Nebulizer system for a fabric treatment appliance
AssigneeWhirlpool Corporation
InventorsKarl D. McAllister, Alexander V. Minkin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A nebulizer assembly for use in a fabrics revitalizing system having a fabric treatment chamber comprises a fluid reservoir configured to contain a fluid; an air flow channel in fluid communication with the fluid reservoir; a mist generator configured to generate a mist in the fluid reservoir; and a fan in fluid communication with the air flow channel to draw air through the air flow channel and transport the mist to the interior of the fabric treatment chamber. The nebulizer assembly can include a transitional assembly that communicates the nebulizer assembly with the fabric treatment chamber.
Claims31
A fabrics revitalizing system comprising:
- a fabric treatment chamber having an interior for holding a fabric load;
- a nebulizer assembly being in fluid communication with the interior of the fabric treatment chamber so that the nebulizer assembly provides a mist to the fabric load during operation of the nebulizer assembly, the nebulizer assembly comprising:
- a fluid reservoir receiving a fluid from a fluid supply;
- a transitional assembly at least partially defining an air flow chamber connecting the fluid reservoir and fabric treatment chamber;
- a mist generator generating a mist inside the fluid reservoir;
- a fan located within the air flow chamber;
- and
- wherein the fan transports the mist from the air flow chamber to the fabric treatment chamber.
A fabrics revitalizing system, comprising:
- an outer housing defining an interior space;
- a drum with at least one open end mounted within the interior space for rotation about an axis of rotation and at least partially defining a fabric treatment chamber;
- a bulkhead fixedly located within the interior space to at least partially close the at least one open end of the drum and having an opening to the treatment chamber;
- a fluid delivery system comprising:
- a nebulizer assembly located within the interior space and exteriorly of the drum;
- a transitional assembly extending from the nebulizer assembly to the opening in the bulkhead to fluidly couple the nebulizer directly to the treatment chamber:
- and a flow generator located in the nebulizer assembly to force a mist flow generated by the nebulizer assembly through the transitional assembly to the fabric treatment chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.