Fabric laundering apparatus adapted for using a select rinse fluid

• US 7,739,891 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2004
• Issued: 06/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Original Assignee: Whirlpool Corporation
• Inventors: Leitert, Andrew, Sunshine, Richard A., Luckman, Joel A., Wright, Tremitchell L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cleveland; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waldbaum; Samuel A
• Application Number:
  US10/957,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20050092033A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,090 Days
• Field of Search: 681/24
• US Class Current: 68/124
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/00 Dry-cleaning apparatus or methods using volatile solvents D06F9/00 - D06F41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/007 Dry cleaning methods
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/08 Associated apparatus for handling and recovering the solvents
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/085 Filtering arrangements; Filter cleaning; Filter-aid powder dispensers

Abstract

A non-aqueous laundering machine for laundering fabric with a non-aqueous wash liquor and a select rinse fluid. The non-aqueous laundering machine includes a container for a fabric load and means for the controlled application of a non-aqueous wash liquor to the fabric load, the removal of part of the non-aqueous wash liquor from the fabric load, and application of a select rinse fluid to the fabric load as well as means for applying mechanical energy to the fabric load.

Claims

1. An automatic laundering apparatus comprising:

a wash chamber for containing fabrics;

a drying loop in fluid communication with the wash chamber, the drying loop comprising a heater and a condenser system;

wherein the condenser system comprises a first condenser unit and a second condenser unit disposed between the wash chamber and the heater; and

wherein the condenser system receives multiple fluids and preferentially separates the multiple fluids to produce a first condensate fluid and a second condensate fluid that is different than the first condensate fluid, in the drying loop.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the drying loop of the apparatus comprises:

a wash chamber conduit disposed between the heater and a plurality of wash chamber inlets of a wash chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a dispenser system for dispensing at least one washing additive at a pre-selected time period during the wash cycle.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus further comprises a means for storing a select rinse fluid and a means for introducing a select rinse fluid at a pre-selected time period during a wash cycle.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the drying loop further comprises an activation device which controls the temperature such that the fabric fibers will not exceed a prolonged temperature above 140 degrees F.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the apparatus a recovery system.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first condenser unit comprises individual plates and the second condenser unit comprises individual plates.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the individual plates of the first condenser unit are oriented at an angle and the individual plates of the second condenser unit are oriented at an angle.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a condenser pan; and

a condenser sump connected to the condenser pan.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a condenser sump in fluid communication with the condenser system.

11. An apparatus for non-aqueous laundering of fabrics comprising:

a wash chamber to hold fabric;

a first storage and dispensing system for storing a working fluid and for selectively dispensing said working fluid into the wash chamber;

a second storage and dispensing system for storing a rinse fluid and for selectively dispensing said rinse fluid into the wash chamber;

a recovery system in fluid communication with the wash chamber;

a drying loop comprising a condenser system disposed between the wash chamber and the heater; and

wherein the condenser system comprises a first condenser unit comprising individual plates and a second condenser unit comprising individual plates, the first condenser unit and the second condenser unit disposed inside a condenser body, wherein the first condenser unit produces a first condensate fluid and the second condenser unit produces a second condensate fluid which is different than the first fluid.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is chemically compatible with said working fluid, wherein the working fluid is selected from the group consisting of:

terpenes, halohydrocarbons, glycol ethers, polyols, ethers, esters of glycol ethers, esters of fatty acids and other long chain carboxylic acids, fatty alcohols and other long chain alcohols, short-chain alcohols, polar aprotic solvents, siloxanes, hydrofluoroethers, dibasic esters, aliphatic hydrocarbons and combinations thereof.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 wherein the apparatus is chemically compatible with said working fluid selected from the group consisting of:

decamethylcyclopentasiloxane, dodecamethylpentasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, decamethyltetrasiloxane, dipropylene glycol n-butyl ether (DPnB), dipropylene glycol n-propyl ether (DPnP), dipropylene glycol tertiary-butyl ether (DPtB), propylene glycol n-butyl ether (PnB), propylene glycol n-propyl ether (PnP), tripropylene methyl ether (TPM) and/or combinations thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the apparatus is chemically compatible with said rinse fluid, that has at least one of the following Hanson Solubility Parameters:

(a) a polarity greater than 3 and hydrogen bonding less than 9;

(b) hydrogen bonding less than 13 and dispersion from 14 to 17; and

(c) hydrogen bonding from 13 to 19 and dispersion from 14 to 22.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a two-way valve adapted for re-circulating said working fluid and said rinse fluid from the wash chamber through said first and second storage and dispensing systems.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said first and second storage and dispensing further comprise a mechanical pump adapted to pump fluid into said container.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a non-mechanical pump.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein said non-mechanical pump is selected from at least one of the following:

piezo-electric, electrohydrodynamic, thermal bubble, magnetohydrodynamic and electroosmotic pumps.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a heating system selectively operable for heating fluid in the fabric in the container.

20. The apparatus of claim 19 wherein the heating system is an electric coil heater.

21. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a controller constructed and arranged to regulate cycle times and fluid usage;

and

wherein said controller causes said condenser to condense the select rinse fluid, an added water and the working fluid at separate distinctive preselected times.

22. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said wash chamber comprises a horizontal axis laundry apparatus.

23. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said wash chamber comprises a vertical axis laundry apparatus.

24. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the individual plates of the first condenser unit are oriented at an angle and the individual plates of the second condenser unit are oriented at an angle.

25. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a condenser sump in fluid communication with the condenser system.

26. An apparatus for laundering fabrics comprising:

a wash chamber to hold fabric;

a first storage and delivery system for storing a working fluid and selectively delivering the working fluid to the wash chamber;

a second storage and delivery system for storing a rinse fluid and selectively delivering the rinse fluid to the wash chamber;

a drying loop comprising a condenser system disposed between the heater and the wash chamber, and a condenser sump in fluid communication with the condenser system; and

wherein the condenser system comprises a condenser body, and a first condenser unit and a second condenser unit inside the body; and

wherein the condenser system condenses vapors of a mixture of the working fluid and the rinse fluid, and the first condenser unit produces a first condensate fluid and the second condenser unit produces a second condensate different than the first condensate.

27. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the condenser system removes some of the working fluid and select rinse fluid vapor.

28. The apparatus for laundering fabrics of claim 26 further comprising a temperature sensor detecting a characteristic indicative of the temperature of the fabric;

and further wherein said controller is responsive to said temperature sensor to regulate said heater so as to selectively elevate the temperature of the fabric to a temperature wherein fluid evaporates from the fabric.

29. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the apparatus further comprises the control means that maintains the temperature of the heater such that the temperature of the fabric does not exceed the lower of 140. degree F. or 30 degree F. below the flash point of the working fluid.

30. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising a humidity monitor for monitoring the humidity within the drum to detect an indication of the removal of a predetermined amount of moisture from the container, said controller being responsive to said detection of the removal of predetermined amount of moisture from the container to deactivate the heater.

31. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the condenser system is at least one of the following:

a multiple chamber condenser unit, a direct spray condenser, a radiator condenser system, a fin-tube condenser, a bubble condensation system, a condenser with thermoelectric coolers, a condenser with peltier elements, and a condenser with thermo-acoustic and membrane technologies.

32. The apparatus of claim 26 wherein the drying loop further includes a heater and at least one wash chamber conduit connected to at least two wash chamber inlets.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the at least two wash chamber inlets are connected to one apparatus for laundering fabrics.

34. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the first condenser unit comprises individual plates and the second condenser unit comprises individual plates.

35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the individual plates of the first condenser unit are oriented at an angle and the individual plates of the second condenser unit are oriented at an angle.

36. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the condenser sump is in fluid communication with the wash chamber.