Treatment of a fabric article

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10246817-B2
Application number	US-201314439691-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2013
Priority date	Nov 2, 2012
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

The present application relates to a method of treating a fabric article so that it has a characteristic smell normally associated with garments that have been exposed to natural sunlight, the method comprising positioning a fabric article (1) to be treated in an enclosure (8) and irradiating said fabric article positioned in said enclosure with ultraviolet light with a wavelength of between 280 nm and 400 nm and so that it is subjected to a predetermined radiant exposure. A device for treating a fabric article to replicate the characteristic effect of exposing said fabric article to natural sunlight is also disclosed.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of treating a fabric article so that it is imparted with a characteristic smell normally associated with fabric articles that have been exposed to natural sunlight, the method comprising:
positioning a fabric article to be treated in an enclosure,
irradiating, by one or more ultraviolet lamps under control of a controller, said fabric article positioned in said enclosure with ultraviolet light with a wavelength of between 280 nm and 320 nm for a first time period, and
irradiating, by said one or more ultraviolet lamps under control of said controller, said fabric article positioned in said enclosure with ultraviolet light with a wavelength of between 320 nm and 400 nm for a second time period,
distributing charged particles via an ion generator situated an exit region of the enclosure causing surrounding air passing out of the enclosure at said exit region to become charged,
switching off the ultraviolet light once a required radiant exposure is achieved to impart said characteristic smell,
wherein said combined irradiation subjects said fabric article to a predetermined radiant exposure in a particular time order for a first and second specified time interval,
wherein the interior of the enclosure comprises a plurality of UV-reflective surfaces that have a UV-reflectivity of 80% or more, and
wherein the intensity ratio between ultraviolet light with a wavelength between 280 nm and 320 nm and ultraviolet light with a wavelength between 320 nm and 400 nm, is between 1:4 and 1:30
wherein said overall predetermined radiant exposure is at least 18 kJ/m 2 .

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of providing ozone to the vicinity of said article being treated at a concentration of between 0.02 and 0.2 parts per million.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of locking a door via a timer lock for a first time period and a second time period.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising the step of heating the air entering the enclosure via a heating device positioned within or adjacent an inlet port.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the enclosure further comprises at least one fan configured to draw air into the enclosure via an inlet port and out of the enclosure via said outlet port.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the outlet port includes a filter to remove ozone from the air leaving the enclosure.

Assignees

• Koninklijke Philips Nv

Inventors

• Wang Yuqi
• Wang Weiran
• Jiang Yong
• Tan Boon Teck
• Zhou Jiuyu

Classifications

• D06M10/025

  Corona discharge or low temperature plasma · CPC title

• D06M11/32

  with oxygen, ozone, ozonides, oxides, hydroxides or percompounds; Salts derived from anions with an amphoteric element-oxygen bond (with water or heavy water D06M11/05; with oxides or oxyacids of halogens D06M11/30) · CPC title

• D06M11/34

  with oxygen, ozone or ozonides · CPC title

• D06M10/001 Primary

  Treatment with visible light, infrared or ultraviolet, X-rays · CPC title

• D06F58/203

  Laundry conditioning arrangements · CPC title