Folded surgical gown for aseptic donning apparatus and method for producing same

• US 6,062,444 A
• Filed: 09/24/1998
• Issued: 05/16/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Incorporated (Kimberly-Clark Corporation)
• Inventors: Will, Stephen G., Tankersley, Terry N., Willett, Richard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): MOHANTY, BIBHU R
• Application Number:
  US09/159,436
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 223/37, 223/38, 223/34, 223/35
• US Class Current: 223/37
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 13/1209 Surgeons' gowns or dresses
• CPC Class Codes: A41D 2400/44 Donning facilities
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 89/02 of textile articles to be worn, e.g. shirts

Abstract

A surgical gown in an improved folded arrangement, as well as methods and apparatus for producing same. Like prior art book-folds, the folded arrangement includes left and right hand pockets to facilitate aseptic donning by a medical professional. Unlike prior art book-folds, however, the folded arrangement of the invention employs a unique fold sequence particularly amenable to automated processing. Methods of the invention are directed to the specific fold sequences that can be utilized to produce the folded arrangement. Apparatus for producing the folded arrangement includes a number of operative sections functionally arranged in series.

Claims

1. An apparatus for folding a garment having a main gown to which left and right sleeves are attached, said apparatus comprising a plurality of operative sections arranged in series including:

an infeed section having a platen surface adapted to horizontally support said main gown of said garment such that said sleeves hang vertically therefrom;

a sleeve-tucking section operative to fold said sleeves behind a back portion of said main gown;

a longitudinal folding section operative to fold said main gown along first and second longitudinal fold lines to thereby decrease a transverse width of said garment; and

a transverse folding section operative to fold said main gown along at least one transverse fold line to form a folded garment.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse folding section operatively succeeds said longitudinal folding section.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a support element at an output of said transverse folding section, to which said garment is delivered.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3, wherein said support element includes a longitudinal folding bar about which a manual longitudinal fold may be made.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse folding section is operative to fold said main gown along at least two transverse fold lines.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5, wherein said infeed section delivers said garment to said sleeve-tucking section in a manner that forms an initial transverse fold in said garment.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein:

said sleeve-tucking section includes a first dead plate of a width approximately equal to said garment, said sleeve-tucking section further having a first conveyor spaced slightly above and opposing said first dead plate to move said garment therealong; and

said longitudinal folding section includes a second dead plate of a width less than said garment, said longitudinal folding section further having a second conveyor spaced slightly above and opposing said second dead plate to move said garment therealong.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said sleeve-tucking section comprises first and second movable sleeve tuckers located below opposite lateral sides of said first dead plate.

9. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said longitudinal folding section includes first and second fixed folder plates located below said second dead plate.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7, wherein said platen surface of said infeed section is reciprocatively movable to and from a location adjacent a nip defined between said first dead plate and said first conveyor to deliver said garment thereto.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said transverse folding section comprises:

first and second downslope conveyors;

first and second folding nips located opposite to respective of said first and second downslope conveyors; and

first and second reciprocative elements operative to engage said garment along a transverse fold line and move it into a respective of said first and second folding nips.

12. An apparatus for folding a garment, said apparatus comprising:

an infeed section having a horizontal platen surface reciprocatively movable between a recess position and a garment delivery position;

a longitudinal folding section including a lesser width dead plate having a width less than said garment and a conveyor opposing said lesser width dead plate to move said garment therealong, said longitudinal folding section further including first and second folder plates located below said lesser width dead plate;

a transverse folding section having first and second folding nips located opposite respective first and second downslope conveyors, said transverse folding section further comprising first and second reciprocative elements operative to engage said garment along a transverse fold line and move it into a respective of said first and second folding nips; and

a support element at an output of said transverse folding section to which said garment is delivered.

13. An apparatus for folding a garment as set forth in claim 12, further including a sleeve-tucking section operatively preceding said longitudinal folding section, said sleeve-tucking section functional to fold sleeves of said garment behind a back portion thereof.

14. An apparatus for folding a garment as set forth in claim 13, wherein said sleeve-tucking section includes a greater width dead plate of a width approximately equal to said garment, said sleeve tucking section having a further conveyor opposing said greater width dead plate to move said garment therealong.

15. An apparatus for folding a garment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said infeed section delivers said garment to said sleeve-tucking section in a manner that forms a transverse fold in said garment.

16. An apparatus for folding a garment as set forth in claim 14, wherein said sleeve tucking section comprises first and second movable sleeve tuckers located below opposite lateral sides of said greater width dead plate.

17. An apparatus for folding a garment as set forth in claim 12, wherein said support element includes a longitudinal folding bar about which a manual longitudinal fold may be made.