In particular, the invention relates to a device for monitoring the operation temperature of an iron.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART It is known that irons include a suitably shaped plate, usually heated by electric power resistors situated therein.

The temperature of the plate depends on the type of cloth to be ironed.

Strong clothes, which are little sensible to the temperature effects, such as cotton, can be ironed at high temperatures. Lower temperatures make the ironing ery difficult.

Delicate clothes, such as silk or some synthetic fibers, must be ironed at very low temperatures. In case of these clothes, the use of a hotter iron can damage the ironed piece of cloth even irreparably.

In order to adjust the operation temperature, considering different types of cloth to be ironed, the irons for common use typically have a thermostatic device, which interrupts the supply of the power resistors, when the iron temperature exceeds a temperature threshold which has been set.

Therefore, the temperature oscillates between a minimum and a maximum value close to the above threshold.

The accuracy of the temperature threshold, as well as the amplitude of the above mentioned oscillation, depend on many factors, such as the model and the quality of the thermostat, the power of resistors, or the shape of the heated plate.

A sign that the temperature of the plate, in a given moment, is below or above the set threshold, is given by a light which turns on or off.

In case of ironing delicate articles ; made for example of silk or synthetic fibers, which usually are also very expensive, it is very important that the information about the plate actual temperature be as accurate as possible, so as to avoid overheating and irreparable damages to the articles.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The main ain object of the present invention is to propose device for monitoring the operation temperature of the iron, which gives the user the iron current temperature in a simple, clear and accurate way.

Another object of the present invention is to propose a device, which improves the safety conditions of the iron, to which it is associated, as well as those of its user.

A further object of the present invention is to propose a monitoring device, which can be used with most irons available on the marketplace, without any installation operation or disassembling and mounting of components.

The above mentioned objects are achieved by means of a device for monitoring the operation temperature of an

iron, the iron including a heated plate, the device being characterized in that it includes: a base with mechanical characteristics capable of supporting said iron, said base having at least one support surface for receiving the heated plate of said iron ; means for measuring temperature, mounted in a housing of said base, in said support surface, for measuring the temperature of said heated plate when said iron rests on said support surface; decoding and control means, mounted in said base and electrically connected to said temperature measuring means for receiving information concerning the current temperature of said plate; display means, mounted in said base, so as to be visible for a user of said device and connected electrically to said decoding and control means for receiving said information about the current temperature and at displaying said information in a graphic form. <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> <P>Preferred features of the invention are defined in the dependent claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention will now be described in more detail with reference to particular, non-limiting embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a top view of a monitoring device obtained according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the base of the monitoring device, according to a first embodiment of the invention; Figure 3 is a perspective view of a support pad, associated to the monitoring device of Figure 2; Figure 4 is a lateral section view taken along the line IV-IV of Figure 1 ; Figure 5 is a different embodiment of the device according to the invention.

BEST MODES OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION With reference to Figures from 1 to 4, the reference numeral 100 generally indicates a device for monitoring the operation temperature of an iron, obtained according to a first embodiment of the invention.

The device 100 includes a base 1, made of a material, whose mechanical characteristics suitable for supporting an iron (not shown for sake of simplicity), and which forms a self-supporting, substantially closed body.

The base 1 is to be used while resting on a suitable working surface during ironing operation.

A support surface 3, for receiving the plate of an iron during the breaks in the ironing operation, is made in the upper surface of the base 1.

In particular, the support surface 3 is preferably formed by the outer surface of a pad 30, made of a material resistant to the plate operation temperatures.

Some kinds of bouncing putty appear to be particularly appropriate for this function.

The pad 30 is supported by the base 1, within a seat 15, suitably made in the upper part thereof.

A plurality of protrusions 31 is situated on the outer surface of the pad 30. The protrusions 31 receive the iron plate and reduce the contact surface between the plate and the pad 30, in order to reduce the heat transmission to the latter.

Moreover, a plurality of relieves 32 extend from the pad 30 to keep the iron in the correct support position.

According to a variant of the invention, not shown because easily conceivable, the support surface 3 for the iron is made directly in the base 1.

In this case, the base 1, or at least these parts of it which touch the plate or are very close thereto, are made of materials which support the plate operation temperatures.

The base 1 includes, near the support surface 3, and in particular, in the fore part thereof, a housing 6, which opens outward of the base 1.

An access hole 4 is made in the pad 30, situated in such a way, as to be in alignment with the above housing 6, when the pad is placed in its proper position.

Temperature measuring means 5 are removably mounted in the housing 6 for measuring the temperature of the iron plate when the latter rests on the support surface 3.

According to the illustrated embodiment, the temperature measuring means include a thermocouple of known type, having a surface 51, sensitive to the temperature, facing outward of the housing 6 and of the access hole 4 of the pad 30.

The sensitive surface 51 is situated in such a way, as to be very close to the iron plate, or to touch it, when it rests on the pad 30.

In this case, the sensitive surface 51 includes a pair of protrusions which extend from the body of the thermocouple 5.

The thermocouple 5 includes also presence detecting means 53, which detect the presence of the plate resting on the pad 30.

In the shown thermocouple, the detecting means 53 include a pair of electrically conductive terminals, which come to touch the resting plate and coincide with the above mentioned protrusions of the sensitive surface 51.

The contact between the plate and the terminals 53 causes the closure of an enabling electric circuit present in the thermocouple 5.

However, the presence of the above described detecting means 53 is not essential for the objects of the present invention, and can be omitted using normal thermocouples 5, which do not include such means, and which have, for example, only one protrusion which acts as a sensitive surface 51.

Moreover, the temperature measuring means different than thermocouples and normally accessible on the market, can be likewise advantageously used for the objects of the invention.

Decoding and control means 7, housed inside the base 1, are electrically connected to the thermocouple 5 and receive from the latter a signal indicating the temperature detected thereby.

The decoding and control means 7 include a printed circuit board containing an appropriate electric circuit, which will not. be described, since it can be easily obtained with normal basic electronic design techniques.

Obviously, the decoding and controller card 7 includes an input gate, for receiving the temperature reading signal from the thermocouple 5, and an output gate, for transmitting the corresponding codified signals to display means 9, likewise made in the base 1, by a suitable electric connection.

The display means 9 are mounted, so as to be visible by the user of the monitoring device 100, and they visualize the detected temperature measured by the thermocouple 5 in graphic form.

Obviously, the coding of the information transmitted to the display means 9 by the controller card 7 depends on the nature of the display means 9.

In particular, the latter include a numeric seven segments visualizing device (display), obtained by liquid <BR> <BR> <BR> crystals or light-emitting diode (LED) technology, and are housed in a recess 11 made in the fore part lb of the base 1.

The fore part 1b is slightly raised with respect to the remaining part of the structure 1 in order to facilitate viewing of the display 9.

The circuit of the decoding and controller card 7 includes preferably also a section for recognizing a critical temperature threshold, and for activating suitable alarm means.

This section recognizes and signals the reaching or exceeding of the above mentioned temperature threshold,

corresponding to a value thereof, beyond which the iron operation can be damaging or dangerous to the iron or to the user.

Actually, the irons are normally equipped with an inner device, which intervenes, by e. g. power supply deactivation, in case of exceeding a critical temperature, typically about 250°C.

This device intervenes in case of failure of the thermostatic device, with which the iron is equipped.

However, the power supply deactivation causes some problems, for example the necessity to wait for some time before re-activating the apparatus.

In the meantime, the iron heated to the temperature close to the critical one, could have damaged the articles being ironed or the support, on which the iron rests.

The above mentioned alarm means can include either a buzzer of known type, or a light device, or they can activate the display means 9 in anomalous way, for example by making them flash at intervals.

The monitoring device 100 includes also additional elements necessary or useful for its operation, not shown for obvious simplicity reasons.

These additional elements include an electric power supply section, a cord for connection to the electric main with its plug, and possibly, the device turn-on switch.

The operation of the present monitoring device 100 will be now described shortly, because it can be easily conceived.

After having been turned on, the device 100 is ready to perform its task.

When, while waiting for the iron to heat, or during the ironing operations, the user wants to lay the iron down, he/she puts it with the plate on the support surface 3 of the pad 30.

The metallic heating surface of the plate is then brought close to or to touch the sensitive surface 51 of the thermocouple 5, which measures its temperature.

If there is the presence detector 53, its terminals go to touch the plate 5 and close the enabling circuit, thus enabling the thermocouple 5 to transmit a significant signal of the value of the plate temperature to the . controller card 7.

If there is no presence detector 53, the signal is transmitted continuously to the card 7.

In this case, the device 100 can advantageously operate <BR> <BR> <BR> <BR> also as an environment thermometer, when the hot iron does not rest thereon.

The card 7 decodes the signal coming from the thermocouple 5 and transmits it to the display 9 according to the seven segments code and with a number of figures appropriate in accordance with the nature of the display 9.

Thus, the numeric value of the temperature is visualized and made available to the user.

Also in this case, it is obvious that the information concerning the temperature can be displayed in different form, using types different from the display 9.

For example, LED bars can be used, with segments of different colors, to be illuminated gradually as the detected temperature increases.

According to another embodiment of the invention, shown in Figure 5, the monitoring device 100 is connected to the ironing table 20.

In particular, the device can be advantageously situated in the part of the ironing table aimed at housing the iron. The base 1 can be simply fixed in the suitably prepared structure of the table 20, or made in the same body as the structure of the table 20.

According to another embodiment, not shown, but immediately conceived, the device 100 is integrated in the body of the steam iron heater, with separate heater.

Also in this case, the considerations made above with reference to the previous embodiment of the device 100, are valid.

One of the advantages of the present invention lies in the fact that, in every moment of the ironing operation, the user of the monitoring device 100 can be sure to work at the correct temperature for all articles he/she has to iron.

This info : @rmation is supplied to him/her in a clear, simple and accurate way.

Another advantage of the proposed device derives from the fact that it can signal the iron anomalous operation conditions, for example overheating, thus it improves the iron safety.

A further advantage of the proposed device lies in the fact that it can be supplied as an independent article, to be used with already existing irons or as an optional accessory of a new iron.

In all cases, the present device can be applied and used without the necessity of installation operation or parts disassembling and mounting.