US 12,378,726 B2
Method and apparatus for dyeing garments
Jason Andrew Berns, Montclair, NJ (US); and Richard Paul Tinsley, Stamford, CT (US)
Assigned to RALPH LAUREN CORPORATION, New York, NY (US)
Filed by Ralph Lauren Corporation, New York, NY (US)
Filed on May 13, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/662,799.
Application 18/662,799 is a continuation of application No. 18/344,449, filed on Jun. 29, 2023, granted, now 12,031,268.
Application 18/344,449 is a continuation of application No. 16/855,838, filed on Apr. 22, 2020, granted, now 11,732,408, issued on Aug. 22, 2023.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/925,078, filed on Oct. 23, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/837,165, filed on Apr. 22, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0295071 A1, Sep. 5, 2024
Int. Cl. D06P 1/00 (2006.01); D06B 23/24 (2006.01); G05B 15/02 (2006.01); A41D 27/00 (2006.01)
CPC D06P 1/0008 (2013.01) [D06B 23/24 (2013.01); G05B 15/02 (2013.01); A41D 27/00 (2013.01)] 16 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An apparatus for dyeing dye-absorbent material, the apparatus comprising:
a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye;
a dyeing machine comprising a dyeing chamber configured for dyeing at least one dye-absorbent material in a dyebath, wherein the dyebath comprises the concentrated liquid dye received from the dye injection system and a volume of solvent; and
a controller in communication with the dye injection system and the dyeing machine, wherein the controller is configured to:
receive at least one material parameter corresponding to the at least one dye-absorbent material;
based at least in part on the at least one received material parameter, cause the dye injection system to dispense a volume of concentrated liquid dye that contains an amount of dyestuff that can be substantially absorbed by the at least one dye-absorbent material; and
cause the dyeing machine to execute a dye cycle such that substantially all of the dyestuff in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the at least one dye-absorbent material within the dyeing chamber;
wherein the dyeing machine is configured to maintain at least a portion of the volume of solvent within a substantially closed-loop system for reuse in a subsequent dye cycle.