Iron Support Base with Vertical Clamping Stabilizer to Prevent Falls

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing support bases for irons are not stable when the iron is positioned vertically, leading to a high risk of the iron falling and causing burns or damage, and are impractical for handling hot irons due to the need for both hands to manage the iron and boiler separately.

Innovation Solution

A support base with a stabilizer device featuring a clamping/unclamping mechanism driven by a user, using a selector element and lever member to precisely position and secure clamping members within anchoring seatings, ensuring the iron remains stable and secure in a vertical position.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-affected harmful factors

If the iron is positioned vertically on the support base, then steam and water leakage is prevented and heat loss is reduced, but the iron becomes unstable and may fall due to accidental movements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesteam and water leakage, heat lossVSAvoidstability of iron positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The stabilizer device automatically positions the iron in the vertical resting position without requiring manual intervention to maintain it. The resting seating and clamping mechanism work passively to keep the iron stable, only requiring activation when the user intentionally wants to remove or reposition the iron.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The stabilizer device is extracted as a separate functional component from the basic support base. This includes the resting seating, clamping members, and activation mechanism as distinct elements that can be added to existing support bases to provide active stabilization without redesigning the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the operator carries the iron with one hand and the boiler with the other hand for repositioning, then the iron can be moved to a new support base, but both hands are occupied making the operation impractical and increasing the risk of accidental drops

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvemobility of iron and boilerVSAvoidease of repositioning operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The iron and boiler are combined into a single transportable unit by positioning the iron on the support base that is integrated with or attached to the boiler. This allows the operator to carry both components together with one hand, freeing the other hand for preparing the destination support base or performing other tasks.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Ease of operation

If a slider mechanism is used to position clamping elements in housing seatings, then the clamping elements can be moved to clamp the iron, but the mechanism is sensitive to wear and knocks resulting in imprecise positioning and unreliable clamping

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of clamping activationVSAvoidprecision of clamping element positioning
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The traditional slider mechanism is replaced with a more robust activation system that uses a button or lever actuating a cam or direct mechanical linkage. This substitution reduces sensitivity to wear and knocks while maintaining ease of operation, providing more reliable and precise positioning of the clamping members in their respective seatings.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentEP3585932B1Support base
Publication Date: 2020.11.04 DE LONGHI APPLIANCES SRL
  • EP3585932B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3585932B1 patent drawingFigure 2a~2b
  • EP3585932B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

Support base (10) for an iron (11), whether it is autonomous or part of a boiler (12) connected or connectable to the iron (11), which has at least one resting seating (20) provided with a stabilizer device (21) which can be driven by an operator and able to clamp the iron (1 1), on each occasion and temporally, in a vertical position to the support base (10).