CN117162651A

CN117162651A - Projection alignment system and method for thermal transfer press

Info

Publication number: CN117162651A
Application number: CN202310656064.6A
Authority: CN
Inventors: B·B·罗宾逊; 张伟钰; S·萨哈
Original assignee: Staz Co
Current assignee: Staz Co
Priority date: 2022-06-03
Filing date: 2023-06-05
Publication date: 2023-12-05

Abstract

The present application relates to a projection assembly for a transfer press, comprising a projector configured to project a projected image towards a lower platen of the thermal transfer press, and an adjustment block for adjusting a rotational position and a lateral position of the projector relative to the lower platen. The application also relates to a method of aligning a transfer press.

Description

Projection alignment system and method for thermal transfer press

Cross Reference to Related Applications

The present application claims priority from U.S. provisional patent application No.63/348,634, U.S. patent application No.17/854,896, U.S. patent application No.17/984,393, U.S. patent application No. 10, U.S. 11, 2022, and U.S. patent application No. 63/6,896, U.S. patent application No. 3, 2022, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Technical Field

The exemplary illustrations described herein relate generally to presses, such as thermal transfer presses, that include one or more positioning arms for aligning a transfer on an article prior to pressing the article onto a fabric.

Background

The heat applied transfer includes various markers with ink, material layers and adhesive that bond to material layers such as shirts, jackets, and the like garments upon pressurized contact and heating between the transfer and the garment at the press platen. The graphic image and text can be transferred to the garment generally accurately and quickly without bleeding or partial interruption during the bonding of the transfer, so long as the press is capable of operating at a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure for a predetermined time.

The press must be able to accommodate many variations in the placement of the transfer and garment, as well as the types of transfer and garment materials available. In addition, the press accommodates the various temperatures, pressures, and time intervals associated with applying the markers to the garment. Because of the desire for flexibility and economy, presses have traditionally been manually operated, i.e., they typically rely on a user (e.g., an operator) to control at least (a) the force applied through the platen and (b) the duration of the force applied with the mechanical device.

The accuracy and precision of the application of these parameters to the temperature and pressure of the transfer and the duration is particularly important for achieving an effective bond of the transfer to the material and may be difficult to achieve in an accurate and repeatable manner. In particular, depending on the material and structure of the tag to be applied to the garment, the tag may be subjected to non-uniform application conditions over the entire surface of the garment to which the transfer is applied. For example, applying excessive pressure between platen stamping surfaces may result in color bleeding, while insufficient pressure may result in the formation of spots or unattached areas where the tag is not fully attached to the garment.

In addition, it is important that the transfer be properly placed on a shirt, fabric, or other article for proper alignment and positioning thereon. However, given the large number of materials, designs, shapes, textures, thicknesses, and composition of the large number of transfers used, it is important to better locate and center them rather than just by the "eyeball" or by estimating where they need to be located by the operator. Some known systems provide a projected datum or crosshair for positioning the transfer onto the garment, but such systems may be limited in the scope of positioning the transfer onto the garment.

Thus, there is a need for improved positioning of the transfer on the fabric to accommodate the wide variety of types and designs used in thermal transfer presses.

Disclosure of Invention

According to the present disclosure, a transfer press for applying a transfer to a garment includes an upper platen, a lower platen, a support head, and a support arm assembly, the support head adapted to move the upper platen between an open position and a closed position to apply heat to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen to apply the transfer to the garment positioned on the lower platen. A projection assembly is attached to the support arm assembly and extends above the lower platen, the projection assembly having a projector positioned to project an image onto the lower platen, the image being selected to be sized to match a transfer to be applied to the garment to guide a user in the location where the transfer is to be placed onto the garment.

Also in accordance with the present disclosure, a method of applying a transfer to a garment includes: selecting from the database an image that matches a transfer to be applied to a garment positioned on the lower platen; projecting an image from a projection head positioned above the lower platen toward the lower platen so that the transfer may be positioned to match the position and size of the image on the garment to guide a user in placing the transfer in position on the garment; moving the upper press plate to above the lower press plate; and closing the upper platen to the lower platen from the open position to the closed position to apply heat to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen to apply the transfer to the garment positioned on the lower platen.

A method of applying a transfer to a garment comprising: selecting from the database an image that matches a transfer to be applied to a garment positioned on the lower platen; projecting an image from a projection assembly extending above the lower platen toward the lower platen such that the first transfer may be positioned to match the position and size of the image on the first garment to guide a user in the position where the transfer is placed on the garment; and moving the upper platen to above the lower platen. The method includes closing the upper platen to the lower platen from an open position to a closed position to apply heat to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen to apply the transfer to the garment positioned on the lower platen.

Drawings

While the claims are not limited to the embodiments shown, an appreciation of various aspects is best gained through a discussion of various examples thereof. Referring now to the drawings, illustrative embodiments are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain innovative aspects of the embodiments. Furthermore, the disclosed subject matter described herein is not intended to be exhaustive or to otherwise limit or restrict the precise forms and configurations shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description. Examples of the presently disclosed subject matter are described in detail by referring to the following drawings.

FIG. 1A is a side perspective view of an exemplary press having a support head rotated away from a lower platen and an adjustable height;

FIG. 1B is a side perspective view of the press shown in FIG. 1A but without an adjustable height by way of example;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a dual press with a projector arm above each press;

FIG. 3A is an illustration of a projector arm positioned above a lower platen of a press with a shirt positioned thereon;

FIG. 3B is the illustration of FIG. 3A and has a positioning pattern projected onto the shirt;

FIG. 3C is the illustration of FIG. 3A and has a transfer positioned on the shirt at the location of the positioning pattern of FIG. 3B;

FIG. 4 is the illustration of FIG. 3A and having an irregularly shaped positioning pattern projected onto a shirt;

FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary system that includes presses located at more than one location and interconnected by a network;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the steps of positioning and embossing a transfer onto a shirt;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a dual press with a projector arm above each press;

FIG. 8 is a top exploded perspective view of the projection assembly;

FIG. 9 is a bottom exploded perspective view of the projection assembly;

FIG. 10 shows a cut-away or cutaway top perspective view of an adjustment block positioned within a base bracket;

FIG. 11 is a semi-transparent view of the projection assembly showing linear and rotational movement;

FIG. 12 illustrates a projection assembly positioned relative to a lower platen; and

fig. 13 illustrates reference features on a lower platen according to the present disclosure.

Detailed Description

Referring now to the drawings, illustrative embodiments are shown in detail. Although the drawings represent embodiments, the drawings are not necessarily to scale and certain features may be exaggerated to better illustrate and explain innovative aspects of the embodiments. Furthermore, the disclosed subject matter described herein is not intended to be exhaustive or otherwise limit or restrict the disclosure to the precise form and configuration shown in the drawings and disclosed in the following detailed description.

Various exemplary illustrations of an exemplary press for applying a tag to a garment, such as by applying heat, are provided herein. According to one exemplary illustration, a press may include an upper platen, and a lower platen disposed below and generally alignable with the upper platen. The press may be further adapted to move the upper platen between an open position above the lower platen, in which the upper and lower platens are spaced apart from each other, and a closed position, in which the upper platen is pressed against the lower platen. In examples including more than one press, the upper platen may move from one lower platen to another and back and forth. The exemplary press may also include a support positioned on the ground or a work surface and defining a throat spacing below the lower platen, the support being horizontally spaced from the geometric center of the lower platen. In some examples, the stand is adjustable between a plurality of heights. In accordance with the present disclosure, the alignment system includes a projection arm positioned over the or each lower platen that can access a transfer type database via a computer network, the database including optical images that can be selected by a user and projected onto one or more lower platens to correspond to a transfer being applied or hot pressed onto a fabric or shirt and provide the user with accurate positional requirements to avoid placement errors.

Referring now to fig. 1A and 1B, an exemplary transfer press 100 is shown. Transfer press 100 includes a lower platen 102 mounted on a carriage 104 or base frame, and a support head 106 that supports an upper platen 108 above lower platen 102. A force is applied to upper platen 108 by a pair of shafts 110a, 110 b. The mechanism for displacing the upper platen to distribute the force application to the lower platen 102 may include a pneumatic pressure chamber 112 (not visible) within the support head 106. In one example, the platens 102, 108 comprise generally flat plates of a press configured to squeeze material, such as clothing, to allow placement of the transfer on the clothing.

The support head 106 positions and rotates the upper platen 108 into substantially parallel alignment with the lower platen 102 as the upper platen 108 approaches the closed position. Further, the closed position of upper platen 108 may be varied, for example, to increase the height of upper platen 108 relative to lower platen 102. Thus, the alignment of upper platen 108 and lower platen 102 avoids uneven compression of the material and transfer positioned between upper platen 108 and lower platen 102, regardless of the thickness of the material, the transfer to be applied, or the thickness of the support pad to be used between upper platen 108 and lower platen 102. A pad (not shown) may also assist in pressure distribution regardless of irregularities in the thickness of the thermally applied transfer and the thickness of the garment to which the transfer is applied.

At least one of the platens, such as upper platen 108 and/or lower platen 102, includes a heating element (not shown), such as a conventional resistive heating element or the like, which may be formed to wind in a serpentine or otherwise over the entire surface area of upper platen 108. The heating element is coupled to a typical power source through a switch and/or controller 116 and may be configured to regulate the temperature of the heating element, for example, through the controller 116. The controller 116 may be located within the support head 106 or may be located external to the support head (not shown). In addition, the temperature of the heating element may be adjusted at a visual display 114 that interfaces with a controller 116 and/or a computer network, as will be further illustrated and described in fig. 6. Upper platen 108 may also carry thermocouple sensors (not shown) that are wired in a conventional manner to generate temperature information for the controller, which may display such information via visual display 114. The visual display 114 may thus be mounted to be exposed to the area occupied by the press operator, who is typically positioned to manipulate and control the press, for example, as best shown in fig. 1B. The circuitry of the heating element may also include a temperature controller, such as a thermostat.

The controller 116 typically includes computing and control elements (e.g., a microprocessor or microcontroller) and may typically provide, for example, time monitoring, temperature monitoring, pressure monitoring, and control. The display 114 also includes various readout displays, for example, to allow for display of force, temperature, or time associated with operation of the press. The display 114 allows a user to manipulate the controller 116, for example, through a touch screen interface. For example, the display 114 may thus be used by an operator to adjust the amount of force applied to the lower platen 102 by the upper platen 108, the cycle time of the force to be applied, and the temperature of the heated platen. The controller 116 may operate the transfer press 100 in an automatic mode to include, for example, pressure, temperature, power, and time settings for a given application/application. For example, data for a given garment and transfer design may be heuristically obtained. Best practices are employed based on experience obtained at certain locations or using, for example, one transfer press, and are applied to other transfer presses, apparel designs, transfer and other locations. The statistical data is accumulated, for example, in a database attached to a computer network (as shown in fig. 6), and best practices of fumbling the data are accumulated, analyzed, and optimized so that the improvement settings can be centrally developed based on content learned from other applications/applications, sites, etc., and applied to other sites via the computer network. The corresponding settings may be selected by using the display 114. Such data may thus be accessed by a user via a network at different locations where any data is collected.

The controller 116 may facilitate various custom press use settings. In one exemplary illustration, the controller 116 includes a memory for storing one or more programs associated with applying the markers to the garment, including a predetermined temperature, a predetermined force, and/or a predetermined cycle time associated with the upper platen 108. In another exemplary illustration, the program may include multiple stages in the application process, for example, wherein the upper platen 108 is applied to the garment at a first pressure and then a second pressure, wherein the first pressure is applied to the garment for a first cycle time and the second pressure is applied for a second cycle time. In some examples, the pressure and cycle time are different such that the transfer press 100 can apply a variety of different pressures and cycle times.

The support head 106 generally supports the upper platen 108 and aligns the upper platen 108 with the lower platen 102. The support head 106 may also pivot about the axial support 118 away from the lower platen 102 to allow a garment or shirt to be placed on the lower platen 102. In this press example, the support head 106 is generally pivotable about a pivot 120 disposed within the axial support 118. The support head 106 may include a drive chain or belt that is rotated by a motor disposed within the support head 106, thereby rotating the support head 106 about the pivot 120. The motor may be controlled by a controller 116.

Pressure chamber 112 may be employed to selectively move upper platen 108 relative to lower platen 102, thereby selectively distributing force to lower platen 102. The pressure chamber 112 may be controlled by any convenient pressure regulating means. In one example, an Electric Pressure (EP) regulator is in communication with the controller 116, and the pressure chamber 112 may facilitate movement of the shafts 110a, 110b of the upper platen 108. In one exemplary illustration, the EP regulator is an SMC ITV 1050 regulator.

Various components that facilitate automated operation of transfer press 100 may generally be integrated into support head 106. For example, the support head 106 may include a display 114, a controller 116, a pressure chamber 112, and a motor and belt therein. Thus, the support head 106 may generally house the primary components of the transfer press 100 that provide for automated operation of the transfer press 100. The controller 116 may generally control heating, set-up and monitoring of applied pressure, monitor system health, interpret touch screen inputs, and optimize system operation, while supervising many other system operations.

The controller 116 may include a memory that is capable of storing a number of applications and, by connecting to a computer network, has access to a database containing a number of applications or "recipes" that may be stored, not only for application parameters, but also for images of the transfer. Thus, setup time is reduced and consistency is improved, as human error in the individual steps, including the step of positioning the transfer onto the garment, is eliminated.

More specifically, by automatically setting and monitoring the pressure, e.g., the pressure provided by the pressure chamber 112, during each step, the operator is generally not concerned with power supply variation fluctuations of the support head 106, input errors in time, temperature, or pressure, or placement of the transfer on the garment. In addition, the pressure chamber 112 also eliminates one source of potential error due to any inconsistent pressure supplied by the operator. In one exemplary illustration, an air compressor (not shown) may be used to supply compressed air to the pressure chamber 112 for manipulating the upper platen 108 downwardly against the lower platen 102, for example, to apply heat to the garment/tag assembly. The controller 116 may automatically compensate for any variations or inconsistencies in the air supply to the pressure chamber 112, and it may also alert the operator to any problems, such as insufficient or complete loss of supply air pressure. Operator fatigue is also significantly reduced by eliminating anxiety such as the constant adjustment of the press via pressure valves or levers to provide proper pressure, as the only input to the transfer press 100 is typically via the touch screen display 114.

As described above, the controller 116 may be configured to pivot the support head 106 about the axial support 118. Thus, operation of the transfer press 100 may be combined with pivoting of the support head 106 before and/or after the upper platen 108 is forced against the lower platen 102. The ability to apply a predetermined pressure and time to upper platen 108 may thus be combined in a synchronized manner with the ability to retract and swing support head 106 away. The time saved per print may be only a few seconds, but in continuous operation these seconds may quickly multiply by the hours associated with a given job. In addition, the fatigue of operators is further reduced because the press does not need to be manually operated.

The controller 116 may also include a standardized interface (not shown), such as a USB interface, for allowing system upgrades to be performed in the field. The controller 116 may also allow multiple levels of user access, for example, allowing limits to be set on the maximum pressure or temperature provided by the platen. Moreover, the controller 116 may be powered via a general A/C input range of 100-240VAC, 50/60 Hz.

Still referring to fig. 1A and 1B, transfer press 100 includes a support arm assembly 122, which support arm assembly 122 includes a first support 124 and an extension 126. First support 124 includes an adjustment mechanism 129, which in one example may include a set of screws that, when loosened, allow axial expansion and contraction such that extension 126 may be raised and lowered. The extension 126 may be of a fixed length or may be telescopically extendable via two separate parts of the extension 126, namely a first extension 127a and a second extension 127b, such that the projection head 128 may be extended in a generally horizontal direction above the lower platen 102. Extension 126 is illustrated as having a general curvature such that projection head 128 faces directly downward and toward lower platen 102, but in another example extension 126 may be any shape, such as straight or linear, in which case projection head 128 may be rotated such that it achieves its same purpose of facing directly downward and toward lower platen 102 (generally orthogonal to lower platen 102). In one example, the extension 126 is square or rectangular in shape to provide good rigidity and ease of assembly.

First support 124 may be directly hard-mounted to base support 130 and supported by bracket 104, or may be otherwise attached thereto, such as in line with pivot 120. However, if so attached, in one example, first support 124 remains fixed and positioned above lower platen 102 with projection head 128 even during rotational movement of upper platen 108 and support head 106 as described above.

The bracket 104 may be vertically adjustable by telescoping tube 132 as shown in fig. 1A, or may be fixed height and not require adjustment as shown in fig. 1B. For example, in fig. 1A, the receiving tube 132 may generally receive an insertion tube 134, the insertion tube 134 being attached to a support 136 of the transfer press 100, as shown, the transfer press 100 may be a swing or rotary press. The support 136 may extend generally horizontally below the lower platen 102. The support 136 thus provides a relatively wide support, which allows the receiving tube 132 and the insertion tube 134 of the bracket 104 to be horizontally spaced from the lower platen 102. The associated support of the lower platen 102 may be relatively narrow, thereby defining a "throat spacing" that is sufficiently narrow to allow clothing to be "threaded" onto the lower platen 102 during operation. Thus, the horizontally displaced position of lower platen 102 relative to bracket 104, and in particular insertion tube 134 and receiving tube 132 of the main support member comprising bracket 104, in combination with the relatively narrow throat spacing, generally creates a space around lower platen 102 that allows clothing to be worn on lower platen 102.

As described above, the support 104 may be an adjustable (e.g., telescoping) support that allows the transfer press 100 to move up and down. Because the transfer press 100 may be relatively heavy, the carriage 104 may include a resistance mechanism that generally allows the carriage 104 to move up and down more easily. In one example, the transfer press 100 may be adjusted upward and downward between a lower position in which the lower platen 102 is, in one example, approximately 37 inches above the ground and an upper position in which the lower platen 102 is, in this example, approximately 44 inches above the ground. This exemplary adjustment range may allow lower platen 102 to be positioned approximately at the waist line of nearly all adult operators, for example, as may be required to operate press 100. In another exemplary illustration, the adjustment spans a range of approximately 18 inches. The secondary spring force may be varied to match the particular press employed. In one example, the springs provide a maximum spring force/assist force of about 100 pounds, which is correspondingly slightly less than the total weight of the press 100 supported by the support 104.

This vertical movement of the carriage 104 may be particularly convenient for an operator employing the disclosed transfer positioning such that the height of the projection head 128 may be moved vertically and in conjunction with the overall transfer press 100 including the lower platen 102, upper platen 108, and support head 106. That is, the bracket 104 may have a generally vertical orientation, i.e., wherein the receiving tube 132 and the insertion tube 134 are each generally vertical. Such vertical orientation may facilitate upward and downward adjustment of the bracket 104 by reducing friction between the insertion tube 134 and the receiving tube 132.

The exemplary press mount may be used with any type of convenient press. For example, as described above and shown in fig. 1A and 1B, a swinging or rotatable press may be used, wherein the upper platen 108 generally rotates or "swings" horizontally relative to the lower platen 102. In another exemplary illustration, a nip press (not shown) may be used in which upper platen 108 rotates or swings vertically away from lower platen 102, and support arm assembly 122 may be used in a similar manner as described above, so long as projection head 128 may be positioned above lower platen 102.

Thus, the "open throat" design provided by the vertical spacing of the brackets 104 relative to the lower platen 102, the height of the lower platen 102 from an associated floor or countertop (not shown), and the relatively narrow horizontal support plates 136 supporting the lower platen 102 generally allows garments to be "worn" on the lower platen 102. For example, a shirt may be threaded onto lower platen 102 due to the horizontal or lateral offset of bracket 104 relative to the geometric center A of lower platen 102. Thus, a shirt or garment may be "donned" on lower platen 102 such that a portion of the shirt may be positioned on lower platen 102 for application of a marker or design.

In accordance with the present disclosure, instead of employing the disclosed support arm assemblies 122 (fig. 1A and 1B) in a single press embodiment, for example, in a dual press design that may be placed on, for example, a table, it is contemplated that more than one support arm assembly 122 may also be used.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a dual press 200 or dual platen design, with projector arms above each press, and fig. 3 is a perspective view of the dual press 200 of fig. 2 repositioned from side to side. With two platens, press 200 otherwise operates with upper and lower platens, controllers, heating elements, etc. … … as described in the single platen design above (as described in fig. 1A and 1B), and the description of fig. 1A and 1B above is incorporated into the following description—note the differences between bracket 104 and the support base of press 200. Press 200 operates in otherwise the same manner with automatic control of temperature, pressure and operating time as described above in particular with respect to press 100 of fig. 1A and 1B. In addition, the upper platen and the supporting head can be moved left and right, so that the clothing and the transfer can be placed on one lower platen, while the transfer is fixed to the clothing via a hot press on the other lower platen, and the process is repeated repeatedly.

Press 200 includes a first lower platen 202 and a second lower platen 204 mounted on a bracket 206 or base frame, and a support head 208 that supports an upper platen 210 above lower platens 202, 204. A force may be applied to upper platen 210 through a pair of shafts and the mechanism for displacing the upper platen to distribute the force to lower platens 202, 204 may include pneumatic pressure chambers, as similarly described and illustrated in fig. 1A and 1B.

The operation of press 200 is performed in a similar manner to press 100 described above. In addition, however, the support head 208 may be moved and positioned over each lower platen 202, 204 using the controller 212 and a visual display 214 interfaced with the controller 212. Upper platen 210 is supported by a linearly movable support structure 216, which support structure 216 is movable from a first position 218 above lower platen 202 to a second position 220 above lower platen 204. The movable support 216 may be positioned within a receiving structure 222 having a bellows-like flexible guard 224, the guard 224 being located on either side of the movable support 216, the guard flexing and retracting in an accordion-like manner as the movable support 216 moves left and right. Housed within the receiving structure 222 is a motor or pneumatic actuator (not visible) controlled by the controller 212 that is operable to move the support structure 216 between the first position 218 and the second position 220. Each of the first and second positions 218, 220 includes its own corresponding support arm assembly 226, 228, the operation of which generally corresponds to the operation as described above with respect to the support arm assembly 122.

Accordingly, support arm assembly 226 includes a projection head 230 and support arm assembly 228 includes a projection head 232. In one example, an optional support beam 234 is positioned between the support arm assemblies 226, 228 to provide additional structural support. Each projection head 230, 232 is attached to a respective extension and positioned to project an image from the projection head to a respective lower platen, the image being selected to be sized to match a transfer to be applied to the garment to guide a user in placing the first transfer onto the garment.

Thus, in operation, the controller 212 moves the movable support 216 side-to-side between the first position 218 and the second position 220 and vice versa. When in one of positions 218 and 220, controller 212 causes the press to operate automatically to apply a set amount of heat at a given pressure and for a set duration. At the same time, at the other of positions 218 and 220, the user removes the just-imprinted shirt with transfer attached, and the user places a new shirt and positions the transfer on top of the shirt using the corresponding projection heads 230, 232 accordingly.

Each of the disclosed presses includes a controller, which may operate as described below. As shown in fig. 1A and 1B, the transfer press 100 includes a controller 116, while in fig. 2, the transfer press 200 includes a controller 212. The controller 212 also includes further features to control the side-to-side motion and operation of the two projection heads 230, 232 as well as all additional features necessary to operate the twin press than the single press, including automatically switching projections from one projection head to the other during a side-to-side movement operation.

The operator may apply the tag or transfer to the garment and may obtain an image of the transfer via a database as part of the controller 116/212 in accordance with the present disclosure, or may obtain an image of the transfer from a remote database and via a computer network external to the controller 116/212 and remote from the transfer press 100/200. In one example, the image corresponding to the transfer to be attached to the garment may be provided separately, e.g., with the garment itself, and e.g., on a thumb drive, flash drive, data stick, USB (universal serial bus) key, etc. In this example, the image and other indications may provide reference features that are projected onto the lower platen to guide the placement of the garment, and then also include the location of the transfer itself on the garment (and relative to the reference features). Once the image and reference features are obtained, according to the present disclosure, the reference features are projected onto the lower platen, clothing is placed on the lower platen based on the reference features on the lower platen, and the image is projected onto clothing positioned on the lower platen. The image is projected to coincide with the position where the operator positions the marker or transfer so that the operator can accurately or near accurately replicate the marker or transfer at the actual position where the marker or transfer will be placed.

It is desirable to project from directly above and normal to the hold down plate and to be able to align items such as graphics, pictures or images with the hold down plate, which items are stored locally in the controller or accessible through a cloud-based network. The disclosed controller 116/212 can transmit data to a projector, such as the projection head 128/230/232, to project selected graphics, pictures or images to the lower platen to assist in the garment printing process.

In this example, the image is simply displayed on the garment, and if the transfer matches image 1:1 on the garment, no further action is required. Also, if the size of the transfer does not match the size of the image, the support arm assembly 122/226/228 may be moved upward or downward relative to the lower platen until the size of the image and the transfer match. In another option, the size of the image itself may be adjusted to match the size of the transfer, and without moving the support arm assembly 122/226/228, by manually adjusting the appropriate projection head 128/230/232 to zoom in or out on the projected image, or via operation of the respective controller 116/212.

In another example, the projected image may be rotated by manually rotating the projection head 128/230/232. It is contemplated that the image may be projected at an angle relative to the lower platen and clothing, in which case it may be distorted (i.e., distorted and non-rectangular since sunlight passing through the rectangular window does not form a rectangle on the floor). In this case, the image distortion may be corrected by manually adjusting the position, angle, or inclination of the projection head 128/230/232, thereby physically eliminating distortion caused by automatically adjusting the orientation of the projected image on the lower platen.

Referring now to fig. 3A-3C, for simplicity of illustration and discussion, lower platen 102/202/204 and support arm assemblies 122/226/228 are described above in association with transfer press 100/200, and are illustrated and described herein separately from their respective transfer presses 100/200 for illustration and discussion purposes only, with lower platen and support arm assemblies renumbered in fig. 3A-3C for simplicity of illustration, but associated with corresponding components as described above. Fig. 3A is an illustration of a support arm assembly 300 having an extension 302, the extension 302 extending over a lower platen 304 of a press with a garment or shirt 306 positioned on the lower platen 304. Fig. 3B is the illustration of fig. 3A and has an image 308 projected onto shirt 306.

As discussed, if the projection head 310 coupled with the extension 302 is not positioned at a desired height, the projection head 310 may be moved vertically up/down via the support arm assembly 300, thereby adjusting the size of the image by manually adjusting the support arm assembly 300. If the image 308 is not in its desired front-to-back position, the extension member 302, which is comprised of the first extension member 303a and the second extension member 303b, can be used to extend or shorten telescopically so that the image 308 can be moved in and out without distortion of the image. As noted, the image 308 may be rotated in the plane of the lower platen 304 by manually rotating the projection head 310. Further and as discussed, if the image 308 is distorted (e.g., due to projection at an angle such that the projected image does not match the image of the transfer), manual correction may be implemented. Furthermore, according to the present disclosure, the adjustment may be performed in combination with each other. Thus, FIG. 3C is the illustration of FIG. 3A and has the transfer positioned on the garment 306 in the position, size, and orientation of the image 308 of FIG. 3B, and is the image just prior to its application of heat, pressure, and time to secure the transfer 312 to the garment 306.

For simplicity, the image 308 in fig. 3A-3C is illustrated as being generally rectangular and matches the rectangle of the transfer 312. However, it is contemplated in accordance with the present disclosure that the transfer, and thus the corresponding image, may be of any shape and size, and generally need not be rectangular. Fig. 4 illustrates an irregularly shaped image 400 selected to match a transfer (e.g., transfer 312 of fig. 3C).

Presses are typically run in global stores and manufacturing facilities, where thousands of operations are performed to apply transfers to garments using pressure and heat for a given amount of time. However, the conditions under which the transfer is applied vary widely, not to mention the wide variety of transfer itself. For example, the transfer may have different thicknesses, heat transfer characteristics, textures, and adhesive types, to name a few. In addition, garments with transfer may vary, for example, because the garment may be cotton, polyester, or a mixture of both, and the thickness of the garment may also vary from type to type, all of which contribute to pressure, heat, and time settings that may vary from design to design.

Moreover, the conditions under which the press operates can also vary widely. For example, some presses may operate in hot tropical climates, with little or no climate control, at least under certain operating conditions, resulting in operation in hot humid environments. In other cases, the press may operate in a warm building in a cold northern climate-resulting in operation in a warm, low humidity environment. In fact, the operation may be performed under any type of environmental conditions, the above being merely an example of conditions under which the press may operate.

Thus, presses can be used with different types of garments and different types of transfer under widely varying conditions. Thus, by way of example, settings such as heat (or power of any heating element), pressure, and application time may vary greatly depending on at least the factors described above. Thus, the embossing settings are typically determined via trial and error methods, especially if any "usual" or recommended settings of the manufacturer do not result in optimal adhesion of the transfer to the garment.

That is, the manufacturer may include recommended settings for a given application, but due to the widely varying conditions described above, may not be able to accommodate all of these variations—resulting in the user changing or having to "tune" the usual or recommended press settings for a particular application. Thus, a user may expend time, effort, and loss of product to optimize press settings for any given application.

In addition, the press itself may vary from location to location. For example, some presses are automated or semi-automated, with press settings established for this type of operation. Other presses may be operated manually and the applied pressure may be established for manual operation in a different manner than automatic presses. Furthermore, different versions of the same model press itself may result in different operations. That is, for example, the press may be upgraded to a new model with, for example, a different heating element or a different hydraulic device. Alternatively, the given model itself may be sold with the control software already upgraded with the new settings, as compared to the previous model.

An exemplary system is disclosed that may include a press network that provides data usage for various types of presses under various usage conditions and for different types of applications. The disclosed system accelerates the learning process to accommodate the factors described above so that experience or best practice learned at one location or for a given set of conditions can be repeatedly performed at another location or for another set of conditions to accommodate the differences experienced. The disclosed system also provides feedback to the manufacturer so that new firmware can be written to improve process control or so that hardware can be upgraded based on use in a large number of different sites and conditions. The disclosed system also provides feedback so that setup upgrades can also be implemented. In general, the disclosed systems and methods fumbly employ best practices to avoid learning curves that might otherwise be lengthy by accumulating statistics and information about pressure, time, and temperature for a given garment, marker, or transfer and applying it to other transfer presses, transfers themselves, and garments.

Also, as discussed, a number of transfer types, sizes, thicknesses, textures, etc. can be applied to clothing and new transfers added daily. Thus, when a new transfer design is to be implemented in a system according to the present disclosure, it is also desirable to include its corresponding image so that other systems can access the image corresponding to the transfer, and thus, according to the present disclosure, employ a computer network for this purpose.

Fig. 5 illustrates an exemplary system 500 that may be cloud-based and may include a transfer press to include an example of the transfer press 100 of fig. 1A and 1B and the press 200 of fig. 2, and may be used to acquire images corresponding to a given transfer (identified by a serial number or other identification criteria to match the transfer with the corresponding image, including size, orientation, and other criteria related to the transfer). The system 500 may also be used by developers of the transfer to upload images and corresponding information to a database for access by users at different locations.

The system 500 can generate and transmit press usage information based on usage at different locations, under different conditions, press types and applications using, for example, a WIFI system. The system 500 may take many different forms and include multiple and/or hardware components and facilities. Although the exemplary system 500 is shown in fig. 5, the exemplary components shown are not intended to be limiting, may be optional, and are not required for any other component or portion of the system 500. Indeed, additional or alternative components and/or embodiments may be used.

The system 500 may include or be configured for use by a user 501, such as an engineer, a statistics or a data processing technician. The system 500 may include one or more of a computing device 502a, 502b, 502c, a server 505, a processor 506, a memory 508, a program 510, a transceiver 512, a user interface 514, a sensor 516, a network 520, a database 522, and a connection 524. Device 502 may include any or all of device 502a (e.g., a desktop, laptop, or tablet), device 502b (e.g., a mobile phone or cellular phone), and device 502c (e.g., a mobile phone or cellular phone). Processor 506 may include a hardware processor that executes program 510 to provide any or all of the operations described herein (e.g., via device 502, server 505, database 522, or any combination thereof) and is stored as instructions in memory 508 (e.g., of device 502, server 505, or any combination thereof).

The exemplary system 500 may include a user interface 514, a processor 506, and a memory 508 having a program 510, the program 510 being communicatively coupled to the processor 506. The system 500 may also include a transceiver 512, which may be communicatively connected to one or more sensors 516 associated with each of the plurality of presses 504. For example, the system 500 may include a first location 526, a second location 528, and a third location 530, each of which may include one or more presses, press types, and/or press models. The first location 526 may include a first press 532a and a second press 532b. The two presses 532a, 532b may each be the same type of press (e.g., the same design) but represent different model versions (e.g., as one example, press 532b may be a model with a subsequent version of the improved heating element). The first location 526 may also include a second press type 534 and a third press type 536.

The second location 528 represents a different manufacturing facility than the first location 526, either a different building, a different state, or country within the same land, or a different manufacturer using the same or a different press than the manufacturer of the second location 528. Similarly, third location 530 may represent yet another different manufacturing facility, either a different building, a different state, or country within the same land, or a different manufacturer using the same or a different press than the other manufacturer.

The system 500 using the processor 506 may provide operations including displaying statistics related to the use of each press 532, 534, 536 via the user interface 514. That is, each press 532, 534, 536 may be input via sensor 516, as will be further described. Sensor 516 may generally be a pressure sensor, temperature sensor, timing circuit, etc., that may provide information about a given event (e.g., a shirt manufacturing process in which a transfer may be applied to a piece of apparel). The system 500 may also provide software, firmware, and sensor or other settings updates to any of the presses 532, 534, 536 located at any of the first location 526, the second location 528, and the third location 530 via the network 520 and the transceiver 512. That is, the user 501 may update the press settings in the device 502a, the device 502b, and/or the device 502c with operating instructions for the press, firmware, sensor settings, time, temperature, pressure, etc.

The system 500 may include an overall network infrastructure through which any of the devices 502, servers 505, and databases 522 may communicate, for example, to transfer information between any portion of the system 500 using the connection 524. In general, a network (e.g., system 500 or network 520) may be a collection of computing devices and other hardware for providing connectivity and bearer communications. Device 502 may include any computing device, such as a mobile device, cellular phone, smart watch, activity tracker, tablet computer, next generation portable device, handheld computer, notebook computer, laptop computer, projector device, or virtual reality or augmented reality device. The device 502 may include a processor 506 that executes a program 510. The device 502 may include a memory 508 and a program 510 that store press model, settings, and other information. Device 502 may include a transceiver 512 that communicates information between any of device 502, sensor 516, server 505, and database 522.

The server 505 may comprise any computing system. The server 505 may generate the program 510 through the processor 506 and store information, such as information specific to each of the presses 532, 534, 536, through the memory 508. The server 505 may be communicatively coupled to and communicate information to the device 502, the sensor 516, and the database 522. The server 505 may be in continuous or periodic communication with the device 502, the sensor 516, and the database 522. The server 505 may comprise a local, remote, or cloud-based server, or a combination thereof, and may communicate with and provide information to any one or combination of the devices 502 (e.g., as part of the memory 508 or database 522). The server 505 may also provide a web-based user interface (e.g., an internet portal) for display via the user interface 514. The server 505 may communicate information with the device 502 using notifications including, for example, an automated phone call, a Short Message Service (SMS) or text message, an email, an http link, a web-based portal, or any other type of electronic communication. In addition, the server 505 may be configured to store information as part of the memory 508 or database 522. The server 505 may comprise a single or multiple centralized or geographically distributed servers 505. The server 505 may be configured to store information and coordinate information with any of the devices 502, with the database 522, between any of the devices 502 and the database 522. The system 500 or any portion of the system 500, such as the equipment presses 532, 534, 536, may include one or more sensors 516 configured to receive sensor inputs and provide sensor outputs including, for example, press usage information associated with temperature and pressure.

The user interface 514 of the device 502 may include any user interface device, display device, or other hardware mechanism connected to a display or supporting a user interface to communicate and present press information throughout the system 500. The user interface 514 may include any input or output device to facilitate receiving or presenting information (imprinting operation information) in audio or visual form or a combination thereof. Examples of displays may include, but are not limited to, touch screens, cathode ray tube displays, light emitting diode displays, electroluminescent displays, electronic paper, plasma display panels, liquid crystal displays, high performance addressed displays, thin film transistor displays, organic light emitting diode displays, surface conduction electron emitting displays, laser televisions, carbon nanotubes, quantum dot displays, interferometric modulated displays, projector devices, and the like. User interface 514 may present information to any user of device 502.

Connection 524 may be, for example, any wired or wireless connection between two or more endpoints (e.g., devices or systems) to facilitate transfer of press information to facilitate scalable enhancements to presses either wirelessly or via wired connections. Connection 524 may include, for example, a local area network to communicatively connect device 502 to network 520. Connection 524 may include, for example, a wide area network connection to communicatively connect server 505 with network 520. Connection 524 may include, for example, a wireless connection, such as a Radio Frequency (RF), near Field Communication (NFC), bluetooth communication, WIFI, or wired connection, to communicatively connect device 502 and sensor 516.

Press 532 may thus be operated for a given application to include, for example, pressure, temperature, power, and time settings. In accordance with the present disclosure, data is obtained fumbly, for example, for a given garment and transfer design. Best practices are employed, for example, based on experience obtained at certain locations or using one transfer press, and are applied to other transfer presses, apparel designs, transfer, and to other locations. Statistical data is accumulated in, for example, database 522, and best practices from fuzzing the data are accumulated, analyzed, and optimized so that settings can be refined based on content sets learned from other applications, sites, etc. For example, a first location may operate several presses, even several models of presses. The data may thus be accumulated in the database 522, analyzed, and optimized so that the settings may be refined or modified for use at, for example, a second location. Specific parameters of a particular type of garment, such as fabric thickness, fabric type (e.g., cotton), or transfer specific parameters.

Any portion of system 500, such as device 502 and server 505, may comprise a computing system and/or device including a processor 506 and memory 508. Computing systems and/or devices typically include computer-executable instructions, where the instructions may define operations and may be performed by one or more devices, such as those listed herein. The computer-executable instructions may be compiled or interpreted from computer programs created using a variety of programming languages and/or techniques, including, but not limited to, java language, C, C ++, visual Basic, java Script, perl, SQL, PL/SQL, shell Script, unity language, and the like, alone or in combination. The system 500, such as the device 502 and the server 505, may take many different forms and include multiple components and facilities and/or alternative components and facilities, as shown in the figures. Although the exemplary systems, devices, modules, and sub-modules are illustrated in the figures, the exemplary components illustrated in the figures are not intended to be limiting. Indeed, additional or alternative components and/or implementations may be used, and thus the above communication operation examples should not be construed as limiting.

In general, the computing system and/or devices (e.g., device 502 and server 505) may employ any of a variety of computer operating systems, including, but in no way limited to, microsoft WindowsOperating System, unix operating System (e.g., issued by Oracle corporation of Redwood Shores, calif.)>Operating system), AIX UNIX operating system issued by International Business machines corporation of Armonk, N.Y., linux operating system, mac OS X and iOS operating systems issued by apple Inc. of Cupertino, california, and BlackBerry OS and Open Handset Alliance versions and/or variants of the Android operating systems developed by Research In Motion of Waterloo, canada. Examples of computing systems and/or devices such as device 502 and server 505 may include, but are not limited to, mobile devices, cellular telephones, smart phones, super phones, next generation portable devices, mobile printers, handheld or desktop computers, notebook computers, laptop computers, tablet computers, wearable devices, virtual computersAn anthropomorphic or augmented reality device, a secure voice communication device, network hardware, a computer workstation, or any other computing system and/or device.

Further, a processor, such as processor 506, receives instructions from a memory, such as memory 508 or database 522 and executes the instructions to provide operations herein, thereby performing one or more processes, including one or more processes described herein. Various computer-readable media (e.g., memory 508 or database 522) may be used to store and transmit such instructions and other guidance information. A processor such as processor 506 may include any computer hardware or combination of computer hardware configured to achieve the purposes of the devices, systems, operations, and processes described herein. For example, processor 506 may be any one of, but not limited to, a single-core, dual-core, tri-core, or quad-core processor (on a single chip), a graphics processing unit, and vision processing hardware.

Memory or database 522, such as memory 508, may generally include any computer-readable medium (also referred to as a processor-readable medium) that may include any non-transitory (e.g., tangible) medium that participates in providing instructional information or instructions that may be read by a computer (e.g., by the processor 506 of the device 502 and server 505). Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limited to, non-volatile media and volatile media. Non-volatile media may include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, and other persistent memory. Volatile media may include, for example, dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), which typically constitutes a main memory. Such instructions may be transmitted via one or more transmission media, including radio waves, metallic lines, optical fibers, etc., including lines including a system bus coupled to a computer processor. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM, DVD, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, any other physical medium with patterns of holes, a RAM, PROM, EPROM, FLASH-EEPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

Further, the databases, data repositories, or other guiding information stores described herein (e.g., memory 508 and database 522) may generally include various mechanisms for storing, providing, accessing, and retrieving various guiding information, including a hierarchical database, a set of files in a file system, a proprietary format application database, a relational database management system (RDBMS), and the like. Each such guide information store may generally be contained within (e.g., memory 508) or external (e.g., database 522) a computing system and/or device (e.g., device 502 and server 505) that employs a computer operating system, such as one of the computer operating systems described above, and/or is accessed via a network (e.g., system 500 or network 520) or in any one or more of a variety of manners. The file system may be accessed from a computer operating system and may include files stored in various formats. RDBMS typically uses Structured Query Language (SQL) in addition to the languages used to create, store, edit, and execute stored routines (e.g., the PL/SQL language described above). Memory 508 and database 522 may be connected to any portion of system 500 or be part of any portion of system 500.

Referring to fig. 6 and in accordance with the present disclosure, method 600 begins at 602 with selecting a transfer at step 604. At step 606, an image is acquired, which may be obtained via an image provided with the transfer or may be obtained via a computer network such as network 500. At step 606, the image may be transmitted to the projector via a wireless connection or a wired connection. At step 608, the garment is positioned on the lower platen of any press and the lower platen described herein, and the resulting transfer image is projected onto the garment at step 610, including any corrections to the image, including size, angular orientation, location, distortion, or any corrections described herein. At step 612, the transfer is positioned on the garment to match the location of the image, and at step 614, a heat press is applied, including time, temperature, pressure, and any other relevant parameters are applied to secure the transfer to the garment. The method 600 ends at 616.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a dual press 700 or dual platen design with a projector arm above each press according to the present disclosure. Press 700 otherwise has upper and lower platens, controllers, heating elements, etc. as described in the single platen design above (as described in fig. 1A and 1B), and the description of fig. 1A and 1B above incorporates the following description—note the differences between stand 104 and the support base of press 200. Press 700 also operates in a similar manner to press 200 of fig. 2, noting that press 700 includes a projector positioned toward the rear end of press 700 and has a mirror positioned toward the front of press 700. The projector projects the image onto a mirror that determines the angle in such a way that the image is then reflected down and toward the lower platen.

Thus, press 700 operates in a manner that automatically controls temperature, pressure, and run time, as described above with respect to other disclosed press examples in particular. The upper platen and the supporting head are movable left and right so that a clothing article and a transfer article can be placed on another lower platen while the transfer article is being fixed to the clothing article on the lower platen via hot pressing, and the process is repeated repeatedly.

Press 700 includes a first lower platen 702 and a second lower platen 704 mounted on a bracket 706 or base frame, and a support head 708 that supports an upper platen 710 above lower platens 702, 704. Lower platens 702, 704 operate in a similar manner as described above with respect to lower platens 102, 202, and 204. A force may be applied to upper platen 710 through a pair of shafts and the mechanism for displacing the upper platen to distribute the force to lower platens 702, 704 may include pneumatic pressure chambers, as similarly described and illustrated in fig. 1A and 1B.

The operation of press 700 proceeds in a similar manner as press 100 described above. In addition, however, controller 712 and visual display 714 interfaced with controller 712 may be used to move and position support head 708 on each lower platen 702, 704. Upper platen 710 is supported by a linearly movable support structure 716. Support structure 716 is movable from a first position 718 above lower platen 702 to a second position 720 above lower platen 704. The movable support 716 is positioned within a receiving structure 722 having a bellows-like flexible guard 724, the guard 724 being located on either side of the movable support 716 and flexing and retracting in an accordion-like manner as the movable support 716 moves left and right. Housed within the receiving structure 722 is a motor or pneumatic actuator (not visible) controlled by the controller 712, which is operable to move the support structure 716 between a first position 718 and a second position 720. Each of the first position 718 and the second position 720 includes its own corresponding support arm assembly 726, 728. Each support arm assembly 726, 728 includes a respective projection assembly 730, 732.

Referring now to fig. 8, a top exploded perspective view of a projection assembly 800 is shown, the projection assembly 800 being associated with each of the projection assemblies 730, 732. Projection assembly 800 includes a base bracket 802 for supporting assembly 800 and adjacent to transparent panel 804. The slide rails 806 are attached to the bottom surface 808 of the base bracket 802. The adjustment block 810 is attached to the slide rail 806 such that the adjustment block 810 can be adjusted laterally 812 relative to the bottom surface 808 of the base bracket 802 via rotation of a linear sliding knob 814, as will be discussed further. The rotary adjustment knob 816 is attached to the adjustment block 810 such that the adjustment block 810 may be rotationally 818 adjusted relative to the bottom surface 808, as will be discussed further.

The adjustment block 810 includes a recess or slot 820 along an upper surface 822 into which a retaining bracket 824 can be positioned by sliding into the slot 820. The retaining bracket 824 includes a slot 826 formed by two lateral extensions 828, the slot 826 being configured to avoid obstructing a rotating gear 830, which rotating gear 830, while visible, is attached to a projection frame 832. Projection frame 832 includes a mirror support 836 supporting mirror 834, mirror 834 being enclosed by a side lip 838 and a stop 840 catching mirror 834 and maintaining its position against mirror support 836. Mirror 834 is free to float and is positioned against mirror support 836. Side lips 838 and stops 840 thereby catch mirror 834 in place and prevent further movement once slid into place. In one example, mirror 834 can be mounted using side lips 838 and stops 840 and then attached to the mirror support using an adhesive such as epoxy. The retaining bracket 824 retains the projection frame 832 on the adjustment block 810. In one example, the slot 820 includes a sliding lip 841 such that the lateral extension 828 first slides into it and then slides completely into it, thereby holding the projection frame 832 with the adjustment block 810. Projector 842 is attached to projection frame 832 and, when assembled, enclosure or cover 844 encloses projection assembly 800 and is attached to base bracket 802.

Referring now to fig. 9, a bottom exploded perspective view of projection assembly 800 is shown. In this view, the base bracket 802, transparent panel 804, slide rails 806, adjustment block 810, retaining bracket 824, projection frame 832, and enclosure or cover 844 are visible from below. Projection frame 832 includes an opening 846 and a rotating gear 830 visible from below in this view. Opening 846 is positioned such that an image may be projected therethrough from projector 842 onto mirror 834. The rotation gear 830 is coupled with a rack and pinion (904 in the illustration of fig. 10) such that the adjustment block 810 is rotationally adjustable relative to the base bracket 802 using the rotation adjustment knob 816.

Fig. 10 shows a cut-away or cutaway top perspective view 900 of an adjustment block 810 positioned within a base bracket 802. The slice 900 is taken from below the slot 820, the slice location of which is shown in fig. 11, so the slot 820 is not visible as in fig. 8 and 9, so the internal parts of the various components can be seen, and this view is also accomplished with a slice or cut through the base bracket 802. Slice 900 illustrates a rotational adjustment mechanism that includes an opening 902 in an adjustment block 810, and a rack 904 positioned within the opening 902. The rack 904 includes linear gear teeth 906 that mesh with a rotary gear 830 as described with respect to fig. 9. The rotation of the adjustment knob 816 through the adjustment block 810 via the threaded portion 918 such that rotation of the rotation adjustment knob 816 causes the rotary plunger 908 to move laterally back and forth within the opening 902. The rotary plunger 908 is constrained by the first wall 910 and the second wall 912 such that rotation of the rotary adjustment knob 816 causes the rack 904 to also move linearly, thereby causing the rotary gear 830 to rotate due to the linear motion of the rack 904 via engagement with the linear gear teeth 906. Thus, rotation of the rotation adjustment knob 816 thereby causes a rotational action of the rotation gear 830, causing the projection frame 832 to rotate as shown at 818 in fig. 8.

The adjustment block 810 includes a second opening 914 and a linear adjustment mechanism that includes a linear slide knob 814 and includes a threaded portion 916 that passes through the adjustment block 810 such that rotation of the linear slide knob 814 causes the linear plunger 920 to move laterally within the second opening 914. The linear plunger 920 is constrained by the first wall 922 and the second wall 924 such that rotation of the linear slide knob 814 engages the adjustment block 810 in both directions, causing linear or back-and-forth movement of the adjustment block 810. Thus, rotation of the linear slide knob 814 thereby causes a back and forth movement of the adjustment block, thereby causing the projection frame 832 to thereby move back and forth as shown at 812 in fig. 8.

Regarding the rotary adjustment mechanism 818 and the linear adjustment mechanism 812 disclosed herein, it should be noted that the adjustment block 810 moves linearly back and forth only via the linear sliding knob 814, and that such movement does not affect the rotational position of the rotary gear 830 (or projector 842) because the adjustment block 810 slides back and forth relative to the rack 904. Thus, linear adjustment of the adjustment block 810 does not affect the rotational position of the rotation gear 830. Likewise, the rotational action of the rotation gear 830 does not affect the axial position of the adjustment block 810 because the engagement of the rack 904 causes movement of the rack 904 relative to the adjustment block. Thus, one knob causes operation of one motion independent of the other, and the linear motion 812 and the rotational motion 818 of the projection frame 832 are independent of each other.

Further, due to the captured nature of each plunger 908, 920, it is appreciated that independent linear and rotational operations occur with little or no backlash in both directions 812, 818. That is, the rotary plunger 908 is typically positioned against or very near each of the walls 910, 912 such that operation of the rotary adjustment knob 816 in both rotational directions (i.e., clockwise and counterclockwise) causes back and forth operation of the rack 904 in a manner that does not recoil and enables fine adjustment in both linear and rotational directions, the accuracy of the adjustment being determined by known features of known gear operation, such as the size of the meshing gears, the diameter of the circular gears, etc. Thus, the length of the rotary plunger 908 matches the spacing between the walls 910, 912.

Further, and referring back to FIG. 10, it is contemplated that linear movement toward and away from the mirror and in a direction (not shown) orthogonal to direction 812 may also be included. In this way, the position of adjustment block 810 may also be fine-tuned in terms of its distance or spacing from mirror 834.

Similarly, the linear plunger 920 is typically abutted against or in close proximity to each of the walls 922, 924 such that operation of the linear slide knob 814 in both rotational directions (i.e., clockwise and counterclockwise) causes a back and forth operation of the adjustment block 810 without backlash. Thus, the length of the linear plunger 920 matches the spacing between the walls 922, 924.

Thus, according to the present disclosure, the block 810 operates without constraining the operation of the linear slide knob 814 and the rotary adjustment knob 816. The circular gear 830 floats in its opening in fig. 10 and is attached to the underside of the projection frame 832, see fig. 9. The underside of the projection frame 832 rests on top of the adjustment block 810 such that when the adjustment knob 816 is rotated, the projection frame 832 rotates relative to the adjustment block 810, such that the rack 904 moves in and out, which rotates the gear 830, which in turn rotates the projection frame 832. On the other hand, rotation of the other knob 814 causes the adjustment block 810 to move linearly back and forth. Further, retaining bracket 824 slides in recess 820 and is flush with the surface of adjustment block 810, and adjustment block 810 also covers the gears of projection frame 832. This will form a flush plane and prevent the projection frame 832 from disengaging.

Fig. 11 is a semi-transparent view of projection assembly 800, illustrating the independent operation of projection assembly 800 to enable both linear motion 812 and rotational motion 818. In this view, opening 846 is shown with projection or projected image 1100 emanating or projected from projector 842 therethrough. Projection 1100 is directed toward mirror 834 and reflected therefrom such that projected image 1100 is reflected down 1102 and through transparent panel 804. Transparent panel 804 is attached to enclosure or cover 844 to prevent dust from entering the enclosure and damaging the components contained therein while allowing reflected image 1102 to pass to the lower platen.

Fig. 12 illustrates a projection assembly 800 positioned relative to a lower platen, such as any of lower platens 102, 202, 204, 702, or 704 as described herein. Projection 1100 is directed toward mirror 834 and reflected therefrom such that projected image 1100 reflects down 1102 and through transparent panel 804 to the platen.

Referring back now to fig. 7, the support arm assembly 726 includes a projection assembly 730 and the support arm assembly 728 includes a projection assembly 732, both of which include features and operations as described above with respect to fig. 8-12. In one example, an optional support beam 734 is positioned between the support arm assemblies 726, 728 to provide additional structural support. Each projection assembly 730, 732 is attached to a respective support arm assembly and is positioned to project an image from the projection head to a respective lower platen, the image being selected to match in size the transfer to be applied to the garment to guide the user in the location of the first transfer onto the garment.

Thus, in operation, the controller 712 moves the movable support 716 side-to-side between the first position 718 and the second position 720, and vice versa. When in one of positions 718 and 720, the controller 712 causes the press to automatically operate at a given pressure for a set duration to apply a certain amount of heat. At the same time, at the other of locations 718 and 720, the user removes the just-imprinted shirt with transfer, and the user places a new shirt accordingly and positions the transfer on top of the shirt using the corresponding projection assemblies 730, 732.

Each of the disclosed presses includes a controller, which may operate as described below. As in fig. 1A and 1B, transfer press 100 includes controller 116, transfer press 200 in fig. 2 includes controller 212, and transfer press 700 in fig. 7 includes controller 712. The controller 712 includes further features for controlling the side-to-side movement and operation of the projection assemblies 730, 732 as well as all additional features necessary to operate a dual press instead of a single press, including automatically switching projections from one projection head to another during a side-to-side movement operation.

The operator may apply the marker or transfer to the garment and, in accordance with the present disclosure, the image of the transfer may be obtained via a database that is part of the controller 712, or the image of the transfer may be obtained from a remote database and via a computer network that is external to the controller 712 and remote from the transfer press 700. In one example, the image corresponding to the transfer to be attached to the garment may be provided separately, e.g., with the garment itself, and e.g., on a thumb drive, flash drive, data stick, USB (universal serial bus) key, etc. In this example, the image and other indications may provide reference features that are projected onto the lower platen to guide the placement of the garment, and then also include the location of the transfer itself on the garment (and relative to the reference features). Once the image and reference features are obtained, according to the present disclosure, the reference features are projected onto the lower platen, clothing is placed on the lower platen based on the reference features on the lower platen, and the image is projected onto clothing positioned on the lower platen. The image is projected to coincide with the position where the operator positions the marker or transfer so that the operator can accurately or near accurately replicate the marker or transfer at the actual position where the marker or transfer will be placed.

It is desirable to project from directly above and normal to the hold down plate and to be able to align items such as graphics, pictures or images with the hold down plate, which items are stored locally in the controller or accessible through a cloud-based network. The disclosed controller 712 can transmit data to a projector, such as projection assemblies 730, 732, to project selected graphics, pictures, or images to the lower platen to aid in the garment printing process.

In this example, the image is simply displayed on the garment, and if the transfer matches image 1:1 on the garment, no further action is required. Also, if the size of the transfer does not match the size of the image, the support arm assembly 726/728 may be moved upward or downward relative to the lower platen until the size of the image and the transfer match. In another option, the size of the image itself may be adjusted to match the size of the transfer, and without moving the support arm assemblies 726/728, the projected image may be enlarged or reduced by manually adjusting the appropriate projection assemblies 730/732, or via operation of the respective controllers 712.

In another example, the projected image may be rotated by manually rotating the projection assembly 730/732. It is contemplated that the image may be projected at an angle relative to the lower platen and clothing, in which case it may be distorted (i.e., distorted and non-rectangular since sunlight passing through the rectangular window does not form a rectangle on the floor). In this case, the image distortion may be corrected by manually adjusting the position, angle, or inclination of the projection assembly 730/732, thereby physically eliminating distortion caused by automatically adjusting the orientation of the projected image on the lower platen.

Thus, in lieu of the extensions 106 and 302 described above, in accordance with the present disclosure, the support arm assemblies 726/728 are positioned adjacent to where the extensions 106 and 302 are located in the above-described figures, but in this example, the support arm assemblies 726/728 include the projection assemblies 730/732 and the mirror 836 positioned therein. Projector 842 is positioned toward one end of projection assembly 730/732 and mirror 834 is positioned toward the other end of projection assembly 730/732. Mirror 834 is positioned above a lower platen (corresponding to the lower platen described above).

Projector 842 projects projection 1100 onto mirror 834, the angle of mirror 834 (45 deg. in one example) being determined such that reflected projection 1102 projects as an image onto the lower platen. The image projected onto the lower platen corresponds to the projected image described above, for example, in fig. 3B, 4 and 7. In one example, mirror 834 is fixed and not adjustable, so the end user may not be able to change the position where the image will be projected. However, in one example, projector 842 may be moved or adjusted to change the position of the image, while in another example mirror 834 may be positioned in a fixed position. It is generally preferred not to include the ability of the end user to adjust the position or orientation of the projector or mirror except for fine adjustments to correct small errors in order to always properly obtain proper operation and 1) proper location of the garment on the lower platen and 2) the image on the garment, if desired. However, in some cases, it may be desirable to include such capability for the end user, for example, to correct minor errors in the position of the image on the lower platen.

Fig. 13 illustrates reference features on a lower platen according to the present disclosure. In this example, lower platen 1300 may correspond to any of the above described lower platens described herein, lower platen 1300 being shown having projected image 1302 thereon. The projected image 1302 includes reference features 1304, 1306 for positioning the garment onto the lower platen, and a projected logo 1308 (illustrated as three X symbols as an example) for positioning the actual logo or transfer onto the garment, where the projected logo has a size corresponding to the actual logo 1:1. As an example, the reference feature may include a collar 1304 of the garment and/or may include one or more shirt buttons 1306, but may include any identifying feature, such as a seam around the neck or a front-side split seam visible on the garment. The reference feature is specific to one type of garment and provides guidance to the operator of where the garment is placed on the lower platen in order to properly place the garment relative to the desired location where the logo or transfer is to be placed. For example, a T-shirt may have a collar but no buttons, while a "football" type shirt may have both a collar and buttons as reference features. Any number of shirt types, sizes, etc. may be provided in the image and correspond to any type of logo or transfer on the garment or shirt and its location.

Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, projection heads 138/230/232 or projection assemblies 730/732 project projected image 1302 onto a platen, as described above in various systems or transfer presses, to provide guidance or reference features for accurately positioning a shirt on a lower platen. The projected image 1302 also includes features on the garment as to where to place a logo or transfer. Thus, the projected image 1302 provides a reference frame between the lower platen and the garment, and a reference frame between the garment and the logo location.

Still referring to fig. 13, it may be desirable to provide system calibration capability so that when a new machine arrives and is set up, the mirror and projector positions can be calibrated and then fixed in place, thus eliminating the need for further adjustment. In another example, it may be desirable to provide system calibration before each use of the system, or at least check the system calibration from time to time. Such calibration may include first establishing a reference frame of where the lower platen is located relative to the rest of the system, such as measuring or otherwise establishing a position relative to one, two, or more of the platen edges 1310, or by placing an image of two crosshairs 1312 relative to fiducials or other indicia on the lower platen itself. This operation establishes a reference frame for the position of the image relative to the lower platen, which then provides a location as discussed for positioning the garment or shirt onto the lower platen via the image features of the garment first and then positioning the projected logo so that the user can then position the actual logo at the desired location on the garment.

In one example, such as the example of dual press 700 with projection assemblies 730, 732, not only can system calibration be performed, but also the disclosed adjustment block 810 can be used to make rotational and axial position adjustments to the position of the image to further perform fine tuning of the projection of the image to the lower platen.

It may be desirable to provide system calibration capability so that the positions of the mirrors and projectors can be calibrated and then fixed in place as new machines arrive and set up, thus eliminating the need for further adjustment. In another example, it may be desirable to provide system calibration before each use of the system, or at least check the system calibration from time to time. Such calibration may include first establishing a reference frame of where the lower platen is located, such as measuring or otherwise establishing a position relative to one, two, or more of the platen edges, or by placing an image of the crosshairs relative to fiducials or other indicia on the lower platen itself. This operation establishes a reference frame for the position of the image relative to the lower platen, which then provides a location as discussed for positioning the garment or shirt onto the lower platen via the image features of the garment first and then positioning the projected logo so that the user can then position the actual logo at the desired location on the garment.

Thus, in accordance with the present disclosure, a transfer press for applying a transfer to a garment includes an upper platen, a lower platen, a support head, and a support arm assembly, the support head being adapted to move the upper platen between an open position and a closed position to apply heat to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen to apply the transfer to the garment positioned on the lower platen. A projection assembly is attached to the support arm assembly and extends above the lower platen, the projection assembly having a projector positioned to project an image onto the lower platen, the image being selected to be sized to match a transfer to be applied to the garment to guide a user in the location where the transfer is to be placed onto the garment.

Also in accordance with the present disclosure, a method of applying a transfer to a garment includes: selecting from the database an image that matches a transfer to be applied to a garment positioned on the lower platen; projecting the image from a projection assembly extending above the lower platen toward the lower platen such that the first transfer may be positioned to match the position and size of the image on the first garment to guide a user in the position where the transfer is to be placed on the garment; and moving the upper platen above the lower platen. The method includes closing the upper platen to the lower platen from an open position to a closed position to apply heat to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen to apply the transfer to the garment positioned on the lower platen.

The exemplary illustrations are not limited to the examples previously described. Rather, many variations and modifications are possible which utilize the concepts of the exemplary illustrations and thus fall within the scope of protection. Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive.

With respect to the processes, systems, methods, fumbles, etc. described herein, it should be understood that although the steps of these processes, etc. have been described as occurring according to some predetermined order, these processes may be practiced with the described steps performed in an order different than that described herein. It should also be understood that certain steps may be performed concurrently, other steps may be added, or certain steps described herein may be omitted. In other words, the description of the processes herein is provided for the purpose of illustrating certain embodiments and should not be construed as limiting the claimed invention in any way.

Accordingly, it is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Many embodiments and applications other than the examples provided will be based on reading the above description. The scope of the disclosure should be determined, not with reference to the above description, but should instead be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. It is contemplated and intended that future developments will occur in the arts discussed herein, and that the disclosed systems and methods will be incorporated into such future embodiments. In summary, it is to be understood that the present disclosure is capable of modification and variation and is limited only by the following claims.

All terms used in the claims are intended to be given their broadest reasonable constructions and their ordinary meanings as understood by those skilled in the art unless an explicit indication to the contrary is made herein. In particular, the use of singular articles such as "a," "an," "the," and the like should be understood to reference one or more of the specified elements unless the claim recites an explicit limitation to the contrary.

Claims

1. A projection assembly, comprising:

a projector configured to project a projected image to a lower platen of the thermal transfer press; and

and the adjusting block is used for adjusting the rotation position and the transverse position of the projector relative to the lower pressing plate.

2. The projection assembly of claim 1, further comprising a projection frame attached to the projector, the projection frame including a mirror and a projection frame opening for projecting a projected image from the projector, the projection frame including a rotation gear configured to couple with the adjustment block.

3. The projection assembly of claim 2, wherein:

the projected image is projected from the projector to the mirror through the projection frame opening;

the mirror is positioned to receive the projected image and reflect the projected image perpendicularly from the projector to the lower platen.

4. The projection assembly of claim 2, wherein the adjustment block includes a retaining bracket having a slot formed by two lateral extensions configured to unobstructed receive the rotation gear.

5. The projection assembly of claim 1, wherein the adjustment block includes a rotation adjustment mechanism including a rotary plunger that rotates the rotary gear to adjust a rotational position of the projector.

6. The projection assembly of claim 5, wherein the adjustment block includes a first opening, the rotary plunger being configured to be laterally movable in the first opening between a first wall and a second wall of the first opening.

7. The projection assembly of claim 6, wherein the first opening comprises a rack having a plurality of linear gear teeth for meshing with the rotating gear.

8. The projection assembly of claim 7, further comprising a cover, wherein the rotation adjustment mechanism includes a rotation adjustment knob extending from the cover and through the adjustment block via a threaded portion, the rotation plunger being laterally movable in the first opening via rotation of the rotation adjustment knob.

9. The projection assembly of claim 1, further comprising a base bracket configured to support the projection assembly, the base bracket including a slide rail on a bottom surface of the base bracket.

10. The projection assembly of claim 9, further comprising a transparent panel proximate the base bracket, the transparent panel configured to prevent dust from entering the projection assembly while allowing the projected image to pass through the transparent panel.

11. The projection assembly of claim 9, wherein the adjustment block is attached to the slide rail, the adjustment block comprising a linear adjustment mechanism comprising a linear plunger that adjusts a lateral position of the projector relative to a bottom surface of the base bracket.

12. The projection assembly of claim 11, wherein the adjustment block includes a second opening, the linear plunger being configured to move laterally in the second opening between a first wall and a second wall of the second opening.

13. The projection assembly of claim 12, wherein the linear adjustment mechanism includes a linear sliding knob extending from a cover of the projection assembly and passing through the adjustment block via a threaded portion, the linear plunger moving laterally in the second opening via rotation of the linear sliding knob.

14. The projection assembly of claim 1, wherein adjusting the rotational position of the projector and adjusting the lateral position of the projector are independent of each other.

15. A method of aligning a transfer press, comprising:

projecting a projected image from a projection assembly extending above a lower platen toward the lower platen;

aligning a position of the projected image on the lower platen by adjusting a rotational position of the projection assembly relative to the lower platen; and

and adjusting the transverse position of the projection assembly relative to the lower pressing plate.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

rotating a rotation adjustment knob extending from the projection cap to adjust a rotational position of the projection assembly; and

a linear sliding knob extending from the projection cap is rotated to adjust the lateral position of the projection assembly.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein:

the rotary adjustment knob extends through the adjustment block and into the first opening via a first threaded portion coupled to the rotary plunger;

the linear sliding knob extends through the adjustment block and into the second opening via a second threaded portion coupled to the linear plunger.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

laterally moving the rotary plunger within the first opening, the rotary plunger rotating a rotary gear to adjust a rotational position of the projector;

wherein the first opening comprises a rack having a plurality of linear gear teeth for meshing with the rotary gear.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transversely moving the linear plunger in the second opening between the first wall and the second wall of the second opening;

wherein the length of the transverse plunger matches the spacing between the first wall and the second wall, the linear plunger engaging one of the first wall and the second wall to adjust the transverse position of the projection assembly.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein adjusting the rotational position of the projection assembly and adjusting the lateral position of the projection assembly are independent of each other.