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FILE NAME: McGraw-Edison (ME) DATE: 1965 Oct 22 DOC#: ME017 DOCUMENT DESCRIPTION: Patent - Water level indicator for electric iron [Approved - 1966 Sept 20] Sept. 20, 1966 p, e . w illm an WATER LEVEL INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC IRON Filed Oct. 22, 1965 3,273,267 G ATTORNEY U nited States Patent Office Patented Sep3t.,2270,3,1296676 1 2 ervoir 11 that provides a water supply for a steam or 3,273,267 spray device which is not shown. The reservoir 11 is WATER LEVEL INDICATOR FOR ELECTRIC IRON mounted above the sole plate 12 and within the housing Philip E. Willman, St. Charles, Hi., assignor to McGraw- shell 13 in the normal manner which causes the hous Edison Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Delaware 5 ing to conceal the reservoir from the user. Filed Oct. 22, 1965, Ser. No. 501,438 The liquid level indicating device 15 of this invention 1 Claim. (CL 38--77) includes a gauge body 17 formed of light transmitting material such as glass or plastic. The gauge body is The present invention relates to electric irons and more a solid piece of material with -an annular flange 19 to particularly to a liquid level indicating device for such 10 facilitate mounting. A lower gauge body portion 20 irons having a liquid reservoir such as provided to supply extends into the reservoir 11 through an aperture in the water to steam or spray devices. top wall and terminates in a downwardly facing bottom In commercial applications of irons equipped to pro surface 22 with a plurality of ledge surfaces 23, 24 vide steam or liquid spray during use, a reservoir is pro intermediate the bottom surface and the reservoir wall. vided that is concealed by the housing above the sole plate 15 A silicon rubber gasket 26 is received in the debossed or the handle in combination with the housing. During wall portion 28 of the reservoir and is compressed be use it is not only convenient that the amount of liquid tween the flange 19 and the reservoir wall margining the remaining in the reservoir be known, but in some in opening to effect a water tight seal betv/een the gauge stances such as when the water is exhausted from the body flange 19 and the reservoir wall 11. The housing reservoir when steam ironing, the resulting dry condi 20 wall includes an opening through which is received the tion may cause damage to the fabric. It would accord upper portion of the gauge body 17 with the housing ingly be most desirable to have a visual indication of wall adjoining the opening debossed to form a surface the approaching need for refilling the reservoir that func 30 margining the opening substantially parallel to the tions when the iron is in the normal operating position. reservoir top wall. The wall surface 30 margining the In the liquid level indicating structure of the present 25 opening engages the upper surface of the gauge body invention a gauge body of transparent light transmitting flange 19 to secure the gauge body 17 in position by material is utilized to provide varying indications as to compressing the flange against the reservoir top wall the content of the reservoir by means of embossments with the gasket 26 therebetween. To prevent damage disposed at different levels which are visible when dis to the gauge body if the same is made of a material posed above the surface of the water level. The only 30 that is sensitive to heat an asbestos gasket 32 is pro access for light to the reservoir is through the gauge vided between the housing wall portion margining the body. When the legend is disposed below the surface of opening and the flange 19 to protect the gauge body liquid in the reservoir light transmitted downwardly from any possible elevated temperature that might occur through the gauge body is refracted into the liquid with by conduction of heat through the housing if the iron the result that the legend is darkened and substantially 35 is operated for prolonged periods at an elevated tem non-visible. When, however, the embossed legend is dis perature. As seen in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4 the lower posed above the liquid surface light is directed upwardly surface 22 and ledges 23, 24 have legends embossed through the valve body from the embossed surfaces to thereon indicating the liquid level or the need for filling effectively illuminate the legend and cause it to be readily the reservoir. The embossments are formed as an in visible. 40 tegral part of the gauge body 17 with a trapezoidal sec It is an object of this invention to provide a liquid tion as seen in FIGURE 4 providing a raised flat sur level gauge for an electric iron having a concealed liquid face 34 and inclined surfaces 35 extending away to the reservoir. surface from which the legend projects. When a legend It is a further object of this invention to provide a embossed on a portion of the valve body is disposed liquid level indicating device which is effective to indi 45 below the surface of the liquid the light transmitted cate the liquid level in the operating position so that downward through the gauge body is refracted down the user need not interrupt use of the iron to determine ward into the liquid from the submerged portions of the relative content of the water reservoir. the surfaces causing the area to be darkened, rendering These and other objects and advantages of this in the legend substantially non-visible. When the embossed vention will become apparent from the following descrip 50 surfaces forming the legends are above the level of the tion taken in connection with the accompanying draw liquid light passing down through the gauge body is re ings, wherein: flected from the various inclined surfaces and then up FIGURE 1 is a schematic side elevation partly broken wardly through the gauge body causing the embossed away and partly in section showing the water level indi legends to be illuminated and readily visible. To improve cator of this invention; 55 the contrast between the conditions of illumination when FIGURE 2 is a top view of the body of the liquid the liquid level is above or below the bottom surface or level gauge of FIGURE 1; the ledge surfaces 23, 24 the reservoir bottom surface FIGURE 3 is an enlarged bottom view of a portion 45 confronting the gauge body may be darkened. of the ledge surfaces of the gauge body member of FIG The iron handle 37 has beneath the grasp portion an URE 2 showing the legends embossed thereon; 60 aperture which is aligned with the openings in the reser FIGURE 4 is a section view taken along line 4--4 of voir and housing and to or through which the upper FIGURE 3; terminal portion of the gauge body extends. The gauge FIGURE 5 is an elevation of an alternative embodi body 17 has an upper surface 40 which is smooth to per ment of the gauge body; mit ready viewing of a lower surface therethrough. By FIGURE 6 is a bottom view of the gauge body of 65 providing a convex upper -surface 40 on the gauge body FIGURE 5; 17 the various legends underlying the upper -surface are FIGURE 7 is an elevation view of a second alternative magnified to make them more readily observable to the embodiment of the gauge body; and user. FIGURE 8 is a bottom view of the gauge body of FIGURES 5 and 6 illustrate an alternative embodi FIGURE 7. 70 ment wherein the lower portion of the gauge body is Referring to the drawings FIGURE 1 shows a schematic modified to present a series of stepped horizontal surfaces side elevation of an electric iron 10 having a water res- 50 on which legends are embossed as shown schematically 3,273,267 in FIGURE 6. FIGURES 7 and 8 illustrate a second 4 in relief on said lower surface and said ledge surfaces; a alternative embodiment wherein the lower portion of the darkened surface on said reservoir bottom wall confront gauge body is modified with a single lowermost horizontal ing said body member, and a convex upper surface on ledge surface 60 and an inclined surface 62 extending said body member through which said lower surface and therefrom to the flange. In this embodiment a sequence 5 said ledge surfaces are viewed enlarged, whereby each of of lines and legends can be provided to indicate the rela said legends are readily visible through said body member tive volume of various liquid levels between the ledge and flange surfaces which appear as the edge of a darkened upper surface and said housing opening when said liquid level is below the surface of said body with which each area caused by the immersed portion where light is re legend is respectively associated and said legends are fracted into the liquid with the portion exposed above the 10 respectively not readily visible when the respective surface liquid level illuminated by light reflected from the non- with which each is associated is below the surface of the immersed surface. While the specific embodiments of the instant invention have been shown and described herein, it is to be under liquid in said reservoir. References Cited by the Examiner stood that further variations may be made without depart 15 ing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim. What is claimed is: An electric iron comprising a liquid reservoir including top and bottom wall portions; a shell structure defining 20 a housing for said reservoir concealing the reservoir from the user; an opening in said reservoir top wall; an opening in said housing substantially aligned with said reservoir 2,368,705 2,615,337 2,825,986 2,943,530 3,075,309 3,123,971 3,193,954 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2/1945 Du Pont et al________ 73--327 10/1952 M aybach____________ 73--327 3/1958 P a v lic ________________ 38--77 7/1960 N agel_____________ 73--327 X 1/1963 Seyfried et a l . __________38--77 3/1964 Atwood et a l .______ 73--327 X 7/1965 Robison______________ 38--77 top wall opening; a visual type liquid level indicator hav ing a body member of solid transparent light transmitting 25 material mounted at said reservoir opening and extending 1,051,370 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1954 France. into said reservoir with a lower surface disposed in a lower portion of said reservoir, a plurality of ledge sur faces respectively vertically spaced intermediate said JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. PATRICK D. LAWSON, Examiner. lower surface and said reservoir top wall; legends formed 30