U.S. patent application number 11/917854 was filed with the patent office on 2008-09-04 for clothes iron with means for inducing orbital oscillatory motion into the sole plate.
Invention is credited to Pervez Akhter.
Application Number | 20080209773 11/917854 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34855727 |
Filed Date | 2008-09-04 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080209773 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Akhter; Pervez |
September 4, 2008 |
Clothes Iron With Means For Inducing Orbital Oscillatory Motion
Into the Sole Plate
Abstract
A clothes iron comprises a body (2) and a sole plate (3). The
body (2) is supported on the sole plate (3) by means of laterally
resilient springs (4). The springs permit sideways movement of the
sole plate (3) relative to the body (2). A motor (8) has a shaft
(9) that carries an eccentric portion (10) which is received within
a socket provided in the upper face of the sole plate. Thus,
operation of the motor will cause the sole plate to execute orbital
oscillatory motion relative to the body, in the plane of the face
of the sole plate.
Inventors: |
Akhter; Pervez;
(Northampton, GB) |
Correspondence
Address: |
BROOKS KUSHMAN P.C.
1000 TOWN CENTER, TWENTY-SECOND FLOOR
SOUTHFIELD
MI
48075
US
|
Family ID: |
34855727 |
Appl. No.: |
11/917854 |
Filed: |
June 8, 2006 |
PCT Filed: |
June 8, 2006 |
PCT NO: |
PCT/GB2006/002098 |
371 Date: |
December 17, 2007 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
38/75 ;
38/74 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 75/36 20130101;
D06F 75/00 20130101; D06F 75/38 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
38/75 ;
38/74 |
International
Class: |
D06F 75/08 20060101
D06F075/08; D06F 75/38 20060101 D06F075/38; D06F 75/00 20060101
D06F075/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jun 17, 2005 |
GB |
0512380.7 |
Sep 1, 2005 |
GB |
0517857.9 |
Claims
1. A clothes iron comprises: a body; a manually graspable handle
secured to the body; a sole plate connected to the body, the sole
plate having a substantially planar face for engaging items to be
ironed; and means for inducing orbital oscillatory motion into the
sole plate in the plane of the face thereof to enhance the
performance of the iron.
2. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein the means for
inducing orbital oscillatory motion comprises: a rotary motor
mounted in the body or the handle, the motor shaft having an output
shaft and eccentric means on the shaft.
3. A clothes iron according to claim 2 wherein the eccentric means
comprises an eccentric portion of the shaft which is received in a
socket in the sole plate.
4. A clothes iron according to claim 3 wherein the eccentric means
comprises an eccentric weight mounted on the shaft.
5. A clothes iron according to claim 3 wherein the eccentric
portion of the shaft is received as a snug fit in a socket in the
sole plate.
6. A clothes iron according to claim 5 wherein the socket in the
sole plate is provided by the inner race of a bearing, the outer
race of which is secured to the sole plate.
7. A clothes iron according to claim 3 wherein a lost motion
connection is provided between the eccentric portion of the shaft
and the sole plate.
8. A clothes iron according to claim 7 wherein the lost motion
connection is provided by a slot in which the eccentric works, the
slot having a length shorter than the throw of the eccentric so
that the sloe plate moves in a figure of 8 pattern as the shaft
rotates.
9. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein the sole plate is
connected to the body by flexible coupling means so that the sole
plate may oscillate in the plane of the face thereof relative to
the body.
10. A clothes iron according to claim 9 wherein the flexible
connecting means are resilient connecting means which tend to
maintain the sole plate in a predetermined position relative to the
body.
11. A clothes iron according to claim 10 wherein the resilient
means comprise laterally resilient elastomeric bodies or laterally
resilient springs.
12. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein support means are
provided for engaging the surface being ironed to react part of
downward load imposed on the iron onto the surface being ironed,
the support means being independent of the sole plate and connected
to the body.
13. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein an attitude
sensitive switch is incorporated for automatically initiating
vibration of the sole plate when the iron is tipped from a
generally upright rest position to a generally horizontal use
position, and for interrupting vibratory movement when the iron is
again turned to its rest position.
14. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein means are provided
for manually or automatically controlling the speed of
oscillation.
15. A clothes iron according to claim 1 wherein the sole plate
comprises a rigid base and a sandwich structure secured to the
base, the sandwich structure comprising an envelope filled with a
liquid or paste.
16. A clothes iron according to claim 15 wherein the envelope is of
Kevlar and the paste comprises an oil and metal particles.
17. A clothes iron according to claim 1 including an ultrasonic
transducer for inducing ultrasonic waves in the surface of the sole
plate that contacts the clothes.
Description
[0001] This invention relates to an improved clothes iron and, in
the preferred embodiment, provides a clothes iron which produces an
enhanced ironing effect with a reduction in user effort, as
compared with conventional clothes irons. Although the iron in the
present invention will be herein referred to as the "clothes iron"
it is to be understood that the iron may be used for purposes other
than ironing clothes, for example, it may be used for ironing
sheets, towels, tablecloths and similar items or may be used for
pressing seams, etc during manufacture of cloth items.
[0002] Traditional clothes irons, which may be described as "dry
irons" consist of a smooth plate (the sole plate) which is
connected to a handle. The sole plate is heated by suitable means
(for example electric heating elements) to an appropriate
temperature and ironing is effected by pressing and/or repeatedly
moving back and forth of the sole plate against the clothes or
other items to be ironed. Whilst such irons can accomplish the work
they require repeated passes and are generally ineffective against
cloth items which have dried in a creased state or against fabrics
the inherent properties of which make them difficult to iron back
into a flat state. Also, all irons require a considerable amount of
manual effort, in terms of both downward pressure and horizontal
force to work repeatedly over the surface being ironed to get the
desired finish.
[0003] With a view to improving the performance of irons, so called
"steam irons" have been devised. These consist of essentially the
same elements as a traditional dry iron, but with the addition of a
mechanism for creating steam which flows out through holes provided
in the sole plate to assist in the ironing process. Whilst steam
irons provide advantages over dry irons, they nonetheless still
require significant effort and work to remove persistent creases
despite the aid of steam.
[0004] With a view to improving the performance of an iron it has
been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,021 to incorporate an
ultrasonic generator to produce ultrasonic movement of the sole
plate. However, it is believed that such an arrangement will not be
as effective as the oscillation motion proposed in the present
invention. Also, it is not clear from U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,021 the
mode in which the sole plate is vibrated by the ultrasonic
oscillator. Apparently, the ultrasonic oscillator is mounted on top
of the sole plate and in the circumstances it is likely that any
vibratory movement of the sole plate will be perpendicular to the
face of the sole plate.
[0005] A further oscillating iron is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No.
2,080,682. In this case, the sole plate is mounted for rotary
movement relative to the body and a motor driven crank is used to
rotate the sole plate back and forth relative to the body so that
the sole plate makes alternate clockwise and anti-clockwise
rotational movements about its rotational axis.
[0006] I have now devised an improved iron, which may be embodied
as a dry iron or a steam iron, which provides significantly
improved ironing performance and/or a significant reduction in the
manual effort required to effect the ironing of a garment or other
cloth item.
[0007] In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention a
clothes iron comprises: a body; a manually graspable handle secured
to the body; a sole plate connected to the body, the sole plate
having a substantially planar face for engaging items to be ironed;
and means for inducing orbital oscillatory motion into the sole
plate in the plane of the face thereof to enhance the performance
of the iron.
[0008] The term "orbital" as used herein means that when the
clothes iron hereof is operating, at least some points on the face
of the sole plate move in a closed path from a start position to a
displaced position and then from the displaced position back to the
start position without re-tracing the route taken during the
initial movement from the start position to the displaced position.
The orbital path may be a circular orbital path, a figure of 8
orbital path or indeed any other orbital path. The use of an
orbital path, in contrast to the simple back and forth movement
used in U.S. Pat. No. 2,080,682, produces an enhanced ironing
performance.
[0009] In the preferred embodiment of the invention the sole plate
is connected to the body by flexible coupling means so that the
sole plate may orbitally oscillate in the plane of the face thereof
relative to the body. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the
invention the flexible connecting means are elastomeric mouldings,
for example mouldings of a silicone compound. Such mouldings have
the required properties as springs and are also effective to
provide a degree of thermal isolation between the sole plate and
the body. Alternatively, the flexible connecting means may be
laterally resilient but longitudinally stiff metal or plastic strip
springs.
[0010] The orbital oscillation generating mechanism is preferably
powered by an electric motor mounted on the body or the handle.
Preferably, the motor is positioned remote from the sole plate to
reduce the exposure of the motor to the heat of the sole plate.
Preferably, airflow ways are provided to allow a flow of cooling
air over and/or through the motor.
[0011] In the preferred embodiment of the invention the orbital
oscillation generating mechanism comprises a motor mounted above
the sole plate and attached to the body. Preferably, the motor
shaft is perpendicular to the plane of the lower surface of the
sole plate and carries an eccentric extension which engages an
appropriate aperture provided in the sole plate. Accordingly, as
the motor shaft is rotated the sole plate executes orbital
oscillatory motion in the plane of the face thereof. In a
particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the motor shaft
carries an eccentric weight to dynamically balance the eccentricity
of the eccentric. Accordingly, the orbital oscillation motion is
dynamically balanced to reduce vibration of the body and handle and
only produce orbital oscillatory motion in the sole plate generated
by the eccentric.
[0012] The aperture in the sole plate which receives the eccentric
is preferably in the form of the inner race of a parallel-roller
bearing, the outer race which is secured to the sole plate. If the
eccentric is snugly received in the race the motion of the sole
plate will be circular orbital oscillatory motion.
[0013] In an alternative embodiment, the eccentric of the shaft is
received in a slot or other profile provided in the sole plate
(either directly or by means of an adaptor located within the inner
race of a bearing). By appropriately shaping and/or orientation of
the slot the form of orbital oscillatory movement applied to the
sole plate can be tailored. For example, a figure of 8 orbital
oscillatory pattern may be provided by a suitable drive
mechanism.
[0014] In the preferred embodiment of the invention an attitude
and/or motion sensitive switch is incorporated for automatically
initiating oscillation of the sole plate when the iron is tipped
from a generally upright rest position to a generally horizontal
use position, and for interrupting oscillatory movement when the
iron is again turned to its rest position. Means may be provided
for manually or automatically controlling the speed of oscillation.
For example, a manual switch may be provided allowing appropriate
selection of the motor speed and accordingly appropriate selection
of the oscillatory frequency. Additionally or alternatively,
automatic feedback means may be provided for, for example,
increasing the frequency of oscillation in response to increased
downward pressure on the iron handle, or on a manual pressure
switch which when pressed turns on and/or boosts the oscillation to
a maximum.
[0015] In one embodiment of the invention all downward load applied
to the iron will be reacted onto the surface being ironed via the
sole plate. However, in a preferred embodiment of the invention
means are provided for reacting part of the downward imposed load
via the sole plate and part of the downwardly imposed load through
one or more support members. The or each support member may project
through the sole plate to engage the surface being ironed or may be
positions laterally outside of the sole plate. Alternatively, a
combination of support members projecting through and located
laterally outside of the sole plate may be provided. Provision of
support members provides the advantage that the load which can be
imposed on the sole plate is limited by the flexible couplings that
connect the sole plate to the body. Excessive downward pressure on
the handle of the iron will be reacted direct onto the surface
being ironed through the support members leaving the sole plate
free to oscillate under a pre-determined pre-load force generated
by the flexible couplings. Such an arrangement helps to prevent
excessive vibration being transmitted to the handle of the iron and
ensures that the oscillation motor is not overloaded.
[0016] The invention will be better understood from the following
description of preferred embodiments thereof wherein:
[0017] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an iron in accordance with the
present invention with the handle and cover removed;
[0018] FIG. 2 is a schematic and perspective bottom view of the
iron of FIG. 1;
[0019] FIG. 3 is a longitudinally cross-sectioned perspective view
of the iron of FIG. 1;
[0020] FIG. 4 is a detailed cross-sectional view of a portion of
the iron of FIG. 1; and
[0021] FIG. 5 is a perspective view from the base of a second
embodiment of the invention.
[0022] Referring firstly to FIGS. 1 to 4 a preferred embodiment of
the invention is illustrated. In the interests of clarity, the
handle, electrical wiring to the sole plate elements and motor, the
temperature control mechanism and other conventional parts have
been omitted from the drawing. As illustrated, the invention is
embodied as a dry iron. It is to be understood, however, that the
invention may be embodied as a steam iron by incorporating
appropriate steam producing mechanisms within the body.
[0023] The illustrated iron 1 comprises a body 2 and a sole plate
3. The body 2 is supported on the sole plate 3 by means of
laterally resilient springs 4. Typically, in a conventional
boat-shaped sole plate three springs 4 may be provided, one at the
nose 5 of the sole plate and two at the rear 6 of the sole plate 3.
The springs 4 locate the sole plate 3 relative to the body 2 but
can be resiliently deformed sideways to permit sideways movement of
the sole plate 3 relative to the body in the plane of the lower
face 7 of the sole plate. The springs are able to transfer load
between the body 2 and the sole plate 3 in the direction
perpendicular to the plane of the face 7 of the sole plate to allow
a user to press on the sole plate by pressing on a handle which is
secured to the body.
[0024] In accordance with the invention, means are provided for
inducing orbital oscillation motion into the sole plate 3 in the
plane of the lower face 7. In the embodiment of FIGS. 1-4 a motor 8
is mounted on the body 2 or, optionally within the handle. A switch
may be provided for activating/deactivating the motor. Additionally
or alternatively an attitude sensitive switch may be provided for
automatically deactivating the motor when the iron is rotated to
place the iron in a rest position. The motor 8 has a shaft 9 that
extends perpendicular to the face 7. It is to be understood,
however, that various alternative arrangements are possible within
the scope of the present invention. The shaft 9 carries an
eccentric portion 10 that projects into an aperture provided in the
sole plate. In the preferred embodiment, the aperture is provided
by the inner race 11 of a parallel-roller bearing 12, the outer
race 13 of which is received within a recess of the sole plate. If
the eccentric portion is a snug fit in the aperture, as the shaft
rotates, the sole plate performs circular orbital oscillatory
motion in the plane of the face 7, relative to the body.
[0025] In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, in
addition to the eccentric portion 10, an eccentric weight is
provided and positioned to dynamically balance the shaft assembly
in order to reduce so far as possible lateral loading on the shaft
bearings accordingly reduce to a minimum the vibrations created or
transmitted to the body 2.
[0026] In the above described embodiments of the invention the
eccentric portion 10 is snugly received within the inner race 12 of
a bearing the outer race 13 of which is mounted in the upper
surface of the sole plate 3. However, other arrangements are
possible and in particular by modifying the nature of the
connection between the eccentric portion and the sole plate the
nature of the orbital oscillations transmitted to the sole plate
may be varied. By way of example, the eccentric portion may be
located to work in a slot provided in a bush. The bush is secured
to the sole plate by any suitable means. The slot is shorter than
the throw of the eccentric portion and as a result the sole plate
will perform a figure of 8 orbital oscillations movement. Further,
by adjusting the position of the connection relative to the centre
of the sole plate the nature of the orbital oscillatory movement
performed by the sole plate may be varied. In particular, by
shifting the connection nearer to the nose 5 of the sole plate an
arrangement may be produced in which there is more orbital
oscillation at the nose than at the rear, and by shifting the point
of connection towards the rear 6 the alternative arrangement in
which there is more orbital oscillation at the rear than at the
front can be produced.
[0027] In further possible embodiments of the invention the sole
plate may be split into two or more parts with, for example, one
side of the base plate oscillating in a clockwise rotary orbital
movement whilst the other side rotates in an anti-clockwise orbital
movement, the movement of the two sides being synchronised.
[0028] In a further possible embodiment of the invention the sole
plate is filled with a fluid and constructed from flexible
material. To this end a rigid sole plate base may be fitted with a
thin Kevlar/polymer sandwich filled with a suitable fluid, for
example colloidal copper or silver in an oil. The exposed surface
of the sandwich may be coated with a low friction material, for
example PTFE. Such an arrangement can be provided with a
combination of oscillations and vibrations in any of the above
described manners.
[0029] If desired, the whole of the applied load resulting from
downward pressure on the body from the handle may be reacted onto
the surface being ironed via the sole plate. However, in the
preferred embodiment of the invention support members are used to
react part of the imposed load onto the surface being ironed
thereby limiting the downward force which can be applied to the
sole plate. In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.
1-4 the support members are in the form of three mushroom-shaped
studs 15,16,17 located respectively one at the nose 5 of the sole
plate and two at the rear 6 of the sole plate. Conveniently, the
studs 15,16,17 may be preformed of a relatively rigid material onto
which an elastomeric material, for example a silicon material, is
moulded to produce the springs 4.
[0030] With the arrangement of support members of FIGS. 1-4, when
no downward load is applied to the iron the entire weight of the
iron is supported on the sole plate. Increased downward pressure on
the handle will initially compress the springs 4 which connect the
sole plate to the body, and the load on the sole plate will
increase in proportion to the increased load applied to the handle.
However, once a pre-determined load has been applied to the handle
the support members 15,16,17 will engage the surface being ironed
and any further downward load applied to the handle will be reacted
via the support members rather than via the sole plate. Thus, the
provision of the support members limits to a maximum the load which
is reacted via the sole plate. If the downward load on the handle
is greater than this maximum, part of the load will be reacted
through the sole plate and the balance will be reacted through the
support members. With such an arrangement if an excessive load is
applied to the handle the sole plate 3 is able to "float" subject
to a pre-load determined by the sole plate support springs 4. This
arrangement prevents excessive loading of the oscillation motor
and, in turn, prevents excessive vibrations being transmitted to
the handle if a high load is applied to the handle in use. This
arrangement also prevents excessive stress being applied to
delicate fabrics by the orbital oscillation mechanism.
[0031] Referring now to FIG. 5 an alternative embodiment of the
invention is shown. In this case, the body 2A has been fitted with
a cover and handle 18 of substantially conventional form. The sole
plate 3A includes longitudinal curved slots 19,20 through which
arcuate support members 21,22 project. The support members 21,22
are connected to the body 2A to react part of any imposed load
directly from the body onto the surface being ironed in a similar
manner to the studs 15,16,17 of FIGS. 1-4. In this case, the iron
is embodied as a steam iron with apertures 23 provided to direct
steam outwardly through the sole plate onto material being ironed
in conventional manner. In all other respects, the assembly of FIG.
5 is functionally the same as that of FIGS. 1-4.
[0032] Finally, if desired ancillary means may be provided for
enhancing the effectiveness of the iron. Such ancillary means may,
for example, comprise means for emitting steam through apertures in
the base plate, means for emitting a spray of water either through
apertures in the base plate or ahead of the nose, and ancillary
means for producing high frequency vibrations of the base plate,
for example by means of an ultrasonic oscillator.
* * * * *