Method and apparatus for dyeing garments

Abstract

To provide an apparatus and method for dyeing garments that is fast and flexible and capable of responding to rapid changes in product demand in an economically and environmentally efficient manner. [Solution] The invention includes a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye, a dyeing machine including a dyeing chamber configured to dye garments in a dye bath, and a controller in communication with the dye injection system and the dyeing machine, wherein the controller is configured to receive garment parameters corresponding to the garment, and based on the received garment parameters, cause the dye injection system to dispense a volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by the garment, and cause the dyeing machine to perform a dye cycle so that substantially all of the pigment in the dispensed concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the garment in the dyeing chamber.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This patent application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 837,165, filed April 22, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 925,078, filed October 23, 2019, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. [Background technology]

[0002] In both industrial and commercial applications, known garment dyeing processes are expensive and time consuming. In particular, existing garment dyeing processes use large amounts of dye, water, salt, and other materials that are used to impart a desired color to a garment and must be disposed of. Conventional dyeing processes often require the use of dyes that include a premixed solution of pigments, water, salt, and other ingredients that are added to enhance the compatibility of the dye with the garment, fabric, or fiber. The premixed solution may be delivered to a dyeing machine containing water, where the garment absorbs only a portion of the pigment present in the dye bath, leaving the resulting waste liquor in the dyeing machine.

[0003] Although processes have evolved to include complex and expensive methods of filtering and / or treating the post-dye water, residual contaminants in the water prevent the remaining water from being reused in the dyeing process for various flexible colors. Indeed, even modern dyeing processes cannot avoid excessive and inefficient consumption of raw materials.

[0004] In an industry driven by consumer need, adapting to evolving trends or seasonal preferences requires flexibility and efficiency that is lacking in existing garment dyeing processes. Not only are the large batch manufacturing processes that currently define the industry wasteful, they are unable to support rapid shifts in customer color preferences. Current garment dyeing processes are defined by rigid systems that cannot accommodate, for example, variability or customization of garment colors and / or patterns without sacrificing efficiency, quality, and / or resources. Additionally, existing garment dyeing processes have long been defined by inefficient use of excess water, dyes, and other wasteful by-products, requiring significant efforts to control pollution and environmental impacts. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Thus, there exists a need in the background art for a rapid and flexible method for dyeing garments that can respond to rapid changes in product demand in an economically and environmentally efficient manner. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Various embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method for dyeing garments, the apparatus comprising: a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye; a dyeing machine including a dyeing chamber configured to dye at least one garment in a dye bath having concentrated liquid dye and a volume of solvent received from the dye injection system; and a controller in communication with the dye injection system and the dyeing machine, the controller configured to receive at least one garment parameter corresponding to the at least one garment, and cause the dye injection system to dispense a volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by the at least one garment based at least in part on the at least one received garment parameter, and cause the dyeing machine to perform a dye cycle such that substantially all of the pigment in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the at least one garment in the dyeing chamber.

[0007] In various embodiments, the dye bath in the dye chamber may be substantially free of sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and alkali content throughout the dye cycle. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be configured to run a dye cycle with the dye bath at substantially ambient room temperature. In various embodiments, the at least one garment parameter may include at least one garment weight. In certain embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise a weight sensor. Further, in various embodiments, the controller may further be configured to receive the at least one garment weight from the weight sensor. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be configured to maintain the volume of solvent in a substantially closed loop system. In certain embodiments, the apparatus may further comprise at least one holding tank in fluid communication with the dye chamber, the at least one holding tank may be configured to hold the volume of solvent between dye cycles.

[0008] In various embodiments, the volume of solvent can include water. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye can include a pigment and water. In various embodiments, the dye injection system can include a plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges, each of the plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges configured to store a volume of concentrated liquid dye having a unique dye color. In certain embodiments, the plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges of the dye injection system can include between 7 and 12 concentrated liquid dye cartridges. In various embodiments, the controller is further configured to cause the dye injection system to dispense the volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by at least one garment based at least in part on a desired garment color selected by a user. In various embodiments, the controller can be further configured to cause one or more of the plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges to dispense concentrated liquid dye into the dye chamber to generate a desired garment color selected by a user during a dye cycle based at least in part on a desired garment color selected by a user. In certain embodiments, the device can further include a user interface configured to allow a user to select a desired garment color. In various embodiments, a dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye contains an amount of dye substantially less than or equal to the dye absorption capacity of at least one garment.

[0009] Various embodiments relate to a method of dyeing garments, the method including the steps of: preparing an apparatus for dyeing garments, the apparatus comprising a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye; and a dyeing machine having a dyeing chamber configured to dye at least one garment in the dye bath; receiving at least one garment and a volume of solvent in the dyeing chamber of the dyeing machine; receiving at least one garment parameter corresponding to the at least one garment; dispensing a volume of concentrated liquid dye through the dye injection system, the volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by the at least one garment, to generate a dye bath having concentrated liquid dye and the volume of solvent dispensed from the dye injection system based at least in part on the at least one received garment parameter; and running a dye cycle such that substantially all of the pigment in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the at least one garment in the dyeing chamber.

[0010] In various embodiments, the pigment in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is configured such that upon execution of a dye cycle, a resulting dye bath disposed in a dye chamber of the dyeing machine is at least substantially free of added dye enhancer, and executing the dye cycle includes maintaining the dye bath at substantially ambient temperature. In various embodiments, the at least one garment parameter includes a garment weight corresponding to a weight of the at least one garment.

[0011] The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.

[0012] Reference is now made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, in which: [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary staining apparatus. [Diagram 2]1A-1C are schematic diagrams illustrating exemplary devices according to various embodiments. [Diagram 3] 1 is a flow diagram of an example method for dyeing garments according to certain example embodiments described herein. [Figure 4] 1 is a flow diagram of an exemplary method for cationizing garments in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 5A] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary garment that has been cationized in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 5B] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary garment that has been cationized in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 6A] 1 illustrates an exemplary garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 6B] 1 illustrates an exemplary garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 7A] 1 illustrates an exemplary garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 7B] 1 illustrates an exemplary garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 illustrates an experimental example garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 9] 1 illustrates an exemplary garment dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. [Figure 10] 1A-1C illustrate various experimental exemplary garment pieces dyed in accordance with certain exemplary embodiments described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] The following description should be read with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals indicate like elements throughout the several views. The detailed description and drawings depict several embodiments that are intended to be illustrative of the present disclosure. It should be understood that any numbering of the disclosed features (e.g., first, second, etc.) and / or directional terms used in conjunction with the disclosed features (e.g., front, back, top, bottom, side, etc.) are relative terms that indicate exemplary relationships between associated features.

[0015] Although exemplary implementations of one or more aspects are described below, it should be understood at the outset that the disclosed assemblies, systems, and methods can be implemented using any number of techniques, whether currently known or not yet in existence. The disclosure of the present invention should in no way be limited to the exemplary implementations, drawings, and techniques described below, but rather can be modified within the scope of the appended claims along with their full range of equivalents. Although values ​​for dimensions of various elements are disclosed, the drawings may not be to scale.

[0016] The words "example" or "exemplary" as used herein are intended to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as an "example" or "exemplary embodiment" is not necessarily preferred or advantageous over other implementations.

[0017] overview Described herein are methods and apparatus for efficient garment dyeing that allow for on-demand dyeing of garments in a substantially closed loop system. As will be appreciated from the description herein, the various disclosed methods and apparatus minimize waste and environmental impact. In exemplary implementations, garment dyeing methods and apparatus can be utilized to dye garments on a scalable level (e.g., individual garments, small batches of garments, or large batches of garments). Although the various embodiments described herein relate to dyeing garments, it should be understood that the method and apparatus embodiments disclosed herein can be configured to dye materials other than garments (e.g., garment yarns, yarns, woven sheets, any colorable fabric, or any other dye-absorbent material).

[0018] In various embodiments, the methods and apparatus use a predetermined amount of concentrated liquid dye that does not include various salts (e.g., sodium chloride, sodium sulfate) and various other additives (e.g., soda ash, caustic soda, etc.) used in conventional dyeing processes, as described in more detail herein. In such embodiments, the amount of concentrated liquid dye used is based on garment parameters corresponding to the dye uptake capacity of the garment (e.g., the weight (or mass) of fibers in the garment being dyed).

[0019] In such an exemplary implementation, the concentrated liquid dye, composed primarily of pigment and water, can be dispensed directly into a dyeing machine. In the dyeing machine, the dispensed concentrated liquid dye is mixed with a dyeing solvent (e.g., water) at the point of dyeing to form a dye bath. The garments cationized in the dyeing machine can then absorb all of the pigment present in the dye bath (e.g., as a result of the weight-based injection of a predetermined amount of concentrated liquid dye). This process thus results in water that is free of all but trace amounts of contaminants (e.g., less than 5% contaminant concentration), making the resulting water suitable for direct reuse in subsequent dyeing processes.

[0020] In various implementations, a filtration system can be used to treat the remaining water prior to reuse in the dyeing process, where auxiliary materials such as, for example, garment manufacturing shreds can be used to absorb the remaining volume of dye in the dye bath. Such an exemplary system configuration allows the same solvent to be used to dye subsequent garments with different dye color combinations, thereby allowing the dyeing process to maintain the flexibility of utilizing the closed-loop water system to dye garments different colors in subsequent uses. The exemplary closed-loop water systems described herein not only eliminate the large amounts of water consumption that define many conventional dyeing processes, but also eliminate the need for bulky water holding tanks, substantially minimizing the footprint of the dyeing equipment.

[0021] In one exemplary implementation, the amount of water present in the system can be independent of the dyeing process, as long as the garment is able to fully absorb the dye, since the relationship that governs dye absorption is the ratio of dye volume to garment weight. The complex chemical calculations that traditional dyeing processes require to ensure optimal dyeing conditions are greatly simplified by substantially eliminating the solution-to-product ratio as a variable to be adjusted. As described herein, such an exemplary configuration allows for a simplified dyeing process, where the amount of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine is based solely on the weight of the garment being dyed, given the resulting garment color selected.

[0022] In various applications, due to the minimized physical and environmental footprint and simplified chemical calculations, the improved dyeing process disclosed herein can enable garments to be dyed to a selected color on demand based on user input in either a retail or manufacturing environment.

[0023] Further described herein are systems and methods for efficiently dyeing patterned garments that allow for patterned cationization of the garments on demand, and subsequently form a predetermined pattern of dye when the garments undergo a dyeing process. As will be appreciated from the description herein, the disclosed methods are substantially automated, rapid, and minimize waste and environmental impact. In exemplary implementations, the method for dyeing patterned garments can be utilized on a scalable level (e.g., individual garments, small batches of garments, or large batches of garments). It should be appreciated that the method for dyeing patterned garments described herein can be utilized independently or in combination with the disclosed methods and apparatus for dyeing garments, as described herein.

[0024] In various embodiments, a method of dyeing patterned garments can include selectively applying a cationic treatment to one or more areas on the garment to generate a localized cationic pattern. The cationic treatment can be applied to the garment using various techniques, such as, for example, screen printing, spraying, and / or digital printing. In such a situation, when the garment is subsequently subjected to a dyeing operation, substantially all of the dye volume absorbed by the garment is absorbed in the areas of the garment to which the cationic treatment was applied, while the untreated areas of the garment can maintain their original garment color. Furthermore, the shading depth of the colored pattern can be selectively varied by varying one or more of the dye volume used in the dyeing operation, the run time of the dye cycle, and the concentration of the cationic treatment applied to the areas of the garment ("cation concentration"). As described herein, selective application of a localized amount of cationic pretreatment to generate a colored pattern on the garment eliminates the need for a subsequent reduction step that is often necessary to achieve a desired pattern. That is, as described herein, the present invention reduces both the amount of waste liquor discharged in the dyeing process and the production time associated with the manufacture of patterned garments.

[0025] Equipment for dyeing As shown in FIG. 1, the exemplary dyeing apparatus 100 can include an apparatus housing 101 , a dyeing machine 110 , a dye injection system 120 , a filtration system 130 , one or more holding tanks 140 , and a controller 200 .

[0026] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can comprise a commercial dyeing vessel configured to receive one or more cationized garments. The dyeing machine 110 can further be configured to receive a volume of solvent and a volume of concentrated liquid dye dispensed directly from a dye injection system 120 positioned adjacent to the dyeing machine 110. The dyeing machine 110 can be positioned on a support surface, such as, for example, a floor. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can be configured to perform a dye cycle. The dye cycle includes mixing one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye dispensed directly into the dyeing machine and dyeing the garments in the dyeing machine 110. As described herein, the dyeing machine 110 can be configured to perform a dye cycle such that substantially all of the pigment in the volume of concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the dyeing machine is absorbed into the garment (or garments) in the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine can comprise a machine configured for beam dyeing, yarn dyeing, jigger dyeing, winch dyeing, soft flow dyeing, or air flow dyeing processes.

[0027] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can include a dyeing chamber configured to dye at least one garment in a dye bath. The dyeing chamber can be configured to receive at least one garment and a dye bath (e.g., a volume of solvent, such as water, and a volume of concentrated liquid dye). For example, the dyeing chamber can include an internal chamber disposed within the housing 101 of the dyeing machine 110. In the illustrated embodiment, the internal chamber of the dyeing machine is an inner cylindrical chamber 111. In some embodiments, the inner cylindrical chamber 111 of the dyeing machine 110 can have a volumetric capacity, for example, between 10 and 10,000 liters, and can be configured to rotate at a speed, for example, between 1 and 100 RPM during a dye cycle. In various embodiments, the rotational speed of the inner cylindrical chamber 111 of the dyeing machine can be constant or can be varied throughout the dye cycle to facilitate relative motion between the garment and the dye bath to promote entanglement of the garment with the volume of dye present in the dye bath.

[0028] In various embodiments, the dye bath can comprise a volume of solvent and a volume of concentrated liquid dye. Thus, the dye bath may essentially consist of a volume of solvent and a volume of concentrated liquid dye throughout the dye cycle. In embodiments where the concentrated liquid dye itself includes water and pigment, the dye bath can also include a volume of water and an amount of pigment (dispensed through the concentrated liquid dye).

[0029] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can be configured to maintain the dye bath at substantially ambient temperature during the dye cycle. For example, depending on the type of dye used (e.g., reactive, direct, or acid type), the dyeing machine can be configured to maintain the temperature of the dye bath between 18 and 95°C throughout the dye cycle. By operating the dye cycle at substantially ambient temperature as described herein, the dyeing machine 110 can avoid the need to heat the dye bath to a temperature substantially higher than ambient temperature (e.g., 20°C), thereby significantly reducing the amount of energy consumed during the dyeing process compared to conventional dyeing processes. The dyeing machine 110 can be configured to execute the dye cycle for an operating time that lasts for a period related to the weight of the garment in the dyeing machine, the shade depth of the resulting garment color, and the depletion of the dye into the fibers of the garment. In an exemplary implementation, the dye cycle may include a length of time between 20 and 60 minutes (e.g., between 30 and 45 minutes).

[0030] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can be fluidly connected to the filtration system 130. In such exemplary embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can be configured to dispense a dye bath including a volume of solvent and a residual volume of the dye bath not absorbed by the garment such that the dye bath can be directed to the filtration system 130 after completion of the dye cycle. Additionally, the dyeing machine 110 can be fluidly connected to one or more holding tanks 140. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can be configured to receive an at least substantially clean volume of solvent from either the one or more holding tanks 140 or directly from the filtration system 130 prior to execution of the dye cycle. In various embodiments, the volume of solvent received by the dyeing machine 110 can be substantially equal to or less than the volume of the dyeing machine 110. Additionally, in various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can include one or more liquid flow meters positioned at the solvent inlet and / or the solvent outlet, each configured to measure the volume of water being received and the volume of water being dispensed by the dyeing machine 110, respectively. The dyeing machine 110 may further include a level indicator configured to measure the volume of water present in the dyeing machine 110 .

[0031] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be configured to wash and / or dry the garments after the dye cycle is completed and the remaining dye bath is dispensed from the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, the garments may be washed one or more times to flush the volume of hydrolyzed dye from the garments. In various embodiments, the number of times the garments are washed may depend on the shade depth of the garment output color selected by the user.

[0032] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine 110 can further include a weight sensor (e.g., a scale) to determine the weight of the garment being dyed. In various embodiments, the weight sensor can be either integrated within the dyeing machine 110 or included as a separate component. In various embodiments, the weight sensor can be configured to communicate the measured weight to the controller 200.

[0033] By way of example only, the dyeing machine 110 may comprise a Flainox NRG, E-Color, and Essiccatoi machine, or any other suitable dyeing machine having the configuration as described herein.

[0034] In various embodiments, the dye injection system 120 can be positioned adjacent to the dyeing machine 110 such that one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye can be dispensed directly from the dye injection system 120 into the dyeing machine 110. The dye injection system 120 can include a dye housing 121 configured to accommodate each of one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye and a corresponding dispensing mechanism. As described herein, the concentrated liquid dye can include a quantity of pigment and a volume of solvent and can be associated with a unique color based on the composition of the dye. For example, the concentrated liquid dye used in various embodiments can be composed of only water and pigment (e.g., chromophore). In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye can be free of various additives traditionally used to increase dye uptake in dyeing processes, such as, for example, various added salts (e.g., sodium chloride, sodium sulfate), alkali content (e.g., sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate), or other contaminants. In certain embodiments, the concentrate may comprise, in addition to water and dye, one or more longevity improvers (e.g., sodium tripolyphosphate and / or antimicrobial agents) configured to extend the useful life of the concentrated liquid dye.

[0035] In various embodiments, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye can be stored in one or more concentrated liquid dye cartridges 122, respectively. The dye housing 121 can be configured to securely position each of the one or more concentrated liquid dye cartridges 122 such that they are fluidly connected to a respective dispense header 123. In various embodiments, the dye injection system 120 can include between 1 and 20 (e.g., between 7 and 12) concentrated liquid dye cartridges 122, each containing concentrated liquid dye associated with a respective concentrated liquid dye color. In various embodiments, the one or more corresponding dye dispense headers 123 can be configured to direct a flow of the concentrated liquid dye volumes dispensed from the concentrated liquid dye cartridges 122 to the dyeing machine 110. The exemplary apparatus shown in FIG. 1 has 12 concentrated liquid dye cartridges 122 and 12 corresponding dye dispense headers 123.

[0036] As described herein, the dye injection system 120 can be configured to facilitate dispensing one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye to the dyeing machine to generate garments of a preselected result garment color. In various embodiments, each of the concentrated liquid dyes can be associated with a respective concentrated liquid dye color. By way of non-limiting example, the various concentrated liquid dyes can include Orange 1, Orange 2, Yellow 1, Yellow 2, Blue 1, Turquoise 3, and / or Red 2, etc. The one or more concentrated liquid dyes can be dispensed in various ratios such that the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed to the dyeing machine 110 includes dye input colors configured to generate a user preselected result garment color. By way of non-limiting example, the various result garment colors can include exemplary proprietary colors (e.g., for convenience, referred to herein as light orange, bold orange, pale yellow, dark yellow, dark blue, light turquoise, dark red, etc.) having manufacturer-specified characteristics. In various embodiments, each resulting garment color can be associated with a shade depth (e.g., a light orange includes a lighter shade depth than a bold orange). In various embodiments, the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color (i.e., the dispensing ratio of each concentrated liquid dye) defines the dye input color and affects the shade of the resulting garment color. Furthermore, as described herein, the shade depth of the resulting garment color can correspond at least in part to the total amount of dye (per unit weight or other garment parameter) required to produce a garment having the resulting garment color. For example, in an exemplary situation where a first resulting garment color includes a more pronounced shade depth than the lighter shade depth of a second resulting garment color, a greater total amount of dye (e.g., per unit weight of the garment being dyed) may be required to produce a garment having the first resulting garment color.

[0037] Further, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the respective dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume) may be based at least in part on garment parameters corresponding to at least one garment in the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, the garment parameters may be characteristics of a garment (or a group of garments) that at least in part define the garment's ability to absorb a volume of dye (e.g., the dye absorption capacity of the garment). In other words, the garment parameters may be characteristics or properties of a garment (or a group of garments) that are known to correspond to the garment's dye absorption capacity (e.g., the total amount of dye that the garment or group of garments can absorb from a dye bath). As non-limiting examples, the garment parameters may be garment weight, garment size (e.g., for a known garment type where the garment size corresponds to a known absorption capacity), garment SKU, and any garment value that corresponds to a known dye absorption capacity. For example, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the respective dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the amount of the overall total concentrated liquid dye) may correspond proportionally to the weight of the garments in the dyeing machine 110 (e.g., such that the amount of the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed from the dye injection system to produce garments of a given garment color depends on the weight of the garments). For example, the amount of pigment in the overall total volume concentrated liquid dye dispensed to dye the garments may be less than the dye absorption capacity of the garments.

[0038] Further, for example, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the respective dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the total concentrated liquid dye volume) can correspond to the cationic concentration of the garments in the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, it may be known that the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be absorbed by the garments will result in the greatest depth of garment color. This maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be absorbed also defines the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be dispensed into the system for dyeing the garments. As will be understood from the description herein, the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be absorbed depends on the concentration of the concentrated liquid dye (e.g., the amount of pigment per unit volume of solvent containing the concentrated liquid dye) and the weight of the garments being dyed (e.g., a heavy garment can absorb more pigment than a light garment of the same material).

[0039] In various embodiments, a smaller amount of dye can be pumped into the machine to affect the shade depth of the dye input color (e.g., to produce a lighter shade of the dye input color). As a non-limiting example, in various embodiments, a first resultant garment color corresponding to a lighter shade depth may require a smaller amount of dye (per unit weight of garment) to be dispensed into the machine (e.g., through one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye) than a second resultant garment color corresponding to a more pronounced shade depth. Thus, in various embodiments, the resultant garment color can be a function of both the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color and the amount of concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the system (proportional to the weight of the garment being dyed).

[0040] The controller 200 can be configured to calculate both the appropriate ratio and the appropriate volume of each concentrated liquid dye to dispense based on input received from a user at the user interface. For example, the controller can be configured to cause the dye injection system to dispense a volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of dye that can be substantially absorbed by at least one garment (i.e., substantially less than or equal to the dye absorption capacity of the at least one garment) based at least in part on the at least one garment parameter. The dye injection system 120 can be configured to receive communication from the controller 200 and, in response, dispense an appropriate amount of each concentrated liquid dye to the dyeing machine 110.

[0041] In various embodiments, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed from the respective dispensing headers 123 directly to the dyeing machine 110. In various other embodiments, a volume of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed from the respective dispensing headers 123 to a mixing tank to facilitate thorough mixing prior to further dispensing to the dyeing machine 110. In yet another embodiment, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed to a common delivery conduit configured to receive one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye from the respective dispensing headers 123 and deliver each volume to the dyeing machine 110. In such an embodiment, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye may be present in the delivery conduit substantially simultaneously to facilitate mixing of the respective volumes within the delivery conduit. In certain embodiments, the delivery conduit may further comprise mixing hardware present in the delivery conduit configured to further facilitate mixing by creating a tortuous fluid flow. The delivery conduit may also be fluidly connected to a concentrated liquid dye recovery funnel or other suitable recovery mechanism configured to capture and direct each of the one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye to the delivery conduit.

[0042] By way of example only, dye injection system 120 may comprise a ColorService SRL JIT automatic dye dosing machine, a Datacolor Autolab TF dispensing system, or any other suitable dye injection system having a configuration as described herein.

[0043] In various embodiments, the filtration system 130 can be configured to receive the dye bath from the dyeing machine 110 after the dye cycle is completed and remove the entire residual volume of dye remaining in the dye bath. In various embodiments, the filtration system 130 can include a reservoir and an auxiliary material. The reservoir can be configured to hold the volume of the dye bath dispensed from the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, the reservoir can be manufactured from a non-absorbent inert material such as, for example, polypropylene. In various embodiments, the auxiliary material of the filtration system 130 can be configured to be immersed in the volume of the dye bath to interact with and absorb the entire residual volume of dye. In one exemplary arrangement, the auxiliary material can include excess fabric, fiber, yarn, cotton, and can be cationized to promote dye absorption. For example, the auxiliary material can be sewn into a polypropylene container (i.e., a "tea bag") to promote the interaction of the auxiliary material with the dye bath contents and maintain control during the immersion of the auxiliary material. Alternatively, in various embodiments, the filtration system 130 can comprise a vessel having one or more filters configured to remove the entire remaining volume of dye from the dye bath. Additionally, in alternative circumstances, the filtration system 130 may not include a reservoir, but instead may include only an auxiliary material configured to be immersed in the dye bath after the dye cycle is completed but before the dye bath is dispensed from the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, the filtration system 130 can further comprise a sensor configured to detect when the dye bath has been sufficiently cleaned by measuring the transmission of light through the volume of the dye bath to quantify the presence of remaining impurities.

[0044] In various embodiments, after the resulting volume of colorant is removed from the dye bath, the filtration system 130 can be configured to dispense a substantially clean volume of solvent to one or more holding tanks 140 for storage. Alternatively, the filtration system 130 can be configured to dispense a substantially clean volume of solvent back to the dyeing machine 110 for use in the next dye cycle.

[0045] By way of example only, filtration system 130 may comprise an Axium Process dyehouse wastewater treatment and water reuse system, or any other suitable filtration system having a configuration as described herein.

[0046] In various embodiments, the one or more holding tanks 140 may comprise one or more containers configured to store excess solvent present in the closed loop system of the dyeing apparatus 100 described herein. In various embodiments, each of the one or more holding tanks 140 may hold a volume of solvent substantially equal to or greater than the volume of solvent that may be used to define a dye bath. In various embodiments, the one or more holding tanks 140 may be configured to receive a substantially clean volume of solvent from either the filtration system 130 or the dyeing machine 110. In various embodiments, the one or more holding tanks 140 may be configured to hold a volume of solvent between dyeing cycles. The one or more holding tanks 140 may further be configured to dispense a volume of solvent to the dyeing machine 110. The one or more holding tanks 140 may not be present in various embodiments of the garment dyeing apparatus 100 as described herein.

[0047] By way of example only, the one or more holding tanks 140 may comprise any suitable commercially available liquid holding tank having a configuration as described herein.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 2, the exemplary controller 200 may include processing circuitry 202, memory 204, input-output circuitry 206, communication circuitry 208, dyeing machine circuitry 210, dye injection system circuitry 220, power circuitry 214, and user interface circuitry 216. The exemplary controller 200 may be configured to perform the operations described above with respect to FIG. 1 and below with respect to FIG. 3. In various embodiments, the controller 200 may be disposed within the device housing 101 or may reside outside the device housing as a separate component electronically connected to various other components comprising the device as described herein. Although some of these components 202-216 are described in terms of their functional characteristics, it should be understood that a particular implementation will necessarily include the use of specific hardware to implement such functional characteristics. It should also be understood that certain of these components 202-216 may include similar or common hardware. For example, two sets of circuits may both utilize the same processor, network interface, storage medium, etc. to perform their associated functions, thereby avoiding the need for duplicate hardware for each set of circuits.

[0049] Thus, when used herein with respect to components of the staining apparatus 100, the use of the term "circuitry" includes specific hardware configured to perform the functions associated with the respective circuitry described herein. Of course, the term "circuitry" should be understood broadly to include hardware, but in some embodiments, the circuitry may also include software for configuring the hardware. For example, in some embodiments, the "circuitry" may include processing circuitry, storage media, network interfaces, input-output devices, and other components. In some embodiments, other elements of the controller 200 may provide or complement the functionality of a particular circuit. For example, the processing circuitry 202 may provide processing functionality, the memory 204 may provide storage functionality, and the communication circuitry 208 may provide network interface functionality, among other functions.

[0050] In some embodiments, the processing circuitry 202 (and / or a co-processor, or any other processing circuitry that assists or is otherwise associated with the processor) can communicate with the memory 204 through a bus for passing information between components of the device. The memory 204 can be non-transitory, e.g., can comprise one or more volatile and / or non-volatile memories. For example, the memory 204 can be an electronic storage device (e.g., a computer-readable storage medium). In another example, the memory 204 can be a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium that stores computer-executable program code instructions that, when executed by a computer system, cause the computer system to perform various operations described herein. The memory 204 can be configured to store information, data, content, signal applications, or instructions (e.g., computer-executable program code instructions), etc., to enable the controller 200 to perform various functions according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. For example, the memory 204 can be configured to store garment type data; garment weight data; concentrated liquid dye cartridge fill status data; dye color combination data; concentrated liquid dye data (e.g., dye concentrations); dye cycle configuration techniques; concentrated liquid dye dispensing calculations; dye configuration data; dye injection techniques; energy consumption data; water consumption data; monitor data; any other suitable data or data structures; or any one or more combinations thereof. It will be understood that the memory 204 can be configured to partially or entirely store any electronic information, data, data structures, embodiments, examples, diagrams, processes, operations, techniques, algorithms, instructions, systems, devices, methods, or computer program products described herein, or any combination thereof.

[0051] Processing circuitry 202 may be embodied in a number of different ways, and may, for example, comprise one or more processing devices configured to execute independently. Additionally or alternatively, processing circuitry 202 may comprise one or more processors configured in tandem through a bus to enable independent execution of instructions, pipelining, multi-threading, or a combination thereof. Use of the term "processing circuitry" may be understood to comprise a single core processor, a multi-core processor, multiple processors within a device, a remote processor or a "cloud" processor, or a combination thereof.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the processing circuitry 202 can be configured to execute instructions stored in the memory 204 or otherwise accessible to the processing circuitry 202. Alternatively or additionally, the processing circuitry 202 can be configured to execute hard-coded functions. Thus, the processing circuitry 202 can represent an entity (e.g., physically embodied in circuitry) that, when configured accordingly, can perform operations according to embodiments of the present disclosure, whether comprised of hardware or software methods or a combination of hardware and software. As another example, when the processing circuitry 202 is embodied as an executor of program code instructions, the instructions, when executed, can specifically configure the processor to perform the operations described herein.

[0053] In some embodiments, the controller 200 may include input-output circuitry 206, which in turn may communicate with the processing circuitry 202 to provide output to a user and, in some embodiments, may receive input, such as commands provided by a user. The input-output circuitry 206 may include a user interface, such as a graphical user interface (GUI), and may include a display, which may include a web user interface, a GUI application, a mobile application, a client device, or any other suitable hardware or software. In some embodiments, the input-output circuitry 206 may also include a keyboard, a mouse, a joystick, a display device, a display screen, a touch screen, a touch area, soft keys, a microphone, a speaker (e.g., a buzzer), a light emitting device (e.g., a red light emitting diode (LED), a green LED, a blue LED, a white LED, an infrared (IR) LED, an ultraviolet (UV) LED, or a combination thereof), or other input-output mechanism. The processing circuitry 202, the input-output circuitry 206 (which may utilize the processing circuitry 202), or both may be configured to control one or more functions of one or more user interface elements through computer-executable program code instructions (e.g., software, firmware) stored in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (e.g., memory 204). The input-output circuitry 206 is optional, and in some embodiments, the controller 200 may not include input-output circuitry. For example, when the controller 200 does not directly interact with a user, the controller 200 may generate user interface data for display by one or more other devices with which one or more users directly interact, and transmit the generated user interface data to one or more of those devices. For example, the controller 200 may use the user interface circuitry 216 to generate user interface data for display by one or more display devices, and transmit the generated user interface data to those display devices.

[0054] The communications circuitry 208 may be any device or circuitry, either embodied in hardware or a combination of hardware and software, configured to receive or transmit data to or from a network or any other device, circuit, or module in communication with the controller 200. In this regard, the communications circuitry 208 may comprise, for example, a network interface that enables communication with a wired or wireless communications network. For example, the communications circuitry 208 may comprise one or more network interface cards, antennas, buses, switches, routers, modems, and supporting hardware and / or software, or any other devices suitable for enabling communication over a network. In some embodiments, the communications interface may comprise circuitry that interacts with an antenna to enable communication of signals through the antenna or to process reception of signals received through the antenna. These signals may be transmitted or received by the controller 200 using any of a number of Internet, Ethernet, cellular, satellite, or wireless technologies, such as IEEE 802.11, Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), Universal System for Mobile Communications (UMTS), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), Bluetooth v1.0 and v5.0, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), infrared radio (e.g., IrDA), ultra-wideband (UWB), inductive radio transmission, Wi-Fi, Near Field Communication (NFC), Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX), radio frequency (RF), RFID, or other suitable technologies.

[0055] The dyeing machine circuitry 210 comprises hardware components designed or configured to receive, process, generate, and transmit data associated with the execution of a dye cycle by the dyeing machine and interaction with other components of the dyeing apparatus 100, such as dye cycle start and completion signals. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine circuitry 210 can be configured to receive a dye cycle start command based on a signal transmitted from the input-output circuitry 206, for example. Additionally, the dyeing machine circuitry 210 can be configured to communicate with the memory 204 and process commands associated with dye cycle configuration (e.g., run time, dye bath temperature). In various embodiments, the dyeing machine circuitry 210 can be configured to transmit a dye cycle completion signal to one or more circuit elements of the controller 200.

[0056] The dye injection system circuitry 212 comprises hardware components designed or configured to receive, process, generate, and transmit data such as color composition data and concentrated liquid dye dispensing data. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be configured to receive a user-selected resulting garment color signal from the input-output circuitry 206. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be configured to communicate with the memory 204 and retrieve concentrated liquid dye ratio data associated with the user-selected resulting garment color indicated in the received signal. The concentrated liquid dye ratio data can include respective ratios (i.e., recipes) of each concentrated liquid dye to be dispensed to generate the dye input color associated with the resulting garment color. For example, in various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye ratio data can include respective ratios of each dye to be dispensed to generate the resulting garment color along with the pigment concentration (i.e., the ratio of pigment to water in the concentrated liquid dye) of each concentrated liquid dye. In various embodiments, the memory 204 can store concentrated liquid dye ratio data for each selectable resulting garment color. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye ratio data can include one or more lookup tables (e.g., correlating appropriate ratios of concentrated liquid dyes and / or appropriate total amounts of dye to dispense to produce a garment of the resulting garment color) associated with each available resultant garment color. By way of non-limiting example, an exemplary lookup table can include ratios of various concentrated liquid dye colors corresponding to various unique resultant garment colors, such as:

[0057] (table) TIFF0007612605000001.tif45154

[0058] Further, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to receive at least one garment parameter corresponding to at least one garment from one or more components of the controller 200. For example, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to receive a garment weight signal (e.g., a user-selected garment weight signal) from the dyeing machine circuit 210 (e.g., from a weight sensor) and / or from the input-output circuit 206. Alternatively and / or in addition, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to receive a user-selected garment type signal and / or a garment count signal, in which case the dye injection system circuit 212 can be further configured to identify a garment weight corresponding to the user-selected garment type and / or garment count. In such an exemplary embodiment, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to communicate with the memory 204 to determine a garment weight corresponding to the garment type. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to determine an appropriate size factor to apply to each volume of concentrated liquid dye configured to dispense in the above-mentioned ratios, for example, based on the weight of the garments. For example, in various embodiments, the dye injection system circuitry 212 may retrieve data having one or more look-up tables associated with a correlation of garment weight to a total volume of dye required to completely dye the corresponding garment. In various embodiments, the total volume of dye required to completely dye the corresponding garment may depend on the selected resulting garment color. As a non-limiting example, the total volume of dye required to completely dye a first garment to a unique resulting garment color of dark blue may be greater than the total volume of dye required to completely dye a second garment of an equal garment weight to a unique resulting garment color of light red. In such an embodiment, regardless of the user selected resulting garment color, the total volume of dye required to completely dye a garment of a known garment weight does not exceed the dye absorption capacity of the corresponding weight of fully cationized garment.

[0059] As described herein, the dye injection system circuit 212 can be configured to calibrate a total volume of concentrated liquid dye dispensed through the dye injection system based at least in part on the cation concentration of at least one garment. The total volume of concentrated liquid dye dispensed through the dye injection system can be optimized to minimize the volume of dye remaining in the dye bath as a result of the dye cycle. For example, in various embodiments, the total volume of concentrated liquid dye dispensed through the dye injection system can contain an amount of dye substantially less than or equal to the dye absorption capacity of the garment. As a non-limiting example, various exemplary look-up tables corresponding to various unique resulting garment colors can include a total amount of dye to dispense and / or an overall total concentrated liquid dye calibrated for various garment weights, for example, as follows:

[0060] (table) TIFF0007612605000002.tif56154

[0061] As another non-limiting example, various exemplary look-up tables corresponding to various unique resulting garment colors, such as, for example, light red, may include various volumes of each concentrated liquid dye to be dispensed calibrated for various garment weights, for example, as follows:

[0062] (table) TIFF0007612605000003.tif78154

[0063] In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be configured to transmit the results of the above-described calculations and determinations to the dye injection system 120. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be configured to transmit a dye injection complete signal to one or more circuit elements of the controller 200. As another non-limiting example, the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be configured to receive a garment pattern signal from one or more components of the controller 200, where the dye injection system circuitry 212 can be further configured to identify a garment cation concentration corresponding to the received garment pattern signal.

[0064] As a non-limiting example, the controller 200 (e.g., the dye injection system circuit 212) may receive data corresponding to a garment weight of 150 grams and a user selection of a uniform unique light red resulting garment color. As described herein, the dye injection system circuit 212 may retrieve data from a look-up table indicating that the dye injection system should dispense 3.0 mL of Yellow 1 concentrated liquid dye, 1.5 mL of Orange 1 concentrated liquid dye, and 6.0 mL of Red 2 concentrated liquid dye into an exemplary dyeing machine to produce a light red resulting garment color for 150 grams of fully cationized cotton. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuit 212 may be further configured to determine a dye injection rate at which the three volumes of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed based at least in part on the corresponding garment weight.

[0065] As yet another non-limiting example, the controller 200 (e.g., the dye injection system circuit 212) can receive data corresponding to two size L cotton T-shirts and a user selection of a uniform unique light red resulting garment color. As described herein, the dye injection system circuit 212 can retrieve data from a lookup table indicating that one size L cotton T-shirt has a garment weight of 75 grams and can further determine that the garment weight of one or more garments to be dyed is 150 grams. As described herein, the dye injection system circuit 212 can retrieve data from a lookup table indicating that to produce a light red resulting garment color for 150 grams of fully cationized cotton, the ratio of Yellow 1 dye to Orange 1 dye to Red 2 dye should be 2:1:4. The dye injection system circuit 212 can retrieve data from a lookup table indicating that for 150 grams of fully cationized cotton, 10.50 mL of concentrated liquid dye can be dispensed to produce a light red resulting garment color. Based at least in part on the known percentage allocations of the various concentrated liquid dyes and the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to be dispensed, the dye injection system circuit 212 can determine that 3.0 mL of Yellow 1 concentrated liquid dye, 1.5 mL of Orange 1 concentrated liquid dye, and 6.0 mL of Red 2 concentrated liquid dye should be dispensed into the dyeing machine to produce two size Large cotton T-shirts having a resultant garment color of light red.

[0066] As an alternative non-limiting example, the controller 200 (e.g., the dye injection system circuit 212) can receive data corresponding to a garment weight of 150 grams and a user selection of a uniform custom red resulting garment color. In various embodiments, the dye injection system circuit 212 can determine that Yellow 1 concentrated liquid dye, Orange 1 concentrated liquid dye, and Red 2 concentrated liquid dye must be dispensed in a 1:1:2 ratio to generate the user selected custom red resulting garment color based at least in part on data retrieved from a data lookup table corresponding to a unique light red resulting garment color determined to be at least substantially similar to the selected custom red color. The dye injection system circuit 212 can further determine that 12 mL of concentrated liquid dye must be dispensed to generate the user selected custom red resulting garment color for 150 grams of fully cationized cotton based at least in part on data retrieved from a lookup table corresponding to a unique light red resulting garment color and the determined shade depth of the custom red color. Based at least in part on the determined percentage allocations of the various concentrated liquid dyes and the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to be dispensed, the dye injection system circuit 212 can determine that 3.0 mL of Yellow 1 concentrated liquid dye, 3.0 mL of Orange 1 concentrated liquid dye, and 6.0 mL of Red 2 concentrated liquid dye should be dispensed into the dyeing machine to produce a garment having an orange output color at maximum shade depth.

[0067] In various embodiments, the power supply circuit 214 can be configured to receive and power the controller 200. By way of non-limiting example, the power supply circuit 214 can comprise one or more batteries, one or more capacitors, one or more permanent power sources (e.g., wall outlets), etc. In some embodiments, the power supply circuit 214 can comprise an external power source positioned outside the device housing 101 and configured to deliver AC or DC power to the controller 200. Additionally, in some embodiments, the power supply circuit 214 can comprise an internal power source, such as one or more batteries, positioned within the device housing 110.

[0068] The user interface circuitry 216 comprises hardware components designed or configured to receive, process, generate, and transmit data, such as user interface data. In various embodiments, the user interface circuitry 216 can be configured to generate user interface data representing available resulting garment colors, user selected colors, available garment types, user selected garment type, user selected garment weight, dye cycle start signal, remaining dye cycle time, dye cycle complete signal, and combinations thereof. In some embodiments, the user interface data can include a visual illustration previewing the user selected garment type in the user selected color. In some cases, the user interface data can include a list of available resulting garment colors, garment weights, and / or garment types (e.g., a selectable drop-down list, an ordered grouping of selectable icons (e.g., clickable icons configured to be clicked with a mouse, virtual icons displayed on a touch screen and configured to be pressed with a user's finger), text-based prompts, audio-based prompts). For example, the user interface circuitry 216 can comprise hardware components designed or configured to generate user interface data according to any of the embodiments or combinations of embodiments described with reference to FIGS. 1-3.

[0069] In some embodiments, the user interface circuitry 216 can be configured to communicate with a display device (e.g., the input-output circuitry 206, a user device, or a display device communicatively connected thereto) and thus transmit user interface data to the display device. For example, the user interface circuitry 216 can be configured to generate user interface data and transmit the generated user interface data to the input-output circuitry 206, which can be configured to receive the user interface data and display the received user interface data on one or more display screens. In various embodiments, for example, the user interface circuitry can be configured to receive user input (e.g., user selection) on a display device (e.g., a display screen) located near and / or at the dyeing machine 110.

[0070] In some embodiments, the dyeing machine circuitry 210, the dye injection circuitry 212, and the user interface circuitry 216 may each comprise a separate processor, a specially configured field programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or a cloud utility to perform the functions described above. In some embodiments, the hardware components described above with reference to the dyeing machine circuitry 210, the dye injection circuitry 212, and the user interface circuitry 216 may communicate with each other or with any other suitable circuitry or device, for example, a user device, utilizing the communications circuitry 208, or any suitable wired or wireless communications path.

[0071] In some embodiments, one or more of the dyeing machine circuitry 210, the dye injection circuitry 212, and the user interface circuitry 216 may be hosted locally on the controller 200. In some embodiments, one or more of the dyeing machine circuitry 210, the dye injection circuitry 212, and the user interface circuitry 216 may be hosted remotely (e.g., by one or more cloud servers) and thus need not be physically resident on the controller 200. Thus, some or all of the functionality described herein may be provided on the remote circuitry. For example, the controller 200 may access one or more remote circuitry through any type of network connection that facilitates the transmission of data and electronic information between the controller 200 and the remote circuitry. The controller 200 may then be in remote communication with one or more of the dyeing machine circuitry 210, the dye injection circuitry 212, and / or the user interface circuitry 216.

[0072] As described above and as will be appreciated based on the present disclosure, embodiments of the present disclosure may be configured as a system, an apparatus, a method, a mobile device, a back-end network device, a computer program product, other suitable devices, and combinations thereof. Thus, embodiments may include various means comprising only hardware or any combination of software and hardware. Furthermore, embodiments may take the form of a computer program product on at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions (e.g., computer software) embodied in the storage medium. Any suitable computer-readable storage medium may be utilized, including non-transitory hard disks, CD-ROMs, flash memories, optical storage devices, or magnetic storage devices. As will be appreciated below, any computer program instructions and / or other types of code described herein may be loaded into the circuitry of a computer, processor, or other programmable device to generate a machine, such that a computer, processor, or other programmable circuit executing the code on the machine generates means for performing various functions, including those described herein.

[0073] In some embodiments, the user device may be embodied in one or more computing devices or systems that may also include processing circuitry, memory, input-output circuitry, and communication circuitry. For example, the user device may be a laptop computer on which an app (e.g., a GUI application) is running or otherwise executed by the processing circuitry. In yet another example, the user device may be a smartphone on which an app (e.g., a web page viewing app) is running or otherwise executed by the processing circuitry. When relevant to the operations described in this disclosure, the functionality of these devices may utilize similarly named components as described above with respect to FIG. 2. For the sake of brevity, additional description of the mechanisms of these components will be omitted. These device elements work together to provide the functionality necessary for the respective computing systems to facilitate data communication with the exemplary staining apparatus described herein.

[0074] In various applications, the example methods disclosed herein can be implemented in either a retail or manufacturing environment, for example.

[0075] Dyeing method FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 300 according to various embodiments described herein.

[0076] In block 301, an exemplary method of dyeing garments can include cationizing garments, such as garments comprised of cotton. As can be generally understood, cationizing cotton garments can include chemically modifying cellulosic polymers to introduce positive charges into the garment. Specifically, cationization can include the introduction of amino compounds into the garment, which react to cause the cellulose fibers present in the garment to become cationic. Cationization creates an electrostatic interaction between the positive charges of the cotton fibers and the negative charges of the anionic dye, substantially increasing the affinity of the cotton for the anionic dye. In various implementations, this process can increase the amount of dye consumed by the cotton garment during the dyeing process. Additionally, the cationization described herein can significantly reduce the need for large amounts of additives, such as various salts or other alkaline components, that are traditionally used in dyeing processes to increase the uptake rate of dyes. Cationization of the garments can be performed using a cationization treatment agent.

[0077] According to various embodiments, the entire garment can be cationized by adding a volume of the cationized treatment to the entire garment. Additionally, a particular garment area, defined as less than the entire garment, can be cationized by selectively adding a volume of the cationized treatment to the particular garment area. As described herein, any given volume of the cationized treatment contains a charge. The total charge of a particular volume of the cationized treatment can be proportional to the amount of the cationized treatment within the particular volume (i.e., volume size). As described herein, a cationized garment area will continue to absorb dye from the dye bath until all of the dye is exhausted from the dye bath before reaching its dye absorption threshold (i.e., saturation point) or as long as the garment area maintains a charge. Thus, in various embodiments, the higher the cation concentration in a particular garment area, the more dye the particular garment area will retain (thereby increasing the depth of shade in the particular garment area). Thus, the concentration of the cationized treatment applied to the garment can be selectively varied to affect the depth of shade of the garment color.

[0078] According to various embodiments, the cationized treatment can be selectively applied to the garment using various application devices and methods, such as, for example, screen printing, manual spraying (e.g., hand spraying), and automated spraying (e.g., inkjet printing). In various embodiments, the cationized treatment can include (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC). By way of example only, the cationized treatment can include Dow ECOFAST® Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment.

[0079] At block 302, an exemplary method of dyeing garments can include mixing a volume of dye with a volume of solvent to form a concentrated liquid dye. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye can include a mixture of a volume of dye and a volume of water. To facilitate dispensing the dye as a concentrated liquid dye into a dyeing machine, a volume of water is mixed with the dye sufficiently to maintain the dye in suspension. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye can include a water to dye ratio of 2:1 and 50:1 (e.g., 3:1 and 8:1). In various embodiments, additives such as, for example, gels can be added to the concentrated liquid dye to further promote suspension. In various embodiments, preservatives such as, for example, sodium tripolyphosphate and / or antimicrobial agents can be added to the liquid concentrated dye to extend the useful life of the concentrated liquid dye. It should be understood that any additives (e.g., preservatives) introduced into the concentrated liquid dye do not affect the dye uptake rate in the dyeing process.

[0080] In various embodiments, the step of mixing a volume of dye with a volume of solvent to produce a concentrated liquid dye can be repeated for one or more volumes of dye, each associated with a separate color. Each of the resulting concentrated liquid dyes can be associated with a separate color that is correlated with the color of the respective volume of dye. It should be appreciated that the dyeing process, in which one or more exemplary concentrated liquid dyes are at least substantially free of various additives, such as, for example, various added salts (e.g., sodium chloride, sodium sulfate), alkali content (e.g., sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate), dedusting agents, or other contaminants, as described herein, minimizes the number of possible variables that affect the resulting garment color. Thus, such exemplary concentrated liquid dyes, comprised of dye and water, allow for a more predictable dyeing process that can reliably and repeatably produce a desired resulting garment color. For example, each concentrated liquid dye can include a known dye concentration (i.e., the ratio of dye to water within the concentrated liquid dye). Using inputs of known dye concentration and user-selected resulting garment color, one or more exemplary concentrated liquid dye volumes can be adjusted to achieve at least substantially 100% absorption of a volume of dye contained therein based solely on the proportional relationship of a volume of dye to the weight of the garment being dyed. The improved predictability associated with elimination of input variables such as water volume, dye additive volume, and their respective associated chemistries reduces the need for color trials (e.g., lab-dip) and color approvals, thereby allowing for a dyeing process that requires less concentrated liquid dye as the basis for producing many available resulting garment colors.

[0081] In various embodiments, one or more concentrated liquid dyes can define an array of between 1 and 20 (e.g., 7 and 15) base colors (e.g., concentrated liquid dye colors) that can be selectively combined in various ratios. In one exemplary embodiment, a commercial dye injection system described herein can be configured to generate up to 3 million dye input colors using 7 and 15 base colors, the resulting dye input colors being colors defined by a color gamut within a given color space. For example, 7 and 15 base colors used in combination can be configured to facilitate the generation of a resulting garment color, the resulting garment color being one of up to 3 million colors defined by a color gamut within a given color space.

[0082] In various embodiments, one or more concentrated liquid dyes can be stored in respective cartridges. The concentrated liquid dye cartridges can be disposed within the dye housing. In various embodiments, each of the one or more concentrated liquid dye cartridges can be configured to be fluidly connected to a respective dispense header so that various ratios of concentrated liquid dyes can be injected through the dispense header into a dyeing machine, mixing tank, or delivery conduit.

[0083] At block 303, an exemplary method of dyeing garments may include determining, by a processor, a ratio of one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye to be injected into a dyeing machine using a dye injection system to produce a garment of a selected result garment color. In various embodiments, garment parameters (e.g., garment weight, garment size, garment SKU) and result garment color may be selected by a user through, for example, a user interface. Thus, to produce the user-selected result garment color, the processor may determine the extent to which each of the concentrated liquid dyes should be dispensed into the dyeing machine to intermingle with the garment. In various embodiments, such an exemplary processor determination may include two components: a percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color to be dispensed into the dyeing machine, and an overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to be dispensed.

[0084] In various embodiments, each of the concentrated liquid dyes can be associated with a respective concentrated liquid dye color. The one or more concentrated liquid dyes can be dispensed in various ratios such that the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the dyeing machine 110 has a dye input color configured to produce a resultant garment color preselected by a user. In various embodiments, the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color defines the dye input color and affects the shade of the resultant garment color.

[0085] Further, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the total concentrated liquid dye volume) may be based at least in part on a garment parameter corresponding to at least one garment in the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, the garment parameter may be a characteristic of the garment (e.g., the total garment group) that at least in part defines the garment's ability to absorb a volume of dye (e.g., the dye absorption capacity of the garment). As a non-limiting example, the garment parameter may be the weight of the garment and / or the cation concentration of the garment. For example, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the total concentrated liquid dye volume) corresponds to the weight of the garment in the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, it may be known that the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that the garment can absorb will produce the deepest resulting garment color, which defines the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be dispensed into the system for the garment. In such an exemplary situation, the total dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of dye is substantially less than or equal to the dye absorption capacity of the garment. In various embodiments, lesser amounts of dye may be pumped into the machine to affect the shade depth of the dye input color (e.g., to produce a lighter shade of the dye input color). Thus, in various embodiments, the resulting garment color may be a function of both the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color and the amount of the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the system. Thus, in various embodiments, the processor may determine the ratio of each concentrated liquid dye to the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed based on the user-selected resulting garment color. Similarly, in various embodiments, the overall total amount of concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the system may vary based at least in part on the user-selected resulting garment color.

[0086] Further, in various embodiments, given a selected resulting garment color, the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume injected into the dyeing machine and therefore each volume of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine may be determined simply by the weight of the garment to be dyed. Thus, in various embodiments, the processor may determine the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to dispense based on the user-selected resulting garment color. In such an exemplary method, the processor may determine to dispense each volume of concentrated liquid dye present in the dye injection system based on the user-selected garment weight and the desired resulting garment color. For example, the processor may be configured to determine, at least in part, based on the user-selected garment weight and the desired resulting garment color, the ratio of various pigments corresponding to the desired resulting garment color and the total amount of pigment required to produce the resulting garment color at the maximum shade depth. Based at least in part on the known pigment concentration of each concentrated liquid dye, the processor may determine each volume of concentrated liquid dye to dispense such that a calculated amount of dye contained therein is dispensed into the dyeing machine, as described above.

[0087] At block 304, an exemplary method of dyeing garments may include injecting one or more processor-determined volumes of concentrated liquid dye from a dye injection system into a dyeing machine. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be at least partially filled with at least substantially clean solvent. Each volume of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed directly from a respective dye cartridge through a corresponding dispense header into the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, the garment may be present in the dyeing machine before the one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye are injected.

[0088] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine can be, for example, a dyeing vessel and can be configured to be fluidly connected to one or more holding tanks so that a volume of solvent stored in the one or more holding tanks can be dispensed into the dyeing machine. The concentrated liquid dye and solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine can define a dye bath. In an exemplary embodiment, the solvent can be, for example, water. Due to pre-cationization of the garment, which leads to maximizing dye depletion and eliminating the need for salt addition to the dye, the amount of solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine is not a significant variable to consider in the exemplary methods disclosed herein. Although the amount of solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine can vary based on the volume of the dyeing machine, the ratio of concentrated liquid dye to solvent present in the dye bath does not affect the effectiveness of the methods disclosed herein.

[0089] As discussed above, in various embodiments, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye can be dispensed directly into a dyeing machine, dispensed into a mixing tank, or dispensed into a common delivery conduit.

[0090] At block 305, an exemplary method of dyeing garments can include operating the dyeing machine until at least substantially all of the pigment volume present in the one or more concentrated liquid dyes dispensed into the dyeing machine is absorbed into the garment. The dyeing machine can be configured to promote interaction between the garment and the dye bath. Further, the dyeing machine can be configured to begin operation after one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dyes are dispensed from the dye injection system into the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, operating the dyeing machine can include running a dye cycle.

[0091] In various embodiments, the run time of the dye cycle may be at least proportional to the weight of the garment in the dyeing machine, the resulting garment color shade depth, and the depletion of the dye in the garment fabric. In an exemplary embodiment, the dye cycle may include a duration between 20 and 60 minutes (e.g., between 30 and 45 minutes). Furthermore, in various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be configured to maintain the dye bath at a substantially ambient temperature. For example, the dyeing machine may be configured to maintain a dye bath temperature between 10 and 75° C. (e.g., between 18 and 40° C.) throughout the dye cycle. Such exemplary methods described herein may eliminate the need to heat the dye bath to a temperature substantially above ambient temperature (e.g., 60° C.), thereby significantly reducing the amount of energy consumed during the dyeing process compared to conventional dyeing methods.

[0092] In various embodiments, the entire volume of dye present in the dye bath at the beginning of the dye cycle may be absorbed by the garment during the dye cycle. In various embodiments, the resulting dye bath may consist entirely of water, and there may be no residual volume in the dye bath for dye, salt, or other forms of waste liquid. Alternatively, in various embodiments, a substantially small volume of dye and / or one or more ingredients contained in concentrated liquid dye remaining in the dye bath at the end of the dye cycle may be present. For example, in various embodiments, the resulting dye bath may not contain additives traditionally used to increase dye uptake in dyeing processes as a result of dispensing a calibrated volume of concentrated liquid dye as described herein. In various embodiments, the garment may be subsequently washed and / or dried after the dye cycle is completed. The garment may be subsequently washed and / or dried using a dyeing machine or any other suitable machine configured to wash and / or dry garments as described herein.

[0093] At block 306, an exemplary method of dyeing garments can include filtering the dye bath to remove the entire residual volume of dye. In various embodiments, the dye bath can be filtered to remove the volume of dye remaining in the dye bath after the dye cycle is completed, leaving substantially clean water suitable for reuse in the dyeing process. In various embodiments, filtering the dye bath can include exposing the dye bath to a filtration system. For example, filtering the dye bath can include loading the dyeing machine or other container to which the dye bath is transferred (e.g., a reservoir of a filtration system) with auxiliary material that has been treated to absorb the entire residual volume of dye. In various embodiments, the auxiliary material can be cationized and can include excess fabric, fiber, yarn, cotton, or other garment parts. In various embodiments, the auxiliary material can be sewn into, for example, a polypropylene container (i.e., a "tea bag"), which can be placed into the dye bath so that the entire residual volume of dye present in the dye bath is absorbed into the auxiliary fabric. Alternatively, in various embodiments, the filtration system can include a vessel having one or more filters configured to remove the entire residual volume of dye from the dye bath.

[0094] At block 307, the exemplary method of dyeing garments can include recirculating at least a substantially clean volume of solvent for reuse in a subsequent dye cycle. In various embodiments, the at least substantially clean volume of solvent can include a clean volume of water. In various exemplary embodiments, the volume of water can be transferred directly from either the dyeing machine or the filtration system to one or more holding tanks for storage. The holding tank can include, for example, multiple reservoirs in fluid communication with the dyeing machine and / or the filtration system. The holding tank can be configured to receive at least a substantially clean volume of solvent from either the dyeing machine and / or the filtration system, and can be configured to send a volume of solvent back to the dyeing machine before a new dye cycle begins. Alternatively, in various embodiments, the volume of water can be transferred directly from the filtration system back into the dyeing machine for reuse in the next dye cycle. As described herein, the exemplary method has a substantially closed-loop system for solvent.

[0095] In various applications, the example methods disclosed herein can be implemented in either a retail or manufacturing environment, for example.

[0096] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above and shown in the drawings, but rather, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many variations and modifications are possible within the scope of the disclosed invention. For example, while the exemplary embodiments described above relate to dyeing garments, it should be understood that the method and apparatus embodiments disclosed herein can be configured to dye weights (or bulk) of materials other than garments, such as garment threads, yarns, textile sheets, any colorable fabric, or any other dye-absorbent material.

[0097] Dyes and concentrated liquid dye compositions In various embodiments, the methods and apparatus for dyeing garments disclosed herein can utilize a volume of dye to dye garments. The dyes described herein can be, for example, powders and can include compositions of soluble substances that can collectively be associated with a particular color. In various embodiments, the volume of dye can be mixed with water to produce a concentrated liquid dye that can be associated with the same color as the volume of dye contained therein. A volume of water can be thoroughly mixed with the dye to facilitate injecting the dye into the dyeing machine. Once in the dyeing machine, the concentrated liquid dye interacts with a volume of solvent present in the dyeing machine, thereby producing a dye bath. As described herein, at least substantially all of the volume of dye in the form of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dye bath can be sufficiently immersed in the dye bath for it to be absorbed by the garment.

[0098] In various embodiments, the dyes described herein can be reactive dyes. Further, in various embodiments, the dyes can be any direct or acid dye suitable for use in the devices and methods described herein.

[0099] The exemplary methods and apparatus described above may, in various embodiments, include using a dye comprised solely of chromophores. For example, the exemplary volume of dye may not contain additional dye enhancers, such as, for example, cutting agents (e.g., potato starch), added salts, or water-emulsified dedusting oils.

[0100] Thus, the concentrated liquid dye used in various embodiments may consist only of water and chromophores. Importantly, the exemplary methods and apparatus disclosed herein can be configured to utilize concentrated liquid dye that does not contain many of the various additives traditionally used to enhance dye uptake in dyeing processes, such as, for example, various added salts (e.g., sodium chloride, sodium sulfate), alkali content (e.g., sodium hydroxide, sodium carbonate), or other contaminants. In various embodiments, the exemplary concentrated liquid dye volume can include one or more preservatives configured to extend the useful life of the concentrated liquid dye, such as, for example, sodium tripolyphosphate and / or antimicrobial agents.

[0101] Furthermore, it should be understood that in various embodiments, the dye concentration in the concentrated liquid dye (i.e., the ratio of dye to water in the concentrated liquid dye) may have little or no effect on the effectiveness of the dyeing process. In various embodiments, the only variable of importance in dyeing a garment may be the volume of dye dispensed into the dyeing machine, and any additional solvent added to the dye to facilitate infusion may simply be incorporated into the bulk of the solvent already present in the dye bath as infused. The volume of dye in the dye bath may interact with the garment in the dyeing machine, while the volume of solvent present in the concentrated liquid dye may be a passive component of the dye bath.

[0102] How to dye patterned clothing FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 400 according to various embodiments described herein.

[0103] At block 401, an exemplary method for dyeing patterned garments may include receiving garment pattern instructions corresponding to a garment pattern. In various embodiments, the garment pattern may include one or more pattern elements, each pattern element having a pattern element shape, a pattern element color, and a pattern element shade depth. The garment pattern instructions may include a detailed description and / or one or more instructions (e.g., computer instructions) corresponding to various attributes of the garment pattern. In various embodiments, the garment pattern instructions may be provided through user input from a user in either a retail or manufacturing environment.

[0104] Each of the one or more pattern elements may be defined by a number of pattern element characteristics, such as, for example, the shape of the pattern element, the color of the pattern element, and the shading depth of the pattern element. As described herein, the shape of the pattern element may be defined by both the configuration of the outer boundary of the pattern element and the position of the pattern element on the garment. The color of the pattern element may be defined as the garment output color at the particular pattern element. Additionally, the shading depth of the pattern element may be defined as the relative lightness of the color of the pattern element. For example, the maximum depth, i.e., 100% pattern element shading depth may define the user selected pattern element color, while as the shading depth decreases the pattern element will appear increasingly lighter (i.e., lighter assuming a white based garment). In various embodiments, the shading depth of a particular garment area may be influenced by three shading depth input variables: the volume of dye (i.e., concentrated liquid dye) used in the dye cycle, the run time of the dye cycle, and the concentration of the cationized treatment applied to the garment area ("cation concentration"). Thus, as described herein, one or more of the above shadow depth input variables may be selectively varied, either alone or in combination, to achieve a desired pattern element shadow depth.

[0105] At block 402, an exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment can include applying a volume of a cationization treatment to one or more localized garment areas of the garment corresponding to each of one or more pattern element shapes. In various embodiments, the volume of the cationization treatment can be applied to the garment as part of a cationization process. As can be generally understood, cationization can include a pretreatment process that chemically modifies the cellulosic polymer of the cotton garment to introduce positive charges to at least a portion of the garment. Cationization creates an electrostatic interaction between the positive charges of the cotton fiber and the negative charges of the anionic dye, substantially increasing the affinity of the cotton for the anionic dye. Applying the cationization treatment to the garment can cationize the garment.

[0106] As described herein, a particular garment area, defined as less than the entire garment, can be cationized by selectively applying a volume of cationization treatment to the particular garment area. A volume of cationization treatment can be applied to one or more garment areas corresponding to the pattern element shapes of each of one or more pattern elements. For example, a volume of cationization treatment can be applied to one or more garment areas having a graphic, letter, number, or any combination thereof. Further, in various embodiments, a volume of cationization treatment can be applied across a garment area with either gradually increasing or gradually decreasing cation concentrations so that when the garment is dyed as described herein, at least a portion of the garment pattern exhibits a gradient effect rather than a discontinuous change in color or shade depth. As described herein, a gradient effect results in a gradual change in pattern element shade depth corresponding to a cation concentration gradient in the garment area. The cationization treatment can be applied in any state that allows the cationization treatment to penetrate the fibers of the garment, such as, for example, a spray, liquid, and / or gel.

[0107] In various embodiments, the cationized treatment can be selectively applied to the garment using various application devices and methods, such as, for example, screen printing, manual spraying (e.g., hand spraying), and automated spraying (e.g., inkjet printing). In various embodiments, the cationized treatment can include (3-chloro-2-hydroxypropyl)trimethylammonium chloride (CHPTAC). By way of example only, the cationized treatment can include Dow ECOFAST® Pure Sustainable Textile Treatment.

[0108] As described herein, any given volume of cationic treatment agent contains an electrical charge. The total charge of a particular volume of cationic treatment agent may be proportional to the amount of cationic treatment agent within the particular volume (i.e., volume size). Thus, the smaller the garment area over which a particular volume of cationic treatment agent is dispersed, the more concentrated that volume of cationic treatment agent will be, and the higher the garment charge will be across that garment area. As described herein, a cationized garment area will continue to absorb dye from the dye bath before reaching its dye absorption threshold (i.e., saturation point) until all of the dye is exhausted from the dye bath or as long as the garment area maintains a charge. Thus, in various embodiments, the higher the cation concentration in a particular cationic garment area, the more dye that particular garment area will retain, thereby increasing the depth of shadow in that particular cationic garment area. Thus, the concentration of cationic treatment agent added to a pattern element can be selectively varied to affect the depth of shadow of the pattern element.

[0109] At block 403, an exemplary method for dyeing a patterned garment can include curing a volume of a cationic treatment at each of one or more pattern elements. As is known, the garment can be cured during cationization to set the volume of cationic treatment at a specific location on the garment to prevent migration or runoff. In various embodiments, curing at least a portion of the garment can include one or more known curing processes, such as pad dry cure, pad flash cure, drip dry cure, etc.

[0110] At block 404, an exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may include dyeing the garment until at least substantially all of the volume of cationic treatment applied to the garment is neutralized with a volume of dye that is depleted, where the dyeing machine is configured to facilitate interaction between the garment and the dye bath. In various embodiments, the dyeing machine described herein may be configured to perform at least a portion of a dyeing operation. In such a situation, the dyeing machine facilitates interaction between the garment and the dye bath. The dye utilized in the dyeing operation may correspond to a garment pattern output color selected by a user and / or a pattern element color of one or more pattern elements. In various embodiments, operating the dyeing machine may include performing a dyeing cycle.

[0111] In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye utilized during the dyeing operation, as described herein, may be free of any salts or other alkaline materials that would cause the concentrated neutral charge to contain a charge itself. Additionally, the dye cycle may be performed at substantially ambient temperatures, which are known to adversely affect dye uptake by untreated garments, due at least in part to the cationization process as described herein. Thus, at least substantially all of the volume of dye absorbed by the garment may be absorbed by one or more pattern elements of the garment to which the cationization treatment has been applied. The cationized garment areas defined by the one or more pattern element shapes may continue to absorb dye until their respective charges are neutralized. Thus, neutral garment areas that do not carry a charge, such as untreated (i.e., non-cationized) garment areas or garment areas that have been neutralized due to absorption of a dye volume, may absorb a relatively small amount of dye (i.e., little or no dye) compared to one or more cationized pattern elements of the garment. The untreated garment areas may at least substantially maintain the original color of the undyed garment throughout the dyeing operation. Upon neutralization of each of the one or more pattern areas, each of the one or more pattern elements of the garment pattern may exhibit a pattern element color corresponding to the color of the dye volume used in the dye run, as described herein, and a pattern element shading depth at least substantially proportional to the cation concentration of each of the pattern elements. The shading depth variations between the one or more pattern elements, along with the color and shading depth variations between the untreated garment area and the one or more pattern elements, produce an overall garment look that defines the garment pattern as described herein.

[0112] In various embodiments, the run time of the dye cycle may be proportional to the weight of the garment in the dyeing machine, the shade depth of the resulting garment color, the volume of cationic treatment added to the garment, and / or the depletion of the dye on the garment fabric. In an exemplary embodiment, the dye cycle may include a duration between 20 and 60 minutes (e.g., between 30 and 45 minutes). Furthermore, in various embodiments, the dyeing machine may be configured to maintain the dye bath at substantially ambient temperature. For example, the dyeing machine may be configured to maintain a dye bath temperature between 10 and 75° C. (e.g., between 18 and 40° C.) throughout the dye cycle. Such exemplary methods described herein may eliminate the need to heat the dye bath to a temperature substantially above ambient temperature (e.g., 60° C.), thereby significantly reducing the amount of energy consumed during the dyeing process compared to conventional dyeing methods.

[0113] In various embodiments, the dye cycle run time can be selectively shortened to affect the depth of shadow of one or more pattern elements. As a non-limiting example, an exemplary dye cycle can include a time length of about 35 minutes and utilize a volume of dye sufficient to impart maximum pattern element depth of shadow to one or more pattern elements. A 35 minute dye cycle run time can define a time length sufficient for the entire volume of dye present in the dye bath at the start of the dye cycle to be absorbed into one or more pattern elements of the garment. In such a situation, one or more pattern elements can include maximum pattern element depth of shadow. Further, in various embodiments, the dye cycle run time can be selectively shortened to cause one or more pattern elements to include a smaller (i.e., lighter) pattern element depth of shadow. Using the non-limiting example above, if the dye cycle is stopped after a 25 minute run time, one or more pattern elements will include a pattern element depth of shadow that is lighter than the depth of shadow of one or more pattern elements exposed for the 35 minute run time. Furthermore, if the dye cycle is stopped after a 15 minute run time, one or more pattern elements will contain a pattern element depth of shadow that is lighter than the depth of shadow of one or more pattern elements exposed for a 25 minute run time. Thus, as described herein, the dye cycle run time can be a depth of shadow input variable that can be calibrated to achieve a desired pattern element depth of shadow.

[0114] As yet another example, Figure 10 shows six different garment pieces each undergoing an experimental dyeing process, the six different garment pieces representing six different garments and / or six different pattern elements within each garment. Each garment piece underwent substantially the same dyeing process, where each garment piece contained the same cation concentration and the same volume of dye was pumped into the dyeing machine for each of the respective dye cycles. However, the dye cycle run times were varied for each of the six experimental dye cycles. The following table provides the respective dye cycle run times associated with each of the six garment pieces.

[0115] (table) TIFF0007612605000004.tif39154

[0116] 10, garment portion 1001 exposed to a volume of dye for the greatest amount of time contains the highest shade depth when compared to the other five garment elements. Conversely, garment portion 1006 exposed to a volume of dye for the least amount of time contains the lowest (i.e., lightest) shade depth when compared to the other five garment elements. Additionally, garment portions 1002, 1003, 1004, 1005 containing intermediate shade depths each exhibit a different shade depth that corresponds relatively to the duration of the respective dye cycle.

[0117] Returning to the description of the exemplary embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, in various embodiments, the entire volume of dye present in the dye bath at the beginning of the dye cycle may be absorbed into the garment during the dye cycle. Thus, the volume of dye utilized in the dyeing operation may be selectively reduced to affect the depth of shadow of one or more pattern elements. As a non-limiting example, an exemplary dyeing operation may include dyeing a garment using 3 liters of concentrated liquid dye. In such a situation, the entire volume of dye present in the dye bath at the beginning of the dye cycle may be absorbed into one or more pattern elements of the garment. Furthermore, a volume of dye present in the 3 liters of concentrated liquid dye may provide one or more pattern elements with the maximum pattern element depth of shadow. Furthermore, in various embodiments, a volume of dye utilized in the dyeing operation may be selectively reduced to cause one or more pattern elements to include a lesser pattern element depth of shadow. Using the same non-limiting example from above, if two liters of concentrated liquid dye are used to dye a garment, one or more pattern elements will include a lighter pattern element depth of shade than one or more pattern elements exposed to the volume of dye present in three liters of concentrated liquid dye. Furthermore, if only one liter of concentrated liquid dye is utilized to dye a garment, one or more pattern elements will include a lighter pattern element depth of shade than one or more pattern elements exposed to the volume of dye present in two liters of concentrated liquid dye. Thus, as described herein, a volume of dye utilized in a dyeing operation can be a depth of shade input variable that can be calibrated to achieve a desired pattern element depth of shade.

[0118] In exemplary embodiments in which the entire volume of dye present in the dye bath at the beginning of the dye cycle is absorbed by the garments during the dye cycle, as described herein, the resulting dye bath may consist of only water, and there may be no residual volume of dye, salt, or other forms of waste liquid in the dye bath. Alternatively, in various embodiments, the dye and / or one or more components contained in the concentrated liquid dye remaining in the dye bath at the end of the dye cycle may be in a substantially small volume. For example, in various embodiments, the resulting dye bath may not contain additives traditionally used to increase dye uptake in dyeing processes as a result of dispensing a calibrated volume of concentrated liquid dye, as described herein. In various embodiments, the garments may be subsequently washed and / or dried after the dye cycle is completed. The garments may be subsequently washed and / or dried using a dyeing machine or any other suitable machine configured to wash and / or dry garments, as described herein.

[0119] It should be understood that in various embodiments, the method of dyeing patterned garments may include in part or in whole the method of dyeing garments described herein and may utilize the apparatus for dyeing garments described herein. Further, it should be understood that any dyeing technique, process, and / or apparatus operable in conjunction with one or more of the exemplary embodiments of the method of dyeing patterned garments described herein may be utilized.

[0120] At block 405, the exemplary method of dyeing garments may further include mixing one or more volumes of dye with one or more volumes of solvent to form one or more concentrated liquid dyes. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye may include a mixture of a volume of dye and a volume of water. To facilitate dispensing the dye as a concentrated liquid dye into a dyeing machine, a volume of water is sufficiently mixed with the dye to maintain the dye in suspension. In various embodiments, the concentrated liquid dye may include a water to dye ratio between 2:1 and 50:1 (e.g., 3:1 and 8:1). In various embodiments, additives such as, for example, gels, may be added to the liquid concentrated dye to further promote suspension, and any additives introduced into the concentrated liquid dye do not affect the dye uptake rate in the dyeing process.

[0121] In various embodiments, the step of mixing a volume of pigment with a volume of solvent to produce a concentrated liquid dye can be repeated for one or more volumes of pigment, each associated with a separate color. Each of the resulting concentrated liquid dyes can be associated with a separate color that is correlated with the color of the respective volume of pigment. In various embodiments, the one or more concentrated liquid dyes can define an array of between 1 and 20 colors (e.g., between 7 and 15 colors) that can be selectively combined in various ratios, thereby allowing for a large number of available resultant pattern colors as described herein.

[0122] In various embodiments, one or more concentrated liquid dyes can be stored in respective cartridges. The concentrated liquid dye cartridges can be disposed within the dye housing. In various embodiments, each of the one or more concentrated liquid dye cartridges can be configured to be fluidly connected to a respective dispense header so that various ratios of concentrated liquid dyes can be injected through the dispense header into a dyeing machine, mixing tank, or delivery conduit.

[0123] At block 406, the exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may further include determining, by a processor, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye to be injected into the dyeing machine using the dye injection system to produce a garment of a selected output color. In various embodiments, as described above, the garment weight and pattern color may be selected by a user through a user interface. Thus, to produce the user-selected resulting pattern element color, the processor may determine the extent to which each of the concentrated liquid dyes should be dispensed into the dyeing machine to intermingle with the garment. In various embodiments, such exemplary processor determination may include two components: a percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color dispensed into the dyeing machine, and an overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to be dispensed.

[0124] In various embodiments, each of the concentrated liquid dyes can be associated with a respective concentrated liquid dye color. The one or more concentrated liquid dyes can be dispensed in various ratios such that the overall total concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the dyeing machine has a dye input color configured to produce a result garment color preselected by a user. In various embodiments, the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color defines the dye input color and affects the result garment color.

[0125] Further, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the respective dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the amount of overall total concentrated liquid dye) can correspond to the weight of the garment in the dyeing machine. In various embodiments, it may be known that the maximum volume of pigment that the garment can absorb will produce the deepest resulting garment color, which defines the maximum volume of concentrated liquid dye that can be dispensed into the system for the garment. In various embodiments, lesser amounts of dye can be pumped into the machine to affect the shade depth of the dye input color (e.g., to produce a lighter shade of the dye input color). Thus, in various embodiments, the resulting garment color can be a function of both the percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color and the amount of concentrated liquid dye dispensed into the system. Thus, in various embodiments, the processor can determine the ratio of each concentrated liquid dye to the overall total concentrated liquid dye to dispense based on the user-selected resulting garment color.

[0126] Additionally, in various embodiments, the volume of each respective dispensed concentrated liquid dye (i.e., the total concentrated liquid dye amount) can be further calibrated to account for the fact that dye may be absorbed only in garment areas corresponding to one or more pattern element shapes of one or more pattern elements that are defined to be smaller than the entire garment. In such circumstances, the total concentrated liquid dye amount can be proportionally reduced to correspond to the weight of the one or more garment areas corresponding to the one or more pattern elements.

[0127] Further, in various embodiments, the volume of each of the dispensed concentrated liquid dyes (i.e., the amount of the total concentrated liquid dye) can be further calibrated based on the dye absorption capacity of one or more pattern elements. For example, the amount of the total concentrated liquid dye, which should be understood to include a volume of dye as described herein, can be calibrated to be dispensed in proportion to the dye absorption capacity of the garment, which is determined at least in part by the volume of cationized treatment applied to the garment. In such a situation, the amount of the total concentrated liquid dye can be reduced to accommodate a cation concentration of one or more of the one or more pattern elements that is lower than the total volume (i.e., a cation concentration that chemically creates a lower absorption threshold than the garment area can physically absorb).

[0128] In various embodiments, given a selected resulting garment color, the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume injected into the dyeing machine and therefore each individual volume of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine may be determined simply by the weight of the garments to be dyed. Thus, in various embodiments, the processor may determine the overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to dispense based on a user selected garment weight. In such an exemplary method, the processor may determine to dispense each volume of concentrated liquid dye present in the dye injection system based on the user selected garment weight and resulting garment color.

[0129] At block 407, the exemplary method of dyeing patterned garments may further include injecting the one or more processor-determined volumes of concentrated liquid dye into a dyeing machine, where the dyeing machine is loaded with garments and at least partially filled with at least substantially clean solvent. Each volume of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed directly into the dyeing machine from a respective dye cartridge through a corresponding dispense header. In various embodiments, the garment may be present in the dyeing machine before the one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye are injected.

[0130] In various embodiments, the dyeing machine can be, for example, a dyeing vessel and can be configured to be fluidly connected to one or more holding tanks so that a volume of solvent stored in the one or more holding tanks can be dispensed into the dyeing machine. The concentrated liquid dye and solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine can define a dye bath. In an exemplary embodiment, the solvent can be, for example, water. In various embodiments, due to pre-cationization of the garment, which leads to maximizing dye consumption and eliminating the need for salt addition to the dye, the amount of solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine is not a significant variable to consider in the exemplary methods disclosed herein. Although the amount of solvent dispensed into the dyeing machine can vary based on the volume of the dyeing machine, the ratio of concentrated liquid dye and / or pigment to solvent present in the dye bath does not affect the effectiveness of the methods disclosed herein.

[0131] As discussed above, in various embodiments, one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye can be dispensed directly into a dyeing machine, dispensed into a mixing tank, or dispensed into a common delivery conduit.

[0132] At block 408, an exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may further include calibrating one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine to determine a minimum volume of concentrated liquid dye required to neutralize substantially all of a volume of cationic treatment applied to a particular garment design (e.g., a garment having one or more pattern elements each including a pattern element shadow depth corresponding to a cationic concentration). In various embodiments, calibrating a volume of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine for such a garment may include completing a first dyeing run, dispensing a resulting dye bath containing a resulting volume of colorant, and repeating the dyeing run with a different volume of concentrated liquid dye (e.g., injecting a smaller volume of concentrated liquid dye if the resulting dye liquor of the first run contained excess dye and injecting a larger volume of concentrated liquid dye if the resulting dye bath of the first run did not contain excess dye). The calibration process may include the empirical correction of a volume of concentrated liquid dye that is iteratively repeated until a volume of concentrated liquid dye is injected into the dyeing machine such that at least substantially all of the injected dye volume neutralizes at least substantially all of the volume of cationic treatment applied to the garment.

[0133] As will be appreciated from the description herein, this calibration process aids in the efficient dyeing of garments having intricate pattern elements. As a result of the calibration, the resulting dye bath is comprised of a substantially clean solvent volume suitable for reuse. In various embodiments where reproduction of a patterned garment of a particular weight and particular garment pattern is desired, the efficiency of the dyeing process can be increased by calibrating a volume of concentrated liquid dye injected into the dyeing machine.

[0134] An exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may further include applying a second layer of cationic treatment to the patterned garment at block 409 when the garment is dyed until at least substantially all of the volume of cationic treatment applied to the garment is neutralized with the depleted dye volume. In various embodiments, the garment pattern may include one or more pattern element sets, such as, for example, primary pattern elements and secondary pattern elements. Each of the respective pattern element sets following the one or more primary pattern elements may correspond to one or more subsequent operations reflecting those described above with respect to blocks 402, 403, and 404 as described herein.

[0135] In various embodiments, the second cationized treatment layer can include one or more volumes of cationized treatment applied to one or more localized areas of the garment corresponding to each of the pattern element shapes of the one or more secondary pattern elements. In various embodiments, each of the one or more secondary pattern elements can differ in pattern element shape, pattern element color, and / or pattern element shading depth from the one or more pattern elements previously exposed to the dyeing operation (i.e., the "primary pattern elements"), as described above. As described above with respect to the one or more primary pattern elements in block 402, a volume of cationized treatment can be applied to one or more garment areas corresponding to the respective pattern element shapes of each of the one or more pattern elements. In various embodiments, the pattern element shapes of the one or more secondary pattern elements can correspond to previously untreated garment areas (i.e., those that maintained their original garment color through the dyeing operation described above) or can overlap in whole or in part with one or more of the one or more primary pattern elements. By adding a second cationic treatment layer to the garment area where the secondary pattern elements overlap the primary elements, that garment area can be substantially recharged, affecting the dye absorption capacity of the garment in that area.

[0136] At block 410, the exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may further include injecting one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye determined by the processor into a dyeing machine, where the dyeing machine is loaded with the patterned garment and at least partially filled with at least substantially clean solvent. As described above with respect to the one or more primary pattern elements at block 407, each volume of concentrated liquid dye may be dispensed directly into the dyeing machine from a respective dye cartridge through a corresponding dispense header. In various embodiments, the patterned garment may be present in the dyeing machine before the one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye are injected.

[0137] In various embodiments, the processor can determine the degree of each concentrated liquid dye to dispense into the dyeing machine to generate the pattern element color of the user-selected one or more secondary pattern elements. In various embodiments, the pattern element color of one or more secondary elements can be different from the pattern color of one or more primary pattern elements. In such a situation, when a secondary pattern element overlaps with a primary pattern element, the resulting garment pattern color at that location on the patterned garment can include a combination of the pattern colors of the primary pattern element and the secondary pattern element. In various embodiments, as described herein, such an exemplary processor determination can include two components: a percentage allocation of each concentrated liquid dye color dispensed into the dyeing machine, and an overall total concentrated liquid dye volume to be dispensed.

[0138] In block 411, an exemplary method of dyeing a patterned garment may further include dyeing the patterned garment until at least substantially all of the second cationized treatment layer is neutralized with the depleted dye volume. As described above with respect to the one or more primary pattern elements in block 404, at least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed by the patterned garment may be absorbed by one or more secondary pattern elements of the garment to which the second cationized treatment layer is applied. The cationized garment areas defined by the pattern element shapes of the one or more secondary pattern elements may continue to absorb dye until their respective charges are neutralized. Thus, neutral garment areas that do not have a charge, such as untreated (i.e., non-cationized) garment areas or garment areas that have absorbed a dye volume and are therefore neutralized, may absorb a relatively small amount of dye (i.e., absorb little or no dye) compared to the one or more cationized secondary pattern elements of the garment. The garment areas corresponding to the now neutralized one or more primary pattern elements, together with the untreated garment areas, can at least substantially maintain the color they exhibited prior to the second dye cycle (i.e., the original undyed garment color and the pattern element color of the one or more primary pattern elements) through the second dyeing operation. Upon neutralization of each of the garment areas cationized by the second cationized treatment layer, each of the one or more secondary pattern elements of the garment pattern can exhibit a pattern element color that corresponds at least in part to the color of the dye volume used in the second dyeing operation, and a pattern element shading depth that is at least substantially proportional to the cation concentration of each of the secondary pattern elements, as described herein. The color and shading depth variations among the untreated garment areas, the one or more primary pattern elements, and the one or more secondary pattern elements, as well as the variations among each of the respective pattern element sets, produce an overall garment look that defines a patterned garment garment pattern, as described herein.

[0139] In various embodiments, the patterned garments may be subsequently washed and / or dried after the dye cycle is completed. The garments may be subsequently washed and / or dried using a dyeing machine or any other suitable machine configured to wash and / or dry garments, as described herein.

[0140] Example Operation 5A-9 show various exemplary patterned garments produced according to various exemplary methods as described herein. It should be understood that the various exemplary patterned garments shown in FIGs. 5A-9 are disclosed herein as exemplary products of one or more methods for dyeing patterned garments disclosed herein, and are in no way intended to serve as limiting examples or represent the full range of patterned garment configurations that can be produced by the present invention.

[0141] In various embodiments, garment pattern instructions corresponding to a garment pattern can be received. In various embodiments, the garment pattern can include one or more pattern elements, each pattern element can include a desired pattern element shape, a desired pattern element color, and a desired pattern element shade depth. The garment pattern can include one or more pattern element sets, each pattern element set having one or more pattern elements. In various embodiments, the garment pattern can include a corporate designed pattern, a custom pattern designed by a user (e.g., a customer of the corporate), or a combination of the two.

[0142] i. First Exemplary Operation In various embodiments, a volume of the cationic treatment can be applied to one or more localized areas of the garment corresponding to each of one or more pattern element shapes of one or more pattern elements.

[0143] As shown in FIG. 5A, garment pattern instructions corresponding to a first garment pattern 510 can be received. As shown, the first garment pattern 510 includes a first pattern element 511, a second pattern element 512, and a third pattern element 513. The first, second, and third pattern elements can include a first pattern element shape, a second pattern element shape, and a third pattern element shape, respectively. In various embodiments, a volume of cationized treatment can be applied to the first cationized garment area 511, the second cationized garment area 512, and the third cationized garment area 513, which can correspond to the first, second, and third pattern element shapes, respectively. In various embodiments, the volume of cationized treatment applied to each of the cationized garment areas 511, 512, 513 can be large enough to allow a level of dye absorption that produces maximum pattern element shadow depth. Further, in various embodiments, the cation concentration of each cationized garment area 511, 512, 513 can be selectively varied as described herein to affect the pattern element shadow depth of each of the first, second, and third pattern elements. By way of non-limiting example, the first garment pattern 510 can include shapes, letters, numbers, images, graphics, and the like, as well as any combination thereof.

[0144] As shown in FIG. 5B, garment pattern instructions can be received that correspond to a second garment pattern 520. As shown, the second garment pattern 520 includes pattern elements 521, which include a pattern element shape. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5B, the pattern element shape is a graphic that includes an "RL" logo. In various embodiments, a volume of cationic treatment can be applied to the cationized garment area 521, which can correspond to the pattern element shape of the pattern element 521. As a non-limiting example, the second garment pattern 520 can include a logo or any other image associated with a business, such as, for example, a company, institution, or organization.

[0145] ii. Second Exemplary Operation A garment having one or more pre-treated cationized garment areas can be dyed such that the one or more pre-treated cationized garment areas interact with a volume of dye to produce one or more pattern elements of a garment pattern.

[0146] As shown in Figure 6A, the first garment pattern 610 corresponds to the first garment pattern shown in Figure 5A. As shown, the first garment pattern 610 includes a first pattern element 611, a second pattern element 612, and a third pattern element 613. The first, second, and third pattern elements 611, 612, 613 may include a first pattern element shape, a second pattern element shape, and a third pattern element shape, respectively, which may correspond to the first cationized garment area 511, the second cationized garment area 512, and the third cationized garment area 513 as shown in Figure 5A. As described herein, during a dyeing operation, each of the first, second, and third pattern elements 611, 612, 613 may absorb a volume of dye. In various embodiments, due at least in part to cationization of garment areas corresponding to the first, second, and third pattern element shapes, at least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed into the garment during the dyeing operation is absorbed into the first, second, and third pattern elements 611, 612, 613 collectively, while the untreated garment areas maintain their original garment color. Based on user input, the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation can be configured to generate pattern elements including specific pattern element colors. Each pattern element 611, 612, 613 includes a specific pattern element color corresponding to the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation.

[0147] As described herein, the degree to which a pattern element absorbs a volume of dye and therefore the pattern element depth of shadow of a pattern element can be affected by three depth of shadow input variables: dye volume used in the dye cycle, the run time of the dye cycle, and the concentration of the cationized treatment added to the garment area ("cation concentration"). It should also be understood that in various embodiments, 100% cation concentration is the minimum cation concentration required to achieve maximum pattern element depth of shadow. It should also be understood that in various embodiments, 100% dye volume is the maximum amount of dye that a particular garment area can physically absorb under a given set of dye cycle operating conditions assuming 100% cation concentration, as described herein. It should also be understood that in various embodiments, 100% dye cycle run time is the minimum time it takes to achieve maximum pattern element depth of shadow given 100% cation concentration and 100% dye volume under a given set of dye cycle operating conditions. 6A, first pattern element 611, second pattern element 612, and third pattern element 613 can each include a shadow depth of about 100%. In an exemplary embodiment, the dye cycle run times and dye volumes can each be 100% as described herein, and pattern elements 611, 612, and 613 can each include a cation concentration of 100%.

[0148] In various embodiments, as described herein, one or more of the above-mentioned shadow depth input variables can be selectively varied alone or in combination to achieve a desired pattern element shadow depth. For example, using the exemplary pattern elements shown in FIG. 6A, the first pattern element 611, the second pattern element 612, and the third pattern element 613 can each include a shadow depth of about 50%. In an exemplary embodiment, each pattern element 611, 612, and 613 can include a cation concentration of 50%. That is, the volume of cationized treatment added to each of the cationized garment areas corresponding to the first, second, and third pattern element shapes is 50% of the theoretical volume of cationized treatment such that the garment area can absorb the maximum pigment volume. The selectively reduced 50% cation concentration creates an absorption threshold for each of the pattern elements 611, 612, 613 that is 50% less chemically than the garment can physically absorb. Thus, despite the dye cycle run time and volume of dye utilized in a dye run that would otherwise be sufficient to produce the maximum shadow depth, the pattern element shadow depth of each pattern element 611, 612, 613 may only be 50% of the maximum shadow depth. In various embodiments, the cation concentrations of each of the first, second, and third pattern elements may differ from one another. In such circumstances, the pattern element shadow depth of at least one of the pattern elements may differ from the pattern element shadow depth of at least one of the other pattern elements of the garment pattern.

[0149] As shown in FIG. 6B, the second garment pattern 620 corresponds to the exemplary garment pattern shown in FIG. 5B. As shown, the second garment pattern 620 includes a pattern element 621, which includes a pattern element shape corresponding to the cationized garment area 521 as shown in FIG. 5B. At least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed into the garment during the dyeing operation is absorbed into the pattern element 621 due at least in part to the cationization of the garment area corresponding to the pattern element shape as described herein, while the untreated garment area maintains its original garment color. Based on user input, the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation can be configured to generate a pattern element including a specific pattern element color. The pattern element 621 can include a specific pattern element color corresponding to the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation. As shown in FIG. 6B, the pattern element 621 can include a shade depth of about 100%. In one exemplary embodiment, the dye cycle run time and dye volume can each be 100% as described herein, and the pattern element 621 can include a cation concentration of 100%.

[0150] In various embodiments, as described herein, one or more of the above-mentioned shadow depth input variables can be selectively varied, alone or in combination, to achieve a desired pattern element shadow depth. For example, using the exemplary pattern element shown in FIG. 6B, the cycle run time can be selectively reduced to 50% while the dye volume and cation concentration of pattern element 621 are each 100%. In such an exemplary situation, the dye cycle run time can be half the time it takes to achieve the maximum pattern element shadow depth under a given set of dye cycle operating conditions. As described herein, the pattern element shadow depth of pattern element 621 is less than 100% (e.g., 50%) and pattern element 621 will appear lighter than it would be under a similar situation where the dye cycle run time is 100%.

[0151] As yet another non-limiting example, again using the exemplary pattern element shown in FIG. 6B , the depth of shadow of pattern element 621 can be reduced by selectively reducing the dye volume to 50% as described herein while maintaining the dye cycle run time and the cation concentration of pattern element 621 at 100%, respectively. In such an exemplary situation, the dye volume utilized in the dye run can be half the volume required to achieve the maximum pattern element depth of shadow under a given set of dye cycle run conditions. As a result, the pattern element depth of shadow of pattern element 621 is less than 100% (e.g., 50%) and pattern element 621 will appear lighter than it would be under a similar situation where the dye volume was 100%.

[0152] iii. Third Exemplary Operation As shown in FIG. 7A, garment pattern 700 corresponds to the first garment pattern shown in FIG. 5A. In various embodiments, garment pattern 700 can include a first pattern element set 710. As shown, first pattern element set 710 includes a first pattern element 711, a second pattern element 712, and a third pattern element 713. The first, second, and third pattern elements 711, 712, 713 can include a first pattern element shape, a second pattern element shape, and a third pattern element shape, respectively, which can correspond to the first cationized garment area 511, the second cationized garment area 512, and the third cationized garment area 513 as shown in FIG. 5A. As described herein, each of the first, second, and third pattern elements 711, 712, 713 can absorb a volume of dye during a first dyeing run. In various embodiments, due at least in part to cationization of garment areas corresponding to the first, second, and third pattern element shapes, at least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed into the garment during the dyeing operation is absorbed into the first, second, and third pattern elements 711, 712, 713 collectively, while the untreated garment areas maintain their original garment color.

[0153] In various embodiments, the garment can be dyed until at least substantially all of the applied cationic treatment is neutralized with the depleted pigment volume. In such a situation, the garment can be subjected to a second dyeing operation, which can include applying a second cationic treatment layer to the patterned garment, injecting one or more volumes of concentrated liquid dye, each containing a volume of pigment, and dyeing the patterned garment until at least substantially all of the second cationic treatment layer is neutralized with the depleted pigment volume. In various embodiments, the pigment volume utilized in the second dyeing operation can correspond to a secondary pattern element color, which can include the pattern element color of the second pattern element set. As shown in FIG. 7B, the garment pattern 700 can further include a second pattern element set 720. As shown, the second pattern element set 720 includes pattern element 721, which includes a pattern element shape corresponding to the cationic garment area 521 as shown in FIG. 5B. At least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed into the garment during the dyeing operation is absorbed into the pattern element 721 due at least in part to cationization of the garment area corresponding to the pattern element shape of the pattern element 721 as described herein. The pattern element 721 can include a particular pattern element color corresponding to the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation. As shown in FIG. 7B, the first pattern element set 710 and the second pattern element set 720 can include different pattern element colors such that the garment pattern 700 can be a multi-color pattern. In various embodiments, the pattern element size, pattern element color, and / or pattern element shading depth of each of the pattern elements of the garment pattern 700 can be selected by a user and / or selectively modified as described herein.

[0154] As yet another example, Figure 8 illustrates an experimental garment that includes garment pattern 800. As shown, garment pattern 800 includes both a first pattern element set 810 and a second pattern element set 820. Both the first and second pattern element sets include a plurality of pattern elements, each of which includes a respective pattern element shape, pattern element color, and pattern element shade depth.

[0155] The garment pattern 800 was created by first selectively applying various volumes of cationic treatment to various garment areas (garments corresponding to the first pattern element set 810) by a hand spray application method. The exemplary garment was then cured and subsequently exposed to a first dyeing operation, in which a pigment volume corresponding to a red garment output color was injected into a dyeing machine via a volume of concentrated liquid dye. To create the garment pattern including the first pattern element set 810, the first dyeing operation was performed until at least substantially all of the applied cationic treatment was neutralized with the depleted pigment volume, as described herein. As shown in FIG. 8, each of the pattern elements of the first pattern element set 810 includes a red pattern element color, with each pattern element's respective shade depth varying based on the cationic concentration of the garment area corresponding to each pattern element's pattern element shape.

[0156] Subsequently, a second pattern element set 820 was applied to the garment pattern 800 through a second dyeing operation. Again, various volumes of cationic treatment were selectively applied over the first pattern element set to various garment areas (corresponding to the second pattern element set 820) by a hand spray application method. The exemplary garment was then cured and subsequently exposed to a second dyeing operation, where a pigment volume corresponding to a yellow garment output color was injected into a dyeing machine at least partially filled with a substantially clean solvent. As described herein, the second dyeing operation was performed until at least substantially all of the cationic treatment applied over the first pattern element set was neutralized with the depleted pigment volume. As shown, by repeating the dyeing operation using different dyes corresponding to different garment output colors, the garment pattern 800 can be configured as a multi-color garment pattern including both the first pattern element set 810 and the second pattern element set 820.

[0157] iv. Fourth Exemplary Operation As shown in FIG. 9, the first garment pattern 910 corresponds to the first garment pattern shown in FIG. 5A. As shown, the first garment pattern 910 includes a first pattern element 911, a second pattern element 912, and a third pattern element 913. The first, second, and third pattern elements 911, 912, 913 may include a first pattern element shape, a second pattern element shape, and a third pattern element shape, respectively, which may correspond to the first cationized garment area 511, the second cationized garment area 512, and the third cationized garment area 513, as shown in FIG. 5A. As discussed herein above, the cationized treatment may be selectively applied to the garment using a variety of application devices and methods. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the first pattern element 911 and the second pattern element 912 may each correspond to a cationized garment area to which a volume of the cationized treatment has been applied using a manual spraying process, such as, for example, hand spraying. Further, as shown, the third pattern element 913 may correspond to a cationized garment area to which a volume of cationized treatment has been applied using an automated spraying process, such as using an inkjet printer. In such a situation, the volume of cationized treatment may be applied to the garment area as an array of substantially small localized concentrations, which may collectively correspond to a pattern element when subjected to a subsequent dyeing process. In various embodiments, each volume of cationized treatment applied to one or more cationized garment areas may be applied using either the same or different application devices and / or methods, as described herein.

[0158] As described herein, each of the first, second, and third pattern elements 911, 912, 913 can absorb a volume of dye during a dyeing operation. In various embodiments, due at least in part to cationization of garment areas corresponding to the first, second, and third pattern element shapes, at least substantially all of the dye volume absorbed into the garment during the dyeing operation is absorbed into the first, second, and third pattern elements 911, 912, 913 collectively, while the untreated garment areas maintain their original garment color. Based on user input, the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation can be configured to generate pattern elements that include a particular pattern element color. Each pattern element 911, 912, 913 includes a particular pattern element color that corresponds to the dye volume utilized during the dyeing operation.

[0159] As shown in FIG. 9, each of the first pattern element 911, the second pattern element 912, and the third pattern element 913 can include a gradient shadow depth, with the respective shadow depth percentages gradually decreasing across at least a portion of each pattern element. In an exemplary embodiment, the dye cycle run times and dye volumes can each be 100% as described herein, and each of the pattern elements 911, 912, and 913 can include a gradient cation concentration. As shown, each of the first and third pattern elements 911, 913 include a linear gradient shadow depth, while the second pattern element 912 includes a radial gradient shadow depth. As described herein above, a pattern element shadow depth that gradually transitions from a maximum shadow depth to a lesser shadow depth in a first direction across a portion of the pattern element can correspond to a cation concentration gradient that gradually decreases in a first direction across the garment area corresponding to the pattern element. Such a gradient pattern element shadow depth may be desirable to avoid distinct shadow depth changes. It should be understood that the pattern elements can include gradient shading depths of any shape, intensity, and / or direction configuration.

[0160] conclusion Numerous modifications and other embodiments will come to mind to one skilled in the art to which the disclosure of the present invention pertains having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. It is to be understood, therefore, that the disclosure of the present invention is not limited to the specific embodiments disclosed, and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation. [Explanation of symbols]

[0161] 100 Dyeing equipment 110 Dyeing Machine 120 Dye Injection System 123 Dye Dispensing Header 200 Controller

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus for dyeing garments, comprising: a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye; a dyeing machine comprising a dyeing chamber configured to dye at least one garment in a dye bath having the concentrated liquid dye and a volume of solvent received from the dye injection system; a controller in communication with the dye injection system and the dyeing machine; Equipped with The controller: receiving at least one garment parameter corresponding to the at least one garment; dispensing a volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment capable of being substantially absorbed by the at least one garment based at least in part on the at least one received garment parameter; running the dye machine through a dye cycle such that substantially all of the pigment in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the at least one garment in the dye chamber. It is configured as follows: The dyeing machine is configured to maintain at least a portion of the volume of solvent in a substantially closed loop system. An apparatus comprising:

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dye bath in said dyeing chamber is substantially free of sodium chloride, sodium sulfate, and alkali content throughout said dye cycle.

3. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said dyeing machine is configured to perform said dye cycle with said dyebath at substantially ambient room temperature.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the at least one clothing parameter comprises a weight of the at least one clothing item.

5. A weight sensor is further provided, The controller is further configured to receive the weight of the at least one garment from the weight sensor.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4.

6. at least one holding tank in fluid communication with the dyeing chamber; the at least one holding tank is configured to hold the volume of solvent between dyeing cycles; 2. The apparatus of claim 1 .

7. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dye bath comprises a volume of solvent, the volume of solvent including water.

8. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the dye bath comprises a concentrated liquid dye, the concentrated liquid dye including pigment and water.

9. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the dye injection system comprises a plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges, each of the plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges configured to store a volume of concentrated liquid dye having a unique dye color.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges of the dye injection system comprises between 7 and 12 concentrated liquid dye cartridges.

11. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause the dye injection system to dispense the volume of concentrated liquid dye containing the amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by the at least one garment based at least in part on a desired garment color selected by a user.

12. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is further configured to cause one or more of a plurality of concentrated liquid dye cartridges to dispense concentrated liquid dye into the dye chamber to produce a desired garment color selected by a user during the dye cycle based at least in part on the desired garment color selected by the user.

13. The device of claim 12, further comprising a user interface configured to enable the user to select a desired clothing color of their choice.

14. 10. The device of claim 1, wherein the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye contains an amount of dye substantially less than or equal to the dye absorption capacity of the at least one garment.

15. A method for dyeing garments, comprising the steps of: Providing an apparatus for dyeing garments, the apparatus comprising: a dye injection system configured to dispense concentrated liquid dye; and a dyeing machine having a dyeing chamber configured to dye at least one garment in a dye bath; receiving at least one garment and a volume of solvent into the dyeing chamber of the dyeing machine; receiving at least one garment parameter corresponding to the at least one garment; dispensing a volume of concentrated liquid dye through the dye injection system, the volume of concentrated liquid dye containing an amount of pigment that can be substantially absorbed by the at least one garment, to generate a dye bath having the concentrated liquid dye and the volume of solvent dispensed from the dye injection system based at least in part on the at least one received garment parameter; running a dye cycle such that substantially all of the pigment in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is absorbed by the at least one garment in the dye chamber; maintaining at least a portion of the volume of solvent in a substantially closed loop system; The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

16. wherein the dye in the dispensed volume of concentrated liquid dye is at least substantially free of added dye enhancer in a resulting dye bath disposed in the dye chamber of the dyeing machine upon execution of the dye cycle; running the dye cycle includes maintaining the dye bath at substantially ambient temperature; 16. The method of claim 15 .

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the at least one clothing parameter comprises a clothing weight corresponding to a weight of the at least one clothing item.

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