Laser Finishing of Garments by Mobile Lab

Abstract

A self-contained mobile finishing garment center includes two containers that include a computer-controlled system that laser finishes garments ordered by customers. A first container includes an order system and a laser that laser forms a customer ordered wear pattern into the fabric of a garment, such as jeans. A second container includes wet processing equipment, such as a clothes washer and a clothes dryer that wash and dry the garment. The self-contained mobile finishing center facilitates the receipt of a custom order for jeans and the laser finishing and delivery of the jeans in a relatively short time, such as in less than an hour. The containers are mobile and can be shipped by truck, rail, or ship to a variety of locations and events for custom finishing garments according to customer's custom orders to provide custom ordered garment in a short time period, such as during an event.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing a first intermodal shipping container that comprises a first length, a first width, and a first height compliant with universal shipping container dimensions and configurations dictated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), wherein the first length extends in a first direction, the first width extends in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, and the first height extends in a third direction, transverse to the first and second directions;   mounting a laser machine in the first intermodal shipping container, wherein the laser machine is a carbon dioxide laser to emit a laser beam that can be directed by a first reflective lens element and a second reflective lens element at multiple positions in the first and second directions of a plane of a workpiece surface;   providing a second intermodal shipping container that comprises the first length, the first width, and the first height;   mounting a first washing machine in the second intermodal shipping container;   mounting a first drying machine in the second intermodal shipping container;   forming a side opening on a first side of the first intermodal shipping container, wherein the side opening extends in the first direction and third direction, and via the side opening, the laser device is accessible;   forming a side opening on a first side of the second intermodal shipping container, wherein the side opening extends in the first direction and third direction, and via the side opening of the second intermodal shipping container, the washing machine is accessible; and   positioning the first intermodal shipping container with respect to the second intermodal shipping container such the side opening of the first intermodal shipping container is across from the side opening of the second intermodal shipping container,   wherein machines of the first intermodal shipping container and the second intermodal shipping container are used in the manufacture of a laser-finished garment for a user, and before the manufacture, the user can specify a finishing pattern for the laser-finished garment by way of a computing device having a display, and on the display, the user can be shown a preview image of the garment with the specified finishing pattern as it would appear after manufacture.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  comprising providing a deck, wherein the deck is positioned between the first side of the first intermodal shipping container and the first side of the second intermodal shipping container, wherein the deck is a walkway joining the side opening of the first intermodal shipping container with the side opening of the second intermodal shipping. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the side opening of the first intermodal shipping container comprises at least one of a sliding door or a sliding glass door and the side opening of the second intermodal shipping container comprises at least one of a sliding door or a sliding glass door. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the side opening of the first intermodal shipping container faces the side opening of the second intermodal shipping container. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the deck is a raised deck. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  comprising mounting a second washing machine in the second intermodal shipping container; and mounting a third washing machine in the second intermodal shipping container, wherein the first, second, and third washing machines are in a row. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  mounting a second drying machine in the second intermodal shipping container above the first washing machine. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  comprising:
 mounting the first washing machine on a raised platform in the second intermodal shipping container; 
 mounting a second washing machine on the raised platform in the second intermodal shipping container adjacent to the first washing machine; 
 mounting a third washing machine on the raised platform in the second intermodal shipping container adjacent to the second washing machine, wherein the first, second, and third washing machines are arranged in a row; 
 mounting a second drying machine in the second intermodal shipping container, stacked above the first drying machine; 
 mounting a third drying machine in the second intermodal shipping container; and 
 mounting a fourth drying machine mounting in the second intermodal shipping container, stacked above the third drying machine. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the first and third dryers are in a first row, the second and fourth dryers are in a second row, and the first and second rows are different rows. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 providing a first intermodal shipping container that comprises a first length, a first width, and a first height compliant with universal shipping container dimensions and configurations dictated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), wherein the first length extends in a first direction, the first width extends in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, and the first height extends in a third direction, transverse to the first and second directions;   operating a laser device into the first intermodal shipping container, wherein the laser device is a carbon dioxide laser to emit a laser beam that can be directed by a first reflective lens element and a second reflective lens element at multiple positions in the first and second directions of a plane of a workpiece surface;   based on a laser input file, varying an output characteristic of the laser beam while the laser device is being operated when mounted in the first intermodal shipping container to form a finishing pattern on a garment located on the workpiece surface; and   before varying the output characteristic of the laser beam, a user can specify the finishing pattern that is based on the laser input file by way of a computing device having a display, and on the display, the user can be shown a preview image of the garment with the specified finishing pattern as it would appear after laser finishing of the garment to form the finishing patter on the garment.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising:
 rotating the first reflective lens element by a first rotary motor; and 
 rotating the second reflective lens element by a second rotary motor, wherein a laser beam of the laser device is directed at the first reflective lens element, which redirects the laser beam to the second reflective lens element based on an angular orientation of the first rotary motor, which redirects the laser beam to a transmissive lens element based on an angular orientation of the second rotary motor, wherein a first axis about which the first angular orientation rotates is transverse a second axis about which the second angular orientation rotates, and the laser beam passes through the transmissive lens element as the laser beam output of the laser head. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the varying an output characteristic of the laser beam comprises varying an intensity of the laser beam based on the laser input file. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the varying an output characteristic of the laser beam comprises varying a time the laser beam strikes a pixel point of a garment based on the laser input file. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  comprising coupling the computing device wirelessly to the laser. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a first direction of travel of the laser beam from a laser head of the laser to the plane of the working surface is in the third direction. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a first direction of travel of the laser beam from a laser head of the laser to the plane of the working surface is in the second direction. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 10  wherein a first direction of travel of the laser beam from a laser head of the laser to the plane of the working surface is in the first direction. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 providing a first intermodal shipping container that comprises a first length, a first width, and a first height compliant with universal shipping container dimensions and configurations dictated by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), wherein the first length extends in a first direction, the first width extends in a second direction, transverse to the first direction, and the first height extends in a third direction, transverse to the first and second directions;   operating a laser device in the first intermodal shipping container, wherein the laser device comprises a carbon dioxide laser that emits a laser beam directed by a first reflective lens element and a second reflective lens element at multiple positions in the first and second directions of a plane of a workpiece surface;   based on a laser input file, varying an output characteristic of the laser beam while the laser device is being operated when mounted in the first intermodal shipping container;   before operating the laser beam, a user specifies a finishing pattern that is based on the laser input file by way of a computing device having a display, and on the display, the user is shown a preview image of a garment with the specified finishing pattern as it would appear after laser finishing of the garment to form the finishing patter on the garment;   providing a second intermodal shipping container that comprises the first length, the first width, and the first height;   operating a first washing machine in the second intermodal shipping container to wash the garment having the finishing pattern formed by the laser beam based on the laser input file; and   operating a first drying machine in the second intermodal shipping container to dry the garment having the finishing pattern formed by the laser beam based on the laser input file, wherein after drying the garment has the appearance of the preview image.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  comprising:
 rotating the first reflective lens element by a first rotary motor; and 
 rotating the second reflective lens element by a second rotary motor, wherein a laser beam of the laser device is directed at the first reflective lens element, which redirects the laser beam to the second reflective lens element based on an angular orientation of the first rotary motor, which redirects the laser beam to a transmissive lens element based on an angular orientation of the second rotary motor, wherein a first axis about which the first angular orientation rotates is transverse a second axis about which the second angular orientation rotates, and the laser beam passes through the transmissive lens element as the laser beam output of the laser head. 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18  comprising operating a water recycling device that cleans wash water received from the first washing machine and transfers the cleaned wash water to the washing machine for washing another garment.