Ozonated laundry system

• US 5,806,120 A
• Filed: 05/30/1997
• Issued: 09/15/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Envirocleanse Systems, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Envirocleanse Systems, Inc.
• Inventors: McEachern, Dennis H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US08/866,520
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 8/158, 68/12.01, 68/12.12, 68/12.18, 68/13 R, 68/18 R, 68/183, 68/207
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/06 Type or material
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/18 Condition of the laundry, e.g. nature or weight
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone

Abstract

A system for treating laundry with ozone including a controller that receives a load signal based on a wash load selection. The controller varies an output potential from a variable power supply to an ozone generator in response to the load signal. The ozone generator produces different levels of ozone corresponding to the output potential. A wash liquor is drawn out of a laundry machine and sent through a filter past an injector adjacent a venturi. The injector entrains ozone from the ozone generator into the wash liquor and the wash liquor is returned to the laundry machine. A method is disclosed for treating laundry with ozone by: selecting a wash load selection from a plurality of wash load selections; varying the amount of ozone provided to the injector by an ozone generator in response to the load selection; drawing a wash liquor from the laundry machine by a pump; filtering the wash liquor from the laundry machine through a filter; entraining ozone from the ozone generator into the wash liquor; and returning the wash liquor to the laundry machine.

Claims

1. A system for treating laundry with ozone comprising:

a laundry machine having a selector for choosing a load selection;

a controller for receiving a load signal from the selector and for determining a control signal corresponding to the load selection;

an ozone generator electrically connected to the controller and adapted to receive the control signal for producing ozone in response to the control signal;

an air dryer receivably connected to said ozone generator by a shaft, said ozone generator ionizing the air from said air dryer thereby producing ozone;

an injector for receiving wash liquor from the laundry machine and ozone from the ozone generator and for entraining ozone into wash liquor, said injector having a discharge conduit for sending wash liquor and ozone to the laundry machine; and

a pump connected to said laundry machine and said injector for drawing wash liquor out of the laundry machine and sending wash liquor to the injector;

wherein the ozone concentration entrained in the wash liquor is varied in response to the load selection.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein the ozone generator comprises

a variable power supply for receiving the control signal from the controller and for varying an output potential;

and

an ozonator electrically connected by the variable power supply for receiving air from said air dryer and for producing ozone in response to the output potential.

3. The system according to claim 2 wherein the output potential is varied by changing a load capacitance coupled to the power supply.

4. The system according to claim 2 wherein the output potential is varied by changing an amplification of the variable power supply.

5. The system according to claim 2 wherein the output potential is in the range of about 0 to about 220 volts a.c.

6. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a filter removably connected to the pump and the injector and adapted to receive wash liquor from the pump, said filter for removing particulates from the wash liquor and for passing wash liquor to the injector.

7. The system according to claim 1 further comprising a flow valve connected to said injector for maintaining a flow rate of the wash liquor leaving the injector.

8. The system according to claim 7 wherein the flow rate is about 10 standard cubic feet per hour.

9. A method for treating laundry with ozone having a laundry machine receiving wash liquor and having a selector for load selections, a controller, an ozone generator having a variable power supply and electronically connected to the controller, an injector connected to the ozone generator by a feed line, a filter removably connected to the pump and the injector and a pump connected to the laundry machine and the filter, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a load selection on the selector from a plurality of load selections;

varying an ozone concentration provided to the injector by the ozone generator in response to the load selection;

drawing a wash liquor from the laundry machine by the pump;

filtering the wash liquor from the laundry machine through the filter, wherein the filtered wash liquor is sent to the injector;

entraining ozone from the ozone generator into the wash liquor received from the filter in the injector; and

sending the wash liquor from the injector to the laundry machine;

wherein the ozone concentration entrained in the wash liquor is regulated by the controller in response to the load selection.

10. The method according to claim 9 wherein the step of varying an ozone concentration comprises the steps of:

determining a control signal in the controller corresponding to the laundry selection;

transmitting the control signal to the ozone generator from the controller; and

varying a production of ozone by the ozone generator corresponding to the control signal.

11. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step of determining a control signal comprises the steps of:

receiving in the controller a load signal from the laundry machine; and

creating a control signal in the controller based on the load signal.

12. The method according to claim 10 wherein the step of varying a production of ozone comprises the steps of:

varying an output potential of the variable power supply in response to the control signal from the controller;

sending the output potential to the ozone generator; and

producing ozone corresponding to the output potential at the ozone generator.

13. The method according to claim 12 wherein the output potential is varied by changing a load capacitance coupled to the power supply.

14. The method according to claim 12 wherein the output potential is varied by changing an amplification of the variable power supply.

15. The method according to claim 12 wherein the output potential is varied from about 0 to about 220 volts ac.

16. The method according to claim 9 wherein the wash liquor is sent to the laundry machine from the injector at a flow rate of about 10 standard cubic feet per hour.

17. A system for treating laundry with ozone comprising:

a laundry machine having a plurality of laundry selections and a plurality of load signals corresponding to each of the laundry selections;

a controller for receiving one of the plurality of load signals from the laundry machine and determining a control signal based on the one of the plurality of load signals;

an ozone generator electronically connected to the controller for producing ozone responsive to the control signal;

a pump connected to the laundry machine for drawing a wash water from the laundry machine when activated by the controller; and

an injector receivably connected to the ozone generator and the pump and connected to the laundry machine by a supply line for entraining ozone from the ozone generator into the wash liquor from the pump, wherein the wash liquor is sent to the laundry machine through the supply line;

wherein the ozone concentration entrained in the wash liquor is varied in response to the load selection.

18. The system according to claim 17 wherein the ozone generator comprises

a variable power supply for receiving the control signal from the controller and for varying an output potential in response to the control signal;

and

an ozonator electrically connected by the variable power supply for producing ozone responsive to the output potential.

19. The system according to claim 18 wherein the output potential is varied by changing a load capacitance coupled to the power supply.

20. The system according to claim 18 wherein the output potential is varied by changing an amplification of the power supply.