Iron With Compact Base

Abstract

A household laundry appliance includes an iron and a base. The iron includes a head, a soleplate fitted and attached to the head, and a handle extending from the head. The handle is offset relative to the soleplate. The head and the handle form a concave supporting portion and the base forms a convex docking portion configured to accommodate the supporting portion of the iron. The docking portion of the base has an interlocking shape relative to the supporting portion of the iron.

Claims

1. A household laundry appliance comprising: an iron, and a base coupled to the iron by a lead, wherein the iron comprises: a head, a soleplate fitted and attached to the head, and a handle extending from the head, the handle being offset relative to the soleplate, wherein the head and the handle form a concave supporting portion and the base forms a convex docking portion configured to accommodate the supporting portion of the iron, the docking portion of the base having an interlocking shape with the supporting portion of the iron, and wherein when the supporting portion of the iron is positioned on the docking portion of the base, at least a portion of the soleplate projects out over the base.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the docking portion of the base forms a convex top and the supporting portion of the iron forms a concave hollow having an interlocking shape with the convex top of the docking portion of the base.

3. The household appliance according to claim 2, wherein, when viewed from a side, the docking portion of the base has a substantially triangular shape forming the convex top, and in wherein the convex top has a cross-section that is substantially in an inverted U shape.

4. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein a tank is included in the base, the tank having a capacity approximately between 300 and 500 ml.

5. The household appliance according to claim 4, wherein a tank fill opening is defined in the tank near the convex top of the base.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a magnet configured to maintain the iron in position on the base when the supporting portion of the iron is seated on the docking portion of the base, the magnet, housed in either the handle or the base.

7. A household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the docking portion of the base comprises a head recess configured to accommodate the head of the iron, and a handle recess configured to accommodate the handle of the iron, the handle recess having a U-shaped cross-section.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the handle extends at least partially along a longitudinal gripping direction and the soleplate extends at least partially along an ironing direction forming an angle approximately between 30 and 40 and advantageously around 35 with the longitudinal gripping direction.

9. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the head of the iron comprises a stand and the handle comprises a beveled free end, such that the iron is configured to be set down on the beveled free end of the handle and the stand of the head.

10. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising a side tab fitted and attached to a side of the base so as to accommodate a power cord on the base or a lead connecting the iron to the base in a space between the side tab and a side wall of the base.

11. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the base has a length that is shorter than or equal to a length of the iron.

12. The household appliance according to claim 8, wherein the angle formed between the longitudinal gripping direction and the ironing direction is 35.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0020] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a household appliance according to a particular embodiment of the invention;

[0021] FIG. 2 shows a view of the household appliance in FIG. 1 with the iron lifted off of its base;

[0022] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of the base of the household appliance in FIG. 1, shown alone;

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the iron of the household appliance in FIG. 1, shown alone;

[0024] FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal, cross-sectional view of the household appliance in FIG. 1. Similar elements in all the figures are labeled with identical reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Household Appliance

[0025] A non-limiting example of a household laundry appliance is shown in FIG. 1, FIG. 2 and FIG. 5. The household appliance comprises an iron 10 and a base 20. The iron 10 comprises a head 12, a soleplate 13 fitted and attached to the head 12, and a handle 11 extending from the head 12, the handle 11 being offset relative to the soleplate 13.

[0026] The head 12 and the handle 11 form a concave supporting portion, and the base 20 forms a convex docking portion designed to accommodate the supporting portion of the iron 10. The docking portion of the base 20 has a shape that interlocks with the supporting portion of the iron 10.

[0027] This use of interlocking shapes for the base 20 and the iron 10 reduces the overall size of the appliance, particularly by making the base 20 more compact. Indeed, instead of resting on its soleplate 13, the iron 10 rests partially on its handle 11 and partially on its head 12. The base 20 is therefore at least partially housed between the handle 11 and the head 12 of the iron 10, and does not have to be sized so that it can accommodate the soleplate 13. The design of the base 20 can thus be more compact. This makes carrying and storing the appliance easier. Moreover, this interlocking shape between the base 20 and the iron 10 ensures that the iron 10 remains stable and secure on the base 20, with no risk of the iron 10 tipping over.

[0028] In the rest of the application, an ironing direction Dr coincides with a longer axis of the soleplate 13 when the soleplate 13 is set on a supporting surface such as a horizontal ironing board or floor. The terms front and rear are defined to mean that, when the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 is conventionally moved in the ironing direction Dr to remove wrinkles from a piece of clothing, the front end of the soleplate 13 is the first part of the soleplate 13 to come into contact with the portion of clothing to be ironed, and the rear end of the soleplate 13 is the last part of the soleplate 13 to come into contact with the portion of clothing to be ironed. A front part of the base 20 corresponds to a part of the docking portion designed to accommodate the head 12 of the iron 10. A rear part of the base 20 corresponds to a part of the docking portion designed to accommodate the handle 11 of the iron 10.

[0029] The iron 10 is used for example for horizontal and/or vertical ironing.

[0030] The base 20 can comprise a substantially flat underside designed to rest on a horizontal plane-type supporting surface, such as an ironing board or a floor. The convex docking portion of the base 20 corresponds to an upper side of the base 20.

[0031] The base 20 is connected to an electric cord, not shown in the figures, enabling the base 20 to be connected to the household mains.

[0032] The iron 10 comprises a heating element 14 built into the head 12 of the iron 10. The heating element 14 can be a die-cast part, made of aluminum for example, attached to the soleplate 13 and comprising a resistor placed so as to enable heat exchange with the soleplate 13. In particular, the heating element 14 can comprise one or more thermostatically controlled electric resistors 15. The heating element 14 can further comprise a vapor chamber 16.

[0033] The household appliance further comprises a lead 30 connecting the base 20 and the iron 10. The lead 30 supplies the iron 10 with electricity when the base 20 is connected to the mains, so that the heating element 14 arranged in the head 12 of the iron 10, and therefore the soleplate 13, can be heated. The base 20 can comprise a tank 23 and an electric pump 26. Such a tank 23 located in the base 20 allows for a more compact and lighter iron 10. The tank 23 can be fixed in the base 20 to simplify the design, or removable to facilitate filling.

[0034] The tank 23 preferably has a capacity of around 400 ml. The tank 23 thus has sufficient autonomy while taking up little space, so that the base 20 containing the tank 23 remains compact.

[0035] The lead 30 comprises a hose allowing fluid to flow from the base 20 to the iron 10. The length of the lead 30 can be comprised between 1 and 2.5 m and substantially equal to 1.8 m. The pump 26 is operated by a trigger 115 placed under the handle 11.

[0036] The pump 26 draws water from the tank 23 and sends it to the vapor chamber 16 of the iron 10 via the hose in the lead 30.

[0037] The handle 11 is offset relative to the soleplate 13. Offset means that the handle 11 is set so that it projects out from the soleplate 13, meaning that it extends at least partially beyond the soleplate 13 and is not facing the soleplate 13. For example, at least part of the handle 11 can extend backwards relative to the soleplate 13. The offset handle 12 makes the iron 10 easy to grip and ergonomic for the user, while allowing for interlocking shapes between the supporting portion of the iron 10 and the docking portion of the base 20.

[0038] The head 12 and the handle 11 of the iron 10 can be fitted and attached to each other or made in one piece, for example in a single monoblock plastic housing produced by molding.

[0039] The soleplate 13 can comprise a substantially flat ironing side. The soleplate 13 can comprise at least one steam vent 130 that runs through the ironing side and is designed to vaporize the steam produced in the vapor chamber 16. The steam vent 130 forms a hole for the steam outlet. The soleplate 13 can be made of stainless steel. The soleplate 13 can comprise a pointed front end and a rounded rear end that is wider than the front end, for improved ironing ergonomics.

[0040] When the supporting portion of the iron 10 is positioned on the docking portion of the base 20, at least part of the soleplate 13 can project over the edge of the base 20, as illustrated by the non-limiting example in FIG. 5. Thus, at least a portion of the soleplate 13 protrudes from the base 20, which means it extends beyond the base 20, forward relative to the base, when the iron 10 is resting on the base 20. The soleplate 13 does not rest on the base 20, but extends out into the air. The base 20 can thus be even more compact because it does not have the size constraints of having to accommodate the soleplate 13. Most of the soleplate 13, or even all of the soleplate 13, can project over the edge of the base 20 when the supporting portion of the iron 10 is positioned on the docking portion of the base 20.

[0041] The supporting portion formed by the handle 11 and/or the head 12 of the iron 10 can each comprise one or more bearing areas that rest on one or more corresponding bearing areas on the docking portion of the base 20 when the iron 10 is set on the base 20. These bearing areas ensure an even more stable hold of the iron 10 on the base 20.

[0042] The docking portion of the base 20 can form a convex top and the supporting portion of the iron 10 can form a concave hollow having an interlocking shape with the convex top of the docking portion of the base 20. The shape of the convex docking portion of the base 20 thus substantially conforms to the concave shape of the handle 11 and the head 12 of the iron 10, so that the base 20 is at least partially housed between the handle 11 and the head 12 of the iron 10. Thus, the base 20 is even more compact, the iron 10 is held even more securely on the base 20 and the risk of the iron 10 tipping over is further reduced.

[0043] More specifically, when seen from the side, the docking portion of base 20 can have a substantially triangular shape forming the convex top. The iron 10 is thus held even more securely on the base 20. More specifically, the substantially flat bottom side of the base 20 can form a first side of the triangular shape, the docking portion designed to accommodate the handle 11 of the iron 10 can form a second side of the triangular shape, and the docking portion designed to accommodate the head 12 of the iron 10 can form a third side of the triangular shape. The second side and the third side each extend from the first side to form the convex top. The first side, second side and third side are adjacent to each other. The triangular shape of the docking portion further increases the compactness of the base 20 and helps keep the iron 10 in place on the base 20.

[0044] The convex top can have a substantially inverted U-shaped cross-section to further stabilize the hold of the iron 10 on the base 20. The handle 12 can have a peripheral wall with shapes that are substantially complementary to the U-shaped arms, so as to further improve the hold of the iron 10 on the base 20.

[0045] The tank 23 can have a shape that is substantially similar to the shape of the convex top of the base 20 and occupy substantially the entire convex top of the base 20, as illustrated by the non-limiting example in FIG. 5. The capacity of the tank 23 and the compactness of the base 20 are thus optimized. More specifically, a wall delimiting the tank 23 can correspond to a wall of the docking portion of the base 20.

[0046] A tank 23 fill opening 24 can be arranged in the tank 23 near the convex top of the base 20. This makes filling the tank 23 easier.

[0047] The household appliance can further comprise magnetic means 25 that help keep the iron 10 in position on the base 20 when the supporting portion of the iron 10 is seated on the docking portion of the base 20, as illustrated by the non-limiting example in FIG. 5. Thus, the iron 10 rests stably on the base 20, with the risk of tipping over being further limited. The magnetic means 25 can comprise a magnet housed in either the handle 11 or the base 20. The magnetic means 25 then further comprise a magnet with opposite polarity or a ferromagnetic material 25 housed in the other of the grip handle 11 and the base 20, facing the magnet.

[0048] As a variant, the household appliance can comprise any other means suitable for holding and/or locking the iron 10 on the base 20 when the supporting portion of the iron 10 is seated on the docking portion of the base 20, for example mechanical fasteners, snap-in means, etc.

[0049] The handle 11 can extend mainly in a longitudinal gripping direction Dp, and the soleplate 13 can extend mainly in an ironing direction Dr.

[0050] The ironing direction Dr forms an angle comprised between 30 and 40, and advantageously around 35 with the longitudinal gripping direction Dp. This angle results from the interlocking shape of the iron 10 and the base 20 and helps ensure that the iron 10 stays on the base 20 while preserving the compactness of the base 20 and the ergonomics of the iron 10.

[0051] The head 12 of the iron 10 can comprise a stand 120 and the handle 11 can comprise a beveled free end 110, as illustrated by the non-limiting example in FIG. 4. The beveled free end 110 and the stand 120 are arranged so that the iron 10 can be set down on a supporting surface, such as a horizontal ironing board or floor, while bearing stably on the beveled free end 110 of the handle 11 and the stand 120 on the head 12. The stand 120 and the beveled free end 110 allow the iron 10 to be set down stably on a supporting surface, with no contact between the soleplate 13 and the surface on which the iron 10 is set. In particular, the beveled free end 110 of the handle 11 can comprise a flat bottom surface, and the stand 120 can comprise a flat bottom surface. The beveled free end 110 of the handle 11 can correspond to a rear end of the iron 10. The stand 120 can project backwards from the head 12 of the iron 10. One end of the handle 11 opposite the beveled free end 110 of the handle 11 is connected to the head 12 of the iron 10. When the iron 10 is set on the base 20, both the beveled free end 110 and the stand 120 can rest against the docking portion of the base 20. These two contact areas are sufficient to ensure the stability of the iron 10 when it is resting on the base 20. Additional contact and/or bearing areas can be foreseen in other places on the iron 10. The magnetic means 25 can be housed in the handle 11 substantially at the level of the free beveled end 110 of the handle 11 and in the base 20 facing the free beveled end 110 of the handle 11.

[0052] The base 20 has a rear end designed to accommodate the beveled free end 110 and a front end designed to accommodate the head 12 of the iron 10 when the iron 10 is set on the base 20. The rear end of the base 20 is longitudinally opposite the front end of the base 20. When the iron 10 is set down on the base 20, the soleplate 13 can project at least partially beyond the front end of the base 20. The lead 30 can be connected on one hand to the handle 12 substantially at the level of the beveled free end 110 of the iron 10, in particular at the level of an upper wall of the beveled free end 110, and be connected on the other hand to the first end of the base 20.

[0053] The household appliance can also comprise a side tab 40 fitted and attached to one side of the base 20 so as to accommodate a power cord on the base 20 and/or the lead 30 in a space located between the side tab 40 and a side wall of the base 20. Thus, the user can easily and neatly store the power cord and the lead 30. Such a side tab 40 is illustrated by the non-limiting example shown in FIG. 2. In particular, the base 20 can comprise a peripheral wall that laterally borders the docking portion, and the side tab 40 can be fitted and attached to the peripheral wall of the base 20 and optionally to the bottom side of the base 20.

[0054] The base 20 has a length, a width and a height. The length and the width of the base 20 are measured in directions orthogonal to each other and correspond to dimensions of the flat bottom side of the base 20, the lengthwise direction corresponding to a projection in the plane of the bottom side of the base 20 of the longitudinal gripping direction Dp of the iron 10 when set on the base 20. The height of the base 20 is measured in a direction orthogonal to the length and width dimensions of the base 20 and perpendicular to a flat supporting surface such as an ironing board or floor on which the base 20 rests. The iron 10 has a length, a width and a height, measured respectively in the length, width and height directions of the base 20 when the iron 10 is set on the base 20.

[0055] The length of the base 20 can be shorter than the length of the iron 10. Preferably, the length of the base 20 is less than 30 cm, and advantageously less than 25 cm.

[0056] The width of base 20 can be substantially equal to the width of iron 10. Preferably, the width of the base 20 is less than 15 cm, and advantageously less than 12 cm.

[0057] The height of the base 20 can be less than the height of the iron 10. Preferably, the height of the base 20 is less than 15 cm, and advantageously less than 12 cm.

[0058] The base 20 is thus compact, making the household appliance easy to carry and store.

[0059] The length of the handle 11 of the iron 10 in the longitudinal direction of the handle Dp can be comprised between 10 cm and 18 cm. The length of the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 in the ironing direction Dr can be comprised between 20 cm and 10 cm, and is preferably around 15 cm.

[0060] The docking portion of the base 20 can comprise a head recess 202 designed to accommodate the head 12 of the iron 10, and a handle recess 201 designed to accommodate the handle 11 of the iron 10. The head recess 202 corresponds to a recessed shape that creates a housing with shapes that conform to the shapes of the head 12 of the iron 10, so that it conforms to at least part of the head 12 when the head 12 is engaged in the head recess 202. Likewise, the handle recess 201 corresponds to a recessed shape that creates a housing with shapes that conform to the shapes of the handle 11, so that it conforms to at least part of the handle 11 of the iron 10 when it is engaged in the handle recess 201. Thus, the head 12 fits precisely into the head recess 202, and the handle 11 fits precisely into the handle recess 201 when the iron 10 is set on the base 20. Thus, the iron 10's hold on the base 20 is further improved and stabilized, the iron 10 is positioned on the base 20 with greater precision, and the risk of inadvertent movement is further reduced.

[0061] The handle recess 201 can have any suitable recessed shape; for example, it can have a U-shaped cross-section, as illustrated by the non-limiting examples in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. A U-shaped depth can be chosen for the handle recess 201 so that the handle rims 11 are at least partially accommodated in the handle recess 201. Thus, as shown by the non-limiting example in FIG. 5, the handle recess 201 can have a substantially concave shape. The handle 11 is thus not in contact with the handle recess 201 along the entire length of the handle 11, but only at the free rear end 110 of the handle, and if necessary at the junction between the handle 11 and the head 12. Moreover, a concave handle recess 201 allows the iron 10's trigger 115 to be fitted under the handle 11 with no pressure on the trigger 115 when the iron 10 is resting on the base 20.

[0062] The head recess 202 can have any suitable recessed shape, for example an L shape. The longer side of the L extends substantially in the height direction and the shorter side of the L extends substantially in the length direction. The longer side of the L of the head recess 202 can have a height substantially corresponding to the height of the iron 10. The longer side of the L of the head recess 202 can have a shape that conforms to the shape of the wall of the head 12, for example a substantially flat shape. The wall of the head 12 opposite the wall of the head to which the soleplate 13 is attached then rests on the side with the longest side of the L when the iron 10 is resting on the base 20. The shorter side of the L of the head recess 202 can have a length substantially corresponding to the height of the head 12 of the iron 10. Thus, the position of the iron 10 on the base 20 is further improved. The shorter side of the L of the head recess 202 can have a substantially flat shape. The stand 120 on the iron 10 rests against the shorter side of the L when the iron 10 is resting on the base 20.

[0063] The docking portion of the base 20 can further comprise an end recess designed to accommodate the beveled free end 110 of the handle 11 of the iron 10. The end recess corresponds to a recessed shape that creates a slot with shapes that conform to the shapes of the beveled free end 110 of the iron 10, so that the beveled free end 110 rests in contact with the head recess 202 when the iron 10 is set on the base 20. Thus, the hold of the iron 10 on the base 20 is further improved and stabilized.

[0064] Although this disclosure has been prepared with reference to specific embodiments, amendments and changes can be made to these examples without departing from its general scope. In particular, individual features of the various illustrated/referenced embodiments can be combined in additional embodiments.

[0065] Thus, in an alternative embodiment not shown, the base can contain a pressurized steam generator, with steam being fed to the iron through the lead connecting the iron to the base.