MANNEQUIN FOR THE SURFACE TREATMENT OF TROUSERS

Abstract

Mannequin for the surface treatment of pants. Mannequin for the surface treatment of pants, comprising an upper support structure from which two legs extend, wherein each of said legs has an inflatable balloon arranged at its rear part. Each of said inflatable balloons has its outer lateral section folded upon itself at least once around a folding line extending from the upper edge to the lower edge of the balloon. The upper edge is fixed to the rear upper end of the corresponding leg and the lower edge is fixed to a rear intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that the parts of the edges corresponding to the outer lateral section are also fixed to the leg of the mannequin.

Claims

1-30. (canceled)

31. Mannequin for the surface treatment of pants, comprising: an upper support structure, with a fixing area of an upper part of a pair of pants, and from which two legs suitable for lodging inside the legs of said pants extend, wherein each leg defines a longitudinal axis, wherein said mannequin has a front part, corresponding to front part of the pants, and a rear part, wherein each of said legs has an inflatable balloon arranged at its rear part, wherein said inflatable balloon has an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner lateral section with an inner edge proximal to another leg, and an outer lateral section with an outer edge, opposite the inner lateral section, wherein said inflatable balloon has a longitudinal axis which passes through its geometric center and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding leg wherein each of said inflatable balloons has its outer lateral section folded upon itself at least once around a folding line extending from said upper edge to said lower edge, said upper edge is fixed to the rear upper end of the corresponding leg, such that the upper edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to the rear upper end of the leg, said lower edge is fixed to a rear intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that the lower edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to said rear intermediate point.

32. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said inflatable balloons has its outer lateral section folded upon itself at least twice around an inner folding line and an outer folding line both extending from said upper edge to said lower edge, such that the outer lateral section is folded in a zigzag fashion, said upper edge is fixed to the rear upper end of the corresponding leg, such that the upper edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to the rear upper end of the leg, said lower edge is fixed to a rear intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that the lower edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to said rear intermediate point.

33. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein said intermediate point is arranged within a range of between 25% and 75% of the total length of the corresponding leg, measured from the upper end of the leg.

34. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein the mannequin has a plurality of intermediate points.

35. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said inflatable balloons has its inner lateral section folded upon itself at least once around a folding line extending from said upper edge to said lower edge, said upper edge is fixed to the rear upper end of the corresponding leg, such that the upper edge part corresponding to the inner lateral section is also fixed to the rear upper end of the leg, said lower edge is fixed to a rear intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that that lower edge part corresponding to the inner lateral section is also fixed to said rear intermediate point.

36. Mannequin according to claim 35, wherein each of said inflatable balloons has its inner lateral section folded upon itself at least twice around an inner folding line and an outer folding line both extending from said upper edge to said lower edge, so that the inner lateral section is folded in a zigzag fashion, said upper edge is fixed to the rear upper end of the corresponding leg, such that the upper edge part corresponding to the inner lateral section is also fixed to the rear upper end of the leg, said lower edge is fixed to a rear intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that the lower edge part corresponding to the inner lateral section is also fixed to said rear intermediate point.

37. Mannequin according to claim 32, wherein the inner folding line and the outer folding line of the outer lateral section are arranged such that the folded outer lateral section covers the longitudinal axis of the balloon.

38. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein said balloon has a sealing section extending from said upper edge to said lower edge.

39. Mannequin according to claim 38, wherein the sealing section extends along the longitudinal axis of the balloon.

40. Mannequin according to claim 32, wherein the inner folding line and the outer folding line of the outer lateral section are arranged such that the folded outer lateral section covers the sealing section.

41. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of the balloons is fixed to the corresponding leg in a state of longitudinal pre-tension.

42. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said balloons, folded and deflated, has a width equal to or less than the width of the leg section on which it is mounted, so that the balloon does not protrude laterally with respect to the leg on which it is mounted.

43. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each leg comprises a flat front face and a flat rear face and a hollow space therebetween wherein an outer rod and an inner rod are housed, wherein the lower ends of said outer and inner rods are attached to a deploying mechanism of the rods.

44. Mannequin according to claim 43, wherein said deploying mechanism comprises: a movable guide, two deploying arms, each having a hingedly attached end to said movable guide and a free end, a support, wherein said support is arranged below said movable guide, wherein said movable guide is suitable for moving between a deploying position, in which it is closest to the support, and a folding position, in which it is further away from the support, two connecting rods, each with an end hingedly connected to an intermediate point of the corresponding deploying arm and the other end connected to the support, wherein, in both the folded and the deployed position, the free end of each deploying arm is below the end attached to the movable guide, so that, when deployed, each of the deploying arms 23 has an inverted V-shape.

45. Mannequin according to claim 43, wherein at least one of said rods has a toothed surface which prevents the pants from sliding upwards.

46. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein said upper support structure comprises a pant waist support area, wherein said support area has a toothed surface which prevents the pants from sliding down.

47. Mannequin according to claim 43, wherein further comprising a pant crotch adjustment system which in turn comprises: a height adjustment bar, a cross guide having two longitudinal through holes, each of which houses one of the inner rods of one of the legs therein.

48. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said legs has a second inflatable balloon arranged at its front part, wherein said second inflatable balloon has an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner lateral section with an inner edge, proximal to the other leg, and an outer lateral section with an outer edge, opposite the inner lateral portion, wherein said second inflatable balloon has a longitudinal axis passing through its geometric center and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding leg.

49. Mannequin according to claim 48, wherein each of said second inflatable balloons has its outer lateral section folded upon itself at least once around a folding line extending from said upper edge until said lower edge, said upper edge is fixed to the front upper end of the corresponding leg, such that the upper edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to the rear upper end of the leg, said lower edge is fixed to a front intermediate point of the corresponding leg, such that the lower edge part corresponding to the outer lateral section is also fixed to said rear intermediate point.

50. Mannequin according to claim 48, wherein each of said second inflatable balloons is equal to the inflatable balloon of the corresponding leg.

51. Mannequin according to claim 48, further comprising a pressure generating means of said inflatable balloons and said second balloons suitable for supplying a different swelling pressure between said inflatable balloons and said second balloons.

52. Mannequin according to claim 31, further comprising a depression generating means connected to the outlet of the outlet valve of said balloon or a second balloon.

53. Mannequin according claim 52, wherein said depression generating means is a means for generating a venturi effect.

54. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said balloons and/or second balloons has two outlet valves.

55. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said legs has a housing in its front part adapted to receive a second deflated balloon therein.

56. Mannequin according to claim 31, wherein each of said legs has a housing in its rear part adapted to receive a deflated balloon therein.

57. Mannequin according to claim 31, further comprising a hook arranged at the rear part of said fixing area, suitable to rotate between an engaging position, wherein the free end of said hook is arranged below a belt loop of said pants, and a disengagement position, wherein the free end of said hook is remote from said belt loop.

58. Mannequin according to claim 31, further comprising a hook arranged in the front part of said fixing area, suitable to rotate between an engaging position, in which the free end of said hook is arranged below a closure button of the fly of said pants, and a disengagement position, wherein the free end of said hook is remote from said closure button.

59. Mannequin according to claim 57, further comprising an elastic means suitable for moving said free end of said hook upwards when in said engaging position.

60. Mannequin according to claim 57, further comprising a lever suitable for moving said hook from said engaging position to said disengaging position.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0035] Further advantages and features of the invention are appreciated from the following description, in which, without limitation, preferred embodiments of the invention are recited, with reference to the accompanying drawings. The figures show:

[0036] FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a mannequin according to the invention, in a closed position.

[0037] FIG. 2, a front elevation view of the mannequin of FIG. 1 in the open position.

[0038] FIG. 3, an enlargement of zone A of FIG. 2.

[0039] FIG. 4, an enlargement of zone B of FIG. 2.

[0040] FIG. 5 is a perspective cross-sectional view of a leg of the mannequin of FIG. 1.

[0041] FIG. 6, a rear elevation view of the mannequin of FIG. 1.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective cut-away view of a first embodiment of a balloon according to the invention, folded, for the left leg of a mannequin.

[0043] FIG. 8, an elevation view of the balloon of FIG. 7.

[0044] FIG. 9, a top plan view of the balloon of FIG. 7

[0045] FIGS. 10 to 12, views equivalent to those of FIGS. 7 to 9 of the balloon corresponding to the right leg.

[0046] FIGS. 13 to 18, views equivalent to FIGS. 7 to 12 of a second embodiment of a balloon according to the invention.

[0047] FIGS. 19 to 24, views equivalent to FIGS. 7 to 12 of a third embodiment of a balloon according to the invention.

[0048] FIGS. 25 to 30, views equivalent to FIGS. 7 to 12 of a fourth embodiment of a balloon according to the invention.

[0049] FIGS. 31 to 36, views equivalent to FIGS. 7 to 12 of a fifth embodiment of a balloon according to the invention.

[0050] FIGS. 37 and 38, an elevation and a plan view, respectively, of a balloon according to the invention, deployed.

[0051] FIG. 39, a rear perspective view of a balloon according to the invention.

[0052] FIGS. 40 and 41, front elevation views of a rod detachment mechanism according to the invention.

[0053] FIGS. 42 and 43 are a front elevation view of a mannequin in the open position with a pant crotch adjustment system according to the invention in two different positions.

[0054] FIG. 44, a front perspective view of a mannequin with inflatable balloons arranged at its front part.

[0055] FIG. 45 is an enlarged partial view of the mannequin of FIG. 44.

[0056] FIG. 46, a schematic of a pneumatic circuit of the mannequin.

[0057] FIG. 47, a schematic of an alternative pneumatic circuit of the mannequin.

[0058] FIG. 48, a front perspective view of a leg with a seat for an inflatable balloon.

[0059] FIGS. 49-52, a partial rear elevation view of a mannequin with a hook for hooking pants through one of its belt loops.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

[0060] FIGS. 1 to 6 show a mannequin according to the invention. The mannequin comprises an upper support structure 1 with a fixing area 3 of the upper part of a pair of pants. The mannequin has two legs 5 that will be housed each of them in one of the legs of the pants. Each leg 5 has a balloon 7 fixed at its rear part (see FIG. 6), namely at the upper part of the leg 5. Each balloon 7 is fixed to the corresponding leg 5 by its upper edge 9 and its lower edge 11.

[0061] Each leg 5 is formed by two metal plates 13, one of which conforms the front part of the leg 5 and the other conforming the rear part of the leg 5 and, each of them having a flat central section. Between the two plates 13 is a hollow space 15.

[0062] The mannequin has a drive mechanism that allows switching from a closed position to an open position and vice versa. In the open position, the legs 5 are opened and outer and inner extending rods 17 are projected to the sides stretching the pants sideways. The rods 17 have a toothed surface 19 that prevents the pant legs from sliding upwards. When the mannequin is in the closed position, the rods 17 are housed within the hollow space 15.

[0063] The rods 17 have their lower end connected to a deploying mechanism (see FIGS. 40 and 41), comprising a movable guide 21, two attached deploying arms 23, able to rotate, connected to the movable guide 21 by one of its ends, a support 25 attached to the drive mechanism of the mannequin and rods 27, attached at one end to the support 25 and at another end to an intermediate point of the corresponding deployment arm 23. The support 25 is arranged below the movable guide 21. The drive mechanism moves the movable guide 21 downwards (when the mannequin is in the open position) or upwards (when the mannequin is placed in the closed position) causing the deployment or withdrawal of the deploying arms 23, respectively. The deploying mechanism is also housed within the hollow space 15.

[0064] In the fixing area 3 there is a pant waist support area 29, which also has a toothed surface 31 that prevents the pants from sliding downwards.

[0065] In the area corresponding to the cross of the pant there is a pant crotch adjustment system (see FIGS. 42 and 43) comprising a height adjustment bar 33 and a cross guide 35. The cross guide 35 has two through holes, each of which is traversed by one of the inner rods 17 of each of the legs 5. The inner rods 17 have their lower end fixed to the free end of the corresponding deploying arm 23 and its upper end fixed to a fixing point 36. When varying the length of the height adjustment bar 33 (varying its length), the cross guide 35 slides along the rods 17 and guides them through the through holes, so that the rods 17 always come together at the cross guide 35. In this way the position of the inner rods 17 can be adjusted to pants with different crotch without it being necessary to make any adjustment on the inner rods 17 themselves, since by simply changing the height of the cross guide 35 the inner rods 17 are already forced, thanks to an elastic deformation thereof, to adopt the necessary shape to the crotch of each trouser. In addition, by varying the position of the cross guide 35, the curvature of the inner rods 17 is modified, increasing it by lowering the cross guide 35 and decreasing it by raising the cross guide 35, thus achieving the optimum tension in the inner rods 17 for all kinds of sizes and shapes. The total length of the inner rods 17 does not vary and their attachment points are the same for any pant crotch.

[0066] FIGS. 7 to 12 show two balloons 7, for the left leg 5 and the right leg 5 of the mannequin. In general, each balloon 7 has an upper edge 9, a lower edge 11, an inner lateral section 37 with an inner edge 39 and an outer lateral section 41 with an outer edge 43. Each balloon 7 has a longitudinal axis 45 passing through its geometric center and is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the corresponding leg 5. In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7 to 12, each balloon 7 has a single folding line 47 relative to which the outer lateral section 41 has been folded inwards. The folding line 47 is arranged such that the outer lateral section 41 covers the area corresponding to the longitudinal axis 45. The balloon 7 of the right leg 5 is symmetrical about the balloon 7 of the left leg. Each balloon 7, unfolded, has a rectangular shape.

[0067] FIGS. 13 to 18 show another embodiment of the balloons 7. In this case, both the outer lateral section 41 and the inner lateral section 37 are folded inwards about a folding line 47. The two lateral sections are equally long, so as to reach the longitudinal axis 45, but without covering it.

[0068] In the embodiment of FIGS. 19 to 24, the outer lateral section 41 of each balloon 7 is folded around two folding lines: an inner folding line 49 and an outer folding line 51, so as to form a zigzag. In this example the folded outer lateral section 41 also does not cover the longitudinal axis 45.

[0069] FIGS. 25-30 show balloons 7 having both the outer lateral section 41 and the inner lateral section 37 folded around an inner folding line 49 and an outer folding line 51.

[0070] The balloons 7 of the embodiment of FIGS. 31 to 36 have a sealing section 53. The lateral sections are folded by two inner 49 and outer 51 folding lines, such that the outer lateral section 41 covers the sealing section 53 and the inner lateral section 37 does not cover it. The two balloons 7 are not identical to each other but symmetrical with each other.

[0071] FIGS. 37 and 38 show another embodiment of a balloon 7, corresponding to the right leg 5. It has a trapezoidal shape, so that its upper edge 9 is longer than its lower edge 11. It has a sealing section 53 coincident with the longitudinal axis 45 and, it further has two other sealing sections that close the upper edge 9 and the lower edge 11 of the balloon 7. It has inner folding lines 49 and outer folding lines 51 for both outer 41 and inner 37 lateral sections, arranged such that, once folded, the outer lateral section 41 will cover the sealing section 53.

[0072] FIG. 39 shows a balloon 7 having an air inlet valve 55 and an air outlet valve 57 arranged on the rear face of the balloon 7, i.e. the face facing the rear surface of the leg 5. This arrangement allows the air passageways to be housed within the hollow space 15 of the leg 5, allowing a particularly flat design of the leg 5 as a whole. Additional inlet and outlet valves can be added to increase the swelling and deflation rate and/or to monitor the pressure inside the balloon.

[0073] FIG. 44 shows a mannequin having a second inflatable balloon 107 at the front part of each of its legs 5. Each of the second inflatable balloons 107 has an upper edge, a lower edge, an inner lateral section 137 with an inner edge, proximal to the other leg 5, and an outer lateral section 141 with an outer edge, opposite the inner lateral section 137. In the example shown in this FIG., the second balloons 107 are equal to the balloons 7 of FIGS. 37 and 38 even though, as already indicated above, this needs not be so.

[0074] The second balloon 107 on the leg 5 is shown in more detail in FIG. 45. The second balloon 107 is pre-mounted (already in a prestressed position) on a support, which is screwed onto the leg 5. In this way a very fast assembly and disassembly of the second balloon 107 is achieved with respect to the leg 5. In FIG. 48 shows a mounting alternative, wherein the leg 5 includes a housing 59. In this way, the second balloon 107, deflated, does not protrude compared to what would be the leg 5 without the mounted balloon, thus facilitating the removal of the treated pants. These solutions can also be applied to the balloons 7 arranged in the rear part of the leg 5.

[0075] FIGS. 46 and 47 are schematic drawings of pneumatic installations for a mannequin according to the invention including depression generating means 56 connected to the outlet of the outlet valve 57 of a balloon 7, 107. FIG. 46 shows an installation with pressure generation means 54, for example, from a conventional air pressurizing system with a compressor and a compressed air tank that is connected to the inlet valve 55 of the balloon 7, 107. A control valve allows opening or closing of the passage of the compressed air from the tank to the balloon 7, 107. The depression generating means comprises a vacuum pump and a vacuum tank connected to the outlet valve 57 of the balloon 7, 107. A control valve allows the opening or closing of the passage to the vacuum tank. FIG. 47 shows an alternative installation in which venturi effect generating means (for example a venturi valve) is used as depression generation means 56. The venturi valve is connected to pressure generating means 54. In this way the air flow necessary to create the venturi depression can be generated, by means of which the air contained in the balloons 7, 107 can be sucked.

[0076] FIGS. 49-52 show a mannequin comprising a hook 61 disposed at the rear part of the fixing area 3. The hook can rotate between an engaging position (see FIGS. 49 and 50), wherein the free end of said hook 61 is arranged below a belt loop 63 of the pants 65, and a release position (see FIGS. 51 and 52), wherein the free end of the hook 61 is remote from the belt loop 63. Some elastic means 67 pull up the free end of the hook 61 when in the engaging position. After the treatment of the pants has been completed, a lever 69 moves the hook from the engaging position to the release position (see FIG. 51), leaving the pants 65 releasable from the mannequin, for example thanks to the force of gravity.