Ozone assisted laundry wash process and waste water treatment system

• US 5,493,743 A
• Filed: 07/22/1994
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tri-O-Clean Laundry Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tri-O-Clean Laundry Incorporated
• Inventors: Pearsall, Charles W., Lee, Joe T. Jr., Dingler, Richard S., Schneider, Keith R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson, Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US08/279,019
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: 8/158, 8/159, 8/149.1, 8/149.2, 68/17 R, 68/207, 68/183
• US Class Current: 8/149.2
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/78 with ozone C02F1/4672 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone

Abstract

A method and apparatus of washing laundry using a reduce amount of, or without the use of, hot water and detergents using a closed-loop or open-loop ozonated wash water system wherein wash water maintained in a contact tank is ozonated by an ozone generator prior to use in the washing machine. The oxygen and/or dried air used in the ozone generator to generate the ozone is concentrated by an oxygen concentrator before being fed into the generator. The system includes a venturi injector for entraining ozone into the water in the storage and contact tanks. The system also includes the use of contact extenders, static mixers and flow restriction fittings. The spent wash water may be collected, filtered and reused, thereby eliminating waste water disposal problems, resulting in considerable water and energy savings.

Claims

1. A method of washing laundry using a closed-loop wash water system comprising the steps of:

maintaining a supply of wash water in a contact tank;

supplying a gas of oxygen or dried air from a oxygen concentrator to an ozone generator, which is part of a total ozone generation process, treating this gas with a source of electric discharge and generating ozone thereby, wherein the oxygen percentage of oxygen fed into the ozone generator is controlled by the oxygen concentrator and the ozone production is controlled by the use of a voltage regulator;

mixing the ozone into said wash water supply;

delivering said ozonated wash water supply to a washing means upon commencement of a wash cycle;

washing said laundry in said washing means;

collecting said wash water supply in a collecting means at the end of the wash cycle; and

,

recirculating said wash water supply from said collecting means to said contact tank.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1 including the steps of removal of solids from said wash water supply in a solids removal tank or DAF at the end of the wash cycle and, recirculating said wash water supply from said DAF to said contact tank.

3. The method of claim 1 further including the step of creating a vacuum in a supply line between said ozone generator and said contact tank means to accelerate entrainment of the ozone in the wash water supply.

4. The method of claim 1 including the step of increasing the contact time by adding contact extenders to aid in mixing the ozone gas and increase dissolution rate.

5. The method of claim 1 including the further step of using a flow restriction fitting to create back pressure.

6. A method of washing laundry using a flow through wash water system comprising the steps of:

maintaining a supply of wash water in a contact tank;

supplying a gas of oxygen and/or dried air from an oxygen concentrator to an ozone generator, wherein the oxygen percentage of oxygen fed into the ozone generator is controlled by the oxygen concentrator, treating the oxygen and/or dried air gas with a source of electric discharge and generating ozone, wherein the ozone production is controlled by the use of a voltage regulator,

and mixing the ozone into said wash water supply;

delivering said ozonated wash water supply to a washing means upon commencement of a wash cycle;

washing said laundry in said washing means;

draining said wash water supply at the end of the wash cycle.

7. The method of claim 6 further including the step of creating a vacuum in a supply line between said ozone generator and said contact tank means to accelerate entrainment of the ozone in the wash water supply.

8. The method of claim 6 including the step of increasing the contact time by adding contact extenders to aid in mixing the ozone gas and increase dissolution rate.

9. The method of claim 6 including the further step of using a flow restriction fitting to create back pressure.