Method and system for washing

• US 7,950,254 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2005
• Issued: 05/31/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Original Assignee: The Procter & Gamble Company
• Inventors: Gray, Peter Gerard, Cruickshank, Graeme Duncan, Duncan, Michael, Costello, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Stinson; Frankie L
• Application Number:
  US11/130,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20050252255A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,205 Days
• Field of Search: 68/3.SS, 68/13.A, 68/18.F, 134/111
• US Class Current: 68/3.0SS
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4202 Water filter means or strainers
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4219 Water recirculation A47L15/0078 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4229 Water softening arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4238 by using electrolytic cells
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4291 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/145 Ultrafiltration
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 61/147 Microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/32 with ultraviolet light
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/42 by ion-exchange ion-exchange in general B01J
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/44 by dialysis, osmosis or reverse osmosis general membrane separation processes B01D61/00, membrane modules B01D63/00, electrodialysis C02F1/4693, combination of membrane modules and bioreactors C02F3/1268
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/441 by reverse osmosis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/442 by nanofiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/444 by ultrafiltration or microfiltration
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 1/4693 electrodialysis
• CPC Class Codes: C02F 2307/12 as part of household appliances such as dishwashers, laundry washing machines or vacuum cleaners
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/006 for washing or rinsing only
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/006 Recovery arrangements, e.g. for the recovery of energy or water
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/007 Arrangements of water softeners
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 39/20 Arrangements for water recovery

Abstract

A washing system for use in cleaning or washing a soiled substrate or substrates, the system comprising:

• • a. a washing zone for contacting and washing the soiled substrate with wash liquor;
  • b. a feed supply for providing hot or cold feed water to the washing zone;
  • c. a wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone in fluid communication with the washing zone
  • d. an effluent storage and/or discharge zone; and optionally one or more of
  • e. a product dispensing zone;
  • f. means for sonically or ultrasonically treating the soiled substrate in the washing zone or in a washing pre-treatment zone;
  • g. an electrolysis zone for electrolysing the feed water or wash liquor;
  • h. a wash liquor disinfection zone; and
  • i. a feed water softening zone;
    The wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone preferably comprises an ultrafiltration or microfiltration device having a cut-off in the range from about 1000 Daltons to about 1 μm, preferably from about 0.05 μm to about 0.5 μm, a lumen size of from about 1 to about 10 mm, preferably from about 2 to about 6 mm, more preferably from about 3 to about 5 mm, and a clean water flux of at least about 1000 L/m².h.100 kp (RO water at 25° C.), preferably at least about 10,000 L/m².h.100 kp.

Claims

1. A washing system for use in cleaning or washing a soiled substrate or substrates, the system comprising:

a. a washing zone for contacting and washing the soiled substrate with wash liquor;

b. a feed supply for providing hot or cold feed water to the washing zone;

c. a wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone in fluid communication with the washing zone wherein the wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone comprises a means for recycling the wash liquor from the washing zone;

d. an effluent storage and/or discharge zone;

e. means for sonically or ultrasonically treating the soiled substrate in the washing zone or in a washing pre-treatment zone;

f. an electrolysis zone comprising a feed water electrolysis means and a wash liquor electrolysis means; and

one or more of;

g. a product dispensing zone;

h. a wash liquor disinfection zone; and

i. a feed water softening zone; and

wherein the wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone comprises an ultrafiltration or microfiltration device comprising one or more tubular membranes and having a cut-off in the range from about 1000 Daltons to about 1 μ

m, a lumen size of from about 1 to about 10 mm, and a clean water flux of at least about 1000 L/m².h.100 kp (RO water at 25°

C.); and

wherein the means for sonically or ultrasonically treating the soiled substrate in the washing zone or in a washing pre-treatment zone comprises one or more vibrating cleaning transducers for physically contacting one or more surfaces of the soiled substrate.

2. A washing system according to claim 1 wherein the ultrafiltration or microfiltration device has a cut-off in the range from about 0.05 μ

m to about 0.5 μ

m, a lumen size of from about 2 to about 6 mm, and a clean water flux of at least about 10,000 L/m².h.100 kp (RO water at 25°

C.).

3. A washing system according to claim 2 wherein the wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone comprises a cross-flow filtration device comprising one or more free-standing, asymmetric, tubular filtration membranes, each having a lumen size in the range from about 3 to about 5 mm and a Reynold'"'"'s Number of at least about 4000 at an operating pressure in the range from about 100 to about 1000 kP (1-10 bar), and wherein the wash liquor cleanup and recycle zone is effective to lower the turbidity of the recycled wash liquor to less than about 15 NTU with a permeate flux of at least about 100 L/h at an operating pressure in the range from about 100 to about 1000 kP (1-10 bar).

4. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising a product dispensing zone, a wash liquor disinfection zone, and a feed water softening zone.

5. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising a product dispensing zone and a wash liquor disinfection zone.

6. The washing system of claim 1, further comprising a product dispensing zone and a feed water softening zone.