Claims:CLAIMS
I/We Claim:
1. An electric iron (100) comprising:
a cover plate (106) connected to an electrical power through an electrical cord (108), wherein the cover plate (106) comprises:
a countdown timer (120) to count to a pre-defined time; and
a power indicator (122) to generate a signal indicating a power supply status of the electric iron (100);
a handle (110) attached to a top surface of the cover plate (106), to be gripped by a user, wherein the handle (110) comprises a pressure sensor (126) to sense a pressure applied on the handle (110); and
a control unit (112) connected to the power indicator (122) and the pressure sensor (126), wherein the control unit (112) is configured to:
receive the generated signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron (100) from the power indicator (122) and the sensed pressure from the pressure sensor (126);
compare the sensed pressure with a pre-defined pressure stored in a memory (114), when the power supply status of the electric iron (100) is identified as an ON status;
activate the countdown timer (120) to count to the pre-defined time, when the sensed pressure is less than the pre-defined pressure; and
enable a sound unit (124) to generate an alert.
2. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound unit (124) is inbuilt within the countdown timer (120) to generate the alert.
3. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 2, wherein the sound unit (124) is an audible alarm having a buzzer sound.
4. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cover plate (106) comprises a position sensor (118) to sense a position of the electric iron (100), wherein the position is selected from one of, a horizontal position, a vertical position, or a combination thereof.
5. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to enable the sound unit (124) to generate the alert of a first pre-defined sound, when the sensed position is the vertical position.
6. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit (112) is configured to enable the sound unit (124) to generate the alert of a second pre-defined sound, when the sensed position is the horizontal position.
7. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a base plate (102) attached to a bottom surface of the cover plate (106), to be heated by using a heating element (116) such that the base plate (102) is pressed against a surface of a material to be ironed.
8. The electric iron (100) as claimed of claim 7, wherein the heating element (116) is capable of converting the electrical power received through the electrical cord (108) to a heat.
9. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a pressure plate (104) to provide a close fitting to the heating element (116) within the base plate (102).
10. The electric iron (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the power indicator (122) generates a light of a pre-defined color to indicate a power supply status of the electric iron (100).

Description:

The following specification particularly describes the invention and the manner in which it is to be performed.
BACKGROUND
Field of Invention
[001] Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a household appliance and particularly to an electric iron.
Description of Related Art
[002] Household tasks such as washing, cleaning, preparation of meals, repair work, looking after furniture, infrastructure and other tools equipment, child development, taking care of needs and requirements of family members, and so forth requires diligent and an adequate attention. However, management of household responsibilities is not an easy task, as an individual is occupied with a number of tasks, that sometimes the individual needs to start a new household task without completion of a previous task. As an example, the individual comes across a problem while ironing clothes, where the individual forgets to switch off an electric iron and becomes busy in doing some other task. This situation may lead to a wastage of electricity, in case the electric iron remains switched on for a longer period of time. Moreover, any person in a house might accidently touch the electric iron and burn themselves. Moreover, such situations may lead to a loss of a favorite piece of cloth, in case the electric iron is laid down on the cloth and the individual forgets to switch off the electric iron. Various electric irons have been developed to overcome the aforementioned issues.
[003] Conventionally, an electric iron that is available for ironing the clothes works on a principle of a temperature selection. Such electric iron comprises a fabric detector that can make an appropriate selection of a temperature based on a type of a fabric of the cloth, to prevent a damage of the fabric due to erroneous settings of a thermostat, thereby ensures a safety of the fabric. However, such electric irons are unable to provide any precautionary measures, in case the electric iron remains switched on for the longer period of time. Moreover, to overcome the aforementioned issue, an electric iron with an automatic shut-off system has been introduced that automatically turns off a power after a fixed temperature level. The automatic shut-off system is equipped within a hardware part of the electric iron and is controlled by multiple switches. However, an inclusion of the automatic shut-off system increases an overall cost of the electric iron, which makes the electric iron expensive.
[004] There is thus a need for an advanced and more effective electric iron that can administer the drawbacks faced by the conventional electric iron.
SUMMARY
[005] Embodiments in accordance with the present invention provide an electric iron comprising: a cover plate connected to an electrical power through an electrical cord. The cover plate comprises a countdown timer to count to a pre-defined time. The cover plate further comprises: a power indicator to generate a signal indicating a power supply status of the electric iron. The electric iron further comprises: a handle attached to a top surface of the cover plate, to be gripped by a user. The handle comprises a pressure sensor to sense a pressure applied on the handle by the user. The electric iron further comprises a control unit connected to the power indicator and the pressure sensor. The control unit is configured to: receive the generated signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron from the power indicator and the sensed pressure from the pressure sensor; compare the sensed pressure with a pre-defined pressure stored in a memory, when the power supply status of the electric iron is identified as an ON status; activate the countdown timer to count to the pre-defined time, when the sensed pressure is less than the pre-defined pressure; and enable a sound unit to generate an alert.
[006] Embodiments of the present invention may provide a number of advantages depending on its particular configuration. First, embodiments of the present application provide an electric iron which is provided with a buzzer alarm to alert an individual, when the electric iron is kept powered on for a longer period of time. Next, embodiments of the present invention provide the electric iron that reduces a wastage of electricity by notifying the individual about an “ON” status of the electric iron. Next, embodiments of the present invention provide the electric iron that reduces a risk of fire due to burning of a fabric and/or an iron board.
[007] These and other advantages will be apparent from the present application of the embodiments described herein.
[008] The preceding is a simplified summary to provide an understanding of some embodiments of the present invention. This summary is neither an extensive nor exhaustive overview of the present invention and its various embodiments. The summary presents selected concepts of the embodiments of the present invention in a simplified form as an introduction to the more detailed description presented below. As will be appreciated, other embodiments of the present invention are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, one or more of the features set forth above or described in detail below.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[009] The above and still further features and advantages of embodiments of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of embodiments thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, and wherein:
[0010] FIG. 1 illustrates an electric iron, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0011] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of components of a control unit of the electric iron, according to an embodiment of the present invention; and
[0012] FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of a method for automatically generating an alert in the electric iron, according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0013] The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit the scope of the description or the claims. As used throughout this application, the word "may" is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potential to), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly, the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including but not limited to. To facilitate understanding, like reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures. Optional portions of the figures may be illustrated using dashed or dotted lines, unless the context of usage indicates otherwise.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0014] The following description includes the preferred best mode of one embodiment of the present invention. It will be clear from this description of the invention that the invention is not limited to these illustrated embodiments but that the invention also includes a variety of modifications and embodiments thereto. Therefore, the present description should be seen as illustrative and not limiting. While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative constructions, it should be understood, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, the invention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims.
[0015] In any embodiment described herein, the open-ended terms "comprising," "comprises,” and the like (which are synonymous with "including," "having” and "characterized by") may be replaced by the respective partially closed phrases "consisting essentially of," consists essentially of," and the like or the respective closed phrases "consisting of," "consists of, the like.
[0016] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” designate both the singular and the plural, unless expressly stated to designate the singular only.
[0017] FIG. 1 illustrates an electric iron 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The electric iron 100 may be an automatic alarm-based iron that may be designed to iron a material such as clothes to remove wrinkles, according to an embodiment of the present invention. According to embodiments of the present invention, the electric iron 100 may comprise a base plate 102, a pressure plate 104, a cover plate 106, an electrical cord 108, a handle 110, a control unit 112 and a memory 114. The base plate 102 may define a bottom surface of the electric iron 100, to hold the pressure plate 104 and the cover plate 106 in a secure position. The base plate 102 may be pressed against a surface of the material to be ironed by a user to remove the wrinkles, in an embodiment of the present invention. The material may be, but not limited to, the clothes, an ironing board, and so forth. The clothes may be of any fabric such as, but not limited to, a cotton fabric, a nylon fabric, a synthetic fabric, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the fabric of the clothes including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0018] The base plate 102 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, a stainless steel, a ceramic, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the base plate 102 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. Further, the base plate 102 may include a heating element 116 that may be capable of receiving an electrical power through the electrical cord 108. Further the heating element 116 may be capable of converting the electrical power into a heat. The heating element 116 may be a coil that generates and transfers the heat to the base plate 102 through a conduction process. Further, the heating element 116 may be a resistor element that may use a wire of a material such as, but not limited to, a nichrome material, a kanthal material, a cupronickel material, and alike. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the wire, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0019] The pressure plate 104 may be tightly attached to the base plate 102, to provide a close fitting to the heating element 116 within the base plate 102. The pressure plate 104 may be made up of a material, such as, an iron, the steel, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the pressure plate 104 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. Further, the pressure plate 104 may be having a cavity (not shown) for locating a thermostat (not shown) that may be designed to sense a temperature of the base plate 102 and regulates a supply of the electrical power to the heating element 116 based on the output generated by the control unit 112. The cavity may be of any shape such as, but not limited to, a rectangular shape, a circular shape, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shape of the cavity that may be capable to locate the thermostat including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0020] Further, the cover plate 106 may be installed over the base plate 102 and may be designed to house internal parts of the electric iron 100. The internal parts may be, but not limited to, a position sensor 118, a countdown timer 120, a power indicator 122, and so forth. The cover plate 106 may be made up of a material such as, but not limited to, an iron, a plastic, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the cover plate 106, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0021] The position sensor 118 may be provided to sense a position of the electric iron 100 placed in a vertical position and/or a horizontal position. The position sensor 118 may be, but limited to, a linear position sensor, an angular position sensor, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the position sensor 118, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the vertical position may be an upright resting position of the electric iron 100 that may be supported by a heel stand (not shown). The heel stand may be positioned at a back portion of the cover plate 106 of the electric iron 100, to provide a support to the electric iron 100, when the electric iron 100 is placed in the vertical position. The heel stand may be made up of any material such as, but not limited to, a plastic, a wood, a metal, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the heel stand, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the horizontal position may be a position where the electric iron 100 may be laid down horizontally over the surface of the material.
[0022] Further, the countdown timer 120 may be activated to count to a pre-defined time during an unused state of the electric iron 100. According to embodiments of the present invention, the countdown timer 120 may be activated to count to the pre-defined time based on an output generated by the control unit 112. Further, the countdown timer 120 may be having a sound unit 124 that may be built-in within the countdown timer 120 to generate an alert for the user based on the output generated by the control unit 112, in an embodiment of the present invention. The sound unit 124 may be an audible alarm that may produce a sound such as, but not limited to, a beeper sound, an alarm sound, and alike. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the sound unit 124 may produce a buzzer sound. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the sound unit 124 including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0023] Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, a first end of the power indicator 122 may be electrically connected to the electrical cord 108 and a second end of the power indicator 122 may be connected to the heating element 116. The power indicator 122 may be configured to generate a signal indicating a power supply status of the electric iron 100, in an embodiment of the present invention. The power indicator 122 may be having a Light Emitting Diode (LED) that generates a light of a pre-defined color to indicate the power supply status of the electric iron 100. The pre-defined color may be one of, a red, a green, and so forth. The power indicator 122 may be electrically connected to the control unit 112, to transmit the signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron 100.
[0024] Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, the handle 110 may be attached to a top surface to the cover plate 106 by using fasteners (not shown). The fasteners may be, but not limited to, nuts, bolts, screws, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the fasteners, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. In an embodiment of the present invention, the handle 110 may be designed to be gripped by the user to press the base plate 102 onto the surface of the material. The handle 110 may be made up of an insulating material, such as, but not limited to, a plastic, a fiberglass, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the material for the handle 110, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. The handle 110 may be of any shape such as, but not limited to, a U-shaped handle, a square shaped handle, and so forth. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the shape of the handle 110 that may accommodate a hand of the user, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. According to embodiments of the present invention, the handle 110 may comprise a pressure sensor 126, to sense a pressure applied on the handle 110 by the user while pressing the electric iron 100 on the surface of the material, in an embodiment of the present invention. The pressure sensor 126 may be installed within the handle 110, to detect a usage status of the electric iron 100, in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0025] According to embodiments of the present invention, the control unit 112 may be electrically connected to the position sensor 118, the power indicator 122 and the pressure sensor 126, to generate outputs to control operations of the electric iron 100. The control unit 112 may be configured to execute computer readable instructions stored in the memory 114 to generate the outputs. The control unit 112 may be, but not limited to, a microcontroller, microprocessor, a development board, a digital signal processor, and alike. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the control unit 112, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies. Further, components of the control unit 112 will be explained in detail in conjunction with FIG. 2.
[0026] The memory 114 may be connected to the control unit 112 for storage and retrieval of data associated with the operations of the electric iron 100, according to embodiments of the present invention. Further, the memory 114 may be used to store the computer readable instructions executed by the control unit 112. According to embodiments of the present invention, non-limiting examples of the memory 114 may be a Read Only Memory (ROM), a Random-Access Memory (RAM), an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a hard drive, a removable media drive for handling memory cards. Embodiments of the present invention are intended to include or otherwise cover any type of the memory 114, including known, related art, and/or later developed technologies.
[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a block diagram of components of the control unit 112 of the electric iron 100, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The control unit 112 may comprise a data receiving module 200, a data processing module 202, a comparison module 204, a counter control module 206 and a sound activation module 208.
[0028] The data receiving module 200 may be configured to receive the sensed position of the electric iron 100 from the position sensor 118. Further, the data receiving module 200 may be configured to receive the signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron 100 from the power indicator 122. The data receiving module 200 may further be configured to receive the sensed pressure from the pressure sensor 126. Further, the data receiving module 200 may be configured to transmit the signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron 100 to the data processing module 202 and the received pressure to the comparison module 204. The data receiving module 200 may be configured to transmit the received position of the electric iron 100 to the sound activation module 208.
[0029] According to embodiments of the present invention, the signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron 100 may be interpreted as an “ON” status of the electric iron 100 by the data processing module 202. Further, the signal may enable the data processing module 202 that may be configured to generate a comparison signal. The data processing module 202 may be further configured to transmit the generated comparison signal to the comparison module 204. The comparison signal may enable the comparison module 204 that may be configured to compare the sensed pressure with a pre-defined pressure stored in the memory 114 to identify the usage status of the electric iron 100. In an embodiment of the present invention, the comparison module 204 may be configured to identify the usage status of the electric iron 100 as “in-use”, if the sensed pressure is equal to or more than the pre-defined pressure. In another embodiment of the present invention, the comparison module 204 may be configured to identify the usage status of the electric iron 100 as “not-in use”, if the sensed pressure is less than the pre-defined pressure.
[0030] Further, in an embodiment of the present invention, if the sensed pressure is less than the pre-defined pressure, then the comparison module 204 may be configured to generate a counter activation signal. In another embodiment of the present invention, the comparison module 204 may be configured to enable the data receiving module 200 to continue receiving the sensed pressure from the pressure sensor 126.
[0031] Further, the comparison module 204 may be configured to transmit the generated counter activation signal to the counter control module 206. The counter control module 206 may be configured to activate the countdown timer 120 to count to the pre-defined time. Further, the counter control module 206 may be configured to generate a sound activation signal, when the pre-defined time is elapsed. In another embodiment of the present invention, the counter control module 206 may be configured to enable the counter control module 206 to keep on activating the countdown timer 120.
[0032] Further, the counter control module 206 may be configured to transmit the generated sound activation signal to the sound activation module 208. The sound activation module 208 may be configured to enable the sound unit 124 to generate the alert to notify the user based on the generated sound activation signal and the received position. In an embodiment of the present invention, the sound activation module 208 may be configured to enable the sound unit 124 to generate the alert of a first pre-defined sound, when the sensed position is the vertical position. In another embodiment of the present invention, the sound activation module 208 may be configured to enable the sound unit 124 to generate the alert of a second pre-defined sound, when the sensed position is the horizontal position.
[0033] FIG. 3 depicts a flowchart of a method 300 for automatically generating an alert in the electric iron 100, according to embodiments of the present invention.
[0034] At step 302, the electric iron 100 may receive the signal indicating the power supply status of the electric iron 100 and the sensed pressure from the power indicator 122 and the pressure sensor 126 respectively.
[0035] At step 304, the electric iron 100 may determine the power supply status of the electric iron 100 as the “ON” status.
[0036] At step 306, the electric iron 100 may compare the sensed pressure with the pre-defined pressure to identify the usage status of the electric iron 100. If the sensed pressure is less than the pre-defined pressure, then the method may proceed to a step 308, otherwise the method 300 may return to the step 302.
[0037] At step 308, the electric iron 100 may activate the countdown timer 120 to count to the pre-defined time.
[0038] At step 310, the electric iron 100 may receive the sensed position of the electric iron 100 from the position sensor 118. If the electric iron 100 determines the sensed position is the vertical position, then the method 300 may proceed to a step 312. Otherwise, the method 300 may proceed to a step 314.
[0039] At step 312, the electric iron 100 may enable the sound unit 124 to generate the alert of the first pre-defined sound.
[0040] At step 314, the electric iron 100 may enable the sound unit 124 to generate the alert of the second pre-defined sound.
[0041] Embodiments of the invention are described above with reference to block diagrams and schematic illustrations of methods and systems according to embodiments of the invention. While the invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be the most practical and various embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[0042] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope the invention is defined in the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements within substantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.