Textiles: fluid treating apparatus – Machines – Combined
Reexamination Certificate
1999-04-24
2001-07-03
Coe, Philip R. (Department: 1746)
Textiles: fluid treating apparatus
Machines
Combined
C068S02300A, C068S140000, C068S144000, C068S171000, C068S210000, C068S027000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06253586
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for a process which involves a first step of soaking the fabric in a liquid and extracting the liquid from the fabric preparatory to drying the fabric. Such processes include washing laundry, drycleaning garments, dying fabric and other processes involving the use of fluids such as certain processes that involve the use of loquid CO
2
. The invention relates particularly to one or more washers used in the soaking step which feature techniques that conserve energy and provide enhanced throughput and to an extractor that overcomes problems associated with the high speed of spinning used in state of the art extraction equipment.
PRIOR ART AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE
Processing of fabric in a laundering, drycleaning or dying operation involves several steps. The fabric is loaded into a washer where it is thoroughly soaked (washed) by agitation in an appropriate solution (e.g., soapy water, drycleaning chemical, or dye). Then fabric is subject to an extraction step (frequently spinning) where excess liquid is removed preparatory to going into a drying step.
In a laundering process, the washer step involves agitating the laundry first in soapy water draining the soapy water, agitating the laundry in rinse water, draining the rinse water, and then extracting water.
Efforts to improve the efficiency of laundering fabric has resulted in numerous design approaches.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,090,220 to Fukuzawa et al discloses a perforated washing tub mounted concentrically in an outer tub which can be inclined together by a tub tilting mechanism. A reciprocally rotating pulsator is provided in the lower region of the washing tub so that the laundry can be washed using by the combined motion of the tilting and rotating mechanisms fragile clothing can be washed by the gentle motion of the tilting mechanism alone. Rib-like lifters are provided for rotating the laundry load during the drying step.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,141 to Singh discloses a reciprocating laundry basket for an automatic -washer and having a central post mounted within the basket for rotation with the basket. A spray device is mounted on the post for spraying wash liquid into the interior of the basket. Vertical fins are provided within the basket to enhance agitation of the fabric load.
Neither concept of Singh nor Fukuzawa is amenable to energy conservation nor does it address the problem of large continuous throughput that would be advantageous for commercial application.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,733 to Kim et al discloses a washing machine including a tab and a disk mounted adjacent and parallel to the bottom of the tub Both the tub and disk have vibrational modes, each characterized by a fundamental frequency. A flexible elastic body between the the disc and inner bottom of the washing tub which equalizes the fundamental frequencies of the tub and disk so as to conserve the energy of resonant vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,461,885 to Kim et al discloses a spongelike shield between a pulsating disk and inner wall of the washing tub of a washing machine which enhances resonant vibration to conserve energy and also to prevent jamming of clothing between the disk and inner surface of the tub.
The disclosures of Kim rely on the “stiffness” properties of water to couple the vibrational mode of the disk to the vibrational modes of the rest of the washing machine and therefore would not be as effective as contemplated by the present invention. Neither does Kim address the problem of large throughput as an important object of a commercial laundering operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of this invention to provide a fabric processing system that is a continuous operation inherently adaptable to meet large scale commercial requirements wherein the principles of the method and apparatus is applicable to washing laundry, drycleaning garments, dying fabric.
It is a further object that the steps in the process be characterized as conserving energy more effectively than present state of the art systems.
It is yet another object to compartmentalize separately by components the steps of washing and extracting whereby the design of each component can be optimized for performing its intended function and the number of components for each step can be selected in relation to the number of components of the other steps so that each component is utilized a maximum length of time. For example, the extraction step requires only a fraction of the time required for the washing step. Therefore the system is readily adapted to incorporating more washing components than extracting components so that both the washing and extracting components are used all of the time.
This invention is directed toward a conveyor system wherein separate washing stations are are especially constructed to feed to the conveyor separate loads which are then delivered to a common extraction station.
The fabric is top loaded into the washers and discharged out of the bottom of the washers which has important advantages over present apparatus that loads and unloads by tilting the washer.
The tub has a bottom door which opens when the washing and rinse cycle are complete dumping the damp clean laundry onto a moving conveyor belt. The conveyor belt passes under a plurality of the wash stations described above. Each wash station dumps its laundry load under control of a detection device that prevents mixing loads. At the end of the conveyor travel, each load is dumped onto an elevator which lifts the load from the conveyor and dumps it into the top open top end of a spin extractor. When the spin extraction operation cycle has been completed, the spin extractor is tipped so as to discharge the load in preparation for the next load.
A feature of this invention is a construction of each of the washers that minimizes the amount of energy required to perform the wash and rinse cycle. The energy conserving characteristic is based on a unique agitating mechanism of each washing station that conserves the energy of motion that is generated by the agitation action. Each wash station includes a tub that is suspended to rotate about a horizontal shaft perpendicular to the axis of the tub. Liquid for washing and rinsing is admitted to the top end of the tub and spent solution is drained through a sieve from the bottom. The agitating mechanism includes a drive connected to the tub through a lever. The ends of the shaft supporting the tub are coupled to ground by a pair of air cushions having stiffness automatically adjusted to reinforce the resonant oscillatory motion of the rocking tub.
The extractor of this invention features spinning each load in a succession of spin rates where the axis of spin is tilted horizontally and spun at a low rate in order to evenly distribute the load and then oriented vertically and spun at a high rate thereby avoiding the vibration problems caused by uneven load distribution associated with state of the art extractors.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2255028 (1941-09-01), Long
patent: 2520685 (1950-08-01), Horvath
patent: 3321941 (1967-05-01), Ellis
patent: 3844142 (1974-10-01), Miller
patent: 4195498 (1980-04-01), Pellerin
patent: 5090220 (1992-02-01), Fukuzawa
patent: 5205141 (1993-04-01), Singh
patent: 5450733 (1995-09-01), Kim
patent: 5461886 (1995-10-01), Kim
patent: 67090 (1969-06-01), None
Coe Philip R.
Smith Robert Samuel
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