Cleaning and liquid contact with solids – Apparatus – With plural means for supplying or applying different fluids...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-20
2001-08-28
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Cleaning and liquid contact with solids
Apparatus
With plural means for supplying or applying different fluids...
C134S16800C, C239S146000, C239S722000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279589
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting containers, particularly elongated, walled containers, such as a truck trailers, rail cars, airplane holds, or ship containers; and more specifically to an apparatus utilizing a cleaning/disinfecting of ozone combined with water.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Containers, such as truck trailers, rail cars, airplane holds, or ship containers, often become contaminated during use and have to be disinfected.
Various cleaning devices have been devised for washing and/or scrubbing out the interior of the containers, and chemicals have been used to disinfect the containers. One problem with the prior art methods of cleaning is that the discharge from the container still contains contaminant that is environmentally undesirable and needs to be further dealt with for disposal.
One problem with prior art methods of disinfecting a container with chemicals is that the discharge from the container includes the chemicals which then must be dealt with and adequately disposed. Chemicals must be bought, transported, stored and disposed.
Another problem with some prior art devices is that there is no reproducible cleaning protocol, that is no manner is provided for assuring that the same degree of cleaning is repeatable.
Therefore there has been a need for an apparatus that cleans and disinfects a container without leaving any chemicals in the residue.
It is further desirable that such an apparatus be completely self-contained or require only a source of water.
It is further desirable that the cleaning protocols, such as disinfectant composition, rate of discharge, discharge pressure, and rate of area coverage, be repeatable.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention is an apparatus for cleaning and disinfecting containers, such as elongated, walled containers, such as truck trailers, rail cars, airplane holds, or ship containers. A preferred embodiment of the apparatus generally comprises a rolling trolley which produces a disinfecting mixture of ozone and water at high pressure and delivers the disinfectant by a hose to a rolling dolly which enters into the container. The trolley supports the dolly at a height conductive for entry into the container. The dolly is manually pushed into the container.
Rotating spray nozzles on the dolly deliver the disinfectant at high pressure to the inside walls of the container. The nozzles are directed at an angle fore or aft of their radius of rotation such that the spray strikes the wall of the container at a sheer angle. The dolly includes various adjustment mechanisms for providing that the spray nozzles move at a desired distance from the walls of the container.
The trolley includes a hose retrieval apparatus for retrieving the hose so as to pull the dolly from the container at a desired speed and thereby controlling the cleaning/disinfecting rate. The trolley includes either a water tank holding water sufficient for cleaning the container or means for connecting to a water source, an ozone generator, a venturi for combining the generated ozone with the water, a holding tank for containing the combined water and ozone, a recirculating system for recirculating the combined water and ozone from the holding tank through the venturi for increasing the ozone concentration, and a high pressure pump for delivering at high pressure the combined water and ozone from the holding tank to the hose to the dolly.
Other features and many attendant advantages of the invention will become more apparent upon a reading of the following detailed description together with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout.
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AG Tech International, Inc.
Coe Philip R.
Koppel & Jacobs
Ram Michael J.
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