Garment De-wrinkling Device and Methods of Use

Abstract

A device for de-wrinkling garments comprising a torso section made from a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material adapted to fit within a body of a garment and tension the associated fabric to remove and prevent wrinkles. The torso section is further adapted to be partially rolled or folded for easy insertion into a garment by way of the garment's bottom or waist opening.

1 ) A garment de-wrinkling device comprising,
 a generally rectangularly-shaped planar body section comprising a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, the body section being of a size to fit within a torso portion of a garment and having left and right lengthwise edge portions that when placed in the garment generally correspond to the intersection of front and back sides of the torso portion; and   a pair of gripping devices located on the body section, a left gripping device located proximate the left lengthwise edge portion and the right gripping device located proximate the right lengthwise edge portion, the gripping devices adapted to permit a user to hold the de-wrinkling device therewith using one or both hands of the user;   wherein the body section is capable of being resiliently partially rolled along a generally lengthwise axis by a user holding the de-wrinkling device by the gripping devices to momentarily reduce an effective width of the body section for insertion into the garment, the body section further adapted to resiliently return to a planar configuration when the gripping devices are released by the user.   
   
   
       2 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric sheet material comprises polystyrene. 
   
   
       3 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 1 , wherein the polymeric sheet material comprises a grafted thermoplastic elastomer. 
   
   
       4 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 1 , wherein the body section further includes a top side edge portion, and the de-wrinkling device further comprises a hanger hook coupled to the top side edge portion proximate a centered lengthwise axis of the body section. 
   
   
       5 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 4 , wherein the hanger hook is mechanically fastened or adhesively bonded to the body section. 
   
   
       6 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 4 , wherein the hanger hook is integral and continuous with the body section having been formed from the same piece of sheet material. 
   
   
       7 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 1 , wherein the gripping devices comprise handles pivotally coupled with the body section. 
   
   
       8 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 7 , wherein the device is adapted to permit a user to partially roll the body section into a configuration wherein the user can grip both handles to maintain the partially rolled configuration using a single hand. 
   
   
       9 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 left and right arm appendage sections, each comprising the semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, each arm appendage section being at least slightly tapered from a proximal end to a distal end and having a size to fit within a respective sleeve portion of the garment; and   fastening means for securing the left and right arm appendages to the body section   
   
   
       10 ) The de-wrinkling device of  claim 9 , wherein the fastening means comprises a plurality of pieces of hook and loop material attached to the left and right arm appendage sections and the body section adapted to removably attach the appendage sections to the body section. 
   
   
       11 ) A combination comprising a garment and a de-wrinkling device:
 the de-wrinkling device including (i) planar body section comprising a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, the body section having a right lengthwise edge portions, a left lengthwise edge portion and a top edge portion, (ii) a pair of gripping devices coupled to the body section, a left gripping device located proximate the left lengthwise edge portion and the right gripping device located proximate the right lengthwise edge portion, (iii) a hanger hook, the hanger hook being coupled to the top side edge portion proximate a centered lengthwise axis of the body section, (iv) left and right arm appendage sections comprising a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, each arm appendage section being at least slightly tapered from a proximal end to a distal end, and (v) at least two sets of hook and loop fasteners, one piece of each set being attached to the body section and a second piece of each set being attached to a proximal end of an arm appendage section with each arm appendage second being attached to the body section by way of a set of hook and loop fasteners; and   the garment substantially comprising fabric and including (a) a tubular torso portion including a waist opening and a neck opening, and (b) left and right sleeve portions attached to the torso portion;   wherein the de-wrinkling device is substantially received within the garment with at least a substantial portion of the fabric associated with the torso portion being held in a tensioned state by the body section and with at least a substantial portion of the fabric associated with both the left and right sleeves being held in a tensioned state by the respective arm appendage sections.   
   
   
       12 ) The combination of  claim 11 , wherein the garment comprises a shirt. 
   
   
       13 ) The combination of  claim 11 , wherein the polymeric sheet material comprises polystyrene. 
   
   
       14 ) The combination of  claim 11 , wherein the polymeric sheet material is at least 0.040″ thick. 
   
   
       15 ) A method of de-wrinkling a garment using a de-wrinkling device, the de-wrinkling device comprising, (i) a planar body section comprising a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, the body section having a left edge portion and a right lengthwise edge portion and a top edge portion, and (ii) a pair of handles pivotally attached the body section with a left handle located proximate the left lengthwise edge portion and the right handle located proximate the right lengthwise edge portion, (iii) a hanger hook, the hanger hook being coupled to the top side edge portion proximate a centered lengthwise axis of the body section, the method comprising:
 partially rolling the body section along a generally lengthwise axis by a user holding the de-wrinkling device by the pair of handles to reduce an effective width of the body section;   placing the body section into the garment through a bottom opening thereof and sliding the section upwardly until the hanger hook extends from a collar opening of the garment;   releasing the left and right handles causing the body section to resiliently return to a planar configuration within the garment and apply tension to fabric of the garment; and   hanging the garment and de-wrinkling device combination by the hanger hook while the applied tension removes or lessens wrinkles in the tensioned fabric   
   
   
       16 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the garment is damp. 
   
   
       17 ) The method of  claim 15 , further comprising dampening the garment with water or a water-based solution. 
   
   
       18 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the de-wrinkling device further comprises (iv) left and right arm appendage sections comprising a semi-rigid and resilient polymeric sheet material, each arm appendage section being at least slightly tapered from a proximal end to a distal end, and (v) at least two sets of hook and loop fasteners, one piece of each set being attached to the body section and a second piece of each set being attached to a proximal end of an arm appendage section with each arm appendage second being attached to the body section by way of a set of hook and loop fasteners, the method further comprising:
 inserting a left arm appendage through the bottom opening and sliding it into a left sleeve of the garment until fabric of the left sleeve is tensioned;   securing the left arm appendage to the body section using a corresponding set of hook and loop fasteners   inserting a right arm appendage through the bottom opening and sliding it into a right sleeve of the garment until fabric of the right sleeve is tensioned; and   securing the right arm appendage to the body section using a corresponding set of hook and loop fasteners.   
   
   
       19 ) The method of  claim 15  wherein said placing the body section into the garment through a bottom opening thereof and sliding the section upwardly until the hanger hook extends from a collar opening of the garment further includes holding the body section in the partially rolled configuration by both handles with a single hand of the user while using the other hand of the user to one or more of hold the bottom opening open, guide the body section into the garment and manipulate the garment relative to the body section to position the body section in place. 
   
   
       20 ) The method of  claim 15 , wherein the handles are configured to lay flat against a surface of the body section when not being held by a user.