IMPROVED FINISHING PADDLE, AUTOMATIC FINISHER USING SUCH PADDLE AND FINISHING METHOD

The present invention relates to an improved finishing paddle, an improved automatic finisher using such paddle and an improved finishing method.

Automatic finishing of textile items (garments, as well as car seat upholstery, sofa covers, etc.) sometimes becomes difficult due to the generally- three-dimensional shape of these items.

Automatic finishing is generally performed by ^• directing a hot air flow against the previously wetted textiles. In certain cases, finishing is obtained by the tension produced by the air or by a special gripper, in other cases, the fabric is smoothed by introducing it between a paddle and a counter-paddle.

Finishing paddles generally allow finishing of details such as pockets, pleats and the like.

In certain cases, the shape of the textile item or the variety of sizes, for instance, of a garment, makes it difficult to introduce finishing counterpaddles therein. In these cases, for properly shaping the garment, a bag of suitable material is introduced into the item instead of the counterpaddles .

Here, proper positioning of the finishing paddle is particularly difficult, due to the lack of any reference, both in terms of sudden increase of

mechanical resistance (obtainable by abutting on a counter-paddle) , and in terms of absolute spatial references, because similar items of different sizes have different overall dimensions. Therefore, there arises the need of providing a paddle for an automatic finisher which allows effective finishing of items having complex shapes even when there is little (or no) room for using counterpaddles, without requiring the use of absolute references for the paddle motion.

It would be further desirable to provide a compact and versatile automatic finisher, requiring a minimized number of manual steps for finishing of details . In view of the prior art as described above, the object of the present invention is to provide a paddle, a system and/or a method that at least partially obviate at least some of the above mentioned drawbacks. According to the present invention, this object is fulfilled by a paddle according to claim 1, an automatic finisher according to claim 10 and a method according to claim 13.

The features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed description of one practical embodiment, which is illustrated without limitation in the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an exemplary view of a bag according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

- Figure 2 shows the bag of Figure 1 inserted in a pair of trousers ;

- Figure 3 shows the garment of Figure 2 with finishing paddles close to it, in their working configuration;

- Figure 4 shows an alternative embodiment of the paddle of the present invention, in its inactive configuration;

- Figures 5a and 5b show the paddle of Figure 4 , in its inactive and working configurations respectively, close to a portion of the item;

- Figure 6 shows a different embodiment of the paddle of Figure 4.

The bag 1 for automatic finishing is a specially shaped bag, which is adapted to shape from the inside the textile items 7 to be ironed.

It comprises connection means 5 for being connected to a blowing outlet and/or to the metal frame of an automatic finisher (schematically shown in the figures by two finishing paddles 4) .

The connection means 5 (or possibly only some of them) may be located next to a port 6 formed in the bag 1, for connection of the port 6 with the blowing outlet of the automatic finisher. The port 6, having a cross-section from about

150 cm ² to about 2000 cm ² , allows the bag 1 to be fed with hot air and/or steam blown from the blowing outlet of the automatic finisher and generated by suitable generators . The type of connection means 5 is selected according to the geometry of the support, the ease of

dressing, etc. They may be provided in the form of hook-and-loop systems (as shown in the figures) , cords, strings or the like.

These are generally known in the art, may take a variety of forms, and are used to prevent excessive loss of air and/or steam in the environment.

The bag 1 is advantageously made of a material that is permeable to the steam and hot air blown from the automatic finisher and is capable of withstanding finishing temperatures (note, for instance, that the steam is generated at about 5 bar - about 160 ⁰ C - in commercial pressing machines and at about 8-10 bar - about 180 ⁰ C - in industrial pressing machines) .

The material the bag 1 is mostly made of may be selected from the group comprising: nylon, cotton, cotton mixed with polyester or meta-aramid fibers, possibly suitably coated.

Also, the bag 1 has such a porosity that, when combined with the shape of the bag 1 and the air velocity, the bag 1 exerts the correct pressure onto the textile item 7 (which is shown in Figures 2 and 3 as a pair of trousers) : the higher the porosity of the bag 1, the higher the transpiration capacity and the lower the capacity to inflate as hot air is blown therein.

The bag 1 has a single inlet port 6; there may be also one or more secondary openings, for directing and conveying the air (or steam) flow in secondary flows, e.g. to maintain the shape of the sleeves or legs of a garment.

These secondary openings may be equipped with closure means ("purse string" closures, zippers or the like) to prevent air release if such openings are not to be used in the finishing process. The bag 1 may be designed to allow proper finishing of the rounded parts of the textile items; it may have the shape of an anatomic element, such as a torso or pelvis of a person, for finishing garments that are normally worn on such regions (shirts, blouses, trousers, skirts); alternatively, if the textile item 7 is not a garment, other shapes may be used.

Therefore, the bag 1 differs from other types of bags in one or more of the following characteristics: shape and/or size; resistance to heat and/or to steam; porosity; presence of an inlet port 6 and/or secondary openings, and shape and position thereof; presence, position and type of the means 5 for connection to the automatic finisher. Therefore, in spite of the variety of embodiments, the skilled person will be able to immediately recognize a bag for automatic finishing as disclosed herein from a bag unsuitable for any type of automatic finishing, as is typically intended in the art.

The bag 1 of a preferred embodiment of the present invention may include one or more markers 2, adapted to be detected by one or more sensors 3 applied to the finishing paddle/s 4. Such markers 2 may be metal elements, preferably bidimensional and advantageously having openings

(such as a perforated metal sheet, mesh o grid, a metal fabric or the like) , and being advantageously flexible to conform the shape of the garment without imparting the shape of its contour onto the fabric during the finishing process.

The markers 2 shall preferably have a surface of more than 10 cm ² or 15 cm ² or 20 cm ² or 25 cm ² , and preferably less than 250 cm ² or 300 cm ² or 350 cm ² , allowing easy detection thereof by the sensors 3, even when their position with respect to the sensor 3 (which can move along a fixed path, as explained below) should change, for example according to the different shapes and/or sizes of the textile item 7 to be finished. In lieu of a single metal element, the marker 2 may also comprise a plurality of mutually connected metal elements .

The marker 2 is advantageously attached to the bag 1, e.g. by stitching, gluing, or the like. Preferably, the marker is attached to the bag 1 at the points that, during the finishing process, will be located under the portions of the textile item 7 to be finished (for instance, in for garments, pockets or pleats) . The finishing paddle 4 is part of the automatic finisher and is movable along a predetermined path from a rest position, in which the textile item 7 can be dressed onto the finisher, to a work position in which it is close to or in contact with the textile item 7, and allows finishing thereof.

The paddle 4 is advantageously designed for

finishing details of the textile item 7, such as pockets or pleats.

The surface of the paddle 4 that faces the textile item 7 is generally flat but may also have a concave shape. Particularly, this embodiment is even more advantageous when combined with the features described with reference to the device as shown in Figures 4-6.

In the figures, the paddles 4 are schematically shown to be hinged to a common point, to indicate that the motion may be a rotation about a fixed axis. Of course, the paddles 4 may be also hinged about different fixed axes and may translate, rototranslate and/or be robotized. As an example, the paddle 4 may be a high- thickness heated plate, or a low-thickness cold or heated plate . It may be formed of aluminum or another metal .

Heating may be provided by a resistor, steam (possibly under pressure) contained in pipes or in a suitable chamber that contacts the paddle surface to be heated and that, in larger paddles, may be within the paddle . The paddle may be formed of one piece or two or more pieces connected together and has a thickness of 0.1 to 5 cm.

As mentioned above with respect to the bag 1, in spite of the wide variety of embodiments, the skilled person will be able to promptly recognize a paddle for automatic finishing as disclosed herein from a paddle unsuitable for any type of automatic finishing, as is typically intended in the art.

The path of paddle 4 be such as to allow it to come close to the textile item 7, even for the smallest textile item 7 that can be finished by the finisher. There will generally be one idle position only; the work position will conversely be variable along the path.

The paddle 4 will include one or more sensors 3 for detecting the marker 2. The sensor/s 3 are not microswitches, but are advantageously proximity sensors, preferably operating by induction, and may be integral with the paddle 4, e.g. disposed on the side of the paddle 4 that faces towards the textile item 7 to be finished, and preferably facing it.

They may be disposed substantially at the point of the paddle 4 that, as it moves along the path, will first contact the textile item 7 to be finished, for instance at the center of the paddle 4 or in the proximity of the point in which the paddle 4 is hinged to the arm that connects it to the automatic finisher.

The paddle 4 is driven by a suitable motor (not shown), e.g. comprising one or more pneumatic cylinders, springs and/or step motors.

Therefore, the automatic finisher may include a system capable of transmitting a stop signal to such a motor, possibly via an appropriate processing center, which stop signal is generated upon detection of the marker by the sensor/s 3, so that the motor

can stop the motion of the paddle 4 when needed.

The paddle 4 may have a substantially smooth surface, and the sensor/s 3 may be disposed flush with the surface of the paddle 4 facing towards the textile item 7 or slightly recessed relative to such surface .

Thus, as the paddle 4 moves towards the bag 1 and comes close to the textile item 7 to be finished, the sensor 3 will detect the marker 2 and generate the detection signal that, possibly after suitable processing, will generate the stop signal and stop the motion of the paddle 4.

Therefore, the detection signal will be processed by a processing center, advantageously in combination with parameters such as bag type, type of item to be finished, type of finishing, to exactly define the stop point for the paddle 4.

Particularly, once the detection signal has been generated and before the start of the finishing process, the paddle 4 may continue its motion for a limited length, may stop immediately or even move slightly backwards. Therefore, the paddle 4 is not stopped in its proper position neither by an abutment, such as a counter-paddle, nor by (linear or angular) position, velocity and/or acceleration calculations only.

In a second preferred embodiment of the present invention the proximity marker 2 is advantageously attached to the paddle 4, to move therewith. Referring to Figures 4 and 5, the paddle has connection means 8 for maintaining the distance D at

rest between the marker 2 and the sensor 3 below a preset value, below 5 cm, advantageously below 2 cm.

Particularly, the distance D at rest is slightly greater than the maximum distance at which the marker 2 can be detected by the sensor 3. Thus, it can change according to the type of sensor 3 actually attached to the paddle 4.

The connection means 8 can therefore define two different marker-sensor configurations: a first inactive configuration, as shown in Figure 4 or in Figure 6, in which the distance between the marker 2 and the sensor 3 is too large for the latter to detect the former, and a second active configuration, as shown in Figure 5, in which the distance allows detection of the marker 2 by the sensor 3.

Clearly, for the purposes of the present invention, the term "connection means 8" shall be intended to exclude any connection path that passes through the automatic finisher and/or through the arms that connect the paddle 4 to the automatic finisher.

In this sense, the connection means 8 are not suitable to allow a distance between the sensor 3 and the marker 2 of more than 15-20 cm. The marker 2 may have the same shapes and/or sizes as previously described. Nevertheless, the paddle 4 will be preferably equipped with a marker 2 in the form of a small metal element, such as a disk, designated by numeral 9 in Figures 4, 5 and 6. In this case, the marker may have a smaller size, e.g. smaller than 10 cm ² or 7 cm ² or 5 cm ² .

In one preferred embodiment, the connection means 8 may be embodied by an elastic lining 10 (e.g. made of elastic fabric) , which is attached to the -periphery of the paddle 4 by known arrangements (such as by a rubber band or a string sliding within a peripheral slot of the lining 10 or by hook-and-loop devices) .

Otherwise, the connection means may be embodied by an elastic band 11 (as shown in Figure 6) formed of textile material or a polymeric elastic material, by an elastic lining, a spring-biased system or other equivalent systems .

The lining 10 may entirely or substantially entirely wrap the side of the paddle 4 facing the textile item 7.

The lining 10 may be also formed of the same material as the bag 1.

The connection means 8 limit the maximum distance between the sensor 3 and the marker 2 and/or hold them at a preset maximum distance, when the paddle 4 is in its rest position.

In the embodiment of Figures 4 and 5, the paddle 4 has a concave shape and the connection means 8 in which the marker 2 is mounted comprise a lining 10, whereby the elasticity of the lining 10 assists in maintaining the marker 2 at a preset distance from the sensor 3, which can be easily determined once the shape of the paddle 4 is known.

In this case, the elasticity of the lining 10, namely its internal tension, helps to determine the resistance of the marker 2 against motion towards the

sensor 3 and hence the force to be applied thereto by the textile garment 7 to allow the sensor to detect the marker 2.

In the case of Figure 6, the elastic band 11 will have the same behavior as the above described lining 10.

The paddle 4 may be also formed with different shapes and be equipped of appropriate spacers, to prevent the sensor 3 from detecting the marker 2 at rest.

During the finishing process, as the paddle 4 moves towards its work position, the textile bag 1 or the textile item 7 will apply a pressure against the connection means 8, thereby moving the marker 2 towards the sensor 3 and thus generating the above described detection signal. Thus, the paddle 4 may stop, move backwards or complete is motion as described above.

It will be appreciated that, in the embodiment of Figures 4-6, the presence of a textile bag 1 is not required if the textile item 7 is able to oppose a sufficient resistance to air passage, so that enough pressure may be applied to the paddle for finishing (e.g. in the case of garments made of denim) .

Those skilled in the art will obviously appreciate that a number of changes and variants may be made to the arrangements as described hereinbefore to meet specific needs, such as by application of the inventive teachings to finishing of non-textile items

which require finishing, such as leather, plastic films, nonwoven fabric, etc.

Therefore, the teachings of the present invention are also applicable to machines for treatment of garments made of denim after dyeing, to impart the characteristic "vintage look" to such garments .

The bag, preferably formed of a high-thickness polymeric material, will have the required mechanical and chemical properties to withstand the process steps, such as: abrasion, bleaching, scratching, whiskering, to provide the rounded contours required for local treatment of the garment .

All of these changes and variants fall within scope of the invention, as defined in the following claims .