Iron with a fill opening fitted with a seal

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11248336-B2
Application number	US-202016801615-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 26, 2020
Priority date	Mar 6, 2019
Publication date	Feb 15, 2022
Grant date	Feb 15, 2022

Abstract

An iron has a heel on which the iron can rest during inactive ironing phases, an internal reservoir, a fill opening fluidly connected to the internal reservoir, a fill opening cover movable between a closed position and an open position, a seal configured to seal the fill opening when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, and a vent which is fluidly connected to the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position. The seal includes a barrier part extending into the internal reservoir, and a ventilation orifice which is fluidly connected to the vent, and which opens into the internal reservoir, the barrier part and the ventilation orifice being configured so as to prevent liquid from flowing from the internal reservoir and through the vent when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron rests on the heel.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An iron comprising:
a case equipped with a heel located in a rear part of the case and on which the iron is configured to rest during inactive ironing phases;
an internal reservoir;
a fill opening fluidly connected to the internal reservoir and opening into a front surface of the case of the iron;
a fill opening cover movable between a closed position in which the fill opening cover covers the fill opening and an open position in which the fill opening cover at least partially exposes the fill opening;
a seal comprising a mounting part fixed to the fill opening cover and a sealing part configured to seal the fill opening when the fill opening cover is in the closed position; and
a vent provided on the fill opening cover, the vent opening to the outside of the iron and in fluid connection with the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein the seal includes a barrier part extending into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, and a ventilation orifice fluidly connected to the vent and opening into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein the barrier part includes a barrier wall devoid of openings in fluid communication with the ventilation orifice and the vent, the barrier wall extending between the ventilation orifice and the internal reservoir up to a barrier edge that is located above a maximum liquid level in the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel, the barrier part and the ventilation orifice thereby being configured to prevent liquid from flowing from the internal reservoir and through the vent when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel.

2. The iron according to claim 1 , wherein, when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, the ventilation orifice is oriented substantially opposite the heel.

3. The iron according to claim 1 , wherein the ventilation orifice is oriented in a first direction and the vent is oriented in a second direction transverse to the first direction.

4. The iron according to claim 1 , wherein, when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron rests on the heel, the outlet of the ventilation orifice is located at a height higher than that of the vent.

5. The iron according to claim 1 , wherein the seal has an internal cavity fluidly connected to the vent, the ventilation orifice opening into the internal cavity.

6. The iron according to claim 1 , wherein the barrier part has a side wall extending from the sealing part and in a direction of the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, and the barrier wall extend from the side wall and transversely to the side wall.

7. The iron according to claim 6 , wherein the barrier part is tubular, and the barrier wall forms an end wall of the barrier part.

8. The iron according to claim 6 , wherein the barrier wall comprises the barrier edge and the barrier edge is opposite to the heel of the iron.

9. The iron according to claim 8 , wherein the ventilation orifice is contiguous with the barrier edge of the barrier wall.

10. An iron comprising:
a case equipped with a heel located in a rear part of the case and on which the iron is configured to rest during inactive ironing phases;
an internal reservoir;
a fill opening fluidly connected to the internal reservoir and opening into a front surface of the case of the iron;
a fill opening cover movable between a closed position in which the fill opening cover covers the fill opening and an open position in which the fill opening cover at least partially exposes the fill opening;
a seal comprising a mounting part fixed to the fill opening cover and a sealing part configured to seal the fill opening when the fill opening cover is in the closed position; and
a vent provided on the fill opening cover, the vent opening to the outside of the iron and in fluid connection with the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein the seal includes a barrier part extending into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, and a ventilation orifice fluidly connected to the vent and opening into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein the barrier part and the orifice ventilation are configured to prevent liquid from flowing from the internal reservoir and through the vent when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel, and
wherein, when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron rests on the heel, the outlet of the ventilation orifice is located at a height higher than that of the vent.

11. The iron according to claim 10 , wherein features of the seal that are immovable relative to one another and include the barrier and the ventilation orifice cooperate to prevent liquid from flowing from the internal reservoir and through the vent when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel.

12. The iron according to claim 10 , wherein the barrier extends above and below the ventilation orifice when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel.

13. The iron according to claim 12 , wherein, when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, the ventilation orifice is oriented substantially opposite the heel.

14. An iron comprising:
a case equipped with a heel located in a rear part of the case and on which the iron is configured to rest during inactive ironing phases;
an internal reservoir;
a fill opening fluidly connected to the internal reservoir and opening into a front surface of the case of the iron;
a fill opening cover movable between a closed position in which the fill opening cover covers the fill opening and an open position in which the fill opening cover at least partially exposes the fill opening;
a seal comprising a mounting part fixed to the fill opening cover and a sealing part configured to seal the fill opening when the fill opening cover is in the closed position; and
a vent provided on the fill opening cover, the vent opening to the outside of the iron and in fluid connection with the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein the seal includes a barrier part extending into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, and a ventilation orifice fluidly connected to the vent and opening into the internal reservoir when the fill opening cover is in the closed position,
wherein, when the fill opening cover is in the closed position, the ventilation orifice is oriented substantially opposite the heel and has an upper opening that is located higher than a maximum liquid level, and
the seal has an internal cavity located between the vent and the ventilation orifice and into which the vent and the ventilation orifice open, the fluid cavity extending lower than a lower end of the vent when the fill opening cover is in the closed position and the iron is resting on the heel.

15. The iron according to claim 14 , wherein the internal cavity defines an only path of fluid communication between the ventilation orifice and the vent within an assembly of the fill opening cover and the seal.

16. The iron according to claim 14 , wherein an end of the ventilation orifice that opens into the internal cavity is lower than an end of the vent tha

Assignees

• Seb Sa

Inventors

• Couet Bertrand
• Dias Laurent D'Oliviera

Classifications

• D06F75/14 Primary

  the steam being produced from water in a reservoir carried by the iron · CPC title

• D06F79/00

  Accessories for hand irons · CPC title

• D06F75/36

  Casings · CPC title

• D06F75/38

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