Resumen
The process of the invention is based on the use of ultrasonic energy for cleaning or washing flexible solid materials such as textile materials and is particularly appropriate for continuously cleaning large surface materials, i.e. materials in the form of web, band or sheet or discrete parts which have been extended on conveyor belts or similar transportation elements. The ultrasonic energy is applied to the materials to be washed by means of vibrating flexure plates which are placed in direct contact with the materials to be washed, the latter being immersed in a shallow liquid medium. The cleaning process may be completed with an immediate rinsing and, once the liquid has been removed, the ultrasonic energy may again be applied by contact in order to eliminate an important portion the liquid content in the washed material, thereby producing a predrying effect. The invention also relates to a device capable of implementing the process of said invention. <IMAGE>
Reivindicaciones
1. Process for continuous ultrasonic washing of textiles, especially textiles, in a liquid medium by means of ultrasounds of high frequency sounds, comprising the steps of wetting the surfaces to be cleaned, eliminating the dirt or contaminating substances, rinsing and drying, it being possible to repeat some of these steps, and characterized in that the dirt eliminating process occurs in such a way the material to be cleaned is submerged in, covered by, a fine layer of liquid in contact with or very close to at least one plate that vibrates flexurally at a sonic or ultrasonic frequency 2. Process according to claim 1, characterized in that the materials to be cleaned pass through the cleaning system placed essentially bidimensionally, in other words, in the form of bands, strips, sheets or layers. 3. Process according to claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the liquid medium is a cleaning solution that may or may not be an aqueous based one and that may have any concentration of dissolved gas. 4. Process according to claims 1, 2 and 3, characterized in the existence of relative movement between the radiant element and the material to be treated, whereby it may be a simple continuous movement or a cycle of movements formed by displacements in different directions, stops and turns. 5. Process according to claims 1, 2, 3 and 4 characterized in that the material to be treated is conveyed in a continuous manner along the contact area or close to the vibrating place in such a way that all the areas of the material are exposed to the acoustic field or vibration for a similar amount of time. 6. Process according to claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 characterized in that the sonic/ultrasonic vibration may or may not be simultaneously applied, by several vibrating plate emitters, with an identical or different frequency, on different surfaces or areas of the material to be cleaned. 7. Process according to claims 1 to 6 characterized in that the rinsing process may be aided by ultrasounds using a system similar to the dirt eliminating system. 8. Process according to claims 1 to 7 characterized in that a predrying or dewatering process may be carried out, after the washing, aided by the ultrasonic vibration of one or several plates radiating in air, in such a way that the material to be treated passes in contact with the vibrating surfaces. 9. Device to carry out the method of claims 1 to 8 characterized in being comprised of a dirt eliminating area, at least one rinsing area and one drying area and optionally one prewetting area of the material to be cleaned, and characterized in the existence, in the dirt eliminating area(s), of at least one rectangular, circular, square-shaped plate or plate with any other shape and a fixed, staggered or continuous variation profile, that vibrates flexurally sonically or ultrasonically, with at least one of its surfaces in contact with or very close to the material to be treated, and submerged in the liquid washing medium. 10. Device according to claim 9 characterized in that the means to produce the sonic/ultrasonic flexural oscillations are piezoelectric or magnetostrictive transducers excited by one or more electronic generators with a constant frequency or frequency variable in time and with the possibility of establishing working cycles with different frequencies and/or amplitudes. 11. Device according to claims 9 and 10 and characterized in the existence of a system that permits relative movement between the rafiant element(s) and the material to be treated, either uniformly or establishing a cycle of movements by combination of displacements, turns and stops of the radiant elements and/or of the material to be treated. 12. Device according to claims 9 to 11 and characterized in the existence of a system that permits the liquid to be replaced, whereby this replacement may be done by means of holes in the vibrating element(s) itself (themselves). 13. Device according to claims 9 to 12 and characterized in that in the rinsing area(s) there may be at least one plate vibrating at a sonic/ultrasonic frequency with the same characteristics as those of claims 9, 10, 11 and 12. 14. Device according to claims 9 to 13 and characterized in that in the drying area there may be at least one ultrasound generator to carry out a predrying with the same general design characteristics of the electric part, of the transducer and of the radiant element as the device of claims 9, 10 and 11 but with the difference that it is calculated in order to radiate in air with the material to be dried passing in contact with the radiant surface(s).
