Heat Pressable Platen
A platen is disclosed. In an example, the platen may include a shirtboard configured to receive a garment. A backing is coupled to the shirtboard by a hinge. The backing and the shirtboard are compressible to selectively compress the shirtboard against the backing during a printing operation. An example of printing on a garment includes threading a garment onto a board so that the board is wearing the garment, supporting the board against a backing during compression, and printing on the garment. In an example, a fabric of the garment is pretreated, heat-pressed, and printed on, all without removing the garment from the board.
1 . A platen comprising:
a shirtboard configured to receive a garment; and
a backing coupled by a hinge to the shirtboard;
wherein the backing and the shirtboard are compressible to selectively compress the shirtboard against the backing during a printing operation.
2 . The platen of claim 1 , wherein the backing is a dense foam.
3 . The platen of claim 2 , wherein the shirtboard is a swing away board configured to provide unimpeded loading of a garment on the shirtboard, wherein the swing away shirtboard is rotatable into a locked position against the backing to support the shirtboard under compression during a heat pressing operation.
4 . The platen of claim 1 , wherein the backing is rotatably coupled to the shirtboard by the hinge.
5 . The platen of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a catch.
6 . The platen of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a support lip.
7 . The platen of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a release handle.
8 . The platen of claim 1 , further comprising a latching mechanism hinged to the backing to move between an open position and a closed position.
9 . A heat pressable platen comprising:
a shirtboard; and
at least one support hinged to the shirtboard, wherein the support is configured to temporarily move to provide unobstructed threading of a garment on the shirtboard.
10 . The platen of claim 9 , wherein the shirtboard swings away for loading of a garment on the shirtboard, and the shirtboard rotates into a locked position for heat pressing.
11 . The platen of claim 9 , wherein the at least one support is a dense foam.
12 . The platen of claim 11 , wherein the shirtboard is a swing away board configured to provide unimpeded loading of a garment on the shirtboard, wherein the swing away shirtboard is rotatable into a locked position against the at least one support to support the shirtboard under compression during a heat pressing operation.
13 . The platen of claim 9 , wherein the at least one support is rotatably coupled to the shirtboard by the hinge.
14 . The platen of claim 9 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a catch.
15 . The platen of claim 9 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a support lip.
16 . The platen of claim 9 , further comprising a latching mechanism with a release handle.
17 . The platen of claim 9 , further comprising a latching mechanism hinged to the at least one support to move between an open position and a closed position.