Body Structure Patents (Class 38/88)
  • Patent number: 5074066
    Abstract: A cordless iron which includes an iron body and a rest upon which the iron body is mounted when the ironing is not being done, the iron body including a soleplate and a steam chamber both heated through electrical connection effected by the mounting of the iron body on the rest, the steam ejection being stopped when the iron body is mounted on the rest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 1990
    Date of Patent: December 24, 1991
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Chikashi Sakano, Seiichi Nakada, Toyohiko Yagi, Takahisa Tsuji
  • Patent number: 5063697
    Abstract: A steam smoothing iron having a removable cartridge (1) which contains a product for demineralizing the water intended to be introduced into the vaporization chamber (2) of the iron. The cartridge (1) is arranged between the water outlet (3) of the water storage container (4) of the iron and the vaporization chamber (2).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 1990
    Date of Patent: November 12, 1991
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Daniel Valente, Jean L. Branrolini, Frederic Volle
  • Patent number: 4995177
    Abstract: A steam-iron sole-plate comprises a first plate constituting the sole-plate proper and provided with a roll-bonded layer of brazing alloy, a second plate constituting the steam chamber and provided with a roll-bonded layer of brazing alloy and a flat resistance heating element inserted between the two plates and separated from these latter by insulating layers. The two plates are assembled together by means of a fluid-tight peripheral brazed joint and a series of brazed joints at the level of bosses formed on the second plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1989
    Date of Patent: February 26, 1991
    Assignee: SEB S.A.
    Inventors: Bernard Louison, Camille Burton
  • Patent number: 4939856
    Abstract: An adjustable steam flow control for an electric steam iron includes a metering rod mounted in threaded engagement with a support bushing and having a lower end that extends into a valve orifice between the water reservoir and the steam generation chamber. A pinion gear is secured to the metering rod and engages a spur gear sector on a rotatably mounted steam adjust knob. Rotation of the steam adjust knob in one direction or the other by the user causes the metering rod to rotate in its bushing and advance into or retract from the orifice to thus control the steam flow rate. The steam control knob is provided with a spur gear sector so that partial rotation of the steam control knob will rotate the metering rod through its full range of motion. The present invention advantageously provides an adjustable steam flow control for an electric steam iron in which steam control can be precisely controlled and in which repeatable increments or decrements of steam flow can be obtained in a positive manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 1989
    Date of Patent: July 10, 1990
    Assignee: Black & Decker Inc.
    Inventor: Peter A. Czerner
  • Patent number: 4835363
    Abstract: An electric iron wherein a cermic sole plate transmits infrared light and is heated by one or more halogen lamps within a reflector in the housing of the iron whose concave surface faces the lamp or lamps and reflects heat upon the sole plate. The reflector further effects the heating of water which is admitted into a steam chamber in the housing of the iron between the reflector and the ceramic sole plate, and the resulting steam is conveyed to nozzles extending into openings in the sole plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 1987
    Date of Patent: May 30, 1989
    Assignee: Robert Krups Stiftung & Co. KG.
    Inventor: Erich Hoffmann
  • Patent number: 4815224
    Abstract: A handle for an appliance adapted to be held by a hand and moved by a forearm when the appliance is being used. The handle includes a gripping portion adapted to be gripped by the hand of a user and adapted to be connected to a body portion of the appliance disaposed generally below the gripping portion in spaced relation thereto with the appliance being of the type where the body portion is adapted for movement in a generally horizontal plane when the gripping portion is moved by the forearm of the user. With this arrangement, the gripping portion is disposed at an angle of between approximately 25.degree. and 45.degree. to the generally horizontal plane of movement.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 20, 1987
    Date of Patent: March 28, 1989
    Assignee: Sears, Roebuck & Company
    Inventor: Henry O. Miller
  • Patent number: 4748755
    Abstract: A light-weight, primarily plastic, steam pressing iron, which may be assembled without the use of tools and a multiplicity of fasteners, includes a ported aluminum soleplate having a steam generating area and a thermostat, with a rotatable control, a plastic skirt which is snap-fitted onto the soleplate, a plastic housing/handle having a dove-tail connection to the skirt and including a snap-assembled saddle assembly, and a pivotable cord boot retained on the housing/handle by an end cap which is secured thereto by a single threaded fastener. A steam control is operated by a rocker mechanism on the saddle assembly and the rotatable thermostat control is operated by a heat control button which is linearly movable on the saddle assembly. A reservoir in the housing/handle may be provided with either a spray or a non-spray vent cap.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 1986
    Date of Patent: June 7, 1988
    Assignee: Sunbeam Corporation
    Inventors: Benjamin H. Bain, Jr., Henry Prost
  • Patent number: 4686352
    Abstract: An electric pressing iron having a motion and attitude sensor including a mercury switch connected to a timer, and in conjunction therewith is adapted to disable the electric heater of the iron when the iron is oriented with the soleplate substantially horizontal and is not moving. The motion and attitude sensor and timer are also adapted to disable the electric heater when the iron is oriented with its soleplate vertical after the passage of a preselected period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 1984
    Date of Patent: August 11, 1987
    Assignee: John Zink Company
    Inventors: Thomas L. Nawrot, John Vancha, James C. Mysicka
  • Patent number: 4636613
    Abstract: A combination hair-dryer and garment ironing apparatus includes a housing having an air inlet and a pair of air outlets. A blower and electric heater in the housing create a flow of heated air through the housing. A permanent, non-removable iron assembly is provided on the housing and includes a sole plate disposed in the path of the heated air flow through the housing. The sole plate forms a portion of a wall of the housing and has an exposed generally flat ironing surface. A heated air diverter member within the housing is selectively movable between a first dryer position in which substantially all of the heated air flowing through the housing is diverted from contact with the sole plate and is exhausted through one of the outlets and a second iron position in which a substantial portion of the heated air flow is diverted into contact with at least a portion of the sole plate for impingement heating of the sole plate to an ironing temperature and is exhausted from the other air outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 1985
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1987
    Assignee: Anne J. de la Morandiere
    Inventors: Anne J. de la Morandiere, Peter W. Bressler, Peter D. Byar, Edward A. Spector
  • Patent number: 4577424
    Abstract: An electrical safety iron includes a safey circuit that automatically cuts off power if a pause of operation exceeds a prescribed time limit and lifts the main body of the iron from the surface being ironed so as to avoid damaging the texture of the fabric being ironed or causing a fire. An override preheat switch is provided to enable supply of power to the heater of the iron even if it is unattended, provided it is supported in the upright position. An electrical time delay circuit controls timing of the automatic power cutoff and lifting of the iron when it is unattended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 1984
    Date of Patent: March 25, 1986
    Inventor: Yung-Ho Liu
  • Patent number: 4517757
    Abstract: An electric iron is provided with a cord reel device, including a base, a heater, a handle and a cord. The cord reel device includes a cord casing, a drum, a spring member for urging the drum to rotate in a winding direction of the cord, a locking member, and a winding button for causing the drum to rotate in the winding direction of the cord in association with the locking member. The reel device is formed with a transparent portion such that the cord wound around the drum is visible from outside of the cord reel device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 1983
    Date of Patent: May 21, 1985
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shuji Asada, Tadamasa Nanbu
  • Patent number: 4430553
    Abstract: A cordless flatiron includes a sole plate with an exposed bottom surface forming an ironing surface and a top surface including a number of projections extending upwardly therefrom. A protective hood attached to the periphery of the top surface of the sole plate forms an evacuated, sealed chamber thereabove and a heat storage element is positioned in the chamber so as to be movable toward and away from the projections of the sole plate. The heat storage element is heated by an electric heating rod extending therein. A temperature responsive regulator element positioned between the heat storage element and the top of the sole plate and responsive to the temperature of the sole plate is arranged by its configuration to position the heat storage with respect to the upper ends of the projections of the sole plate and thus determine whether or not heat is conducted from the heat storage element to the projections of the sole plate and to the ironing surface of the sole plate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 1980
    Date of Patent: February 7, 1984
    Inventor: Antim Antimovski
  • Patent number: 4347428
    Abstract: An electronic temperature control circuit for regulating the soleplate temperature of an electrically heated pressing iron is located in the handle and supporting structure of the iron. The electronic circuit includes a thyristor controlling energization of the soleplate heater and tending to emit heat. The thyristor is mounted to a heat dissipating cooling plate located within a leakproof cavity in the supporting structure remotely from the other electronic components of the control circuit tending to be adversely affected by heat. The cooling plate and thyristor are mounted on a detachable wall closing the cavity and shaped to provide a resting stand which allows the iron to be rested flatly on a horizontal surface without the soleplate contacting the surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 1980
    Date of Patent: August 31, 1982
    Assignee: Rowenta-Werke GmbH
    Inventors: Rainer Conrad, Hubert Seifert
  • Patent number: 4244124
    Abstract: In a steam iron an improvement is provided comprising a separate molded plastic baffle that is inserted from the bottom of the tank into the riser portion, the baffle having a transverse vertical wall extending completely across the tank. To the vertical wall, an integral horizontal wall is cantilevered on one side to provide a stop by abutting the underside of the tank top when inserted from the bottom. A pair of vertical channels is offset from the vertical wall on the other side thereof and the channels extend into the riser portion being spaced to provide an opening for handle-mounted components including the dump rod, the channels being designed to direct water into the tank. A slanted and offset aperture in the vertical wall for guiding ribs around it, the aperture providing a supported guide for the low end of the rod.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 1979
    Date of Patent: January 13, 1981
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventors: Wendell C. Walker, Arthur C. Downing
  • Patent number: 4115935
    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.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 1977
    Date of Patent: September 26, 1978
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Kaj Toft
  • Patent number: 4104815
    Abstract: A steam iron comprising a one-piece component accommodating two bores usable as pump cylinders and a cover making it possible either to seal off one or both cylinder bores or to leave both open at the top. The cylinders may then be used selectively in conjunction with associated pistons and ducts to supply water to either a spray nozzle, a delivery spout for introducing additional water into a vaporization chamber, or both. The one-piece component may also provide the possibility of selectively sealing or leaving open certain valve bores associated with the pump cylinders.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 1977
    Date of Patent: August 8, 1978
    Assignee: Jura Elektroapparate-Fabriken L. Henzirohs A.G.
    Inventors: Urs Hammer, Ernst Gisiger
  • Patent number: 4101729
    Abstract: For use in a portable electric appliance, that is cord-connected to internal electric terminals by multiple conductors, there is provided a strain relief assembly between the cord and appliance that has a housing chamber in the appliance at the cord entrance. A formed saddle is secured to the chamber and has spaced ears defining a preferably slanted passage therebetween aligned with the lay of the cord and which holds the cord conductors as the cord enters the appliance. There is provided a formed clamp fitting over the saddle and removably attached thereto. The clamp has a toothed flexible strap-like extension in a generally U-shape connected at one end of the clamp and freely hanging at the other end with downward opening teeth at the free end which are disposed into the passage against the conductors to jam them in the passage.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1977
    Date of Patent: July 18, 1978
    Assignee: General Electric Company
    Inventor: Charles A. Balchunas
  • Patent number: 3972768
    Abstract: A hot-melt carpet seaming tape having means for cooperating with a specially designed electric iron to maintain registery of the tape and iron while the heated iron is moved along and over the tape beneath the abutting edges of carpet segments to adhere the segments to the tape and together in a novel process for accomplishing the same.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 1974
    Date of Patent: August 3, 1976
    Assignee: Roberts Consolidated Industries, Inc.
    Inventor: Harvey J. Hill