Patent Application
20110035975
Generally, the present invention relates to an ironing surface for use in ironing materials. Specifically, a pinnable pressable ironing surface on which materials can be pinned and pressed with an iron.
Conventional ironing surfaces provide a flat heat resistant surface. Garments to be ironed can be placed on the flat heat resistant surface. The garment can be further urged against the flat heat resistant surface using a hot iron to further flatten the garment. However, conventional ironing surfaces and conventional methods of ironing suffer from substantial unresolved problems.
A substantial unresolved problem with conventional ironing surfaces can be that the ironing surface has configuration which does not provide a flat heat resistant surface of sufficiently large dimension on which a sufficiently large portion of an ironable material can be placed to be ironed.
Another substantial unresolved problem with conventional ironing surfaces can be that the ironing surface does not provide an ironing surface on which ironable materials can be pinnably fixed prior to being urged against the ironing surface with a hot iron to be further flattened. As to certain ironable materials, the configuration or shape can be impractical to locate in fixed relation to the ironing surface. For example, thin ribbons of ironable material may be difficult to fix against the ironing surface. As to other ironable materials, establishing the ironable material in fixed relation to the ironing surface prior to be urged against the ironing surface with a hot iron may be necessary to avoid deformation of the ironable material in the flattened condition. For example, the shape of perforations of lace materials can be deformed during while ironed if not prior fixed in relation to the ironing surface.
Another substantial problem with conventional ironing surfaces may be that conventional ironing surfaces do not function to allow one or more pins to be passed within or through the ironing surface to establish the longitudinal axis of the one or more pins in fixed relation to the ironing surface. Conventional ironing surfaces into which a pin can pass into or through may allow the longitudinal axis of the pin to travel, swivel, wobble, release in relation to the ironing surface upon application of forces substantially similar to those transferred to an ironable material during ironing.
The inventive pinnable pressable ironing surface and inventive methods of using the pinnable pressable ironing surface address each of the foregoing problems associated with conventional ironing surfaces and methods of ironing ironable materials.
Accordingly, a broad object of the invention can be to provide a pinnable pressable ironing surface which allows ironable materials to be located in pinnably fixed relation with an ironing surface prior to be being urged against the ironing surface with a hot iron to flatten the ironable material.
A second broad object of the invention can be to provide a method of ironing in which ironable materials can be pinned to a pinnable pressable ironing surface to fix the configuration of the ironable material in relation to the pinnable pressable surface prior to being urged with a hot iron against the pinnable pressable material to further flatten the ironable material.
A third broad object of the invention can be to provide a pinnable surface which provides a substantially planar pinnable material having a first side and a second side separated by a thickness in the range of about 0.3 inch and about 1 inch which engages a perforated material of a support panel to allow one or more pins to be passed within or through the thickness of the material to establish the longitudinal axis of the one or more pins in substantially fixed relation to the pinnable material.
Naturally, further objects of the invention are disclosed throughout other areas of the specification, drawings, photographs, and claims.
Generally, the present invention relates to an ironing surface for use in ironing ironable materials. Specifically, a pinnable pressable ironing surface on which materials can be pinned and pressed with a hot iron.
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In another step, the inventive method can further include pinning the ironable material to the pinnable surface (3). For the purposes of this invention, the term “pinning” or “pinned” means passing one or more pins (4) through an ironable material (2) a sufficient distance into a pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) to fix the location of the ironable material (2) in relation to the pinnable surface (3) of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) for ironing.
In another step, the inventive method can further include ironing the ironable material (2) pinned in fixed relation to the pinnable surface (3) of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1). For purposes of this invention, the term “ironing” means ironable materials (2) urged with a hot iron (5) against the pinnable surface (3) of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) to further flatten the ironable material (2). For the purposes of this invention the term “hot iron” means an iron having sufficient temperature when urged against an ironable material (2) located on the pinnable surface (3) of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) to cause flattening of the ironable material (2).
In another step, the inventive method can further include removing the pins (4) from the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) and the ironable material (2).
In another step, the inventive method can further include rotating a pair legs (6) from the closed condition (7) (typically rotated to locate adjacent the underside of the pinnable pressable surface ironing surface (1)) to the open condition (8)(typically rotated to extend outwardly from the underside of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1)) to support the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) at a height (9) above a support surface (10). For the purposes of this invention the term “height” means a distance between the top of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) and a support surface (10) useful in ironing an ironable material (2). For the purposes of this invention the term “support surface” means any surface capable of engaging the pair of legs (6) coupled to particular embodiments of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) described herein to establish the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) at a height (9) useful in ironing an ironable material (2) and includes the following non-limiting examples: a ground surface, a floor surface, a table surface, a cabinet surface, or the like.
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The support panel (11) can further include a plurality of triangular support members (23) each having an apex (24) and a base (25). The apex (24) of each of the plurality of triangular support members (23) can be located in the support structure (16) to engage the surface of the perforated material (13) to support the perforated material (13) in the substantially planar configuration, as above described. The base (25) of the plurality of triangular support members (23) may be closed or may be open as shown for example in
Each of the plurality of triangular support members (23) can fixedly located within the support structure (16) by coupling the corresponding ends (30) of each of the plurality of triangular support members (23) to support structure (16). As shown in
Embodiments of the support structure (16) can further provide a plurality of stiffener elements (29) which can be located within the support panel (11) in substantially perpendicular relation to the direction in which the plurality of triangular support elements (23) traverse the support structure (16). As one example, the plurality of stiffener elements (29) can be produced from 16 gauge sheet metal having sufficient length to allow opposed stiffener ends (31) to couple to opposed sides of the support structure (16)(or frame (16) depending on the embodiment) and sufficient width to provide structural support to the plurality of triangular support members (23) sufficient to maintain the substantially planar configuration of the perforated material (13) during use of the pinnable pressable ironing surface (1) for its intended purpose or normal use.
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The pinnable surface (3) can further include an ironable cover (37) which covers at least the pinnable material (32) (or the pinnable material and additional layers of material) engaged with the perforated material (13). As shown by
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As can be easily understood from the foregoing, the basic concepts of the present invention including the best mode may be embodied in a variety of ways. The invention involves numerous and varied embodiments of an ironing surface including embodiments which further provide a pinnable pressable ironing surface and methods of making and using such ironing surface and pinnable pressable ironing surface.
As such, the particular embodiments or elements of the invention disclosed by the description or shown in the figures or tables accompanying this application are not intended to be limiting, but rather exemplary of the numerous and varied embodiments generically encompassed by the invention or equivalents encompassed with respect to any particular element thereof. In addition, the specific description of a single embodiment or element of the invention may not explicitly describe all embodiments or elements possible; many alternatives are implicitly disclosed by the description and figures.
It should be understood that each element of an apparatus or each step of a method may be described by an apparatus term or method term. Such terms can be substituted where desired to make explicit the implicitly broad coverage to which this invention is entitled. As but one example, it should be understood that all steps of a method may be disclosed as an action, a means for taking that action, or as an element which causes that action. Similarly, each element of an apparatus may be disclosed as the physical element or the action which that physical element facilitates. As but one example, the disclosure of a “pinnable material” should be understood to encompass disclosure of the act of “pinning a material”—whether explicitly discussed or not—and, conversely, were there effectively disclosure of the act of “pinning a material”, such a disclosure should be understood to encompass disclosure of a “pinnable material” and even a “means for pinning a material.” Such alternative terms for each element or step are to be understood to be explicitly included in the description.
In addition, as to each term used it should be understood that unless its utilization in this application is inconsistent with such interpretation, common dictionary definitions should be understood to included in the description for each term as contained in the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, second edition, each definition hereby incorporated by reference.
Thus, the applicant(s) should be understood to claim at least: i) each of the ironing surfaces or pinnable pressable ironing surfaces disclosed and described, ii) the related methods disclosed and described, iii) similar, equivalent, and even implicit variations of each of these devices and methods, iv) those alternative embodiments which accomplish each of the functions shown, disclosed, or described, v) those alternative designs and methods which accomplish each of the functions shown as are implicit to accomplish that which is disclosed and described, vi) each feature, component, and step shown as separate and independent inventions, vii) the applications enhanced by the various systems or components disclosed, viii) the resulting products produced by such systems or components, ix) methods and apparatuses substantially as described hereinbefore and with reference to any of the accompanying examples, x) the various combinations and permutations of each of the previous elements disclosed.
The background section of this patent application provides a statement of the field of endeavor to which the invention pertains. This section may also incorporate or contain paraphrasing of certain United States patents, patent applications, publications, or subject matter of the claimed invention useful in relating information, problems, or concerns about the state of technology to which the invention is drawn toward. It is not intended that any United States patent, patent application, publication, statement or other information cited or incorporated herein be interpreted, construed or deemed to be admitted as prior art with respect to the invention.
The claims set forth in this specification, if any, are hereby incorporated by reference as part of this description of the invention, and the applicant expressly reserves the right to use all of or a portion of such incorporated content of such claims as additional description to support any of or all of the claims or any element or component thereof, and the applicant further expressly reserves the right to move any portion of or all of the incorporated content of such claims or any element or component thereof from the description into the claims or vice-versa as necessary to define the matter for which protection is sought by this application or by any subsequent application or continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof, or to obtain any benefit of, reduction in fees pursuant to, or to comply with the patent laws, rules, or regulations of any country or treaty, and such content incorporated by reference shall survive during the entire pendency of this application including any subsequent continuation, division, or continuation-in-part application thereof or any reissue or extension thereon.
The claims set forth below are intended to describe the metes and bounds of a limited number of the preferred embodiments of the invention and are not to be construed as the broadest embodiment of the invention or a complete listing of embodiments of the invention that may be claimed. The applicant does not waive any right to develop further claims based upon the description set forth above as a part of any continuation, division, or continuation-in-part, or similar application.
