Portable Garment Steaming System

Abstract

A clothing de-wrinkling device which employs clips to hold shirts and pants at two points and expose the fabric surfaces to steam communicated to a closed enclosure. The clips when engaged will hold the fabric of the shirts or pants taught and thereby increase the de-wrinkling of the steam. Also provided are shirt sleeve engagement members which will hold the two side portions of shirt sleeves taught during exposure to steam.

Description

[0001]This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 61 / 367,383 filed on Jul. 24, 2010, and is incorporated herein in its entirety.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to devices configured for portability and to hang and enclose garments for garment care purposes. More particularly to a device configured to hold clothing in a manner to best expose all surfaces while concurrently employing steam to remove wrinkles.[0004]2. Prior Art[0005]Professional and consumer methods of cleaning garments have conventionally been the means to provide the average business person with clean, wrinkle free clothing. Many pressing methods employed by professional cleaners, typically employ high pressure steam and can be costly for the consumer. Additionally, such high temperature and pressure devices commercially employed can even cause permanent damage to the garment fabric if used incorrectly. Furthermore, professional pr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0009]The device herein disclosed and described provides a solution to the shortcomings in prior art and achieves the above noted goals through the provision of a garment enclosure configured to expose clothing to a cloud of steam employing a framework for supporting clothing and a surrounding enclosure. The framework may employ fixed supports or may include telescoping or collapsible support elements for more compact storage or transportation. Furthermore the enclosure adapted to surround the clothing engaged to the frame may be any of a rigid door, a fabric enclosure or a flexible plastic curtain. Employing the fabric or flexible plastics aids in the collapsible nature of the collapsible mode of the device. For more permanent installations, such as hotel rooms or laundry rooms, the enclosure may be formed of solid plastic or glass operatively engaged to more rigid support elements for the framework.

[0010]The device in the preferred mode, employs a means to support garments within the enclosure such as hangers and clips to maintain a majority of the garment surfaces exposed to the steam held within the enclosure. It is particularly preferred that the device employs form components for positional biasing of the arm sleeves or pant legs of a garment. Furthermore these support means may also aid in producing or maintaining crease lines in garments as is often seen in formalwear.

[0016]It is another object of the invention to provide form components for arm sleeves or pant legs of garments to enhance the removal of wrinkles and maintaining crease lines.

Problems solved by technology

Many pressing methods employed by professional cleaners, typically employ high pressure steam and can be costly for the consumer.

Additionally, such high temperature and pressure devices commercially employed can even cause permanent damage to the garment fabric if used incorrectly.

Furthermore, professional pressing of clothing, and or cleaning methods and services, are generally time consuming in that it takes a day or two to have clothing cleaned and pressed.

Even in hotels, clothing left for the hotel staff to clean and / or press, generally takes a few hours and in a hotel such services are prohibitively expensive.

Such time consuming and generally expensive services are generally undesirable for the on-the-go business person.

Having to wait for the hotel or a commercial cleaner, to deliver an unwrinkled and / or clean shirt or pants is simply not an option.

However, hotels have little to offer guests in the way of a means to de-wrinkle clothing that has spent a few days in a suitcase, other than a conventional steam iron, or laundry service.

The same problem exists in homes as the steam iron, or perhaps dryer with steam capability is the only option to render wrinkled clothing presentable.

These, and other prior art devices, however do not provide adequate support for the garment during the steaming process as needed, to expose all surfaces and hold them in an as-worn position during steaming for sufficient removal of wrinkles.

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