Equipment for steam treatment of clothes

Abstract

A device for steam treatment of clothes, comprising an ironing and / or ironing tool (3) and a supporting device (8) for stably placing the tool (3) in a storage position during the non-working phase of ironing and / or ironing, the tool (3) comprising a treatment surface (30), the treatment surface (30) being provided with at least one hole (30A) for discharging steam, the treatment surface (30) being topped with a body comprising a handle (31), characterized in that the tool (3) is held in the storage position by inserting a retaining finger (84) advantageously carried by the supporting device (8) into an opening (33), the opening (33) being advantageously arranged on the body of the tool (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to an apparatus for steam treatment of laundry, comprising an ironing and / or smoothing tool and supporting means for stably placing said tool during non-working phases of ironing and / or smoothing. Background Art

[0002] From Chinese utility model CN205603917U an ironing device is known, comprising a base connected to an ironing head by a conduit and a support device for placing the ironing head. In this document, the support device comprises a retaining clamp into which the handle of the ironing head engages translationally until the flared part of the ironing head rests on the clamp.

[0003] This support has the disadvantage that it is not very ergonomic, especially during the operation of placing the ironing head on the support, the presence of the hand on the handle prevents the handle from being placed in the retaining bracket and / or may also be pinched between the retaining bracket and the handle. Summary of the invention

[0004] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an ironing / ironing device which overcomes these disadvantages.

[0005] To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for steam treatment of clothing, comprising an ironing and / or ironing tool and a supporting device for stably placing the tool in a storage position during non-working phases of ironing and / or ironing, the tool comprising a treatment surface, the treatment surface being provided with at least one hole for discharging steam, the treatment surface being topped by a body comprising a handle, characterised in that the tool is held in the storage position by inserting a retaining finger, advantageously carried by the supporting device, into an opening, the opening being advantageously arranged on the body of the tool.

[0006] This feature allows to ensure in a simple and economical way that the tool is well held on the support. In addition, the use of such a holding finger to hook the tool on the support has the advantage of providing a hooking system that provides good ergonomic use. It also allows to ensure that the tool is held on the support with very few contact surfaces between the support and the tool, which also have the advantage of being barely visible. This therefore limits the risk of deterioration due to friction with visible parts of the tool, such as coverings or treated surfaces.

[0007] According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the retaining finger and the opening have shapes that cooperate with each other so as to prevent any pivoting movement of the tool around the retaining finger.

[0008] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, said opening has a shape complementary to that of said retaining finger.

[0009] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, said retaining finger has a T-shaped cross section.

[0010] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the supporting means comprise a hoop which surrounds at least a portion of the body when the tool rests in the storage position, the hoop supporting the retaining fingers.

[0011] This feature allows to optimize the ergonomic use of the support device, the hoop having at the same time the advantage of visually bringing the retaining fingers forward and ensuring pre-centering of the tool on the support device when the tool is placed in the storage position. In addition, the presence of the hoop has the advantage of enhancing the stability of the tool in the storage position.

[0012] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the support means comprise a protective screen facing the treatment surface when the tool is in the storage position.

[0013] This feature allows limiting the risk of burns through contact with the treatment surface when the tool is in the storage position.

[0014] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the protective screen comprises a thermally insulating mat.

[0015] This feature allows avoiding heat transfer between the treatment surface and the protective screen.

[0016] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, a space is arranged between the treatment surface of the tool and the protective screen of the support means when the tool occupies the storage position.

[0017] This feature also allows avoiding heat transfer between the treatment surface and the protective screen.

[0018] According to another advantageous feature of the invention, the tool comprises a removable accessory which can be arranged in front of the treatment surface, and the space arranged between the treatment surface and the protective screen allows the tool equipped with the accessory to be arranged in the storage position.

[0019] This feature provides greater ergonomics by allowing the support device to be used to place the tool in a storage position even when the tool is equipped with accessories.

[0020] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, said tool is an iron and said treatment surface is a metal soleplate.

[0021] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the gripping handle projects on one side of the body of the iron, the gripping handle extending laterally to the soleplate and being in cantilever relative to the soleplate.

[0022] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the opening is arranged on a portion of the body situated at the bottom of the handle and preferably below the handle.

[0023] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the device comprises a base housing a water tank, the base being connected to the tool by a duct.

[0024] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the device comprises at least one support rod supporting the ironing board.

[0025] According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, the base comprises an electric pump allowing the water of the tank to be conveyed in the direction of the iron comprising an instantaneous evaporation chamber.

[0026] This feature allows to have a very simple and not bulky base, the generation of steam being carried out directly in the evaporation chamber carried by the ironing tool. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0027] The objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of specific embodiments of the present invention, which are shown by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0028] Figure 1 is a perspective view of an ironing device according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 is a perspective view of a support device coupled to a base thereof, with the iron disposed in a storage position on the support device;

[0030] Figure 3 is similar to Figure 2 a view of the iron raised from its support;

[0031] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the support device shown alone;

[0032] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the support device shown alone;

[0033] Figure 6 is a top view of the support device;

[0034] Figure 7 It is the rear view of the iron;

[0035] Figure 8 is a side elevation view of the iron in a storage position on a support device;

[0036] Fig. 9 is a perspective view of an iron equipped with a brush attachment;

[0037] Fig.10 is a side view of the iron equipped with the brush attachment and placed in the storage position on the support device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Only elements necessary for understanding the invention are shown. To facilitate reading of the drawings, identical elements between different drawings have the same reference numerals. It should be noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear" used to describe the device refer to the situation when the device is lying flat on its base, such as Figure 1 shown.

[0039] Figure 1 A steam ironing device is shown, comprising a portable base 1 connected to a steam iron 3 via a flexible conduit 2, the base 1 being electrically connected to a domestic power grid via an electric cable, not visible in the figure.

[0040] The base 1 itself comprises, in a known manner, a removable water tank 10 and a pump which draws water into the water tank 10 to deliver it to the iron 3 through a tube integrated in the flexible conduit 2 .

[0041] Preferably, the iron 3 comprises a flat soleplate 30 on which rests a body comprising a gripping handle 31 comprising a free rear end projecting laterally from the body. The body houses a casting which is in thermal contact with the soleplate 30 and comprises a heating resistor which is regulated by means of a non-adjustable thermostat so that the temperature of the soleplate 30 can be maintained near a set temperature of about 135°C.

[0042] The casting is advantageously made of aluminium and it comprises a transient evaporation chamber into which water from the water tank 10 is injected by a pump, the operation of which is usually controlled by a trigger carried by the iron 3. The pump and the evaporation chamber are advantageously dimensioned to allow a continuous flow of steam of about 25 g / min when the trigger is actuated, the soleplate 30 typically comprising an aperture 30A (at the bottom) for the discharge of the steam. Fig. 9 (see ).

[0043] The device also comprises a base 4 on which the base 1 rests removably, the base 1 being equipped at its upper end with a handle 11 to facilitate its transport. The base 4 advantageously comprises a cavity conforming to its outer contour and into which the lower end of the base 1 engages.

[0044] Preferably, the base 4 comprises two telescopic supports 40, which include upper ends supporting a rigid ironing board 5, which includes an ironing surface, which is advantageously flat and is suitable for being covered by a cover (not shown in the figure) and on which the clothes to be ironed can be placed.

[0045] The ironing board 5 is pivotably mounted on the end of the support rod 40 by means of an articulation device, which allows the ironing board 5 to be fixed in a vertical position, a horizontal position and an intermediate position according to different inclinations, such as Figure 1 As shown, in this intermediate position, the ironing board 5 advantageously forms an angle of about 30° with respect to the vertical.

[0046] This articulation device is for example identical to the articulation device described in more detail in the patent application filed in France by the Applicant under application number FR1756063.

[0047] Preferably, a support arm 7 in the telescopic support rod 40 includes an opening 70, into which the support rod 40 is inserted, and the arm 7 usually includes a clamping rod (not shown in the figure) at the opening 70, which allows the arm to be fixed on the support rod 40 at the height desired by the user.

[0048] The arm forms a base 7 on which are arranged support means 8 for housing the iron 3 during non-operating phases of ironing / ironing, the support means 8 being advantageously removably fixed to the base 7 and being fixable thereto according to a plurality of different orientations.

[0049] according to Figure 3 to Figure 4 The support device 8 comprises a body made of plastic material, the body having a substantially flat surface, the substantially flat surface forming a protective screen 80, when the iron 3 is placed on the support device 8, Figure 1 and Figure 2 In the storage position shown, the screen extends towards the soleplate 30 of the iron.

[0050] This protective screen 80 is advantageously inclined about 10° relative to the vertical plane when the support device 8 is attached to the arm 7, and the protective screen 80 preferably comprises two raised ribs 81 supporting thermal insulation pads 82 against which the soleplate 30 can abut when necessary when the iron 3 rests on the support device 8.

[0051] The support means 8 also comprise a retaining hoop 83 which prolongs the protective screen 80 laterally and forms a loop extending in front of the protective screen 80 , the hoop 83 laterally surrounding a part of the body of the iron 3 .

[0052] More specifically, according to the invention, the iron 3 is held in a stable and balanced position in the storage position by the interaction of a holding finger 84, advantageously carried by the hoop 83 of the support means, with an opening 33 provided in the body of the iron 3, into which the holding finger 84 is inserted when the iron 3 is placed on the support means 8.

[0053] according to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , the retaining finger 84 advantageously projects upwards at the front of the hoop 83 opposite the protective screen 80 and engages in an opening 33 of complementary shape arranged on the rear end of the body of the iron 3. This opening 33 is advantageously arranged at the bottom of the handle 31, in the portion of the body extending between the handle 31 and the sole plate 30, the distance between the opening and the outer surface of the handle 31 advantageously being about 1.5 cm to 2 cm, so that it is not covered by the fingers of a hand when the fingers grasp the handle 31.

[0054] from Figure 5 and Figure 6 As can be seen more clearly, the holding finger 84 preferably has a T-shaped cross section with a rear surface including a vertical guide rib 84A. The opening 33 disposed on the rear end of the body also has a T-shaped cross section with a guide slot 33A for receiving the rib 84A.

[0055] The holding finger 84 advantageously has a convergent shape which facilitates its introduction into the opening 33 of the iron, with the holding finger 84 having, for example, two inclined lateral edges which converge in the direction of an upper edge of the holding finger 84 .

[0056] according to Figure 8 When the iron 3 is placed in the storage position on the support device 8, the iron 3 is held by the holding finger 84 in a position where the soleplate 3 is preferably kept at a certain distance from the protective screen 80, thereby forming a space between the protective screen 80 and the soleplate 30.

[0057] Such a space between the protective screen 80 and the base plate 30 has the advantage of preventing the protective screen 80 from overheating due to the heat dissipated by the base plate 30 .

[0058] When the iron 3 is equipped with an accessory 6 positioned on the soleplate 30 of the iron, for example Fig. 9 Such space also allows the use of the support means 8 when a brush attachment is shown.

[0059] Therefore, even when the iron 3 is equipped with such an accessory 6, it can be coupled to the support device 8 without difficulty, and the space provided between the protective screen 80 and the soleplate 30 is suitable for receiving a brush accessory, as in the embodiment of the present invention. Fig.10As shown in .

[0060] The device thus realized has the advantage of being of great ergonomic use while being very economical to manufacture. In particular, the support thus realized has the advantage of allowing the iron to be hooked on the support without the presence of the hand on the handle interfering with the docking of the iron on the support. On the contrary, the presence of the hand on the handle allows the user to correctly position the holding finger in the opening, taking advantage of the tactile contact he may have with the holding finger and the opening. Furthermore, the support thus realized has the advantage of ensuring an excellent holding of the iron on the support without the risk of overheating the support by bringing it into contact with the soleplate.

[0061] Finally, this support device provides greater versatility of use by allowing reliable and easy hooking of the iron, whether or not it is equipped with accessories that create additional thickness at the soleplate.

[0062] Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and shown by way of example. Modifications can be made without departing from the scope of protection of the invention, in particular from the point of view of the construction of the various elements or by substituting technical equivalents.

[0063] Thus, in an embodiment variant not shown, the retaining fingers could have a different shape, for example with a cross-shaped cross section.

[0064] Thus, in another variant embodiment not shown, the holding finger can be carried by the iron and engage in an opening carried by the support means in order to securely hold the iron on the support means.

Claims

1. An apparatus for steam treatment of clothes, comprising an ironing and / or ironing tool (3) and a support device (8) for stably placing the tool (3) in a storage position during a non-working phase of ironing and / or ironing, wherein the tool (3) comprises a treatment surface (30), the treatment surface (30) being provided with at least one hole (30A) for discharging steam, and a body comprising a handle (31) being placed on top of the treatment surface (30), characterized in that: The tool (3) is held in the storage position by inserting a holding finger (84) carried by the support means (8) into an opening (33) provided in a portion of the body located at the bottom of the handle (31), The support device (8) comprises a protective screen (80) which faces the processing surface (30) when the tool (3) is in the storage position. In the storage position, a space is arranged between the processing surface (30) of the tool and the protective screen (80) of the support device (8), The tool (3) comprises a removable accessory (6), the removable accessory (6) being arranged in front of the processing surface (30), and the space arranged between the processing surface (30) and the protective screen (80) allowing the tool (3) equipped with the accessory (6) to be arranged in the storage position, The support device (8) comprises a hoop (83) which surrounds at least a portion of the body when the tool (3) is placed in the storage position, and the hoop (83) supports the retaining finger (84) which protrudes upwardly at the front center of the hoop (83) opposite the protective screen (80).

2. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The retaining finger (84) and the opening (33) have shapes that cooperate with each other to inhibit any pivoting movement of the tool (3) around the retaining finger (84).

3. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to claim 2, characterized in that: The opening (33) has a shape that is complementary to the shape of the retaining finger (84).

4. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The retaining finger (84) has a T-shaped cross-section.

5. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The protection screen (80) comprises a heat insulation pad (82).

6. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The tool is an iron and the treatment surface is a metal soleplate.

7. The device for steam treatment of clothes according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that: The device comprises a base (1) in which a water tank (10) is housed, and the base (1) is connected to the tool (3) via a conduit (2).

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