System and method for laundering clean room garments within a semiconductor fabrication clean room facility
First Claim
1. A textile laundering system, comprising:
- a washing machine having two opposed sides and at least one equipment access portion, wherein one side is a loading side for loading textiles into the washing machine and the other side is an unloading side for unloading textiles from the washing machine, and wherein the washing machine is positioned within a sealed opening in a vertical partition separating a first laundering area from a second laundering area such that the loading side is located within the first laundering area and the unloading side is located within the second laundering area;
a dryer having at least one equipment access portion;
means for measuring the number and sizes of particulates present within laundered textiles; and
wherein the equipment access portions of the washer and dryer are enclosed within at least one service chase area separate from the first and second laundering areas.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method are presented for laundering textiles (e.g., clean room garments) within a clean room facility. The textile laundering system may be used to launder clean room garments. The system includes a washing machine, a dryer, and means for measuring the number and sizes of particulates present within laundered textiles. The washing machine has two opposed sides, a loading side and an unloading side, and at least one portion which allows access to mechanical and/or electrical equipment (i.e., an equipment access portion). The washing machine is positioned within a sealed opening in a vertical partition separating a first laundering area from a second laundering area such that the loading side is located within the first laundering area and the unloading side is located within the second laundering area. The washing machine uses only "ultrapure" water, substantially free of ions, minerals, and organic material, to launder the textiles. The dryer is used to remove residual water from the textiles, and also has at least one equipment access portion. The equipment access portions of the washer and dryer are enclosed within at least one service chase such that the equipment access portions are isolated from the first and second laundering areas. The means for measuring the number and sizes of particulates present within laundered textiles may include a Helmke drum and an aerosol particle counter.
17 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A textile laundering system, comprising:
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a washing machine having two opposed sides and at least one equipment access portion, wherein one side is a loading side for loading textiles into the washing machine and the other side is an unloading side for unloading textiles from the washing machine, and wherein the washing machine is positioned within a sealed opening in a vertical partition separating a first laundering area from a second laundering area such that the loading side is located within the first laundering area and the unloading side is located within the second laundering area; a dryer having at least one equipment access portion; means for measuring the number and sizes of particulates present within laundered textiles; and wherein the equipment access portions of the washer and dryer are enclosed within at least one service chase area separate from the first and second laundering areas. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification