Cleaning method

• US 5,116,425 A
• Filed: 06/07/1990
• Issued: 05/26/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Softblast, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Softblast, Inc.
• Inventors: Ruef, Helmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Morris, Theodore
• Assistant Examiner(s): EL ARINI, ZEINAB
• Application Number:
  US07/534,429
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• Field of Search: 134/17, 134/23, 134/24, 134/34, 134/144, 134/29, 239/8, 239/9, 239/172, 239/532, 239/591, 239/654
• US Class Current: 134/17
• CPC Class Codes: B08B 3/026 Cleaning by making use of hand-held spray guns; Fluid preparations therefor

Abstract

The invention is a cleaning method and associated apparatus that are particularly useful for cleaning surfaces formed of relatively hard materials such as grout or industrial rolls which are contaminated with relatively hard embedded deposits of undesirable materials that are difficult to remove by conventional washing or abrading cleaning methods, and while substantially reducing the effluent resulting from the cleaning step so that the cleaning method may be conveniently used in areas where effluent disposal may be a problem such as smaller indoor rooms, areas, or equipment. The invention comprises pressurizing a cleaning liquid with a gas driven hydraulic pump and directing a flow of the cleaning liquid from a nozzle at surfaces to be cleaned at a pressure of at least about 5,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and at a volumetric flow rate of no more than about 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm), so that the pressure is sufficient to remove from the surface deposits of the type that cannot be removed by mechanical scrubbing using tools or chemical detergent action other than by damaging the surface itself, and in which the liquid flow rate at that pressure is small enough to prevent damage to the surface that would otherwise occur if the same pressure were used at a higher volumetric flow rate. A traversing device may also be used to move the nozzle across surfaces to be cleaned.

Claims

1. A cleaning method that is particularly useful for cleaning surfaces formed of relatively hard materials which are contaminated with relatively hard embedded deposits of undesirable materials that are difficult to remove by conventional washing or abrading cleaning methods, and while substantially reducing the effluent resulting from the cleaning step so that the cleaning method may be conveniently used in areas where effluent disposal may be a problem such as smaller indoor rooms, areas, or equipment, the method comprising pressurizing a cleaning liquid with a gas driven hydraulic pump located at or close to a surface to be cleaned and directing a flow of the cleaning liquid from the gas driven hydraulic pump toward a surface to be cleaned at a pressure of between about 5,000 and 15,000 pounds per square inch (psi) and at a volumetric flow rate of greater than about 0.3 and less than 1.0 gallons per minute (gpm), so that the pressure of the cleaning liquid being directed toward the surface is sufficient to remove from the surface deposits of the type that cannot be removed by mechanical scrubbing, using tools or chemical detergent action other than by damaging the surface itself, and in which the volumetric flow rate at that pressure is small enough so that the liquid flow does not cause damage to the surface that would otherwise occur if the same pressure were used at a higher volumetric flow rate.

2. A cleaning method according to claim 1 wherein the step of directing a cleaning liquid to the surface comprises directing water that is substantially free of abrasives or other particulate matter.

3. A cleaning method according to claim 1 wherein the step of directing a flow of cleaning liquid towards surfaces to be cleaned comprises directing the cleaning liquid through a nozzle, and further comprising the step of injecting water soluble abrasives such as salt or baking soda into the cleaning liquid after the liquid has passed through the nozzle.

4. A cleaning method according to claim 1 wherein the step of directing a flow of a cleaning liquid comprises directing a water solution of a cleaning compound.

5. A cleaning method according to claim 2 wherein the step of directing water to a surface further comprises supplying water from a water supply at moderate pressure to the gas driven hydraulic pump that raises the pressure of the water from the moderate pressure to a pressure of between about 8,000 and 9,000 psi and at a volumetric flow rate of between about 0.3 and 0.5 gpm.

6. A cleaning method according to claim 5 wherein the step of supplying water at moderate pressure to a gas hydraulic pump comprises forwarding the water at a pressure of between about 50 to 140 psi which is characteristic of normal domestic or industrial water supplies.

7. A cleaning method according to claim 5 wherein the step of supplying water at moderate pressure to a gas driven hydraulic pump comprises forwarding the water from a reservoir at substantially atmospheric pressure.

8. A cleaning method according to claim 2 wherein the step of directing the high pressure water to a surface comprises directing the water in a spray at a flow rate of about 0.33 gallons per minute.

9. A cleaning method according to claim 2 further comprising the step of heating the water to a temperature of at least about 90°

F. to enhance cleaning performance.

10. A cleaning method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of collecting the cleaning liquid after it has been directed at a surface to be cleaned.

11. A cleaning method according to claim 2 wherein the step of directing water to a surface further comprises supplying water from a water supply at moderate pressure to the gas driven hydraulic pump that raises the pressure of the water rom the moderate pressure to a pressure of between about 10,000 and 15,000 psi at a volumetric flow rate of about 0.75 gpm.

12. A cleaning method that is particularly useful for cleaning surfaces formed of relatively hard material such as grout which are contaminated with relatively hard embedded deposits of undesirable materials that are difficult to remove by conventional washing or abrading cleaning methods, and while substantially reducing the effluent resulting from the cleaning step so that the cleaning method may be conveniently used in areas where effluent disposal may be a problem such as smaller indoor rooms, areas, or equipment, the method comprising directing a cleaning liquid at a moderate pressure to a gas driven hydraulic pump located at or close to a surface to be cleaned;

raising the pressure of the cleaning liquid with the gas driven hydraulic pump from the moderate pressure to a pressure of between about 5,000 and 15,000 psi near the pump;

directing the cleaning liquid form the pump to a flat spray nozzle at a volumetric flow rate of greater than about 0.3 and less than 1.0 gpm; and

ejecting the cleaning liquid in a spray from the nozzle with the nozzle placed in close proximity to a surface to remove undesirable embedded deposits from the surface without causing damage to the surface which would occur if a liquid spray having the same pressure and a higher volumetric flow rate were used.

13. A cleaning method according to claim 12 wherein the step of raising the pressure of the cleaning liquid from the moderate pressure comprises raising the pressure to a pressure of between about 8,000 and 9,000 psi.

14. A cleaning method according to claim 12 wherein the step of directing the cleaning liquid to a nozzle comprises directing the liquid at a volumetric flow rate of between about 0.3 and 0.5 gpm.

15. A cleaning method according to claim 12 wherein the step of ejecting the cleaning liquid in a spray from a nozzle comprises ejecting the spray from the nozzle while dissipating the force of the pressurized cleaning fluid within a short distance of being ejected from the nozzle to thereby reduce the force presented by the pressurized cleaning liquid at locations not in close proximity to the nozzle.

16. A cleaning method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of moving the nozzle across the surface so that the flat spray is directed to the surface at a spray angle of between about 10 and 25 degrees.

17. A cleaning method according to claim 12 further comprising the step of filtering the cleaning liquid before it is directed to the nozzle to thereby increase the service life of the nozzle.

18. A method of cleaning industrial rolls such as the type useful in the production and processing of paper, textiles, other web materials, and synthetic fibers, which are contaminated with relatively hard deposits of undesirable materials that are difficult to remove by conventional washing or abrading cleaning methods, and while substantially reducing the effluent resulting from the cleaning step so that the cleaning method may be conveniently used in areas such as within equipment where effluent disposal may be a problem, the method comprising:

pressurizing a cleaning liquid with a gas driven hydraulic pump located near a surface to be cleaned from a moderate pressure between about 14.7 psi and 140 psi to a pressure of about 11,500 psi at a flow rate of about 0.75 gpm;

directing the cleaning liquid to a flat spray nozzle;

further directing the cleaning liquid from the flat spray nozzle to a surface to be cleaned; and

moving the nozzle across the surface of the roll with a power driven traversing device to ensure uniform and complete spraying of a surface.

19. A cleaning method according to claim 18 further comprising the step of adding water soluble abrasives such as salt or baking soda to the cleaning liquid prior to directing the cleaning liquid from the nozzle.

20. A cleaning method according to claim 18 including rotating the roll during the step of traversing the surface of the roll.

21. A cleaning method according to claim 18 wherein the step of moving the nozzle over the surface of the roll comprises moving the nozzle at such a rate so that the cleaning liquid directed to the surface from the nozzle will not significantly cool the surface of a heated roll.