Ironing system with water delivery mechanism

Abstract

The invention relates to an ironing system ( 20 ) comprising a steam iron ( 200 ) and a base unit ( 250 ) adapted to cooperate with each other such that the steam iron ( 200 ) can take a first position (P 1 ) in which the steam iron ( 200 ) is docked on the base unit ( 250 ), and a second position (P 2 ) in which the steam iron ( 200 ) is undocked from the base unit ( 250 ). The steam iron ( 200 ) is cordlessly detached from the base unit ( 250 ) in the second position (P 2 ). The steam iron ( 200 ) comprises a water reservoir ( 201 ) arranged to store water, and a soleplate ( 202 ) for generating steam from water in the water reservoir ( 201 ) when the steam iron ( 200 ) is in the second position (P 2 ). The base unit ( 250 ) comprises a water delivery mechanism ( 251 ) for supplying water to the water reservoir ( 201 ) when the steam iron ( 200 ) is in the first position (PI), and a power supply unit ( 252 ) for supplying energy to the soleplate ( 202 ) when the steam iron ( 200 ) is in the first position (P 1 ), for heating the soleplate ( 202 ). The ironing system ( 20 ) further comprises a temperature sensor ( 203 ) for sensing temperature of the soleplate ( 202 ), a controller ( 253 ) for determining, based on a variation of temperature of the soleplate, an amount of water to be supplied to the water reservoir ( 201 ) by the water delivery mechanism ( 251 ). This solution allows an improved water fill-in of the water reservoir.

1 . An ironing system comprising a steam iron and a base unit adapted to cooperate with each other such that the steam iron can take a first position in which the steam iron is docked on the base unit, and a second position in which the steam iron is undocked from the base unit, the steam iron being cordlessly detached from the base unit in the second position;
 wherein the steam iron comprises:
 a water reservoir arranged to store water, 
 a soleplate for generating steam from water in the water reservoir when the steam iron is in the second position, 
   wherein the base unit comprises:
 a water delivery mechanism for supplying water to the water reservoir when the steam iron is in the first position, 
 a power supply unit for supplying energy to the soleplate when the steam iron is in the first position, for heating the soleplate, 
   wherein the ironing system further comprises:
 a temperature sensor for sensing temperature of the soleplate, 
   wherein the ironing system also comprises:
 a controller for determining, based on a variation of temperature of the soleplate, an amount of water to be supplied to the water reservoir by the water delivery mechanism. 
   
     
     
         2 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said variation of temperature corresponds to the difference between the temperature of the soleplate when the steam iron is in a current first position, and the temperature of the soleplate when the steam iron was in a previous first position. 
     
     
         3 . An ironing system according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is further adapted to determine said amount of water, based on a time duration between two successive docking of the steam iron on the base unit. 
     
     
         4 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is further adapted to determine, based on the sensed soleplate temperature, a thermal energy amount to be stored in the soleplate by the power supply unit, and to determine, based on said thermal energy amount, said amount of water to be supplied to the water reservoir, such that said amount of water can be fully transformed into steam by said thermal energy amount. 
     
     
         5 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the temperature sensor is arranged in a location taken from the set of locations defined by the base unit and the steam iron. 
     
     
         6 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is arranged in a location taken from the set of locations defined by the base unit and the steam iron. 
     
     
         7 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the steam iron comprises a heating element for receiving energy supplied by the power supply unit. 
     
     
         8 . An ironing system according to  claim 7 , wherein the heating element and the power supply unit are adapted to be electrically connected when the steam iron is in the first position. 
     
     
         9 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein the base unit comprises an induction system powered by the power supply unit for generating electromagnetic energy towards the steam iron when the steam iron is in the first position. 
     
     
         10 . An ironing system according to  claim 1 , wherein said controller is further adapted to generate a first alert signal when the steam iron is in the second position, if the time duration elapsed since the steam iron was unlocked from the first position exceeds a given time duration threshold. 
     
     
         11 . An ironing system according to  claim 4 , wherein said controller is further adapted to generate a second alert signal when the steam iron is in the first position, after the thermal energy amount is stored in the soleplate and the amount of water supplied to the water reservoir. 
     
     
         12 . A method of determining, in an ironing system comprising a steam iron and a base unit, an amount of water to be supplied from the base unit to the steam iron, the base unit and the steam iron being adapted to cooperate with each other such that the steam iron can take a first position in which the steam iron is docked on the base unit, and a second position in which the steam iron is undocked from the base unit, the steam iron being cordlessly detached from the base unit in the second position, the steam iron comprising a water reservoir arranged to store water and a soleplate for generating steam from water in the water reservoir when the steam iron is in the second position, the base unit comprising water delivery mechanism for supplying water to the water reservoir when the steam iron is in the first position and a power supply unit for supplying energy to the soleplate a when the steam iron is in the first position, for heating the soleplate, the method being wherein it comprises the steps of:
 sensing the temperature of the soleplate,   determining, based on a variation of temperature of the soleplate, an amount of water to be supplied to the water reservoir by the water delivery mechanism.   
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the step of determining comprises a step of calculating the variation of temperature between the temperature of the soleplate when the steam iron is in a current first position, and the temperature of the soleplate when the steam iron was in a previous first position.