U.S. patent application number 11/720050 was filed with the patent office on 2008-01-03 for iron comprising a thermal screen with an integrated conduit.
Invention is credited to Martin Giersiepen.
Application Number | 20080000115 11/720050 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34951975 |
Filed Date | 2008-01-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080000115 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Giersiepen; Martin |
January 3, 2008 |
Iron Comprising a Thermal Screen With an Integrated Conduit
Abstract
The invention relates to an iron comprising a housing, a heating
body, and a thermal screen (7) placed between the heating body and
the housing. According to the invention, said thermal screen (7)
includes at least one integrated conduit (73) with an inlet and an
outlet for the circulation of a fluid.
Inventors: |
Giersiepen; Martin;
(Oberursel, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROWDY AND NEIMARK, P.L.L.C.;624 NINTH STREET, NW
SUITE 300
WASHINGTON
DC
20001-5303
US
|
Family ID: |
34951975 |
Appl. No.: |
11/720050 |
Filed: |
November 10, 2005 |
PCT Filed: |
November 10, 2005 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/IB05/03448 |
371 Date: |
May 23, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
38/93 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 75/14 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
038/093 |
International
Class: |
D06F 75/38 20060101
D06F075/38 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 23, 2004 |
FR |
04/12397 |
Claims
1. Pressing iron comprising a housing (1) having a length
dimension, a heating body (3), and a heat shield (7) interposed
between the heating body (3) and the housing (1), wherein said heat
shield (7) is constructed to contain at least one integral conduit
(73) extending along the length dimension of the heat shield and
presenting an inlet orifice and an outlet orifice for the
circulation of a fluid.
2. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein the heat shield (7)
is formed by molding.
3. Pressing iron according to claim 2, wherein said heat shield (7)
consists of a thermohardening plastic.
4. Pressing iron according to claim 3, wherein said plastic is
filled with fibers.
5. Pressing iron according to claim 2, wherein said conduit (73) is
obtained by a process of water or gas injection during the
molding.
6. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein said iron further
comprises a reservoir (8) and said inlet orifice of said conduit
(73) is connected to be supplied with fluid from said reservoir
(8).
7. Pressing iron according to claim 6, wherein said iron further
comprises a pump (12) having an inlet and said outlet orifice of
said conduit (73) is connected to said inlet of said pump (12).
8. Pressing iron according to claim 6, wherein said heat shield (7)
constitutes the bottom of said reservoir (8).
9. Pressing iron according to claim 6, wherein said pump (12) is
used to inject water into a steam chamber (13) for the production
of steam, even when said iron is held vertically.
10. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein said heat shield
lies in a main plane and said inlet and outlet orifices are
oriented perpendicular to the main plane of said heat shield.
11. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein said heat shield
(7) consists of a thermohardening plastic.
12. Pressing iron according to claim 11, wherein said plastic is
filled with fibers.
13. Pressing iron according to claim 3, wherein said conduit (73)
is obtained by a process of water or gas injection during the
molding.
14. Pressing iron according to claim 4, wherein said conduit (73)
is obtained by a process of water or gas injection during the
molding.
15. Pressing iron according to claim 5, wherein said iron further
comprises a reservoir (8) and said inlet orifice of said conduit
(73) is connected to be supplied with fluid from said reservoir
(8).
16. Pressing iron according to claim 15, wherein said iron further
comprises a pump (12) having an inlet and said outlet orifice of
said conduit (73) is connected to said inlet of said pump (12).
17. Pressing iron according to claim 15, wherein said heat shield
(7) constitutes the bottom of said reservoir (8).
18. Pressing iron according to claim 15, wherein said pump (12) is
used to inject water into a steam chamber (13) for the production
of steam, even when said iron is held vertically.
19. Pressing iron according to claim 18, wherein said heat shield
lies in a main plane and said inlet and outlet orifices are
oriented perpendicular to the main plane of said heat shield.
Description
[0001] The present invention relates to pressing irons having a
housing, a pressing soleplate provided with a heating element and a
thermal screen, or heat shield, interposed between the soleplate
and the housing.
[0002] There is known from the document FR 2 770 856 filed by the
applicant, a steam pressing iron having a housing, a soleplate
having a heating resistance, and a plastic heat shield interposed
between the housing and the soleplate to limit the transfer of heat
from the soleplate towards the housing.
[0003] It is common to equip such an iron with a manual pump
disposed on the front part of the body of the iron, this pump
making it possible to inject water into a steam chamber in order to
produce bursts of steam when the iron is held vertically. In such
case, the supply orifice of the pump is usually connected to a tube
that emerges at the level of the rear part of the reservoir so that
the pump remains supplied with water when the iron is held
vertically. However, the installation and the connection of this
supply tube between the pump and the rear part of the reservoir
present the disadvantage of being difficult to automate, which
complicates the assembly of the iron and engenders a high
fabrication cost.
[0004] The invention which follows aims at mitigating these
disadvantages.
[0005] The goal of the invention is achieved by a pressing iron
having a housing, a heating body and a heat shield interposed
between the heating body and the housing, characterized in that the
heat shield integrates at least one conduit presenting an inlet
orifice and an outlet orifice for the circulation of a fluid.
[0006] Such a characteristic makes it possible to use the heat
shield to conduct a fluid, for example from a reservoir towards an
off-set element such as a pump or a drip device, which makes it
possible to greatly simplify the process of assembly of the
iron.
[0007] According to another characteristic of the invention, the
heat shield is obtained by molding.
[0008] According to another characteristic of the invention, the
heat shield is made of a thermohardening plastic.
[0009] According to another characteristic of the invention, the
plastic material is filled, or impregnated, with fibers.
[0010] According to another characteristic of the invention, the
conduit is obtained by a process of water or gas injection during
molding.
[0011] Such a characteristic makes it possible to produce conduits
of complex form at lower cost.
[0012] According to still another characteristic of the invention,
the iron has a reservoir and the inlet orifice of the conduit is
fed with fluid from the reservoir.
[0013] According to still another characteristic of the invention,
the iron has a pump and the outlet orifice of the conduit is
connected to the inlet of the pump.
[0014] According to still another characteristic of the invention,
the heat shield constitutes the bottom of the reservoir.
[0015] According to still another characteristic of the invention,
the pump is used to inject water into a steam chamber for the
production of steam even when the iron is held vertically.
[0016] According to still another characteristic of the invention,
the inlet and outlet orifices are oriented perpendicular to the
plane of the heat shield.
[0017] One will better understand the goals, aspects and advantages
of the present invention, from the description given hereafter of a
particular embodiment of the invention presented as a
nonrestrictive example, while referring to the annexed drawings in
which:
[0018] FIG. 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a pressing iron
provided with a heat shield according to a particular embodiment of
the invention;
[0019] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the heat shield of
the iron of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 3 is a top view of the heat shield of the iron of FIG.
1;
[0021] FIG. 4 is a cross-section of the heat shield along line
IV-IV of FIG. 3.
[0022] Only the elements necessary for an understanding of the
invention have been shown. To facilitate reading of the drawings
the same elements carry the same reference numerals from one figure
to the other.
[0023] The iron, represented schematically in FIG. 1, comprises a
plastic housing 1 integrating the shape of a handle and a soleplate
2 in thermal communication with a heating body 3. Heating body 3
comprises a main steam chamber 4 closed by a plate 5 and is
provided with a heating element 6 controlled by a thermostat, not
represented in the figure.
[0024] A heat shield 7 is interposed between the upper face of
heating body 3 and housing 1, the heat shield being maintained on
the heating body 3 by fastening means. Housing 1 is thus isolated
from the heating body and is fixed to heat shield 7 by screws.
[0025] Housing 1 contains a water reservoir 8 being composed of an
upper part 9 and a lower part which are assembled on one another,
heat shield 7 defining the lower part of water reservoir 8. Heat
shield 7 to this end has a first channel 71 and a second annular
channel 72 receiving, with interposition of a sealing strip, the
walls of upper part 9. Reservoir 8 is provided with a filling
orifice 10 opening on the front face of the iron.
[0026] In a conventional manner, the iron comprises a drip device
11 that provides a water passage from reservoir 8 towards steam
chamber 4, this device classically having an orifice whose cross
section can be reduced by a needle.
[0027] The iron also has a manual piston pump 12 making it possible
to inject water into a secondary steam chamber 13 having a reduced
size compared to main steam chamber 4. This secondary steam chamber
13, represented in broken lines in FIG. 1, is in particular
intended to produce steam when the iron is held vertically in order
to allow vertical smoothing by steam jets.
[0028] More particularly according to the invention, heat shield 7,
shown in greater detail in FIGS. 2 to 4, integrates a conduit 73
extending from the rear end of reservoir 8 to a flange 74 disposed
in line with pump 12 and to which the lower end of pump 12 is
hydraulically connected. The end of conduit 73 disposed at the rear
of reservoir 8 has an inlet orifice 73a permitting water from the
reservoir to penetrate into conduit 73, the other end of conduit 73
having an outlet orifice emerging into flange 74 so that water
present in conduit 73 can be used to supply pump 12, in particular
when the iron is held vertically. The inlet 73a and outlet orifices
of conduit 73 are advantageously oriented perpendicular to the main
plane of heat shield 7 so as to simplify the molding of this
latter.
[0029] Preferentially, heat shield 7 is made of a thermohardening
plastic filled, or impregnated, with fibers and conduit 73 is
obtained by the technique of gas injection. This technique, known
per se, and described for example in the patent application WO
03/011557, consists in designing the conduit and the mold so that
the external wall of the conduit is solidified more quickly than
the volume at the heart of the conduit and injecting the gas
through an end of the conduit, before solidification of the plastic
in the heart of the conduit, so as to evacuate the molten material
through the other end of the conduit, thus freeing a passage at the
center of the conduit.
[0030] Such a pressing iron, in which the supply conduit for the
pump is integrated into the heat shield, has the advantage of
permitting a simplified and reliable process for fabricating the
iron.
[0031] Of course, the invention is by no means limited to the
embodiment described and illustrated which has been given only as
an example. Modifications remain possible, in particular from the
point of view of the constitution of the various elements or by
substitution of technical equivalents, without departing for that
matter from the field of protection of the invention.
[0032] Thus, in an alternative embodiment of the invention not
represented, other conduits could be integrated into the heat
shield such as for example a conduit to connect the reservoir to
the drip device feeding the main steam chamber.
* * * * *