The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jan. 10, 1995
Filed:
Jul. 12, 1993
Luis O Cavada, Bridgeport, CT (US);
Joseph Carley, Ft. Wayne, IN (US);
Leonard I Horey, Shelton, CT (US);
Peter R Hohlfeld, Oxford, CT (US);
Black & Decker Inc., Newark, DE (US);
Abstract
An electrical appliance, such as a pressing iron (10), includes a user proximity sensor for removing electrical power from the appliance after a period of non-use. When a user's hand is in close proximity to, or is in a grasping relationship with, a handle (28) of the pressing iron, an antenna (44) that is disposed within the handle is capacitively coupled to the user through a dielectric material that forms the handle wall. When so coupled to the user, a displacement current having a frequency equal to the AC line electrical power frequency signal (50 Hz or 60 Hz) is capacitively coupled between the user's body and the antenna. The displacement current is detected and amplified by circuitry (60) that is connected to the antenna by a conductor (46). This circuitry outputs a signal that indicates the proximity of the user to the handle of the pressing iron. The output signal is in turn employed to disable the operation of a time-out circuit (70). When the user is not in proximity to the handle of the pressing iron, the output signal is not generated and, after a predetermined time-out period, electrical power is automatically removed from a heating element (86) of the pressing iron.