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(11) | EP 1 270 796 A1 |
| (12) | EUROPEAN PATENT APPLICATION |
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| (54) | All steam iron |
| (57) An all steam iron constructed as that a preheat hollow chamber is omitted in an iron
main body (1), and a preheat circulation passage (32), in which steam flows to heat
the iron main body (1), is formed. And, a branched passage (31), freely opened and
closed by an operation valve (7), is disposed along a near part of a sole (2), and
steam is jetted out of many steam jets (3) on the sole (2) through the branched passage
(31) in a steam jet operation in which the operation valve (7) is opened. |
[0001] This invention relates to an all steam iron, without an electric heat body in an iron main body, with which ironing is conducted with supplied steam.
[0002] Conventionally, as shown in Figure 6, in an all steam iron, without an electric heat body in an iron main body 41, with which ironing is conducted with supplied steam, the supplied steam through a supplying passage is momentarily filled into a heat hollow chamber 44. Then, when a steam valve 45 is opened to jet the steam in ironing, the steam is sent to plural branched passage bores 48 through the heat hollow chamber 44, a suction opening 46, the steam valve 45, and a main passage 47, and jetted from steam jets 49 on a sole 42 of the iron.
[0003] The heat hollow chamber 44 is composed of an operational flat plate 50 and a shell member 51 welded each other.
[0004] As shown in Figure 6, each of the heat hollow chamber 44, the main passage 47, and the branched passage bore 48 is a pressure container which needs to be made of stainless steel for mechanical strength. Further, workability of the ironing is reduced because plate thickness of these members is large and the iron main body 41 becomes quite heavy. Temperature of the sole 42 is low for the stainless having low heat conductivity.
[0005] And, the operational flat plate 50 and a shell member 51, which compose the heat hollow chamber 44, are welded of which welding amount is large and requires much labor for the welding, and reliability as a pressure container is not sufficient because the welding is conducted from the outside on only one side. Many other members (the main passage 47, the branched passage bores 48) have problems in workability in production and in reliability as product because they are also composed and connected with welding.
[0006] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an all steam iron which is having simple construction, safety, good heat efficiency, and light weight.
[0007] This object is solved according to the present invention by all steam iron including the features of claim 1, 2, or 3. Furthermore detailed embodiments are described in the dependent claims 4, 5, and 6.
[0008] The present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view showing a preferred embodiment of an all steam iron of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a top view of the all steam iron in which a cover is removed;
Figure 3 is a top view with a partial section of the all steam iron in which a cover is removed;
Figure 4 is a cross-sectional side view to explain a check valve;
Figure 5 is a cross-sectional side view showing to explain the check valve; and
Figure 6 is a cross-sectional side view of a conventional all steam iron.
[0009] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
[0010] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional side view of an embodiment of an all steam iron relating to the present invention. In the all steam iron, the steam is supplied from a means for steam generation and supply (a boiler) not shown in Figures to an iron main body 1 through a steam supplying hose 4 to conduct preheat and heat retention of the iron main body 1 (a sole 2) and jet the steam out of the sole 2 for ironing.
[0011] The all steam iron of the present invention is, omitting a heat hollow chamber for preheat in the iron main body 1, provided with the iron main body 1 having the sole 2, a steam flow passage 11, an operation valve 7, etc. A cover 9 for burning prevention made of plastic is disposed on an outside (an upper side) of the iron main body 1.
[0012] The heat hollow chamber is an enlarged space in the conventional all steam iron shown in Figure 6 forming a pressure container for keeping and supplying steam to hold the steam temporarily in the heat hollow chamber 44 for preheat and heat retention of the iron main body 41, and then, jetting the steam out of the sole.
[0013] The steam flow passage 11 is a pipe provided with a preheat circulation passage 32 and a branched passage 31. As described later in detail, the preheat circulation passage 32 is composed as to flow the steam, transmit the heat, and warm (heat) the iron main body 1, and the branched passage 31 is constructed as to be freely closed and opened to a pipe on the supplying hose 4 by switching the operation valve 7 disposed on an upstream end of the branched passage 31 to jet the steam out of many steam jet 3 connected to the branched passage 31 and disposed on the sole 2 of the iron. The preheat circulation passage 32, forming a part of a circulation passage of the steam, is a part of a circulation passage in which the steam generated in the boiler passes the preheat circulation passage 32 through the steam supplying hose 4, and the steam flows out of the iron main body 1 (to circulate) in an arrow Z direction.
[0014] Open-and-close operation of the operation valve 7 is conducted by pushing a handle 14 to open the valve by parting a valve body 7a of the valve 7 from a valve seat 7b to jet the steam. The valve 7 is kept fully closed while the handle 14 is simply gripped, and the steam is not jetted. Figure 1 is showing a steam-jetting state in which the valve is opened.
[0015] A top view of the all steam iron, in which the cover 9 is removed, is shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 1 and Figure 2, in the iron main body 1 having the sole 2 of flat face, a branched passage bore 12 along and parallel to the sole 2 is disposed above the sole 2, and a preheat circulation passage bore 13 parallel to the sole 2 is disposed above the branched passage bore 12. The many steam jets 3, each of which has a gradually spreading steam-jet portion 3', are disposed on the sole 2, and the steam jet 3 is communicatively connected to the branched passage bore 12.
[0016] The branched passage bore 12 and the preheat circulation passage bore 13 are formed unitedly of a block body. That is to say, a block body 15 formed by casting or forging is bored by a drill to form non-penetrating bores as the preheat circulation passage bore 13 (the preheat circulation passage 32) and the branched passage bore 12 (the branched passage 31). Therefore, an initial end portion 25 is sealed with welding or a plug as shown in Figure 2.
[0017] The united block body 15 includes a united block body having no seam and, although not shown in Figures, a block body formed with unitedly assembled plural block bodies contact and being fixed each other.
[0018] That is to say, the iron main body 1 has, as shown in Figure 1, an operational flat plate 16 having the sole 2 and the steam jets 3, a middle layer 17 in which the branched passage bore 12 is disposed, an outer layer 18 in which the preheat circulation passage bore 13 is disposed, a valve case portion 19 in which the operation valve 7 is disposed, and a transfer piping portion 20 to supply and exhaust the steam.
[0019] The steam supplying hose 4 for supplying the steam in the arrow A direction is detachably attached to a rear end attachment portion 29 of the transfer piping portion 20 of the iron main body 1, and an exhaust valve 21 to exhaust the steam in the arrow Z direction is detachably attached to a rear end attachment portion 30. The exhaust valve 21 has a drain valve 22 (or a steam trap) to remove water drops generated in the preheat circulation passage bore 13.
[0020] The steam supplying hose 4 has a first supplying passage 5 and a second supplying passage 6 which is inserted to the first supplying passage 5 to form a double-pipe passage, and length L of the second supplying passage 6 is set to be 200mm to 500mm.
[0021] The first supplying passage 5 is communicatively connected to the preheat circulation passage bore 13 through a first piping hole 23 of the transfer piping portion 20, and the second supplying passage 6 is communicatively connected to the operation valve 7 through a second piping hole 24 of the transfer piping portion 20. And, the steam is supplied to the branched passage bore 12 when the operation valve 7 is opened in steam jet operation. That is to say, the second supplying passage 6 and the branched passage bore 12 are freely connected and closed by the operation valve 7.
[0022] Next, flowing of the steam is described. First, in non-jetting state in which the operation valve is closed as shown in Figure 2, the steam flows from the first supplying passage 5, through the first piping hole 23 as shown by the arrow B, passing a spring side of the check valve 8 described later (in Figure 4), in the direction shown with arrows C and D in the preheat circulation passage bore 13. The preheat circulation passage bore 13 has a branch portion 27 and a confluence portion 28, and the steam passes through the iron main body 1. One pair or several pairs of the branch portion 27 and the confluence portion 28 may be disposed as the steam circulates the whole area of the iron main body 1 to warm uniformly. And, the preheat circulation passage bore 13 is eventually returns to one passage, the steam is sent out of the iron main body 1 in the direction of arrows E with the water drops through the exhaust valve 21 (shown with the arrow Z), and returned to the boiler side.
[0023] The steam sent from the second supplying passage 6 in the non-jetting state, in which the operation valve 7 is closed, is not sent to the branched passage bore 12, but let off on the preheat circulation passage bore 13 side as shown with an arrow F in Figure 4 by opening the check valve 8 disposed on an upstream side of the operation valve 7 (a side portion below the operation valve 7). The check valve 8 is composed of, serially in the flowing direction shown by the arrow F, a ball 33, a seat face 34, and a compression coil spring 35. The steam, pushing the ball 33 (to open the check valve), easily passes the check valve when the operation valve 7 is closed, and be sent to the preheat circulation passage bore 13 communicatively connected to the spring 35 side.
[0024] Therefore, the steam sent through the second supplying passage 6 is always let off on the preheat circulation passage bore 13 side even in the non-jetting state, generation of the water drops in the second piping hole 24 is restricted because the steam does not stay in the second piping hole 24 communicatively connected to the upstream side (lower portion) of the operation valve 7, and water drops do not flow to the steam jet 3 (the branched passage bore 12) when switched to the steam jet operation.
[0025] Next, in the steam-jetting state in which the operation valve 7 is opened, as shown in Figures 1, 3, and 5, the steam from the boiler, passing through the second supplying passage 6 and the operation valve 7 as shown with an arrow H, flows in the arrow I direction in the branched passage bore 12. The branched passage bore 12. as shown in Figure 3, has a main bore 12a and many branch bores 12b, and many steam jets 3 in the main bore 12a and the branch bores 12b penetrate the sole 2. And, the steam flows also into the branch bores 12b as shown with arrows J, and the steam in the branch bores 12b is jetted out of the sole 2 through the steam jets 3.
[0026] Also in this steam-jetting state, as described above, the steam passes through the first supplying passage 5 and the preheat circulation passage bore 13 to heat the iron main body 1 and retain the heat, and circulates toward the boiler side.
[0027] The check valve 8, as described above, is opened and working as to send the steam supplied from the second supplying passage 6 to the preheat circulation passage bore 13 in the non-jetting state, and closed to prevent the water drops, generated and remaining in the preheat circulation passage bore 13, from flowing back to the second supplying passage 6 side in the steam-jetting state.
[0028] In the non-jetting state, the water drops generated in the preheat circulation passage bore 13 do not backflow to the second piping hole 24 (the second supplying passage 6) side even when the check valve 8 is opened because the steam supplied from the second supplying passage 6 flows to the preheat circulation passage bore 13 side with a considerable flowing speed when the check valve 8 is opened.
[0029] As shown in Figure 1, the second supplying passage 6, inserted to the first supplying passage 5 of the steam supplying hose 4, is opening in the first supplying passage 5 with a predetermined length L to suck the steam. The predetermined length L is a length to prevent the water drops generated in the preheat circulation passage bore 13 from flowing back to the first supplying passage 5 side, or to prevent the water drops generated in the first piping hole 23 and the attachment portion 29 from intruding to the second supplying passage 6 communicatively connected to the branched passage bore 12 side. So needless water drops are not blown out of the steam jets 3. When the length L is less than 200mm, water drops easily intrude to the second supplying passage 6. On the contrary, when the length L is more than 500mm, the tube as the second supplying passage 6 is excessive.
[0030] In the steam flow passage 11 (the branched passage bore 12 and the preheat circulation passage bore 13), composed of passage in which the steam flows, inner pressure does not become excessively high because the steam has its flowing speed. And, cross-section of the bore is preferably circular with which plate thickness of the pipe wall of the steam flow passage 11 is thin even if the pressure (inner pressure) of the steam in the steam flow passage 11. The iron main body 1 can be made with light metals such as aluminum and aluminum alloy because stress generated in the iron main body 1 is small and stable for the pipe wall composed of the block body 15 as described above. The iron made with aluminum has improved characteristics as an iron because aluminum has good heat conductivity and very preferable for heat transmission and efficiency with the steam in the preheat circulation passage bore 13. Other than aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or an alloy of these metals may be used.
[0031] With the construction above, the iron main body can be made thin and compact. Therefore, the outer face of the cover 9 is not hot when the iron main body 1 has high heat because the iron has the space 10 as an air layer between the plastic cover 9 and the iron main body 1 as shown in Figure 1, so safety is kept because worker's hand touching the cover 9 does not get burnt.
[0032] According to the all steam iron of the present invention, with a rational construction as a pressure-resistant construction for flowing the steam as a pressure fluid in which the steam passes only through the passages having small cross-sectional area without a heat chamber as a large hollow portion, a safe all steam iron having a simplified and light-weight construction is obtained.
[0033] Adding to the effect above, the steam is freely jetted out of the steam jets 3 by the operation valve 7, and the iron main body 1 is prevented from reducing the temperature during a long period of steam jetting. Therefore, ironing is always conducted very neatly.
[0034] And, state and distribution of stress by the inner pressure of the steam are uniform and stable, the all steam iron is made safe and of simple construction. Therefore, the iron can be formed with light metals having rather low mechanical strength and good heat conductivity to improve the workability of ironing.
[0035] And, the generation of water drops in the passages is prevented because the steam can be always sent to the preheat circulation passage bore 13 and the steam does not stay also in the non-jetting state, and excessive water drops are not jetted out of the steam jets 3 to the garment being ironed when switched to the steam-jetting state. And, the excessive water drops are not jetted out of the steam jets 3 to the garment being ironed when switched to the steam-jetting state because the water drops remaining in the preheat circulation passage bore 13 is prevented from flowing back to the second supplying passage 6 side. Therefore, ironing is always conducted very neatly.
1. An all steam iron comprising an iron main body (1) in which a heat hollow chamber
for preheat is omitted and a preheat circulation passage (32) is formed.
2. An all steam iron comprising a construction in which:
a preheat circulation passage (32), omitting a heat hollow chamber for preheat, is formed in an iron main body (1);
the iron main body (1) is warmed by steam flowing in the preheat circulation passage (32);
a branched passage (31), freely opened and closed by an operation valve (7), is disposed along a near portion of a sole (2); and
the steam is jetted out of many steam jets (3) on the sole (2) through the branched passage (31) in a steam-jetting state in which the operation valve (7) is opened.
3. An all steam iron comprising an iron main body (1), having many steam jets (3) disposed
on a sole (2) of flat face, many branched passage bores (12) parallel to the sole
(2) and communicatively connected to the steam jets (3), and a preheat circulation
passage bore (13) disposed above the branched passage bores (12), in which the branched
passage bores (12) and the preheat circulation passage bore (13) are formed uniformly
with a block body.
4. The all steam iron as set forth in claim 3, wherein a steam supplying hose (4) has
a first supplying passage (5) and a second supplying passage (6), the first supplying
passage (5) is communicatively connected to the preheat circulation passage bore (13),
the second supplying passage (6) is communicatively connected to an operation valve
(7), and steam can be supplied to the branched passage bores (12) by the operation
valve (7) in a steam-jetting state.
5. The all steam iron as set forth in claim 4, wherein a check valve (8), which sends
the steam supplied from the second supplying passage (6) to the preheat circulation
passage bore (13) in a non-jetting state and prevents water generated in the preheat
circulation passage bore (13) from flowing back to the second supplying passage (6)
side in the steam-jetting state, is provided.
6. The all steam iron as set forth in claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the iron main body
(1) is formed with aluminum, titanium, magnesium, or an alloy of these metals.