Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – With gas – steam or mist treating
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-05
2001-02-20
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
With gas, steam or mist treating
C068S20500R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06189346
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a garment treating apparatus and more particularly to an apparatus for cleaning, deodorizing and dewrinkling garments as a result of being subjected to a conditioning composition in a controlled manner substantially without the application of steam.
The prior art reflects efforts to develop garment treating systems for home use which clean, remove wrinkles and refresh garments or clothes items which are preferably not washed using conventional full water immersion wash processes. The problem has been to develop a high performing, cost effective home system for cleaning and refreshing garments which are delicate, subject to shrinkage or require a wrinkle free appearance. Such garments are typically cleaned using commercial laundry or dry cleaning services. Past efforts have focused on clothes treating cabinets designed to clean and refresh garments by employing a combination of steam and hot air which is applied to the garments.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,373 discloses a cabinet comprising a housing of flexible material which defines an interior region for hanging clothes. A steam generator is mounted in the lower region of the housing to steam the clothes. A fan and heating element are also provided in the lower portion of the housing for delivering heated air into the interior region for drying and airing the clothes.
Another example of a clothes steaming cabinet is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,305,484. This patent discloses a cabinet for receiving clothes having a steam delivery means and a hot air delivery means. The appliance includes a steaming cycle and a drying cycle. Hangers and a bar are provided for suspending clothes items and weighted bars are provided to tension the clothes such that wrinkles are removed.
Both of the above described systems rely primarily on steam for supplying moisture to the clothes in an attempt to remove wrinkles and refresh the clothes items. Unfortunately, the use of steam consumes a relatively large amount of energy in heating water and also adds to the drying time. More importantly, steam is relatively unable to carry finishing agents or conditioning compositions which are preferably deposited on the garments for cleaning, dewrinkling and deodorizing purposes.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,761,305 discloses a method of finishing garments by hanging them in a sealed chamber, spraying a finishing agent which imparts refreshing and cleaning benefits, and thereafter or simultaneously therewith, fully applying steam to the garments. In a final step, hot air is blown through the sealed chamber to dry the garments. This system has the benefit of providing a means for supplying a finishing agent to hanging clothes items but has the drawback of requiring the addition of steam to impart the desired benefits.
Accordingly, despite numerous disclosures in the prior art, there remains a need for a process for satisfactorily conditioning garments which is convenient for home use. There is also a need for such a process that has improved cost and time effectiveness in that steam applications are not required.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other needs in the art are attained by a clothes treating apparatus including a cabinet defining an interior region. A rod or hook extends from an inner wall of the cabinet for supporting at least one hanger on which a garment can be hung within the interior region. A door is movably connected to the cabinet for closing the interior region. A fluid atomizing nozzle is supported by the cabinet and is fluidly connected to a reservoir containing a conditioning composition. An air compressor is connected to the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that when the air compressor is energized the conditioning composition is drawn out of the reservoir and sprayed from the nozzle in a mist form into the interior region. A fan is provided for circulating air within the interior region such that the mist form of the conditioning composition is uniformly distributed onto the garment hanging within the interior region. Accordingly, the clothes treating apparatus provides a means for applying a conditioning composition onto garments which does not include means for supplying steam into the interior region.
The nozzle operates to mix compressed air and the conditioning composition and spray atomized conditioning composition into the interior region. Specifically, the nozzle includes an air passage and a fluid passage. The reservoir is supported by the cabinet below the nozzle and is fluidly connected to the fluid passage within the nozzle. The air compressor is connected to the air passage of the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that an air stream flows over a fluid outlet and automatically draws conditioning composition from the reservoir such that conditioning composition is mixed with the air flow for forming a mist which is dispensed from the nozzle without requiring a valve between the reservoir and nozzle.
The present invention may include an inflatable bag associated with the hanger wherein the garment can be disposed about the inflatable bag. A blower supported by the cabinet is provided for inflating the inflatable bag to press the garment against opposed inner side surfaces of the interior region during or subsequent to the application of conditioning composition to the garment. In this manner the garment may be pressed in order to remove wrinkles.
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European Search Report Eo 99 10 7858 dated Dec. 16, 1999.
Blakely David
Chen David H.
MacGregor Bruce
Quintana Reynaldo Jose
Samuels Rudy Lucas
Coe Philip R.
Rice Robert O.
Roth Thomas J.
Van Winkle Joel M.
Whirlpool Corporation
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