U.S. patent application number 10/446985 was filed with the patent office on 2003-11-27 for apparatus for the smoothing of shirts.
Invention is credited to Damrath, Joachim, Hafer, Christian, Spielmannleitner, Markus, wetzl, Gerhard.
Application Number | 20030218033 10/446985 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 7664539 |
Filed Date | 2003-11-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20030218033 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Damrath, Joachim ; et
al. |
November 27, 2003 |
Apparatus for the smoothing of shirts
Abstract
A device for smoothing garments and, especially, shirts,
includes an inflatable bag, whereby the garment is placed,
especially in the moist state, on the inflatable bag and is, then,
stretched and dried by hot air by inflating the inflatable bag. To
prevent the garment from being displaced on the inflatable bag, a
catch can be applied to the surface thereof, the catch having a
surface with a higher friction coefficient. The catch does not
impede air from permeating the inflatable bag so that the garment
will dry also in the coated areas. The catch can also be used to
specifically influence the air permeability of the cover of the
inflatable bag to achieve even drying of the garment.
Inventors: |
Damrath, Joachim;
(Bachhagel, DE) ; Hafer, Christian; (Erding,
DE) ; Spielmannleitner, Markus; (Ellwangen, DE)
; wetzl, Gerhard; (Sontheim, DE) |
Correspondence
Address: |
LERNER AND GREENBERG, P.A.
POST OFFICE BOX 2480
HOLLYWOOD
FL
33022-2480
US
|
Family ID: |
7664539 |
Appl. No.: |
10/446985 |
Filed: |
May 27, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
10446985 |
May 27, 2003 |
|
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PCT/EP01/13560 |
Nov 21, 2001 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
223/67 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 73/00 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
223/67 |
International
Class: |
A41H 005/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Nov 24, 2000 |
DE |
100 58 406.3 |
Claims
We claim:
1. An apparatus for smoothing shirts, comprising: an inflatable
shirt-shaped bag having a surface and a grid deposited at least on
parts of said surface.
2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said bag has a torso
portion, two sleeve portions, and a collar portion.
3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is an
anti-slip coating.
4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anti-slip
coating is flocking.
5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anti-slip
coating is constructed as flocking.
6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anti-slip
coating is in the form of elevations.
7. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said anti-slip
coating has elevations.
8. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein said elevations are
neps.
9. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said elevations are
neps.
10. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is
air-permeable.
11. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said grid is
air-permeable.
12. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is
air-impermeable.
13. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein said grid is
air-impermeable.
14. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is
deposited as dots in lines that are staggered in pairs.
15. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said grid is a
print-deposited grid.
16. An apparatus for smoothing shirts, comprising: an inflatable
shirt-shaped bag having a surface and a grid deposited one of on
parts of said surface and continuously on said surface.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending
International Application No. PCT/EP01/13560, filed Nov. 21, 2001,
which designated the United States and was not published in
English.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Field of the Invention
[0003] The invention relates to an apparatus for the smoothing of
shirts, wherein the shirts are laid upon an inflatable bag and
smoothed by hot air.
[0004] According to a known technique, shirts are smoothed by being
fastened at various points and blown and stretched by hot air.
Accordingly, the shirt can be pulled apart at the fastened
points.
[0005] According to another technique for the smoothing of shirts,
an inflatable bag is utilized, around which the shirt is placed. In
such a case, the shirt need not be fastened, because the inflatable
bag holds the shirt. The cuffs are smoothed by sleeve portions of
the inflatable bag. A known technique in the utilization of an
inflatable bag is to fasten the button strip and the sleeves or
collar of the shirt so as not to have to button it up, as taught by
U.S. Pat. No. 3,165,244 to Dosal.
[0006] In selecting the material for this kind of inflatable bag,
care is taken that, on one hand, the material conducts to the shirt
the energy that is conveyed by the hot air, and, on the other hand,
that the material is not heat-sensitive so that it does not become
worn under the heat effect of the supplied air. However, given the
utilization of only one material for fabricating an inflatable bag
according to the prior art, it is not possible to vary or modify
the respective surface property of the inflatable bag in particular
regions, or, if it is possible, this can be done only by
complicated measures such as providing multi-layer regions. But,
utilizing different materials raises the cost of the fabrication
methods and influences the behavior of the inflatable bag because
the individual pieces of the inflatable bag must be joined by seams
and are, consequently, of limited utility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an
apparatus for the smoothing of shirts that overcomes the
hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices
of this general type and in which the surface of the inflatable bag
can be adapted to specific conditions section by section; that is
to say, the surface properties can be varied section by
section.
[0008] With the foregoing and other objects in view, there is
provided, in accordance with the invention, an apparatus for
smoothing shirts with an inflatable shirt-shaped bag includes a
torso, two sleeve portions, and a collar portion, whereby a grid is
deposited, in parts or continuously, on the surface of the bag.
[0009] The grid on the surface of the inflatable bag can change the
property of the bag by reducing the air permeability of the
material. Thus, the portions of the bag in which a grid has been
deposited permit less heat transmission to the shirt than portions
in which a grid has not been applied. The grid, thus, makes it
possible to control the air permeability.
[0010] In accordance with another feature of the invention, the
grid can be configured such that it can serve as an anti-slip
flocking or an anti-slip coating in the form of neps. The provision
of an anti-slip flocking or anti-slip neps on the whole surface of
the shirt-shaped bag or only part of its surface in specified
regions makes it impossible for the shirt to slip off or out of
place once it has been placed on the bag, which would interfere
with the smoothing of the shirt by causing the formation of warps
or wrinkles. The smoothing process is, thus, simplified by the
improvement in adhesion by the flocking or neps. The neps or
elevations can be provided with a coating with a higher coefficient
of friction, particularly, on their top end.
[0011] In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the
regions in which the grid is provided as an anti-slip flocking is
air-permeable. As a result, the shirt is particularly
advantageously smoothed by the supplied hot air in these regions as
well. Alternatively, the grid can be air-impermeable.
[0012] In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the
grid can be deposited by a printing technique, for instance,
silkscreen printing. But it is also possible to utilize any
technique that is known to an ordinary person skilled in the art
for depositing the grid.
[0013] In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention,
preferably, the grid is deposited as dots in lines that are
staggered in pairs. The air permeability can, thus, be influenced
by the surface area of the dots.
[0014] Other features that are considered as characteristic for the
invention are set forth in the appended claims.
[0015] Although the invention is illustrated and described herein
as embodied in an apparatus for the smoothing of shirts, it is,
nevertheless, not intended to be limited to the details shown
because various modifications and structural changes may be made
therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and
within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
[0016] The construction and method of operation of the invention,
however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof,
will be best understood from the following description of specific
embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying
drawings.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0017] FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, front elevational view of an
apparatus for smoothing shirts according to the invention; and
[0018] FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view of an exemplifying
embodiment of the inventive grid according to the invention on the
surface of an inflatable bag.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0019] Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and
first, particularly to FIG. 2 thereof, there is shown a schematic
front view of an apparatus 1 for smoothing shirts with an
inflatable bag 2 which is mounted on a base 6 (represented in a
fragment). The inflatable bag 2 includes a torso portion 3, two
sleeve portions 4, and a collar portion 5. The base 6, which also
serves as a stand for the device, includes a fan 7 and a heater 8
for inflating the bag 2 with hot air.
[0020] As represented in FIG. 2, a grid 7 is deposited on the
surface of the bag 2. As a result, in the region of the grid 7,
only those locations of the bag 2 at which the grid 7 has not been
deposited conduct hot air to the shirt on the bag 2. In other
words, the locations at which the grid 7 is provided repel the air
that is introduced into the bag 2.
[0021] The grid 7 is constructed as an anti-slip coating in the
form of neps. Such a coating guarantees that the shirt cannot slip
off or out of place once it has been placed on the bag so that the
smoothing of the shirt is not adversely affected by the formation
of warps or wrinkles.
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