Fabric article treating method using electrically charged liquid in a clothes drying appliance

• US 7,392,600 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2006
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Rienzo, Paul Eugene, Gerlach, Christian Gerhard Friedrich, DuVal, Dean Larry, Combs, Mary Jane, Barron, Bradford Scott, Pancheri, Eugene Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US11/407,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20060191157A1
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• Field of Search: 343/81, 344/18
• US Class Current: 34/381
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 58/203 Laundry conditioning arrangements

Abstract

A dispensing device for use in combination with a clothes dryer wherein the device is designed to uniformly treat fabric. The invention further relates to a method for treating a fabric article in need of treatment that combines a clothes dryer and liquid dispensing system designed to uniformly treat fabric.

Claims

1. An in-home method for treating a fabric article in need of treatment compnsing:

a. providing a fabric article treating system designed for domestic use, wherein the system comprises

     1) a clothes drying appliance, and

     2) a source of an electrically charged liquid, and optionally,

     3) a safety system capable of preventing contact of the electrically charged liquid to a user of the fabric article treating system;

b. placing the fabric article in need of treatment within the clothes drying appliance;

c. operating the fabric article treating system such that the source of the electrically charged liquid delivers an electrically charged liquid having an applied potential in the range of from about 0.2 to about 50 kV to the fabric article placed within the clothes drying appliance such that the fabric article is treated.

2. The method according to claim 1 wherein the source of the electrically charged liquid is located inside of the clothes drying appliance.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the electrically charged liquid comprises water.

4. The method according to claim 3 wherein the electrically charged liquid further comprises a non-volatile mineral agent.

5. The method according to claim 3 wherein the electrically charged liquid further comprises one or more fabric article actives selected from the group consisting of:

solvents, surfactants, wrinkle releasing agents, anti-static agents, anti-shrinking agents, antibacterial agents, wetting agents, crystal modifiers, soil release agents, colorants, brighteners, perfume, odor reducers/eliminators, deodorizer/refreshing agents, stain repellents, color enhancers, starch, sizing agents, and mixtures thereof.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the step of:

d. drying the treated fabric article.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the fabric article is treated with the electrically charged liquid while the fabric article is in motion within the clothes drying appliance.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein the source of an electrically charged liquid comprises a liquid reservoir and/or a nozzle for delivering the electrically charged liquid.