Textiles: ironing or smoothing – Smoothing implements – Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
2000-03-27
2001-11-13
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Textiles: ironing or smoothing
Smoothing implements
Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
active
06314668
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to the general technical field of household appliances and concerns household appliances in contact with an aqueous medium and in which use is made of a disincrustant agent to avoid the formation and the deposition of scale.
The present invention also concerns a process to combat the formation and the deposition of scale in household appliances in contact with an aqueous medium.
In the present specification, by the expression “household appliances in contact with an aqueous medium”, it is intended to define appliances comprising one or several channels or reservoirs made of metal, ceramic or plastic material, in which circulates or rests a cold or hot aqueous medium. As appliances meeting this definition, one will cite for example: steam irons, steam generators, steam cleaners, steam ovens, steam cookers, sterilizers, dental sprayers, fountains dispensing hot water or cold water, coffee makers, tea makers, dishwashing machines, clothes washing machines.
In the present specification, by the expression “scale”, it is intended to define deposits based essentially on calcium carbonate CaCO
3
which forms solid accumulations at various locations of surfaces of metal, ceramic or plastic material in contact with the water, and which are of a nature to diminish the performances of such an appliance and to lead to a premature aging of certain pieces, thus reducing the useful life of the appliance.
PRIOR ART
To suppress or at least reduce the deposition of scale in household appliances, in particular in pressing irons or coffee makers, different means have already been proposed.
There are known devices permitting the utilization of tap water in pressing irons and which limits deposit of scale in these latters. Patents FR 2648163 and FR 26630532 describe an electric steam pressing iron comprising a cassette containing a demineraliser, a cassette which must be changed periodically.
There are equally known devices treating water to precipitate the scale prior to steaming by a chemical means but necessitating the addition of an acid product which is difficult to handle. There are equally known arrangements permitting the modification of the form of the scale during its formation, in a fashion such that it can be purverulent and can be carried off by the steam. The patent application EP 0610997 describes the utilization of phosphonates disposed in the reservoir in proximity to the flow. However, although dissolution in water of these products is slow and permits the iron to retain a long useful life, the dissolution is more rapid at the start of utilization and the effect diminishes too fast for the iron to attain a normal useful life. The products provided must be pellets and this is not a form which facilitates control of the dissolution in water, requiring mixtures of various and complex salts.
It is equally known to utilize polyphosphates, placed in a cartridge in a solid or divided form, in coffee makers. It is still necessary to periodically replace the cartridge. In addition, the kinetics of dissolution of the product change with the time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The essential purpose of the present invention is to provide, and it is here a matter of the first object of the invention, a household appliance in contact with an aqueous medium comprising a water circuit at least partially traversing a compartment containing a disincrustant agent formed by a system which has not previously been described, system in which the active disincrustant matter is dispersed within an appropriate silicone matrix, and which, when it is utilized particularly for placing in operation, and this involves the second object of the invention, a process for combating the formation and the depositing of scale in household appliances in contact with an aqueous medium, permits salting-out (liberating) a controlled and suitable quantity of active disincrustant material in order to overcome the various difficulties enumerated previously with respect to the definition of the expression “scale”, without presenting the drawbacks of the prior art devices. A third object of the invention concerns a removable cassette for household appliances, containing the above-cited disincrustant agent.
Thus, the present invention, taken in its first object, concerns a household appliance in contact with an aqueous medium, notably a pressing iron, comprising a water circuit at least partially traversing a compartment containing a disincrustant agent, characterized in that the disincrustant agent is obtained by cross linking or hardening of an organosilicic system having a disincrustant action comprising:
an ingredient (A) consisting of a polyorganosiloxane composition, hardenable into a silicone elastomer at ambient temperature (23° C.) or under the effect of a temperature above the ambient temperature, at least partially cross linked or not, permeable to steam, and
an ingredient (B) which is hydrophilic and osmotically active, consisting of an active disincrustant material (B
1
) taken alone or in association with an auxiliary hydrophilic agent (B
2
) dispersed in a homogenous manner within the silicone ingredient (A),
with the particularly according to which the active disincrustant material is liberated over time, in an aqueous medium, out of the silicone ingredient (A) hardened into an elastomer, according to kinetics substantially of zero order.
In the present specification, by the expression “osmotically active”, it is intended to define an ingredient (B) which can be the active disincrustant material (B
1
) itself, which is capable of creating osmotic pressure at the moment of solubilization in water of elemental particles of the hydrophilic ingredient (B), in order to induce the formation of microcracks within the silicone elastomer by which the active material can be eluted. If the hydrophilia of the active disincrustant material (B
1
) is not sufficient to induce the formation of microcracks, and this is the case in general when the active material is not hygroscopic under the conditions of application in the course of which it is liberated, one can add thereto an auxiliary agent (B
2
) providing the necessary hydrophilia which will create the osmotic pressure inducing the formation of microcracks.
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patent: 5138778 (1992-08-01), Brandolini
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Daulasim Denis
Debourg Jean-Pierre
Browdy and Neimark
Izaguirre Ismael
Seb S.A.
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