Commercial Steam Laundry Drum Cleaning Without Dry-Cleaning Solvents
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial laundry facilities face challenges with traditional dry cleaning methods due to environmental regulations and safety concerns, while water-based wet cleaning processes are inefficient and costly, leading to a need for a cost-effective and environmentally friendly alternative.
Innovation Solution
A commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine using steam as a primary cleaning agent, with a drum and microcontroller-controlled steam injection system, air circulation, and debris and clean steam/air separation chamber to minimize environmental impact and fabric damage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If perc-based dry cleaning is used, then cleaning effectiveness is improved, but environmental harm increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical-chemical parameters of the cleaning medium from chemical solvents (perc) to steam (water in vapor form). This parameter change maintains cleaning effectiveness through thermal and mechanical action while eliminating the harmful environmental properties of perc, including its carcinogenicity and atmospheric contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the chemical cleaning mechanism of perc with a physical/thermal mechanism using steam. The steam delivers cleaning through heat transfer, phase change, and mechanical agitation from drum rotation, substituting chemical action with physical processes that avoid environmental harm.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If wet cleaning with water is used, then environmental friendliness is improved, but fabric damage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes the phase transition of water from liquid to vapor (steam) to resolve the contradiction. Steam provides the cleaning action in vapor form, which is gentler on fabrics than liquid water immersion, reducing shrinkage and damage while maintaining environmental friendliness. The phase change enables effective cleaning without the harmful effects of conventional wet cleaning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from three-dimensional liquid immersion (wet cleaning) to a vapor-phase cleaning environment. This dimensional change allows steam to penetrate and clean fabrics without the mechanical stress of water saturation, thereby protecting fabric integrity while remaining environmentally friendly.
3Reliability
If conventional dry cleaning solvents are used, then cleaning performance is improved, but safety hazards increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs steam, which is essentially water in vapor form, replacing expensive and hazardous chemical solvents. Steam condenses and is easily disposed of as water, eliminating the safety hazards of flammable or toxic solvents while maintaining cleaning performance through thermal and mechanical action.
4Object-generated harmful factors
If water-based wet cleaning is used, then environmental impact is reduced, but operational cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses steam (vapor phase) instead of liquid water to reduce the time required for post-cleaning processing. Garments cleaned with steam require less drying and pressing time compared to water-washed garments, thereby improving operational efficiency while maintaining environmental friendliness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The steam-cleaning machine reduces environmental regulations compliance costs, conserves water, and minimizes fabric shrinkage and wrinkling, providing an efficient and eco-friendly solution for a variety of fabric types.
Implementation Method 1
a steam injector at least partially exposed to an inner surface of the drum, wherein the steam injector is configured to provide a microcontroller (MCU)-controlled fresh steam injection into the drum during a cleaning cycle
Implementation Method 2
a steam injector at least partially exposed to an inner surface of the drum, wherein the steam injector is configured to provide a microcontroller (MCU)-controlled fresh steam injection into the drum during a cleaning cycle
Implementation Method 3
a steam-in duct operatively connected to the steam injector and an external water boiler system outside the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine, wherein the steam-induct is configured to carry fresh steam produced from the external boiler system
Implementation Method 4
a steam-in duct operatively connected to the steam injector and an external water boiler system outside the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine, wherein the steam-induct is configured to carry fresh steam produced from the external boiler system
Implementation Method 5
an air-in duct operatively connected to the drum, wherein the air-in duct is configured to bring fresh outside air continuously or periodically during an operation of the particular garment-cleaning program
Implementation Method 6
a debris and clean steam/air separation chamber operatively connected to an outtake port inside the drum, wherein the debris and clean steam/air separation chamber is designed to separate, filter, and/or clean an incoming mixture of debris, steam, moisture, chemicals and/or air from the drum
Implementation Method 7
an air-out duct operatively connected to the debris and clean steam/air separation chamber, wherein the air-out duct is configured to evacuate filtered and/or cleaned steam, air, and/or condensed water from the debris and clean steam/air separation chamber
Implementation Method 8
a drum operatively connected to a front-loading door and a drum motor of the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine, wherein the drum is configured to rotate inside the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine by a rotational force provided by the drum motor
Data Source
AI summary
A commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine is configured to use steam instead of dry-cleaning chemicals or water as a primary cleaning agent for garments rotating in a drum of the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine. In one embodiment of the invention, a steam injector at least partially exposed to an inner surface of the drum is configured to provide a MCU-controlled fresh steam injection into the drum during a cleaning cycle of the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine. The fresh steam into the commercial steam-cleaning laundry machine is from an outtake of a standalone boiler system which is typically used for a variety of fabric treatment machines in a commercial laundry operation. A debris and clean steam/air separation chamber periodically or continuously separates and/or filters debris, chemicals, and/or other undesirable elements from the drum and evacuates clean or cleaned-up air and moistures to an air-out duct.