Garment steamer with detachable docking unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing garment steamers face challenges in conveniently positioning the steamer head for docking when the ironing board is tilted at different angular orientations, leading to difficulties in placing and picking up the steamer head from a docking unit.
Innovation Solution
A garment steamer design featuring a detachable supporting arm with translational relative movement capabilities, allowing horizontal attachment and detachment from both the ironing board and pole assembly, equipped with snap-fit mechanisms for secure and user-friendly engagement, enabling convenient positioning and orientation of the docking unit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the docking unit is fixed to the ironing board at a specific orientation, then the structure is simple and stable, but the steamer head cannot be conveniently positioned when the ironing board is tilted at different angles
Solution Approach 1:
The docking unit incorporates a pivot coupling that enables rotational movement between the supporting arm and the steamer head holder. This dynamic mechanism allows the steamer head holder to be rotated to different orientations (e.g., facing away from the user) without requiring tool assistance, thereby adapting to various ironing board angles while maintaining a relatively simple overall structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The docking unit is divided into separable components: a supporting arm detachably connectable to the ironing board, and a steamer head holder connected via a pivot coupling. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized independently and facilitates easy assembly, disassembly, and orientation adjustment without complicating the entire docking system.
2Ease of manufacture
If the supporting arm is permanently attached to the ironing board, then the docking unit remains stable during use, but the garment steamer cannot be compactly packaged for transportation
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting arm is designed with a detachable connection mechanism that includes alignment features and snap-fit elements. These preliminary design actions ensure that when the supporting arm is attached to the ironing board, it automatically aligns and secures itself in the correct position, providing stable docking during use while allowing easy removal for compact packaging.
3Ease of operation
If the docking unit is positioned close to the ironing board surface, then the overall device size is reduced, but the steamer head is difficult to place on and pick up from the docking unit
Solution Approach 1:
The supporting arm extends the docking unit away from the ironing board surface in a direction perpendicular to the board surface. This dimensional extension positions the steamer head holder at an optimal distance and angle, making it easy for users to place and retrieve the steamer head while minimizing the overall footprint of the garment steamer when not in use.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 1A
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AI summary
The invention relates to a garment steamer (100) comprising a base (102), a steamer head (104), a hose cord (106) for connecting the base to the steamer head. The garment steamer also comprises a pole assembly (108) comprising at least one pole, and an ironing board (140) mounted on the pole assembly. The garment steamer also comprises a docking unit (110) for docking the steamer head during a non-active steaming period. The garment steamer also comprises a supporting arm (112) having a first extremity (114) for supporting the docking unit and a second extremity (116) detachably connectable to the ironing board. The ironing board comprises a board coupling means allowing a translational relative movement between the supporting arm and the ironing board when the supporting arm is being attached to or detached from the board coupling means.