Fragrance emitting ironing board cover

Abstract

A scented ironing board cover and a method for manufacturing an ironing board cover are provided. The scented ironing board cover comprises a cover and an agent that emits a scent from the ironing board cover. The agent may emit a scent from the cover either continuously or in response to a stimulus, such as heat from a hot iron. The cover and agent may also transfer a pleasant scent to clothing, linens or other articles that are ironed on the cover.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to ironing boards and more specifically to an ironing board cover that emits a desirable scent.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Laundry rooms and other areas in which ironing is frequently done often do not have a pleasant atmosphere. There may be piles of dirty laundry and/or wet laundry that needs to be dried. These and other sources, such as various laundry products can create a malodorous atmosphere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] With the foregoing in mind, the present invention provides an ironing board cover that emits a desirable fragrance. The cover comprises a cover material and an agent that emits a fragrance from the cover material. In one embodiment of the invention, the fragrant compound may emit a fragrance in response to a stimulus, such as heat from a clothing iron. In another embodiment of the invention, the fragrance may be emitted from the cover continuously. The fragrant agent may be applied to the entire cover material or to limited areas to emit the desired amount of fragrance. In addition, the agent may transfer a scent to clothing and other articles that are ironed on the cover, leaving a pleasant smell on articles after they are pressed.

[0004] A method for manufacturing a fragrance emitting ironing board cover is also provided. The fragrant agent can be applied or attached to the cover in various forms, including oils or alcohols applied to the cover material. The fragrant compound can also be impregnated into pellets that are embedded in or attached to a cover material. A binder may be applied on the cover material to retain the fragrant agent in the cover material. Since fragrant agents can be incorporated into a variety of materials using a number of methods, the present invention may be practiced with conventional ironing board cover materials or specialized materials, such as covers treated with a heat reflective coating. In addition, the invention can be practiced in conjunction with plain covers or covers having one or more accessories.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] The foregoing summary as well as the following description will be better understood when read in conjunction with the figures in which:

[0006] FIG. 1 is a top view of a scented ironing board cover in accordance with the present invention.

[0007] FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the ironing board cover in FIG. 1.

[0008] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the ironing board cover in FIG. 1 attached to an ironing table, said table being represented by dashed lines.

[0009] FIG. 4 is a top view of an alternate embodiment of the present invention featuring an ironing board cover with a scented sole plate cleaner.

[0010] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a second alternate embodiment of a scented ironing board cover comprising a scented pouch attached to the cover.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0011] Referring to FIGS. 1-3 in general, and to FIGS. 1-2 specifically, an ironing board cover 10 is shown. Cover 10 comprises a sheath 12 that fits around an ironing board. A pad 24 is attached to the sheath 12 to provide a smooth uniform surface for ironing. Cover 10 contains a fragrance emitting agent 30 that emits a pleasant scent.

[0012] Referring now to FIGS. 1-3, cover 10 will be described in more detail. Sheath 12 may be comprised of conventional materials known in the art, including woven, knitted or non-woven cotton fabric having a heat reflective coating that contains aluminum, zinc, tin, copper, Teflon, silicone or other materials. For example, sheath 12 may be comprised of a scorch and stain resistant, heat reflective material, such as a copper-metallized fabric. This type of fabric is described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 4,484,400, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein.

[0013] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the sheath 12 includes a top face 14 on which articles are ironed and a bottom face 16. Cover 10 is sized and configured to conform to the shape of an ironing board. In particular, cover 10 is comprised of a generally rectangular end 11 and a tapered end 13 similar to the outline of an ironing board. Standard ironing boards are approximately 15 inches in width and 54 inches in length. However, many ironing boards, such as miniature ironing boards and closet-type fold-out ironing boards, use non-standard dimensions and shapes. Therefore, the present invention is intended to be manufactured in a variety of sizes and shapes to accommodate various models and styles of ironing boards. Sheath 12 has a perimeter edge or outline 18 that preferably extends past the perimeter of an ironing board such that the perimeter edge of the sheath forms a skirt 19 that folds down over the sides of the board, as shown in FIG. 3. In this way, cover 10 wraps around the sides of the board to secure the cover on the board.

[0014] Preferably, perimeter edge 18 comprises an adjustment feature for adjusting the fit of sheath 12 over the ironing board. For example, skirt 19 may be formed of a resilient elastic band configured to stretch over the perimeter of an ironing board and contract after the sheath is positioned over the board and released. Alternatively, the adjustment feature may include a binding or welting 21 containing a drawstring 22 that runs along the perimeter edge 18, as shown in FIG. 2. Welting 21 forms a conduit into which the drawstring 22 is fed. Drawstring 22 runs along the perimeter edge 18 and terminates into a pair of cord ends 23 that project outside the welting at the tapered end 13 of the cover 10. The drawstring 22 is operable to loosen or tighten the fit of sheath 12 on an ironing board. More specifically, the drawstring 22 operates to expand or contract the perimeter edge 18 as tension is applied to or released from a pair of exposed terminal ends 23 on the drawstring.

[0015] Preferably, a pad 24 is attached to the bottom face 16 of sheath 12 to provide a smooth uniform surface for ironing, as shown in FIG. 2. Pad 24 may be attached to the bottom face 16 of sheath 12 using any methods known in the art. For example, pad 24 may be bonded to sheath 12 using a thermoplastic adhesive and curing process. This method is described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,603, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. Pad 24 may be comprised of a resilient and heat resistant material, such as polyurethane foam.

[0016] A fragrance emitting agent 30 may be incorporated into one or more of the elements previously described to give cover 10 a pleasant scent. Agent 30 may be applied or attached to cover 10 in several forms, such as oils, alcohols, gel packs, fragrance-impregnated pellets, and other media. For example, agent 30 may contain a combination of solvents and oils, including Herculine D, Herculine DEP and Diethyl Pthalate. Agent 30 may also contain a surfactant such as a compound comprised of Poly (Oxyethlene) Sorbitan Monolaurate. The agent 30 may be impregnated into cover 10 by any conventional method known in the art.

[0017] Fragrance agent 30 may be applied to the entire cover 10. However, preferably the fragrance agent 30 is applied to a selected area or areas. For example, in some instances it may be desirable to apply a fragrance agent to the skirt 19 so that the fragrance agent is not applied to the ironing surface area. Such a configuration is illustrated in FIG. 1, wherein the area in which the fragrance agent is applied is highlighted by dots. In this way, the fragrance agent provides a pleasing fragrance to the working area without being transferred to the clothes during ironing. In other instances, it may be desirable to transfer a mild scent to clothing while the clothing is being ironed on the cover. In such a case, agent 30 may be applied to the ironing surface on top face 14 of sheath 12. If a fragrance agent 30 is applied to the ironing surfaces, it may be a continuously released fragrance. However, preferably, the fragrance agent 30 is a heat released composition so that the fragrance is released from the heat of the iron during use, thereby transferring the fragrance to the clothes as they are ironed.

[0018] Preferably, the fragrance is applied to selected areas or portions of the cover by use of a template or screen and rotary screen rollers. More specifically, preferably screen is formed having openings corresponding to the areas in which fragrance is to be applied. The screen is placed over the cover and aligned with the cover. The fragrance material is deposited on the screen and rotary screen rollers press the fragrance material through the screen onto the selected area or areas of the cover. Similarly, fragrance material can be sprayed onto the cover through a template so that the fragrance is applied to a selected area or areas.

[0019] It may be desirable to limit the time and manner in which scents are released. One way this can be done is by formulating a fragrance emitting agent 30 that only releases a scent in response to a stimulus, such as heat. When impregnated into an ironing board cover, this solution is activated by heat from a hot iron to release a scent during ironing.

[0020] Thus far, the fragrance emitting agent 30 has been described as being impregnated into the sheath 12. It may be desirable, however, to apply or attach agent 30 to other components of cover 10. For example, agent 30 may be applied or attached to the drawstring 22 or the pad 24 beneath the sheath 12. Agent 30 may also be applied to an iron sole plate cleaner, such the sole plate cleaner described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,786, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

[0021] For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a cover 110 comprising a sheath 112 and a scented iron sole plate cleaner 150 attached to the sheath. In general, iron sole plate cleaners are formed of mildly abrasive materials that remove mineral deposits, starch residue and other deposits that accumulate on the sole plate of an iron during the course of ironing. An iron is typically stroked across the cleaner 150 to clean the sole plate. Cleaner 150 preferably comprises an abrasive surface 152 and an absorbent surface 154 juxtaposed to the abrasive surface, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,751,786. A fragrance emitting agent 130 may be impregnated into cleaner 150 to continuously release a pleasant scent. Alternatively, agent 130 may be formulated to release a scent from cleaner 150 in response to stimuli, such as heat from an iron and/or friction. As shown in FIG. 4, preferably, the fragrance agent 130 is disposed within or beneath the abrasive surface 152. Additionally, preferably the fragrance agent is heat released, so that the fragrance is released when the user passes the hot iron over the cleaner 150 to clean the sole plate of the iron.

[0022] Scented cleaner 150 may be attached to any location on sheath 112. In FIG. 4, cleaner 150 is shown attached at the generally rectangular end of sheath 112.

[0023] Yet another embodiment is illustrated in FIG. 5. In this embodiment, a cover 210 attached to an ironing board 205 includes a separate pouch 220 attached to the cover. The pouch 220 is formed of a porous or semi-porous material, and includes a cavity enclosed within the pouch. The pouch 220 contains a fragrance agent inside the cavity in the pouch. Since the cavity is enclosed, the fragrance agent is enclosed within the pouch. However, since the pouch is formed of porous or semi-porous material, the fragrance is emitted through the pouch.

[0024] Preferably the pouch 220 is attached to the skirt 219 of the cover 210 so that the pouch does not interfere with the ironing surface. Since the pouch does not ordinarily come into contact with the iron, preferably the fragrance agent is a continuously released fragrance rather than a heat released fragrance.

[0025] The terms and expressions which have been employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation. There is no intention in the use of such terms and expressions of excluding any equivalents of the features shown and described or portions thereof. It is recognized, however, that various modifications are possible within the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the invention incorporates variations that fall within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. An accessory cooperable with an ironing board, comprising:

a cover for covering the ironing board, comprising:

an ironing surface overlying the perimeter of the ironing board, wherein the ironing surface of the cover comprises terminal edges, and the ironing surface between the terminal edges is substantially planer; and

an apron attached to the terminal edges of the ironing surface and configured to wrap around the ironing board to attach the cover to the ironing board;

an attachment attached to the cover; and

a fragrance emitting element connected with the attachment, wherein the fragrance emitting element releases a fragrance.

2. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the fragrance emitting element is heat operative, such the during ironing on the ironing board, the heat from the ironing releases fragrance from the fragrance emitting element.

3. The accessory of claim 2 wherein the fragrance emitting element does not emit significant fragrance in the absence of heat.

4. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the attachment is a sole plate cleaner and the fragrance emitting element is disposed within the cleaner.

5. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the attachment is a pouch having a cavity and the fragrance is disposed within the cavity.

6. The accessory of claim 1 wherein the attachment is formed of a porous material.

7. An accessory cooperable with an ironing board, comprising:

a cover for covering the ironing board, comprising:

an ironing surface overlying the perimeter of the ironing board, wherein the ironing surface of the cover comprises terminal edges, and the ironing surface between the terminal edges is substantially planer; and

an apron attached to the terminal edges of the ironing surface and configured to wrap around the ironing board to attach the cover to the ironing board;

an area of the cover being selected as a fragrance receiving area; and

a fragrance emitting element attached to the cover in the selected fragrance receiving area, wherein the fragrance emitting element releases a fragrance.

8. The accessory of claim 7 wherein the fragrance receiving area is located on the skirt and does not overlap with the ironing surface.

9. The accessory of claim 7 wherein the fragrance receiving area is located on the ironing surface.

10. The accessory of claim 9 wherein the fragrance emitting element is heat sensitive, such that during ironing on the ironing surface, the heat from the ironing releases the fragrance from the fragrance emitting element.

11. Accessory of claim 7 wherein the fragrance emitting element is a liquid deposited on the cover and cured.

12. A method for producing an ironing board accessory comprising the steps of:

forming a cover out of material such that cover is configured to cover an ironing board;

selecting an area on the cover for receiving a composition having a fragrance emitting element;

depositing the composition onto the selected area; and

curing the composition such that the fragrance emitting element is either embedded in the selected area or bound to the selected area.

13. The method of claim 12 comprising the step of forming a pattern for isolating the selected area, wherein the step of depositing comprises depositing the composition through the pattern so that the composition is deposited on the selected area without being deposited other portions of the cover.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of curing comprises heating the selected area to cure the composition.