Machine for Industrial Ironing and Drying of Clothing and Relative Ironing and Drying Method

Abstract

Machine for industrial ironing and drying of clothing, for example overalls, jackets and the like, including at least three operating stations, namely a loading station, hot pressing station and discharge station in succession along a closed path. Each operating station provided with a mannequin on which a damp garment to be ironed and dried is positioned, a rotation unit to determine rotation movement of the mannequins from one to another said operating station according to a predetermined univocal work direction along the closed path, a generator to generate a superheated air stream. The machine has a first circuit to blow superheated air inside the mannequins, including a first part connected to the generator and a second part, connected to the mannequins, movable solidly with the mannequins from one to another operating station for putting into fluidic communication with inside a determinate zone of the mannequins to blow in superheated air.

1 . A machine for the industrial ironing and drying of clothing, comprising:
 at least three operating stations, of which at least a loading station, at least a hot pressing station and at least an discharge station are disposed in succession along a closed path, each of said operating stations being provided with a relative mannequin on which a damp garment to be ironed and dried is positioned;   a rotation unit for determining a rotation movement of said mannequins from one to the other of said operating stations according to a predetermined and univocal work direction along said closed path;   at least generation means to generate a stream of superheated air;   a first circuit to blow the superheated air inside the mannequins, which is formed by a first part connected to said generation means and by a second part connected to said mannequins, which second part is movable solidly with said mannequins from one to the other of said operating stations and is able to be put in fluidic communication with the inside of a determinate zone of the mannequins to blow in the superheated air, to allow the selective blowing of superheated air through the garment positioned on the mannequin, both at least in static conditions of the mannequin and in dynamic conditions of the mannequin at least in the passage from one to the other of the loading station, pressing station and discharge station.   
     
     
         2 . The machine as in  claim 1 , comprising a second circuit to suck in air through the mannequins, which comprises a first part connected to suction means and a second part connected to said mannequins, which second part is movable solidly with said mannequins and is able to be put in communication with the inside of a determinate zone of each of the mannequins to allow suction through the same. 
     
     
         3 . The machine as in  claim 1 , wherein said operating stations comprise, between the hot pressing station and the discharge station, a further operating station for blowing in superheated air, said further operating station also provided with a relative one of said mannequins on which the garment to be treated is positioned, said mannequin of said further operating station being in communication at least with the second movable part of the first blowing circuit. 
     
     
         4 . The machine as in  claim 2 ,
 wherein said operating stations comprise, between the hot pressing station and the discharge station, a further operating station for blowing in superheated air, said further operating station also provided with a relative one of said mannequins on which the garment to be treated is positioned, said mannequin of said further operating station being in communication at least with the second movable part of the first blowing circuit,   wherein the mannequin of the further operating station is also in communication with the second movable part of the second suction circuit.   
     
     
         5 . The machine as in  claim 1 , wherein each mannequin of said operating stations is associated with valve selection means, located downstream of valve means to control the suction and valve means to control the blowing of superheated air, which valve selection means are configured to assume at least a first condition in which they allow the passage of superheated air and a second condition in which they prevent the passage of superheated air toward the inside of said mannequin, said valve suction control means being configured to prevent, in said first condition of said valve selection means, the passage of suction air through the mannequin. 
     
     
         6 . The machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the rotation unit comprises a rotating table made to rotate by means of a rotating shaft and having rotating sectors in a number coordinated to the number of said operating stations, which rotating sectors branch off from the center, in substantial correspondence with the rotating shaft, toward the periphery, each of which rotating sectors peripherally supports a relative mannequin, inside each of said rotating sectors a blowing chamber being made which develops toward the mannequins, defining said second movable part of said first blowing circuit. 
     
     
         7 . The machine as in  claim 6 , wherein the first part of the first circuit comprises a main blowing pipe which develops from the superheated air generation means toward a first central blowing collector, which is rotatably coupled to the rotating table, putting the blowing chambers in fluidic communication with said main blowing pipe. 
     
     
         8 . The machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the first superheated air blowing circuit is also configured to heat the mannequin to prevent the formation and dripping of condensation. 
     
     
         9 . A method for the industrial ironing and drying of damp clothing, comprising a loading step in which a garment is positioned on a relative mannequin of a loading station, a step of moving the garment positioned on the mannequin from the loading station to a hot pressing station in which a pressing step is carried out, in which the garment positioned on the mannequin is hot pressed and at least a discharge step in which the ironed and dried garment is taken to an discharge station, the method providing at least the selective blowing of superheated air through the garment positioned on the mannequin, both at least in static conditions of the mannequin at least in the loading step, in the pressing step and in the discharge step, and also in dynamic conditions of the mannequin at least in the passage from one to the other of the loading station, pressing station and discharge station. 
     
     
         10 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein at least in the loading step, and optionally also in the hot pressing step and in the subsequent steps, air is sucked in through the mannequins. 
     
     
         11 . The method as in  claim 10 , providing to selectively suck in air through the garment positioned on the mannequin, both at least in static conditions of the mannequin at least in the loading step and in the pressing step, and also in dynamic conditions of the mannequin at least in the passage from one to the other of the loading station, pressing station and discharge station. 
     
     
         12 . The method as in  claim 9 , further comprising, before the discharge step, at least a further step of moving the mannequin to at least a further operating station after the hot pressing station and before the discharge station, in which more superheated air is blown through the garment positioned on the mannequin, and subsequently the mannequin is moved to a discharge station where the garment is at least removed. 
     
     
         13 . The method as in  claim 12 , wherein at least in the movement from the hot pressing station to at least a subsequent operating station superheated air is blown through the garment positioned on the mannequin. 
     
     
         14 . The method as in  claim 13 , wherein during the movement from the further subsequent operating station to the discharge station superheated air is blown through the garment positioned on the mannequin. 
     
     
         15 . The method as in  claim 9 , providing to heat the mannequin by blowing in superheated air to prevent the formation and the dripping of condensation. 
     
     
         16 . The machine as in  claim 1 , wherein the clothing comprises at least one member of the group consisting of overalls and jackets. 
     
     
         17 . The method as in  claim 9 , wherein the clothing comprises at least one member of the group consisting of overalls and jackets.