Method for treatment of laundry with ozone

• US 6,418,580 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1999
• Issued: 07/16/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Agrimond USA Corporation
• Original Assignee: Agrimond, LLC (AJT & Associates, Inc.)
• Inventors: Diaz, Carlos V., Wakim, Joseph F., Samad, Nidal A., Teran, Alfredo J., Wood, Richard G., Derrick, John R. Jr., Tyndall, Timothy N.
• Primary Examiner(s): COE, PHILIP R
• Application Number:
  US09/394,314
• Time in Patent Office: 1,040 Days
• Field of Search: 815/8, 68/13.R, 681/83, 682/07
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone

Abstract

A treatment apparatus and method that greatly increases the efficiency and flexibility in using ozone in the laundry process by permitting an operator to set the level of dissolved ozone concentration delivered to the washing machines, depending upon the amount and type of soil on the laundry. Furthermore, the present invention ensures that there is enough dissolved ozone available in the wash water to meet the demand of the washing apparatus. Lastly, the present invention monitors and maintains the desired amount of dissolved ozone to be delivered to the washers.

Claims

1. A method of treating laundry with ozone comprising the steps of:

analyzing the characteristics of the laundry to be washed;

obtaining a properly sized apparatus for the treatment of laundry comprising;

a plurality of tanks, each of said tanks having an interior space and each of said tanks having a water inlet and a water outlet, wherein a first tank is a transfer tank and a second tank is a supply tank;

a water source connected in fluid flow communication with said tanks;

a water purification means disposed between said water source and said supply tank in fluid flow communication with said tanks wherein ozone may be introduced into the water flow to provide wash water having a dissolved ozone concentration wherein said water purification means further comprises a control means;

the supply tank further comprising a monitor to determine the dissolved ozone concentration of the wash water,

at least one washing means in fluid flow communication with said supply tank and said water purification means wherein said washing means further comprises a plurality of wash water supply ports wherein a first wash water supply port is cold and a second wash water supply port is hot;

whereby wash water having a desired dissolved ozone concentration may be delivered to said washing means;

setting the concentration level of dissolved ozone to be delivered to said washing means;

introducing ozone into said wash water;

maintaining a supply of wash water in said supply tank;

re-circulating the wash water from the supply tank through said water purification means if the concentration of dissolved ozone is below the desired dissolved ozone concentration until the desired dissolved ozone concentration is attained; and

delivering ozonated water having a preset dissolved ozone concentration to said washing means upon demand.

2. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

checking the oxidation reduction potential of water in the transfer tank and, if the oxidation reduction potential is below the desired level, circulating the water from the transfer tank through said water purification means until the desired oxidation reduction potential is attained.

3. The method as in claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

delivering wash water having a desired dissolved ozone concentration via the cold and hot water supply ports of the washing means whereby multiple levels of ozonated water may be provided to said washing means concurrently.