Platen with hinged side walls for improved hooping
OwnerDavid Bennet Matteninventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A platen and hoop configured to securely hold a garment in place on a platen. The platen and hoop can be used for automated printing of graphics, such as by direct to garment printing (DTG). The hoop has downward extending hoop sidewalls that can surround the platen structure when the hoop is fitted onto the platen. The platen has platen sidewalls that are hinged to a base of the platen, and which rotate upward to hold a fabric workpiece against the hoop sidewalls to securely hold the fabric workpiece during printing. The platen sidewalls can be formed with inward protruding tabs or feet located at their base, and which cause the platen sidewalls to rotate upward when engaged by the hoop sidewalls.
Claims13
A device for holding fabric during a manufacturing process, comprising:
- a platen structure, comprising:
- a platen base;
- a plurality of platen sidewalls hinged to the platen base, each of the platen side walls having a foot structure;
- and
- and a platen top supported above the platen base;
- a hoop structure having an open top, an open bottom and plurality of hoop sidewalls, the hoop structure being configured to fit around the platen top when lowered down over the platen structure, the each of the plurality of hoop sidewalls being configured to engage the foot of one of the platen sidewalls and wherein engagement of a hoop sidewall with the foot of a platen sidewall causes the platen sidewall to rotate upward.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.