U.S. patent application number 11/958781 was filed with the patent office on 2008-07-03 for method and apparatus for delivering liquid fabric treatment compositions in washing machines.
Invention is credited to J. Michael Ogden, Arthur V. Shannon.
Application Number | 20080155756 11/958781 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39581908 |
Filed Date | 2008-07-03 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080155756 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Ogden; J. Michael ; et
al. |
July 3, 2008 |
METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR DELIVERING LIQUID FABRIC TREATMENT
COMPOSITIONS IN WASHING MACHINES
Abstract
A method and apparatus for delivering and transferring a liquid
fabric treating composition to saturated clothing within a clothes
washing machine during the course of a laundering operation
comprises operating the washing machine in the conventional fashion
to perform a washing cycle and a rinse cycle. A liquid fabric
treating composition is introduced into the washing machine with
the saturated clothing after completion of the rinse cycle but in
advance of the spin cycle. The liquid fabric treating composition
and the saturated clothing are tumbled together so that an
effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition may be
transferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid
fabric treating composition with water that is contained in the
clothing after completion of the rinse cycle. The spin cycle in
then initiated, after which time the clothing may be removed from
the washing machine for drying.
Inventors: |
Ogden; J. Michael;
(Cincinnati, OH) ; Shannon; Arthur V.; (Hopewell,
NJ) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GRAY ROBINSON, P.A.
P.O. Box 2328
FT. LAUDERDALE
FL
33303-9998
US
|
Family ID: |
39581908 |
Appl. No.: |
11/958781 |
Filed: |
December 18, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60882685 |
Dec 29, 2006 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
8/137 ;
68/12.12 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 35/006
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
8/137 ;
68/12.12 |
International
Class: |
D06F 39/08 20060101
D06F039/08; D06F 37/30 20060101 D06F037/30; D06F 33/00 20060101
D06F033/00 |
Claims
1. A method of transferring a liquid fabric treating composition to
clothing in a washing machine during the course of a laundering
operation, comprising: (a) introducing clothing into the washing
machine; (b) performing a washing cycle; (c) performing a rinse
cycle following the washing cycle, the clothing containing at least
some water at the conclusion of the rinse cycle; (d) contacting the
clothing with a liquid fabric treating composition following the
completion of the rinse cycle; (e) tumbling the clothing so that an
effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition is
transferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid
fabric treating composition with water contained within the
clothing; and (f) thereafter performing a spin cycle.
2. The method of claim 1 in which steps (d) and (e) are performed
substantially simultaneously.
3. The method of claim 1 in which step (d) is performed and
thereafter step (e) is performed.
4. The method of claim 1 in which the clothing is tumbled prior to
contacting the clothing with a liquid fabric treating
composition.
5. The method of claim 1 in which step (d) comprises emitting
liquid fabric treating composition supplied from a reservoir from a
dispenser and onto clothing located within the washing machine.
6. The method of claim 1 in which step (e) comprises rotating a
drum within which the clothing is located at a speed that allows
the clothing to tumble substantially without loss of the water that
is present in the clothing after completion of the rinse cycle.
7. A washing machine, comprising: a housing; a tub located within
said housing; a drum located within said tub, said drum being
adapted to receive clothing to be laundered; a drive mechanism
coupled to said drum, said drive mechanism being effective to
rotate said drum within said tub; a reservoir containing a
detergent and a liquid fabric treating composition, said reservoir
being coupled to a dispenser that communicates with said drum; a
controller coupled to said drive mechanism and to said reservoir,
said controller being effective to operate said drive mechanism and
said reservoir to perform a washing cycle followed by a rinse
cycle, said controller operating said reservoir after completion of
said rinse cycle so that liquid fabric treating composition is
emitted from said dispenser and into contact with clothing located
within said drum, said controller causing said drum to tumble the
clothing with said liquid fabric treating composition so that an
effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition is
transferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid
fabric treating composition with water that is present in the
clothing after the completion of the rinse cycle, said controller
being effective to thereafter initiate a spin cycle.
8. The washing machine of claim 7 in which said controller
simultaneously causes the liquid fabric treating composition to be
emitted from said dispenser and into contact with the clothing and
causes the clothing to tumble within said drum.
9. The washing machine of claim 7 in which said controller
initially causes the liquid fabric treating composition to be
emitted from said dispenser and into contact with the clothing, and
then causes the clothing to tumble within said drum.
10. The washing machine of claim 7 in which said controller
initially causes the clothing to tumble within said drum and then
causes the liquid fabric treating composition to be emitted from
said dispenser.
11. The washing machine of claim 7 in which said controller causes
said drum to rotate at a speed so that the clothing is tumbled
substantially without loss of the water that is present within the
clothing after completion of the rinse cycle.
12. The washing machine of claim 7 in which said dispenser is a
spray nozzle.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. .sctn.
119(e) to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/882,685 filed
Dec. 29, 2006 for all commonly disclosed subject matter. U.S.
Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/882,685 is expressly
incorporated herein by reference in its entirety to form a part of
the present disclosure.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to a method and apparatus for
delivering a liquid fabric treatment composition to clothing within
a clothes washing machine.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There are generally two types of clothes washing machines
commercially available, namely, top loading machines and front
loading machines. Although operation of such machines varies to
some extent from manufacturer to manufacturer, typically water is
introduced into the machine with the clothing and detergent is
added either manually or automatically in advance of a washing
cycle. After completion of the washing cycle, the wash water is
drained and clean rinse water is added. The clothes are rinsed in a
rinse cycle and then the rinse water is drained from the washer
leaving the clothing saturated with water. A spin cycle is
initiated to remove as much water as possible from the clothing,
after which the damp clothing may be removed from the washing
machine for drying.
[0004] Fabric treating compositions have been developed which are
capable of imparting one or more of a variety of properties to
articles of clothing, such as softness, fragrance, brightening,
bodying, reduced static, anti-soiling, anti-creasing and others.
Liquid fabric treating compositions, such as liquid fabric
softeners sold under the "Downy" brand owned by Proctor &
Gamble of Cincinnati, Ohio, are conventionally introduced into both
front loading and top loading clothes washing machines during the
rinse cycle. Front loading washing machines use much less water
than top loading machines in the rinse cycle, but with both types
of machines a significant quantity of water is nevertheless
introduced into the washing machine. Consequently, liquid fabric
treating compositions added during the rinse cycle must be
delivered in relatively high concentrations in order to transfer
onto or into the fabric of the clothing. In addition to the expense
of concentrated fabric treating compositions, it has been found
that a significant percentage of such compositions fail to
effectively transfer to the clothing and are washed away with the
rinse water at the end of the rinse cycle.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0005] This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for
delivering and transferring a fabric treating composition to wet
clothing within a clothes washing machine. In the presently
preferred embodiment, the washing machine is operated in the normal
fashion through the rinse cycle, i.e. rinse water is introduced
into the washing machine following the wash cycle and then drained
leaving the clothing saturated with water. Unlike conventional
washing machines, a liquid fabric treating composition is
introduced into the washing machine with the saturated clothing
after completion of the rinse cycle but in advance of the spin
cycle. The liquid fabric treating composition and the saturated
clothing are tumbled together for a period of time so that an
effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition may be
transferred to the clothing as a result of contact of the liquid
fabric treating composition with water contained in the clothing.
The spin cycle in then initiated, after which time the clothing may
be removed from the washing machine for drying.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The structure, operation and advantages of the presently
preferred embodiment of this invention will become further apparent
upon consideration of the following description, taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:
[0007] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram of the method of this
invention;
[0008] FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view, in partial elevation, of a
front-loading washing machine with means for dispensing a fabric
treatment composition onto clothing within the drum of the washer;
and
[0009] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the reservoir of the washing
machine depicted in FIG. 2, with its drawer partially open.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0010] Referring initially to FIG. 1, the present method of
transferring a liquid fabric treating composition to clothing in a
washing machine during the course of a laundering operation is
schematically depicted in a block diagram. Boxes 10, 12, 14 and 16
are intended to collectively represent a washing cycle performed in
conventional top loading or front loading washing machines. The
steps denoted by boxes 10, 12 and 14 may be performed in any
sequence, i.e. the water could be introduced into the washing
machine first and then clothing followed by the detergent, or the
water and detergent could be introduced together followed by the
clothing etc. Generally, the clothing is washed in a washing
machine by the combination of water and detergent during a washing
cycle, depicted by box 16. For purposes of the present discussion,
the term "clothing" is intended to be broadly construed as applying
to essentially any item which is commonly laundered in a washing
machine, including, without limitation, articles of clothing,
sheets, towels, rugs and other items made of fabric.
[0011] Once the washing cycle is completed, the wash water is
drained from the washer as depicted by box 18. It is contemplated
that draining of the wash water may be accomplished in any suitable
fashion, such as by spinning the drum of the washer or the like. A
rinse cycle is then performed as schematically represented by boxes
20, 22 and 24 in FIG. 1. Generally, rinse water is added to the
washer, as in box 20, the clothing is rinsed as represented by box
22 and the rinse water is thereafter drained. See box 24.
Variations of such rinse cycle are common. For example, depending
on the particular model of washing machine the rinse cycle may
comprise several cycles of adding water to the drum of the washer,
agitating the clothing with the added water and then spinning the
drum to remove water from the washer and from the clothing. In
conventional washing machines and methods of laundering clothing,
liquid fabric treatment compositions such as fabric softeners are
typically introduced into the drum of the washer near the end of
the rinse cycle after the drum has been filled or partially filled
with a quantity of rinse water but before the rinse water is
drained. The fabric treatment composition mixes with the rinse
water and is transferred to the clothing as it is agitated within
the drum. As noted above, the introduction of fabric treating
compositions such as fabric softeners into the rinse water during
the rinse cycle requires such compositions to be relatively
concentrated and adversely affects the efficiency with which the
compositions may be transferred to the clothing. In contrast, the
method and apparatus of this invention allows the rinse cycle to
proceed to completion without the addition of a liquid fabric
treating composition.
[0012] It is recognized that even if the rinse cycle of a
conventional washing machine ends with spinning of the drum to
drain the rinse water, the clothing in the drum is nevertheless
saturated with water. The method an apparatus of this invention
includes two activities conducted between the end of the rinse
cycle and before the initiation of the spin cycle. After the rinse
water is drained but before initiating the spin cycle, liquid
fabric treating composition is directed into contact with the
saturated clothing within the washing machine. See box 26. As
discussed below, this may be accomplished by spraying the
composition from a nozzle located within the interior of the drum
or other means. The saturated clothing and liquid fabric treating
composition are tumbled for a period of time sufficient to transfer
an effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition to
the clothing as a result of contact of such composition with water
contained within the clothing. See box 28. The spin cycle 30 may
then be initiated, and the clothing removed from the washing
machine when the spin cycle is completed. See box 32.
[0013] Without wishing to be limited by any particular theory of
operation of the method of this invention, it is believed that the
active ingredient(s) within the liquid fabric treating composition
is transferred to the clothes within the washing machine as a
result of contact of the composition with the water held within the
saturated clothing in the washer. No precise volumetric measurement
can be given for the amount of water contained within articles of
clothing following a rinse cycle due to variations in the quantity
of water employed in the rinse cycle of different washing machines,
whether and to what extent the rinse cycle ends with spinning of
the drum of the washing machine to remove water, the degree of
water retention of clothing articles made from different materials
(cotton, synthetics etc) and other factors, but such articles of
clothing nevertheless contain some amount of water at the end of
the rinse cycle and for purposes of the present discussion are
characterized as "saturated." After contacting the saturated
clothing, the liquid fabric treating composition migrates or
transfers throughout the water held in the clothing, and transfers
from one article of clothing to another while being tumbled
together within the washing machine. It is believed that the fabric
treating composition need not make contact with the water contained
in each individual article of clothing, but that it need only
contact at least some of the articles to transfer the composition
thereon. Once some articles of clothing receive the fabric treating
composition, they transfer it to other articles by contact with the
water in such other articles. By the completion of the tumbling
cycle depicted by box 28 in FIG. 1, an effective amount of the
liquid fabric treating composition has been transferred into or
onto the fibers of the clothing to impart a desired property to the
clothing, as discussed below.
[0014] A wide variety of active ingredients may be employed in the
liquid fabric treating composition depending upon the particular
property or properties to be imparted to the clothing. Such active
ingredients may include, without limitation, anti-creasing agents,
anti-soil agents, bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents,
bodying agents, softening agents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing
agents, fragrances, insect repellants, germicides, lubricants,
mildew-proofing agents, moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers
and sizing agents. Additives and auxiliaries may also be included
in the composition, such as preservatives, anti-static agents,
fragrances and others.
[0015] The liquid fabric treating composition may comprise a
carrier and one or more active ingredients each capable of
imparting a particular property or characteristic to an article of
clothing. Such active ingredients may include, without limitation,
anti-creasing agents, anti-soil agents, anti-static agents,
bacteriostatic agents, brightening agents, bodying agents,
softening agents, dyes, fiber emollients, finishing agents,
fragrances, insect repellants, germicides, lubricants,
mildew-proofing agents, moth-proofing agents, shrinkage controllers
and sizing agents.
[0016] The carrier may be water. The active ingredients noted above
may include different classes of compounds, as is well known to
those of ordinary skill in the art, but each compound selected for
the liquid fabric treating composition of this invention may be
added to the carrier to form a solution, dispersion or emulsion at
ambient temperatures, without the addition of heat.
[0017] One particular type of active ingredient may comprise a
single material or a mixture of materials which are known to
provide benefits to the skin. Clothing which receives a
skin-treating active ingredient from the liquid fabric treating
composition in accordance with the method of this invention
subsequently transfers it to the skin when the clothing is worn by
an individual.
[0018] The skin-treating active ingredient can comprise essentially
any known component for treating human skin, such as insect
repellants, UV absorbers, skin moisturizers, tanning agents,
wrinkle removers, deodorants, cellulite reducers, vitamins,
anti-oxidants, minerals, lipid layer enhancers, hair growth
suppressants, emollients, botanical actives and the like. The skin
treating active ingredient can be derived from a broad range of
classes of materials such as emollients, lubricants, super-fatting
agents, natural extracts which provide benefits to the skin
depending upon the nature of the natural extracts, the lees from
wine-making, DNA derivatives, hydrolyzed proteins both of animal
and vegetable origin, derivatives of the hydrolyzed proteins, plant
extracts, the skin-active portions of plant extracts and the
like.
[0019] One particular skin-treating active ingredient suitable for
use in the liquid fabric treating composition is commercially
available under the trademark PLANTATEX.TM. HCC owned by Cognis
Deutchland GmbH & Co. This ingredient is a wax dispersion with
glyceryl esters, an emulsifier and water. It contains skin treating
components such as glycerol oleate, which is a lipid layer
enhancer.
[0020] The liquid fabric treating composition may further include
one or more additives and auxiliaries to provide known benefits to
the treated articles of clothing such as anti-static properties, a
pleasing aroma, improved shelf life and the like. For example,
preservatives such as formaldehyde, parabens, pentanediol, sorbic
acid and other classes of compounds may be added, as is well known
in the art. A number of different fragrances can be employed in the
composition to create the desired smell of the clothing, including,
without limitation, rose oil, lavender, lilac, jasmine, vanilla,
wisteria, lemon, apple blossom or compound bouquets such as citrus,
spice, aldehydic, woods, oriental, baby powder and others.
[0021] Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3, one embodiment of a washing
machine 34 suitable for use in performing the method of this
invention is schematically depicted. The washing machine 34
comprises a housing 36 defining a hollow interior 38 with an
opening 40 on one side. A door 42 is mounted at the opening and
movable between and open and closed position. A tub 44 is located
within the hollow interior 38 and it receives a rotating drum 46
coupled to a drive mechanism 48. The drum 46 may have holes 50 to
allow water and other liquids introduced therein, as discussed
below, to pass through to the tub 44. These liquids may be drained
from the tub 44 via a drain line 52 within which a valve 54 and
drainage motor 56 may be mounted.
[0022] A reservoir 58 is mounted within the hollow interior 38 of
the housing 36, and it is coupled to a cold water line 60 having a
valve 62 and a hot water line 64 having a valve 66. One end of an
outlet line 68 may be connected to the base of the reservoir 58,
and its opposite end mounts to a dispenser such as a nozzle 70
coupled to the rotating drum 46. As shown in FIG. 3, the reservoir
58 may be provided with a drawer 72 having compartments 74, 76 and
78 for receiving laundering additives such as detergent, bleach and
one of the liquid fabric treating compositions discussed above,
respectively.
[0023] The operation of the washing machine 34 is governed by a
controller 80, as diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 2, to
perform a laundering operation. The controller 80 is coupled to the
drive mechanism 48, to the reservoir 58 and to the valve 54 and
drainage motor 56 of the drain line 52. The controller 80 operates
the washing machine in a conventional manner during the washing
cycle represented by boxes 10-18 in FIG. 1, and the rinse cycle
depicted as boxes 20-24. After water is drained from the tub 44 at
the completion of the drainage cycle, identified by box 24 in FIG.
1, the controller 80 is operative to activate one or both of the
water lines 60, 62 and direct a flow of water into the compartment
78 of reservoir 58 where a liquid fabric treating composition is
located. The flow of water flushes such composition out of the
compartment 78, into the outlet line 68 to the nozzle 70. In the
presently preferred embodiment, the nozzle 70 is effective to spray
the combination of liquid fabric treating composition and water
onto clothing 82 located along the bottom of the rotating drum 46,
as depicted by dotted lines 84 in FIG. 2. In order to enhance the
transfer of the liquid fabric treating composition throughout the
clothing 82, the controller 80 rotates the drum 46 for a selected
period of time. Rotation of the drum 46 tumbles the clothing 82 and
the liquid fabric treating composition together, as represented by
box 28 in FIG. 1. As discussed above, it is believed that transfer
of the liquid fabric treating composition throughout the clothing
82 takes place as a result of movement of the liquid composition
within the water contained in the clothing after completion of the
rinse cycle. In order to maximize the effect of such transfer, all
or substantially all of the water present in the clothing after the
rinse cycle is preferably retained within the clothing during the
tumbling step of box 28. Consequently, the drum 46 is preferably
rotated at a low speed during the tumbling cycle, compared, for
example, to typical spin cycles wherein the drum may be rotated at
150 to 1200 rpm in order to remove water from the clothing 82.
After an effective amount of the liquid fabric treating composition
is transferred to the clothing 82, the tumbling cycle of box 28 is
terminated and the spin cycle, represented by box 30 in FIG. 1, may
be initiated.
[0024] While boxes 26 and 28 depicted in FIG. 1 and the discussion
above contemplate that the step of introducing the liquid fabric
treating composition into the drum 46 of the washing machine 34 for
transfer to the clothing 82, and the step of tumbling the clothing
82 within the drum 46 are performed separately and in that
sequence, it should be understood that these steps could be
performed simultaneously and/or in a different sequence. For
example, rotation of the drum 46 can be initiated before the liquid
fabric treating composition is directed onto the clothing 82.
Alternatively, the liquid fabric treating composition can be
introduced into the drum 46 at the same time it begins to rotate.
Each of these variations is considered within the scope of the
present invention.
[0025] While the invention has been described with reference to a
preferred embodiment, it should be understood by those skilled in
the art that various changes may be made and equivalents
substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope
of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to
adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the
invention without departing from the essential scope thereof.
[0026] For example, application of the liquid fabric treating
composition onto the clothing 82 within the drum 46 is described
above as being accomplished by the flow of water through a
compartment 78 in reservoir 58, through outlet line 68 and out of
the nozzle 70. However, it is contemplated that the liquid fabric
treating composition may be directed into contact with the clothing
82 within the drum 46 by other means such as a manually operated
spray device, or alternative automatic means.
[0027] Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited
to the particular embodiment disclosed as the best mode
contemplated for carrying out this invention, but that the
invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of
the appended claims.
* * * * *