Patent Description:
Ironing machines are known, in particular those of a professional, industrial or semi-industrial type, which are provided with an ironing board or surface associated with heating means adapted to heat the ironing board to a temperature suitable to facilitate faster ironing and drying of the fabrics.

A first type of such ironing machines provides for the heating of the board to be obtained by supplying steam in a closed cycle toward a pressure chamber located under the ironing board, so as to obtain heating thereof.

A second variant, shown in <FIG>, provides instead for the steam supply circuit to be open-cycle, with an ironing board A having the ironing plane P suitably perforated for the escape of a jet of steam which will invest the fabrics, so as to favor the enlargement of the fibers and further speed up ironing.

The ironing board P is further heated by means of electrical resistors R which extend throughout its development, visible in <FIG>.

A first drawback of these solutions is related precisely to the heating temperatures of the ironing board, which can reach values over <NUM> and which therefore require particular attention by the operator, causing difficulties to the operator as they do not allow extended contact with the ironing plane and then with the fabric to be ironed on it.

Secondly, ironing machines with closed-circuit steam heating require boilers with relatively large capacities and powers, for example <NUM>-<NUM> liters and <NUM>-<NUM> kW powers. In machines with a perforated top, however, it is not possible to avoid the presence of the resistors since in the absence thereof, condensation water would accumulate below the coating of the ironing plane.

Secondly, in these machines the steam jet is limited to a surface not exceeding <NUM>% of the total work surface, with consequent lower effectiveness of the jet.

In addition, the steam delivery is usually performed by means of a T-shaped double nozzle head, always visible in <FIG>, which does not guarantee uniform distribution of the steam inside the collection chamber below.

Last but not least, the presence of the resistors constitutes an increase in consumption due to the need to provide powers increased by <NUM>-<NUM> kW.

From <CIT> an ironing machine is known having all the features of the preamble of the independent claim <NUM>.

An object of the present invention is to overcome the above drawbacks, providing an ironing machine which is particularly efficient and with relatively reduced energy consumption to also be particularly economical from an energy consumption point of view.

A particular object is to provide an ironing machine which exploits the operational advantages of the steam but without the drawbacks of the high temperatures of the heated surfaces. Still another object is to provide an ironing machine which operates by steam and in the absence of constant heating of the ironing board but wherein at the same time the ironing board is not wetted.

Still another object is to provide an ironing machine wherein the steam jet is spread over a much wider surface of the ironing board than the known solutions.

These objects, as well as others which will become clearer hereinafter, are achieved by an ironing machine according to claim <NUM>.

Thanks to this combination of features it will be possible to send steam to the ironing board to facilitate ironing but without it being necessary to heat the board itself and therefore making ironing more comfortable and safe for the operator, as the board will always remain cold enough to allow the operator to handle the fabric to be ironed without risk of burning.

On the contrary, the use of a perforated ironing plane according to the state of the art, in the absence of heating elements, would have caused the accumulation of condensate on the ironing plane.

Advantageous embodiments of the machine are obtained in accordance with the dependent claims.

Further features and advantages of the invention will become more evident in the light of the detailed description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an ironing machine according to the invention, illustrated by way of non-limiting example with the aid of the attached drawings wherein:.

<FIG> shows a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an ironing machine according to the invention, indicated overall with <NUM>, which, in a known manner, comprises a supporting structure <NUM> to which an ironing board <NUM> is fixed, covered by a covering fabric <NUM>, of a known or non-limiting type for the present invention, which the fabric to be ironed will be arranged on.

The supporting structure <NUM> contains means <NUM> for the production of steam adapted to supply steam inside the ironing board <NUM>, which will have an empty box-like structure inside to define a steam collection chamber <NUM>.

In the illustrated configuration, the ironing board <NUM> has a substantially triangular plan configuration, i.e. tapered towards its front end <NUM>, which will be suitably rounded.

However, it is understood that this embodiment is only an example and is not limitative, since the ironing board <NUM> may also have other shapes, for example it may be rectangular.

Furthermore, it should be noted that in the present text the terms front and rear are for simplification only and have not limiting purposes, with the rear term indicating the area close to the support surface of the iron F, while the front term will indicate the longitudinally opposite areas and which are generally free.

The steam production means <NUM> comprise a boiler <NUM> for the production of steam connected to a steam supply circuit, not visible from the figures, having an emission head <NUM>, <NUM> of one or more steam jets, which will be suitably housed inside the steam collection chamber <NUM>, as shown in <FIG>.

The steam supply circuit will suitably be an open circuit with a delivery duct that connects the boiler <NUM> to the nozzle head <NUM>, <NUM> with the interposition of a solenoid valve, not visible, suitable for selectively closing the circuit to block the steam supplying. In a known way, the solenoid valve may be controlled by means of a command placed on a pedal <NUM> associated with the supporting structure <NUM>.

The ironing board <NUM>, visible in more detail in <FIG>, has a box-like shape with a side wall <NUM> closed at the top by an ironing plane <NUM> which extends along a longitudinal direction L and which has an upper surface <NUM> for supporting the fabrics to be ironed, and at the bottom by a bottom wall <NUM>.

The upper support surface <NUM> of the ironing plane <NUM> has a mesh or web structure, visible in detail in Figs. from <NUM> to <NUM>, which extends for the entire longitudinal extension of the ironing plane <NUM> to allow the steam to outcome upwards and therefore towards the fabric to be ironed placed thereon, at the same time favouring the return of the condensate inside said collection chamber <NUM>.

By way of example and without limitation, the web or mesh structure will be of the stretched type with a mesh having a long diagonal DL of <NUM>, short diagonal DC of <NUM>, feed Av of <NUM>, thickness Sp of <NUM>, total thickness St of <NUM>,<NUM> and weight P of <NUM> / mm2.

As can be seen from <FIG>, the ironing plane <NUM> also comprises a plurality of ribs <NUM> which extend parallel to the longitudinal direction L, or slightly converging with each other towards the front end <NUM> of the board <NUM>, also depending on the plan shape thereof, and which are placed on the lower surface <NUM> of the ironing plane <NUM> opposite the upper support surface <NUM> for increasing the flexural strength.

According to a first variant, shown in <FIG>, the emission head <NUM> of the steam jets may be designed according to the prior art, that is, as in <FIG>, with a delivery channel <NUM> of the steam connected to the boiler <NUM> and from which a pair of nozzles <NUM> branches which are arranged in a V path and mutually angled to send respective jets of steam according to divergent exit directions and directed towards opposite surfaces of the side wall <NUM> of the steam collection chamber <NUM>.

According to a particularly advantageous alternative embodiment, shown in <FIG>, the jets emitting head <NUM> comprises a bar <NUM> arranged transversely inside the collection chamber <NUM> and at the rear longitudinal end <NUM> of the ironing board <NUM>.

Bar <NUM> will be entirely hollow and will have a central inlet fluidly connected to the delivery duct of the steam supply circuit.

As more clearly visible from <FIG>, the bar <NUM> is provided with a plurality of nozzles or emission holes <NUM> of respective jets. The holes <NUM> are arranged in line with each other to emit jets of steam having substantially longitudinal exit directions.

This configuration will have the advantage of achieving uniform vaporization of the ironing board <NUM>, as well as being faster than known solutions, being able to affect a larger portion of the upper support surface <NUM> of the fabrics to be ironed.

According to not shown variants, several transverse rows of holes <NUM> may also be made on the bar <NUM>.

To further increase the portion of the upper surface <NUM> hit by the steam, one or more transverse barriers <NUM> are arranged inside the collection chamber <NUM>, two in the illustrated embodiment and more clearly visible from <FIG>, facing the emission head <NUM>, <NUM> and arranged near the rear end <NUM> of the ironing board <NUM>.

The transverse barriers <NUM> will have the purpose of at least partially intercepting the steam jets and favoring the outcome of steam at the openings of the mesh or web upper surface <NUM> arranged in the rear part of the ironing plane <NUM>.

The transverse barriers <NUM> extend from the lower surface <NUM> of the ironing board <NUM> towards the bottom wall <NUM>, preferably orthogonally thereto, with a height lower than the height of the collection chamber <NUM> to define a port <NUM> for the passage of the steam towards the front of the collection chamber <NUM>, so as to allow the steam to also outcome from the parts of the ironing plane <NUM> located in front of the transverse barriers <NUM>.

Advantageously, the latter will be arranged at a distance d from the rear end of the ironing plane <NUM> equal to a value between <NUM>/<NUM> and <NUM>/<NUM> of the longitudinal length l of the ironing plane <NUM>, measured with respect to a longitudinal axis passing through a vertical middle plane II which also defines a plane of symmetry.

In this way, the steam will invest up to <NUM>% of the upper surface <NUM> of the ironing plane <NUM>, with values far higher than the state of the art in which the steam will instead invest up to <NUM>% of the ironing board.

Conveniently, the collection chamber <NUM> will also house at its inside heating means which, however, will not be in direct contact with the ironing plane <NUM> but, on the contrary, associated with the bottom wall <NUM>, so as to favor the evaporation of the condensed water. which precipitates from the openings of the ironing plane <NUM>.

By way of example, the heating means may comprise one or more electrical resistances <NUM> which extend substantially throughout the longitudinal development of the collection chamber <NUM>, above and in contact with its bottom wall <NUM>, as always visible from <FIG>.

The technical features of the steam production means <NUM> do not represent a limiting aspect of the scope of protection of the present invention, as they can be sized according to the needs.

However, thanks to the particular configuration of the ironing plane <NUM> and of the innovative nozzle head <NUM>, in the case of a semi-industrial type machine it will be possible to provide a boiler <NUM> having a capacity between <NUM> and <NUM> and have a power supply between <NUM>-7kW and even more preferably between <NUM>-6kW, significantly reduced also thanks to the absence of heating elements for heating the ironing plane <NUM>.

The ironing machine <NUM> may be implemented with further structures and devices, such as pedals, push-button panels, auxiliary ironing board for ironing particular fabrics or parts of them, according to typical schemes for common ironing machines which are no longer described in detail since they are not limiting for the present invention.

From above, it is apparent that the invention achieves the intended objects and in particular that of making available an ironing machine which allows to have all the advantages provided by the use of steam on the ironing board but without the drawbacks produced by constant and excessive heating of the surface.

Claim 1:
An ironing machine to be used with an iron (F), comprising:
- means (<NUM>) for the production of steam;
- a support surface for the iron (F);
- an ironing board (<NUM>) having a rear longitudinal end (<NUM>) proximal to said support surface and a front end (<NUM>) distal thereto, the ironing board (<NUM>) having an ironing plane (<NUM>) which extends along a longitudinal direction (L) between said rear longitudinal end (<NUM>) and said front end (<NUM>, <NUM>) and has an upper support surface (<NUM>) of the fabrics to be ironed, said ironing board (<NUM>) having a box-shaped structure with a side wall (<NUM>) closed at the bottom by a bottom wall (<NUM>) and above by said ironing plane (<NUM>) to define a steam collection chamber (<NUM>),
wherein said upper support surface (<NUM>) of said ironing plane (<NUM>) is at least partially open to allow steam to outcome upwards and therefore towards the fabric to be ironed placed thereon;
wherein said upper support surface (<NUM>) has a mesh structure which extends over the whole longitudinal extension of said ironing plane (<NUM>) to allow the steam to flow upwards and to favour the fall of a condensate in said collection chamber (<NUM>);
characterized in that said steam production means (<NUM>) comprise a boiler (<NUM>) for the production of steam and a steam supply circuit connected thereto having at least one emission head (<NUM>) of one or more steam jets, the latter being housed in said steam collection chamber (<NUM>), said jet emission head (<NUM>) comprising a hollow bar (<NUM>) fluidically connected to a steam delivery channel of said circuit and arranged transversely in said steam collection chamber (<NUM>), said bar (<NUM>) being placed at the rear longitudinal end (<NUM>) of said ironing board (<NUM>) and being provided with a plurality of nozzles or emission holes (<NUM>) of respective jets, in such a manner to achieve uniform vaporization of said ironing plane (<NUM>).