Fabric revitalizing system

Abstract

A system for treating a fabric load comprises a chamber having an interior for holding a fabric load; a low absorbency textured surface disposed within the chamber; at least one opening into the chamber for enabling user access to the interior of the chamber; a fabric movement system for causing movement of the fabric load within the chamber; a fluid delivery system in fluid communication with the interior of the chamber; and a fluid removal system in fluid communication with the interior of the chamber.

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. A system for treating a fabric load, the system comprising: a chamber having an interior for holding a fabric load;a low absorbency textured surface disposed within the chamber;at least one opening into the chamber for enabling user access to the interior of the chamber;a fabric movement system for causing movement of the fabric load within the chamber;a fluid delivery system in fluid communication with the interior of the chamber; anda fluid removal system in fluid communication with the interior of the chamber.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the fabric movement system comprises a motor in driving engagement with the chamber to selectively move the chamber.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface is substantially non-absorbent.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency surface is disposed on an inside surface of the chamber.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a closure adapted to selectively close the opening into the chamber.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the chamber comprises a generally cylindrical drum, and the fabric movement system comprises a motor in driving engagement with the drum to selectively rotate the drum.

7. The system of claim 6, further comprising an enclosure, and the drum is rotatably mounted within the enclosure.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the drum is perforated for draining of fluid from the fabric load.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the motor is configured to selectively drive the drum in opposite directions.

10. The system of claim 5 further comprising a plurality of baffles disposed along an interior circumference of the chamber, wherein the textured surface comprises a textured substrate surface disposed on at least one of the plurality of baffles.

11. The system of claim 5 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured surface on at least one inside surface of the chamber selected from a group consisting of: a front wall of the chamber, a back wall of the chamber, an interior circumference of the chamber, an interior surface of the closure, a baffle extending inwardly from an inside surface of the chamber, and a depression in an inside surface of the chamber.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a particulate removal and collection system in communication with the interior of the chamber.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a textured substrate.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the textured substrate comprises a powder coating.

15. The system 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.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the textured surface is in the form of an insert mounted on an inside surface of the chamber.

17. The system of claim 16 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.

18. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one member selected from a group consisting of: a sprayer, an injector, a nebulizer, a capillary channel, a vortex tube, a venturi, and a device with means for fluid displacement due to chemical reactions.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises: a nebulizer assembly in fluid communication with the interior of the chamber so that the nebulizer assembly provides a mist to the fabric load during operation of the nebulizer assembly, anda transitional assembly interposed between the nebulizer assembly and the interior of the chamber such that the nebulizer communicates with the interior of the chamber through the transitional assembly.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises a nebulizer, a pump, and a sanitization system.

21. The system of claim 1 further comprising a means for controlling a moisture level in the fabric.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the means for controlling the moisture level in the fabric comprises at least one of a refrigerant system and a vacuum system.

23. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of: a stain pretreatment station external to the chamber, anda sanitization system.

24. The system 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.

25. The system of claim 1, where in the fluid removal system comprises a heating system and an air flow system 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 the interior of the chamber.

26. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a heater control configured to limit a temperature of the fabric load to below about 140° F.

27. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a heater having at least two heating elements, at least one heating element configured to rapidly raise a temperature of the fabric load and at least one other heating element configured to provide continued heating of the fabric load after a predetermine temperature has been reached.

28. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid removal system comprises a sensor detecting at least one of temperature, pressure, humidity, force, torque, inertia, mass, frequency, acceleration, 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.

29. The system of claim 1, further comprising a user interface to selectively control the operation of the fabric movement system, the fluid delivery system, and the fluid removal system.

30. The system of claim 29 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.

31. The system of claim 1, further comprising an air flow system having 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 chamber to generate an air flow through the interior of the chamber.

32. The system of claim 31 wherein the air flow comprises ionized air.

33. The system of claim 31 wherein the fabric movement system, the air flow system, and the fluid removal system can be operated as a conventional clothes dryer.

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

35. The system of claim 31 wherein the air flow system further 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.

36. The system of claim 1 wherein the fluid delivery system comprises at least one of: a multi-phase chemistry insertion system;a combination of a steamer and a vapor insertion system;a combination of a steamer and a fluid insertion system;a combination of a vapor insertion system and a fluid insertion system;a combination of a steamer and a multi-phase chemistry insertion system;a combination of a vapor insertion system, a fluid insertion system, and a multi-phase chemistry insertion system;a steamer; anda vapor insertion system.

37. The system of claim 1 wherein the system 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 system of claim 1 wherein the low absorbency textured surface comprises a pad and fluid dispensing means to dispense fluid from the pad.

39. The system of claim 38 wherein the fluid dispensing means is configured to wick fluid through the pad.

40. The system of claim 39 wherein the fluid dispensing means further comprises an inner reservoir for storing the fluid that can be wicked through the pad.

41. The system of claim 38 wherein the fluid is impregnated on the pad.

42. The system of the claim 38 wherein the fluid is a perfume.

43. The system of claim 38 wherein the fluid is a multi-phase chemistry.