Pump-Controlled Steam Iron Without a High-Pressure Boiler
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional steam irons with high-pressure boilers are costly, dangerous, and inconvenient to use, as they require manual refilling and complex high-pressure component management, which increases costs and risks explosion.
Innovation Solution
A steam iron design featuring a low-pressure electrothermal tray with a pump-controlled steam generator, where the control board manages steam quantity by adjusting pump power, incorporating temperature and water level sensors to prevent empty pumping and dripping, and integrating signals into the power line to reduce complexity and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a high-pressure boiler is used to generate steam, then a large amount of steam can be produced, but the cost increases and explosion risk arises
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the pressure parameter from high-pressure (traditional boiler) to low-pressure (electrothermal tray), fundamentally altering the operating conditions to eliminate explosion risk while maintaining steam generation capability through controlled water evaporation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical high-pressure boiler system with an electrothermal evaporation system, using electrical heating elements to vaporize water in a low-pressure environment, substituting mechanical pressure generation with thermal energy conversion
2Productivity
If a high-pressure boiler is used, then steam can be generated efficiently, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces expensive, high-pressure rated components (boiler, valves, pipes) with inexpensive, low-pressure components (electrothermal tray, simple pump, standard tubing), significantly reducing manufacturing cost while maintaining adequate steam generation for ironing applications
Solution Approach 2:
By changing from high-pressure to low-pressure operation, the patent enables the use of standard, inexpensive materials and components throughout the system, eliminating the need for costly high-pressure rated equipment while preserving steam generation functionality
3Quantity of substance
If a high-pressure boiler is used, then steam can be produced, but the components must support high pressure increasing cost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the high-pressure boiler and its associated high-pressure components (pressure valves, thick-walled pipes, pressure gauges, safety devices), replacing them with a simple low-pressure electrothermal evaporation system that requires no special pressure-containing components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses simple, low-cost, low-pressure rated components throughout the system (standard plastic or thin-walled metal tray, ordinary tubing, basic pump), eliminating the need for expensive high-pressure engineered components while maintaining steam generation capability
4Object-affected harmful factors
If the boiler pressure is reduced, then cost and safety improve, but steam quantity may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous steam generation by continuously pumping water into the electrothermal tray and continuously evaporating it, maintaining a steady-state low-pressure vaporization process that provides consistent steam output without the intermittent operation required by pressure-building boilers
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces pressure-driven steam generation with heat-driven evaporation, using electrical heating power to directly convert water to steam in a controlled manner, ensuring adequate steam quantity through thermal energy input rather than mechanical pressure
5Measurement precision
If the control board is divided into multiple parts with separate signal lines, then control precision improves, but the number of signal lines increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple control functions (power control, temperature control, water level control, steam quantity control) into a single integrated control board, eliminating the need for separate control boards and reducing the number of signal lines while maintaining precise control through software-based control algorithms
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
The solution provides a safer, cost-effective, and user-friendly steam iron with adjustable steam output, eliminating the need for high-pressure components and simplifying refilling, while ensuring efficient steam generation and safety through integrated signal management.
Implementation Method 1
costly boiler is replaced by a closed electrothermal tray with a low compression resistance as a steam generator
Implementation Method 2
the water in the tank is pumped into the steam generator by a pump
Implementation Method 3
the water that is pumped into the steam generator fully vapors
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a steam iron, which comprises a base, a main body and a control board. The base comprises a water tank, a steam generator and a pump that is connected between the water tank and the steam generator. The main body comprises a controlling switch and an adjusting device for users controlling the steam iron. The control board is used to control the power of the pump to adjust the quantity of water that is pumped into the steam generator from the water tank and the quantity of steam generated by the steam generator. The control board is divided into at least two parts: a first part is connected to the controlling switch and the adjusting device and a second part is connected to the pump, and there is a signal line between the two parts.