Patent Publication Number: US-9410283-B1

Title: Portable clothes steaming assembly

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     Field of the Disclosure 
     The disclosure relates to steaming devices and more particularly pertains to a new steaming device for removing wrinkles from clothing after traveling. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above by generally comprising a housing and a nozzle coupled to a front end of the housing. A tank is positioned in the housing to hold a liquid within the housing. The nozzle is in fluid communication with the tank. A heating element is positioned in the housing to heat the liquid in the tank whereby steam is expelled from the tank through the nozzle. An actuator is coupled to the housing and operationally coupled to the heating element for selectively heating the liquid. A power source is positioned in the housing and electrically coupled to the heating element. 
     There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto. 
     The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The disclosure will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawings wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a top front side perspective view of a portable clothes steaming assembly according to an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 2  is a partially exploded top front side perspective view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 5  is a top front side perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the disclosure. 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to  FIGS. 1 through 6  thereof, a new steaming device embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeral  10  will be described. 
     As best illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 6 , the portable clothes steaming assembly  10  generally comprises a housing  12  and a nozzle  14  coupled to a front end  16  of the housing  12 . A tank  18  is positioned in the housing  12 . The nozzle  14  is in fluid communication with the tank  18 . The tank  18  is configured for holding a liquid  20 , typically distilled water, in the housing  12 . A heating element  22  is positioned in the housing  12  and may include a pair of spaced arcuate rods  24  positioned around the tank  18  proximate to the front end  16  of the housing  12 . The heating element  22  is positioned to heat the liquid  20  in the tank  18  whereby steam  26  is expelled from the tank  18  through the nozzle  14 . An actuator  28  is coupled to the housing  12 . The actuator  28  is operationally coupled to the heating element  22  for selectively heating the liquid  20 . 
     A power source  30  is positioned in the housing  12  and may be proximate a rear end  32  of the housing  12 . The power source  30  is electrically coupled to the heating element  22 . The power source  30  may be a battery  34  and it may be rechargeable. A charging port  38  is coupled to the housing  12  at the rear end  32  of the housing  12 . The charging port  38  is electrically coupled to the power source  30 . A power cord  40  is provided having a first end  42  and a second end  44 . The first end  42  is engageable to the charging port  38  whereby the power cord  40  provides power to charge the power source  38 . A plug  46  is coupled to the second end  44  of the power cord  40 . The plug  46  may be configured for electrical engagement to a vehicle power port or a wall socket. 
     A filling port  48  is coupled to the housing  12 . The filling port  48  is in environmental communication with the tank  18  to facilitate placing liquid  20  into the tank  18 . A cap  50  is selectively engageable to the housing  12  covering the filling port  48  whereby liquid  20  in the tank  18  is prevented from passing through the filling port  48 . 
     A handle  52  is coupled to and extends from a main section  54  of the housing  12 . The main section  54  may have an oblong shaped cross-section, as in  FIGS. 1 through 4 , or a cylindrical shape as shown in  FIG. 5 . The handle  52  may extend from the main section  54  of the housing  12  through a curvature forming an obtuse angle between the main section  54  and the handle  52 . Alternatively, as shown in  FIG. 5 , the handle  52  may extend from the main section  54  adjacent to the rear end  32  of the housing  12  in a transverse orientation. The actuator  28  is positioned at a junction  56  between the handle  52  and the main section  54  of the housing  12  whereby the actuator forms a trigger  58  configured for being manipulated by a finger of a hand grasping the handle  52 . The handle  52  may be integrally formed with the housing  12 . 
     A relief valve  60  may be coupled to the housing  12 . The relief valve  60  is in fluid communication with the tank  18  whereby the relief valve  60  vents pressure in the tank  18  in excess of a pre-determined threshold amount without expelling steam from the nozzle  14 . A temperature regulator  62  may also be positioned in the housing  12  and operationally coupled to the heating element  22  for regulating a temperature of the heating element  22  whereby excessive temperature within the tank  18  is prevented. An indicator light  64  may be coupled to the housing  12 . The indicator light  64  is operationally coupled to the tank  18  to measure temperature or pressure whereby the indicator light  64  is selectively illuminated or not illuminated to indicate a state of readiness for expelling steam  26  through the nozzle  14 . 
     In use, the tank  18  is filled with liquid  20 . When needed to remove wrinkles from clothing due to use of a seatbelt or other travel related situation, the handle  52  is grasped and the heating element  22  actuated to expel steam  26  through the nozzle  14 . The steam  26  produced may be directed towards a wrinkled garment to release the wrinkles. The assembly  10  may be used without the power cord  46  if so desired or with the power cord  46  in the event the power source  46  is depleted. 
     With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure. 
     Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure.