Device and methods for applying compositions to fabric surfaces

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016102424-A1
Application number	US-201514968279-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 14, 2015
Priority date	Jun 13, 2014
Publication date	Apr 14, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A device and method for applying a material to a surface of a fabric. The device has a sensor and a microfluidic die. The device further includes a reservoir for containing a material to be deposited, and a CPU. The method includes providing information from the sensor about the surface to the CPU, which uses the information to identify where the material is to be deposited and/or how much to deposit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An apparatus for applying a composition to the surface of a fabric, the apparatus including:
a. an applicator head comprising a microfluidic die having one or more applicator nozzles; b. a reservoir to hold the composition; c. a sensor; and d. a CPU; wherein the sensor is configured to sense at least a portion of the surface of the fabric and provide the CPU with information about the surface of the fabric, and wherein the CPU analyzes the information from the sensor to identify deviations on the surface of the fabric, and the CPU activates the one or more applicator nozzles based on the deviations.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor senses color, brightness, reflectance, refractance temperature, surface height, texture, color differences, odor, variations in the surface of the fabric, dirt, irregularities in the surface of the fabric, bacteria or combinations thereof.

3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a camera.

4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic die includes a plurality of nozzles.

5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the microfluidic die includes a heating element or an electromechanical actuator.

6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a color sensor and the sensor and the CPU is programmed to identify a ΔL S value of plus or minus 1.5%, preferably plus or minus 1.0% even more preferably plus or minus 0.5%, of the background L.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the predetermined ΔL S value is greater than 3, preferably greater than 2 and more preferably greater than 1.

8 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the sensor takes one or more images and each image is either taken in a grey scale or converted to a grey scale.

9 . The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the grey scale has a range of about 0-255 units.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is configured to activates the one or more nozzles to apply the composition to the surface of the fabric where the deviations are located.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles to apply the composition to the surface of the fabric where the deviations are not located.

12 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles in a discontinuous deposition pattern.

13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the CPU is configured to activate the one or more nozzles in a continuous deposition pattern.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the number and or frequency of nozzles fired can be adjusted by a user of the apparatus.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 where the one or more nozzles are disposed in an array that is a linear configuration, multiple rows, off-set, sine wave, curved, circular, or saw tooth arrangements.

16 . A method of depositing a composition on a surface of the fabric, the method comprising the steps of:
identifying the surface of the fabric onto which the composition will be deposited; providing a device having a sensor, a reservoir for the composition, a CPU, and at least one microfluidic die comprising at least one nozzle; locating the sensor over at least a portion of the surface of the fabric; activating the sensor to acquire information about the surface of the fabric; providing the acquired information to the CPU; instructing the CPU to calculate the location of one or more deviations on the surface of the fabric; and activating the at least one nozzle to deposit the composition on the surface of the fabric.

17 . The method of claim 16 , including the additional step of sensing the surface of the fabric after the composition has been deposited thereon.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the sensor senses the surface of the fabric for variations in color, brightness, reflectance, refractance temperature, texture, surface height, odor, dirt, irregularities in the surface of the fabric, bacteria or combinations thereof and mixtures thereof.

19 . The use of a device including a sensor, a CPU, a reservoir and a microfluidic die to apply a composition to a surface of the fabric.

20 . The use of claim 19 , wherein the fabric is selected from the group of: wovens, nonwovens, leather or other animal-based materials, microfibers, textiles, plastics, cotton, wool, synthetic fibers, and combinations of synthetic and natural fibers.

Assignees

• Procter & Gamble

Inventors

• Bush Stephan Gary
• De Castro Ted
• Frankenbach Gayle Marie
• Gruenbacher Dana Paul
• Morand Kenneth Lee
• Rabe Thomas Elliot
• Sherman Faiz Feisal
• Wernicke Todd Michael

Classifications

• G01N33/367 Primary

  Fabric or woven textiles · CPC title

• D06B1/02 Primary

  by spraying or projecting (D06B1/08 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06T2207/30088

  Skin; Dermal · CPC title

• G06T7/0012

  Biomedical image inspection · CPC title

• G06T2207/10016

  Video; Image sequence · CPC title