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US 8,012,340 B2Granted
Method for generating electrochemically activated cleaning liquid
AssigneeTennant Company
InventorsBruce F. Field, Patrick J. Gronlund
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method is provided, which includes moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor; electrochemically activating a liquid on the mobile floor cleaning device, and dispensing the electrochemically activated liquid from the mobile floor cleaning device.
Claims39
A method comprising:
- a) moving a mobile floor cleaning device along a floor;
- b) electrochemically activating a liquid on the mobile floor cleaning device by converting the liquid into an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid with a functional generator comprising an ion exchange membrane, where the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid have oxidation reduction potentials (ORPs) outside a range of ±50 mV;
- c) combining all of the anolyte and catholyte EA liquid produced in step b) to form a combined anolyte and catholyte liquid on the device without an intermediate step of storing either of the anolyte or catholyte liquids produced in step b), wherein the combined anolyte and catholyte liquid neutralizes to an ORP between ±50 mV within 1 minute from the time the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid are produced by the functional generator;
- and
- d) dispensing substantially all of the combined anolyte and catholyte liquid from the mobile floor cleaning device upon electrical activation in step b), while moving the mobile floor cleaning device in step a).
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- a) onboard an apparatus, converting water into an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid with a functional generator having an anode and a cathode separated by an ion exchange membrane, where the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid have oxidation reduction potentials (ORPs) outside a range of ±50 mV;
- b) onboard the apparatus, combining all of the anolyte EA liquid with all of the catholyte EA liquid to form a combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid, wherein the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid neutralizes to an ORP between ±50 mV within 1 minute from the time the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid are produced by the functional generator;
- c) periodically alternating relative polarities of a relatively steady state voltage applied to the anode and cathode for equal time periods at each polarity during the step of passing to produce a ratio of essentially one part of the anolyte EA liquid to one part of the catholyte EA liquid in the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid;
- and
- d) dispensing the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid from the apparatus.
2 more elements
A method comprising:
- a) on an apparatus, converting a liquid into an anolyte electrochemically activated (EA) liquid and a catholyte EA liquid with a functional generator comprising an ion exchange membrane, where the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid have oxidation reduction potentials (ORPs) outside a range of ±50 mV;
- b) upon conversion in step a), combining all of the anolyte EA liquid with all of the catholyte EA liquid on the apparatus without valving to form a combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid, wherein the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid neutralizes to an ORP between ±50 mV within 1 minute from the time the anolyte EA liquid and the catholyte EA liquid are produced by the functional generator;
- c) dispensing substantially all of the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid from the apparatus to a surface within 5 seconds of conversion in step a) without an intermediate step of storing the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid, the anolyte EA liquid or the catholyte liquid;
- and
- d) cleaning a surface with the combined anolyte and catholyte EA liquid.
2 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.