Garment steamer

• US 6,886,373 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Conair CIP, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conair Corporation
• Inventors: Fung, Kam Fai, Carrubba, Paul J., Carlucci, Vito James
• Primary Examiner(s): Markoff, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US10/243,054
• Publication Number:
  US 20040050118A1
• Time in Patent Office: 963 Days
• Field of Search: 682/22, 68/5.R, 814/93
• US Class Current: 68/222
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 73/00 Apparatus for smoothing or removing creases from garments or other textile articles by formers, cores, stretchers, or internal frames, with the application of heat or steam combined with external pressure means D06F71/00

Abstract

There is provided a garment steamer for domestic use that cooperates with a variety of different attachments to provide a variety of different steam or vapor emitting effects. The garment steamer also has an ionic and/or ozone generating/emitting feature to facilitate neutralizing odor and removing undesirable particulate from a garment. The garment steamer may also have a hanger and rod assembly in which a collapsible hanger selectively cooperates with a telescopic rod, which is connected to a base, such that the hanger can be selectively positioned at any location along the height of the rod and/or disengaged from the rod. The garment steamer also includes a fluid heating assembly enclosed in the base, a separable fluid container in separable fluid communication with the fluid heating assembly, and a separable hose in separable fluid communication with the fluid heating assembly, as well as with the variety of different attachments.

Claims

1. A garment steamer comprising:

a base having a fluid heating assembly;

a fluid container in separable fluid communication with said fluid heating assembly;

a hose in separable fluid communication with said heating assembly;

a rod telescopically connected to said base;

a hanger being connected to said rod to collapsibly cooperate therewith, wherein said fluid heating assembly has a fluid inlet for receiving fluid from said fluid container, a boiler for receiving said fluid from said fluid inlet and for boiling said fluid, and fluid outlet for receiving a portion of said fluid that is vaporized by said boiling and for conveying said vaporized fluid through said hose, thereby allowing a user to control the emission of said vaporized fluid, wherein said hose cooperates with an attachment to provide a vapor emitting effect, wherein said attachment has an ionic assembly for generating and emitting ions and/or ozone of different polarity and/or intensity.

2. A garment steamer comprising:

a base having a fluid heating assembly;

a fluid container in separable fluid communication with said fluid heating assembly;

a hose in separable fluid communication with said fluid heating assembly;

a rod being connected to said base to telescopically extend therefrom;

a hanger being connected to said rod to collapsibly cooperate therewith; and

an ionic assembly for generating and/or emitting ions and/or ozone.

3. The garment steamer of claim 2, wherein said ionic assembly has an ion and/or ozone generator for generating ions and/or ozone and an ion and/or ozone emitter operatively connected with said an ion and/or ozone generator for emitting said ions and/or ozone.

4. The garment steamer of claim 2, wherein said ionic assembly has a UV light source for producing and emitting ions and/or ozone.

5. The garment steamer of claim 3, wherein said fluid heating assembly has a fluid inlet for receiving a fluid from said fluid container, a boiler for receiving said fluid from said fluid inlet and for boiling said fluid, and a fluid outlet for receiving a portion of said fluid that is vaporized by said boiling and for conveying said vaporized fluid through said hose, thereby allowing a user to control the emission of said vaporized fluid.

6. The garment steamer of claim 5, wherein said hose selectively cooperates with a variety of different attachments to provide a variety of different vapor emitting effects.

7. The garment steamer of claim 6, wherein said ion and/or ozone generator generates ions and/or ozone of different polarity and/or intensity.

8. The garment steamer of claim 6, wherein said ion and/or ozone emitter emits said ions and/or ozone of different polarity and/or intensity.

9. The garment steamer of claim 8, wherein said ion and/or ozone emitter is situated to infuse or introduce ions and/or ozone into said vaporized fluid.

10. The garment steamer of claim 8, wherein said ion and/or ozone emitter is situated to infuse or introduce ions and/or ozone into a garment supported by said hanger.

11. The garment steamer of claim 2, wherein said rod is telescopically received and retained in said base.

12. The garment steamer of claim 2, wherein said rod is separable from said base and has a stand.

13. The garment steamer of claim 12, wherein said stand is integral with said rod to collapsibly cooperate therewith to enable said rod to stand alone separate from said base, and to cooperate with said base such that said base serves as a support for said rod.

14. The garment steamer of claim 2, wherein said hanger is slidable along said rod such that said hanger can be selectively positioned at any height along said rod.

15. A garment steamer comprising:

a base having a fluid heating assembly;

a fluid container in separable fluid communication with said fluid heating assembly;

a telescoping rod;

a hanger integral with said rod;

a stand separable from said rod; and

an ionic assembly having an ionic generator.