GB1332950A - Steam iron - Google Patents

Abstract

1332950 Steam irons MATSUSHITA ELECTRIC INDUSTRIAL CO Ltd 20 July 1971 [21 July 1970 20 Aug 1970 5 April 1971] 34069/71 Heading D1A At least two groups of steam discharge ports 11 and 9 are provided in an iron having a flash boiler 7, a water tank 26, switching means 67 to select one or other group and an indicator 61 to show which group is operative. The first group comprises the three ports 11 connected to the chamber 24 directly and the second group additionally includes the ports 9 which communicate with the chamber 24 when the change-over valve 15 is opened through a chamber 13 below the valve 15, radial ports 16 and chambers 8 (Fig. 2). The iron is filled through openings 39 and 38 when the button 52 is held depressed for dry ironing and rod 32 closes valve opening 29. During filling mass 44 covers apertures 43 in steam tube 25 to prevent steam escaping and blowing back water through the opening 39. During steam ironing the button 52 is raised together with rod 32 permitting water to pass into the flash boiler 7 from which it passes through pipe 31 into steam tower 34 and thence through apertures 43 and the steam tube 25 to the chamber 24 and the selected ports 9 and/or 11. The selecting means comprises the button 52 which has radial members 56, 56' which engage vertical grooves in the handle 51 and have inclined bottom surfaces engageable with inclined surfaces 60 of a rotary member 58. The rotary member 58 has indications, which may be colour coded or written and are visible through a window 61 of the button 52, of "Dry", "Jet" (i.e. ports 9) and 'steam' (i.e. ports 9 and 11), and is coupled by a spring 62 to the rod 32. From the 'Steam' position shown in Fig. 1, when button 52 is depressed, member 58 rotates due to the inclined surfaces and is held down by radial pin 66 engaging latching means edge 74. The rod 32 closes valve 29 and also opens filling valve 47 and rotates cam surface 49 which depresses rod 40 and partly opens valve 15. On next depressing button 52 from the lowered position, member 58 is further rotated from the 'Dry' position to the 'Jet' position further rotating cam surface 49 to fully open valve 15, and pin 66 is released permitting the button and rod 32 to rise closing valve 47, opening valve 29 and showing 'Jet' in the window 61. On further depressing of the button 52 the valve 15 is progressively closed. In a modification (Figs. 13 to 15 not shown) the latching is provided by interval grooves and inclined surfaces within the handle. In a further modification (Fig. 20, not shown) a button (101) is provided for a water spray 102.