Deodorizing and sanitizing employing a wicking device

• US 7,670,551 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2007
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Ecolab, Inc.
• Inventors: Tallman, Daniel, Kilawee, Patrick, Kadlec, Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): McKane; Elizabeth L
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, REGINA M
• Application Number:
  US11/903,888
• Publication Number:
  US 20080019865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 889 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 422/37
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/18 Liquid substances or solutions comprising solids or dissolved gases
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 2/20 Gaseous substances, e.g. vapours
• CPC Class Codes: A61L 9/015 using gaseous or vaporous substances, e.g. ozone A61L9/20 takes precedence ; evaporation in general B01B1/005

Abstract

A device and method for sanitizing and deodorizing including the selective transportation of a sanitizing composition by the capillary action of a wick to an acidic composition which may be held in a reservoir, or which also may be selectively transported through the capillary action of a wick to the reservoir.

Claims

1. A method for treating a drain for a device having a water flow system, the method comprising:

selectively transporting first aqueous composition comprising at least one acidic compound by the capillary action of a first wick disposed in a first conduit, from a first chamber to a reservoir which is in fluid communication with said drain, the reservoir having a vent and an outlet port, said outlet port in fluid communication with the drain;

selectively transporting second aqueous composition comprising at least one metal chlorite by capillary action of a second wick disposed in a second conduit, from a second chamber to the reservoir wherein said acidic compound is in molar excess to said metal chlorite, and the first and second compositions form a sanitizing composition in the reservoir; and

transporting the sanitizing composition from the reservoir to the drain.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first aqueous composition comprises a delimer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the drain is an ice bin drain in an automatic ice making unit.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive mixture in the reservoir produces chlorine dioxide in a gaseous state and in a liquid state.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the reactive mixture in the reservoir produces chlorine dioxide in a gaseous state and chlorine dioxide in a liquid state and the chlorine dioxide in the gaseous state exits the reservoir through the vent.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wick is larger than the second wick.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the reactive mixture is transported from the reservoir to the drain through the outlet port by gravitational forces.