Portable, hand-held steaming or pressing device

A portable, hand-held steaming/pressing device comprising:

• a hollow, sealed housing having a front and a back end and a sole plate at its bottom, said plate having a steam outlet therein, and a filling hole positioned a selected distance above the sole plate to allow only a selected quantity of liquid electrolyte to be poured into the housing before overflowing when the sole plate is on a horizontal surface and a filling hole stopper manually movable between a locked position in which it engages and seals the filling hole, and a filling position, in which it can be moved away from the filling hole to allow pouring electrolyte onto the housing;
• a pair of electrodes positioned inside the housing to be immersed in electrolyte when the housing is resting on the sole plate on a horizontal or nearly horizontal surface or the front end of the housing points upwardly but not when up to said selected quantity of electrolyte is in the housing and the housing is upside down or on its side or its front end points downwardly, and a pair of electrical connector elements respectively connected electrically to the electrodes and extending outwardly of the sealed housing for connection with the plug of an electrical cord connectible to an electrical power outlet;
• and
• safety interlock means for both (i) preventing the filling hole stopper from being moved from its locked to its filling position while the cord plug makes electrical contact with said connector elements and (ii) preventing the plug from being moved into electrical contact with said connector elements while the stopper is in its filling position;
• said electrodes, when immersed in electrolyte and connected electrically to a power outlet, passing electrical current through the electrolyte and thereby heating it to generate steam, and said steam exiting the housing through said seam outlet in the sole plate.