Steam ironing and / or crease-smoothing device comprising an ironing board that can be immobilized at different inclinations

Abstract

The invention relates to a steam ironing and / or crease-smoothing device comprising an ironing board (5) pivotably mounted by means of an articulation device (6) comprising a shaft (67), carried by a portion (61, 62), the portion being capable of pivoting freely in a groove (66) provided in another portion (61, 62), the articulation device (6) comprising at least one notch carried by one of the portions (61, 62), in which at least one locking element (68) carried by the other of the portions (61, 62) engages in order to rotatably immobilize the articulation device (6). The shaft (67) is translationally movable in the groove (66) over a travel allowing engagement and disengagement of the locking element (68) in and from the notch, and the device comprises a control member (50) which, when actuated, exerts a force causing disengagement of the locking element (68) from the notch.

Description

Steam ironing and / or garment steamer comprising an ironing board that can be fixed at different angles

[0001] The present invention relates to a steam ironing and / or steaming apparatus comprising an ironing board against which a garment can be placed for treatment with steam and relates more particularly to an apparatus in which the ironing board is mounted pivotally by means of an articulation device allowing the ironing board to be immobilized at different angles.

[0002] It is known from patent application EP3421658 filed by the applicant that an ironing board is mounted to pivot by means of a hinged device allowing the ironing board to be fixed at various angles. The hinged device comprises a first part fixed to a support and a second part fixed to the ironing board, the first and second parts being rotationally mobile relative to each other. The hinged device includes a pivot carried by the second part, which can pivot freely in a groove formed in the first part. The first part has two notches into which a locking element carried by the second part engages to prevent the hinged device from rotating. The locking element is translationally mobile in the groove over a stroke allowing the locking element to engage and disengage from the notch.

[0003] Such a steam iron / steamer has the advantage of an ironing board whose angle can be adjusted for greater ergonomics. To change the board's angle, the user must grasp the ironing board with both hands and move it horizontally to unlock the hinge mechanism. Then, the ironing board is rotated to the desired position, and finally, the hinge mechanism is locked in the new position by moving the ironing board horizontally again to engage the locking element in a new notch, or by inserting a new locking element into the existing notch.

[0004] However, lifting the board to unlock the articulation device is not always intuitive for the user.

[0005] Another aim of the present invention is to provide an ironing device with improved ergonomics that is both simple and economical to produce.

[0006] To this end, the invention relates to a steam ironing and / or garment-steaming apparatus comprising an ironing board mounted to pivot by means of an articulation device allowing the ironing board to be immobilized at different angles, the articulation device comprising a first part fixed to a support and a second part fixed to the ironing board, the first and second parts being mobile in rotation relative to each other, the articulation device comprising an axis, carried by one of the first or second parts, which can pivot freely in a groove formed in the other of the first or second parts, the articulation device comprising at least one notch carried by one of the first or second parts into which at least one locking element carried by the other of the first or second parts engages to immobilize the articulation device in rotation,the axis being movable in translation within said groove over a stroke allowing the engagement and disengagement of the locking element in said notch, characterized in that it comprises a control member movable between a rest position in which the locking element is engaged in the notch and an unlocking position in which the locking element is disengaged from the notch, the control member comprising a lever whose actuation generates a force causing the disengagement of the locking element from said notch.

[0007] Such a control device, equipped with a lever, has the advantage of being easily identifiable by the user and, when activated, automatically disengaging the locking element to allow rotation of the articulation device. This results in a device with improved ergonomics.

[0008] The device may also have one or more of the following characteristics, taken alone or in combination.

[0009] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the notch has a position and shape adapted so that the locking element engages automatically in the notch under the effect of the weight of the ironing board.

[0010] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the device includes elastic return means exerting a force which tends to automatically return the locking element into the notch.

[0011] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the control member is a control lever pivotally mounted on the first part or the second part.

[0012] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the control lever is mounted pivoting around an axis of rotation carried by a support fixed on the underside of the ironing board, the control lever having an end comprising an oblong opening through which passes the pivot axis of the articulation device.

[0013] Such a control lever has the advantage of forming a support leg which supports the ironing board and reinforces its stability.

[0014] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the pivot axis is in a stop at one end of the oblong opening when the control member is in the rest position.

[0015] This feature further enhances the rigidity of the ironing board.

[0016] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the handle is accessible from one side of the ironing board and is advantageously located under the ironing board at a distance of less than 10 cm from the upper surface of the ironing board.

[0017] This feature allows the control lever to be perfectly visible and easily operated by the user's hand. Specifically, the user can operate this lever by placing their thumb on the edge of the ironing board and grasping the lever with their other fingers until the control mechanism is in the unlocked position.

[0018] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the lever is located on the left side and / or on the right side of the ironing board.

[0019] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the groove extends along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the ironing board.

[0020] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the locking element is fixedly mounted on the second part.

[0021] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the second part comprises several locking elements.

[0022] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the articulation device allows the ironing board to be immobilized in at least one horizontal position, one vertical position and at least one intermediate position between the vertical and horizontal positions.

[0023] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the locking element has the shape of a cylindrical finger.

[0024] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the first part comprises several notches, each notch corresponding to a position for immobilizing the ironing board.

[0025] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the notch advantageously has a trapezoidal shape which converges towards the bottom of the notch.

[0026] This feature makes it easier to insert the locking element into the notch when it is positioned against the notch, and reduces the play between the locking element and the edges of the notch once it is engaged. This makes locking the ironing board both easy and secure.

[0027] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the apparatus comprises at least one mast which supports the ironing board, the first part being fixed to the top of the mast and the second part being fixed to the ironing board.

[0028] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the device comprises two parallel masts which support the ironing board.

[0029] According to an advantageous feature of the invention, the apparatus comprises a base containing a water reservoir, the base being connected by a flexible conduit to a steaming tool comprising at least one hole for the emission of steam. Brief description of the figures

[0030] The objects, aspects, and advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following description of two particular embodiments of the invention, presented by way of non-limiting examples, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: 1a is a perspective view of an ironing apparatus according to a particular embodiment of the invention with the ironing board in a vertical position; 2a is a detailed, exploded perspective view of the articulation device supporting the ironing board of the apparatus; 3a is a side view of the ironing board locked in a horizontal position, with the control lever of the articulation device in the rest position; 4a is a side view of the ironing board in a horizontal position, with the lever of the articulation device in the unlocked position; 5a is a top view of the ironing board in a horizontal position;This is a longitudinal sectional view of the ironing board along line VI-VI of the diagram; This is a longitudinal sectional view of the ironing board along line VII-VII of the diagram.

[0031] Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention have been shown. To facilitate reading the drawings, the same elements bear the same reference numerals from one figure to another. It should be noted that in this document, the terms "horizontal", "vertical", "lower", "upper", "front", "rear" used to describe the apparatus refer to the apparatus when its base rests flat on the ground as illustrated in the figure.

[0032] Lare represents a steam ironing device comprising a base 1 for steam generation connected by a flexible conduit, not shown in the figure, to an iron 3 having holes for steam emission.

[0033] The base 1 comprises, in a manner known per se, a water reservoir 10 connected to a boiling chamber, not visible in the figure, allowing the continuous production of a flow of water-saturated steam, the boiling chamber being connected directly to the flexible conduit so that the steam produced by the boiling chamber can escape freely towards the iron 3.

[0034] Such a base 1 for steam generation is well known to those skilled in the art and is, for example, technically similar to the base for steam generation described in detail in patent application WO2004 / 023957.

[0035] The device also includes a base 4 on which the base 1 rests, the base 4 having two telescopic masts 40 comprising an upper end supporting an ironing board 5 on which clothes to be steamed can be placed, the ironing board 5 advantageously having a rectangular shape suitable for receiving a shirt or a jacket.

[0036] The ironing board 5 is pivotally mounted on the end of the masts 40 by means of an articulation device 6 allowing the ironing board 5 to be immobilized at different angles and advantageously in a vertical position (illustrated on the figure), in a horizontal position (illustrated on the figure), and in an intermediate position (not illustrated on the figures).

[0037] According to the, the articulation device 6 comprises, at the end of the masts 40, a cross member 65 which extends horizontally between two articulation systems each comprising a first part 61 attached to the upper end of the cross member 65 and a second part 62 attached to the ironing board 5.

[0038] Preferably, the second part has the form of a plate 62 which extends perpendicularly to a base 60 fixed to the ironing board and the first part has the form of a base 61 having two lateral flanges providing between them a space into which the plate 62 is inserted.

[0039] The base 61 advantageously includes a peripheral opening 63 through which the plate 62 is engaged between the two flanges of the housing 61 and includes, opposite the peripheral opening 63, a reinforcing wall 64 providing a rigid connection between the two flanges. The base 61 includes, at the foot of the reinforcing wall 64, the cross member 65 which extends horizontally between the two bases 61 and secures the articulation device 6 to the upper end of the masts 40.

[0040] According to figures 2 and 6, the plate 62 has a groove 66, which extends perpendicularly to the ironing board 5, in which slides an axle 67 whose ends are fixed in bores 67A of the base 61. Such an assembly allows both a translational movement of the base 61 relative to the plate 62, by translation of the finger 67 in the groove 66, and a pivoting movement of the base 61 around the plate 62, by rotation of the finger 67 in the groove 66.

[0041] In the embodiment illustrated in the figures, the groove 66 extends over a length of approximately 1.5 cm and has a width of approximately 5 mm, the axis 67 extending perpendicularly between the two bases 61 and having a diameter slightly less than the width of the groove 66 to allow free sliding and free pivoting of the axis 67 inside the groove 66.

[0042] The plate 62 has a locking finger 68 which extends perpendicularly to the plate 62, this locking finger 68 being disposed in the vicinity of the base 60 and being intended to slide along the periphery of the upper end of the flanges of the base 61 when the plate 62 is moved in a pivoting motion around the base 61.

[0043] Accordingly, the upper edge of the flanges of the base 61 has a sector in the shape of an arc of a circle comprising three notches 69A, 69B, 69C which advantageously have a slightly trapezoidal shape and a depth slightly greater than 6 mm. The first notch 69A is aligned horizontally with the axis 67 and is intended to receive the locking finger 68 when the ironing board 5 is in the vertical position.

[0044] The second notch 69B is offset from the first notch 69A and is intended to receive the locking finger 68 when the ironing board 5 is in an inclined position in which it forms an angle of approximately 30° with respect to the vertical.

[0045] The third notch 69C is located at the upper end of the flanges of the housing 61 and is intended to receive the locking finger 68 when the ironing board 5 is positioned substantially horizontally, as illustrated in Figures 3 and 7.

[0046] Preferably, the base 61 has a first stop 61A which protrudes from the edge of the notch 69A, the first stop 61A preventing the rotation of the ironing board 5 in the direction of arrow F illustrated on the, beyond the vertical position.

[0047] The base 61 also advantageously included a second stop 61C which protrudes from the edge of the notch 69C, the second stop 61C preventing the ironing board from rotating in the opposite direction, beyond the horizontal position.

[0048] More particularly according to the invention, the articulation device 6 includes a control member which allows the articulation device to be unlocked.

[0049] This control element advantageously consists of a control lever 50 mounted pivoting about an axis of rotation 51 carried by a support 52 fixed on the underside of the ironing board 5, the control lever 50 having a straight part extending from the axis of rotation 51 to a handle 53 projecting slightly from the edge of the ironing board 5. The control lever 50 also has a curved part which is an extension of the straight part and which has an end comprising an oblong opening 54, visible in figures 2 and 7, through which passes the pivot axis 67 of the articulation device 6.

[0050] Advantageously, the articulation device includes return means 60A which exert a force which tends to return the base 60 towards the base 61. Such return means 60A contribute to automatically bringing the locking finger 68 into one of the notches 69A, 69B, 69C when the locking finger 68 is positioned opposite one of these during the rotation of the plate 62 relative to the base 61.

[0051] As an example, these return means may consist of a helical spring 60A, visible on the, one end of which is fixed to an anchor point 60B carried by the base 60 and the opposite end is fixed to the axis 67.

[0052] The operation of the articulation device thus created will now be described.

[0053] The illustration shows the ironing board 5 locked in the horizontal position. In this horizontal position, the locking finger 68 is engaged in the third notch 69C, both under the weight of the ironing board 5 and under the effect of the restoring force generated by the spring 60A.

[0054] Inserting the locking finger 68 into the third notch 69C ensures that the ironing board 5 is locked in rotation and is then immobilized in the horizontal position, the control lever 50 then occupying a rest position in which its straight part is inclined relative to the lower plane of the ironing board 5 and the handle 53 is away from the lower face of the ironing board 5.

[0055] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, in this position, the axis 67 is located near the end of the groove 66 on the side of the ironing board 5 and abuts against the end of the oblong opening 54 on the side of the handle 53. In this position, the presence of the control lever 50 increases the rigidity of the board when it is locked in the horizontal position and pressure is applied to the ironing board 5. It should be noted that this beneficial effect of the control lever 50 on the rigidity of the ironing board 5 is also present when the board is locked in an intermediate or vertical position.

[0056] When the user wishes to change the angle of the ironing board, they simply grasp the handle 53 and apply force to it towards the underside of the ironing board 5 to bring the hinge into an unlocked position, illustrated in which the curved end of the control lever 50 exerts downward force on the shaft 67, thereby lifting the ironing board 5 and disengaging the locking finger 68 from the third notch 69C. In this unlocked position of the control lever 50, the ironing board is moved away from the base 61 so that the shaft 67 is positioned near the end of the groove 66 furthest from the ironing board 5 and near the end of the oblong opening 54 furthest from the handle 53.

[0057] The second stop 61C then prevents rotation in a tilting direction, but the user can tilt the ironing board in the opposite direction in which the locking finger 68 passes over the arcuate part of the base 61 which extends between the first stop 61A and the second stop 61C.

[0058] If the user wishes to immobilize the ironing board 5 in the intermediate position, he simply needs to release the pressure on the lever 53 when approaching this intermediate position so that the locking finger 68 rests on the arc-shaped part and automatically inserts itself into the notch 69B when it comes into contact with it.

[0059] If the user wishes to immobilize the ironing board 5 in the vertical position, they simply need to hold down the lever 53 and tilt the ironing board until the locking finger 69A comes into contact with the first stop 61A. The user can then release the lever 53 so that the locking finger 69A engages in the first notch 69A under the force generated by the spring 60A.

[0060] This results in a steam ironing appliance comprising an ironing board 5 mounted on a simple and economical hinge 6, allowing the ironing board 5 to be positioned in three different orientations. The user can thus choose the orientation best suited to the ironing task at hand, for greater ease of use.

[0061] In particular, the ironing appliance equipped with such a joint device 6 has the advantage of being reliable and providing very good ergonomics of use, the user who wishes to change the inclination of the ironing board 5 only has to operate the lever 53 to unlock the joint device and release this lever 53 for the joint device to lock in one of the predetermined locking positions.

[0062] Of course, the invention is by no means limited to the embodiments described and illustrated, which have been given only as examples. 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.

[0063] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the articulation device may have more notches to allow the ironing board to be immobilized in more positions.

[0064] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the ironing board may be supported by a single mast equipped with an articulation device similar to that described in the embodiment illustrated above.

[0065] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the articulation device can be supported directly by the base.

[0066] In another embodiment not shown, the control lever may be placed on the opposite side of the ironing board, so that the lever is at the top of the ironing board when the latter is placed vertically.

[0067] In yet another variant of the design, not shown, the handle may protrude from the right or left side of the ironing board.

Claims

A steam ironing and / or garment-steaming apparatus comprising an ironing board (5) mounted to pivot by means of a hinge (6) allowing the ironing board (5) to be fixed at various angles, the hinge (6) comprising a first part (61) fixed to a support and a second part (62) fixed to the ironing board, the first and second parts (61, 62) being rotatable relative to each other, the hinge (6) comprising an axle (67), carried by one of the first or second parts (61, 62), which can pivot freely in a groove (66) formed in the other of the first or second parts (61, 62), the hinge (6) comprising at least one notch (69A, 69B, 69C) carried by one of the first or second parts (61, 62) into which at least a locking element (68) carried by the other of the first or second parts (61,62) for immobilizing the articulation device (6) against rotation, the axis (67) being movable in translation within said groove (66) over a stroke allowing the engagement and disengagement of the locking element (68) in said notch (69A, 69B, 69C), characterized in that it comprises a control member (50) movable between a rest position in which the locking element (68) is engaged in the notch (69A, 69B, 69C) and an unlocking position in which the locking element (68) is disengaged from the notch (69A, 69B, 69C), the control member (50) comprising a lever (53) the actuation of which generates a force causing the disengagement of the locking element (68) from said notch (69A, 69B, 69C). Steam ironing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the notch (69A, 69B, 69C) has a position and shape adapted so that the locking element (68) engages automatically in said notch (69A, 69B, 69C) under the effect of the weight of the ironing board (5). Steam ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 2, characterized in that it comprises elastic return means (60A) exerting a force which tends to automatically return the locking element (68) into said notch (69A, 69B, 69C). Steam ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the control member (50) is a control lever pivotally mounted on the first part (61) or the second part (62). Steam ironing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized in that the control lever (50) is mounted pivoting about an axis of rotation (51) carried by a support fixed on the underside of the ironing board (5) and in that the control lever (50) has an end comprising an oblong opening (54) through which passes the pivot axis (67) of the articulation device (6). Steam ironing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the pivot axis (67) is in a stop at one end of the oblong opening (54) when the control member (50) is in the rest position. Steam ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the handle (53) is accessible from one side of the ironing board (5), said handle (53) being advantageously located under the ironing board (5) at a distance of less than 10 cm from the upper surface of the ironing board (5). Steam ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the groove (66) extends along an axis perpendicular to the plane of the ironing board (5). Steam ironing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that the articulation device (6) allows the ironing board (5) to be immobilized in at least one horizontal position, one vertical position and at least one intermediate position between the vertical and horizontal positions.

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