Patent US5090430A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5090430A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Ultrasonic cleaning system for fluorescent light diffuser lens
Assignee: AGAPE ENTERPRISES Inc A PA Corp
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Filing: 1990-02-02
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Granted: 1992-02-25
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Expires: 2010-02-02
Abstract
Abstract A method and apparatus for on-site removal, efficient cleaning, and expeditious restoration to service of the diffuser lenses, i.e. diffusers, lenses, and reflectors, used in fluorescent lighting fixtures. The apparatus employs dual immersion chambers, deep troughs, filled with a liquid medium suited to ultrasonic transducer agitation. It comprises a rectangular cabinet, having longitudinal slots in the top that provide external access to the troughs. The narrower trough, with appropriate liquid contents, serves as the initial scrubbing or washing chamber, while the wider trough, with differing liquid contents, serves as a rinsing and article-recoating trough. An ultrasonic transducer is horizontally disposed within a niche in one of the walls of the wash trough. Diffuser lenses are cleaned by detaching them from their fixtures, placing them one at a time into the washing trough, where they are cleaned by ultrasonic liquid agitation, and then into the rinsing trough. After removal from the rinsing trough, they are dried, preferably by suction extraction, and replaced in their fixtures.
Inventors
- 👤 Kent A. Nixon
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-02 12:56
CPC Classifications
B; B08; B08B; B08B3/00; B08B3/006; A; A47; A47L; A47L25/00; B08B3/04; B08B3/10; B08B3/12; G; G02; G02C; G02C13/00; G02C13/006
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
372 words
A generally box-like cleaning system with a planar cover means adapted for cleaning a formed planar elongate object, said cleaning system having plural top surface apertures, using a contained liquid medium adapted to ultrasonic transducer agitation without incurring appreciable volatilization, comprising: (a) a generally box-like cabinet having a top and side walls; (b) a generally rectangular wash trough having imperforate end walls, side walls and bottom wall adapted to receive and retain a substantial volume of a wash liquid, the wash trough communicating with a generally rectangular aperture in the top of the enclosure and having such dimensions that the planar elongate object to be cleaned may be manually placed therein and fully immersed in said wash liquid; (c) a generally rectangular rinse trough, substantially parallel to the wash trough, having imperforate side walls, end walls and a bottom wall adapted to receive and retain a substantial volume of a rinse liquid, the rinse trough communicating with a generally rectangular aperture in the top of the enclosure; (d) a flow inlet means and companion flow outlet means connected to the lower portion of said wash trough adapted for circulating the wash liquid; (e) an ultrasonic generator adapted to be connected to a source of electrical power and comprising means for conducting an ultrasonic signal to activate a transducer; (f) a substantially horizontal, box-like niche disposed in one side wall of said wash trough, and vertically located so as to be below the functional surface of the wash liquid while the cleaning system is in the operating mode, which niche is also in communication with the wash trough along one lateral surface; (g) at least one submersible, ultrasonic transducer fixedly mounted within said niche and adapted to be immersed in said liquid medium for effecting its agitation upon activation by an ultrasonic signal from said ultrasonic generator; (h) the transverse dimension of the wash trough being such that the immersed planar elongate object being so cleaned may be efficiently subjected to ultrasonic agitation; and (i) the dimensions and placement of the rinse trough being such that the planar article may be manually removed from said wash trough, moved a short distance transversely, and then be substantially fully immersed in the contained rinse liquid.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
372 words
A generally box-like cleaning system with a planar cover means adapted for cleaning a formed planar elongate object, said cleaning system having plural top surface apertures, using a contained liquid medium adapted to ultrasonic transducer agitation without incurring appreciable volatilization, comprising: (a) a generally box-like cabinet having a top and side walls; (b) a generally rectangular wash trough having imperforate end walls, side walls and bottom wall adapted to receive and retain a substantial volume of a wash liquid, the wash trough communicating with a generally rectangular aperture in the top of the enclosure and having such dimensions that the planar elongate object to be cleaned may be manually placed therein and fully immersed in said wash liquid; (c) a generally rectangular rinse trough, substantially parallel to the wash trough, having imperforate side walls, end walls and a bottom wall adapted to receive and retain a substantial volume of a rinse liquid, the rinse trough communicating with a generally rectangular aperture in the top of the enclosure; (d) a flow inlet means and companion flow outlet means connected to the lower portion of said wash trough adapted for circulating the wash liquid; (e) an ultrasonic generator adapted to be connected to a source of electrical power and comprising means for conducting an ultrasonic signal to activate a transducer; (f) a substantially horizontal, box-like niche disposed in one side wall of said wash trough, and vertically located so as to be below the functional surface of the wash liquid while the cleaning system is in the operating mode, which niche is also in communication with the wash trough along one lateral surface; (g) at least one submersible, ultrasonic transducer fixedly mounted within said niche and adapted to be immersed in said liquid medium for effecting its agitation upon activation by an ultrasonic signal from said ultrasonic generator; (h) the transverse dimension of the wash trough being such that the immersed planar elongate object being so cleaned may be efficiently subjected to ultrasonic agitation; and (i) the dimensions and placement of the rinse trough being such that the planar article may be manually removed from said wash trough, moved a short distance transversely, and then be substantially fully immersed in the contained rinse liquid.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
48 words
The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the generally rectangular aperture in the -top of the cabinet overlying the wash trough makes peripheral and sealing contact therewith, and wherein the generally rectangular aperture in the top of the cabinet overlying the rinse trough makes peripheral and sealing contact therewith.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the flow inlet and outlet conduits associated with said wash trough have a physical filter means positioned therein to effect removal of particulate contamination from the circulating liquid.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
49 words
The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising an aqueous wash liquid in said wash trough, the liquid being agitated ultrasonically when said transducer is activated and comprising a surfactant for cleansing a soiled planar elongate object when it is immersed in the wash trough while said transducer is activated.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic transducer is operatively associated with an ultrasonic generator means that provides at least 400 watts and vibrates in about the 40 kHz range.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
31 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an aqueous rinsing liquid in said rinse trough, said aqueous rinsing liquid containing coating compounds adapted for deposition on the cleansed planar elongate object.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
27 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the liquid holding volume of the rinse trough is about double that of the liquid holding volume of the wash trough.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
29 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the rinse trough is provided with a bottom-located, perforated conduit means for broadcast of air bubbles into the trough during the rinsing step.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the ultrasonic generator means is positioned physically adjacent to said rinse trough and within the cabinet.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
28 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the length, depth and width of each of said troughs is sufficient to admit substantially all commercially-employed fluorescent fixture light diffuser lenses.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
26 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the longitudinal dimension of said transducer is at least equivalent to the longitudinal dimension of an immersed light diffuser lens.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a set of wheels at the bottom of the cabinet and push bar means at about the top of the cabinet, whereby the apparatus is mobile.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electrical circuitry is protected by ground fault circuit interrupters.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
158 words
A method of cleansing a topically-soiled, generally planar light diffuser lens for a fluorescent tube lighting fixture using the apparatus of claim 1 comprising: (a) removing a soiled diffuser lens from a lighting fixture, (b) inserting the soiled diffuser lens vertically into a first deep trough containing an aqueous washing liquid and effecting a dual pass across an ultrasonic transducer disposed longitudinally of the trough to effect a substantial displacement of surface soil into the wash liquid; (c) moving the substantially cleansed diffuser lens to a second deep trough containing an aqueous rinsing liquid adapted to deposit a material on the diffuser lens so as to provide it with desired physical properties; (d) moving the cleansed, rinsed and topically coated article to another station adapted to effect substantially full removal of the aqueous rinsing liquid retained on the lens surfaces; and (e) restoring the thoroughly cleansed and coated lens to the ceiling fixture to which it is adapted.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
14 words
The method of claim 14 in which the washing liquid contains a surfactant-type additive.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 14 in which the rinsing liquid contains a silicone-based additive adapted to deposit and provide an antistatic coating on the lens surfaces.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
21 words
The method of claim 14 in which the washing liquid in the first trough means is circulated during the cleansing step.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 17 in which the circulating washing liquid is concurrently passed through an external filtration means to remove debris and soil particles dispersed in said washing liquid.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
20 words
The method of claim 14 in which the rinsing liquid in the second trough is aerated during the rinsing step.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 14 in which the movement of the substantially cleaned diffuser lens from the washing trough to the rinsing trough is substantially transverse to the plane of the diffuser lens, thereby effecting speed and minimizing warping forces thereon.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
158 words
The method of claim 14 further comprising the steps of: (i) moving mobile cleaning aparatus comprising first and second deep troughs and means for removing liquid from a rinsed diffuser lens to a location in a building where a multiplicity of soiled diffuser lenses may be readily assembled for cleaning, (ii) removing a multiplicity of soiled diffuser lenses in accordance with said step (a) from generally contiguous lighting fixtures on a particular floor of a building and moving them to said location of the mobile cleaning apparatus, (iii) using said mobile cleaning apparatus to perform said steps (b), (c), and (d) sequentially, such that soon after a first of said diffuser lenses is removed from said first deep trough and placed in said second deep trough, a second of said diffuser lenses is placed into said first deep trough, whereby it is subjected to ultrasonic cleaning; and (iv) performing said step (e) for each of said diffuser lenses.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
25 words
The method of claim 14, wherein the cleaning liquid and rinsing liquid are each at a temperature from about 110° F. to about 130° F.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
27 words
The method of claim 21, wherein said mobile cleansing apparatus recited in step (i) further comprising means for removing liquid from a diffuser lens by vacuum suctioning.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-02-24 | 1995-08-26 | 1996-02-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-02-24 | 1999-08-26 | 2000-02-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-02-24 | 2003-08-26 | 2004-02-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |