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(11) | EP 1 264 029 B1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION |
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| (54) |
IRONING DEVICE AND IRON BÜGELVORRICHTUNG UND BÜGELEISEN DISPOSITIF DE REPASSAGE ET FER A REPASSER |
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| Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention). |
[0001] The present invention relates to an ironing device comprising an ironing board and an iron provided with fixing means which are able to receive the iron and to fix it in a manually releasable position.
[0002] An ironing device is applied on large scale for domestic use and in hotel rooms and the like. This is almost always a separate iron which is used in combination with the ironing board. Both then have to be stored away separately of each other. The iron, which is often still hot, herein forms a real fire hazard if it is not put away carefully. This hazard occurs particularly in hotel rooms where a guest will often leave the accommodation for a longer period after having used the device. GB 2 235 932, which is considered as the closest prior art, discloses an ironing device with fixing means according to the preamble of claim 1. In US patent 5,108,056 an ironing board with fixing means has been described comprising a holder (10) from which the lower part has a truncated pyramid form.
[0003] It is the object of the invention to provide an ironing device of the type stated in the preamble which provides a practical and in particular safe storage option for the iron.
[0004] In order to achieve the intended purpose, an ironing device of the type stated in the preamble has the feature according to the invention that the ironing board is provided with fixing means which comprise a projection which protrudes in a direction transversely of the ironing board and that the iron is provided with a corresponding bore for receiving the projection therein. In this device the iron is given a place on the ironing board itself. The fixation of the iron on the ironing board herein provides a safe storage option since the possibility of the iron becoming detached is thus avoided, even when the ironing board is folded up and put away. The iron is specially modified for the use with the fixing means in that a suitable bore is arranged therein. This provides a particularly practical and sturdy embodiment of the fixing means, wherein the iron is simply placed with the bore onto the projection.
[0005] A further embodiment of the ironing device according to the invention has the feature that the iron is provided with at least a part of locking means acting in a direction transversely of the bore in order to fix the iron in manually releasable manner in the situation placed on the projection. Because the locking means act in a direction transversely of the bore a fixation of the iron is achieved in both the longitudinal direction and the transverse direction of the bore, whereby it is properly fixed on the ironing board under all conditions. A further particular embodiment of the ironing device according to the invention has in this respect the feature that the locking means comprise a resilient lip which slots close-fittingly into a corresponding recess of the iron.
[0006] A preferred embodiment of the ironing device according to the invention is characterized in that the fixing means are arranged wholly on a bracket which is mounted on the ironing board. The placing of the fixing means on a separate bracket makes it possible to subsequently make existing ironing boards quickly suitable for application of the invention. The bracket with the fixing means thereon can thus be mounted later on an existing ironing board, whereafter this latter is wholly suitable for application of the invention.
[0007] It is particularly important in hotel rooms that the iron is not left lying around or otherwise comes to lie in a place not intended for the purpose. In order to avoid this, a further embodiment of the ironing device according to the invention has the feature that the iron is connected by means of a cord, flex or the like to the ironing board.
[0008] The cord, flex or the like prevents the possibility of the iron too easily being placed too far from the ironing board.
[0009] The invention likewise relates to an iron for application in the ironing device according to the invention as specified above.
[0010] The invention will be further elucidated hereinbelow with reference to an embodiment and to a drawing. In the drawing:
- figures 1-3
- show schematic cross-sections of an embodiment of an ironing device according to the invention in different stages of use.
[0011] The figures are otherwise purely schematic and not drawn to scale. For the sake of clarity some dimensions in particular are greatly exaggerated. Corresponding parts are designated in the figures with the same reference numerals.
[0012] The ironing device shown in figure I comprises a collapsible ironing board I with an electric iron 2 thereby. The ironing device is provided with fixing means in the form of a projection 3, see figures 2 and 3, on which the iron is placed in the situation shown in figure 1. The iron comprises for this purpose a fixation block 4 in which a bore, not shown in the plane of the drawing, is arranged which corresponds with the form of projection 3. The fixing means further comprise a resilient lip 5 which falls into a corresponding recess on the rear side of fixation block 4.
[0013] In order to remove the iron, the resilient lip 5 must first be retracted with the control member 6 provided for this purpose so as to thus release the iron. The iron can then be lifted from the projection, see figure 2, in order to be used, see figure 3.
[0014] After use the iron is again (re-)placed on the projection and the resilient lip snaps automatically into the recess at the rear of the fixation block 4. The iron thus forms with the ironing board an integral unit which can be folded down together and stowed away together. An iron left lying about or stored in other unsafe manner hereby becomes a thing of the past.
[0015] The fixing means which provide fixation of the iron on the ironing board are arranged entirely on a separate bracket 7 which is fastened in turn to the ironing board by means of screws or other fastening means. An existing ironing board can thus be made wholly suitable very quickly for application of the present invention by simply arranging such a bracket having the fixing means already pre-fastened thereon.
[0016] All in all the invention hereby provides a particularly convenient and useful solution which enables an iron of an ironing device to be stored with the ironing board thereof.
[0017] The iron can optionally be attached herein to the bracket or the ironing board via a cord, flex or the like, so that the iron is actually prevented from being separated from the ironing device.
[0018] Although the invention has been further elucidated on the basis of only a single embodiment, it will be apparent that the invention is by no means limited thereto. On the contrary, many other variations and embodiments are still possible within the scope of the invention for a person with ordinary skill in the art.
1. Ironing device comprising an ironing board (1) and an iron (2, 4), provided with fixing
means which are able to receive the iron (2, 4) and to fix it in a manually releasable
position, the fixing means comprise a projection (3) which protrudes in a direction
and the iron (2, 4) is provided with a corresponding bore for receiving the projection
(3) therein characterized in that said direction is transversely of the ironing board (1).
2. Ironing device as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the iron (2, 4) is provided with at least a part of locking means acting in a direction
transversely of the bore in order to fix the iron (2, 4) in manually releasable manner
in the situation placed on the projection (3).
3. Ironing device as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the locking means comprise a resilient lip (5) which slots close-fittingly into a
corresponding recess of the iron (2, 4).
4. Ironing device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the fixing means are arranged wholly on a bracket (7) which is mounted on the ironing
board (1).
5. Ironing device as claimed in one or more of the foregoing claims, characterized in that the iron (2, 4) is connected by means of a cord, flex or the like to the ironing
board (1).
1. Bügelvorrichtung, enthaltend ein Bügelbrett (1) und ein Bügeleisen (2, 4), versehen
mit Befestigungsmitteln, die geeignet sind das Bügeleisen (2, 4) aufzunehmen und es
in einer manuell freigebbaren Position zu fixieren, das Befestigungsmittel enthält
einen Überstand (3), welcher in eine Richtung herausragt und das Bügeleisen (2, 4)
ist mit einer entsprechenden Bohrung versehen, um den Überstand hierin aufzunehmen,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass diese Richtung quer zum Bügelbrett (1) verläuft.
2. Bügelvorrichtung, wie in Anspruch 1 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Bügeleisen (2, 4) mit wenigstens einem Teil eines Schließmechanismus, der quer
zur Richtung der Bohrung arbeitet, versehen ist, um das Bügeleisen (2, 4) in einer
manuell auslösbaren Weise zu fixieren, falls es auf dem Überstand (3) plaziert ist.
3. Bügelvorrichtung, wie in Anspruch 2 beansprucht, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Schließmechanismus eine elastische Lippe (5), welche enganliegend in die entsprechende
Aussparung des Bügeleisens (2, 4) einrastet, aufweist.
4. Bügelvorrichtung, wie in einem oder mehreren der vorhergehenden Ansprüche beansprucht,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Befestigungsmittel vollständig auf einem Tragarm (7) angebracht ist, welcher
an dem Bügelbrett (1) angeordnet ist.
5. Bügelvorrichtung, wie in einem oder mehreren der vorhergehenden Ansprüche beansprucht,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Bügeleisen (2, 4) mittels einer Schnur, Kabel oder ähnlichem an dem Bügelbrett
(1) befestigt ist.
1. Dispositif de repassage comprenant une table à repasser (1) et un fer à repasser (2,
4), munis de moyens de fixation qui sont aptes à recevoir le fer à repasser (2, 4)
et à le maintenir dans une position libérable manuellement, les moyens de fixation
comprenant une saillie (3) qui s'étend dans une direction, le fer à repasser (2, 4)
étant muni d'un trou correspondant pour recevoir la saillie (3) dedans, caractérisé en ce que ladite direction est transversale à la table à repasser (1).
2. Dispositif de repassage tel que revendiqué dans la revendication 1, caractérisé en ce que le fer à repasser (2, 4) est muni d'au moins une partie de moyens de verrouillage
agissant dans une direction transversale au trou de sorte à fixer le fer à repasser
(2, 4) de façon libérable manuellement dans la position disposé sur la saillie (3).
3. Dispositif de repassage tel que revendiqué dans la revendication 2, caractérisé en ce que les moyens de verrouillage comprennent une lèvre élastique (5) s'insérant de façon
ajustée dans un évidement correspondant du fer à repasser (2, 4).
4. Dispositif tel que revendiqué dans une ou plusieurs des revendications précédentes,
caractérisé en ce que les moyens de fixation sont arrangés dans leur ensemble sur un support (7) qui est
monté sur la table à repasser (1).
5. Dispositif de repassage tel que revendiqué dans une ou plusieurs des revendications
précédentes, caractérisé en ce que le fer à repasser (2, 4) est relié au moyen d'un cordon, fil ou autre élément similaire
à la table à repasser (1).