Telescopic rod assembly for supporting ironing board

Abstract

The invention relates to a telescopic rod assembly (100) for supporting an ironing board (102). The telescopic rod assembly includes an upper rod (104) and a hollow lower rod (106) having an inner surface (108) facing the upper rod. The upper rod can slide in the lower rod so that the telescopic rod assembly can extend and retract. An elastic member (110) is disposed at a lower portion of the upper rod. The resilient member includes a deformable peripheral rim (112) having an outer shape adapted to at least partially contact the inner surface of the lower rod. And the peripheral edge inclines downwards.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a telescopic rod assembly for supporting an ironing board.

[0002] The present invention also relates to a clothes steam ironing machine including an ironing board assembly and such a telescopic rod assembly.

[0003] The present invention can be used in the field of clothing care. Background Art

[0004] As is well known, clothes steam ironing machines are used for ironing or steaming clothes, by utilizing the heat and moisture of steam to remove wrinkles.

[0005] One type of clothes steam ironing machine is the so-called vertical clothes steam ironing machine, which includes a base that houses a water tank. The ironing machine head is connected to the base by a flexible hose, and steam and / or water are delivered to the ironing machine head through the flexible hose. Steam can be generated in the base and / or the ironing machine head. The ironing machine head is provided with a steam plate, also known as a bottom plate, which defines one or more steam outlets through which steam is discharged onto the fabric to be treated.

[0006] Clothes steam ironing machines, especially vertical clothes steam ironing machines, tend to be provided with an ironing board, for example, an ironing board that can be oriented in vertical and horizontal orientations, in order to facilitate vertical steaming or horizontal ironing of clothes.

[0007] Certain vertical clothes steam ironing machines are equipped with a telescopic rod assembly for supporting the ironing board. Such a telescopic rod assembly can be used to adjust the height of the ironing board according to the user's preference, for example, to suit the user's height. The telescopic rod assembly can also be retracted, for example, to reduce the form factor of the vertical clothes steam ironing machine for storage or packaging and transportation.

[0008] A safety defect of such a telescopic rod assembly is that due to the weight of the ironing board, for example, when the locking mechanism is released to be able to adjust the height of the ironing board, the upper rod can quickly slide into the lower rod. Such a rapid slide poses a danger of injuring the user, such as pinching the user's finger, and also poses a danger of damaging the components of the vertical clothes steam ironing machine.

[0009] JPH0710521U discloses a telescopic rod.

[0010] JPS5221931U discloses an adjustable-length clothesline.

[0011] EP3828334A1 discloses a clothes steam ironing machine that includes an ironing board and a telescopic rod assembly for pivoting the ironing board. Summary of the Invention

[0012] It remains a challenge to mitigate the above-mentioned problems associated with conventional telescopic rod assemblies in a manner that minimizes the impairment of user convenience.

[0013] The object of the present invention is to propose a telescopic rod assembly for supporting an ironing board to address this challenge.

[0014] The present invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.

[0015] To this end, the telescopic rod assembly according to the present invention comprises:

[0016] an upper rod,

[0017] a lower rod, which is hollow and into which the upper rod can slide to enable the telescopic rod assembly to extend and contract, and the lower rod includes an inner surface facing the upper rod, and

[0018] an elastic member, which is arranged at the lower part of the upper rod, the elastic member includes a deformable peripheral edge, the peripheral edge has an outer shape adapted to at least partially contact the inner surface, and the peripheral edge slopes downward.

[0019] Since the peripheral edge of the elastic member has an outer shape adapted to at least partially contact the inner surface of the lower rod and the peripheral edge extends downward (before the peripheral edge deforms during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly), the sliding movement of the upper rod into the lower rod can be slowed down by the frictional force generated between the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the lower rod. On the other hand, during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly, during the process of lifting the upper rod out of the lower rod, the downward-sloping peripheral edge can either not impede or only minimally impede the movement of the upper rod to facilitate extension adjustment.

[0020] During the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly, such slowing down of the upper rod sliding into the lower rod helps to make the telescopic rod assembly safer to use, for example, by reducing the risk of a user's finger being pinched during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly and reducing the risk of component damage caused by the rapid contraction of the telescopic rod assembly. Nevertheless, during extension, the lower frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge on the inner surface helps to minimize the impairment of user convenience when extending the telescopic rod assembly.

[0021] The elastic member is arranged at the lower part of the upper rod. In this case, the term "lower part" can cover the elastic member arranged at the bottommost part, in other words, the end of the upper rod received inside the lower rod. More generally, the term "lower part" can refer to the lowest part, such as the lowest 10% of the length of the upper rod.

[0022] In some embodiments, the resilient member is arranged to deform from an initial shape during contraction and return to the initial shape during extension, and the pressure exerted on the inner surface by the peripheral edge when the resilient member is in the initial shape is less than the pressure exerted on the inner surface by the peripheral edge when the resilient member is deformed. When the resilient member adopts the initial shape, the peripheral edge extends downward.

[0023] This pressure difference helps to ensure that during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly, the frictional force exerted on the inner surface of the lower rod by the peripheral edge is less than the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly.

[0024] In some embodiments, the lateral dimension of the resilient member extending between the first end of the peripheral edge and the second end of the resilient member opposite the first end is equal to or greater than the internal dimension of the lower rod extending between the opposite surface portions of the inner surface, which in use face the first end and the second end respectively. In such embodiments, the lateral dimension is measured when the peripheral edge is undeformed and not received inside the lower rod.

[0025] As a result, when assembling the telescopic rod assembly, the peripheral edge at least contacts the inner surface of the lower rod or is slightly pressed against the inner surface of the lower rod. Due to the friction between the "end / tail" portion of the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the lower rod, when the upper rod moves downward during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly, the movement of the "end / tail" portion of the peripheral edge is hindered, which causes the peripheral edge to deform as the upper rod moves downward. The deformed peripheral edge is thus squeezed / constrained within a distance / space less than its free length, which in turn increases its stiffness and thus further increases the friction between the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the lower rod. This helps to prevent the upper rod from freely falling into the lower rod.

[0026] When the upper rod subsequently moves upward during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly, the deformed peripheral edge will return to its initial shape, which in turn reduces its stiffness, thereby reducing the friction between the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the lower rod. Since the peripheral edge maintains its initial shape, the friction between the peripheral edge and the inner surface of the lower rod will remain low / minimal during the further upward movement of the upper rod. This helps to make the upward movement of the upper rod easier than the downward movement of the upper rod.

[0027] In some embodiments, the peripheral edge is arranged such that the contact area provided between the peripheral edge and the inner surface during extension is less than the contact area provided during contraction. The bending ability provided by the downward inclination of the peripheral edge, combined with the minimal interference with the inner surface of the lower rod provided by this smaller contact area, can help to reduce the frictional force exerted on the inner surface of the lower rod by the peripheral edge during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly.

[0028] When the elastic member returns to its initial shape as the telescopic rod assembly extends, the peripheral edge preferably extends away from the inner surface of the upper rod at an angle relative to the central axis of the telescopic rod assembly, along which the telescopic rod assembly extends and contracts. In other words, the peripheral edge extends downward toward the bottom end of the lower rod and extends outward toward the inner surface.

[0029] In some embodiments, the extension angle of the peripheral edge relative to the central axis is in the range of [110; 140] degrees. This angle range can provide a favorable balance between sufficiently slowing down the sliding of the upper rod into the lower rod during contraction and sufficiently facilitating the sliding of the upper rod out of the lower rod during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly.

[0030] In some embodiments, the telescopic rod assembly includes a support base, from which the lower rod stands upright. In such embodiments, the height adjustment of the ironing board above the support base is provided by sliding the upper rod inside the lower rod to contract and extend the telescopic rod assembly.

[0031] In some embodiments, when the elastic member returns to its initial shape as the telescopic rod assembly extends, the peripheral edge extends in the direction of the support base.

[0032] Preferably, at least the peripheral edge of the elastic member is formed of an elastic material. Such an elastic material can provide a relatively direct and effective way to provide deformability / deflectability of the peripheral edge.

[0033] In some embodiments, the elastic member is formed of an elastic material as a whole. For example, the elastic member includes a rubber pad or a rubber washer, such as being defined by a rubber pad or a rubber washer.

[0034] In embodiments where the elastic member includes a rubber pad (such as being defined by a rubber pad), the peripheral edge can be disposed on opposite sides of the rubber pad. Thus, the peripheral edge does not need to be disposed around the entire periphery of the upper rod.

[0035] In embodiments where the elastic member includes a rubber washer (such as being defined by a rubber washer), the peripheral edge can be disposed around at least a portion of the upper rod, such as the entire upper rod.

[0036] In embodiments where the elastic member is disposed along the upper rod from the bottommost portion (in other words, the end) of the upper rod, the elastic member in the form of a rubber washer can define a hole through which the lower portion of the upper rod passes.

[0037] An elastomeric material, such as rubber, preferably has a Shore A hardness in the range of [40; 50]. The flexing ability provided by the downward inclination of the peripheral edge in combination with such a Shore A hardness (in other words, a relatively low material hardness) can contribute to minimizing the obstruction of the peripheral edge to the upward sliding of the upper rod during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly.

[0038] Alternatively or additionally, the peripheral edge, such as an elastomeric peripheral edge, preferably has a thickness in the range of [1; 3] mm, such as about 1.5 mm.

[0039] This thickness can be, for example, the maximum thickness of the peripheral edge in the case where the peripheral edge has several thicknesses.

[0040] The flexing ability provided by the downward slope of the peripheral edge in combination with such a thickness (e.g., together with a Shore A hardness in the range of [40; 50]) can help to minimize the obstruction of the upward sliding of the upper rod by the peripheral edge during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly.

[0041] In some embodiments, the telescopic rod assembly includes a stop member disposed on the upper rod, the stop member being arranged relative to the peripheral edge to define the limit of movement of the peripheral edge during contraction. This helps to prevent the peripheral edge from being overly deformed / deflected during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly, thereby causing the frictional force to decrease again.

[0042] In at least some embodiments, the rod assembly includes a locking mechanism adapted to releasably fix the position of the upper rod relative to the lower rod.

[0043] For example, the locking mechanism includes a lever that can be moved by the user to fix the position of the upper rod relative to the lower rod and can be moved to release the upper rod so that the upper rod can slide into or out of the lower rod to contract and extend the telescopic rod assembly.

[0044] In such embodiments, the elastic member can help to slow down the sliding of the upper rod into the lower rod when the locking mechanism is released.

[0045] In some embodiments, the telescopic rod assembly includes a third rod arranged to couple the ironing board to the upper rod. For example, when the telescopic rod assembly and the ironing board supported thereon are oriented for use, the upper rod is the middle rod, the lower rod is the bottom rod, and the third rod is the top rod.

[0046] In such embodiments, the third rod can be adapted to permit the ironing board to be adjusted (e.g., tilted) between different orientations, such as between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation.

[0047] According to another aspect, there is provided an ironing board assembly comprising:

[0048] An ironing board; and

[0049] A telescopic rod assembly according to any one of the embodiments described herein, the telescopic rod assembly for supporting the ironing board.

[0050] In some embodiments, the ironing board may be tiltably mounted to the telescopic rod assembly, e.g., via the third rod of the telescopic rod assembly, to the telescopic rod assembly.

[0051] According to another aspect, there is provided a clothes steam ironing machine, which includes a telescopic rod assembly or an ironing board assembly according to any one of the embodiments described herein.

[0052] In some embodiments, the clothes steam ironing machine further includes:

[0053] A base unit, which includes a water tank,

[0054] A steam ironing machine head, which has a treatment plate defining at least one steam outlet, and a flexible pipeline connecting the base unit to the steam ironing machine head.

[0055] In some embodiments, the base unit includes a steam generator, and the steam ironing machine head includes a steam chamber, which is arranged to reheat the steam and / or evaporate the hot water received from the steam generator before the steam leaves the steam ironing machine head via at least one steam outlet.

[0056] In an alternative embodiment, the steam ironing machine head includes a steam chamber, which is arranged to generate steam from the water supplied (e.g., pumped) from the water tank included in the base unit to the steam chamber.

[0057] In some embodiments, the base unit can be supported on a support base, and the lower rod of the telescopic rod assembly stands upright from the support base.

[0058] A detailed explanation and other aspects of the present invention will be given below. Description of the Drawings

[0059] Specific aspects of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the embodiments described below and considered in conjunction with the drawings, in which the same parts or sub-steps are denoted in the same manner:

[0060] Figure 1A and Figure 1B Schematically depict the telescopic rod assembly in the extended state and the retracted state, respectively,

[0061] Figure 2 A cross-sectional view showing the upper rod and the lower rod of the telescopic rod assembly according to another example is provided,

[0062] Figure 3A and Figure 3B Magnified views of the elastic members attached to the upper rod during the extension and retraction of the telescopic rod assembly are provided, respectively,

[0063] Figure 4A andFigure 4B Views of the upper rod and the elastic member of the telescopic rod assembly according to yet another example are provided,

[0064] Figure 5A and Figure 5B Views of the upper rod and the elastic member of the telescopic rod assembly according to another example are provided, and

[0065] Figure 6A and Figure 6B Views of a clothes steam iron with the telescopic rod assembly included therein in an extended state and a retracted state respectively according to an example are provided. Detailed Description

[0066] Figure 1A and Figure 1B A telescopic rod assembly 100 for supporting an ironing board 102 is depicted. The telescopic rod assembly 100 includes an upper rod 104 and a lower rod 106.

[0067] The lower rod 106 is hollow, and the upper rod 104 is slidable inside the lower rod 106 so that the telescopic rod assembly 100 can extend and contract. Figure 1A The telescopic rod assembly 100 when extended is shown, and Figure 1B The telescopic rod assembly 100 when retracted is shown.

[0068] In the context of the upper rod 104 and the lower rod 106, the terms "upper" and "lower" can refer to the usage orientation of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0069] The upper rod 104 and the lower rod 106 can also be referred to without reference to the usage orientation of the telescopic rod assembly 100, with the term "first pole" replacing the upper rod 104 and the term "second pole" replacing the lower rod 106.

[0070] The upper rod 104 and the lower rod 106 can be made of any suitable material as long as the upper rod 104 and the lower rod 106 can support the ironing board 102. In some embodiments, the upper rod 104 and / or the lower rod 106 are made of at least one selected from plastic materials and metal materials. Such metal materials can be metals, such as aluminum, and / or metal alloys, such as steel.

[0071] Referring to Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 2 , the lower rod 106 includes an inner surface 108. The inner surface 108 defines the hollow interior of the lower rod 106.

[0072] The elastic member 110 is arranged on the upper rod 104, for example attached to the upper rod 104. The elastic member 110 includes a deformable, in other words deflectable, peripheral edge 112 which contacts the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106.

[0073] As Figure 1A 、 Figure 1B and Figure 2 shown, the elastic member 110 is arranged at the lower part of the upper rod 104. In this case, the term "lower part" may cover the elastic member 110 arranged at the bottommost part, in other words, the end 111 of the upper rod 104 received inside the lower rod 106. More generally, the term "lower part" may refer to the lowest part, for example the lowest 10% of the length of the upper rod 104.

[0074] The elastic member 110 is arranged such that during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 is less than the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0075] During contraction, the greater frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 helps to slow down the sliding of the upper rod 104 into the lower rod 106 during contraction. This helps to make the telescopic rod assembly 100 safer to use, for example by reducing the risk of a user's finger being pinched during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100 and reducing the risk of component damage caused by a rapid contraction (such as a free-fall contraction) of the telescopic rod assembly 100. Nevertheless, during extension, the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 is small, which helps to minimize the impairment of user convenience when extending the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0076] In other words, the movement of the upper rod 104 sliding into the lower rod 106 can be slowed down by the frictional force generated between the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106. On the other hand, during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, during the lifting of the upper rod 104 out of the lower rod 106, the peripheral edge 100 may not impede or only minimally impede the movement of the upper rod 104 in order to facilitate extension adjustment.

[0077] For this purpose, Figure 2 the peripheral edge 112 of the elastic member 110 shown has an external shape adapted to at least partially contact the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106, and the peripheral edge 112 slopes downwards. Also refer Figure 1A and Figure 1B, the peripheral edge 112 thus extends towards the bottom end 113 of the lower rod 106. Such a downward inclination of the peripheral edge 112 can be considered similar to the piston of a syringe.

[0078] In this case, during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the upper rod 104 can slide towards the bottom end 113 of the lower rod 106. As the telescopic rod assembly 100 extends, the peripheral edge 112 extends downward towards the bottom end 113 and extends outward towards the inner surface 108.

[0079] In some embodiments, such as Figure 1A and Figure 1B shown, the telescopic rod assembly 100 includes a support base 114, where the lower rod 106 stands upright from the support base 114. In such embodiments, the height adjustment of the ironing board 102 above the support base 114 is provided by the upper rod 104 sliding inside the lower rod 106 to contract and extend the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0080] In such embodiments, the peripheral edge 112 extends in the direction of the support base 114 along the extension direction of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0081] Figure 3A The peripheral edge 112 that extends downward as the telescopic rod assembly 100 extends is shown, and Figure 3B the peripheral edge 112 that is deforming during or after the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100 is shown. In Figure 3B the case shown, the pressure exerted by the elastic member 110 on the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 via the peripheral edge 112 is greater than Figure 3A the case shown.

[0082] This pressure difference helps to ensure that during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 is less than the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0083] More generally, the elastic member 110 is preferably arranged to deform from an initial shape as shown in Figure 3A during contraction and return to the initial shape during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100. When the elastic member 110 is in the initial shape, the pressure exerted on the inner surface 108 by the peripheral portion 112 is less than when the elastic member 110 is in Figure 3B the deformed state shown. When the elastic member 110 adopts the initial shape, the peripheral edge 112 extends downward, in other words, towards the bottom end 113 of the lower rod 106.

[0084] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3A andFigure 3B In the illustrated embodiment, the peripheral edge 112 is arranged such that during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the contact area between the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 is smaller than that during contraction. The flexing ability provided by the downward inclination of the peripheral edge 112, combined with the minimal interference with the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 provided by this smaller contact area, can help reduce the frictional force exerted by the peripheral edge 112 on the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 during extension.

[0085] For example, referring to Figure 2 the cross-sectional view provided in, the interference INI between the tip of the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 is between 0 and 1 mm.

[0086] In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 shown, when the elastic member 110 returns to its initial shape during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the peripheral edge 112 extends at an angle A1 relative to the central axis CA of the telescopic rod assembly 100 away from the upper rod 104 towards the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106, and the telescopic rod assembly 100 extends and contracts along this central axis CA.

[0087] Preferably, the extension angle A1 of the peripheral edge 112 relative to the central axis CA is in the range of [110; 140] degrees. This angular range can provide a favorable balance between sufficiently slowing down the sliding of the upper rod 104 into the lower rod 106 during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100 and sufficiently facilitating the sliding of the upper rod 104 out of the lower rod 106.

[0088] In other words, the flexible peripheral edge 112 can extend at an angle in the range of [20; 50] degrees, for example, about 34 degrees, relative to the flat mounting surface MS of the elastic member 110 (such as a rubber pad), and the plane of this elastic member is perpendicular to the central axis CA.

[0089] Preferably, at least the peripheral edge 112 of the elastic member 110 is formed of an elastic material. Such elastic materials can provide a relatively simple and effective way to provide the deformability / deflectability of the peripheral edge 112.

[0090] The elastomeric material, such as rubber, preferably has a Shore A hardness in the range of [40; 50].

[0091] The flexing ability provided by the downward inclination of the peripheral edge 112 in combination with such Shore A hardness (in other words, relatively low material hardness) can help minimize the obstruction of the upward sliding of the peripheral edge 112 on the upper rod 104 during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0092] Alternatively or additionally, the peripheral edge 112, such as an elastomeric peripheral edge 112, preferably has a thickness in the range of [1; 3] mm, such as about 1.5 mm.

[0093] This thickness can be, for example, the maximum thickness of the peripheral edge 112 in the case where the peripheral edge 112 has a plurality of thicknesses.

[0094] The flexing ability provided by the downward slope of the peripheral edge in combination with such a thickness (e.g., together with a Shore A hardness in the range of [40; 50]) can help minimize the obstruction of the upward sliding of the upper rod 104 by the peripheral edge 112 during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0095] Any suitable type of elastic material, such as EPDM, can be considered.

[0096] In some embodiments, the elastic member 110 is formed entirely of an elastic material. For example, the elastic member 110 includes a rubber pad or a rubber washer (e.g., defined by a rubber pad or a rubber washer).

[0097] Such a rubber pad or rubber washer can slide tightly along the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106.

[0098] Figure 4A and Figure 4B A view of an embodiment is provided in which the elastic member 110 is defined by a rubber pad. In these views, the upper rod 104 is shown upside down for ease of viewing the elastic member 110.

[0099] In Figure 4A and Figure 4B In the non-limiting example shown, the peripheral edge 112 is provided on the opposite side of the rubber pad. Thus, the peripheral edge 112 does not need to be provided around the entire periphery of the upper rod 104.

[0100] Figure 5A and Figure 5B A view of an embodiment is provided in which the elastic member 110 is defined by a rubber washer. In these views, the upper rod 104 is shown upside down for ease of viewing the elastic member 110.

[0101] In Figure 5A and Figure 5B In the non-limiting example shown, the peripheral edge 112 is provided around the entire periphery of the upper rod 104.

[0102] In an embodiment (not shown in the figures), the elastic member 110 is arranged along the upper rod 104 from the bottommost part of the upper rod 104 (in other words, the end 111), and the elastic member 110 in the form of a rubber washer can define a hole through which the lower part of the upper rod 104 passes.

[0103] The resilient member 110 can be attached to the upper rod 104 in any suitable manner. In some embodiments, such as Figure 2 , Figure 3A , Figure 3B , Figure 4A , Figure 4B , Figure 5A and Figure 5B shown in the embodiments, the telescopic rod assembly 100 includes a bracket 115A, and the bracket is arranged to sandwich the resilient member 110 (such as a rubber pad or rubber washer) between the bracket 115A and the end 111 of the upper rod 104 by the resilient member 110 to fix the resilient member 110 to the end 111 of the upper rod 104.

[0104] In such embodiments, one or more fasteners, such as screws (one or more), can fix the bracket 115A and the resilient member 110 to the end 111 of the upper rod 104. As Figure 4B and Figure 5B shown, the screw holes 115B can extend through the bracket 115A, the resilient member 110, and the end 111 of the upper rod 104.

[0105] Other ways of fixing the resilient member 110 (such as a rubber pad or washer) to the upper rod 104 can also be contemplated, such as using one or more fasteners 115B (such as screws (one or more)), but omitting the bracket 115A.

[0106] In some embodiments, referring to Figure 2 , Figure 4A and Figure 5A , the transverse dimension LAD of the resilient member 110 extending between the first end El of the peripheral edge 112 and the second end E2 of the peripheral edge 112 opposite the first end El is equal to or greater than the internal dimension IND of the lower rod 106 extending between the opposite surface portions S1, S2 of the inner surface 108, and the opposite surface portions respectively contact the first end E1 and the second end E2 in use.

[0107] Specifically referring to Figure 4A and Figure 5A , the transverse dimension LAD is measured when the peripheral edge 112 is not deformed and not received within the lower rod 106.

[0108] As a result, when assembling the telescopic rod assembly 100, the peripheral edge 112 contacts at least the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106, or is slightly pressed against the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106. Due to the friction between the "end / tail" portion of the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106, when the upper rod 104 moves downward during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the movement of the "end / tail" portion of the peripheral edge 112 is hindered, which causes the peripheral edge 112 to deform as the upper rod 104 moves downward. The deformed peripheral edge 112 is thus squeezed / constrained within a distance / space less than its free length, which in turn increases its stiffness and thus further increases the friction between the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106. This helps prevent the upper rod 104 from freely falling into the lower rod 106.

[0109] When the upper rod 104 then moves upward during the extension of the telescopic rod assembly 100, the deformed peripheral edge 112 will return to its initial shape, which in turn reduces its stiffness, thereby reducing the friction between the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106. Since the peripheral edge 112 maintains its initial shape, the friction between the peripheral edge 112 and the inner surface 108 of the lower rod 106 will remain low / minimal during the further upward movement of the upper rod 104. This helps make the upward movement of the upper rod 104 easier than the downward movement of the upper rod 104.

[0110] It should be noted that in the Figure 4A and Figure 4B illustrated non-limiting example, the first end E1 and the second end E2 are included in the portion of the peripheral edge 112 disposed on the opposite sides of the rubber pad.

[0111] In some embodiments, and as Figure 2 、 Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B 、 Figure 4B and Figure 5B illustrated, the telescopic rod assembly 100 includes a stop member 116 disposed on the upper rod 104, wherein the stop member 116 is arranged relative to the peripheral edge 112 to define the movement limit of the peripheral edge 112 during contraction. Such a limitation of the movement of the peripheral edge 112 during contraction is schematically depicted in Figure 3B . This helps prevent the peripheral edge 112 from deforming / deflecting too far, thereby causing the frictional force to decrease again during the contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0112] In at least some embodiments, referring to Figure 4A 、 Figure 4B 、 Figure 5A and Figure 5B, the rod assembly 100 includes a locking mechanism 118 that is adapted to releasably secure the position of the upper rod 104 relative to the lower rod 106.

[0113] For example, the locking mechanism 118 includes a lever that can be moved by a user to secure the position of the upper rod 104 relative to the lower rod 106 and can be moved to release the upper rod 104 so that the upper rod 104 can slide into or out of the lower rod 106 to contract and extend the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0114] In such embodiments, when the locking mechanism 118 is released, the elastic member 100 can assist in slowing down the sliding of the upper rod 104 into the lower rod 106.

[0115] In some embodiments, the rod assembly 100 includes a third rod that is arranged to couple the ironing board 102 to the upper rod 104. For example, when the telescopic rod assembly 100 and the ironing board 102 supported thereon are oriented for use, the upper rod 104 is the middle rod, the lower rod 106 is the bottom rod, and the third rod is the top rod.

[0116] In such embodiments, the third rod can be adapted to permit the ironing board 102 to be adjusted (e.g., tilted) between different orientations, such as between a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation.

[0117] Referring again to Figure 1A and Figure 1B , it should be noted that the telescopic rod assembly 100 can be included in the ironing board assembly 130 together with the ironing board 102. Thus, the telescopic rod assembly 100 and the ironing board 102 can be conveniently provided to the user at the same time, for example, supplied to the user.

[0118] Alternatively, the telescopic rod assembly 100 can be provided to the user without the ironing board 102, for example, in the case where the user intends to use the telescopic rod assembly 100 to support an ironing board 102 that the user already owns.

[0119] Figure 6A and Figure 6B A view of a garment steam ironing machine 150 according to an example is provided. The garment steam ironing machine 150 includes a telescopic rod assembly 100 according to any one of the embodiments described herein.

[0120] In such embodiments, and as Figure 6A and Figure 6B shown, the garment steam ironing machine 150 preferably includes a base unit 152 that includes a water tank, a steam ironing machine head (not visible) having a treatment plate defining at least one steam outlet, and a flexible pipeline (not visible) connecting the base unit to the steam ironing machine head.

[0121] Figure 6A andFigure 6B The clothes steam iron 150 shown can be considered a vertical clothes steam iron 150. In this non-limiting example, the clothes steam iron 150 includes an ironing board 102 that can be tilted, for example, via a third rod of the telescopic rod assembly 100 between vertical orientations. As previously mentioned, the height of the ironing board 102 can also be adjusted via the extension and contraction of the telescopic rod assembly 100. In this regard, Figure 6A shows the extended state of the telescopic rod assembly 100, while Figure 6B shows the contracted state of the telescopic rod assembly 100.

[0122] In some embodiments, the base unit 152 includes a steam generator (not visible), and the steam iron head includes a steam chamber that is arranged to reheat the steam and / or evaporate the hot water received from the steam generator before the steam exits the steam iron head via at least one steam outlet.

[0123] In an alternative embodiment, the steam generator head includes a steam chamber that is arranged to generate steam from water supplied (e.g., pumped) from a water tank included in the base unit 152 to the steam chamber.

[0124] In some embodiments, such as Figure 6A and Figure 6B the embodiments shown, the base unit 152 can be supported on a support base 114, and the lower rod 106 of the telescopic rod assembly 100 stands upright from the support base.

[0125] The above embodiments are merely illustrative and are not intended to limit the technical methods of the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the technical methods of the present invention can be modified or equivalently replaced without departing from the protection scope of the claims of the present invention. In particular, although the present invention is described based on a clothes steam iron, it can also be applied to assist in the safety height adjustment of any household appliance or device. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference numerals in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.

Claims

1. A telescopic rod assembly (100) for supporting an ironing board (102), the telescopic rod assembly comprising: an upper rod (104), a lower rod (106), the lower rod being hollow and the upper rod being slidable inside the lower rod to enable the telescopic rod assembly to extend and contract, and the lower rod including an inner surface (108) facing the upper rod, and an elastic member (110), the elastic member being arranged at a lower part of the upper rod, the elastic member including a deformable peripheral edge (112), the peripheral edge having an outer shape adapted to at least partially contact the inner surface, and the peripheral edge being inclined downward.

2. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to claim 1, wherein the elastic member (110) is arranged to deform from an initial shape during the contraction and to return to the initial shape during the extension, and the pressure exerted by the peripheral edge (112) on the inner surface (108) when the elastic member is in the initial shape is less than the pressure exerted by the peripheral edge on the inner surface when the elastic member is deformed.

3. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein a lateral dimension (LAD) of the elastic member (110) extending between a first end (E1) and a second end (E2) opposite the first end of the peripheral edge (112) is equal to or greater than an internal dimension (IND) of the lower rod (106) extending between opposite surface portions (S1, S2) of the inner surface (108), the opposite surface portions facing the first end and the second end respectively in use, the lateral dimension being measured when the peripheral edge is undeformed and not received inside the lower rod.

4. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein as the telescopic rod assembly extends, the peripheral edge (112) extends away from the upper rod (104) towards the inner surface (108) at an angle (A1) relative to a central axis (CA) of the telescopic rod assembly, the telescopic rod assembly extending and contracting along the central axis.

5. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to claim 4, wherein as the telescopic rod assembly extends, the angle (A1) is in the range of [110; 140] degrees.

6. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the lower part corresponds to an end (111) of the upper rod (104) received inside the lower rod (106).

7. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 6, including a support base (114), the lower rod (106) standing upright from the support base, and height adjustment of the ironing board (102) above the support base being provided by the sliding of the upper rod (104) inside the lower rod.

8. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to claim 7, wherein as the telescopic rod assembly extends, the peripheral edge (112) extends in the direction of the support base (114).

9. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least the peripheral edge (112) of the elastic member (110) is formed of an elastic material.

10. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to claim 9, wherein the Shore A hardness of the elastic material is in the range of [40; 50].

11. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein a stop member (116) is provided on the upper rod (104), and the stop member is arranged relative to the peripheral edge (112) to define the movement limit of the peripheral edge during the contraction.

12. The telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 11, the telescopic rod assembly includes a third rod, and the third rod is arranged to connect the ironing board (102) to the upper rod (104).

13. An ironing board assembly (130) comprising: an ironing board (102); and the telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12, the telescopic rod assembly supporting the ironing board.

14. The ironing board assembly (130) according to claim 13, wherein the ironing board (102) can be tiltably mounted to the telescopic rod assembly (100).

15. A clothes steam ironing machine (150) comprising: a base unit (152), the base unit including a water tank, a steam ironing machine head having a treatment plate defining at least one steam outlet, a flexible pipeline connecting the base unit to the steam ironing machine head, and the telescopic rod assembly (100) according to any one of claims 1 to 12 or the ironing board assembly (130) according to claim 13 or claim 14.

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