EP0287985B1

EP0287985B1 - Ironing board with heated table particularly for domestic use

Info

Publication number: EP0287985B1
Application number: EP88106127A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Lorenzo Breda
Original assignee: Bielle Di Breda Lorenzo Maurizio & C SNC
Current assignee: Bielle Di Breda Lorenzo Maurizio & C SNC
Priority date: 1987-04-23
Filing date: 1988-04-18
Publication date: 1991-07-10
Also published as: IT1215442B; IT8720245A0; DE3863572D1; EP0287985A1

Description

The present invention relates to an ironing board with heated table particularly for domestic use.
EP-A-0 118 398 discloses a steam ironing appliance.
As is known, steam generators have long been present on the market which are constituted by boiler inside which an electric resistor is provided which has the function of heating the water up to its vaporization, so as to generate a certain amount of steam which is then sent to an iron or to a similar user appliance.
On the other hand, ironing board are known, mostly for professional uses, which have in their interior an electric resistor which has the function of heating the ironing table so as to improve the ironing effect.
With the above described solutions it is therefore necessary to have high electric power available to perform the heating of the boiler, of the ironing table and of the iron, with considerable practical disadvantages.
Another disadvantage furthermore resides in the fact that the use of boilers which are pressurized for the generation of steam requires remarkable technical safety solutions which considerably complicate the production steps.
The aim proposed by the invention is indeed to eliminate the above described disadvantages by providing an ironing board with heated table which allows to simplify all the apparatus required for the ironing operations, eliminating the conventional boiler for the generation of steam, though a considerable amount of steam is naturally available for the ironing operations.
Within the above described aim, a particular object of the invention is to provide an ironing board which is capable of allowing a substantially instantaneous generation of steam with the consequent advantage of performing the heating only for the part of steam which is actually used, contrarily to what occurs with conventional boilers, which require the advance heating of the entire mass of water.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an ironing board which allows to eliminate all the particles of water or humidity which may be present in the steam, allowing the use of a dry steam which is better suitable for ironing operations.
Not least object of the present invention is to provide an ironing board with heated table which, by virtue of its peculiar constructive characteristics, is capable of giving the greatest assurances of reliability and safety in use.
The above described aim, as well as the objects mentioned an others which will become apparent hereinafter, are achieved by an ironing board with heated table particularly for domestic use comprising a table connected to a supporting framework and having a box-like configuration, in said table there being accommodated a heating resistor, characterized in that it comprises a water vaporization duct drawing from a water tank and extending closely proximate to said resistor provided in said table, said duct leading to a user appliance, and being provided with a control valve.
Further characteristics and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the description of a preferred but not exclusive embodiment of an ironing board with heated table. Illustrated only by way of non-limitative example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

figure 1 is a schematic partially exploded view of the ironing board;
figure 2 is a schematic view of the heating resistor and of the vaporization duct;
figure 3 is a view of the condensate separator.

With reference to the above described figures, the ironing board according to the invention, comprises a table, generally indicated by the reference numeral 1, which in a per se known manner is supported by a supporting framework which is preferably but not necessarily constituted by a foldable stand 2.
The table 1, as indicated in figure 1, has a box-like configuration and contains in its interior an electric resistor 10 which can have a substantially U-shaped configuration and extends at the periphery of the table or may also possibly have a W-shaped configuration.
The table is upwardly closed by a cover 11 above which the conventional flannel 12 is applied on which a cloth 13 is superimposed.
The peculiarity of the invention resides in the fact that a vaporization duct is provided, generally indicated by the reference numeral 20, and extends closely proximate to the electric resistor 10 so as to perform the vaporization of the water directly when the water flows inside the vaporization duct which is continuously heated by the electric resistor 10, which is in turn controlled by a variable-adjustment thermostat.
To obtain a close contact between the duct 20 and the resistor 10, the resistor 10 may be placed to the side of the duct 20 or, possibly, it may be positioned directly inside said duct 20.
Said vaporization duct 20 is connected to a water tank 23, at one end, with the interposition of a one-way valve 21 and of a delivery pump 22; the water tank 23 being advantageously connected laterally to the ironing table.
At its output end, the vaporization duct 20 is associated with a maximum-pressure discharge valve 30 which has an output branch 31 which returns into the tank and a main branch 32 which, with the interposition of an electric control valve 33, is connected to a user appliance constituted for example by an iron 25, as in this case.
In place of the maximum-pressure electric valve 30 it is possible to provide a condensate separator, indicated at 40 in figure 3, which has an inner chamber or cavity 41 connected to an inlet 42 for the steam arriving from the tube 20 and an outlet 43 for the exit of the produced steam towards the electric valve 33, during the normal steps of use. The separator furthermore has a maximum-pressure inlet, indicated at 44, which returns to the tank the excess-pressure steam.
An important characteristic resides in the fact that inside the chamber of the condensate separator 40 an auxiliary resistor is provided, indicated at 45, which has the function of vaporizing any particle of condensate, so that the steam which is fed into the iron is always dry and therefore such as to have the best characteristics for use.
To complete the ironing board, an aspirator is furthermore provided, indicated at 50, which is accommodated in the lower part of the body 1 and is actuatable by means of a pedal control, indicated at 60 in figure 1 and supported by the stand 2. Furthermore, in the place of the pedal, an infrared-ray head may be provided or possibly the control for aspiration may be executed by means of a second pushbutton located on the handle of the iron, next to the one for the steam.
In practical operation, in order to produce steam it is sufficient to activate the pump so that the water is introduced in the vaporization duct. The water, flowing in the vaporization duct, which is in close contact with the electric resistor of the heated table, vaporizes and exits towards the user appliance, by virtue of the previously described connections.
This arrangement has the advantage of providing a cold water tank, eliminating the conventional boiler for steam generation and having a single electric resistor which performs both the heating of the table and the vaporization of the water
This arrangement furthermore has the advantage of instantly generating the steam, since only the water in transit, that is to say only the amount of water which is introduced by the pump, is vaporized.
Another considerable advantage resides in the fact that the condensate separator, by virtue of the auxiliary resistor, vaporizes any condensate particles, preventing them from directly reaching the iron.
The invention thus conceived is susceptible to numerous modifications and variations, all of which are within the scope of the inventive concept.
Furthermore, all the details may be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
In practice, the materials employed, so long as compatible with the specific use, as well as the contingent shapes and dimensions, may be any according to the requirements.
Where technical features mentioned in any claim are followed by reference signs, those reference signs have been included for the sole purpose of increasing the intelligibility of the claims and accordingly, such reference signs do not have any limiting effect on the scope of each element identified by way of example by such reference signs.

Claims

1. Ironing board with heated table particularly for domestic use, comprising a table (1) connected to a supporting framework (2) and having a box-like configuration, in said table (1) there being accommodated a heating resistor (10), characterized in that it comprises a water vaporization duct (20) which draws from a water tank (23) and extends closely proximate to said resistor (10) provided in said table (1), said duct (20) leading to a user appliance (25) and being provided with a control valve (33).

2. Ironing board, according to claim 1, characterized in that said electric resistor (10) has a substantially U-shaped configuration and is located at the edges of said table (1).

3. Ironing board, according the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric resistor (10) has a substantially W-shaped extension.

4. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric resistor (10) is arranged to the side of said vaporization duct (20).

5. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that said electric resistor (10) is arranged inside said vaporization duct (20).

6. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a pump (22) interposed on the duct for connection between said water tank (23) and the inlet end of said vaporization duct (20).

7. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a one-way valve (21) interposed between said pump (22) and said vaporization duct (20).

8. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a maximum pressure electric valve (30) having, in output, a maximum-pressure output branch (31) ending in said tank (23) and a main branch (32) interconnected with said control valve (33), said control valve being an electric control valve (33).

9. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises a condensate separator assembly (40) positioned at the output of said vaporization duct (20) from said table (1), said separator assembly (40) defining a chamber (41) connected to an inlet (42) and to an outlet (43), as well as to a maximum-pressure inlet (44), in said chamber (41) there being provided an auxiliary resistor (45) for the vaporization of the condensate particles present in the steam.

10. Ironing board, according to one or more of the preceding claims, characterized in that it comprises an aspirator (50) associated with the lower part of said table (1).