WO2012153199A2

WO2012153199A2 - Motorized steam brush

Info

Publication number: WO2012153199A2
Application number: PCT/IB2012/001653
Authority: WO
Inventors: Eida Almuhairbi
Original assignee: Alshdaifat, Wasfi
Priority date: 2012-08-20
Filing date: 2012-08-20
Publication date: 2012-11-15
Also published as: WO2012153199A8; WO2012153199A3

Abstract

A motorized steam brush (20) used to remove hang-up fabric (22) wrinkles, uses electric motor (23) engaged to a two rotating cylinders (21) to provide its rotation; the tip of the motor shaft is engaged to a water pump that is located in a water tank, to pump water to a heat arc plate (36) fixed inside the rotating cylinders (21), through which the steam is sent out. Dragging down the upwards rotating cylinders (21) against the surface of the fabric, will provide an effective downward tension for the fabric surface, while the pressurized steam blown out against the fabric surface, which is coming out from holes distributed along the surfaces of the cylinders, will flex the fabric curls, a double effect tensioning, and smoothening will result.

Description

MOTORIZED STEAM BRUSH

Description of the Invention

Technical Field of Invention

This invention relates to an apparatus applying steam, heat, tension, and little pressure on hang-up fabrics under tension, to be smoothened quickly and effortlessly.

Background Art

The idea behind ironing is to use a heated tool to remove wrinkles from fabrics, the normal temperature under which the heating is carried out is between 180-220 °Celsius, depending on the fabric's material, Ironing loosen the bonds between the fabric's material long-chains (polymer molecules), then the weight or press of the iron will straighten them, to get a shape which they will hold after getting cooler.

Through the history, many types of tools were developed to carry out the process of wrinkles removal from fabrics, the most common one is the electric iron which was invented at 1882 by Henry W. Seeley, patented as "electric flatiron" on 6^th of June 1882 (U.S. Patent No. 259,054), even many formal developments were carried out on it since 130 years, its core design remained the same and, still it has many drawbacks and disadvantages, such as: it is heavy, has a hot metallic surface, both are dangerous and causing injuries and burns to the user (5,000 accidents in USA yearly), burns, glazes, or melts the fabric, burns off shirts designs, and need repeatedly to smoothen by hand each part of a fabric to be ironed... so it is laborious and long time consuming.

Another type used in the art is a commercial large heat pressing machine (ironing press), which can carry out ironing for a larger area of the fabric, even it is faster and easier than the electric iron, it is expensive, and burns or glazing of the fabric, nowadays these are electrically operated, the oldest patents of them are found in U.S. Patents No.s: 1,644,929 and 3,406,472.

A bulky and large but less laborious machine used for removing wrinkles are the steam cabinets which are either using only steam, or steam with a pressing plates, but these are expensive, glazing or burning fabrics when fixed heated press plates are used, and using many tools, mechanisms..etc. Some of these are found in U.S. Patents No.s: 3,840,187; 4,493,160; 5,075,989; 5,094,020; 5,305,484; 5,692,326; 5,815,961; and patent publication US 2004/0050118 A1.

Another somewhat different device related to the same art is the steam brush, it is simply carried by hand, it is using a bristle brush or a smooth surface to smoothen the hang-up fabric, and the heated steam to remove the wrinkles while passing the steam up-down on the fabric part which is fixed from top by the hanger, and pulled from downside by the user's other hand, without the use of ironing board, it is relatively faster, easier, lighter compact device, providing constant steam, achieving proper penetration of steam into fabrics, many patents are filed related to a steam brush either hand-held, or portable ones, some of these are found in U.S. Patents No.s: 1,849,322; 2,849,736; 3,675,449; 3,690,024; 6,513,269 B2; 6,986,217 B2; 6,886,373.

But even steam brushes provide a vast number of advantages, they are also having their disadvantages, the main ones are: a- as an effective smoothening of a fabric requires both steaming and pressing, to create a full tension and smoothening for the fabric, the steam brush lacks using any pressing part or tool or method against the fabric surface, so it is not removing bigger wrinkles at all, b- as the hand of the user cannot apply a full 2-D tension from all the edges at once to achieve a full fabric symmetrical smoothening and straightening, the final shape of clothes will not be wrinkle free.

Solving these two main disadvantages in the steam brushes can upgrade it dramatically further to be a real applicable competitor or substitute for the flatiron, a promising developed such steam brush as a result will be able to overcome the prior side effects in regard of safety, saving more time, decreasing labor effort, more faster... etc. So such a device should be modified radically in a way that all conventional steam brushes advantages are improved more, all their disadvantages are cancelled, and that will be more clearly through the description. Disclosure of Invention

Brief Description

A motorized steam brush is used to remove hang-up fabric wrinkles, wherein from the steam blowing side of the conventional steam brush block, a two motorized rotating cylinders are built-in.

These rotating upwards cylinders, should be dragged downward against the surface of the fabric, to provide an effective downward tension for the fabric surface, while a pressurized steam is blown out against the fabric surface, the steam is coming out from holes distributed along the surfaces of the cylinders.

An electric motor is engaged to the cylinders to provide its rotation; the tip of the motor shaft is engaged to a water pump that is located in a water tank, to pump water to a boiler (steam generator) that by its role will pass the steam via pipes towards the rotating cylinders.

Such an arrangement will provide a tool that compensates the lack of having a press or tensioning tool in steam brushes, this tool with the constantly pressurized steam, will provide a double effect on smoothening the fabrics surfaces.

Brief Description of the Drawings:

• FIG.s 1 & 2: Illustrates a 3-dimensional view for the basic theory of operation of the motorized steam brush.

• FIG. 3: Illustrates a three dimensional view for the inner parts of the steam brush.

• Fig. 4: Illustrates the electric circuit and components that runs the device mechanical parts.

• FIG. 5: Illustrates a three dimensional view for the motorized steam brush shape. Best Mode for Carrying out the Invention (Detailed Description):

In order to make it easy to carry out the invention, some of the inner parts are drawn here assembled for simplicity; it is showing how the parts are installed together in their suitable locations to carry out their required functions. Each part has many features, since in the case here there are interfering parts drawings, we made it easy to read, by referring to each feature with a number included in the parts description text and in the parts numbering list, the numbering of parts features is indicated here by starting it sequentially from number 20, whenever a part feature appears in a text, it will be directly assigned its required serial number.

1 - Theory of operation (FIG. 1):

The explanation of the basic theory of operation lying behind the design of the motorized steam brush 20, is like the following:

When a rotating cylinder 21, wheel, or disc with a diameter D is rolling on a surface at a horizontal speed (y) through a time (t), it will cross a distance d, which equals the speed divided by time. In another way, this rotating cylinder 21 having a diameter (D) rotates at a rotational speed a number of rotations per second (n RPS), to cross the distance d, wherein (n= no. of rotations, RPS: REVOLUTION PER SECOND). Then:

d= n.TT.D (FIG. 1- 1^st part)

If the same rotational speed of the cylinder did not produce the same required resultant horizontal rolling distance, but the resultant crossed distance is showing that the supposed crossed distance d is less than n.TT.D, in another way:

d < n. TT.D (FIG. 1 - 2^nd part)

It means that the resultant actual speed v in FIG. 1- 2^nd part, is less than the theoretically estimated speed V in the FIG. 1- 1^st part.

V < v Physically this means the rotational cylinder 21 rolling speed decreasing, because part of it is lost due to friction with the surface, or in another way, the cylinder 21 is partially rolling in its place.

As a result, the rotating cylinder 21 will create a friction against the surface, or in another way, when the surface is of fabric; it is creating a tension force against the surface of the fabric from the direction of rotation to the opposite direction.

From this result, we can conclude that, for a hang-up fabric 22, and as it is normally for a steam brush to move on it vertically from top to bottom, then if a rotational cylinder 21 is used to roll over it downwards in the same way explained in the second part of FIG. 1, the tension created on the fabric 22 will be from downwards to upwards, which means more curls will be created behind the rotating cylinder 21 (FIG. 2- A 1^st and 2^nd parts).

If the rotational cylinder 21 is held on the surface of the hanged-up fabric 22 top side, but instead of making its rolling rotation leading to downwards movement, is made to lead to upwards vertical movement, but at the same time pushing (dragging) by e.g.: a handle the cylinder to move downwards, both of the two reversed ways motions will create one downwards (direction) friction and tension against the surface of the fabric which is in touch with the rotational cylinder 21 (FIG. 2- B 1^st and 2^nd parts).

Because the fabric 22 is hanged-up, and because the resultant friction and tension will push its curls downwards in the direction of gravity, this means the curls on the fabric 22 will be pushed downwards, in another way the part of the fabric 22 that have just left from being in touch with the top side of the cylinder 21 will get its curls pushed down towards the lower side of the rotating cylinder 21 (FIG. 2- B 2^nd part), which will keep pushing the curls downwards towards the bottom end of the fabric.

Now it will be easier to conclude that if pressurized steam is applied through holes in the rotating cylinder 21 against the fabric 22, an extra smoothening of the fabric 22 will be created. - The parts of the device (FIG. 3): in FIG. 3 the assembled parts of the device 20 are shown via a three dimensional sketch. Starting from the small electric motor 23 which drives via one teethed gear 24 two rotational cylinders 21 teethed surfaces 25 located inside a groove made along the middle circumference of each cylinder 21.

The rotating cylinders 21 are installed inside the block 26 of the conventional steam brush, with their outer surfaces extending little outwards from the side facing the fabric 22.

A carrier bearing 27 is installed inside the center of each rotational cylinder 21 circular end, wherein the axis 28 ends are setting, the fixed axes 28 are the pivots around which the cylinders 21 are rotating.

From another side, the four ends of the two axes 28 are extending to be fixed in the frame 29 of the steam brush block 26.

A water tank 30 inside which a water pump 31 is located which is driven by the power of the motor 23 shaft tip, the water pump 31 is connected from one side to a suction hose 32 and from another side to a pressure pipe 34, which delivers water to the steam chamber 35, the pressurized water delivery pipe 34 extends from the water tank 30 through the frame 29 of the steam brush block 26 sides, then enters each fixed axis 28 from its both ends, and passes it out towards the heating plate 36 which is located just near the surface of the rotating cylinder 21 from the fabric 22 side, the heating arc plate 36 which has holes in its surface, is not connected or welded at all to the cylinders 21, but it is connected (welded) to the fixed axis 28, which means it is fixed too.

A heating coil is used to heat the heat plate 36, that receive sprayed water and change it to heated steam, which means the inner space of the rotational cylinders 21 will be changed into a pressurized steam chambers 36, which will provide the pressurized steam to the rotating cylinders 21 holes 37 that are facing the fabric 22.

- Electric control circuit of motorized steam brush 20 (FIG. 4): The electric cord 38 of the device 20 is connected from one side via a socket to the power source, while its other side inside the device housing 20, where it will branches into two parallel lines, one towards the rheostat 39, then to the thermostat 40 that is connected in series with the electric heating coil 41 installed inside the heating plate 36, then to the fuse 42, and then grounded, while the other branch will go towards the motor 23.

- The shape of the device (FIG. 5): the shape of the device 20 provides an attractive design, with easy and safe handling, especially with the use of the carrier and control handle 43.

Method of operation

1- Filling water: the user at first removes the water tank filler cap, and fill water through e.g. a filling conical opening. A side of the tank may be vertically transparent to show the level of water.

2- The user switch on the power, the electric current value which is going towards the rheostat 39, will be controlled by the rheostat's selected fabric type knob setting, according to that, the electric heat coil 41 will start to get hot to reach a temperature depending on the delivered electric current vale.

3- After a set no. of seconds, through another switch or an infrared touch sensor, the user can start the motor 23, which will rotate the cylinders 21 and start the water pump 31 which will pump water from the tank 30 via the suction hose 32 towards the pressurized pipe 33, which will start to pressurize with water that will be sprayed under pressure inside the steam chamber 35, where the steam begins to flow out of the steam outlet openings (holes) 37, towards the fabric 22.

The fabric 22 will be exposed to a pressurized steam to flex its curls, while the rotating cylinders 21 will extend it and apply tension on it downwards, in total, both of these actions will effectively smoothen the fabric 22 better than conventional steam brushes. Industrial applicability

In addition to all of the mentioned reasons before about the important needs for an active, safe, simple, power saving, efficient steam brush device, and the modes of carrying out it using conventional available parts with innovative modifications, the subject invention has the following benefits:

1- Parts that can be easily made from available materials used in the art.

2- Available parts used in the art or similarly, which are already tested and developed, their same original materials can be reshaped through easy designed molds, to prepare the parts of this invention.

3- Mechanical modifications which costs little extra parts and parts costs, but with duplicated benefits.

4- A motor which provides a continuous sprays of effective pressurized water spray in a more active way than when using manual-piston pumping like in conventional steam brushes.

5- A handle that carry the steam brush from its far side from the heat or steam, while being in parallel with the rotating cylinders, the handle itself will provide extra stability and control on the motion of the device.

6- A device which not only can be used vertically from top to bottom, but also horizontally from side to side.

7- The fabric is easily smoothened at only one short time.

Parts Drawings Index:

20 Motorized Steam Brush

21 Rotating cylinder.

22 Hanged-up fabric.

23 Electric motor.

24 Teethed gear.

25 Toothed surface.

26 Steam brush block.

27 Carrier bearing.

28 Axis.

29 Steam brush frame.

30 Water tank.

31 Water pump.

32 Suction hose.

33 Pressure pipe.

34 Fabric type selector knob.

35 Steam chamber.

36 Heating arc plate.

37 Holes.

38 Electric cord

39 Rheostat.

40 Thermostat Heating coil. Fuse.

Handle. tiny pipes.

Claims

Claims It should be emphasized that this invention is not limited to the embodiments described and illustrated herein, which aim to provide the operating efficient bases of a workable invention that can be modified more by any skilled person in the art without exceeding the scope of protection of the invention, thus in variation of embodiments: Using the motorized steam brush similar mechanism in flat iron, modifying it to be used for smoothening curtains using portable techniques.., making the motorized steam brush with rechargeable batteries, or using with it any conventional thermostatic devices to control the production of steam at a particular range of temperature through a temperature deals, or steam flow acceleration devices via fans, or the use of sensors, safety cut off devices, electric circuits, materials, or decorations.. Installed to help in modifying some of the operations... etc

1. A motorized steam brush (20) comprising:

a two rotating cylinders (21 ).

a driving motor (23).

a control electric circuit for the motorized steam brush (20). a water delivery system,

a steam chamber (35).

2. The motorized steam brush (20) in claim 1, wherein the two rotating cylinders (21) are installed inside the block (26) of the steam brush and protruding little out of the surface of the block (26) which is to be facing the steamed fabric (22) surface.

3. The rotating cylinders (21) in claims 1, 2, wherein it will be rotated by the electric motor (23) via one teethed gear (24) installed on the motor shaft and engaged with the rotational cylinders (21) teethed surfaces (25) that is located inside a groove made along the middle circumference of each cylinder (21).

4. The rotating cylinders (21) in claims 1, 2 and 3, wherein a carrier bearing (27) is installed inside the center of each rotational cylinder circular end, where axes (28) ends are setting, to be used as fixed pivots around which the cylinders (21) are rotating.

5. The two axes (28) in claim 4, wherein their four ends are extending to be fixed in the frame (29) of the steam brush block (26), to support the rotating cylinders (21).

6. The motorized steam brush (20) in claim 1, wherein the water delivery system comprises a water pump (31) driven by the motor (23), to suck water from a water tank (30) through a suction hose (32) to deliver it through a pressurized pipe (33) to the steam chamber (35).

7. The pressurized water delivery pipe (33) in claim 6, wherein it is extending from the water pump (31) outlet to pass through the frame (29) of the steam brush (20), towards the axes (28) to pass through them into a tiny pipes (44) which will spray the pressurized water on the surface of the heating arc plate (36).

8. The heating arc plate (36) in claim 7, wherein it is located just near the surface of the rotating cylinder (21) from the fabric (22) side, this heating plate (36) furthermore has an arc shape that has holes in its surface, it is also not connected or welded at all to the cylinders (21), but it is connected (welded) to the fixed axis (28).

9. The motorized steam brush (20) in claim 1, wherein flexing a fabric (22) curls and smoothening its variable rinkles, is achieved by using the vertically upwards rolling rotation of the rotating cylinders (21), and reversibly pulling it down against its rotation direction starting from the top side of the hanged-up fabric (22), which while the cylinders (21) are in touch with it is steamed by steam coming out of holes (37) in the cylinders (21).