Classifications

• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F73/00—Apparatus for smoothing or removing creases from garments or other textile articles by formers, cores, stretchers, or internal frames, with the application of heat or steam 
• • D—TEXTILES; PAPER
  • D06—TREATMENT OF TEXTILES OR THE LIKE; LAUNDERING; FLEXIBLE MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • D06F—LAUNDERING, DRYING, IRONING, PRESSING OR FOLDING TEXTILE ARTICLES
  • D06F59/00—Supports adapted to retain the shape of particular articles being dried, e.g. incorporating heating means
  • D06F59/02—Supports adapted to retain the shape of particular articles being dried, e.g. incorporating heating means for garments

Definitions

• the present invention relates to an inflatable body for, and to a kit for de- wrinkling garments.
• One type is an all-in-one device.
• This device is a stand-alone device wherein the inflatable body and the air blower are integrated into one single device. These devices are rather expensive and typically occupy a lot of space.
• only one inflatable body is provided which can only accommodate one specific type of garment, such as a shirt. When one garment has been de- wrinkled, it has to be removed from the inflatable body in order to put a new garment over the inflatable body for a next de-wrinkling operation. Examples of such all-in-one devices are described in US6,834,441, US 2004/0245296 and US2005/0067442 (all assigned to BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgerate GmbH).
• kits comprising several components which have to be assembled before use. These kits have the advantage that they can be disassembled, and therefore easily be stored away. Several shapes of inflatable bodies can be attached to the air blower, and thus these kits allow several types of garments to be de-wrinkled. Such kits are for example described in JP 2003-199996, JP 2003-199997, and JP 2003-199998 (all assigned to Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.).
• the present invention relates to an inflatable body for de-wrinkling garments, comprising an air inlet opening and characterized in that the inflatable body comprises a nonwoven substrate having an air permeability of from 0.005 m 3 /m 2 /min to 30 m 3 /m 2 /min.
• the present invention relates to a package comprising at least one inflatable body.
• the present invention relates to a kit for de-wrinkling garments.
• the kit comprises at least one inflatable body, and an air blowing device.
• the present invention relates to a method for de-wrinkling garments, comprising the steps of: a. providing an inflatable body according to claims 1-9; then b. placing a garment over said inflatable body; then c. attaching the inlet opening of said inflatable body to the outlet opening of an air blowing device; d. blowing air into said inflatable body.
• Fig. 1 shows a cross-section of an inflatable body according to the present invention.
• Fig. 2 shows a front view of a kit according to the present invention.
• the present invention relates to an inflatable body for, and a kit for de- wrinkling garments, and to a package comprising at least one inflatable body.
• Inflatable body for, and a kit for de- wrinkling garments, and to a package comprising at least one inflatable body.
• the inflatable body is used to be inserted into a garment. As shown in Fig. 1, the inflatable body
• a garment 1 is shaped such that it takes the form, when inflated, of the inside of a garment. Any common garment can be envisaged such a shirt or a pair of trousers.
• the air inlet opening 2 allows air to be blown into the body 1, such that the body 1 can expand to take the shape of the garment.
• the inflatable body 1 comprises a nonwoven substrate.
• nonwoven is to be defined according to the commonly used definition of the "Nonwoven Fabrics Handbook" published by the Association of the Non-woven Fabric Industry.
• a "nonwoven substrate” is a substrate comprising nonwoven fibers and made according to methods as described herein below. The definition of nonwoven substrate does not include woven fabric.
• Nonwoven fibers comprise fibers that are naturally occurring (modified or unmodified), as well as synthetically made fibers, or combinations thereof.
• naturally occurring fibers include all those, which are naturally available without being modified, regenerated or produced by man and are generated from plants, animals, insects or by-products of plants, animals and insects.
• suitable unmodified/modified naturally occurring fibers include cotton, Esparto grass, bagasse, kemp, flax, silk, wool, wood pulp, chemically modified wood pulp, jute, ethyl cellulose, cellulose acetate, and combinations thereof.
• synthetic means that the materials are obtained primarily from various man-made materials or from natural materials that have been further altered.
• Non-limiting examples of synthetic materials useful in the present invention include those selected from the group consisting of acetate fibers, acrylic fibers, cellulose ester fibers, modacrylic fibers, polyamide fibers, polyester fibers, polyolefin fibers, polyvinyl alcohol fibers, rayon fibers and combinations thereof.
• suitable synthetic materials include acrylics such as acrilan, creslan, and the acrylonitrile-based fiber, orlon; cellulose ester fibers such as cellulose acetate, arnel, and accelerator; polyamides such as nylons (e.g., nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, and the like); polyesters such as fortrel, kodel, and the polyethylene terephthalate fiber, polybutylene terephalate fiber, dacron; polyolefins such as polypropylene, polyethylene; polyvinyl acetate fibers and combinations thereof.
• acrylics such as acrilan, creslan, and the acrylonitrile-based fiber, orlon
• cellulose ester fibers such as cellulose acetate, arnel, and accelerator
• polyamides such as nylons (e.g., nylon 6, nylon 66, nylon 610, and the like)
• polyesters such as fortrel, kodel, and the polyethylene terephthal
• Suitable synthetic materials may include solid single component (i.e., chemically homogeneous) fibers, multi-constituent fibers (i.e., more than one type of material making up each fiber), and multi-component fibers (i.e., synthetic fibers which comprise two or more distinct filament types which are somehow intertwined to produce a larger fiber), and combinations thereof.
• Bi- component fibers may have a core-sheath configuration or a side-by-side configuration and may have the following polymer combinations: polyethylene/poly-propylene, polyethylvinyl acetate/polypropylene, poly-ethylene/polyester, polypropylene/polyester, copolyester/ polyester, and the like.
• nonwovens are well known in the art. Generally, these nonwovens can be made by air-laying, water-laying, meltblowing, coforming, spunbonding, or carding processes in which the fibers or filaments are first cut to desired lengths from long strands, passed into a water or air stream, and then deposited onto a screen through which the fiber-laden air or water is passed. The resulting layer, regardless of its method of production or composition, is then subjected to at least one of several types of bonding operations to anchor the individual fibers together to form a self-sustaining substrate.
• Suitable processes include, but are not limited to, air-entanglement, hydro-entanglement, thermal bonding, carding, needle-punching, or any other process known in the art, and combinations of these processes.
• the nonwoven substrate can comprise a single layer, or multiple layers. The multiple layers may also be bonded together to form a laminate of 2 or more layers.
• the nonwoven substrate to be used for the inflatable body 1 of the present invention needs to have an air permeability of from 0.005 m 3 /m 2 /min to 30 m 3 /m 2 /min.
• the nonwoven substrate has an air permeability of from 0.5 m 3 /m 2 /min to 5 m 3 /m 2 /min, and more preferably from 1 m 3 /m 2 /min to 2 m 3 /m 2 /min.
• the air permeability is measured according to standard test method ASTM D737-96.
• One preferred nonwoven substrate is a thermoplastic film, more preferably a thermoplastic film made of polyethylene or polypropylene
• a suitable nonwoven substrate is a calendared 50-60 gsm polypropylene film having an air permeability of 3.4 m 3 /m 2 /min, from BBA Fiberweb (United Kingdom).
• Other examples of suitable nonwoven substrates include HYFOL PP Plus, HYFOL PE Soft Textile and Aptra B 140 from Rheinische Kunststoffwerke AG (Germany), having a thickness of 10-20 microns and basis weight of between 20 and 30 gsm.
• the thermoplastic film is preferably an apertured thermoplastic film, comprising apertures having a diameter, on average, of from 100 micrometer to 150 micrometer, preferably from 110 micrometer to 140 micrometer, most preferably from 115 micrometer to 135 micrometer.
• the apertures are spaced apart, on average, at a distance of 0.5 cm to 1.5 cm, more preferably from 0.7 cm to 1.3 cm, even more preferably from 0.9 cm to 1.1 cm, most preferably 1 cm.
• An example of such a nonwoven substrate is a hotneedle apertured film of 60% polypropylene-40% ethylene vinyl acetate co-extruded nonwoven (product code DH 245), from Clopay.
• Another preferred nonwoven substrate is a laminate of at least 2 layers, of which one layer is a thermoplastic film as described above, and the other layer is preferably acetate or polyester based Examples are the 25 gsm polyethylene film (FPE G25N) and 19 gsm polyethylene film/13 gsm spunbond polypropylene nonwoven from Clopay (United States of America) and a spunlace substrate of a 0.16 dtex 70% viscose-30% polyester laminated with a poly-urethane membrane from Famajerseys (Italy). These materials are low to non air-permeable and require aperturing to achieve the required permeability.
• FPE G25N polyethylene film
• a spunlace substrate of a 0.16 dtex 70% viscose-30% polyester laminated with a poly-urethane membrane from Famajerseys (I
• the inflatable body 1 will comprise a hanger 3 which allows to hang the inflatable body 1 to e.g. a clothes rack.
• the hanger 3 may be removably attachable to the inflatable body 1, or it may be permanently integrated with the inflatable body 1.
• the hanger 3 is made of a low cost, plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
• a second optional, but preferred, feature is a garment support member 4 to support the garment while it is being de-wrinkled.
• the garment support member 4 may be removable attachable to the inflatable body 1 or to the hanger 3, or it may be permanently integrated with the inflatable body 1.
• the garment support member 4 is also inflatable and made of a low-cost, plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.
• the inflatable body 1 comprises both a hanger 3 and a garment support member 4, preferably an inflatable garment support member 4.
• the advantage of the low cost inflatable body 1 according to the present invention is that the de- wrinkled garment can remain on the inflatable body 1 and simply be put away in a wardrobe or on a clothes rack, preferably with the hanger, without the need to remove the garment from the inflatable body 1.
• a user can simply take a further inflatable body.
• Another advantage of providing a low cost inflatable body 1 according to the present invention is that several inflatable bodies can be packaged in a relatively small sized package and be easily stored away prior to use. Another advantage is that several inflatable bodies, each having a different shape such that they can accommodate different types of garments. Inflatable bodies of different shapes can be sold in one package or in different packages.
• the kit for de-wrinkling garments comprises two essential elements, as shown in Fig. 2: at least one inflatable body 1, as described above, and an air blowing device 5.
• the air blowing device 5 comprises a housing comprising an air fan (not shown) and an air outlet opening 6.
• the air outlet opening 6 is to be connected to the air inlet opening 2 of the inflatable body 1.
• a separate fitment 7 may optionally be used.
• the fan has a power of from 2OW to 80W, and is capable of generating a pressure inside the body of from 50 Pascal to 400 Pascal, sufficient to blow up the inflatable body 1 to the extent that the body 1 stretches the garment in order to have de-wrinkling effect, but low enough to avoid damage to the inflatable body 1 and/or garment.
• a pressure of about 200 Pascal is preferred.
• noise generation of the air blowing device 5 is preferably kept to a minimum.
• the air blowing device 5 preferably generates a noise level of from 30 decibel (db) to 80 db.
• the air blowing device 5 may further comprise a heating element, such that the air blowing device 5 is capable of blowing air with a temperature of from 30°C to 80°C. Blowing warm air into the inflatable body 1 has a positive effect on the de-wrinkling process.
• a suitable fans for use in the air blowing device are the circular duct fans from Systemair (Sweden) , particularly the RVK 100-125 fan.
• the inflatable body 1 and/or de-wrinkling kit may further comprise one or more optional features.
• a first optional, but preferred, feature is a garment stretching means 8.
• This can be for example one or more weights which can be clipped onto certain parts of the inflatable body 1 or of the garment.
• This can also be an elastic strap which can be attached to the inflatable body 1 or garment, and then be fastened to the air blowing device 5.
• a delivery system for delivering moisture or actives to the garments.
• This can be a simple trigger or aerosol spray container which can be included to the de-wrinkling kit to spray onto the outer surface of the garments before, during or immediately after the de-wrinkling process. It can also be a system, such as a nebulliser, an electronic spray device or a steaming device, which is integrated into the housing of the air blowing device 5, and thus delivers the actives from within the air-permeable inflatable body 1 to the garment.
• Preferred actives to be delivered to the garment include, but are not limited thereto, water, perfume or any suitable fabric care agent known in the art.
• Especially preferred actives to be delivered are those which directly contribute to the de-wrinkling process itself.
• the de-wrinkling chemistry which is available on the market under the brand name Downy Wrinkle Release (from The Procter & Gamble Company), and extensively described in U.S. Patents US7,049,276, US6,984,336, US6,755,987, US6,652,766, US6,569,345 and European Patent numbers EP1201817 and EP1096056 (all assigned to The Procter & Gamble Company).
• the method for de-wrinkling garments using the kit of the present invention comprises the following steps: a. providing an inflatable body 1 as described above; then b. placing a garment over said inflatable body 1; then c. attaching the inlet opening 2 of said inflatable body 1 to the outlet opening 6 of an air blowing device 5; d. blowing air into said inflatable body 1.
• the garment When a first garment has been de-wrinkled, the garment can be removed while still being on the inflatable body 1, and be stored away on a clothes rack or in a wardrobe. However, in a preferred method of the invention, the de- wrinkled garment remains on the inflatable body. In order to de- wrinkle a further garment, a further inflatable body 1 is used, and steps c. and d. are repeated.
• the garment is premoistened before air is blown into the inflatable body 1.
• a hotneedle apertured film of 60% polypropylene/40% ethylene vinyl acetate co-extruded nonwoven material (product code DH 245), from Clopay is used to sew an inflatable body in the form of a shirt. Protrusions are inserted to achieve 0.5, 1.7, 2.4 and 6.7 cfm (cubic feet per minute). A cheap hanger is inserted for easy hanging of the body with an opening in the bottom part to achieve inflation. To achieve the de-wrinkling performance a shirt is hung over the body and the sleeves of the body are inserted in the shirt. The shirts are pre-moistened via a sprayer. The upper button of the shirt is closed.
• the body is connected with a low noise air fan RVK 100-125 from Systemair.
• RVK low noise air fan
• the botton of the shirts are stretched with clips which can be attached to the bottom part of the body.
• After 15 minutes of inflation the front part of the shirt are de- wrinkled by 1 wrinkle grade as described in a standard AATCC- 128 (wrinkle recovery of fabrics) method.
• the shirt is graded before inflation yielding a wrinkle grade of 1.5 and after inflation a grade which exceed 2.5.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Textile Engineering (AREA)
• Professional, Industrial, Or Sporting Protective Garments (AREA)
• Woven Fabrics (AREA)
• Accessory Of Washing/Drying Machine, Commercial Washing/Drying Machine, Other Washing/Drying Machine (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

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Family Applications (1)

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Cited By (1)

Families Citing this family (6)

Citations (4)

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• 2007
  • 2007-12-11 EP EP07122851A patent/EP2071070A1/de not_active Withdrawn
• 2008
  • 2008-12-03 WO PCT/IB2008/055068 patent/WO2009074921A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2008-12-03 MX MX2010006387A patent/MX2010006387A/es unknown
  • 2008-12-03 KR KR1020107015273A patent/KR20100093110A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2008-12-03 JP JP2010537556A patent/JP2011505945A/ja not_active Withdrawn
  • 2008-12-03 CN CN2008801198756A patent/CN101896661A/zh active Pending
  • 2008-12-03 CA CA2706012A patent/CA2706012A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2008-12-05 US US12/315,689 patent/US20090145936A1/en not_active Abandoned

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