A steam iron includes an ironing unit and a water inlet unit. The ironing unit includes an ironing plate and a heating member disposed for heating the ironing plate. The ironing plate has a first heating space, a second heating space isolated from the first heating space, a first steam hole in fluid communication with the first heating space, and a plurality of second steam holes in fluid communication with the second heating space. The steam iron is operable to convert between a power mode, where water is only introduced from the water inlet unit into the first heating space, and a regular mode, where water is introduced from the water inlet unit into the first and second heating spaces.

A steam iron includes an ironing unit and a water inlet unit. The ironing unit includes an ironing plate and a heating member disposed for heating the ironing plate. The ironing plate has a first heating space, a second heating space isolated from the first heating space, a first steam hole in fluid communication with the first heating space, and a plurality of second steam holes in fluid communication with the second heating space. The steam iron is operable to convert between a power mode, where water is only introduced from the water inlet unit into the first heating space, and a regular mode, where water is introduced from the water inlet unit into the first and second heating spaces.

A handheld appliance for emitting steam to treat a fabric has a housing, a water reservoir, a pump, and a steam generator operatively connected to the pump. The housing has an annular steam emitting head having a hole passing through the steam head. The steam head has an outlet with a shape surrounding the hole so that steam inside the steam head is emitted out of the steam head through the outlet around the hole. A handheld appliance for emitting steam to treat a fabric also has a housing having a water reservoir, a pump, a steam generator operatively connected to the pump, and an outlet. The steam generator forms a steam path that has a first layer that extends from an inlet into the steam generator on a first side of a heater to a second layer that is on a second side of the heater opposite to the first layer.

A handheld appliance for emitting steam to treat a fabric has a housing, a water reservoir, a pump, and a steam generator operatively connected to the pump. The housing has an annular steam emitting head having a hole passing through the steam head. The steam head has an outlet with a shape surrounding the hole so that steam inside the steam head is emitted out of the steam head through the outlet around the hole. A handheld appliance for emitting steam to treat a fabric also has a housing having a water reservoir, a pump, a steam generator operatively connected to the pump, and an outlet. The steam generator forms a steam path that has a first layer that extends from an inlet into the steam generator on a first side of a heater to a second layer that is on a second side of the heater opposite to the first layer.

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for cleaning a substrate, such as a fabric material, involving the application of optical energy to the substrate, typically in the form of a beam of light, where the energy of the beam causes removal of the contaminant from substrate, such as from the fibres of a fabric material. The cleaning may occur via any mechanism, including one or more of, alone or in any combination, ablation, melting, heating or reaction with the substrate or contaminant or agent introduced to aid in the cleaning. The optical energy is typically applied to a selected area of the substrate (e.g., as a beam), and the substrate and beam or optical energy source moved relative to one another so as to clean a larger area of the substrate, either by moving the substrate or the beam, or both. Movement of the beam with respect to the substrate can be attained through a beam scanning mechanism or through movement of the optical source itself.

Disclosed are methods and apparatus for cleaning a substrate, such as a fabric material, involving the application of optical energy to the substrate, typically in the form of a beam of light, where the energy of the beam causes removal of the contaminant from substrate, such as from the fibres of a fabric material. The cleaning may occur via any mechanism, including one or more of, alone or in any combination, ablation, melting, heating or reaction with the substrate or contaminant or agent introduced to aid in the cleaning. The optical energy is typically applied to a selected area of the substrate (e.g., as a beam), and the substrate and beam or optical energy source moved relative to one another so as to clean a larger area of the substrate, either by moving the substrate or the beam, or both. Movement of the beam with respect to the substrate can be attained through a beam scanning mechanism or through movement of the optical source itself.

A clothing ironing assembly for removing lint from fabric includes a steam iron that has a lint chamber is integrated into the steam iron. The steam iron has a sole plate and the sole plate has a plurality of steam openings each extending through the sole plate. The steam iron has a plurality of scraping elements each integrated into the sole plate to scrape lint from a fabric when the sole plate is rubbed across the fabric while ironing the fabric. Each of the scraping elements directs the lint into the lint chamber collect the lint. A lint screen is removably insertable into the lint opening to collect the lint directed into the lint chamber.

A clothing ironing assembly for removing lint from fabric includes a steam iron that has a lint chamber is integrated into the steam iron. The steam iron has a sole plate and the sole plate has a plurality of steam openings each extending through the sole plate. The steam iron has a plurality of scraping elements each integrated into the sole plate to scrape lint from a fabric when the sole plate is rubbed across the fabric while ironing the fabric. Each of the scraping elements directs the lint into the lint chamber collect the lint. A lint screen is removably insertable into the lint opening to collect the lint directed into the lint chamber.

A steam type clothing flattening device includes an electrical heating tray unit and a soleplate unit. The electrical heating tray unit is heated electrically to vaporize water in an upper vaporization chamber thereof, and has a discharge port for discharge of vapor from the upper vaporization chamber. The soleplate unit is coupled to an underside of and heated by the electrical heating tray unit. The soleplate unit cooperates with the electrical heating tray unit to define a lower vaporization chamber in communication with the discharge port, and has a plurality of vapor outlets extending through a bottom surface thereof for outletting vapor from the lower vaporization chamber.

A steam type clothing flattening device includes an electrical heating tray unit and a soleplate unit. The electrical heating tray unit is heated electrically to vaporize water in an upper vaporization chamber thereof, and has a discharge port for discharge of vapor from the upper vaporization chamber. The soleplate unit is coupled to an underside of and heated by the electrical heating tray unit. The soleplate unit cooperates with the electrical heating tray unit to define a lower vaporization chamber in communication with the discharge port, and has a plurality of vapor outlets extending through a bottom surface thereof for outletting vapor from the lower vaporization chamber.