Steam iron

Abstract

A steam iron is described. The steam iron includes a housing, a handle defined at an upper portion of the housing, a soleplate carried on a base portion of the housing, a heating assembly carried in the housing and in thermal communication with the soleplate, a spray outlet, a water reservoir defined in the housing, and a pump assembly. The pump assembly includes a first mechanical pump which is manually operable to pump water from the reservoir and deliver a shot of steam from the soleplate, and a second mechanical pump manually operable to pump water from the reservoir and deliver a spray of water from the spray outlet. The steam iron also includes an underhandle trigger for manually operating one of the first and second mechanical pumps, the underhandle trigger being located beneath the handle, and an upper trigger for manually operating the other of the first and second mechanical pumps, the upper trigger being located in an upper portion of the iron housing.

1 . A steam iron including:
 a housing;   a handle defined at an upper portion of the housing;   a soleplate carried on a base portion of the housing;   a heating assembly carried in the housing and in thermal communication with the soleplate;   a spray outlet;   a water reservoir defined in the housing;   a pump assembly, the pump assembly including a first mechanical pump which is manually operable to pump water from the reservoir and deliver a shot of steam from the soleplate, and a second mechanical pump manually operable to pump water from the reservoir and deliver a spray of water from the spray outlet;   an underhandle trigger for manually operating one of the first and second mechanical pumps, the underhandle trigger being located beneath the handle; and   an upper trigger for manually operating the other of the first and second mechanical pumps, the upper trigger being located in an upper portion of the iron housing.   
     
     
         2 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the underhandle trigger is operatively connected to the first mechanical pump for manually operating the first mechanical pump. 
     
     
         3 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper trigger is located at a front of the iron and is centrally located with respect to a width of the handle. 
     
     
         4 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper trigger substantially occupies a width of the handle. 
     
     
         5 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and underhandle triggers are arranged such that when, in use, a user grips the handle with a hand a thumb of the user rests naturally on the upper trigger and a finger of the user rests naturally on the underhandle trigger. 
     
     
         6 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper trigger is slidingly mounted in the iron housing. 
     
     
         7 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the underhandle trigger is pivotally mounted in the iron housing. 
     
     
         8 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein the upper and underhandle triggers are simultaneously operable by a thumb and forefinger of a user. 
     
     
         9 . The steam iron according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first mechanical pump includes a first cylinder in fluid communication with the water reservoir via a first inlet, a first outlet conduit for delivering water to the soleplate, and a first piston operable to charge the first cylinder with water from the reservoir and discharge water from the first cylinder to the soleplate, and wherein   the second mechanical pump includes a second cylinder in fluid communication with the water reservoir via a second inlet and in fluid communication with the spray outlet via a second outlet, and a second piston operable to charge the second cylinder with water from the reservoir and discharge water from the second cylinder to the spray outlet.   
     
     
         10 . The steam iron according to  claim 9 , wherein the first and second cylinders are located adjacent one another and are defined by a unitary pump housing. 
     
     
         11 . The steam iron according to  claim 10 , wherein the upper trigger includes an upper piston actuator which transmits force applied to the upper trigger to one of the first piston and second piston, and wherein the underhandle trigger includes an underhandle piston actuator which transmits force applied to the underhandle trigger to the other of the first piston and second piston.