EP1848850B1 - Method and device for the wet treatment of items to be washed - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for the wet treatment of laundry according to the preamble of claim 1 and 4.

In the wet treatment of laundry, in particular for washing and rinsing laundry, liquids are used, wherein the rinsing is essentially fresh water. The rinsing result is also dependent on the amount of fresh water used. From an environmental point of view, however, one would like to reduce the need for fresh water as much as possible.

For washing and rinsing the laundry items have so-called continuous washing machines according to the US 2002/0196770 A1 with an elongated, rotating drivable drum, are formed in the successive chambers, proven. In known continuous washing machines, at least three zones follow one another, namely a prewash zone, a final wash zone and a rinse zone. In the rinsing zone, a countercurrent of the free liquor is required, to which the drum additional outer chambers must be assigned. As a result, the known continuous washing machines have a relatively complicated structure, so that continuous washing machines are used only where large amounts of laundry are to be washed. As a result of the at least three successive zones, the drum must have a relatively large length, whereby the known continuous washing machines in the laundry take up much space.

The invention has for its object to provide a method for economical wet treatment of laundry items. The method should preferably also allow economical wet treatment of relatively small items of laundry.

A method for achieving this object comprises the measures of claim 1. The fact that the laundry is transferred from the washing device with only the bound liquor or only a part thereof from the clear wash in the at least one dewatering press needs to be separated in the washing device only the free liquor of the laundry. In addition, since the respective dewatering device is designed as a dewatering press and not only the dewatering of the laundry, but also the rinsing in the respective dewatering press, the rinsing process can be moved from the washing device to the dewatering device. The rinsing zone can thereby be absent in the washing device, whereby the washing device can be constructed simpler, in particular requires less space. Above all, the washing device no longer has to be designed to generate a counterflow of the treatment liquid. Since the respective dewatering press is required anyway, the method according to the invention overall creates a space-saving washing line. In addition, it has surprisingly been found that the rinsing of the laundry in dewatering presses is much more effective feasible than in the washing device. In this way, the flushing performance is improved and saved fresh water.

According to a preferred embodiment of the method according to the invention, at least part of the bound liquor is removed from the laundry in the dewatering press before the actual rinsing of the laundry takes place in the dewatering press. In this initial removal of a portion of the bonded liquor from the laundry may already take place at the same time an initial rinse. In the dewatering press, the bound liquor can be separated from the laundry very easily and, above all, more effectively than in the washing device. This can also be a more effective rinse done, which not only shortens the rinse cycle, especially contributes to the saving of fresh water, because effective rinse less fresh water is required if at least a large part of the bound liquor has been separated from the laundry.

According to an alternative solution to the object mentioned at the outset according to claim 4, which may also be a preferred development of the method described above, it is provided, at least once, preferably several times in succession, through the laundry items or the laundry cake hindurchzupressen. The pressurized pressing of liquid through the laundry items of the laundry cake results in effective rinsing of the laundry items.

According to the invention, the washing of the items of laundry in the respective dewatering press is carried out by a plurality of successive pressing operations. Preferably, only at the last pressing a pressing pressure is exerted, which is the pressing pressure for dewatering the laundry, so the separation of a large part of the bonded liquor from the laundry, serves Because the previous press takes place with less pressure, the laundry items are when flushing in the respective dewatering press spared.

In a preferred embodiment of the method is provided to pre-press the laundry items in the respective dewatering press first. Here, the laundry items are freed from part of their bound fleet. If part of the bound liquor has already been separated in the continuous washing machine prior to transfer of the laundry items to the dewatering press, another part of the bound liquor is removed during the pre-pressing of the items of laundry in the dewatering press. Before the laundry is rinsed, it is thus freed of a part, preferably at least one third, of the bound liquor. The pre-pressing of the laundry items is carried out at a pressure between 3 and 10 bar, preferably about 4 to 6 bar. In this way, not only a large part of the bonded liquor is removed from the laundry, it also forms a kind of laundry cake during pre-compression, can be pressed through the liquid only under pressure.

It is procedurally further provided to moisten the laundry or the laundry cake after pre-pressing at least once again with liquid. At least the last moistening is preferably done with fresh water. The rewetting of the laundry helps to rinse them. The at least one time remoistening takes place after the pre-compression and a subsequent lifting of a press piston of the dewatering press of the laundry or the laundry cake. In this way, space is created between the top of the laundry or the laundry cake and the bottom of the press piston to be able to supply the rewet serving liquid laundry items.

The rewetting of the laundry items and the subsequent pressing through of the liquid with pressure through the laundry items takes place after following the Pre-compressing and starting up the press piston liquid has been supplied to the laundry items. The liquid can always be freshwater. But it is also sufficient if only one last remoistening or some final operations of rewetting fresh water is used. During the first remoistening process, press liquid produced during prepressing can be used, which has been collected in a collection tank associated with the dewatering press. In this case, the bound liquor is repeatedly circulated through the laundry items for initial rinsing thereof.

The rewetting of the laundry items preferably takes place in such a way that so much liquid is applied to the laundry cake formed during the pre-pressing that forms a closed liquid layer, in particular a liquid column, with a certain height on the laundry cake. This liquid can not infiltrate appreciably into the laundry cake without external pressure by the press ram, in particular do not flow through the laundry cake. It therefore remains on the laundry cake a closed liquid layer with a certain water level exist. The liquid is also prevented from draining by a liquid-impermeable circulating press housing in which the laundry cake with the liquid layer applied thereto is located. The liquid of the liquid layer is then pressurized by shutting down the press ram and thereby pressed under pressure through the laundry items of the laundry cake. This pressurization of the liquid under pressure through the laundry leads to an effective rinsing thereof, wherein at the end of the rinsing process by the press ram, the liquid is removed from the laundry items so far that they have barely bound liquor, as is the case Laundry items are usually dehydrated in a laundry press.

It is further provided to transfer the laundry items directly from the washing device in one or more dewatering presses. If the cycle time of the washing device corresponds approximately to that of the dewatering press, a single dewatering press suffices. In cases where the dwell time of the laundry items in the dewatering press is longer because of the rinsing phase according to the invention in the dewatering press than in the washing apparatus, it is provided to use a plurality of dewatering presses which are alternately loaded with laundry items from the washing apparatus.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable to temporarily store the laundry before transferring it to the dewatering press. This also allows different cycle times between the washing device and the dewatering press can be compensated, it being sufficient if necessary to associate the washing device only a single dewatering press, wherein the washed laundry items are cached with shifted cycles between the washing device and the Enhnrässerungspresse until a dewatering press is free , As a result, the washing device can be operated completely independently of the dewatering press. If necessary, several buffers can be provided.

Furthermore, it is provided in the method according to the invention to use a continuous washing machine as the washing device, which serves only for washing, but not for rinsing the laundry. Preferably, the continuous washing machine has an elongated rotary drivable drum in which successive chambers are formed, wherein one or more chambers form a prewash zone and a final wash zone. Such continuous washing machines have proven themselves in practice. They are so far quite long because of several successive zones. Characterized in that according to the invention, the rinsing no longer takes place in the continuous washing machine, this need not have additional rinsing zone with outer chambers for generating a counterflow, whereby the continuous washing machine is shorter and also has a simpler structure. Such a simplified continuous washing machine with only one pre-wash zone and one final wash zone can also be used economically for the wet treatment of relatively small items of laundry.

A preferred embodiment of the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The sole figure of the drawing shows a side view of the device with a continuous washing machine and a dewatering press.

The device shown here constitutes a washing line for wet-treating items of laundry, in particular for washing, rinsing and dewatering the same. The apparatuses have a simplified continuous washing machine 10, which makes them suitable for washing smaller quantities of laundry from 150 kg compared to conventional continuous washing machines.

The continuous washing machine 10 has a drum 12 which is rotatable about a preferably horizontal axis of rotation 11. In the drum 12, a plurality of chambers 14 following one another in the direction of passage 16 of the items of laundry not shown are formed by transverse dividing walls 13. An outer drum associated with at least a portion of the drum 12 need not have the continuous washing machine 10 due to the invention, and therefore the instant invention uses a continuous washing machine 10 without an external drum.

In the drum 12 of the continuous washing machine 10 there are essentially only two treatment zones, namely a prewash zone 15 and a laundry in the direction of passage 16 of the laundry through the drum 12 to the prewashing zone 15 subsequent wash zone 17. In the illustrated embodiment are in the drum 12 of the continuous washing machine 10 five in the direction of passage 16 consecutive chambers 14 formed. Two chambers 14 serve to form the prewash zone 15, while three chambers 14 form the final wash zone 17. However, the invention is not limited to continuous washing machines 10 having five consecutive chambers 14. Rather, the number of chambers 14 may differ from the embodiment shown. It may be sufficient if the continuous washing machine 10 has only a single chamber 14 for forming the prewash zone 15 and a single chamber 14 for forming the final wash zone 17. In general, however, the number of chambers 14 of the final wash zone 17 will be higher by one chamber 14 than the number of chambers 14 of the pre-wash zone 15.

In the apparatus shown, the continuous washing machine 10 is followed by a single dewatering device, which is a dewatering press 18. The items of laundry arrive from the continuous washing machine 10 via an unloading chute 19 arranged at the end thereof into the dewatering press 18. The dewatering press 18 is designed in a manner known in principle. Accordingly, the dewatering press 18 has a top and bottom open press housing, preferably a cylindrical press basket 21 with a liquid-impermeable lateral surface and a movable up and down press ram 22, which is only hinted (dashed) in the figure. The press ram 22 can be raised so far by a hydraulic cylinder that, in particular for loading the dewatering press 18, it is located above the press basket 21 and thus the upper opening of the press basket 21 completely releases. For dewatering and rinsing the items of laundry, the press ram 22 is moved into the press basket 21, wherein the press ram 22 is sealed substantially liquid-tight inside the outer surface of the press basket 21. Below the press basket 21 is a collection tank 20 for the liquid pressed out of the laundry in the dewatering press 18 liquid, namely the bound liquor, which is also flushing liquid in the invention.

The dewatering press 18 is provided with at least one liquid supply for carrying out the method according to the invention. This opens either in the upper edge region of the press basket 21 or the liquid, which is suitable for rinsing liquid, for example, fresh water, is fed to the press basket 21 through the free opening at the top.

At the outlet end of the continuous washing machine 10, unlike the embodiment shown, a plurality of dewatering presses 18 can be arranged, which can be used alternatively for rinsing and for dewatering the laundry items. For this purpose, it is preferably provided to arrange the dewatering presses 18 movably on a path running transversely to the axis of rotation 11 of the drum 12 of the continuous washing machine 10, either independently of each other or together. Such a web may be formed of parallel rails, whereupon the dewatering presses 18 are movable transversely to the passage direction 16 of the continuous washing machine 10. This is done in such a way that alternately one of the dewatering presses 18 of the discharge chute 19 at the end of the continuous washing machine 10 is assigned and thus always a dewatering press 18 from the discharge chute 19 directly from the continuous washing machine 10 laundry with at least part of the bonded liquor, but without the free fleet, can be loaded. The unloading of the respective dewatering press 18 can take place in a position deviating from the loading position, in which the dewatering press 18 is located next to the discharge chute 19 of the continuous washing machine 10, ie not hereby - as is the case when loading the dewatering press 18 - aligned.

Alternatively, it is also conceivable between the continuous washing machine 10 and a single dewatering press 18 at least one not shown in the figures To arrange laundry storage. Such a laundry storage is preferably designed as a tiltable container, which serves to receive at least one washed in a washing process in the continuous washing machine 10 Wäschepostens. The container of the laundry storage is such downstream of the continuous washing machine 10, that the washed, but not rinsed laundry items at least a Wäschepostens over the discharge chute 19 at the rear end of the continuous washing machine 10 can get directly into the container of the laundry storage. From the container of the laundry storage the laundry items are tilted through the upper opening in the press basket 21 of the dewatering press 18 when it has become free to receive the new laundry item.

It is also conceivable to associate a plurality of drainage presses 18 in the presence of at least one laundry store of the continuous washing machine 10. Then preferably at least one laundry storage along a transverse to the axis of rotation 11 of the drum 12 of the continuous washing machine 10 running path is movable. Such a track can also be formed from parallel rails. The laundry storage can also be moved in other ways, for example on wheels. In the movable laundry storage, the dewatering presses 18 can be arranged stationary behind the continuous washing machine 10, wherein between the continuous washing machine 10 and the dewatering presses 18 is the at least one laundry storage. For picking up washed laundry items without the free liquor from the continuous washing machine, the laundry storage can be brought into a corresponding relative position to the discharge chute 19 of the continuous washing machine, so that washed laundry items can be transferred via the discharge chute 19 from the continuous washing machine 10 to the laundry storage. Subsequently, the laundry storage is moved to that dewatering press 18, which is currently free and from the laundry storage of the respective laundry items in the relevant dewatering press 18, namely from the top into the press basket 21 thereof, tipped.

The method according to the invention will be described in more detail below with reference to the apparatus shown in the figure:

In the continuous washing machine 10, only the prewashing and the clear washing of the laundry items take place. The laundry items are doing in the direction of passage 16 through the Prewash zone 15 and the final wash zone 17 of the continuous washing machine 10 transported. Each batch of laundry is first prewashed in the prewash zone 15 and finally clear washed in the final wash zone 17.

The continuous washing machine 10 is rotationally driven during prewashing of a laundry item and the simultaneous clear washing of another Wäschepostens in a conventional manner, either rotationally rotating with several successive full circle rotations of the drum 12 or with several successive full circle rotations of the drum 12 or with successive pitch circle rotations of alternating directions of rotation ( pivoting drive). Optionally, the direction of rotation of the drum 12 of the continuous washing machine 10 during the pre-wash and during the clear wash once or several times changed by a rotating rotary drive of the drum 12 is carried out in phases with different directions of rotation, but in each direction the drum 12 is a plurality of full-circle Circulations. At least a reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum takes place when transferring the items of laundry from the prewashing zone 15 into the final wash zone 17 and for simultaneously discharging the washed items of laundry through the end of the final wash zone 17 of the continuous washing machine 10.

After the respective laundry item has been finally washed in the final wash zone 17, it leaves without the free liquor, but with at least a portion of the bonded liquor, preferably the entire bonded liquor, the continuous washing machine 10. About the discharge chute 19, the respective laundry item with the bound Fleet or at least some of the same transferred to the at least one subsequent dewatering press 18, so the dewatering press 18 with the washed, but not yet rinsed laundry items, including therein at least for the most part still bound washing liquid (bound fleet) loaded.

The items of laundry are rinsed in the dewatering press 18 by a preferably multiple successive pressing, each with an at least partial dewatering of the laundry items, first freed from a portion of the bonded liquor before rinsing the laundry items takes place in the dewatering press 18. At the conclusion of rinsing the laundry items in the dewatering press 18 are freed in the usual way of a large part of the bonded liquor before the in Dewatering press 18 washed and mostly freed from the bonded liquor (dewatered) laundry items are discharged from the dewatering press 18.

In the dewatering press 18, the laundry items are first separated from the continuous washing machine 10 by a part of the bonded liquor by pre-pressing. The pre-pressing is carried out by appropriately deep retraction of the press ram 22 in the press basket 28. The pre-pressing is carried out at a pressure between 2 and 10 bar, preferably at about 5 bar. In this pre-pressing at least half of the bound liquor is removed from the laundry. Preferably, a large part of the bonded liquor is removed from the laundry items during pre-pressing, ie more than half of the bonded liquor. When pre-pressing but not only part of the bound liquor is removed from the laundry; Rather, a pre-compaction of the laundry item in the press basket 21 of the dewatering press 18 is performed at the same time, so that the item of laundry contained in the press basket 21 is compressed in the manner of a laundry cake. This laundry cake is substantially impermeable to non-pressurized liquid or liquid having only one static pressure.

After pre-pressing, the press ram 22 is raised in the press basket 21, that is, the pressure exerted by the press ram 22 on the items of laundry or the laundry cake is canceled. The press ram 22 is raised so that liquid can be passed through the upper opening of the press basket 21 or through its cylindrical outer wall near the upper edge of the laundry to the laundry cake. In this way, a re-wetting of the laundry items of the laundry cake.

According to the invention, after the prepressing and the raising of the press ram 22, so much liquid is supplied to the upper side of the laundry cake in the press basket 21 that a closed liquid layer with a certain fill level extending over the entire cross section of the press basket 21 forms above the laundry cake. This level depends on the type and amount of laundry. Preferably, the level corresponds to the height of the laundry cake or is lower. Due to the liquid-tight wall of at least the liquid-filled part of the press basket 21, the liquid remains above the laundry cake in the press basket 21st can not drain. This is also because when pressing the laundry items of the laundry cake are sealingly pressed against the inner wall of the press basket 21 and in this way a seal of the peripheral edge of the laundry cake against the inside of the wall of the press basket 21 comes about.

After a liquid level has been formed over the laundry cake in the press basket 21, this liquid is pressed under pressure through the laundry items of the laundry cake in the press basket 21. This is done by a shutdown of the press ram 22, which presses on the liquid above the laundry cake and builds up a pressure in the liquid, which causes the liquid is forced through the laundry of the laundry cake with pressure. This leads to the effective rinsing of the laundry items. The press ram 22 is pressed down so far in the press basket 21, that during rinsing or at the end of the respective rinsing process, the liquid, which is now a rinsing liquid, is removed from the laundry so far that one part, preferably a large part, the bound liquor of the liquid, in particular rinsing liquid, is removed from the laundry items to complete the respective rinsing process.

The liquid or rinsing liquid is forced through the laundry pieces of the laundry cake at a pressure of 3 to 10 bar, preferably 4 to 6 bar. With this pressure, therefore, the rinsing and subsequent dewatering of the laundry items in the press basket 21 takes place. Incidentally, with a similar pressure, the pre-pressing of the laundry items is also carried out for the laundry cake. It is conceivable to use a lower pressure for pre-pressing than for forcing the liquid serving for rinsing through the laundry cake produced during the pre-pressing. For example, this pressure can be 1.2 times to 2 times higher than the pressure used for prepressing.

To rinse the laundry, it may be sufficient if, after the pre-pressing on the laundry cake discontinued liquid is pressed only once with pressure through the laundry items of the laundry cake. In this case, fresh water is used. Preference is given to pressing the laundry items to the laundry cake several times the press basket 21 of the dewatering press 18 with liquid filled and then pressed the liquid under pressure through the laundry items of the laundry cake. It can be used every time fresh water. However, it is also conceivable to use press water for at least one first flushing operation, that is to say in the collection tank 20 under the press basket 21 collected free liquor which has been removed from the laundry items during the pre-pressing. Then fresh water is used at least during the last press-through of liquid through the laundry cake, which also can finally be forced through the laundry items of the laundry cake from the press ram 22 several times fresh water.

Preferably, the final pressing of the fresh water used for rinsing is carried out by the laundry items of the laundry cake at a higher pressure than during pre-pressing and / or the first rinsing passages, to which then only a minor part and not necessarily a large part of the bonded liquor is removed from the laundry. That spares the laundry. It is thereby achieved that, at the end of the rinsing process, the items of laundry in the dewatering press 18 are for the most part freed from the bound liquor, namely rinsing water. This final rinse water, which has relatively low levels of contaminants, may be used to initially rinse the next batch of laundry in the dewatering press 18. Only then does the rinsing with fresh water. Also in this way the fresh water requirement can be significantly reduced compared to conventional methods.

In the method described above, in the respective dewatering press 18, both rinsing and dewatering of the laundry washed in the continuous washing machine 10 take place. Purging does not need to be performed in the continuous washing machine 10.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

10

Tunnel washer

11

axis of rotation

12

drum

13

partition wall

14

chamber

15

prewash

16

Throughput direction

17

Wash zone

18

dewatering press

19

discharge chute

20

collection tank

21

Press basket

22

press ram

Claims (17)

1. A method for the wet-treatment of items of laundry, with the items of laundry being washed in a washing device and water being at least removed in at least one downstream water-removal device, characterized in that the items of laundry are separated from the free liquor and possibly also from some of the bound liquor while still in the washing device and the items of laundry are both rinsed and also water being removed in at least one water-removal device which is in the form of a water-removal press (18).
2. The method as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the items of laundry are transferred from the washing device to the at least one water-removal press (18) with only at least some of the bound liquor from the main washing operation.
3. The method as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the items of laundry are separated at least from some of the bound liquor from the main washing operation preferably while still in the washing device before being rinsed in the water-removal press (18).
4. A method for the wet-treatment of items of laundry, with the items of laundry being washed in a washing device and water being at least removed in at least one downstream water-removal device, characterized in that the items of laundry are both rinsed and also water being removed in at least one water-removal device which is in the form of a water-removal press (18) and that liquid is pressed through the items of laundry, preferably a number of times in succession, for rinsing purposes in the water-removal press (18).
5. The method as claimed in claim 4, characterized in that the items of laundry are rinsed by preferably multiple pressing operations in the respective water-removal press (18), with the last pressing process being carried out at a higher pressing pressure than the or each preceding pressing process.
6. The method as claimed in claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the last press-through operation of the liquid through the items of laundry is performed at a higher pressure than the or each preceding press-through operation of the liquid through the items of laundry, with water being removed preferably during the last press-through operation of the liquid through the items of laundry by a large part of the bound liquor being pressed out of the items of laundry.
7. The method as claimed in claim 4 to 6, characterized in that the laundry is initially prepressed in the respective water-removal press (18), with prepressing of the items of laundry being carried out at a pressure of between 3 and 10 bar, in particular approximately 4 to 6 bar.
8. The method as claimed in one of the claims 4 to 7, characterized in that some of the bound liquor, preferably at least one third of the bound liquor, is removed from the items of laundry during the prepressing.
9. The method as claimed in one of the claims 4 to 8, characterized in that after prepressing of the items of laundry, said items of laundry are re-wetted at least once.
10. The method as claimed in one of the claims 4 to 9, characterized in that during the prepressing, a pre-compressed laundry cake is formed from the items of laundry which is preferably substantially impermeable to a pressureless liquid.
11. The method as claimed in one of the claims 4 to 10, characterized in that, after the pre-compression, a press plunger (22) of the water-removal press (18) is lifted off the items of laundry or the laundry cake, preferably by raising the press plunger (22).
12. The method as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that liquid, preferably fresh water, is supplied to the items of laundry after the press plunger (22) is raised.
13. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a liquid layer, preferably a water column, is formed on the items of laundry or the laundry cake.
14. The method as claimed in claim 13, characterized in that the liquid on the items of laundry or the laundry cake is pushed through the items of laundry in the laundry cake under pressure, preferably by the press plunger (22).
15. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the items of laundry are transferred from the washing device directly to a water-removal press (18).
16. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the items of laundry are at least temporarily stored before being transferred to the water-removal press (18).
17. The method as claimed in one of the preceding claims, characterized in that washing is carried out using a washing device which is in the form of a tunnel-type washing machine (10) with, in particular, only one prewash zone (15) and a downstream main-wash zone (17)

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