The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 30, 1995
Filed:
Mar. 17, 1993
Charles L Urso, Waltham, MA (US);
Other;
Abstract
A portable garment finishing machine (30) includes a hollow gripper (102) for gripping an edge portion of a suspended garment such that the gripper closes the edge portion upon itself in a spread condition. Treating fluid forced through the hollow gripper treats the gripper clamped garment portion while a longitudinally extendible conduit (32) conducts treating fluid interiorly of the garment. One of several embodiments of a fluid distributor (31, 316, 600), connected to the conduit, vertically traverses the garment interiorly and directs the fluid at interior garment surfaces. The treating fluid includes steam produced by vaporizing a water mist generated by ultrasonic means (450). A shoulder-shaped form (330) is provided to serve several functions including prevention of fluid escape through garment neck openings. The form is upwardly openable for receiving a garment hanger (344) such that the form can close over the hanger to avoid fluid loss. Lifting the hanger from the form simultaneously lifts the garment off the form thereby hanging the garment on the hanger. A detachable lapel clamp (800) is included with the form. A diverter (702) optionally connects a tumble dryer (700) to the finishing machine which reuses dryer exhaust as treating fluid. The diverter includes a disposable filter bag (704) to filter the exhaust and a blower (746) to vent overhumidified or overheated ambient air from the laundry area. Feedback control means are included in the system to control temperature and relative humidity of the treating fluid and of ambient air in the laundry area.