Iron comprising an ironing surface, a heating plate and a vaporisation chamber
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing irons have complex constructions that are costly to manufacture and do not allow for sufficient moisture application to fabrics, and they fail to achieve a strong thermal gradient between steam diffusion and drying zones, resulting in suboptimal ironing performance.
Innovation Solution
An iron design with a heating soleplate and a separate vaporization chamber, where the vaporization chamber is positioned above a cold zone with steam outlet holes, allowing independent temperature control and a significant thermal gradient between the hot and cold zones, enabling effective steam diffusion and drying.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the heating body and heating soleplate are made as a single integrated unit, then the construction is simpler, but the heat exchange between the heating body and vaporization chamber cannot be reduced, making independent temperature control difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heating system is divided into two separate components: a heating soleplate with a first electrical resistor for heating the ironing surface, and a separate heating body containing a vaporization chamber with a second electrical resistor. This segmentation allows independent temperature control of each component, enabling the heating soleplate to reach high temperatures (around 200°C) while the vaporization chamber remains at lower temperatures (around 100°C) for optimal steam generation.
2Volume of moving object
If the vaporization chamber is positioned close to the heating soleplate, then the structure is more compact, but the thermal gradient between the cold zone for steam diffusion and hot zone for drying cannot be strengthened
Solution Approach 1:
The ironing surface is divided into distinct thermal zones: a cold zone positioned directly beneath the vaporization chamber for steam diffusion, and a hot zone positioned beneath the heating soleplate for drying. This local differentiation of thermal properties creates a strong thermal gradient that enables the cold zone to effectively diffuse steam while the hot zone provides drying capability, with temperature differences of over 100°C between zones.
3Device complexity
If the steam diffusion chamber is formed within the heating soleplate cavity, then the structure is more integrated, but the heat exchange between heating soleplate and vaporization chamber increases, reducing control precision
Solution Approach 1:
The vaporization chamber is extracted from the heating soleplate cavity and positioned as a separate component. The steam diffusion chamber is formed in the heating soleplate, but the vaporization chamber itself is housed in the separate heating body. This extraction reduces unwanted heat exchange between the heating soleplate and vaporization chamber, allowing precise independent temperature control of each component for optimized ironing performance.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design simplifies manufacturing, reduces heat exchange, and allows for improved ironing performance by ensuring fabrics are properly moistened before drying, enhancing condensation and ironing efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heating soleplate intended to heat the ironing surface and comprising a first electrical resistor arranged directly above a so-called hot zone of the ironing surface
Implementation Method 2
a vaporization chamber being formed in a heating body comprising a second electrical resistor
Implementation Method 3
vaporization chamber
Implementation Method 4
the steam outlet holes being supplied by a steam diffusion chamber formed in a cavity formed between the steam chamber and the cold zone of the ironing surface
Implementation Method 5
it is possible to obtain a strong thermal gradient between the cold zone of the ironing surface used to diffuse the steam and the zone used to dry the laundry
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~6
AI summary
Iron (1) comprising an ironing surface, a heating soleplate (3) intended to heat the ironing surface and a vaporization chamber (43), the heating soleplate (3) comprising a first electrical resistance (31) arranged to plumb with a so-called hot zone of the ironing surface, the vaporization chamber (43) being arranged in a heating body (4) comprising a second electrical resistor (41), the vaporization chamber (43) being arranged at plumb with a so-called cold zone of the ironing surface comprising steam outlet holes (20), the steam outlet holes (20) being fed by a steam diffusion chamber (7) formed at the exterior of the vaporization chamber (43), in a cavity formed between the vaporization chamber (43) and the cold zone of the ironing surface, characterized in that the heating body (4) and the heating soleplate (3) are made in two separate parts and in that the heating body (4) is attached to the heating sole (3).