Claims
- 1. A method for smoothing items of clothing, which comprises:
providing an item of clothing; providing at least one gas jet for supplying a stream of a gas; and subjecting the clothing item at least in one portion to the at least one gas jet in a direction not parallel to the one portion.
- 2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises supporting the clothing item from a side of the clothing item opposite the gas jet.
- 3. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises supporting the clothing item with a supporting surface.
- 4. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises supporting the clothing item with an air-permeable supporting surface.
- 5. The method according to claim 3, which further comprises disposing the clothing item between two air-permeable surfaces.
- 6. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises supporting the clothing item with the gas stream.
- 7. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises acting on both sides of the item of clothing with the at least one gas jet to exert a total force on the clothing item that is equal in an amount in opposing directions.
- 8. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises exerting a force with the at least one gas jet on both sides of the item of clothing such that a total force on the clothing item is equal in opposing directions.
- 9. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises subjecting portions of the clothing item to the gas stream with a higher force from one side of the clothing item than from another side of the clothing item.
- 10. The method according to claim 6, which further comprises subjecting portions of the clothing item to the gas stream with different forces from different sides of the clothing item.
- 11. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises moving the at least one gas jet and the clothing item with respect to one another.
- 12. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises supplying a heated gas stream with the at least one gas jet.
- 13. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises supplying water vapor with the gas stream from the at least one gas jet.
- 14. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises, at the end of a smoothing operation of the clothing item, initially supplying substantially dry and heated air to the clothing item with the at least one gas jet and subsequently supplying substantially dry and non-heated air to the clothing item with the at least one gas jet.
- 15. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises initially moistening the clothing item.
- 16. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises moistening the clothing item before subjecting the clothing item to the at least one gas jet.
- 17. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises changing at least one of an outflow speed, a volume flow, and a directional distribution of the at least one gas jet when subjecting the clothing item to the gas stream of the at least one gas jet.
- 18. A method for smoothing items of clothing, which comprises:
providing an item of clothing; providing at least one gas jet for supplying a stream of a gas; and directing the gas stream towards at least one portion of the clothing item at an angle to the one portion.
- 19. An apparatus for smoothing items of clothing, comprising:
a treatment housing defining a treatment space therein; devices disposed in said housing for placing an item of clothing inside said treatment space; a blower for generating a gas flow; and nozzles communicating with said blower for generating a gas stream in said housing, said nozzles being disposed in said housing and being aligned to direct said gas stream generated by said gas flow from said blower at the clothing item.
- 20. The apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising a moistening device communicating with at least one of said nozzles for moistening said gas stream.
- 21. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said nozzles are aligned to direct said gas stream at an angle to the clothing item.
- 22. The apparatus according to claim 19, wherein said nozzles are aligned to direct said gas stream to at least a portion of the clothing item in a direction not parallel to the portion of the clothing item.
Priority Claims (3)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
100 65 336.7 |
Dec 2000 |
DE |
|
100 65 335.9 |
Dec 2000 |
DE |
|
100 65 334.0 |
Dec 2000 |
DE |
|
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application is a continuation of copending International Application No. PCT/EP01/14864, filed Dec. 17, 2001, which designated the United States and was not published in English.
Continuations (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
PCT/EP01/14864 |
Oct 2001 |
US |
Child |
10609461 |
Jun 2003 |
US |