Method for treating laundry in a clothes dryer
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsKAUSTAV GHOSH, THOMAS A. LATACK, KARL D. MCALLISTER, ROBERT J. PINKOWSKI, PRITHI A. RAO
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber that includes applying a treating chemistry, which may include a treating chemistry that benefits from uniform distribution, on the laundry and drying the laundry after the applying of the treating chemistry.
Claims55
1-2. (canceled)
The method of claim 52 wherein applying the amount of equalizing liquid to the laundry comprises spraying the equalizing liquid on the laundry.
The method of claim 52 wherein applying the amount of equalizing liquid to the laundry comprises applying the equalizing liquid when the moisture content of the laundry is less than 25%.
5-6. (canceled)
The method of claim 52 wherein the equalizing liquid is water.
(canceled)
The method of claim 52 wherein the treating chemistry comprises a chromophore.
The method of claim 52 wherein the treating chemistry comprises a mixture of a chromophore and water.
The method of claim 52 wherein drying the laundry comprises drying the laundry to a predetermined moisture content before forming the layer of the equalizing liquid on the laundry.
The method of claim 52 wherein drying the laundry further comprises supplying heated air at a first temperature and supplying heated air at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature.
The method of claim 52, wherein the treating chemistry comprises a stain-repellent chemical.
The method of claim 52, further comprising rotating the drum during at least a portion of one of forming a layer of the equalizing liquid on the laundry and applying the treating chemistry on the laundry.
The method of claim 52, wherein applying the treating chemistry comprises applying a predetermined amount of the treating chemistry to the laundry.
The method of claim 52, wherein at least a load amount of the laundry is determined, and wherein applying the treating chemistry comprises applying a predetermined amount of the treating chemistry based on the determined load amount.
(canceled)
The method of claim 52 wherein applying the treating chemistry comprises spraying the laundry with a liquid treating chemistry.
21-22. (canceled)
The method of claim 56, wherein the spraying the amount of equalizing liquid onto the laundry comprises saturating the surface of laundry with sprayed liquid.
(canceled)
The method of claim 56 wherein spraying the amount of liquid onto the laundry occurs for a predetermined time.
The method of claim 56 wherein spraying the amount of liquid comprises wetting the laundry to a predetermined moisture content.
The method of claim 56 wherein spraying the amount of liquid comprises spraying the laundry with the amount of liquid when the moisture content of the laundry is less than 25%.
The method of claim 56 wherein the liquid is water.
The method of claim 56 wherein the chromophore chemistry comprises a mixture of a chromophore and water.
The method of claim 56 wherein applying the chromophore chemistry comprises applying the chromophore chemistry until the moisture content of the laundry is 10-25%.
The method of claim 56 wherein drying the laundry comprises drying the laundry to a predetermined moisture content.
The method of claim 56 wherein drying the laundry further comprises supplying heated air at a first temperature to uniformly deposit the chromophore chemistry on the laundry and supplying heated air at a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to dry the laundry.
The method of claim 56, further comprising rotating the drum during at least a portion of one of forming the liquid transportation layer on the laundry and applying the chromophore chemistry on the liquid transportation layer.
(canceled)
The method of claim 56 wherein the laundry is dry prior to forming the liquid transportation layer.
The method of claim 56 wherein applying the chromophore chemistry comprises spraying the laundry with the chromophore chemistry.
A method of treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber, the method comprising:
- applying a treating chemistry containing chromophore molecules on the laundry in the treating chamber to form a treated laundry;
- supplying heated air at a first temperature to the treated laundry to uniformly deposit the chromophore molecules on the laundry;
- and
- after supplying heated air at the first temperature, supplying heated air at a second temperature, higher than the first temperature, to the treated laundry to dry the laundry.
A method of treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber, the method comprising:
- determining at least one of a load amount and a load type of the laundry;
- determining an amount of equalizing liquid, based on at least one of the load amount and the load type, that will form a layer of the equalizing liquid on the laundry sufficient to equalize the surface energy of the laundry;
- forming the layer of the equalizing liquid on the laundry by applying the amount of equalizing liquid to the laundry to equalize the surface energy of the laundry;
- applying a treating chemistry on the layer of equalizing liquid after equalizing the surface energy;
- and
- drying the laundry within the treating chamber.
A method of treating laundry in a clothes dryer having a rotating drum defining a treatment chamber, the method comprising:
- determining at least one of a load amount and a load type of the laundry;
- determining an amount of liquid, based on at least one of the load amount and the load type, that will form a liquid transportation layer of the liquid on the laundry sufficient to equalize the surface energy of the laundry;
- forming the liquid transportation layer on the laundry by spraying the amount of liquid onto the laundry;
- applying a chromophore chemistry on the liquid transportation layer;
- and
- drying the laundry after the spraying of the chromophore chemistry.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.