US20080314772A1

US20080314772A1 - Humidity control for long term storage of articles

Info

Publication number: US20080314772A1
Application number: US11/820,308
Authority: US
Inventors: Albert L. Saari; Robert L. Esse
Original assignee: Humidipak Inc
Current assignee: Humidipak Inc
Priority date: 2007-06-19
Filing date: 2007-06-19
Publication date: 2008-12-25
Also published as: WO2008156506A1

Abstract

A humidity regulating system and method is disclosed for use in the storage of humidity sensitive items and includes a storage container defining a volume for storing articles of interest and having a selected generally low water vapor transmission rate, a closure arrangement that generally effectively seals fabric items in the storage container thereby creating a storage environment, and one or more humidity regulating units in communication with the interior of the storage container and including humidity regulating material capable of regulating a desired, generally constant relative humidity in the storage environment that will not support mold growth in fabric or other articles of interest during a selected duration.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to controlling humidity in small, relatively closed environments and, more particularly, to a system and method for regulating environmental humidity about stored articles of clothing, other fabric and diverse articles in a manner that precludes mold growth or other humidity-related problems which may occur during long term storage. The system combines storage containers fabricated from materials having generally low water vapor transmission rates and effective closure systems with one or more humidity control devices placed in the containers to produce units which maintain a generally constant relative humidity in the internal environment despite ambient humidity swings.
II. Related Art
Exposure to excess moisture is known to have undesirable and detrimental effects on clothing and other fabrics such as bedding, linens, etc., particularly when they are stored for significant periods of time up to six months or more. When most fabrics are stored at water activities which are at or above about 0.60 (60% relative humidity), they may become “musty” because of the slow growth of mold or other fungi. This is especially true at temperatures above 70° F. (21.1° C.). At higher water activities, the growth rate of mold increases dramatically, even exponentially. This is quite noticeable as the water activity increases through the 0.7 range (70% relative humidity).
Not only is “mustiness” unpleasant, but mold growth tends to weaken natural fibers such as cotton, wool, silk and also to produce allergens to trouble those susceptible to airborne particles.
Clothing garment bags have long been widely used to keep dust and other particular matter from clothes. However, these bags are open to rapid to change of ambient air and thus, are ineffective in dealing with high humidity or changes in the humidity to which the clothes are exposed.
Prior and present methods of reducing and regulating moisture content in storage areas to alleviate undesirable conditions for storage of fabrics such as clothing, bedding, etc., include employing air conditioning or dehumidifying systems or storing the items in controlled atmosphere rooms, all of which are quite expensive. While air conditioning systems are often employed, they suffer from certain shortcomings. Modern refrigerants operate at higher temperatures than traditional refrigerants. Because the cooling coils operate at higher temperatures, they are correspondingly less effective at reducing moisture content (absolute humidity) of the air contacting the coils. Thus, whereas older systems generally reduced the relative humidity value to the 50% range, today's air conditioning units produce relative humidities that are often more than 10% higher, i.e., in the 0.6+ (60+ % RH) range, a difference sufficient to enhance the likelihood of the development of “mustiness” in stored fabrics such as cotton, wool and linen.
Likewise, dehumidifiers, which also use refrigeration to cool the air passing over evaporator coils, also have limitations. With these devices, provision must be made to permanently drain the condensed moisture from the system or periodically empty a container, neither of which may be convenient to garment storage.
Exposed desiccant drying agents, while effective, are inconvenient to use because salt solutions are produced which are messy and which must be the subject of proper disposal procedures. Furthermore, desiccants have limited capacity to take up water and are generally expensive.
Several products are currently available to reduce relative humidity in closets or small rooms in which clothing is stored. These employ anhydrous calcium or magnesium chlorides or other hydrophilic compounds such as sodium sulfate. These products have a minimal effect on the relative humidity in clothing closets as is apparent from the observations recorded in FIG. 1. They are of too limited a capacity with respect to the large volumes of air associated with rooms and closets.
Moreover, for example, accidental contact of leather with the most common desiccant salt, calcium chloride, causes irreversible damage to the leather. Excessive drying of certain fibers is also undesirable. For example, conditions that are too dry will make fibers such as cotton and wool more brittle and, thus, subject to damage in that manner.
It is known to provide a humidity control device for maintaining a desired relative humidity in a protective case such as a musical instrument case or a cigar humidor using a water vapor permeable pouch, or the like, containing a thickened saturated solution which is designed to create a desired relative humidity in the air space adjacent to the humidity control device. Those devices are generally designed to add humidity and so they have a relatively high moisture equilibrium point. Such a system is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,936,178 assigned to the same assignee as the present application. The contents of that patent are incorporated herein by reference for any purpose.
Thus, there remains a definite need to provide environmental humidity control about stored articles of clothing that will control the relative humidity in a value range that will not support mold growth and yet will not dry the fabrics to a point of damage.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

By means of the present invention, there is provided a system for regulating the relative humidity in certain storage environments, or the like, using storage enclosures in the form of containers of limited volume. The system is applicable to the storage of any moisture sensitive material, but is particularly described with reference to fabric materials including articles of clothing and other fabric items (collectively fabric articles) and edible materials.
The system includes storage containers such as bins, drawers, garment bags and the like. The enclosures should be fabricated from materials having generally low water vapor transmission rates (MVTR). Each container should be equipped with a closure arrangement that effectively seals stored items in the storage container keeping leakage to a minimum thereby creating a separate storage environment. To this are added one or more humidity regulating units placed in communication with the interior of the storage container and which are selected to be capable of maintaining a desired, generally constant relative humidity in the storage environment for a selected length of time. In this manner, the relative humidity in the storage environment can be regulated at a value low enough to preclude mold growth in fabric articles contained in the storage container and yet be high enough not to damage the contents because of brittleness caused by being excessively dry.
While other types such as drawers or bins, the containers for fabric articles are preferably in the form of storage bags fabricated from polymer films of low water transmission rate selected from such materials as vinyls, polyesters, polyamides, including nylons, or polyalkylenes, including polyethylene and polypropylene. The material may be further coated on one or both sides with a material selected from a diverse fabric, foil, metalized film, paper, non-woven polymers, glass films and other materials selected to reduce the water vapor permeability even further. In certain environments, a permeability as high as 0.3 or even 0.4 gm/100 in ^0.2(645.16 cm²) 24 hours can be tolerated. This is particularly true where the ambient humidity is less than 50% RH and the storage period is as short as two months or so. The permeability of the container generally should be less than 0.2 gm/100 in²(645.16 cm²)/24 hours and is preferably below 0.10 gm/100 in²(645.16 cm²)/24 hours and more preferably below 0.03 gm/100 in²(645.16 cm²)/24 hours. Certain combinations of materials may have a water vapor transmission rate of <0.001 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²)/24 hours.
Closure of polymer film containers is preferably accomplished by a zipper lock or slider such as is commonly employed in storage bags, a matching strip and groove system, repeatable use tape or other multiple use device that minimizes leakage and the passage of vapor between the ambient storage environment and the interior of the container. Bins or drawers can be provided with sealing sheets which substantially seal about the interior of a drawer or bin over the articles to be stored. This may be of coated paper, cardboard, plastic or wood, for example. In addition, a weather strip, or the like, type of seal between the sheet and the sides of the drawer can also be employed. In the case of hanging clothing enclosures, hanging hooks may be taped in place with washers, or the like, or sealing collars made from soft, closed cell foam, for example.
The humidity regulating units are preferably placed in the storage container and may be of any desired number, size or capacity, selection depending on the volume of the storage container, water vapor transmission rate, desired length of storage time and the general average relative humidity of the ambient environment.
The humidity regulating units are preferably in the form of flexible pouches or containers having an area of semi-permeable film such that water vapor can be exchanged between the humidity regulating unit and the storage environment. In some applications, the regulator units can be configured to regulate storage environment humidity at generally predetermined values such as ˜24% RH, ˜32% RH and ˜45% RH, or a range of % relative humidity between 24% and 50%, depending on the combination a capacity of materials to take up moisture used in the unit. Some of these are described in greater detail in the above-referenced issued U.S. patent. Most clothing storage applications, however, involve establishing a rate of water removal that compensates for water vapor that enters the storage volume and the desired length of term of storage.
As used herein, the term “humidity regulating materials” includes a variety of materials having an ability to take up moisture from the environmental surroundings (hygroscopic materials). The materials may be in the form of desiccant-type salt materials or other water attracting materials. Preferred compounds have an ability to take up amounts of water and eventually dissolve or deliquesce and become solutes in a solution of the water taken up. Certain of these materials may be used to maintain a generally constant relative humidity while taking up water in a closed space as they reach successive hydrate states until they are completely dissolved at which time the capacity of the material for taking on water (humidity regulating effect) is finally depleted. The percentage of relative humidity at which the environment is controlled during the time the material is effective can be varied by the selection of the humidity regulating materials, or combination thereof, and the time the materials are effective can be varied according to the amount used.
While it is feasible to simply seal moisture regulating materials in a pouch made from semi-permeable films, such pouches may develop leaks due to inadequate sealing or small imperfections in the film. In one preferred embodiment, these leaks are mitigated by blending in finely divided brine tolerant hydrocolloids such as Xanthan gum or other thickening agents to inhibit flow of the significantly viscous saturated solution formed by absorption of water vapor from the storage container environment.
Without limitation, humidity regulating materials include a large number of salts, particularly salts of alkaline earth metals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc and alkali metals such as sodium and potassium. These include, but are not limited to, chlorides such as calcium or magnesium chloride (preferably anhydrous); calcium, magnesium and zinc nitrates (preferably anhydrous) and other salts such as sodium sulfate, sodium bromide, sodium chlomate, potassium carbonate (preferably anhydrous) zinc nitrate and mixtures of these salts and others with similar properties of taking up moisture. As indicated, the salt mixture may be tailored to control the relative humidity at a desired percentage.
The anhydrous or dihydrate forms of the materials are preferred because they have a high capacity to take up moisture while still maintaining the relative humidity in the container in the range desired, normally about 30-45% RH for most of its life. This keeps the fabric environment below 50% RH until the capacity of the packet is depleted.
As anhydrous calcium chloride, for example, will take up water and will quickly reach approximately 24% RH, especially if a minor amount of magnesium chloride is present. As the calcium chloride continues to take up water, it becomes a hexahydrate, at which point it regulates the percent relative humidity at about 33-36%. The material continues to take up water until all of the calcium chloride hexahydrate is dissolved in the moisture. This occurs at a relative humidity of about 50-55% after which the humidity regulating material has lost its capability to take on more water and so to regulate.
Certain other common desiccants such as bentonite, molecular sieves, silica gels, etc. can be used but they have limited capacity to take up moisture and are clearly less precise at regulating the relative humidity.
In the humidity regulating units of the invention, the humidity regulating materials may preferably be combined with thickening agents to stabilize the contents of the humidity regulating units against possible leakage and thereby mitigate deliquescent effects of the humidity regulating materials where necessary. These include hydrocolloids such as xanthan gum which may be especially effective if mixed with an amount of powdered (confectioner's) sugar. The sugar helps with the hydration of the hydrocolloid especially when the sugar and gums are milled together. This further enables the material to absorb large amounts of water without achieving a liquid state which would readily leak from a defect in the unit.
Successful units have included a paste made from water and xanthan gum combined with magnesium chloride hexahydrate and calcium chloride dihydrate. A high capacity moisture absorbing/regulating combination unit was prepared without water and included an anhydrous calcium chloride powder, brine tolerant xanthan and powdered sugar (confectioners sugar). A further derived filling example included calcium chloride dihydrate, calcium chloride anhydrous, powdered confectioners sugar, brine tolerant xanthan gum and hydroxypropyl alginate. Many others are possible, as will be apparent.
In addition to garment bags customized by modifications strongly inhibiting the entrance of moisture vapor into the bags so that the humidity regulating pouches have a shelf-life of at least several months, bins or dresser drawers can also be employed. Bins made from heavy polyethylene or other plastic materials with tight fitting lids can protect fabrics or other moisture sensitive objects when humidity regulating units are placed on or among the objects. The number of packets or units needed depends on the expected ingress of moisture vapor during the storage test and the size of the container.
Other humidity sensitive materials and commodities can also be protected by the humidity control concepts of the present invention. For example, it is well known that in humid climates, moisture sensitive edible materials including foods and culinary ingredients deteriorate when water is absorbed from the environment by the product. Examples of such materials include salt, sugar and flour, ready-to-eat cereals, crackers, candies, pet foods and the like, i.e., any such materials that lose their desirable texture and become either tough, soft or sticky or may be subject to mold or mildew. All such materials and commodities may be collectively defined herein as “edible materials”.
It will be appreciated that the packets of the present invention are also effective in maintaining textural qualities of foods when these commodities are stored in containers made from low permeability materials such as polypropylene, high density polyethylene, polycarbonate, low-density polyethylene, and the like. Ready-to-eat cereals, for example, have been found to remain crisp significantly longer in humid climates such as the Gulf Coast of the United States.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the same:

FIG. 1 depicts a graphical comparison between ambient and closet humidities using a commercial dehumidifier in accordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 1;

FIG. 3 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 2;

FIG. 4 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 5;

FIG. 5 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 6;

FIG. 6 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 7;

FIG. 7 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 7;

FIG. 8 is a graphical comparison that depicts a comparison of ambient humidity and a bag filled with clothing in accordance with the embodiment of the invention described in Example 8.

FIG. 9 is an exploded schematic drawing of a drawer and a cover used to inhibit the moisture absorption by clothing in the drawer in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 10 illustrates a typical clothing storage bag modified in accordance with the invention to further inhibit the development of mustiness in stored clothing items.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following detailed description presents examples of embodiments of the concepts of the invention, but these are not designed to be exhaustive or limiting in any manner and others within the scope of these concepts will occur to those skilled in the art.

EXAMPLE 1

Rectangular bags having relatively long and short edges were prepared from clear, 6-mil vinyl. The bags were heat sealed on 3 edges and provided with a slider-seal at the fourth, a narrow or short edge to provide access to produce a storage container.
Filling for units designed to regulate at about 32% RH was prepared as follows:
Water (45° C.) 300 g

Xanthan gum 14 g

were mixed in a blender to disperse the gum for quick hydration.
Magnesium Chloride hexahydrate 1000 g

was added with stirring.

Then Calcium chloride dihydrate 450 g

was added and mixed thoroughly to form a paste of which approximately 70 g each was placed in 3.5×5.25 inch pouches (units) prepared from 1.5 mil polyester elastomer film extruded on paper.
Approximately 2.13 kg of bedding consisting of sheets, pillow cases and a heavy knit blanket was placed in one of the vinyl bags. Eight pouches were weighed and distributed one to two layers of fabric around the perimeter of the fabric in the vinyl bag storage container. A temperature-humidity logger, set to collect data at 1 hour intervals, was placed in the approximate center of the fabric load. The bag was closed with the sliding closure.
The vinyl bag was placed in a chamber humidified with Potassium chloride solution holding the ambient relative humidity between 70 and 75 percent. The results are depicted in FIG. 2.

EXAMPLE 2

Similarly, another vinyl bag from Example 1 was filled with 2.12 kg of clothing including a sport jacket, cotton shirts and slacks and a robe. Eight weighed humidity regulating units were placed in pockets of the sports coat, slacks and shirts. A data logger was placed in the inner vest pocket of the sports coat. As with the bedding, the clothes bag was placed in the high humidity chamber.
Results: The data loggers provided the data depicted by FIG. 3.
The statistical analysis of these data show very good control of the humidity within the container of clothing and good control with bedding placed in a “tropical” chamber maintained with, saturated Potassium Chloride solution. The difference in performance can be attributed to a higher water content in the bedding at the beginning of the trial in FIG. 2.

EXAMPLE 3

Additional units were prepared as described in Example 1.
About 2.1 Kg of bedding including cotton sheets, pillow cases, pajamas and a wool/nylon knitted blanket were placed in a 6 mil vinyl bag. A data logger was placed among the pillow cases approximately at the center of the bag and 8 humidity regulators were distributed at two levels, about ¼ of the way from the bottom and top around the perimeter of the storage bag.
This bag was placed in a “Tropical Chamber” humidified with saturated potassium chloride solution.
Results:
The clothes were held in the range of 35 to 43% relative humidity.
The moisture pick up by the pouches averaged 1.5 to 1.6 g/day hence would require about 2 units per month of storage.

EXAMPLE 4

A high capacity, moisture absorbing/controlling unit or pouch was prepared without water as follows:
Powdered sugar (confectioner's sugar) 169 g

Xanthan, brine tolerant 40 g

Anhydrous Calcium chloride, powder 1200 g

Were blended together with a blender to form a

homogeneous powder.
Approximately 35 g portions of this powdered mixture were placed into pouches 3½ by 5¼ inches (8.9×13.3 cm) of a highly permeable film on paper as described in Example 1.
The pouches were labeled individually and weighed to ±0.02 g. Pouches were attached to the interior of 2-6 mil vinyl bags measuring approximately 28×54 inches with a sliding closure at one end. The clothing from Example 1 was transferred to this bag along with a temperature/humidity data logger set for 1 hour sampling intervals.

EXAMPLE 5

A dry filling was prepared from:


	Calcium Chloride Dihydrate	600 g
	Calcium Chloride Anhydrous	600 g
	Powdered Confectioner's sugar	300 g
	Brine Tolerant Xanthan gum	40 g
	Hydroxypropyl Alginate	20 g

The sugar, xanthan gum and hydroxypropyl alginate, were blended for several minutes at high speed before being combined with the salt materials.
Two suit size laminated vinyl bags, 28×40 inches (71.12×101.6 cm) and a “roll up” clothes storage bag, 19×27 inches (48.26×68.58 cm), each with a side closure at a narrow end, were fitted with 5 pouches (units) each of 3.25×5 inch generic film containing about 35 g dry filling. The units were placed among and in pockets of about 3 kg. of clothing so that units were distributed along the length of the bags.
Humidity/temperature loggers set at 1-hour sampling intervals were placed about 10 inches from either end of each bag. The filled bags were laid out on shelves in a “tropical chamber” with an elevated ambient RH (above 60%).
The results observed in this bag are shown in FIG. 4.
The logger data showed excellent control of the relative humidity within the bedding storage bag, the unit nearest the closure end in each case gained about 25% more weight than any of the other units:


Ambient	AmEx	Lam A	Lam B

Size, In		19 × 27	28 × 40	28 × 40
Mean	79.93	22.91	26.23	25.84
Standard Error	0.04	0.01	0.02	0.03
Standard	1.22	0.23	0.56	0.96
Deviation
Range	9.10	0.90	2.00	3.20
Water gain, g/day		0.53	1.02	0.98

EXAMPLE 6

A dry filling was prepared by blending together in a blender at high speed:


Calcium Chloride, Anhydrous	1200	g
Confectioner's Sugar (Powdered)	160	g
Brine tolerant Xanthan gum	40	g

Units of standard generic film, 3.25×5 inches (8.26×12.7 cm) were filled with about 35 grams of filling. Garment bags 22×54 inches (55.9×137.16 cm) were prepared from 8 mil vinyl and 6 packets were attached to the inside front and back of these garment bags with hook and loop fasteners (Velcro™).
Garment bags such as described in Example 5 were set up in the master bedroom closet of a house built in 2003 near Tampa Fla. An eye bolt was poked through the seam on the closed end of the garment bags and the hole was sealed with electrician's tape between two flat washers. Six units with 35 g of dry filling were attached to the interior of the bags with hook and loop strips. Two sport coats, suit, a winter dress and one or two shirts were hung by hangers from the eye bolt. A hook to hang the bag was affixed and the filled bags were hung in a closet as indicated. The data measured by a data logger shows that newer homes have surprisingly high relative humidities, being about 64% at temperatures of about 80° F., conditions that can lead to “mustiness”. Cold weather clothing such as parkas, flannel shirts, sweat pants, etc., was placed in these bags.
The results are illustrated in FIG. 5.

EXAMPLE 7

Two garment bags were prepared in accordance with the bags of Example 6. One was filled with a similar mixture of men's clothing placed on three hangers in the bag. Two cotton tablecloths were hung on two coat hangers in the other garment bag. These were hung from nails in the joists of a basement storeroom during June to July in Minnesota (79 days).
The difference in the gain of moisture by the packets was likely due to the moisture in the heavy clothing that was placed into the garment bags. A difference of 3 ounces of water in the fabrics easily accounts for the difference in the water gain per day.

EXAMPLE 8

A dry filling was prepared by blending at high speed:


	Anhydrous Calcium Chloride Powder	350 g
	Brine tolerant Xanthan gum	20 g
	Propylene Glycol Alginate	20 g
	Confectioner's sugar, powdered	75 g
	Then
	Calcium Chloride dihydrate	500 g
	was added

About 35 g of this filling was added to each 3.25″×5″ pouch and taken to a Tampa location in Florida where a garment bag was set up in the garage of a new home.
The results are shown in FIG. 8.
FIG. 9 depicts an exploded schematic drawing of a drawer and cover which combine to inhibit moisture absorption by clothing stored in the drawer. The drawer is designed to accommodate humidity regulating units or packets in accordance with the invention to control drawer humidity and inhibit the onset of mustiness in clothing stored in the drawer for an extended period of time.
The drawer is shown generally at 20 and is provided with a cover 22 sized to fit snuggly inside the top of the drawer and includes adjustable devices as at 24 and 26 to provide a tight peripheral fit between cover and drawer. A soft closed-cell foam seal gasket material as shown at 27-30 is provided about the periphery of the cover to effectively seal the top and inhibit the transfer of moisture at the juncture between the cover 22 and the drawer 20. The sidewalls 32, endrails 34 and bottom panel 36 of the drawer also provide an adequate barrier to reduce the ingress of ambient moisture into the drawer volume.
One or more-humidity regulating units as at 38 and retainers 40, which may be fabric or other perforated materials can be affixed permanently to the underside of the cover 22 as indicated at 42 and 44, to control the humidity inside the drawer volume. The drawer cover may be provided with humidity regulating unit holders or they may be affixed to the bottom of the cover by any convenient means. The number, size and content of the humidity regulating units, of course, will depend upon the contents and duration of time associated with the items to be sealed in the drawer.
FIG. 10 illustrates a typical clothing storage bag which has been modified to better inhibit the ingress of moisture and, thus, the development of mustiness in associated stored clothing items. This construction is especially beneficial in the case of seasonal clothing such as winter clothing or hunting clothing which is stored for long periods of time between seasonal uses.
The garment bag, shown generally at 50, is preferably fabricated from a material which itself exhibits a very low water vapor transfer rate. A plurality of humidity regulating units may be contained in holders as at 52 which are preferably fabric or perforated solid material attached to the interior of the bag and which may be distributed in any manner desired about the interior of the garment storage bag 50. The bag further includes a closure member 54, which can typically be used for repeated opening and closing. A seal as at 56 is preferably provided between the closure member 54 and the bag 50 that effectively prevents transfer of moisture vapor such as a zipper with integral foam gasket slider, tongue and groove system or a multiple use adhesive material. The top of the garment bag 50 may be of a rigid material if the garment bag is sufficiently large. The bag further may include a suspension hook 58 with hanger ring 60.
It will be appreciated that the garment bag may be of any size. It can be small, suitable for only 2 or 3 garments, or can be 12 + inches in depth, suitable for 8 to 10 or more garments. Deeper garment bags can be made, however, it is preferable to employ multiple bags. The length and width of such storage bags can vary a great deal to accommodate different types and sizes of clothing. As indicated, the number, size and content of the humidity regulating units can vary greatly depending on the material, size and permeability of the storage container, storage time and ambient conditions.
The net cost of the moisture regulation system consisting of the semipermeable film, a protective covering of the film, capacity of the packet and cost of the solutes is a major consideration in the choice of size and type of materials for a particular application.
This invention has been described herein in considerable detail in order to comply with the patent statutes and to provide those skilled in the art with the information needed to apply the novel principles and to construct and use embodiments of the example as required. However, it is to be understood that the invention can be carried out by specifically different devices and that various modifications can be accomplished without departing from the scope of the invention itself.

Claims

1. A humidity regulating system for use in fabric storage comprising:

(a) a storage container defining a volume for storing fabric articles of interest and having a selected water vapor transmission rate;

(b) a closure arrangement that generally effectively seals fabric items in said storage container thereby creating a storage environment; and

(c) one or more humidity regulating units in communication with the interior of said storage container capable of regulating a desired, generally constant relative humidity in said storage environment that will not support mold growth in said fabric articles of interest during a selected duration.

2. A humidity regulating system as in claim 1 wherein material of said storage container comprises a polymer film.

3. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein said material of said storage container has a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.40 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²)/24 hours.

4. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein said material of said storage container has a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.10 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²)/24 hours.

5. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein said material of said storage container has a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.03 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²)/24 hours.

6. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein the storage container further comprises a metal foil and wherein said storage container has a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.001 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²)/24 hours.

7. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein said storage container further comprises a garment bag having a closure device selected from zippers, sliders, matching strip in groove systems, resealing tape and hook and loop devices designed to minimize the passage of vapor between the storage environment and the interior of the container.

8. A humidity regulating system as in claim 1 wherein said humidity is controlled at ≦50% RH.

9. A humidity regulating system as in claim 2 wherein said storage container comprises a material selected from vinyl, polyester, polyamide or polyalkylenes.

10. A humidity regulating system as in claim 9 wherein said material of said storage container is further coated on one or both sides with a material selected from a diverse fabric, foil, metalized film, paper, non-woven polymers and glass films.

11. A humidity regulating system as in claim 1 wherein said one or more humidity regulating units includes a container having an area of water vapor semi-permeable film and contains one or more humidity regulating materials.

12. A humidity regulating system as in claim 11 wherein said humidity regulating units are selected from flexible pouches, semi-rigid containers and rigid containers of selected size and capacity.

13. A humidity regulating system as in claim 11 wherein said humidity regulating materials include one or more hygroscopic salts and a brine-tolerant thickening material.

14. A humidity regulating system as in claim 12 wherein said humidity regulating materials include one or more hygroscopic salts and a brine-tolerant thickening material.

15. A humidity regulating system as in claim 12 wherein the humidity regulating materials include anhydrous magnesium chloride and anhydrous calcium chloride in a ratio ranging from about 1 part magnesium chloride and 99 parts calcium chloride to about 99 parts magnesium chloride to 1 part calcium chloride.

16. A humidity regulating system as in claim 13 wherein the humidity regulating materials include anhydrous magnesium chloride and anhydrous calcium chloride in a ratio ranging from about 1 part magnesium chloride and 99 parts calcium chloride to about 99 parts magnesium chloride to 1 part calcium chloride.

17. A humidity regulating system as in claim 13 wherein said humidity regulating materials include an amount of anhydrous calcium chloride, an amount of powdered confectioners sugar and an amount of xanthan gum.

18. A humidity regulating system as in claim 17 further comprising an amount of calcium chloride dihydrate and an amount of hydroxypropyl alginate.

19. A humidity regulating system as in claim 13 wherein said thickening material includes confectioners sugar.

20. A humidity regulating system as in claim 19 wherein the amount of said confectioners sugar is from about 1% to about 35%.

21. A humidity regulating system as in claim 1 wherein said storage container is selected from the group consisting of bins and drawers having closure systems in the form of sealing sheets selected from the group consisting of coated paper, cardboard and plastic sealed about the interior of the drawer.

22. A humidity regulating system as in claim 12 wherein said one or more humidity regulating units are contained in pouches in said storage container.

23. A humidity regulating system as in claim 11 further comprising an amount of one or more thickening materials.

24. A humidity regulating system as in claim 23 further comprising an amount of powdered sugar.

25. A humidity regulating system for use in storing fabric articles of interest comprising:

(a) a storage container defining a volume for storing said articles of interest and having a generally low water vapor transmission rate;

(b) a closure arrangement that generally effectively seals said articles of interest in said storage container thereby creating a storage environment; and

(c) one or more humidity regulating units containing amounts of humidity regulating materials in communication with the interior of said storage container capable of regulating a desired, generally constant relative humidity in said storage environment that will maintain a desired humidity range in said articles of interest during a selected duration.

26. A humidity regulating system as in claim 24 wherein the materials of said storage container comprises a polymer film having a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.40 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²/24 hours).

27. A humidity regulating system as in claim 25 wherein the materials of said storage container comprises a polymer film having a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.10 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²/24 hours).

28. A humidity regulating system as in claim 25 wherein said humidity regulating units are flexible pouches having an area of water vapor, semi-permeable film and contain one or more humidity regulating materials.

29. A humidity regulating system as in claim 28 wherein said humidity regulating units further comprise an amount of a thickening material.

30. A humidity regulating system as in claim 29 wherein said storage container further comprises a clothing bag.

31. A humidity regulating system as in claim 25 wherein said humidity regulating materials are selected from salts of alkaline earth metals and alkali metals.

32. A humidity regulating system for use in storing items of interest comprising:

33. A humidity regulating system as in claim 32 wherein said items of interest are selected from edible materials.

34. A humidity regulating system as in claim 33 wherein the materials of said storage container comprises a polymer film having a water vapor transmission rate of ≦0.40 gm/100 sq. in. (645.16 cm²/24 hours).

35. A humidity regulating system as in claim 33 wherein said humidity regulating units are flexible pouches having an area of water vapor, semi-permeable film and contain one or more humidity regulating materials.

36. A humidity regulating system as in claim 35 wherein said humidity regulating materials include one or more hygroscopic salts and a brine-tolerant thickening material.

37. A humidity regulating system as in claim 36 wherein said humidity regulating materials are selected from salts of alkaline earth metals and alkali metals.

38. A humidity regulating system as in claim 33 wherein said storage container comprises a material selected from vinyl, polyester, polyamide or polyalkylenes.

39. A humidity regulating system as in claim 38 wherein said material of said storage container is further coated on one or both sides with a material selected from a diverse fabric, foil, metalized film, paper, non-woven polymers and glass films.

40. A humidity regulating system as in claim 32 wherein said storage container comprises a material selected from vinyl, polyester, polyamide or polyalkylenes.

41. A humidity regulating system as in claim 40 wherein said material of said storage container is further coated on one or both sides with a material selected from a diverse fabric, foil, metalized film, paper, non-woven polymers and glass films.

42. A humidity regulating system as in claim 32 wherein said one or more humidity regulating units includes a container having an area of water vapor semi-permeable film and contains one or more humidity regulating materials.

43. A humidity regulating system as in claim 42 wherein said humidity regulating materials include one or more hygroscopic salts and a brine-tolerant thickening material.

44. A humidity regulating system as in claim 43 wherein said humidity regulating materials are selected from salts of alkaline earth metals and alkali metals.

45. A method of regulating the humidity in a storage container for storing items of interest comprising:

(a) providing a storage container defining a selected volume for storing said articles of interest and having a selected generally low water vapor transmission rate and a closure arrangement that generally effectively seals said articles of interest in said storage container thereby creating a storage environment; and

(b) placing one or more selected humidity regulating units containing amounts of humidity regulating materials in communication with the interior of said storage container to regulate the humidity in said storage environment.

46. A method as in claim 45 including selecting humidity regulating materials and any size and number of humidity regulating units based on a desired value of regulated humidity in said storage container, desired storage duration and ambient humidity.