Steam iron with water preheating device

Abstract

 The invention relates to an iron comprising a soleplate (1) with steam outlet holes; a vaporization chamber (4) provided with one or more steam outlets in connection with said holes of the soleplate; a preheating enclosure (10) with an inlet (11) connected to a water supply conduit (6) and an outlet (12a) in connection with a water inlet (5a) of said vaporization chamber (4), and a heating element arranged to heat the soleplate (1), the vaporization chamber (4) and the preheating enclosure (10) being under the control of an adjustable thermostat (9). All or part of the preheating enclosure (10) is formed by a tubular duct (16), made preferably of a flexible material, arranged above the vaporization chamber (4) and provided with an outlet end (12a) in connection with the water inlet (5a) of the vaporization chamber (4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention generally relates to a steam iron with a water preheating device, and more particularly to a domestic type iron for ironing clothes, provided with a soleplate for making contact with the clothes to be ironed, a steam generator for emitting steam through holes of the soleplate, and a preheating device for preheating water before it is introduced in the steam generator, where the soleplate, the steam generator and the preheating device are heated by one and the same heating element.

Background of the Invention

[0002] An electric iron for conventional dry ironing comprises a soleplate of a metal material with a surface for making contact with the clothes to be ironed, and a heating element, such as a resistor, arranged to heat said soleplate under the control of an adjustable thermostat. With this arrangement, a user can adjust by means of said thermostat the ironing temperature, i.e., the temperature of the soleplate, according to the different requirements of the clothes to be ironed. Some textile fibers, such as cotton and linen for example, admit relatively high ironing temperatures whereas other textile fibers, such as nylon and other synthetic fibers, require relatively low ironing temperatures.

[0003] Classic domestic type steam irons further comprises a steam generator device arranged to release steam through holes formed in the soleplate of the iron. The steam generator device comprises a water tank, a vaporization chamber heated by the same heating element as the soleplate, and one or more devices for introducing water into said heated vaporization chamber, where the water is suddenly vaporized generating steam which finds an exit through said holes formed in the soleplate. Domestic steam irons generally provide two different modes of generating and emitting steam. A first mode, called steam shot mode, is achieved by suddenly injecting a predetermined amount of water into the vaporization chamber through a manual injection pump, such that the amount of injected water is suddenly vaporized and the steam virtually exits suddenly through the holes of the soleplate. A second mode, called continuous steam mode, is achieved by introducing a small continuous flow of water, for example, dropwise, into the vaporization chamber by means of a variable flow valve, such as a needle valve, such that the continuous evaporation of said flow of water generates steam which exits continuously through the holes of the soleplate.

[0004] A drawback of conventional steam irons of the type described is that, when delicate fabrics requiring a low ironing temperature are ironed, the adjustment of the thermostat so that the heating element heats the soleplate at a low temperature makes the vaporization chamber also be heated at a low temperature, which can be insufficient to cause a sudden and complete vaporization of the water introduced therein, and it can occur that the steam exits mixed with drops of water through the holes of the soleplate. Another drawback is that the heat energy consumed to suddenly vaporize the cold water coming from the tank is relatively high and, given that said energy is withdrawn from the walls of the vaporization chamber and of the soleplate, the vaporization can temporarily decrease the temperature of the soleplate.

[0005] To solve these problems, patent GB-A-353938 describes a steam iron provided with a soleplate, a vaporization chamber on the soleplate, a heating element in the form of a sheet arranged between the soleplate and the vaporization chamber, and preheating compartments located on the vaporization chamber and through which the water coming from a supply conduit circulates before entering the vaporization chamber. The mentioned preheating compartments are formed by a series of stacked plates provided with recesses determining flattened enclosures communicated with one another through openings to allow the passage of water. The stacked plates are heated by the same heating device which heats the soleplate and the vaporization chamber. A drawback of this iron is that the construction and the assembly of the stacked plates providing the preheating compartments are complex and economically expensive.

[0006] Patent GB-A-661251 describes a steam iron provided with an endless textile strip mounted on rollers and having a section arranged below the ironing soleplate to wet the clothes to be ironed with steam or water expelled through holes in the soleplate. In one embodiment, the iron comprises a vaporization chamber having side walls and a bottom wall formed integrally with the soleplate as a one-piece body, and a preheating chamber arranged above the vaporization chamber such that it acts as a covering for it. The preheating chamber is fixed to the one-piece body by means of screws and the preheating chamber has a cover also fixed by means of screws. A single heating element is arranged in a channel formed by the one-piece body to heat the soleplate and the vaporization chamber and the preheating chamber. A valve controls the passage of water from a tank to the heating chamber, and the preheated water passes through an overflow from the preheating chamber to the vaporization chamber. A drawback of this iron is that, in addition to having a complex and expensive construction, the location of the preheating chamber completely covering the vaporization chamber makes it difficult to implement an adjustable needle valve and/or a manual injection pump for the continuous steam and steam shot modes, respectively.

Disclosure of the Invention

[0007] One objective of the present invention is to provide a steam iron equipped with a steam generator device heated by the same heating element which heats the soleplate and capable of providing a good level of steam even when the thermostat is adjusted to heat the soleplate at relatively low temperatures. Another objective of the present invention is to increase the volume of steam generated in the working conditions of the soleplate at high temperatures (thermostat adjusted at high temperatures), compared with other conventional systems. Yet another objective of the present invention is that the steam iron with the aforementioned features is capable of implementing the continuous steam and/or steam shot modes, and has a simple and cost-effective construction.

[0008] The present invention contributes to achieving the previous and other objectives by providing a steam iron with a water preheating device comprising a soleplate with a suitable surface for making contact with the clothes to be ironed and a plurality of steam outlet holes, a vaporization chamber provided with at least one water inlet in connection with a water supply conduit and at least one steam outlet in connection with said steam outlet holes, at least one heating element arranged to heat said soleplate and said vaporization chamber under the control of an adjustable thermostat, and a preheating enclosure with an inlet connected to said water supply conduit and at least one outlet in connection with said water inlet of said vaporization chamber, said preheating enclosure being configured and arranged so as to be heated by the same heating element which heats the soleplate and the vaporization chamber. The steam iron of the present invention is characterized in that at least part of said preheating enclosure is at least partly formed by a tubular duct arranged above the vaporization chamber, said tubular duct having an outlet end providing said outlet of the preheating enclosure in connection with the water inlet of the vaporization chamber.

[0009] According to one embodiment, the mentioned tubular duct comprises a preheating tube, preferably made of a flexible material, such as neoprene or silicone, extended in a winding arrangement above the vaporization chamber. This preheating tube has an inlet end connected to the water supply conduit and an outlet end in connection with the inlet of the vaporization chamber. The heat dissipated by the soleplate and the vaporization chamber thus heats the water which is in the preheating tube before the water enters the vaporization chamber. According to another embodiment, the preheating enclosure comprises, in addition to the mentioned tubular duct, a preheating chamber arranged completely or partly above the vaporization chamber. In this case, the water supply conduit is connected to an inlet of said preheating chamber and the tubular duct comprises a preheating tube with an inlet end connected to an outlet of the preheating chamber and an outlet end in connection with the inlet of the vaporization chamber. The water which is in the preheating chamber and tube is heated by the heat dissipated by the soleplate and the vaporization chamber before the water enters the vaporization chamber.

[0010] With this arrangement, the thermal difference between the temperature of the water entering the vaporization chamber and the walls thereof is considerably reduced, therefore the heat energy withdrawn from the walls of the vaporization chamber and from the soleplate for the sudden vaporization of the preheated water is less than that necessary for cold water. As a result, with preheated water a sudden and complete vaporization is achieved even with low ironing temperatures (provided that the latter are higher than the boiling point), and with very little or no transient decrease of the temperature of the soleplate. Furthermore, the water is preheated by means of the same heating element which heats the soleplate and the vaporization chamber, making use of a heat energy which would otherwise be lost by dissipation.

[0011] The steam iron of the present invention can include, as is usual, an adjustable flow valve associated to a first water inlet to the vaporization chamber configured to introduce a small continuous flow of preheated water into the vaporization chamber for the purpose of generating continuous steam, and optionally an injection pump associated to a second water inlet to the vaporization chamber configured to inject predetermined volumes of preheated water into the vaporization chamber for the purpose of generating steam shots. In such case, the outlet end of the preheating tube can be connected to said adjustable flow valve, and the latter can be directly connected to the injection pump through a conduit. Alternatively, the preheating tube can have a diversion providing a first outlet end connected to the adjustable flow valve and a second outlet end connected to the injection pump. In the embodiment where the preheating enclosure includes a preheating chamber, the tubular duct can be formed by a first preheating tube from a first outlet of the preheating chamber to the adjustable flow valve and a second preheating tube from a second outlet of the preheating chamber to the injection pump.

[0012] The construction of the steam iron of the present invention can be of a conventional type in which the soleplate and the bottom and side walls of the vaporization chamber are made integrally as a one-piece body, for example by a metal alloy injection molding, or are joined forming a base assembly, and a cover having the first and second water inlets formed therein is fixed to said one-piece body or base assembly to close the vaporization chamber at the upper part. A casing defining a handle, and in which there are installed, among other devices, a water tank, the adjustable flow valve and the injection pump, is fixed to the one-piece body covering the soleplate and the vaporization chamber, with the adjustable flow valve and the injection pump in coincidence with the first and second water inlets of the vaporization chamber. In such case, the preheating tube or tubes and the preheating chamber, if it is provided, can likewise be fixed to the casing of the iron, and arranged such that, once the casing is assembled with the one-piece body or base assembly, the preheating tube or tubes and, where it is provided, the preheating chamber are opposite and close to the cover of the vaporization chamber. This construction is simple and cost-effective and can be easily implemented in many of the existing steam irons with very slight modifications or adaptations.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0013] The previous and other features and advantages will be more fully understood from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steam iron according to a first embodiment of the present invention, where a casing of the iron has not been shown for the sake of greater clarity;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the steam iron of the first embodiment, without the casing;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a variant of the steam iron of the first embodiment, without the casing;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a steam iron according to a second embodiment of the present invention, where a casing of the iron has not been shown for the sake of greater clarity;

Fig. 5 is a plan view of the steam iron of the second embodiment, without the casing; and

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a one-piece body defining a soleplate and part of a vaporization chamber of the steam iron according to the first and second embodiments.

Detailed Description of Exemplary Embodiments

[0014] With reference first to Figs. 1 and 2, the steam iron of the present invention comprises, according to a first embodiment, a soleplate 1 having a lower surface configured to make contact with the clothes to be ironed and a plurality of steam outlet holes 2 (Fig. 6) formed through the soleplate, and a vaporization chamber 4 arranged on the soleplate 1. A heating element 8, such as a resistor, is arranged to heat both the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4 under the control of an adjustable thermostat 9.

[0015] Fig. 6 shows a one-piece body 22 defining the soleplate 1 and side walls 4a of the vaporization chamber 4, where the soleplate 1 forms a bottom wall of the vaporization chamber 4. The inner surface of the bottom wall of the vaporization chamber 4 has formed therein reliefs for increasing the heat transfer surface. The vaporization chamber 4 has steam outlets 7 connected to a steam distribution chamber 3 communicated with said steam outlet holes 2. The mentioned steam distribution chamber 3 and part of the vaporization chamber 4 are delimited by a perimetric side wall 3a on which a cover 20 (not shown in Fig. 6) is seated. Said cover 20 is fixed to said one-piece body 22 by means of screws 23 or the like to close the vaporization chamber 4 and the steam distribution chamber 3 at the upper part. A hermetic seal material is preferably arranged between the cover 20 and the perimetric side wall 3a. In the cover 20 there are formed first and second water inlets 5a, 5b (the positions of which are indicated by means of dotted lines in Fig. 6) to allow the entrance of water into the vaporization chamber 4. In a thickened part of the soleplate 1 or bottom wall of the vaporization chamber 4, the one-piece body 22 is generally made of an aluminium alloy and has the mentioned heating element 8 (indicated by means of dotted lines in Fig. 6) embedded or incrusted therein. Said heating element 8 is generally a resistor ending in outer contacts 8a, 8b.

[0016] The construction of the one-piece body 22 is well known and, although it is not essential for the implementation of the present invention, it is common for the first and second embodiments shown and described herein. Optionally, the one-piece body 22 is made of an aluminium alloy and has an insert by way of a stainless steel sheet superposed onto the outer face of the soleplate, for the purpose of providing a good sliding on the clothes and a well-finished appearance, without therefore losing the good heat transmission provided by the one-piece aluminum body. Alternatively, there are other examples of construction of steam irons where the soleplate is one piece and the bottom and side walls of the vaporization chamber are another piece, and both pieces are firmly joined to one another, for example by riveting, forming a base assembly with the essential features of the one-piece body 22 described above in relation to Fig. 6. It must be indicated that any of the steam iron construction variants comprising a base assembly formed by a soleplate and a vaporization chamber, either as a one-piece body or as a base assembly formed by several pieces, is applicable for the present invention.

[0017] Returning to Figs. 1 and 2, the steam iron of the first embodiment of the present invention includes a preheating enclosure 10 formed simply by a tubular duct comprising a preheating tube 16 extended in a winding or sinuous arrangement above the vaporization chamber 4, in this case, above the cover 20 of the vaporization chamber 4, such that said preheating tube 16 will be heated by the same heating element 8 which heats the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4, or more specifically by the heat dissipated by the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. The winding arrangement of the preheating tube 16 increases the length thereof which is exposed to the dissipated heat and therefore the volume of water which is preheated, and further allows easily adapting the preheating enclosure 10 to the configuration of the cover 20 of the vaporization chamber 4 and to the elements associated thereto. The preheating tube 16 has an inlet end 11 connected to a water supply conduit 6 and an outlet end 12a connected to an adjustable flow valve 13 associated to said first water inlet 5a of the vaporization chamber 4. This adjustable flow valve 13 is, for example, a needle valve configured to provide a small continuous flow of water to the vaporization chamber 4 for the purpose of generating continuous steam which will be spread throughout the entire steam distribution chamber 3 and expelled through the steam outlet holes 2 of the soleplate 1. The adjustable flow valve 13 can be manually adjusted from the exterior by means of a control 13a at the disposal of the user to adopt any position between a completely closed position and a completely open position, both inclusive.

[0018] An injection pump 14 is associated to said second water inlet 5b of the vaporization chamber 4, and an inlet compartment of the adjustable flow valve 13 is communicated with an inlet compartment of said injection pump 14 through a conduit 15, such that the preheated water which is in the preheating tube 16 also reaches said injection pump 14, which is configured to suddenly inject a predetermined volume of preheated water into the vaporization chamber 4 to generate steam shots, which will be spread throughout the entire steam distribution chamber 3 and expelled through the steam outlet holes 2 of the soleplate 1. The injection pump 14 can be manually actuated from the exterior by means of a control (not shown) at the disposal of the user.

[0019] Fig. 3 shows a variant of the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2, which only differs from it in that the preheating tube 16 has a first outlet end 12a connected to the adjustable flow valve 13 associated to the first water inlet 5b of the vaporization chamber 4 and a diversion 19 with a second outlet end 12b connected to the injection pump 14 associated to the second water inlet 5b of the vaporization chamber 4. Therefore, the conduit 15 connecting the adjustable flow valve 13 and the injection pump 14 in the first embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is omitted in the variant shown in Fig. 3.

[0020] Although it is not essential, the preheating tube 16 is made of a flexible material provided with a good heat resistance, such as silicone or neoprene for example, which allows shaping the winding arrangement of the preheating tube 16 in an extremely easy and cost-effective manner. According to a well-known construction, the steam iron of the present invention comprises a casing (not shown), which is generally made of a plastic material and is configured to be fixed to the one-piece body or base assembly 22 covering the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. This casing generally defines a grip and, among other devices, has a water tank (not shown) installed therein. The preheating tube 16, the adjustable flow valve 13 and the injection pump 14 are also fixed to an inner part of the casing and are positioned such that when the casing is assembled to the one-piece body or base assembly 22, the adjustable flow valve 13 and the injection pump 14 are in coincidence with the first and second water inlets 5a, 5b of the vaporization chamber 4, respectively, and the preheating tube 16 is opposite and close to the cover 20 of the vaporization chamber 4, in a suitable position to be heated by the heat dissipated therefrom. The water supply conduit 6 has an inlet end connected to the outlet of the mentioned water tank and, alternatively, the water supply conduit 6 and the preheating tube 16 could be made integrally as a single part.

[0021] A second embodiment of the steam iron of the present invention is described below in relation to Figs. 4 and 5, which has, like the first embodiment, a soleplate 1 with steam outlet holes 2, a vaporization chamber 4 and a steam distribution chamber 3 formed by a one-piece body or base assembly 22 such as that described above in relation to Fig. 6 and a cover 20 in which there are formed first and second water inlets 5a, 5b to the vaporization chamber 4. In the one-piece body or base assembly 22 there is embedded a heating element 8 ended in outer contacts 8a, 8b and arranged to heat the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. In this second embodiment, the preheating enclosure 10 comprises first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 arranged above the vaporization chamber 4, and a preheating chamber 21, part of which is likewise arranged above the vaporization chamber 4. This preheating chamber 21 has an inlet 11 connected to the water supply conduit 6, a first outlet connected to an inlet end 24a of said first preheating tube 17 and a second outlet connected to an inlet end 24b of said second preheating tube 18. The first preheating tube 17 has an outlet end 12a connected to an adjustable flow valve 13 associated to the first water inlet 5a of the vaporization chamber 4 and the second preheating tube 18 has an outlet end 12b connected to an injection pump 14 associated to a second water inlet 5b of the vaporization chamber 4. The adjustable flow valve 13 is configured to generate continuous steam and the injection pump 14 is configured to generate steam shots, in a manner similar to that described above in relation to the first embodiment.

[0022] Although Figs. 4 and 5 show the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 in a substantially straight arrangement including few curves, they could alternatively be extended in a winding arrangement to increase the length thereof exposed to heat dissipated by the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. According to a variant, not shown, of the second embodiment, the tubular duct only includes the first preheating tube 17 connecting the preheating chamber 21 to the adjustable flow valve 13 associated to the first water inlet 5a of the vaporization chamber 4, and the adjustable flow valve 13 is communicated with the injection pump 14 associated to the second water inlet 5b of the vaporization chamber 4 through a conduit similar to the conduit 15 described above in relation to the first embodiment, said injection pump 14 being configured to generate steam shots. In any case, the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 can advantageously be made of a flexible and heat-resistant material such as silicone or neoprene.

[0023] With the arrangement of the second embodiment, the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 and the preheating chamber 21 are heated by the heat dissipated by the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4, i.e., by the same heating element 8 which heats the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4, such that the water which is in the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 and in the preheating chamber 21 is preheated and the thermal difference between the preheated water and the walls of the vaporization chamber 4 decreases, which facilitates a sudden and complete vaporization without a significant transient decrease of the temperature of the soleplate 1.

[0024] In a manner similar to the first embodiment, the construction of the steam iron according to the second embodiment of the invention can comprise a casing (not shown) made of a plastic material configured to be fixed to the one-piece body or base assembly 22 covering the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. In this casing there are installed, among other devices, a water tank (not shown) connected to the water supply conduit 6, the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18, the preheating chamber 21, the adjustable flow valve 13 and the injection pump 14. These components are positioned in the casing such that when the casing is assembled to the one-piece body, the adjustable flow valve 13 and the injection pump 14 are in coincidence with the first and second water inlets 5a, 5b of the vaporization chamber 4 and the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18, and the preheating chamber 21 are opposite and close to the cover 20 of the vaporization chamber 4 to be heated by the heat dissipated by the soleplate 1 and the vaporization chamber 4. The preheating chamber 21 has a suitable shape to make the maximum use of the available space above the vaporization chamber 4 at the rear part of the one-piece body or base assembly 22 without interfering with the adjustable thermostat 9, and the fact that the first and second preheating tubes 17, 18 are made of a flexible material allows shaping them and connecting them in a simple and cost-effective manner.

[0025] A person skilled in the art will be able to carry out modifications and variations from the embodiments shown and described without departing from the scope of the present invention as it is defined in the attached claims.

Claims

1. A steam iron with a water preheating device, of the type comprising:

a soleplate (1) with a surface for making contact with the clothes to be ironed and a plurality of steam outlet holes (2);

a vaporization chamber (4) provided with at least one water inlet (5a, 5b) in connection with a water supply conduit (6) and at least one steam outlet (7) in connection with said steam outlet holes (2);

at least one heating element (8) arranged to heat said soleplate (1) and said vaporization chamber (4) under the control of an adjustable thermostat (9); and

a preheating enclosure (10) with an inlet (11) connected to said water supply conduit (6) and at least one outlet (12a, 12b) in connection with said water inlet (5a, 5b) of said vaporization chamber (4), said preheating enclosure (10) being configured and arranged so as to be heated by the same heating element (8) which heats the soleplate (1) and the vaporization chamber (4),

characterized in that at least part of said preheating enclosure (10) is at least partly formed by a tubular duct (16, 17, 18) arranged above the vaporization chamber (4), said tubular duct (16, 17, 18) having an outlet end providing said outlet (12a, 12b) of the preheating enclosure (10) in connection with the water inlet (5a, 5b) of the vaporization chamber (4).

2. The iron according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular duct (16, 17, 18) comprises at least one preheating tube (16) extended in a winding arrangement above the vaporization chamber (4), said preheating tube (16) having an inlet end providing said inlet (11) connected to the water supply conduit (6).

3. The iron according to claim 2, characterized in that said preheating tube (16) has an outlet end (12a) connected to an adjustable flow valve (13) associated to a first water inlet (5a) of the vaporization chamber (4), said adjustable flow valve (13) being configured to generate continuous steam.

4. The iron according to claim 3, characterized in that said adjustable flow valve (13) is communicated with an injection pump (14) associated to a second water inlet (5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) through a conduit (15), said injection pump (14) being configured to generate steam shots.

5. The iron according to claim 3, characterized in that the preheating tube (16) has a diversion (19) with a second outlet end (12b) connected to an injection pump (14) associated to a second water inlet (5b) of the vaporization chamber (4), said injection pump (14) being configured to generate steam shots.

6. The iron according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the preheating tube (16) is made of a flexible material selected from a group comprising silicone and neoprene.

7. The iron according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that:

the soleplate (1) and the bottom and side walls (4a) of the vaporization chamber (4) are joined forming a one-piece body or base assembly (22);

a cover (20) is fixed to said one-piece body or base assembly (22) to close the vaporization chamber (4) at the upper part, said first and second water inlets (5a, 5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) being formed in said cover (20); and

the preheating tube (16), the adjustable flow valve (13) and the injection pump (14) are fixed to a casing of the iron, which casing is configured to be fixed to the one-piece body or base assembly (22) covering the soleplate (1) and the vaporization chamber (4), with the adjustable flow valve (13) and the injection pump (14) in coincidence with the first and second water inlets (5a, 5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) and the preheating tube (16) being opposite and close to the cover (20) of the vaporization chamber (4).

8. The iron according to claim 1, characterized in that said tubular duct (16, 17, 18) comprises at least one preheating tube (17) arranged above the vaporization chamber (4), and the preheating enclosure (10) further comprises at least one preheating chamber (21) arranged at least partially above the vaporization chamber (4), said preheating chamber (21) having an inlet providing said inlet (11) connected to said water supply conduit (6) and at least one outlet connected to an inlet end (24a) of said preheating tube (17).

9. The iron according to claim 8, characterized in that said preheating tube (17) has an outlet end (12a) connected to an adjustable flow valve (13) associated to a first water inlet (5a) of the vaporization chamber (4), said adjustable flow valve (13) being configured to generate continuous steam.

10. The iron according to claim 9, characterized in that said adjustable flow valve (13) is communicated with an injection pump (14) associated to a second water inlet (5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) through a conduit (15), said injection pump (14) being configured to generate steam shots.

11. The iron according to claim 9, characterized in that said tubular duct (16, 17, 18) further comprises a second preheating tube (18) arranged above the vaporization chamber (4), said second preheating tube (18) having a second inlet end (24b) connected to a second outlet of the preheating chamber (21) and a second outlet end (12b) connected to an injection pump (14) associated to a second water inlet (5b) of the vaporization chamber (4), said injection pump (14) being configured to generate steam shots.

12. The iron according to any one of claims 8 to 11, characterized in that said first and second preheating tubes (17, 18) are made of a flexible material selected from a group comprising silicone and neoprene.

13. The iron according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that:

the soleplate (1) and bottom and side walls (4a) of the vaporization chamber (4) are joined forming a one-piece body or base assembly (22);

a cover (20) is fixed to said one-piece body or base assembly (22) to close the vaporization chamber (4) at the upper part, said first and second water inlets (5a, 5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) being formed in said cover (20); and

the first and second preheating tubes (17, 18), said preheating chamber (21), said adjustable flow valve (13) and said injection pump (14) are fixed to a casing of the iron, which casing is configured to be fixed to the one-piece body or base assembly (22) covering the soleplate (1) and the vaporization chamber (4), with the adjustable flow valve (13) and the injection pump (14) in coincidence with the first and second water inlets (5a, 5b) of the vaporization chamber (4) and the first and second preheating tubes (17, 18), said preheating chamber (21) being opposite and close to the cover (20) of the vaporization chamber (4).

14. The iron according to any one of the previous claims, characterized in that said at least one steam outlet (7) of the vaporization chamber (4) is connected to a steam distribution chamber (3) in communication with said steam outlet holes (2).

Drawing