U.S. patent application number 11/687685 was filed with the patent office on 2007-07-12 for system and method for solvent recovery and purification in a low water or washless wash.
This patent application is currently assigned to GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY. Invention is credited to Thomas Joseph Fyvie, Darren Lee Hallman, Teresa Grocela Rocha, Philip Alexander Shoemaker.
Application Number | 20070157397 11/687685 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 29254009 |
Filed Date | 2007-07-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070157397 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fyvie; Thomas Joseph ; et
al. |
July 12, 2007 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SOLVENT RECOVERY AND PURIFICATION IN A LOW
WATER OR WASHLESS WASH
Abstract
Method and apparatus for recovering and purifying a solvent used
in an article cleaning appliance are provided. The method allows
passing solvent-based cleaning fluid from a wash basket through a
coarse filter configured to remove relatively large particulates
from the cleaning fluid. The method further allows passing cleaning
fluid from the coarse filter through a particulate filter
configured to remove relatively fine particulates from the cleaning
fluid. An aqueous phase that may be present in the cleaning fluid
is separated by decanting and coalescing through a separator/filter
assembly. The cleaning fluid may then be passed through a
regeneration cartridge for removing any water that may remain in
the cleaning fluid, and for adsorbing organic contaminants that may
be present in the cleaning fluid. Recovered solvent may be stored
in a tank for subsequent use in a cleaning process performed by the
appliance.
Inventors: |
Fyvie; Thomas Joseph;
(SCHENECTADY, NY) ; Hallman; Darren Lee; (CLIFTON
PARK, NY) ; Rocha; Teresa Grocela; (WATERFORD,
NY) ; Shoemaker; Philip Alexander; (SCOTIA,
NY) |
Correspondence
Address: |
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY;GLOBAL RESEARCH
PATENT DOCKET RM. BLDG. K1-4A59
NISKAYUNA
NY
12309
US
|
Assignee: |
GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY
1 RIVER ROAD
SCHENECTADY
NY
12345
|
Family ID: |
29254009 |
Appl. No.: |
11/687685 |
Filed: |
March 19, 2007 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10330734 |
Dec 30, 2002 |
7210182 |
|
|
11687685 |
Mar 19, 2007 |
|
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|
10127001 |
Apr 22, 2002 |
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10330734 |
Dec 30, 2002 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
8/158 |
Current CPC
Class: |
D06F 43/08 20130101;
D06F 43/085 20130101; D06F 43/086 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
008/158 |
International
Class: |
D06F 35/00 20060101
D06F035/00 |
Claims
1. An article cleaning apparatus comprising: an air management
mechanism; a cleaning basket assembly; a fluid regeneration device;
a working fluid device coupled to said fluid regeneration device,
said cleaning basket assembly, and said air management mechanism,
said working fluid device comprising a fluid filter/separator
assembly for substantially removing an aqueous phase that may be
present in a solvent-based cleaning fluid that passes therethrough;
a clean fluid device coupled to said cleaning basket assembly and
said fluid regeneration device; and a controller coupled to said
air management mechanism, said cleaning basket assembly, said
working fluid device, said regeneration device, and said clean
fluid device; wherein said controller is configured to control a
cleaning process.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said filter/separator assembly
comprises a decanting stage and a filter stage.
3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the filter stage comprises a
filter element coated with a hydrophobic material.
4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein the filter element comprises an
axially-pleated filter element to facilitate precipitation of water
droplets that coalesce thereon.
5. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the decanting stage comprises a
turbine centrifuge configured to separate a higher density fluid
from a lower density fluid, wherein the higher density fluid
comprises the aqueous phase that may be present in the
solvent-based cleaning fluid, and the lower density fluid comprises
cyclic siloxane solvent.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the filter stage is configured
to substantially block passage to any aqueous phase that passes
from the decanting stage.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning fluid further
comprises a cleaning agent selected from the group consisting of
sanitizing agents, emulsifiers, surfactants, detergents, bleaches,
softeners, and any combination thereof.
8. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the filter stage comprises a
filter element having a pore size ranging from about 2 to 30
microns.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cleaning fluid passes
through the filter-separator assembly at a flow rate ranging from
about 400 ml/min to about 1300 ml/min.
10-29. (canceled)
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending and
commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/127,001 filed
Apr. 22, 2002.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
[0002] Conventional household clothing washers use anywhere from
about 60 liters to about 190 liters of water to wash a typical load
of clothing articles. The spent water and cleaning agents are then
dumped into sewage. Furthermore, the water is frequently heated to
improve wash effectiveness and usually requires a large amount of
energy to be put into the articles as heat in order to vaporize the
retained water and dry the articles. The combination of high water
usage, high-energy usage and disposal of cleaning additives in the
detergent can put a large strain on the environment.
[0003] Conventional perchloroethylene (PERC) professional dry
cleaning solvent has been shown to be hazardous to human health as
well as to the environment. Use of a cyclic siloxane composition as
a replacement for PERC is described in Kasprzak, U.S. Pat. No.
4,685,930 and Dullien et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,063,135. The use of a
siloxane solvent in laundering has been shown to result in reduced
wrinkling, superior article care, and better finish than water
washing. Furthermore, the siloxane solvent has a lower heat of
vaporization than water. Compared to water, the siloxane solvent
can be more easily dried out of the article. If a washing machine
contained a solvent based cleaning cycle, the solvent cycle could
replace some or all of the washing currently being done in water,
which would result in a significant reduction in energy and water
use.
[0004] There are currently commercial dry cleaning machines, which
use a cyclic siloxane dry cleaning process, but these machines
present several barriers to in-home use. Known commercial dry
cleaning machines are generally much larger than typical home
washing machines, and would not fit within typical washrooms. These
commercial dry cleaning machines typically require high voltage
power (>250V) and often require separate steam systems,
compressed air systems, and chilling systems to be attached
externally. The solvent amount generally stored in the commercial
dry cleaning machines is usually more than about 190 liters, even
for the smallest capacity commercial machines. The typical dry
cleaning facility has both solvent cleaning and water cleaning
machines on the premises and uses each machine for their separate
functions. Known commercial dry cleaning machines are typically
designed to be operated by a skilled employee and do not contain
appropriate safety systems for either in-home locations or for
general use. In many states, the use of commercial dry cleaning
machines by the general public is forbidden.
[0005] U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/127,001, titled
"Apparatus and Method for Article Cleaning", filed on Apr. 22,
2002, (Attorney Docket No. RD-29557), commonly assigned to the same
assignee of the present invention, represents one innovative
implementation of an appliance that provides solvent, or
water-based cleaning (or combination thereof). As set forth in the
foregoing patent application, this appliance may be advantageously
accommodated either in an in-home or in a coin-operable laundry
setting. That is, an appliance that may be used not just for
commercial dry cleaning applications, but also having the
appropriate small size, cost, and user-interface considerations for
a home-based laundry system.
[0006] Presently, the standard technique of solvent reclamation in
a commercial dry cleaning process is distillation of the PERC
solvent. Impurities may be concentrated in the distillate bottoms,
and disposed of. Unfortunately, significant exposure to the solvent
as well as the impurities is possible.
[0007] Another technique of solvent reclamation is through an
adsorption system. Although known adsorption systems may provide
some cleaning action to the solvent, this technique generally needs
to be used in conjunction with a distillation set-up in order to
provide long term use of the recycled solvent. In the industrial
setting that this technique is used, the adsorption system
typically requires use of large canisters that are cumbersome and
may lead to user exposure to the solvent and contaminants.
[0008] Water removal in industrial dry cleaning equipment is
usually minimal, and many dry cleaning machines are equipped with a
decanter for this purpose. These known decanters are typically
operated in a continuous fashion. It is believed that continuous
operation of decanting equipment would not be suitable for home
use.
[0009] In view of the foregoing considerations, it would be
desirable to provide a system and process that is economically
affordable for quickly and reliably purifying and reclaiming
siloxane cleaning solvent for reuse, as may be utilized in a
solvent cleaning appliance, such as described in U.S. patent
application Ser. No. 10/127,001, (Attorney Docket No. RD-29557). It
is further desirable that such a system be configurable to meet the
unique considerations of an in-home appliance as well as those of
commercial scale units, such as coin-operable laundry machines.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION
[0010] Generally, the present invention fulfills the foregoing
needs by providing in one aspect thereof, an article cleaning
apparatus comprising an air management mechanism, a cleaning basket
assembly, a fluid regeneration device, a working fluid device, a
clean fluid device, and a controller. The working fluid device is
coupled to the fluid regeneration device, the cleaning basket
assembly, and the air management mechanism. The working fluid
device comprises a fluid filter/separator assembly for
substantially removing an aqueous phase that may be present in a
solvent-based cleaning fluid that passes therethrough. The clean
fluid device is coupled to the cleaning basket assembly and the
fluid regeneration device. The controller is coupled to the air
management mechanism, the cleaning basket assembly, the working
fluid device, the regeneration device, and the clean fluid device.
The controller is configured to control a cleaning process.
[0011] The present invention further fulfills the foregoing needs
by providing in another aspect thereof, a method for recovering and
purifying a solvent used in an article cleaning appliance. The
method allows passing solvent-based cleaning fluid from a wash
basket through a coarse filter configured to remove relatively
large particulates from the cleaning fluid. The method further
allows passing cleaning fluid from the coarse filter through a
particulate filter configured to remove relatively fine
particulates from the cleaning fluid. An aqueous phase that may be
present in the cleaning fluid is separated by decanting and
coalescing through a separator/filter assembly. The cleaning fluid
may then be passed through a regeneration cartridge for removing
any water that may remain in the cleaning fluid, and for adsorbing
organic contaminants that may be present in the cleaning fluid.
Recovered solvent may be stored in a tank for subsequent use in a
cleaning process performed by the appliance.
[0012] In yet another aspect thereof, the present invention
provides apparatus for purifying and recovering a solvent used in
an article cleaning appliance. The apparatus comprises a coarse
filter coupled to receive solvent-based cleaning fluid from a wash
basket, the coarse filter configured to remove relatively large
particulates from the cleaning fluid. The apparatus further
comprises a particulate filter coupled to receive cleaning fluid
from the coarse filter. The particulate filter is configured to
remove relatively fine particulates from the cleaning fluid. A
fluid filter/separator assembly is coupled to receive cleaning
fluid from the particulate filter. The assembly is configured to
separate an aqueous phase that may be present in the cleaning
fluid. A regeneration cartridge is coupled to receive cleaning
fluid from the filter/separator assembly. The regeneration
cartridge comprises water adsorption media for removing any water
that may remain in the cleaning fluid. The regeneration cartridge
further comprises adsorption media configured to adsorb organic
contaminants that may be present in the cleaning fluid. A tank is
provided for storing recovered solvent for subsequent use in a
cleansing process performed by the appliance.
LIST OF FIGURES
[0013] These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the
present invention will become better understood when the following
detailed description is read with reference to the accompanying
drawings in which like characters represent like parts throughout
the drawings, wherein:
[0014] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of the article cleaning apparatus
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0015] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the fluid processing
mechanism in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0016] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a filter arrangement in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0017] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a filter arrangement in
accordance with another embodiment of the present invention;
[0018] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the air management
mechanism and the cleaning basket assembly in accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
[0019] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of the air management
mechanism and the cleaning basket assembly in accordance with
another embodiment of the present invention;
[0020] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of the devices coupled to the
controller in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross sectional view of the cleaning
basket assembly in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
[0022] FIG. 9 is a three-dimensional partial cross sectional view
of the article cleaning apparatus in accordance with one embodiment
of the present invention;
[0023] FIG. 10 is a plot of retained moisture content as a
percentage of an article's weight versus the relative humidity;
[0024] FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the process selection in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0025] FIG. 12 is a flow diagram of a humidity sensing process in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0026] FIG. 13 is a flow diagram of a solvent cleaning process in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0027] FIG. 14 is a flow diagram of a water cleaning process in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
[0028] FIG. 15 is a flow diagram of a basket drying process in
accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and
[0029] FIG. 16 is a flow diagram of a cycle interruption recovery
process in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
[0030] FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a solvent purification
system in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present
invention, and including a filter/separator assembly for
substantially separating water and/or detergent from cyclic
siloxane solvent.
[0031] FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary process flow for performing
recovery and purification of dirty solvent using the solvent
purification system of FIG. 17.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0032] The present invention includes an apparatus and method for
the cleaning of articles at home or in a coin-op laundry setting.
As used herein, the term, "articles" is defined, for illustrative
purposes and without limitation, as fabrics, textiles, garments,
and linens and any combination thereof. As used herein, the term,
"solvent based cleaning fluid" is defined for illustrative purposes
and without limitation, as comprising a cyclic siloxane solvent
and, optionally, a cleaning agent. If water is present in a solvent
based cleaning fluid, the water is present in an amount in a range
from about 1 percent to about 8 percent of the total weight of the
solvent based cleaning fluid. In another embodiment of the present
invention, if water is present in the solvent based cleaning fluid,
the water is present in an amount in a range from about 1 percent
to about 2 percent of the total weight of the solvent based
cleaning fluid. As used herein, the term, "cleaning agent" is
defined for illustrative purposes and without limitation, as being
selected from the group consisting of sanitizing agents,
emulsifiers, surfactants, detergents, bleaches, softeners, and
combinations thereof. As used herein, the term, "water based
cleaning fluid" is defined for illustrative purposes and without
limitation, as comprising water and, optionally, a cleaning agent.
In the present invention, the article cleaning apparatus 1000 of
FIG. 1 is configured to perform a cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11.
As used herein, the term, "cleaning process" is defined, for
illustrative purposes and without limitation, as utilizing a
solvent cleaning process 375, a water cleaning process 600, and any
combination thereof. The solvent cleaning process 375 and the water
cleaning process 600 are presented in more detail after the article
description of the cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1. It is
recognized that alternative configurations of the article cleaning
apparatus 1000 are possible.
[0033] The article cleaning apparatus 1000 comprises the air
management mechanism 1, the cleaning basket assembly 2, and a fluid
regeneration device 7. The article cleaning apparatus 1000 further
comprises a working fluid device 6 that is coupled to the fluid
regeneration device 7, the cleaning basket assembly 2, and the air
management mechanism 1. The article cleaning apparatus 1000 further
comprises a clean fluid device 8 that is coupled to the cleaning
basket assembly 2 and the fluid regeneration device 7. The article
cleaning apparatus 1000 further comprises a controller 5 which is
coupled to the air management mechanism 1, the cleaning basket
assembly 2, the working fluid device 6, the regeneration device 7,
and the clean fluid device 8. The controller 5 is configured to
perform the cleaning process 350.
[0034] The cleaning basket assembly 2 of FIG. 1 typically comprises
a rotating basket 14 coupled to a motor 3. The rotating basket 14
has a plurality of holes 17. The motor 3 rotates the rotating
basket 14. Suitable drive system alternatives, presented for
illustration and without limitation include, direct drive,
pulley-belt drive, transmissions, and any combination thereof. The
direct drive orientation of the rotating basket 14 and the motor 3
is provided for illustrative purposes and it is not intended to
imply a restriction to the present invention. In one embodiment of
the present invention (not shown in FIG. 1), the motor 3 has a
different major longitudinal axis than the longitudinal axis 220 of
the rotating basket 14, and the motor 3 is coupled to the rotating
basket 14 by a pulley and a belt.
[0035] As shown in FIG. 2, the working fluid device 6, the fluid
regeneration device 7, and the clean fluid device 8 comprise a
fluid processing mechanism 4.
[0036] In one embodiment of the present invention, the working
fluid device 6 comprises a check valve 40 in a drain conduit line
70 that couples the cleaning basket assembly 2 to a working tank
45. Fluid from the cleaning basket assembly 2 passes through the
check valve 40 and is collected in the working tank 45. The fluid
in the working tank 45 is defined as a working fluid 165. A drain
tray 73 is disposed in the air management mechanism 1 to collect
condensate. An additional drain conduit 71 couples the working tank
45 to the drain tray 73. Condensate in the drain tray 73 is
typically gravity drained to the working tank 45, where it is
collected as part of the working fluid 165. A regeneration pump 115
is coupled to the working tank 45 and to a conductivity sensor 151.
A waste water drain valve 155 is disposed between the conductivity
sensor 151 and the fluid regeneration device 7. The waste water
drain valve 155 is coupled to waste water discharge piping 154.
[0037] In one embodiment of the present invention, the controller 5
of FIG. 7 is configured to direct the working fluid 165 of FIG. 2
through to the fluid regeneration device 7 when the conductivity
sensor 151 indicates that the working fluid 165 comprises less than
about 10% water by weight. The controller 5 of FIG. 7 is further
configured to divert the working fluid 165 of FIG. 2 through the
waste water drain valve 155 and the waste water discharge piping
154 when the working fluid 165 flowing through the conductivity
sensor 151 comprises a minimum of at least about 10% by weight of
water to avoid overwhelming the water adsorption capability of the
fluid regeneration device 7.
[0038] In another embodiment of the present invention, a water
separator 152 is disposed in the working tank 45. In another
embodiment of the present invention, the water separator 152 is
disposed between the waste water drain valve 155 and the fluid
regeneration device 7. In another embodiment of the present
invention, a bypass line 145 of FIG. 2 is disposed between the
discharge of the water separator 152 and the inlet of the clean
fluid device 8 to reduce the possibility of overwhelming the water
removal capability in the fluid regeneration device 7. In another
embodiment of the present invention (not shown in FIG. 2), the
bypass line 145 is disposed between the waste water drain valve 155
and the clean fluid device 8. The bypass line 145 is typically
sized to bypass a range from about one-quarter to about
three-quarter of the total flow of the working fluid 165 around the
fluid regeneration device 7.
[0039] In one embodiment of the present invention, the water
separator 152 is fabricated from materials selected form the group
consisting of calcined clay, water adsorbing polymers, sodium
sulfate, paper, cotton fiber, lint, and any combination thereof. In
another embodiment of the present invention, the water separator
152 comprises a distillation device that utilizes heat to remove
water.
[0040] A desirable feature for a washer appliance embodying aspects
of the present invention would be to provide at least three
different operational (e.g., wash) cycle options, such as: Wash
Cycle 1--an option for waterless wash, essentially using just
solvent or solvent plus approximately 0.25 to 1.5% water or other
polar solvent; Wash Cycle 2--an option for cleansing moderately
soiled delicates, e.g., using a suitable spot-remover or
pre-spotter and from approximately 1.0 to 6.5% water or other polar
solvent; and Wash Cycle 3--a solvent/water/detergent option with
approximately 4 to 15% water or other polar solvent and
approximately 0.01 to 0.5% detergent by weight of the total fluid
charge providing a more aggressive wash for heavy-duty laundry.
[0041] Removal of the aqueous phase before the solvent can be
recycled is desirable. This is desirable both for carbon adsorption
efficiency and to minimize odors and bacterial growth. In one
exemplary embodiment, a desirable goal would be to provide
approximately 98% water removal efficiency using a fluid
filter/separator assembly 2000 (FIG. 17) comprising a decanter
stage 2002 and a filter stage 2004. Suitable water adsorption
media, such as adsorption media 3007, would handle any remaining
water removal. To further enhance cleaning, in addition to the
detergent, for example, surfactants and dodecylamine may be added
to the working fluid.
[0042] Water/detergent (bottom or aqueous phase) that may be
present in the working fluid (e.g., cleansing fluid) may be
separated from the SB32 solvent by filter/separator assembly 2000.
Decanter stage 2002 can be comprised of a water drain tube 2010, a
water collector bowl 2012 and a turbine centrifuge 2014. In
operation, decanter stage 2002 is in fluidic communication with
filter stage 2004, as represented by the plurality of arrows
indicative of various exemplary fluid flow paths shown in
filter/separator assembly 2000. Filter stage 2004, in one exemplary
embodiment, may be made of paper. In another exemplary embodiment,
filter stage 2004 may comprise hydrophobic material, e.g., a
polymer or resin-coated paper, designed to concentrate and contain
the aqueous phase within the decanter while allowing passage to the
non-polar phase, e.g., solvent. In one exemplary embodiment, the
filter stage may comprise a single-ply, axially-pleated filter
media 2005. As suggested above, the filter media may be treated to
block passage to any fine droplets of water from the solvent
passing therethrough. One exemplary type of hydrophobic media
believed to be effective for purposes of the present invention,
based on preliminary experimental results, is manufactured by
Parker-Hannifin Corporation of Cleveland Ohio under the
mark/designation Aqua-bloc. It will be understood that the
composition, structure and efficiency of the filter media can be
configured to match the particular needs of any given application.
It will be appreciated that the filter media may be formed from
conventional material and may be manufactured using conventional
filter media manufacturing techniques. Commercially available
filter/separator assemblies that are well suited to perform
decanting and coalescing include, for example, the Amsoil/Dahl
filter/separator assemblies Model Nos. ADF10, and ADF20, and the
Racor filter/separator assembly Model No. 1000FG. Each of such
filter/separator assemblies have been designed and used for fuel
systems, such as diesel fuel systems, to remove water, the more
dense phase, from the diesel fuel, which is slightly less dense,
thereby allowing for clean, water-free fuel to pass for optimal
engine performance. The inventors of the present invention have
innovatively recognized that such fuel filter/separator assemblies
may be advantageously used for achieving aspects of the present
invention, such as removing the denser water phase from the
slightly less dense, but immiscible silicone cleaning fluid (i.e.,
cyclic siloxane solvent).
[0043] For readers desirous of background information in connection
with the physical science mechanisms involved in the settling
(e.g., decanting), and coalescing stages of such filter/separator
assemblies, reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,298,465 and
3,931,011, each of which is incorporated herein by reference. The
description provided in such patents should be construed as
representative of the type of fluid filter/separator assembly
contemplated in accordance with aspects of the present invention,
and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. As
used herein the expression "filter/separator assembly" refers to
assemblies or apparatus that through respective mechanisms of fluid
settling (e.g., decanting) and coalescing are able to substantially
separate water from a fluid that is slightly less dense than
water--traditionally fuel has comprised the fluid being separated
from water. However, as innovatively recognized by the inventors of
the present invention, in a washer appliance, such as described in
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/127,001, (Attorney Docket No.
RD-29557), the fluid being separated from water and/or cleaning
agents comprises cyclic siloxane solvent.
[0044] Tests for determining water separation were conducted as
follows: a gallon jug was filled with a gallon of D5 cleaning fluid
and 100 ml of water/detergent. The phases were vigorously mixed
with a mechanical stirrer (e.g., 500 rpm) to simulate mixing under
washing conditions. The mixture was pumped with a peristaltic pump
into the filter/separator assembly through an inlet port (e.g.,
inlet port 2009 (FIG. 17)) and descended to the decanting stage
where relatively large droplets of the aqueous phase settled. The
less dense D5 cleaning fluid phase ascended to the filter stage
where relatively smaller droplets of the aqueous phase were
separated. The separated D5 phase was passed through the filter
medium and exited through an outlet port at (e.g., outlet port 2008
(FIG. 17)) at the top of the filter assembly while any remaining
aqueous phase was blocked by the filter medium. The aqueous phase
was collected in bowl 2012 at the bottom of the filter/separator
assembly and was drained off as necessary through an outlet port
(e.g., drain tube 2010 (FIG. 17)). The D5 fluid output was then
analyzed using a suitable sensor for measuring water content and
determining the water removal efficiency. Important operational
parameters comprise providing relatively low water concentration in
the stream of cleansing fluid at a relatively low operating
pressure. In operation, the filter/separator assembly may allow
bulk or substantial water removal (e.g., about 98%) and any small
amount of remaining water may then be removed by water adsorption
media 3007, such as adsorption media on a clay bed. Experiments
were run for approximately 10 to 20 minutes and four samples were
taken during each experiment.
[0045] The experimental results are summarized in Table 1 which is
divided into 4 sections, I) Experiments with Dahl filter/separator
assembly ADF10; II) Experiments with Dahl filter/separator assembly
ADF20; III) Experiments with Racor filter/separator assembly 1000FG
without surfactants and amine; and IV) Experiments with Racor
filter/separator assembly 1000FG with surfactants and amine. As
seen in the first section of Table 1, initial results with the Dahl
ADF10 filter/separator assembly showed that at 400ml/min, in the
absence of any detergent, the aqueous phase can readily be removed
to approximately 98-99% efficiency. However, at increased flow
rates, e.g., 600ml/min and with 1/8% detergent, the water removal
efficiency was reduced to approximately 70%.
[0046] To achieve greater flow rates a larger fluid
filter/separator assembly, the Dahl filter/separator assembly Model
ADF20, was tested. Dahl filter/separator assembly ADF20 comprises
an increased volumetric capacity (approximately 2.8 liters as
compared to 0.85 liters for Dahl filter/separator assembly ADF10)
and a corresponding increased residence time. In addition, the
filter stage of filter/separator assembly ADF20 is larger and has a
greater surface area than the one for filter/separator assembly
ADF10. The second section of Table 1 showed some improved results.
Efficient water removal (>99%) was achievable at increased flow
rates with 1/8% detergent and with water levels of 2.5 and 5%.
[0047] To further enhance cleaning, in addition to the detergent,
surfactants and dodecylamine were added to the cleansing fluid. As
may be expected, this resulted in an aqueous phase that was
relatively more difficult to separate. When surfactants and
dodecylamine were added to the cleansing fluid, the performance of
the Dahl filter/separator assembly ADF20 in terms of water removal
efficiency dropped off to approximately 80%.
[0048] The next iteration of tests involved the Racor
filter/separator assembly 1000FG. The volume of this filter
assembly is slightly larger (approximately 3.2 liters) and has a
filter stage, which is believed to be conducive to more efficient
water separation. As suggested above, the filter element comprises
a filter medium coated with a hydrophobic polymer or resin (traded
in commerce under the mark/designation Aqua-bloc) designed to repel
the aqueous phase. It should be recognized that any number of
polymer compositions with hydrophobic character would be suited for
this application. The filter element also has an exposed pleat
design, which allows the aqueous phase to run off the filter
element and down into the water-collecting bowl. The results were
excellent under various testing conditions. Three different flow
rates and two different pore size elements were tested. As seen in
the third section of Table 1, with detergent only, the aqueous
phase removal efficiency was >99% at flow rates as high as 1300
ml/min. The same set of tests was run with surfactants and amine as
well as detergent. The results are listed in the fourth section of
Table 1. Even under the most stringent conditions, e.g., the
combination of detergent, surfactants and dodecylamine, the aqueous
phase removal efficiency was excellent, e.g., approximately
99.6-99.7% at an exemplary flow rate of 650 ml/min for both the 10
and 30 micron pore size. At higher flow rates, e.g., 975 and 1300
ml/min, the 30-micron filter element performed slightly better than
the 10-micron filter element. In view of the foregoing results, it
is felt that aqueous phase removal, with or without surfactants,
and dodecylamine has been experimentally demonstrated at flow rates
sufficiently high to allow for relatively fast real-time reloading
(e.g., recapturing, or recycling) of the solvent as a washing cycle
is being performed.
[0049] As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, other
types of separators for polar/non-polar phase separations may be
considered, such as centrifuge, or electrostatic-based separators,
however, it is believed that the present relatively high cost of
such separators would not provide an economically competitive
solution at this time. TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Exemplary Conditions
and Results Summary for Solvent Recovery Experiments
Filter/separator Pore Size, Flow Rate, Surf + Ave Water Exp
Assembly Model Filter medium microns ml/min Water, % Deter, % Amine
Rem Eff % I Dahl - ADF10 Paper 10 400 2.5 0 NO 98.6 Dahl - ADF10
Paper 10 600 2.5 0 NO 95.0 Dahl - ADF10 Paper 10 400 2.5 1/8 NO
97.6 Dahl - ADF10 Paper 10 600 2.5 1/8 NO 70.0 II Dahl - ADF20
Paper 10 650 2.5 1/8 NO 99.3 Dahl - ADF20 Paper 10 650 5 1/8 NO
99.1 Dahl - ADF20 Paper 10 650 5 1/8 YES 80.9 III Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 10 650 5 1/8 NO 99.7 Recor - 1000FG Hydrophobic
Coating 10 975 5 1/8 NO 99.8 Recor - 1000FG Hydrophobic Coating 10
1300 5 1/8 NO 99.7 Recor - 1000FG Hydrophobic Coating 30 650 5 1/8
NO 99.3 Recor - 1000FG Hydrophobic Coating 30 975 5 1/8 NO 99.4
Recor - 1000FG Hydrophobic Coating 30 1300 5 1/8 NO 99.0 IV Recor -
1000FG Hydrophobic Coating 10 650 5 1/8 YES 99.7 Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 10 975 5 1/8 YES 92.6 Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 10 1300 5 1/8 YES 87.0 Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 30 650 5 1/8 YES 99.6 Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 30 975 5 1/8 YES 98.6 Recor - 1000FG
Hydrophobic Coating 30 1300 5 1/8 YES 92.5
[0050] FIG. 18 illustrates an exemplary process flow 3000 for
performing recovery and purification of dirty solvent and/or
cleaning agents. For example, after the clothes have been washed in
the wash basket 14, the dirty cleaning fluid would be drained from
the basket, and passed through a coarse filter 3002. This filter
may have a relatively large mesh configured to remove lint or
fibers, which may be loosened from the clothing during wash and
remain in the contaminated solvent upon draining of the basket.
Coarse filter 3002 may be viewed as one exemplary embodiment of
mechanical filter 120 (FIG. 2), and thus, unless stated otherwise,
the structural description provided for mechanical filter 120 is
also be applicable to coarse filter 3002. The fluid from coarse
filter 3002 would then be passed through a particulate filter 3004
configured with a finer mesh and, in one exemplary embodiment, may
comprise, for example, a spun or wound cartridge filter made up of
polypropylene or polyester. Particulate filter 3004 may be viewed
as one exemplary embodiment of particulate filter 125 (FIG. 2)),
and thus, unless stated otherwise, the structural description
provided for particulate filter 125 is also be applicable to
particulate filter 3004.
[0051] After passing the cleaning fluid through the coarse and
particulate filters to capture solids, the cleaning fluid may be
optionally stored in a holding tank 3006 for further purification
processing. In one exemplary embodiment, the purification process
may continue immediately upon receiving fluid into the holding
tank, or, in an alternative embodiment, the fluid may be stored for
later purification.
[0052] As described in detail in the context of FIG. 17, bulk water
separation is performed through filter/separator assembly 2000.
Impurities in the solvent that may pass from filter/separator
assembly 2000 could be concentrated and removed via distillation.
However, in one exemplary embodiment, a regeneration cartridge 3008
may be configured to function as an impurity concentrator that may
comprise an adsorption column. Regeneration cartridge 3008, water
adsorption media 3007, and an organic adsorption media 3009 may
each be viewed as respective exemplary embodiments of regeneration
cartridge 141, water adsorption media 130 and cleaning fluid
regeneration adsorption media 135, each shown in FIG. 2. Thus,
unless stated otherwise, the structural description respectively
provided for each of the last-recited components may also be
applicable to regeneration cartridge 3008, water adsorption media
3007, and organic adsorption media 3009. In one exemplary
embodiment, regeneration cartridge 3008 may be comprised of at
least two sections: water adsorption media 3007, such as calcined
clay, for the removal of small amounts of residual water not
removed through the fluid separation action provided by
filter/separator assembly 2000. Regeneration cartridge 3008 may be
further made up of organic adsorbent media 3009, e.g. carbon,
arranged to adsorb dissolved organic impurities, such as fats and
oils. In one exemplary embodiment, the organic adsorption media
3009 may be a packed bed column with a length-to-diameter ratio of
at least two. However, the organic adsorbent media may comprise a
spin filter, flat plate bed, tortuous path bed, membrane separator,
or other similar adsorption arrangement. The flow direction may be
upflow or downflow, horizontal, or radial flow, although it may be
desirable to minimize channeling for superior adsorption
performance. The organic adsorption media may be selected from any
material that is effective for removing dissolved organic
impurities, such as activated carbon, carbon nanotubes, clay,
adsorption resins (especially carbonaceous type, e.g., Ambersorb
563), silica, alumina, and zeolites. In one exemplary embodiment,
activated carbon is used because of the high adsorption capacity
and relatively low cost of activated carbon.
[0053] As suggested above, the adsorption media may comprise an
array of packed bed columns or cartridges and may be in the form of
a single cartridge or groups of cartridges in parallel and/or
series. Cartridges coupled in parallel may provide a more
convenient size for handling and can increase the L/D ratio of the
cartridge bed without changing the total cartridge volume.
Cartridges coupled in series can increase adsorption capacity as
well as increase processing speed. A design with multiple
cartridges may also be placed on a carousel for accessibility and
ease of replacement.
[0054] As will be now appreciated by those skilled in the art, the
size of the cartridge comprising the adsorption media is believed
to be an important design parameter. While a large adsorbent bed or
cartridge would remain in service for longer periods, a large bed
or cartridge may be cumbersome, occupy significant space in the
appliance and may be difficult for one individual to replace. In
one exemplary embodiment, based on preliminary small-scale lab
experiments, the organic adsorption media may be comprised of an 18
liter cartridge and may include a total of 15 lbs of carbon. An
exemplary target for the solvent purification time would be
approximately eight minutes and the cartridge would be replaced
approximately every 3 months or 100 washes (approximately 800 lbs.
of clothing). It is contemplated, however, that for some
applications a smaller cartridge may be desirable, e.g., it would
save space and could be replaced easily by a single individual. It
is further contemplated to regenerate the carbon and/or clay
portions of the cartridge for reuse. For home use equipment, it is
desirable to have a relatively small size for the cartridge, as
well as small machine size. It is also desirable to have the
capability of cleaning several loads of clothing sequentially,
without having a large storage tank of clean solvent, and thus,
instant or rapid reload of purified solvent would be desirable.
Another exemplary embodiment contemplates a single cartridge with
two bed sections. In this embodiment, the cartridge may comprise a
carbon bed containing approximately 3.75 lbs. of carbon to remove
dissolved impurities in the solvent. A second section of the
cartridge may comprise clay for water adsorption. The percent of
clay in this cartridge section may vary from about 0% to about 50%
of the carbon weight, depending on the separation efficiency of the
fluid filter/separator assembly and the quantity of water used in
the wash load. For this embodiment, the regeneration cartridge may
be replaced approximately every 22 washes. One exemplary
temperature range for solvent processing may be approximately 20-40
degrees Calcius.
[0055] Exemplary configurations for the components used for solvent
purification and recovery may include separate filters for the
respective coarse and particulate filters, and the organic
adsorption media, or, in an alternative arrangement, each may be
combined as an "all-in-one" unitary regeneration cartridge. In the
case of separate filters (e.g., separate coarse and particulate
filters), it may be desirable to arrange for these filters to be
upstream of holding tank 3006 to avoid settling of any contaminants
at the bottom of the tank. In the case of a unitary regeneration
cartridge, it may be desirable to pass the solvent through the
unitary cartridge at least twice. The first pass may be performed
at a relatively high flow rate (e.g., first flow rate) to primarily
remove, for example, lint and particulates. A subsequent pass may
be performed at a lower flow rate (e.g., second flow rate), which
may be desirable for facilitating adsorption of soluble organic
contaminants. The fluid filter/separator assembly 2000 may be
situated anywhere upstream of the regeneration cartridge as either
an integral component of the unitary cartridge, or as a separate
unit.
[0056] In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second flow rates
for purifying and recovering the solvent may be configured to
reduce cycle time ans use a relatively small storage tank (e.g.,
tank size of approximately 10 gal) for the recovered and purified
solvent, see Scenario 1) in Table 2 below. Table 2 further
illustrates two additional exemplary scenarios for purifying the
solvent. Scenario 2) contemplates one single relatively slower flow
rate (e.g., approximately 0.172 gal/min or 1304 ml/min) that would
result in a longer overall cycle time. Scenario 3 contemplates a
relatively larger tank (e.g., tank size of approximately 15 gal)
and the single relatively slower flow rate. Still another scenario
that is contemplated (not specifically illustrated in Table 2)
would be to provide one relatively faster flow rate that would
result in either a smaller tank size and/or a shorter total cycle
time. It will be appreciated that the foregoing numerical values
are merely illustrative and should not be construed as limiting the
present invention since the values of flow rates and tank size may
be adjusted to meet the requirements of any given application.
TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Tank Size 1.sup.st Flow Rate 2.sup.nd Flow
Rate Total Cycle Time Scenario gal gal/min gal/min minutes 1 10
0.344 0.172 90 2 10 0.172 Not Applicable 100 3 15 0.172 Not
Applicable 90
[0057] Means for introducing additives, such as detergents,
perfumes, disinfectants, etc., may be positioned at or near the
exit side of the organic adsorption media for dispensing these
additives into the solvent exiting the column for a subsequent wash
as the solvent from a present or a previous wash is purified for
storage in a tank 3010 for holding the recovered (e.g., purified
solvent).
[0058] It is contemplated that any spent cartridges may be
appropriately disposed of or recycled to conserve adsorbent and
SB32 solvent. For example, solvent may be drained prior to removal
of the cartridge to minimize solvent replacement. Clean "make-up"
solvent for replenishment purposes can be added back to the system
by storing it in the replacement cartridge. Each cartridge may be
configured with leak proof seals to reduce the possibility of leaks
and fluid contact with the user. Each cartridge may be
appropriately cleansed for recycling purposes either within the
appliance or at a location off-line by backflushing the respective
particulate and coarse filters and then passing a de-adsorption
solvent over the adsorbent bed, such as clean silicone solvent,
steam, or water. Solvent condensed in the drying system may be
respectively passed through the water separator and the coarse and
particulate filters for washing, rinsing, or backflushing of
impurities in the solvent recovery system.
[0059] To enable sequential washes with immediate or rapid solvent
reload, it would be desirable to, for example, purify the solvent
during the drying cycle or store a sufficient amount of clean
solvent for reload, or both. One exemplary method for enhancing
this solvent reload capability while reducing adsorbent bed volume
would be to process the solvent at a sufficiently high flow rate to
partially remove contaminants from the solvent. The solvent can
then be re-processed when the sequence of washes ends so that any
remaining contaminants in the solvent are removed. The
re-processing steps may comprise at least a second or third pass
through the purification system, reprocessing at a slower rate and
continuing until removing the contaminants to a desired level.
[0060] Another exemplary technique for enabling rapid reload
capability with reduced cartridge size and reduced processing time
would be to pass the solvent through each respective filter, e.g.,
the coarse and particulate filters, and the organic adsorption bed
(or the unitary cartridge assembly) at a relatively high flow rate.
The partially cleaned solvent can then be diluted or mixed with
previously purified solvent to enable immediate reload with the
mixed partially purified, or "gray" solvent. It is contemplated to
dilute the partially cleaned solvent with at least 50% of purified
solvent to avoid any relatively high contamination to the overall
mix. The mixed partially purified solvent may then be more highly
purified when the sequence of washes ends. It is contemplated that
if the cartridge is sized such that the processing time for
recovering and purifying the solvent exceeds the processing time
for the remainder of the cycle, one may optionally pass the solvent
just through the coarse and particulate filters for a desired
number of wash cycles. Any organic soluble contaminants in the
solvent may then be removed via the organic adsorption media later.
Another option would be to continuously process the contaminated
solvent by recycling. Although this option may allow for faster
processing and smaller adsorption beds, this option may require a
tank with larger storage capacity for the purified solvent.
[0061] One exemplary flow rate of solvent through the purification
column, based on a given volume for the carbon bed, is
approximately 6 bed volumes/hr. The system may be run at flow rates
ranging from approximately 3-9 bed volumes/hr with diminishing
benefit at lower flow rates, or higher ones. After a sequence of
approximately 3-6 wash loads, the solvent may be more thoroughly
cleaned upon passing a second time through the purification system.
A large solvent purification bed can also be utilized to maximum
advantage if several machines are connected to a single solvent
recovery system, such as may be the case at coin-operated laundry
facilities, or in a larger scale device.
[0062] In certain instances, where it is desirable to wash with an
aqueous phase comprising soluble detergent, it is also desirable to
rinse the wash load for removing the detergent from the clothing.
In these instances, it may be desirable to rinse the clothing with
a mixture of solvent and water, which, as suggested above, would be
subsequently processed through the fluid filter/separator assembly
2000 to remove the aqueous phase from the mixture. For example, to
enable the rinse immediately following a wash and spin cycle,
either clean solvent for the rinse should be retrieved from
storage, or the wash fluid should be processed through the fluid
filter/separator assembly during such drain and spin cycles, or
both. For example, solvent for the rinse may be generated from wash
fluid from the holding tank and passed through the fluid
filter/separator assembly. The solvent may then be optionally
passed through the adsorption bed and returned for the rinse, or
the solvent may bypass the adsorption bed, and be returned for
rinsing. In one exemplary embodiment, a portion of the clean
solvent for rinsing may be extracted from previously purified
solvent stored in storage tank 3010, and another portion of the
solvent for rinsing may be processed (e.g., recovered) from the
wash fluid. This combination is believed to allow both reducing the
size of the tank for storing clean solvent and reducing the flow
rate of fluid through the fluid filter/separator assembly. In one
exemplary embodiment, the wash fluid volume may comprise
approximately 60-90% of the volume of the clean solvent storage
tank (e.g., 6-10 gallon wash cycle, and a 10-15 gallon clean
solvent storage tank). The rinse may utilize a solvent volume which
comprises approximately 40%-100% of the volume of the wash solvent
volume and a water volume which is approximately 0%-8% of the rinse
solvent volume. For this exemplary solvent volume, approximately
45% would be stored in the tank for storing clean solvent, and
approximately 55% would be processed from the wash cycle.
[0063] The fluid regeneration device 7 comprises a regeneration
cartridge 141. The inlet side of the regeneration cartridge 141 is
typically coupled to the working fluid device 6. The regeneration
cartridge 141 typically comprises at least a water adsorption media
130 coupled to a cleaning fluid regeneration adsorption media 135.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the regeneration
cartridge 141 further comprises a mechanical filter 120 and a
particulate filter 125. In one embodiment of the present invention,
the working fluid 165 passes sequentially through the mechanical
filter 120, particulate filter 125, water adsorption media 130, and
cleaning fluid regeneration adsorption media 135. The cleaning
fluid regeneration adsorption media 135 contains a portion of the
solvent based cleaning fluid 30 in order to replenish the solvent
based cleaning fluid 30 that is consumed during the solvent
wash/dry process 500 of FIG. 13. The cleaning fluid regeneration
adsorption media 135 also contains a replacement amount of solvent
based cleaning fluid 30 which is disposed of when changing out the
regeneration cartridge 141.
[0064] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cleaning
fluid regeneration adsorption media 135 is selected from a group
consisting of a packed bed column, a flat plate bed, a tortuous
path bed, a membrane separator, a column with packed trays, and
combinations thereof.
[0065] In one embodiment of the present invention, the materials to
fabricate the cleaning fluid regeneration adsorption media 135 are
selected from the group consisting of activated charcoal, carbon,
calcined clay, Kaolinite, adsorption resins, carbonaceous type
resins, silica gels, alumina in acid form, alumina in base form,
alumina in neutral form, zeolites, molecular sieves, and any
combination thereof. Both the amount of solvent based cleaning
fluid regeneration and the speed of solvent based cleaning fluid
regeneration depend on the volume of the cleaning fluid
regeneration adsorption media 135.
[0066] In one embodiment of the present invention, the regeneration
cartridge 141 containing the cleaning fluid regeneration adsorption
media 135 in the packed bed column form is disposed in a single
packed bed column cartridge form. In another embodiment of the
present invention, the regeneration cartridge 141 comprising the
cleaning fluid regeneration adsorption media 135 in the packed bed
column form is disposed in a plurality of packed bed column
cartridges. In an alternative embodiment of the present invention,
the regeneration cartridge 141 comprises the cleaning fluid
regeneration adsorption media 135 in a plurality of packed bed
column cartridges, which are disposed in series with respect to one
another. In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the
regeneration cartridge 141 further comprises the cleaning fluid
regeneration adsorption media 135 in the plurality of packed bed
column cartridges, which are disposed in parallel with respect to
one another.
[0067] In another embodiment of the present invention, the
mechanical filter 120 of FIG. 3 and the particulate filter 125 are
part of the working fluid device 6. The mechanical filter 120 and
the particulate filter 125 are disposed in the drain conduit line
70 that couples the cleaning basket assembly 2 to the working tank
45. The mechanical filter 120 and the particulate filter 125 are
disposed in the drain conduit 70 between the cleaning basket
assembly 2 and the check valve 40.
[0068] In another embodiment of the present invention, the
mechanical filter 120 of FIG. 4 and the particulate filter 125 are
disposed in the drain conduit 70 between the check valve 40 and the
working tank 45. In an alternative embodiment of the present
invention, the mechanical filter 120 is disposed in the drain
conduit 70, while the particulate filter 125 is disposed in the
regeneration cartridge 141. In another embodiment of the present
invention, the mechanical filter 120 is not present and the
particulate filter 125 is disposed in the regeneration cartridge
filter 141. In another embodiment of the present invention, the
mechanical filter 120 is not present and the particulate filter 125
is disposed in the drain conduit 141. Both the arrangement of the
internals of the regeneration cartridge 141 and the location and
application of the mechanical filter 120 and the particulate filter
125 are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to
imply a restriction on the present invention.
[0069] In one embodiment of the present invention, mechanical
filter 120 has a mesh size in a range from about 50 microns to
about 1000 microns. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
particulate filter 125 has a mesh size in a range from about 0.5
microns to about 50 microns.
[0070] In one embodiment of the present invention, the particulate
filter 125 is a cartridge filter fabricated from materials selected
from the group consisting of thermoplastics, polyethylene,
polypropylene, polyester, aluminum, stainless steel, metallic mesh,
sintered metal, ceramic, membrane diatomaceous earth, and any
combination thereof.
[0071] After the working fluid 165 passes through the regeneration
cartridge 141, it exits the regeneration cartridge 141 as the
solvent based cleaning fluid 30. An outlet side of the regeneration
cartridge 141 is typically coupled to an optical turbidity sensor
140. The optical turbidity sensor 140 is typically coupled to a
storage tank 35 in the clean fluid device 8. The optical turbidity
sensor 140 is tuned to a specific adsorbance level that provides
information about the cleanliness of the solvent based cleaning
fluid 30. When the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 exiting the
optical turbidity sensor 140 reaches a preset specific adsorbance
level, the controller 5 of FIG. 7 sends a "replace regeneration
cartridge" message to the operator on a display panel 200 (FIG.
9).
[0072] The storage tank 35 of FIG. 2 in the clean fluid device 8
stores the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 received from the fluid
regeneration device 7. The clean fluid device 8 further comprises a
pump 25 that is coupled to the storage tank 35. The pump 25 is
coupled to the cleaning basket assembly 2 via an inlet line 26. In
one embodiment of the present invention, the pump 25 is also
typically coupled to the air management mechanism 1 via cooling
coil wash down tubing 160. In another embodiment of the present
invention, the clean fluid device 8 further comprises a spray
nozzle 67 that is typically disposed in the cooling coil wash down
tubing 160 to control the flow of the solvent based cleaning fluid
30 to the air management mechanism 1. As used herein, the term,
"spray nozzle" is defined to be a nozzle, an orifice, a spray
valve, a pressure reducing tubing section, and any combination
thereof. In one embodiment of the present invention, the spray
nozzle 67 is coupled to the controller 5 as is shown in FIG. 7 when
the spray nozzle 67 is a spray valve.
[0073] The air management mechanism 1 of FIG. 5 comprises a cooling
coil 65, a heater 55, and a fan 50. The air management mechanism 1
is coupled to the cleaning basket assembly 2 by suction ventilation
ducting 51 and discharge ventilation ducting 52. The fan 50 is
disposed to provide airflow 53 through the cooling coil 65, the
heater 55, the discharge ventilation ducting 52, the cleaning
basket assembly 2, and the suction ventilation ducting 51. A
temperature sensor 57 is also typically disposed in the airflow 53.
The temperature sensor 57 is typically disposed in the suction
ventilation ducting 51, the discharge ventilation ducting 52, the
cleaning basket assembly 2, and any combination thereof.
[0074] The cooling coil 65 is configured to have a cooling medium
disposed to flow across one side of a heat transfer surface of the
cooling coil 65, while the airflow 53 passes across the opposite
side of the heat transfer surface of the cooling coil 65. The heat
transfer surface of the cooling coil 65 separates the cooling
medium and the airflow 53. The inlet temperature of the cooling
medium utilized is typically cooler that the temperature of the
airflow 53 in order to condense vapors in the airflow 53. As used
herein, the term, "cooling medium" is defined, for illustrative
purposes and without limitation, as being selected from water,
refrigerants, air, other gasses, ethylene glycol/water mixtures,
propylene glycol/water mixtures and any combination thereof. The
drain tray 73 is disposed under the cooling coil 65 and is coupled
to the working tank 45 as described above.
[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, the air
management mechanism 1 typically further comprises an air intake
156 and an air exhaust 157. The air intake 156 and air exhaust 157
are disposed to provide air exchange between the airflow 53 and the
air that is outside of the air management mechanism 1 to promote
the drying of articles that have been subjected to the water
cleaning process 600 of FIG. 14. The air intake 156 and air exhaust
157 are disposed in a similar configuration to that of a
conventional dryer. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
air intake 156 of FIG. 5 is disposed in the ventilation path
between the heater 55 and the fan 50, while the air exhaust 157 is
disposed between the cooling coil 65 and the cleaning basket
assembly 2. The locations of the air intake 156 and air exhaust 157
are provided for illustration and in no way implies a restriction
to the present invention.
[0076] A solvent vapor pressure sensor 59 detects the vapor
pressure of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 in the airflow 53
that circulates between the cleaning basket assembly 2 and the air
management mechanism 1. The solvent vapor pressure sensor 59 is
used to determine when solvent vapor pressure level reaches a
predetermined level that indicates that the airflow 53 is no longer
entraining substantial amounts of the solvent based cleaning fluid
30 of FIG. 2. The solvent vapor pressure sensor 59 of FIG. 6 is
disposed in the discharge ventilation ducting 52. In another
embodiment of the present invention, the solvent vapor pressure
sensor 59 is typically disposed in the suction ventilation ducting
51, the discharge ventilation ducting 52, the cleaning basket
assembly 2, and any combination thereof. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the solvent vapor pressure sensor 59 replaces
the temperature sensor 57.
[0077] The cooling coil 65 of FIG. 6 further comprises a cooling
coil air inlet 66. In one embodiment of the present invention, one
end of the cooling coil wash down tubing 160 is aimed at the
cooling coil air inlet 66 of FIG. 6. The spray nozzle 67 and the
pump 25 flushes away lint and debris that accumulates on the
surface of the cooling coil air inlet 66 of FIG. 6 to maintain
airflow 53 (i.e. decrease the pressure drop across the cooling coil
65) through the air management mechanism 1 and the cleaning basket
assembly 2. In one embodiment of the present invention, spraying
the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 at the cooling inlet
66 of FIG. 6 provides additional cooling and condensation of vapor
in the airflow 53.
[0078] As shown in FIG. 6, in another embodiment of the present
invention, the air management mechanism 1 further comprises a
compressor 75, high-pressure tubing 80, low-pressure tubing 85 and
pressure reducing tubing 90 are disposed in a vapor compression
cycle. As used herein, the term, "high-pressure tubing" is used to
indicate that the high-pressure tubing is designed to contain a
refrigerant 95 at a higher pressure than the "low-pressure tubing".
The use of the terms "high-pressure tubing" and "low-pressure
tubing" are used to express a relative pressure differential across
the compressor 75. As used herein, the term, "pressure reducing
tubing" is defined to indicate that the "pressure reducing tubing"
comprises a flow restriction that is sufficient to provide the
relative pressure differential at a junction between the
"high-pressure tubing" and the "low-pressure tubing". The
high-pressure tubing 80 of FIG. 6 is disposed from the compressor
75 to the heater 55. The pressure reducing tubing 90 is disposed
between the heater 55 and the cooling coil 65. The low-pressure
tubing 85 is disposed from the compressor 75 to the cooling coil
65. The refrigerant 95 is disposed to flow between the compressor
75, heater 55, and cooling coil 65.
[0079] The vapor compression cycle attains a higher coefficient of
performance (COP) for solvent wash/dry process 500 of FIG. 13. The
vapor compression cycle operating in a heat pump configuration
reduces energy requirements for the solvent cleaning process 375 of
FIG. 11. Energy is conserved as the refrigerant 95 of FIG. 6
passing through the cooling coil 65 adsorbs heat from the airflow
53 and then the refrigerant 95 rejects the heat back into the
airflow 53 by passing through the heater 55. In one embodiment of
the present invention, the refrigerant 95 is fluorocarbon R-22;
however, other refrigerants known to one skilled in the refrigerant
art would be acceptable. The heater 55 functions as a condenser
(warming the air flow 53 through the heater 55), while the cooling
coil 65 functions as an evaporator (cooling the air flow 53 through
the cooling coil 65 and condensing any vapor).
[0080] In another embodiment of the present invention, the air
management mechanism 1 further comprises an auxiliary heater 158 of
FIG. 6. The fan 50 is further disposed to provide airflow 53
through the auxiliary heater 158. Typically, the auxiliary heater
158, used in conjunction with the heater 55, provides a higher
temperature in the airflow 53 that enters the cleaning basket
assembly 2. The auxiliary heater 158 is disposed in the discharge
ventilation ducting 52. In another embodiment of present invention,
the auxiliary heater 158 is disposed in the suction discharge
ventilation ducting 53. Raising the air temperature of the airflow
53 typically decreases the drying time for the articles in the
humidity sensing process 400 of FIG. 12 and the solvent wash/dry
process 500 of FIG. 13.
[0081] The inputs to the controller 5 of FIG. 7 are typically
selected from the group consisting of the door lock sensor 18, the
temperature sensor 57, the solvent vapor pressure sensor 59, the
optical sensor 140, the conductivity sensor 151, the basket
conductivity cell 170, the basket level detector 172, the basket
humidity sensor 173, the operator interface 190, the access door
lock sensor 248, and any combination thereof. The outputs of the
controller 5 are typically selected from the group consisting of
the motor 3, the door lock 19, the pump 25, the fluid heater 28,
the check valve 40, the fan 50, the heater 55, the spray nozzle 67,
the compressor 75, the regeneration pump 115, the water separator
152, the waste water drain valve 155, the auxiliary heater 158, the
mixing valve 185, the display panel 200, the access door lock 246,
the water drain valve 260, and any combination thereof.
[0082] The controller 5 is further configured to perform a solvent
based cleaning fluid recirculation process. In the solvent based
cleaning fluid recirculation process, the solvent based cleaning
fluid 30 passes through the fluid processing mechanism 4 and
cleaning basket assembly 4 as discussed above for a predetermined
amount of time. The solvent based cleaning fluid recirculation
process is performed when the article cleaning apparatus 1000 is
not engaged in either the cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11 or the
drying process 360. In the case where the operator selects either
the cleaning process 350 or the drying process 360 during the
solvent based cleaning fluid recirculation process, the controller
5 recovers the article cleaning apparatus 1000 using a cycle
interruption recovery process 800 of FIG. 16, which will be
subsequently described in detail. As used herein, the term,
"recovers the article cleaning apparatus," relates to placing the
article cleaning apparatus 1000 in a condition to perform either
the cleaning process 350 or the drying process 360.
[0083] The cleaning basket assembly 2 of FIG. 8 depicts one
embodiment of the present invention where a cleaning basket support
structure 12 supports the rotating basket 14 through a door end
bearing 22 and a motor end bearing 21. The motor 3 is disposed to
the rotating basket 14 at the opposite end of the rotating basket
where a basket door 15 is disposed. The cleaning basket assembly 2
further comprises a gasket 16, a door lock sensor 18, and a door
lock 19. The basket support structure 12 further comprises a liquid
drain connection to the drain conduit 70 and a solvent based
cleaning fluid supply connection to the inlet tubing 26. The basket
support structure 12 further comprises a connection to the
discharge ventilation ducting 52 and a connection to the suction
ventilation ducting 51. A lint filter 60 is typically situated in
the suction ventilation ducting 51. The cleaning basket assembly 2
of FIG. 8 further comprises a basket humidity sensor 173 that has
the capability to determine the humidity level in the rotating
basket 14. In one embodiment of the present invention, the basket
humidity sensor 173 is disposed inside the basket support structure
12 adjacent the rotating basket 14.
[0084] The air management mechanism 1 of FIG. 1, the cleaning
basket assembly 2, fluid processing mechanism 4, and the controller
5 are disposed inside an enclosure 230 of FIG. 9, where only the
cleaning basket assembly 2 is depicted in the cut away view of the
enclosure 230. Additionally, the controller 5 of FIG. 7 is
configured to receive input controls from the operator from an
operator interface 190 of FIG. 9 and configured to provide a
cleaning status at the display panel 200. The enclosure 230 further
comprises an enclosure floor 250 that is substantially
perpendicular to an enclosure rear wall 240. The rotating basket 14
has a longitudinal axis 220 that is about parallel to the enclosure
floor 250. As used herein, the term, "about parallel" is defined to
include a range from about -3 degrees to about +3 degrees from
parallel. The enclosure 230 further comprises an enclosure front
wall 242 that is on the side of the enclosure where the basket door
15 is disposed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
operator interface 190 and the display panel 200 are disposed on
the enclosure front wall 242. The location of the operator
interface 190 and the display panel 200 is provided by way of
illustration and is not intended to imply a limitation to the
present invention. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
enclosure floor 250 is configured to act as a containment pan to
collect leakage of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30. In another
embodiment of the present invention, the enclosure 230 is
configured to act as the containment pan to collect leakage of the
solvent based cleaning fluid 30.
[0085] In one embodiment of the present invention, the enclosure
230 has an overall volumetric shape of about 0.7 meters in width,
by about 0.9 meters in depth, by about 1.4 meters in height. This
volumetric shape represents the typical space available in an
in-home laundry setting.
[0086] The regeneration cartridge 141 of FIG. 2 is typically the
one item in the fluid processing mechanism 4 requiring periodic
replacement. In one embodiment of the present invention, the
enclosure front wall 242 of FIG. 9 comprises an access door 244, an
access door lock 246, and an access door lock sensor 248. The
location of the access door 244, access door lock 246 and the
access door lock sensor 248 is provided by way of illustration and
is not intended to imply a limitation to the present invention. The
access door lock 246 and access door lock sensor 248 are coupled to
the controller 5 of FIG. 7. The controller logic in the controller
5 keeps the access door lock 246 locked during the cleaning process
350 of FIG. 11, the drying process 360, and the solvent based
cleaning fluid recirculation process. The controller logic only
permits replacing the regeneration cartridge 141 of FIG. 2 when the
article cleaning apparatus 1000 is not operating any of the
following: the cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11, the drying process
360 and the solvent based cleaning fluid recirculation process.
When the controller logic verifies that any of the following: the
cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11, the drying process 360, and the
solvent based cleaning fluid recirculation process are not in
progress, then the controller 5 of FIG. 7 unlocks the access door
lock 246 in response to an operator request via the operator
interface 190 to replace the regeneration cartridge 141. If an
operator requests to replace the regeneration cartridge 141 and the
article cleaning apparatus 1000 is operating any process, the
operator is notified that the replacement of the regeneration
cartridge 141 is not permitted via a notification message displayed
on the display panel 200. By not permitting the cleaning process
350 of FIG. 11, the drying process 360, and the solvent based
cleaning fluid recirculation process to be performed by the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 2 during the regeneration cartridge
141 replacement, the operator is afforded protection from an
inadvertent exposure to the solvent based cleaning fluid 30.
Additionally, the controller logic does not allow the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 to initiate any process until the access
door lock sensor 248 of FIG. 9 verifies that the access door 244 is
shut and the access door lock 246 is locked. The access door lock
sensor 248 is additionally configured to detect that the
regeneration cartridge 141 of FIG. 2 is properly installed before
indicating that the access door 244 of FIG. 9 is properly closed
and that the access door lock 246 is properly locked.
[0087] Additionally, in one embodiment of the present invention,
the regeneration cartridge 141 of FIG. 2 further comprises a leak
proof double inlet valves assembly 101 and a leak proof double
outlet valves assembly 106 to minimize the operator's contact with
the solvent based cleaning fluid 30. In another embodiment of the
present invention, the regeneration cartridge 141 (not shown in
FIG. 2) further comprises a leak proof single inlet valve assembly
100 and a leak proof single outlet valve assembly 105 to minimize
the operator's contact with the solvent based cleaning fluid 30. As
used herein, the term, "leak proof" is defined to mean that there
is no leakage of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 beyond about 1
ml evident at 1) either end of the regeneration cartridge 141 after
removal and 2) the connection points where the regeneration
cartridge 141 installs into the fluid regeneration device 7.
[0088] The controller logic in the controller 5 of FIG. 7 is
designed to keep the basket door lock 19 locked shut while
performing any of the following: the cleaning process 350, the
drying process 360, and the solvent based cleaning fluid
recirculation process. This limits the operator's ability to expose
oneself to the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 during any of the
following: the cleaning process 350, the drying process 360, and
the solvent based cleaning fluid recirculation process thereby
reducing the number of opportunities that the operator is exposed
to the solvent based cleaning fluid 30.
[0089] In one embodiment of the present invention, the clean fluid
device 8 of FIG. 2 further comprises a fluid heater 27 disposed
between the pump 25 and the cleaning basket assembly 2 in the inlet
line 26. The fluid heater 27 is coupled to the controller 5 of FIG.
7. The fluid heater 27 has the ability to increase the temperature
of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30. The elevated temperature of
the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 has the effect of improving the
soil removal cleaning performance for some types of article and
soiling combinations.
[0090] In another embodiment of the present invention the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is further configured to add a
small quantity of water (in the range from about 1 percent to about
8 percent of the total weight of the solvent based cleaning fluid
30) and other cleaning agents to the rotating basket 14 to mix with
the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 entering the cleaning basket
assembly 2 through the inlet line 26. In one embodiment of the
present invention, the cleaning basket assembly 2 of FIG. 8 further
comprises a hot water inlet 175 and a cold-water inlet 180, both of
which are coupled to a mixing valve 185. A basket conductivity cell
170 and a basket level detector 172 are disposed in the cleaning
basket assembly 2, such that the basket conductivity cell 170
determines the conductivity of the fluid in the rotating basket 14
and the basket level detector 172 determines the level of the water
based cleaning fluid 31 or the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 in
the rotating basket 14. In one embodiment of the present invention,
a dispenser 300 is disposed off a line that couples the mixing
valve 185 to the basket support structure 12. Additionally, the
operator adds the cleaning agents to the dispenser 300 and the
subsequent action of the water running through the line coupling
the mixing valve 185 to the basket support structure 12 entrains
the cleaning agents that are disposed in the dispenser 300 into the
water entering the rotating basket 14.
[0091] In one embodiment of the present invention, the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is further configured to perform
the water cleaning process 600 of FIG. 14 utilizing a water based
cleaning fluid 31. In addition to the above-discussed components
associated with monitoring and adding water to the rotating basket
14, a water drain line 270 connects to the drain conduit 70
upstream of the check valve 40. The water drain line 270 also
connects to the suction side of the regeneration pump 115. A water
drain valve 260 is disposed in the water drain line 270. The method
of adding cleaning agents to the water in the rotating basket 14 is
the same as discussed above.
[0092] A plot of retained moisture content as a percentage of an
article's weight versus the relative humidity is provided in FIG.
10 for a variety of materials that are commonly used to comprise
articles. As the fluid processing mechanism 4 of FIG. 2 contains a
finite quantity of water removal capability, the controller 5 of
FIG. 7 is configured to reduce the amount of water admitted to the
fluid processing mechanism 4 of FIG. 2. The reduction of the
retained moisture content is accomplished in a humidity sensing
process 400 of FIG. 11 that is part of the solvent cleaning process
375.
[0093] In one embodiment of the present invention, a process
selection 310 of FIG. 11 occurs at the operator interface 190 and
provides inputs to the controller 5 of FIG. 7. The operator selects
between the cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11 and a drying process
360. As used herein, the term, "drying process" refers to the
drying of articles after completing the water based cleaning 600 of
FIG. 14. When the operator selects the cleaning process 350 of FIG.
11, the operator then further chooses between performing either the
solvent cleaning process 375 or the water cleaning process 600. In
the present invention, the solvent cleaning process 375 of FIG. 11
is defined to include performing the humidity sensing process 400
and the subsequent solvent wash/dry process 500. Conversely, when
the operator selects the drying process 360, a basket drying
process 700 is performed. In one embodiment of the present
invention, the operator has the option to select an additional
solvent wash process as part of the solvent wash/dry process 500.
The additional solvent wash process is typically used in
conjunction with utilizing the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 that
comprises cleaning agents. The additional solvent wash process
typically improves the removal of the cleaning agents from the
articles that remain after initially completing step 540 as
detailed below. In another embodiment of the present invention, the
operator has the option to select an additional rinse process as
part of the water cleaning process 600. In another embodiment of
the present invention, when the operator selects the drying process
360 the operator is provided with a further option of selecting
from either the basket drying process 700 or a timed basket drying
process 705.
[0094] The start of the solvent based cleaning cycle 375 of FIG. 11
starts with the controller 5 of FIG. 7 sensing the humidity in the
rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8 by initiating the humidity sensing
process 400 of FIG. 12. The start 410 of the humidity sensing
process 400 initially begins by verifying that the door lock 19 is
locked. A starting humidity in the rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8 is
determined in the sensing humidity step 410 of FIG. 12 by the
basket humidity sensor 173. The controller 5 of FIG. 7 then tumbles
the rotating basket 14 in step 430 of FIG. 12. The airflow 53 of
FIG. 5 is heated and passed through the air management mechanism 1
and the cleaning basket assembly 2 while tumbling the rotating
basket 14 for a predetermined pre-drying time in step 440 of FIG.
12. The moisture in the rotating basket 14 becomes vapor. The
airflow 53 containing the vapor comes out of the rotating basket 14
through the holes 17 of FIG. 8 and then passes through the lint
filter 60. The airflow 53 of FIG. 5 subsequently passes over the
cooling coil 65 where the vapor condenses to form condensate. The
rotating basket 14 is tumbled and the airflow 53 entering the
cleaning basket assembly 2 is heated for the predetermined amount
of time. The controller 5 of FIG. 7 then determines a finishing
humidity in the rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8. If the controller 5
of FIG. 7 determines that the finishing humidity is too high, then
the controller 5 of FIG. 7 sends a warning in step 470 of FIG. 12
to the operator at the display panel 200 indicating that it may
take longer to complete the solvent cleaning process 375 and a
longer humidity sensing process 400 is initiated.
[0095] After completing the humidity sensing process 400, the
solvent wash/dry process 500 of FIG. 13 is typically executed. The
following typical solvent wash/dry process 500 of FIG. 13 is
utilized in one embodiment of the present invention. The following
steps of the solvent wash/dry process 500 are provided for
illustration and in no way implies any restriction to the present
invention. The initial conditions at the start step 510 include
reverifying that the door lock 19 of FIG. 8 is locked. The solvent
based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 is added to the rotating basket
14 of FIG. 8 as depicted in step 520 of FIG. 13 and as described in
detail above. The rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8 is then tumbled as
shown in step 530 of FIG. 13. After tumbling for a predetermined
amount of time, the controller 5 of FIG. 7 opens the check valve
40, and the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 starts to
drain from the rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8. Substantially all of
the remaining portion of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of
FIG. 2 is spin extracted by spinning the rotating basket 14 in step
540 of FIG. 13. The solvent based cleaning fluid 30 is drained to
the working tank 45 and subsequently the controller 5 of FIG. 7
shuts the check valve 40 of FIG. 2.
[0096] The solvent vapor pressure in the rotating basket 14 of FIG.
8 is determined in step 560 of FIG. 13. The controller 5 of FIG. 7
then tumbles the rotating basket 14 and raises the temperature of
the airflow 53 of FIG. 5 in step 570 of FIG. 13. A substantial
amount of the remaining portion of the solvent based cleaning fluid
30 and any liquid becomes vapor. The vapor flows from the rotating
basket 14 through the lint filter 60 and passes over the cooling
coil 65. The vapor condenses on the cooling coil 65 to form a
condensate. The post-drying solvent vapor pressure in the rotating
basket 14 of FIG. 8 is determined in step 580 of FIG. 13. The
process steps of 560 through 580 FIG. 13 as detailed above are
performed until the post-drying solvent vapor pressure in the
rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8 reaches an acceptable level, at which
point the controller 5 of FIG. 7 unlocks the basket door 15 in step
590 of FIG. 13. In another embodiment of the present invention, the
operator selects the additional solvent wash process. The
additional solvent wash process comprises completing step 520, step
530, and step 540 occurs after completing step 540 and before
performing step 560, where the individual steps are as described
above. In one embodiment of the present invention, the additional
solvent wash process enhances the cleaning performance of
especially soiled articles. In another embodiment of the present
invention, the additional solvent wash process enhances the removal
of cleaning agents. The operator selects the additional solvent
wash process at the operator interface 190.
[0097] In one embodiment of the present invention the rotating
basket 14 of FIG. 8 has a typical load range between about 0.9 kg
and about 6.8 kg. The rotating basket 14 has a rotating basket
capacity with a typical range between about 17 liters and about 133
liters, which is generally useful for performing laundering
utilizing the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2. The ratio
of liters of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 per kg of articles in
the laundry load is generally in a range from about 4.2 liters/kg
to about 12.5 liters/kg. The corresponding total capacity of the
solvent based cleaning fluid 30 per laundry load is generally in a
range from about 3.8 liters (4.2 liters/kg times 0.9 kg) to about
85 liters (12.5 liters/kg times 6.8 kg), respectively. The total
amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 in the article cleaning
apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is from about 1.05 to about 2.0 times the
amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 required per
load. The total amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 equates
to a range from about 4 liters (3.8 liters times 1.05) to about 170
liters (85 liters times 2), which corresponds to a typical ratio of
the capacity of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 to laundry load
ranges from about 4.4 liters/kg (4 liters/0.9 kg) to about 25
liters/kg (170 liters/6.8 kg), respectively.
[0098] In another embodiment, the typical amount of articles in a
laundry load range from about 2.7 kg to about 5.4 kg. The
corresponding total capacity of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30
per laundry load is generally in a range from about 11.3 liters
(4.2 liters/kg times 2.7 kg) to about 67.5 liters (12.5 liters/kg
times 5.4 kg). The total amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30
in the article cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is from about 1.05
to about 2.0 times the amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of
FIG. 2 required per load. The total amount of solvent based
cleaning fluid 30 equates to a range from about 11.9 liters (11.3
liters times 1.05) to about 135 liters (67.5 liters times 2).
[0099] In another embodiment, the ratio of liters of solvent based
cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 to kg of articles is from about 6.7
liters/kg to about 8.3 liters/kg. When the load capacity is in a
range from about 0.9 kg to about 6.8 kg, the corresponding total
capacity of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 per laundry load is
generally in a range from about 6.0 liters (6.7 liters/kg times 0.9
kg) to about 56.4 liters (8.3 liters/kg times 6.8 kg),
respectively. When the load capacity is in a range from about 2.7
kg to about 5.4 kg, the corresponding total capacity of the solvent
based cleaning fluid 30 per laundry load is generally in a range
from about 18.1 liters (6.7 liters/kg times 2.7 kg) to about 44.8
liters (8.3 liters/kg times 5.4 kg), respectively. The total amount
of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 in the article cleaning
apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is from about 1.05 to about 2.0 times the
amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 required per
load. The total amount of solvent based cleaning fluid 30 equates
to a range from about 6.3 liters (6.0 liters times 1.05) to about
112.8 liters (56.4 liters times 2).
[0100] In order to reduce the total capacity of the solvent based
cleaning fluid 30 in the article cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1,
the cleaning fluid processing is performed on-line and the
processing is synchronized with the solvent wash/dry process 500 of
FIG. 13. Processing the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2
on-line typically provides sufficient solvent based cleaning fluid
30 in the storage tank 35 to perform a subsequent solvent cleaning
process 350 of FIG. 11 after completing the previous solvent
cleaning process 350. The storage tank 35 of FIG. 2 typically has a
sufficient capacity of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 to make
up for any solvent based cleaning fluid 30 that is held up in the
fluid regeneration device 7, in the working fluid device 6, and
retention in the "dried" articles. The regeneration cartridge 141
is capable of replenishing the amount of solvent based cleaning
fluid 30 that is retained in the "dried" articles. In one
embodiment of the present invention, the typical solvent capacity
of the storage tank 35 is from about 10.4 liters/kg to about 12.5
liters/kg when the load capacity ranges from about 2.7 kg to about
5.4 kg. The storage tank 35 has a corresponding typical range from
about 28.1 liters to about 67.5 liters. Therefore, the storage tank
35 of the present invention typically needs only about 36% (67.5
liter/190 liter) of the capacity of the about 190 liter storage
tank found in typical commercial chemical fluid dry cleaning
machines. In one embodiment of the present invention, the typical
solvent capacity of the storage tank 35 is from about 10.4
liters/kg to about 12.5 liters/kg when the load capacity ranges
from about 0.9 kg to about 6.8 kg. The storage tank 35 has a
corresponding typical range from about 9.4 liters to about 85
liters. Therefore, the storage tank 35 of the present invention
typically needs only about 45% (85 liter/190 liter) of the capacity
of the about 190 liter storage tank found in typical commercial
chemical fluid dry cleaning machines. The above comparison of
storage tank capacity typical range from about 9.4 liters to about
85 liters for the present invention compares favorably to the range
of the storage tank capacity of from about 190 liters to about 1325
liters for typical commercial chemical fluid dry cleaning
machines.
[0101] In another embodiment of the present invention, the solvent
wash/dry process 500 adds water to the solvent based cleaning fluid
30 of FIG. 2 in the rotating basket 14, where the maximum amount of
water added is in the range from about 1 percent to about 8 percent
of the total weight of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 that is
in the rotating basket 14. Adding the water to the solvent based
cleaning fluid 30 that is in the rotating basket 14 is performed as
described above. In another embodiment of the present invention,
the solvent wash/dry process 500 adds water and cleaning agents to
the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 in the rotating
basket 14, where the maximum amount of water added does not exceed
a maximum of about 8 percent of the total weight of the solvent
based cleaning fluid 30 that is in the rotating basket 14. Adding
the water and the cleaning agents to the solvent based cleaning
fluid 30 that is in the rotating basket 14 is performed as
described above.
[0102] Steps 560 of FIG. 13 through 580 in the solvent wash/dry
process 500 require a typical range from about 15 minutes to about
60 minutes for the typical laundry load, which ranges from about
0.9 kg of articles to about 6.8 kg of articles. The sensible heat
required to dry the clothes, which is the principle source of total
electrical power the machine requires, is in a range between about
430 watts to about 6300 watts. As used herein, the term, "sensible
heat" is defined to be the total amount of heat added by the
combination of the heater 55 and auxiliary heater 158 (if
installed). In another embodiment, the drying time is between about
20 and about 60 minutes with the typical laundry load range between
about 2.7 kg of articles and about 5.4 kg of articles. In this
case, the sensible heat required to dry the clothes is in a range
between about 1300 watts and about 5200 watts. In each of these
cases, the power is easily handled on a household circuit with a
maximum voltage of about 240V and a maximum amp rating of about 30
amps. In some embodiments, the article cleaning apparatus 1000 of
FIG. 1 is configured to run on about 220V service in an about
20-amp circuit, about 220V service in an about 30-amp circuit, and
about 110V service and in a circuit having a amperage range from
about 15 amps to about 20 amps. All of these circuit types are
typically available in homes for currently available cooking and
drying appliances; therefore, presenting no additional installation
difficulties.
[0103] The controller 5 of FIG. 7 controls the water cleaning
process 600 of FIG. 14. The controller 5 of FIG. 7 is configured to
reduce the opportunity for introducing large amounts of water into
the working tank 45 of FIG. 2 as discussed herein. In the present
invention, a fluid in the rotating basket 14 is defined to contain
a "large amount of water" when the fluid comprises greater than
about 10% water by weight. The water cleaning process 600 of FIG.
14 is provided to illustrate a series of steps used in one
embodiment of the present invention and in no way implies any
limitation to the water cleaning process 600 utilized in the
present invention.
[0104] The water cleaning process 600 begins with the initial
conditions of the cleaning agents loaded into the dispenser 300,
and the door lock 19 engaged and the door lock sensor 18 verifying
that the basket door 15 in the locked position at the start step
610 of FIG. 14. Water and cleaning agents are added to the rotating
basket 14 to produce the water based cleaning fluid 31 of FIG. 9 in
step 620. The water may be hot, cold or a mixture as detailed
above. The rotating basket 14 is tumbled in step 630 of FIG. 14.
Substantially all of the water based cleaning fluid 31 of FIG. 9 is
spin extracted by rotating from the rotating basket 14 of FIG. 2 in
step 640 of FIG. 14. The controller 5 of FIG. 7 opens the water
drain valve 260 of FIG. 2 and operates the regeneration pump 115 as
necessary to drain the rotating basket 14 during the spin step 640,
when the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG. 8 detects that the
water based cleaning fluid 31 of FIG. 9 in the rotating basket 14
comprises greater than about 10% water by weight. The controller 5
of FIG. 7 closes the water drain valve 260 of FIG. 2 after removing
the water based cleaning fluid 31 of FIG. 9 from the rotating
basket 14 of FIG. 2 after completing the spin basket step 640.
[0105] Rinse water is then added to the rotating basket 14 of FIG.
8 and the rotating basket 14 is tumbled in step 670 of FIG. 14. The
temperature of the rinse water is determined by the controller 5 of
FIG. 7 in conjunction with the mixing valve 185 of FIG. 8.
Substantially all of the remaining amount of rinse water is spin
extracted by spinning the rotating basket 14 in step 680 of FIG.
14. The rinse water is removed as described above. The rotating
basket 14 is tumbled in step 690 of FIG. 14. The basket door 15 of
FIG. 8 is then unlocked in step 695 of FIG. 14.
[0106] In another embodiment of the present invention, the operator
selects an additional rinse process. The additional rinse process
reperforms step 670, step 680, and step 690. The additional rinse
process occurs after step 690 and before the basket door 15 is
unlocked in step 695. The additional rinse process assists in
removing the entrained cleaning agents that are not removed during
steps 670, 680, and 690. The additional rinse process is especially
useful when using soft water. As used herein, the term "soft water"
is defined as comprising less than about 10 grains of hardness per
about 3.8 liters of water.
[0107] In another embodiment of the present invention, the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 is configured to perform the
basket drying process 700 of FIG. 15. The basket drying process 700
of FIG. 15 is provided to illustrate the basket drying process 700
used in one embodiment of the present invention and in no way
implies any limitation to the basket drying process 700 of the
present invention. The basket drying process 700 begins with the
initial conditions of the basket door 15 locked, and the door lock
sensor 18 verifying the basket door 15 locked at the start step 710
of FIG. 15. The basket drying process 700 initially begins by
performing a sensing humidity step 720 to determine a start
humidity, a tumble basket step 730 and heat airflow step 740
similar to that described above in steps 420, 430, and 440,
respectively. After tumbling and heating the airflow 53 for a
predetermined post-water wash drying time, the controller 5 of FIG.
7 determines a final humidity in the rotating basket 14 of FIG. 8
in step 760. When the controller 5 of FIG. 7 determines that the
final humidity is too high, then the controller 5 initiates a
longer drying sequence in step 760 by re-performing steps 730
through 760. When the final humidity is acceptable, the controller
5 of FIG. 7 stops the basket drying process 700 of FIG. 15 in step
770, and unlocks the basket door 15 of FIG. 8 in step 780 of FIG.
15.
[0108] In another embodiment of the present invention, a timed
basket drying process 705 of FIG. 11 is available to the operator
at the operator interface 190. The timed basket drying process 705
comprises the steps of starting the drying cycle 710 of FIG. 15 by
setting the predetermined amount of drying time, tumbling the
rotating basket 14 in step 730, heating the airflow 53 in step 740,
and stopping the timed basket drying process in step 770 when
predetermined amount of drying time is accomplished. The controller
5 of FIG. 7 unlocks the basket door 15 of FIG. 8 in step 780 of
FIG. 15.
[0109] It is important that a large amount of the water is not
inadvertently directed to the working tank 45 of FIG. 2 during the
solvent wash/dry process 500 of FIG. 13 that adds water, in the
range from about 1 percent to about 8 percent, to the solvent based
cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 in the rotating basket 14 as discussed
above. It is also important to reduce the possibility that the
solvent based cleaning fluid 30 is not accidentally pumped out of
the article cleaning apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1. If the solvent
cleaning process 375 of FIG. 11 or the water cleaning process 600
is interrupted by either the operator or a loss of electrical
power, the controller 5 of FIG. 7 utilizes a cycle interruption
recovery process 800 of FIG. 16. The cycle interruption recovery
process 800 operates a series of logical sequence options to
control the subsequent operation of the article cleaning apparatus
1000 of FIG. 1. The logical sequence options include completing the
appropriate cleaning cycle, completing a fail-safe process, or
informing the operator to call service.
[0110] In one embodiment of the present invention, the cycle
interruption recovery process 800 starts by verifying the locked
status of door lock 19 of FIG. 8 via the door lock sensor 18 in
step 810 of FIG. 16. If the door lock sensor 18 of FIG. 8 is
determined to be non-operational in the component failure detected
step 892 of FIG. 16, then a call service message is generated in
step 894, which is then sent to the display 200. Conversely, if the
controller 5 of FIG. 7 does verify that the door lock 19 of FIG. 8
is locked in step 810 of FIG. 16, then the basket level detector
172 of FIG. 8 determines if there is liquid in the rotating basket
14 in step 820 of FIG. 16. If the controller 5 cannot tell if the
basket level detector 172 is operational, then the component
failure detected step 892 of FIG. 16 generates the call service
message in step 894. If liquid is detected in step 820 of FIG. 16
then the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG. 8 determines whether
the liquid is the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 or the water
based cleaning fluid 31 in step 830 of FIG. 16. Siloxane is
non-conductive; therefore, the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG.
8 typically provides a conductivity measurement of the liquid in
the article cleaning apparatus 1000. If the controller 5 cannot
tell if the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG. 8 is operational,
then the component failure detected step 892 of FIG. 16 generates a
call service message in step 894.
[0111] If the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG. 8 detects that
the fluid in the rotating basket 14 comprises greater than about
10% water, then the fluid is defined to be the water based cleaning
fluid 31. If the fluid in the rotating basket 14 is defined to be
the water based cleaning fluid 31, then a determination of where
the interruption occurred in the water cleaning process 600 is
performed in step 840. In step 840, if the controller 5 of FIG. 7
has a memory of where the water cleaning process interruption
occurred, then the water cleaning process 600 resumes as depicted
in step 860. If the controller 5 in step 840 of FIG. 16 cannot
remember where the water cleaning process interruption occurred,
then the water based cleaning fluid 31 is pumped out and the
cleaning process 350 of FIG. 11 is reset in step 850 of FIG. 16. If
the controller 5 in step 850 of FIG. 16 cannot tell if the
components required to perform step 850 are available, then the
component failure detected step 892 generates the call service
message in step 894.
[0112] If the basket conductivity cell 170 of FIG. 8 detects less
than about 10% water in the liquid in the rotating basket 14, then
the liquid is defined to be the solvent based cleaning fluid 30. If
the liquid is defined to be the solvent based cleaning fluid 30,
then a determination of where the interruption occurred in the
solvent cleaning process 375 is performed in step 845. In step 845,
if the controller 5 of FIG. 7 has a memory of where the solvent
cleaning process interruption occurred, then the solvent cleaning
process 375 resumes as depicted in step 870. If the controller 5 of
FIG. 7 in step 845 of FIG. 16 cannot determine where the
interruption occurred in the solvent cleaning process 375 of FIG.
11, then a warn operator fail-safe message is generated in step
880, which is then set to the display 200 of FIG. 9.
[0113] After generating the warn operator fail-safe message in step
880 of FIG. 16, the solvent based cleaning fluid 30 of FIG. 2 is
pumped out in step 882 of FIG. 16. Subsequently the rotating basket
14 of FIG. 8 is tumbled and rotated to spin extract substantially
all of the remaining portion of the solvent based cleaning fluid 30
of FIG. 2 from the rotating basket 14 in step 884 of FIG. 16. The
airflow 53 is then heated while tumbling the rotating basket 14 of
FIG. 8 in step 886 of FIG. 16. The operator is informed that the
fail-safe is completed in step 888, and the fail-safe completed
message is sent to the display 200 of FIG. 9, and the basket door
15 of FIG. 8 is unlocked in step 890 of FIG. 16. If it is
determined that the components required to operate each of the
steps 882, 884, 886, and 888 are non-operational, then the
component failure detected step 892 of FIG. 16 generates the call
service message in step 894.
[0114] The cycle interruption recovery process 800 of FIG. 16 is
provided to illustrate the cycle interruption recovery process 800
used in one embodiment of the present invention and in no way
implies that any limitation to the cycle interruption recovery
process 800 employed in controlling operation of article cleaning
apparatus 1000 of FIG. 1 of the present invention.
[0115] The foregoing description of several embodiments of the
article cleaning apparatus 1000 and the method of using the article
cleaning apparatus 1000 of the present invention has been presented
for purposes of illustration. Although the invention has been
described and illustrated in detail, it is to be clearly understood
that the same is intended by way of illustration and example only
and is not to be taken by way of limitation. Obviously many
modifications and variations of the present invention are possible
in light of the above teaching. Accordingly, the spirit and scope
of the present invention are to be limited only by the terms of the
appended claims.
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