Patent Publication Number: US-7716858-B2

Title: Iron

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to an iron for ironing cloth, and more particularly to an iron capable of easily pleating cloth as well as ironing the cloth by improving the structure of a soleplate of a general iron. 
   BACKGROUND ART 
   In general, an iron, which may be classified into an electric type and a steam type, has a soleplate with a heat coil built in the bottom thereof, and a body positioned on the soleplate and provided with a handle and a switch. When the switch is turned on, the built-in heat coil is operated to generate heat, so that the cloth is ironed by pressing the soleplate onto the surface of the cloth. 
   According to the conventional iron as described above, the cloth is ironed by the heat generated from the heat coil built in the soleplate. Specifically, the cloth is spread on a floor or an ironing board, and then is ironed by a general ironing method. In the case of pleating the cloth, a portion of the cloth to be pleated is folded, and then is ironed by the soleplate of the iron. 
   In the case of ironing the surface of the cloth with the conventional iron, the soleplate of the iron is pressed on the flat surface of the cloth, so that the cloth is smoothed. In the case of pleating the cloth, the portion of the cloth to be pleated is folded, and then is ironed by the soleplate of the iron. Then, the cloth is turned over, and the opposite portion is ironed by the soleplate. Therefore, the pleating work is very cumbersome and difficult. 
   In addition, if the cloth is not accurately turned over, several wrinkles may be frequently formed on the cloth by mistake. Accordingly, the ironing is cumbersome work. 
   In particular, since the pleats are not properly formed and a user should iron the cloth entirely according to the conditions of ironing, the efficiency of the ironing is greatly lowered, and it is very difficult to properly pleat the cloth. 
   In the case of ironing a shirt or trousers with a conventional iron, even an unskilled person can smooth the surface of the cloth by ironing the cloth. In the case of pleating the cloth, however, only a skilled person can properly pleat the cloth. 
   In ironing the cloth in a conventional manner, a user spreads the cloth on a floor or an ironing board, without making any fold on the cloth, and then performs the ironing as moving the iron back and forth. 
   Since the bottom surface of the soleplate is made of a solid (metal) material while the ironing board is made of a soft (fiber) material, the cloth is slid between the iron and the ironing board when the iron is moved back and forth, so that the pleats are altered. In order to prevent double pleats from being created in the cloth, it is required for the user to press the cloth that is spread on the floor with one hand, and simultaneously to hold the iron with the other hand. This cumbersome work causes a time loss, and the user should pay thoughtful attention to pleat the cloth. Whenever the cloth is turned over, the cloth and the iron are repeatedly moved, and this causes a significant load to be imposed on the shoulder of a beginner or woman who pleats the cloth. 
   DISCLOSURE 
   Technical Problem 
   Therefore, the present invention has been developed in order to solve the above drawbacks and other problems associated with the conventional iron. It is an object of the present invention to provide an iron capable of easily pleating cloth as well as ironing the cloth by improving the structure of a soleplate of the iron. 
   Technical Solution 
   In order to achieve the above object and other objects, there is provided is an iron including a soleplate and a body positioned on the soleplate and having a switch and a handle installed thereon. A connecting plate, which is provided with operating spaces formed on front and rear surfaces thereof, is fixed to a bottom of the body. Guides are formed on the front and rear surfaces, opposite to the operating spaces. The soleplate provided with a space corresponding to the guides is assembled to the guides using fastening bolts, which is inserted into a spring. The heat coils serving as a heat source are built in the connecting plate and the soleplate, respectively. The heat coil in the connecting plate is connected to the heat coil in the soleplate by a heat-coil connector, so that the cloth is pushed into a pleating part through a mouth provided between the connecting plate and the soleplate to pleat the cloth. 
   Specifically, when the soleplate and the connecting plate are assembled to the iron by the fastening bolts resiliently urged by the spring, a gap is formed between the soleplate and the connecting plate by the resilient force of the spring. Accordingly, the pleating part is entirely formed along the edges of the soleplate and connecting plate. The entire surface of the cloth is smoothed by the soleplate. In the case of pleating the cloth, the cloth to be pleated is inserted into the pleating part, and thus the cloth can be easily pleated using the curved surface. 
   Although an iron is mainly classified into an electric type iron and a steam type iron, the present invention is applied to both the electric and steam type irons. Accordingly, explanation of the types of the iron will be omitted, and only common functions of both the electric type iron and the steam type iron will be explained. 
   ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS 
   In the case of pleating the cloth with the iron according to the present invention as constructed above, the body of the iron is laid on the upper surface of a metal ironing board, and then the cloth is tightened by stretching both ends of the uncrumped pleat right and left using user&#39;s hands, so as to roughly pleat the cloth. After the pleat of cloth is pushed to a guide line (e.g., end part of the curved surface) along the curved surface of the pleating part through the mouth of the iron, the cloth is moved right and left to perform the ironing using the weight of the iron body and the upper and lower heat sources. A narrow portion between buttons is easily pressed by the triangular front part of the iron. After the cloth is positioned between the soleplate and the connecting plate, the iron is moved back and forth, in a state where the load of the iron is increased by pressing the handle down, thereby accurately and strongly pleating the cloth. Further, the movement of the iron is greatly restrained to minimize time and physical losses and to reduce safety accident due to the hot iron. 

   
     DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS 
     The above aspects and features of the present invention will be more apparent by describing certain embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
       FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an iron according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a partially cross-sectional view illustrating the internal construction of an iron according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 3  is a partially cross-sectional view explaining the operation of the iron shown in  FIG. 2 . 
       FIG. 4  is a partially cross-sectional view illustrating the internal construction of an iron according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a partially cross-sectional view explaining the operation of the iron shown in  FIG. 4 . 
       FIG. 6  is an enlarged cross-sectional view illustrating the main components of an iron according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 7  is a cross-sectional view illustrating the operation of the iron shown in  FIG. 6 . 
       FIG. 8  is a view illustrating a heat coil of a soleplate according to the present invention. 
       FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a heat coil of a connecting plate according to the present invention. 
   

   BEST MODE 
   Certain embodiments of the present invention will be described in greater detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
     FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view illustrating an iron according to an embodiment of the present invention, and  FIG. 2  is a partially cross-sectional view illustrating the interior construction of the iron according to the present invention. 
   An iron  10  of the present invention includes a soleplate  13  and a body positioned on the soleplate and having a switch  12  and a handle  11  installed thereon. 
   A connecting plate  14 , which is provided with operating spaces  16  formed on front and rear surfaces thereof, is fixed to a bottom of the body. Guides  15  are formed on the front and rear surfaces, opposite to the operating spaces. The soleplate  13  provided with a space  19  corresponding to the guides  15  is assembled to the guides  15  using fastening bolts  20 , which is inserted into a spring  21 . 
   Heat coils  17  serving as a heat source are built in the connecting plate  14  and the soleplate  13 , respectively. The heat coil in the connecting plate  14  is connected to the heat coil in the soleplate  13  by a heat-coil connector  18 , so that the cloth is pushed into a pleating part  22  through a mouth  23  provided between the connecting plate  14  and the soleplate  13  to pleat the cloth. 
   The soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  are respectively connected to the guide  15  and the space  19 . The soleplate  13  is movably assembled to the space  19  by the fastening bolts  20  which are resiliently urged by the spring  21 , so that the soleplate  13  is moved within a predetermined distance from the iron  10 . Therefore, the moving distance of the soleplate  13  can be adjusted according to the thickness of the cloth and the degree of the pleat. 
   A curved surface  24  is additionally formed on the inside of the pleating part  22  of the mouth  23  provided between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14 , so as to accurately pleat the cloth and prevent the double pleats. 
   Although the pleating part  22  of the mouth  23  may be formed along the entire outer periphery of the iron  10 , the pleating part may be formed in the front part and in both side parts, if necessary. In particular, a curvature of the curved surface  24  of the pleating part  22  may be altered so as to easily and accurately position the folded portion of the cloth. 
   More specifically, the present invention improves the construction of the iron  10  including the soleplate  13 , the body positioned on the soleplate and having the switch  12  and the handle  11  installed thereon, and the heat coils  17  serving as the heat source built in the connecting plate  14  and the soleplate  13 , respectively, in which the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  are separately formed, and the pleating part  22  and the mouth  23  are additionally provided in the iron, so that the folded portion of the cloth is jammed into the pleating part to automatically pleat the cloth. 
   The connecting plate  14  having the guide  15  and the heat coil  17  built therein is connected to the bottom of the iron  10 , and the soleplate  13  is movably assembled to the connecting plate  14 . The heat coils  17  built in the soleplate  13  and connecting plate  14  are simultaneously supplied with an electric power through the heat-coil connector  18 . The soleplate  13  is provided on the center surface thereof with the space  19  in such a way that a proper gap is formed between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  when the iron is assembled. Accordingly, the gap between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  can be adjusted by pressing the iron down. 
   Specifically, when the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  are assembled to the iron  10  by the fastening bolts  20  resiliently urged by the spring  21 , the gap is formed between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  by the resilient force of the spring  21 . Accordingly, the pleating part  22  is entirely formed along the edges of the soleplate  13  and connecting plate  14 . The entire surface of the cloth is smoothed by the soleplate  13 . In the case of pleating the cloth, the folded portion to be pleated is inserted into the pleating part  22 , and thus the cloth is easily pleated using the curved surface  24 . 
   The function and operation of the iron according to the present invention will now be described in detail. 
   In the case of ironing the cloth, a user spreads out the portion to be ironed, and then turns the switch  12  on to supply the power to the iron. The user holds the handle  11  using one hand, and presses the soleplate  13  onto the portion of the cloth, so that the cloth is smoothed through the general ironing. 
   In the case of pleating the cloth, the user folds the portion to be pleated, and then pushes the folded portion in the mouths  23  formed at edges of the iron  10 , so that the folded portion of the cloth is slid toward the pleating part  22 . 
   When the folded portion of the cloth is slid in the pleating part, the folded portion is ironed by the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14 , in which the heat coils  17  are respectively built. The heat coils  17  are supplied with the power by the switch  12 . The pleating part  22  is provided with the curved surface  24 , so that the folded portion of the cloth easily enters into the pleating part  22  in a closely contact state to accurately pleat the cloth. 
   Although the pleating part  22  provided in the mouth  23  is enlarged in the figures, the width of the mouth  23  is very narrow in view of the thickness of the folded portion of the cloth. 
   In the case where the thickness of the cloth is varied according to the seasons, the user pushes the handle  11  of the iron  10  in a state where the folded portion of the cloth is positioned in the pleating part  22 , and thus a proper gap is formed between the operating space  16  and the space  19  by the resilience of the spring  21  and the fastening bolts  20  interposed between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14 , which performs the ironing suitable for the thickness of the cloth according to the season. Therefore, the iron according to the present invention can accurately and easily pleat the cloth. 
   In particular, in a state where the iron  10  is fixed by additional fixing means (e.g., a simple table made of material having low thermal conduction) and the cloth is positioned in the pleating part  22  through the mouth  23 , one user pushes the handle  11  down, and the other user pleats the cloth. Alternatively, two users can simultaneously pleat the cloths at both sides. 
   Although it is not described and shown herein, the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  may be formed in such a way that left and right gaps between the upper surface of the soleplate  13  and the lower surface of the connecting plate  14  are different from each other. The wide gap is dedicated to the thick cloth such as trousers, and the upper surface of the body corresponding to the position of interest may be marked as “For Thick Cloth Only.” The narrow gap is dedicated to the thin cloth such as a shirt, and the upper surface of the body corresponding to the position of interest may be marked as “For Thin Cloth Only.” Therefore, the resilience of the spring  21  or the pleating error of the curved surface  24  due to the thickness of the cloth is minimized. Also, one user can pleat the thick cloth such as trousers, and simultaneously, the other user can pleat the thin cloth such as a shirt. Accordingly, a couple of users as well as a single user can simultaneously perform the ironing. 
   Since it is difficult to recognize the end part of the curved surface  24  adjacent to the guide  15  protruding downwardly from the bottom of the connecting plate  14 , the upper surface of the connecting plate  14  or the upper surface of the soleplate  13  may be marked by an indication line parallel to the end of the curved surface  14  which comes in contact with the guide, so that the user can easily identify whether the cloth is sufficiently pushed into the end of the curved surface  24 . 
   INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY 
   As described above, the present invention improves the construction of the iron  10  capable of ironing the cloth using the heat coils  17  therein. More specifically, the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  are separately formed, and the pleating part  22  and the mouth  23  are additionally provided in the iron, so that the folded portion of the cloth is jammed in the pleating part to automatically pleat the cloth. The soleplate  13  is provided with the space  19  in such a way that the proper gap is formed between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14 . Accordingly, the gap between the soleplate  13  and the connecting plate  14  may be adjusted by pressing the iron down, so as to accurately pleat the cloth, regardless of the quality or thickness of the cloth. 
   In the case of ironing the surface of the cloth, the cloth is pressed with the bottom surface of the soleplate  13 . In the case of pleating the cloth, however, the user folds the portion to be pleated, and then pushes the folded portion in the mouths  23  formed at edges of the iron  10 , so that the folded portion of the cloth is slid toward the pleating part  22  to pleat the cloth. 
   The foregoing embodiment and advantages are merely exemplary and are not to be construed as limiting the present invention. The present teaching can be readily applied to other types of apparatuses. Also, the description of the embodiments of the present invention is intended to be illustrative, and not to limit the scope of the claims, and many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.