Fabric conditioning and cleaning system

Claim 1

A method of cleaning and conditioning a fabric with pressurized fluid from a Coanda nozzle comprising: positioning a generally smoothly curved Coanda fluid flow attachment foil surface adjacent to a slit defining element to form an elongated slit; directing said fluid in a predetermined direction under pressure through said slit whereby fluid attaches to said foil surface after passage through said slit and whereby said fluid deviates from the predetermined direction and flows along the curvature of said surface due to the Coanda effect away from said slit and ambient air is entrained with said fluid as the fluid flows along the curvature of the foil surface; disposing said fabric closely adjacent to said foil surface and in registry with at least a portion of said surface whereby said fabric and said surface define a restricted and diminishing passageway terminating at an extended nip between said fabric and said surface; moving said fabric relative to said surface and in a path of movement spaced away from said slit and generally at right angles thereto; directing the combined fluid and ambient air flow into said passageway along said foil surface toward said extended nip and thereby creating pressure differentials at said fabric in the vicinity of said nip and passageway with said fluid and ambient air; and utilizing the pressure differentials created by said fluid and ambient air to condition said fabric and remove foreign matter from said fabric.

Claim 2

A method of cleaning and conditioning a fabric with pressurized fluid from a Coanda nozzle comprising: positioning a generally smoothly curved Coanda fluid flow attachment foil surface adjacent to a slit defining element to form an elongated slit; directing said fluid in a predetermined direction under pressure through said slit whereby fluid attaches to said foil surface after passage through said slit and whereby said fluid deviates from the predetermined direction and flows along the curvature of said surface due to the Coanda effect away from said slit and ambient air is entrained with said fluid as the fluid flows along the curvature of the foil surface; disposing said fabric closely adjacent to said foil surface and in registry with at least a portion of said surface whereby said fabric and said surface define a restricted and diminishing passageway terminating at an extended nip between said fabric and said surface; moving said fabric relative to said surface and in a path of movement spaced away from said slit and generally at right angles thereto; directing the combined fluid and ambient air flow into said passageway along said foil surface toward said extended nip and thereby creating pressure differentials at said fabric in the vicinity of said nip and passageway with said fluid and ambient air; and utilizing the pressure differentials created by said fluid and ambient air to condition said fabric and remove foreign matter from said fabric.

Claim 9

A method of cleaning and conditioning a fabric, comprising the steps of: moving said fabric in a predetermined direction; during said fabric movement bringing said fabric into close proximity with a Coanda nozzle having a foil defining a generally smoothly curved Coanda fluid flow attachment surface and a slit defining element spaced from said fluid flow attachment surface and extending across at least part of the width of said fabric; maintaining said fabric and a predetermined portion of said surface in close proximity and in at least partial registry to define a nip therebetween; forming a diminishing passageway between said surface and said fabric leading to said nip; directing a fluid in a predetermined direction under pressure through a slit defined by the surface of said foil and said slit defining element and spaced from said fabric and generally at right angles thereto and engaging said fluid with said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface; utilizing the Coanda effect to attach the fluid to said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface of said foil while substantially simultaneously entraining ambient air with said fluid; and directing the combined flow of pressurized fluid and ambient air into said passageway along said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface toward said nip whereby said fluid and said ambient air create pressure differentials at said fabric in the vicinity of said passageway and nip; and utilizing the pressure differentials to remove foreign matter from said fabric and condition said fabric.

Claim 10

A method of cleaning and conditioning a fabric, comprising the steps of: moving said fabric in a predetermined direction; during said fabric movement bringing said fabric into close proximity with a Coanda nozzle having a foil defining a generally smoothly curved Coanda fluid flow attachment surface and a slit defining element spaced from said fluid flow attachment surface and extending across at least part of the width of said fabric; maintaining said fabric and a predetermined portion of said surface in close proximity and in at least partial registry to define a nip therebetween; forming a diminishing passageway between said surface and said fabric leading to said nip; directing a fluid in a predetermined direction under pressure through a slit defined by the surface of said foil and said slit defining element and spaced from said fabric and generally at right angles thereto and engaging said fluid with said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface; utilizing the Coanda effect to attach the fluid to said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface of said foil while substantially simultaneously entraining ambient air with said fluid; and directing the combined flow of pressurized fluid and ambient air into said passageway along said Coanda fluid flow attachment surface toward said nip whereby said fluid and said ambient air create pressure differentials at said fabric in the vicinity of said passageway and nip; and utilizing the pressure differentials to remove foreign matter from said fabric and condition said fabric.