Cleaning apparatus and method

Abstract

A door for providing access to a rotatably mounted drum of a cleaning apparatus, the door having a flow pathway for wash liquor and a multiplicity of solid particles and a separator, the separator being arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles from the flow pathway into the drum and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct a portion of the wash liquor from the flow pathway to a location other than into the drum.

1 . A door for providing access to a rotatably mounted drum of a cleaning apparatus, the door comprising a flow pathway for wash liquor and a multiplicity of solid particles and a separator, the separator being arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles from the flow pathway into the drum and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct a portion of the wash liquor from the flow pathway to a location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         2 . The door as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the door defines therein a first flow path to the separator for wash liquor and the solid particles and further defines therein a second flow path from the separator for a portion of the wash liquor directed to a location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         3 . The door as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the door comprises a feed pipe for the passage of the wash liquor and the solid particles therethrough. 
     
     
         4 . The door as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the door further comprises an outlet downstream from the separator for the wash liquor from the flow pathway directed to a location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         5 . The door as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the door comprises an inner portion comprising one or more channels to direct the wash liquor to the outlet. 
     
     
         6 . The door as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a web or substrate having a plurality of apertures formed therein wherein the apertures are sized so as to permit the passage of wash liquor whilst preventing the passage of the solid particles therethrough. 
     
     
         7 . The door as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the separator comprises an inlet, an outlet and a curved body portion disposed between the inlet and the outlet and wherein the curved body portion comprises the web or substrate having a plurality of apertures formed therein. 
     
     
         8 . The door as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the separator comprises an inlet, an outlet and a body disposed between the inlet and the outlet, the body comprising a first planar wall member joined to a second planar wall member at a common point wherein the second planar wall member is inclined with respect to the first planar wall member and wherein the second planar wall member comprises the web or substrate having a plurality of apertures formed therein. 
     
     
         9 . The door as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the separator comprises a plurality of apertures sized so as to permit the passage of wash liquor whilst preventing the passage of the solid particles therethrough wherein the apertures are further arranged to capture lint and/or fine particulate matter entrained in the wash liquor. 
     
     
         10 . A cleaning apparatus for use in the cleaning of at least one soiled substrate with a multiplicity of solid particles comprising:
 a housing containing a drum rotatably mounted therein;   a door moveable between an open position wherein the at least one soiled substrate can be placed within the drum and a closed position wherein the cleaning apparatus is substantially sealed;   at least one delivery means for the addition of wash liquor; and   pumping means configured to pump wash liquor and a multiplicity of solid particles from a first location to the door;   wherein the door comprises a flow pathway for the wash liquor and the solid particles and a separator arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles from the flow pathway into the drum and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct a portion of the wash liquor from the flow pathway to a location other than into the drum.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the pumping means is configured to pump the wash liquor and the solid particles upwardly from the first location to the door. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive an upward flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles from the first location and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles into the drum from the upward flow. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive a downward flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles into the drum from the downward flow. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive a horizontal flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles and wherein the separator is further arranged to direct the multiplicity of solid particles into the drum from the horizontal flow. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive a flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles from the pumping means and is further arranged to direct at least 1 percent of the total mass of water from the flow to the location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive a flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles from the pumping means and is further arranged to direct at least 70 percent of the total mass of water from the flow to the location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator is arranged to receive a flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles from the pumping means and is further arranged to direct no greater than 99 percent of the total mass of the wash liquor from the flow to the location other than into the drum. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the separator comprises an inlet arranged to receive a substantially vertical flow of the wash liquor and the solid particles from the pumping means and an outlet arranged to direct the solid particles into the drum wherein at least some of the solid particles exit the outlet at an angle of between about 60° and about 120° to the flow of wash liquor and solid particles entering the inlet. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the flow pathway for the wash liquor and the solid particles extends directly from the pumping means to the door and from the door into the drum. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the first location comprises a sump. 
     
     
         21 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20  further comprising a flow path downstream from the separator so that wash liquor from the flow pathway directed to a location other than into drum can return to the sump. 
     
     
         22 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a tub and wherein the drum is mounted within the tub. 
     
     
         23 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 22 , wherein the door is mounted to a portion of the tub. 
     
     
         24 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the cleaning apparatus further comprises a tub and wherein the drum is mounted within the tub, and wherein the tub includes the sump. 
     
     
         25 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the sump comprises a first end proximate to the door and a second end distal to the door and wherein the sump further comprises a sloping floor arranged to direct the solid particles to the first end of the sump. 
     
     
         26 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 25 , wherein the pumping means is located proximate to the first end of the sump. 
     
     
         27 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the solid particles are recirculated along a recirculation path from the lower portion of the housing to the rotatably mounted drum. 
     
     
         28 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum comprises collecting and transferring means adapted to facilitate collection of the multiplicity of solid particles and transfer of the solid particles from the drum to a lower portion of the housing. 
     
     
         29 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum is mounted about a substantially horizontal axis. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum comprises a rotatably mounted cylindrical cage comprising perforated side walls wherein the perforations comprise holes having a diameter of no greater than 5.0 mm. 
     
     
         31 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum comprises a rotatably mounted cylindrical cage comprising perforated side walls wherein the perforations comprise holes having a diameter of no greater than 3.0 mm. 
     
     
         32 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum has a capacity of approximately 10 to 700 liters. 
     
     
         33 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the drum has a capacity of approximately 30 to 150 liters. 
     
     
         34 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10  comprising the door of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         35 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the cleaning apparatus is a domestic washing machine. 
     
     
         36 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the at least one soiled substrate comprises a textile material. 
     
     
         37 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of solid particles comprise a plurality of polymeric particles. 
     
     
         38 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of solid particles comprise a plurality of non-polymeric particles. 
     
     
         39 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of solid particles comprise a mixture of polymeric solid particles and non-polymeric solid particles. 
     
     
         40 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the polymeric particles are selected from the group consisting of polyalkenes, polyamides, polyesters, polysiloxanes, polyurethanes and copolymers thereof. 
     
     
         41 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the polymeric particles are selected from the group consisting of polyalkenes and copolymers thereof. 
     
     
         42 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 40 , wherein the polymeric particles are selected from the group consisting of polyamide, polyester, and copolymers thereof. 
     
     
         43 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the polyester particles are selected from the group consisting of polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate. 
     
     
         44 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 42 , wherein the polyamide particles comprise particles of nylon. 
     
     
         45 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the non-polymeric particles are selected from the group consisting of glass, silica, stone, wood, metals and ceramic materials. 
     
     
         46 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 37 , wherein the polymeric particles have an average density of from about 0.5 to about 2.5 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         47 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the non-polymeric particles have an average density of from about 3.5 to about 12.0 g/cm 3 . 
     
     
         48 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the multiplicity of solid particles are in the form of beads. 
     
     
         49 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein the solid particles are reused one or more times for cleaning of the at least one soiled substrate in, with or by the cleaning apparatus. 
     
     
         50 . A method for cleaning at least one soiled substrate comprising treating the substrate with a multiplicity of solid particles using the cleaning apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 . 
     
     
         51 . The method as claimed in  claim 50  further comprising:
 (a) loading the at least one soiled substrate into the drum and closing the door; 
 (b) introducing wash liquor to moisten the substrate and causing the drum to rotate; and 
 (c) operating the pumping means to pump wash liquor and the multiplicity of solid particles from the first location to the door and introducing the multiplicity of solid particles into the drum via the separator. 
 
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 51  further comprising:
 (d) operating the cleaning apparatus for a wash cycle wherein wash liquor and the multiplicity of solid particles are transferred from the drum into a lower portion of the housing as the drum rotates. 
 
     
     
         53 . The method of  claim 52  further comprising:
 (e) operating the pumping means so as to pump additional wash liquor and solid particles from the first location to the door and to recirculate the cleaning formulation used in step c) for re-use in the cleaning operation; and 
 (f) continuing with steps (c), (d) and (e) as required to effect cleaning of the at least one soiled substrate. 
 
     
     
         54 . The method of  claim 50  further comprising introducing at least one additional cleaning agent into the drum wherein the at least one cleaning agent comprises at least one detergent composition. 
     
     
         55 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the method is carried out so as to achieve a wash liquor to substrate ratio of between about 5:1 to 0.1:1 w/w in the drum. 
     
     
         56 . The method of  claim 50 , wherein the ratio of the multiplicity of solid particles to substrate being cleaned is in the range of from about 0.1:1 to about 30:1 w/w.