Clothes treating apparatus

• US 6,189,346 B1
• Filed: 04/05/1999
• Issued: 02/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Samuels, Rudy Lucas, Chen, David H., MacGregor, Bruce, Blakely, David, Quintana, Reynaldo Jose
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US09/286,075
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 68/5.C, 68/6, 682/05.R, 346/21, 346/22, 223/67, 223/70, 38/1.A, 38/3, 38/14
• US Class Current: 68/5.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/10 Drying cabinets or drying chambers having heating or ventilating means
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 73/02 having one or more treatment chambers

Abstract

A clothes treating apparatus including a cabinet defining an interior region in which a garment can be hung. 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 present invention may include an inflatable hanger bag assembly 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.

Claims

1. A clothes treating apparatus for treating a garment comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region for receiving clothes;

a door movably connected to the cabinet;

a hanger for supporting the garment within the interior region;

a fan for circulating air within the interior region;

a nozzle supported by the cabinet;

a reservoir containing a conditioning composition, the reservoir fluidly connected to the nozzle; and

an air compressor connected to the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that air combines with conditioning composition from the reservoir which is sprayed from the nozzle to form a mist which is supplied into the interior region,

wherein the cabinet includes a side wall having a cavity and the reservoir is supported in the cavity formed into the side wall of the cabinet.

2. A clothes treating apparatus for treating a garment comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region for receiving clothes;

a door movably connected to the cabinet;

a hanger for supporting the garment within the interior region;

a fan for circulating air within the interior region;

a nozzle supported by the cabinet;

a reservoir containing a conditioning composition, the reservoir fluidly connected to the nozzle;

an air compressor connected to the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that air combines with conditioning composition from the reservoir which is sprayed from the nozzle to form a mist which is supplied into the interior region; and

a supply tube extending from the reservoir to the nozzle, the supply tube being removably connected to the reservoir,

wherein the reservoir is removably supported by the cabinet such that the reservoir can be readily removed from the cabinet and refilled with conditioning composition.

3. A clothes treating apparatus for treating a garment comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region for receiving clothes;

a door movably connected to the cabinet;

a hanger for supporting the garment within the interior region;

a fan for circulating air within the interior region;

a nozzle supported by the cabinet;

a reservoir containing a conditioning composition, the reservoir fluidly connected to the nozzle;

an air compressor connected to the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that air combines with conditioning composition from the reservoir which is sprayed from the nozzle to form a mist which is supplied into the interior region; and

a deceleration region provided within the interior region above the supported garment adjacent the nozzle for allowing the mist sprayed from the nozzle to slow down and recirculate within the interior region.

4. A clothes treating apparatus comprising:

a cabinet defining an interior region for receiving clothes;

a door movably connected to the cabinet;

a hanger for supporting a garment within the interior region;

a nozzle supported by the cabinet, the nozzle having a fluid passage having an outlet orifice and an air passage;

a reservoir containing a conditioning composition, the reservoir being supported by the cabinet below the nozzle and being fluidly connected to the fluid passage within the nozzle; and

an air compressor connected to the air passage of the nozzle for supplying air to the nozzle such that an air stream flows over the outlet orifice of the fluid passage and draws conditioning composition from the reservoir which is mixed with the air stream to form a mist which is supplied into the interior region,

wherein conditioning composition is mixed with an air flow for forming a mist which is dispensed from the nozzle without requiring a valve between the reservoir and nozzle.

5. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the interior region has opposed inner side surfaces, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

an inflatable bag associated with the hanger wherein the garment can be disposed about the inflatable bag; and

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

6. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the cabinet includes side walls, at least one of the side walls having a cavity in which the reservoir is slidingly received.

7. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 6 further comprising:

a supply tube extending from the reservoir to the nozzle, the supply tube removably connecting to the reservoir,

wherein the reservoir is removably supported with the cavity formed in the side wall of the cabinet such that the reservoir can be readily removed from the cabinet and refilled with conditioning composition.

8. The clothes treating apparatus according to claim 4, the clothes treating apparatus further comprising:

a deceleration region within the interior region such that mist sprayed from the nozzle is allowed to slow down and recirculate within the interior region.

9. The clothes treatment apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the interior region forms a cavity having internally radiused corners to promote air recirculation within the interior region.