Portable Garment Steaming System

Abstract

A clothing de-wrinkling device which employs clips to hold shirts and pants at two points and expose the fabric surfaces to steam communicated to a closed enclosure. The clips when engaged will hold the fabric of the shirts or pants taught and thereby increase the de-wrinkling of the steam. Also provided are shirt sleeve engagement members which will hold the two side portions of shirt sleeves taught during exposure to steam.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/367,383 filed on Jul. 24, 2010, and is incorporated herein in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] 1. Field of the Invention

[0003] The present invention relates to devices configured for portability and to hang and enclose garments for garment care purposes. More particularly to a device configured to hold clothing in a manner to best expose all surfaces while concurrently employing steam to remove wrinkles.

[0004] 2. Prior Art

[0005] Professional and consumer methods of cleaning garments have conventionally been the means to provide the average business person with clean, wrinkle free clothing. Many pressing methods employed by professional cleaners, typically employ high pressure steam and can be costly for the consumer. Additionally, such high temperature and pressure devices commercially employed can even cause permanent damage to the garment fabric if used incorrectly. Furthermore, professional pressing of clothing, and or cleaning methods and services, are generally time consuming in that it takes a day or two to have clothing cleaned and pressed. Even in hotels, clothing left for the hotel staff to clean and/or press, generally takes a few hours and in a hotel such services are prohibitively expensive. Such time consuming and generally expensive services are generally undesirable for the on-the-go business person. This is because they generally are moving from hotel to hotel and meeting a strict schedule to leave and meet clients. Having to wait for the hotel or a commercial cleaner, to deliver an unwrinkled and/or clean shirt or pants is simply not an option.

[0006] However, hotels have little to offer guests in the way of a means to de-wrinkle clothing that has spent a few days in a suitcase, other than a conventional steam iron, or laundry service. The same problem exists in homes as the steam iron, or perhaps dryer with steam capability is the only option to render wrinkled clothing presentable.

[0007] Prior art has shown attempts to provide devices for enclosing garments for wrinkle removal or garment freshening such as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,576,079 to Hauser and 7,444,840 to Jackson et. al. These, and other prior art devices, however do not provide adequate support for the garment during the steaming process as needed, to expose all surfaces and hold them in an as-worn position during steaming for sufficient removal of wrinkles.

[0008] As such there is a continuing and unmet need for an improved device for removal of wrinkles in garments which suffer from such an affliction due to suitcase storage or having been laid too long and become wrinkled. Such a device should eliminate the time consuming and potentially damaging process of using a steam iron. Ideally, such a device, in addition to de-wrinkling clothing, should also refresh it through a light cleaning. Further, such a device should be sufficiently small to allow its repositioning within hotel rooms as a guest-accommodation, or in laundry rooms or dorm rooms where space is at a premium. Such a device should provide support for various aspects of a garment, such as the arm sleeves or pant legs, to position it much like the garment would be if worn by the user. Finally, in one mode, the device should be collapsible and portable for the on-the-go business person, or to make it easy for a hotel to move it to a room or any other location convenient for a user.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in prior art and achieves the above noted goals through the provision of a garment enclosure configured to expose clothing to a cloud of steam employing a framework for supporting clothing and a surrounding enclosure. The framework may employ fixed supports or may include telescoping or collapsible support elements for more compact storage or transportation. Furthermore the enclosure adapted to surround the clothing engaged to the frame may be any of a rigid door, a fabric enclosure or a flexible plastic curtain. Employing the fabric or flexible plastics aids in the collapsible nature of the collapsible mode of the device. For more permanent installations, such as hotel rooms or laundry rooms, the enclosure may be formed of solid plastic or glass operatively engaged to more rigid support elements for the framework.

[0010] The device in the preferred mode, employs a means to support garments within the enclosure such as hangers and clips to maintain a majority of the garment surfaces exposed to the steam held within the enclosure. It is particularly preferred that the device employs form components for positional biasing of the arm sleeves or pant legs of a garment. Furthermore these support means may also aid in producing or maintaining crease lines in garments as is often seen in formalwear.

[0011] In general the device employs a means to produce steam and circulate the steam throughout the enclosure, which on contact with fabric, will remove wrinkles on the enclosed supported garments. This may include, but is not limited to, a water reservoir, heating means to produce steam, and one or a plurality of circulating fans. There may additionally be exhaust fans for removing steam and drying the garment.

[0012] With respect to the above description, before explaining at least one preferred embodiment of the herein disclosed invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangement of the components in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention herein described is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways, which will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

[0013] As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception upon which this disclosure is based may readily be utilized as a basis for designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present disclosed device. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent construction and methodology insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0014] It is an object of the invention to provide a garment enclosure with a means to produce steam for removal of wrinkles.

[0015] It is a further object of the invention to provide support components for an enclosed garment including hangers and clips.

[0016] It is another object of the invention to provide form components for arm sleeves or pant legs of garments to enhance the removal of wrinkles and maintaining crease lines.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING FIGURES

[0017] FIG. 1 shows isometric view of the device detailing the various components.

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a front view of the device.

[0019] FIG. 3 is a bottom view of the lid component of the device detailing the hanger mount.

[0020] FIG. 4 shows a front view of the lid component of the device.

[0021] FIG. 5 depicts a front view of the shirt hanger component of the device.

[0022] FIG. 6 is a front view of the pants hanger component of the device.

[0023] FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of the clip component of the device.

[0024] FIG. 7a depicts a mode of the engagement collar which allows for a snap-on engagement to the upright members.

[0025] FIG. 8 shows a front view of the clip component of the device.

[0026] FIG. 8a depicts the rotatable sleeve engagement forms employable with the device for shirts.

[0027] FIG. 9 is a view of the base component of the device detailing the various circulation fans and steam producing means.

[0028] FIG. 10 is a top view of the base component of the device.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0029] Now referring to drawings in FIGS. 1-10, wherein similar components are identified by like reference numerals, there is seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 views of the device 10 depicting the enclosure 12 and framework. The framework is defined by a lid 14, base 16, and a plurality of support members 18, 19, 21, 23 extending therebetween.

[0030] In a particularly preferred mode the support members 18, 19, 21, 23 are comprised of a plurality of coaxially aligned concentric cylindrical elements that are slidably engaged in a telescopic manner as a means to collapse the device 10 for compact storage of the device 10. However, the support members may also be of a fixed length should collapsing the device 10 not be a desired requirement.

[0031] In this mode providing for collapse, the support members 18, 19, 21, 23 can be locked in an upright position for supporting the enclosure in the as used mode as described. It must be noted that those skilled in the art would recognize various other ways to store and compact the device and are anticipated in this disclosure and should not be considered limited by the depictions and descriptions set forth in the figures. In additions the structural support of the device 10 achieved by the support members could as well be achieved by more or fewer such members while four are shown merely for demonstrative purposes.

[0032] A shirt hanger 20 is slidably engaged to the lid 14 at mount 38 (FIG. 2). The shirt hanger 20 employs a shape similar to shirt hangers known in the art while the shoulders of a shirt are engaged to the hanger 20 by conventional means. The slidable engagement allows for selective positioning as desired within the enclosure 12. A removably engageable shirt hem clip 22 is slidably engaged to the first support member 18 and second support member 23 via slidable friction engagement of coaxially aligned concentric engagement collars 32. The clip 22 is preferably inline in a vertical plane with the shirt hanger 20 and provides a means to secure the bottom hem area of a shirt (not shown) and thereby hold the front and rear fabric surfaces of the shirt, taught. In this manner the hem clip 22 can be employed to attach to the shirt as a means to maintain a biasing tension on a shirt engaged to the hanger 20 to maintain the taught positioning and to further aid in the removal of wrinkles.

[0033] A first 24 and a second 26 sleeve form are both rotatably engaged to the clip 22 at or near the engagement collars 32. In use, the sleeve forms 24, 26 are inserted into the sleeve or alternatively the pant leg portions of a garment, to bias the sleeve or pant leg portions away from contact with the body portion of the garment. The sleeve forms 24 and 26 engage within the sleeve or pant lag by a sliding thereon which compresses the forms 24 and 26. The forms being formed of resilient material, rebound to their expanded shape and thereby impart a taughtness to the sleeve, or if inserted to a pant leg, to the pant leg. This taughtness causes the garment material to lay flat on both sides and to expose substantially all of the outer surface of a garment during wrinkle removal. There is an additional clip 21 on which a t-shirt or other garment can be engaged for desired wrinkle removal.

[0034] A pants hanger 28 is slidably engaged to the lid 14 at the mount 38 or could be engaged to the interior frame. In use the waistband of a pair of pants (not shown) are engaged to the pants hanger 28 with the pant legs extending toward the pant cuff clip 30 for operative engagement with the ankle cuff portions of the pants. The pants clip 30 is slidably engaged to the third support member 19 and fourth support member 21 via slidable friction engagement of coaxially aligned concentric engagement collars 32. The pants clip 30 can similarly provide a means to employ a biasing tension on pants engaged upon an upper end, to the pants hanger 28, and to maintain the exposed fabric taught, for improved wrinkle removal as well as maintaining the crease line commonly seen in formalwear.

[0035] The base component 16 of the device 10 houses the steam production means 36. Also provided therein are one or a plurality of circulation fans 34. The steam production means 36 may include a water reservoir and heat source operatively communicating with the water, or a hot or cold steam producing device such as those using ultrasonic sound, or other steam producing devices as would occur to those skilled in the art. The device 10 further preferably includes a blower or exhaust fan 38 for removal of steam from the chamber and providing a means to aid in the drying of a garment after a steam treatment.

[0036] Details of the lid 14 are shown in a bottom view in FIG. 3. The lid 14 employs a mounting means 38 for slidable engagement with the shirt hanger 20 and pants hanger 28 (FIGS. 5 and 6). The mount 38 employs a slotted arrangement 40 to operatively receive the slidable engagement mounts 42,44 of the shirt hanger 20 and pants hanger 28 respectively (FIGS. 5 and 6). A front view is further seen in FIG. 4. The means for slidable engagement within the slot 40 of the mount 38 will become apparent upon further description of the shirt hanger and pants hanger components shortly.

[0037] The lid 14 further employs a plurality of operatively placed receiving cavities 41 for engagement with the support members 18, 19, 21, 23 to define the framework. The means of engagement can be permanent or removable depending on the desired portability of the current mode of the device 10.

[0038] FIG. 5 shows a front view of the shirt hanger component 20 of the device 10. As mentioned previously the shirt hanger 20 is of a general shape of shirt hangers known in the art and is preferably of such a resistant material as to withstand the moisture and temperature conditions experienced in a steam rich environment. The slidable engagement mount 42 of the shirt hanger 20 is further shown and is employed for removable and slidable engagement within the slot 40 of the mount 38. In this manner a user can remove the hanger 20 to better operatively engage a shirt to it and replace it for steam cleaning as desired. It must be noted that those skilled in the art would recognize various other shapes, orientations, and means for slotted, removable, and slidable engagement of the components of the device while those depicted in the figures are shown merely as the simplest description purposes. Therefor such modifications that are within the scope of the disclosed invention are anticipated.

[0039] An additional t-shirt hanger 21 is engaged to the shirt hanger 20 to provide the user with a means to removably engage a t-shirt. The hanger 21 may be a clip or any other means for removable engagement.

[0040] Shown in FIG. 6 is a front view of the pants hanger 28 component of the device 10. The pants hanger 28 further employs a slidable engagement mount 44 employed for removable and slidable engagement within the slot 40 of the mount 38 on the lid component 14 of the device 10.

[0041] A view detailing the elements of the clip component 22 can be seen in FIG. 7. It must be noted that in a particularly preferred mode of the device 10 both the shirt clip 22 and pant cuff clip 30 are of substantially similar construction insofar as the depictions and description set forth in FIGS. 7 and 8 hold true for both of them. However, it is within the scope of the invention to employ specialized shirt hem clips or pant cuff clips that are specific to the garment they operatively engage with and is anticipated. As such the use of two similar clips as mentioned was chosen merely for demonstrative purposes and should not be considered limiting. Further, in a manufacturing sense, it may be desirable to produce only one style clip to reduce costs.

[0042] The removably engageable clip 22 generally includes a first portion 46 and a second portion 48 that are rotationally engaged and biased toward a closed position (shown in the figure) by a rotatable biased engagement means such as a spring loaded hinge 53. In use, a user will engage the respective garment between the biased engagement of the clip portions 46,48 which is engaged to the cross member 49 held elevated by the collars 32 engagement to the support members. Slidable frictional engagement of the clip 22 to the support members 18, 19, 21, 23 is achieved via engagement collars 32. In use, the engagement collars 32 are coaxially aligned and concentrically engage about the support members. A front view can be seen in FIG. 8.

[0043] In FIG. 7a there is shown a mode of the engagement collar 32 which has a gap 33 therein allowing for the two sections making up the collar 32 to be biased outward away from the gap 33 when the collar 32 is slid upon or off of the support members 18, 19, 21, 23. This allows for a clip-on engagement. The collars 32 would be formed of resilient material which would return to the original configuration which is sized to provide a slidable frictional engagement with the support members.

[0044] FIG. 8a depicts rotatably engaged sleeve forms 24, 26 which as noted above, are inserted into the sleeve portions of a garment, or within pant legs, to bias the sleeve away from contact with the body portion of the garment. The collapsing of the resilient forms 24 and 26, to get them inserted into the sleeve, is resisted by the forms 24 and 26 which rebound after an insertion. The rebound exerts a bias to the intersection of the front and rear walls of the sleeve or pant leg, and a taughtness to both surfaces. Thus the insertion and rebound provide a means to force the two surfaces of a sleeve or pantleg taught and to expose substantially all of the outer surface of that portion of the garment during wrinkle removal with the device.

[0045] The sleeve forms 24, 26 are rotatably engaged to the cross member 49 which holds the clips 22 at or near the engagement collars 32. A void 51 within the frame forming the clips 22 allows for the frame forming the clip 22 and thus both sleeve forms 24 and 26, to compress into the void 51 when a sleeve or a pantleg is slid upon the clip 22. The clips 22 forming the forms 24 and 26, naturally rebounds outward to hold the fabric of the sleeve taught during employment of the device, and exposing it to the maximum amount of steam.

[0046] FIG. 9 shows a detailed view of the base component 16 of the device 10. The base component 16 similarly employs a plurality of receiving cavities 41 for operative engagement with the support members of the device 10 further defining the framework as previously described. One of a plurality of circulation fans 34 are employed within the body of the base component 16 and provide a means to evenly distribute steam throughout the enclosure of the device 10. A power source such as an AC plug or battery may further be employed within the base component 16.

[0047] A means to produce steam 36 is preferably located within the base component 16 of the device 10. The steam production means 36 may include elements known in the art for producing steam from liquid water such as but not limited to a water reservoir and a heating means. It is particularly preferred that the steam production means 36 produce a composition of steam that is advantageous to wrinkle removal in garments. A top view is further seen in FIG. 10.

[0048] While all of the fundamental characteristics and features of the invention have been shown and described herein, with reference to particular embodiments thereof, a latitude of modification, various changes and substitutions are intended in the foregoing disclosure and it will be apparent that in some instances, some features of the invention may be employed without a corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth. It should also be understood that various substitutions, modifications, and variations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. Consequently, all such modifications and variations and substitutions are included within the scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Claims

1. An apparatus for removal of garment wrinkles, comprising: an exterior wall extending between a top and a base portion and defining an enclosure; a frame located within said enclosure; means to hang garments within said enclosure; an upper portion of said means to hang garments engaged to one of said top or said frame; a lower portion of said means to hang garments being engaged to said frame; means to communicate steam to said enclosure; and means to impart a taughtness to surfaces of said garments hung in said enclosure, and communicating between said upper portion and said lower portion, said taughtness of said surfaces providing a means to expose a majority of an area of said surfaces of said garment to said steam, whereby garments hung in said enclosure and held taught are dewrinkled by said steam.

2. A device of claim 1 additionally comprising: said upper portion of said means to hang garments including: means for temporary engagement to a waistband of a pair of pants; means for temporary engagement to a shoulder area of a shirt having a body area below said shoulder area; said lower portion of said means to hang garments including: means for temporary engagement to the distal ends of pant legs extending below said waistband; and means to temporarily engage the bottom edge of said shirt, opposite said shoulder portion.

3. The device of claim 1 additionally comprising: a pair of elongated sleeve frames, configured of resilient material; said sleeve frames insertable into distal ends of sleeves extending from said shoulder portion of said shirt to an inserted position; said frames in said inserted position, imparting a bias to communication points of two fabric walls forming said sleeves; and said bias providing means to impart a taughtness to said fabric walls and thereby maximize an area of said fabric walls exposed to said steam.

4. The device of claim 2 additionally comprising: a pair of elongated sleeve frames, configured of resilient material; said sleeve frames insertable into distal ends of sleeves extending from said shoulder portion of said shirt to an inserted position; said frames in said inserted position, imparting a bias to communication points of two fabric walls forming said sleeves; and said bias providing means to impart a taughtness to said fabric walls and thereby maximize an area of said fabric walls exposed to said steam.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein said means for temporary engagement to the distal ends of pant legs extending below said waistband, comprises: an elongated clip engaged to said frame and having two contacting members; and means to bias said two contacting members to a biased contact therebetween where by said distal ends of said pant legs are insertable between said two contracting members and held their by said biased contact.

6. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for temporary engagement to the distal ends of pant legs extending below said waistband, comprises: an elongated clip engaged to said frame and having two contacting members; and means to bias said two contacting members to a biased contact therebetween where by said distal ends of said pant legs are insertable between said two contracting members and held their by said biased contact.

7. The device of claim 3 wherein said means for temporary engagement to the distal ends of pant legs extending below said waistband, comprises: an elongated clip having two contacting members; and means to bias said two contacting members to a biased contact therebetween where by said distal ends of said pant legs are insertable between said two contracting members and held their by said biased contact.

8. The device of claim 4 wherein said means for temporary engagement to the distal ends of pant legs extending below said waistband, comprises: an elongated clip having two contacting members; and means to bias said two contacting members to a biased contact therebetween where by said distal ends of said pant legs are insertable between said two contracting members and held their by said biased contact.

9. The device of claim 3 wherein one end of said sleeve frames are rotationally engaged to said frame and a rotation of said sleeve frames provides means to move and maintain said sleeves a distance away from a central body area of said shirt.

10. The device of claim 4 wherein one end of said sleeve frames are rotationally engaged to said frame and a rotation of said sleeve frames provides means to move and maintain said sleeves a distance away from a central body area of said shirt.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein one end of said sleeve frames are rotationally engaged to said frame and a rotation of said sleeve frames provides means to move and maintain said sleeves a distance away from a central body area of said shirt.

12. The device of claim 8 wherein one end of said sleeve frames are rotationally engaged to said frame and a rotation of said sleeve frames provides means to move and maintain said sleeves a distance away from a central body area of said shirt.

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