Koninklijke Philips Corporation N.v.

Versuni Holding B.v.

Linfang Xu

Mohankumar Valiyambath Krishnan

Chee Keong Ong

Luck Wee Png

William Wai Lik Wong

Wai Lik William Wong

Winson Garcia Lim

Sankaralingam Tamilselvan Thirumazhisai

Seek Mooi Yap

A steam iron () comprises a steam generator () having a main body portion () including an electrical heating element () to heat the steam generator (), and an ironing plate () coupled to the steam generator () via a thermal coupling and configured to be passively heated by conduction of heat from the steam generator () via the thermal coupling. The thermal coupling between the steam generator () and the ironing plate () comprises an indirect thermal path formed by a flange () of the steam generator (), the flange () being in contact with the ironing plate () and being spaced from the main body portion () of the steam generator (), the flange () also being configured to space the main body portion () of the steam generator () from the ironing plate () to restrict the conduction of heat from the main body portion () of the steam generator () to the ironing plate ().

Steam iron

The invention relates to a fabric sensor () for determining a fabric type. The fabric sensor () comprises a first structural component () comprising a first sensing surface (), and a second structural component () comprising a second sensing surface (). The first structural component () and the second structural component () are movable relative to each other to form a closed arrangement wherein the first sensing surface () and the second sensing surface () hold the fabric. The fabric sensor () also comprises a thickness measurement mechanism () for measuring a thickness of the fabric when the fabric is held between the first sensing surface () and the second sensing surface (). The fabric sensor () also comprises a processing unit () coupled to the thickness measurement mechanism () and at least one of the first sensing surface () and the second sensing surface (). At least one of the first sensing surface () and the second sensing surface () is adapted to sense a characteristic of the fabric. The processing unit () is configured to determine the fabric type based on the thickness of the fabric and the characteristic of the fabric.

Sensor and method for determining a fabric type

The present application relates to a hand-held steaming device (). The hand-held steaming device comprises a steam generating surface (A), a heater () to heat the steam generating surface, a water supply unit () to supply water to the steam generating surface and a sensor () configured to detect the inclination of the steam generating surface with respect to the horizontal. The hand-held steaming device further comprises a controller () configured to perform a user selectable descaling process wherein the heater is operated to heat the steam generating surface to a first temperature and the water supply unit is operated to supply water to the steam generating surface at a first flow rate to remove scale from the steam generating surface. The controller is coupled to the sensor and is configured to prevent the water supply unit from supplying water to the steam generating surface at the first flow rate and/or the heater from heating the steam generating surface to the first temperature when the descaling process is selected if the steam generating surface is inclined by more than a first predetermined angle from the horizontal (X-X).

Hand-held steaming device

A steam iron () comprises a steam generator () comprising a main body portion () including an electrical heating element () to heat the steam generator (), and an ironing plate () coupled to the steam generator () via a thermal coupling and configured to be passively heated by conduction of heat from the steam generator () via the thermal coupling. The thermal coupling between the steam generator () and the ironing plate () comprises an indirect thermal path formed by a flange () of the steam generator (), the flange () being in contact with the ironing plate () and being spaced from the main body portion () of the steam generator (), the flange () also being configured to space the main body portion () of the steam generator () from the ironing plate () to restrict the conduction of heat from the main body portion () of the steam generator () to the ironing plate ().

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Eindhoven, Netherlands

Linfang Xu