Fabric article treating method and apparatus

• US 7,059,065 B2
• Filed: 04/17/2003
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gerlach, Christian Gerhard Friedrich, DuVal, Dean Larry, Combs, Mary Jane, Barron, Bradford Scott, Pancheri, Eugene Joseph, Rienzo, Paul Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): GRAVINI, STEPHEN MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US10/418,595
• Publication Number:
  US 20040025368A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,153 Days
• Field of Search: 343/89, 343/90, 345/97, 345/95, 343/43, 343/48, 343/81, 344/18, 346/01
• 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 article of manufacture for delivering a desired benefit to a fabric article in a clothes drying appliance comprising:

(a) a container comprising a benefit composition for delivering a desired benefit to a fabric article, wherein said benefit composition comprises;

(i) a moiety capable of acquiring an electric charge;

(ii) an effective amount of a desired benefit agent;

(iii) optionally, a carrier;

(iv) optionally, an effective amount to absorb or reduce malodor, of an odor control agent; and

(v) optionally, additional fabric care agents;

wherein said composition has a pH of from about 2 to about 11 and a viscosity of less than about 10,000 cps and/or a surface tension of less than about 100 dynes/cm; and

(b) a set of instructions in association with said container comprising instructions to identify the apparel characteristic of said fabric article and/or desired benefit to be delivered to said fabric article, then to treat said fabric article with the benefit composition such that the moiety capable of acquiring an electric charge acquires and retains an electric charge for a time period sufficient for the benefit composition to contact the fabric article being treated.

2. An article of manufacture for delivering a desired benefit to a fabric article in a clothes drying appliance comprising:

(a) two or more containers comprising one or more separate, discrete benefit compositions for delivering one or more desired benefits to a fabric article, wherein said one or more separate, discrete benefit compositions comprises;

(i) a moiety capable of acquiring an electric charge;

(ii) an effective amount of a desired benefit agent;

(iii) optionally, a carrier;

(iv) optionally, an effective amount to absorb or reduce malodor, of an odor control agent; and

(v) optionally, additional fabric care agents;

wherein said composition has a pH of from about 2 to about 11 and a viscosity of less than about 10,000 cps and/or a surface tension of less than about 100 dynes/cm;

(b) a set of instructions in association with said container comprising instructions to identify the apparel characteristic of said fabric article and/or desired benefit to be delivered to said fabric article, then to treat said fabric article with said one or more separate, discrete benefit compositions such that the moiety capable of acquiring an electric charge acquires and retains an electric charge for a time period sufficient for said one or more separate, discrete benefit compositions to contact the fabric article being treated.

3. An in-home method for treating a fabric article in need of treatment comprising:

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 to the fabric article placed within the clothes drying appliance such that the fabric article is treated wherein said electrically charged liquid is charged prior to the time it is separated from the source of the electric charge.

4. An in-home method for treating a fabric article in need of treatment comprising:

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 to the fabric article placed within the clothes drying appliance such that the fabric article is treated wherein said liquid is electrically charged after it is separated from the source of the electric charge.

5. A device for delivering electrically charged liquid in a drying appliance, the device comprising:

a) a reservoir for containing a liquid to be electrically charged;

b) a nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein the nozzle has at least one orifice through which the liquid passes during delivery to the drying appliance;

c) an electrical charging component for electrically charging a liquid; and

d) a means for grounding the device wherein the device is grounded to the drying appliance.

6. A device for delivering electrically charged liquid in a drying appliance, the device comprising:

a) a reservoir for containing a liquid to be electrically charged;

b) a nozzle in fluid communication with the reservoir, wherein the nozzle has at least one orifice through which the liquid passes during delivery to the drying appliance;

c) an electrical charging component for electrically charging a liquid; and

d) one or more sensors.