WO1998049384A2

WO1998049384A2 - The ironing machine

Info

Publication number: WO1998049384A2
Application number: PCT/RU1998/000103
Authority: WO
Inventors: Vadim Vyacheslavovich Kolyada
Original assignee: Vadim Vyacheslavovich Kolyada
Priority date: 1997-04-28
Filing date: 1998-04-09
Publication date: 1998-11-05
Also published as: RU2106446C1; WO1998049384A3

Abstract

The invention refers to household engineering, in particular, to machines for clothes ironing, mainly in home conditions, ensuring the possibility to iron efficiently, using the ironing machine, both large and small elements of clothes, as well making easier the ironing process. The ironing machine includes a cabinet, an elastic support ironing surface made as a calender (3), placed on a support frame (8) with a possibility to rotate, a heated ironing surface, connected by a jointing unit (33) with the mechanism of its reciprocating movement, a mechanism of the heated ironing surface clasping to the elastic support ironing surface, and a unit of foot control pedals (45-47). The machine has also a calender (3) rotation drive from electric motor (2). The cabinet is made as a post with an unfolding front wall (1) with guides (31) at its internal surface and with adjustable in height supports (21) at its external surface. The support frame (8) with the calender (3) is placed inside the cabinet with the possibility of its pulling out along the guides of the front wall (1) and fixing there in a pulled-out position. The heated ironing surface with the mechanism of its reciprocating movement is placed in the cabinet under the calender. The shaft of calender rotation drive and the mechanism of the reciprocal movement of the heated ironing surface are telescopic. The heated ironing surface is made with a possibility to its pulling out of the cabinet and detaching it from the mechanism of its reciprocating movement when it is to be replaced by a heated ironing surface with another ironing area.

Description

THE IRONING MACHINE

The invention refers to household engineering, in particular, to machines for clothes ironing, mainly in home conditions.

The clothes ironing till now remains as one of the least automated household operations, despite a number of technical solutions proposed for this purpose. The typology of the known analogues is given in Table 1 (parameter Si /So is the ratio of the area of warmed ironing surface Si to an effective working surface of ironing So).

The first and the most volumous group consists of irons of numerous designs. Constantly becoming more and more complicated and getting new technical elements (automatic regulators of temperature, safety devices, steam generators etc., see Polti Ironing Line Catalogue 1996, Rowenta Ironing Items Catalogue 1995/96), the irons keep practically as constant the size of heated ironing surface : about 200 sq.cm. for a standard iron and about 100 sq.cm. for smaller travellers' one. Such size of a warmed surface Si allows to iron easily the fine details of clothes (for ironing of the finest details the front toe of an iron is used, that is only a part of the heated surface). As a working ironing surface the ironing-board is usually used. For a complete set "an iron - an ironing-board" the parameter Si /So is approximately 0, 1.

The modern ironing-board is a rather sophisticated electric household appliance. For example, the Polti Stiro Professional ironing-board [Polti Ironing Line Catalogue 1996) has a heated working surface and a steam-sucking device for clothes holding and drying, as well as an additional socket outlet, temperature regulator and control pedal. The weight of such an ironing-board is 25 kg, the retail price is about 100 USD. The ironing-board Rowenta Airopress AB-150 [Rowenta Ironing Items Catalogue 1995/96) contains a built -in fan and a built-in steam generator (steam station); the retail price of the ironing-board with Rowenta Superpress DG-050 iron is about 300 USD. Thus, the technical improvement of a complete set "an iron - an ironing-board" has much devaluated the primary advantages of this class of ironing devices: simplicity, compactness and cheapness. As α main disadvantage of an iron, despite all technical improvements of its design, remains a poor ergonomics.

In the course of ironing the user, holding the iron by one hand, makes two movements : rising of the iron from a working surface and lowering it back, and reciprocating movements by the iron along a working surface (the ironing itself).

By his other hand the user holds and directs a clothes to be ironed. And, as for this operation both hands are frequently necessary, he is periodically compelled to remove the iron from a working zone (for example, to put the iron vertically) and to arrange the clothes by two hands.

It would be natural to try to mechanize operations of rising/lowering of an iron and its reciprocating motion and to give an user an opportunity just only to direct clothes in the zone of ironing by both hands.

The similar approach was already realized for a long time, for example, in sewing machines, where the reciprocating movement of a needle with a string is mechanized and the functions of the user are only in a directing of clothes in the zone of sewing.

The second group is formed of presses for damp thermal processing of clothes, both for household use and for industry (USSR inventor's certificate No 1165343, D 06 F 71/34, 1985, and other ones). The top (heated) and the bottom pillows of the presses have identical surfaces (Si /So = 1 ).

A disadvantage of the given type of devices is the difficulty to iron fine elements of clothes (collars, cuffs etc.). A characteristic method for fulfilment of such operations is the positioning of these elements on angular or lateral areas of a working surface of ironing, that actually means only its partial ( ~ 10 %) use, with heating all for nothing of the other 90 % of the surface. It is obvious, that in case of rather complex style of a clothe its fine details can hardly be ironed with the press (USSR inventor's certificate No 705032, D

06 F 71/04, 1979).

To the third group of devices we will relate the ironing machines with a rotating roll

(calender) and a heated surface (tray), which one or another way are clasped to each other (USSR inventor's certificate No 631574, D 06 F 67/00, 1978). In some devices α calender or a tray is additionally reciprocating moving along the calender's axis of rotation. For example, in the industrial ironing machine (Germany patent No 23361 , 8a 20/00, 1883) α calender is clasped to a reciprocating moving tray, and in α household ironing machine (USSR inventor's certificate No 1326689, D 06 F 67/00, 1987) it is α calender which makes reciprocation.

The ironing machine is known, containing the case, the calender as an elastic surface of ironing, placed on a support frame with a possibility of rotation, the warmed ironing surface connected by a jointing unit with the mechanism of its reciprocating movement, the mechanism of clasping of a heated ironing surface to an elastic support surface of ironing and the unit of foot control pedals (USSR inventor's certificate No 1796714, D 06 F 67/00). In this known ironing machine the heated surface (a rack iron) makes a reciprocating movement. The ironing machine is of a desktop type (the case is attached by screw clamp to a table). With the help of foot pedal the user clasps the calender and a clothe to the warmed surface. Due to this fact the hands of the user are free and he can arrange in a proper way the clothes in the zone of ironing.

However as the calender does not have a drive, an user further needs to pull manually a clothe to be ironed per self, dragging it through the zone of ironing. Thus, the ironing is linked with rather large physical efforts.

Another serious disadvantage of the known ironing machine is also the complexity of fine details ironing. The parameter SJSo in the devices of the given group is about 0,9 (as So here is presumed not the whole lateral surface of the calender, but only that part of the calender, on which the clothes to be ironed are placed, i.e. an "effective" calender surface).

The ironing of fine details of clothes by the machines of the given group is even more inconvenient, than by the machines of the previous group. Due to this fact the serial household machines of the given type ["Kalinka- "Zarya". Veritas), have not made a serious competition to traditional irons, since are suitable basically only for the ironing of long linens.

The nearest analogue is an ironing machine containing a cabinet made as a post with an unfolding front wall and with guides on its surface, an elastic support ironing surface made as a calender placed on a support frame with a possibility to rotate, with the support frame placed inside the post and having a possibility to be pulled out and fixed on the front wall in the pulled out position, also containing a heated ironing surface able to be pulled out of the post and connected with a mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface to the elastic support ironing surface (USA patent No 1994742, D 06 F 63/00, 1935).

The disadvantage of this technical solution is the difficulty to iron fine elements of clothes, becouse a part of the calender surface participates in ironing process.

The technical result of the present invention is providing an opportunity for the effective ironing with the help of the ironing machine both large and fine elements of clothes, and as well facilitating the process of ironing of clothes by mechanization of movements of the heated ironing surface and by making the hands of the user free for arranging the clothes to be ironed in a zone of ironing.

This result is reached by that the suggested ironing machine containing a cabinet made as a post with an unfolding front wall with guides on its surface, an elastic support ironing surface made as a calender, placed on a support frame with a possibility to rotate, the support frame with calender placed inside the post with a possibility to be pulled out and fixed on the front wall in a pulled out position, a heated ironing surface made with a possibility to be pulled out of the post and connected with the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface to the elastic support ironing surface, as distinct from the nearest analogue, is provided with an electric motor drive for calender rotation, on the internal surface of the post front wall there are guides for pulling out the support frame with the calender, the heated ironing surface has a mechanism of its reciprocating movement with a jointing unit and, together with the said mechanism, is placed in the post above the calender, as well both the shaft of calender rotating drive and the mechanism of heated ironing surface reciprocating movement are made telescopic, the heated ironing surface is made with a possibility to be detached from the mechanism of its reciprocating movement when to be replaced by a heated ironing surface with another ironing area, as well on the external surface of the post front wall there are supports, adjustable in height, and there is a foot pedal unit.

The ironing machine being suggested differs also by that its cabinet is carried out with the sizes HXWXD about 85 X 60 X60 cm.

The technical result of the invention is reached also by that the ironing machine is supplied with the number of replaceable additional heated ironing surfaces with units jointing them to the mechanism of reciprocating movement and with the ratio of a heated surface area to an effective working ironing surface area from about 0, 1 up to about 0,9.

The technical result is reached also by that the mechanism of reciprocating moving of the heated ironing surface is hanged to the top cover of the cabinet with a possibility of swinging on the suspension arm.

The technical result is reached also by that the mechanism of reciprocating moving of the heated ironing surface is carried out as a cylinder with solenoid winding on its periphery and a returning spring in its centre and as a rod with the core in its centre which is placed in the cylinder with a possibility of sliding and compressing the returning spring.

To achieve the technical result two insulated electric current conducting bus-bars with conducting tips are carried out in the cylinder of the mechanism of reciprocating moving of the heated ironing surface, and in the rod of the mechanism - the two electric current conducting channels, ending in the jointing unit by which the rod and the heated ironing surface are connected, thus the bus-bar tips are mounted with a possibility of sliding in the current conducting channels in the course of reciprocating movings of the rod.

The technical result of the invention is reached also by that the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface to the support ironing surface is carried out as a solenoid mounted on the top cover of the cabinet, thus the core of the solenoid is attached to a back shoulder of the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface, and the forward shoulder of this mechanism is connected by a spring to the top cover of the cabinet.

To achieve the technical result of the invention the cylinder of the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface is carried out with the steam supply pipe, and the rod of the mechanism - with the steam conducting channel, ending in the jointing unit by which the rod and the heated ironing surface are connected, thus the end of the pipe is mounted in the steam conducting channel of the rod with a possibility of sliding in it in the course of reciprocating movement of the rod.

The technical result of the invention is reached also by that the ironing machine is supplied with a quasi-closed loop of steam circulation, consisting of a water cartridge, a steam generator, an ejector for generating of low pressure in a backward shoulder of a loop, an elastic pipe connecting the ejector with the steam supply pipe of the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface, and a pipe connecting the cavity of the ejector with a cavity of the steam collector placed on the calender rotating shaft.

To achieve the technical result of the invention the calender is carried out with frame blades in which internal channels are made, the pulled-out telescope part of the calender rotation shaft is made hollow, at the back end face of this part of the shaft the hollow shaft cavity is connected with the steam collector, and at the forward end face - with channels carried out in the calender frame blades.

The technical result is reached also by that in the forward end face of the cavity of the calender rotation shaft a locking element is available, carried out as a disk from a material lighter than water, completely or partially blocking the channels of the calender frame blades located under a negative angle to a horizontal.

Besides the ironing machine is provided with a tray, put on a front wail of the cabinet under the calender. The technical result of the invention is reached also by that under the support ironing surface some cavities filled by a heat accumulating substance are carried out. The said cavities can be filled by heat accumulating substances having different temperatures of phase transition, for example, some of these cavities can be filled with paraffin, and some of them - with sodium phosphate.

To achieve the technical result of the invention the heated ironing surface is supplied with thermoregulator for the adjustment of ironing temperature, and with channels for the steam flow, as well as with openings in the sole for the supply of steam to clothes in the course of ironing.

The ironing machine being patented is supplied also by the generator of auxiliary electric currents, incorporated into electrical feeding circuit of the machine and switched on by one of the foot control pedals.

The technical result of the invention is reached also by that the ironing machine is supplied by the pulling out and unfolding holders of clothes, mounted on the calender support frame at both sides of it.

To achieve the technical result of the invention the unit of control pedals of the machine and the calender are carried out with a possibility of adjustment in height in accordance with the user's convenience.

The technical result is reached also by that the ironing machine is supplied with elements preventing the lime scale formation, with a pump mounted in a steam loop for steam supply to clothes in the course of ironing, and with a pump mounted in a backward shoulder of a steam loop for steam suction.

To achieve the technical result of the invention the ironing machine is supplied with the ultrasonic waves emitter mounted on the heated ironing surface.

The ironing machine being patented is to be placed on the floor and is mounted in the cabinet of post type with the sizes about 85x60x60 cm - height x width x depth

(HxWxD). Such sizes are characteristic for serially produced household washing machines, washer-dryers and dishwashers. Due to this the ironing machine can be carried out in the uniform style with the specified products and to enlarge by self the range of cabinet-type household appliances.

The specified sizes of the cabinet allow to place in it all the named above functional elements of the machine.

At the specified sizes of the cabinet the calender diameter can be large enough (up to -50 cm) to carry out the ironing of clothes on its elastic surface using the heated ironing surface with the size and form of an usual flat-sole iron.

On Fig. l the ironing machine in the non-working state is shown, side view. On Fig. 2 the machine in the working state is shown, front view; on Fig.3 the ironing machine is shown in a working state with an iron head as a separable heated ironing surface; on Fig.4 the ironing machine is shown in a working state with a press head as a separable heated ironing surface and with unfolded clothes' holders; on Fig. 5 the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface (separable working head) to the elastic support ironing surface is shown; on Fig. 6 the mechanism of longitudinal feed of the heated ironing surface (separable working head) is shown, the B-B sectional view at Fig. 7; on FigJ - the A-A sectional view at Fig.6 ; on Fig.8 - the design of heated surface jointing unit; on Fig.9 - the design of bus-bar tips of the mechanism of longitudinal feed of the working head; on Fig.10 - the elements of the steam loop; on Fig. 1 1 - the calender cross section; on Fig.12 - the valve of water cartridge; on Fig.13 - the ejector; on Fig.14 - the calender steam loop elements, longitudinal section; on Fig. 15 - the heat accumulating cavities of the calender; on Fig. 16 - the heat accumulating cavities, enlarged view; on Fig. 17 a press head as a separable heated ironing surface is shown; on Fig. 18 the basic electrical scheme of the machine is given; on Fig. 19 the opportunities of machine's elements adjusting in accordance with an user's convenience are shown. Fig. 20 the typology of ironing devices.

In a non-working state of the machine the front (faced to an user) wall 1 of its cabinet is fixed in a vertical position (Fig. 1 and Fig. 2). The following components are located inside the cabinet of the machine : the electric motor 2, the elastic support ironing surface (calender) 3 on the shaft 4, the V-belt drive mechanism 5, transmitting the torque from the shaft of the engine 2 to the shaft 4 of the calender 3, the support bearing rotation unit 6, mounted on a back wall 7 of the cabinet of the machine. The calender 3 is fixed with a possibility to rotate around its axis on the support frame 8 and is attached to the shaft 4 in the area of its forward end face 9.

The cylinder 12 of the mechanism of the heated ironing surface reciprocating movement (further called as a feeder) is suspended to the top cover 10 of the cabinet on an arm 1 1 , as well as the suspension spring 13 connected with the feeder and the solenoid 14.

Along the left wall of the cabinet the elements of the steam circulation loop are placed : the steam generator 15, fixed with a possibility of turning on the axis 16, the water cartridge 17, the ejector 18, connected by the steam pipe 1 with the steam generator 15. Under the steam generator the tray 20 for of the collection of a condensate can be put.

The cabinet is fixed on four supports 21 , adjustable in height. On the face side of the front wall 1 the handle 22 for its opening and two apertures 23 and 24 are available. The apertures are carried out as wall-through, in which there is a pair of supports 25, intended for fixing the front wall in a horizontal position with respect to a floor of a room after the front wall opening.

In a transport and non-working state the apertures 23 and 24 are closed by sliding covers 26 and 27: the cover 26 on the left aperture 23 in a closed position is moved to the left, the cover 27 on the right aperture 24 is moved to the right. The front wall of the machine 1 is attached to the cabinet by hinges 28. The clamps 29 are provided for fixing the supports 25 on the internal side of the front wall 1. On the bottom of the cabinet of the machine the guides 30 are carried out, and on the internal side of the front wall 1 - the guides 31.

The feeder of the heated ironing surface is carried out telescopic, with a possibility of its internal part (rod) 32 pulling out of the cylinder 12. The rod 32 ends with the jointing unit 33 for attaching the heated ironing surface. On Fig.3 the separable iron head 34 is shown as type of heated ironing surface, on Fig.4 - the separable press head 35.

The shaft 4 is also earned out telescopic, with a possibility of its internal part 36 pulling out.

The pulling out and unfolding clothes holders 37 and 38 are available in the bottom part of the frame 8 for the sake of convenience in case of large clothes ironing.

The control elements of the machine are the control panel 39, located under the top cover 10 of the cabinet and the foot pedals unit 40 on the internal side of the front wall 1. The temperature of heating of the separable iron head 34 or press head 35 is adjusted by the sliding thermostat 41.

On the control panel 39 there are : the switch of a feeding voltage 42, the regulator of frequency of longitudinal movements of the iron head 43 and the regulator of steam generator power 44.

The foot pedals unit 40 includes the pedal 45 of up-and-down movements of the heated ironing surface, the pedal 46 of the calender rotation start-up and the pedal 47 of start-up of the iron longitudinal movement.

The mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface to the support ironing surface (Fig. 5) includes the solenoid 14, mounted at the top cover 10 of the machine cabinet (the contacts 48 of the solenoid are connected to the electrical circuit, which is closed by foot pedal 45), the core 49 attached to the back shoulder of the cylinder 12 of the feeder, and the spring 13, connecting the front shoulder of this mechanism with the top cover 10 of the cabinet.

The supply of electric voltage and steam to the back shoulder of the feeder is made with the help of flexible wiring 50 and elastic pipe 51 , that allows to compensate the displacement of the inlet of these communications to the back shoulder of the feeder 12.

The feeder (Fig. 6, 7, 8) consists of the stationary part 12 (cylinder) and of the movable part 32 (rod) pulling out of the cylinder in a telescopic way. Inside the cylinder 12 the two electric current conducting bus-bars 52 are carried out, the endings of which are led out through the cylinder back face to be linked to the plugs connector 53. The flexible wiring 50, running from the plugs connector 53, links the bus-bars 52 to the power supply circuit.

The bus-bars 52 are covered by dielectric insulating material on their whole length except for the front electric current conducting tips 54 (Fig. 9). The tips 54 are inserted into electric current conducting channels 55 of the rod 32. The walls of channels 55 are carried out from metal, while the case of the rod 32 and the case of the cylinder 12 are carried out from dielectric material.

At the back end face 56 of the iron head 34 (or press head 35) the two pin contacts 57 are available, carried out is like the tips 54 of bus-bars 52. Wires 50, bus-bars 52, walls of channels 55 and the contacts 57 form the electrical circuit, by which the feed current is supplied to the heating element 58 of the heat ironing surface 34 (35).

The elastic pipe 51 connects the steam generator 15 to the union nipple 59 at the back end face of the cylinder 12. The union nipple 59 is the entrance of the steam conductor 60, the front end of which, in turn, is inserted into the steam channel 61 of rod 32. The channel 61 ends with the union nipple 62, being an element of the jointing unit 33. At the back end face 56 of iron head 34 (press head 35) the reception pipe 63 is available, being an entrance of the steam distributing system 64. Elastic pipe 51 , union nipple 59, steam conductor 60, steam channel 61 , union nipple 62, reception pipe 63 and the steam distributing system 64 form the loop of steam supply from steam generator 15 to apertures for the steam expiration 65.

The mechanism of a reciprocating movement of the rod 32 consists of the winding 66, carried out in the case of the cylinder 12, contacts 67 which are led out to the back end face of the cylinder 12, the core 68 carried out in the case of the rod 32, and the spring 69, placed in the cavity of the cylinder 12.

On the case of the cylinder 12 the limit switch 70 of the electric circuit of the winding 66 is carried out. The circuit includes the service currents generator 71. In principle, other mechanisms of a reciprocating movement of the rod also can be realized, for example, pneumatic feed ahead and return back under the action of a spring.

The steam loop of the machine (Fig. 10) provides the steam generation, steam supplying to the ironing surface and partial returning back of steam passed through clothes ironed (the leakage of the other part of steam to the room atmosphere is inevitable).

The water cartridge 1 7 has the plug 72 with the press-to-open valve 73. In the case of steam generator the bypass pipe 74, the heating element 75 and consistently connected with it the protection thermostat 76 are available.

At the external (facing an user) end face of the steam generator 15 the water drain outlet is available, closed by the plug 77.

The outlet aperture 78 of the steam generator 15 is connected by the branch pipe 19 with the ejector 18. The purpose of the ejector 18 - return to the loop a part of steam passed through ironed clothes. The ejector 18 has the nozzle 79 and the jacket 80. The ejector output is connected to the union nipple 59 of the feeder cylinder 12 by the elastic pipe 51. The jacket 80 (area of low pressure) is connected to the back shoulder of the steam loop.

The covering 81 of the working surface of the calender 3 is carried out from permeable for a steam flow material (a fabric with a felt-type lining ).

The calender 3 has N (N = 6... 8) blades 82, which form its skeleton. By its narrow basis each blade is attached to the end of the shaft 36, and the wider peripheral parts of blades are fastened by a thin punched cylinder shell 83, atop of which the covering 81 is pulled on. The blades 82 have internal channels 84 for the flow of steam and condensate.

The cavities of channels 84 are connected to an internal cavity 86 of the shaft 36 through radial apertures 85, carried out in a wall of the shaft 36 near to its front end face 9.

At the front end of a root part of the shaft 4, on its internal part 36, which is pulling out in a telescope way, the steam collector 87 is available, carried out as a stationary clutch having a sliding sealing with the shaft 36. Through radial apertures 88 in a wall of the shaft 36 the ring cavity 89 of the collector 87 is connected with the cavity of the shaft 86.

From the bottom point of the cavity 89 the branch pipe 90 departs, connecting the cavity

89 with the jacket 80 of the ejector 18.

In order to ensure the collecting to the back shoulder of the steam loop mainly the steam passed through the channels of that blade, which is at the given moment in the top vertical position (under the iron head or press head), and to prevent collecting of air through channels of the other blades, the locking element 91 is provided in the end face 9 of the shaft 36 (Fig. 14 and Fig. 15) as a disk from a material which is lighter than water. The locking disk 91 has an opportunity of free rolling in the end face of a cavity 86 and blocking of radial apertures 85 under self.

The diameter of the disk 91 is less than an internal diameter of the shallow shaft 36, and due to that a sickle-like clearance 92 is constantly available between the disk and the internal wall of the shaft. The clearance is maximum in the point under the channels of the blade, directed vertically upwards. Thus in the given zone the maximum cross section for a steam flow passage is provided.

It is proposed to fill cavities 93-94, located between blades 82 of the calender 3 by heat accumulating substances. Due to this the working surface of the calender 3 can keep heat while the calender makes a revolution on the shaft 36. The heat accumulating cavities serve, thus, for the stabilization of the ironing surface temperature.

The cavities 93-94 can be filled, in particular, by heat accumulating substances with the various characteristics. For example (Fig.14 and Fig.15), cavities 93 can be filled by paraffin (the temperature of phase transition is 54 C ), and cavities 94 - by sodium phosphate, having the melting temperature about 100 C.

When the iron head or the press head works with resistant fabrics (with high ironing temperature), the heat is accumulated in cavities 94, filled by sodium phosphate. When ironing, for example, nylone or other delicate fabrics, the heat is accumulated in cavities

93, filled by paraffin. To illustrate the design of the heated ironing surface on Fig. 17 the separable press head 35 is shown as an example.

The jointing plug 56 has the pin contacts 57 of power supply, adequate to the jacks of the jointing unit 33 of the rod 32. The contacts 57 are the part of a circuit which supplies the feed current to the heating element 58, being the heat source for heating the sole 95 of the press head 35. For the adjusting of heating temperature the sliding thermostat 41 is provided.

The branch pipe 63 of the jointing plug 56 fits the union nipple 62 of the rod 32 and is an input of the steam distributing system 64, which ends by channels for steam flow 65, carried out in the sole 95 of the iron head or the press head.

The curvature of the sole 95 of the press head 35 corresponds to the radius of the calender 3. As for the iron head 34, its warmed surface has a flat sole, since a rather large diameter of the calender 3, making about 50 cm, and the fact, that the surface of the calender 3 is covered by an elastic material, allows to ensure the dense contact of the iron sole with clothes under ironing due to the deformation of the covering 81 material.

On Fig. 18 the basic electrical circuit of the machine is given.

The mains voltage comes to feed plugs 96. The unit 97 serves for radiointerference suppression.

The schematic includes the following circuits :

- the electric motor 2 (the circuit includes also pedal 46);

- the steam generator 15 (the circuit includes the regulator 44, the heating element 75 and the protection thermostat 76);

- the generator of service currents 71 (the circuit includes the solenoid 14, the pedal 45, the solenoid 66, the plug 67, the pedal 47, the regulator 43; the limit switch 70);

- the supply circuit of the heating element 58 of the heated ironing surface (the circuit includes the bus-bars 52, tips 54, current conducting channels 55, the flexible wiring 50, the plug 53, pin contacts 57, the heating element 58; the thermostat 41 ). For the sake of convenience of using the machine the central part 98 of the front wall 1 with the pedal unit 40 can be carried out separated with a possibility of its position adjusting in height (Fig. 19).

The level, on which the calender 3 is, can be set, for example, by regulation of supports 21 and 25.

For regulation of the level of calender 3 in the design of the machine the sliding stands 99 of the frame 8 and sliding stands 100, on which the top cover 10 of the machine cabinet is fixed, can also be provided.

The machine can also have a number of additional accessories, improving its functional characteristics.

For example, the elements preventing the formation of lime scale (the replaceable antioxidizing rods, cartriges for water softening, scale absorption, etc.), can in addition be included to the steam loop of the machine.

For more effective steam supply to clothes in the course of ironing the steam loop can be provided with the force-pump, and for more effective returning the steam to the loop a pump can be inserted to a backward shoulder of a steam loop in addition to the ejector for better steam suction.

For an additional dry-cleaning effect the ironing machine can be supplied with the ultrasonic waves emitter mounted on the warmed ironing surface.

In a non-working or transport position the iron head 34 and press head 35 can be kept on the special holders inside the cabinet of the machine (these devices are not shown on figures). The rod 32 in a non-working or transport position of the machine is pushed up to the end into the cylinder 12.

The patented ironing machine works as follows.

Prior to putting the machine to a working state both covers 26 and 27 are shifted towards the center of the front wall of the machine, giving a possibility to pull out the supports 25 from the plane of a front wall of the machine (on Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 the left cover 26 is shifted and a sole of the support 25 is visible). In process of putting the machine to a working state the supports 25 are moved forward and fixed by clamps 29 so that, being open on hinges 28, the front wall 1 of the machine takes a horizontal position with respect to a floor of a room.

The frame 8, with the calender 3 fixed on it, is pulled out of the cabinet of the machine on guides 30, carried out on the bottom of the machine cabinet and guides 31 , carried out on the internal side of the front wall 1 of the machine.

In the course of putting the machine to a working state and pulling out the frame 8 with the calender 3 the internal part 36 of the shaft 4 is also pulled out. The mobile part (the rod) of the feeder of the heated ironing surface 32 is pulled out from the cylinder 12. By means of jointing unit 33 the heated ironing surface of a necessary type is attached to the feeder.

When the ironing machine is working the heated surface of the iron head 34 can move upwards - downwards (from the surface of the calender 3 and to the said surface) and ahead - back. The rising of the iron upwards allows an user to redistribute clothes in a clearance between the sole of iron head and the calender surface. By means of "ahead- back" movement of the lowered iron head 34 the ironing is effected.

The press head 35 makes only "upward-downward" movements. If calender 3 is still, by moving the press head 35 down the pressing of clothes is effected, if the calender 3 rotates - the ironing of large linens is effected.

In case when the calender 3 rotates clockwise (Fig. 4), the left clothes holder 37 serves for the support of clothes directed to the press head, the right clothes holder 38 - for the reception of ironed clothes.

The extreme right control foot pedal 45 closes the electric circuit of the mechanism of upward-downward movement of the heated ironing surface; when the pedal is released the heated surface is always in a lifted position. The middle pedal 46 starts the rotation mechanism of the calender 3. The extreme left pedal 47 starts the mechanism of longitudinal feeding of the iron 34.

The pedals 46 and 47 can be fixed in the pressed state, i.e. the mechanism of rotation of the calender 3 and the mechanism of a reciprocating movement of the iron head 34 can remain switched on.

The pedal 45 can not be fixed in the pressed state : each time when this pedal is released the iron head or the press head rises up from the surface of the calender 3. Thus the safety is ensured when using the ironing machine.

By pressing the pedal 45 an user closes the electrical circuit, supplying a current on plugs 48 of the solenoids 14 (Fig. 5). Thus the core 49, fixed on he back end of the feeder of a heated ironing surface, is attracted into a winding of the solenoid 14. The back end of the feeder 12 rises, and the opposite end with the iron head 34 (or the press head 35) clasps to the working surface of the calender 3, stretching the spring 13. At releasing the pedal 45 the circuit of the solenoid 14 is disconnected, under the action of the returnable spring 13 the feeder turns in the opposite direction with respect to the axis of the suspension arm 1 1 and the iron head 34 (or the press head 35) rises from the working surface of the calender 3.

Through the back end face of the feeder cylinder 12 the steam for clothes processing and an electric current feeding the heating element of the heated ironing surface are supplied.

When mounting the iron/press head to the feeder the contacts 57 enter in the current conducting pipes 55 from the side of the jointing unit 33 and the heating element 58 of the heated ironing surface is connected to a feeding circuit.

In the course of reciprocating moving of the case of the rod 32 with respect to the case of the cylinder 12 the tips 54 of the bus-bars 52 are sliding along the walls of current conducting channels 55, providing continuous supply of a current to the load - the heating element of the iron head 34 (or the press head 35). When mounting the iron head 34 (or the press head 35) the union nipple 62 enters to the reception pipe 63 of the steam distributing system 64, which thus is connected with the steam generator 15. In the course of reciprocating movement of the case of the rod 32 with respect to the case of the cylinder 12 the steam conductor 60 is sliding in the steam conducting channel 61. Steam supplied to the iron head 34 (press head 35) is distributed to the channels of system 64 and expires through the apertures 65 in the sole of the iron head or the press head.

The reciprocating movement of the rod 32 is realized as follows.

When a current is supplied to the plugs 67 of the windings 66, the core 68 is attracted into in the winding 66. Thus the rod 32 is pushed into the cylinder 12, compressing the spring 69. The termination of a current supply to the winding 66 results to the throwing the rod 32 out of the cylinder 12 by the energy of the compressed spring 69.

The termination of a current supply to the winding 66 can occur, for example, by disconnecting of the appropriate electrical circuit by the limit switch 70 at the moment of maximum pushing of the rod 32 into the cylinder 12.

The current supplied to the winding 66 can also vary under the certain program loaded to the generator of service currents 71. An user can in this case change the parameters of the program of the generator 71 and to set a desirable frequency of the rod 32 reciprocating movement. The controls of the feeder are the pedal 47, closing the circuit of the generator of service currents 71 , and the regulator 43, with the help of which an user sets the frequency of the iron head feeding.

To ensure the steam generation an user periodically replenishes the stock of water in the cartridge 17. To be refilled with water the cartridge 17 is taken from the machine. When the cartridge is installed to the machine the press-to-open valve 73 opens and the water enters the cavity of the steam generator 15 via the bypass pipe 74 (Fig.10). In case of excessive temperature caused by the lack of water in the cavity of the steam generator, the protection thermostat 76 disconnects the circuit of the heating element 75 power supply. The drain of water occurs to the tray 20 by inclining the steam generator 15 with respect to an axis 16 (see. Fig.l ).

Steam leaving the steam generator 15, enters the ejector 18, where in the course of steam outflow through the nozzle 79 a zone of low pressure is formed in the jacket 80. Steam passes through the steam conductor 60 of the cylinder 12, through the channel 61 of the rod 32 and through the union nipple 62 enters the steam distributing system 64 of the iron head 34 (press head 35). Through the aperture 65 in the sole 95 steam reaches the clothes being ironed. Passing through the channels in the heated up sole 95, steam is additionally warmed up.

The low pressure formed in the ejector jacket 80 is transferred through the cavities 89 and 86, the channels 90, 88, 85, 84 and the covering 81 to the clothes being ironed. Due to this the better contact of a fabric to a working surface is ensured, as well as the better penetration of steam into a fabric, and as a result - the better steaming and ironing.

The condensate formed in the channels 84 of the blades 82 flows downwards through these channels. If the blade is directed upwards (vertically or under some angle), the flowing down condensate gets in an internal cavity 86 of the shaft 36 in the area of the locking disk 91. The disk 91 is carried out from a material lighter than water, so when condensate accumulates in the given zone the disk 91 emerges, opening the channels 85 located under it and ensuring the passage of a condensate to the blades directed downwards.

The condensate, flowing down through the channels 84 of the blades directed downwards, is concentrated in a material of the covering 81 of the calender 3, and while the machine is kept in an idle state, flows down to the tray 20.

The tray 20 thus can carry out two functions: it acts as the receiver of water, drained from the steam generator 15 (in the course of this operation the tray is put under the steam generator 15), and as the collector of a condensate, flowing downwards through the channels 84 and leaking through the covering 81 (in this case the tray is put under the calender 3). When the main switch 42 is closed the feeding current is supplied to the following circuits (Fig. 18) :

- the electric motor 2 (is switched on by the pedal 46) ;

- the steam generator 15 (its power is varied by the regulator 44, the overheating is prevented by the protection thermostat 76) ;

- the generator of service currents 71 (the currents generated by it are supplied to the solenoid 14 when the pedal 45 is pressed and to the solenoid 66 when the pedal 47 is pressed with a possibility of current adjustment by the regulator 43 ; the limit switch 70 disconnects the circuit at the maximum entry of the rod 32 into the cylinder 12);

- the feeding of the heating element 58 of the heated ironing surface (the current through the plug 53 flows to the bus-bars 52, which tips 54 are sliding along the walls of the current conducting channels 55; through the jointing unit 56 and the pin contacts 57 current is supplied to the heating element 58 ; the circuit can be disconnected by the thermostat 41 ).

The height of the support 25 is fixed manually when the machine is put to a working state. As for the height of the support 21 , one or another drive can be used to adjust it, for example, some mechanism transmitting the torque from the electric motor 2.

Another variant of the adjustment of the calender 3 level can be effected with the help of a similar drive or manually : it is the rising of the top part of the frame 8 with the calender 3 on sliding stands 99 and the top cover 10 (with the feeder 12 and control panel suspended to it) on sliding stands 100 (Fig.19). The electric motor 2, the shaft 4 and the driving mechanism 5 should simultaneously be risen. The steam generator 15, connected with the back face of the cylinder 12 by the elastic branch pipe 5 Us does not rise.

Some elements of the machine in one or another way are already realized in the known household appliances. For example, the opening front wall with handles and control knobs placed on it is typical for dishwashers. The rotating drum driven by an electric motor via V-belt driving mechanism is an element of front-load washing machines.

The steam generator was used in many of the mentioned above analogues, as well as in gas cookers with the function of steam cooking. The heat accumulating cavities are used in some household refrigerators for a stocking of cold, and paraffin is used in thermic hair- rollers for heat accumulating.

All these facts confirm the possibility of realization of the invention on a modern level of development of household engineering.

1. US patent No 1994742, Int.cl. D 06 F 63/00, 1935.

2. US patent No 21 15941 , Int.cl. D 06 F 63/00, 1938.

3. USSR inventor's certificate No 1796714, Int.cl. D 06 F 67/00, 1993.

4. France patent No 1389314, Int.cl. D 06 F 65/00, 1965.

Claims

1. Ironing machine, comprising a cabinet made as a post with unfolding front wall and guides at its surface, an elastic support ironing surface made as a calender, placed on the support frame with a possibility to rotate, a support frame being placed inside the post with a possibility of its pulling out and fixing in the pulled-out position, a heated ironing surface, made with a possibility to be pulled out of the post and connected by a jointing unit with the mechanism of its clasping to the elastic support surface, characterized in that it is provided with the calender rotation drive from electric motor, on the inner surface of the post front wall the guides are mounted for pulling out along them the support frame with the calender, the heated ironing surface has a mechanism of its reciprocating movement in the post over the calender, the calender drive shaft and the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface are made telescopic, the heated ironing surface is made with ╬▒ possibility of its detaching from the mechanism of its reciprocating movement when being replaced by a heated ironing surface with another ironing area, the outer side of the post front wall is provided with the supports adjustable in height and the foot control pedals unit.

2. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the cabinet is carried out with the sizes about 85 X 60 X 60 cm (H#WXD).

3. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is provided with a number of separable additional heated surfaces with jointing of their fastening to the mechanism of reciprocating movement and with the ratio of the areas of a heated surface to an effective working surface of ironing in limits from about 0, 1 up to about 0,9.

4. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated surface is suspended to the top cover of the cabinet with a possibility of its swinging on the suspension arm.

5. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated surface is made as a cylinder with a solenoidal winding on its periphery and a returnable spring in its centre and a rod with a core in its centre placed in the cylinder with a possibility of sliding and compression the returnable spring.

6. Ironing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that in the cylinder of the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface two insuleted electric current conducting bus-bars are carried out with conducting tips, and in the rod of the said mechanism - two electric current conducting channels, ending in the jointing unit by which the rod and the heated ironing surface are connected, thus the bus-ber tips are mounted with a possibility of sliding in the current conducting channels in the course of reciprocating movements of the rod.

7. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface to the support ironing surface is carried out as a solenoid mounted on the top cover of the cabinet, thus the core of the solenoid is attached to a back shoulder of the mechanism of clasping the heated ironing surface, and the forward shoulder of this mechanism is connected by a spring to the top cover of the cabinet.

8. Ironing machine according to claim 5, characterized in that the cylinder of the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface is carried out with the steam supply pipe, and the rod of the mechanism - with the steam conducting channel, ending in the jointing unit by which the rod and the heated ironing surface are connected, thus the end of the pipe is mounted in the steam conducting channel of the rod with a possibility of sliding in it in the course of reciprocating movement of the rod.

9. Ironing machine according to claim 1 or 8, characterized in that the ironing machine is supplied with a quasi-closed loop of steam circulation, consisting of a water cartridge, a steam generator, an ejector for generating of low pressure in a backward shoulder of a loop, an elastic pipe connecting the ejector with the steam supply pipe of the mechanism of reciprocating movement of the heated ironing surface, and a pipe connecting the cavity of the ejector with a cavity of the steam collector placed on the calender rotating shaft.

10. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , 8 or 9, characterized in that the calender is carried out with frame blades in which internal channels are made.

1 1. Ironing machine according to claim 8-10, characterized in that the pulled-out telescope part of the calender rotation shaft is made hollow, at the back end face of this part of the shaft the hollow shaft cavity is connected with the steam collector, and at the forward end face - with channels carried out in the calender frame blades.

12. Ironing machine according to claim 8-1 1 , characterized in that in the forward end face of the cavity of the calender rotation shaft a locking element is available, carried out as a disk from a material lighter than water, completely or partially blocking the channels of the calender frame blades located under a negative angle to a horizontal.

13. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , 8-12, characterized in that it is provided with a tray, put on a front wall of the cabinet under the calender.

14. ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that under the support ironing surface some cavities filled by a heat accumulating substance are carried out.

15. Ironing machine according to claim 14, characterized in that the said cavities are filled by heat accumulating substances having different temperatures of phase transition.

16. Ironing machine according to claim 15, characterized in that some of the said cavities are filled with paraffin, and some of them - with sodium phosphate.

17. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the heated ironing surface is provided with thermoregulator for the adjustment of ironing temperature, and with channels for the steam flow, as well as with openings in the sole for the supply of steam to clothes in the course of ironing.

18. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is provided also with the generator of auxiliary electric currents, incorporated into electrical feeding circuit of the machine and switched on by one of the foot control pedals.

19. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that it is provided with the pulling out and unfolding holders of clothes, mounted on the calender support frame at both sides of it.

20. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the unit of control pedals of the machine is carried out with a possibility of adjustment in height in accordance with the user's convenience.

21. Ironing machine according to claim 1 , characterized in that the calender is carried out with a possibility of adjustment in height in accordance with the user's convenience.

22. Ironing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that the ironing machine is supplied with elements preventing the lime scale formation.

23. Ironing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that it is provided with a pump mounted in a steam loop for steam supply to clothes in the course of ironing.

24. Ironing machine according to claim 9, characterized in that it is provided with a pump mounted in a backward shoulder of a steam loop for steam suction.

25. Ironing machine according to clairr characterized in that it is provided with the ultrasonic waves emitter mounted on the heated ironing surface.