FIELD

[0001] This document relates to a steaming and heating device, and more specifically, a garment steaming and heating device.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0002] This application claims priority to US Provisional Patent Application 62/279,632 titled "TEXTILE ENHANCING DEVICE" filed 1/15/16.

BACKGROUND

[0003] People often steam entire bathrooms using a hot shower to obtain a desired effect on a favorite piece of clothing. Steaming devices exist, but the existing steaming device is not capable of enhancing the garments or textiles with fragrances and detergents. The ability to effectively dry with heat is also lacking in the state of the art steamer, particularly one that can be attached to dry wall.

[0004] A need exists to provide consumers with a bathroom steamer that is also capable of enhancing garments, towels, washcloths and similar items to free them of wrinkles.

SUMMARY

[0005] The textile enhancing device is capable of steaming, heating garments, towels, washcloths and similar items and also enhancing the textiles with a choice of detergents and fragrances.

[0006] The textile enhancing device is small and capable of being mounted to a wall. The device receives pods or cartridges containing water and various enhancers such as detergents and perfumes and other enhancers. In the preferred embodiment, the cartridges contain perfume and water. The perfume and water is injected into the device through a combination of a needle valve and pump that pumps the fluid into a reservoir where the fluid is heated into steam. The device has a chamber configured to l suspend a textile and this chamber is sealed and pressurized from the steam. The device also has a dry heater to dry and the textile and the door to the chamber seals and unseals automatically to coincide with the dry or steam cycle.

[0007] With the device, a user is able to place a textile in the chamber. The user then places a cartridge or pod inside the device in a special opening designed to receive the cartridge. The user then selects a cycle that includes selecting the dry heat time and the steam time and level. The pump pulls the fluid in the cartridge into a reservoir in the device. Based on the preselected cycle by the user, the door to the chamber seals and steam with an enhancer is produced. The steam rises to the chamber and steams the textile suspended in the chamber. The steam shuts off at a time selected by the user. The dry heat heater may continue to dry the chamber and textile, and to give the textile a warm feel. The chamber becomes unsealed after the steam shuts off. A buzzer then notifies the user that the cycle is complete.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 shows the garment/textile enhancing device from a sectional view.

[0009] FIG. 2 shows the garment/textile enhancing device from an isometric view.

[0010] FIG. 3 shows the enhancement dispenser or cartridge.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0011] The following detailed description of the invention references the accompanying drawings that illustrate specific embodiments in which the invention can be practiced. The embodiments are intended to describe aspects of the invention in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the invention. Other embodiments can be utilized and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the current invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the current invention is defined only by the claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled. [0012] In this description, references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "a preferred embodiment", or "embodiments" mean that the feature or features being referred to are included in at least one embodiment of the technology. Separate references to "one embodiment", "an embodiment", "a preferred embodiment", or "embodiments" in this description do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment and are also not mutually exclusive unless so stated and/or except as will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the description.

[0013] The textile enhancing device 101 is capable of heating garments, towels, washcloths and similar items. The device 101 can also steam those articles, and scents can be added to the steam to achieve a range of enhancing characteristics.

[0014] FIG. 1 shows the garment/textile enhancing device 101 with a large garment chamber 102 having a roof 121 and base 1 1 1 . The garment/textile enhancing device has a reservoir 105 that can receive a fluid. Garments or towels or any range of articles can be loaded into the garment chamber 102 and they can hang from a removable hanger 1 13 that attaches to an attachment point that runs across the garment chamber 102 near the roof 121 . The device is capable of heating water so that steam can be applied to the articles hanging near the roof 121 of the garment chamber. Steam will enter the garment chamber 102 through one or more of openings, including a central steam vent 1 17. In the preferred embodiment, steam may also enter the garment chamber 102 through secondary steam vents. The secondary steam vents are fed through secondary steam ducts, and the flow in those vents is controlled by valves.

[0015] The device has one or more connections that allow enhancers to be added to the steam. In the preferred embodiment, the device has one or more openings 135 for receiving one or more disposable cartridges 401 . The disposable cartridges 401 supply various enhancers to the steaming apparatus where the steam is generated. In the preferred embodiment, enhancers are pumped to the reservoir 105 from a pump 1 18. In other embodiments, the reservoir 105 may be fed by the cartridges 401 gravity flow. A check valve 136 is between the pump 1 18 and the reservoir 105 and is in fluid communication with both. [0016] The device is powered by a battery 150 that is protected under the base 1 1 1 .

[0017] The garment chamber 102 can be access by opening a door 1 15. The door 1 15 has an automatic locking mechanism that locks the door 1 15 tightly to seal the garment chamber. The door can also be automatically unlocked. In a preferred embodiment, an elastomer sits between the door 1 15 and chamber to provide an efficient seal. The sealing allows for super heated and pressurized steam to be produced. Pressurized steam is not more than half an atmospheric pressure gauge.

[0018] Garments or towels or other articles can be placed in the garment chamber 102 and enhanced in various ways. The garments or towels or other articles can be heated, steamed, or enhanced with scents or detergents that can be mixed with the water and vaporized into the garment chamber 102.

[0019] In FIG. 2, the preferred embodiment of the base (shown as 1 1 1 in FIG. 1 ) is exposed to show the single steam opening 1 17. The preferred embodiment further exhibits a secondary, dry heater 122 for drying out the chamber and providing extra heat to provide clothes with a warm, dry feel. In the preferred embodiment, the dry heater 122 is further comprised of a fan 123 for pushing dry air into the chamber 102. The dry enter enters the chamber at a dry heat vent 209. In a preferred embodiment, the door 1 15 will open slightly to unseal the chamber 102 as the dry heater 122 turns on and after the steam heater 109 turns off.

[0020] The heat is controlled, and various combinations of heat and steam can be preselected through the heat cycle interface 204. The user will select from a plurality of heat cycles, such as a heat cycle appropriate for a shirt and a heat cycle appropriate for a towel. In the preferred embodiment, the heat cycle that is appropriate for a shirt consists of more steam than the heat cycle for the towel. A user can select from a plurality of heat cycles, and then press a start button to initiate the heat cycle which will impact the steam time and the dry heat time by controlling the dry heater 122 and the steam heater 109.

[0021] In one embodiment, the user can control the amount of one or more enhancers that are added to the steam through the interface. The enhancers typically consist of one or more scents, but can also include detergents and other fluids that can create desired effects on the articles in the garment chamber. The user can control the amount of enhancers added by adjusting valves on the enhancer feed lines. In the preferred embodiment, valves control the amount of enhancers delivered to the steaming apparatus. The valves are controlled by interfaces 204. The interface has Bluetooth capability in the preferred embodiment to be controlled by mobile devices and to signal mobile devices.

[0022] In the preferred embodiment, a user the device is configured to allow a user to put a garment or textile into the chamber 102 by suspending the garment or chamber from the hanger 1 13. The user will also place a cartridge 401 into the opening

135. The user closes the door and select a cycle. The chamber will seal by the automatic locking mechanism that closes the door 1 15 tightly. The pump 1 18 will pump fluid from the cartridge 401 into the reservoir 105. Steam is produced as the steam heater 109 heats fluid in the reservoir 105 and the steam flows into the chamber 102 through the vent 1 17, but does not flow to the pump 1 18 because of the check valve

136. After steam has been produced for a predetermined time, a dry heat heater 122 turns on for a predetermined time. At a predetermined time, the steam heater turns off and the door 1 15 is unlocked so that the pressure in the chamber 102 drops to ambient or atmospheric or room pressure. The dry heater 122 remains on for a predetermined time. After the predetermined time, a buzzer 124 notifies that the cycle is complete. In other embodiments, other variations of steam and/or dry heat are produced. In other embodiments, other notification systems known in the art may be used, such as a blinking light or notification on a mobile device.

[0023] The garment enhancing device can be wall mounted, and is wall mounted in the preferred embodiment. The design is simple and light, since, in the preferred embodiment, the garment enhancing device is powered by a small lithium battery to run two small heaters for heating minimal volume (generally a single garment chamber) and a small amount of enhanced fluid is steamed so that it can be mounted to a dry wall through the mounting attachment 208. [0024] A water based fluid containing enhancers such as oils and fragrances is delivered to the device via pods 401 has a nozzle 402 that will be fully inserted into the garment/textile enhancing device to dispense a fluid out of the nozzle 402. The nozzle 402 is sealed with a seal 403. In the preferred embodiment, the seal 403 is silicon. In other embodiments, the seal is a thin piece of metal or other material known in the art that can be easily punctured by the two way needle 137. In the preferred embodiment, the two way needle 137 punctures the seal 403 when the cartridge 401 is placed in the opening 135. In the preferred embodiment, the fluid pump 1 18 flows the fluid into the reservoir 105.