Non-aqueous washing apparatus and method
First Claim
1. A method for laundering fabrics comprising the steps of:
- disposing a fabric load in a wash chamber of an automatic laundering apparatus;
delivering a non-aqueous wash liquor to the wash chamber containing the fabric load, the non-aqueous wash liquor comprising a working fluid;
applying mechanical energy to provide relative movement between the fabric load and the wash liquor during a wash cycle;
draining the wash liquor from the wash chamber; and
drying the fabric load by removing additional wash liquor from the fabric load via liquid extraction,wherein the non-aqueous wash liquor is delivered through a spray nozzle while the wash chamber is spinning.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatuses for washing fabric loads without water or using water only as a co-solvent are disclosed. One method of non-aqueous clothes washing includes the steps of disposing clothing in a wash container, delivering a wash liquor to the fabric load, the wash liquor comprising a substantially non-reactive, non-aqueous, non-oleophilic, apolar working fluid and at least one washing additive, applying mechanical energy to the clothing and wash liquor for a sufficient amount of time to provide fabric cleaning and, thereafter, substantially removing the wash liquor from the fabric load. The working fluid may be selected from the group consisting of perfluorocarbons, hydrofluoroethers, fluorinated hydrocarbons and fluoroinerts.
434 Citations
31 Claims
-
1. A method for laundering fabrics comprising the steps of:
-
disposing a fabric load in a wash chamber of an automatic laundering apparatus; delivering a non-aqueous wash liquor to the wash chamber containing the fabric load, the non-aqueous wash liquor comprising a working fluid; applying mechanical energy to provide relative movement between the fabric load and the wash liquor during a wash cycle; draining the wash liquor from the wash chamber; and drying the fabric load by removing additional wash liquor from the fabric load via liquid extraction, wherein the non-aqueous wash liquor is delivered through a spray nozzle while the wash chamber is spinning. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
-
-
6. A method of laundering fabrics comprising the steps of:
-
disposing a fabric load in a wash chamber of an automatic laundering apparatus; delivering a non-aqueous wash liquor and a hydrophilic solvent to the wash chamber; applying mechanical energy to provide movement of the fabric load during a wash cycle; draining the non-aqueous wash liquor; and
the hydrophilic solvent from the wash chamber after applying the mechanical energy;delivering a hydrophobic solvent to the fabric load in the wash chamber after draining the non-aqueous wash liquor and the hydrophilic solvent from the wash chamber; and drying the fabric load. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 31)
-
-
16. A method of laundering fabrics comprising the steps of:
-
disposing a fabric load in a wash chamber of an automatic laundering apparatus; delivering a non-aqueous wash liquor and hydrophobic solvent to the wash chamber; applying mechanical energy to provide movement of the fabric load during a wash cycle; draining the non-aqueous wash liquor and the hydrophobic solvent from the wash chamber; delivering a hydrophilic solvent to the fabric load in the wash chamber after draining the non-aqueous wash liquor and the hydrophobic solvent from the wash chamber; and drying the fabric load. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
-
-
27. A method of laundering fabrics comprising the steps of:
-
disposing a fabric load in a wash chamber; delivering a non-aqueous wash liquor to the wash chamber, the non-aqueous wash liquor comprising a non-aqueous working fluid; and heating the wash chamber to change the non-aqueous working fluid from a liquid to a vapor and contacting the fabric load with the vapor of the non-aqueous working fluid. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
-
Specification