Patent Publication Number: US-6662980-B1

Title: Vacuum control and air restriction barrier for a garment press

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     Not Applicable. 
     STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
     Not Applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of Invention 
     This invention relates to the field of garment or shirt body presses, and more particularly to a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for controlling the vacuum applied to a garment by a mannequin or buck of a garment press. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Garment presses, and, more particularly, shirt body presses, have been used in the dry cleaning and laundering field to quickly and effectively press a garment or shirt body. A conventional shirt body press includes at least one mannequin or press buck upon which the shirt is supported, and includes forward and rearward pressing plates for pressing the shirt body therebetween. In order to facilitate the positioning of the shirt, i.e. the dressing of the shirt, on the mannequin or buck prior to pressing, the buck is typically provided with a front surface which is perforated, or otherwise air pervious. The rear surface of the buck is typically air pervious, or is composed of a material that is less pervious to air passage than the front surface. A vacuum is selectively applied to the interior of the buck such that the vacuum communicated through the perforated front surface of the buck draws the fabric of the front of the shirt to the front surface of the buck and holds the fabric tightly in place against the front surface. Thus, as the operator of the shirt body press adjusts the position of the shirt on the press buck, the fabric of the front of the shirt is held in place on the buck by the vacuum. 
     Further, some shirt body presses have air bags which are positioned at opposite sides of the buck. These air bags are inflated with air to stretch the shirt body so as to remove wrinkles and so as to hold the shirt body in place while the press plates close. Accordingly, during operation of a conventional shirt body press the shirt is dressed or positioned on the buck with the assistance of the vacuum generated at the front surface of the buck. When the shirt has been properly positioned on the buck, with the shirt thereon, it is moved into position between the forward and rearward pressing plates. The air bags are then inflated and the pressing plates moved into contact with the shirt. The vacuum is maintained to hold the front of the shirt so that it does not become distorted while the air bags are inflating. The vacuum is terminated as soon as the pressure plates come into contact with the shirt. Various prior art pressing devices are disclosed in the following patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,471,067, issued to Stewart on Oct. 7, 1969; U.S. Pat. No. 4,473,961, issued to Frushtick on Oct. 2, 1984; U.S. Pat. No. 5,148,955, issued to Cares on Sep. 22, 1992; U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,216, issued to Harrod, et al., on Dec. 12, 1995; U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,326, issued to Mohan, et al., on Dec. 2, 1997; U.S. Pat. No. 5,732,859, issued to LeBlanc on Mar. 31, 1998; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,261 B1, issued to Hickle, et al., on May. 29, 2001. 
     Whereas the above described shirt body presses are useful in simplifying the pressing of shirts, the dressing operation, whereby the shirt is positioned on the press buck, has remained difficult. In this regard, the operator typically stands facing the front surface of the buck when placing the shirt on the buck. Although the vacuum generated at the front surface of the buck is helpful in holding the fabric of the shirt in place once positioned, the vacuum leaks through the padding and migrates to the rear surface of the buck, making the job of initially positioning the shirt difficult. During the initial positioning of the shirt, the fabric of the shirt back is drawn and held to the rear surface of the buck before it is in the proper position such that the operator is required to reach around the buck to smooth out wrinkles and pull the shirt back into position. Further, the vacuum that leaks through the padding and migrates to the rear buck surface reduces the amount of vacuum that is applied to the front buck surface and thus reduces the vacuum holding power on the front of the shirt. This reduction in vacuum holding power can cause wrinkles to be created when the side air bags are inflated. 
     Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for a garment press which makes it easier for the operator to place a garment, such as a shirt, on the press buck of the garment press. 
     Another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for a garment press which reduces, or eliminates, the vacuum at the rear surface the press buck such that a shirt can be more easily positioned on the press buck of the garment press. 
     A further object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for a garment press which reduces, or eliminates, the vacuum at the rear surface of the press buck such that there is less possibility creating wrinkles to the back of a garment. 
     Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for a garment press which is easy and inexpensive to manufacture. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Other objects and advantages will be accomplished by the present invention which provides a vacuum control barrier and buck cover system for controlling the vacuum applied to a garment by a press buck of a garment press. The vacuum control barrier of the present invention is designed to be positioned on the press buck of a garment press, the press buck having front and rear portions, the front portion provided with an air pervious surface through which a vacuum is applied to a garment positioned on the press buck, and the rear portion being generally pervious to air passage. The vacuum control barrier includes a barrier sheet dimensioned to cover at least a substantial portion of the rear, the sides, and the outer portion of the front of the press buck such that the barrier sheet reduces or eliminates the force of the vacuum that leaks and migrates to the rear of the press buck relative to the force applied to the garment through the air pervious surface of the front portion of the buck. 
     The cover system of the present invention includes a front cover portion for covering a portion of the outer edges of the air pervious surface of the front portion of the press buck, with the substantial central portion of the front cover being omitted such that the vacuum applied to the garment through the air pervious surface of the front portion of the buck is communicated through the omitted central portion of the front cover. The cover system also includes a rear cover portion for covering at least a substantial portion of the rear portion of the press buck, with the rear cover portion being less air pervious than the front cover portion, therefore the vacuum applied to the garment over the rear portion of the press buck is of a lesser force than the vacuum applied to the garment through the front cover portion covering the front portion of the buck. This reduction of vacuum on the rear of the buck will increase the vacuum holding power on the front surface which will further enhance the pressing and finishing process. As will be discussed in detail below, the reduction of the vacuum applied to the garment at the rear portion of the press buck facilitates the proper positioning of a garment on the press buck, and reduces operator time in removing wrinkles from the rear of the garment during the pressing operation. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The above-mentioned features of the invention will become more clearly understood from the following detailed description of the invention read together with the drawings in which: 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of prior art garment press of the type on which a vacuum control barrier, or buck cover system, of the present invention would be installed and used; 
     FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a prior art shirt buck of a garment press with a cover system mounted thereon; 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a vacuum control barrier of the present invention and a shirt buck of a garment press; and 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a vacuum control barrier of the present invention mounted on the shirt buck of a garment press. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     A vacuum control barrier of the present invention is illustrated at  10  in FIGS. 3 and 4. However, in order to facilitate the following description of the invention and its use, a typical shirt body press  12  is illustrated in FIG.  1 . It will be understood that the shirt body press  12  is merely representative of one conventional garment press with which the vacuum control barrier of the present invention can be used. As illustrated, a conventional garment press, such as the press  12 , includes at least one mannequin, or press buck  14 , which is positioned on a support frame  16  and is movable to a position between a rear press plate  18  and a front press plate (not shown). Accordingly, a shirt is positioned on the buck  14 , and selectively moved to a position between the press plates, and the press plates are moved into contact with the shirt, thereby pressing the shirt. 
     As is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2, each press buck  14  of the conventional press  12  defines a body  19  having a front portion  20  and a rear portion  22 , and is dimensioned to receive and support a shirt body (not shown) during the pressing operation. Each buck  14  also includes inflatable side air bags  24  at each side of the body  19 . The air bags  24  are inflated with air prior to the press plates  18  being moved into contact with the shirt body in order to remove wrinkles in the shirt body, and the air bags  24  remain inflated during the actual pressing of the shirt. The conventional press buck  14  is also provided with surfaces  26  which cover at least a substantial portion of the front  20  of the buck  14  and are air pervious (the air pervious surface of the front portion is shown by cross-hatching and in phantom), and a conduit  27  communicating with the interior of the buck  14  is provided such that a vacuum can be applied to the interior of the buck  14 . Typically the air pervious front surface  26  is defined by wire mesh, metal screens, perforated plates, or the like, and it will be recognized that, when a vacuum is applied to the interior of the buck  14 , a vacuum is generated at the front surface  26 . The vacuum is generated at the front surface  26  and is used to hold the shirt body in the desired position on the buck  14  prior to the actual pressing of the shirt body by the press plates  18 . 
     In order to facilitate the pressing operation, and to minimize potential damage to the garment being pressed, and to reduce wrinkling of the garment, the buck  14  is also provided with a cover system which provides a cushioned surface between the buck  14  and the shirt body. Various cover systems are used with garment presses, but the cover system illustrated at  28  in FIG. 2 is illustrative of a typical system. The cover system  28  includes a base pad  30  of woven material which substantially covers the front and rear portions  20  and  22  of the buck  14 , and a flannel layer  32  which overlays the base pad  30 . An outer cover  34  is also provided which typically comprises fabric material to which side air bags, and in some instances a top air bag, are attached. It will be understood that the base pad  30 , flannel layer  32  and outer cover  34 , of the cover system  28  are all air pervious such that the vacuum generated in the buck  14  is communicated to the surface of the outer cover  34 . Further, in conventional cover systems the same materials cover the front and rear portions  20  and  22  of the buck  14  such that the force of the vacuum applied to the front and back of a shirt positioned on the buck  14  is substantially greater on the front surface. 
     Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4, the vacuum control barrier of the present invention is illustrated at  10 . The vacuum control barrier  10  defines a barrier sheet  11  which is dimensioned to cover at least a substantial portion of the air pervious surface of the rear portion  22  of the buck  14 , and, in the illustrated preferred embodiment the control barrier  10 , the barrier sheet  11  is dimensioned to cover the entire rear portion  22 . In this regard, the barrier sheet  11  defines opposite shoulder portions  36  and  38 , which are received over the shoulder portions of the buck, overlapping onto the front portion  20  slightly, and opposite side portions  40  and  42  which extend around the sides of the buck  14 , overlapping slightly onto the front portion  20  of the buck  14 . Further, the barrier sheet  11  is fabricated from a sheet of material which either partially, or completely, restricts vacuum air flow that otherwise would leak or migrate to the rear portion  22  and a shirt body mounted on the buck  14 . In one preferred embodiment, the barrier sheet  11  defines a closely woven material, such as a closely woven spun nylon fabric, which reduces, but does not completely block migrating flow of air to the rear portion  22  and a shirt body mounted on the buck  14 . Thus, by positioning the control barrier  10  over the surface  26  of the rear portion  22 , the force of the vacuum applied to the back of a shirt body is decreased, or eliminated, and the force of the vacuum applied to the front portion of the shirt body is increased for a more effective holding of the shirt front. Moreover, by preselecting the fabricating material used to make the control barrier  10  the disparity between the vacuum force applied to the front portion of the shirt body and the back of the shirt can be altered. For example, if a greater disparity is desired, a less air pervious fabricating material can be used, and if no vacuum is desired an air impervious fabricating material can be used. One alternative fabricating material includes a material that is permeable to moisture, but substantially reduces the flow of air through the rear portion  22 . 
     Preferably the control barrier  10  becomes a component of the cover system  28 . It may be laid in place between outer cover  34  and flannel layer  32  or sewn to either cover  34  or flannel layer  32 . However, it will be understood that various releasable fasteners, such as the illustrated ties  44 , could be used to releasably secure the barrier  10  to the buck  14 . Moreover, it is contemplated that the present invention can comprise a multilayer cover system wherein the layers of the rear portion of the cover system are less pervious to air than the layers of the front portion of the cover system. For example, in a cover system having the basic components of the system  28  illustrated in FIG. 2, the rear portion of the flannel layer  32  can be made less pervious to air than the front portion by using a flannel with a tighter weave for the rear portion of the flannel layer  32 . In this regard, a primary objective of the vacuum control barrier and the cover system of the present invention is to reduce or eliminate the vacuum force applied to the back of the shirt body relative to that being applied to the front of the shirt body. By reducing or eliminating the vacuum force applied to the back of the shirt body the dressing of the shirt body on the buck  14  is made much easier. In this regard, when dressing a shirt on the buck  14  the operator typically stands facing the front portion  20  of the buck  14  when placing the shirt on the buck  14  such that the operator must reach around the buck  14  to access the rear portion  22  of the buck  14  to position and remove wrinkles from the shirt back. When a strong vacuum is applied to the shirt back, properly positioning and removing wrinkles from the shirt back while standing in front of the buck  14  is difficult, and excessive movement of the fabric of the shirt back against the pull of the vacuum can wrinkle the shirt. Reducing or removing the vacuum applied to the shirt back makes it easier for someone standing in front of the buck  14  to properly position the shirt back without excessive work by the operator. Because of the operator&#39;s greater access to the front of the shirt, the relatively stronger vacuum does not result in problems in the positioning of the shirt. The stronger vacuum applied to the front of the shirt actually facilitates the pressing of the shirt front and helps to insure that the shirt back remains properly positioned on the buck  14 . It is, however, contemplated that the control barrier  10  can be provided with an opening therethrough, such as the opening shown at  46  in FIGS. 3 and 4, which allows migrating vacuum to be applied to the tail of the shirt to insure that it is held in position, notwithstanding the reduction in the vacuum force applied to other portions of the shirt back. 
     While a preferred embodiment has been shown and described, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit the disclosure, but rather it is intended to cover all modifications and alternate devices and methods falling within the spirit and the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.