JPH0333356Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] Industrial Application Field The present invention relates to a steam iron that is used for commercial purposes such as sewing factories and laundry shops, and for home use.

Prior Art A commercial steam iron used for ironing women's clothing, men's clothing, children's clothing, and other sewn products has a plurality of steam outlet holes formed on the bottom of the iron body, and a steam adjustment lever. There has been provided an apparatus that irons cloth while supplying steam by supplying and stopping the steam and adjusting the supply amount through the operation of the ironing machine. However, with this conventional method, after ironing, the steam in the cloth remains for a while until it dries naturally, resulting in poor ironing quality. In order to improve the texture of the iron, it is necessary to increase the weight of the iron, press the iron for a longer period of time, or increase the amount of steam. But in these cases,
High heat or steam strongly acts on the fabric, which may leave iron marks on the fabric, steam stains on the fabric, shine (shiny areas) mainly in the seam allowance, or shrinkage or deformation of the fabric. This can cause new problems such as the cloth material deteriorating due to high heat. The above-mentioned problems are particularly severe in the case of wool fabrics such as doskin, cashmere, Tasmania, and serge, velvet, or synthetic fiber fabrics with long piles. Another method to improve the texture of the iron is to supply steam from a few centimeters above the cloth, turn off the steam, iron, and then press the ironed area with your hand. However, this requires skill and reduces work efficiency. Still another method is to use a vacuum type ironing board to suck in and discharge steam that tends to remain in the fabric. However, according to this, suction and discharge
Since a 300-500W motor is used, high noise such as motor rotation noise and exhaust noise is generated.

To solve these problems, a steam iron has been proposed, for example, in Japanese Utility Model Application No. 18996/1983. That is, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10,
A steam outlet 4 is provided on the bottom surface 41A of the iron body 41.
2 are formed in plurality, and these steam blow-off holes 42 are connected from inside the iron main body 41, and the iron main body 41
A steam supply pipe 43 is provided which opens on the upper surface side. A steam adjustment lever 44 is provided near the opening of this steam supply pipe 43, and a steam supply pipe 45 is further connected to the opening. And the bottom 41A
A pipe body 46 is arranged around the pipe body 4.
A large number of air blowing holes 47 are formed on the lower surface side of 6. A supply amount control device 49 is interposed in the air supply pipe 48 communicating with the pipe body 46,
This control device 49 is fixed to the handle 50 side.

According to this conventional method, the air blown out from the air outlet 42 hits the part of the cloth that contains steam, and this air escapes along with the steam, so the steam inside the cloth is quickly released and the cloth is dried. It turns out.

Problems to be Solved by the Invention According to the conventional air supply method as described above, the pipe body 46 existing around the iron main body 41 may get in the way of ironing, and the mounting structure becomes expensive. Furthermore, the steam supply pipe 45 and the air supply pipe 48 must be adjusted and controlled separately, making the structure and control complicated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron that does not interfere with ironing and can supply air with a simple structure and control.

Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the steam iron of the present invention has a steam chamber formed inside the iron main body, and a blow-off section separated from the steam chamber formed on the bottom surface. A valve shaft is rotatably provided in a valve main body formed in the iron main body, a communication part is provided in the iron main body to communicate the blowing part and the outer surface of the valve shaft, and the valve main body has a connection part between the steam chamber and the outside. a steam receiving section that communicates with the valve shaft, a steam discharge section that extends from the steam chamber to the outer surface of the valve shaft, and a compressed air receiving section that extends from the outside to the outer surface of the valve shaft; A plurality of flow paths are formed so that the compressed air receiving part and the communication part communicate with each other in the rotational position to 1, and the steam discharge part and the communication part communicate with each other in the rotational position to the other side.

Effect According to the configuration of the present invention, by rotating the valve stem in one direction, the compressed air receiving part and the communication part are communicated through the flow path formed in the valve stem, and therefore the compressed air is Compressed air from the receiving section flows to the blowing section via the communication section and is blown out from there. At this time, the flow path of the valve stem does not communicate with the steam discharge section, so steam is not blown out. When the valve stem is rotated in the other direction, the steam discharge part and the communication part communicate with each other through the flow path formed in the valve stem, so that the steam being supplied from the steam receiving part to the steam chamber is It flows through the communication part to the blowing part and is blown out from there. At this time, the flow path of the valve stem does not communicate with the compressed air receiving section, so compressed air is not blown out. Further, when the valve stem is in the neutral position, neither steam nor compressed air is blown out.

Embodiment An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

1 is an iron body, and a steam chamber 4 is formed inside by silver brazing the bottom plate body 2 and the surrounding wall body 3.
are formed and integrated. A retention chamber 5 whose bottom side is open is formed in the bottom plate 2, and the open portion of the retention chamber 5 is closed with a lid 6 and fixed to the bottom plate 2 with screws 7 or the like. By providing a large number of blow-off holes 8 in the lid 6, a blow-out portion 9 is formed on the bottom surface of the iron body 1, which is separated from the steam chamber 4. The rear wall portion of the surrounding wall body 3 is the valve body portion 3.
A, a round valve hole 10 with an open upper surface is formed in the vertical direction with the upper surface open. A rod-shaped valve shaft 11 is inserted into the valve hole 10 with its upper end exposed.
The valve shaft 11 is aligned with the valve shaft center 14 in the vertical direction with respect to the valve main body 3A by fitting the tip of the retaining screw 13 fitted with the valve main body 3A into the annular groove 12 formed in the upper part of the valve main body 3A. It can be rotated freely around. The steam chamber 4 is provided with a communication portion 15 that communicates the blow-off portion 9 with the valve shaft outer surface 11a. This communication part 15 is made of, for example, a brass pipe, and its tip is supported by the bottom plate 2 and communicates with the retention chamber 5, and its proximal end is supported by the valve body part 3A, and the lower part of the valve shaft outer surface 11a. It is open from the front. A steam receiving portion 16 that communicates the steam chamber 4 with the outside is formed by front and rear through holes at a position near one of the left and right sides in the upper part of the valve body portion 3A. A steam supply pipe 18 is connected to the end via a connecting fitting 17. The intermediate portion of the valve body portion 3A and the communication portion 15
A compressed air receiving portion 1 extending from the outside to the valve shaft outer surface 11a is located at a position linearly opposite to the supporting position of
9 is formed by front and rear through holes, and an air supply pipe 20 for supplying compressed air is connected to the outer end of this compressed air receiving portion 19 via a connecting fitting 21. At the upper part of the valve body portion 3A,
A steam discharge portion 22 extending from the steam chamber 4 to the valve shaft outer surface 11a is formed by front and rear through holes. A switching lever 24 is connected to the upper end of the valve shaft 11 via a nut 23 or the like. The valve shaft 11 communicates between the fluid receiving part 19 and the communication part 15 in one rotational position via the switching lever 24, and communicates the steam discharge part 22 with the communication part 15 in the other rotational position. In order to communicate with each other, a plurality of channels are formed, and at the neutral position, all channels are not communicated with each other. That is, a central flow path 25 located on the valve shaft center 14 is formed from the lower end surface of the valve shaft 11 to the middle portion, and a compressed air flow path 26 orthogonal to the valve shaft center 14 is formed in the lower part. is formed through it. At a position below the valve shaft center 14 and displaced, for example, by 60 degrees from the compressed air flow path 26, there is a steam discharge flow path 27 extending between the central flow path 25 and the front part of the valve shaft outer surface 11a. Further, at the level of the steam discharge portion 22 and at an equiangular position above the steam discharge passage 27, a steam reception passage extending between the central passage 25 and the front portion of the valve shaft outer surface 11a is formed. 28 is formed. 29 indicates an O-ring, and 30 indicates a blind stopper. A drain discharge hole 32 having a removable steam trap 31 is formed in the lower part of the valve body 3A, and this drain hole 32 communicates with the steam chamber 4 through a groove 33 formed on the upper surface of the bottom plate 2. . Reference numeral 34 denotes a heater cylinder, which opens at the rear side of the surrounding wall 3 and extends into the steam chamber 4. 3
A handle 5 is located above the iron main body 1 and is integrated into the iron main body 1 via a connecting member 36 or the like. 37 is a socket part, 38 is an electric cord,
39 indicates a drain pipe. The steam supply pipe 18 is connected to a steam supply device such as a steam generating boiler, and the air supply pipe 20 is connected to an air supply device such as an air compressor.

Ironing using the steam iron described above is performed as follows. First, as before, place the cloth or clothes to be ironed on the ironing board. Then, the valve shaft 11 is rotated to the other side (for example, to the left) around the valve shaft center 14 via the switching lever 24. As a result, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 7a and 7b, the steam discharge section 22 and the upper end of the central flow path 25 communicate with each other via the steam receiving flow path 28, and the steam discharge flow path 27 is connected to the upper end of the central flow path 25. The lower part of the central flow path 25 and the communication part 15 communicate with each other through the
Further, the compressed air passage 26 is located at a position where it does not communicate with the compressed air receiving section 19 or the communication section 15. Therefore, the steam A that is being supplied from the steam supply pipe 18 to the steam chamber 4 through the connecting fitting 17 and the steam receiving section 16 is transferred to the steam discharge section 22, the steam receiving channel 28,
Central channel 25, steam discharge channel 27, communication section 15
The air flows into the retention chamber 5 through the air outlet, and is blown out from a group of 8 blowing holes in the blowing section 9 downward. At that time, by operating the switching lever 24, for example, the steam discharge part 2
By changing the communication area of the steam receiving channel 28 with respect to the steam A, the amount of steam A blown out can be adjusted as appropriate. Ironing is performed in this state, and after the desired ironing is performed, the switching lever 24 is rotated in the opposite direction (for example, to the right). As a result, as shown in FIG. 2 and FIG. 22, and the steam discharge channel 27 is at a position where it does not communicate with the communication portion 15. Therefore, the supply of steam A to the blowout section 9 is cut off, and the compressed air B supplied through the air supply pipe 18 is supplied to the connecting fitting 21, the compressed air receiving section 19, the compressed air flow path 26, and the communication section 15. The air flows into the retention chamber 5 through the air outlet, and is blown out from a group of 8 blowing holes in the blowing section 9 downward. This blowout amount can also be adjusted in the same manner as described above. When the iron is moved in this state, the compressed air B hits the part of the fabric that contains the steam A that was supplied during ironing, and this compressed air B escapes with the steam A, so that it is removed from the fabric. Steam A will escape rapidly and the cloth will dry. Note that when the valve stem 11 is in the neutral position, this valve stem 11
All communication via the flow path is cut off, neither steam A nor compressed air B is supplied, and no blowing is performed.

In the case of ironing as described above, the vacuuming action of the ironing board is not necessary if the fabric is not particularly thick. If the cloth is particularly thick, it will be suctioned and discharged by the vacuum effect, but in this case, since most of the vapor A is removed by the supply of air B mentioned above, the suction and discharge The motor can be made as small as 200W, for example, and the noise can be reduced or eliminated.

The drain accumulated in the steam chamber 4 is intermittently discharged via a port steam trap 31 and a drain pipe 39.

In the above embodiment, a heater cylinder 34 is formed, but when the material requires low temperature, such as synthetic fibers, the heater is not used and the steam A is used.
It may also be a heatless iron type that heats with a chisel. In this case, it is also possible to manufacture the iron body 1 from resin.

Effects of the Invention According to the present invention having the above configuration, the valve stem is rotated in one direction, and the compressed air receiving part and the communication part are communicated with each other through the flow path formed in the valve stem, thereby blowing out compressed fluid from the blowing part. Furthermore, by rotating the valve stem to the other side and communicating the steam discharge part and the communication part through the flow path formed in the valve stem, steam can be blown out from the blow-off part. When the valve stem is in the neutral position, blowing out of both steam and compressed air can be stopped. Therefore, by blowing compressed air onto the cloth from the blow-off section immediately after ironing while supplying steam to the fabric from the blow-off section, this compressed air will escape along with the steam. This allows steam to be quickly removed from the fabric, allowing the fabric to dry quickly. This results in
The texture of the iron can be improved by pressing the iron lightly for a short period of time and without increasing the amount of steam, therefore, the fabric will not be damaged or lose its shape, and the amount of steam consumed will be reduced, making it more tiring. Even an inexperienced person can iron efficiently. And the motor for the vacuum action of the ironing board can be made smaller, and the noise can be reduced or eliminated.

In particular, according to the present invention, the supply of steam and compressed air, as well as the stopping of all supplies, can be performed selectively by rotating the valve shaft in the forward and reverse directions, using a common valve shaft and blow-off section. As a result, the air structure does not interfere with ironing, and the structure and control can be simplified.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Figures 1 to 8 show an embodiment of the present invention, in which Figure 1 is a partially cutaway side view when steam is supplied, Figure 2 is a partially cutaway side view when compressed air is supplied, and Figure 3 is a partially cutaway side view when compressed air is supplied. The figure is a partially cutaway plan view, Figure 4 is a bottom view, Figure 5 is a rear view, Figure 6 is a perspective view of the valve stem, Figures 7a and b are the first
8A and 8B are cross-sectional plan views of the main parts in FIG. 2, FIG. 9 is a side view of the conventional example, and FIG. 10 is a bottom view of the same. 1...Iron body, 3A...Valve body, 4...
...Steam room, 5...Retention chamber, 8...Blowout hole, 9...
Blowout part, 10... Valve hole, 11... Valve stem, 11a
... Valve shaft outer surface, 14 ... Valve shaft center, 15 ... Communication section, 16 ... Steam reception section, 18 ... Steam supply pipe, 19 ... Compressed air reception section, 20 ... Air supply pipe, 22 ... ...Steam blowout section, 24...Switching lever, 25...Central channel, 26...Compressed air channel, 27...Steam discharge channel, 28...Steam reception channel, 32...Drain discharge hole, 34... Heater cylinder, 35... Handle, A... Steam, B... Compressed air.

Claims (1)

[Scope of utility model registration request] A steam chamber is formed inside the iron body, and a blow-out part separated from the steam chamber is formed on the bottom surface, and a valve shaft is rotatably provided in the valve body formed in the iron body, and the iron body A communication part that communicates the blow-off part and the outer surface of the valve shaft is provided in the valve body, and a steam receiving part that communicates the steam chamber with the outside, and a communication part that communicates between the steam chamber and the outer surface of the valve shaft. A steam discharge part and a compressed air receiving part extending from the outside to the outer surface of the valve shaft are formed, and the valve shaft communicates the compressed air receiving part and the communication part in a rotational position in one direction, and communicates with the communication part in the other direction. A steam iron characterized in that a plurality of channels are formed to communicate between a steam discharge part and a communication part at the rotational position of the iron.