Garment packaging for direct-to-garment personalization kiosk

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11501597-B1
Application number	US-202217718993-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 12, 2022
Priority date	Apr 11, 2022
Publication date	Nov 15, 2022
Grant date	Nov 15, 2022

Abstract

A direct-to-garment personalization system for personalizing an article includes a direct-to-garment printer configured to print a graphic onto the article and a packaged article. The packaged article has the article to be printed; a hanger having a hanging arm and an upset, the hanging arm disposed the article, wherein the hanger and the article have a rolled configuration; and a retainer disposed around the hanging arm for securing the article in a rolled configuration. The system also includes a storage area containing the packaged article and a transfer system. The transfer system is configured to retrieve the packaged article from the storage area; remove the retainer from the article; move the article to the direct-to-garment printer; and position a printing surface of the article at a distance from 2 mm to 10 mm away from a printing head of the direct-to-garment printer.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A direct-to-garment personalization system for personalizing an article, comprising:
a direct-to-garment printer configured to print a graphic onto the article;
a packaged article, comprising:
the article to be printed;
a hanger having a hanging arm and an upset, the hanging arm disposed the article, wherein the hanger and the article have a rolled configuration; and
a retainer disposed around the hanging arm for securing the article in a rolled configuration;

a storage area containing the packaged article; and
a transfer system configured to:
retrieve the packaged article from the storage area;
remove the retainer from the article;
unroll the article to a flat configuration;
move the article to the direct-to-garment printer; and
positions a printing surface of the article at a distance from 2 mm to 10 mm away from a printing head of the direct-to-garment printer.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hanging arm is straight and each end of the hanging arm is disposed in the article.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the upset protrudes out of a neck opening.

4. The system of claim 3 , further comprising a cover for securing the article to the printer.

5. The packaged article of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the hanger and the retainer is made of cardboard or plastic.

6. The packaged article of claim 1 , wherein the hanging arm has a length from 1 in. to 6 in.

7. The packaged article of claim 6 , wherein the hanging arm has a width from 5 in. to 20 in.

8. A method of personalizing an article, comprising:
retrieving a packaged article from a storage area in a personalization vending machine, the packaged article including a hanger and the article in a rolled configuration;
removing a retainer securing the article in the rolled configuration;
unrolling the article to a flat configuration;
positioning a printable area of the article in the flat configuration at a distance from 2 mm to 10 mm away from a printing head of a direct-to-garment printer located within the personalization vending machine; and
printing a graphic on the printable area.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising gripping the article and the hanger to position the article and the hanger in the printer.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising forming the packaged article, comprising:
disposing the hanger in the article;
rolling the article and the hanger into the rolled configuration; and
using the retainer to secure the article in the rolled configuration.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, prior to printing the graphic, positioning a cover on the T-shirt to secure the T-shirt to the printer system.

12. The method of claim 8 , further comprising rolling the printed article and using a second retainer to secure the printed article.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the article is a shirt having a neck opening.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the upset protrudes out of the neck opening.

Assignees

• CreateMe Technologies LLC

Inventors

• Hoshino Yoshikazu
• Barrett David Glen
• Alberstein Scott Timothy
• Amit Gad
• Moiseyenko Stanislav
• Litvinov Yuri Viacheslav

Classifications

• B41J3/4078 Primary

  Printing on textile · CPC title

• B65D25/54

  Inspection openings or windows · CPC title

• B65D85/185

  Containers for shipping garments on hangers (travelling or trunk wardrobes A47B61/06) · CPC title

• G07F11/70 Primary

  in which the articles are formed in the apparatus from components, blanks, or material constituents · CPC title

• B65D85/182

  Shirt packaging and display supports · CPC title