OZONE LAUNDERING SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20080092601A1
• Filed: 04/12/2007
• Published: 04/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/23/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Progressive Laundry, LLC
• Original Assignee: Progressive Laundry, LLC
• Inventors: Konides, James Anthony, Moore, Mark Edward
• Application Number:
  US11/734,636
• Publication Number:
  US 20080092601A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 68/13.00R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/14 Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49716 Converting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/52 Plural diverse manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

An open-loop ozone washing system for safely washing with high levels of ozone is shown and described. In one embodiment, the system includes at least one washer having a drain in fluid communication with a sewer. The system also includes an ozone source, which is preferably an ozone generator. The system also includes an off-gas control system operably connected to at least one washer. Using such a configuration, the washer can safely wash with a liquid wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 20 ppm ozone. The present invention also includes kits and methods for converting traditional washing machines to open-loop ozone washing machines.

Claims

1. An open-loop ozone laundry system comprising:

at least one washer having a drain;

an ozone source; and

an off-gas control system operably connected to said at least one washer, wherein said washer is configured to safely wash with a liquid wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm ozone.

2. The system of claim 1, including a gas-trap located downstream of said drain.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said gas-trap is connected at its upstream end to said drain and is disconnected from and positioned above a drain pan.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein said gas-trap is a j-trap.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said off-gas control system includes a vent.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said off-gas control system includes an exhaust fan.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said off-gas control system includes an ozone destruct.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said ozone destruct includes a catalyst.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said ozone source includes an ozone generator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said ozone source is an indirect ozone source.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said indirect ozone source includes a venturi for dissolving ozone.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said ozone source is configured to dissolve ozone into water as water is being added to said at least one washer.

13. The system of claim 1, further including an ozone sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said ozone sensor is operably positioned in between said ozone generator and a wash tub of said washer.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein said ozone source includes a first reservoir having a first ozone concentration optimized for one type of laundry and as a second reservoir having a second ozone concentration optimized for a second type of laundry.

16. The system of claim 1, further including an ozone-kill injection system.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said ozone-kill injection system is configured to inject an ozone reducing agent into said at least one wash bath prior to opening said door of said washer.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said ozone-kill injection system further includes a supply of reducing agent.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said supply of reducing agent includes a supply of hydrogen peroxide.

20. The system of claim 1, further including a liquid wash bath located in said at least one washer, said wash bath having greater than about 2 ppm ozone.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein said liquid wash bath has an ozone concentration of about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said liquid wash bath has an ozone concentration of about 5 ppm.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein said liquid wash bath consists essentially of water, ozone, and laundry prior to the addition of a reducing agent.

24. An open-loop ozone laundry system comprising:

at least one washer in fluid communication with a water intake, and having a door configured to be sealed during operation to reduce ozone escape;

an indirect ozone source configured to dissolve ozone into water traveling through said water intake;

an off-gas control system including an ozone destruct having a catalyst operably attached to said at least one washer;

an ozone-kill injection system configured to inject a reducing agent into said washer as desired; and

a liquid wash bath located in said at least one washer, said wash bath having about 2 ppm to about 15 ppm ozone, and consisting essentially of water, ozone and laundry prior to the addition of a reducing agent by said ozone-kill injection system.

25. A method of converting traditional washing machines in fluid communication with a drain line to open loop ozone laundry machines, said method comprising the steps of:

sealing said traditional machine;

connecting an ozone source for adding ozonated water to said machine;

connecting an off-gas control system to said washing machine; and

regulating said addition of ozone to said machine.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein said sealing includes connecting a gas-trap to said drain line.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein said sealing includes sealing said vent.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said sealing said vent includes plumbing said vent to said drain line up stream of said gas-trap.

29. The method of claim 25, wherein said sealing includes sealing an overflow line.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said sealing an overflow drain includes plumbing said overflow drain into said drain line upstream of said gas-trap.

31. The method of claim 25, wherein said sealing includes sealing a chemical feed box.

32. The method of claim 25, wherein said sealing includes sealing a vacuum breaker body.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said sealing includes installing a check valve downstream of said vacuum breaker body.

34. The method of claim 25, wherein connecting includes connecting an ozone source to a water intake of said machine.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said ozone source is in communication with a venturi configured to dissolve ozone into water as it is being feed into said machine.

36. The method of claim 25, wherein said connecting includes connecting at least one solenoid valve in between said water source and said machine.

37. The method of claim 25, wherein said connecting includes connecting a first solenoid valve for regulating a high flow ozone source, and connecting a second solenoid valve for regulating a low flow ozone source.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said high flow ozone source includes, depending on machine capacity and soil content, a liquid flow rate of about 5 to about 90 gal/min, and includes an ozone level of about 2 to about 20 ppm, and wherein said low flow ozone source rate includes a liquid flow rate of about 2 to about 20 gal/min and a includes an ozone level of about 2 to about 20 ppm.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said high flow rate is used to add said ozonated water until a desired water level is reached, and wherein said low flow rate is used to add ozonated water to said machine to increase ozone concentration within the wash bath.

40. The method of claim 25, wherein said connecting an off-gas control system includes teeing said off-gas control system to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap.

41. The method of claim 25, wherein said off-gas control system includes an ozone destruct.

42. The method of claim 25, wherein said ozone destruct includes a catalyst.

43. The method of claim 25, wherein said off-gas control system includes an exhaust fan for pulling off-gas to said off-gas control system.

44. The method of claim 25, wherein said regulating includes external logic.

45. The method of claim 25, wherein said regulating includes interfacing existing controls of said machine with said ozone system.

46. The method of claim 25, further including modifying a chemical feed box to inject an ozone reducing agent at the desired time during the wash cycle.

47. A method of converting traditional washing machines to open loop ozone laundry machines, said method comprising the steps of:

sealing said traditional machine, wherein said sealing includes

connecting a gas-trap to said drain line,

plumbing a vent to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap,

plumbing an overflow line to said drain line upstream of said gas-trap, and

installing a check valve down stream of a vacuum breaker body;

connecting an ozone source for adding ozonated water to said machine, wherein said connecting includes

connecting an ozone generator having a venturi to a fluid intake of said machine, wherein said generator is configured to dissolve ozone into water as it is being added into said machine;

connecting at least one solenoid valve in between said ozone generator;

connecting an off-gas control system to said washing machine, wherein said connecting includes

teeing an ozone destruct including a catalyst and an exhaust to said drain line up stream of said gas-trap and downstream of said vent plumbed to said drain line; and

modifying a chemical feed box to inject an ozone reducing agent at the desired time during the wash cycle.

48. A conversion kit for converting traditional washing machines to open-loop ozone laundry machines, said kit comprising:

an off-gas control system configured to connect to a traditional washing machine;

an ozone generator configured to connect to a traditional washing machine; and

instructions for modifying a chemical injection portion of said washing machine to an ozone-kill injection system configured to inject a reducing agent at the end of the wash cycle.