Garment heating apparatus

Claim 2

Garment heating apparatus comprising: support means; vertical conduit means carried by said support means and including a plurality of generally outwardly directed air discharge openings; enclosure means defining a chamber around said conduit means; blower means communicating with said conduit means for circulating air through said conduit means and said air discharge openings and into said chamber; heater means for heating circulated air; and means for mounting hanger means on said conduit means such that generally aligned and oppositely directed portions of said hanger means extend outwardly beyond said conduit means to support, in the region of said discharge openings, a garment in substantially encircling relation to said conduit means so that air ejected through said air discharge openings is directed generally outwardly, through said garment; said blower means communicating with the upper end of said conduit means for circulating air downwardly through said conduit, and said conduit means including final outlet means at the lower end of said conduit for ejecting, into the lower portion of said chamber, heated air which has by-passed air discharge openings located above said final outlet means.

Claim 3

Garment heating apparatus comprising: support means; vertical conduit means carried by said support means and including: a plurality of vertically spaced, outwardly directed air discharge openings, and means for mounting garment-supporting apparatus; enclosure means defining a garment treating chamber around said conduit means; said enclosure means including means for providing access into said garment treating chamber; air blower means communicating with the upper end of said conduit means for circulating air downwardly through said conduit means; heating means disposed in the path of the circulated air to heat such air; final outlet means at the lower end of said conduit means for ejecting, into the lower portion of said garment treating chamber, heated air which has bypassed said air discharge openings located above said final outlet means; and exhaust passage means disposed at the upper end of said chamber for exhausting heated air that has risen within said garment treating chamber while being mixed with progressively warmer air from said air discharge openings in a manner tending to maintain a substantially uniform temperature within said chamber.

Claim 4

Garment heating apparatus comprising: support means; vertical conduit means carried by said support means and including: a plurality of vertically spaced, outwardly directed air discharge openings, and means for mounting garment-supporting apparatus; enclosure means defining a garment treating chamber around said conduit means; said enclosure means including means for providing access into said garment treating chamber; air blower means communicating with the upper end of said conduit means for circulating air downwardly through said conduit means; heating means disposed in the path of the circulated air to heat such air; final outlet means at the lower end of said conduit means for ejecting, into the lower portion of said garment treating chamber, heated air which has bypassed said air discharge openings located above said final outlet means; and exhaust passage means disposed at the upper end of said chamber for exhausting heated air that has risen within said garment treating chamber while being mixed with progressively warmer air from said air discharge openings in a manner tending to maintain a substantially uniform temperature within said chamber.

Claim 5

Apparatus according to claim 2 wherein said conduit means includes means for mounting hanger means on said conduit means such that generally aligned and oppositely directed portions of said hanger means extend outwardly beyond said conduit means to support, in the region of said discharge openings, a garment in substantially encircling relation to said conduit means so that air ejected through said air discharge openings is directed generally outwardly, through said garment.

Claim 6

Apparatus according to claim 2 and further including frame means mounted at the upper end of said conduit means; said blower means being mounted atop said frame means; said support means including base means; and said conduit means extending upwardly from said base means.

Claim 7

Apparatus according to claim 4 wherein said blower means is detachably supported by said conduit means such that said frame means and said blower means may be removed from said conduit means to enable garments to be slipped over the top of said conduit means.

Claim 8

Apparatus according to claim 5 wherein said heating means includes a tube carried by said frame means and being extendable into said conduit; and a heating element disposed within said tube.

Claim 9

The apparatus according to claim 5 wherein the bottom end of said conduit means is detachably inserted over an upstanding post portion of said base means.

Claim 10

Apparatus according to claim 6 including baffle means disposed adjacent the air inlet of said blower means for selectively communicating the inlet of said blower means with recirculated air from said chamber and with air surrounding said apparatus.

Claim 11

Garment heating apparatus according to claim 2 comprising: base means including a floor plate; upstanding conduit means projecting upwardly from said base means, said conduit means including: a plurality of vertically spaced, outwardly directed air discharge openings, and means for mounting garment-supporting apparatus such that garments may be hung in substantially encircling relation to said conduit means in the region of air discharge openings; vertically extending flexible curtain means defining a chamber around said conduit means; lid means situated at the upper end of said conduit, said lid means including: a lid plate; tube means carried by said lid plate and projecting downwardly therefrom into the upper end of said conduit means; heating means situated in said tube; and blower means carried atop said lid plate and communicating with said tube and said conduit to blow air downwardly through said conduit and around said heating means; means for selectively communicating the inlet side of said blower means with said chamber for recirculating air within said chamber through said blower means; and baffle means for regulating the air fed to said blower; said lid means being removable from said conduit means such that access to the top of said conduit means may be provided to enable garments to be slipped over the top of said conduit means; and the terminal end of said conduit means being vertically spaced from said floor plate to define a final outlet opening for ejecting, from said conduit, heated air which has by-passed air discharged openings located above said final outlet opening.