Pressing iron and process for assembling such an iron

• US 5,799,421 A
• Filed: 04/11/1997
• Issued: 09/01/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 04/12/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SEB SA
• Original Assignee: Moulinex SA (SEB SA)
• Inventors: Bouleau, Jean-Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Izaguirre, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US08/833,973
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 38/74, 38/77.3, 38/77.8, 38/77.83, 38/81, 38/88, 38/91, 219/245, 219/259, 219/250, 219/256
• US Class Current: 38/88
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 75/36 Casings

Abstract

A pressing iron comprises a housing made of plastic material in the form of a hollow body having a base (3) whose upper portion (H) has an opening (O) closed by a cover (C) and whose outlet (D) is closed by a pressing block comprising an upper portion (4) and a lower portion (5) having at least one pressing sole (6), and surmounted, in the front and rear portions respectively, by two hollow projections (8 and 9) connected at their upper portion by a cross member (10) forming a handle and constituted by a trough (11) closed by a cover (12). The rear projection (9) has a wide opening closed by a cover (14) forming a heel. The hollow body (2) and the cover (14) are formed by a shell (1) molded in one piece and having a transverse cross section of generally inverted V shape. The trough (11) of the handle and the internal surfaces (8'"'"' and 9'"'"') of the projections (8 and 9) opening inwardly.

Claims

1. In a pressing iron comprising a housing of plastic material formed of a hollow body (2) having a base (3) whose upper portion has an opening closed by a first cover of plastic material and whose outlet is closed by a pressing block comprising an upper portion (4) and a lower portion (5) comprising at least one pressing sole (6) provided with heating means (7) and surmounted in respective front and rear portions with two hollow projections (8 and 9) connected at their upper portion by a cross member (10) forming a handle and constituted by a trough (11) closed by a second cover (12), said rear projection (9) having a wide opening closed by a third cover (14) forming a heel;

the improvement wherein the hollow body (2) and the third cover (14) are formed by a shell (1) molded in one piece and having a transverse cross section of generally inverted V shape, the trough (11) of the handle (10) and the internal surfaces (8'"'"' and 9'"'"') of the projections (8 and

     9) opening inwardly;

the upper portion (4) of the pressing block having an upper surface which carries the first cover which supports, in front and rear regions, cover portions (P1 and P2) for each of the internal surfaces (8'"'"' and 9'"'"') of the two projections (8 and

     9), and said internal surfaces being attached to the second cover (12).

2. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein the first cover is in the form of an inverted cup and forms a portion of a water reservoir, said first cover comprising an elongated upper wall (21) supporting the assembly of the cover portions (P1 and P2) and the second cover (12), two lateral longitudinal walls (22), two transverse front and rear walls (23 and 24) and an outlet (25) closed by the upper surface of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block, thereby delimiting the volume of the water reservoir.

3. Pressing iron according to claim 2, wherein the upper surface of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block has a peripheral groove (26) in which nest with securement and sealing means (27) peripheral edges of the lateral walls (22) and transverse walls (23 and 24).

4. Pressing iron according to claim 3, wherein the securement and sealing means (27) are constituted by a silicone joint.

5. Pressing iron according to claim 1, wherein the one-piece molded shell (1) is maintained on the first cover and on the pressing block by securement means (28).

6. Pressing iron according to claim 5, wherein the upper portion (4) of the pressing block comprises, in its rear portion, a projecting end (15), the securement means (28) of the shell (1) comprising, in a forward portion of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block, an anchoring member (29) for the shell (1) at the upper portion of the pressing block, and, in a rear portion of the lower portion (5) of the pressing block, a hooking device (30) for the shell (1) on the projecting end (15) of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block.

7. Pressing iron according to claim 6, wherein the anchoring member (29) of the shell (1) to the upper portion (4) of the pressing block is a screw which comes into engagement with the upper portion (4), and wherein the hooking device (30) comprises a seat (31) secured to the molded shell (1), provided in the lower portion (5) of the heel (14), directed to the interior and adapted to come into engagement with the projecting end (15) of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block.

8. Assembly process for a pressing iron according to claim 7, wherein there are placed in bearing engagement, by nesting, the seat (31) of the heel (14) of the shell (1) against the projecting end (15) of the upper portion (4) of the pressing block, then by pivoting, a correct positioning is effected of the shell (1) on the upper portion (4) of the pressing block by the anchoring means (29) located in the forward region of the upper portion (4).