Patent · US Expired

Substantially environmental-pollution-free cleaning method and device employing electric energy and surface physical properties

US6308356A · kind A · utility

7Cited by
18References
6Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateApr 1, 1998
Grant dateOct 30, 2001
Priority date
Expiry dateApr 1, 2018

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC D)Textiles; Paper
  • CPC primaryD06F39/007
  • WIPO fieldOther consumer goods
  • WIPO sectorOther fields

Abstract

A washing method and apparatus characterized by employment of the electric form of energy in addition to the traditional three forms of energy (kinetic energy, thermal energy, and chemical energy) to do the work of cleaning, thereby reducing the requirement for and dependency on the traditional three forms of energy. Electric charge is employed to do work of cleaning by various physical phenomena. The phenomena include, but are not limited to effecting the physical characteristics of surface chemistry, the physical characteristics of water, and the chemical characteristics of water, Such characteristics include but are not limited to surface tension, agitation, hydrolization, and adhesion. Such effects of the physical or chemical characteristics are temporary, and are not detectable after the washing water is discarded so as to have minimal polluting effect on the environment. After the cleaning work is done, this temporary energy effect of the physical or chemical characteristics is just as transient, undetectable and non-polluting as is the thermal energy of hot water that has been cooled or the kinetic energy of moving water that has been stopped. Previous to this invention, the…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.