Laundry Transport Container Apparatus and Method

• US 20160273834A1
• Filed: 03/20/2015
• Published: 09/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bertram E. Lacey
• Original Assignee: Bertram E. Lacey
• Inventors: Lacey, Bertram E.
• Granted Patent: US 10,393,434 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2590/0066 Containers inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 88/745 blowing or injecting heating, cooling or other conditioning fluid inside the container
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/006 fixed on the floor of the container B65D90/0066, B65D90/0073 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 90/48 Arrangements of indicating or measuring devices
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 23/00 Heating arrangements by radiation, e.g. infrared, ultraviolet, solar F26B3/28 and F26B3/30; using heated air or gases F26B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 9/06 in stationary drums or chambers

Abstract

A laundry transport apparatus and method includes a container defining an interior area configured to accommodate a plurality of laundry carts, the container having a door movable between closed and open configurations to selectively allow access to the interior area. The apparatus includes a ventilation network to pass air to and from the interior area and the outside, the intake duct and the outlet duct in a thermal transfer configuration for a portion of their length to influence temperature of air passing through each duct, warmer air passing through one of the intake duct or the outlet duct becoming cooler and cooler air passing through another of the intake duct or the outlet duct becoming warmer. The ventilation network including a pathogen identification, containment and remediation apparatus to detect, isolate and treat potentially harmful material within the soiled laundry.

Claims

1. A laundry transport apparatus, comprising:

a container defining an interior area and having a door for accessing said interior area, said door being movable between closed and open configurations to selectively allow access to said interior area, said interior area having a length;

a ventilation network to pass air to and from said interior area, said ventilation network including an intake duct for channeling air to said interior area and an outlet duct for channeling air from said interior area, said intake and outlet duct in a thermal transfer configuration for at least a fifth of the length of the interior area, said interior area airtight apart from said ventilation network when said door is in said closed configuration;

at least one fan configured to cause air to pass through either or both said intake duct and said outlet duct.

2. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a climate controller for selectively heating and cooling air passing through said intake duct after said air passes through said thermal transfer configuration to cause said air passing through said intake duct to approximate a temperature of air in said interior area independent of heat exchange due to said ventilation network.

3. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

a dehumidifier to selectively dehumidify air passing through said intake duct.

4. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 3, further comprising:

said thermal transfer configuration, said climate controller, and said dehumidifier operatively coupled to said container.

5. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

said container has a cart area configured to accommodate a plurality of laundry carts in said interior area.

7. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a processor operatively coupled to said container to store and convey transport data.

9. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a pathogen system;

said pathogen system having a flow management system, for directing an airflow, operatively coupled to a pathogen control processor;

said pathogen control processor capable of controlling the flow management system to detect and isolate a portion of the airflow determined to be contaminated with potential pathogens, and selectively routing the contaminated portion of the airflow for pathogen isolation.

6. The laundry transport apparatus of claim of 6, wherein:

said thermal transfer configuration coupled to said container above said cart area, and a branch from at least one of said intake duct and outlet duct extend downwardly toward said cart area.

8. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 8, wherein transport data includes at least one of:

time data, duration data, and temperature data.

10. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pathogen system has the capacity to perform pathogen remediation of the contaminated portion of the airflow.

11. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 10, wherein the pathogen system is a stand-alone module, operatively coupleable to the ventilation network.

12. A laundry transport apparatus, comprising:

a container configured for roadway transport having opposed front and rear ends, said container defining an opening and an interior area, and an interior area length from the front end to the rear end, said container includes a door at said opening for selectively accessing said interior area, said door being movable between a closed configuration preventing access to said interior area and an open configurations giving access to said interior area, said interior area having a cart area capable to hold a plurality of laundry carts configured to hold laundry;

a ventilation network situated in said interior area and configured to pass air to and from said interior area, said ventilation network including an intake duct operatively coupled to a top wall of said trailer and extending longitudinally between said front and rear ends, said intake duct configured to channel air to said interior area, and an outlet duct configured to channel air away from said interior area, said intake duct and said outlet duct in a thermal transfer configuration for at least a fifth of said interior area length, said interior area is airtight apart from said ventilation network when said door is at said closed configuration; and

at least one fan configured to cause air to pass through either or both said intake duct and said outlet duct.

13. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

said thermal transfer configuration coupled to said container above said cart area, and a branch from at least one of said intake duct and outlet duct extend downwardly toward said cart area.

a climate controller for selectively heating and cooling air passing through said intake duct after said air is influenced by air passing through said outlet duct to cause said air passing through said intake duct to approximate a temperature of air in said interior area separate from said ventilation network; and

a dehumidifier to selectively dehumidify air passing through said intake duct.

14. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

a pathogen system;

said pathogen system having a flow management system, for directing an airflow, operatively coupled to a pathogen control processor;

said pathogen control processor capable of controlling the flow management system to detect and isolate a portion of the airflow determined to be contaminated with potential pathogens, and selectively routing the contaminated portion of the airflow for isolation.

15. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 14, wherein the pathogen system has the capacity to perform pathogen remediation of the contaminated portion of the airflow.

16. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 13, wherein the pathogen system is a stand-alone module, operatively coupleable to the ventilation network.

17. A laundry transport apparatus, comprising:

a container having a roadway trailer component and having opposed front and rear ends, said container defining an opening and an interior area, and an interior area length from the front end to the rear end, said container includes a door at said opening for selectively accessing said interior area, said door being movable between a closed configuration preventing access to said interior area and an open configurations giving access to said interior area, said interior area having a cart area capable to hold a plurality of laundry carts configured to hold laundry;

a ventilation network situated in said interior area and configured to pass air to and from said interior area, said ventilation network including an intake duct operatively coupled to a top wall of said trailer and extending longitudinally between said front and rear ends, said intake duct configured to channel air to said interior area, and an outlet duct configured to channel air away from said interior area, said intake duct and said outlet duct in a thermal transfer configuration for at least a fifth of said interior area length, said interior area is airtight apart from said ventilation network when said door is at said closed configuration; and

at least one fan configured to cause air to pass through either or both said intake duct and said outlet duct;

said thermal transfer configuration coupled to said container above said cart area, and a branch from at least one of said intake duct and outlet duct extend downwardly toward said cart area;

a climate controller for selectively heating and cooling air passing through said intake duct after said air is influenced by air passing through said outlet duct to cause said air passing through said intake duct to approximate a temperature of air in said interior area separate from said ventilation network;

a dehumidifier to selectively dehumidify air passing through said intake duct; and

a pathogen system, said pathogen system having a flow management system, for directing an airflow, operatively coupled to a pathogen control processor, and said pathogen control processor capable of controlling the flow management system to detect and isolate a portion of the airflow determined to be contaminated with potential pathogens, and selectively routing the contaminated portion of the airflow for isolation, said pathogen system has the capacity to perform pathogen remediation of the contaminated portion of the airflow.

18. The laundry transport apparatus of claim 17, wherein the pathogen system is a stand-alone module, operatively coupleable to the ventilation network.