A PORTABLE COMPOUND APPLIANCE FOR EMPLOYING STEAM, FOR IRONING CLOTHES AND CLEANING OBJECTS AND SURFACES

Abstract: The iron (101) with the tank (105) containing the water to be vaporized and with the soleplate (108) which is heated electrically in order to vaporize the water, can be connected to a spraying unit (102) of the cleaning device, comprising a mouth (152) through which the steam is dispensed in order to effect the cleaning action; said spraying unit (102) comprises a rigid structure (151) which is fitted around the soleplate (108) of the iron, and a tray-like steam conveyor (158) which is made from an elastically deformable material and presses against the soleplate (108) and receives the steam from the holes (113) in said soleplate.

Description: A portable compound appliance for employing steam, for ironing clothes and cleaning objects and surfaces DESCRIPTION The invention relates to a portable compound steam appliance that can be used as a household appliance and in particular as an iron and as a portable appliance for steam-cleaning objects and surfaces. Irons are known in which a soleplate is heated electrically and, on the command of the user, water is sprayed therein and then evaporates, increases in volume and is conveyed via suitable conduits to spray holes which are usually distributed on the base of said soleplate which, once it is very hot, is passed over the clothes that need to be ironed. An appliance of this type can therefore be regarded as a combination of a steam generator and a metal soleplate with a heating element that heats the soleplate to the correct temperature to be able to iron the fabric. The result is an appliance which is simple to manufacture, inexpensive and very effective and which has consequently become extremely widespread. In addition, steam-cleaning appliances are known which consist of a drum-like steam generator, from which one or more hoses extend, terminating in suitable spraying implements which are designed to convey the steam to the objects or surfaces to be cleaned and, more specifically, to be sterilized. The steam generator in appliances of this type is rather bulky in a domestic context and is designed to be placed on the floor, in some cases being fitted with wheels so that it can be moved around, and the spraying units are shaped such that they can dispense a concentrated jet of steam or, if surfaces are to be sprayed, such that the steam is dispensed through a long slot-shaped opening. Some of these steam generators offer the option of connecting up with special electric irons which are designed so that they can use the steam produced by said generators. These irons require the steam to be produced in a superheated state so that, as the steam travels along the hose - which can be one to several meters long - which conveys it to the spraying spout or slot-shaped opening or to the iron, it does not cool to the point where it begins to condense. The reason for this is that, if such condensation were to occur, not only would it cause a drop in the temperature of the steam, it would also cause wetting of the floor, of the object sprayed and basically of all the steamed surfaces and/or objects or the steam's condensation inside the iron. Known steam-cleaning appliances, including the less powerful ones for domestic use, are bulky, cumbersome, expensive and have a high energy consumption, all of which makes them rather unpopular within the domestic sector, despite the fact that they have a high steam production capacity and are therefore capable of an effective cleaning and sterilizing action. The object of the present invention is to produce a steam appliance which is light enough to be portable, which is simple to manufacture and therefore inexpensive and, lastly, which is designed so that it can be used both as an iron and as an appliance for steam-cleaning objects and rooms. The invention that enables such an object to be achieved takes the form of a compound appliance comprising: an ironing unit comprising at least one tank for containing the fluid to be vaporized with a control for controlling its flow, a soleplate which is heated electrically and in which the liquid evaporates, and a series of steam outlet holes for ironing clothes; and a spraying unit for the cleaning device, comprising at least one coupling element and a steam dispensing mouth via which the cleaning action is effected. The appliance is characterized in that it comprises a mechanical connection unit, by means of which the ironing unit and the spraying unit of the cleaning device connect together to form the single portable compound cleaning unit, which is fed with the steam generated by the soleplate of the iron. In practice, the spraying unit can comprise a casing which is fitted over the soleplate of the iron and over its front tip and is attached to the iron; and the coupling element essentially forms an extension of the front tip of the iron. In one possible embodiment, the appliance can comprise a rigid sheath-like structure which is attached to the casing of the iron, covering its soleplate and its front tip; said rigid structure forming an extension with the steam dispensing mouth. In this case, a tray-like steam conveyor made from an elastically deformable material can be provided, which conveyor: is housed in said rigid structure; when said rigid structure is attached to the iron, it presses against the gliding surface of the soleplate of the iron, surrounding the steam outlet holes with its rim; and has a nozzle which extends inside said extension as far as the dispensing mouth. Said rigid structure can form a rim which is designed to fasten onto the casing of the iron, while at least one retention hook is provided which engages in a corresponding recess in order to enable said rigid structure to be fastened to the iron by means of a snap-action, and to be easily detached by acting manually on said hook. Advantageously, formed between the rigid structure and the steam conveyor, is a cavity delimited by a grille formed by one of said two components; by means of said grille the steam conveyor is pressed against the gliding surface of the soleplate of the iron. In another possible embodiment, the appliance can comprise a fluid-flow switching unit which is able to assume at least two modes of operation whereby, in a first operational mode, the steam produced by the electrically heated soleplate is conveyed to the spraying unit of the cleaning device while, in the second operational mode, it is conveyed to the holes in the ironing unit. Said fluid-flow switching unit is advantageously fitted with means for switching between the channels for propagating the steam produced on the electrically heated soleplate, these means being actuated by mechanical means via which the ironing unit and the spraying unit of the cleaning device are connected together. Other features of the invention are defined by the claims which follow the present description. A compound appliance of this type proves particularly advantageous because, on the one hand, with the spraying unit removed, it functions as an ordinary steam iron and, on the other hand, with the spraying unit of the cleaning device attached to the ironing unit, it instead functions as a relatively lightweight, manageable and portable steam-cleaning appliance. This latter characteristic enables the appliance, when fitted with a short spraying unit - usually less than 50 cm long - to be used on the object or surface to be cleaned in a practical way, in other words so that it can easily be moved around to allow even concealed areas to be steam-cleaned, thereby thoroughly cleaning and effectively sterilizing the steamed surfaces. The invention will be easily understood with the help of the detailed description which follows and which refers to embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings, in which: Fig. 1 shows a side view of a first embodiment, with the spraying unit of the cleaning device disconnected from the ironing unit, illustrating the unit for feeding the liquid and the liquid's path to the heated soleplate and thereafter to the holes from which the steam escapes and is sprayed onto the fabric or other item to be ironed; Fig. 2 shows the ironing unit and the spraying unit connected together and illustrates the path followed by the fluid from the feed unit in the iron to the steam dispensing mouth in the compound cleaning appliance; Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the fluid-flow switching unit, illustrating the conduits through which the steam travels during the two different dispensing modes; Fig. 4 is a front view of the fluid-flow switching unit and of the mechanical connection unit, illustrating how the ironing unit is connected to the spraying unit of the cleaning device; Fig. 5 is a front view showing the fluid-flow switching unit and the mechanical connection unit disconnected from each other; Fig. 6 is a perspective view on a different scale showing the fluid- flow switching unit and the mechanical connection unit in the uncoupled position and illustrating the parts which are designed to connect together; Fig. 7 shows a side view in partial longitudinal section of a modified embodiment of the compound appliance; Fig. 8 shows a section on VIII-VIII in Fig. 7; Fig. 9 shows, in isolation and in longitudinal section, the spraying unit and the connection unit of said modified embodiment. However, it should be clearly understood that the drawings and the corresponding parts described are given solely as a means of illustrating the subject of the invention and do not in any way limit the latter. In Figs 1 to 6, the reference numeral 1 denotes the ironing unit, 2 denotes the spraying unit of the cleaning device and 3 denotes the fluid-flow switching unit. The reference 5 denotes the tank containing the fluid to be vaporized, 6 denotes the actuator, 7 denotes the pump, 8 denotes the electrically heated soleplate, 9 denotes the holes in the soleplate 8 through which the steam is sprayed, 10 denotes the switch in the electrical circuit for heating the soleplate 8, 11 denotes the protective support casing of the iron, and the reference numerals 12 and 13 denote the apertures on the front of the casing 1 which are designed to allow insertion of the means for connecting the unit 2 to the unit 3. The mechanical structure of the spraying unit of the cleaning device 2 comprises the casing 15, the forked device 16 with the pin 17 and the stop tooth 18, and the coupling tube 19 which is joined by means of a conduit to the steam dispensing mouth, the reference 21 denoting the lower sheath-like structure which is shaped so that it can be attached to the casing 11 of the iron. The fluid-flow switching unit 2 comprises the support body 25 and the switching body 24 with the internal cavity 26 which is shaped such that it can connect with the spindle 27 projecting from the disk 28 on which the radial notch 29 is located. The angled channel terminating in the mouths 22 and 23 passes through the spindle 27, the support body 25 contains the inlet mouth 30 through which the steam traveling from the soleplate 8 in which it is generated enters and the steam outlet mouth 31 which conveys the steam to the holes 9 in the heated soleplate 8, while the switching body 24 contains the outlet mouth 32, in the stem 33, with which the coupling tube 19 of the spraying unit of the cleaning device engages. The mechanical connection unit comprises the thermal unit 40 with the catch 41 , the lever 42 with the fork 16 and the coupling tube 19, and connecting elements, usually of the snap-action type, which have not been reproduced in the drawings and are designed to ensure that the ironing unit 1 is connected in the correct position to the spraying unit 2 of the cleaning device. In the technical embodiment outlined above, the invention therefore takes the form of a combination of functional units, one of which consists of an electric iron in which, during operation, the metal soleplate 8 is heated electrically and the electrical circuit is activated by means of the switch 10. However by acting on the actuating unit 6, which is usually of the push-button type, the internal pump 7 is actuated and causes the liquid that is to be evaporated - usually water - to flow from the tank 5 to the heated soleplate 8 where it evaporates, thus increasing in volume and, depending on the temperature of said soleplate 8 and on the amount of steam produced, can attain the superheated state. Said steam is propagated toward the fluid- flow unit 3 which is fitted with means for switching between the steam propagation channels, these means being actuated by the mechanical means via which the ironing unit 1 and the spraying unit 2 of the cleaning device are connected together. The fluid-flow switching unit 3 comprises the shut-off valve whose spindle 27 - when in the position corresponding to the disconnected state of the two units mentioned above - allows the steam produced on the heated soleplate 8 to be conveyed to the ironing holes 9 which are usually distributed on the base of the ironing unit 1 or, at all events, are suitably positioned so as to produce an effective ironing action. By contrast, when the two units 1 and 2 are connected together, the spindle is positioned such that the steam produced on the heated soleplate 8 is instead conveyed to the steam dispensing mouth 20 of the cleaning device. In an alternative embodiment, the shut-off valve can assume a position in which the inlet conduit, which communicates with the inlet mouth 30 via which the steam produced on the soleplate 8 arrives, is in a closed state whereby the steam, although present on the soleplate 8, is not dispensed. The spindle 27 of the shut-off valve, illustrated in Fig. 3 of the appended drawings, has an angled internal channel terminating in the mouths 22 and 23 and the external control member, to which the spindle 27 is attached, is in the shape of a disk 28 with a radial notch 29 so that it can engage with the pin 17 on the forked device 16 located on the actuating lever or rod 42. Connecting and disconnecting the ironing unit 1 and the spraying unit 2 to and from each other, and thus inserting and removing the actuating lever 42 in and out of the aperture 12 in the front of the ironing unit 1 , causes the forked device 16 to engage with and disengage from the disk 28. The latter is therefore made to move from a position in which the shut-off valve 3 allows the steam to flow from the heated soleplate 8 to the holes 9, to a position in which the shut-off valve 3 allows the steam to flow to the spraying unit 2 of the cleaning device and therefore to the steam dispensing mouth 20, when the two units 1 and 2 are connected together. The disk 28 therefore rotates from a first operational position to a second operational position as a result of the pin 17 engaging with the notch 29 in the actuating disk 28. The stability of these operational positions is usually ensured by inserting a material having a high coefficient of friction between the moving part and the static part of the shut-off valve to act as a brake on the rotation of the spindle 27 and tend to hold it in the angular position reached. In the operational position where the two units 1 and 2 are not connected together, the steam arriving via the inlet mouth 30, which is located on the support body 25 of the shut-off valve 3, reaches the mouth 22 of the angled channel inside the spindle 27 and exits via the mouth 23 which is aligned with the channel that terminates in the mouth 31 of the support body 25 which is in turn connected to the conduit which leads to the holes 9 in the base of the ironing unit 1. When the disk 28 is in the operational position that corresponds to the units 1 and 2 being connected together, the inlet mouth 30 is aligned with the mouth 23 on the spindle 27 and the mouth 22 is aligned with the mouth 32 in the stem 33 into which the coupling tube 19 is pushed, these connections being such that together they form a leaktight attachment. In other words, the outlet mouth 32, which is intended to convey the steam produced on the heated soleplate 8 to the spraying unit 2 of the cleaning device, usually has a hole provided with suitable seals so that it can be connected in a leaktight manner to the corresponding coupling tube 19 which communicates with the steam dispensing mouth 20 of the cleaning device. Furthermore, the containing structure, or casing, of the two units 1 and 2 is shaped and includes means such that these units connect together in a stable and secure manner. More specifically, said two units are provided with means designed to guide them into engagement by means of the fact that both the lower sheath-like structure 21 of the spraying unit 2 and the protective casing 11 of the ironing unit 1 to which the unit 2 is attached are suitably shaped. Such shaping has not been reproduced in the drawings since it can take many and various forms but is essentially such that the shaping of the unit 2 acts as a guide for that of the unit 1. Lastly, the two units are provided with means which are designed to allow them to be uncoupled only under given conditions, so that they cannot disengage under hazardous conditions such as, for example, in situations where bums could occur as a result of accidental contact with the soleplate 8 when the temperature of the latter exceeds a given value. In the preferred embodiment, illustrated in Fig. 4 of the appended drawings, at least one of the two units 1 and 2 which connect together to form the steam-cleaning household appliance is provided with a thermal unit 40 which controls the conditions under which it is possible to connect/disconnect the ironing unit 1 to/from the spraying unit 2 of the cleaning machine. In the embodiment described above, it may be noted that the lever 42 effecting the mechanical connection, and which terminates in the forked device 16 via which it engages with the disk 28 of the shut-off and switching valve 3, has a stop tooth 18 which is designed to prevent withdrawal of the rod 42 via which the units 1 and 2 are mechanically connected together by engaging with the catch 41 which is actuated by the thermal unit 40. In other words, said device 40 causes the catch 41 to advance until it engages with the stop tooth 18 in order to prevent withdrawal of the lever 42 when the temperature of the heated soleplate 8 exceeds a preset value, usually about 50°C. Figs 7 et seqq illustrate, in outline, a conventional iron 101 , in which the reference 105 denotes the tank containing the liquid to be vaporized which can be attached removably to the heel of the iron, connecting up with a small mouth 106; the reference 108 denotes the electrically heated soleplate, with 108A denoting the gliding surface of the iron. 110 and 110A denote the protective support casing of the iron, which forms the handle 11 OB and contains the components commonly found in a iron, including, among other things, the pump for drawing the liquid out of the tank 105, the push-button control that actuates the pump and, associated with the pump control button, an optional control for spraying liquid through a suitable nozzle on the front; 111 outlines a rocker button which can be the control for the pump or for the spray nozzle, the actual nozzle of which can be retractable, for example built into said button. The soleplate 108 forms an evaporation and superheating chamber 108B into which the liquid to be vaporized is driven, via a conduit 112, by the abovementioned pump. When the user actuates the liquid pump, the steam escapes from the chamber 108B through a series of holes 113 which open onto the surface 108A and permeates the fabric to be ironed. The holes 113 are numerous and are variously distributed on the surface 108A, but tend to be concentrated at the front end. The steam escapes through the holes 113 in a greater or lesser superheated state and at a very low pressure since the area in which vaporization takes place is not enclosed. The above is a description of a typical ironing unit 101. The spraying unit 102, illustrated in isolation in Fig. 8, comprises a rigid structure 151 which is designed to be fitted onto the lower part 110A of the casing 110 so as to cover the front tip of the iron; said rigid structure 151 has an extension 151 A which extends out at the front of the iron once the spraying unit 102 has been mounted onto the iron; the dispensing mouth 152, from which the steam can escape, projects out of said extension 151 A. The structure 151 forms a rim 151 B which is easily fastened onto the casing 110, 110A as a result of a mutual longitudinal sliding action between the iron 101 and the spraying unit 102. Said unit 102 can be held in place on the iron by means of an elastic retention hook 154 which, at the end of the sliding action whereby the spraying unit 102 is attached to the iron, snaps into a seat 156 formed on the iron 101 or on the tank 105 attached to said iron; by pressing the hook 154 in the direction of the arrow f154 it is possible to detach and remove the spraying unit 102 from the iron 101. The spraying unit 102 comprises a steam conveyor 158 which is made from an elastically deformable material - for example from silicone or EPDM or some other material - in the form of a tray and has a connector 158A for the dispensing mouth 152 and a peripheral rim 158B which presses against and conforms to the surface 108A of the soleplate 108 when the spraying unit 102 is attached to the iron; in order to maintain this position, the bottom of said conveyor 158 is supported, by means of a grille or discontinuous supports, on the rigid structure 151 which can have grille-like ridges 151 C or the like. A cavity 160 is thus formed between the rigid structure 151 and the conveyor 158, thereby providing thermal insulation between the area filled with steam and the area outside the rigid structure 151. When the spraying unit 102 is mounted on the iron 101 , the rim 158B surrounds the area in which the outlets of the holes 113 are located and the rim 158B is capable of preventing considerable loss of steam, this steam reaching the space between the conveyor 158 and the surface 108A of the soleplate when the user operates the steam generating mechanism using the same unit to do this as for the iron (pump and button 111 or similar component) or optionally using some different control means, possibly electronically controlled means; the steam which passes through the holes 113 and reaches the space defined by the surface 108A, the conveyor 158 and its rim 158B, escapes via the dispensing mouth 152 and can thus be used to clean or sterilize surfaces or other objects in the same way as a conventional steam-cleaning device. It should be understood that the drawing shows only an example, given solely as a practical demonstration of the invention, and that the forms and arrangements of the latter may vary without thereby departing from the underlying concept of said invention. The presence of any reference numerals in the appended claims has the purpose of facilitating the reading of the claims with reference to the description and the drawing and does not limit the scope of protection represented by the claims.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A portable compound appliance for employing steam, especially for domestic use - such as for ironing clothes and cleaning objects and surfaces - comprising: an ironing unit (1 ; 101) and a spraying unit (2; 102) for the cleaning device, comprising at least one coupling element (19; 158A) and a steam dispensing mouth (20; 152) via which the cleaning action is effected, characterized in that: the ironing unit (1 , 101) is of the type comprising at least one tank for containing the fluid to be vaporized (5; 105) with a control (6, 7; 111) for controlling its flow, a soleplate (8; 108) which is heated electrically and in which the liquid evaporates, and a series of steam outlet holes (9; 113) for ironing; and in that a mechanical connection unit is provided by means of which the ironing unit (1 ; 101 ) and the spraying unit (2; 102) of the cleaning device connect together to form the single portable compound cleaning unit, which is fed with the steam generated by the soleplate of the iron. 2. The portable compound steam appliance as claimed in claim 1 , characterized in that: the spraying unit (2; 102) comprises a casing (15; 151) which is fitted over the soleplate (8; 108) of the iron and over its front tip and is attached to the iron; and in that the coupling element (19; 158A) essentially forms an extension of the front tip of the iron. 3. The compound appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a rigid sheath-like structure (151) which is attached to the casing (110; 110A) of the iron, covering its soleplate (108) and its front tip, the rigid structure forming an extension (151 A) with the steam dispensing mouth (152). 4. The compound appliance as claimed in claim 3, characterized in that it comprises a tray-like steam conveyor (158) made from an elastically deformable material, which conveyor (158): - is housed in said rigid structure (151); - when said rigid structure (151) is attached to the iron (101), presses with its rim (158B) against the gliding surface (108A) of the soleplate (108) of the iron, surrounding the steam outlet holes (113) with its rim; and - has a coupling element (158A) which extends inside said extension (151 A) as far as the dispensing mouth (152). 5. The appliance as claimed in claims 3 and 4, characterized in that: said rigid structure (151) forms a rim (151 B) which is designed to fasten onto the casing (110, 110A) of the iron; and in that at least one retention hook (154) is provided which engages in a corresponding recess (156) in order to enable said rigid structure (151 ) to be fastened to the iron by means of a snap-action. 6. The appliance as claimed in at least one of claims 3, 4 and 5, characterized in that, formed between the rigid structure (151 ) and the steam conveyor (158), is a cavity (160) with a grille (151C) formed by at least one of said two components, by means of which grille (151C) the steam conveyor (158) is pressed against the gliding surface (108A) of the soleplate (108) of the iron. 7. The portable compound steam appliance as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a fluid-flow switching unit (3) which is able to assume at least two modes of operation whereby, in a first operational mode, the steam produced by the electrically heated soleplate (8) is conveyed to the spraying unit (2) of the cleaning device and, in a second operational mode, it is conveyed to the holes (9) in the ironing unit (1 ). 8. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claims 1 , 2, 3 and 7, characterized in that the fluid-flow switching unit (3) is fitted with means for switching between the channels for propagating the steam produced on the electrically heated soleplate (8), these means being actuated by mechanical means via which the ironing unit (1) and the spraying unit (2) of the cleaning device are connected together. 9. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claim 8, characterized in that the fluid-flow switching unit (3) consists of a shut-off valve with a spindle (27) having an angled internal channel and an external disk-shaped control member (28) which contains a radial notch (29) so that it can engage with the pin (17) on the forked device (16) on the actuating lever (42). 10. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claim 8 or 9, characterized in that the outlet mouth (32) of the shut-off valve, which is intended to convey the steam produced on the electrically heated soleplate (8) to the spraying unit of the cleaning device, has a hole provided with suitable seals so that it can be connected in a leaktight manner to the corresponding coupling element (19) which communicates with the steam dispensing mouth (20). 11. The compound appliance as claimed in at least one of the previous claims, characterized in that the devices for mechanically connecting together the spraying unit (2) of the cleaning machine and the ironing unit (1 ) are fitted with means designed to allow the two units (1 ) and (2) to be disconnected from each other only when the temperature of the soleplate (8) is below a preset value. 12. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claim 11 , characterized in that at least one of the two units (1 ) and (2) which connect together to form the steam-cleaning household appliance is provided with a thermal unit (40) which controls the conditions under which it is possible to disconnect the ironing unit (1) from the spraying unit (2) of the cleaning machine. 13. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claim 11 or 12, characterized in that a forked device (16), via which the disk (28) on the shut- off and switching valve is activated, is provided with a stop tooth (18) which is designed to prevent withdrawal of the lever (42) via which the ironing unit (1) is mechanically connected to the spraying unit (2) of the cleaning machine. 14. The compound appliance as claimed in at least claim 12, characterized in that the thermal unit (40) actuates the catch (41) so that the latter can engage with the stop tooth (18) in order to prevent withdrawal of the lever (42) when the temperature of the soleplate (8) exceeds a preset value, usually about 50°C.

Inventors: PASCUCCI PAOLO, PASCUCCI, PAOLO
Applicants: ISA DISTRIBUZIONE AVANZATA S R, PASCUCCI PAOLO, ISA DISTRIBUZIONE AVANZATA S.R.L., PASCUCCI, PAOLO
Application year: 1998
Main classification: D06F75
IPC codes: D06F75, D06F79, D06F87