Fabric article treating device and system

• US 20070000068A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Smith, Christopher, Gerard France, Paul Amaat, Oberhaus, Geoffrey
• Application Number:
  US11/171,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20070000068A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/32 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/34 Humidity
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/38 Conditioning or finishing, e.g. control of perfume injection
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 33/57 of metering of detergents or additives
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/024 mounted on the agitator or the rotating drum; Free body dispensers
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/44 of conditioning or finishing, e.g. for smoothing or removing creases

Abstract

A fabric article treating device for dispensing benefit composition to a fabric article treating appliance. The device includes a housing which contains a reservoir, an energy harvesting system, an energy storing device, a fluid handling system and a control unit. The reservoir contains a benefit composition. The control unit is adapted to control dispensing of benefit composition from the device utilizing the fluid handling system. The energy harvesting system is adapted to convert mechanical or thermal energy into electrical energy.

Claims

1. A fabric article treating device comprising:

a housing with at least one reservoir configured to contain benefit composition;

an energy harvesting system, wherein the energy harvesting system is adapted to convert mechanical or thermal energy into electrical energy;

an energy storing device, wherein the energy storing device is adapted to store electrical energy from the energy harvesting system;

a fluid handling system, wherein the fluid handling system is adapted to transport benefit composition from the reservoir to fabric in a fabric article drying appliance;

and a control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted to control dispensing of benefit composition from the device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting system comprises an electro-active polymer in electrical communication with the energy storing device, wherein the electro-active polymer is adapted to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy storing device comprises a capacitor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy storing device comprises a high temperature battery.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting system comprises a thermoelectric generator in electrical communication with the energy storing device, wherein the thermoelectric generator is adapted to convert thermal energy into electrical energy.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the fluid handling system comprises a pump and a nozzle, wherein the pump is adapted to discharge benefit composition to fabric through the nozzle;

and wherein the pump is in electrical communication with the energy storing device and the control unit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the fluid handling system comprises a valve and transfer medium, wherein the valve is in electrical communication with the energy storing device and the control unit;

and wherein the valve is adapted to dispense benefit composition to fabric through the transfer medium without utilizing a pump.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the reservoir is adapted to contain from about 20 to about 500 milliliters of benefit composition.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the energy harvesting system comprises a piezo device in electrical communication with the energy storing device, wherein the piezo device is adapted to convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and store the electrical energy in the energy storing device.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising one or more sensors in electrical communication with the control unit, wherein the sensors are adapted to provide information relating to at least one condition in the appliance to the control unit, and wherein the information is utilized at least in part to control dispensing of benefit composition from the device

11. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a temperature sensor.

12. The device of claim 10, wherein at least one of the sensors comprises a humidity sensor.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a second reservoir configured to contain additional benefit composition.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to send a signal to the fluid handling system to dispense benefit composition at a predetermined condition.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a sealable opening adapted to allow a user to fill the reservoir with a benefit composition.

21. The device of claim 2, wherein the energy harvesting system further comprises an accentuation device, wherein the accentuation device is configured to increase the mechanical energy applied.

22. A method for treating a fabric article comprising delivering a benefit composition from the fabric article treating device of claim 1, the method comprising:

drying the fabric article in a fabric article drying appliance;

during the drying of the fabric article in the fabric article drying appliance, delivering a benefit composition from the fabric article treating device to the fabric article; and

during the drying of the fabric article in the fabric article drying appliance, harvesting electrical energy from mechanical or thermal energy and storing the electrical energy in the energy storing device.

15. A fabric article treating device comprising:

a housing with at least one reservoir configured to contain benefit composition;

a high temperature energy storing device comprising a capacitor;

a fluid handling system, wherein the fluid handling system is adapted to transport benefit composition from the reservoir to fabric in a fabric article drying appliance;

and a control unit, wherein the control unit is adapted to control dispensing of benefit composition from the device.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the fluid handling system comprises a pump and a nozzle, wherein the pump is adapted to discharge benefit composition to fabric through the nozzle;

and wherein the pump is in electrical communication with the capacitor and the control unit.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the fluid handling system comprises a valve and transfer medium, wherein the valve is in electrical communication with the capacitor and the control unit;

and wherein the valve is adapted to dispense benefit composition to fabric through the transfer medium without utilizing a pump.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the housing comprises a sealable opening adapted to allow a user to fill the reservoir with a benefit composition.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising a docking station, wherein the docking station is adapted to hold the housing and to recharge the high temperature energy storing device.