ACCESSORY FOR A STEAMING DEVICE

Abstract

The present application relates to an accessory (1) for a steaming device (2) comprising a tray to receive a sole plate (6) of a steaming device during a cleaning cycle so that steam and/or scale is directed into said tray, the tray having an opening (14) so that when a sole plate of a steaming device is received on the tray, steam can egress out of the tray in a direction away from said steaming device through said opening.

Claims

1. An accessory for a steaming device comprising a tray to receive a sole plate of a steaming device during a cleaning cycle so that steam, water and/or scale is directed into said tray, the tray having an opening so that when a sole plate of a steaming device is received on the tray, steam can egress out of the tray in a direction away from said steaming device through said opening, wherein the tray has a base and a supporting surface to receive and support a sole plated of a steaming device in a position above the base, wherein the supporting surface defines the periphery of an aperture in the tray, the supporting surface being configured to contact the entire circumference of a peripheral edge of a sole plate received on the supporting surface.

2. (canceled)

3. An accessory according to claim 1, wherein the supporting surface lies in a plane that extends at an angle relative to a plane occupied by the base.

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

6. An accessory according to claim 1, comprising a guide wall to guide a sole plate towards the supporting surface.

7. An accessory according to claim 6, wherein an inwardly facing surface of the guide wall is curved in shape.

8. An accessory according to claim 1, comprising a resilient sealing member on the supporting surface to form a seal between the periphery of the sole plate and the supporting surface.

9. An accessory according to claim 1, wherein the tray has a region that extends beyond the supporting surface, said opening being provided in said region.

10. An accessory according to claim 9, wherein the opening is configured to direct steam exiting from the tray through the opening in a direction away from a steaming device received on said supporting surface.

11. An accessory according to claim 10, wherein a side wall extends upwardly from the base, said wall being at an angle in the region of 98 to 105 degrees relative to the base.

12. An accessory according to claim 1, comprising a flange extending in a laterally outward direction to form a handle for carrying the tray.

13. An accessory according to claim 1, wherein a rib upstands from the base of the tray towards the supporting surface.

14. A steaming device, such as a steam iron, having a sole plate and comprising an accessory according to claim 1.

15. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Embodiments of the invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] FIG. 1 shows a cross-sectional side view of an accessory for a steaming device according to an embodiment of the invention, with a steam iron positioned thereon;

[0033] FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of the accessory shown in FIG. 1;

[0034] FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view to show how the steam iron is supported on the accessory, and

[0035] FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view to show how the steam iron is supported on the accessory according to an alternative embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0036] With reference to the drawings, there is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, an accessory 1 for a steaming device such as a steam iron 2. The accessory 1 comprises a tray having a base 3 and a side wall 4 that extends upwardly from around the periphery of the base 3 to form a recess or bath 5 for the collection of scale deposits and water from the steam iron 2 during a cleaning cycle.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 1, steam iron 2 is placed on the tray so that its sole plate 6 is spaced from the base 3. The tray has a seat 7 to support the steam iron 2 thereon. As shown in FIG. 3, the seat 7 may comprise a supporting surface 8 extending laterally inwardly from an upper end of the side wall 4. Preferably, the supporting surface 8 is shaped and continuous so that the sole plate 6 of the steam generator 2 will make contact with it around its entire periphery to prevent the egress of steam from around the edge of the sole plate 6. It will be appreciated that the supporting surface 8 defines a single aperture in the tray to receive the sole plate 6 and that only a very small region extending inwardly from the peripheral edge 6a of the sole plate 6 lies in contact with the supporting surface 8. This ensures that the majority of the surface area of the sole plate 6 does not make contact with any part of the tray and that it is only supported at its outermost edge without any steam distribution holes in the sole plate becoming blocked by the tray.

[0038] As shown in FIG. 3, the sole plate 6 of the steam iron 2 may lie in direct contact with the supporting surface 8 and the weight of the steam iron 2 pressing against the supporting surface 8 is sufficient to provide an adequate seal between the supporting surface 8 and the sole plate 6. However, in a preferred embodiment, the sole plate 6 rests on a resilient sealing member 9 attached to the supporting surface 8, which deforms slightly under the weight of the steam iron 2, thereby improving the seal between the sole plate 6 and the supporting surface 8 and preventing egress of steam from the tray between the sole plate 6 and the supporting surface 8.

[0039] The supporting surface 8 includes an upstanding guide wall 10. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, an inwardly facing surface 11 of the guide wall 10 may be curved to assist in guiding the sole plate 6 into position on the supporting surface 8 when the steam iron 2 is lowered onto the tray.

[0040] The accessory 1 has an elongated nose section 12 that extends beyond the supporting surface 8 directly in front of where the tip 13 of the sole plate 6 of a steam iron 2 positioned on the tray would be located. An opening 14 is formed in the nose section 12 for the egress of steam from the tray through the opening 14. The opening 14, or at least the side wall 4, may be angled so that the steam is directed away from a steam iron 2 seated on the tray. In particular, the side wall 4 may extend upwardly and outwardly from the base 3 at an angle in the region of between 98 to 105 degrees from the base 3 (as indicated by angle a in FIG. 1) so as to direct steam out of the tray and away from the steaming device. At angles less than 98 degrees, steam is more likely to be directed towards the steaming device whereas, at angles greater than 105 degrees, water may gush out of the opening 14.

[0041] The supporting surface 8 forms a bridge that extends between opposite facing surfaces of the side wall 4 of the tray under which steam can pass to reach the opening 14, i.e. in the direction of arrows ‘S’ in FIG. 1. An edge of the supporting surface 8 forming the bridge has an upstanding lip 15 to separate the supporting surface 8 from the opening 14.

[0042] It will be appreciated that a plane occupied by the supporting surface 8 is angled relative to a plane occupied by the base 3, with the lowest point of the supporting surface 8 adjacent to the opening 14. The supporting surface 8 may lie at an angle in the region of 3 degrees relative to the base 3. When the base 3 of the tray is resting on a flat, horizontal surface, the iron is held at an angle within the tray, and so is in a different position than the position it would normally be in for ironing. In some embodiments, the steaming device may incorporate a position or orientation sensor so that it ‘knows’ whether it has been placed on the tray. The cleaning cycle may then initiate only once it is in this position or after it has remained in this position for a period of time. Alternatively, a user may operate a switch on the steaming device to begin a cleaning cycle which will only start once the steaming device is in a particular position, i.e. when it has been placed on the tray. It will be appreciated that this provides an additional safety feature because the user must place the steaming device on the tray and let go of it completely prior to initiation of the cleaning cycle.

[0043] In other variants, the steaming device and/or the iron may incorprate a proximity sensor or switch that is activated only once the steaming device has been correctly positioned on the tray, thereby enabling a cleaning cycle to commence.

[0044] The height of the side wall 4 of the tray is selected so that, after a cleaning cycle has been completed, the depth of water collected in the tray will not reach the lowest point of the supporting surface 8 and, preferably, the distance between the supporting surface 8 and the level of the water will not be less than 13 mm.

[0045] A rib 17 upstands from the base 3 of the tray to help prevent water contained in the tray from moving around as the tray is carried to a position where it is to be emptied after a cleaning cycle is complete.

[0046] The outer most edge of the tray has a laterally protruding flange 18 to enable the tray to be carried more easily when it contains water.

[0047] The tray may be molded from a high temperature resistant plastics material. It may also be a unitary component.

[0048] It will be appreciated that the term “comprising” does not exclude other elements or steps and that the indefinite article “a” or “an” does not exclude a plurality. A single processor may fulfil the functions of several items recited in the claims. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to an advantage. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0049] Although claims have been formulated in this application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel features or any novel combinations of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalisation thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the parent invention. The applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of features during the prosecution of the present application or of any further application derived therefrom.