Patent Publication Number: US-7581492-B2

Title: Silk screen sample apparatus with integrated heat press device

Description:
FIELD OF INVENTION 
     This invention relates, generally, to silk screening devices; more particularly, to multi-color silk screening devices, which feature an integrated heat press unit. 
     BACKGROUND 
     The art of silk screening or screen printing has been used by printers for many decades in order to print multi-colored images on textiles. Silk screen devices typically operate by impressing an image on a garment by passing a dye soaked squeegee over a stencil with the desired image. These devices allow a myriad of multi-colored images to be imprinted through multiple passes of the squeegee while using different stencils. Also heat press units (also referred to as embossing units or press-thermoprinters) have been developed and used in garment production for printing, fusing certain materials to textiles, preparation of shirt collars and cuffs, and further such applications. Heat press units may be used in order to print images and/or to fuse objects to the garment. 
     Oftentimes, for the production of garments that use both silk screening and heat pressing, the garment first is placed on the silk screen device for screen printing. Then, once silk screening operations are completed, the garment is moved from the silk screening device to the heat pressing device for further operations. This multi-step procedure, however, is inefficient because a separate machine must be used for each step of the process, the machines consume valuable floor space in a production facility, the garment must be moved from machine to machine, and the garment must be re-aligned on the platen of the second machine, once it is moved. Furthermore, the lack of an integrated in-line heat press in the multi-step procedure prevents exact registration, such that the multi-step procedure is unable to achieve highly consistent results. 
     In order to address this inefficiency, several machines have been developed, which integrate heat pressing and silk screening into a single machine. Such devices, however, are limited to large and complicated mass-production machines. For producing samples and/or small quantities of articles, manufacturers continue to be limited to the use of multiple machines and the inefficient procedure discussed above. 
     Thus, there remains a long felt need in the art for a silk screening apparatus with an integrated apparatus to perform heat pressing using a single unit without the need to remove or reposition the garment. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention is directed towards overcoming the above shortcomings and others. The invention relates to a manually operated silk screen apparatus that includes an integrated heat pressing unit. Embodiments of the invention represent substantial improvements upon the prior art by disclosing, for example, a single apparatus that allows both silk screening and heat pressing procedures to be performed on a garment, without the need to remove or reposition the garment on the apparatus. 
     The apparatus comprises a frame, which mounts the numerous components, including one or more platens, a rail mounted silk screening device, and a rail mounted heat press unit. In one embodiment of the invention, a first platen is located on the device such that it is accessible by both the silk screening device and the heat press unit. In another embodiment, a second platen is also included, which is only accessible by the heat press unit. The frame may also include a pin registration or other alignment device, for aligning silk screen frames to the apparatus and over the first platen. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the silk screening device features a mechanism for pneumatically controlling the pressure and angle of the squeegee. 
     In one embodiment of the invention, the rail mounted silk screening device comprises a carriage on which the mount for a silk screen squeegee is attached. The carriage is slidably mounted to two first rails at the outer, side edges of the frame such that the carriage may be moved longitudinally over the first platen during silk screening operations. The mount for the silk screen squeegee is attached to the carriage such that it passes over the first platen as the carriage is moved from the rear to the front of the apparatus. The carriage is configured such that a set of vertical columns, which are located adjacent to and above the rails, mount a transverse cross bar at a height above the rails sufficient for all other components of the apparatus to pass below the cross bar when the carriage longitudinally moves the silk screening device such that the cross bar is unobstructed. The cross bar attaches the silk screen mount and the other silk screening accessories. When the silk screening portion of work is completed, the carriage is moved longitudinally to its rearmost position, allowing the heat press unit to move transversely over the frame unobstructed. In another embodiment of the invention, the silk screening device is configured such that the pressure and the angle of the silk screen squeegee is pneumatically controlled. 
     The frame of the apparatus also mounts a sliding heat press unit. In one embodiment of the invention, the heat press unit is slidably mounted to the frame by attaching to second rails located on the underside of the apparatus and extending transversely. The heat press unit travels transversely in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal movement of the silk screen device. The heat press unit is allowed to travel transversely between both platens. In this manner, following the completion of silk screening operations by the silk screen device on the first platen, the heat press unit can be promptly moved to a position over the first platen, in order to commence heat pressing. When the heat pressing is completed, the heat press unit can again be transversely moved along the second rails in order that the garment may be removed from the apparatus. 
     It should be noted that the apparatus may be configured in any number of ways which allow the silk screen device and heat press unit to be used independently of one another and not interfere with one another&#39;s movements. In one embodiment, discussed above, the silk screen device articulates longitudinally supported by columns extending vertically upwards from the rails, and the heat press unit articulates transversely on second rails mounted to the underside of the apparatus. However, it remains within the contemplation of the invention that the apparatus may be configured such that the heat press unit and silk screen device move parallel or perpendicular to each other. Also, the first and second mounting rails may be configured to both extend vertically upwards, both extend vertically downwards, both extend longitudinally, both extend transversely, extend in opposite directions to each other, or extend perpendicularly to each other, as in the embodiment discussed above. Also, the heat press unit may be mounted on rails, mounted axially in a swing-away configuration, mounted in a clamshell mounting, or mounted using any other mounting means known in the art. These variations remain within the contemplation of the invention. Furthermore, the apparatus can be made in various sizes to accommodate different embellishment areas. 
     The invention therefore relates to a silk screening device, which includes a heat press unit and is configured such that silk screening and heat pressing operations may be performed on the same unit without the need to remove or reposition the garment. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an illustration from a front view of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 2  is an illustration from a side view of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration from a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration from a top view of one embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     In the following detailed description of various embodiments of the invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various aspects of one or more embodiments of the invention. However, one or more embodiments of the invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, and/or components have not been described in detail so as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of embodiments of the invention. 
     In the following description, certain terminology is used to describe certain features of one or more embodiments of the invention. For instance, “silk screen device” refers to any of the single or multi-colored traveling-inker stenciling device known in the art; “heat press unit” refers to any heat press, embossing press, heat thermoprinter, or other heat transfer press device known in the art; and “article” refers to any garment, paper, fabric, or other such device commonly printed upon using silk screening and heat press devices. 
       FIG. 1  is an illustration from a front view of one embodiment of the invention. A silk screen sample apparatus with integrated heat press device  100  is shown along with its constituent parts, including, the frame  105 , the first platen  110 , the second platen  115 , the silk screen device  120 , and the heat press unit  125 . The silk screen device  120  is mounted on first rails  130  extending longitudinally and features columns  135  extending vertically, which suspend the cross bar  140  that attaches the silk screen squeegee mount  145 . By sliding the columns  135  longitudinally along the rails  130 , the silk screen device  120  is allowed to pass over the first platen  110 . The heat press unit  125 , meanwhile, features second rails  150  extending transversely, which allow the heat press unit  125  to move transversely to operate on either the first platen  110  or the second platen  115 . 
       FIG. 2  is an illustration from a side view of one embodiment of the invention. A silk screen sample apparatus with integrated heat press device  200  is shown along with its constituent parts, including, the frame  205 , the first platen  210 , the silk screen device  220 , and the heat press unit  225 . The silk screen device  220  is mounted on first rails  230  extending longitudinally and features columns  235  extending vertically, which suspend the cross bar  240  that attaches the silk screen squeegee mount  245 . By sliding the columns  235  longitudinally along the rails  230 , the silk screen device  220  is allowed to pass over the first platen  210 . The heat press unit  225 , meanwhile, features second rails  250  extending transversely, which allow the heat press unit  225  to move transversely to operate on either the first platen  210  or the second platen (obscured in the side view of  FIG. 2 ). 
       FIG. 3  is an illustration from a perspective view of one embodiment of the invention. A silk screen sample apparatus with integrated heat press device  300  is shown along with its constituent parts, including, the frame  305 , the first platen  310 , the second platen  315 , the silk screen device  320 , and the heat press unit  325 . The silk screen device  320  is mounted on first rails  330  extending longitudinally, and features columns  335  extending vertically, which suspend the cross bar  340  that attaches the silk screen squeegee mount  345 . By sliding the columns  335  longitudinally along the first rails  330 , the silk screen device  320  is allowed to pass over the first platen  310 . The heat press unit  325 , meanwhile, features second rails  350  extending transversely, which allow the heat press unit  325  to move transversely to operate on either the first platen  310  or the second platen  315 . 
       FIG. 4  is an illustration from a top view of one embodiment of the invention. A silk screen sample apparatus with integrated heat press device  400  is shown along with its constituent parts, including, the frame  405 , the first platen  410 , the second platen (obscured in the top view of  FIG. 4 ), the silk screen device  420 , and the heat press unit  425 . The silk screen device  420  is mounted on first rails  430  extending longitudinally, and features columns  435  extending vertically, which suspend the cross bar  440  that attaches the silk screen squeegee mount  445 . By sliding the columns  435  longitudinally along the first rails  430 , the silk screen device  420  is allowed to pass over the first platen  410 . The heat press unit  425 , meanwhile, features second rails  450  extending transversely, which allow the heat press unit  425  to move transversely to operate on either the first platen  410  or the second platen.