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US 4,688,340 AGranted
Travel steam and dry iron
AssigneeBlack & Decker Inc.
InventorMichael J. Ostrelich
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A travel iron has a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir which is pivotally mounted for movement between operative and stored positions. The handle is releasably secured in the operative position by a sliding latch. A conduit supplies liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate. A manually operated valve and a gravity operated valve control fluid flow through the conduit.
Claims56
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir and pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions;
- (f) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position;
- (g) means including an orifice in the handle for filling said handle with liquid and an orifice closure;
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- and
- (i) vent valve means in communication with the reservoir for allowing air to enter the reservoir and preventing liquid from leaving the reservoir, wherein the vent valve means is located in the orifice closure.
7 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir and pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions, wherein the handle includes first and second pivot parts that are axially aligned and spaced for said pivotal mounting to the housing;
- (f) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position, wherein the means for releasably securing the handle includes a keyway in the first pivot part and a sliding latch mounted on the housing proximate to the first pivot part and having a first sliding part for selective engagement with the keyway, said sliding latch including means for manually engaging and operating said latch, so that the handle is locked in the operative position when the handle is in the operative position and the latch is engaged with the keyway, and said handle is releasable from the operative position when said manual engagement means is manually operated to withdraw said latch from said keyway;
- (g) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- and
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate.
6 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir and pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions;
- (f) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position wherein said housing and said handle cooperate to define a resting surface permitting placement of the iron in a rest position in which the soleplate is disposed in a generally vertical plane;
- (g) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- and
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- and
- (i) vent valve means in communication with the reservoir for allowing air to enter the reservoir and preventing liquid from leaving the reservoir.
8 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir and pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions;
- (f) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative positions;
- (g) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- and
- (i) panel means attached to the housing means and trunion means in the housing means and the panel means for engaging the pivotally mounted handle between the housing means and the panel means.
7 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir mounted to said housing means;
- (f) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (g) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- and
- (h) conduit valve means for controlling fluid flow through the conduit means, wherein the iron is positionable in an ironing position in which the soleplate is disposed in a horizontal plane and in a rest position in which the soleplate is disposed in a generally vertical plane, said conduit valve means having gravity operated valve means for permitting gravity induced flow through the conduit means from the reservoir to the soleplate when the iron is disposed in the ironing position and prohibiting flow through the conduit means from the reservoir to the soleplate when the iron is disposed in the rest position.
6 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) intermediate plate means between the housing means and the soleplate, wherein the intermediate plate means is substantially spaced from both the housing means and the soleplate to limit heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (f) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir mounted to said housing means;
- (g) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- and
- (i) conduit valve means for controlling fluid flow through the conduit means.
7 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate including a temperature sensing means located near the central region of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir mounted to said housing means;
- (f) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (g) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- (h) conduit valve means for controlling fluid flow through the conduit means;
- and
- (i) intermediate plate means between the housing means and the soleplate wherein the intermediate plate is substantially spaced from both the housing means and the soleplate to limit heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means.
7 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir mounted to said housing means;
- (f) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (g) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- (h) conduit valve means for controlling fluid flow through the conduit means;
- and
- (i) panel means attached to the housing means for forming a control panel, said panel means having a radial surface with a plurality of indentations wherein the means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate includes a rotatable control knob proximate to the panel means, axially extending finger means on the control knob for positive registration with said indentation in the radial surface of the panel means and resisting rotation of the knob.
7 more elements
A travel iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to the soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) an intermediate plate means between the housing means and the soleplate wherein the intermediate plate means is substantially spaced from both the housing means and the sole plate to limit heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (f) a handle pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions.
- (g) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position;
- and
- (h) panel means attached to the housing for forming a control panel.
6 more elements
A travel iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- and
- (e) a handle pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions and means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position, wherein the handle includes first and second pivot parts that are axially aligned and spaced for said pivotal mounting to the housing, wherein the means for releasably securing the handle includes a keyway in the first pivot part and a sliding latch mounted on the housing proximate to the first pivot part and having a first sliding part for selective engagement with the keyway, said sliding latch including means for manually engaging and operating said latch, so that the handle is locked in the operative position when the handle is in the operative position and the latch is engaged with the keyway, and said handle is releasable from the operative position when said manual engagement means is manually operated to withdraw said latch from said keyway.
3 more elements
A travel steam and dry iron comprising:
- (a) a soleplate having inner and outer surfaces and an array of steam ports communicating between the inner and outer surfaces;
- (b) means for electrically heating the soleplate;
- (c) means for controlling the temperature of the soleplate;
- (d) housing means fixed to said soleplate, a substantial portion of the housing means being spaced from the soleplate for limiting heat transfer from the soleplate to the housing means;
- (e) a hollow handle defining a liquid reservoir and pivotally mounted to the housing for movement between operative and stored positions;
- (f) means for releasably securing the handle in said operative position;
- (g) means for filling said handle with liquid;
- (h) conduit means for conducting liquid from the reservoir to the soleplate;
- (i) gravity operated valve means for permitting flow through the conduit means when the soleplate of the iron is disposed horizontally in an ironing position and for prohibiting flow through the conduit means when the soleplate of the iron is disposed vertically in a rest position;
- and
- (j) manually operated valve means for selectively controlling fluid flow through the conduit means.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.