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.

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.

Claims

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.