Textile cleaning processes and apparatus
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for cleaning textile in a drum rotatable within a machine, said apparatus including:
- spraying and dampening means for spraying liquid onto the textile, other than for spotting, to dampen the textile, in the absence of soaking or immersing the textile in any liquid; and
highly absorbent pad material in said drum;
said pad material and the dampened textile being in rubbing contact as said drum rotates;
whereby, soil and liquid are transferred from the textile to said pad material.
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Abstract
Processes and apparatuses for commercial and home-use cleaning of textile. Home-use embodiments replace the home laundry clothes dryer, except for embodiments using a novel manual kit. Home-use embodiments have an integrated spotting station. Soiled/stained textile is spray dampened with solvent, preferably automatically in the apparatus'"'"' rotatable drum; but the textile is not soaked nor immersed in solvent. Highly absorbent, untreated pad material is placed into the drum, for rubbing against the tumbling textile, to remove the soil, stains and solvent.
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Citations
38 Claims
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1. Apparatus for cleaning textile in a drum rotatable within a machine, said apparatus including:
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spraying and dampening means for spraying liquid onto the textile, other than for spotting, to dampen the textile, in the absence of soaking or immersing the textile in any liquid; and
highly absorbent pad material in said drum;
said pad material and the dampened textile being in rubbing contact as said drum rotates;
whereby, soil and liquid are transferred from the textile to said pad material. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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7. Apparatus according to clam 1 in which,
said pad material is in the interior of a textile containment bag.
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17. A textile cleaning kit for manual use in the cleaning of textile in a home-use clothes dryer having a rotatable drum;
- said kit including;
spraying means for spraying cleaning liquid onto the textile, only to dampen the textile, and other than for spotting, prior to the textile being placed into the drum; and
highly absorbent pad material to be place into the drum;
whereby,rotation of the drum causes rubbing contact between said pad material and the dampened textile, for transfer of soil and liquid from the textile to said pad material. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
- said kit including;
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21. In a process for cleaning textile in a rotatable drum of a machine, the steps of:
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dampening the textile with liquid other than for spotting, in the absence of soaking or immersing the textile in any liquid;
placing highly absorbent pad material into the drum;
rotating the drum, thereby;
causing the textile and pad material to tumble against each other, to effect;
rubbing transfer of the liquid and soil from the textile to the pad material. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. In a textile cleaning kit for manual use in the cleaning of textile in a home-use clothes dryer having a rotatable drum, said kit including:
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highly absorbent pad material to be placed into the drum, whereby, the textile only being dampened by liquid, other than for spotting, prior to the textile being placed into the drum and not being soaked or immersed in any liquid in the drum; and
rotation of the drum causes rubbing contact between said pad material and the dampened textile, for transfer of soil and liquid from the textile to said pad material.
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30. Apparatus for cleaning textile in a drum ratable within a machine, said drum and machine having means for venting air from within said drum to exterior of said machine;
- said apparatus comprising;
means for dampening and hydrating the textile, other than for spotting, in the absence of soaking or immersing the textile in any liquid;
means for regulating the venting of air from said drum, to thereby control the extent and duration of the hydration of the textile and;
a spotting board, vacuum coupled to said machine and;
said machine being a home-use clothes dryer.
- said apparatus comprising;
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31. In a process for cleaning textile in a rotatable drum within a machine, the machine having means for venting air from within the drum, said process including the steps of:
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dampening the textile with liquid, other than for spotting, in the absence of soaking or immersing the textile in any liquid;
placing highly absorbent pad material into the drum for absorbing at least some of the liquid in the drum for release back into air within the drain at a rate slower than being released from the dampened textile;
regulating the venting of air from the drum, and thereby;
controlling the duration that the textile maintains hydration from the liquid dampening. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
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Specification