FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to the field of garment care.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Removing wrinkles from already washed and dried garments typically requires the use of an iron and other forms of support, such as an ironing board. The ironing board provides support for the laundry to be flattened during the work of the iron to perform wrinkle removal. It also provides solid support for all parts of the garment to be finished and to be pressed, in order to completely eliminate wrinkles. However, setting the ironing board is very inconvenient and also takes up a lot of floor space.

Garment steamers are other types of appliances well known for removing wrinkles from clothing. Garment steamers are known to be used for steaming garments to remove creases from a garment through the use of heat and moisture from the steam. Such garment steamer comprises a steam generating unit and a steamer head.

FIG.1 shows a prior art vertical garment steamer 10. The steamer head 11 is connected to the steam generating unit (not shown) by a flexible hose 12 through which steam is delivered to the steamer head 11. The steamer head 11 includes a steam-plate or soleplate 13 with one or more steam holes to discharge steam onto the fabric being treated. The garment 20 is hung on a hanger 14 during treatment by the steamer 10 and the user positions the steamer head 11 over the garment 20 to remove creases.

Garment steamers offer a convenient way of removing wrinkles. However, when compared to conventional ironing methods, the level of wrinkle removal performance is much lower since there is nothing to support the hung garment.

To improve wrinkle removal, some garment steamers also provide an ironing board 15 to support the garment 20. In order to cater to various sizes of garment, the width of the ironing board 15 provide with garment steamer is usually narrow (for example width of small size shirt). As a result, the ironing board is not able to provide sufficient support for bigger size garment (for example a large size shirt). Void areas 21 are not backed by support, and the textile tends to drift away. Tough wrinkles cannot be pressed out like in the process of a conventional ironing method which uses a horizontal board to support the garment.

In order to keep the product packaging within reasonable size for shipment, the ironing board provided is also limited in length. As such, it will also not be able to provide full support for long garments such as a dress, or a large size garments such as a shirt.

Patent EP 2 348 947 A1 discloses a device for refreshing garments comprises means for supporting a garment and means for generating an air flow at the location where a garment is present when it is put in place on the supporting means. The supporting means comprise two parts which are both suitable to be used for supporting a garment, and which are displaceably arranged with respect to each other. In this way, an enhanced functionality of the device may be achieved in comparison with a device having supporting means which comprise only a single part.

EP 1 528 143 A2 discloses a process for operating a drying and smoothing device for clothing comprises a flexible dummy which is impinged from the inside with an air stream produced by a fan, and an adjustable program input unit for adjusting a number of different operating programs. An independent claim is also included for a control unit for operating the drying and smoothing device.

WO 2007/108578A1 discloses a garment steamer for unrumpling clothing such as trousers, jackets, or the like, and a hanger adapted for the garment steamer. More particularly, it discloses a garment steamer with a hanger that is provided with a rib having a key member at a lower part thereof.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the invention to propose a garment steamer for treating a garment that avoids or mitigates above-mentioned problems.

The invention is defined by the independent claims. The dependent claims define advantageous embodiments.

To this end, the garment steamer according to the invention comprises:

a base,

at least one pole extending from the base, an ironing board fixed compared to said at least one pole for supporting the garment during treatment,

a hanger for hanging the garment during treatment,

a first coupling element for allowing the hanger to operate a left/right movement along a first horizontal axis compared to the ironing board.

This solution provides the user with the ability to adjust the position of a garment with respect to the ironing board in an easy and versatile way, allowing to steam and/or iron the whole area of garments of different sizes, widths, lengths and types with no need to interchange pieces on the steamer.

The hanger can be moved relative to the ironing board, to reach parts of the garment which would be otherwise unsupported by the ironing board.

The hanger according to the invention is configured to move along a horizontal axis (left/right) with respect to the ironing board. A single size of ironing board can be used to iron many different sizes of garments. The area of the garment being treated is always supported by the ironing board. Different hanging areas of the hung garment can be put in contact with the ironing board at different moments in time, for providing support during steaming and ironing. Clothes of different sizes can be used with the same garment steamer, with no need to interchange hangers or ironing boards.

Preferably, the garment steamer according to the invention further comprises a second coupling element for allowing the hanger to operate an up/down movement along a second axis being substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis.

This allows bringing the lower areas of a garment being hung over the hanger into contact with the ironing board, even if the ironing board is shorter than the garment, so no void regions are left in the lower areas of the garment, and most or all of the garment area can be supported by the ironing board. This allows providing effective steaming and/or ironing over a wide range of sizes and types of garment.

These and other aspects of the invention will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the embodiment s) described hereinafter. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG.1 illustrates a prior art garment steamer.

FIG.2A illustrates an overall view of a garment steamer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.2B-2C illustrate the lateral movement of a hanger over an ironing board in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.3 illustrates an exploded perspective of part of a garment steamer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.4 illustrates a first coupling element engaged to a fixed element in a garment steamer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, and a zoomed detail of the engagement mechanism,

FIG.5 illustrates a front view of the first coupling element and fixed element shown in FIG.4,

FIG.6 illustrates a cross-section of the engagement mechanism between the first coupling element and the fixed element,

FIG.7 illustrates an alternative exemplary embodiment of a fixed element in garment steamer in accordance with embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.8 illustrates an exploded perspective of a part of a garment steamer in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.9A-9B illustrate the vertical movement of the garment provided by the hanger in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention, relative to the ironing board,

FIG.10 and FIG.11 illustrate the cross-section of an engagement and locking mechanism for providing vertical movement and position locking, for two different positions, of a hanger in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.12 illustrates a front view in cross-section of a hanger engaged to a fixed element, and a detail of the engagement between the bottom portion and top portion,

FIG.13-14-15 show different details of an alternative locking mechanism (pin- and-hole mechanism) of a hanger in accordance with some embodiments of the present invention,

FIG.16- 17 illustrate two alternative embodiments of a garment steamer in accordance with embodiments of the present invention. The drawings are only schematic and are non-limiting. In the drawings, the size of some of the elements may be exaggerated and not drawn on scale for illustrative purposes.

Any reference signs in the claims shall not be construed as limiting the scope. In the different drawings, the same reference signs refer to the same or analogous elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

FIG.2A shows an overall view of a garment steamer 100 in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, in particular a vertical garment steamer. The garment steamer 100 comprises:

a base 103,

at least one pole 104 extending from the base 103,

an ironing board 120 fixed compared to the at least one pole 104 for supporting a garment during treatment,

a hanger 110 for hanging the garment during treatment, a first coupling element 111 for allowing the hanger 110 to operate a left/right movement along a first horizontal axis A1 compared to the ironing board 120.

The garment steamer 100 is preferably a vertical garment steamer.

During treatment of the garment, the ironing board 120 is fixed compared to the at least one pole 104, meaning that the ironing board 120 does not move relatively to the at leat one pole 104.

The base 103 comprises means for steam generation, such as a steam chamber supplied in water by a water tank.

Preferably, the base 103 is connected to a hose 102 for carrying steam, and the extremity of the hose 102 comprises a steamer head lOlThe steamer head 101 can be held in place, while not in use, by cuffs, for example it can be removably attached to the hanger 110.

Preferably, the ironing board 120 is made of light materials which are resistant to steam temperatures, for example laminates, frames holding woven strips or wires, boards, or even cloth (cotton, linen, and/or synthetic cloth) spread and held under tension, as long as it can provide support for at least steaming.

The ironing board 120 extends along a predetermined axis away from the hanger 110 such that it provides support to the garment hung over the hanger during steaming and/or ironing. For example, the board extends along an axis being perpendicular to the first horizontal axis Al, allowing the garment to hang freely.

Preferably, the ironing board 120 is detachable from the at least one pole 104. To this end, at least one clipping mechanism (not shown) can be arranged between the back of the ironing board 120 and the front of the at least one pole 104. Alternatively, the ironing board 120 can be hooked/suspended to the at least one pole 104 (or hooked/suspended to a part being fixed relative to the at least one pole 104).

Preferably, the ironing board 120 is a modular board, including modules 121, 122 which can be assembled, for example to form a single coplanar surface or two coplanar surfaces separated by a small gap. Such a modular ironing board 120 can be stored and transported easily. The assembly can be performed by mounting the modules 121, 122 to the steamer poles 104, for example by clipping or by any other suitable attachment means.

Clipping allows easy assembly and disassembly. However, the present invention is not limited to detachable and/or modular boards, and a single board can be provided, which may be fixed to the base 103.

FIG.2B-2C show two exemplary configurations of a garment steamer according to the invention including a hanger 110 coupled to a first coupling element 111 (only partly visible) extending along the first horizontal axis Al, with different positions with respect to the ironing board 120 being fixed.

The movement of the hanger 110 relative to the ironing board 120 is a movement along the first axis Al (thus, left or right along the axis Al).

The movement of the hanger is a horizontal sliding movement which allows easy transitioning from one configuration to the other, and vice versa. In some embodiments, the movement is restricted to a plane parallel to the plane defined by the ironing board, for example the vertical plane. This movement allows bringing the sides of a garment 20 hanging over the hanger 110 into contact with the ironing board 120, so no void regions are left and most or all of the garment area can be supported by the ironing board 120, for example at sequential moments in time, during steaming or ironing.

This can be provided even if the ironing board 120 is narrower than the garment 20 on the hanger, the width B of the ironing board 120 also being defined along the first axis.

The same setup can be used to steam or iron garments with different widths, from very small sizes to very large sizes with respect to the garment widths, e.g. shoulder width, bust girth, waist size or hip size. Thus, ironing boards narrower than the hanger can be used as a specific embodiment.

As shown in FIG.2B, the garment 20 (for example a shirt) to be treated or ironed is dressed over the hanger 110 and the ironing board 120, and the user moves the hanger to the left. The garment 20 thus moves with the hanger 110 supporting it, so that at least part (the top part) of the right side of the garment 20 is fully supported by the ironing board 120 during ironing. The chosen lateral position remains until next movement, as no extra forces are exerted. After completing ironing the right side of the garment 20, or at least the top part thereof, the user moves the hanger towards the opposite direction, as shown in FIG.2C. Likewise, the garment moves with the hanger, so that at least part (the top part) of the left side of the garment 20 is supported for ironing.

It is an advantage of embodiments of the present invention that a compact device can be provided. For example, the board width may be 85% or less, for example 70% or less, for instance 60% or less, such as about 50% of the hanger width measured along the first axis.

If needed, the lateral movement can be split in more than two parts, for instance, a right hand part, a middle part and a left hand part of the garment may be ironed subsequently, each time moving the hanger with respect to the ironing board so as to correctly positing the garment with respect to the ironing board to iron or steam the corresponding relevant part of the garment.

In some embodiments, the movement of the hanger 110 over the ironing board 120 is limited so that the ironing board does not stick out from under the hanger, thus reducing risks of entanglement, wrinkling or damage of the clothes. This can be done by addition of stops. FIG.3 shows an exploded perspective of part of a garment steamer in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, which is arranged to provide movement of the hanger relatively to the ironing board.

The first coupling element 111 extends along the first axis Al, and it can provide movement of the hanger compared to the ironing board along this axis.

In particular, it shows in exploded view the hanger 110, the first coupling element 111 comprising a movable element 111a and a fixed element 11 lb, and the ironing board 120. The fixed element 111b may be an elongated frame extending along a

predetermined axis (e.g. horizontal axis Al) over which the hanger 110 can laterally move in a plane, for example by sliding or rolling, between the two opposite sides of the fixed element 111b along its longitudinal axis. This allows easy adjustment of the position of the garment relative to an ironing board 120 fixed to the fixed element 111b during treatment of the garment, such as steaming and/or ironing operations.

In this embodiment, the ironing board 120 is fixed compared to the at least one pole 104 by being hooked/suspended to the fixed element 11 lb. To this end, for example, a pair of hook mechanism can be used, a hook mechanism being formed by a male element 115a protruding from a top part of the ironing board 120, cooperating with a femelle element 115b protruding from the fixed element 11 lb.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the hanger and the movable element are formed integrally, as a single piece.

Preferably, as illustrated, the first coupling element 111 is arranged between the hanger 110 and the at least one pole 104. To this end, the movable element 11 la is attached to the hanger 110, and the fixed element 11 lb is attached to the at least one poles 104.

Alternatively (not shown), the first coupling element 111 is arranged between the hanger 110 and the ironing board 120. To this end, the movable element 11 la is attached to the hanger 110, and the fixed element 11 lb is attached to a top part of the ironing board 120. In this case, the ironing board 120 is fixed compared to the at least one pole 104 by being directly attached to the at least one pole 104, for example via using at least one clipping mechanism.

However, this is not limiting for the present invention, and in alternative embodiments, the fixed element 111b could be attached to the front side or back side of the ironing board 120, in an upper part thereof. When the fixed element 11 lb is attached to the ironing board 120, the fixed element 11 lb is preferably formed integrally with the ironing board. For instance, any cooperative elements may be provided, such as a guide-and-railing system, on the hanger 110 and ironing board 120 so movement of the hanger 110 relative to the ironing board 120 can be provided. For example, the garment steamer can include railings, flanged wheels, sliding clamps or the like, for engaging the edge of the ironing board 120, so the hanger can move horizontally with respect to the ironing board, from left to right, over an edge of the ironing board. In such case, the edge of the ironing board 120 behaves as the fixed element 11 lb of some embodiments of the present invention.

In some embodiments, the movable element 111a and the fixed element 111b are adapted such that the hanger 110 always fully overlaps the ironing board 120 along the first horizontal axis Al.

In other words, the left side of the board and the right side of the board are always situated between the two extremities of the hanger. The hanger can only move until the extremity of the hanger and the side of the board are flush/in-line. The hanger cannot move beyond that point so that the top comers of the board will not create wrinkle on the garment being treated.

This means that movement in-between the movable element 111a and the fixed element 11 lb is limited, so as to avoid the top edge of the ironing board 120 to be uncovered by the hanger.

For example, the sizes of the movable element 111a and the fixed element 111b may be tailored and positioned, taking into account the width W of the hanger and the width B of the ironing board, so that the hanger is always overlapping the ironing board along the first axis. Alternativel, stoppers (not shown) can be arranged, for example on the fixed element 11 lb, to limit the movement of the movable element 111a.

The hanger may be movably attachable or attached to the fixed element (e.g. to the fixed frame). The fixed element and the ironing board have a fixed position. The fixed element is fixed, or can be fixed, to the ironing board. The fixed element may be elongated and may extend along the same first axis Al as the first coupling element 111. The fixed element and the hanger attached to, or integrated with, the movable element, are configured so the hanger 110 is movable over the ironing board 120, for example slidably movable over the fixed element 11 lb, to allow adjusting the lateral position of the garment relative to the ironing board. Sliding movement is preferred over other methods of lateral movement (such as for example attachment, movement and subsequent detachment, or by articulated arms or the like), because it can be performed with compact devices and it can be provided fast and with no risk of causing wrinkles in the garments.

It is noted that although FIG.3 depicts a garment steamer having two vertical poles 104, the above explanations apply similarly to a garment steamer having only one pole.

The garment steamer may include any suitable mechanical arrangement or arrangements for providing movement of the hanger 110 along the first horizontal axis A1 compared to the ironing board 120, for example sliding, rolling and/or engaging elements.

For example, the hanger 110 of FIG.3 can include elements, for example a bottom portion 112 (e.g. a hanger body), which may be fixed to the movable element 111a, for example a movable frame.

In particular embodiments, the bottom portion 112 is attached to the movable element 111a. The attachment may be done by screws, by fitting plug and socket structures, by snaps, etc. In turn, the movable element 11 la is movably attached to the fixed element 11 lb, so the bottom portion 112 together with the first coupling element 111 is able to move along the lateral axis A1 over the fixed element (e.g. in a horizontal axis, e.g. left/right, with respect to the fixed element).

In some embodiments, the movable element and/or the fixed element comprises protrusions, e.g. protrusions with smooth surfaces, for providing coupling with limited, e.g. reduced, friction.

In some embodiments of the present invention, the first coupling element comprises surfaces and rolling elements for reducing the friction.

For example, in some embodiments the movable element further comprises bearing surfaces or rolling elements, and the fixed element comprises respective rolling elements or bearing surfaces mating therewith. It is an advantage of such embodiments of the present invention that friction between the fixed element, and the hanger, more particularly the movable element attached or integrally formed thereto, is reduced.

Railings and protrusions linkable to the railings may be included. The mechanical arrangements may be included in the fixed element 11 lb, for example at least one engaging element 131 (such as snaps or tabs), and/or in the movable element 110a, e.g. slot 117, for example a plurality of slots. These are only exemplary implementations, and any other element for accommodating the engaging element or elements, such as grooves, protrusions, seams or the like, can be used. Alternatively, the engaging elements may be included in the movable element while the slots may be included in the fixed element.

FIG.4 shows the first coupling element 111 with the movable element 111a engaged to the fixed element 11 lb. The fixed element 111b may comprise sleeves 132 for attaching to the at least one steamer poles 104. The slot 117 of the movable element 111a may have stops at the edges so the hanger does not slide off the fixed element. The enlarged part 401 of the figure shows a zoomed portion of a snap-lock system which provides movable fixation, so the movable element 111a does not slide off nor falls from the fixed element 11 lb, but still can move (i.e. slide). The engaging elements 131 of the fixed element 11 lb, shown in FIG.3, are engaged inside the slot 117, being in this particular case slots, of the movable element 111a. The fixed element may comprise four engaging elements 131 (two at each side), for example four snaps, or any other suitable number or configuration, such as an elongated snapping tab.

FIG.5 shows a front view of FIG.4, with the movable element 111a engaged to the fixed element 11 lb by the contact and engagement between the slot 117 (the slot on the movable element) and the engaging element 131 (the snap on the fixed element).

A cross-section according to the axis AA marked in FIG.5 is shown in FIG.6 with a certain zoomed-in factor. The cross-section shows another view of the first coupling element, showing the engagement between the movable element 111a and the fixed element 11 lb by the engaging element 131 and the slot 117 (snaps and slots). The fixed element 111b includes rounded surfaces 133, for reducing friction with the contact surfaces of the movable element 111a. The coupling between the movable element 111a and the fixed element 111b may be provided by a point-shaped or linear contact, for example a point-shaped or linear contact surface between the movable element and the fixed element, e.g. between the edge of a slot 117 which can slide along an engaging element 131 (e.g. a point-shaped or linear protrusion), and/or between the inner contact surface of the movable element 111a and a rounded bump or linear protrusion with rounded surface, acting as surface 133 in the fixing frame.

Any other suitable arrangement can be used. Bearing surfaces and rolling elements (such as rods, rolling balls, etc.) may be cooperatively mounted on the assembly, for providing sliding movement, for instance bearing surfaces may be included in the fixed element 111b while rolling elements may be included in the hanger 110 (e.g. on its movable element 111a), or vice-versa.

Specifically in FIG.7, a fixed element 140 is shown with engaging elements 141, where rollers 142 are used instead of, or additionally to,“rounded” surfaces, to reduce friction at the sliding contact surfaces in the first coupling element. Four rollers 142 (two at the front, two at the back) are shown as an example, but it could also be more, for example 6 or 8.

The use of a movable element 111a attachable or attached, or even fixed, to a bottom portion 112, as shown in FIG.3, allows to always keep the movable element movably attached to the fixed element, while the bottom portion 112 can be detached from the first coupling element 111, and easily interchanged for a different hanger (e.g. a narrower or wider hanger, for example for fitting different types or sizes of garments). However, the use of a separate first coupling element is optional.

In the example shown in FIG.8, the bottom portion 150 is integrated with the movable element. This reduces the number of parts, thus providing a more compact device.

In this case, the bottom portion should include engaging elements such as slots, to be movably attached to an ironing board or to its fixed element. For example, the bottom portion 150 may include slots 151 for engaging the engaging elements 131 (e.g. tabs) of a fixed element.

Preferably, the garment steamer 100 according to the invention further comprises a second coupling element 114 for allowing the hanger 110 to operate an up/down movement along a second axis A2 being substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal axis Al, as illustrated in FIG.3. The second axis A2 is thus substantially vertical.

As illustrated in FIG.9A-9B, the garment steamer enables a relative vertical movement of the garment 20, between the hanger 110 and the ironing board 120 (or the fixed element 111b being attached to the ironing board 120), for adjusting the height of the garment being treated over the hanger and allowing lower areas of the garment to be in contact with the ironing board. For example, the hanger can move away from the fixed element by means of a receiving element, e.g. a guide rail or extensors included in the garment steamer. In some embodiments of the present invention, the hanger further comprises a bottom portion and, on top thereof, a sub-hanger or top portion, wherein the top portion is configured to move up/down along the vertical axis A2 (i.e. upward and downward) with respect to the hanger, so another part of a hung garment may be brought in front of the ironing board, for instance a lower part of the garment may be brought in front of the ironing board when the hanger is in an extended configuration, with the top portion being positioned at a predetermined height away from the ironing board.

FIG.3 shows an exemplary mechanical extension arrangement to extend part of the hanger 110 away from the fixed element 111b.

In this particular embodiment, the hanger further comprises a second coupling element 114 which may include a receiving element 114b (e.g. a guide rail) and a movable 114a (for example a rod).

For example, the movable element 111a may include the receiving element 114b, and the top portion 113 (e.g. the sub-hanger, a portion of the hanger 110) may include the guide rod 114a, which is adapted to engage the receiving element 114b, so the rod 114a is movable in the receiving element 114b, thus providing movement to the hanger, or at least to the top portion 113 thereof, along an axis A2 being perpendicular to the lateral axis A1 (away from and towards the ironing board 120 or a fixed element 111b it), e.g. in a vertical axis (upwards and downwards).

With the second coupling element 114 arranged on the hanger 110, the first coupling element 111 that provides horizontal movement also enables vertical movement of the hanger 110, thus enabling a compact device having both horizontal and vertical movement.

The present invention is not limited to a top portion engaged to a receiving element of a first coupling element.

For example, as shown in FIG.8, the bottom portion 150 may include a rim 152 for engaging the rod 155 of the top portion 153. The bottom portion may include a guide rail or receiving element (only the rim 152 for receiving the rod is shown), instead of the receiving element 114b being included in the movable element 11 la as in FIG.3. The present invention is not limited to a hanger including a top portion. For example, in some embodiments, the garment steamer may include a movable element 11 la of a first coupling element 111 comprising a receiving element, and an engaging element (e.g. a rod) for engaging the receiving element of the movable element 11 la of the first coupling element 111 is formed in the bottom of the hanger. This would allow to lift the whole bottom of the hanger away from the first coupling element, hence away from the ironing board.

FIG.9A-9B show two configurations of the garment steamer (retracted in FIG.9 A and extended in FIG.9B).

In particular, the top portion 113 is shown in retracted and lifted positions. The movement of the hanger 110 relative to the ironing board 120 (e.g. as illustrated away from the ironing board 120) is a vertical movement and allows transitioning from one

configuration to the other, and vice versa.

In some embodiments, the movement is restricted to a plane defined by the ironing board, for example the vertical plane. The movement lifts the garment, for example along the vertical axis A2. The top portion allows lifting the garment while the garment is still dressed over the hanger 110 and in position for steaming or ironing, e.g. without wrinkling it. This movement allows bringing the lower areas of a garment 20 hanging over the hanger into contact with the ironing board, even if the ironing board 120 is shorter than the garment 20 on the hanger, so no void regions are left in the lower areas, and most or all of the garment area can be supported by the ironing board 120.

This allows providing effective steaming and/or ironing over a wide range of sizes and types of garment. For example, the same setup can be used on a tank top, T-shirt, shirt, sweater, jacket, coat, overcoat or dress, as well as for different sizes of body height. The vertical adjustment allows adapting the position of the garment so the whole length can be supported by the ironing board.

As shown in FIG 9A, the garment 20 (for example a shirt) to be ironed is dressed over the hanger 110 and the ironing board 120, so that at least the top area of the garment 20 is fully supported by the ironing board 120 during ironing. After completing ironing the top side, the user moves the hanger 110 (in particular, the top portion 113 included in the hanger 110) upwards, as shown in FIG 9B. Likewise, the garment moves with the hanger, so that bottom areas of the garment 20 are supported for ironing. Thus, short ironing boards can be used for many garment types and garment sizes, allowing a compact device. In some embodiments of the present invention, the extended position of the hanger in FIG.9B can be locked, so the user does not need to hold the garment against gravity when treating the garment.

FIG.10 shows an embodiment of a locking mechanism 600 in detail. The locking mechanism 600 is formed in the receiving element 114b for releasably fixing the position of the top portion 113 at a predetermined chosen height from the ironing board 120. It shows a cross-section of a guide rod 114a (also shown as part of the top portion 113 of FIG.3), retracted into a receiving element 114b (also shown as part of the first coupling element 111, particularly of the movable element 111a of FIG.3). The locking mechanism comprises a locking lever 601, for example on the receiving element 114b, and one or more locking protrusions 602, for example on the guide rod 114a. The locking lever 601 may include one or more biasing elements 603 (for example a torsion spring) which can be unlocked by actuating the actuator 604 (e.g. button) attached to it. The torsion spring pushes the locking lever against the locking protrusion on the rod 114a to prevent the top portion from falling back to the retracted position. The locking lever 601 can rotate, upon pressing the actuator 604, against the torsion spring force, to unlock from the locking protrusion 602. In some embodiments, the locking is one-way, like in a ratchet, thus allowing the rod 114a to be moved upwards without actuation of the actuator 604.

FIG.11 shows the same locking mechanism as FIG.10, but in an extended position, where the top portion 113 is lifted. The lifting height (and thus, the distance between the top portion and the ironing board) can be locked by engaging the locking lever 601 of the receiving element 114b with a locking protrusion 602 of the guide rod 114a in its extended position.

Alternatively, the locking mechanism may be included in a rail, rod, bottom portion, etc. This particular mechanism provides reliable locking with a compact mechanism, but any other suitable locking mechanism can be used, such as a movable pin and engaging orifices, frictional locking, threading, etc.

It is noted that a hook 118 can be added to the hanger, as shown in FIG.8,

FIG.10 and FIG.11. The hook 118 may be added for example to the top portion, to benefit also from vertical displacement capabilities. It allows a user to use his own hanger for hanging a garment on the assembly on the hook, for example for steaming pieces of clothing too small to be placed on the bottom portion. The hanger in accordance with embodiments of the present invention still provides support for steaming and freedom of movement.

FIG.12 shows part of the garment steamer including a hanger 110 and a fixed element 111b (overlapped by the movable element 11 la) in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, showing a cross-section of the front view of a garment steamer. In particular, the zoomed part shows a stopper 116 which prevents the guide rod 114a from being pulled out completely from the hanger 110.

FIG.13-14-15 show detailed views of a pin-and-hole locking mechanism 700, with an actuator 701 and a rod 702, a pin block 703 and a receiving element 714 including holes 712 at different heights, which receive the pin 704 (FIG.14-15) of the pin block 703. The pin block 703 is shown with more detail as the zoomed part 1300 in FIG.14A. These holes 712 act as the locking protrusion 602 of the previous embodiments, allowing the top portion 713 to be positioned at different heights. The actuator 701 is connected to the rod 702 so when the actuator is pushed vertically, as shown in FIG.14-15, the rod 702 causes the compression of the spring 705 connected to the pin 704 in the pin block 703, so the pin 704 slides backwards. This backward movement allows the pin 704 to slide out of one of the holes 712 and unlock from the hole on the receiving element 714. The position then can be changed. When the actuator is not being pushed, the spring 705 extends, pushing the pin 704 into a hole 712 in the receiving element aligned with the pin, thereby locking the position of the top portion 713. This system can be implemented to lock the position of the top portion of the hanger. In some embodiments, the position of the whole hanger, rather than just the top portion thereof, can be changed in a vertical axis, using e.g. this locking mechanism. For example, the hanger may include the rod, pin block and actuator, and the first coupling element may include the receiving element (e.g. guide), in such way that the hanger can be lifted and locked at a chosen height, determined by the distribution and number of holes in the guide.

A locking mechanism can also be included on the garment steamer (e.g. on the fixed element or on the hanger) to lock the lateral (horizontal) position of the hanger, to avoid e.g. accidental displacements. In some embodiments, the movable element and/or the fixed element are made from low friction plastic material such as POM (Acetal), Nylon, PTFE, PPA, PPS, PBT, TPI, PC, PEL

In some embodiments, lubricant can be applied on contact surfaces of at least the first coupling element or the fixed element. Preferably dry lubricant is used.

Exemplary, non-limiting sizes are provided. For example, the width of hanger may be 430 mm and the width of the board may be 290 mm, although even narrower boards could be used, for example boards with a width of 50% the width of the hanger.

As described above, the garment steamer according to the invention allows varying the lateral position and/or the vertical position of the garment being hung over the hanger, for providing support to a wide range of sizes, as well as to a wide range of types of garment, via horizontal (or lateral) position adjustment and via vertical position adjustment.

The present invention provides comfortable and versatile steaming and ironing in a compact device. The steamer can be assembled in an easy and simple way, by mounting the hanger on a steamer including an ironing board, where the hanger can slide over the board and, optionally, be lifted away from the board.

For example, with reference to FIG.2A and FIG.3, the user can assemble the parts for obtaining a garment steamer. First, the user assembles the poles 104 to the base 103. In some embodiments, the fixed element 11 lb is already fixed or has to be fixed to the poles 104. The hanger 110, with movable element 111a, is mounted over the fixed element 11 lb.

In alternative embodiments, no separate fixed element is provided, and the first coupling element 111 is coupled directly to the ironing board, e.g. to a rim thereof. The user chooses the number of panels 121, 122 of the ironing board 120, which extends down from the hanger 110, and fixes them so the hanger 110 can move laterally over the ironing board 120. The panels 121, 122 are preferably laid out without leaving a wide gap between the hanger 110 and the first panel 121 of the ironing board 120. The hose 102 and steamer head 101 are connected to the base 103, thus providing the garment steamer 100.

With reference to FIG.2B-2C and FIG.9A-9B, a garment 20 is hung over the hanger 110, and the user can steam the garment by selecting the areas for steaming / ironing sequentially, adjusting the lateral position, optionally also the vertical position, of the hanger 110 with respect to the ironing board 120, and providing good support thereto.

This provides a very flexible steaming/ironing, where a wide range of garment sizes and types can be treated, with no need to interchange pieces. The present invention also allows ironing by pressure, not only steaming. Thus, the present invention provides a very flexible and versatile wrinkle removal.

The present invention allows using small (narrow) ironing boards and still provide good support to a wide range of garment sizes, thanks to the lateral adjustment. This allows compact packaging and compact steamer, thus saving area of use, as well as costs of manufacture and transport. The present invention may also allow using smaller surface for the ironing board for many different types and sizes of garments, thanks to the vertical adjustment. This allows also small packaging and less pieces, thus further saving costs of manufacture and transport.

Moreover, the hook 118 (FIG.8, FIG.10 and FIG.11) allows the user to apply many types of different hangers, if required, and still allowing lateral and optionally vertical movement for covering sequentially many areas of the garment.

The present invention is not limited by the type of hanger shown in FIG.2B- 2C, 3, 8, 9, 12 or 15.

FIG.16 and FIG.17 shows implementations of the garment steamer with two alternative hangers.

FIG.16 shows a hanger 160 including attachment to a first coupling element 162, movable over the ironing board 120 along the first axis Al, as explained with reference to FIG.4. In this example, the hanger body (with similar function as the bottom portion of the previous embodiments) is formed in a simple way, e.g. from a bent thick resilient wire, e.g. a metal wire. Moreover, the horizontal portion 161 of the hanger 160 can be used to support garments not or less suited for the two-armed hanger, for example to support trousers or the like. In this specific example, the vertical movement is not provided by a sub-hanger, but the first coupling element and/or the hanger 160 may be configured to provide vertical movement perpendicular to the first axis Al of elongation of the first coupling element 162, away from the ironing board 120 (for example, an extensible piece (not illustrated) may be attached to the hanger and link the hanger to the first coupling element).

In FIG.17, another example of hanger 170 is shown, which may be attached to a first coupling element 171 for providing lateral movement as in FIG.2B-2C or FIG.16 over the ironing board 120. The attachment between the first coupling element 171 and the hanger 170 may be performed for example with a linking element 172. The hanger may further include pegs 173 or the like for holding garments which are not or less suitable for two armed hangers. The above embodiments as described are only illustrative, and not intended to limit the technique approaches of the present invention. Although the present invention is described in details referring to the preferable embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that the technique approaches of the present invention can be modified or equally displaced without departing from the protective scope of the claims of the present invention. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite article "a" or "an" does not exclude a plurality. Any reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope.