Ironing appliance comprising a safety device and method of making an ironing appliance safe.

Abstract

Ironing appliance comprising a heating element ( 1 ) controlled by means of a thermostat ( 2 ), the appliance having a safety device comprising motion detection means ( 5 ) and a safety relay ( 3 ) connected in series with the heating element ( 1 ) to interrupt the supply to said heating element ( 1 ) when the appliance is left stationary for too long, said appliance being characterized in that said safety device comprises means ( 2 a ) for determining the state of opening of the thermostat ( 2 ) and in that the safety device opens said safety relay ( 3 ) when, simultaneously, the determining means ( 2 a ) indicate that the thermostat ( 2 ) is open and the motion detection means ( 5 ) detect that the appliance has not been moved for a time t greater than a warning threshold t 1 .

1 . Ironing appliance composed of a heating element ( 1 ) controlled by means of a thermostat ( 2 ), the appliance being provided with a safety device comprising means for detection of movement ( 5 ) and a safety relay ( 3 ) assembled in series with the heating element ( 1 ) allowing to interrupt the supply of power to said heating element ( 1 ) when the appliance remains motionless too long, wherein said safety device comprises means ( 2   a ) for determining the state of opening of the thermostat ( 2 ) and the safety device controls the opening of said safety relay ( 3 ) when, simultaneously, the means ( 2   a ) for determining indicate that the thermostat ( 2 ) is open and the means for detection of movement ( 5 ) detect an immobilization of the appliance during a time t longer than an alarm threshold t 1 . 
   
   
       2 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein the safety device controls, at the latest, the opening of the safety relay ( 3 ) when the appliance is motionless during a time t longer than a critical threshold t 2 , the critical threshold t 2  being longer than the alarm threshold t 1 . 
   
   
       3 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein the safety device monitors the state of the thermostat ( 2 ) when the time during which the appliance is motionless is comprised between the alarm threshold t 1  and the critical threshold t 2  and controls the opening of the safety relay ( 3 ) as soon as the thermostat is detected to be in an open state by the means ( 2   a ) for determining the state of opening. 
   
   
       4 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 3 , wherein it is composed of a heel on which it can rest during inactive phases of ironing and an ironing soleplate in thermal communication with the heating element, on which it can rest during active phases of ironing, the appliance comprising position detecting means ( 6 ) making it possible to determine if the appliance rests or not on its heel and in that values of the alarm threshold t 1  and the critical threshold t 2  are a function of the position of the iron detected by the position detecting means ( 6 ). 
   
   
       5 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 4 , wherein the values of the alarm threshold t 1r  and critical threshold t 2r  when the iron rests on its heel are respectively longer than the values of the alarm threshold t 1s  and critical threshold t 2s  when the appliance rests on its soleplate. 
   
   
       6 . Safe operating method for an ironing appliance provided with a heating element ( 1 ) and a safety relay ( 3 ) disposed in series with the heating element ( 1 ), said method comprising: controlling supply of power to the heating element by means of a thermostat ( 2 ); and opening the safety relay when the thermostat ( 2 ) is in an open state and the appliance remains motionless for a time t longer than an alarm threshold t 1 . 
   
   
       7 . Safe operating method according to  claim 6 , wherein said step of opening the safety relay ( 3 ) is performed, at the latest, when the appliance remains motionless for a time t longer than a critical threshold t 2 , the critical threshold t 2  being longer than the alarm threshold t 1 . 
   
   
       8 . Safe operating method for an ironing appliance according to  claim 7 , wherein the state of opening of the thermostat ( 2 ) is monitored over a range of immobilization time of the appliance comprised between the alarm threshold t 1  and the critical threshold t 2  and the safety relay ( 3 ) is at opened as soon as the thermostat is detected in an open state in said range of immobilization time. 
   
   
       9 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 2 , wherein it is composed of a heel on which it can rest during inactive phases of ironing and an ironing soleplate in thermal communication with the heating element, on which it can rest during active phases of ironing, the appliance comprising position detecting means ( 6 ) making it possible to determine if the appliance rests or not on its heel and in that values of the alarm threshold t 1  and the critical threshold t 2  are a function of the position of the iron detected by the position detecting means ( 6 ). 
   
   
       10 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 9 , wherein the values of the alarm threshold t 1r  and critical threshold t 2r  when the iron rests on its heel are respectively longer than the values of the alarm threshold t 1s  and critical threshold t 2s  when the appliance rests on its soleplate. 
   
   
       11 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 1 , wherein it is composed of a heel on which it can rest during inactive phases of ironing and an ironing soleplate in thermal communication with the heating element, on which it can rest during active phases of ironing, the appliance comprising position detecting means ( 6 ) making it possible to determine if the appliance rests or not on its heel and in that values of the alarm threshold t 1  and the critical threshold t 2  are a function of the position of the iron detected by the position detecting means ( 6 ). 
   
   
       12 . Ironing appliance according to  claim 11 , wherein the values of the alarm threshold t 1r  and critical threshold t 2r  when the iron rests on its heel are respectively longer than the values of the alarm threshold t 1s  and critical threshold t 2s  when the appliance rests on its soleplate.