Textiles: ironing or smoothing – Smoothing implements – Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-18
2003-04-01
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Textiles: ironing or smoothing
Smoothing implements
Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
active
06539651
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an ironing shoe with a fastening device for fastening and releasing the fastener of a pressing surface of an electric steam iron, with a soleplate base having soleplate openings for the discharge of steam, the underside of which is used for ironing the article needing to be ironed and the upper side of which has disposed thereon an insert arrangement having insert openings for the passage of steam from the steam iron to the soleplate openings. The present invention relates in addition to an electric steam iron with a detachable ironing shoe.
2. Description of the Related Art
An ironing shoe of this type is known in the art from DE 2 612 848. In this disclosure the soleplate base is equipped with a perforation into which an insert made of tetrafluoroethylene or silicate rubber is inserted. The insert has a large insert opening so that no diminishing of the steam pressure results from the insert itself but a certain diminishing of the steam pressure can arise due to the fine perforation in the soleplate base. Droplets of condensate can form disadvantageously and be discharged as droplets through the soleplate base onto the article to be ironed. Furthermore, fastening the ironing shoe to a steam iron is a relatively elaborate operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an ironing shoe and an electric steam iron having a detachable ironing shoe of the type initially referred to, which features optimal utility characteristics.
This object is accomplished by an ironing shoe incorporating the features of claim
1
and by an electric steam iron incorporating the features of claim
11
.
Advantageously, the insert arrangement comprises a capillary layer made of a moisture-absorbing material inserted in the soleplate base so that it is arranged on the upper side of the soleplate base, meaning the side facing away from a pressing surface on the soleplate base. In addition, the insert arrangement comprises an impermeable layer or insert element arranged on the side close to the steam iron. The capillary layer of this multi-layer insert arrangement prevents droplets of condensate from the conveyed hot steam, caused by the less heat-conductive material, from escaping through the soleplate base. Instead, any droplets of condensate which may form are absorbed by the capillary layer, ultimately evaporating again on the hotter parts of the soleplate base. The impermeable layer, which is arranged on top of the capillary layer and lies in direct contact with the ironing side of the electric steam iron, has several functions. Imperviousness to liquids and steam prevents any lime contained in the steam from depositing between the pressing surface of an electric steam iron and the insert. If used without the impermeable layer the pressing surface, following use with the ironing shoe, would be covered with lime particles which would then be applied directly to the article being ironed. Furthermore, the impermeable layer contributes to ensuring that the steam flows from top to bottom and not vice versa, meaning that the layer also acts as a seal relative to the pressing surface of the iron. The impermeable layer has not only impermeable characteristics but is also resistant to high temperatures, enabling it to be exposed to a maximum iron temperature of 240° C. without the insert material suffering any impairment. Hence the capillary layer can be made of relatively low-cost material without the need of any heat-resistant coating or capillary layer. Furthermore, the impermeable layer affords ease of cleaning on account of its imperviousness to liquids and displays high abrasion and wear resistance so that the capillary layer does not become worn by regular fastening and releasing of the shoe fastener on the pressing surface of an electric steam iron. Finally, the impermeable layer prevents the pressing surface of the iron from sticking to the shoe.
The insert arrangement is preferably constructed so that an average temperature of 175° C. to 210° C. applied to the impermeable layer is reduced to an average temperature of 90° C. to 120° C. on the underside of the soleplate base. The insert is constructed so that this reduction of temperature of the pressing surface of an electric steam iron equals an adjustment from a 3-point setting to a 1-point setting corresponding to an average temperature of the shoe's pressing surface. Hence the ironing shoe insulates or reduces an applied temperature by at least around 40 or 55 Kelvin. A higher temperature insulating effect by the shoe of up to 120 or 150 Kelvin and more is also achievable. The shoe is intended in particular for an electric steam iron having a drip valve and a steam generating chamber so that water drips from the water tank into the steam generating chamber in the steam iron itself, independently of external steam generators, enabling steam to be produced there as a function of the temperature setting, starting at a temperature corresponding to the 2-point setting (=125° C. to 160° C.). Nearly the maximal amount of steam is produced in the 3-point temperature setting of the electric steam iron. On the other hand it is desirable for more sensitive types of fabric, which should be ironed only in the 1-point setting (average temperature of 90° C. to 120° C. at the pressing surface), to be also steam ironed with the shoe so that any type of article (including synthetic items) can very easily be ironed, crease-free, with the aid of hot steam and the shoe. The formation of shiny areas by the shoe is also prevented.
In a further advantageous embodiment the soleplate base is made of aluminum, particularly of aluminum surface-hardened by anodizing. In addition to the known outstanding forming properties of aluminum, which are important particularly for pressing surfaces with their numerous beads and indentations and cutouts, aluminum displays very high thermal conductivity. In addition to this there is also a special advantage to using aluminum as the material for the soleplate base of an ironing shoe because it exhibits high thermal emissivity and so contributes to maintaining the desired low temperatures at a constant level throughout the periods of different iron uses so that, for example, after putting down the iron in vertical position it does not overheat the item being ironed if used immediately afterwards. Advantageously, at least the pressing surface of the soleplate base is surface-hardened by anodizing or hard-anodizing.
In a still further advantageous embodiment the capillary layer is made of a fabric material, particularly polyester mat. Other moisture-absorbing fabric materials such as PPS, PE or cotton, other mat materials or fabrics can also be used for the capillary layer. High-temperature-resistant materials such as Nomex and Kevlar or the like are less preferred for cost reasons and are not necessary with the structure selected here because the impermeable layer already protects the underlying capillary layer from excessive contact heat on account of its high heat resistance.
In a further advantageous embodiment the ironing shoe is provided with a seal to prevent steam escaping from the outer upper edge. The purpose of the seal is to prevent hot steam escaping from the gap between the circumferential edge of the shoe and the circumferential edge of the steam iron in addition to the venting of steam through the soleplate openings. The seal prevents steam from escaping from underneath the insert between the insert and the soleplate base as well as from above the insert between the insert and the pressing surface of the electric steam iron outwards in the direction of the upper edge. This is accomplished, for example, by applying increased pressure in urging the insert in the outer edge zones against the pressing surface of the iron. For this purpose provision is made either for a circumferential silicone adhesive seal, which changes the height of the insert at the edge, or preferably for a second capillary
Coronado-Sanz Juan Carlos
Cuesta Xavier
Falcó Desideri
Perez Pedro
Pozo-Marin Remedios
Braun GmbH
Fish & Richardson P.C.
Izaguirre Ismael
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