Patent Abstract:
A steam iron having a boiling compartment ( 15 ) for producing steam and a steam distribution circuit with a smoothing brush ( 3 ) including a head ( 31 ) equipped with at least one hole ( 32 ) for emitting a flow of steam, characterized in that it contains a steam flow acceleration device ( 4 ) that generates a puff of air to increase the steam flow rate at the outlet of the smoothing brush ( 3 ).

Full Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0002]    The present invention relates to a steam iron comprising a boiling compartment for producing a steam flow and a steam distribution circuit with a smoothing brush equipped with at least one hole for emitting steam. 
         [0003]    2. Brief Description of the Prior Art 
         [0004]    French patent application FR 2 912 429 discloses a steam iron comprising a steam production device consisting of a boiling compartment with a heating body and a steam outlet through which steam can freely escape in the direction of a smoothing brush. 
         [0005]    Such an appliance offers the advantages of being inexpensive to manufacture and capable of quickly producing a saturating flow of steam that, when combined with a fiber brushing action, allows for a quick smoothing of curtains or clothing hanging vertically on a hanger. 
         [0006]    However, such an iron has a boiling compartment that supplies steam at atmospheric pressure, resulting in a low steam flow rate at the outlet of the smoothing brush that is detrimental to the proper penetration of steam into fabrics, particularly for thick clothing. In addition, the low speed of the steam at the outlet of the smoothing brush prevents the proper direction of the steam jet, making it impossible to precisely treat the areas of clothing that are to be smoothed, or to treat clothing arranged horizontally, since the steam naturally has a tendency to rise upwards, whereas the smoothing brush is oriented downwards. 
         [0007]    Finally, such irons with boiling compartments operating at atmospheric pressure exhibit the disadvantage of having an irregular flow of steam at the outlet of the smoothing brush, with phases of very low steam flow following phases of high steam flow. 
         [0008]    The present invention aims to propose an iron that remedies these disadvantages and is very easily constructed. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0009]    To this end, the object of the invention is a steam iron comprising a boiling compartment for producing a steam flow and a steam distribution circuit with a smoothing brush having a head equipped with at least one hole for emitting steam, characterized in that it comprises a steam flow acceleration device by generating a puff of air that increases the flow rate of the steam at the outlet of the smoothing brush. 
         [0010]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam flow acceleration device is disposed on the smoothing brush. 
         [0011]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam flow acceleration device comprises a fan. 
         [0012]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the steam flow acceleration device comprises an air circulation conduit with an intake disposed outside of the smoothing brush and a nozzle equipped with an air outlet opening into the flow of steam. 
         [0013]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the fan is positioned in proximity to the intake of the air circulation conduit. 
         [0014]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the nozzle outlet opens into a steam diffusion compartment that is integrated into the head of the smoothing brush. 
         [0015]    According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the nozzle outlet opens upstream from the steam emission hole in such a way that the steam in the diffusion compartment is propelled through the hole of the smoothing head by the flow of air emitted by the nozzle. 
         [0016]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the passageway of the nozzle outlet is smaller than or equal to the passageway of the steam emission hole. 
         [0017]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the nozzle outlet opens to the exterior of the head, downstream from the steam emission hole. 
         [0018]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the distance separating the nozzle outlet from the steam emission hole is less than 1 cm. 
         [0019]    According to another characteristic of the invention, the air circulation conduit takes the form of a hose with an intake passageway larger than the air outlet passageway. 
         [0020]    According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the air circulation conduit comprises means for heating the air sent through the nozzle. 
         [0021]    According to yet another characteristic of the invention, the steam flow acceleration device comprises means for diffusing an additive into the flow of steam. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0022]    The objectives, appearance and advantages of the present invention will be better understood based on the description given hereafter of a particular embodiment of the invention and variations thereof, which are presented as non-exhaustive examples, with reference to the attached drawings, wherein: 
           [0023]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an iron according to a particular embodiment of the invention; 
           [0024]      FIG. 2  is a longitudinal sectional view of the appliance presented in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0025]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are perspective views of the smoothing brush that equips the appliance presented in  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0026]      FIG. 5  is a top view of the smoothing brush presented in  FIGS. 3 and 4 ; 
           [0027]      FIG. 6  is a transverse sectional view along the line VI-VI presented in  FIG. 5 ; 
           [0028]      FIG. 7  is a transverse sectional view along the line VII-VII presented in  FIG. 6 ; 
           [0029]      FIG. 8  is a perspective view of the component of the smoothing brush that integrates the steam flow acceleration device, shown alone; 
           [0030]      FIG. 9  is a transverse sectional view of a variation of the embodiment of the smoothing brush of  FIG. 6 ; and 
           [0031]      FIG. 10  is a transverse sectional view of another embodiment of the smoothing brush presented in  FIG. 6 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0032]    Only the elements necessary for understanding the invention are shown. To facilitate the reading of the drawings, the same elements bear the same references from one figure to another. 
         [0033]      FIG. 1  shows a steam iron comprising a base  1  for generating steam connected by a flexible conduit  2  to a smoothing brush  3 , said base  1  being similar to that described in greater detail in patent application FR 2 912 429. 
         [0034]    In accordance with  FIG. 2 , the base  1  comprises an top side with a filling aperture  11  opening into a water tank  10 , said tank  10  containing a boiling compartment  15  of limited volume in the shape of a bell  12  projecting into the bottom of the tank  10  and having a lower end resting against a seal  12 A extending around a heating body  13 . The heating body  13 , which is advantageously made of aluminum, encloses a 1500 watt U-shaped resistor traditionally powered by a circuit with a thermostat that is not visible in the figures and a switch  14  to interrupt the electrical supply to the resistor. 
         [0035]    The boiling compartment  15  thus created is directly supplied with water from the tank  10  by supply channels  16  enabling the progressive transfer, through gravity, of water from the tank  10  to the boiling compartment  15 . 
         [0036]    The top of the bell  12  comprises a steam outlet  15 A that is connected, by means of a rotary connector  17 , directly to the flexible supply conduit  2  of the smoothing brush  3  in such a way that the steam produced by the boiling compartment  15  can freely escape to the smoothing brush  3  through the flexible conduit  2  without being diffused into the tank  10 . 
         [0037]    The flexible conduit  2  is preferably made of an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) material in order to obtain good thermal insulation, thus limiting the cooling of the steam during its passage through the flexible conduit  2 , which preferably has a length of more than 1.50 m for improved ergonomic performance. 
         [0038]    In accordance with  FIG. 3 , the smoothing brush  3  comprises a body with a cylindrical grip  30  positioned in the extension of a head  31  for diffusing the steam, said head  31  having a flat front surface  31 A equipped with a steam emission hole  32  in the shape of an oblong slit. 
         [0039]    More particularly, according to the invention and in accordance with  FIGS. 4 to 8 , the smoothing brush  3  comprises a steam flow acceleration device  4  by generating a puff of air to increase the steam flow rate at the outlet of the smoothing brush  3 . 
         [0040]    This steam flow acceleration device  4  has a fan  40  controlled by a button  5  on the handle  30 , said fan  40  blowing through a hose  41  that passes through the body of the smoothing brush  3  and comprises an air intake  41 A positioned on the exterior of the smoothing brush  3  as well as an air ejection nozzle  43  opening into the smoothing head  3 . 
         [0041]    As an example, the fan  40  consists of an axial fan that traditionally has a propeller powered by an electric motor integrated into the propeller boss that delivers 1 watt of power via cables (not shown on the figures), which extend along the flexible conduit  2  to the base  1 . 
         [0042]    In accordance with  FIGS. 6 and 7 , the fan  40  is preferably disposed in a housing  42  that extends outside the body of the smoothing brush  3  at the end of the hose  41  with the air intake  41 A. The hose  41  has a convergent shape from this end of the hose  41  with the air intake  41 A to a second end with the air ejection nozzle  43 , said nozzle  43  having a smaller passageway causing the flow of air entering through the intake  41 A to accelerate through the hose  41  and exit at a high rate at the outlet of the nozzle  43 . 
         [0043]    The nozzle  43  thus forms an air ejector opening into a steam diffusion compartment  33  disposed upstream from the front surface  31 A of the smoothing head, said diffusion compartment  33  receiving steam through an aperture  33 A connected to be flexible conduit  2  by means of a coupling sleeve, and having a divergent shape from the intake  33 A to the front surface  31 A of the smoothing head. 
         [0044]    The outlet  43 A of the nozzle  43  is preferably aligned with the steam diffusion hole  32 , said hole  32  having a passageway that is slightly greater than the passageway of the outlet  43 A of the nozzle  43  such that the jet of air emitted by the nozzle  43  easily forces the flow of steam through the steam diffusion hole  32  by means of a momentum exchange. 
         [0045]    The resulting appliance comprises a smoothing brush  3  wherein the flow of saturating steam produced by the boiling compartment  15  can be accelerated on demand by pressing on the control button  5 , which increases the speed of the steam jet at the outlet of the smoothing brush  3 . This improves steam diffusion and regulates the flow of steam at the outlet of the appliance&#39;s smoothing brush  3 . In fact, the applicant realized that by improving steam diffusion, the use of such a steam flow acceleration device eliminated the steam hole phenomena commonly encountered with this type of appliance. 
         [0046]    The increase in the steam flow rate at the outlet of the smoothing brush  3  also enables a more precise application of the steam jet and particularly results in a longer and more directed steam jet, even when the smoothing brush  3  is oriented downwards, thereby allowing the treatment of horizontally-arranged textiles. 
         [0047]    Finally, this type of steam flow acceleration device  4  has the advantage of comprising a fan  40  disposed outside of the flow of steam to optimize its service life, away from excessive heat and humidity. 
         [0048]    In a variation of the embodiment, the hose  41  of the steam flow acceleration device  4  may also comprise an electric resistor  44 , which is schematically illustrated in  FIG. 6 , positioned downstream from the fan  40 . 
         [0049]    Such a resistor  44  heats the flow of air emitted by the nozzle  43  which has the advantage of limiting any steam condensation that may appear in the smoothing brush  3 . In addition, the flow of hot air thus produced by the steam acceleration device may advantageously be used by itself, that is, without producing steam, in order to dry clothing using only the flow of hot air diffused by the nozzle  43  through the smoothing brush  3 . 
         [0050]    In a variation of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 9 , the smoothing brush  3  could comprise a hose  410  with an air intake  410 A and a nozzle  430  equipped with an outlet  430 A opening to the exterior of the smoothing brush  3  near the steam emission hole  32 , such that the flow of air emitted from the nozzle  430  converges with the flow of steam emitted from the steam diffusion hole  32  and accelerates the latter by means of a momentum change. 
         [0051]    In another variation of the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the smoothing brush  3  of  FIG. 6  comprises a diffuser  45  connected by a tube  46  to an additive tank (not shown in the figures) integrated into the base  1 . The additive diffuser  45  is advantageously positioned in the hose  41  of the steam flow acceleration device and allows the diffusion of an additive mist into the flow of air produced by the fan  40 . This additive mist is produced by means of an electric pump integrated into the base  1  and controlled by a button on the smoothing brush  3 , (not shown in the figures) with the pump sending the liquid additive under pressure to the diffuser  45 . 
         [0052]    Such a device therefore has the advantage of allowing the diffusion of an additive into the flow of steam produced by the smoothing brush  3 , with the droplets emitted from the additive diffuser  45  being transported by the flow of air to the outlet  43 A of the nozzle  43 , then mixed with the flow of steam being diffused through the steam diffusion hole  32 . 
         [0053]    The invention is in no way limited to the embodiments described and illustrated herein, which were provided solely for the purpose of example. Modifications are possible, particularly in terms of the constitution of the various elements or by substituting equivalent techniques, without in any way exceeding the scope of protection of the invention. 
         [0054]    Thus, in a variation of embodiment not shown, the fan used could be an axial flow or radial centrifuge fan, which would have the advantage of being less cumbersome.

Technology Classification (CPC): 3