Textiles: ironing or smoothing – Smoothing implements – Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
2002-05-21
2003-09-09
Izaguirre, Ismael (Department: 3765)
Textiles: ironing or smoothing
Smoothing implements
Flatirons
Reexamination Certificate
active
06615515
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a steam iron, more particularly to a steam iron that includes a horizontal partition that is movable vertically within a steam generating chamber.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to
FIGS. 1 and 2
, a conventional steam iron
1
is shown to comprise an iron unit
11
with a plurality of steam outlets
111
, a base unit
12
formed with a receiving space
121
, an evaporating unit
13
installed fixedly in the receiving space
121
, a relief valve
14
mounted on the evaporating unit
13
, and a connecting tube
15
interconnecting the evaporating unit
13
and the iron unit
11
. The evaporating unit
13
includes a housing
132
that defines a steam generating chamber
131
, a heating unit
133
installed on a bottom portion of the housing
132
, a hollow tube
135
threadedly connected to a top portion of the housing
132
, and a steam port
136
that is formed through the housing
132
and that is in fluid communication with the steam generating chamber
131
. The tube
135
has a water inlet
134
that is in fluid communication with the steam generating chamber
131
. The relief valve
14
is threadedly connected to the tube
135
. The connecting tube
15
is disposed above and is in fluid communication with the steam port
136
. The iron unit
11
further includes a steam switch
112
, which can be pressed to control the release of steam from the steam outlets
111
.
In use, the relief valve
14
is rotatably opened to permit filling of water into the steam generating chamber
131
via the water inlet
134
in the tube
135
. The heating unit
133
is activated after the relief valve
14
is threadedly mounted on the threaded tube
135
to vaporize the water in the steam generating chamber
131
. When steam is needed, the steam switch
112
is pressed such that the steam flows from the steam port
136
into the iron unit
11
via the connecting tube
15
, thereby exiting from the steam outlets
111
.
The following are some of the drawbacks of the conventional steam iron
1
:
1. Because the volume of the evaporating unit
13
is relatively large, it is time-consuming to vaporize the water in the steam generating chamber
131
. Furthermore, when water is refilled into the steam generating chamber
131
, the temperature of the evaporating unit
13
is lowered, thereby prolonging the heating time.
2. Since steam is accumulated in the evaporating unit
13
and is released through the relief valve
14
, it may result in injury, such as scalding, to the user. The conventional steam iron
1
is thus unsafe.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron with an evaporating unit that can generate steam rapidly.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a steam iron that is safe to use.
According to this invention, a steam iron comprises an iron unit, an evaporating unit, a water reservoir, and a connecting tube. The iron unit includes a soleplate and a plurality of steam outlets in the soleplate. The evaporating unit includes a thermally conductive housing, a horizontal partition, and a heating unit. The housing has a pair of upper and lower halves interconnected fixedly to confine a steam generating chamber therebetween. The lower half is formed with a water inlet. The upper half is formed with a steam port that is in fluid communication with the steam generating chamber. The horizontal partition is mounted movably in the steam generating chamber so as to divide the steam generating chamber into upper and lower chamber portions. The upper chamber portion is disposed over the partition, and is in fluid communication with the steam port in the upper half. The lower chamber portion is disposed under the partition; The partition is disposed at a sealing position, where the water inlet is prevented from fluid communication with the upper chamber portion, and is movable upwardly to a release position, where the water inlet is in fluid communication with the lower chamber portion. The heating unit is provided for heating the lower half. The water reservoir is in fluid communication with the water inlet in the lower half for supply of water into the lower chamber portion of the steam generating chamber via the water inlet. Supplied water is confined within the lower chamber portion when the partition is disposed at the sealing position, and is evaporated to form steam within the lower chamber portion when the heating unit is energized so as to raise the partition to the release position, thereby permitting flow of the steam from the lower chamber portion into the steam port in the upper chamber portion. The connecting tube interconnects the evaporating unit and the iron unit so that the steam outlets in the iron unit are in fluid communication with the steam port in the upper half of the evaporating unit, thereby permitting discharge of the steam from the steam outlets in the iron unit.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4203026 (1980-05-01), Walter et al.
patent: 4532412 (1985-07-01), Birocchi
patent: 4616122 (1986-10-01), Burian et al.
patent: 4837952 (1989-06-01), Hennuy et al.
Eupa International Corporation
Izaguirre Ismael
Ladas & Parry
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