EP0671498A1 - Device for ironing (pressing) clothes - Google Patents

Abstract

An installation is for pressing shirts, blouses etc., and has an at least partially deformable shaped body on which the garments to be pressed are tensioned. In addition, it has press plates, (15, 16) which are pressed on the garment from outside, by means of bellows cylinders (35, 36).

Description

Device for smoothing (pressing) items of clothing, in particular shirts, blouses, coats or the like, according to the preamble of claim 1.

The device addressed here is an ironing press, which is also referred to in technical jargon as a "cabinet press". Such basically known devices have an inflatable molded body and preferably two opposing press plates. The item of clothing to be smoothed is drawn onto the shaped body and stretched by inflating the shaped body. The pressure plates are pressed against the molded body with the stretched clothing item, so that the pressure plates exert a pressure from the outside onto the clothing item stretched onto the molded body. The item of clothing is ironed or pressed by additional warm air, steam or the like.

In the known device, the press plates are moved back and forth by toggle lever drives between a starting position with the press plates moved apart and a press position with the press plates moved together. The toggle lever drives are dimensioned such that when the same is in the extended position, the press plates are in the press position. The elastically deformable molded body is deformed in such a way that the force required to deform the molded body corresponds to the intended pressing pressure. The disadvantage of this is that, over time, the force required to deform the shaped body (for example, due to the elastic material of the shell of the shaped body strengthening) decreases. This results in a lower press force, which affects the press quality.

The invention is therefore based on the object of providing a device for smoothing articles of clothing which always ensures a certain, preferably easily adjustable, pressing force.

The device used to achieve this object has the features of claim 1. Because the pressing plates according to the invention can be pressed onto the respective item of clothing or the molded body carrying them by means of lifting elements which can be actuated by pressure medium, the end position of the pressing plates corresponding to the pressing position is no longer limited by the extended position of the toggle linkage. Rather, the pressing plates can assume any pressing position that arises when they are pressed against the elastically deformable molded body with a certain pressing force. Regardless of changes in the elasticity of the shell of the molded body, there is always a pressing force which is proportional to the pressure of the pressure medium in the lifting elements. Any desired pressing force can be achieved by changing the pressure of the pressure medium. This enables the pressing force to be adapted in a simple manner to specific circumstances of the item of clothing to be smoothed. Characterized in that the pressure directions of the lifting elements point in the pressing directions, a favorable transfer of the Pressing force of the lifting elements reached on the press plates. The force of the lifting elements is preferably introduced directly into the press plate, ie without any appreciable deflection of the translation.

According to a preferred development of the invention, the press plates are arranged indirectly or directly on pivotable rockers. In relation to a free end area of the rockers, the press plates can be rotated about a preferably horizontal axis of rotation. The pressure medium-operated lifting elements act on the rockers or directly on the press plates. In the case of lifting elements acting on the rockers, the rockers simultaneously form stable and simply constructed guides for the lifting elements, as a result of which time-consuming longitudinal guides for the lifting elements in particular are superfluous.

Furthermore, it is provided according to the invention, at least in an end position of the wings, but in particular both in the starting position and in the pressing position, to lock the pressing plates in such a way that they are aligned and locked non-rotatably vertically at least in one direction, in such a way that the press plates in the pressing position and in the starting position are aligned essentially parallel to one another. In this way, a maximum distance between the press plates in the starting position is again created without complex longitudinal guides with a relatively small stroke of the pressure medium-operated lifting members.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the pressing plates are held in the initial position and pressing position in a vertical or parallel position by fixing members. The fixing members are preferably stops and / or springs. These organs allow the pressing plates to be fixed in a non-rotatable manner in at least one direction in the starting position and / or the pressing position in a simple manner.

The pressure medium-operated lifting elements are preferably designed as bellows cylinders. These have a very simple construction. A linear guide is unnecessary because it is taken over by the swingarms. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the bellows cylinders are operated only in a single-acting manner. A pressure medium, in particular compressed air, is applied to them only in the pressing direction. The pressing plates are moved back from the pressing position into the starting position by separate movement elements, for example springs. However, it is also conceivable to design the bellows cylinders to be double-acting or to use pneumatic cylinders instead of bellows cylinders.

According to the invention it is further provided that a compressed air reservoir is preferably assigned to each bellows cylinder. When the press plates are moved back from the press position to the starting position, the compressed air reservoir absorbs part of the air displaced from the bellows cylinders. The remaining air is released to the environment by venting the bellows cylinders. At the next work cycle, the air in the compressed air accumulators, which still has a reduced pressure, is transferred to the bellows cylinders, as a result of which they partially move the press plates from the starting position to the press position. As a result, only a partial volume of (new) compressed air has to be supplied to the bellows cylinders, which is required to move the pressure plates completely into their pressing position and to build up the air pressure required for the intended pressing force of the pressure plates in the bellows cylinders. As a result of the compressed air storage, the compressed air consumption of the device can be effectively reduced.

Fig. 1

eine schematische Seitenansicht der Vorrichtung,

Fig. 2

einen vergrößert dargestellten Schnitt II-II durch eine Presse der Vorrichtung der Fig. 1 mit sich in einer Grundposition befindlichen Preß platten,

Fig. 3

eine Ansicht gemäß Fig. 2 in einer Zwischenposition der Preßplatten,

Fig. 4

eine Ansicht gemäß der Fig. 2 und 3 in einer Preß position der Preßplatten, und

Fig. 5

einen gegenüber den Fig. 2 bis 4 um 90° ge drehten Schnitt durch die Vorrichtung mit teil weise dargestelltem Formkörper.

A preferred embodiment of the device is explained below with reference to the drawing. In this show:

Fig. 1

a schematic side view of the device,

Fig. 2

an enlarged section II-II through a press of the device of FIG. 1 with the press in a basic position,

Fig. 3

2 in an intermediate position of the press plates,

Fig. 4

a view of FIGS. 2 and 3 in a press position of the press plates, and

Fig. 5

a compared to FIGS. 2 to 4 rotated by 90 ° ge section through the device with partially shown molded body.

The device shown here is a so-called cabinet press, with which outer clothing, in particular the torso of shirts, blouses, coats or the like, is smoothed by pressing. The smoothing is done by applying pressure and heat to the outer clothing.

According to FIG. 1, the device has two molded bodies 10 and 11 which are located alternately inside or outside a press 12. The shaped bodies 10 and 11 can be moved into and out of the press 12 by means of a horizontal linear conveyor (not shown). Outside the press 12, the outer garments to be pressed, which are not shown in the figures, are pulled onto the respective shaped body (in FIG. 1, the shaped body 10) and stretched. Inside the press 12, the outer garments tensioned on the corresponding shaped body (in FIG. 1, the shaped body 11) are smoothed or ironed by pressing, by pressing two plates shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 from opposite sides against the shaped body 11 with the ironing garment to be pressed.

An alternative device is also conceivable that has only a single molded body. The loading and pressing then take place in succession and not simultaneously as in the embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 1.

The molded bodies 10, 11 have a frame 13 which has a preferably multi-part inflatable casing 14. The inflatable casing 14 is made of a stretchable material and inflatable from the inside. As a result, the shaped bodies 10, 11 are elastically deformable for tightening the outer garments put on and for adapting to the respective shape or size of the outer garment to be smoothed.

Inside the press 12 there are two approximately identical press plates 15, 16 which are opposite each other in mirror image. The press plates 15 and 16 are moved apart in the starting position shown in FIG. 2 for moving out and retracting a molded body 10, 11 with an outer garment stretched thereon 4 shows the pressing position of the pressing plates 15, 16, in which the pressing plates 15, 16 have moved so far that they exert a pressing pressure on opposite sides of the shaped body not shown in FIG. 4 Exercise 10 or 11 and the outer garment stretched on it. In this pressing position of the pressing plates 15, 16, the outer garment is smoothed or ironed by pressing.

The preferably heatable press plates 15, 16 have a profile that is essentially matched to the outer contour of the shaped bodies 10, 11. On the back 17, each press plate 15, 16 is connected to a rigid pressure frame 18. The pressure plates 15, 16 are movably connected to a rigid base frame 21 via rockers 19, 20. The lower ends of the rockers 19 and 20 are pivotably mounted on the base frame 21 via horizontal axes of rotation 22. At a distance from the upper free ends 23 of the rockers 19 and 20 there is a further horizontal axis of rotation 24. The axes of rotation 24 pivotally connect the pressure frames 18 of the press plates 15 and 16 to the rockers 19 and 20, the assignment of the axes of rotation 24 to the press plates 15, 16 takes place in such a way that the axes of rotation 24 lie approximately in the middle of the rear of each press plate 15, 16. The rockers 19 and 20 guide the pressure plates 15 and 16 when moving together and apart on an arcuate path 25 by the rockers 19 and 20 are pivoted in opposite directions.

Each of the identical rockers 19, 20 is formed by two parallel individual arms 26, 27, which are connected to one another by a cross member 28. The crossmember 28 creates a torsionally rigid connection of the individual arms 26, 27 of the respective rocker 19, 20. The crossmember 28 is arranged in the region of the (upper) axis of rotation 24 of the respective rocker 19, 20.

Each press plate 15, 16 has stops 29, 30 which are firmly connected to the respective printing frame 18. An upper stop 29 and a lower stop 30 are assigned to both individual arms 26, 27 of each rocker 19, 20. The upper and lower stops 29 and 30 are fixedly connected to the respective printing frame 18 lying on opposite sides of the axis of rotation 24. Two further stops 31 are arranged fixedly on opposite sides of the base frame 21. One of these stops 31 is assigned to a press plate 15, 16, namely the rear side 32 of the respective printing frame 18. The stops 31 are positioned such that they are located above the free ends 23 of the rockers 19, 20.

Furthermore, each press plate 15, 16 is connected to the base frame 21 by return members designed here as tension springs 33. One end of each tension spring 33 is connected to the base frame 21 and the opposite end of the respective tension spring 33 to the corresponding pressure frame 18. The tension springs 33 are arranged between the free ends of the rockers 19, 20 and the stops 31.

The stops 29, 30, 31 and the tension springs 33 serve for the non-rotatable locking of the pressure plates 15, 16 relative to the rockers 19, 20 and for the parallel alignment of the pressure plates 15, 16 in the starting position (FIG. 2) and the pressing position (FIG. 4 ). In the starting position of the pressure plates 15, 16, their pressure frames 18 are supported on the one hand by the stops 31 on the base frame 21 and on the other hand with their lower stops 30 on the individual arms 26, 27 of the rockers 19, 20. The stops 30 and 31 are dimensioned and arranged such that, due to the support of the printing frame 18, the pressure plates 15, 16 in the Starting position with a sufficient distance from one another for extending and retracting a molded body 10 and 11 and can no longer rotate about the axes of rotation 24 relative to the rockers 19, 20.

In the pressing position, the upper stops 29 of the pressure frames 18 of the pressing plates 15, 16 come to rest on a correspondingly designed stop surface 34 at the free end 23 of each individual arm 26, 27. The stops 29 are pressed against the stop surfaces 34 by the tension springs 33 between the base frame 21 and the pressure frame 18. The arrangement of the stops 29 on the pressure frame 18 is such that when the stops 29 abut the stop surfaces 34, the pressure plates 15 , 16 are aligned parallel to each other with a small distance. This distance is such that the pressure plates 15, 16 exert a corresponding pressing force on the outer garment drawn onto the molded body 10 or 11. The stops 29 in conjunction with the tension springs 33 ensure that the pressure plates 15, 16 are non-rotatable relative to the individual arms 26 and 27 even in the pressing position.

Between the pressing position and the starting position, the pressing plates 15, 16 are in an anti-parallel alignment with one another (FIG. 3). The tension springs 33 hold the stops 29 on the stop surfaces 34 of the individual arms 26, 27 during the pivoting of the rockers 19, 20, as a result of which there is initially no relative movement of the pressure plates 15, 16 relative to the rockers 19, 20. Only when the rockers 19, 20 have reached the position shown in FIG. 3, the rear sides 32 of the pressure frame 18 come to rest against the stops 31 on the base frame 21. This has the consequence that when the rockers 19, 20 are moved further apart Tensioning the tension springs 33, the stops 29 lift off the stop surfaces 34 and the pressure plates 15, 16 are pivoted in opposite directions to one another until they run parallel to one another, with the lower stops 30 of the pressure frame 18 on the individual arms 26 and 27 (FIG. 2).

According to the invention, the pressure plates 15, 16 are moved through for pressing against the outer clothing of the moldings 10, 11 pressure-medium-operated lifting elements, which in the exemplary embodiment shown are designed as single-acting bellows cylinders 35, 36. The bellows cylinders 35, 36 are arranged such that they are preferably directed directly onto the pressure plates 15 and 16, respectively. In the present exemplary embodiment, the bellows cylinders 35, 36 are directed against the rear sides of the pressure plates 15 and 16, respectively. The pressure direction of the respective bellows cylinder 35 or 36 runs in the pressing direction of the corresponding pressure plate 15 or 16. Preferably, the pressure direction of each bellows cylinder 35, 36 runs in the same direction (parallel) to the pressing direction of the respective pressure plate 15 or 16. Each pressure plate 15 or 16 is moved by a bellows cylinder 35 or 36 from the starting position into the pressing position. Each bellows cylinder 35, 36 is firmly positioned between the base frame 21 on the one hand and the rocker 19 and 20 on the other. A fixed end 37 of each bellows cylinder 35, 36 is connected to the base frame 21. A movable end of each bellows cylinder 35, 36 is connected or articulated approximately in the middle to the corresponding rocker 19, 20, namely the cross member 28 thereof. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the bellows cylinders 35, 36 are assigned to the rockers 19, 20 in such a way that the longitudinal central axes 39 of the bellows cylinders 35, 36 run approximately perpendicularly through the axes of rotation 24 (FIG. 2). Alternatively, it is conceivable to connect the bellows cylinders 35, 36 with their movable ends directly to the pressure plates 15, 16 or the pressure frame 18.

The bellows cylinders 35, 36 provided with a bellows-like rubber jacket have a diameter of approximately 400 mm in the exemplary embodiment shown. The stroke of the bellows cylinders 35, 36 is up to 140 mm.

The bellows cylinders 35 and 36 are connected to a compressed air source, for example a compressor, which generates a pressure of approximately 6 bar. For pressing, the pressing plates 15, 16 are moved from their starting position into the pressing position by the bellows cylinders 35, 36. The pressing force of the pressing plates 15, 16 on the outer garment on the molded body 10 or 11 is dependent on the air pressure in the bellows cylinders 35, 36. The pressing force can be adjusted in a simple manner by setting one corresponding internal pressure in the bellows cylinder 35, 36. The force which is necessary for the elastic deformation of the molded body 10, 11 when pressing the outer clothing items has no influence on the pressing force.

The pressing plates 15, 16 are moved apart from the pressing position into the starting position by the tension springs 33 serving as return elements between the base frame 21 and the pressure frame 18 on the pressure plates 15, 16. If the air supply lines to the bellows cylinders 35, 36 are opened, the tension springs pull 33 the single-acting bellows cylinders 35, 36 with the pressure plates 15, 16 back into the extended starting position.

The air displaced when the press plates 15, 16 move apart in the bellows cylinders 35, 36 is temporarily stored in compressed air stores 40, 41. In the exemplary embodiment shown, each bellows cylinder 35 and 36 is assigned its own compressed air reservoir 40, 41. However, it is also conceivable to assign a common compressed air reservoir to both bellows cylinders 35 and 36. In the respective compressed air reservoir 40, 41, the air escaping from the bellows cylinders 35, 36 is stored when the press plates 15, 16 are initially moved apart from the press position into the starting position. So much air is stored in the compressed air reservoirs 40 and 41 until a pressure has built up therein that almost corresponds to the tensile force of the tension springs 33. This can be 3 bar, for example. So that the pressure plates 15, 16 can be moved further apart into their final starting position by the tension springs 33, the remaining air in the bellows cylinders 35, 36 is passed without pressure to the outside. For the subsequent moving together of the pressure plates 15, 16 into the pressing position, the compressed air temporarily stored in the compressed air stores 40, 41 is first passed into the bellows cylinders 35, 36. When the pressure of the air in the compressed air reservoirs 40, 41 is no longer sufficient to move the pressure plates 15, 16 further against the force of the tension springs 33, air at a higher pressure is passed from the compressed air source into the bellows cylinders 35, 36, as a result of which the Press plates 15, 16 are moved further into the pressing position exerting a sufficient pressing pressure.

Claims (12)

Device for smoothing (pressing) items of clothing, in particular shirts, blouses, gowns or the like, with at least one at least partially deformable, preferably compressible molded body, onto which the items of clothing to be treated can be clamped, and with external pressure on the respective item of clothing and the molded body Press plates, characterized in that the press plates (15, 16) can be pressed against the shaped body (10, 11) or the item of clothing clamped thereon by means of lifting elements (bellows cylinders 35, 36) acting in the pressing direction. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that each pressure medium-operated lifting member (bellows cylinder 35, 36) with a fixed end (37) on a fixed part of a base frame (21) or the like is preferably pivotable is fixed and with a movable end (38) with the respective press plate (15, 16) is directly or indirectly connected. Device according to one or more of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that each press plate (15, 16) is assigned a pivotable rocker (19, 20), preferably one free (upper) end (23) of each rocker (19, 20th ) a press plate (15, 16) is assigned. Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that each lifting element (bellows cylinder 35, 36) actuated by pressure medium is assigned with its movable end (38) to the respective rocker (19, 20), preferably in such a way that the direction of action of the respective Lifting organ (bellows cylinder 35, 36) runs through a pivot point (axis of rotation 24) of the upper end (23) of the corresponding rocker (19, 20) on the relevant press plate (15, 16). Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that each press plate (15, 16) is connected to a rigid pressure frame (18). Apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that a rocker (19, 20) is connected to the respective pressure frame (18) of the press plates (15, 16) so as to be rotatable or pivotable about an axis of rotation (24) forming the articulation point. Device according to claim 1 and one or more of the further claims, characterized in that the pressing plates (15, 16) can be fixed parallel to one another at least in an end position, preferably in a pressing position and an initial position, preferably by means of guide and / or stop means . Device according to claim 7, characterized in that the pressure frames (18) of the press plates (15, 16) on opposite sides of the axis of rotation (24) for fastening the rockers (19, 20) have stops (29, 30) which hold the press plates ( 15, 16) in at least one end position hold the rockers (19, 20) in a preferably parallel orientation to each other. Apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that in addition to the stops (29, 30) on the pressure frame (18) of the press plates (15, 16), stops (31) and / or traction means (tension springs 33) are provided which are on the base frame ( 21) are arranged or act on the base frame (21) in such a way that they lock the pressure plates (15, 16) in their end positions in a parallel orientation to one another with the stops (29, 30) on the pressure frame (18). Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the lifting elements actuated by pressure medium are designed as bellows cylinders (35, 36), in particular as single-acting bellows cylinders (35, 36) which are effective in the extending direction or in the pressing direction. Apparatus according to claim 10, characterized in that separate drive means, in particular tension springs (33), are provided for moving the bellows cylinders (35, 36) into the starting position of the press plates (15, 16). Device according to one or more of claims 1 to 11, characterized by accumulators (compressed air accumulators 40, 41) for temporarily receiving at least part of the pressure medium for actuating the bellows cylinders (35, 36).

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