JP7553240B2 - Garment Finishing Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The technology disclosed relates to a clothing finishing device that can automatically remove wrinkles from clothing such as shirts.

One such device is one that uses a hollow doll-shaped mold (Patent Document 1). With this type, clothes are placed in a doll-shaped mold made of a balloon or the like, and wrinkles are removed by blowing steam or dry air from inside. With this type, the clothes need to fit into the doll-shaped mold, so there is a problem in that the sizes and designs of clothes that can be used are limited.

There are also types of clothes dryers that remove wrinkles by shaking the hangers on which the clothes are hung. With this type, even if you shake the hanger vigorously, the clothes only move gently, so the wrinkle-removing effect is weak. There are also problems with loud vibrations and noise.

There are also types that are hung on hangers and blow out hot air (Patent Documents 2 and 3). For example, Patent Document 2 discloses a wrinkle-removing dryer equipped with a hanger body that is roughly inverted Y-shaped. In this wrinkle-removing dryer, outlets are open over almost the entire area of the underside of both shoulders of the hanger body, which is divided into left and right halves. Hot air is blown out from these outlets.

Clothes made of thick fabric are difficult to dry because the sleeves are crushed by their own weight, making it difficult for air to pass through. Patent Document 3 discloses a clothes drying hanger that allows such clothes to be dried efficiently. The hanger has a plate-shaped member with a flow hole and a pair of airflow dividing plates that are inclined downward from the left and right sides of the plate-shaped member.

With the garment hanging on the hanger, warm air is introduced from the collar toward the top of the plate-shaped member. As a result, part of the warm air is supplied to the torso through the airflow holes, and the rest of the warm air is divided by the airflow dividing plates and supplied to the left and right sleeves.

The hangers can also be hung side-by-side inside a clothes dryer of a particular design, allowing multiple clothes to be dried together.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 173000/1983 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-317699 JP 2014-28121 A

The inventors have conducted research and found that the most effective way to remove wrinkles is to first wet the clothes (if they are already wet, for example after washing and spin-drying, this step is not necessary) and then shake the entire garment thoroughly during the drying process so that it flutters (fluttering effect).

In contrast, the wrinkle-removing dryer in Patent Document 2 blows out warm air from almost the entire underside of both shoulders, so strong wind does not pass through the center of the torso, making it difficult for the fluttering effect to occur. Increasing the air volume can improve the fluttering effect, but this will result in increased noise and power consumption.

In this regard, the hanger in Patent Document 3 can distribute the warm air introduced into the garment to each of the left and right sleeves and the torso. However, because the air volume is simply divided, the individual wind forces are small. Moreover, the warm air introduced into the garment collides with a plate-shaped member, which distributes it to both sleeves.

As a result, the force of the warm air distributed to the sleeves is further weakened. In other words, even if the hanger in Patent Document 3 can dry clothes made of thick fabric, the fluttering effect cannot be expected. The increase in the air volume leads to increased noise and power consumption, just like the wrinkle-removing dryer in Patent Document 2.

Therefore, the main objective of the disclosed technology is to provide a clothing finishing device that can flutter clothing and effectively remove wrinkles.

The technology disclosed relates to a clothing finishing device that is equipped with a closet to which a specified hanger can be attached and can automatically remove wrinkles from clothing hung on the hanger.

The garment finishing device includes an air blowing unit that blows air into the garment through the hanger.

The hanger has a support part that extends downward from an air outlet located on the top surface of the closet and has an air inlet space formed therein to receive the air sent from the air blowing unit, and a pair of shoulder straps that extend in opposite directions from the bottom of the support part and have an air outlet space formed therein that is connected to the air inlet space.

In the air outlet space, a torso-side air passage that blows air toward the torso of the garment, and a pair of sleeve-side air passages that blow air toward each of the garment's sleeves are formed, and an expanding air passage section is provided at the outlet of the torso-side air passage, which gradually expands as it approaches the downstream side.

In other words, this clothing finishing device has a function whereby when clothes are hung on hangers in a closet and buttons are operated, the closet is humidified and air-conditioned, and wrinkles are automatically removed. Air is blown into the clothes hung on the hangers through an air introduction space, etc., where an air passage is formed that blows air toward the torso of the clothes and an air passage is formed that blows air toward each of the sleeves of the clothes.

As a result, air can be blown steadily to the torso and sleeves of the garment, removing wrinkles without uneven distribution.

In addition, because an expanded air duct section with a diffuser shape is provided at the outlet of the air duct on the torso side, the air at the inlet of the air duct on the torso side is forcefully sucked out to the outlet, accelerating the air flow at the inlet due to the so-called Venturi effect (Bernoulli's theorem), allowing a large amount of air (wind) to be efficiently introduced into the air duct on the torso side.

Therefore, both the torso and sleeves of the clothing can be fluttered efficiently with a limited amount of air. As a result, wrinkles in the clothing can be effectively removed.

The garment finishing device may also be provided with an intake air introduction section at the inlet of the air passage on the torso side, in which the air passage gradually widens toward the upstream side.

This will prevent the flow from separating at the inlet and allow the air (wind) to flow in more smoothly, further improving the Venturi effect. As a result, wind can be introduced more efficiently into the air passage on the body side.

The garment finishing device may also be configured such that the enlarged air passage section is provided with ribs extending along the air passage.

This will prevent flow separation in the diffuser area and allow the air to be more forcefully sucked out to the outlet.

The garment finishing device may also be configured such that a pair of partition walls are provided in the air outlet space to separate the air passage on the torso side from the air passage on the sleeve side, and the pair of partition walls cause the inlets of the air passage on the torso side and the air passage on the sleeve side to branch off at the boundary between the air introduction space and the air outlet space.

This allows air to be efficiently introduced into the air passages on the sleeve and torso sides.

The garment finishing device may also be configured such that an outlet for the sleeve-side air passage is provided at each end of the shoulder portion, and the outlet for the sleeve-side air passage is located below the inlet.

This allows the wind flowing through the air passage on the sleeve side to be smoothly guided to the outlet, preventing a decrease in wind force.

The garment finishing device may also be configured such that the opening of the air outlet and the inlets of the air passages on the torso side and the sleeve side are vertically opposed to each other through the air introduction space.

This allows the air taken in from the air outlet to be straightened in the air intake space, and can be introduced into each air duct while maintaining its force.

The garment finishing device may also be configured such that the outlet of each of the sleeve-side air passages is smaller than the inlet.

This allows the wind introduced into the air passage on the sleeve side to be forcefully blown out from the outlet.

The garment finishing device may also be provided with a foreign object removal section above the support section, which directs a portion of the air blown from the air blowing unit toward the upper portion of the shoulder strap section.

This will allow you to blow away and remove any foreign matter (such as hair or dandruff) that may be attached to the shoulders of your clothing.

The garment finishing device may also be provided with a plurality of air outlets, and further equipped with an air nozzle that is detachably attached to the air outlets together with the hanger, and by attaching the hanger to one of the adjacent air outlets and attaching the air nozzle to the other, the air nozzle may blow air toward the upper part of the shoulder part of the hanger.

This will improve the effectiveness of removing foreign matter from the clothes. By blowing air from the outside of the clothes, it will have an additional effect on the fluttering effect of the clothes. This will further improve the finishing effect of the clothes.

The garment finishing device may also further include a humidification unit for humidifying the closet and an air conditioning unit for conditioning the air in the closet.

A clothing finishing device that uses the disclosed technology can flutter the clothing, effectively removing wrinkles.

1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a garment finishing device, the right diagram being a front view (door omitted), and the left diagram being a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line XX of the right diagram. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the inside of the lower space as seen from the left side. FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the inside of the lower space as viewed from the right side. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit and its main associated devices. FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing the outline of the structure of a filter. FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a hanger. FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the hanger attached to the top surface of a closet. FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which air is blown onto a hanger on which clothes are hung. 1A and 1B are schematic perspective views illustrating an air nozzle, in which (a) is a double-sided type and (b) is a single-sided type. FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of use of a dual-type air nozzle. 4 is a time chart of main devices showing an example of wrinkle removal control performed by the clothing finishing device.

The following describes in detail an embodiment of the disclosed technology with reference to the drawings. However, the following description is essentially merely an example and does not limit the present invention, its applications, or its uses. The directions of front/back, left/right, and up/down used in the description are based on the state shown in Figure 1.

<Structure of the garment finishing device>
1 illustrates an example of the structure of a garment finishing device 1 to which the disclosed technology is applied. The garment finishing device 1 is installed and used in, for example, a dressing room, a restroom, a closet, etc. The garment finishing device 1 automatically removes wrinkles from garments (tops) C, mainly jackets and shirts, while the garments are hung on a predetermined hanger 30.

The clothing finishing device 1 may also perform a process to remove foreign matter and odors adhering to the clothing C, and/or a sterilization process. In other words, the clothing finishing device 1 can automatically remove wrinkles, foreign matter, and other processes to give the clothing C a finish similar to that of dry cleaning, simply by issuing a command via button operation or the like, depending on the type and material of the clothing C.

The garment finishing device 1 is formed in a vertically long box shape. The garment finishing device 1 has a housing 2 with an open front and a door 3 that opens and closes by swinging the front of the housing 2. Inside the garment finishing device 1, a closet 4 is formed for storing garments C. An operation unit 8 consisting of buttons, a touch monitor, etc. is installed on the front of the door 3 (shown in FIG. 3).

A lower space 21 is provided at the bottom of the housing 2. An upper space 22 is provided at the top of the housing 2. An air blower unit 60 is installed in the upper space 22. A humidifier unit 70 and an air conditioning unit 80 are installed in the lower space 21. A closet 4 is defined between the lower space 21 and the upper space 22. A hanger 30 is attached to the top surface of the closet 4. This garment finishing device 1 is configured so that three hangers 30 can be detachably attached (details of the hangers 30 will be described later).

The floor surface of the closet 4 is formed with a steam outlet 5, an air outlet 6, and an intake 7. In detail, the steam outlet 5 and the air outlet 6 are formed side-by-side in the rear part of the floor surface that slopes downward toward the front. The intake 7 is formed in the front part of the floor surface that is approximately horizontal.

As shown in Figures 2A and 2B, the humidification unit 70 is composed of a water supply tank 71, a steam generator 72, and the like. The air conditioning unit 80 is composed of a drainage tank 81, a circulation fan 82, a circulation duct 83, a heat exchanger 84, and the like. The humidification unit 70 humidifies the closet 4. The air conditioning unit 80 adjusts the air in the closet 4.

As shown in FIG. 1, the drain tank 81 and the water supply tank 71 are disposed in front of the lower space 21. They are detachable from the housing 2. Water stored in the water supply tank 71 is sent to the steam generator 72 by the water supply pump 73. The steam generator 72 heats the water with a heater to generate high-temperature (e.g., 100°C) steam.

The steam generated by the steam generator 72 is supplied to the closet 4 through the steam outlet 5, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figures 2A and 2B. The steam is diffused throughout the closet 4 by the wind generated by the circulation fan 82 of the air conditioning unit 80.

The heat exchanger 84 is composed of a compressor 841, a condenser 842, an evaporator 843, etc. The circulation duct 83 constitutes an air passage in the lower space 21 through which the air in the closet 4 flows. The circulation fan 82 generates wind power to circulate the air in the closet 4.

That is, as shown by the solid arrows in Figures 2A and 2B, the circulation fan 82 draws in air from the closet 4 through the suction port 7 and introduces it into the circulation duct 83, and then blows the air introduced into the circulation duct 83 out of the air outlet 6 into the closet 4. The air blown out from the air outlet 6 flows upward across the closet 4. After reaching the front of the upper part of the closet 4, it then descends and is sucked into the suction port 7.

The heat exchanger 84 adjusts the temperature and humidity of the air introduced into the lower space 21 by the circulation fan 82. The heat exchanger 84 mainly dehumidifies and dries the air. It also heats the air to generate warm air. Therefore, when the circulation fan 82 and the heat exchanger 84 are operated, dry warm air is blown out into the closet 4. The drain discharged by the air conditioning unit 80 is sent to the drain tank 81 by the drain pump 85.

A control unit 10 consisting of a CPU, memory, etc. is installed at the rear of the lower space 21. The control unit 10 has a control program, etc., and controls the operation of each device equipped in the garment finishing device 1 based on the operation of the operation unit 8. Figure 3 shows the control unit 10 and the main devices that input and output signals to the control unit 10.

The control unit 10 is electrically connected to the operation unit 8, the humidification unit 70, the air conditioning unit 80, and the blower unit 60. The control unit 10 selects and executes a predetermined operation program based on an input signal from the operation unit 8. In accordance with the control program, it outputs electrical signals to each of the humidification unit 70, the air conditioning unit 80, and the blower unit 60 to control their operation.

As shown in FIG. 1, the air blowing unit 60 is composed of a filter 61, an air blowing fan 62, an air blowing duct 63, and an air blowing port 64. The air blowing duct 63 has a downstream duct 631 provided on the upper space 22 side of the top surface of the closet 4, and an upstream duct 632 provided on the back side of the rear surface of the closet 4.

The blower fan 62 is installed between the upstream duct 632 and the downstream duct 631. When the blower fan 62 is operated, an air flow (wind) is formed from the upstream duct 632 to the downstream duct 631, as shown by the solid arrow in FIG. 1.

A ventilation opening 633 that communicates with the closet 4 is formed on the upstream side of the upstream duct 632. The ventilation opening 633 is located at the top of the rear surface of the closet 4. The ventilation opening 633 is formed in a large rectangle with approximately the same width as the closet 4. A rectangular plate-shaped filter 61 is installed on the rear surface of the closet 4 so as to cover this ventilation opening 633.

Therefore, the width of the filter 61 is formed to be at least larger than the ventilation opening 633 and smaller than the width of the rear surface of the closet 4. The vertical width of the filter 61 only needs to be larger than the ventilation opening 633.

As shown in FIG. 4, the filter 61 is composed of a filter material 611 that removes foreign matter, and a filter cover 612 that covers the filter material 611. The filter cover 612 has a front suction section 6121 in which slits are formed in a lattice pattern by multiple blades, and a side suction section 6122 in which multiple slits are formed by multiple ribs. Around the front suction section 6121, a flange is formed that protrudes forward of the side suction section 6122. The size (protruding width) of this flange is formed to be larger than the size (front-to-back width) of the side suction section 6122. The shape of the front suction section 6121 is not limited to that shape, and other shapes that allow air to flow in are also acceptable. The front suction section 6121 faces forward, and the side suction section 6122 faces in the up-down and left-right directions. Therefore, air in the closet 4 is sucked into the inside of the filter 61 from both the front and side of the filter 61.

Air sucked into the filter 61 passes through the filter material 611 to remove foreign matter such as dust. The purified air enters the upstream duct 632 through the ventilation opening 633 and is sent to the downstream duct 631. On the downstream side of the downstream duct 631, multiple air outlets 64 (three in this embodiment) that communicate with the closet 4 are formed. These air outlets 64 are arranged side by side at intervals in the width direction (left-right direction) of the top surface of the closet 4.

As shown in FIG. 6, each of the air outlets 64 has an opening 641 that opens into the top surface of the closet 4, and a connection part 642 that is integral with the opening 641. The opening 641 and the connection part 642 are substantially rectangular in shape and are long in the front-to-rear direction. A predetermined hanger 30 is detachably attached to each of the air outlets 64 via the connection part 642. A garment C is hung on the hanger 30. As a result, as shown in FIG. 7, the air sent to the downstream duct is blown into the inside of the garment C through the hanger 30 attached to the air outlet 64.

<Hanger 30>
5 and 6 show an example of the hanger 30. The hanger 30 is made of a resin molded product. The hanger 30 has a generally inverted Y-shaped appearance and is formed hollow. Specifically, when the hanger 30 is attached to the connection part 642, the hanger 30 has a support part 31 that extends downward from the top surface of the closet 4 and has a width (width in the front-to-back direction) larger than its vertical width (width in the left-to-right direction), and a pair of shoulder parts 32, 32 that extend in opposite directions in the width direction from the lower part of the support part 31 with a slight downward incline.

The support part 31 is formed in a cylindrical shape, and inside it is formed an air introduction space 41 with an oval cross section. A thin plate-shaped connector 33 is provided on the upper part of the support part 31. The connector 33 has a rectangular shape that is long in the width direction. The connector 33 is formed to have approximately the same shape and dimensions as the connection part 642. Although not shown in the figure, the support part 31 is detachably attached to the connection part 642 by a concave-convex fit.

At each end of the upper longitudinal portion of the support portion 31, a recess 34 is formed that is larger as it extends upward. As shown in FIG. 6, each recess 34 has a curved surface that is gradually inclined as it extends downward. A pair of through holes 331, 331 that face the recesses 34 in the vertical direction are formed in the connector 33. The area of each through hole 331 is smaller (approximately 1/4 to 1/5) than the opening area of the upper end of the air introduction space 41.

By attaching the connector 33 to the connection portion 642 and mounting the hanger 30 to the closet 4, the air sent from the air blowing unit 60 through the air outlet 64 is sent to the hanger 30. Most of the air is received in the air introduction space 41. Then, some of the air is received in each recess 34 through each through hole 331. As described below, these through holes 331 and recesses 34 constitute a "foreign matter removal section."

Each shoulder strap 32 has a cross section formed in a generally inverted U shape, and inside it is formed an air outlet space 42 that is connected to an air inlet space 41. A pair of partition walls 35, 35 are provided in the air outlet space 42, and by dividing it with these partition walls 35, 35, a torso-side air passage 43 that blows air toward the torso of the garment C and a pair of sleeve-side air passages 44, 44 that blow air toward each of the sleeves of the garment C are formed.

Each partition wall 35 is formed to extend along the lower part of each shoulder strap 32. Each partition wall 35 has a sleeve guide wall 351 that is slightly inclined upward from the end of each shoulder strap 32 toward the base, and a torso guide wall 352 that is connected to the sleeve guide and extends upward. The ends of both torso guide walls 352 are located at the part where both shoulder straps 32 branch off from the support part 31, and face each other with a certain distance between them.

As a result, the inlets 441 of the air passages 44 on each sleeve side and the inlets 431 of the air passages 43 on the torso side are aligned horizontally in a row and branch off at the boundary between the air intake space 41 and the air discharge space 42. The air passages 43 on the torso side are located between the air passages 44 on both sleeve sides, and its center in the width direction approximately coincides with the center in the width direction of the hanger 30. The air passages 44 on both sleeve sides are arranged symmetrically with respect to the center line.

The inlets 441, 431 of the trunk-side air passage 43 and the sleeve-side air passages face the air outlet 64 (opening 641) from above and below through the air introduction space 41. Therefore, the air introduced from the air outlet 64 is straightened in the air introduction space 41 and introduced into each air passage while maintaining its wind power. Furthermore, the structure of each air passage is designed so that the wind power sent to each air passage does not lose speed.

(Enlarged air passage section 45, intake air introduction section 46)
An expanded air passage section 45 in which the air passage gradually expands toward the downstream side is provided at the outlet portion of the air passage 43 on the torso side located between the air passages 44 on the sleeve side. Specifically, the expanded air passage section 45 is made up of the lower portion of the torso guide wall 352 and the upper portions of the sleeve guide walls 351 connected thereto, and is formed into a shape in which the width between them gradually expands (diffuser shape).

As a result, the air at the inlet of the air passage 43 on the torso side is forcefully sucked out to the outlet, accelerating the air flow at the inlet due to the so-called Venturi effect, allowing a large amount of air (wind) to be efficiently introduced into the air passage 43 on the torso side. As a result, the inlets 441 of the air passages 44 on both sleeve sides can be made larger, allowing wind to be efficiently introduced into these air passages as well. The outlets 442 of the air passages 44 on each sleeve side are provided at the ends of the shoulder straps 32 located below the inlets 441, as shown in Figures 5 and 6.

Specifically, an opening (sleeve air outlet 442) is formed on the underside of the end of the shoulder part 32 that is connected to the end part of the sleeve guide wall 351. As a result, the wind introduced into the air passage 44 on each sleeve side is guided to flow along the sleeve guide wall 351, and then blown out from the sleeve air outlet 442. Therefore, the wind flowing through the air passage 44 on each sleeve side encounters almost no resistance, so it flows smoothly and the wind speed can be maintained.

As a result, wind can be effectively introduced into the air passage 43 on the torso side and the air passages 44 on both sleeve sides while preventing a decrease in wind speed.

Furthermore, at the entrance of the air passage 43 on the torso side, an intake air introduction section 46 is provided, in which the air passage gradually widens toward the upstream side. Specifically, the upper parts of both torso guide walls 352, 352 form the intake air introduction section 46, and the width between them is formed in a shape that gradually widens. However, the degree of expansion of the intake air introduction section 46 may be smaller than that of the expanded air passage section 45. By providing the intake air introduction section 46, the synergistic effect with the expanded air passage section 45 can be further improved, thereby further improving the Venturi effect. Therefore, wind can be introduced into the air passage 43 on the torso side more efficiently.

Furthermore, the expanded air passage section 45 is provided with multiple ribs 36 (two in this embodiment) that extend along the air passage. These ribs 36 suppress separation of the flow in the diffuser section, allowing the air to be sucked out even more forcefully to the outlet section.

In addition, each outlet 442 of the sleeve-side air passages 44 is smaller than the inlet 441. Therefore, the air introduced into each sleeve-side air passage 44 blows out from the outlet 442 with force. Figure 7 shows an example of the state when air is blown onto a hanger 30 on which a garment C is hanging. The air introduced into the torso-side air passage 43 flows with force into the torso of the garment C and toward the hem, as shown by arrow A1.

As a result, localized wind currents are formed inside the body along with the wind, causing the body to flap around. As a result, wrinkles in the body can be effectively smoothed out.

Similarly, the wind introduced into the air passages 44 on the sleeve side flows vigorously into the sleeves of the garment C and toward the cuffs, as shown by arrow A2. This causes the sleeves to flap (vibrate in a puffed state). As a result, wrinkles in the sleeves can be effectively smoothed out. The inventors have confirmed that a hanger 30 with such an air passage has a higher wind speed and a larger air volume than a hanger without such an air passage.

Furthermore, the support part 31 of the hanger 30 is provided with through holes 331 and recesses 34 that constitute a foreign object removal part. As a result, as shown by arrow A3 in FIG. 7, a part of the air sent to the hanger 30 is received by each recess 34 through each through hole 331, and is sent toward the upper part of the shoulder part 32, preferably the shoulders. As a result, foreign objects (e.g., hair, dandruff, etc.) attached to the shoulders of the garment C can be blown away and removed.

Also, as shown in FIG. 7, when the clothes C hung on the hanger 30 flutter, it may come into contact with the front surface of the filter 61. In such a case, the clothes C may be sucked into the front suction portion 6121 of the filter cover 612. If this happens, the front suction portion 6121 of the filter cover 612 will be blocked, and the force of the air blown by the blower unit 60 will decrease. The pattern of the filter cover 612 will be left on the clothes C, making it impossible to perform the finishing process.

In contrast, in this clothing finishing device 1, the filter cover 612 is provided with a side suction section 6122. Moreover, the width of the filter 61 is formed to be approximately the same size as the width of the closet 4, and combined with the formation of the flange, the left and right sides of the side suction section 6122 are unlikely to be blocked by the clothing C even if the clothing C flutters. Furthermore, the formation of the flange prevents the clothing C from wrapping around and blocking the top and bottom of the side suction section 6122 in the vertical direction. As a result, even if the clothing C flutters and comes into contact with the front suction section 6121, the clothing C is unlikely to be adsorbed. Therefore, a stable wind force can be output by the air blowing unit 60. This prevents the clothing C from being patterned by the filter cover 612 due to adsorption.

<Air nozzle>
In this garment finishing device 1, three air outlets 64 are provided in the closet 4, and a hanger 30 can be attached to each of these air outlets 64. Therefore, wrinkles can be removed simultaneously from three garments C. Furthermore, this garment finishing device 1 is equipped with an air nozzle 90 as an accessory, in addition to the hanger 30.

Figure 8 shows an example of an air nozzle 90. (a) is a double-sided type, and (b) is a single-sided type. Each air nozzle 90 has a connector 91, a nozzle body 92, and a nozzle cover 93. The connector 91 has the same structure as the connector 33 of the hanger 30, and is detachably attached to the connection part 642. The nozzle body 92 is formed into a cylindrical shape with a long width. The nozzle cover 93 covers the tip of the nozzle body 92 and closes its opening.

In a double-type air nozzle 90, two air outlets 931, 931 are formed side by side in the width direction on the nozzle cover 93. In a single-type air nozzle 90, one air outlet 931 is formed in the nozzle cover 93, biased toward one end in the width direction.

The inner surface of the nozzle cover 93 is curved. This allows the wind received by the nozzle body 92 to be guided to the inner surface of the nozzle cover 93 and blown out of the air outlet 931 in a predetermined direction.

Figure 9 shows an example of using both types of air nozzles 90. These air nozzles 90 are used with one hanger 30. That is, of the three air outlets 64, the hanger 30 is attached to the central air outlet 64 (center air outlet 64c). Then, air nozzles 90 are attached to each of the two air outlets 64 (side air outlets 64s) adjacent to the center air outlet 64c, so that the air outlets 931 face the hanger 30.

By attaching the air nozzle 90 in this manner, the air blowing out from the air outlet 931 is configured to be directed toward the upper part of the shoulder hanging part 32 of the hanger 30, as shown by the dashed arrow in Figure 9. In the case of a dual-type air nozzle 90, air is blown out from one air nozzle 90 toward the upper part of both shoulder hanging parts 32. In detail, air is blown across the nape of the collar of the garment C hung on the hanger 30 and toward the shoulders.

In the case of a one-sided type air nozzle 90, air is blown from one air nozzle 90 toward the upper part of one of the shoulder straps 32. By attaching two one-sided type air nozzles 90, air can be blown from each air nozzle 90 toward the upper part of each of the shoulder straps 32.

By combining the hanger 30 with such an air nozzle 90, the effect of removing foreign matter adhering to the clothes C is improved. By blowing air from the outside of the clothes C as well, the clothes C can be made to flutter even more, thereby further improving the finishing effect of the clothes C. The direction in which the air outlet 931 of the air nozzle 90 blows air can be changed according to the specifications. For example, the air may be directed toward the middle part of the width of the hanger 30 so that the air hits the back of the clothes C.

<Example of control of garment finishing device 1>
10 shows an example of wrinkle removal control performed by the garment finishing device 1. Prior to operating the garment finishing device 1, the user supplies water to the water supply tank 71 and discards water from the drain tank 81. Then, the user hangs garments C on hangers 30 installed in the closet 4 and closes the door 3. After that, the user operates the operation unit 8 to select a mode corresponding to the garments C and starts operation.

The control unit 10 then executes a finishing process consisting of a humidification step and a drying step. Specifically, the control unit 10 activates the humidification unit 70. As a result, water stored in the water supply tank 71 is sent to the steam generator 72 by the water supply pump 73. The steam generator 72 heats the water to generate high-temperature (e.g., 100°C) steam. The steam generated by the steam generator 72 is sprayed into the closet 4 from the steam outlet 5.

The control unit 10 operates the circulation fan 82 of the air conditioning unit 80 simultaneously with or slightly after the steam is sprayed. It is preferable to operate the circulation fan 82 slightly after the steam is sprayed. This can suppress condensation and efficiently humidify the clothes C.

The rotation speed of the circulation fan 82 can be freely controlled, and in this control example, it is controlled to high or low. The control unit 10 operates the circulation fan 82 at low rotation speed. As a result, the wind generated by the circulation fan 82 diffuses the steam into the closet 4. After a predetermined time has passed, the clothes C become appropriately damp, and the control unit 10 switches from the humidification process to the drying process.

When the drying process starts, the control unit 10 stops the operation of the humidification unit 70. The control unit 10 then increases the rotation speed of the circulation fan 82 and operates the heat exchanger 84. As a result, the air passing through the heat exchanger 84 is dehumidified and dried. It is further heated to generate hot air, which is then blown into the closet 4. As a result, the air in the closet 4 is replaced and gradually drier.

The control unit 10 also operates the air blowing unit 60 when the drying process is started. The rotation speed of the upper air blowing unit 60 can be freely controlled, and is controlled to an optimal rotation speed depending on the material of the clothes and the progress of various processes. In the control example, a constant rotation speed is described. As a result, air from the closet 4 that has passed through the filter 61 is blown into the inside of the clothes C through the hanger 30. As a result, the clothes C are in a fluttering state. Since the air blowing unit 60 is constantly operated during the drying process, the clothes C are gradually dried while fluttering. As a result, wrinkles on the clothes C are effectively removed.

After the specified time has elapsed, the clothes C will be dry, and the control unit 10 will stop operation and sound a buzzer or similar to notify the user that the finishing process has been completed. In this way, with this clothing finishing device 1, the structure of the hanger 30 is designed to prevent a decrease in air speed, so the clothes C can be fluttered effectively without excessively increasing the air volume. As a result, wrinkles can be removed effectively.

The clothing finishing device according to the disclosed technology is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but also includes various other configurations.

For example, the humidification unit 70 may generate mist instead of steam, as long as it can humidify the inside of the closet 4. The hanger 30 and the air nozzle 90 may be fixed to the top surface of the closet 4 in an undetachable state. Furthermore, a cap that can cover the air outlet 64 may also be provided as an accessory.

The rotation speed of the blower fan 62 can be freely controlled, and may be set to be faster at the front of the drying process than at the back. This is more efficient because the wrinkle removal effect is greater when the clothes are humid. Also, the rotation speed of the blower fan 62 may be set to be low for clothes made of soft materials or thin fabrics, and high for clothes made of hard materials or thick fabrics.

An operating mode may be provided in which only the blower unit 60 is operated. This allows foreign matter adhering to clothing to be effectively removed.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Clothing finishing device 4 Closet 5 Steam outlet 6 Air outlet 7 Intake port 10 Control unit 30 Hanger 31 Support unit 32 Shoulder hanging unit 41 Air inlet space 42 Air outlet space 43 Air passage on torso side 44 Air passage on sleeve side 45 Enlarged air passage unit 46 Intake air inlet unit 60 Air blower unit 61 Filter 62 Air blower fan 63 Air blower duct 64 Air outlet 70 Humidification unit 80 Air conditioning unit C Clothing

Claims (8)

A clothing finishing device comprising: a predetermined closet ; and a hanger that is detachably attached to an air outlet provided on a top surface of the closet via a predetermined connecting part , the device being capable of automatically removing wrinkles from clothing hung on the hanger,
a blowing unit that blows air into the inside of the garment through the blowing port and the hanger,
The hanger is
A cylindrical support portion extending downward from the air blowing port and having an air introduction space formed therein for receiving the air blown from the air blowing unit;
A pair of shoulder straps extending in opposite directions from a lower portion of the support portion, each having an inverted U-shaped cross section, and an air outlet space connected to the air inlet space formed therein;
having
In the air outlet space,
A torso-side air passage for blowing air toward a torso of the garment;
A pair of sleeve-side air passages for blowing air toward each of the sleeves of the garment;
is formed by dividing the pair of shoulder straps by a pair of partition walls extending along the lower portions of the pair of shoulder straps ,
Each of the partition walls is
A sleeve guide wall extending from an end of the shoulder part where the sleeve air outlet is opened to a base part;
A torso guide wall connected to the sleeve guide wall;
having
A pair of sleeve guide walls partition the sleeve side air passage, and a pair of torso guide walls partition the torso side air passage,
The ends of the pair of body guide walls are positioned in the center of the interior of the hanger while facing each other at a certain interval, so that the inlets of the air passage on the body side and the air passage on the sleeve side branch off while being aligned horizontally at the boundary between the air introduction space and the air discharge space, and face the opening of the air outlet from above and below through the air introduction space, the interior of which is not partitioned;
The clothing finishing device has an expanding air passage section at the outlet of the air passage on the body side, the expanding air passage section being gradually expanded toward the downstream side. 2. The garment finishing device according to claim 1,
The clothing finishing device has an intake air introduction section at an entrance portion of the air passage on the body side, the air passage gradually widening toward the upstream side. A garment finishing device according to claim 1 or 2,
The garment finishing device, wherein the enlarged air passage section is provided with a rib extending along the air passage. A garment finishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The garment finishing apparatus, wherein the sleeve outlet is located below the inlet. 2. The garment finishing device according to claim 1,
The garment finishing apparatus has a sleeve outlet that is smaller than the inlet. A garment finishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The garment finishing device includes a foreign object removal section disposed above the support section, the foreign object removal section directing a portion of the air blown from the air blowing unit toward an upper portion of the shoulder part. 2. The garment finishing device according to claim 1,
A plurality of the air outlets are provided, and the air nozzle is further provided so as to be detachably attached to the air outlets together with the hanger,
The garment finishing device has a hanger attached to one of the adjacent air outlets and an air nozzle attached to the other, so that the air nozzle blows air toward an upper portion of the shoulder part of the hanger. A garment finishing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
a humidification unit for humidifying the closet;
an air conditioning unit for adjusting the air in the closet;
The garment finishing apparatus further comprises:

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