Iron and plate for an iron

Abstract

An iron comprising a main body provided with a handle portion and an additional metallic plate removably associated with said main body on the opposite side to said handle portion. The iron can further comprise its own plate integrally associated with the main body on the opposite side to said handle portion. In such a case, the additional plate is removably associated with the iron's own plate on the opposite side to the main body. The provision of a removable additional plate allows a specialisation of the iron, since it is possible to use a specific plate for a specific task: for example, a larger plate for ironing large surfaces, such as sheets or tablecloths.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to an iron and to a plate for an iron. The invention also relates to a kit of parts comprising an iron and at least one plate for an iron.

[0002] As is known, conventional irons essentially comprise a main body provided with a handle portion, a heat-conducting metallic plate integrally associated with the main body on the opposite side to said handle portion and heat generating means acting on the plate to heat it during use. Typically, the heat generating means comprise one or more electrical resistances embedded in the plate.

[0003] Throughout the present description and the subsequent claims explicit reference shall be made to the term “cloth” to indicate the article to be ironed, for example an item of clothing, sheets, table-clothes or a fabric in general.

[0004] The overall size of conventional irons is such as to satisfy the two contrasting requirements of: 1) managing to iron even hard-to-reach or small areas of the cloth, such as the shirt-sleeves or the shirt-creases, 2) guaranteeing an easy and fast ironing of cloth (or of those areas of the cloth) of a large size, like for example sheets or tablecloths.

[0005] The aforementioned requirements are partly satisfied by providing the plates of conventional irons with a pointed end portion suitable for allowing the iron to reach the hard-to-reach or small areas; the remaining portion of the plate, on the other hand, is larger in size and is typically squared to allow an easy ironing of extensive surfaces.

[0006] Often, it would be preferable to have irons with larger plates to be able to iron large cloths, such as sheets or tablecloths, more easily and quickly; more generally, it would be preferable to somehow be able to adapt the size of the iron to the size of the cloth to be ironed, so as to make easier the ironing operations.

[0007] The technical problem at the basis of the present invention is that of allowing a better and easier ironing of various types of cloths of different sizes with a single iron.

[0008] The present invention therefore relates, in a first aspect thereof, to an iron, comprising:

[0009] a main body provided with a handle portion;

[0010] a first metallic plate associated with said main body on the opposite side to said handle portion;

[0011] heat generating means acting on said first plate; characterised in that said first plate is removably associated with said main body.

[0012] Throughout the present description and the subsequent claims frequent use shall be made of the expression “additional plate” or “first plate” to indicate the plate which is removably associated with the main body of the iron.

[0013] Advantageously, the presence of a removable plate allows the iron to be specialised according to the type of cloth to be ironed, and in particular to its size. That is, it is possible to use a specific plate for a specific task: for example, a larger plate for ironing large cloths, such as sheets and tablecloths, or a more pointed plate for ironing the particularly hard-to-reach or small portions of cloth.

[0014] Advantageously, the additional plate of the iron of the present invention is part of a set of different sized additional plates; at each use a particular plate is selected according to the size of the cloth to be ironed.

[0015] In a first embodiment of the iron of the present invention, the heat generation means are housed in said main body and act directly upon said first plate through the interposition of a conductive surface. In this case, the iron of the present invention is similar to a conventional iron in which, however, the heat generating means are housed in the lower portion of the main body of the iron, and in which an additional removable and interchangeable plate is provided in place of the iron's own conventional plate.

[0016] Throughout the present description and the subsequent claims frequent use shall be made of the expression “iron's own plate” or “second plate” to indicate the conventional plate integrally associated with the main body of the iron.

[0017] In an alternative embodiment, the iron of the present invention comprises a second plate integrally associated with said main body on the opposite side to said handle portion, wherein said heat generation means are housed in said second plate and said first plate is removably associated with said second plate on the opposite side to said main body. In this case, the iron of the invention is therefore a totally conventional iron equipped, in addition, with a further removable and interchangeable plate.

[0018] In accordance with the two embodiments discussed above, the additional plate can therefore be a component of a special iron (that is an iron without its own plate), or an accessory of a conventional iron (that is an iron having its own plate).

[0019] Preferably, in the case in which the iron of the invention has its own plate, a layer of rubbery material with a high conductivity is provided between said first and second plates, to allow a more efficient transmission of the heat from the iron's own plate to the additional plate and to guarantee the planarity between the opposing contact surfaces of said plates.

[0020] Preferably, the first plate (additional plate) comprises a plurality of first through-holes for the delivery of steam. Said holes are provided in correspondence with a plurality of second through-holes formed on said second plate (iron's own plate) or on said lower conductive surface of the main body of the iron. Steam delivery is thus allowed like in a conventional iron.

[0021] Preferably, said first plate comprises a pair of opposite guides for centring said main body on said first plate, in order to allow an easy use of the iron when the additional plate is associated with the main body thereof.

[0022] Preferably, said pair of opposing centring guides can be adjusted in position on the first plate; this allows a single additional plate to be adapted to a plurality of irons of different sizes.

[0023] Preferably, the iron of the present invention further comprises disengageable locking means between said first plate and said main body or said second plate. More preferably, said disengageable locking means can be adjusted in position on the first plate to allow the adaptation of a single additional plate to a plurality of irons of different sizes.

[0024] In a first embodiment thereof, the additional plate is manufactured in a single piece.

[0025] In an alternative embodiment thereof, the additional plate is manufactured in at least two distinct pieces which are mutually connected so as to be coplanar.

[0026] In a particular embodiment thereof, the iron of the present invention comprises a shaped contact surface between said first and second plates or between said first plate and the lower conductive surface of the main body, so as to increase the heat exchange surface and, therefore, to improve the heat exchange between the two plates or between the conductive surface of the iron and the additional plate.

[0027] Throughout the present description and the subsequent claims, the expression “shaped contact surface” shall be used to indicate a non-smooth and non-planar contact surface, for example a toothed or knurled surface.

[0028] In a second aspect thereof, the present invention relates to a plate for an iron, comprising locking means suitable for allowing a coupling of the plate with an iron, characterised in that said locking means are disengageable so as to realise a removable coupling.

[0029] Preferably, such a plate comprises all of the structural characteristics discussed above with reference to the iron of the invention; it therefore allows to achieve all of the advantages highlighted above.

[0030] In a third aspect thereof, the present invention relates to a kit of parts comprising:

[0031] an iron;

[0032] at least one first plate adapted to be removably associated with said iron.

[0033] The iron may or may not be equipped with its own plate. Preferably, the iron and the plate of the kit of parts have all of the structural characteristics discussed above with reference to the iron of the invention; it is therefore possible to achieve all of the advantages highlighted above.

[0034] Preferably, the kit of parts of the invention comprises a plurality of different sized first plates. It is therefore possible to specialise the iron according to the size of the cloth to be ironed, each time selecting a specific plate from the plurality of plates available.

[0035] Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention shall become clearer from the following detailed description of some of its preferred embodiments, made with reference to the attached drawings. In such drawings:

[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view of a first embodiment of an iron and of an additional plate in accordance with the present invention, in a mutually decoupled operating configuration;

[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic rear view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 1 in the mutually decoupled operating configuration;

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic view from below of the iron of FIG. 1;

[0039] FIG. 4 is a schematic view from above of the additional plate of FIG. 1;

[0040] FIG. 5a is a schematic side view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 1 in a partially coupled operating configuration;

[0041] FIG. 5b is a schematic side view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 1 in a mutually coupled operating configuration;

[0042] FIG. 6 is a schematic side view of a second embodiment of an iron and of an additional plate in accordance with the present invention, in a mutually decoupled operating configuration;

[0043] FIG. 7 is a schematic rear view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 6 in the mutually decoupled operating configuration;

[0044] FIG. 8 is a schematic view from below of the iron of FIG. 6;

[0045] FIG. 9 is a schematic view from above of the additional plate of the iron of FIG. 6;

[0046] FIG. 10a is a schematic side view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 6 in a partially coupled operating configuration;

[0047] FIG. 10b is a schematic side view of the iron and of the additional plate of FIG. 6 in a mutually coupled operating configuration;

[0048] FIG. 11 is a schematic view from above of an alternative embodiment of the additional plate of FIG. 1, with an element in section;

[0049] FIG. 12a is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 5 in a mutually coupled operating configuration;

[0050] FIG. 12b is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 5 in a partially coupled operating configuration;

[0051] FIG. 13a is a schematic view from above of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 5 in the mutually coupled operating configuration;

[0052] FIG. 13b is a schematic view from above of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 5 in the partially coupled operating configuration;

[0053] FIG. 14a is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of an alternative embodiment of the additional plate of the present invention in a mutually decoupled operating configuration;

[0054] FIG. 14b is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 14a in a first partially coupled operating configuration;

[0055] FIG. 14c is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 14a in a second partially coupled operating configuration;

[0056] FIG. 14d is a schematic side view of the iron of FIG. 1 and of the additional plate of FIG. 14a in a mutually coupled operating configuration.

[0057] In FIG. 1, an iron in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention is indicated with 1. The iron 1 is similar to a conventional iron; most of its known characteristics shall therefore not be described in this context. However, the innovative structural characteristics shall be described in detail.

[0058] The iron 1 comprises a main body 2 provided with an upper handle portion 3. On the opposite side to the handle 3 a plate 4 is provided integrally associated with the body 2, in a totally conventional way.

[0059] The plate 4 is of the conventional type; it is manufactured in heat-conducting metallic material and has a pointed end portion 4a wherein a plurality of through-holes 5 suitable for allowing the delivery of steam are formed.

[0060] The iron 1 comprises, moreover, conventional heat generating means; the generation and delivery of steam takes place in a totally conventional manner and therefore is not described in detail in this context.

[0061] The heat generation means are adapted to heat the plate 4 and comprise, for example, one or more electrical resistances embedded in the plate 4.

[0062] An additional plate 6, typically of a different size with respect to that of the plate 4, can be removably associated with the iron 1. In particular, the plate 6 can be associated with the plate 4 of the iron 1 on the opposite side to the main body 2.

[0063] The plate 6 is also manufactured in conductive metallic material, like the plate 4.

[0064] Between the plate 4 and the plate 6 a layer of rubbery material with a high conductivity can be interposed. Said layer is suitable for guaranteeing the planarity of the coupling between plate 4 and plate 6 and, therefore, an efficient heat exchange by conduction.

[0065] Just as in the plate 4, the additional plate 6 comprises a pointed portion 6a upon which a plurality of holes 7 are formed to allow the delivery of steam. In particular, the holes 7 are formed in correspondence with the holes 5 of the plate 4 so as to allow the delivery to the outside of the steam generated inside the body 2 of the iron 1 and passing through the holes 5 of the plate 4.

[0066] The removable coupling between the additional plate 6 and the plate 4 of the iron 1 is achieved by means of disengageable locking means 8 suitably provided on the additional plate 6 or on the lower surface of the iron 1. The locking means 8 can be of various types; in accordance with a first embodiment thereof, illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5a and 5b, they comprise a slip-joint seat 81 formed in correspondence with the free end of the pointed end portion 6a of the additional plate 6 and adapted for receiving the point of the plate 4 in the way illustrated in FIG. 5a, and a pair of opposite fasteners 82 provided on a rear end portion 6b of the plate 6 and adapted for fastening the rear of the plate 4 of the iron 1 in the way illustrated in FIG. 5b. In particular, each fastener 82 comprises a lever 83 integrally associated with a heel 84 and a counter spring 85 between the lever 83 or the heel 84 and the plate 6. At rest, the spring 85 tends to keep the fastener 82 in the configuration illustrated in FIG. 5a. By acting upon the lever 83 so as to move it downwards in the clockwise direction and counteracting the elastic force applied by the spring 85, the rotation of the lever 83 and, therefore, the lifting of the heel 84 with respect to the plate 6 is achieved; the plate 4 of the iron 1 can therefore be laid down on the plate 6. By releasing the levers 83 the fasteners 82 go back into the configuration of FIGS. 5a and 5b by reverse process; in such a position the heels 84 act upon the plate 4 (or against respective seats provided on the rear of the plate 4) so as to press it against the plate 6.

[0067] The fasteners 82 also act as lateral guides for centring the iron 1 on the plate 6. Preferably, the position of the fasteners 82 and of the seat 81 on the plate 6 can be adjusted to allow the plate 6 to adapt to different sized plates 4.

[0068] The plate 6 can be manufactured in a single piece, as illustrated in the attached figures, or it can be made up of two or more pieces.

[0069] Preferably, the plate 6 is part of a set of plates all of different sizes and all capable of being associated with the iron 1 in the way described above.

[0070] FIGS. 11, 12a, 12b, 13a and 13b show an alternative embodiment of the additional plate of the present invention. Such a plate, also indicated with 6, is similar to the plate 6 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5a and 5b: the only difference lies in the different type of disengageable locking means which are provided on such a plate.

[0071] In this embodiment, the locking means comprise a pair of opposite lateral guides 91a, 91b adapted for acting as sliding rails for opposite side edges of the plate 4 of the iron 1. The cross-section of the guides 91a, 91b is L-shaped (see section Q-Q in FIG. 11). The guides 91a, 91b extend horizontally on the plate 6 and parallel to the side edge thereof, with a first portion 93 substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis X-X of the plate and a second portion 94 slightly inclined with respect to such an axis in correspondence with the pointed end portion 6a of the plate 6. The inclination of the portions 94 of the guides 91a, 91b with respect to the axis X-X generates a sliding slip-joint for the plate 4 on the plate 6; the L-shaped section, on the other hand, is such as to keep the plate 4 pressed against the plate 6. The iron 1 is coupled with the plate 6 by making the plate 4 slide along the guides 91a, 91b to the end of the travel; the holding in position of such a coupling is ensured by providing, on the rear portion 6b of the plate 6, an elastic device 95 and, on the opposite side with respect to the axis X-X, an abutment device 96. The elastic device 95 comprises a ball 97 housed elastically, through the interposition of a spring 98, in a seat 99 provided on the plate 6. The abutment device comprises a pad 100 and a ball 101 integrally associated with the pad 100. The ball 97 of the elastic device 95 and the ball 101 of the abutment device 96 act from opposite sides against the plate 4 of the iron 1 holding it in position on the plate 6. The elastic device 95 can be replaced with any other locking device, such as for example a screw or a pin mobile perpendicular to the axis X-X.

[0072] FIGS. 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d show a further alternative embodiment of the additional plate of the present invention. Such a plate, also indicated with 6, is totally identical to the plate 6 illustrated in FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5a and 5b and 11, 12a, 12b, 13a, 13b: the only difference lies in the different type of disengageable locking means which are provided on such a plate.

[0073] In this embodiment, the locking means comprise a slip-joint seat 151 formed in correspondence with the free end of the rear end portion 6b of the additional plate 6 and adapted for receiving the rear free end portion of the plate 4 in the way illustrated in FIG. 14b, and a ratchet fastener 152 provided on the pointed end portion 6a of the plate 6 and equipped with a seat 153 adapted for housing the point of the plate 4, as illustrated in FIGS. 14c, 14d. The ratchet fastener 152 comprises a spring 154 which, at rest, keeps the fastener in the position illustrated in FIGS. 14a, 14b. After the rear part of the plate 4 has been housed in the seat 151, the iron 1 is rotated downwards until the point of the plate 4 engages with the seat 153 of the ratchet mechanism 152. Continuing the rotation, counteracting the elastic force applied by the spring 154, the rotation of the fastener 152 is determined while the spring 154 is loaded until it passes its neutrality point beyond which the spring 154 thrusts the fastener 152 downwards, into the position illustrated in FIG. 14d. In such a position the plate 4 is pressed against the additional plate 6. A lever 155 allows the unfastening of the ratchet 152 by reverse process and therefore the decoupling of the iron 1 and the additional plate 6.

[0074] In FIG. 6 an iron in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention is illustrated. Such an iron, indicated with 201, in its main constituting elements is totally identical to the iron 1 of FIG. 1: it comprises a main body 202 equipped with an upper handle portion 203. Unlike the iron 1 of FIG. 1, the iron 201 does not comprise its own plate 4 and the heat generating means are housed in the main body 201 and act upon its base surface 204 manufactured in heat-conducting metallic material.

[0075] An additional plate 206 similar to the plate 6 described above can be removably associated with the iron 1.

[0076] The transmission of heat between the base surface 204 and the plate 206 takes place by conduction; in order to increase the efficiency of the heat exchange, the area of contact between surface 204 and plate 206 can be increased by realising toothings or knurls on the upper surface of the plate 206 and on the base surface 204.

[0077] The additional plate 206 comprises a pointed end portion 206a upon which a plurality of holes 207 for allowing the delivery of steam are provided. In particular, the holes 207 are provided in correspondence with respective holes 205 formed on the lower surface 204 of the iron 201, so as to allow the delivery to the outside of the steam generated inside the body 202 of the iron 201 and passing through the holes 205 of the lower surface 204.

[0078] The removable coupling between the additional plate 206 and the iron 201 is achieved by means of disengageable locking means 208 suitably provided on the additional plate 206. Also in this case the locking means 208 can be of different types; in accordance with a first embodiment thereof, illustrated in FIGS. 6, 7, 9, 10a, 10b, they comprise a seat 209 for the base surface 204 of the iron 1. Such a seat is equipped, in correspondence with the pointed end portion 206a of the additional plate 206, with a pin 210 adapted for being housed in a respective seat provided in the front portion of the main body 202 of the iron 201 in the way illustrated in FIG. 10a. On the opposite side to the pointed end portion 206a, that is on a rear end portion 206b of the plate 206, a pair of opposite fasteners totally similar to those described above with reference to FIGS. 1, 2, 4, 5a, 5b are provided.

[0079] Obviously, a man skilled in the art will realise that it is possible to foresee various alternative embodiments of locking means between the additional plate 6, 206 and the iron 1, 201.

[0080] Preferably, the plate 6 or 206 is part of a set of different sized plates all of which can be associated with the iron 1 or 201 in the ways described above. The user, in operation, selects the additional plate deemed most suitable according to the type of cloth to be ironed, or its size.

Claims

1. Iron, comprising:

a main body provided with a handle portion;

a first metallic plate associated with said main body on the opposite side to said handle portion;

heat generating means acting on said first plate; characterised in that said first plate is removably associated with said main body.

2. Iron according to claim 1, wherein said heat generating means are housed in said main body and act directly upon said first plate through the interposition of a conductive surface.

3. Iron according to claim 1, further comprising a second plate integrally associated with said main body on the opposite side to said handle portion, wherein said heat generating means are housed in said second plate and said first plate is removably associated with said second plate on the opposite side of said main body.

4. Iron according to claim 3, comprising a layer of highly conductive rubbery material between said first and second plates.

5. Iron according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first plate comprises a plurality of first through-holes for the delivery of steam.

6. Iron according to claim 5 when dependent upon claim 2, wherein said conductive surface comprises a plurality of second through-holes for the delivery of steam and wherein said plurality of first through-holes is provided in correspondence with said plurality of second through-holes.

7. Iron according to claim 5 when dependent upon claim 3 or 4, wherein said second plate comprises a plurality of second through-holes for the delivery of steam and wherein said plurality of first through-holes is provided in correspondence with said plurality of second through-holes.

8. Iron according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first plate comprises a pair of opposite guides for centring said main body on said first plate.

9. Iron according to claim 8, wherein said pair of opposite centring guides can be adjusted in position on the first plate.

10. Iron according to any one of the previous claims, comprising disengageable locking means between said first plate and said main body.

11. Iron according to claim 10, wherein said disengageable locking means can be adjusted in position on the first plate.

12. Iron according to any one of the previous claims, wherein said first plate is manufactured in a single piece.

13. Iron according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein said first plate is manufactured in at least two distinct pieces.

14. Iron according to any one of claims 3 to 13 when dependent upon claim 3, comprising a shaped contact surface between said first and second plates.

15. Plate for an iron, comprising locking means suitable for allowing a coupling of the plate with an iron according to any one of the previous claims, characterised in that said locking means can be disengaged so as to realise a removable coupling.

16. Kit of parts comprising:

an iron;

at least one first plate adapted to be removably associated with said iron.

17. Kit of parts according to claim 16, comprising a plurality of different sized first plates.