means (likewise not shown) whereby the heated air can be conveyed from the separate unit to said chamber 13 to exit from said apertured surface 12 of the chamber 10.

The ironing apparatus 20 of Fig 2 comprises an iron 21 having a sole plate 22 to contact fabric material to be ironed (e.g. clothes, sheets, tablecloths and the like). An array of apertures 24 is provided in a plane coincident with, or closely adjacent to, the surface of the sole plate 22. A chamber 23 is provided within the iron 20, this chamber being in communication with the apertures 24 that are in or adjacent to the sole plate 12. A fan-assisted air heater 25 is located within the chamber 23 to impel air therefrom in heated condition through said apertures 24 to assist in ironing the fabric material in contact with the surface. The apertures 24 may be constituted in part by a grille shown adjacent a toe of the iron's sole plate 22 and/or by an array of individual holes shown adjacent a hood of the iron's sole plate 27.

In a modification (not shown), instead of the fan-assisted air heater 25 being within the chamber 23 of the iron 21, it may alternatively be provided in a separate unit coupled to said chamber 23 by conduit means whereby the heated air can be conveyed from the separate unit to said chamber 23 to exit from the apertured surface of the chamber 23.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing that an ironing system can be readily provided embodying both an ironing board 10 and an iron 20 as described above. It is envisaged that such a system would be economical and energy saving, and have the potential to reduce dramatically or wholly obviate the need for costly and time consuming tumble-drying usage. It is envisaged that ironing can thus be made easier and be less time consuming as clothes can be ironed whilst damp (straight from the washing machine) or part-dried (from the drying machine), and can then be fully dried in the ironing process arising from use of the ironing system 10,20. Furthennore, it is envisaged that extensive creasing in fabrics caused by washer-dryers, tumble dryers (if employed) and outdoor drying can be avoided and the need for expensive steam irons and steam generators to remove stubborn creases can be similarly avoided.

Moreover, the illustrated system 10,20 eradicates lime-scaling problems and the constant need to refill water tanks that arise with on conventional steam irons since no water is required for the illustrated system and ironing is potentially assisted by allowing for the fabric material to be damp (from the washing machine) in the first instance.

It will furthermore be appreciated that the illustrated dry air ironing system 10,20 is mobile, can be easily stored and be space-saving since it occupies less space than a conventional tumble dryer.

The illustrated system may thus be considered ideal for all who are looking for a way of reducing the time it takes to "turn around" laundry, e.g. for working mothers or the executive man or woman who needs to be able to "wash, wear and go". In addition, it provides an alternative to drying clothes outside -at less cost than the tumble dryers and washer-dryers that have previously met that need -and permits of simultaneous drying and ironing of fabric material such as clothes, sheets, tablecloths and the like.

Apart from the modifications mentioned above, other modifications and embodiments of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in this art, and these, too, are to be deemed within the ambit and scope of the invention. For example, the dry air iron may be used with a conventional ironing board; or the dry air ironing board 10 may be used with a conventional iron. Thus the particular embodiment(s) hereinbefore described may be varied in construction and detail, e.g. interchanging (where appropriate or desired) different features of each, without departing from the scope of the patent monopoly hereby sought.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. Ironing apparatus (10,20) comprising a chamber (13), a fan-assisted air heater (15,25) within the chamber (13,23) to impel air therefrom in heated condition, and an apertured surface (12,22) to receive the heated air and impart that heated air through said apertures (14,24) to assist in ironing material in contact with, or in close proximity to, the apertured surface (12,22).

2. Ironing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the surface (12,22) is provided in or as a wall of the chamber (13,23).

3. Ironing apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the chamber is provided in a separate unit coupled to said apertured surface by conduit means.

4. Ironing apparatus according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, the apparatus comprising an ironing board (ii) having a base unit that houses a permanently fixed, fan-assisted heating element (15), and having an upper face (12) providing a metal grille-type ironing surface whereby warm air generated by the heating element (15) will be directed by the fan upwards through said metal grille-type surface (12).

5. Ironing apparatus according to Claim 4 wherein the ironing surface (12) is covered by a permeable, non-flammable, air vented and filtered cover of polyester fabric.

6. Ironing apparatus according to Claim 5 wherein the cover fits on to the ironing board (Ii) to provide the ironing surface (12) as a soft base for ironing of fabric placed thereon to he ironed.

7. Ironing apparatus according to any one of Claims I to 3, the apparatus comprising an iron (20) having a chamber (23) in communication with apertures (24) in the iron's sole plate, the chamber housing said fan-assisted heater (15) to impel warm dry air out from the iron's apertured sole plate (22).

8. An ironing system comprising an ironing board (10) and a manually movable iron (20), each constituting ironing apparatus (10,20) according to any one of Claims ito 3.

9. An ironing board (11) constituting ironing apparatus substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in Fig 1 of the accompanying drawing 10. An iron (20) substantially as herein described with reference to and/or as illustrated in Fig 2 of the accompanying drawing.