Ironing board cover, method for manufactoring the same and method for ironing fabric

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an ironing board cover comprising a substrate material provided with a first segment that reduces the friction between the fabric to be ironed and the heating apparatus to be used for the ironing activities. The present invention furthermore relates to a method for manufacturing such an ironing board cover as well as to a method for ironing fabric.

[0002] Such an ironing board cover is known per se from European patent application No. 0 378 229, wherein a very thin, friction reducing coating is applied to the sole of a hot iron during ironing by sliding the sole of a hot iron over a surface having a non-greasy lubricant applied thereon. It should be noted in this connection that the art of smoothing washed fabrics by means of a gliding pressure placed thereon by a hot metal surface is an extremely ancient one. Modern technology has led to further developments both with regard to the manner of heating the irons and to the provision of a smooth undersurface or "sole", which is in contact with the fabric. However, whereas many people still experience the ironing of fabric as an unpleasant task, the features that have been developed so far are still considered to be inadequate from a viewpoint of ease of operation.

[0003] From Dutch patent No. 1004242, which was granted to the present applicant, there is furthermore known an ironing board cover consisting of a fabric fitted over a layer of foam, which layer contains an aromatic substance. When such a construction is used, the desired transfer of a particular aroma, such as a flower scent, can take place without the addition of aromatic substances to the water that is frequently added to a laundry iron. Such an aroma is released in the desired concentration when the ironing operation is carried out at an elevated temperature of the heating apparatus.

[0004] From British patent No. 1 091 110 there is known an ironing board cover wherein the ironing surface is composed of two different parts, with one end, which is resistant to prolonged exposure to heat, being built up of a coating of tetrafluoroethylene, an underlayer of glass fabric, a layer of glass fibre and a bottom layer of asbestos paper. Furthermore, a metal sheet may be provided as a heat-insulating layer.

[0005] From US patent No. 5,259,131 there is known a fabric ironing board cover wherein the interstices present in the cotton upper part are filled with a suspension of an acrylic binder resin, a defoaming agent, a thickening agent, a cross-linking agent and a suitable heat resistant filler, which suspension is provided with a coating containing mica particles after drying.

[0006] A drawback of the known ironing board covers is the fact that they are generally lacking in durability. If the ironing of fabric is carried out in a household environment, it is not inconceivable for the person doing the ironing to be frequently interrupted in his or her activities, for example because someone is ringing at the door, said person needs to go to the bathroom or the telephone is ringing. The hot heating apparatus must be turned off in that case in connection with the risk of overheating, which is not always done in practice. Certain commercially available ironing boards are fitted with a so-called metal grate at one of their ends, on which the heating apparatus, which is still hot, can be placed temporarily so as to prevent the hot heating apparatus being in contact with the ironing board cover for a prolonged period of time. It can furthermore be noted in this connection that experience teaches one that in many cases the hot heating apparatus is left to stand on the ironing board cover when one of the aforesaid unforeseen interruptions occurs, the result being a scorch mark. Ironing board covers having scorch marks are found to be unsightly and need to be replaced, and if it is decided not to fit a new ironing board cover, there is a risk of the scorched surface slightly browning the fabrics to be ironed, which is undesirable.

[0007] The object of the present invention is thus to provide an ironing board cover wherein arrangements have been made to allow the placing of the hot heating apparatus on the ironing board cover itself for some time without the risk of scorch marks being formed on the ironing board cover.

[0008] Another object of the present invention is to provide an ironing board cover of a durable nature which, in addition, reduces the amount of friction between the fabric to be ironed and the heating apparatus to be used for ironing.

[0009] The ironing board cover as referred to in the introduction is characterized in that the ironing board cover furthermore comprises a second segment, which second segment exhibits prolonged resistance against the continuous influence of the high temperature of the heating apparatus.

[0010] The above objects can be achieved by using such a second segment. The term "continuous influence" is understood to mean the leaving behind or parking of the hot undersurface of the heating apparatus on the ironing board cover, as may occur when the ironing activities are interrupted, for example because the telephone is ringing, as described above.

[0011] Preferably the first segment and the second segment are present at one end of the ironing board cover, more preferably, said first segment and said second segment are present at the same end of the ironing board cover.

[0012] In a special embodiment it is in particular desirable for the first segment and the second segment to be positioned adjacently to each other on the ironing board cover, wherein the first segment and the second segment each take up 5-25% of the effective ironing area of the ironing board cover. Consequently, such an ironing board cover comprises at least three zones, viz. the first and the second segment and a zone of a material conventionally used for ironing board covers. The ironing board area that is not taken up by the first and the second segment is composed of a material which is conventionally used for ironing board covers, such as a material that is resistant to the high temperatures that are usually used for ironing fabrics.

[0013] When such an ironing board cover is used, with the invention in particular consisting of the combination of the first segment with the second segment, it is possible to interrupt the ironing of fabrics and park the heating apparatus, which is still hot, on the ironing board cover without the risk of scorch marks and/or burn marks being formed; more in particular, the hot heating apparatus is parked on the second segment of the ironing board cover.

[0014] In order to give the second segment prolonged resistance against the continuous influence of the high temperature of the heating apparatus, it is desirable, with a view to protecting the substrate material, that the contact heat of the hot heating apparatus be conducted to the area surrounding the heating apparatus to a sufficient extent. Such protection is effected by using a coating or top layer of sufficient thickness, which comprises materials that dissipate the heat. However, the amount of materials must be selected so that the heat from the hot heating apparatus can be dissipated to a sufficient extent through contact between such particles. It is desirable, therefore, for the second segment to contain a material having a high thermal conduction coefficient, in which connection one or more materials belonging to the group consisting of mica, aluminium, iron, steel and alloys are used as materials having a high thermal conduction coefficient.

[0015] It is in particular desirable to use aluminium particles in an amount of at least 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the starting material for forming the second segment. An amount of aluminium particles outside the aforesaid range will lead to an inadequate effect of the second segment.

[0016] The first segment contains friction reducing active components from the group consisting of silicon elastomers and lubricant-containing resin matrices.

[0017] The present invention further relates to a method for manufacturing an ironing board cover, which method comprises the following steps:

i) providing a substrate material,

ii) preparing a first mixture containing friction reducing active components,

iii) preparing a second mixture containing materials having a high thermal conduction coefficient,

iv) applying the first mixture to the substrate material so as to form the first segment,

v) applying the second mixture to the substrate material so as to form the second segment,

vi) cutting the substrate material obtained in step v) to the desired dimension so as to provide separate ironing board covers.

[0018] To those skilled in this field of the art it will be apparent that steps iv) and v) may be carried out simultaneously or in reverse order, in which the application of the segments can be carried out by means of a 40 mesh printing screen, using a doctor blade, by using any one of the other known coating techniques.

[0019] The present invention further relates to a method for ironing fabrics, which method comprises the following steps :

i) heating up the heating apparatus to the correct temperature,

ii) sliding the heated-up heating apparatus over the first segment of an ironing board cover as defined in any one or more of the preceding claims,

iii) effecting a sliding contact between the heating apparatus and the fabric to be ironed,

iv) placing the heating apparatus into contact with the second segment of an ironing board cover as defined in any one or more of the preceding claims,

v) repeating one or more of the preceding steps i)-iv) in random order, if desired.

[0020] The present invention will be explained hereinafter by means of an example, in which connection it should be noted, however, that the present invention is by no means limited to such a special example.

Example.

[0021] A substrate material was provided with a first segment, using the method as described in Example 1 of European patent application No. 0 378 229. After sufficient curing and drying of the first segment, the second segment was applied, with the following composition being used:

Component	Amount (%)
Acrylate copolymer (binding agent)	82
Modified melamin resin (cross-linking agent)	2.6
Barium sulphate (filler)	5.5
Aluminium paste (65% aluminium powder and 35% solvent)	9
Thickening agent	0.9

[0022] After cutting of the substrate material provided with the two segments into separate ironing board covers, an ironing board cover thus obtained was fitted to an ironing board. The heating apparatus, which had been heated up to a temperature suitable for ironing synthetic fabrics, could be parked on the second segment for a period of at least 15 minutes without scorch and burn marks being formed. A commercially available ironing board cover not provided with the present second segment exhibited serious scorch marks after 30 seconds already.

Claims

1. An ironing board cover comprising a substrate material provided with a first segment that reduces the friction between the fabric to be ironed and the heating apparatus to be used for the ironing activities, characterized in that the ironing board cover furthermore comprises a second segment, which second segment exhibits prolonged resistance against the continuous influence of the high temperature of the heating apparatus.

2. An ironing board cover according to claim 1, characterized in that the first segment and the second segment are present at one end of the ironing board cover.

3. An ironing board cover according to claim 2, characterized in that said first segment and said second segment are present at the same end of the ironing board cover.

4. An ironing board cover according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first segment and the second segment are adjacent to each other on the ironing board cover.

5. An ironing board cover according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second segment takes up 5-25% of the effective ironing area of the ironing board cover.

6. An ironing board cover according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first segment takes up 5-25% of the effective ironing area of the ironing board cover.

7. An ironing board cover according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the second segment contains a material having a high thermal conduction coefficient.

8. An ironing board cover according to claim 7, characterized in that one or more materials belonging to the group consisting of mica, aluminium, iron, steel and alloys are used as materials having a high thermal conduction coefficient.

9. An ironing board cover according to claim 8, characterized in that aluminium particles are used in an amount of at least 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the starting material for forming the second segment.

10. An ironing board cover according to any one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that the first segment contains friction reducing active components from the group consisting of silicon elastomers and lubricant-containing resin matrices.

11. A method for manufacturing an ironing board cover, which method comprises the following steps:

i) providing a substrate material,

ii) preparing a first mixture containing friction reducing active components,

iii) preparing a second mixture containing materials having a high thermal conduction coefficient,

iv) applying the first mixture to the substrate material so as to form the first segment,

v) applying the second mixture to the substrate material so as to form the second segment,

vi) cutting the substrate material obtained in step v) to the desired dimension so as to provide separate ironing board covers.

12. A method for ironing fabric, characterized in that in that the method comprises the following steps:

i) heating up the heating apparatus to the correct temperature,

ii) sliding the heated-up heating apparatus over the first segment of an ironing board cover as defined in any one or more of the preceding claims,

iii) effecting a sliding contact between the heating apparatus and the fabric to be ironed,

iv) placing the heating apparatus into contact with the second segment of an ironing board cover as defined in any one or more of the preceding claims,

v) repeating one or more of the preceding steps i)-iv) in random order, if desired.