APPLIANCE FOR STEAMING LAUNDRY INCLUDING AN IRONING AND / OR STIRRING TOOL

Abstract

An apparatus for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and / or steaming tool (3), at least one mast (40) supporting a retaining element (5) on which a garment can be hung and / or pressed to allow its treatment with the tool (3), and a support device (8) comprising a receiving housing in which the tool (3) can be stably placed during inactive ironing and / or steaming phases, said support device (8) comprising a fastening member for attaching it to the mast (40), characterized in that the support device (8) comprises a joint (9) for changing the orientation of the receiving housing relative to the fastening member. Figure for the abbreviation: Fig. 3

Description

Title of the invention: APPARATUS FOR STEAMING LAUNDRY COMPRISING A IRONING AND / OR STRAINER TOOL technical field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of steam garment steaming apparatus comprising an ironing and / or steaming tool and at least one mast supporting a support element on which a garment can be hung and / or leaned to allow its treatment with the tool. The invention relates more particularly to an apparatus comprising a support device including a fastening member for attaching it to the mast and including a receiving housing in which the tool can be stably placed during inactive ironing and / or steaming phases. State of the art

[0002] A garment steamer is known from the Chinese utility model CN205603917U, comprising a steaming head and two telescopic masts supporting a hanger on which a garment can be hung. The garment also includes a support device with a receiving housing in which the steaming head can be placed, which is attached to one of the masts by a connecting arm. In this document, the receiving housing of the support device forms a removable module of the connecting arm that can be engaged in three distinct 90° orientations.

[0003] However, such a support device has the disadvantage of being not very ergonomic in use, since it requires the user to detach the module forming the receiving housing when he wishes to change its orientation with the risk of dropping it and / or burning himself with the steaming head.

[0004] Also, an object of the present invention is to propose an ironing / steaming device that remedies these drawbacks.

[0005] To this end, the invention relates to an apparatus for steaming laundry comprising an ironing and / or steaming tool, at least one mast which supports a holding element on which a garment can be hung and / or pressed to allow its treatment with the tool, and a support device comprising a receiving housing in which the tool can be placed stably during the inactive phases of ironing and / or steaming, the support device comprising a fixing member allowing its attachment to the mast, characterized in that the support device comprises a joint allowing the orientation of the receiving housing to be changed relative to the fixing member.

[0006] Such an articulation makes it possible to change the orientation of the receiving housing without having to dismantle a module of the support device, which limits the risk of the tool falling and greatly improves the ergonomics of using such a support device.

[0007] The device may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

[0008] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the joint is a pivot joint allowing the receiving housing to pivot around a vertical axis.

[0009] Such a feature makes it possible to change the orientation of the receiving housing to orient it towards the user.

[0010] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the joint is a ball joint.

[0011] Such a feature allows the receiving housing to be oriented both from left to right and also from bottom to top.

[0012] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the support device comprises a connecting arm extending between the fixing member and the receiving housing and the articulation is disposed on the connecting arm.

[0013] Such a feature allows a part of the connecting arm to rotate at the same time as the receiving housing, which makes it possible to move the receiving housing to one side or the other of the device to bring it closer to the user.

[0014] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the connecting arm comprises a first part and a second part articulated to each other by means of the articulation.

[0015] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the fastening member is disposed at one end of the first part and the receiving housing is disposed at one end of the second part, the second part of the arm having a length greater than or equal to 1 cm.

[0016] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the first part of the arm includes a hinge which fits into a hinge formed in the second part of the arm.

[0017] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the hinge and the pin are made of plastic material and are obtained directly by molding with the first part and the second part of the arm.

[0018] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the device comprises a base, containing a water reservoir, connected by a conduit to the ironing tool. Brief description of the figures

[0019] The objects, aspects and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of a particular embodiment of the invention. presented as a non-limiting example, with reference to the attached drawings in which:

[0020] Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an ironing device according to a particular embodiment of the invention, with a support device arranged in a first orientation;

[0021] Figure [Fig. 2] is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure [Fig. 1] with the device support arranged according to a second orientation, the iron not being illustrated in this figure;

[0022] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the apparatus of Figure 1 with the device support arranged according to a third orientation;

[0023] Figure 4 is a perspective view of the support device equipping the apparatus of the [Fig.l];

[0024] Fig. 5 is another perspective view of the support device of Fig. 4 represented with the reception accommodation arranged in a different orientation;

[0025] Fig. 6 is an exploded perspective view of the support device of Fig. 4.

[0026] Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention have been represented. To make the drawings easier to read, the same elements carry the same references from one figure to another.

[0027] It should be noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "top", "bottom", "front", "rear", "longitudinal", "transverse", used to describe the apparatus refer to this apparatus when it is lying flat on its base as illustrated in [Fig.1].

[0028] Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 represent a steam ironing device comprising a portable base 1 connected by a flexible conduit 2 to a steam iron 3, the base 1 being electrically connected to a domestic network by a cable, not visible in the figures.

[0029] The base 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, a removable reservoir and a pump which draws water from the reservoir to send it to the iron 3.

[0030] The iron 3 comprises a flat soleplate 30 surmounted by a housing including a handle 31 having a free rear end projecting laterally from the body. The housing contains, in a manner known per se, an aluminum casting in thermal contact with the soleplate and comprising an instant steaming chamber, equipped with a heating element, into which water from the reservoir 10 is injected by the pump. The operation of the pump is controlled by a trigger 32 located under the front end of the handle 31, the pump and the steaming chamber being advantageously sized to allow the production of a continuous steam flow rate of approximately 25 g / min when the trigger 32 is activated, the sole 30 classically including holes for the emission of steam.

[0031] The device includes a base 4 on which the base 1 rests in a removable manner, the latter being equipped with a handle 11 at its upper end to facilitate its transport.

[0032] Preferably, the base 4 comprises two telescopic masts 40 extending vertically and including an upper end supporting an ironing board 5 comprising a flat ironing surface 50, intended to be covered with a cover, on which clothes to be steamed can be placed.

[0033] According to Figures 2 and 4 to 6, one of the telescopic masts 40 supports a support device 8 on which the iron 3 can be placed during the inactive phases of ironing / steaming, the support device 8 comprising a connecting arm 8A, 8B which extends transversely to the mast 40 and whose end is fixed to the latter by a fixing member 83. The fixing member 83 is advantageously constituted by a sleeve which is engaged around the mast 40 and which includes ribs 83A which fit into grooves formed vertically on the mast 40 and thus prevent its rotation around the mast 40.

[0034] The support device 8 advantageously comprises a plastic body having a receiving recess 81 into which the iron housing 3 is intended to be inserted. As can be seen in Figures 4 and 5, the receiving recess 81 includes a flat surface 80 supporting thermally insulating pads 82 against which the soleplate 30 is intended to rest when the iron 3 rests in the receiving recess 81, the lower end of the receiving recess 81 being bordered by a skirt 84 which has a shape adapted to stably retain the iron 3 in the receiving recess 81.

[0035] Preferably, the surface 80 forms an angle of approximately 15° with respect to the vertical plane and the skirt 84 has a notch 84A in its middle part for the passage of the handle 31 of the iron.

[0036] More particularly according to the invention, the support device 8 includes a joint 9 allowing the orientation of the iron receiving housing 3 to be changed relative to the sleeve 83.

[0037] In the particular embodiment illustrated in the figures, this joint 9 is made up of a pivot joint, integrated in the arm 8A, 8B, which allows the receiving housing 81 to be rotated about a vertical axis, the pivot joint dividing the arm 7 into a first part 8A which is integral with the fixing member 83 and a second part 8B on which the receiving housing 81 is fixed.

[0038] According to [Fig.6], the pivot joint is advantageously constituted by the combination of a 90 pin, provided at one end of the first part of the arm 8A, which engages in a hinge 91 provided at the end of the second part 8B of the arm. Preferably, the second part 8B of the arm has a length between 1 and 10 cm and advantageously on the order of 5 cm. Such a length has the advantage of offsetting the receiving housing 81 towards the front or rear of the device when the second part of the arm is pivoted.

[0039] To reduce the manufacturing cost, the hinge 90 and the hinge are preferably obtained directly from molding with the first 8A and the second part 8B of the arm, the latter being advantageously made of plastic.

[0040] Thus, as illustrated in [Fig.1], the support device 8 can be arranged with the first part 8A and second part 8B aligned with each other so that the surface 80 of the receiving housing 81 is oriented in a lateral position in which the receiving housing 81 is arranged symmetrically with respect to the vertical plane passing through the masts 40.

[0041] In this lateral position, the ergonomics of using the device during the phases of putting in or taking out the iron 3 in the receiving housing 81 of the support device 8 remains substantially the same whether the user is positioned facing the board 5 or behind the board 5.

[0042] However, the user also has the option of orienting the surface 80 towards the front of the device, as illustrated in [Fig.2], by rotating the second part 8B of the arm relative to the first part 8A. The user then has a better view of the receiving compartment 81 when positioned facing the board 5, thus improving the ergonomics of using the device in this user position.

[0043] Conversely, when the user is positioned behind the board 5 to perform steaming work, they also have the option of orienting the surface 80 towards the rear of the appliance, as illustrated in [Fig. 3], by rotating the second part 8B of the arm relative to the first part 8A in the opposite direction. They then have a perfect view of the receiving compartment 81, which also allows them to use the support device 8 with great ergonomics.

[0044] The support device according to the invention therefore has the advantage of offering great ergonomics of use whether the user is positioned in front of the board or behind the board, by allowing the user to orient the iron receiving housing in his direction.

[0045] In addition, the positioning of the pivot link at an intermediate part of the arm has the advantage of allowing the receiving housing to be moved forward or backward on the board when the second part of the arm is pivoted, which allows the receiving housing to be brought closer to the user.

[0046] Finally, such a support device has the advantage of being simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

[0047] Of course, the invention is in no way limited to the embodiment described and illustrated, which has been given only by way of example. Modifications remain possible, particularly with regard to the composition of the various elements or by substitution of technical equivalents, without departing from the scope of protection of the invention.

[0048] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the pivot joint may be disposed at the end of the arm, directly at the interface between the arm and the support surface.

[0049] Thus, in another embodiment not shown, the pivot joint can be replaced by a ball joint.

[0050] In yet another embodiment not shown, at least part of the arm of the support device may be telescopic.

[0051] In yet another embodiment not shown, the arm of the support device may be removably fixed to the mast supporting the board, for example by a clamp fixing system.

Claims

Claims

1. Apparatus for treating laundry with steam comprising an ironing and / or smoothing tool (3), at least one mast (40) which supports a holding element (5) on which a garment can be hung and / or pressed to allow its treatment using the tool (3), and a support device (8) comprising a fixing member (83) allowing its fixing on the mast (40) and an articulation (9) allowing the orientation of the iron to be modified relative to the fixing member (83), the support device (8) comprising a connecting arm (8A, 8B) extending between the fixing member (83) and a receiving housing (81), the articulation (9) being arranged on the connecting arm (8A, 8B) and being a pivot connection which allows the receiving housing (81) to pivot around a vertical axis,the pivot connection dividing the arm (7) into a first part (8A) which is integral with the fixing member (83) and a second part (8B) on which the receiving housing (81) is fixed, characterized in that the receiving housing (81) is a housing in which the tool (3) can be placed in a stable manner during inactive ironing and / or steaming phases, and in that the pivot connection is integrated into the articulation arm (9), the first part (8A) of the arm comprising a hinge (90) which is inserted into a hinge (91) formed in the second part (8B) of the arm.,

2. Apparatus according to the preceding claim, characterized in that the fixing member is arranged at one end of the first part (8A) and the receiving housing is arranged at one end of the second part (8B) and in that the second part (8B) of the arm has a length greater than or equal to 1 cm.

3. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that the hinge (90) and the strap (91) are made of plastic material and are obtained directly by molding with the first part (8A) and the second part (8B) of the arm.

4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it comprises a base (1), containing a water reservoir (10), connected by a conduit (2) to the ironing tool (3).

Images