This invention relates to steaming apparatus for ironing and other uses, such as cleaning, and it relates especially though not exclusively to such apparatus intended for use in the home.

Whilst it has long been the practice for certain electrically heated domestic smoothing irons to contain a reservoir for water that can be locally boiled in the iron to generate, as desired by the user, steam for direct application to the clothing or other materials being pressed, more recent developments have moved towards the use of so-called "steam stations", wherein a base unit that is separate from, but dedicated to, a smoothing iron contains a steam chamber used to generate steam for application to the iron by way of suitable tubing; the iron having a switch or other control device, operable by the user, to select whether or not steam is applied to the materials being pressed. Such arrangements have the advantage, inter alia, that greater quantities of steam can be made available for chosen pressing operations, as the reservoirs used in the irons themselves are necessarily of limited capacity.

Further developments to steam stations have resulted in improvements such as the use of water reservoirs which can be detached from the base unit to facilitate filling, and the use of reservoirs, or communicating vessels, that are constructed to make the water level readily visible, so that a user knows when to top up the base unit with water. It is also known to construct the base unit so as to minimise the amounts of water boiled at any time, with economy and conservation in view. Such steam stations are known, for example, from US 6615515-B l and US 6640472- B l.

Currently, however, despite all of their sophistication, steam station base units have been designed with the principal aim of supplying steam to an iron and although some appliances have facilities for replacing the special tubing connected to the iron with an alternative tube enabling the steam to be used for other purposes, such as cleaning, the user has to contend with a good deal of inconvenience in converting the steam station for uses other than ironing and then back again. It is an object of this invention to reduce such inconvenience.

According to the invention there is provided a steaming apparatus comprising a steam generator including or coupled to a reservoir for water; the apparatus comprising first and second steam outlets each separately in fluid communication with said generator; the first outlet being adapted for coupling by way of a first tubular connection to an electrically heatable steam iron and the second outlet being adapted for coupling to a second tubular connection.

Preferably, the second outlet is provided with a normally closed valve arrangement configured to prevent the emergence of steam therethrough unless the second tubular connection is coupled thereto. Further preferably, the valve arrangement includes a resiliently biased, steam- resistant closure member adapted to be automatically displaced from a closure position by the coupling of said second tubular connection thereto. The second tubular connection may conveniently comprise a hose of construction suitable to convey steam under pressure, and is preferably provided at its distal end with a connector device capable of receiving any of a plurality of attachments, such as nozzles and/or apertured brushes, designed to carry out various functions, such as steam cleaning or surface treatment of fabrics, other than ironing, so that steam can issue from the second outlet into the hose and travel therethrough to the distal end thereof, to emerge through the chosen attachment.

In one preferred example, the second outlet is not adjustable to control the amount of steam issuing therethrough. Alternatively, however, an adjuster device may be associated with the second outlet if desired.

In further preferred embodiments, some at least of the various attachments have on/off valves and/or adjustable valving to permit the steam supply to be controlled locally (i.e. in the vicinity of the attachment and remotely from the base unit 1) by the user.

It is in general preferred that the first outlet is provided with a control means whereby the amount of steam issuing therethrough and into the first tubular connection is adjustable by a user of the apparatus. The first tubular connection may be intended, once coupled to said first outlet, to remain so coupled semi-permanently and, in such an arrangement, an ironing appliance connected to the first tubular connection is preferably provided with a switch means which a user can actuate to utilise steam supplied from the generator by way of said first outlet and said first tubular connection. In such circumstances, the switch means effectively controls the first outlet remotely.

In order that the invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect, one embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 shows a perspective view of a chassis containing certain internal components of the steaming apparatus; other components having been removed for clarity of understanding;

Figure 2 shows a partial exterior view of the casing of the apparatus and illustrates a steam outlet intended to be coupled to a steam iron associated with the apparatus, and shows in part a first tubular connection for conveying steam to the iron; and

Figure 3 shows a partial exterior view similar to that of Figure 2, but illustrating a steam outlet intended to be coupled to a cleaning device, or an alternative device other than an iron, and shows in part a second tubular connection for conveying steam to the cleaning or other device.

Referring now to the drawings, and to Figure 1 in particular, the apparatus comprises a base unit 10 comprising a chassis 20, supporting various internal components of the apparatus, including a detachable water reservoir 30 and a steam generator 40. The steam generator 40 comprises a steam chamber of generally cylindrical, tank-like construction and is fitted with a heating element (not shown) of conventional kind capable of boiling water that is fed into the chamber 40 from the reservoir 30. The construction may be such that water is supplied from the reservoir 30 to the chamber 40 under gravity and/or by means of an electrically operated pump; in this example a pump (not shown) is used. The chamber is fitted, in this example, with boil-dry protection and low water level indicators (neither shown) of conventional kind.

A casing 50, of which a small part only is shown in Figure 1 , but which is visible more clearly in Figures 2 and 3, is located on the chassis 20 and encloses the internal components of the apparatus; the casing 50 being aesthetically styled and providing access to various components as will be described hereinafter.

The reservoir 30 is preferably detachable from the chassis 20 and casing 50 and is so located and/or constructed (e.g. by being fabricated from transparent or translucent material) that a user can readily see when topping up is necessary.

A main steam outlet port 60 is located atop the steam chamber 40 and provides first and second steam output connections, 61 and 62 respectively; these connections of course being (by way of the port 60) in fluid communication with the chamber 40. A conduit 63 capable of carrying steam is connected from the first output connection 61 of port 60 to an input connection of a steam volume controller 64 which can be manually controlled by means of an actuating lever 65 disposed externally of the casing 50. A second steam-carrying conduit 66 is connected from an output connection of the steam controller 64 to a first steam outlet 71 of the base unit. This first steam outlet 71 is intended for coupling, by way of a first hose-like connector 72 (see Figure 2) to a steam iron (not shown). The steam iron carries a switch device that can be actuated by a user of the apparatus to cause steam to issue from apertures in the sole plate of the iron.

It is generally intended that the iron shall remain coupled to the first outlet 71 during use, so a user can set the steam volume level at a chosen level by means of lever 65 of controller 64, and then activate the steam as required by means of the switch device on the iron.

The second steam output connection 62 associated with the port 60 is connected directly, by way of a further steam-carrying conduit 67, to a second steam outlet 73 of the base unit. The second steam outlet 73 is this not controllable, in the sense that it does not have associated therewith a controller such as that shown at 64. However, the second outlet 73 is normally closed by means of a resiliently biased closure valve that is displaced when a suitable tubular connection is established thereto. Electrically operated or triggered closure means can be provided if preferred.

In this example, as can be seen with reference to Figure 3, the second steam outlet 73 is intended for coupling, by way of a respective hose-like connector 74 of construction suitable to convey steam under pressure. The second hose-like connector 74 is provided, at its distal end, with a connector device capable of receiving any of a plurality of attachments, such as nozzles and/or apertured brushes, designed to carry out various functions, such as steam cleaning or surface treatment of fabrics, other than ironing.

The arrangement is such that, when the hose 74 is attached to the second outlet 73, its connector automatically displaces the resiliently biased closure valve so that steam can issue from the second outlet 73 into the hose 74 and travel therethrough to the distal end thereof, to emerge through the chosen attachment.

In this example, as mentioned above, the second outlet 73 is not adjustable to control the amount of steam issuing therethrough but, of course, an adjuster device (which may or may not resemble, or operate on similar principles to the controller 64) could be associated with the second outlet 73 if desired. In some preferred embodiments, some at least of the various attachments have on/off valves and/or adjustable valving to permit the steam supply to be controlled locally (i.e. in the vicinity of the attachment and remotely from the base unit 10) by the user.

It will be appreciated that, in this example of the invention, the outlets 71 and 73 are constructed differently, so that the first tubular connection 72, attached to the iron, cannot be inadvertently attached to the outlet 73 and, moreover, the hose 74, connectable at its distal end to any of the aforementioned attachments, cannot be inadvertently attached to the outlet 71. In alternative arrangements, however, the two outlets, 71 and 73 can be formed with identical couplings. In this example, respective flaps 75, 76 are provided to cover the outlets 71 and 73 when they are not in use; the flaps being conveniently hinged to the chassis 20. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, it is preferred that the flaps 75 and 76 are hinged to the chassis 20 by respective hinge means 77 and 78 mounted below the respective outlets so that the flaps 75 and 76 can be lowered to afford access to their respective outlets, thus providing neither visual nor physical obstruction to the actions of a user in attaching tubular connections such as 72 and 74 to the outlets.

It will be appreciated that, as is conventional with steam stations, the casing 50 of the base unit 10 is constructed, as shown in part in Figure 2, to present a suitable, heat-resistant upper surface 51 on which the iron can be "parked" during use, and upon which it can be stored when the steam station 10 is idle.