Ozone laundry system and its method of use with continuous batch and tunnel washers

• US 8,667,817 B2
• Filed: 06/09/2010
• Issued: 03/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Guardian Ignition Interlock Manufacturing, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Guardian Ignition Interlock Manufacturing, Inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Charles E., Allen, Thomas R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Perrin, Joseph L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shahinian, Levon J
• Application Number:
  US12/797,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20100313610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 68/13.R
• US Class Current: 68/5.R
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 2105/58 Indications or alarms to the control system or to the user
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 31/005 consisting of one or more rotating drums through which the laundry passes in a continuous flow
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 34/14 Arrangements for detecting or measuring specific parameters
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 35/001 using ozone

Abstract

An ozone laundry system and its method of use with continuous batch or tunnel washers is provided, wherein ozone can be injected into a plurality of different chambers along the continuous batch or tunnel washer and wherein the interfacing of a plurality of system controls occurs on a centralized HMI controller along with DOM and ORP monitoring. Vacuum sensors over vacuum switches are used to compensate for a slightly positive pressure at the ozone outlet, due to a long tube run with a weak vacuum.

Claims

1. An ozone laundry system connected to a single continuous batch or tunnel washer, the single continuous batch or tunnel washer having a plurality of chambers and at least a mid-process point and an end process point, the ozone laundry system comprising:

at least one fully integrated cabinet enclosing a multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system connected to the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

a series of compression fittings protruding from the at least one fully integrated cabinet and connected to a multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system, a first input compression fitting of the series of compression fittings connected to a compressed air input source and at least two output compression fittings of the series of compression fittings providing at least two output streams of generated ozone to the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

at least one two-channel meter having a dissolved ozone monitor and an oxidation reduction potential monitor located on the at least one fully integrated cabinet, the dissolved ozone monitor taking its reading at least one of a plurality of water inlet locations of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer, and the oxidation reduction potential monitor taking its reading in at least one of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

a human machine interface located on the at least one fully integrated cabinet; and

a power source providing electrical energy to all of the multiplicity of components within the at least one fully integrated cabinet that form the ozone laundry system.

2. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein the multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system includes at least one pressure regulator, a plurality of solenoids, a humidity removal device, at least one oxygen concentrator, at least one O₂ sensor, at least one flow meter, at least one ozone generator, a plurality of valves, at least one vacuum sensor and a programmable logic circuit.

3. The ozone laundry system of claim 2, wherein the at least one ozone generator supplies generated ozone to a first output compression fitting of the series of compression fittings which controls a level of dissolved ozone in the single continuous batch or tunnel washer and in addition supplies generated ozone to a set of three output compression fittings which supplies ozone into a fresh water stream in at least three different zones of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

4. The ozone laundry system of claim 2, further comprising at least two oxygen concentrators, at least two ozone generators and a crossover network.

5. The ozone laundry system of claim 4, wherein a first ozone generator of the at least two ozone generators supplies generated ozone to a first output compression fitting of the series of compression fittings which controls a level of dissolved ozone in the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

6. The ozone laundry system of claim 4, wherein a second ozone generator of the at least two ozone generators supplies generated ozone to a set of three output compression fittings which supplies ozone into a fresh water stream in the at least three different zones of the plurality chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

7. The ozone laundry system of claim 2, wherein the humidity removal device is at least one coalescing filter having a filament material positioned there within.

8. The ozone laundry system of claim 2, wherein the vacuum sensor transmits vacuum/pressure levels to the programmable logic circuit interfacing with the human machine interface.

9. The ozone laundry system of claim 2, further comprising a plurality of variable programmed set points on different zones of the system for sensing vacuum/pressure levels.

10. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein the at least one two-channel meter comprises a second two channel meter having a pH monitor and a second oxidation reduction potential monitor.

11. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein the human machine interface is a touch-screen sensitive device.

12. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein the system can be controlled locally, through an intranet or over the Internet by laptop, personal computer, tablet PC or a hand held computing device.

13. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of programmable alarm functions.

14. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein the at least one cabinet comprises a first and a second cabinet, the second cabinet housing at least one oxygen concentrator.

15. The ozone laundry system of claim 14, wherein the system can entrain ozone along a fresh water stream to at least six different zones of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

16. The ozone laundry system of claim 1, wherein an oxidation reduction potential is measured at the mid-process point and at the end process point of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer by the oxidation reduction potential monitor.

17. An ozone laundry system connected to a single continuous batch or tunnel washer, the single continuous batch or tunnel washer having a plurality of chambers and at least a mid-process point and an end process point, the ozone laundry system comprising:

at least two fully integrated cabinets enclosing a multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system;

a series of compression fittings protruding from a first of the at least two cabinets and connected to the multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system providing a connection to a compressed air input source and at least two output streams of generated ozone to the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

at least one two-channel meter having a dissolved ozone monitor and an oxidation reduction potential monitor located on one of the at least two fully integrated cabinets, the dissolved ozone monitor taking its reading at least one of a plurality of water inlet locations of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer and the oxidation reduction potential monitor taking its reading in at least one of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

a human machine interface located on one of the at least two cabinets; and

a power source providing electrical energy to all of the multiplicity of components within the at least two cabinets that form the ozone laundry system.

18. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, wherein the multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system includes at least one pressure regulator, a plurality of solenoids, a humidity removal device, at least one oxygen concentrator, at least one O₂ sensor, at least one flow meter, at least one ozone generator, a plurality of valves, at least one vacuum sensor and a programmable logic circuit.

19. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, wherein the at least one two-channel meter comprises a second two-channel meter having a pH monitor and a second oxidation reduction potential monitor.

20. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, further comprising:

at least two oxygen concentrators,

at least two ozone generators, and

a crossover network,

wherein a first ozone generator of the at least two ozone generators supplies generated ozone to a first output compression fitting of the series of compression fittings and controlling a level of dissolved ozone in the single continuous batch or tunnel washer and wherein a second ozone generator of the at least two ozone generators supplies generated ozone to a set of three output compression fittings thereby supplying ozone into a fresh water stream in at least three different zones of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

21. The ozone laundry system of claim 18, wherein the humidity removal device is at least one coalescing filter having a filament material positioned there within.

22. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, wherein an oxidation reduction potential is measured at the mid-process point and at the end process point of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer by the oxidation reduction potential monitor.

23. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, wherein the system entrains ozone along a fresh water stream to a multiplicity of different zones of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer.

24. The ozone laundry system of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of variable programmed set points on different zones of the system for sensing vacuum/pressure levels.

25. An ozone laundry system comprising:

a single continuous batch or tunnel washer having a plurality of chambers;

at least one fully integrated cabinet enclosing a multiplicity of components that form the ozone laundry system connected to the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

a series of compression fittings protruding from the at least one fully integrated cabinet and connecting an ozone generation system within the at least one fully integrated cabinet to the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

at least one two-channel meter having a dissolved ozone monitor and an oxidation reduction potential monitor, located on the at least one fully integrated cabinet, the dissolved ozone monitor taking its reading at least one of a plurality of water inlet locations of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer, and the oxidation reduction potential monitor taking its reading in at least one of the plurality of chambers of the single continuous batch or tunnel washer;

a human machine interface located on the at least one fully integrated cabinet; and

a power source providing electrical energy to the ozone generation system within the at least one fully integrated cabinet.