Method and apparatus for cleaning containers

• US 20050268944A1
• Filed: 05/13/2005
• Published: 12/08/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1998
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Dan Bexten, Jerry Norby
• Original Assignee: Dan Bexten, Jerry Norby
• Inventors: Bexten, Dan, Norby, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US11/128,755
• Publication Number:
  US 20050268944A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/22.100
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/02 Cleaning by the force of jets or sprays
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/0861 Cleaning crates, boxes or the like B08B9/083 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 9/093 by the force of jets or sprays B08B9/0813 , B08B9/20 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6704 for wet cleaning or washing
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67051 using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles

Abstract

A machine for cleaning containers such as flat media carriers has inside and outside arrays of nozzles arranged to spray a cleaning solution onto containers supported on a spinning rotor in a chamber. The cleaning solution, a mixture of water and a detergent or surfactant, is prepared by drawing out surfactant from a surfactant bulk storage vessel with a metering pump. The flow rate of the water is measured by a flow meter and in combination with the metering pump, a proper amount of surfactant is injected into the water line to produce a mixture with a desired surfactant concentration for removing contaminants. The mixture is injected into the water line at a mixing control valve to ensure that the water and surfactant are thoroughly mixed before being injected into the media carrier.

Claims

1. A method for cleaning flat media carriers, comprising:

spinning the carriers about a spin axis;

pumping surfactant out of a storage vessel;

mixing the surfactant with a predetermined amount of water to obtain a mixture of surfactant and water; and

spraying the mixture of surfactant and water onto the carriers.

2. The method of claim 1 with the pumping performed via a flow metering pump, further including setting a flow rate of the flow metering pump to achieve a desired concentration of surfactant in the mixture of surfactant and water.

3. The method of claim 1 with the mixing performed via a mixing control valve.

4. The method of claim 3 further including measuring the amount of water flowing into the mixing control valve.

5. The method of claim 3 further including adjusting the amount of surfactant pumped out of the storage vessel based on the measured amount of water flowing into the mixing control valve.

6. The method of claim 1 further including stopping the rotor and then spinning the rotor in a reverse direction.

7. The method of claim 1 further including spraying the mixture of surfactant and water in a radial inwardly direction from a first outer spray manifold, and also spraying the mixture of surfactant and water in a radial outwardly direction, from a second inner spray manifold.

8. A method for removing contaminants from flat media carriers, comprising:

loading the carriers onto a rotor within a flat media carrier cleaning machine;

spinning the rotor;

spraying a water/surfactant mixture onto the carriers via an inlet line by;

injecting water into the inlet line;

measuring the flow of water entering the inlet line;

pumping surfactant from a storage vessel into the inlet line using a flow metering pump;

mixing the surfactant and water to obtain a surfactant/water mixture; and

setting flow rate of the flow metering pump to achieve a desired concentration of surfactant for the surfactant/water mixture.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising discontinuing pumping surfactant;

and rinsing the carriers by spraying the carriers only with water.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising discontinuing injecting of water into the inlet line;

and drying the carriers by spraying the carriers with a dry gas.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the dry gas comprises nitrogen or air.

12. The method of claim 8 wherein the water comprises de-ionized water.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising spinning the rotor at from 1-50 rpm while spraying the mixture toward the carriers.

14. The method of claim 8 further comprising adjusting flow rate of surfactant being pumped into the inlet line by adjusting operation of the metering pump.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the surfactant and water are injected into the inlet line via a mixing control valve.

16. A method for cleaning one or more containers, comprising:

spinning the rotor;

supplying DI water to the mixer at a known flow rate;

pumping surfactant from a storage vessel to a mixer via a flow metering pump;

adjusting the amount of surfactant pumped out of the storage vessel based on the flow rate of water flowing into the mixer;

mixing the surfactant with water at the mixer, to obtain a mixture of surfactant and water; and

spraying the mixture of surfactant and water onto the containers.