Abstract:
A machine and method for heating and setting a garment to a desired shape. The machine includes heating chambers, heating device, and a conveying device. The heating chambers are selectively isolateable from one another. The heating device provides dry heat or moist heat to each of the heating chambers. The conveying device moves a plurality of carriers through each of the heating chambers. The carriers have the desired shape and receive the garment thereon. The method includes loading the garment on a carrier having the desired shape, moving the carrier through a plurality of heating chambers; exposing the carrier to dry heat or moist heat in each of the plurality of heating chambers; and selectively isolating the plurality of heating chambers from one another so that the garment absorbs a desired heat profile during movement through the plurality of heating chambers.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 10/330,922 filed Dec. 27, 2002, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,835,258. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to machines and methods for textile and garment manufacturing. More particularly, the present invention relates to machines and methods for heating and setting the shape of textiles, garments, and fabric tubes.  
         [0004]     2. Description of Related Art  
         [0005]     In the conventional garment manufacturing processes, a number of distinct finishing steps are performed to a garment blank to define the finished garment. One common finishing step is heating a garment, imparting a desired shape or configuration (hereinafter “shape”), and then setting the garment in that desired shape.  
         [0006]     Many prior art machines produce a lower number of garments than desired. Other more complex machines can produce an acceptable number of garments, but can do so only because they are limited to one heat setting cycle corresponding to that garment.  
         [0007]     It has been determined that there is a continuing need in the garment manufacturing industry for heating and setting machines that overcome and/or mitigate one or more of the aforementioned deleterious effects and deficiencies of the prior art.  
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0008]     It is an object of the present invention to provide a heat and setting machine and method for textiles, garments, and fabric tubes.  
         [0009]     It is another object to provide an adaptable heat and setting machine and method.  
         [0010]     It is yet another object to provide a heat setting machine and method that increases the speed and flexibility of the production of textiles, garments, and fabric tubes (hereinafter “garment”) requiring shaping.  
         [0011]     These and other objects and advantages are provided by a machine having heating chambers, a heating device, and a conveying device. The heating chambers are selectively isolateable from one another. The heating device provides dry heat or moist heat to each of the heating chambers. The conveying device moves a plurality of carriers through each of the heating chambers. The carriers have a desired shape and receive a garment thereon.  
         [0012]     These and other objects and advantages are provided by a method of heating and setting a garment to a desired shape. The method includes loading the garment on a carrier having the desired shape, moving the carrier through a plurality of heating chambers; exposing the carrier to dry heat or moist heat in each of the plurality of heating chambers; and selectively isolating the plurality of heating chambers from one another so that the garment absorbs a desired heat profile during movement through the plurality of heating chambers.  
         [0013]     The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawing, and appended claims. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0014]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a heat setting machine according to the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0015]     Referring to the drawing and in particular to  FIG. 1 , an exemplary embodiment of a garment heating and setting machine according to the present invention is generally referred to by reference numeral  10 . Machine  10  can selectively move one or more garment carriers  12  through one or more finishing stations  14 . Advantageously, machine  10  is a modular machine that provides for a high production rate of garments and is easily adaptable for a variety of different garments and fabrics.  
         [0016]     Finishing stations  14  expose carrier  12  to conditions sufficient to heat set a garment  16  disposed on the carrier. In this manner, machine  10  can set the shape of garment  16 , which has thermoplastic synthetic fibers, to the shape of carrier  12 .  
         [0017]     Carrier  12  has a predetermined shape that substantially matches the shape of one or more portions of the desired finished garment. For example, carrier  12  can, when used in the production of women&#39;s shirts and/or brassieres, have a three-dimensional shape replicating the upper torso of a woman including predetermined chest and breast sizes. An exemplary carrier  12  contemplated for use with the present disclosure is shown and described in commonly owned and assigned U.S. Patent Publication No. 2004/0222249, the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein.  
         [0018]     For purposes of clarity, machine  10  is shown having two identically shaped carriers  12 . Of course, it is contemplated for machine  10  to include more or less than two carriers  12  and/or for the carriers to have the same or different shapes.  
         [0019]     Machine  10  includes a conveying device  18  such as, but not limited, to a chain, a belt, and other conveying devices. Conveying device  18  is driven by a motor (not shown) in a machine direction  20  through and/or past finishing stations  14 .  
         [0020]     Machine  10  can selectively engage and disengage carrier  12  from conveying device  18 . In this manner, machine  10  can be supplied with carriers  12  having any desired shape. Thus, machine  10  can be easily converted from producing garments having one shape to garments having a different shape. In some embodiments, machine  10  can simultaneously produce garments having a different shape.  
         [0021]     Finishing stations  14  include a first heating chamber  22 , a second heating chamber  24 , a third heating chamber  26 , and a fourth heating chamber  28 . Machine  10  defines machine direction  20  of conveying device  18  through each of the heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Thus, carrier  12  can be moved through the heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  to expose garment  16  to a desired heat profile. While in heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 , machine  10  exposes garment  16  to heat sufficient in time and temperature to conform at least some of the fibers of garment  16  to the shape of carrier  12 .  
         [0022]     Heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  include a heating device  30  for heating each chamber to a desired temperature. In this manner, the heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  can be controlled to the same and/or different temperatures.  
         [0023]     Heating device  30  can provide dry hot air and/or atmospheric steam to heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Preferably, heating device  30  can heat chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  up to about 220 degrees Celsius, with between about 160 to about 200 degrees Celsius being most preferred. In the illustrated embodiment, heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  share a common heating device  30 . However, it is contemplated by the present disclosure for each heating chamber  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  to have a separate heating device  30 . For example, each heating chamber  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  can have its own separate furnace and/or electric heating device for providing hot air and/or atmospheric steam to its respective chamber. In this manner, at least some of the heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  can be provided with dry heat (i.e., hot air) while other heating chambers are provided with moist heat (i.e., atmospheric steam).  
         [0024]     Preferably, machine  10  includes an entrance door  32  positioned at the entrance of first heating chamber  22  and an exit door  34  positioned at the exit of fourth heating chamber  28 . In addition, machine  10  includes isolation doors  36  positioned between adjoining heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Machine  10  can use isolation doors  36  (all shown in the open position) to selectively isolate chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28  from one another. In this manner, machine  10  can allow adjoining chambers to be maintained at different temperatures and/or for atmospheric steam to be injected into the chambers, as desired.  
         [0025]     In this manner, machine  10  can provide as many as four different temperature zones when all isolation doors  36  are closed or as few as one temperature zone when the isolation doors are open. Accordingly, machine  10  is a modular machine that can easily be adapted to heat garments  16  that only require one heating temperature in all four chambers. Alternately, machine  10  can easily be adapted to heat garments  16  that only require multiple heating temperature by closing the chambers from one another.  
         [0026]     In use, machine  10  opens entrance door  32  to allow conveying device  18  to move carrier  12  into first heating chamber  22 . Once carrier  12  is in first heating chamber  22 , machine  10  closes the entrance door  32 . Machine  10  can control conveying device  18  to move carrier  12  through one or more of heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . Once the heating cycle is completed, machine  10  opens exit door  34  to allow conveying device  18  to move carrier  12  out of fourth heating chamber  28 . After carrier  12  out of fourth heating chamber  28 , machine  10  closes exit door  34 .  
         [0027]     Machine  10  can be configured to expose garment  16  to any desired heat profile necessary to set the shape of at least some of fibres in the garment. The desired heat profile of machine  10  will depend on the yarn type, fabric blend, and knit construction of garment  16 . For example, where garment  16  is made of nylon 66, machine  10  can expose the garment to a temperature of about 180 to about 190 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 60 seconds. In another example where garment  16  is made of nylon 6, machine  10  can expose the garment to a temperature of about 165 to about 180 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 60 seconds. In yet another example where garment  16  is made of polyester, machine  10  can expose the garment to a temperature of about 190 to about 200 degrees Celsius for about 30 to 60 seconds.  
         [0028]     As seen in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , finishing stations  14  can include an entry chamber  38  before first heating chamber  22 . Machine  10  defines machine direction  20  of conveying device  18  through entry chamber  38 . Entry chamber  38  includes an entrance door  42  (shown in the open position) that is selectively openable and closeable. In the open position, door  42  allows carrier  12  to be moved into entry chamber  38 .  
         [0029]     As seen in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , finishing stations  14  can include an exit chamber  40  after fourth heating chamber  28 . Machine  10  defines machine direction  20  of conveying device  18  through exit chamber  40 . Exit chamber  40  includes a selectively openable door  44 . In the open position, door  44  allows carrier  12  to be moved out of exit chamber  40 . Preferably, exit chamber  40  includes a cooling device (not shown) for removing heat from and, thus, reducing the temperature of garment  16  to set the fibers of the garment to the shape of carrier  12 .  
         [0030]     As also seen in the embodiment illustrated in  FIG. 1 , finishing stations  14  can include a wetting chamber  46  before entry chamber  38 . Machine  10  defines machine direction  20  of conveying device  18  past wetting chamber  46  so that carrier  12  can be taken offline of the conveying device during wetting. Wetting chamber  46  includes selectively openable doors  48 . In the open position, doors  48  allow carrier  12  to be moved into and out of wetting chamber  46 . Wetting chamber  46  can apply a wetting agent to garment  16  prior to exposure to the heat of heating chambers  22 ,  24 ,  26 ,  28 . The wetting agent applied by wetting chamber  46  can include agents such as, but not limited to water, moist steam, scouring agent, bleaching agent, or combinations thereof for cleaning, treating, and/or relaxing garment  16 .  
         [0031]     In a preferred embodiment, machine  10  can include one or more loading stations  46 . Machine  10  defines machine direction  20  of conveying device  18  past loading stations  46  so that carrier  12  can be taken offline of the conveying device during loading/unloading. Stations  46  can be used to load garment  16  onto carrier  12  and/or to unload heat set garments from the carrier. In addition, stations  46  can be used to load carriers  12  onto conveying device  18  and/or or unload the carriers from the conveying device.  
         [0032]     It should also be noted that the terms “first”, “second”, “third”, “upper”, “lower”, and the like may be used herein to modify various elements. These modifiers do not imply a spatial, sequential, or hierarchical order to the modified elements unless specifically stated.  
         [0033]     While the present disclosure has been described with reference to one or more exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the scope thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the present disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiment(s) disclosed as the best mode contemplated, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.