Clothes treating cabinet with inflatable hanger

• US 5,815,961 A
• Filed: 06/06/1997
• Issued: 10/06/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, David Hung-Chih, Maki, Kevin S., Estes, Kurt A., Roy, Phalguni S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Izaguirre, Ismael
• Application Number:
  US08/870,668
• Time in Patent Office: 487 Days
• Field of Search: 38/1 A, 38/1 R, 38/1 D, 38/6, 38/7, 38/2, 38/3, 38/12, 38/14, 312/109, 219/254, 219/521, 219/385, 34/77, 34/219, 34/440, 223/52, 223/66, 223/67, 223/68, 223/70, 223/77, 223/85, 223/92, 223/57
• US Class Current: 38/14
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 71/16 having a pressing element or buck adapted to provide interior support for a garment to be pressed D06F71/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 73/02 having one or more treatment chambers

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus and method for subjecting clothes items to moisture, pressure and heat for refreshing and dewrinkling the clothes items. A cabinet defines an interior region for receiving clothes, the interior region having opposed inner side surfaces. A door is hingedly connected to the cabinet for closing the interior region. An inflatable hanger for supporting shirt-like clothes items is disposed within the interior region. A blower selectively inflates the inflatable hanger for pressing the shirt-like clothes item against the cabinet inner side surfaces. A steam generation means is provided for introducing moist air into the cabinet for humidifying the clothes item disposed therein. A heater and fan supply heated air into the interior region for drying the shirt-like clothes items disposed therein. During the dewrinkling cycle, steam is introduced into the interior region while the inflatable hanger assembly is periodically inflated. Following the steaming period, the inflatable hanger is inflated while the clothes are subject to warm air such that the clothes wrinkles are pressed out and the clothes are partially dried, setting the clothes in a smooth appearance. Heated air is then delivered into the interior region to completely dry the clothes item.

Claims

1. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region for receiving clothes, the interior region having opposed inner side surfaces;

a door movably connected to the cabinet;

a hanger for supporting a clothes item within the interior region, the hanger having an inflatable bag wherein the clothes item can be disposed about the inflatable bag portion; and

a blower supported by the cabinet for inflating the inflatable bag to press the clothes item against the opposed inner side surfaces of the interior region.

2. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, and further comprising a moisture generator for introducing moist air into the interior region of the cabinet for humidifying the clothes item disposed therein.

3. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the door forms one of the opposed surfaces.

4. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag is removably mounted to the hanger.

5. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the bag has a bottom opening with a resealable closure.

6. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the bag has an upper opening that is sealed relative to the hanger.

7. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clothes item supported within the cabinet includes sleeves, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

a pair of sleeve bars supported within the interior region about which the sleeves of a clothes item disposed within the interior region can be wrapped; and

means for drawing the sleeves of the clothes item toward opposite sides of the interior region such that the sleeves of the clothes item are drawn across the clothes item.

8. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clothes item supported within the cabinet includes sleeves, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

a pair of sleeve bars supported within the interior region about which the sleeves of a clothes item disposed within the interior region can be wrapped;

a pair of retractable reels supported adjacent the interior region, the reels having support cords and clamps connected to the support cords wherein the clamps can be secured to the shirt sleeves of the clothes item such that the reels tension the shirt sleeves about the sleeve bars.

9. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the clothes item supported within the cabinet includes sleeves, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

a pair of sleeve bars supported within the interior region about which the sleeves of a clothes item disposed within the interior region can be wrapped; and

a pair of elastic bands supported adjacent the interior region, the elastic bands having clamps for connecting to the sleeves of a clothes item such that the elastic bands tension the sleeves about the sleeve bars.

10. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for introducing heated air into the interior region for drying the clothes item disposed therein; and

control means for providing;

a steam period wherein the means for introducing moist air is operated for introducing moist air and the means for inflating the inflatable bag is intermittently operated such that the inflatable bag is periodically inflated during the steam period, followed by

a pressing period wherein the means for inflating the inflatable bag is operated to inflate the inflatable bag, and then

a drying period wherein the means for introducing heated air is operated for supplying heated air into the interior region.

11. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a divider wall supported within the cabinet for seperating the interior region into a plurality of compartments, each compartment having opposed side surfaces,

wherein the hanger is associated with one of the compartments such that when the inflatable bag is inflated the cloths item is pressed against the opposed side surfaces of the compartment in which the hanger is positioned.

12. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a plurality of hangers for supporting clothes items within the cabinet, one hanger being associated with each compartment, each hanger having an inflatable bag portion.

13. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 12, further wherein the divider wall is hingedly connected to the cabinet and can be rotated between an open and closed position.

14. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

a support bar connectable to the cabinet for hanging a pants-like clothes item within one of the compartments.

15. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, further wherein:

the door has an inner surface forming a door recess compartment, and the clothes treating apparatus further comprises;

an inner door hingedly connected to the cabinet for separating the door recess compartment from the interior region; and

a support bar for supporting a clothes item within the door recess compartment wherein moist air and heated air may be supplied into the door recess compartment for treating clothes hanging therein.

16. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, further wherein:

the clothes item supported on the hanger includes a main body and sleeves; and

the inflatable bag presses substantially the entire main body of the clothes item against the opposed inner surfaces of the interior region when inflated.

17. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 1, further wherein:

the inflatable bag moves the clothes item outwardly against the opposed inner surfaces for pressing the clothes item against the opposed inner side surfaces of the interior region.

18. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

a cabinet for defining an interior region for receiving clothes, the interior region having opposed inner side surfaces;

a door hingedly connected to the cabinet;

a divider wall hingedly supported within the cabinet for separating the interior region into a first compartment and a second compartment, each of the compartments having opposed side surfaces;

a first hanger for supporting a clothes item within the first compartment, the hanger having an inflatable bag portion for pressing the clothes item against the opposed side surfaces of the compartment in which the hanger is located;

a second hanger for supporting a clothes item within the second compartment, the hanger having an inflatable bag portion for pressing the clothes item against the opposed side surfaces of the compartment in which the hanger is located;

a moisture generator supported by the cabinet for introducing moist air into the interior region of the cabinet for humidifying the clothes item disposed therein;

a blower supported by the cabinet for inflatable bag for pressing the clothes item against the opposed inner side surfaces of the interior region; and

means for introducing heated air into the interior region for drying the clothes item disposed therein.

19. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 18 wherein the clothes item supported within the cabinet includes sleeves, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

means for tensioning the sleeves of the clothes item within the first and second compartments.

20. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

control means for providing;

a steam period wherein the means for introducing moist air is operated for introducing moist air and the means for inflating the inflatable bag is intermittently operated such that the inflatable bag is periodically inflated during the steam period, followed by

a pressing period wherein the means for inflating the inflatable bag is operated to inflate the inflatable bag, and then

a drying period wherein the means for introducing heated air is operated for supplying heated air into the interior region.

21. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising:

a support bar connectable to the cabinet for hanging a pants-like clothes item within one of the compartments.

22. A method of dewrinkling a clothes item having a main body and sleeves fitted onto an inflatable hanger and disposed within an interior region of a cabinet having opposed inner surfaces, the method comprising:

inflating the inflatable hanger; and

pressing the main body of the clothes item fitted on the inflatable hanger between the inflatable hanger and the inner surfaces of the interior region by the inflation of the inflatable hanger for dewrinkling the clothes item.

23. The method of dewrinkling a clothes item according to claim 22, further comprising:

delivering moisture into the interior region of the cabinet during a steaming period;

periodically inflating the inflatable hanger for applying pressure to the clothes item during the steaming period; and

subsequently

inflating the inflatable hanger for a predetermined period during a pressing period such that the clothes item is pressed smooth.

24. The method of dewrinkling a clothes item as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

delivering heated air into the interior region of the cabinet following the pressing period for drying the clothes item.

25. The method of dewrinkling a clothes item as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

delivering heated air into the interior region during at least a portion of the pressing period.

26. The method of dewrinkling a clothes item as claimed in claim 22, further comprising:

intermittently delivering warm air into the interior region during the steaming period; and

delivering hot air into the interior region following the pressing period.

27. The method of dewrinkling a clothes item as claimed in claim 22, wherein a clothes item having sleeves is fitted about the inflatable hanger and dewrinkling method further comprises:

tensioning the sleeves of the clothes item about a sleeve bar such that the sleeves are held in a flat manner for pressing.