Apparel apparatus – Folding
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-21
2001-08-28
Mohanty, Bibhu (Department: 3741)
Apparel apparatus
Folding
C223S038000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279791
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to devices for folding of apparel, e.g. man's or women's shirts, blouses, sweaters or similar garments. More particularly the present invention refers to a new idea how to fold apparel properly, how to package thereof and how to keep it in a wrinkle-free state so as to retain the nice appearance for a long period of time.
The invention allows to fold ironed garments in a very compact configuration suitable for storing in suitcases, small volume bags, small “James Bond” briefcases etc.
The apparel folded in accordance with the present invention can be hanged on a rack for clothes or on a bar and kept in a wrinkle-free shape ready for dressing without the necessity in additional treatment.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Most of people and especially traveling businessmen or representatives prefer to dress their shirts when they have proper and nice appearance. Furthermore during traveling, official events or in other occasions people need fresh and nice ironed shirts. Normally people change and dress clean and ironed shirts very often due to dirt, food marks, water or rain drops, perspiration marks, dust etc. Normally there is no time and place to iron the shirt before dressing after it has been already taken out from the package.
Due to wrong or non-optimal packaging or pressure of other objects in the briefcase, suitcase, etc., the shirt becomes wrinkled, not straight, not flat and therefore it has improper appearance. Therefore people are looking for a method or way to pack and store their shirts in such a way that their appearance is not deteriorated by storing and it can be dressed without any additional preliminary treatment.
Another well known problem associated with shirts after they are folded and stored is the way of folding to optimal overall size, the positioning of sleeves in the folded condition and the most suitable way to iron collars and to keep them in proper shape.
Shirts are ironed flat and then folded afterwards. Ironing and folding can be done in accordance with various methods or steps and most of the people develop their own ideas and habits how to fold their garments.
When offered for sale the new shirts are supplied normally packed and folded with a sample flat piece of thick paper in the middle and a sheet of paper or plastics in the collar. This is a very simple shape and method for one time use. The papers are thrown away and not used anymore. They do not help during folding of shirts after ironing and have only limited function.
Shirts without ironing are hanged on the rack and not folded. The use of the present invention can solve the folding problem also in this case.
There are known various prior art devices for folding and storing of garments. In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,011,052 there is disclosed a folding device for apparel, which facilitates the folding of shirts or sweaters. The device consists of a flat base having plurality of creases to allow the operator to manipulate the shirt while folding thereof in various stages to achieve complete and proper folding. The creases are directed in horizontal, vertical and diagonal directions and the shirt should be folded along all of them, which render the device and use thereof somewhat complicate and unsuitable for folding the apparel into configuration suitable for storing in a small briefcase.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,329 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,479 there are described a configured shirt-shaper for folding shirts and a method for folding a shirt. The shaper is configured as a flat base member configured as a rectangular sheet with arm members extending from each upper corner area and a first and a second fold line extending longitudinally along one side and the other side to divide the base member into two substantially equal side sections and a mid-section. The shaper is provided only with longitudinal fold lines and its surface is not sufficient to fold the shirt also in transversal directions.
There are known also other shirt folding devices employing fold lines, however they always employ either solely longitudinal fold lines or in combination with the transversal fold lines and diagonal fold lines and none of them envisages a simple combination of longitudinal and transversal fold lines so as to fold the garment into compact configuration, which can be advantageously stored in folded wrinkle-free state which dimensions fit small briefcases usually used by traveling business people.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the main object of the present invention to provide a simple, cheap and convenient folding device suitable for fast and easy folding and storing of ironed apparel and to guarantee its wrinkle-free and nice shape.
The further object of the present invention is to provide a folding device which can be easily used by any person without the necessity for professional training or special skills.
Still further object of the invention is to provide a folding device suitable for folding apparel and storing thereof in compact folded configuration inside suitcases, briefcases, bags and other small volume places, while preserving their nice and wrinkle-free shape so as to dress them without the necessity in additional ironing. The device of the present invention enables storing of folded shirt within a briefcase together with other articles like folders, papers, books etc. since it can be folded in the proportional size.
The above and other objects of the present invention can be achieved in accordance with the following combination of its essential features referring to different embodiments thereof.
The first embodiment of the present invention refers to a device for folding of apparel, especially men's shirts and storing thereof in a wrinkle-free folded state, said device being configured as a flat base member having mutually perpendicular length dimension and width dimension, said dimensions corresponding to those of the men's shirt so as to fit inside the flattened shirt when buttoned, said base member being provided with a fold lines for folding thereof into compact configuration, said fold lines comprise a couple of parallel longitudinal fold lines extending along the length dimension of the base member and at least one transversal fold line extending along the width dimension of the base member, said longitudinal fold lines are situated on the base member to divide thereof into two equal lateral sections and a middle section situated therebetween, the width of said middle sections is dimensioned to accommodate at least the sum of widths of the lateral sections after the base member is folded along the longitudinal fold lines, the transversal fold lie is situated on the base member to enable folding thereof into compact configuration.
In accordance with the other embodiment said base member is made of a foldable rigid or semi-rigid material.
In still further embodiment said fold lines are marked on the surface of the base member.
In yet another embodiment said fold lines are scored or perforated.
According to the other embodiment said fold lines comprise creases.
As per still other embodiment said base member is made of cardboard or plastic material.
According to the further embodiment said base member is provided with a couple of parallel transversal fold lines extending along the width dimension of the base member to divide thereof into a top section, a bottom section and a middle section situated therebetween, the width of the middle section being more than the width of the bottom section.
In the further preferred embodiment the upper part of the base member is formed with lateral slopes, said slopes being configured to enable folding of shirt's sleeves along the slopes.
As per another preferred embodiment the upper part of the base member is formed with an opening to enable holding the base member and pulling thereof inside the flattened shirt.
And in still further embodiment the opening is located in the center of the upper part of the base member.
REFERENCES:
patent: 1657551 (1928-01-01), Schremp
Betman Zila
Sigler Shimon
Betman Zila
Blank Rome Comisky & McCauley LLP
Mohanty Bibhu
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