Method and Apparatus for Treating a Liquid

• US 20100276301A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tennant Company
• Original Assignee: Tennant Company
• Inventors: Field, Bruce F.
• Application Number:
  US12/835,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20100276301A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 205/701
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4083 Liquid supply reservoirs; Preparation of the agents, e.g. mixing devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/22 with liquid-feeding devices
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 13/26 Other cleaning devices with liquid supply arrangements such arrangements on floor-polishing machines A47L11/00, on scrapers A47L13/03, on mops A47L13/22; cloths, pads, or the like containing cleaning agents A47L13/17, A47L13/19
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/035 Electrolysis
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/22 Phase substances, e.g. smokes, aerosols or sprayed or atomised substances
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 10/37 using solar energy

Abstract

An apparatus and method are provided. The apparatus includes first and second liquid lines, a container and a dispenser. The first liquid line is configured to receive a liquid. The container is coupled to the first liquid line and is configured to retain media of at least one liquid-activating material. The media of the at least one liquid-activating material is configured to modify an oxidation reduction potential of the received liquid to provide a treated liquid. The second liquid line is coupled to the container and is configured to receive the treated liquid from the container. The dispenser is operably coupled to the second liquid line at a location downstream from the container and is configured to dispense the treated liquid.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a mobile body configured to travel over a surface;

a first liquid line configured to receive a liquid;

a container coupled to the first liquid line, the container retaining media of at least one liquid-activating material, the media of the at least one liquid-activating material being configured to modify an oxidation reduction potential of the received liquid to provide a treated liquid;

a second liquid line coupled to the container and configured to receive the treated liquid from the container; and

a dispenser operably coupled to the second liquid line at a location downstream from the container, the dispenser being configured to dispense the treated liquid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of zeolites, ion-exchange resins, and combinations thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising a reservoir configured to retain the liquid, the reservoir being coupled to the first liquid line at a location upstream from the container.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the container comprises a cartridge that is configured to be removably engaged with the first liquid line and the second liquid line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the cartridge comprises:

a housing that defines an interior chamber configured to retain the media;

a first housing interface configured to provide access to the interior chamber, and further configured to be removably engaged with first liquid line; and

a second housing interface configured to provide access to the interior chamber, and further configured to be removably engaged with the second liquid line.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

at least one wheel configured to move the surface cleaning apparatus over the surface;

a pump operably coupled to the first liquid line; and

a motor configured to operably drive the at least one wheel.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, and further comprising:

an electrode electrically coupled to the dispenser; and

a control circuit adapted to generate an alternating electric field between the electrode and the surface, through the dispensed treated liquid, without a corresponding return electrode.

8. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a zeolite.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of analcime, amicite, barrerite, bellbergite, bikitaite, boggsite, brewsterite, chabazite, clinoptilolite, cowlesite, dachiardite, edingtonite, epistilbite, erionite, faujasite, ferrierite, garronite, gismondine, gobbinsite, gmelinite, gonnardite, goosecreekite, harmotome, heulandite, laumontite, levyne, mazzite, merlinoite, montesommaite, mordenite, mesolite, natrolite, offretite, paranatrolite, paulingite, perlialite, phillipsite, pollucite, scolecite, stellerite, stilbite, thomsonite, tschernichite, wairakite, wellsite, willhendersonite, yugawaralite, anhydrous forms thereof, and combinations thereof.

10. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of apophyllite, gyrolite, hsianghualite, kehoeite, lovdarite, maricopaite, okenite, pahasapaite, partheite, prehnite, roggianite, tacharanite, tiptopite, tobermorite, viseite, and combinations thereof.

11. The cartridge of claim 1, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises an ion-exchange resin.

12. A cartridge for use with a surface cleaning apparatus, the cartridge comprising:

a housing that defines an interior chamber;

a first housing interface configured to provide access to the interior chamber, and further configured to be removably engaged with an upstream liquid line of the surface cleaning apparatus;

a second housing interface configured to provide access to the interior chamber, and further configured to be removably engaged with a downstream liquid line of the surface cleaning apparatus; and

media of at least one liquid-activating material retained in the interior chamber of the housing, the media of the at least one liquid-activating material being configured to modify an oxidation reduction potential of liquid flowing through the interior chamber of the cartridge.

13. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a zeolite.

14. The cartridge of claim 13, wherein the zeolite is selected from the group consisting of analcime, amicite, barrerite, bellbergite, bikitaite, boggsite, brewsterite, chabazite, clinoptilolite, cowlesite, dachiardite, edingtonite, epistilbite, erionite, faujasite, ferrierite, garronite, gismondine, gobbinsite, gmelinite, gonnardite, goosecreekite, harmotome, heulandite, laumontite, levyne, mazzite, merlinoite, montesommaite, mordenite, mesolite, natrolite, offretite, paranatrolite, paulingite, perlialite, phillipsite, pollucite, scolecite, stellerite, stilbite, thomsonite, tschernichite, wairakite, wellsite, willhendersonite, yugawaralite, anhydrous forms thereof, and combinations thereof.

15. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of apophyllite, gyrolite, hsianghualite, kehoeite, lovdarite, maricopaite, okenite, pahasapaite, partheite, prehnite, roggianite, tacharanite, tiptopite, tobermorite, viseite, and combinations thereof.

16. The cartridge of claim 12, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises an ion-exchange resin.

17. The cartridge of claim 12, and further comprising:

a first media filter disposed adjacent to the first housing interface; and

a second media filter disposed adjacent to the second housing interface.

18. A method for operating a surface cleaning apparatus, the method comprising:

moving the surface cleaning apparatus relative to a surface;

introducing a liquid from a first liquid line of the surface cleaning apparatus to a container carried by the surface cleaning apparatus, the container retaining media of at least one liquid-activating material;

treating the introduced liquid with the media to modify an oxidation reduction potential of the introduced liquid to provide a treated liquid; and

dispensing the treated liquid from a dispenser of the surface cleaning apparatus located downstream from the container.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one liquid-activating material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of zeolites, ion-exchange resins, and combinations thereof.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the container comprises a cartridge, and wherein the method further comprises:

engaging a first housing interface of the cartridge with the first liquid line such that the cartridge is located downstream from the first liquid line; and

engaging a second housing interface of the cartridge with a second liquid line of the cleaning apparatus, the second liquid line between located upstream from the dispenser.

21. The method of claim 20, and further comprising:

disengaging the first housing interface of the cartridge from the first liquid line; and

disengaging the second housing interface of the cartridge from the second liquid line.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein dispensing the treated liquid from the surface cleaning apparatus to a surface creates an electrically conductive path by the treated liquid from the surface cleaning apparatus to the surface, and wherein the method further comprises, during the step of dispensing, generating an alternating electric field from the surface cleaning apparatus to the surface, through the treated liquid along the conductive path, wherein the electric field is sufficient to destroy at least one microorganism from the surface.

23. The method of claim 18, wherein treating the introduced liquid with the media modifies the oxidation reduction potential of the introduced liquid by at least about 50 millivolts.

24. An apparatus for cleaning a surface, the apparatus comprising:

a first liquid line configured to receive a liquid;

a container coupled to the first liquid line, the container being configured to retain media of at least one liquid-activating material, the media of the at least one liquid-activating material being configured to modify an oxidation reduction potential of the received liquid to provide a treated liquid;

a second liquid line coupled to the container and configured to receive the treated liquid from the container; and

a dispenser operably coupled to the second liquid line at a location downstream from the container, the dispenser being configured to dispense the treated liquid.