EP0116202B1

EP0116202B1 - Device for assisting in removal of garment stains

Info

Publication number: EP0116202B1
Application number: EP19830306994
Authority: EP
Inventors: Wm. Robert Burns
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1982-11-19
Filing date: 1983-11-16
Publication date: 1986-11-12
Also published as: JPS59105498A; EP0116202A1; CA1216558A; DE3367511D1

Description

This invention pertains to a device for use in effecting removal of garment stains.
An object of the invention is to provide means for use in effecting removal of garment stains, e.g. in a restaurant or similar establishment, before the material causing the stain has had a chance to dry and "set".
It is part of folklore that commercially available supersaturated solutions of carbon dioxide, commonly called "carbonated water", have the ability to remove stains when applied to a fresh food or beverage stain. Such solutions are also known to be effective stain-removal agents for a variety of other stains, such as dust, cigarette ashes, animal stains, regurgitation, etc. Commonly available sources of such solutions include club soda, various naturally occurring sparkling waters, etc.
Heretofore, however, the use of such a cleaning agent has been limited by the fact that it is normally unavailable to be used immediately after a garment or other textile material is stained. In the typical case, a customer in a restaurant does not have this simple, yet effective, stain-removal agent available at the time the staining occurs and must wait for a considerable period of time such as his return to his residence or some other location where such cleaning agents are available. This length of time usually is sufficient to enable the stain to "set" by drying and by impregnation of the fibres of the garment.
Once the stain is set, it may still be possible to remove the stain, but not with carbonated water and more powerful stain removers need to be used. US-A--4336024 discloses effective stain removers, but these have to be used with care, because of their toxicity.
It is important to avoid contact with the skin and even more to avoid ingestion, inhalation or contact with the eyes.
EP-A-0063668 discloses a compact utensil for use for cleaning garments when travelling. The utensil includes a brush and a container of stain removal agent with a nozzle for dispensing the agent. There is no disclosure as to what the agent could be and there is no indication that the agent could be used on clothes which are still being worn.
It is common practice merely to wipe spilt food or drink from clothes, or at most to use water in an attempt to dilute the material spilt. There exists a prejudice that it is not possible to treat any stain without removal of the stained clothing and stains are consequently allowed to "set" until there is a favourable time to remove the stained clothing for treatment. In a hotel, for example, a person would await privacy to use a traveller's stain removing utensil, such as described in EP-A-0063668. The stain removing agent supplied would be a conventional one such as described in US-A-4336024, where only organic solvents are considered for the purpose of home use. The prejudice exists commercially, because carbonated water is not suitable for removing "set" stains and only works whilst the stain is fresh. Furthermore, it is not very effective with fresh stains, if a solution is simply dabbed or poured on a stain. This is because the stain-removal action depends on the effervescent action caused by the release of carbon dioxide and this action only takes place on the surface. Carbonated water is, therefore, not considered seriously as an effective stain remover, because it is not usually convenient immediately to remove clothing in order to ensure that sufficient carbonated water is applied to penetrate- the interstices, which is essential for effective stain removal.
The present invention overcomes this prejudice and provides a device which is capable of removing fresh stains effectively and safely whilst a garment is still being worn, something which has never previously been possible. The device according to the invention is characterised by the features of Claim 1.
The shape and dimensions of the reservoir are not critical, so long as the device can be carried on the person, e.g., concealed in a pocket or a purse. Thus, conveniently, the reservoir can be shaped and dimensioned to the approximate proportions of a conventional tube of lipstick, perfume atomizer, breath freshener cartridge or the like. The materials of construction of the reservoir are not critical and need only have the requisite strength and chemical stability to maintain the slightly acidic solution of carbon dioxide superatmospheric pressure, so as to maintain the carbon dioxide in the aqueous solution until it is released through the valve-nozzle. According to one embodiment of the invention, the substantially incompressible carbon dioxide solution fills only a portion of the reservoir and is ejected therefrom by the pressure of a compressible gas phase filling the remaining portion of the reservoir, whereas, in another embodiment, the supersaturated carbon dioxide solution substantially fills the entire reservoir and is either pumped therefrom under pressure or ejected therefrom by deforming the reservoir in the manner of the familiar "squeeze bottle".
If desired, the supersaturated carbon dioxide solution can be specially prepared by simply dissolving carbon dioxide under pressure with the water carrier as is commonly carried out in drugstore soda fountains. Alternatively, the solution can be commercially obtained as ordinary club soda or the like, which optionally may contain additional beneficial ingredients such as sodium bicarbonate and citric acid.
Reference is made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a device embodying the present invention, showing application of a carbonated water stain-removal agent to a stained portion of a fabric substrate;
Figure 2 is a sectional view of the device of Figure 1, taken along section line 2-2 thereof;
Figure 3 is a sectional view of a device of the present invention constructed in accordance with an alternative embodiment thereof; and
Figure 4 is a sectional view of a device of the present invention constructed in accordance with yet another alternative embodiment thereof.

Figures 1 and 2 depict a device constructed in accordance with the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, which consists of a generally cylindrical reservoir 10 having a closed end 11 and a dispensing valve-nozzle 12 carried on the opposite end. A supply of carbonated water 13 partially fills the interior of the reservoir 10 and a compressible gas, e.g., CO₂, 14 fills the remaining interior of the reservoir 10, providing a motive force which ejects the carbonated water 13 under pressure through the dip tube 15 when the plunger portion 16 of the valve 12 is depressed in the direction of the arrow A against the action of the spring 17. The supersaturated carbon dioxide solution, indicated by the dashed lines 18, is ejected through a flared nozzle 19 and is directed against the stained portion B of a fabric substrate 20 which carries food stain material 21.
After application of the carbonated water solution 18 under pressure from the nozzle 19, the wetted portion of the fabric substrate 20 is dabbed and lightly rubbed with any suitable absorbent material, such as a cloth or paper napkin, to remove the water and the food stain material 21 which is separated from the fabric 20. This procedure can be repeated if necessary to effect the complete removal of the staining material.
As shown in Figure 3, the reservoir 31, in accordance with another embodiment of the invention, may be completely filled with the carbonated water solution 32 which is ejected under pressure through the dip tube 33 by means of a pump 34 actuated by a plunger 35.
Alternatively, as indicated in Figure 4, the carbonated water solution 41 can be ejected from a collapsible reservoir 42 by squeezing to eject the solution 41 through the dip tube 43, over-coming the pressure of the spring 44 of a flapper valve 45.

Claims

1. A device for use in effecting the removal of stains from a garment comprising a reservoir (10) containing a supply of a liquid stain remover (13), the reservoir being shaped and dimensioned so as to be capable of being concealed on the person, and valve-nozzle means (12) openable to deliver a portion of said stain remover from the reservoir for application to a stained portion of a garm_'ent, characterised in that the stain remover comprises a supersaturated aqueous solution of carbon dioxide.

2. A device in accordance with Claim 1 further characterised in that the solution (13) is released by the action of a pressurizing gas when the valve-nozzle means (12) is open.

3. A device in accordance with Claim 1 further characterised by a pump means (34, 42) for ejecting the solution (13) when the valve-nozzle means (12) is open.

4. A device in accordance with Claim 3 further characterised in that the pump means is a plunger-type pump (34).

5. A devive in accordance with Claim 3 further characterised in that the reservoir (42) is resiliently deformable and defines the pump means.