Ironer chest for an ironing device

Abstract

An improved ironer chest for an ironing device, wherein said ironer chest is of a double-walled design and has an inner wall (1) and an outer wall (2), between which a chamber (3) extends through which a medium can flow, in which one or more elements (4) which increase heat transfer are arranged adjacent to the inner wall (1), and wherein the ironer chest comprises a partition wall (6) which is provided with passage openings (7) and which divides the chamber (3) into a first chamber (9) which contains the one or more elements (4) which increase heat transfer and a second chamber (5), adjacent to the outer wall (2), which is free from said elements (4) which increase heat transfer. In addition, the present invention relates to an ironing device comprising such an ironer chest.

Claims

1. An ironer chest for an ironing device, wherein said ironer chest is of a double-walled design and has an inner wall and an outer wall, between which a chamber extends through which a medium can flow for heating the inner wall, in which one or more elements which increase heat transfer are arranged adjacent to the inner wall for increasing heat transfer to the inner wall, wherein the ironer chest comprises a partition wall which is provided with passage openings for the medium and which divides the chamber into a first chamber which contains the one or more elements which increase heat transfer and a second chamber, adjacent to the outer wall, which is free from said one or more elements which increase heat transfer; wherein the one or more elements which increase heat transfer comprise metal foam.

2. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that the one or more elements which increase heat transfer extend across virtually the entire surface of the inner wall.

3. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that the partition wall is arranged at a distance from said one or more elements which increase heat transfer.

4. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that the ironer chest comprises an inlet opening for letting in the medium and which is connected to the second chamber and comprises an outlet opening for discharging the medium and which is connected to the first chamber.

5. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that the ironer chest comprises a heater for heating the medium.

6. The ironer chest according to claim 5, characterized in that the heater comprises several gas burners.

7. The ironer chest according to claim 5, characterized in that the ironer chest comprises a temperature sensor which is arranged adjacent to the inner wall and comprises a controller for controlling the heater, based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

8. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized the medium is air.

9. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one abovementioned wall is made from aluminum.

10. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that the ironer chest comprises one or more medium guides which are situated adjacent to the one or more elements which increase heat transfer in said chamber.

11. The ironer chest according to claim 4, characterized in that one or more abovementioned medium guides are situated adjacent to the outlet opening.

12. The ironer chest according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises several part-ironer chests, each of which comprise a said inner wall, a said outer wall, a said chamber through which a medium can flow and one or more elements which increase heat transfer.

13. The ironer chest according to claim 12, characterized in that each part-ironer chest, viewed in cross section of the ironer chest, covers a part of the arc of the ironer chest.

14. Ironing device characterized in that it comprises an ironer chest according to claim 1.

15. An ironer chest for an ironing device, wherein said ironer chest is of a double- walled design and has an inner wall and an outer wall, between which a chamber extends through which a medium can flow for heating the inner wall, in which one or more elements which increase heat transfer are arranged adjacent to the inner wall for increasing heat transfer to the inner wall, wherein the ironer chest comprises a partition wall which is provided with passage openings for the medium and which divides the chamber into a first chamber which contains the one or more elements which increase heat transfer and a second chamber, adjacent to the outer wall, which is free from said one or more elements which increase heat transfer, wherein the partition wall is a perforated plate, mesh, fabric, or filter medium.

16. The ironer chest of claim 15, wherein the partition wall has an air permeability of between 945 l/dm.sup.2min and 3045 l/dm.sup.2min at an operating pressure of 200 Pa.

17. The ironer chest of claim 16, wherein the partition wall has an air permeability of between 1785 l/dm.sup.2min and 2415 l/dm.sup.2min at an operating pressure of 200 Pa.

18. The ironer chest of claim 15, wherein the partition wall is a perforated plate.

19. The ironer chest of claim 18, wherein and the passage openings are distributed evenly across a surface of the perforated plate.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 illustrates an ironer chest, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

(2) The present invention will now be explained in more detail by means of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of an ironer chest according to the invention. The sole aim of this description is to provide an illustrative example and to indicate further advantages and particulars of the present invention and can therefore by no means be interpreted as a limitation of the area of application of the invention or of the patent rights defined in the claims.

(3) Reference numerals are used in this detailed description to refer to the attached drawing, which diagrammatically shows a part of an ironer chest according to the present invention in cross section.

(4) The partially illustrated ironer chest is of a double-walled design and has an inner wall (1), which is provided so as to adjoin an ironing roller, and an outer wall (2). Between the inner wall (1) and the outer wall (2), a partition wall (6) is arranged which divides the chamber (3) through which air can flow between the inner wall (1) and the outer wall (2) into two parts, i.e. a first chamber (9) and a second chamber (5). This partition wall (6) is provided with passage openings (7).

(5) The space (5) between the partition wall (6) and the outer wall (2) is empty. If desired, air-guiding elements may be arranged therein for guiding air. At the bottom of the outer wall (2), an inlet opening (8) is provided which is provided in order to place a gas burner underneath it. Alternative heating elements are conceivable, but are less preferred. Air is heated by means of this gas burner and flows into the chamber through which air can flow via the inlet opening (8). This air then flows further through the passage openings (7) of the partition wall (6), which act as flow distributors, to the part (9) of the chamber (3) through which air can flow between the inner wall (1) and the partition wall (6), i.e. the first chamber (9). This part (9) contains metal foam (4) which extends virtually across the entire surface of the inner wall (1). Laterally from this upper space (9), outlet openings (not shown) are provided, via which the air can leave the chamber (3) through which air can flow again. Air-guiding elements (10), illustrated schematically, may be arranged towards these outlet openings in order to streamline the discharge.

(6) The metal foam (4) is a 3D porous material, made from metal, such as for example aluminium. This metal foam comprises open cells having pores with a diameter of 3 to 5 mm. The porosity thereof is greater than 80%.

(7) Due to this metal foam, the heat of the air heated by means of the gas burners is transferred to the inner wall in a uniform manner.

(8) It is also possible to arrange one or more other elements which increase heat transfer in this first chamber (9) instead of this metal foam (4) or together with this metal foam (4).

(9) The walls are made from a heat-conducting material, such as for example aluminium. An aluminium wall is preferably provided with a diamond layer to protect it from corrosion.

(10) An ironer chest according to the present invention may comprise several illustrated parts, evenly distributed across the surface of the mangle chest in such a manner that, for every 1.2 m.sup.2 to 1.5 m.sup.2 of outer wall, one inlet opening is provided with a gas burner underneath it which has at most 35 kW.

(11) In order to make the temperature of the inner wall (1) as uniform as possible, the ironer chest furthermore comprises several sensors which are arranged adjacent to the inner wall (1). Furthermore, the ironer chest comprises control means for controlling the gas burners based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensors.