Patent ID: 8806903

Claim:
A laundry tunnel finisher, comprising: a tunnel defining a moisturizing zone therein and having a garment conveyor therethrough defining a conveyor pathway having a first curve within the tunnel adjacent an entrance of the tunnel and a second curve within the tunnel adjacent an exit of the tunnel and characterized by the absence of an operable steam-generating boiler for projecting steam onto garments being processed in the tunnel finisher; at least one liquid hot water nozzle positioned within the tunnel adjacent an outer portion of at least one of the first and second curves; a hot liquid water source supplying hot liquid water to the at least one liquid hot water nozzle; a compressed air source supplying compressed air to the at least one liquid hot water nozzle; and a hot air source directing hot air into the tunnel; wherein hot liquid water from the hot liquid water source is atomized with compressed air from the compressed air source and sprayed into the tunnel through the at least one liquid hot water nozzle and is mixed with hot air from the hot air source to raise the temperature in the moisturizing zone.