Cordless Iron With Guiding And Locking System

Abstract

A household appliance for laundry care includes a cordless iron having a body, a soleplate fitted and attached to the body, a gripping handle extending from the body, and a fin extending rearwardly from the body. The household appliance further includes a charging base with a dock configured to hold the soleplate of the iron, the charging base defining a cavity having a complementary shape to the fin and being configured to hold the fin so as to guide an installation of the iron on the charging base towards a charging position, wherein a notch is formed in the fin and wherein the charging base includes a lock pin projecting from the charging base so as to be received in the notch when the iron is installed on the charging base.

Claims

1. A household appliance for laundry care, comprising: a cordless iron comprising a body, a soleplate fitted and attached to the body, a gripping handle extending from the body, and a fin extending rearwardly from the body. a charging base with a dock configured to hold the soleplate of the iron, the charging base defining a cavity having a complementary shape to the fin and being configured to hold the fin so as to guide an installation of the iron on the charging base towards a charging position, wherein a notch is formed in the fin and wherein the charging base comprises a lock pin projecting from the charging base so as to be received in the notch when the iron is installed on the charging base, the lock pin engaging in the notch when the iron is in the charging position to keep a heel of the iron from lifting off of the charging base when an upward force is exerted on the gripping handle.

2. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the dock extends substantially in a base plane, the base plane being tilted towards the cavity, the notch configured to enable the lock pin to engage in the notch by a rearward movement of the iron relative to the charging base in a plane parallel to the base plane, the shape of the notch inhibiting the heel of the iron from lifting off of the dock when the iron is in the charging position.

3. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the charging base comprises a locking element pivotally fitted and attached thereto, the locking element configured to transition between a folded position and a locked position.

4. The household appliance according to claim 3, in which the locking element is rounded and pivotally mounted on the charging base.

5. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the dock extends substantially in a base plane, and in which the dock comprises at least one roller on which the soleplate of the iron is configured to roll during rearward movement of the iron relative to the charging dock in a plane parallel to the base plane.

6. The household appliance according to claim 1, further comprising an electrical connector providing a power supply to the iron in the charging position, the electrical connector comprising a first part on the charging base and a second part near the heel of the iron.

7. The household appliance according to claim 6, wherein the charging base further comprises a pivoting panel configured to be moved by the fin from a closed position to an open position when the iron is installed on the charging base.

8. The household appliance according to claim 1, wherein the charging base comprises an electric supply lead and the iron comprises a heating element configured tote heat the soleplate when the electric supply lead is plugged into a power outlet and the household appliance is in the charging position.

9. The housing appliance to claim 3, wherein in the folded position, the locking element is configured to release the body of the iron, and wherein in the locked position, the locking element is configured to engage the body of the iron so that the body is held between the locking element and the charging base.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0021] FIG. 1 shows a schematic perspective view of a household appliance according to one embodiment, with the iron shown removed from the charging base.

[0022] FIG. 2 shows a schematic perspective view of the household appliance in FIG. 1, with the iron in the charging position.

[0023] FIG. 3 shows a detailed cross-sectional view of the connecting interface between the iron and the base of the household appliance in FIG. 2.

[0024] FIG. 4 shows a schematic top view of the base of the household appliance in FIG. 1.

[0025] Similar elements in all the figures are labeled with identical reference numbers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Household Appliance

[0026] A non-limiting example of a household appliance for laundry care is shown in FIG. 1. The household appliance comprises a cordless iron 10 comprising a body 12, a soleplate 13 fitted and attached to the body 12, and a gripping handle 11 extending from the body 12. The household appliance further comprises a charging base 20 with a dock 21 designed to hold the soleplate 13 of the iron 10.

[0027] The household appliance further comprises guiding and locking means 30, 40 designed to guide the installation of the iron 10 on the charging base 20 towards a charging position and to lock a head and a heel of the iron 10 in the charging position, so that the household appliance can be transported by the gripping handle 11.

[0028] The guiding and locking means 30, 40 guide the installation of the iron 10 on the charging base 20. This makes installing the iron 10 easier for the user, and positions the iron 10 more precisely on the charging base 20. Charging the iron 10 on the charging base 20 is thereby improved.

[0029] A cordless iron 10 offers greater freedom of movement when ironing and improved maneuverability of the iron 10 compared to a steam iron comprising a lead connecting the charging base 20 to the iron 10.

[0030] The guiding and locking means 30, 40 lock the head and heel of the iron 10 in the charging position. The household appliance is thus safer to use, as the iron 10 cannot become detached from the charging base 20 during transport or storage. The entire household appliance can thus be easily, reliably and securely transported as a unit by the gripping handle 11.

[0031] In the remainder of the application, an ironing direction coincides with an axis that is larger in size than the soleplate 13. The terms front and rear are defined relative to the ironing direction, such that, when the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 is conventionally moved in the ironing direction to remove wrinkles from a garment, the front end of the soleplate 13 near the head of the iron 10 is the first part of the soleplate 13 to come into contact with the portion of the garment to be ironed, and the rear end of the soleplate 13 near the heel of the iron 10 is the last part of the soleplate 13 to come into contact with the portion of the garment to be ironed.

[0032] Head of the iron 10 refers to a front part of the body 12 of the iron 10, in particular a pointed part designed to enable the user to maneuver the iron 10 in narrow areas and easily reach the corners or creases of garments during ironing. Heel of the iron 10 refers to a rear part of the body 12 of the iron 10, in particular the part opposite the head, where the body 12 of the iron 10 is widest.

[0033] The charging base 20 comprises a substantially flat underside designed to rest on a horizontally flat supporting surface, such as an ironing board or floor. A height direction corresponds to a direction substantially perpendicular to the lower surface of the charging base 20. Any element of the household appliance that is positioned closer to the lower surface of the charging base 20 in the height direction than another element is considered to be positioned underneath, or below, the other element. A length direction corresponds to a projection of the ironing direction onto the plane of the bottom surface of the charging base 20 when the iron 10 is installed on the charging base 20, the length direction being perpendicular to the height direction. A width direction corresponds to a direction perpendicular to the height and length directions.

[0034] The dock 21 corresponds to an upper surface of the charging base 20. The dock 21 can form a substantially flat side extending substantially in a base plane P. The dock 21 can have dimensions substantially similar to or greater than dimensions of the soleplate 13 of the iron 10. Thus, in the charging position, the soleplate 13 is fully positioned on the dock 21 of the charging base 20, in contact with the dock 21, the dock 21 forming a bearing area for the soleplate 13. Thus, the iron 10 is stably positioned on the charging base 20 in the charging position.

[0035] The base plane P can be tilted, in particular towards the lower surface of the charging base 20, that is, sloping downwards relative to the horizontal stand on which the charging base 20 is set. The dock 21 thus forms an installation ramp for the iron 10, helping to guide and hold the iron 10 in place on the charging base 20.

[0036] The charging base 20 also comprises a stop 22, forming a longitudinal rear end of the charging base 20. The heel of the iron 10 comes to rest against the stop 22 when the iron 10 is set on the dock 21 of the charging base 20. The stop 22 can have shapes that are substantially complementary to the shapes of the heel of the iron 10, in order to keep the heel stably in place when the iron 10 is in the charging position.

[0037] The charging base 20 can also comprise a power supply lead, not shown in the figures, enabling the charging base 20 to be connected to the household power grid.

[0038] The iron 10 can comprise a heating element designed to heat the soleplate 13 when the power lead is connected to a power outlet and the household appliance is operating in the charging position. Thus, the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 is efficiently heated by supplying power via a power outlet. The heating element can comprise a resistor, in particular a thermostatically controlled heating resistor, a coil for induction heating, or any other heating element. The heating element can be next to the soleplate 13, in contact with the soleplate 13. The heating element can comprise a vapor chamber placed so that it can be heated by the resistor. In particular, the heating element can be a die-cast part, for example made of aluminum, comprising the resistor and the vapor chamber.

[0039] The iron 10 comprises a water tank and a drip valve for feeding water from the water tank to the vapor chamber. The opening of the drip valve, and therefore the amount of water fed by gravity into the vapor chamber, is controlled by a trigger 15 placed under the gripping handle 11. The water tank can be integral with the iron 10 or be removable for easy filling of the iron 10.

[0040] The iron 10 is used, for example, for horizontal and/or vertical ironing.

[0041] The gripping handle 11 can extend substantially above the body 12 of the iron 10, opposite the soleplate 13 relative to the body 12. The head 12 and the gripping handle 11 of the iron 10 can be fitted and attached to each other or made in one piece; they can, for example, be produced as a molded monoblock plastic part.

[0042] The soleplate 13 can comprise a substantially flat ironing side, which corresponds to the side of the soleplate 13 bearing on the dock 21 of the charging base 20. The soleplate 13 can comprise at least one steam vent 130 that runs through the ironing side and is designed to release the steam produced in the vapor chamber. 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.

[0043] The guiding and locking means 30, 40 can comprise a fin 31 extending rearwards from the body 12 of the iron 10 and a cavity 32 formed in the charging base 20. The cavity 32 has a complementary shape to the fin 31 and is designed to hold the fin 31 so that it guides the installation of the iron 10 on the charging base 20 to the charging position. Moreover, the fin 31 inserted in the cavity 32 helps keep the iron 10 in position on the charging base 20 when the iron 10 is in the charging position.

[0044] The fin 31 can have a substantially flat wall extending substantially vertically and towards the rear of the iron 10. A shape of the heel of the iron 10 can be designed so that a receiving space for the fin 31 is created under the rearmost end of the iron 10, without the fin 31 protruding rearward relative to the rearmost end of the iron 10.

[0045] The cavity 32 extends into the stop 22 of the charging base 20. The cavity 32 can form a narrow, elongated slit-like opening extending in a main direction that can be substantially tilted downwards relative to a horizontal stand on which the charging base 20 is set, in particular substantially parallel to a tilting direction of the base plane P of the dock 21 of the charging base 20. A width of the slit in the cavity 32 can correspond substantially to a width of the fin 31, so that the fin 31 is held in place between the walls of the cavity 32 in contact with the walls of the cavity 32 when the fin 31 is inserted into the cavity 32. Thus, the fin 31 fits perfectly into the cavity 32 when the iron 10 is installed on the charging base 20.

[0046] Alternatively or in addition, the household appliance can comprise any other means of guiding and locking the iron 10 on the charging base 20 in the charging position, such as magnetic means fitted on the heel of the iron 10 and the charging base 20, mechanical means of fastening the heel of the iron 10 onto the charging base 20, means for snapping the heel of the iron 10 onto the charging base 20, and so on.

[0047] An electrical connector 50 provides a power supply to the iron 10 in the charging position, and in particular can provide a power supply to the heating resistor built into the heating element of the iron 10. The electrical connector 50 comprises a first part on the charging base 20 and a second part near the heel of the iron 10. The second part of the electrical connector 50 can be an electrical plug extending rearwards from the body 12 of the iron 10, for example next to the fin 31 and substantially parallel to the fin 31. The second part of the electrical connector 50 can comprise three contacts on the electrical connector 50, the contacts being parallel to each other and each extending rearwards from the body 12 of the iron 10.

[0048] As with the fin 31, the second part of the electrical connector 50 can extend into the receiving space for the fin 31 located under the rearmost end of the iron 10, without projecting backwards relative to the rearmost end of the iron 10. The first part of the electrical connector 50 is positioned so that it can be connected to the first part of the electrical connector 50 when the iron 10 is in the charging position, with the fin 31 inserted into the cavity 32. Charging the iron 10 thus takes place as soon as the iron 10 is in the charging position, with no action required by the user. Preferentially, the electrical connector 50 comprises magnetic means, such as a magnet, that generate a force that causes the first and second parts of the electrical connector 50 to connect when the iron approaches the charging position.

[0049] The first part of the connector 50 can fit into a connector cavity 35 formed in the charging base 20, in particular extending into the stop 22 of the charging base 20. The connector cavity 35 can extend, for example, alongside and parallel to the cavity 32 receiving the fin 31.

[0050] The charging base 20 can further comprise a pivoting panel designed to be moved by the fin 31 from a closed position to an open position when the iron 10 is installed on the charging base 20. The pivoting panel can extend at least partially into the cavity 32 and into the connector cavity 35. Thus, when the fin 31 is installed in the cavity 32, the pivoting panel opens, enabling the first part and the second part of the electrical connector 50 of the iron 10 to be connected to supply power to the iron 50, in particular to the heating resistor of the heating element of the iron 10. The heating element is then heated when the iron 10 is in the charging position. On the other hand, when the iron 10 is in an ironing position, that is, when the fin 31 is retracted from the cavity 32, the pivoting panel is then automatically closed by return means, for example a spring, the first part and the second part of the electrical connector 50 being separated and the heating element of the iron 10 thus no longer being powered. Moreover, when the pivoting panel is closed, the first part of the electrical connector 50 cannot be accessed.

[0051] A notch 33 can be formed in the fin 31, as illustrated by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. The charging base 20 thus comprises a lock pin 34 projecting from the charging base 20 so that it is received in the notch 33 when the iron 10 is installed on the charging base 20. The lock pin 34 engages with the notch 33 when the iron 10 is in the charging position to keep the heel of the iron 10 from lifting off of the charging base 20 when an upward pull is exerted on the gripping handle 11. The heel 10 of the iron is thus locked onto the charging base 20, in contact with the charging base 20, when the iron 10 is in the charging position. The engagement between the notch 33 and the lock pin 34 keeps the rear part, that is, the heel, of the iron 10 from moving vertically away from the dock 21 in contact with which it rests.

[0052] The notch 33 can correspond to a hole drilled in the fin 31. The notch 33 can be formed near a rear edge of fin 31, on part of the rear edge of fin 31, and can extend longitudinally forward from the rear edge of fin 31. The notch 33 can be designed to enable the lock pin 34 to be engaged by a rearward movement of the iron 10 in a plane parallel to the base plane P, that is, a translational movement towards the rear of the iron 10, for example in a plane parallel to the base plane P tilted downwards. The notch 33 shown in FIGS. 1 and 4 is substantially rectangular in shape. However, in a variant embodiment not shown, the notch 33 can have a substantially triangular shape, with edges diverging towards the open end of the notch 33 to facilitate the insertion of the lock pin 34 into the notch 33 when the rearward movement of the iron 10 does not take place in a plane perfectly parallel to the base plane P.

[0053] The lock pin 34 can extend into the cavity 32 receiving the fin 31, near the cavity 32, above the cavity 32 receiving the fin 31, or into any other position where it can fit into the notch 33 in the fin 31 when the iron 10 is installed in the charging position. In the example illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the lock pin 34 is positioned above the cavity 32 and extends substantially forward. When the iron 10 is installed in the charging position, the lock pin 34 is engaged in the notch 33. The lock pin 34 forms an upper stop that keeps the heel of the iron 10 from lifting off of the dock 21 of the charging base 20, which forms a lower stop for the iron 10.

[0054] The installation and locking means 30, 40 can comprise at least two fins 31, or any conceivable number of fins 31. At least one fin 31 comprises a notch 33, but not all fins 31 need to be notched. A number of cavities 32 corresponding at least to the number of fins 31 are formed in the charging base 20. A number of lock pins 34 corresponding to the number of fins 31 with notches 33 project from the charging base 20 so that each is held in a corresponding notch 33 when the iron 10 is installed on the charging base 20. The fins 31 can be oriented parallel to each other and separated by a predetermined distance, and the two cavities 32 are also oriented parallel to each other and separated by the same predetermined distance. The cavities 32 for receiving the fins 31 can be located on either side of one or more connector cavities 35 designed to hold the first part of the connector 50.

[0055] FIG. 1 and FIG. 4 illustrate such an example of a household appliance comprising an iron 10 comprising two fins 31, the second part of the connector 50 being housed between the two fins 31 and comprising three contacts. The charging base 20 comprises two side cavities 32, with two lock pins 34 located above the two side cavities 32. Each of the two side cavities 32 holds a corresponding fin 31. The charging base 20 further comprises three central connector cavities 35 located between the two side cavities 32. The side cavities 32 are thus located on either side of the central connector cavities 35. Each of the three central connector cavities 35 holds a corresponding contact from the second part of the connector 50. The first part of the connector 50 comprises three elements each housed in a respective central connector cavity 35, so that they connect to the three contacts of the second part of the connector 50 when the iron 10 is in the charging position.

[0056] The dock 21 can comprise one or more rollers 210 on which the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 can roll during the rearward movement of the iron 10 in a plane parallel to the base plane P. In particular, as illustrated by way of non-limiting example in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the dock 21 can comprise a front roller 210 and two rear rollers 210 projecting from the upper surface of the dock 21. The rollers 210 are mounted so as to rotate freely relative to an axis running in the width direction, so that the soleplate 13 of the iron 10 rolls backwards over the rollers 210 when the iron 10 is mounted in the charging position. The rollers 210 thus make it easier to install the iron 10 in the charging position.

[0057] The installation and locking means 30, 40 can comprise a locking element 40 pivotally fitted and attached to the charging base 20 between a folded position in which the locking element 40 releases the body 12 of the iron 10, and a locked position in which the locking element 40 engages the body 12 of the iron 10, for example in which the locking element 40 engages the head of the iron 10, so as to hold the body 12 between the locking element 40 and the charging base 20.

[0058] The front part of the iron 10, namely the head, is thus locked to the charging base 20, in contact with the charging base 20, when the iron 10 is in the charging position. A household appliance comprising both a fin 31 with a notch 33 and a locking element 40 such as described above is therefore locked in contact with the charging base 20 at its head and at its heel when the iron 10 is in the charging position. This enables the entire household appliance, meaning the iron 10 and the charging base 20, to be lifted when the user grasps the gripping handle 11.

[0059] The locking element 40 can be shaped like an arch pivotally mounted on the charging base 20. The arch 40 is a simple and reliable mechanical means of locking the head of the iron 10 in contact with the charging base 20.

[0060] In the locked position, the arch 40 can extend in contact with an upper surface of the iron 10 head. The arch 40 forms an upper stop that keeps the head of the iron 10 from lifting off of the dock 21 of the charging base 20, which forms a lower stop for the iron 10.

[0061] The arch 40 can have a substantially triangular shape that matches the contour of a front edge of the charging base 20. The arch 40 can pivot between the folded position, illustrated by way of a non-limiting example in FIG. 1, and a locked position, illustrated by way of a non-limiting example in FIG. 2. In the folded position, the arch 40 can be engaged in a receiving groove formed at the front edge of the charging base 20, being positioned parallel to the base plane P of the charging base 20, for example in the continuation of the upper surface forming the dock 21 of the charging base 20, abutting the upper surface at the front of the dock 21. In the locked position, the arch 40 bears against the upper surface of the body 12 of the iron 10 at the front part of the iron 10.

[0062] The arch 40 can comprise a flexible part overmolded in the hollow part of the arch 40, which comes into contact with the body 12 of the iron 10 when the arch 40 is in locked position. The arch 40 can consist of a plastic part comprising two branches defining a substantially inverted-V shape. The two branches of the V are connected by a spacer inserted in two openings placed in lugs on the inside of the charging base 20. The spacer extends substantially in the width direction corresponding to a pivot axis on the arch 40.

[0063] The charging base 20 can comprise a device for manually unlocking the arch 40 by means of a button, with the actuation of the unlock button thus enabling the user to fold the arch 40 into the folded position. Alternatively, the charging base 20 can contain return means exerting a return torque on the arch 40, which reverses direction as it moves from an intermediate position between an ironing position and the charging position of the iron 10, the return torque returning the arch 40 to the folded position when the iron 10 approaches the ironing position, and returning the arch 40 to the locked position when the iron 10 approaches the charging position. Thus, the arch 40 is locked and unlocked automatically and requires no manual action by the user. More specifically, the return means can comprise a spring, for example two helical torsion springs positioned near a lower end of each of the branches of the arch 40. Each spring therefore comprises a first end connected to the charging base 20 and a second end connected to a corresponding branch on the arch 40. Such return means are illustrated in greater detail in patent application FR 1 452 469 filed by the applicant.

[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.