Abstract:
A holding and support element for electric irons which includes a protective support formed of a heat insulating material which may be placed against an ironing plate and which includes a bottom wall and side walls which are formed to define a housing for receiving the ironing plate such that the support will remain secured to the ironing plate regardless of movement of the ironing to thereby prevent injury from accidental contact with the ironing plate.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority benefit from Italian patent application PN98 U 000026 which was filed on Apr. 20, 1998. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a holding and support element for irons, designed to hold irons of different sizes that are still hot after their use, and to hold such irons in such a manner as to prevent possible harm and damage to individuals and objects who may have come into accidental contact with them. 
     2. Brief Discussion of the Related Art 
     Known at present are support elements for irons that are generally constituted by suitable small mats made out of cloth, rubber or other insulating material, provided on the handle ofthe iron, or in other appropriate positions, and on which the irons rest in the condition in which they are, either during the periods when they are not in use or upon having used them. This means that the irons are still very hot and, therefore, their ironing bottom-plate is removed from the support surface, preventing thus an overheating ofthe surface itself without, however, averting the danger that individuals and objects come into contact with their surface, thus suffering burns. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention has as object the elimination of the drawbacks and the limitations resulting from the use of said mats by means of a holding and support element for irons, designed to effectively and quickly hold irons of different sizes immediately after their use. Thus are prevented the dangers of eventual accidental contacts by individuals or objects with the ironing surface, avoiding the possible damages resulting therefrom, further offering the possibility of placing the holding element with the iron in various positions. 
     This holding and support element is designed with the structural characteristics essentially described herein, with special reference to the attached claims. 
     The invention will be better understood from the below description, given only by way of a not limited example and with reference to the illustrations wherein: 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIGS. 1 and 2 show a view in perspective of two different positions of the holding and support element in accordance with the invention, in a first embodiment; 
     FIGS. 3 and 4 show in the same view as above the present holding and support element in a second embodiment; 
     FIG. 5 shows a plane view of the holding and support element illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4; 
     FIG. 6 shows an end view of the holding and support element of FIG. 5, along the line A—A; 
     FIGS. 7 and 8 show a view in perspective of two different positions of the holding and support element in accordance with the invention, in a third embodiment; 
     FIGS. 9 and 10 show in the same view as that of FIGS. 7 and 8 the holding and support element in accordance with the invention, in a fourth embodiment; 
     FIGS. 11 and 12 show in the same view as that of  7  to  10  the holding and support element in accordance with the invention, in a fifth embodiment; 
     FIG. 13 shows a view in perspective a holding and support element in a sixth embodiment. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Above illustrations show diagrammatically a holding and support element  15  in accordance with the invention, designed for irons of different sizes, still hot after having been used and also after successive periods of time. This holding and support element is essentially constituted by a protective support  16 , made out of one or various pieces of a heat-insulating material such as, for example, rubber, cloth, plastic or the like, formed and dimensioned to be adapted to the shape and size of the ironing bottom-plate  17  of a conventional electric iron  18 , so as to cover the entire surface of the bottom  19  of this bottom-plate, intended for the ironing, and the entire peripheral border  20  up to a certain height of same, preventing in such a manner any external contacts with said ironing surface. Further, this protective support has a thickness appropriate to prevent or greatly reduce the transmitting towards the outside of the heat produced by the ironing plate  17 , during or immediately after the ironing phase, while this plate is still extremely hot. In the below illustrations are described, by way of example, various possible embodiments of this holding and support element. 
     Particularly, in FIGS. 1 and 2 can be observed that the protective support  16  (which in this case is rubber) is made out of one piece presenting three peripheral walls  21 ,  22  and  23 , joined to each other and having a flat bottom piece  24 , formed in the shape of the ironing bottom-plate  17  of the iron in order to cover it. The walls  21  and  22  cover the front and back sections  25  and  26  of this plate and the wall  23  covers the lateral side  27  of said plate, while the wall  24  covers the surface of the bottom  19  of the plate. Further, this protective support is of such size as to allow the inserting with a slight pressure of the ironing bottom-plate  17  of the iron  18  in the corresponding open housing  28  between the walls  21 - 24  so as to hold the iron, preventing in a reliable manner any contact with its still hot ironing bottom-plate and avoiding thus any possibility of injury or damage to individuals or objects, and allowing the placing of the holding and support element with the iron in any position of support, thanks to the tight fit of the protective support against the ironing bottom-plate. 
     In FIGS. 3 and 4 it can be observed that the protective support  16 A is essentially similar to that of the foregoing illustrations and it differs only in that the front wall  21  and the back wall  22  are pleated over a section of their extension, defining thus the pleated area  29 ,  30  that allows a lengthening or a shortening, within certain limits, of the protective support itself, adapting it to irons of different sizes. Further, in the example it can also be noted that the lateral wall  23  of the protective support  16  extends with a protruding grip  31  that can be grasped to facilitate the insertion and removal of the iron from the protective support. 
     FIGS. 5 and 6 show in more detail the design of the protective support illustrated in FIGS. 1,  2 ,  3 , and  4 , and from these illustrations can be gathered that its bottom piece  24  and its front wall  21 , its back wall  22  and lateral wall  23  are provided with various series of ribs  32 ,  33  and  34  protruding from same and appropriately distanced from each other with respect to the open housing  28  of the support itself. The purpose is either for the inserting with a slight pressure of the ironing bottom-plate of any iron and the fitting against such plate, because of the above-mentioned reasons, a greater distance of the plate from the outside surfaces of the support is created, so as to increase the insulating capacity of the support. The various series of ribs  35 , protruding from the surface facing the bottom wall and oriented towards the support surface of this protective support, facilitate the fitting against the support surface while impeding undesired shifting of the support-iron unit from its position and, also, to increase the insulating capacity. 
     In FIGS. 7 and 8 can be observed that the protective support  16 B is provided with at last one strap  36  for the holding of the iron, joined at one of its extremities to one of the peripheral walls of the support itself. In this case it is joined to the front wall  21 , while the other extremity is free and provided with a series of holes  37  that are axially distanced from each other, designed to selectively fit over a corresponding button  38  protruding from the other peripheral wall of the protective support, in this case from the back wall  22 , after having passed the strap around the ironing plate  17  and adapted to the respective size of said plate, thus binding the iron to the protective support. 
     In FIGS. 9 and 10 it can be observed that, like in FIGS. 7 and 8, the protective support  16 C is also provided with a binding strap  36 ′ that, however, in this case is separated from the support itself to be adapted around the ironing plate  17  of the iron, at the extremity of which are shaped or clasped in position in a manner identical to the free extremity of above-mentioned strap. 
     In FIGS. 11 and 12 it can be observed that the protective support  16 D is essentially similar to the one described in FIGS. 1 and 2, except for the fact that in this case it is provided with a lateral wall  23 ′ that can be coupled to and uncoupled from the adjacent front and back walls  21 ′ and  22 ′ of the support itself, in order to allow, at first, the insertion of the iron into the open housing  28  and then the holding of the iron in the position of insertion. 
     Therefore, in the example in question, the lateral wall  22 ′ is designed as an extension of the bottom wall  24  and it is provided on the two sides with protruding tongues  39  in which are axially provided various holes  40 , designed to selectively catch in pertinent pegs  41  laterally protruding from both walls  21 ′ and  22 ′, subsequent to the pleating of this lateral wall and the adapting of the same to the walls  21 ′ and  22 ′ depending on the length of the ironing plate of each iron. 
     Lastly, in FIG. 13 it can be observed that the protective support  16 E is similar to that of FIGS. 11 and 12, save for the fact that the lateral wall is provided with a lateral extension  42  to directly receive the ironing bottom-plate  17  of the iron, as well as with a binding strap  36 ″ of the same type and having the sane function as described with reference to FIGS. 7,  8  and  9 ,  10 . In this case, this protective support is designed as a general type for the inserting of irons of whatsoever size, which therefore are easily and quickly placed in position. 
     Of course, the holding and support element designed in this manner can also be designed in other manners than described herein by way of example, provided that the components of the protective support of the type and for the above-mentioned functions, have the possibility of being adapting to irons of different sizes without, however, going beyond the scope of protection of the present invention.