GARMENT STEAMER BAG

Abstract

A garment steamer bag includes a body defined by a top, a base, and at least one side wall, and a frame element. The garment steamer bag further includes an aperture for receiving the garment therethrough, and another aperture for introduction of steam into the body interior. The frame element includes a frame member for supporting at least an edge of the top and at least one cross support member. The at least one cross support member includes at least one hook adapted for supporting the garment steamer bag and at least one garment support member. In an alternative embodiment, the frame element includes a frame assembly adapted for supporting the body as a freestanding structure. The another aperture may include a plurality of displaceable flaps and is in fluid communication with first end of a sleeve defining a passageway for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

The presently-disclosed subject matter generally relates to the field of garment care devices. In particular, certain embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter relate to a bag or wardrobe having utility in steaming garments to remove or lessen wrinkles.

BACKGROUND

Clothing articles are maintained in various ways. For example, devices used in routine garment care and maintenance can include ironing, steaming, cleaning by use of washers and dryers, dry cleaning, etc. Either during or after the cleaning process, garments may acquire unsightly wrinkling that requires ironing or steaming to remove. Steaming may be the more convenient route to remove wrinkles, but requires additional equipment in the nature of a handheld or larger steamer. Further, for the most efficient wrinkle removal by steaming it is desirable to have the garment enclosed in a container of some sort to maintain contact between the steam and the fabric of the garment. Such containers are unwieldy and occupy otherwise needed space.

The present disclosure solves this problem by providing a garment steamer bag that can be used with a conventional handheld or other steamer to remove wrinkles from garments, but that can be used and stored out of the way when not required.

SUMMARY

The details of one or more embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided in this document. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiments, is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

In one aspect, the present document discloses a garment steamer bag including a body defined by a top, a base, and at least one side wall, and a frame element adapted to carry the body and a garment placed in an interior of the body. The garment steamer bag further includes an aperture in the at least one side wall, dimensioned and adapted for receiving the garment therethrough into the interior of the body. Another aperture is provided in the body, adapted for introduction of steam into the interior of the body. A closure for the aperture includes a selectively openable and closeable panel.

In embodiments, the frame element includes a frame member adapted for supporting at least an edge of the top and at least one cross support member. The at least one cross support member includes at least one hook adapted for supporting the garment steamer bag by a bracket mounted to a separate structure such as a door, and at least one garment support member. In an embodiment, the at least one garment support member includes an arcuate or zig-zag feature adapted to inhibit lateral movement of a garment hanger carried thereby.

In one possible alternative embodiment, the frame element includes a frame assembly adapted for supporting one or more edges of the at least one side wall and an edge of the top to support the body as a freestanding structure. The frame element may include at least one cross support member defining or carrying a garment support member.

In embodiments, the another aperture includes a plurality of selectively displaceable flaps. The another aperture may be in fluid communication with first end of a sleeve defining a passageway for introduction of steam into the interior of the body. In possible embodiments, the sleeve extends from one of the base or the at least one side wall and may include a selectively openable and closeable second end.

In another aspect, an alternative embodiment of a garment steamer bag is described herein, including a body defined by a top, a base, and at least one side wall and a frame element adapted to support the body and to carry a garment placed in an interior of the body. The frame element includes a frame assembly adapted for supporting one or more edges of the at least one side wall and an edge of the top to support the body as a freestanding structure. The frame element further includes at least one cross support member defining or carrying a garment support member.

A first aperture in the at least one side wall is provided, dimensioned and adapted for receiving the garment therethrough into the interior of the body. A second aperture in the at least one sidewall is also provided, adapted for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

In the following description, there are shown and described several embodiments of the disclosed garment steamer bag. As it should be realized, the disclosed device is capable of other, different embodiments and their several details are capable of modification in various, obvious aspects all without departing from the device as set forth and described in the following claims. Accordingly, the drawings and descriptions should be regarded as illustrative in nature and not as restrictive.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. A better understanding of the features and advantages of the present invention will be obtained by reference to the following detailed description that sets forth illustrative embodiments, in which the principles of the invention are used, and the accompanying drawings of which:

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded front perspective view of an embodiment of a garment steamer bag assembly according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a base including a port structure for use with the garment steamer bag shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the port structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a first side view of the port structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a second side view of the port structure shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is a front perspective view of the assembled garment steamer bag assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a side view of the assembled garment steamer bag assembly of FIG. 1.

FIG. 8 shows the assembled garment steamer bag assembly of FIG. 7, carried by a door.

FIG. 9 shows an alternative embodiment of the port of FIGS. 2-5 receiving a handheld garment steamer device.

FIG. 10 shows the alternative embodiment of FIG. 9 from an interior of the garment steamer bag.

FIG. 11 is a front perspective view of the assembled garment steamer bag assembly of FIG. 6, receiving a garment to be steamed.

FIG. 12 illustrates a representative steam distribution pattern for the garment steamer bag assembly of the FIG. 1 in use.

FIG. 13 is an alternative garment hanger for use with the garment steamer bag of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 14-17 illustrate a manner of use of the garment steamer bag of the present disclosure.

FIG. 18 is an alternative embodiment of the garment steamer bag of the present disclosure.

FIG. 19 shows a garment steamer device used with the garment steamer bag of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 shows a garment carried by a hanger arrangement associated with a frame of the garment steamer bag of FIG. 18.

FIG. 21 shows a manner of closure of a side opening for the garment steamer bag of the present disclosure.

FIG. 22 illustrates a representative steam distribution pattern for the garment steamer bag of FIG. 18 in use.

FIG. 23 shows the garment steamer bag of FIG. 18 disposed atop a chest of drawers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The details of one or more embodiments of the presently-disclosed subject matter are set forth in this document. Modifications to embodiments described in this document, and other embodiments, will be evident to those of ordinary skill in the art after a study of the information provided in this document. The information provided in this document, and particularly the specific details of the described exemplary embodiments, is provided primarily for clearness of understanding and no unnecessary limitations are to be understood therefrom. In case of conflict, the specification of this document, including definitions, will control.

It will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, where appropriate, reference numerals are repeated among the various figures to indicate corresponding, identical, or analogous features. Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments described herein. However, those of ordinary skill in the art will understand that the embodiments described herein can be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, methods, procedures, and components have not been described in detail so as not to obscure the related relevant feature being described. The drawings are not necessarily to scale and the proportions of certain parts may be exaggerated to better illustrate details and features. The description is not to be considered as limiting the scope of the embodiments described herein.

In one embodiment, a garment steamer bag is provided that is adapted for hanging from an adjoining structure such as a door or a wall. With reference to FIG. 1, a garment steamer bag assembly 10 includes a body 20 defined by opposed side walls 22, 24, 26, 28 (walls 26, 28 not visible in this view), a top 29, and a base 30. Side wall 22 may include a selectively sealable aperture defined by a panel 33 and a closure 35. Closure 35 may be any suitable closure as is known in the art, including without intending any limitation zippers, snaps, buttons, cooperating strips of hook-and-loop material, cooperating releasable adhesive panels, and others. The body 20 may be fabricated of any suitable material or materials, in embodiments being a material or materials resistant to passage of steam therethrough. The side walls of body 20 may optionally be supported by a frame structure (not shown), or may be defined by panels of material with support provided primarily by a frame at the top 29 and by base 30 at the bottom.

Base 30 includes an aperture or port 32 defined therein which can receive a sleeve 34 therethrough. Top 29 includes apertures 36, 38 which are configured to receive a portion of a hanger assembly 40 therethrough. Hanger assembly 40 is defined by a frame 42 that is configured to substantially match the outer dimensions of top 28. Frame 42 further includes a cross-bar 44 which carries a pair of hooks 46, 48 and a clothes hanger 50. A bracket 52 may be provided, defined by an upright bar 54 terminating on one end in a hook 56 dimensioned to be received over a top surface of a suitable structure such as a door (not shown in this view), and in an opposed end in a hanger bar 58 adapted to carry the hooks 46, 48 of frame 42.

FIGS. 2-5 illustrate an embodiment of base 30. As described above, the base 30 includes a port or aperture 32, defined by a circular cutout and spaced slits which define a plurality of flaps, in the depicted embodiment flaps 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d. Flaps 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d provide support and at least a partial seal for sleeve 34 when passed therethrough. Sleeve 34 may be retracted in to an interior of body 20, whereby flaps 60a, 60b, 60c, 60d may be closed.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show the assembled garment steamer bag assembly 10 of FIG. 1. As can be seen, frame 40 (not visible in this view) is disposed within an interior of body 20 adjacent to an underside of top 29, whereby hooks 46, 48 pass through apertures 36, 38 and can be carried by bracket 52. As discussed above, bracket 52 may be configured for hooking over, e.g., a top edge of a door 62 as shown in FIG. 8, and thus the garment steamer bag assembly 10 can be conveniently supported by a separate structure to free up a user for other operations. Base (not visible in this view) is disposed at a bottom of the body 20 and so is conveniently accessible when the garment steamer bag is supported by bracket 52.

FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of sleeve 34 wherein an opening 64 that provides a passageway to an interior of body 20 includes a closure, in the depicted embodiment being a drawstring assembly 66 of known design. As will be appreciated, the drawstring assembly 66 allows a full or at least partial seal to be defined around the steam nozzle (not visible in this view) of a garment steamer, in the depicted embodiment being a handheld garment steamer 67 of known design. The design and operation of a handheld garment steamer 67 such as is shown in the figure is well-known in the art, and need not be described in detail herein. However, as is known such devices typically include at least a fluid reservoir and a heating element capable of generating sufficient heat to convert fluids such as water to steam. A blower forces the generated steam out of the steam nozzle to contact a desired surface such as a garment to be de-wrinkled. As shown in FIG. 10, passage of a portion of the handheld garment steamer 67 through sleeve 34 introduces the steam nozzle 69 of the steamer into an interior of the body 20 to allow dispensing steam into the body 20 interior to contact any garments held therein.

As shown in FIG. 11 the body 20 selectively sealable aperture may be opened by releasing closure 35 and folding panel 33 back. A garment 70 optionally carried by a conventional hanger 72 may be introduced into the interior of the body 20. Hanger 72 is placed over the clothes hanger 50 of frame 40. The selectively sealable aperture is then closed by resealing closure 35 (see FIG. 12). With reference to FIG. 12, a handheld garment steamer 67 is secured to sleeve 34 as described above, and steam is introduced into the interior of body 20 to circulate therethrough (see arrows A) to contact and de-wrinkle the garment 70 (not visible in this view).

Alternative embodiments of elements of frame 40 are possible and contemplated. For example, as shown in FIG. 13 the frame 40 may include a clothes hanger 51 element having a wavy or zig-zag configuration. As will be appreciated, the nadir of each wave or zig-zag configuration provides a surface that prevents side-to-side sliding of hanger 72, and in so doing conveniently provides a fixed spacing between adjoining garments 70 disposed in the interior of body 20 whereby steam is able to access all surfaces of each adjoining garment 70.

FIGS. 14-17 illustrate use of the garment steamer bag assembly described above. As described, one or more garments 70 are introduced into an interior of the body 20 of the garment steamer bag via the selectively sealable aperture defined by panel 33 and closure 35 (FIGS. 14-15) and the selectively sealable aperture is sealed (FIG. 16). A handheld garment steamer 67 is introduced via sleeve 34 (FIG. 17) and sleeve 34 is sealed by way of closure 66. Steam is then introduced into the interior of body 20 to de-wrinkle garment(s) 70.

Alternative embodiments of the described garment steamer bag are possible and contemplated. For example, FIGS. 18-20 show a garment steamer bag adapted to be a free-standing device rather than one that must be supported by an adjoining structure such as a door. In this embodiment, the garment steamer bag is defined by a body 80, as before comprising side walls 22, 24, 26, and 28, a top 29, and a bottom 30 (not visible in this view). The body 80 further includes a sleeve 34 defining a passageway through one of the side walls 22, 24, 26, or 28. In the depicted embodiment, sleeve 34 defines a passageway through side wall 26 (see FIGS. 18-19). As shown in the drawing figure, sleeve 34 receives at least a steam nozzle 69 of a handheld steamer 67 so that steam may be introduced into an interior of the body 80 (See FIG. 19). A frame structure 82 (see esp. FIG. 20) provides structural support at least for one or more edges of one or more of side walls 22, 24, 26, and 26, thus allowing the body 80 to be placed free-standing on a surface such as on a top surface of a chest of drawers 84 (see FIG. 18). As shown in FIG. 20, frame 82 includes at least one cross-bar 84 carrying a clothes-hanger bar 86 on which a hanger 72 can be carried.

In use, as shown in FIGS. 21-22 one or more garments 70 are placed in an interior of body 80 in substantially the manner described above, and closure 35 is sealed. A handheld steamer device 67 is secured to sleeve 34 as described, and steam is introduced to circulate through the interior of body 80 (see arrows A) to de-wrinkle garment(s) 70. Thus, a garment steamer bag is provided which conveniently may be used free-standing on any suitable surface, such as a floor or on furniture such as chest of drawers 84 (see FIGS. 20, 23), a bed-side table, or others.

The disclosed garment steamer bag may be provided as an assembled unit 10, 80, or conveniently may be provided in kit form for attendant advantages in manufacturing, packaging, and shipping to consumers.

Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently-disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are described herein.

Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in this application, including the claims. As used herein, “optional” or “optionally” means that the subsequently described event or circumstance does or does not occur and that the description includes instances where said event or circumstance occurs and instances where it does not.

Any publications, patents, and patent applications mentioned in this specification are herein incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication, patent, or patent application was specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference,

It will be understood that various details of the presently disclosed subject matter can be changed without departing from the scope of the subject matter disclosed herein. Furthermore, the foregoing description is for the purpose of illustration only, and not for the purpose of limitation.

Claims

1. A garment steamer bag, comprising: a body defined by a top, a base, and at least one side wall;a frame element adapted to carry the body and a garment placed in an interior of the body;an aperture in the at least one side wall, dimensioned and adapted for receiving the garment therethrough into the interior of the body; andanother aperture adapted for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

2. The garment steamer bag of claim 1, further including a closure for the aperture comprising a selectively openable and closeable panel.

3. The garment steamer bag of claim 1, wherein the frame element comprises: a frame member adapted for supporting at least an edge of the top; andat least one cross support member including: at least one hook adapted for supporting the garment steamer bag; andat least one garment support member.

4. The garment steamer bag of claim 3, wherein the at least one garment support member includes an arcuate or zig-zag feature adapted to inhibit lateral movement of a garment hanger carried thereby.

5. The garment steamer bag of claim 3, wherein the at least one hook is adapted to be supported by a bracket mounted to a separate structure.

6. The garment steamer bag of claim 1, wherein the another aperture includes a plurality of selectively displaceable flaps.

7. The garment steamer bag of claim 1, wherein the another aperture is in fluid communication with first end of a sleeve defining a passageway for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

8. The garment steamer bag of claim 7, wherein the sleeve extends from one of the base or the at least one side wall.

9. The garment steamer bag of claim 8, wherein the sleeve includes a selectively openable and closeable second end.

10. The garment steamer bag of claim 1, wherein the frame element comprises: a frame assembly adapted for supporting one or more edges of the at least one side wall and an edge of the top to support the body as a freestanding structure; andat least one cross support member defining or carrying a garment support member.

11. The garment steamer bag of claim 10, wherein the at least one garment support member includes an arcuate or zig-zag feature adapted to inhibit lateral movement of a garment hanger carried thereby.

12. A garment steamer bag, comprising: a body defined by a top, a base, and at least one side wall;a frame element adapted to support the body and to carry a garment placed in an interior of the body, the frame element comprising: a frame assembly adapted for supporting one or more edges of the at least one side wall and an edge of the top to support the body as a freestanding structure; andat least one cross support member defining or carrying a garment support member;a first aperture in the at least one side wall, the first aperture being dimensioned and adapted for receiving the garment therethrough into the interior of the body; anda second aperture in the at least one sidewall, adapted for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

13. The garment steamer bag of claim 12, further including a closure for the first aperture comprising a selectively closeable panel.

14. The garment steamer bag of claim 12, wherein the at least one cross support member defines or carries at least one garment support member.

15. The garment steamer bag of claim 14, wherein the at least one garment support member includes an arcuate or zig-zag feature adapted to inhibit lateral movement of a garment hanger carried thereby.

16. The garment steamer bag of claim 12, wherein the second aperture includes a plurality of selectively displaceable flaps.

17. The garment steamer bag of claim 16, wherein the second aperture is in fluid communication with a first end of sleeve defining a passageway for introduction of steam into the interior of the body.

18. The garment steamer bag of claim 17, wherein the sleeve includes a selectively openable and closeable second end.