Patent ID: 6463685
Filing Date: 2002-10-15
Classification: D06F

Abstract:
A steam iron comprising a sole plate, a steam chamber having an upper surface portion with a water inlet opening, a water reservoir having a bottom surface portion with a water outlet opening, and a valve assembly for directing controlled quantities of water from said reservoir into said steam chamber, said valve assembly comprising:a valve port member at the bottom of said water reservoir, said valve port member having a body formed from a matrix of material with a bore through which water from said reservoir can be dispensed into said steam chamber, said bore having a cylindrical valving portion of uniform diameter and centered on a longitudinal axis, an upwardly-facing surface surrounding the upper end of said cylindrical valving portion, and a hollow bypass conduit having an upper end open to said upwardly-facing surface and, accordingly, to the inside of said water reservoir, and said hollow bypass conduit having a lower end open along an inside wall portion of said valving portion of said bore; and a valve element extending into said bore, rotatable about said axis, that prevents water from flowing through said valving portion except for water that passes through said bypass conduit into said valving portion, said valve element comprising a first barrier that can, by rotation of said valve element, be aligned with said lower end of said bypass conduit and completely cover the open lower end of said bypass conduit to prevent water from exiting from said bypass conduit into said bore portion, and said valve element having a second barrier that, when aligned with said bore, partly uncovers the open lower end of said bypass conduit to permit a controlled volume of water to exit through said bypass conduit into said bore whereupon a controlled volume of water is dispensed from said water reservoir into said steam chamber.