CN110892107A

CN110892107A - Support base

Info

Publication number: CN110892107A
Application number: CN201880026243.9A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 朱塞佩·德隆吉; 安东尼奥·洛伦宗; 亚历山德罗·安托纳尔; 马蒂亚·斯卡托林
Original assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Current assignee: De Longhi Appliances SRL
Priority date: 2017-02-21
Filing date: 2018-02-20
Publication date: 2020-03-17
Anticipated expiration: 2038-02-20
Also published as: RU2753113C2; EP3585932A1; EP3585932B1; IT201700019433A1; RU2019129477A; CN110892107B; RU2019129477A3; ES2847167T3; WO2018154615A1

Abstract

Support base (10) for an iron (11), whether stand-alone or part of a boiler (12) connected or connectable to the iron (11), the support base (10) having at least one resting seat (20) with stabilizer means (21), the stabilizer means (21) being drivable by a user and capable of clamping the iron (11) in an upright position of the support base (10) in each case and temporarily.

Description

Support base

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a support base for an iron, both for professional and for domestic use, capable of temporarily holding the iron in an upright position.

The invention also relates to an iron suitable for being associated with a support base, and to an ironing apparatus comprising a support base.

Background

The known irons are provided with a boiler, which may be integrated in the iron or may be separate and connected thereto by means of a connecting line.

The iron may be temporarily placed on a support base that may operate independently or as part of the boiler.

In order to prevent steam and/or water from escaping from the iron, to prevent burning and/or damage to the support base, and to prevent heat from flowing from the iron to the support base, it is advantageous to place the iron on the support base in a vertical orientation.

However, this known solution is not very safe, since the iron is not stable in this position. Thus, after an inappropriate movement (usually an accidental or involuntary movement) of the operator or the support base, the iron may fall off the support base.

This poses a high risk to the user of the iron and to the iron itself, as well as to any object that comes into contact with the iron during a fall.

It should also be noted that if the boiler is separate from the iron but connected to each other, in order to put down the boiler-iron assembly, the operator usually holds the iron in one hand and the boiler in the other, especially when the iron is still hot.

This is impractical because both hands of the operator are occupied, and this may be negative in the repositioning step, because for example a new support base must be prepared.

Then, if the operator transfers the boiler with the iron attached, the iron may fall off during the moving or during the positioning step.

Furthermore, during the ironing step, it is often necessary to temporarily set down the iron to change the item to be ironed or to rearrange it, and inadvertent gestures can easily cause the iron to fall out of its position.

Document FR- A-2.653.792 (FR' 792) describes A support base for an iron, on which the support base can temporarily clamp the iron in an upright position. The support base is provided with gripping members activated by the user through the slider, which allow positioning of the two gripping elements in the respective housing seats by means of translation.

However, this known solution does not allow for an accurate and reliable positioning of the clamping element in the desired position. This known solution is particularly sensitive to wear and knocks and therefore does not allow to effectively clamp the iron on the support base to prevent the clamping element from accidentally disengaging from the respective housing seat.

Documents US-A-4,948,945 and JP-A-S63.130100 describe other known support bases which have similar problems as before.

There is therefore a need to perfect and provide a support base for an iron, an iron associable with such a support base and an ironing apparatus comprising such a support base and such an iron, which overcome at least one of the drawbacks of the prior art and ensure the stability of positioning when necessary.

The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a support base for an iron which allows to clamp the iron in a stable and secure manner in an upright position in each case and according to the needs of the user.

The invention also aims itself to provide an iron and an ironing apparatus comprising such an iron and such a support base, enabling the iron to be associated with the support base in a stable and secure manner.

The applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claims, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, the present invention relates to a support base for an iron, which is independent or part of a boiler having at least one resting seat for the iron, provided with stabilizer means that can be actuated by the operator and are capable of clamping the iron in a position perpendicular to the support base in each case and at times.

According to a possible embodiment, the invention relates to a support base which temporarily clamps an iron thereon in an upright position.

The support base includes:

-a resting base able to house a resting base of the iron, said resting base being located at the rear of the iron and having at least two anchoring bases;

a stabilizer device having a clamping/release mechanism that is actuatable by a user through a selector element and is configured to position at least two clamping members at least between an inactive position and a clamping position, wherein each clamping member cooperates with a respective anchor seat by mechanical interference.

According to one aspect of the invention, the clamping/release mechanism comprises an adjustment element engaged with the clamping member and connected to the selector element by a lever member configured to rotate about its own fulcrum relative to the action of the selector element.

The lever member is configured to move the adjustment element in a linear direction during use to position and hold the clamping member in the clamping position or the inactive position.

This allows to stably and firmly clamp the iron in an upright position, preventing it from accidentally falling from the support base or from accidentally disengaging the clamping members from their respective anchoring seats.

The presence of the adjustment elements engaging with both clamping members allows to position the latter precisely and to keep them in place, avoiding positioning asymmetries due to, for example, wear and the like.

According to a possible embodiment, the selector element may be configured to clamp the lever member in a desired position to prevent movement of the clamping member.

Due to the special shape of the adjustment member equipped with a gear and the possibility of rotation of the clamping lever member, it is possible to keep the clamping members in place to prevent the clamping members from disengaging from the respective anchoring seats due to an accidental movement of the adjustment member in the opposite direction.

The invention thus allows to clamp the iron symmetrically and precisely on the support base and also to actuate the clamping/release mechanism from a lateral position of the support base with respect to the iron.

This is due to the lever member which allows to linearly position the adjustment member after the action of the user activating the selector member.

The design of the present invention provides an iron with a placing base that can be mated with a placing seat to allow mating between the iron and a support base comprising a mating connection portion, or to insert a clamping member into a corresponding anchoring seat.

If the support base is integrated with the boiler, the support base is configured not to allow connection between the compartment containing the liquid inside the boiler and the outside, i.e. water tightness.

The design of the invention also relates to an iron with two anchoring seats that can cooperate with respective clamping members to clamp the iron in an upright position of the support base in each case and temporarily.

According to other designs, the invention also relates to an ironing apparatus comprising an iron having at least two anchoring seats and a support base provided with respective gripping members able to cooperate with the anchoring seats.

Drawings

These and other features of the invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as non-limiting examples with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 is a front view of a support base for an iron associated with a boiler, according to a possible embodiment of the present invention;

figures 2a and 2b are two schematic cross-sectional views of two possible variants of the support base and the iron;

figures 3-6 are schematic views of four possible variants of the stabilizer device supporting the base;

figures 7a and 7b are two views from below of the support base in the inactive and clamping configuration;

FIG. 8 is a section of the detail of FIG. 7b along the section line VIII-VIII;

figure 9 is a view of the support base connected/connectable to the boiler to the iron.

To facilitate understanding, identical reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate identical elements that are common to the figures. It is to be understood that elements and features of one embodiment may be readily combined with other embodiments without further recitation.

Detailed Description

The embodiments described herein with reference to the figures relate to a support base 10 for an iron 11 having, at the rear, a resting base 11a that can rest on the support base 10.

The support base 10 may be separate or may be part of a boiler 12 connected or connectable to the iron 11.

The support base 10 has at least one resting seat 20 suitable for receiving a resting base 11a of the iron 11, so that the iron 11 is kept in a vertical position.

According to a possible embodiment, the placement base 11a may have a solid form, or may be hollow, and can be associated with the placement base 20 and/or its mating connection 28, for example provided externally to the mating connection 28, or internally to the mating connection 28.

The support base 10 is configured to clamp the iron 11 in a stable and secure manner in each case in an upright position.

By vertical position, it is meant that the iron 11 is positioned with its ironing surface substantially perpendicular to the support base 10 or inclined with respect to the support base 10, i.e. the resting base 11a is on the resting base 20.

Referring to the figures, the support base 10 comprises a covering body 13, the covering body 13 having a first side 14a and a second side 14b opposite to the first side 14a, and a peripheral edge 15 connecting the two

sides

14a and 14 b.

Along at least a portion of the peripheral edge 15, a connection 16 may be provided that is configured to be removably or permanently connected to a support, such as an ironing board, a decorative element, the boiler 12, or the like.

According to one embodiment, the support base 10 may be attached to the boiler 12, or may advantageously be integrated therein, to surround the containment chamber 17 of the liquid 18, from which containment chamber 17 of the liquid 18 the steam for the iron 11 is generated.

In particular, the peripheral edge 15 may have a form that cooperates with the peripheral edge of the boiler 12, so that when they are connected to each other, the first side 14a is accessible to the user, while the second side 14b faces the housing chamber 17.

For example, the peripheral edge 15 may be circular, square, polygonal, oval, or other shape that mates with the peripheral edge of the boiler 12.

In the case where the support base 10 is integral with the boiler 12, the support base 10 is configured not to allow the liquid 18 to pass between the housing chamber 17 and the outside.

In other words, the support base 10 is configured to hermetically seal the containment chamber 17 of the boiler 12, since at least the second side 14b and the components of the support base 10 face the interior of the sealed containment chamber 17, which is hermetically sealed or impermeable to the liquid 18 and/or to the steam generated in the containment chamber 17.

For example, a suitable gasket 19, such as an O-ring or other similar or equivalent gasket, may be provided to protect the portion of the cover 13 that supports the base 10 facing the containment chamber 17, or the portion on the component of the second side 14 b.

According to possible variant embodiments, at least the second side 14b of the support base 10 facing the containment chamber 17 may be made of impermeable material or may be associated with a protective element against the liquid 18 and/or the vapours produced thereby, for example one or more gaskets 19.

According to a possible embodiment, the impermeable material can also be adapted to resist the usual temperatures occurring in the boiler 12, i.e. greater than or equal to 40 ℃, i.e. heat-resistant impermeable materials.

According to an aspect of the invention, the support base 10 has at least one resting seat 20 of the resting base 11a of the iron 11, said resting seat 20 being provided with stabilizing means 21, which stabilizing means 21 are able to temporarily fix the iron 11 in a vertical position.

According to a possible embodiment, the stabilizing means 21 comprise a clamping/release mechanism 22, which clamping/release mechanism 22 is drivable by the user and is configured to position in each case at least two clamping members 23 at least between an inactive position, in which the clamping members 23 are not associated with the iron 11, and a clamping position, in which the clamping members 23 cooperate by mechanical interference with respective anchoring seats 24 present in the resting base 11a of the iron 11.

According to a possible embodiment, the anchoring seat 24 can be recessed in or provided on the resting base 11a of the iron 11.

According to a possible embodiment, clamping/release mechanism 22 is located in a protected area 42 of standing board 20, clamping member 23 being in an inactive position inside mating connection 28 of standing board 20 and partially in a clamping position outside mating connection 28.

The protected area 42 may be included in the mating connection 28, or be part of the placement base 20, and the protected area 42 is protected from the user's access, at least when the support base 10 is mounted on a support, or on the boiler 12, or when the support base 10 is in use.

According to a possible embodiment, the clamping means 23 may comprise hooks, bolts or other similar elements which, in cooperation with the respective anchoring seats 24, allow to temporarily clamp the iron 11 while keeping it in an upright position on the support base 10.

According to a possible embodiment, the gripping member 23 is located inside the resting seat 20 or in the protection zone 42.

For example, the clamping member 23 may be located inside the mating connection 28.

The clamping member 23 may be configured to move toward the outside of the placing seat 20 to be in a clamping position.

According to a possible embodiment, the gripping member 23 may be configured to move towards the inside of the resting seat 20 to be in a gripping position.

According to a possible embodiment, the cooperation between the gripping member 23 and the anchoring seat 24 may provide: when the gripping member 23 is in the inactive position, the gripping member 23 is located inside the placing seat 20, the gripping member 23 being configured to position itself in the gripping position by moving it from the placing seat 20 to the outside.

According to a possible embodiment, the cooperation between the gripping member 23 and the anchoring seat 24 may provide: when the gripping member 23 is in the inactive position, the gripping member 23 is at least partially located outside the placing seat 20, the gripping member 23 being configured to position itself in the gripping position by moving towards the inside of the placing seat 20.

According to a possible embodiment, the gripping members 23 may have a maximally varying geometry and may be configured to be driven simultaneously and substantially on a common horizontal plane.

According to a possible embodiment, the support base 10 comprises a selector element 25, the selector element 25 being configured to actuate the clamping/release mechanism 22 in order to move the clamping member 23 from the inactive position to the clamping position and vice versa.

According to a possible embodiment, the selector element 25 comprises a first portion 26 actuatable by the user and a second portion 27 integrally associated with the first portion 26, said first portion 26 and second portion 27 being arranged on opposite sides of the support base 10.

According to a possible embodiment, the first portion 26 is located on the first side 14a and is accessible to the user for actuating the clamping/release mechanism 22, and the second portion 27 is located on the second side 14b and is inaccessible to the user when the support base 10 is in use or fixed on a support.

According to a possible embodiment, the first portion 26 may comprise a knob, which may be rotated, for example, between 0 ° and 60 °. According to a possible variant, the first portion 26 may comprise a push button or another similar two-stage moving element.

The second portion 27 is configured to be driven when the first portion 26 connected thereto is driven. For example, by rotating the first part 26, the second part 27 is thus also rotated about the same axis of rotation.

According to a possible embodiment, the resting base 20 may have a shape that cooperates with the resting base 11a of the iron 11 and may be made in or on the covering body 13 of the support base 10.

According to a possible embodiment, the placing seat 20 may have a mating connection 28 with the placing base 11 a.

According to a possible embodiment, the clamping member 23 is configured to project from the mating connection 28 to cooperate with the respective anchoring seat 24 by mechanical interference when the clamping member is in the clamping position.

According to a possible embodiment, the mating connection 28 may comprise one or more portions projecting from the covering body 13 of the support base 10, which define the area in which the gripping member 23 is located when the gripping member 23 is in the inactive position.

According to a possible embodiment, the resting seat 20 or the mating connection 28 has one or more holes 29, through which holes 29 the clamping member 23 can pass in order to clamp the iron 11 or to pass from the inactive position to the clamping position and vice versa.

According to a possible embodiment, the clamping/release mechanism 22 may comprise an adjustment element 33, which adjustment element 33 is engaged with the clamping members 23 and configured to position them in the inactive position or in the clamping position.

According to a possible embodiment, the adjustment element 33 is configured to translate along its longitudinal axis with respect to the driver of the selector element 25, in order to drive the gripping member 23.

For example, the adjustment element 33 may comprise an oblong element provided with suitable gears or slits to be associated with the two gripping members 23.

According to a possible embodiment, the adjustment element 33 can be functionally associated with at least one control lever member 30, the at least one control lever member 30 being configured to rotate about the fulcrum X to drive the adjustment element 33 with respect to the driving of the selector element 25.

According to a possible embodiment, the clamping/unclamping mechanism 22 may comprise a control rod member 30 interposed between the selector element 25 and the adjustment element 33, the control rod member 30 being configured to drive the driving of the adjustment element 33 with respect to the selector element 25, for example by rotation thereof.

According to a possible embodiment, the selector element 25 and in particular the second portion 27 are rotationally associated with the lever member 30.

This connection is achieved, for example, by a pin 31 attached to the second portion 27, which is inserted into an eyelet 32 present in the lever member 30.

The lever member 30 is pivotable to the support base 10 and in turn connected to the adjustment element 33 and is configured to translate along its longitudinal axis upon actuation of the lever member 30.

When the selector element 25 is actuated by the user, it rotates and rotates the lever member 30, which in turn translates the adjustment element 33 in one direction or the opposite direction along its longitudinal axis, depending on the direction of rotation.

According to a possible embodiment, the clamping/release mechanism 22 comprises at least one retaining member 34, which at least one retaining member 34 is configured to temporarily hold the selector element 25 in place and thus the clamping member 23 in place.

The retaining member 34 may include an elastic member 34 a.

According to a possible embodiment, the retaining member 34 may comprise at least two retaining seats 35 capable of temporarily retaining the second portion 27 of the selector element 25 in position.

The holder 35 allows to define an inactive position and a clamping position.

The selector element 25 may comprise a resilient pin 37, which resilient pin 37 is configured to be associated with one of the two retaining seats 35, respectively, and to be disengaged therefrom when the user actuates the selector element 25. The resilient pin 37 may protrude from the terminal portion 36 of the second part 27 of the selector element 25.

This enables the user to obtain a stable and partially irreversible mechanism, at least before the subsequent rotation of the selector element 25.

When the selector element 25 is in the inactive position or in the clamping position, the spring pin 37 is brought into abutment in the retaining seat 35.

The elastic pin 37 is movable in a cavity 38 formed in the terminal portion 36, and a spring 39 is attached, connected to the elastic pin 37 in the cavity 38.

According to a possible embodiment, when the adjustment element 33 is driven, it drives one or more gripping members 23 through its toothed portion or a series of holes with a defined pitch located along the adjustment element 33, which engage with corresponding toothed portions 40 of the gripping members 23.

The toothed portion 40 may be part of the gripping member 23 or may be an element associated therewith, such as a gear 40a or other similar member.

Due to the rotation of the clamping member 23 obtained by the action of the adjustment element 33 with the toothed portion 40, the iron 11 can be temporarily clamped by inserting the clamping member 23 inside the respective anchoring seat 24.

A possible embodiment provides that the adjusting element 33 is driven directly along the longitudinal axis by means of the selector element 25. In this case, the adjusting element 33 is temporarily clamped in the inactive position or the clamping position by the elastic holding member 41.

According to this variant, the elastic retaining means 41 may comprise a pin which is elastically retained in position in a suitable seat present in the adjustment element 33. The position of the seat defines the inactive position and the clamping position of the clamping member 23.

According to a possible solution, the invention also relates to an iron 11, the rear part of which iron 11 has a resting base 11a comprising at least one anchoring seat 24, which anchoring seat 24 is adapted to cooperate with a clamping member 23 present in the support base 10, as in any one of the embodiments. Advantageously, in the embodiment described, the support base 10 integrated in the boiler 12 is connected or connectable to the iron 11.

Embodiments also provide an ironing apparatus comprising a support base 10 and an iron 11 as in any of the embodiments described, the rear part of the iron 11 having a resting base 11a, the resting base 11a being provided with at least one anchoring seat 24 able to cooperate with at least one gripping member 23 of the support base 10 to fix the iron 11 in each case and in a vertical position on the support base 10.

Obviously, modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the support base 10 of the iron 11, as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of support base 10, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in parentheses is to facilitate reading: they are not to be considered as limiting insofar as they are claimed in the particular claims.

Claims

1. Support base for temporarily clamping an iron (11) thereon in a vertical position, said support base comprising:

a rest base (20) able to receive a rest base (11a) of the iron (11), said rest base (11a) being located at the rear of the iron (11) and having at least two anchoring bases (24);

stabilizer device (21) having a clamping/release mechanism (22) which can be driven by a user through a selector element (25) and is configured to position at least two clamping members (23) at least between an inactive position and a clamping position, wherein each of the clamping members (23) cooperates with a respective anchor seat (24) by mechanical interference, characterized in that the clamping/release mechanism (22) comprises an adjustment element (33) which is engaged with the clamping element (23) and is connected to the selector element (25) through a lever element (30) which is configured to rotate about its own fulcrum (X) with respect to the action of the selector element (25), wherein the lever element (30) is configured to move the adjustment element (33) in a linear direction during use, in order to position and hold the clamping member (23) in the clamping position or in the inactive position.

2. A support base according to claim 1, characterised in that the selector member (25) is configured to grip the lever member (30) to prevent movement of the gripping member (23).

3. Support base according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said gripping member (23) is located inside said resting seat (20) and is configured to move towards the outside of said resting seat (20) to assume said gripping position.

4. Support base according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that said gripping member (23) is located inside said resting seat (20) and is configured to move towards the inside of said resting seat (20) to assume said gripping position.

5. Support base according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that said clamping/release mechanism (22) is located in a protection area (42) of said standing seat (20), said clamping member (23) being located, in said inactive position, inside a mating connection (28) of said standing seat (20) and, in said clamping position, partly outside said mating connection (28).

6. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the clamping members (23) are located on a common horizontal plane.

7. A support base according to any one of the preceding claims, characterised in that the selector element (25) has a first user-accessible portion (26) and a second user-inaccessible portion (27) associated with the first portion (26).

8. Iron, having a resting base (11a) at its rear, characterized in that said resting base (11a) has at least two anchoring seats (24) suitable for cooperating with corresponding clamping members (23) present in a support base (10) according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. Ironing apparatus, characterized in that it comprises a support base (10) and an iron (11) according to any one of claims 1 to 7, said iron (11) having, at the rear, a resting base (11a), said resting base (11a) being provided with at least two anchoring seats (24) able to cooperate with respective clamping members (23) in said support base (10) to temporarily clamp said iron (11) in an upright position.