Abstract: A lightweight steam iron having a soleplate and means to selectively deliver water thereto for distribution of steam from the soleplate. To this an improvement is provided comprising a first plastic skirt above the soleplate coextensive with the soleplate to form a skirt therearound, a second plastic housing having a handle and sealingly mounted on and supported by the skirt. The skirt and housing form the walls of an internal water tank and also enclose the iron operating components. The sealing mount is disposed along all the surface contacts between the plate and the housing and is formed with the sealing compound to provide a portion of the compound in compression on either expansion or contraction of the plastics to form a seal between the plastics at all time which plastics may have different coefficients of expansion.

Abstract: A steam iron having an interior water tank and steam generating soleplate with a loop-shaped heating element therein and steam ports in the soleplate. An improvement in steam generating capacity is provided of a main generator inside the loop fed by a metering water valve and directly connected to first distributing passage means supplying steam to the ports. A separate soleplate generator is supplied separately from the main generator on the outside of the loop and a second circuitous separate passage means extends generally parallel to and over the heating element with the separate passage means being completely separate from the distributing passage and later connecting to it.

Abstract: The invention is directed to an extra capacity steam iron with a soleplate and heating means and separate forward main, and rear surge, steam generators with conventional means for selective delivery of water to the generators and heat regulating thermostat means. The improvement to this structure comprises a walled enclosure on the soleplate between the generators in the rear half of the iron adjacent the surge generator and asymmetrical about the longitudinal centerline of the iron. Within the enclosure there is a boss upstanding from the soleplate and smaller than the enclosure to provide some peripheral space between the boss and enclosure and a coverplate is disclosed over the soleplate to define steam distributing means from the generators. The enclosure extends through the coverplate and the boss extends above it.

Abstract: A steam iron soleplate, generator, and distributor subassembly of a thin soleplate with a coverplate spaced from and supported on the soleplate by spaced peripheral rib means to define a steam distributing passage therebetween. The coverplate is integrally attached to the soleplate by a continuous weld between the ribs and soleplate and steam generating means are provided in the upper surface of the coverplate separate and spaced from the soleplate and ducted below to the steam passage means. A heat generating element forms an integral part of the coverplate for heat transfer to the soleplate through the ribs primarily by conduction. Both the method of assembly and the subassembly itself are disclosed.

Abstract: A steam iron soleplate, generator, and distributor subassembly of a thin soleplate with a coverplate spaced from and supported on the soleplate by spaced peripheral rib means to define a steam distributing passage therebetween. The coverplate is integrally attached to the soleplate by a continuous weld between the ribs and soleplate and steam generating means are provided in the upper surface of the cover-plate separate and spaced from the soleplate and ducted below to the steam passage means. A heat generating element forms an integral part of the coverplate for heat transfer to the soleplate through the ribs primarily by conduction. Both the method of assembly and the subassembly itself are disclosed.