Patent Abstract:
A hand-held clothing iron that solves the problems of the prior art by providing a clamping iron that is used on an article of clothing while it remains hanging, including the ability to apply disparate levels of heat to different sections of the clothing to provide the ideal temperature for each section.

Full Description:
FIELD 
     This invention relates to the field of irons. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Clothing irons, also known as flatirons or merely irons, are devices used to press clothing to remove wrinkles and creases. Such irons were originally heated using hot coals, but are now more commonly heated using electricity. 
     But the process of using a household iron is time-consuming, requiring one to remove clothing from its hanger, locate an ironing-board, position the clothing with the portion to be ironed on a flat portion of the board, and finally iron the clothing. This is time-consuming at home, only made worse when traveling. Furthermore, a typical iron requires a large heated plate because a small plate does not provide a stable base for the iron. 
     The result is that ironing specific sections of an article of clothing is difficult, often requiring the use of different parts of the ironing board to iron different sections of an article of clothing. 
     What is needed is a low-weight iron that can be used on clothing while it remains hanging, allowing a user to iron specific parts of the clothing without creating creases in unwanted parts. 
     SUMMARY 
     The hand-held clothing iron solves the problems of the prior art by providing a clamping iron that is used on an article of clothing while it remains hanging. 
     Furthermore, the hand-held iron is not limited to applying a single level of heat across its entire surface, but is rather divided into zones. 
     The first zone is the gather-gap, where clothing is gathered/folded to allow the hand-held iron to reach sections of the article of clothing that are further away than its throat is long. 
     Past the gather-gap, the pairs of plates are divided into two or more zones, allowing for two or more levels of heating to be applied to the article of clothing. The plates are separated from one another by an insulating material, such as a ceramic. Or the plates are separated merely by an air-gap, the air-gap being of sufficient width to minimize heat transfer. The result of the insulator is to minimize heat transfer between the neighboring plates. 
     While the use of two pairs of plates is discussed herein, the use of three or more pairs of plates is anticipated. 
     The benefits of the gather-gap and the multi-zone heating are numerous. 
     First, the hand-held iron can reach sections of the article of clothing that are further away than the hand-held iron is long, without applying heat to the near portions. The result is fewer creases, without requiring a very long hand-held iron. 
     Second, the hand-held iron can iron disparate adjacent materials, applying the appropriate level of heat for each material. For example, a high-temperature setting for cotton and a low-temperature setting for synthetic material. Example heat settings include:
         Linen: 445° F.   Cotton: 400° F.   Wool: 300° F.   Polyester: 300° F.   Silk: 300° F.   Lycra/Spandex: 275° F.       

     Third, if the gather-gap is full of material, and the material to be ironed is still outside of the reach of the near pair of plates, the hand-held iron can still iron distant material without creating creases by leaving the plates adjacent to the gather-gap at ambient temperature, only heating a further set of plates. Such a set-up creates additional reach for the hand-held iron. 
     The plates are made of a material with a high coefficient of heat transfer, e.g., steel, copper, aluminum, and optionally coated with an anti-static material and/or anti-friction coating, such as Teflon. 
     The dials used to choose from the multiplicity of heat settings include indications of which heat settings are appropriate for which materials. For example, indications of a heat setting of 1 for synthetics, 2 for silk/wool, and 3 for linen/cotton. 
     The housing is constructed of a material with a low coefficient of heat transfer to prevent the hot plates from warming the housing and burning the user. 
     The hand-held iron is anticipated to be powered by household current, although it is anticipated that battery power is possible. If powered by household current, the electrical cord is mounted to the hand-held iron by a swivel, resulting in a cord that is unlikely to tangle. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention can be best understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by reference to the following detailed description when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which: 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a top view of a first embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a side view of the first embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a view illustrating the first embodiment ironing an exemplary hanging garment. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made in detail to the presently preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Throughout the following detailed description, the same reference numerals refer to the same elements in all figures. 
     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a top view of the first embodiment of the hand-held iron  1  is shown. The hand-held iron  1  includes a first housing member  2  and a second housing member  4 , each made of a material with a low coefficient of heat transfer to maintain a cool housing. 
     First plate pair  10  is shown separated from second plate pair  16  by first insulator  20 . First indicator light  30  is lit when first plate pair  10  is energized, and second indicator light  32  is lit when second plate pair  16  is energized. 
     Alternatively, the indicator lights  30 / 32  may be lit depending not on whether the plates are energized, but whether the plates are above a specified temperature. For example, if the plates  10 / 16  are hot enough to burn the user. 
     First temperature control  34  sets the temperature for first plate pair  10 , and second temperature control  36  sets the temperature for second plate pair  16 . 
     First power switch  38  energizes first plate pair  10 , and second power switch  40  energizes second plate pair  16 . 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , a side view of the first embodiment of the hand-held iron is shown. Here, it is shown that first plate pair  10  is made of two separate plates, Plate- 1   a    11  and Plate- 1   b    12 . Furthermore, second plate pair  16  is shown as made of two separate plates, Plate- 2   a    17  and Plate- 2   b    18 . Plate- 1   a    11  is separated from Plate- 2   a  by first insulator  20 . Plate- 1   b    11  is separated from Plate- 2   b  by second insulator  20 . 
     There is no requirement of limiting the plates to only two pairs. Additional pairs may be added, either increasing the length of the hand-held iron, changing the relative length of one pair of plates as compared to another, or increasing the quantity of divisions. 
     Gathering gap  24  is shown, and as indicated is between the plates  11 / 12 / 17 / 18  and the hinge  26 . The hinge  26  allows the plates to be separated for the introduction of material, and subsequently closed upon the material. 
     While ironing a garment, it is helpful to identify to the user the location of the respective plates. Thus, a plate separation indicator  50  is provided on the first housing member  2 , and optionally on the second housing member  4 . The plate separation indicator may be raised portion of the housing member  2 / 4 , an applied label, a disparate color of material, a light, or other type of indicator. The intention is to allow the user to visually identify the location of insulators  20 / 22  without requiring rotation of the hand-held iron  1  to view it from the side. 
     Similarly, it may be helpful to the user to identify which plates  10 / 16  are heated. This is accomplished through the optional first auxiliary indicator light  52  and second auxiliary indicator light  54 . First auxiliary indicator light  50  is lit when first plate pair  10  is energized, and second auxiliary indicator light  52  is lit when second plate pair  16  is energized. 
     All indicator lights  30 / 32 / 52 / 54  may be of multiple types: simple on/off; color-switching (e.g., red for off and green for on); or color changing (e.g., blue for cool, yellow for warm, orange for warmer, red for hot). 
     Referring to  FIG. 3 , an exemplary view of the first embodiment of the hand-held iron pressing an exemplary hanging garment is shown. 
     A discussion of specific uses for the hand-held iron  1  illuminates its versatility. An exemplary blouse  60  is shown. The hand-held iron  1  is small enough to be used on the collar  62  of the blouse  60  without needing to remove the blouse  60  from its hanger. Ruffles  64  can be ironed without having to unbutton the blouse  60 , or to lay it on a flat surface, as can cuffs  66 . A user may even reach through the separates created by buttons  72  and iron two disparate materials, such as first material  68  and second material  70 . In the process the hand-held iron allows for the application of the ideal amount of heat for each material, all without requiring an ironing board, or an iron to heat up/cool down when moving from one material to another. 
     Equivalent elements can be substituted for the ones set forth above such that they perform in substantially the same manner in substantially the same way for achieving substantially the same result. 
     It is believed that the system and method as described and many of its attendant advantages will be understood by the foregoing description. It is also believed that it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the components thereof without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention or without sacrificing all of its material advantages. The form herein before described being merely exemplary and explanatory embodiment thereof. It is the intention of the following claims to encompass and include such changes.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3