Ironing is perhaps one the most relaxing activities known to man. The steam, the soft sizzle, the repeated yet gentle movement and seeing the creases disappearing from clothes have a rather soothing effect on anyone who appreciates neatly ironed clothes. But steam irons available in the markets today don’t always deliver the convenience they promise. They are bulky with tonnes of knobs, complicated settings and spill water all over your ironing if you’re not too careful. This is where this nifty little creation from Ary Kotlik comes in.
The Argentinean designer has tried to simplify the otherwise complex steam iron by separating the steam-generating component of the gadget from the iron itself. The concept is composed of two parts: a base and an iron that are connected through a hose. The base houses a super-efficient boiler that creates the steam which is delivered to the iron. This frees the iron from carrying the load of the water and having additional mechanics inside it to create the steam. This also allows the iron to be used vertically on curtains and clothes on hangers, which cannot be done too easily with a traditional steam iron.
A handy joystick located on the iron’s handle allows the user to manipulate the settings easily while two buttons located at the back of the base wind the electric cable and the hose when the iron is no longer in use. On the inside, the iron comes laced with a water-purification filter and a really smart microprocessor that creates a frequency-modulated electromagnetic field inside the supply pipe that feeds the boiler. This feature basically eradicates any mineral formation inside the iron’s plumbing thus ensuring trouble-free operation.
Other intuitive features of the concept include the display screen which beams out information regarding ironing modes, temperature, etc. The handle also houses the anti-mineral filter and can be rotated 180º to expose the filter as well as to release the water in the tank. The iron is attached to the base via a magnetized plate on top that secures the soleplate of the iron to the base making it a handy child-proof security feature.
The design was selected among the twenty-five finalists in the Philips iron steam design contest and its user-friendliness certainly makes it a concept that ought to be seen in the markets soon.
[Thanks Ary]