Steam-smoothing apparatus including a base connected to a smoothing head via a pipe

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10280556-B2
Application number	US-201615770050-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2016
Priority date	Oct 23, 2015
Publication date	May 7, 2019
Grant date	May 7, 2019

Abstract

A steam-smoothing apparatus includes a base intended for producing a steam flow and connected to a smoothing head via a flexible pipe in which the steam produced by the base freely escapes to the smoothing head. The smoothing head includes a rear portion, forming a grasping handle, and a widened front portion including a surface provided with a plurality of steam outlet holes through which the flow of steam from the base is distributed. The widened front portion contains a first steam-dispensing chamber, which supplies steam to a first group of steam outlet holes, and a second steam-dispensing chamber which supplies steam to a second group of steam outlet holes. The smoothing head includes a system for blocking or reducing the steam flow towards the second group of steam outlet holes that can be actuated from outside the smoothing head.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. Steam-smoothing apparatus comprising a base intended for producing a flow of steam and connected to a smoothing head via a flexible pipe in which the steam produced by the base freely escapes to the smoothing head, the smoothing head comprising a rear portion forming a grasping handle, and a widened front portion comprising a surface provided with a plurality of steam outlet holes through which the flow of steam from the base is distributed, wherein the widened front portion encloses a first steam-dispensing chamber configured to supply steam to a first group of steam outlet holes and a second steam-dispensing chamber configured to supply steam to a second group of steam outlet holes, wherein the steam is separately supplied to the first steam-dispensing chamber and to the second steam-dispensing chamber from the flexible pipe, and wherein the smoothing head comprises means for blocking or reducing the steam flow toward the second group of steam outlet holes, said means being activable from outside the smoothing head.

2. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible pipe comprises an end connected to the base which communicates freely with a boiling chamber, and an end connected to the smoothing head which communicates freely with the first dispensing chamber.

3. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the smoothing head comprises a valve that is returned by return means to an open position permitting a passage of the steam flow toward the second steam-dispensing chamber, said valve being manually movable to a closed position in order to reduce or block the steam flow in a direction of the second group of steam outlet holes.

4. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein, said valve is activable by a trigger arranged under the grasping handle or by a circular wheel arranged around the grasping handle.

5. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a flexible tube supplying steam to the second steam-dispensing chamber and a device for pinching the tube.

6. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the device for pinching the tube comprises a button pivotally mounted on the smoothing head, the button being integral with an element that pinches the tube when the button is moved to a depressed position, the button being returned to a resting position by elastic return means.

7. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the surface receiving the steam outlet holes is flat and has a generally triangular contour.

8. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the steam outlet holes are distributed in a V on the surface of the smoothing head, the steam outlet holes arranged at a pointed end of the V being supplied with steam from the first dispensing chamber, and the other steam outlet holes being supplied by the second dispensing chamber.

9. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein a total number of steam outlet holes is greater than or equal to five holes.

10. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first group of steam outlet holes comprises fewer than five steam outlet holes.

11. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the first group of steam outlet holes comprises three steam outlet holes.

12. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said valve comprises a seal configured to hermetically close, in the closed position, an opening for supplying steam to the second group of steam outlet holes.

13. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a connector, the connector having a single inlet opening connected to an end of the flexible pipe and having two outlet openings for distributing the steam to the first steam-dispensing chamber and the second steam-dispensing chamber.

14. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible pipe extends in a longitudinal direction and into an inside of the grasping handle such that at least a portion of said grasping handle surrounds part of the flexible pipe, and wherein said means that is activable from outside the smoothing head is configured to move in a substantially perpendicular direction relative to the longitudinal direction of said flexible pipe.

15. Steam-smoothing apparatus comprising a base intended for producing a steam flow and connected to a smoothing head via a flexible pipe in which the steam produced by the base freely escapes to the smoothing head, the smoothing head comprising a rear portion forming a grasping handle and a widened front portion comprising a surface provided with a plurality of steam outlet holes through which the flow of steam from the base is distributed, the widened front portion enclosing a first steam-dispensing chamber configured to supply steam to a first group of steam outlet holes and a second steam-dispensing chamber configured to supply steam to a second group of steam outlet holes, wherein the apparatus further comprises a flexible tube supplying steam to the second steam-dispensing chamber and wherein the smoothing head comprising a device for pinching the flexible tube for blocking or reducing the steam flow toward the second group of steam outlet holes, said device being activable from outside the smoothing head.

16. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the flexible pipe comprises an end connected to the base which communicates freely with a boiling chamber, and an end connected to the smoothing head which communicates freely with the first dispensing chamber.

17. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the device for pinching the tube comprises a button pivotally mounted on the smoothing head, the button being integral with an element that pinches the tube when the button is moved to a depressed position, the button being returned to a resting position by elastic return means.

18. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the surface receiving the steam outlet holes is flat and has a generally triangular contour.

19. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the steam outlet holes are distributed in a V on the surface of the smoothing head, the steam outlet holes arranged at a pointed end of the V being supplied with steam from the first dispensing chamber, and the other steam outlet holes being supplied by the second dispensing chamber.

20. The steam-smoothing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein a total number of steam outlet holes is greater than or equal to five holes.

Assignees

• Seb Sa

Inventors

• Javit Maxime
• Sylor Fang
• Wade li

Classifications

• D06F75/38

  Sole plates (D06F75/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• D06F75/12

  the steam being produced from water supplied to the iron from an external source · CPC title

• D06F75/20 Primary

  Arrangements for discharging the steam to the article being ironed · CPC title