Abstract: A clothes treating apparatus and method for subjecting clothes items to moisture, pressure and heat for refreshing and dewrinkling the clothes items. A cabinet defines an interior region for receiving clothes, the interior region having opposed inner side surfaces. A door is hingedly connected to the cabinet for closing the interior region. An inflatable hanger for supporting shirt-like clothes items is disposed within the interior region. A blower selectively inflates the inflatable hanger for pressing the shirt-like clothes item against the cabinet inner side surfaces. A steam generation means is provided for introducing moist air into the cabinet for humidifying the clothes item disposed therein. A heater and fan supply heated air into the interior region for drying the shirt-like clothes items disposed therein. During the dewrinkling cycle, steam is introduced into the interior region while the inflatable hanger assembly is periodically inflated.
Type:
Grant
Filed:
June 6, 1997
Date of Patent:
October 6, 1998
Assignee:
Whirlpool Corporation
Inventors:
Kurt A. Estes, Phalguni S. Roy, David Hung-Chih Chen, Kevin S. Maki
Abstract: A steam closet for removal of wrinkles from clothing. The steam closet comprises an upright cabinet having sealingly engageable doors, a steam generation plant disposed within the cabinet, and a clothes hanger bar for receipt of clothing within the cabinet in spaced relationship to permit steam to circulate about all sides of the clothing hung within the cabinet.
Abstract: An apparatus for automatically ironing textile articles and the like comprises a box-like structure provided with bellows doors, which are mechanically driven to open and closed positions. In the central portion of the bellows doors, an upright is pivoted which is also mechanically driven for alternately rotating through a 180.degree. angle, and bearing two radially extending arms provided for supporting the textile articles to be ironed.