US20100043258A1

US20100043258A1 - Steam iron

Info

Publication number: US20100043258A1
Application number: US12/545,688
Authority: US
Inventors: Hung Chow
Original assignee: Xiaotian Zhongshan Industrial Co Ltd
Current assignee: Xiaotian Zhongshan Industrial Co Ltd
Priority date: 2008-08-21
Filing date: 2009-08-21
Publication date: 2010-02-25
Also published as: WO2010020094A1; DE212008000122U1; CN201254666Y

Abstract

The present invention provides a steam iron, which includes an iron base with a receiving cavity and a soleplate soleplate cover matched and connected to the soleplate. The soleplate cover is provided with a water inlet communicated with a water tank. The soleplate is provided with at least a heating element and a steam chamber. The water inlet is communicated with the steam chamber. The soleplate further defines at least a steam lower outlet communicated with the steam chamber. A unilateral connecting device is arranged at a water influent passage communicated with the water inlet or at the water inlet. This ensures that steam is neither drained away nor backflows into the water tank owing to the effective obstruction of the unilateral connecting device, when the steam is discharged through the steam outlet, thus solving the problem of traditional steam iron.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to heating devices and, more particularly to a steam iron.

BACKGROUND

The steam iron, an ironing device for heating used extensively in existing technology fields, is typically used in garment industry. At present, the existing steam iron commonly comprises elemental components such as an iron base, a base cover, a water tank and a water pump. The iron base engages with the base cover. The base is provided with a heating element. A receiving cavity, which can form a steam chamber, is defined between the iron base and the base cover. The base cover defines a water inlet communicated with external water source. Water may directly enter into the steam chamber via the water tank and through the pipes. Steam is generated by heating of the heating element and the internal pressure simultaneously produced by the steam is released to surroundings. However, the base cover is provided with many steam outlet holes in communication with outside atmosphere, although most of steam is discharged through the steam outlet holes, a little steam backflows into the water tank, which easily results in potential hazard.

SUMMARY

An object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron, which overcomes the above shortcoming that steam is drained away and backflows into the water tank.
The solution in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is that: a steam iron comprises a soleplate and a soleplate cover matched and connected to the soleplate. The soleplate cover is provided with a water inlet communicated with a water tank. The soleplate is provided with at least a heating element and a steam chamber. The water inlet is communicated with the steam chamber. The soleplate further defines at least a steam lower outlet communicated with the steam chamber. A unilateral connecting device is arranged at a water influent passage communicated with the water inlet or at the water inlet.
In the operation of the steam iron of the present invention, a unilateral connecting device arranged at a water influent passage ensures that steam is neither drained away nor backflows into the water tank owing to the effective obstruction of the unilateral connecting device, when the steam is discharged through the steam outlet, thus solving the problem of the existing steam iron.
The present invention has the advantages of compact structure and easy implementation. Besides, the steam iron dispenses without changing structure of the original steam iron.
The present invention will be explained in detail from the following embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a frontal view of structure of an embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of structure of the embodiment of the present invention.

Wherein:


1 - soleplate;	2 - steam chamber;	3 - heating element;
4 - soleplate cover;	5 - water tank;	4 - check valve;
7 - water inlet;	8 - steam lower outlet;	9 - water pump.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a steam iron comprises an ironing soleplate 1 and a soleplate cover 4. The soleplate 1 is matched and hermetically connected with the soleplate cover 4 for preventing leakage of water. The soleplate cover 4 defines a water inlet 7 which is communicated with a water tank 5 or a water source through a pipeline. The soleplate 1 is provided with a heating element 3 for heating the cold water entering into the iron. The soleplate 1 further defines a cavity which forms a closed cavity by cooperating with the soleplate cover 4, thus constituting a steam chamber 2. The water inlet 7 is communicated with the steam chamber 2. The steam is generated by heating the cold water entering into the steam chamber 2 through the heating element 3. The steam may whirl in the steam chamber 2. The soleplate 1 further defines at least a steam lower outlet 8 communicated with the steam chamber 2. The steam is discharged from the steam lower outlet 8 and acts on clothing to be ironed so as to iron the wrinkles on the clothing.
The water supply of the water inlet pipe 7 is a batch process, therefore, part of steam of higher pressure backflows into the water tank 5 through the water inlet 7 when the temperature in the soleplate 1 is so relatively high that a great deal of steam is produced. In order to avoid the phenomenon, as shown in the FIG. 1, a unilateral connecting device 6 is arranged at the water inlet 7 or at the water inlet pipeline (i.e., water influent passage) communicated with the water inlet 7. The function of unilateral connection of the device 6 can prevent the steam in the steam chamber 2 from being drained away or backflowing into the water tank 5, thus achieving purpose of the present invention.
Advantageously, in the embodiment of the present invention, the unilateral connecting device 6 may use a check valve. The heating element 3 may advantageously be a quartz radiator pipe, a stainless steel heating tube, or heating tubes made of other materials.
Certain pressure of the steam is generally presented in the iron. Thus, a water pump 9 is optionally arranged between the unilateral connecting device 6 and the water tank 5, for ensuring that the outside cold water can smoothly enter into the iron from the water inlet 7.
The herein descriptions serve as preferred embodiments of the present invention but it should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It will be apparent that various modifications, replacements and variations may be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A steam iron, comprising:

a soleplate and a soleplate cover matched and connected to the soleplate, the soleplate cover being provided with a water inlet communicated with a water tank, the soleplate being provided with at least a heating element and a steam chamber, the water inlet being communicated with the steam chamber, the soleplate defining at least a steam lower outlet communicated with the steam chamber;

wherein a unilateral connecting device is arranged at a water influent passage or at the water inlet communicated with the water inlet.

2. The steam iron as claimed in claim 1, wherein the unilateral connecting device is a check valve.

3. The steam iron as claimed in claim 2, wherein a water pump is arranged between the unilateral connecting device and the water tank.

4. The steam iron as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heating element is a heating tube.