Washing apparatus

• US 7,275,400 B2
• Filed: 10/21/2004
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Scheibel, Jeffrey John, Vinson, Phillip Kyle, Burckett-St. Laurent, James Charles Theophile Roger, France, Paul Amaat, Hartman, Frederick Anthony, Sakkab, Nabil Yaqub, Radomyselski, Arseni V., Severns, John Cort, Deak, John Christopher, Thoen, Christiaan Arthur Jacques Kamiel, Noyes, Anna Vadimovna
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson; Frankie L.
• Application Number:
  US10/970,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20050050644A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,076 Days
• Field of Search: 68/24, 68/58, 682/42, 68/18.F, 68/18.R
• US Class Current: 68/18.00F
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 20/28033 Membrane, sheet, cloth, pad, lamellar or mat
• CPC Class Codes: C10G 33/02 with electrical or magnetic means
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 17/049 Cleaning or scouring pads; Wipes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/12 Soft surfaces, e.g. textile
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 2111/48 Regeneration of cleaning solutions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/162 containing Si
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/2041 Dihydric alcohols
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/30 Amines; Substituted amines ; Quaternized amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3765 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3773 in liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3905 Bleach activators or bleach catalysts
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3932 Inorganic compounds or complexes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3942 Inorganic per-compounds C11D3/3902 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3945 Organic per-compounds C11D3/3902 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/3947 Liquid compositions
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/395 Bleaching agents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/40 Dyes ; Pigments
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/43 Solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 3/50 Perfumes
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/24 Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/263 : Ethers
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/3209 : Amines or imines with one to four nitrogen atoms; Quaternized amines
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5004 : Organic solvents
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5009 : containing phosphorus, sulfur or silicon, e.g. dimethylsulfoxide
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5013 : containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5022 : containing oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: C11D 7/5027 : Hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2101/20 : Operation modes, e.g. delicate laundry washing programs, service modes or refreshment cycles
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2103/28 : Air properties
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/44 : Opening, closing or locking of doors
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/30 : characterised by mechanical features, e.g. buttons or rotary dials
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 37/42 : Safety arrangements, e.g. for stopping rotation of the receptacle upon opening of the casing door
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/00 : Dry-cleaning apparatus or methods using volatile solvents D06F9/00 - D06F41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/02 : having one rotary cleaning receptacle only
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/02 : using organic solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/04 : combined with specific additives D06L1/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/10 : Regeneration of used chemical baths
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 1/12 : using aqueous solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D06L 4/17 : in an inert solvent
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 13/005 : Compositions containing perfumes; Compositions containing deodorants
• CPC Class Codes: D06M 23/06 : Processes in which the treating agent is dispersed in a gas, e.g. aerosols aerosol compositions C09K3/30
• CPC Class Codes: F26B 21/14 : using gases or vapours other than air or steam , e.g. inert gases

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for treating, refreshing or cleaning fabric articles, especially articles of clothing, linen and drapery.

Claims

1. A fabric treating apparatus comprising

i) a fabric article treatment chamber for receiving fabric articles to be treated, said treatment chamber comprising a lipophilic cleaning fluid-pervious peripheral wall and a spray for introducing lipophilic cleaning fluid into said chamber;

an outer chamber housing said fabric article treatment chamber, said outer chamber receiving lipophilic cleaning fluid from said treatment chamber, said outer chamber comprising an exit port through which said lipophilic cleaning fluid flows at a rate such that the amount of said fluid in said treatment chamber does not exceed the absorptive capacity of the fabric articles therein;

ii) a first container for storing and supplying a lipophilic cleaning fluid comprising a lipophilic fluid;

iii) a second container for water or another cleaning adjunct wherein said second container is removably attached to the apparatus;

iv) a two fluid extrusion nozzle for forming an emulsion or microemulsion composition comprising said lipophilic cleaning fluid and said water or another cleaning adjunct in situ immediately prior to evenly distributing the lipophilic cleaning solution on said fabric articles; and

a recovery system for removing contaminants from the lipophilic cleaning fluid;

wherein the first container is removably attached to the apparatus and the recovery system is selected from the group consisting of a molecular sieve filtration system, an electrostatic fluid filtration system, membrane evaporation system, ultrafiltration system, and combinations thereof; and

wherein when a fabric article to be treated is present in the chamber and the lipophilic cleaning fluid is introduced into the chamber, the chamber retains an amount of lipophilic fluid up to the absorptive capacity of the fabric article contained therein.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a recovery tank for separating suspended solids and different fluids in the lipophilic cleaning fluid removed from the chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a lint filter capable of removing lint, fabric fibers and large particulate soil from the lipophilic cleaning fluid.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a soil filter capable of removing soil, adjunct ingredients, or mixtures thereof, from the lipophilic cleaning fluid.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the filter is replaceable.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the recovery system is replaceable and/or self-cleaning.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the first and second containers are replaceable and/or refillable.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is capable of performing washing and drying of the fabric articles in the treatment chamber.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises means for drying the fabric articles.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the apparatus is capable of performing a conventional aqueous wash process and a drycleaning process using lipophilic fluid.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a fluid level sensor.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising a gas sensor that measures the level of lipophilic fluid vapor within the treatment chamber.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus is capable of applying the lipophilic cleaning fluid to the fabric articles, and at least partially removing the lipophilic cleaning fluid in a repetitive manner.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 wherein the amount of lipophilic cleaning fluid applied to the fabric articles in each repetition is from about 10% to about 500% by weight of the dry fabric articles.

15. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the total amount of lipophilic cleaning fluid applied to and removed from the fabric articles is from about 10% to about 1500% by weight of the dry fabric articles.