Abstract:
An apparatus for cleaning and/or disinfecting surfaces and objects is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such an apparatus includes a spray bottle that is refillable with water. A dispenser is integrated into the spray bottle to dispense a soluble material into the water to produce a solution. The soluble material includes at least one of a cleaning agent and a disinfecting agent. The soluble material is provided in a quantity sufficient to last several refills of the spray bottle.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent No. 61/623,640 filed on Apr. 13, 2012 and entitled Reusable Spray Bottle with Integrated Dispenser, which application is incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates to apparatus and methods for cleaning and/or disinfecting surfaces and objects. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    The global market for cleaning and disinfecting products and equipment is large and growing, on the order of tens of billions of dollars every year. For example, the global market for industrial and institutional cleaning products is forecast to exceed $36.7 billion by the year 2015. The U.S. represents the largest regional market for industrial and institutional cleaning products, with Europe coming in second. Increased safety and health standards in the food and beverage, food service, and health care sectors, where hygienic environments are required, are driving growth for industrial and institutional cleaning products and equipment. 
         [0004]    Currently, a wide range of products and equipment are available to clean and disinfect surfaces and objects in residential, industrial, commercial, hospital, hotel, food processing, and restaurant environments. Unfortunately, some of the best products and equipment for cleaning and disinfecting are confined to the commercial or industrial marketplaces due to their increased expense. That is, the small household user typically cannot afford or justify the expense associated with purchasing and maintaining commercial-quality cleaning products and equipment. Thus, although a substantial need exists for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects in residential settings, typical household users may not have the best and most effective products and equipment at their disposal. 
         [0005]    In view of the foregoing, what are needed are products and equipment for cleaning and/or disinfecting surfaces and objects in residential and other similar settings. Ideally, such products and equipment will provide results comparable to products and equipment used in industrial and/or commercial settings but without the associated costs. Further needed are products and equipment that are reusable many times without having to replenish the active agents used for cleaning and/or disinfecting. Yet further needed are water-based cleaners as opposed to solvent-based cleaners. Such water-based cleaners may reduce the environmental, safety, and health concerns associated with solvent-based cleaners. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0006]    The invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art and, in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available apparatus and methods. Accordingly, the invention has been developed to provide apparatus and methods to clean and/or disinfect surfaces and objects. The features and advantages of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter. 
         [0007]    Consistent with the foregoing, an apparatus for cleaning and/or disinfecting surfaces and objects is disclosed herein. In one embodiment, such an apparatus includes a spray bottle that is refillable with water. A dispenser is integrated into the spray bottle to dispense a soluble material into the water to produce a solution. The soluble material includes at least one of a cleaning agent and a disinfecting agent. The soluble material is provided in a quantity sufficient to last several refills of the spray bottle. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    In order that the advantages of the invention will be readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through use of the accompanying drawings in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  shows an embodiment of a spray bottle with an integrated dispenser, wherein the integrated dispenser is configured to dispense pellets or tablets into the spray bottle; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  shows an embodiment of a battery-powered electrolyzer incorporated into a spray bottle with an integrated dispenser; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of a generator-powered electrolyzer incorporated into a spray bottle with an integrated dispenser; 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  shows an embodiment of a spray bottle with an integrated dispenser, wherein the integrated dispenser is configured to dispense a liquid or gel into the spray bottle; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 5A and 5B  show several examples of electrolyzers and exemplary input and output streams; and 
           [0014]      FIG. 6  shows one embodiment of an electrochemical cell that may be used to produce “activated” water containing hydrogen peroxide. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0015]    It will be readily understood that the components of the present invention, as generally described and illustrated in the Figures herein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of different configurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of the embodiments of the invention, as represented in the Figures, is not intended to limit the scope of the invention, as claimed, but is merely representative of certain examples of presently contemplated embodiments in accordance with the invention. The presently described embodiments will be best understood by reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like numerals throughout. 
         [0016]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , one embodiment of a spray bottle  100  with integrated dispenser  102  is illustrated. In this embodiment, the integrated dispenser  102  is configured to dispense pellets  104  or tablets  104  into the spray bottle  100 . These pellets  104  or tablets  104  may include a cleaning agent and/or disinfecting agent that dissolves in or mixes with water to form a solution  106 . The solution  106  may have disinfecting/cleaning properties or have such properties after the solution is passed through an electrolyzer or an electrochemical cell. Embodiments of the spray bottle  100  comprising an electrolyzer and/or electrochemical cell will be discussed in more detail hereafter. 
         [0017]    As shown, in certain embodiments, the integrated dispenser  102  may be configured to release pellets  104  or tablets  104  into the spray bottle  100  so that the pellets  104  or tablets  104  can dissolve in or mix with water. In certain embodiments, the integrated dispenser  102  includes a button  108  or other actuator to enable a user to release one or more pellets  104  or tablets  104  into the water. One benefit of this arrangement is that, when the solution  106  has been depleted, the user does not have to refill the spray bottle  100  with cleaning and/or disinfecting solution but rather only water. The pellets  104  or tablets  104  will be effective to convert the water into a cleaning and/or disinfecting solution  106 . Furthermore, the integrated dispenser  102  may contain enough pellets  104  or tablets  104  for multiple refills of the spray bottle  100 . Thus, the user will only need to have water at his or her disposal to refresh the spray bottle  100  with cleaning and/or disinfecting solution  106 . 
         [0018]    The pellets  104  or tablets  104  may contain various chemicals to provide desired disinfecting and/or cleaning properties. For example, in certain embodiments, the pellets  104  or tablets  104  contain one or more of soluble chlorites (e.g., metal chlorites), soluble hypochlorites (e.g., metal hypochlorites), soluble halides (e.g., metal halides), ammonium salts, or the like. Each of these compounds, when dissolved in or mixed with water, may produce solutions  106  having cleaning and/or disinfecting properties. For example, sodium hypochlorite, when dissolved in water, produces bleach, commonly used as a disinfectant or bleaching agent. Ammonium salts (e.g., ammonium carbonate) may dissolve in water to form a solution and, after passing the solution through an electrolyzer, produce ammonia which may be used as a general purpose cleaner for surfaces and objects. 
         [0019]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the spray bottle  100  includes a trigger-like actuator  110 . Squeezing the trigger  110  actuates a pump (not shown), which draws the solution  106  into a tube  112  and expels the solution through a nozzle  114  onto a surface or object. The cleaning and/or disinfecting agent in the solution may lift dirt from the surface or object, and/or kill bacteria or other microorganisms residing on the surface or object. 
         [0020]    Referring to  FIG. 2 , as previously mentioned, in selected embodiments, the solution  106  in the spray bottle  100  may be passed through an electrolyzer  200  to electrolyze selected compounds in the solution  106 . As shown, the electrolyzer  200  includes a pair of electrodes  202   a ,  202   b . A negative electrode  202   a  attracts positive ions and a positive electrode  202   b  attracts negative ions. In the illustrated embodiment, a battery  204  creates a potential difference between the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b , resulting in the passage of electrical current between the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b . In certain embodiments, additional circuitry (not shown) is added to the electrolyzer  200  that only applies a potential difference across the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b  when the trigger  110  is actuated and the solution  106  is passed between the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b , thereby preserving energy in the battery  204 . 
         [0021]    If, for example, the solution  106  is a sodium chloride (NaCl) solution, the electrolyzer  200  may disassociate the NaCL to produce sodium ions and chlorine gas by drawing sodium to the negative electrode  202   a  and chlorine to the positive electrode  202   b . A fraction of the current may also be utilized to split water and thereby generate oxygen and hydrogen. The sodium will plate the negative electrode  202   a , thereby leaving chlorine, a powerful disinfectant, in the exiting stream or spray. A chlorine evolving electrode may be used as the positive electrode  202   b  to generate chlorine. Examples of chlorine-evolving electrodes include Dimensionally Stable Anode (DSA), which is a mixture of ruthenium oxide, iridium oxide, and titanium oxide deposited on titanium metal. Chlorine is effective to kill bacteria or other organisms residing on a surface or object. The chlorine in the exiting stream or spray may also emit a scent that reassures a user that disinfection is taking place. Sodium chloride represents just one example of a compound that may be disassociated by the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b  and is not intended to be limiting. 
         [0022]    By introducing ions and gases into the solution  106 , the electrolyzer  200  is effective to convert the solution  106  into an electrochemically “activated” liquid. For the purposes of this disclosure, an electrochemically “activated” liquid is a liquid with elevated reactivity that contains (1) reactive species, and/or (2) meta-stable (activated) ions and free radicals formed after exposure to electrochemical energy in the form of a substantial voltage potential or current under non-equilibrium conditions. The term “activated” means, for example, the electrochemical or electrophysical state or condition of having excessive inner potential energy that is attained after exposure to thermodynamically non-equilibrium conditions for a period of time. Meta-stable ions and free radicals relax in time by undergoing a gradual transition from a meta-stable state to a state of thermo-dynamic equilibrium. 
         [0023]    In the case of electrochemically activated water, the initial liquid source used to form electrochemically activated water may include, for example, (1) regular, untreated tap water or other water that is commonly available, (2) pure water to which one or more electrolytes have been added, (3) chemically treated tap water, and (4) other aqueous solutions containing a suitable concentration of electrolytes. Examples of suitable electrolytes include chloride salt, nitrate salt, carbonate salt, or any other salt that is soluble in water (or other liquid being electrochemically activated). Chloride salts include, for example, sodium chloride (such as pure NaCl), potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and the like. The term “electrolyte” means any substance that dissociates into two or more ions when dissolved in water or any substance that will conduct an electric current when in solution. 
         [0024]    Electrochemically activated water has enhanced cleaning power and sanitation capability compared to non-electrochemically activated water. Electrochemically activated water also differs from regular or untreated water at the molecular level and electron level. It should also be noted that adding fine gas bubbles to electrochemically activated water creates a cleaning liquid that can efficiently wet a surface. If a reactive gas is used, such as oxygen, the oxygen gas bubbles can improve the wetting properties of the liquid by reducing the surface tension of the liquid and can be reactive to further enhance the cleaning and/or sanitizing properties of the liquid. The end result is an electrochemically activated foam, froth, or reactive gas with enhanced cleaning and/or sanitizing power. 
         [0025]    Referring to  FIG. 3 , in another embodiment, the electrolyzer  200  may be powered by a generator  300 , such as a generator  300  actuated by the trigger  110 . More particularly, actuating the trigger  110  may cause the generator  300  to spin and create electricity. In certain embodiments, a flywheel may be coupled to the generator  300  such that, when a user spins the generator  300 , the flywheel will keep the generator  300  spinning for some designated period of time, such as a second or two. In other embodiments, the generator  300  may spin sufficiently without a flywheel. When a user squeezes the trigger  110 , two actions may occur simultaneously: first, power will be supplied to the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b , thereby splitting selected compounds in the solution  106 ; second, a pump is driven to produce a stream or spray, containing the disassociated ions, from the nozzle  114 . 
         [0026]    The spray bottle  100  of  FIG. 3  is advantageous in that it does not require a battery  204  that may need to be periodically replaced or recharged. Furthermore, the generator  300  only produces power when needed—when the solution is being sprayed from the spray bottle  100 . The trigger  110  converts a user&#39;s mechanical energy to the power needed to both spray and electrolyze the solution  106  simultaneously. 
         [0027]    Referring to  FIG. 4 , in certain embodiments, instead of dispensing pellets  104  or tablets  104 , the integrated dispenser  102  may be configured to dispense a liquid or gel into the spray bottle  100 . The liquid or gel contains a cleaning agent and/or disinfecting agent that dissolves in or mixes with water to form a solution  106 . The solution  106  may have disinfecting/cleaning properties, or have such properties after the solution  106  is passed through an electrolyzer  200  or an electrochemical cell, as previously discussed. In certain embodiments, pressing a button  108  on the integrated dispenser  102  will release one or more drops of the liquid  400  or gel  400  into the spray bottle  100 . 
         [0028]    In certain embodiments, the liquid  400  or gel  400  is a concentrated cleaning and/or disinfecting solution that becomes more dilute when it is released into a larger volume of water. The concentrated cleaning and/or disinfecting solution  400  may contain any of the chemicals discussed above with respect to  FIG. 1 . When the solution  106  is consumed, a user simply refills the spray bottle  100  with water and releases additional liquid  400  or gel  400  into the water, thereby producing additional cleaning/disinfecting solution  106 . The integrated dispenser  102  may contain enough concentrated cleaning solution  400  for multiple refills of the spray bottle  100 . Thus, like the previous example, the user will only need to have water at his or her disposal to replenish the spray bottle  100  with cleaning and/or disinfecting solution  106 . 
         [0029]    Referring to  FIG. 5A , as discussed above, the cleaning and/or disinfecting solution  106  may, in certain embodiments, be passed through an electrolyzer  200  to create or enhance the cleaning and/or disinfecting properties of the solution  106 .  FIG. 5A  shows one example of an electrolyzer  200  receiving a solution  106  of water and sodium chloride (NaCl). As shown, upon receiving the solution  106 , the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b  decompose the sodium chloride compound. The negative electrode  202   a  attracts sodium ions (Na + ) and the positive electrode  202   b  attracts chlorine ions (CY). The sodium plates the negative electrode  202   a  whereas the positive electrode  202   b  generates chlorine-based mixed oxidants. The chlorine-based mixed oxidants include predominantly chlorine gas (Cl 2 ), but also hypochlorite, chlorine dioxide, chlorate, perchlorate, and other oxidized chlorine-containing species, which leave the electrolyzer  200  in the exiting stream  500 . In certain embodiments, the electrolyzer  200  may also decompose water in the solution  106  to generate some hydrogen, oxygen, and ozone gas in the exiting stream  500 . When chlorine gas (Cl 2 ) combines with water in the exiting stream  500 , a dilute mixture of hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) may be generated in accordance with the following equation: 
         [0000]      Cl 2 +H 2 O→HOCl+HCl
 
         [0000]    Both hypochlorous acid (HOCl) and hydrochloric acid (HCl) have antimicrobial properties and are used for cleaning and disinfecting. Any ozone generated also has disinfecting properties. 
         [0030]    Referring to  FIG. 5B , in certain embodiments, an ion-exchange membrane  502  may be present between the electrodes  202   a ,  202   b  to divide the cell  200  into anode and cathode compartments. If the ion-exchange membrane  502  is of anionic type, then it only allows anions to migrate from the negative electrode  202   a  to the positive electrode  202   b . If the ion-exchange membrane  502  is of cationic type, then it only allows cations to migrate from the positive electrode  202   b  to the negative electrode  202   a . Examples of cationic membranes  502  include NaSICON and Nafion® and examples of anionic membranes  502  include ACS (from Tokuyama corp., Japan) and AMI (from Membranes International). The advantage of this embodiment compared to the embodiment of  FIG. 5A  is that acidic water is generated in the anode compartment and basic water is generated in the cathode compartment. In the case where no membrane  502  is present the acidic and basic waters combine in the electrolyzer  200 . The acidic and basic streams can be separately delivered to the area to be cleaned where they can combine. Thus water with more ions can be generated when a membrane  502  is present resulting in stronger cleaning and disinfecting action. 
         [0031]    It should be recognized that the chemical reactions presented in  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are presented only by way of example and not limitation. The input stream  106  may contain different chemicals which may, in turn, produce different chemicals in the output stream  500 .  FIGS. 5A and 5B  are simply shown to provide examples of how an electrolyzer  200  may be used to alter a solution  106  in a spray bottle  100  to enhance or change the disinfecting/cleaning properties of the solution  106 . 
         [0032]    Referring to  FIG. 6 , one embodiment of an electrochemical cell  600  for producing “activated” water containing hydrogen peroxide is illustrated. Such an electrochemical cell  600  may be used in place of or in conjunction with the electrolyzer  200  previously described. The electrochemical cell  600  may also be considered an electrolyzer  200  for the purposes of the specification and claims. 
         [0033]      FIG. 6  shows an electrochemical cell  600  that produces “activated” water which contains hydrogen peroxide, a well-known disinfectant. As shown, in one embodiment, the electrochemical cell  600  receives a solution  106  of tap water and sodium chloride. In certain embodiments, the tap water contains enough sodium chloride that no additional sodium chloride needs to be added. Upon receiving the tap water with sodium chloride, a water splitting reaction occurs at the anode  602   c  resulting in the generation of oxygen gas  601  and protons. Protons and sodium ions are transported through an ionically conductive membrane  602   a . The oxygen gas  601  generated at the anode  602   c  is then transported to a Gas Diffusion Electrode (GDE)  602   b  (acting as a cathode  602   b ) where it reduces to form peroxide ions  604 . The construction of a GDE is well known to those skilled in the art. The peroxide ions  604  then react with hydrogen ions  606  (which have been previously transported through the membrane  602   a ) to produce hydrogen peroxide  608  (H 2 O 2 ). In this way, the electrochemical cell  600  produces two output streams  610   a ,  610   b : (1) acidic “activated” tap water with chlorine-based mixed oxidants; and (2) basic “activated” tap water with hydrogen peroxide. These two output streams  610   a ,  610   b  may be independently or in combination sprayed from the spray bottle  100  to clean and disinfect a surface or object The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its basic principles or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.