Smoothing Appliance

Abstract

A smoothing appliance includes a handle and a smoothing head having a treatment side configured to be placed opposite a fabric item to be smoothed. The treatment side includes at least one steam vent connected to a steam circuit having a steam generator and at least one intake port connected to an air intake circuit having a fan configured to be rotated by a motor. The appliance includes a controller for controlling the steam release through the steam vent and the air intake through the intake port, wherein the controller is configured to enable steam release in a first operating mode and configured to enable steam release combined with air intake in a second operating mode.

1 . A smoothing appliance comprising:
 a steam circuit,   an air intake circuit, and   a portable housing having a handle coupled to a smoothing head having a treatment side configured to be placed opposite a fabric item to be smoothed, wherein the treatment side comprises at least one steam vent connected to the steam circuit comprising a steam generator and at least one intake port connected to the air intake circuit comprising a fan configured to be rotated by a motor ( 23 ), the appliance including a controller for controlling steam release through the steam vent and air intake through the intake port, wherein the controller is configured to enable the steam release in a first operating mode and configured to enable steam release combined with air intake in a second operating mode.   
     
     
         2 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a push button including a push button head configured to enable the steam release when the push button head is depressed over a first depression stroke and enables the steam release combined with the air intake when the push button head is depressed over a second depression stroke. 
     
     
         3 . The appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the second depression stroke extends beyond the first depression stroke. 
     
     
         4 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a first actuator configured to activate the steam release, and a second actuator configured to activate the air intake. 
     
     
         5 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller comprises a third actuator configured to activate the steam release combined with the air intake, and a fourth actuator configured to stop the air intake. 
     
     
         6 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is disposed on the handle of the appliance. 
     
     
         7 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the handle, the smoothing head and the steam generator are incorporated into the portable housing, the portable housing comprising a liquid tank and a pump configured to supply liquid to the steam generator. 
     
     
         8 . The appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the smoothing head is connected to an upper end of the handle and the portable housing comprises a baseplate connected to a lower end of the handle, the steam generator, the liquid tank and the pump being disposed in the baseplate. 
     
     
         9 . The appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the appliance comprises a base connected to the smoothing head by a flexible pipe. 
     
     
         10 . The appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein the base comprises the steam generator. 
     
     
         11 . The appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein the base comprises a liquid tank and a pump configured to supply liquid to the steam generator. 
     
     
         12 . A method for ironing out a fabric item to be pressed using a smoothing appliance having a steam circuit, an air intake circuit and a portable housing, the portable housing comprising a handle coupled to a smoothing head having a treatment side configured to be placed opposite a fabric item to be smoothed, wherein the treatment side comprises at least one steam vent connected to the steam circuit and at least one intake port connected to the air intake circuit, the method comprising:
 placing the treatment side opposite a fabric item;   contacting the treatment side to the fabric item, the contacting step comprising at least one steam release step with no air intake and at least one steam release step combined with air intake; and   stopping the appliance, the stopping step comprising at least one intake stop step and at least one steam release stop step.