WO2008012313A2

WO2008012313A2 - Device to regulate the temperature of an ironing apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2008012313A2
Application number: PCT/EP2007/057635
Authority: WO
Inventors: Alessandro Antonel; Luciano Scian; Galdino Masier
Original assignee: De' Longhi Spa
Priority date: 2006-07-27
Filing date: 2007-07-24
Publication date: 2008-01-31
Also published as: WO2008012313A3; ATE467712T1; ITUD20060190A1; EP2049728A2; DE602007006506D1; CN101512064B; CN101512064A; EP2049728B1

Abstract

Device (10) to regulate the temperature of an ironing apparatus (11) comprising a steam iron (12) with an ironing plate (17) heated by means of heating members (18) of the adjustable type, and a container unit (13) that contains a determinate quantity of water and selectively feeds it to the ironing plate (17) through a feed pipe (26). The device (10) comprises a selection knob (22) selectively driven in order to regulate the heating temperature of the heating members (18). The device (10) also comprises mechanical members (27, 29) to regulate the water flow rate fed to the iron (12), directly associated with the selection knob (22), so as to be moved together with the selection knob (22) in order to modify the flow rate according to the actual heating temperature of the heating members (18).

Description

DEVICE TO REGULATE THE TEMPERATURE OF AN IRONING

APPARATUS

$ $ * * $

FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention concerns a device to regulate the temperature of an ironing apparatus for garments or fabrics in general, the latter being provided with a steam iron, and with a tank containing water for the production of steam, connected to each other by a feed pipe. In particular, the device according to the present invention comprises a knob associated with an adjustable thermostat that regulates the heating temperature of the water to be vaporized. In the device according to the present invention, the knob is associated with means able to selectively modify the passage section of the water feed pipe, according to the actual heating temperature selected with the same knob, so that the quantity of water to be transformed into steam is correlated to the actual heating temperature of the iron.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Ironing apparatuses for fabrics are known, which comprise a steam iron and a container unit, or tank, for water, provided outside or inside the iron, and able to feed water to the iron, by means of a pump and a feed pipe, for the production of steam.

The irons are generally provided with an ironing plate heated in an adjustable manner by means of an electric resistance, controlled by means of a selection knob associated with a thermostat. The purpose of this is to regulate the temperature of the plate in relation to the type of garment to be ironed. In some known solutions, the ironing plate is provided with an evaporation chamber in which, by means of said electric resistance, the fed water is heated and transformed into steam to be selectively delivered onto the garment to be ironed, through a plurality of holes distributed on the lower face of the iron.

In such known solutions, the production of steam is conditioned by the heating temperature of the electric resistance, especially with relatively low heating temperatures which are used, for example, for ironing delicate garments. For this reason, the production of steam requires long periods of time, with problems of incomplete evaporation of the water and consequent dripping through the delivery holes.

Some of these known solutions provide a command and control unit of the electronic type, for example of the type with a programmable control unit, which regulates the flow rate of fed water by acting directly on the feed pump, according to the set heating temperature of the electric resistance, so as to optimize the transformation of water into steam.

However, this known solution entails the need to program and manage the command and control unit and to prepare a specific sealed housing for the command and control unit, with a consequent increase in production costs of the ironing apparatus.

US-A-2.976.627 and US-A-2.903.804, on which disclosures the preamble of the main claim is based, disclose devices for regulating the flow rate of the water in a steam iron according to the heating temperature set by the user. However, the solutions disclosed therein comprise valve means and movable parts which render the related devices complex and expensive.

Purpose of the present invention is therefore to achieve an ironing apparatus provided with a steam iron and with a water container unit, which is simple and economic to produce and which allows an efficient management of the water feed, according to the heating temperature of the ironing plate, without needing a specific electric command and control unit.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

A device to regulate temperature according to the present invention is applied to an ironing apparatus, which is generally provided with an iron having at least an ironing plate heated by heating means, for example an electric resistance, of the adjustable type, and a container unit able to contain a determinate quantity of water and selectively feed it to the ironing plate through a feed pipe.

The device according to the invention comprises, in a known manner, a selection knob able to be selectively driven in order to command the heating means, for example by respective thermostat means, so as to regulate the heating temperature thereof, for example according to the specific garment to be ironed. In accordance with the above purpose, and according to a characteristic of the present invention, the device also comprises mechanical means to regulate the water flow rate fed to the ironing plate, which is directly associated with the selection knob, so as to be moved with it during the regulation of the heating temperature. Said mechanical regulation means for the flow rate is disposed in cooperation with the feed pipe of the water in order to define a first condition of free passage of the water, in which said means does not influence the section through which the water flows in the pipe, and at least a second condition of reduced flow rate, in which it reduces the section through which the water flows in the pipe.

In this way, according to the temperature selected by driving the selection knob, by the very driving of the knob, the mechanical means regulating the flow rate goes directly and in a selective manner from one to the other of the above operating conditions, varying in a corresponding manner the flow rate of the water feed.

In particular, a reduction in the ironing temperature is associated with a correlated reduction in the flow rate of water fed to the iron, and vice versa, in order to optimize the evaporation conditions of the water inside the ironing plate, and guarantee that all the water is correctly transformed into steam.

In this way, the quantity of water fed to the iron is always and automatically regulated according to the heating temperature of the ironing plate, guaranteeing the complete transformation of the water into steam, without the formation of condensation and/or residues of non-evaporated water, substantially in any heating condition of the ironing plate.

Furthermore, with the solution according to the present invention the ironing apparatus has no electronic command and control units, to the benefit of the electronic management costs and design costs for specific sealed housings.

Therefore, with the present invention the water is made to evaporate efficiently, with the normal heating means that performs the heating of the ironing plate and without conditioning the specific heating parameters thereof, also improving the overall energy consumption required for the correct functioning of the ironing apparatus.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferential form of embodiment, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 shows a schematic lateral view, partly in section, of an ironing apparatus to which a regulating device according to the present invention is applied; - fig. 2 shows a partly sectioned view from above of the device in fig. 1, in a first operating condition;

- fig. 3 shows a cross section of the device in fig. 1, in a first operating condition;

- fig. 4 shows a partly sectioned view from above of the device in fig. 1, in a second operating condition;

- fig. 5 shows a cross section of the device in fig. 1 , in a second operating condition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERENTIAL FORM OF

EMBODIMENT With reference to the attached drawings, a regulating device 10 according to the present invention is applied to regulate the heating temperature of an ironing apparatus 1 1 comprising substantially an iron 12 and a container unit, or tank 13, for water, in this specific case provided outside the iron 12.

According to a variant, not shown, the tank 13 is comprised within the bulk of the iron 12.

In particular, the iron 12 is of the steam type and comprises a central body 14 provided in the upper part with a gripping handle 16 on which a button 15 for the selective delivery of steam is housed. The central body 14 is associated in the lower part with an ironing plate 17 pointed in shape and made of metal material. The central body 14 is of the substantially traditional type and is connected by means of a pipe 26, only shown schematically in fig. 1, to the tank 13 in order to allow the passage of water therefrom to the central body 14, to deliver water in correspondence with the ironing plate 17. In this specific case, the pipe 26 is made of flexible and elastically deformable material, so that the section through which the water passes can be selectively varied.

In particular, the ironing plate 17 can be heated by an electric resistance 18, and comprises a lower ironing surface 19, in which a plurality of through holes 20 are made from which the steam is delivered.

The electric resistance 18 is incorporated in the thickness of the ironing plate 17 and, as well as heating the plate to a desired temperature, it is also able to heat the water fed into the plate 17 through the pipe 26, until evaporation. The electric resistance 18 can also be selectively adjusted with regard to its heating temperature, by means of a thermostat 21 of the adjustable type.

The regulating device 10 comprises a selection knob 22 housed externally on the central body 14 of the iron 12; the knob 22 is directly connected by means of a stem 23 to the adjustable thermostat 21, so that any rotation, or in any case any drive thereof, determines a variation in the heat power delivered by the electric resistance 18.

In this specific case, the selection knob 22 can be selectively positioned between two operating positions regulating the adjustable thermostat 21 , that is, a first heating position at relatively high temperatures (figs. 2 and 3), for example for ironing resistant fabrics such as cotton, linen, etc., and a second heating position at relatively low temperatures (figs. 4 and 5), for example for ironing delicate fabrics, such as silk, wool, etc....

It comes within the scope of the present invention to provide three, or more, selectable positions corresponding to different heating temperatures. The regulating device 10 also comprises an actuation cam 27 fixed angularly and transversely to the stem 23 of the knob 22, so that every rotation thereof entails the corresponding rotation of the actuation cam 27.

A cursor 29 is also part of the device 10, which on one side is coupled kinematically to the actuation cam 27 and, on the other side, cooperates transversely with the pipe 26 so as to vary its section through which the water passes.

In fact, according to the angular position of the actuation cam 27, the cursor 29 is pushed proportionally or, more generally, in a predefined manner, in a direction transverse to the pipe 26, determining a corresponding narrowing thereof, in order to limit the section through which the water passes.

In particular, the selection knob 22 and the actuation cam 27 are angularly fixed in a reciprocal manner, so that when the selection knob 22 is disposed in the first angular position corresponding to the maximum heating temperature, the actuation cam 27 does not act nor contact on the cursor 29, leaving the flow rate of the water through the pipe 26 free. When, on the other hand, the selection knob 22 is disposed in the second angular position corresponding to the lower heating temperature, the actuation cam 27 exerts a thrust on the cursor 29 which in turn presses the pipe 29 and determines a narrowing of the pipe 26 and therefore a reduction in the flow rate of water.

In this way, a relatively high quantity of water to be vaporized corresponds to a high heating temperature of the ironing plate 17; vice versa, a relatively reduced quantity of water to be vaporized corresponds to a reduced heating temperature of the ironing plate 17.

With this solution we therefore have, in a simple and economical manner, and also automatically, without the need for further stratagems by the user, an optimal feed of the water to be vaporized according to the actual heating temperature of the ironing plate 17, reducing the evaporation time of the water, and/or avoiding the formation of condensation and/or the non-evaporation of the water.

It is clear, however, that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the regulating device 10 as described heretofore, without departing from the scope of the present invention. It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall determinately be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of device to regulate the temperature of an ironing apparatus, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the scope of protection defined thereby.

Claims

1. Device to regulate the temperature of an ironing apparatus (1 1) comprising a steam iron (12) having at least an ironing plate (17) heated by heating means (18) of the adjustable type, and a container unit (13) able to contain a determinate quantity of water and to feed it selectively to said ironing plate ( 17) through a feed pipe (26), said device comprising at least a selection knob (22) able to be selectively driven so as to regulate the heating temperature of said heating means (18), the device also comprising mechanical means (27, 29) to regulate the water flow rate fed to said iron (12), directly associated with said selection knob (22), so as to be moved together with said selection knob (22), characterized in that at least part (29) of said mechanical means (27, 29) are able to selectively and directly press said feed pipe (26) in order to vary its section through which the water passes according to the actual position of said selection knob (22) and therefore to the actual heating temperature of said heating means (18).

2. Device as in claim 1, characterized in that said mechanical regulation means (27, 29) is disposed in cooperation with said feed pipe (26) so as to define a first condition of free passage of the water in which it does not influence the section through which the water passes in said pipe (26), and at least a second condition of reduced flow rate in which it reduces the section through which the water passes in said pipe (26).

3. Device as in claim 1 or 2, wherein said selection knob (22) is mounted in a rotating manner on said iron (12) and is able to be rotated in order to perform said regulations of the heating temperature, characterized in that said mechanical regulation means comprises at least a cam element (27) angularly fixed with respect to said selection knob (22) and able to rotate with said selection knob (22) in order to selectively act on said feed pipe (26) and to define said first condition of free passage and said at least one second condition of reduced flow rate.

4. Device as in claim 3, characterized in that the angular fixing of said cam element (27) with respect to said selection knob (22) is such that, when the knob (22) is in a position corresponding to a high heating temperature, said cam element (27) defines said first condition of maximum section through which the water passes, while, when said knob (22) is in a position corresponding to a reduced heating temperature, said cam element (27) defines said second condition of reduced flow rate.

5. Device as in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that said mechanical regulation means comprises a cursor element (29) which, on one side, is coupled kinematically to said cam element (27) in order to selectively undergo a thrust therefrom and, on the other side, cooperating transversely with said feed pipe (26) in order to vary its section through which the water passes according to the thrust undergone by said cam element (27).