Fabric revitalizing system and treatment appliance

Abstract

An appliance comprises a rotatable drum; at least one opening into the drum; a closure adapted to selectively close the opening to the drum; a low absorbency textured surface disposed on at least one of the inside surface of the drum and the closure; a motor in driving engagement with the drum and configured to selectively rotate the drum and cause movement of the fabric load within the drum; a fluid delivery system in fluid communication with the interior of the drum; and a fluid removal system in fluid communication with the interior of the drum.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary enclosure and user interface and control for a revitalization system according to one embodiment of the invention in which a revitalization chamber is formed by a horizontal rotatable drum.

FIGS. 2A-2D depict alternative exemplary enclosures and revitalization chambers for the revitalization system.

FIG. 3A depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes substantially horizontal support substrates for fabric.

FIG. 3B depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes a cabinet having at least one horizontal drawer and substantially horizontal support substrates.

FIG. 3C depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes a cabinet having a door and substantially horizontal support substrates.

FIG. 3D depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes substantially vertical support substrates.

FIG. 3E depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes a cabinet having at least one vertical drawer and substantially vertical support substrates.

FIG. 3F depicts an exemplary enclosure for a stationary revitalization system that includes a cabinet having a door and substantially vertical support substrates.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary revitalization chamber having a shape of a drum for a non-stationary revitalization system and heater control components of the revitalization system.

FIG. 5A depicts exemplary textured substrate surfaces for lining a drum of a non-stationary revitalization system.

FIG. 5B depicts alternative exemplary textured substrate surfaces for lining a drum of a non-stationary revitalization system.

FIG. 5C depicts another alternative exemplary textured substrate surface for lining a drum of a non-stationary revitalization system, wherein the textured substrate surface is received within a recess in the drum.

FIG. 5D depicts another alternative exemplary textured substrate surface for lining a drum of a non-stationary revitalization system, wherein the textured substrate surface can be attached to a baffle of the drum with first and second attachment means.

FIG. 6A depicts an exemplary textured substrate surface including an inner fluid reservoir.

FIG. 6B depicts an alternative exemplary textured substrate surface fluidly coupled to a fluid reservoir located in a baffle of the drum.

FIGS. 7 and 8 depict exemplary air flow components of the revitalization system.

FIG. 9A depicts a schematic view of the air flow through the revitalization system, wherein air flow through the revitalization chamber comprises recirculated air.

FIG. 9B depicts a schematic view similar to FIG. 9A, wherein the air flow through the revitalization chamber comprises fresh, non-recirculated air.

FIG. 10 depicts exemplary fluid removal system components of the revitalization system.

FIGS. 11 and 12 depict exemplary particulate removal and recovery system components of the revitalization system.

FIG. 13 depicts exemplary fluid delivery system components of the revitalization system.

FIG. 14 depicts an exemplary nebulizer circuit and assembly for one embodiment of the fluid delivery system of the revitalization system.

FIG. 15 depicts a perspective view the exemplary nebulizer assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 16 depicts an exploded view of the exemplary nebulizer assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 17 depicts an exploded view of the exemplary nebulizer assembly of FIG. 14 and the revitalization chamber in the form of the drum.

FIG. 18 depicts another exploded view of the exemplary nebulizer assembly of FIG. 14.

FIG. 19 depicts an exemplary nebulizer circuit and assembly for another embodiment of the fluid delivery system of the revitalization system.

FIG. 20 depicts a schematic view of the exemplary nebulizer assembly of FIG. 19 configured to deliver a plurality of fluids to the revitalization chamber.

FIG. 21 depicts an exemplary embodiment of sensors of the revitalization system.

FIG. 22 depicts an exemplary vacuum system of the revitalization system.

FIG. 23 depicts an exemplary stain removal station of the revitalization system.

FIG. 24 depicts another exemplary stain removal station of the revitalization system.

FIG. 25A depicts another exemplary stain removal station of the revitalization system built into the enclosure and having a work surface shown in a retracted position.

FIG. 25B depicts the exemplary stain removal station of FIG. 25A with the work surface shown in an extended position.

FIG. 25C depicts an exploded view of the exemplary stain removal station of FIG. 25A.

FIG. 25D depicts a rear view of the exemplary stain removal station of FIG. 25A.

FIGS. 26A and 26B depict an exemplary embodiment of modular construction of the revitalization system.

FIG. 27 depicts an alternative exemplary embodiment of modular construction of the revitalization system.

FIG. 28 depicts another alternative exemplary embodiment of modular construction of the revitalization system.

FIG. 29 depicts a first exemplary embodiment of a dryer module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 30 depicts a second exemplary embodiment of a dryer module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 31 depicts a third exemplary embodiment of a dryer module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 32 depicts a fourth exemplary embodiment of a dryer module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 33 depicts a fifth exemplary embodiment of a dryer module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 34 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an ironing module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 35 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a sink module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 36 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a storage module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 37 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a shelf module for use with the revitalization system.

FIG. 38 depicts an exemplary embodiment of operations and actions performed during a revitalization process.

FIGS. 39A and 39B together depict an exemplary control flow chart for a user interface and control for the revitalization system.

Claims

1. An appliance for treating a fabric load, the appliance comprising: a rotatable drum having an inside surface defining an interior for holding the fabric load;at least one opening into the drum for enabling user access to the interior of the drum;a closure adapted to selectively close the opening to the interior of the drum;a low absorbency textured surface disposed on at least one of the inside surface of the drum and the closure;a motor in driving engagement with the drum and configured to selectively rotate the drum and cause movement of the fabric load within the drum;a fluid delivery system in fluid communication with the interior of the drum; anda fluid removal system in fluid communication with the interior of the drum.

2. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface is substantially non-absorbant.

3. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of baffles disposed along at least one surface defining an interior circumference of the drum, wherein the textured surface comprises a textured substrate surface disposed on at least one of the plurality of baffles.

4. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the motor is configured to selectively drive the drum in opposite directions.

5. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a particulate removal system in communication with the interior of the drum, wherein the particulate removal system comprises a lint filter.

6. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured substrate.

7. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured surface on at least one surface selected from a group consisting of: a front wall of the drum, a back wall of the drum, an interior circumference of the drum, an interior surface of the closure, a baffle extending inwardly from the inside surface of the drum, and a depression in the inside surface of the drum.

8. The appliance of claim 1, wherein the textured surface comprises a structural attribute comprising at least one member selected from a group consisting of: a plurality of directional fibers, an open cell structure, a closed cell structure, a plurality of break-away particulate surface substructures, a plurality of microparticulate substructures, a textured substrate, and a coating.

9. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the textured surface is in the form of an insert mounted on at least one surface selected from a group consisting of: a front wall of the drum, a back wall of the drum, an interior circumference of the drum, an interior surface of the closure, a baffle extending inwardly from the inside surface of the drum, and a depression in the inside surface of the drum.

10. The appliance of claim 9 wherein the insert is selected from a group consisting of: a removable pad, a permanently attached pad, a removable pad liner with a covering, and a permanently attached pad liner with a covering.

11. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one of a sprayer, an injector, a capillary channel, a vortex tube, a device with means for fluid displacement due to chemical reactions, and a nebulizer.

12. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one of a nebulizer, a pump, and a sanitization system.

13. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal fluid system comprises a vacuum system.

14. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a means for controlling the moisture level in the fabric.

15. The appliance of claim 14 wherein the means for controlling the moisture level in the fabric further comprises a refrigerant system.

16. The appliance of claim 1 further comprising a sanitization system.

17. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal system comprises at least one of a heater, a fan, a variable speed fan, an air compressor, an air source, an air tank, an air pump, a condenser system, a desiccant system, a steam drying system, an electrostatic drying system, a microwave drying system, a conduction drying system, a convection drying system, and a radiation drying system.

18. The appliance of claim 1 where in the fluid removal system comprises a heater and an air flow system.

19. The appliance of claim 18 wherein the heater has at least one heating element in fluid communication with the air flow system, and wherein the heater and the air flow system are in fluid communication with the interior of the drum.

20. The appliance of claim 18 wherein the air flow system comprises a fan motor and a blower fan, wherein the fan motor is in mechanical communication with the blower fan to drive the blower fan, and wherein the blower fan is in fluid communication with the interior of the drum to generate an air flow through the interior of the drum.

21. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a sensor detecting at least one of temperature, pressure, force, torque, inertia, frequency, acceleration, mass, humidity, vapor, moisture, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, electrical conduction, enzyme, aqueous vapor, non-aqueous vapor, turbidity, optical spectrum, ultrasonic, shaped electronic field, float, laser deflection, chemical, petro-chemical, electric field imaging, capacitance, resistance, pH, non-dispersive infrared, acoustic wave, and oxidation reduction potential.

22. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a user interface to selectively control the operation of the motor, the fluid delivery system, and the fluid removal system.

23. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the drum is imperforate.

24. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a recirculation system for recirculating fluids removed from the interior of the drum back into the interior of the drum.

25. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a stain pre-treatment module.

26. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a sanitizing module.

27. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising an alternative chemistry module permitting resetting the appliance to operate with a first or a second preselected revitalizing chemistry.

28. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a pad, and the fluid delivery system comprises a fluid dispensing means associated with the pad to dispense fluid from the pad.

29. The appliance of claim 28 wherein the fluid dispensing means comprises an inner reservoir for wicking fluid through the pad to dispense fluid from the pad.

30. The appliance of claim 28 wherein the fluid is impregnated on the pad.

31. The appliance of the claim 30 wherein the fluid is a micro-encapsulated perfume.

32. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising an air flow system configured to generate an air flow through the interior of the drum and comprising an ionizer configured to ionize the air flow.

33. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising an air flow system configured to generate an air flow through the interior of the drum, wherein the appliance can be operated as a conventional clothes dryer.

34. The appliance of claim 33 wherein the air flow system can be used to at least one of: (a) dry a wet load of clothes and then revitalize the clothes and (b) revitalize an initially dry load of clothes.

35. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a steamer.

36. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a vapor insertion system.

37. The appliance of claim 1 wherein the appliance components are disposed in a plurality of modules wherein at least one of the modules is a drying module and at least one other of the modules is selected from a group consisting of: a stain pretreatment module, a sanitizing module, and an alternative chemistry module.

38. The appliance of claim 1, further comprising a particulate removal system in communication with the interior of the drum, wherein the particulate removal system comprises a filter selected from: a locked down sealed edge filter;a filter for at least one of a vapor, a fog, and a colloidal suspension;an electrostatic filter;a filter impregnated with a catalyst for producing at least one of a species and radical for cleaning;a filter impregnated with a reactant to chemically treat a substance present in air;a neutralizing filter to remove a previous treatment, andan air permeable matrix having a plurality of pores with a greatest pore dimension in a range from about 0.10 micron to about 1500 microns.

39. An appliance for revitalizing fabrics, the appliance comprising: an enclosure;a bi-directional rotatable drum mounted within the enclosure and comprising an inside surface defining an interior for holding a fabric load;at least one opening into the drum for enabling user access to the interior of the drum;a closure adapted to selectively close the at least one opening to the interior of the drum;a motor in driving engagement with the drum to selectively rotate the drum and cause movement of the fabric load;a fluid delivery system disposed within the enclosure and in fluid communication with the interior of the drum; anda fluid removal system disposed within the enclosure and in fluid communication with the interior of the drum.

40. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the motor is selectively operable to rotate the drum in opposite directions so as to cause movement of the fabric load.

41. The appliance of claim 40 wherein the motor is selectively operable at a plurality of speeds to rotate the drum in the opposite directions and at variable speeds so as to cause movement of the fabric load.

42. The appliance of claim 40, further comprising a low absorbency textured surface disposed within the drum.

43. The appliance of claim 42 wherein the low absorbency textured surface is substantially non-absorbant.

44. The appliance of claim 42 wherein the low absorbency textured surface is disposed on the inside surface of the drum.

45. The appliance of claim 42, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of baffles disposed along at least one surface defining an interior circumference of the drum, wherein the textured surface comprises a textured substrate surface disposed on at least one of the plurality of baffles.

46. The appliance of claim 42 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured substrate.

47. The appliance of claim 42 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured surface on at least one surface selected from a group consisting of: a front wall of the drum, a back wall of the drum, an interior circumference of the drum, an interior surface of the closure, a baffle extending inwardly from the inside surface of the drum, and a depression in the inside surface of the drum.

48. The appliance of claim 42, wherein the textured surface comprises a structural attribute comprising at least one member selected from a group consisting of: a plurality of directional fibers, an open cell structure, a closed cell structure, a plurality of break-away particulate surface substructures, a plurality of microparticulate substructures, a textured substrate, and a coating.

49. The appliance of claim 42 wherein the textured surface is in the form of an insert mounted on the inside surface of the drum.

50. The appliance of claim 49 wherein the insert is selected from a group consisting of: a removable pad, a permanently attached pad, a removable pad liner with a covering, and a permanently attached pad liner with a covering.

51. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of: a sprayer, an injector, a capillary channel, a vortex tube, a device with means for fluid displacement due to chemical reactions, and a nebulizer.

52. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises: a nebulizer assembly in fluid communication with the interior of the drum so that the nebulizer assembly provides a mist to the fabric load during operation of the nebulizer assembly, and a transitional assembly interposed between the nebulizer assembly and the interior of the drum such that the nebulizer communicates with the interior of the drum through the transitional assembly.

53. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a nebulizer, a pump, and a sanitization system.

54. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid removal fluid system comprises a vacuum system.

55. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a means for controlling a moisture level in the fabric.

56. The appliance of claim 55 wherein the means for controlling the moisture level in the fabric comprises a refrigerant system.

57. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a stain pretreatment station external to the drum.

58. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a sanitizing system.

59. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid removal system comprises at least one of a heater, a fan, a variable speed fan, an air compressor, an air tank, an air pump, a condenser system, a desiccant system, a steam drying system, an electrostatic drying system, a microwave drying system, a conduction drying system, a convection drying system, and a radiation drying system.

60. The appliance of claim 39, where in the fluid removal system comprises a heating system and an air flow system.

61. The appliance of claim 60, wherein the heating system has at least one heating element in fluid communication with the air flow system, and wherein the heating system and the air flow system are in fluid communication with an inlet to the enclosure, the interior of the drum, and an outlet of the enclosure.

62. The appliance of claim 60 wherein the air flow system comprises a fan motor and a blower fan, wherein the fan motor is in mechanical communication with the blower fan to drive the blower fan, and wherein the blower fan is in fluid communication with the interior of the drum to generate an air flow through the interior of the drum.

63. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a heater control adapted to limit the temperature of the fabric load to below about 145° F.

64. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid removal system has at least two sets of heating elements, wherein at least one of the sets of heating elements is adapted to rapidly raise the temperature of the fabric load to a predetermined temperature level and at least one other of the sets of heating elements is adapted to provide continued heating of the fabric load after the predetermined temperature level has been reached.

65. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a sensor detecting at least one of temperature, pressure, humidity, vapor, force, acceleration, mass, torque, inertia, frequency, moisture, oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, electrical conduction, enzyme, aqueous vapor, non-aqueous vapor, turbidity, optical spectrum, ultrasonic, shaped electronic field, float, laser deflection, chemical, petro-chemical, electric field imaging, capacitance, resistance, pH, non-dispersive infrared, acoustic wave, and oxidation reduction potential.

66. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a user interface to selectively control the operation of the motor, the fluid delivery system, and the fluid removal system.

67. The appliance of claim 66 wherein the user interface provides information related to at least one of status, safety, emergency, time remaining, cycle step, unbalanced load, blocked conduit, valve failure, clogged filter, breach of closed system, fluid leak, fluid level, pressure drops, temperature increase, and chemical leakage.

68. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a low absorbency textured surface in the form of a pad disposed within the drum and configured to reduce noise during operation of the appliance.

69. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the closure comprises at least one door.

70. The appliance of claim 69 wherein the door comprises a transparent window.

71. The appliance of claim 69, further comprising a locking mechanism to lock the door.

72. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a recirculation system for recirculating fluids removed from the interior of the drum back into the interior of the drum.

73. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a stain pre-treatment module.

74. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a sanitizing module.

75. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising an alternative chemistry module permitting resetting the appliance to operate with a first or a second preselected revitalizing chemistry.

76. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a low absorbency pad having fluid dispensing means.

77. The appliance of claim 39 further comprising an air flow system configured to generate an air flow through the interior of the drum, wherein the appliance can be operated as a conventional clothes dryer.

78. The appliance of claim 77 wherein the system can be used to at least one of: (a) dry a wet load of clothes and then revitalize the clothes and (b) revitalize an initially dry load of clothes.

79. The appliance of claim 39 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one of a steamer and a vapor insertion system.

80. The appliance of claim 39, further comprising a particulate removal and collection system disposed within the enclosure and in fluid communication with the interior of the drum.