CA1211907A - Apparatus and method for highly efficient laundering of textiles - Google Patents

Abstract

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HIGHLY
EFFICIENT LAUNDERING OF TEXTILES
ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present invention comprises an apparatus and process for laundering textiles based upon utilizing quantities of an aqueous liquid wash liquor in the wash step ranging from, at least, just enough to be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto all portions of the textiles to, at most, about 5 times the dry weight of the textiles to be laundered. This results in an extremely efficient use of the detergent composition. The present invention also comprises novel wash liquor and detergent composi-tions for use in said apparatus and process.

Description

EFFICIENT LAUNDERING OF TEXTILES
Wol~ang U. Spendel TFCHN I CAL Fl ELD
The preserlt invention has relation to novel apparatus and prosess ~or laundering of texl:iles usir;g small amounts of water and energy without substantial soil redeposition. This r~sults in a superior level of detergency perfiormance.
The pres~nt invention has Purther relation to navei appara-tU5 and proeess for laundering of mixed textile loads comprised of . disslmilar fiber and color types without substantial dye trans~er .~rorn one textile to another The present invention has still further relation ~o novel wash iiquor and detergent csmpDsition ~or use in said apparatus and process.
BACKGROU~ID INFORMATION
The conventional method of washing t~xtiles in an automatic home-type was5 ing machine in the United States is carried out In ~ither a top loading or front loading machine. The difference between the two machines is that in a top loader the wash basket is rotatable around a subs~antially vertical axis and in a front ?5 loader ~he wash baske~ is ro~atable around a substan~ially hori-zontal axis. Home-type top loading machines are, by ~ar, the most popular, comprising about g0% of the United States' automa~ic washing machine market.
The process ~or washing ~ex~iles in a home-type top toader b~gins by placing the tex~iles in ~he wash baske~, In a normal ~apacity home-type top loader th~ wash bas3<et ean hold up to about 7 kilograms of textiles. Detergent composition is then added to the wash basket. Finally, water, which is typically heated, is added to the wash basket to form a water and deter-3~ gent soiution known as the wash liquor. Thus, formation of the wash liquor is c arried out in the wash t: aslcet in the presence of the textiles to be washed. The washing step is then cornpleted by applying mechanic~l agitation to the system in order to loosen and remove the soi l from the texti les .

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2 -The temperature and level of water and level of detergent composition used in the wash step can vary. About 609~ of the wash steps use warm water (typically around 35C~, with th~
balance being evenly split be~ween hot water (typically around 5 50C) and cold water [typically around 15C~. The level of water and cletergent composition used in this step typical Iy ranges from about 40 liters to about 90 liters and from about 20 grams to about 145 grams, respeetively, depending upon the wash basket size and load size. The resulting detergent composition concen-~o tration in the wash liquor i from absut 210 parts per million. (ppm) to about 3,60~ ppm.
. - The wash liquor is then remov~d and the :textiles are rinsed.
The rinse step normally comprises adding clear water to the wash basket~ Mechanical agitation is normally applied during the rinse 15 step to remove th2 detergent comps)~ition from the textiles.
Finaily, the water is drained and the textiles are spun to mech-anically remove as much water as possible. A cold water rins~ is used in about 60~ of the rinse steps, with the balance being warm water rinses. The amount of water used in this step is typical~y 20 the same as that used in the wash step. The rinse step is generally r~peated one or more times~
The wash cycle of the home-type front loader is very similar to that of ~he home-type top loader. The temperature of the water and detergent composition concentration used in the wash-25 ing step are very similar to a home-type top loader. The basic difference is that the amount of water used in each of the wash and rinse step~ typically ranges from about 25 liters to abou~ 35 liters and, thus, the level of detergent composition i~ from about 10 grams to about 70 grarns.
The complete conventional automatic wash process in a home~
type top loader ~ypically uses from about 130 liters to abou~ 265 liters of wat~r. By way of contrast, a home-type front loader, ~hough more efficien~, ~ypically uses about 95 li~ers of water.
This too is a considerable water expenditure for one wash cycle.
35 Also, if the water is heated, there is a considerable energy expenditure. Both water and energy are c05tly to the consumer.

~2~ 7 A known drawback normally exhibited by conventional auto-matic wash process~s of the foregoing type is tha~ soil redeposi-tion occurs in both the wash and rinse steps. Soil redeposition is soil that is detached from the textiles and 9025 into the wash or rinse liquor and is then redeposited onto the textiles. Thus, soil r~deposition substantially limits the "net" cleaning per-Formance.
Another known drawback normally exhibited by conventisnal automatic wash processes of the furegoing type is that dye trans-10 fer can oscur when dealing with loads of differently coloredtextiles. Dye transfer is the detachm0nt of dye from a textile into the wash liquor and its subsequent depositiori onto another ~ex~ileO To avoid dye trans~er the consumer has found i~ neces~
sary to perform the additional step of presorting the textiles, not 15 only by textile ~ype but also by color ~ype.
U.!;. Pater)t 4,344,198 issued to Arendt et al on August 17, 1982 claims a process ~or the washing of clothes through a wash and rinse cycle in a washing machine wi~h a horizontal, perfor~
ated, driven tub arranged inside a hvusing wherein the tub has 20 a~ its rotating periphery a tangentia~ area, in which during the washing and rir-sing cycle as ~he tub rotates, the clothes are repeatedly liPted up and then fall in a trajectory path onlto the lower portion of the tub and are then distributed wi~hout unbal-ance to the tub, as the tub v~locity is yradually increased. The 25 clothes are then centrifuged as the velocity i5 increased fur~her.
According to Arendt, his improvement comprises the steps of wetting the clothes with an amount of suds that gives a "doughy"
consistency to the cloth~s by filling the tub wi~h suds u~til the level of suds does not significantly rise above the tangen~ial area 30 of the tub by maintaining in the tub during washing an aqueous medium level of at least about 5% of the tub's diameter, whereby the dry clothes are loaded indivldually into the tub which rotates at a speed at which the centri~ugal velocity at the tub case is about 0.3-0.8 g. The tub speed is ~hen increased to about 1 g.

~hen graduaily changed to a spin speed and after ~he spinning, reduced to a velocity in keeping with the ioading speed. 7-he process i5 thereaf~er ~ollowed wi~h a rinse cycle which is similar ~o ~he washing cycle. According ~o Arendt, the exchange 5 between "engaged" and "free" medium is achieved not so much by leaching bu~ by the mechanTcal action of ~he tub. Finally, Arenclt teaches ~hat water is save~ ~or the most part nolt by using smaller ratios of total media, but by reducirlg the number of wash and rinse cycles.
U.5~ Patent 4,118,189 issued to Reinwald et al on Oc~ober 3, 1978 discloses a wash process whieh consists of transforming a concentrated wash liquor, by the introduction of e~mpressed air, into 3 foam which is thereafter applied to the soiled textiles. The te)~tiles are mechanically agitated in the ~am ~r at least ~hirty 15 seconds~ then the foam is des~royed and removed frvm the tex-tiles by spinning the textiles in a rotary perforated drum. This cycle is re,oea~ed at least flve ~imes~ followed by conven~ional rinsingO Reinwald suggests that the dirt detached from the ~extile matcrial and dispersed in a relatively highly concentrated 20 detergent solution is partially deposited again on the textile fiber during the subsequent rinsing due to a dTlution of the wash li~u~ .
Still anothar attempt at using more c~ncentrated wash liquor without encountering redeposition prob`lems of ~he type discussed 25 in the aforementioned patent issued to Reinwald is disclosed in U.S. Patent 3,650,673 issued to Ehner on March 21, 1972. Ehner disclose6 a method and apparatus for was~ng ~iles utilizing an amount of wat~r corresponding to about 50% to 15096 of th~ dry weight of the tex~iles. - The process consists of placing such 3û quantities of water, the textiies to be laundered and a trans~er agent, e.g., polyethylene ~oam having a large surfaee area per unit mass, in a rotatable enclosure similar to those employed in a front loader type washing machine and tumbling these materials together for a period of time. Soils removed from the textiles by 35 the tumbling action are distributed over the combined exposecl . .

surface areas of ~he textiles and the transfer agent, which is subseguently separated from the tex~iles. Thus, the textiles are cleansed of the soils distributed onto the transfer agent. Ehner admits that a quan~ity of soil will be left on the t~xtiles, but 5 teaches that it will be substantially reduced from the originai quan~ity and will be distributed so as to leave no objectionable areas of soil concentration. Followin~3 s~paration of ~he soil carrying transfer agent from the textiles, the tex~iles are sub-sequently dried in the same rotatable enclosure in whioh they are 10 i'washed" by tumbling them while circL1iating warm dry air there-through .
UOS. Pa~ent 3,647,354 issued to Loeb on March 7, 19~2 suggests that a wash process such as that disclosed in the afore-mentioned Ehner patent be followed by a rinse process emp.loying 15 a quantity oF water sufficient only to bring the textiles to a condition of dampness. According to Loeb, the textiles are tumbled in a ro~a~ing drum with a clean transfer agent which functions in a manner similar to the transfer agent used in the wash process to separate detergent and loosened soils from the 20 texti les .
Despite the advantages al legedly p~ovided by wash processes of the foregoing type, they have not met with widespread com-mercial acceptance, particularly in the home laundry market.
Accordinsly, an object of the present invention is ~o provide 25 appara~us and process for laundering textiles using a small amount of water, yet minimizing soil redeposition and dye trans-fer, even without presorting of the textiles ~o be laundered.
Another object of the present invention is to provide appara-tus and process for laundering textiles which makes extr*mely 3û efficient use of ~he detergent composi~ion utilized and, if applied, extremely efficient use of heat energy.
Another object of the present inventlon is to provide pre-ferred apparatus and process for laundering textiles using cold water.

A further objeet of the present invention is to provide apparatus and proeess ~or laundering textiles which r esul~s in sup~rior cleaning as welJ as preservation of the textiles' appear-ance over many laundering eycles.
A still further object in a pre~rred aspect of the present invention is to provide appara~us and process ~or laundering textiles wherein mechanical energy can be applied to textiles whiCh have been contacted with a concentrated wash liquor with-out creating a suds problem.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide wash liquor compo5ition5 and detergent compositions fior use in said apparatus and proCess. - . .
DlSCl~OSlJRE OF THE INVENTION
The present invention cGmprises apparatus and process for 12undePing textiles bas~d upon utilizin~ quantities of an aqueous iiquid wash liquor in the wash step ranging from, at least, just enough to be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto all portions of the textiles to, at most, about S times the dry weight of the textiles to be laundered. Thi~ resul~s in an extremely eMcient use of the detergent composition. Nearly all of the wash liquor, and there~ore nearly all of the detergent composition contained in the wash liquor, will be in intimate contact with the textiles throughout the wash step of the present laundering process. Accordingly, the e~etergent composi~ion is able to ef~ectively and efficiently interact with the soil. This step is crucial to the process. Consequently, a superior level of cleanin~; performance is achieved. However, in order to obtain such performance for the entire wash load, especially with lower ~mounts of wash liquor, it is ~ssential that the wash liquor be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto the textiles.
In a preferred embol:liment the upper limit of 1:he quantity of wash liquor is sush that ther~ is none or minimal amounts of wash liquor in excess of the absorption capacity of the textiles and more preferably the wash liquor is not in excess of about 2~ times the dry weight of the textiles. In the final step or steps of the process the textlles are rinsed with water to simultaneously remove both the soil and the detergent composition. A conven-tional home-type top loacier or front loader rinse cycle is effec~iv~
~or such a purpose, bu~ the rinse can be accomplished with reduced quantities of water. ~Nhile the process is particular1y beneficial when carried out on ~amily-type wash ioads comprised of mixed fabric and color types, ~he process rnay also be utilized to advantage on an indus~rial iaundry scale.
In one aspect, the invention resides in laundering apparatus exhibiting increased detergent efficiency in removing soils from discre~e loads of assorted soiled textiles, said apparatus comprising: -a) a first compartment for xe~aining said soiled textiles during the laundering processs b) means for producing a quantity of concentrated aqueous wash liquor comprising from about 40% to about 99.9% water and at least about 1000 parts per million of a detergent composition;
c~ non-immersing applicator means for distributing a quantity of said concentrated aqueous wash liquor not exceeding about 1-1/2 times the dry weight of said soiled textiles onto the surface of said soiled textiles while said textiles are retained in said first compartmenk and while said soiled textiles are in a substantially dry state, there being at most minimal amounts of free wash liquor in sa.id first compartment after said wash liquor has been completely distributed;
d) means for delivering said concentrated aqueous wash liquor to said applicator means;
e) means for exposing the surfaces of substantially all of said soiled textiles to said applicator means while said concentrated aqueous liquid wash liquor is being distributed in said first compartment, whereby said wash liqucr is subskantially e~enly and completely distributed onto ~ 7a -the surfaces of said soiled textiles;
f) rinsing means for contacting said textiles with a quantity of an a~ueous liquid rinse liquor after said wash liquor has been allowed to remain in contact with said soiled textiles for a period of time, said quantity of rinse liquor being sufficient to produce enough free water on the surface of the textiles to adequately ~uspend the soil and detergent composition; and g) means for separating said rinse liquor containing said wash liquor and said soils from said textiles. This aspect of the invention is also disclosed, and is claimed, in Canadian Patent Application No. 415,099 of Wolfgang U. Spendel, filed November 8, 1982, of which the present application is a divisional.
The presen invsntion, in another aspect, resides in a process for laundering a discrete wash load of assorted soiled textiles comprising the steps ~0 of:
a) producing a quantity of concentxated aqueous wash liquor comprising from about 40% to about 99.9%
water and from about 1000 ppm to about 600,000 ppm of a detergent composition, b) distributing substantially evenly and completely onto said textiles in their substantially dry state a quantity of said wash liquor ranging from about just enough to distribute said wash liquor substanti~llY evenly and completely onto said textiles to a quantity of said wash liquor which is about 5 times the dry weight of the textiles, said wash liquor containing from about 5 grams to about 200 grams of said detergent composition per kilogram of said textiles;
c) allowing said wash liquor to remain in contact with said soiled textiles for a period of time during which, if there is more than a minimal amount of free - 7b -liquor in excess of the absorption capacity of s~id textiles, only limited amounts of mechanical energy are applied to said textiles so as to prevent oversudsing;
d) rinsing said textiles with a quantity of an aqueous liquid, rinse liquor sufficient to produce enough free water on the surface of said textiles to adequately suspend the soil and the detergent composition; and e) separating said rinse liquor containing said wash liquor and said soil from said textiles.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINI~S
While the Specification conc~udes with c3a~T s particular?y pointing out and distinctly claiming the present invention, it is believed the present invention wiil be b~er understood from ~he following description in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic perspective illustra~ion of parti-cularly preferred apparatus for carrying out the present launder-ing process;
Figure 2 is a cross-sectional illus~ration of the embodiment disclosed in Figure 1 taken along section 3ine 2-2 of Fiyure 1;
Fi~ure 2A is an inset of the drive pulley system shown in Fi~3ure 2 with ~he pulley-actuating cllJtch assembly in its al~er-native position;
Figure 3 is a cross-sectional segment of the apparatus illus-trated in Figure 1 taken in a plane which passes through the center of the wash liquor applicator nozzle and the axis of rota-tion of ~he movable drum disclosed in Figure l;
Figure 4 is a ~implified cross-sectional illustration of a particularly preferred wash liguor applicator nozzle; and Figure 5 is an end view of the wash liqllor applicator nozzle shown in Figure 4.
DETAILED l)ESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A. PREFERRED APPARATU5 Disclosed in Figure 1 is a schernatic illustration of parti-cularly preferred apparatus for carrying out a laundering process in accordance with ~he present invention. Figure 1 discloses a preferred ernbodiment of a washing machine 10 of the present invention. The apparatus in Figure 1 is ,:aarticularly preferred when the quan~i~y of wash liquor u~ilized is, at most, abou~ 2~
S times ~he dry weiyht of ~he ~extiles to be iaundered. Such maximum quantity of wash liquor approaches the maximum absorp-tion capacity of an average wash load. For purposes of clari~y, none of the details of the cabinet nor the access door is shown in Figure 1.
1 0I n the embodiment of Figure 1, the washing machine l û
ccmprises a stationary drum 15 of generaliy cylindrical construc~
tion and having a horizontal access opening 20. The centerline of the cylindrical stationary drum 15 coincides with the axis of rotation 300 of a movable drum 40 (sometimes referred to in the 15 prior art as a wash basket) mounted within stationary drum 15.
As is more clearly illustrated in the cross-sectional views of Fiyures 2 and 3, stationary drum lS comprises a peripheral wall 16, a back wall 17 secured to one sdge of the peripheral wall, a front wall 1 B secured to the opposite edye of the peripheral wall, 20 said front wall having a tubular-shaped extension 19 having an access opening 20 used to load and unload laundry from the washing machine 10. Acoess opening 2D forms a seal with pliable sealing gasket 210 which Is secured about its outermost periphery to the front wall 200 of the washing machine cabinet. When the 25 washing machine lo is in operatiorl, the washing machine's access door 2~0 is in the closed po~ition shown Tn Fiyure 2 and forms a water~ight seal against the outermost portion of pliabJe sealing gasket 210. These latter elemerits are illustrated only in the cross-section of Figure 2 to ensure maximum clarity in the 30 remaining drawing figuresO The lowermost portion of stationary drum 15 is provided with a drain c:onnection 21 located in peri pheral wall 16. The drain connection 2t is connected by means of a flexible connecting line 142 to the suction side of a rinse liquor discharge pump 140 which is secured ~y means of support 141 to _ 9 _ the base of the washing machine cabine$ (not shown~. Connect-ing line 143 conveys rinse liquor discharged from the pump 140 to a sewer drain (not shown).
As can also be seen in Figures 1 and 2, stationary drum 15 5 is supported by means of four suspension springs 66 which are connected at one end to anchor means 65 secured to the upper-most portion of ~he stationary drum 15 and at their other end t fixed anchor means 67 which are securad to the washing machine cabinet ( not shown ) .
Extending from the lowermos~ portion of peripheral wall 16 are four support members 70, the lowermost ends of which are secured to motion limiting damper pads 71.. A vertical guide plate 72 passes between the two sets of motion limiting damp~r pads 71.
Sufficient clearance is provided between the motion limiting damper pads 71 and the guide plate 72, which is secured ~o the base of the washing machine cabinet (not shown3, so that the stationary dPLIm 15 may undergo limited up-and down and side-to-side movement while access opening 20 and tubular extension 19 remain in sealed engagement with pliable sealing gasket 210. The resilient moun~ing of stationary drum 15 minimizes the transmis-~ion of vibration which occurs during moments of imbalanced loading to the washing machine cabinet (not shownl.
Located inside stationary drum 15 i5 a movable drum 40 comprising a per~orated peripheral wall 41, a substantially imper-forate back w311 42 secured to one edge of said peripheral wall and a substantially imperforate front wall 43 secured to the opposite edge thereof. Extending from the front wall 43 of the movable drum 40 is a tubular-shaped extension 44 which ~ermi-nates in an access opening 45 which is cuncentrically a!igned with the access openiny 20 in stationary drum 15. Equally spac~d on the inner circumference of peripheral wall 41 are three lifting vanes 47 of substantialiy triangular cross-section. The innsarmost edge of lthe side walls 48 of the triangular-shaped vanes 47 preferably terminate to form an innermost land area 49. 3n a par~icularly preferred embodimen~, each of the vanes is symmetrically-shaped about a radially extending line originating a~
~he axis of rotation 300 of movable drum 40 and passing through its al~i~ude. This perrnits rotation of movable drum ~0 in opposite 5 directions with equal lifting ef~ect on the articles being iaun dered .
I n an exempiary embodiment of a washing machine 10 of the present invention, ~he movable ~rum 40 measured approximately 21~" f54.6 cm. ) in diame~er by approa~imately 12" 130~5 cm. ) in 10 depth, while the trians~ular-shaped lifting vanes 47 exhibited a base of approximateiy 2" t5.1 cmO) in width by 9" (22~9 cm.) in qepth, an .overall altitude of approximateiy 3" 17.6 cm. ) and a land ar~a 49 measuring approximately 1'1 t2~5 cm.) in width by 7"
(17.8 cm. ) in depth. The inner movable drum 40 exhi~ited approximately 750 uniformly spaced perforations 46, each perfora-tion having a diameter of approximately 1/4" (0.635 cm. ) . The stationary drum 15 enclosing the aforementioned movable drum 40 measured approximately 24" (61 cm.) in diameterO
As will be apparent from an inspection of Figure 2, movablé
20 drum llO is rotatably secured to stationary drum 15 by means of driveshaft 29. The innermost end of driveshaft 29 incorporates . an integral flange 30 which is secured by means of c~mpanion flange 31 and a multiplicity of ~asteners, such as rivets 32, to the back wall 42 of movable drum 40. The shaft portion of 25 driveshaft ~g passes ~hrough a clearance hole 51 in the back wall 42 of movable drum 40 and is supported by means of a pair of bearings 25 secured to the b~ck wall 17 of stationary drum 15.
Bearings 25 are secured in position by means of bearis~g retainers 22 which are joined to one another and to the back wall 17 by a 30 multiplicity of conventional fasteners, such as rivets 33. The shaft portion of driveshaft 29 passes through a clearance hvle 26 in back wall 17 of sta~ionary drum 15.
Power to rotate rnovable drum 40 is transmitted to the exter nal portion of driveshaft 29 either by means of an eccentrically 35 mounted driven pulley 2~ or by means of a concentrically mounted driven pulley 34 which are both secured in fixed relation to drivesha~t 29. As will be explained in greater detail hereinafter, the eccelltrically mounted driven pulley 28 is used ~o vary the speed of rotation of the movable drun 1~0 throughout each revolu-tion of the drum, while the concentrically mounted driven puliey 5 34 is used to drive the movable drum l~O at a constant speed of rotation ehroughou~ each revolution.
Th~ clrive system for the movable drum 40 pre~erably com~
prises a v~riable speed drive motor 60 secured by means of support 61 to the peripheral wall 16 of stationary drum 15, Because the drive motor 60 i5 5~eUrQd ~0 the stationary drum 15, any movement of ~he stationary cirum 15 does not affect the speed of rotation of movable drum 40. The output.shaft. 62 of drive: .
motor 60 has secured thereto a concentrically mounted drive pu!ley 38 and a eoncentrically mounted drive pulley 36. A two-lS position, pulley-actuating clu~ch assembly 37 Ts positioned inter-mecliate pulleys 36 and 38. Drive pulleys 36 and 38 are both of two-piece construction so as to permit engagement or disengage-men~ of l~heir respective drive bel~s by puiley-actuating clutch assembly 37. The housing of clutch assembly 37 ~hrough which 20 drive motor shaft 62 freely passes is preferably secured to the housing of drive motor 6~ by means of a laterally extending support 63, as generally shown in Figures 1 and 2.
Concentrically mounted drive pulley 38 is connected to eccentrically mounted driven pulley 28 by means of a conventional 25 clrive ~elt 27. Likewise, concentrically mounted drive pulley 36 is connected to concentrically mounted drive puliey 34 by means of a conventional drive belt 35. When clutch assembly 37 Is in its flrs~ positlon, the ciistance between ~he opposing ~aces of drive pulley 36 is sufficiently grea~ that drive belt 35 is allowed to 30 freely slip therebetween when driveshaf~ 29 revolves. When clutch assembly 37 is ac:tlJated into its second position, the opposing faces of drive pulley 36 are brought sufficiently close together that drivs belt 35 is driven by pulley 36. Simuitane-ously, the distance between the opposing ~ces of driYe pulley 38 35 is increased to a distance which is sufficiently great that drive belt 27 is allowed to freeiy slip therebetw2en when driveshaft 29 .

revolves. Figure 2 depic~s ~rive pulle~y 36 in the engaged posi-tion, while the inset of Figure 2A depicts drive pulley 38 in the engaged position.
In 3 particularly preferred embodiment of ~he present inven-tion, drive motor 60 is not only variable speed, but is also reversible so that rnovable drum 40 may be rotated first in one direction and th~n in the opposite direction ~hroughout ~he vari-ous portions of the laundering cycle. It is believed that revers-ing the direction of drum rotation several times during the laundering cycle will provide more uni~orm appllcation of the wash liquor, more uni~orm agitation and more uniform heat.trans~er to the textiles being laundered, and h~nce more effective cleansing.
In the exemplary washlng machine embodlment described earlier herein, th~ eceentrically mounted driven pulley 28 was used to provide rotation of the movable drum 40 at a speed which varied from about 48 to abuu~ 58 revolutions per rninute during each complete revolution of the drum, while the concentrically mounted pulley system ~omprising pulleys 36 and 34 was used to provide rot3tion of the movable drum at a constant speed Gf about 544 revolutions per minute.
Referring again to the ,e~articulai ly pre~erred em~odiment of Figure 1, there is shown an air circulating blower 160, preferably of the centrifugal variety, secured by means of a support 162 to an upper portion of peripheral wall 16 of 1:he stationary drum 15.
The air circulating blower 160 is preferably powered by variable speed drive motor 11;1. A connecting duct 163 conveys air from the blawer discharge to a heater 164. The heater 164 includes a heating element 165 over which the air must pass prior to enter ing connecting duct 166 which conveys heated air frsm the hea~er 164 to an inlet opening 180 located in the peripheral wall 16 of the stationary drum 15. In the embodiment disclosed in Figures 1-3, heated air is introduced intermediate the peripheral wall 16 of stationary drum 15 and the peripheral wall 41 of m~vable drum 40. The bulk of the heated. air introduced in this area is ~orcecl to enter movable drum 40 via perforations 46 located in peripheral wall 41. As pointed out earlier herein, the movable drum 40 is 9~

caused to rotate at varying speed during the laundering portion of the cycle via the eccentrically mounted pulley 28. Since the artic!es being laundered are normally loca~ed at or adjacent the innermost surface of peripheral wall 41 of movable drum 40 during S the laundering cycle, the heatec~ air introduced between the stationary and movable drums is caused ~o penetrate the textiles being laundered on its way to return opening 190 located in tubular extension 19 of stationary drum 15.
Return opening 190 is connected to a diverter valve 168 by means of connecting duct 167. Diverter valve 168 has ~wo posi-tions. In its first posi~ion, connecting ducts 170 and 171 are blocked off and all of th~ humid air withdrawn from stati~ary drum 15 is returned to the suction side of air circulating blower 160 via connecting duct 172~ As will be explain~d in greater detail in the ensuing preferred process description, diver~er valve 168 remains in its first position during the laundering portion of the cycle described herein. The temperature of ~he returning air is sensed in connecting duct 167 by means of a sensin~ element 173 mounted in the duct. The sensing element 173, which is preferably of the thermistor type, sends a signat to temperatlJre controller 175 Yia signal transmission line 174. The temperature control3er 175, which is preferably adjustable, trans-mits a signal via signal transmission line 176 to ~he heating element 165 in heater 164 to either raise, lower or maintain the temperature of the air being introduced into connecting duct 166.
Thus~ the heated air employed during the launciering portion of the cycle is continually recirculated by means of the afore nen tioned closed loop system, and its temperature is continuously monitoreci and maintained at a predetermined levei.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present inven-tion, the washing machîne 10 may also be employed as a clothes ciryer. This is accomplished by manTpulation of diverter valve 168. Advancing control lever 169 from the a~orementioned first position of the diverter valve to a second position connects air duct 171 with return air duct 172 and air duct 170 with return air duct 167. Since air ducts 170 and 171 are both vented to ~2~9~7 atmosphere, the ef~ect of adYancing ~he diverter valve 168 to i~s second position is to convert the closed loop recirculation system described earlier herein in conjunc~ion with ~he laundering cycle to a non-recirculating vented sys$em. In the vented mode of op~ration, fresh air is drawn into duct 171 and routed through the heater as before to provide warm dry 3ir ~or drying the laundered tex~iles contained within movable drum 40. Similarly, the moist air withdrawn from stationary drum 15 is discharged to the atmosphere via connecting duct 170 rather than being recir-culated to the suction side of the air circulating blower 160.
During the drying portion of the cycle, movable drum 40 is rotated, as during the laundering cyole, by driv~ motor 60 oper-ating through the ecc~ntrically mounted pulley and drive belt system described earlier her~in. T~mperature of the air used durins3 the drying cycle is also monitorecl and controlled by sensing element 173 and temperature controller 175. However, the temperature sel~cted during the drying cycle may differ from that employed during the laundering cycle~ Aoc~rdingly, the temperature controller 175 preferably has two independently adjustable set points which may be preadjusted to dif~erent tem-- perature levels ~or the iaundering and drying cycles.
As wlll be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, diver~er valve control ~ver 169 may be automatically ~ctua~ed rather than manually actuated, as disclo~ed in the present illus-trationsO This may be accomplished utilizing solenoids or similar control apparatus well known in the art and therefore not shown.
In the exemplary washing machine embodiment desoribed earliar herein, the air circulating blower 160 utilized to reoir-culate the humid air during the laundering portion of the ~ycle had a rated capaci~y of 460 Cubic feet tl3.03 cubic meters) of air per minute at a pressure of 0.25" (~.635 cm. ~ of water, and the connecting ducts used to construct the recirculation loop w~re sized to permit recirclJlation of the air a~ rat~d flow. The heater 1 fi4 e!nployed on the exemplary machine contained a heating ele ment 7 65 comprising a 240 volt AC:, 5200 watt, spiral wound, 'Nichr~*coil~ The temperature 5ensing element 173 comprised a * Trademark for a series of nickel-chromium alloys containing by weight- from 54-B0% n1ckel, 10-20%
chromium, 7-27~ iron, 0-11% copper, 0-5~ manganese, 0.3~4.6~ silicon, and sometimes 1 percent molybdenum, . and 0.25% titanium. They are used as electrical r~sistance alloys.

thsrmistor inserted into return air duct 167. Temperature con-troller 175 comprised a 0-2Q0F (-17.ô - 93.3Cl adjustable unit having a set point accuracy of 3% of range and a s~t point stability of 29~ of span from the nominal setting. A high limit 5 snap disc-type thermostat [not ~hown) having a range of 1~00-450F (204.4 - 232.2C) was also utilized ts protect the system.
Referring again to Figures 1-3, preferred wash liquor and rinse liquor addition systems are disclosed. In particular, the 10 wash liquor utilized during the laundering portion of the cycle is prepared in wash liquor reservoir 89 which is schematically i!lus-~rated in Figure 1. In a particularly pre~rred ~orm of the present invention, the cycle i initiated by introduciny a predetermined amount of detergent composTtion, which may be in 15 granular, paste, gel or lic~lJid in form, in~o the wash liquorreservoir 89. Water froTI supply line 80 passes lthrough pressure regulator 81, connecting line 101 and control valves 82, 84 and 87, which are in the open position, into ghe side of wash liquor reser~oir 89 via conrlecting lines 96, 94 and 99. Control valves 20 85 and 88 are closed a~ ~his point in time to prevent the water from escaping via delivery lines 95 and 98. Located within wash liqwor reservoir 89 is a l~vel sensing probe ga which is connected at its uppermost end to a level sensor 91. The level of the liquid Introduced into the wash liquor reservoir rises along probe 92.
25 When the liquid level within reservoir û9 reaches a predetermineel point, level sensor 91 transmits a signal ~o level controller 93 Vi3 signal transmission ITne 105. Level controller 93 sends a si~nal Yia signal transmission line 106 to close off controi valve 82.
After control valve 82 ~as been closed, pump 86 is started to 30 initia~e recirculation, mixing and ~ormation of a wash liquor within reservoir 89. Control valves 85 and 38 remain closed during the mixing cycle. Pump 86 withdraws liquid from the bottom o~ wash liquor reservoir 89 via connecting lines 99 and 97 and discharges the liquid withdrawn back into the reservoir via connecting lines 35 9~ and 96. Recirculation of the liquid is carriecl out until such time as the detergent composition Ts substantially dissolved or ., ~2~ 7 dispersed in the water. The time required will of course vary, depending upon such variables as the solubility characteristics of the particular detergent composition employed, the concentration of det~rgent composition, the temperature of the incoming water 5 and like. To rninimize the mixing time, it is generally preferred to design the liquid recirculation loop to maximize th~ turbulence of flow during recirculation.
As will be explained in greater de~ail in conjunc~ion wi~h the ensuing preferred process description, the present laundering 10 process may be carried out without the addition of heat energy via heating element 165. However, experience to ~ate has demon-strated tha.~ it is gene~ally preferable that wash liquor and rinse liquor temperatures be in ~he range cf about 25C. or higher to maximize the benefits afforded by th~ present process. To 15 achieve this objective when the heat energy addition option is not employed during the laundering cycle, a water preheating unit ~not showni may be utilized on the incoming water supply line to er~sure that the temperature of the incoming water does not fal3 below about 25~::, even during cold weather conditions.
~o As polnted out earlier herein, a relatively small amount of wash liquor is utilized during the present laundering process when compared to prior art laundering processes. Accordingly, the method of applying the wash liquor to ghe textiles to be laundered must be highly ef~ctive in order to provicle substan-tially even and complet2 distribution, especially when very reduced quantities of wash liquor are utilized. One particularly . pre~erred means of accomplishing this objective has been to 3pply ~he wash liquor by means of a high pressure spr3y nozzle t00 as the movable drum 40 rotat~s. During the wash liquor application step control valves 82 and 88 are closed and control valves 84, 85 and 87 are opened. Wash liquor 230 is withdrawn from reservoir B9 by means of pump 86 and is conveyed via flexible delivery line 95 to high pressure spray nozzle 100 which, in the illustra~ed embodiment, is mounted in the tubuiar-shaped extension 19 of stationary drum 15. A small amount of wash liquor is also per-mittecl to flow through valve 84 and delivery line 96 back into :

reservoir 89 to provide some recirculation and mixing durin9 the wash liquor application cycle. As can be seen from Figure 3, whi~h is a simpliFied diametral cross-section taken through spray nozzle 100 and ~he axis of rotation 300 of movable drum 1~0, high 5 pressure nozzle 100 i5 located at approximateiy the 8 o'clock position and a substantially flat, fan shap~d spray of wash liquor 230 is targeted ~o strike peripheral wall l~1 and back wall 42 of the movable drum 40 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is rota~ing in a counterclockwise orientation, at appro3timately the 2 1~ o'clock position.
. In order to distribute the textiles to be laundered subctan-tia-lty uniformiy about the periphery of the mo~able drum 40, the textiles are initially tumbled at low speed via eccentrically mounted driven pulley 28. Movable drum 40 is thereafter acceler-15 ated by concentrically mounted driven pulley 36 to a speed whichis sufficient to hold the substantially uniformly distribL~ted articies against peripheral wall 1l1. The wash liquor application step is initiated while the articles are held against peripheral wall 1. However, after several revolutions of movable drum 40, the speed of drum rotation is redueed by trans~rring the input driving force from roncentrically mounteci driven pulley 36 back to escentrically mounted driven pulley 38. The slower speed of rotation, which varies throughout each revolution of movable drum 40, causes the ~extiles within the drum to be carried by lifting 25 vanes 47 to approximately the 1 o'clock position, at which point they tend to fall away from peripheral wall 41 an~ pass through the substantially flat, fan-shaped spray of wash liquor 230 on their return to the bottom of the drum.
While in the illustrated embodiment, the drum rotation is 30 oriented in a counterclockwise direetion, it has also been iearned that the drum may, if desired, be rotated in a clockwise direc-tion. In the latter case the textiles which fall away from the peripherai wall 41 at approximately the 11 o'clock position still pass through the fan-shaped spray of wash liquor 230 on their 35 return to the bottom of the drum.

~2~

-- 18 ~
The wash liquor appiication step is carried out until all or a predetermined amoun~ of the wash liquor contained in reservoir 89 has been applied to the textiles being laundered. The quantity of wash liquor applied l'or a given laundering cyele will vary, S depending upon such factors as the cluantity of textiles being laundered, their materials of construction, and the soil type and level of soil loading, as rnore fully described in the accompanying detaiied process description. When the wash liquor application s~ep has been completed, even with the smallest quantities of wash liquor within the invention, the wash liquor is substanSially evenly and completely distributed on~o the textiles being sub-jected to the present launderin~3 process.
To further er,hance distribution, wash liquor application may be carried out in ~everal stages, with ~he movable drum 40 being momentarily stspped and restarted between each stage to allow the articles to ~ompletely redistribute themselves prior to each stage of wash liquor application. Similarly, multlple spray noz71es may be employed.
Figures 4 and 5 disclose the internal configura~ion of the spray nozzle 100 employed in the exemplary washing maohine embodiment described @arlier herein. In particular, an irregularly-shaped orifice 1~00 is formed by intersection of a V-shaped groove 410 having an included angle o~ approximately 45~ extending across the nozzle's face 430 and a cylindrical passageway 420 passing through its longitudinal axis. A cross-seotional vTew of this exemplary nozzle 100 is generally disclosed in Figure 4, and an end view ~aken along view line 5-5 is shown Tn Figure 5. The maximum width W of the a~orementioned groove 410 was approximately 0.075" ~0.19 cm.), as measured at the ~ace 430 of the nozzle. The diame~er D2 of the nozzle face 430 was approximately 0.40" (1.02 cm. ~. The diameter D1 of passayeway 420 was approximately 0.125" (0.32 em. ~ alor;g i~s length, con-verging at an included angle R of approx~mat~ly 120 adjacent the nozzle face 430. In~ersec.tion of groove 410 and passageway 420 produced the irregularly shaped orifice 40û genera31y shown in Figure 5. Wash liguor was fed by means of a pump 86 having a rated capac;ty of 50û gallons per hour at 7 psi connected to nozzie 100 via a 1/4" (0.635 cm. ) diameter flexible delivery line 954 The nozzle 100 was installed in tubular shaped ex~ension 19 at approximately the R o'clock posi~ion with its spray oriented so 5 as to strike peripheral wall l~1 and back wall 42 of movable drum 40, as generally shown in Figure 3. Drum rotation was oriented clockwise when viewed from its front wall side.
While spraying has been found to be a par~icularly pre~erred method of wash liquor application, other application means, e.g., 10 atomizers, which will produce a similar distr3bution of wash liquor throughout the textiles to be laundered, as described in the accornpanying detailed process s:iescrip~iont may be employ~c~ with equal suecess.
After the wash liquor application has been compîeted, pre-15 ferably mechanical energy is applied to the textiles by rota~ingmovable drum 40 at relatively low speed such ~hat the textiles being laundered are continually lifted by vanes 1~7 secured within the movable drum and caused to mechanically tumbl~ back toward the bottom of the drum. As poin~ed out earlier herein, the 20 turnbling action is accentua~ed by varying the speed of rotation of ~he movable drum 40 throughout each revolution of ~he drum.
This is aceoMplished In the machine embodiment disclosed in Figure 1 by driving the movabl~ drllm 40 via ecc~ntrically mounted driven pulley 28. In a particularly preferred embodiment 25 of the invention, the direc~ion of ro~ation of movable drum 40 is reversed several times throughout ~h~ laundering cyele. This provides more thorough mechanical agitation of the textiles being laundered and, hence, more unifiorm heat transf~r ~hroughout the ~extiles. In addition, it minimizes ~he tendency of textiles, 30 particularly long ~nd thin appendages on textiles, e.g., sleeves on shirts, from beçoming knotteJ up.
Heat energy is preferably supplied to the textiles being laundered during the aforementioned mechanical agitation process.
In th~ machine embodiment disclosed in Figure 1 this is acoom-35 plished by recirculating moist humid air through heater 164 usingair handling blower 160. Preferred air temperature ranges and ~l2~

~ 20 --cycle times are specifled in the aceompanying detailed process description .
Followin~g the mechanical andlor hea~ energy application phase of the present laundering process, ~he textiles ~:ontained S within the movable drum 40 are rinsed with an aqueous rinse liquor 240, which in a particularly pre~erred embodiment com-prises water. This is supplied from water supply line 80 via controi valve 83 whieh is opened to permit delivery of rinse water to movable drum 40 via flexible delivery line 110 and applicator nozzle 120. Appliça$or nozzle 120 i also pre~erably mounted in . the tubu~ar shaped extension 19 of stationary drum. 15. Appli-ea-~or nozzl~ 12û need not, however, be~ a high pressure spray nozzle sueh as that utilized to apply wash liquor. Because free standing liquor is employed in movable drurn 40 during the rinse 15 portion of ~he present laundering cycle, it is believed that the particular manner of applying the rinse liq~Jor to the laundered text;les is much l~ss critical than the manner of applying the wash liquor. Accordingly, the rinse liquor may be added by any of several means weil known in ~he art, ~.9O, directly into 20 ~tationary drum 15 via an orifice in peripheral wall 16.
The textiles b~ing laundered are pr~ferably sl~bj~cted to mechanical agitation during both the rinse liguor addition and the rinse cycles. Thls is preferably done by rotating movable drum 40 at relatively iow speed via eccentricaily mounted driven pulley 25 28. As with the mechanicat energy and heat energy application phase of the laundering cycle, the direction of rotation of movable drum 40 is preferably changed several times during the rinse cycle to ensure more un;~rm rinsing.
In a particularly preferred embodimen~, several relatively 30 short rinse cyeles are employed to remove the loosened soil and detergent from the textiles being 7aundered.
It i5 believed preferable to remove the rinse water from movable drum 40 ~uring the init3al rinse cycles witllout resorting ~o hi~h sPeed centrifugation, i.e., high speed ~otation of movable 35 dr~n 40. ~ile n~t wishing to be bound by ~cheory, it is ~elie~ed Jchat avoidanc~ of centrifugation during the early rinse cycles minimizes the chance of redepositing suspended soils onto the ~extiles bein~
laundered, since the rir-se liquor is no~ forced ~hrough the ~ex-~iles being laundered on its way to the per~orations 46 in peri-pheral wall 41 of movable drlJm 40~ Accordingly, centrifugation S to remove as much moisture as possible from ~he laundered and rlnsed ~ex~iles i5 preferably de~erred until the last rinse cycle.
As will be clear from an inspection of Figures I and 2, rinse wat~r which is removed frorn movable drulTI 40 ei~her by gravity or by centrifugation is ultimately removed from s~ationary drum 15 through drain connection 21 by means of discharge pump 140 from whence it is pref~rably conveyed to the-sewer.
If desired~ laundry additives of various types, e.g., fabric sof~eners, may be employed in conjunction with ~he laundering process described her~in. If desired, such additives may be 15 applied to the articles being laundered by conventional gravity addition (not shown) or via pressure spray nozzle 100~ In the latter instance, one or more secondary reservoirs 90 may be employed. The discharge of these secondary reservoirs may be connected, as by delivery line 98 and control valve 88, to the 20 wash liquor mixing system.
Dependin~ upon the nature of ~he additive, it rnay be desir-able to flush the wash li~uor reservoir 89 with water prior to introducing the additive into the reservoir. This may be done by refilling the reservoir with water and recirculating the solution 25 via pump 86 prior to discharging it into one of the rinse cyeies.
After wash liquor reservoir 89 has been flushed, control valve 88 may be opened to permit delivery of an additive fro~n reservoir 90 to the wash liquor reservoir via ,sump 86. When a predetermined quantity of the additive has been trans~erred to wash liquor 30 reservoir 89, a water dilution cycle may, if desired, be carried out in a manner similar to that employed ~or mixing the wash liquor, i.e., wa1:er from the supply line is added to reservoir 89, eontrol valves 82, 85 and 88 are closed, and the additive solution is recirculated via pump 86 to the wash liquor reservoir 89 until 35 such time as the additive is ready ~or application to the articles being laundered. Application of the mixed additiv2 solution may th~reafter be carried out ~uriny one or more of the rinse cycles employed in the present prooess in a manner generally similar to that employed ~or ~he application of the wash liquor.
Followil13 centrifugation by high speed rotation of movable 5 drum 40 ~o mechanically remove as much rinse liquor as is feasible, the washing mac~,ine 10 may be operated as a conven-tional clothes drying apparatLIs by actuating diver~er valve 168 from its first position to its second position. In its second position, diverter valve 1~8 permits ~resh air to be drawn into connecting ciuct 171 via suotion from blower 160, heated to a predetermined temperature by heater 164, circulated through the laundered and rinsed textiles contained in- rotating drum 40 and vented from stationary drum 15 to the atm~sphere via connet~ting duct 170. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, movable drum 4~ is preferably operated at low speed via eccentri-cally mounted driven pulley 28 throu~;hout the drying cycle to provide more uniform air flow and heae transfer through the laundered and rinsed textiles contained therein.
PREFERRED PROCESS
Another aspect of this invention oomprises a proeess for laundering textiles, hereinafter re~erred to as the Qconcentrated laundering process". The pro~ess lltiiizes quantities of an aclueous liquid wash li~uor in the wash s~ep ranging from, at least, about just enough to be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto all portions of the textiles ~o, at most, about 5 times the dry weight of the textiles to be laundered. The quan~
tities of` wash liquor are applied to the textiles during the wash step. It is essential that the wash liquor be substal-tiaily evenly and eompletely clistributed onto the textîles. In the final step or steps of the process the textiles are rinsed with water to remove bo~h the soil and detergent composition.
The quantities of wash liquor that can be used in the wash step range fr~m, at leas~, about just enough to be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto all portions of the t~xtiles to, at most, about 5 times the dry weight of the texltiles to be laundered. The quantities of wash liquor in the rang~ of the .

~2~ 7 lower limit approach what is equivalent to directly applying a conventional level of a typical cnmmercially avai3able heavy duty liquid detergent composition to the textiles. Surprisingly, the addition of more wash liquor, i.e., adding both water and deter-S gent compositior; to the wash liquor s~lch tha~ the wash liquor cor-centration remains constant, so that the upper limit is exceeded results in essentially no additional 50il removal and no less 50il redeposition. It should be noted that depending on the nature of the textiles, soil types, soil levels, detergent compo-sTtion levels and detergen~ compositiorl formulations that the upper limit can vary slightiy. When quantities of wash liquor exceeding the absorption capacity of the textiles are uti.lized,. only limited amounts of mechanical energy should be applied to the textiles during the wash step in order to prevent ov~rsudsing. ~ut, surprisingly, a good level of cleaning performance is achieved nonetheless. Also, with quantities of wash lic3uor exceeding the absorption capacity of the textiles, though possible, it is not essential that the preferred apparatus be utilizedO
MORE PREFER~ED QUANTITIE5 OF WASH LIQUOR
Therefore, in a more pre~erred embodiment the quantity of wash I iguor that can be used in the wash step ranges from about just enough to be substantially evenly and completely distributed onto all portions of the textiles to, at most, none or minimal amounts of wash liquor in excess o- the absorption capacity of the ~ex~iles. With such quantities there is at most minimai amoun~s of "free" wash liquor. Thus, essentially ~11 of the wash liquor and, therefore, essentially all of the detergent composition contained in ~he wash liquor, will be in intimate contact with the textiles throughout the wash step. This permits the application of a substantial amount of mechanical agitation to the textiles during the wash step, as discuss~d below, without any oversudsing.
Surprisingly, numerous other benefits are obtained when the quantities of wash liquor of this more preferred embodiment are utilized. For example, since essentially ali of the detergent composition is in intimat2 contaet with the textiles, the detergent composition is being utilized extremely e~iciently. Also, there is essentially no wash liquor for ~he dye of ~he textiles to be relea~ed into and subsequently deposited onto ano~her textile.
Thus, dye transfer during the wash step is minimized and, therefore, it is generally not necessary for the consumer to presort the textile~. This is particularly signi ficant if the laundry load contains the type of t~xtile commonly known as a dye bleeder, i.e., one that contains e~cessive amoun~s of highly soluble dyes. Another benefit is that the addition of more wash liquor , i ~ ~., adding both watér and detergent composition to the wash liguor such that the wash liquor concentration remains o~nstant, to approach the upper limit of about S tim~s ~he dry weight of the textiles to be launder~d provi~es . minimal additional 50il removal in view of the sost of th~ additional detergent com-position utilized.
t5 In a more pre~erred embodiment, the quantity of wash liquor that can be used in the wash step is from about just enough to ~e substantial Iy evenly and cnnipletely distributed onto the tex-tiles to about 2~ times the dry weight of the textiles and preferably from abou~ 3/4 to about 1~ tim~s the dry w~ight of the ~extiles. These ranges provide the most efficient use of a deter-gent compositionO That is to say, in these ranges, ~or a given quantity of detergent composition, there is the most ssil removal and least soil redqposition. Surprisingly, the addition of more water to-the wash liquor, i.e., diluting the wash liquor, so as to exc~ed this upper limit, results in less soil remov31 from the textiles and more soil redeposition. Also, with this preferred limit, contact dyeing is minimized~ Contac~ dyeing is the trans~er of dye from the surface of one eextile directly to that of another.
These preferred ranges can also vary depending on the nagllre of ~he textiles, 50il types, soil levels, cletergent composition levels and deterg~nt compssition formulations.
THE WASH LIQUOR
The wash liquor contains frorn about 40~ to about 99 . 9~, preferably from about ~596 to about 99 . 5~ and most 'pre~rably from about 959~ to about g8.7~ of water ~nd from about 1,000 ppm to about ~00,000 ppm, preferably from about 5,000 ppm to about ~7 150,000 ppm and most pref~rabiy from about 13,000 ppm to about 50,000 ppm of ~ detergent c~mposition. Wash ~iquor con~entra tions of d~tergen~ composition below about 1,000 ppm result in subs~antially Jess soil removal from the textiles and above 600,000 5 ppm do not provide suMcient additional benefit to jus~ify the addition of more detergent composition. However, in absolu~e terms, the wash liquor should contain from about five grams of detergent compo~ition to aboult 2ao grams per kilogram of wash load. As u~ilized here:in the wash load refers ~o the dry weight 10 of the textiles, unless o~herwise specified. Pre~rabiy, the absolute amount of det~rgent composition in the wash. Iiquor is from about 10 grams~o abou~ ~0 grams per kilogram of wash lo~d.
How2ver, the most pre~erable detergent composition leYels are heavily dependent on the det~rgent composition ~ormulation. It 15 shouid be no~ed that the wash liguor of the presen~ inven~ion is much more conc~ntrated than the wash liquor ut11ized in the eonventional autornatic home~type top loader washing machines~
although simiiar quantities of detergent composition are used.
The detergent composition c~n contain al3 of the standard 20 ingredients of detergent compositions, i.e., detergent surfactants and detergency builders. Suitabie ingredien1:s include those set fiorth in U.S. Patents 3,~36,537, Baskerville et al, February 3, 1976; 3,664,961, Norris, May 23, 1972; 3,919,678, Laughlin et al, December 30, 19750 4,222,905, Cockrell, September 16, 1980; and ~s 4,239,659, Murphy, December 16, 1980~

The wash liquor should preferably contain from about 400 ppm to about 150,000 ppm, more preferably from about 1 ,SOû ppm to about 10~000 ppm of detergent surfactant and, in abso3ute 30 terms, preferably from about 1 gram to about 45 grams per kilogram of wash 7Oad. The wash liquor rhould also contairl preferably from 0 ppm to about 1 Oû ,300 ppm, more preferably from 1,000 ppm to about 50,000 ppm of a detergency builder and, in absolute terms, preferably lFrom about 10 grams to about 50 35 grams per kilogram of washload. It should be noted that ano~her benefit of the concentrated laundering process is that, due to the 9~7 small quantities of water utilized, water hardness control is not as critical as in a convenîional wash process. Suitable detergent surfactants and detergency builders ~or use herein are disclosed in ~he U. S. patents cited immediately hereinbefore. The wash liquor can also con~ain inorganic salts other than detergency builders, enzymes and bleaches. The levei of inorganio salts in the wash liquor Is from about 0 ppm ~o about ~50,000 ppm and preferably from about 11,500 pplT to about 5~,000 ppm. The pre~erred enzymes for use herein are selected fram the group consisting of proteases, amylases and mixtures thereof. The ievel of enzymes pr~sent in the wash liquor is from 0 ppm ~o about

3,000 ppm, pref~rably from. 0 ppm to about 1,5û0 ppm. The level of prol:eases present in the wash liquor is from 0 Anson Units per liter (A.U./L.) to about 1.0 A.U./L. and preferably from 0.03 A.U./L. to about 0.7 A.U./L. The leYel of amylases present in the wash liquor i5 from about 0 Amylase Units/liter o~ wash liquor to about 26,000 Amylase Units/liter of wash liquor and pre~erably from about 200 Amylase Units/liter of wash liquor to about 13,000 Amylase Units/liter of wash liquor wherein Amylase Units are as defined in UoK~ Patent 1,275,301 E~esfiDrges (Published May 24, 1972 ) . Bleach levels in the wash liquor are from 0 ppm ~o a5~out 5 ,oon ppm and preferably from about 500 ppm to about 2,000 ppm. Also, bleaeh levels in the wash liquor are from 0 ppm to about 2 ,000 ppm, preferably from about 20 ppm to about 1,000 ppm and moct preferably from about 50 ppm to about ~50 ppm of available chlorine when a chlorine bleach is utilized and from about 0 ppm to abou~ 1,500 pplr, preferably from about 50 ppm to about 750 ppm .and most preferably from about 100 ppm to about 500 ppm when an oxygen bleaeh is utilized.
Other parameters of the wash liquor are pH, viscosity, oil/water interfacial tension and parti le size. The pH range for the wash liquor is from abou~ 5 to about 12, preferably from abollt 7 to about 10.5 and most preferably from about 9 to- about 3~ 10.5. It has been generally observed that superior cleaning can be achieved in the concentratecl launderirlg process without the use of highly alkaline detergent compositions. The vi5c:osity of the wash liquor can range pref~rably from about the v;scosity of water to about 250 centipoise and more pre~rably from sbout the viscosity of water to abou~ 50 centipoise. Also, i~ is preferred 5 that the oil/water interfacial tension is no greater than about 10 dynes and more pr~ferably no s3rea~er than about 5 dynes and preferably that no solid ingredient is larger than about 50 microns and more prefPrably no larger than abou~ 10 misrons.
Typically, the ~uantity of wash liajuor utilized in the concentrated 10 laundering process when utilized for home-type laundry loads will - range from about 1 liter to abou~ 20 liters and preferably from about 2 liters to abou~ S liters.
The detergent compositions utiliz~d in the ccncentrateci laundering process can be in any form, such as granules, pastes, 15 gels or liquids. Iiowever, based upon ease of prepa-ration of the wash liquor, liquid detergent compositions and rapidiy dissolving granular detergent compositions are desirable.
The conditions anai detergent compositions for the present concentrated launciering process can be miid and safe ~or the mos~
20 delicate ~abrics cleaned by the leas~ experienced consumer without unduly sacrificing cleaning.
WASH LIQUOR APPLICATIC)N 5TEP
The wash liquor for the present proc~ss can be prepared by mixing the detergent composition and wa~er. in the case of 25 granular detergent compositions, the granules must be dissolved and/or dispersed before the resulting wash liquor can be applied to the textiles. In the illustrated embodiment~ such predissolu-tion and/or predispersion occurs by placing a predetermined quantity of granules in wash liquor reservoir 89 which is then 30 filled from the water supply line 80 via control valve 82 and delivery line 96. If a highly concen~rated liquid detergent com position is used, then a flow-throlJgh mlxing cell, e.g., a static mixer, can be used as an alternative to the wash liquor reservoir to mix the detergent composition and water. However, in -ranges 35 of the minimal quantity of water, an appropriate concentrated aqueous liquid detergent composition can be applied "as is" with~
out further dilution.
.

The wash liquor is applied as an aqlueous liquid directly onto the textiles. Preferably, the textiles are dry when the wash liquor is applied. It is also desirable that the application of the wash liquor, especially when ~here is no free wash liquor, is such S that it is substantial Iy eompletely and evenly distributed onto the textiles. That is to say, that if the wash liguor is not evenly distributed over substantially all of the textilQs, then the untreated portions wiil not be eleaned as well and/or those por-tions of the textiles which are treated with more than their pro-10 portionate share of the wash liquor may appear as "ciean" spotsafter the concentrated laundering process has been carried out.
It should be noted that with the larger quantities of wash liquor within the invention it is easier to make such a distribution.
This jc especially true with quantities of wash liquor exceeding lS the absorption capacity of the textiles.
The foregoing detai led description of a preferred rnachine embo~iment to accomplish such an application where there is no free wash liquor will be used in the following discussion.
I n a home-type front loading automatic washing maehine of 20 the type deseribed hereinbefore and illustrated in Figures 1-5, îhe wash liquor is pumped from either the wash liquor reservoir 89 or mixing cell ~not shown) through a delivery line 95 which has a high pressure spray nozzle iûO attached at the end of it.
The nozzle should be situated inside of the machine in such a 25 position so 25 to optimize the even and complete application of the wash liquor onto the textiles. This can be accomplished by attaching the nozzle 100 in the tubular shaped extension 19 of the statiorlary drum 15, as generally shown in Figure 1~ As an option, more than one nozzle can be used. Such multiple nozz!es 30 may be positioned so tl;~ey will e~feetiYely increase the area of the drum that would be sprayed by the nozzles and, ther~fore, ensur~ a more oomplete application of lthe wash liquor onto the textiles. As an alternative to a nozzle, an atomizer (not shown~
can be used. An- atomizer i5 believed to be particutarly desirable 35 when rninimal ~uantities of water are used because the wash liquor mus~ be extremely finely divided ~o ensure uniform distribu~ionO

-- 29 ~
It should be noted that with quantities of wash li~uor exceeding the absorption capacity of the textiles, but within the invention, l~ss sophisticated means may be utilized to ensure good distribu-tion of the wash liquor onto the textiles.
As generatly described in the foregoing apparatus descrip-tion, before the wash liqLJor is pumped through the delivery line 95 and ou~ the nozzle lO0, the movable drum 40 is prefer2bly rotated. The purpose of the rotation is to clear the textiles from ~he center of the drum so that they are not blocking ~he field of spray of the nozzle lO0, ~0 distribute them substantially uniformly along the peripheral wall 4û, ~nd to expose as much of their surf~ce area to the initiai spray as is ~easible. This is pre-f~rably accomplished by initially driving movable drum 40 via concentrically mounted driven puliey 34 at a constant speed which is sufficien~ ~o ~orce the textiles against the peripheral wall 41 of the movable drurn 40 and thereaf~er driving movable drum 40 via eccentrically moun~ed driven pulley 28 at a r~duced varying speed which allows the textiles to tumble continuously through the spray.
The pressure in the delivery line 95 should be high enough to produce a substantially flat ~an-shaped spray of the wash liquor 23~ through the noz~le lO0, said spray preferably covering the entire depth clf the movable drum 40, as generally shown in Figure 3.
This particularly preferred method of wash liquor application pQrmits the textiles to be substantially completely and evenly con-gacte~ by the wash liquor. Thls permits the very ef~ective det~rgent/soil interaction of the concentrated laundering process to occur. Additionally, such a methocl of wash liquor ~pplication is extremely efficient becaus2 when the quantil:y of wash liquor utilized do2s not exc~e~ the a~sorption capacity of the textiles ~ssentially all of the wash liquor is on the textiles.
A benefit of the concentrated laundering process is that effectiv~ el~aning results can be obtained over . a wide range of wash liquor ~emperatures. The temperature of ~he wash iiquor can range from about 2C to about 90C, pre~erably from about 9~7 15C to about 70C and most preferably from about 25C to about 50C. Surprisingly, the eleaning performance achieved at tem-peratures from about 25C to about 50C Is as good as that achieved at temperatures above about 50C. AISD~ such low temperatures are especially sa~e for dyed and/or synthetic tex-tiles. Dye transfer is minimized at such temperature, especially when there is no free wash lic~uor. If it is desired to perform the wash liquor application s~ep at tempera~ures above ambient temperature, either the wash liquor or the incoming water from supply line 80 c~n be heated before the wash liquor is applied to the textiles . I lowever, it j5 pre~erred that the temperature of the textiles not exceed about 7ût:, as this may result in exces-sive wrinkling and shrinkage. Furthermore, temperature-sensi~ive synthe~ic textiies should not be hea~ed above ~heir manufacturer-res:ommended washing temperatures.
APPLICAl!ION OF ENERGY AFTER TEXTILES
HAVE BEEN CONTACTED WITtl WASH LIQUOR
Irt a pre~erred embodiment, energy can be applied to the textiles a~ter they have been sontacted by the wash liquor. It may be in the form of heat energy andtor mechanical energy, albeit they are not completely interchangeable, for a period ranging from about 1 to about 30 minutes, preferably from about 5 to about 15 minutes.
The application of heat energy permits the consumer to obtain excellent bleaching per~ormance from bleaches such 3S
sodium perborate, sodium percarbonate and hydrogen peroxide which are generally more effective at higher ~empera~ures. This is not economical in a conventional home-type automatic wash process due to the cost of heating such large quantities vf wash 3n liquor. Further, since small quantities of water are used in the concentrated laundering process, conventional levels of bleach wlll have a higher ef~ective concentration. This too contributes to the ef~ective and/or efficient use of bleach in the concentrated laundering process.
In a preferred embadiment, heat energy is applied by recir-culating moist air which is heated via heating element 165 to raise ~he ~emperature of the textiles ~o about 60C:, ~he ternpera~ure at which hydrogen peroxide based bleaches become particularly reactive. In addition to the c~osed loop rn~ist air recircula~ion system disclosed in Figure 1, numerous other methods may be 5 used for the application of healt energy. Nonlimiting examples are microwaves, steam and solar energy.
As an alternative ~o ~he ~pplication of heat energy ~o acti-vate the bleach, inorganic peroxide sal~ activators or low tem-perature active bleach~s such as peroxyacids can be used. Such 10 activated bleaches are ef~ective below about 5b :;. Organic pero~ide . salt activators are well known in the art and are described extensively in the li~erature. For example, see U . S.
Patents 4,248,928, âpadini et al, issued Fe~ruary 3, 1981, and

4,220,562, Spadini et al, issued September 12, 1980, Active bleaches such as organic peroxyacids and water soluble salts thereof are well known in the art. For a more del:ailed description of such bleaches see U~st Patents 4,126,573, Johnston, issued November 21, 1978 and 4,100,095, Hutchins et ai, issued June 11, 1978r Other benefits of the application of heat enersy are the assistance in the distribution of wash liquor onto ths textiles and lîpid/oily soil removai. If during the wash liquor application step the wash liquor was not substantial Iy evenly and compietely 2; distributed ~nto the textiles, then the application of heat energy does provide some additional distribution. Also, experimental evidence indicates that heat energy does assist somewhat in the removal of lipid/oily soil. Some other potential benefits ~f the application of heat energy are the effective use of enzymes and 30 the creation of desirable detergent surfactant phases. Different enzymes are most ef~ective 3~ different ternperatures. ThereP~re, the textiles couid be heated through certain temperature ranges to maximize enzyrne effectiveness. However, as discussed herein-be~ore, heat energy does not provide a major performance bene-3s fit, except as discussed hereinbefore with respect to bleaches, tothe concentrated laundering process. It is pre~erred ~hat heat energy be applied such that the t~mperatur~ of the textiles is pref~rably from about 15C to about 70C and more preferably from about 25C to abou~ 5ûC.
The appiication of mechanicai energy provides numerous benefits. Mechanical energy helps to distribute the wash liquor so that it is more evenly and completely dlstribute~l onto the textiles. Thus, if during the wash liquor application step the wash liquor was not substantially evenly and completely distri-bu~ed on~o the ~ax~iles, then the input of mechanical energy will enhance such distribution. Mechanical energy also minimizes the ~eriod of tlme that the same textiles will remain in intimate con-tact with each other. Consequently, contact dyeing is minimi~ed.
Also, it is believed that mechanical energy contributes to improved cleaning efficacy. How~ver, with quantities of wash liquor exceeding the absorption capaeity of the textiles, only a limited amount of mechanic~l energy shou3d be applied in order to prevent oves slJdsing. 13ut, this is dependent on the conc~ntra-tion and nature of the detergent composition in the wash liquor.
In the embodiment illustrated in Figures 1-5, mechanical energy can be applied by con~inuing rotation of the movable drum 40 at the last speed at which the wash liquor was applied. This creates a tumbling act30n by the textiles in movable drum 40 and results in the textiles being mechanically agitatecl.
THE RINSE
After the foregoing steps have been completed, the textiles are rinsed in a rinse l;quor which preferably comprises clear water. Unlike a conventional automatic wash process wherein the goai of th~ rinse is to remove primarily the residual detergent composition, the goal of the present rinse is to remove the entire detergen~ composition and the soil. Thus, the present rinse s~ep simultaneously per~rms the soil and detergent eomposition trans-por~ functions normally performed sequentially in conventional washing and conventional r3nsing steps. 5urprisingly, it has been observed that, during the rinse step, soil redeposition and dye transfer are minimal. Also, it has been observed that the r inse liquor contains stable emulsion particles whereas the rinse ~ .
.

~'bUr~ ~

liquor in a conventional automatic wash process does not contain such emulsion par~icles.
In the preferred launclering apparatus illustra~ed in Figures 1-5, rinse liquor i5 introdus~d to the interior of movable drum 40

5 from water supply line Ro via control valYe 83, delivery line 110 and applicator nozzle 120~ Movable drum 40 i5 preferably ro~ated at varying speed via eccentrically moun~ed driven pulley 28 so that the textiles being rinsed are caused to tumble in a manner similar to the wash liquor application step. For more completg 10 agitation of the articles b~ing rinsed movable drum 40 may be stopped and its direction of rotation revers2d seYeral times thr~u~hout the rinse tycle. After the initial rinse has been complet~d, the rinse liquor is preferably remov@d from movable drum 40 by pumpin~ it out via purnp 140 without accelerating the 15 rotation of ~he movab~e drum. This procedure can be repeated several times until the detergent eomposition and soil are removed. However, the textil~s need not be pun out by high speed rotation o~ movable drum 40 between rinses. This mini-mizes the potential fior wrinl<lins~ if lthe textiles are warm and also 20 minimize~ tlle potential for 50il redeposition due to the rinse water being "filtered" through the tex~iles. If desired, acijuvan~s such as cptical brighteners, fabs~ic so~teners and p~rfumes can be added to the rinse or applied, via the applicator nozzle 120, a~er the last rinse and distributed by tumblingO Bodying agents, 25 such as s~arch, can also be added by spraying after the last rinse. Following the last rinse the textiles can be spun out by high speed ro$ation of movable drum 40.
. An ef~ective rinse can be accomplished in accordance with the present invention with reduced wat~r consumption and, there-30 fiore, if heated water is used, reduced energy consumption. ThealTount of rinse liquor per k~logram of wash load is from about 4 liters to about 32 liters, pre~erably from about 5 liters to about 10 liters per rinse cycle. Rins~ liquor levels below this amount would not produce enough free water on the surface of ~he tex-35 tiles to adequately suspend the soil and detergent composition.Generally more than one rinse cycle is necessary to remove ~ll of ~2~ 7 -- 3~ ~
the soil and detergent composition from the textiles. The use of such small ~uantities of rinse liquor permits ~he consumer to perform an entire laundering cycle of the present invention with about 25 liters or less of wa~er per kilogram of wash load. The 5 rinse liquor temperature i5 from about 75C to about 55C and preferably from about 25C lto about 4~C.
In a particularly pre~erred embodiment of the present inven-tion carried out in the apparatus of Figures 1-5, the complete rinse comprises two or three cycles which can be carri@cl out in 10 either eold or warm clear water. Each cycle can be from about 1 to about 10 minutes with each cycle not necessarily being the same length of time.
In a particularly preferred embodiment of the present inven-tion, the weight of the dry wash load is determined by an auto-15 matic weight sensor lnot shown3 and lthe quantities of washliquor, d@tergent composition, and rinse liquor are automatically regulated thereafter by control means known in the art and therefore not shown.
After the final rinsin~ step the laundered texgiles can, if 20 desired, be dried in the appara~us illustrated in Figures 1-5.
- This is done by positioning diverter valve 168 so that atmospheric air i5 drawn into connecting duct 171 by Iblower 160, heated by heating element 165, circulated through the tumbling textiies contained in the moving drum 4û, withdrawn from drum 40 in a 25 hurnid condition via ~onnecting duct 167 and vented to atrr)osphere via connecting duct 170. Exercising this option enables the consumer to perform the en~ire laundering and drying process in a single apparatus and in continuous ~ashion.
The present concentrated laundering process can be 30 employed to clean up even the dingiest of ~extiles and especiall synthetic textiles in a number of laundering cycles. When an effective bleach i employed, the number of la~lndering cycles re~uired for such purposes is reduced. This is believed to be due to the eomblnation of excellent soil removal and substantial 35 avoidance of excessive dye trans~er and soil redeposi~lonO Also, it has been observed that the present concentrated laundering process extends the useful "life" of textiles. This is believed to be due to the wash liquor 3ubricating the textile fibers.
Another aspect of the present invention is a granular paste, gel or liquid detergent composition packaged in association with S instructions for use in the concentrated laundering process.
When such detergent c~mposition is combined with water it pro-duces from just enough wash liquor to be substantially evenly and completeiy distributed onto a wash load of textiles to about 5 kiio-grams of a wash liquor per kilogram of wash load of textiles, said wash liqusr con~aining from about 10 grams to about 60 grams of the detergent composition per kilogram of wash load of textiles.
~The process of this Invention is primarily directed to house-hold laundry which consists of wash loads essentially made up of textiles, i.e., the process is a small batch process, that typicaily cleans less than about 10 kilograms of soiled textiles which are a mixture of textile types andlor colors. While the present ccncen-trated laundry process has been described in detail in conjunction with a preferred hsme laundering apparatus, it will be appre ciated by those skilled in the art that the process can also be carried out on an industrial scale i~ provision is made fior proper distribution of the wash Jiquor over the textiles and avoidance of appreciable amounts of free wash liquor in eontact with the tex-tiles .
The following examples are illustrative of the invention.
EXAMPLE I
Three sets of polyester and polycotton swatches con~aining the ~ollowing soil types w~re prepared: artificial sebum, triolein, CRlSe:O oil and a mix~ure of inorganic particulate sotl and lipid soil. The three sets of swatches, wit5~ three clean sw~tehes used to measure soil redepo ition, were then sprayed with wash liquor con~aining 1.92 grams of ARIEL 7a commercial detergent composi-tion containing about 10P~ surfactarlt~ about 45~ sodium tripoly-phosphate detergency bullder, a~out 12% sodium perborate bleach, and about 1/4~ of an enzyme composition) in a miniature launder-Tng apparatus which mimics the acti~n of the exemplary iaundering apparatus disclosed in the preferred apparatus description. This * Trademark for a vegetable oil.
** Trademark , ~2~

-- 36 ~
quantity of ARIEL corresponds to about 32 grams of detergent composition per kilogram of wash 3Oad. The movable drum in the minia~ure laundering app~ratus ha~ a nine inch diameter and a nine inch depth. The swatches were then mechanically agitated 5 at room temperature for seven minutes by rotating the movable drum. The swatches were ~hen rinsed in another miniature laundering ~p,oara~us having a six inch diameter and four inch depth movable drum wi~h O 462 liters tap water ~or two minutes .
(The size of the movable drum used for the rinse was selected to 10 be proportional to the textile load ai~hough the size o~ the mov able drum used for the wash liquor application was larger because spray-ori was not ~asible in the small six inch drum. ~ The rinse step was performed three times. Th~ above procedure was repeatsd with wash liquors comprising various quan~îties of water 15 and 1.92 grams of ARIEL. The swatches were then measured to obtain the dif~erence in Hunter Ulhiteness Units Filtered (~HWUF).
This measurement corresponds to the amount of soil removed from the swatches, with the higher number signifying grea~er soil removal. HWUF measurements exclude the ef~ect of brightener, 20 therehy measuring only soil removal. The results were as fol lows:
~HWUF
Weight ratio of wash iquor to swatches ~5 1:1 2.5:1 3.5:1 Artificial sebum polyester9.4 6.9 4.6 Artificial sebum polycotton 20.1 14.7 12.0 CRISCO polyester 6.1 3.7 2.5 C R I S CO polycotton 8 . 7 6 . 2 . 9 Triolein polyester 8 . 9 5 .1 5 . 3 Triolein polycotton 16 . 3 6 . 6 6 . 4 Soiled polyester 27.4 20.5 12.0 Soiled polycotton 33.1 23.8 19.4 Polyester redeposition -9, 0 -11 . 5 -17 . 2 Polycotton redeposition-2.7 -4.0 -7~3 The data indicate that as the quantity of wa~er in the wash liquor i5 inereased above the wash liquor to swatches ratio of about 2.5:1, there is iess soil removal and more soil redeposition.
EXAMPLE I I
A washload was prepared in the minia~ure laundering appara-tus of Example I consis~ing of the following textiles: 20 3~11 x 3~11 white polycotton swatches, 15 4" x 4" white polyester swatches, four 6" x 6" white ~erry clo~h towels. One 6" x 6" red terry cloth towel, which is an excessive dye bleed~r, was used as a dye source~ The dry weight of the texgiles was as ~ollows:
Dry weight of ~ex~iles lGrams) white terri@s 36 1 red terry ~9 15 white polyester swatches 32 . 2 20 white polycotton swatches 26.4 Total 3103.6 The wash liquor was prepared by dissolving 3.3 grams of ARIEL in 200 ml. of tap water. The rnovable drum was ~hen 20 rotate~ and the wash liquor was sprayed onto the textiles until contact dyeing was first visually observed. The weight of the wash liquor absorbed onto the textlles was caiculated. The results were as followso Weight of wet Weight of wash textiles (grams3liquor absorbed hy texti les ~ g rams ) 4 white terries 108.3 72,3 red terry ~27 O 1 ~18 O l 15 white polyes~er swatches 82.2 S0.0 3020 white polycotton swatches 50 . 8 24, 4 Total ~2~.8 ~16502 Then the ratio of the weight of wash liquor absorbed by the textiles to the dry weight of the textiles was calculatedO

9~2~

Ratio of weight o~ wash iiquor absorbed to dry weight of textiles 4 white terries 2.0 1 red terry ~2.0 ~5 whi~e polyester swatches ï.6 2û white polycottons 9 Total ~1.6 These data indicat~ that when excessive dye bleeders are 10 included in a typical wash load, contact dyeing occurs when the weight of the wash liquor exceeds albout 1~ times the total weight of the textiles..
E~XAI~1PLE l l l Two sets of cotton swatches were prepared with each swatch 15 containing On2 of the follnwing four stains: brown gravy, cof~ee, grape and tea. Two sets of polyester and polycotton swatches were prepared with each swatch containing one of the ~ollowing soil types: artiflcial sebum, artificlal s~bum plus particulate soil and triolein. Then 24 dingy swatch~s were prepared in which 20 half were made from a cotton T-shirt and half were made from a polycotton sheet. All of the abov~ swatches were pinn~d to two cotton towels for a combined weight of 1/~ pound~ A 5-l/2 pound "dummy" load consisting of clean temperature-sensitive synthetic textiles and the swatch~s were placed in an appara~us similar to 25 that shown in Figure 1. The te~tiles were then rotated and a wash liquor consisting of 96 ~rams of ARIEL dissolved in 2.84 liters of tap water which was sprayed onto the textiles. The textiles were then rotated at room temperature for 10 minutes and then subsequentOy rinsed in about 20 liters of water. The rinse 30 step was repeated twice. The above procedure was repeated three more times with only the temperature of the wash load during the 10 minute rotation period being varied.
The data were obtained in ~E units and ~HWUF unlts. ~E
units are a measurement of the change in color of tha swatch 35 resulting from the wash cycle. Change in color is proportional to the amount of soil removal, with a higher ~E value corresponding 3g --~o greater 50il removal. The above proc~dure was repea~ed and the average of the results o~ the two replic2tes is as follows:
~E
45* Rm 120 150 180 (Temperature F.) (7.2C)(49C) (65.5~ Z.2l~
Brown gravy 2.2 4.9 4.9 8.6 7.6 Coffee 3.8 5.8 6.5 6.2 6.3 Grape 3.7 6.4 7.9 1û.6 10.6 Tea 2.0 5.5 7.2 8.9 8.4 Artiflcial sebum poiyester . .6.4 13.1 11.4 14.6 12~4 Artifisial sebum polycotton 6 . 5 11 . 2 11 . 01~ . 6 î 0. 3 Triolein polyester 4 . 7 S . 0 7 . 0 6 . 0 7 . 3 Triolein polycotton 6.3 7.6 8.6 7.5 8.5 ~HlIIUF
Soiled polyester 27.3 42.9 43.9 1~4.1 1~0.3 Soi led polycotton 35 . 2 48 . 6 48 . 6 48 . 0 48 . 5 *Same laundry loaci as in ExaJnple V and only one replicate.
The data indicate that the concen~rated laundering process is only slightly temperature dep~ndent. Higher tempera~ures were significant ~or stain removal, but that i5 primarlly due to the bleach in ARIEL which becomes more effec~ive at higher tempera-tures.
It was visually observed that at temperatures of 150~F
(65.5VC~ and 1~0aF (82.2C) that the sensitive synthetic textiles suffered much wrinkling and shr inkage. It is surprising that the leval of cleaning at "cool" temperatures, e.g., less than about ~0 40C~ lc extremely good. Prior to this invention it was beiieved impossible to obtain this level of cleaning at these temperatures.
EXAMPLE IV
Twelve old dingy T-shirts and pillow cases were washed alon~3 with a family bundle according to the same procedure as outlined in Example lll. The temperature oF the wash loacl during the ten minute rotation period was 145F. (62.8C). The ~2~

4~ -T-shirts and pillowcases were used normally in between wash cycles. I lunter Whiteness Units were measured before and a~ter the indioated number of wash cycles to obtain the difference in Hunter Whiteness Units (~HWU). The results were as follows:
5Pillowcase ~HWU No. of wash cycles 26.1 15 2 37.0 16 3 5~.6 6 4 ~5.1 6 51.0 6 49.0 6 7 1309. 7 .-8 12.8 7 9 11.3 3 10.0 3 11 39.6 9 12 q1.6 9 T-shirt ~HWU No. of wash cycles 14.2 17 2 13.9 17 3 34.2 11 4 27.8 11 17.6 . 12

6 17,5 1

7 18.3 15

8 14.2 lS

9 19~5 6 14.9 7 11 î6.3 12 17.5 5 The data indicate that there was considerable soi l removal from the pillowcases and T-shirts and their clean condition was maintained. This level of performance cannot be achieved with a conventional automatic wash proc~ss.

- 4i -EXAMPLE V
A six pound wash load was prepared ~hat ~onsisted of a 5~
pound load of ac~ual household laundry and ~ pound load made up of cotton, poly~ster, polycotton swatches pinned to two cotton 5 towels. Each ootton swatch con~ained one of the following stains:
brown graYy, coffee, grape and ~eaO Each polyester and polycot-ton swatch contained one of the ~ollowing soils: artiflcial sebum, triolein and a mixture of inorganic particulate soil and lipid soil.
The wash load was then washe~ accor~ing ~u ~he sam2 procedure

10 as ouelined in Example lll. The temperature of the wash load during the ten minute rotation period was abou~ 1 45F. (62 . 8C) .
. The above prooedure was rep~ated two more time~ with reduced quantaties of ARIEL.
The above wash procedure was repeated with the following 15 deterslent compositions: TOP (a commercial detergent composition containing en~ymes) and ZAB (a built eommercial detergent com-position containin~ enzymes). This procedure was also repeated with reduced quantities of detergent compositions.
The data were obtained in ~E units and ~HWUF units. The 20 results were as t'ollow5:
~E
ARIEL
~6 118 24 (Grams of detergent) Brown gravy 14.5 7.0 5.0 Coffee 12 O fi 5 . 66 . 2 ~irape 14.8 2.8 5.3 Tea 14.3 5.7 2.5 Artificial sebum polyester 9 . 08 . 0 3 . 9 Artificial sebum polycot~on 8.2 6.9 4.3 Triolein polyester 7. 6 5 . 33 . 8 Triolein polycol:ton 10 . 8 7 . 23 . 7 ~HWUF
Soiled polyester 45.2 17.2 4.0 Soiled polycotton . 51.3 34.8 21.7 * Trademark .

9~

~E
~OP
95 ~8 lCrams of detergent~
Brown gravy 8.8 6.2 Coffee 8.1 5.1 Grape 7.8 2.3 Tea 4.4 2.9 Artificial sebum t~olyester 9.3 5,4 1û Artificial sebum polycot~on10.5 8.2 Trio5ein polyester 5 . 7 4 . o Tri~lein polyco~ton - 10.5 8.2 . - .
~i~lWUF
Soiled polyester 38.3 21.0 Soiled polycotton ~3.7 34.2 ~E
ZAB
~6 48 (Grams 3f detergent composition) .
Brown gravy 9.6 6.1 ~::offee 8 . 4 5 . 3 Grape 5.8 2.t Tea 5.2 2.7 Artificial sebum polyester 6.2 4.0 Artificial sebum polycotton 7.7 4.2 Triolein polyester 8 . 3 4 .1 Triolein polycotton 10.2 6.7 ~HWU F
Soiled polyester 34.7 19.B
Soiled polycotton 41.3 30.9 The data indicate that as the quantity of detergent in the wash liquor is reduced, the amount of soil removal from the swatches was also reduced.
~XAMPLE Vl 3s The foltowing typical granular detergent composition was prepa red:

Sodium C~6 18 alkyl sui~ate 5,5 Sodium C12 linear alkylbenzene sul~onate 3.5 C1 4-1 ~ a l ky l polyethoxy late 5 . 5 Sodium tripolyphosphate 24.1l ~eolite A 17,6 Sodium carbonate 1005 Sodium silicate ~2.û r) 1.9 Sodium sul~ate 21.0 Water 8.9 Miscellaneous 1.2 Two sets of poiye5ter and polycotton swatches containing the following soil types were prepared: artificial sebum, triolein, CRISC:0 oil, beef ta310w and a mixture of inorganic particulate soil 15 and lipid soil. The two sets of swatches, with two clean poly-ester swatches and two clean polycotton swatches used to measure soil redeposition, and 14 polyester and 15 polycotton clea swatches which constitute a ~Idummy~ load were then placad in a miniature launderins apparatus which mimics the action of the 2û ~xemplary laundering apparatus disclosed in the pre~erred appar-atus description. The swatches were then sprayed with wash liquor containing 2.29 grams ~f the above granular detergent composition. The quantity of wash liquor corresponded to about twice the dry weight of ail of the swatches and the quantity of 25 detergent ccmposition corresponded ~o about 17.6 grams per kilogram of swatches. The movable drum in the miniature laun-dering apparatus had 3 nine ;nch diameter and a nine inch depth, The swatches were then mechanically agitated at room temperature for ten minutes by rotating the movable drum. The swatches 30 were then rinsed in one liter of tap water for ~wo ~inutes and then dried in a convsntional automatic dryer. This procedure was repeated three times. The ~HWUF was calculated.
The above procedure was repeated with increased quantities of wash liquor, but constant wash liquor concentration~ How-35 ever, with weight ratios of wash liquor to swatches of S and 7,the movabie drum was rotated gently during the ten minute ~2~ 7 -- 44. --mechanical agitation period so as to prevent oversutising. The results were as follows:
Weight ~atis of Wash Llquor to Dry Swatches ~HWUF Eireakout*
Artiflcial sebum polyester 2 15 . 51 B C
3 14.24 16.93 A B
7 17.47 Artifi~iai sebum polycotton 2 12 . 42 B
. . . 3 12.97 B
- 5 - 16.22 7 18.07 A
CRISCO polyester 2 8.53 3 6.52 A
8.01 A
7 9.48 A
::RISCO polycotton 2 10.70 B
3 1~.36 3 13.94 A
7 15.57 A
Triolein poiyester 2 12.41 B
3 13.G8 1 S .58 A
7 14.34 A B
Triolein poiycotton 2 13 . 02 B
3 13.24 B
16.48 A
7 1B.30 A
Beef tallow polyester 2 10.84 B
3 10.99 B
14.12 A
7 . 15.02 A

. . .

Beef tallow polycotton 2 9.~
9 . 77 E3 s 13099 A
7 15.31 A
S Soiled polyester 2 24.43 B
3 25 . 40 B
S 28.51 A
7 29. 99 A
Soiled polycotton 2 29.83 B
3 32.25 A B
5 35 . 97 A

Polyester redepositisn 2 -1.2~ B
3 -1 . 35 E3 .49 A
7 ~92 P~
Polycotton redeposi~ion 2 -1 . 99 E3 3 -1 . 97 E~
S - .~3 7 -1 . 09 A B
*The Breakout was determined by an analy~is of variance with the letters A, B and C representing a significant difference at a 95% conridence level. For exampie, with the artificial sebum polyest~r swatches there was a significant difference between the weight ratios of 2 and 7, 3 and 5, 3 and 7, b~Jt no signiflcant difference between weight ratios of 2 and 3, 2 and 5 and 5 and 7.
These data indicate that as the weight ratis is increased from 5 to 7 there is no signi~icant increase in soil removal, albeit 40% more ~etergent composition is applied to the swatches. Also~
th~re appears to be not much increase in soil removal as the weight ratio is increased from 2 to 3 and, then, to 5 in view of the quantity of the increase of detergent composition applied to the textlles, YJhile particular embodime~ts of the present invention have been illustrated and described, it will be obvious to those skilled 9~7 in the art that various modifications can be made without depar~-ing from the spirit and scope of the inven~ion. For example, the wash liquor can be applied to the t~xtiles by a brush, rollers, a wash liquor permeable structure mounted on the inner surface of 5 the movable drum to allow contact of the textiles with the wash liquor that passes through the permeable structure, a sravity feed system which allows the wash liquor to drop onto the moving t~xtîles, or any other means ~Nhich applies the required amount of wash liquor evenly and completely ~o the textiles; other detergent 10 compositions can be substltuted for the specific det~rgent com-positions ~escribed herein, rtc.
Another aspect of this invention is that the concentrated laundering process permits the effective use of detergent composi-tions comprisin~ bleaches and enzymes at levels in such detergent 15 compositions that would provide essentially no benefit when such deter~ent compositions are utilized at normal usage levels in eonventional automatic wash processes. "Normal usage levels in conventional automatic processes" are generally (a) the use of 96 grams of detergent composition in 64 liters of water at 40C for 20 the United States of America; (b) the use of 146 grams of deter-gent composition in 20 liters of water at 75C for Europe: and (c) the use of 40 grams of detergent composition in 30 liters of water at 25C for Japan.
The bleaches that can be utilized in the detergent somposi-25 tions are peroxygen bleaching compounds capable of yieldinghydrogen peroxide in an aqueous 501ution. Thece compounds are well known in the art and include hydrogen peroxide and the a.kali metal peroxides, organir peroxide bleaching c:ompounds such as urea peroxide, and inorganic persalt bleaching compounds, 30 such as the alkali metal perborates, percarbonates, perphos-phates, and the like. Mixtures of two or more such bleaching compounds can also b~ used, if desired. Pre~erred peroxygen bleaching compounds include sodium perborate, commercially available in the ~orm of mono- and tetrahydratesi sodium carbon-35 ate peroxyhydrate, sodium pyrophosphate peroxyhydrate, ureaperoxyhydrate, and sodium peroxide. The level of such bleaches ~2~

-- 1~7 --in the detergent compositions is from 0,01~ to about 0.5~ and pre~erably from about û.l~ to about 0.5% ~f available oxygenO
Other blezches that can be utilized are activated bleaches uch as peracids or peroxygen bleaching compounds capable of 5 yielding hydrogen peroxide in an aqu~ous solution plu5 a bleach activator that can rPact to generate a peracid. Such peracids and bleach activators are well known in the art. For exampie, see U.S. Patents 4,126,573, Johnston (Nvvember 21, 1978) and 4,100,095, Hutchins et al tJune 11, 1978) which deal with per-acids and U.S. Patents 4,248,928, Spadini et al ~February 3 1981) and 4,220,562, Spadini et al (Sep~emb~r 12, 19801, which deal with bleach aetivators. The preferred peracid is . m~gnesium monoperoxy ph~halate hexahydxa~e asdisclosed in published European Paten~ Application No.
0,027,693. The det~rgent compositions can contain from about û.03~ to about 0.3% and preferably from ~bout 0.1% to about 0.2596 of available oxygen that can potentially be generated by peracid.
As another alternative, the detergent compositions can contain a ehlorine bleach. Chlorine bleaches are w~ll known in the art. The preferred chlorine bleach i5 sodium dichlorocyanur-ate dihydrate. Other suitable chlorine bleaches are sodium and potassium dichlorocyanurates, diehlorocyanuric acid; 1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethyl hydantoin; N,N'-dichlorobenzoylene urea; paratoluene sul~ondichloroamide; trichloromelamine; N-chloroamnleline;
N-chlorosuccinimide; N, N'-dichloroazodicarbonamide; N-chloro-acetyl urea; N,N'-dichlorobiuret; chlorinated dicyandiamide;
sodium hypochlorite; calcium hypochlorite; and lithium hypo-chlorite. The detergent compositions contain from about 0 . 03% to about 1.2% and preferably frorn about 0.196 to about 0.6~ of avail-able chlorine.
The enzymes ~hat can be utilized in the detergen~ composi-tions are protease, emylases and mixtures thereof. The level of proteases present in the detergent composition is from about 0 . 01 Anson Units (A.U.) per 100 grams to about 0.27 A.U. per 100 grams and preferably from about 0.06 A.U.p~r 100 grams to about 0.25 A.U. per 100 grams. The level of amylase present in the -- ~8 --detergent composition is frQm about 150 Amylase Units per 100 grams of detergent composition to abau~ 24,000 Amylase Llnits per 100 grams of detergent composition and preferably from about 1200 Amylase lJnits per 100 grams of detergent composition to about 6000 Amylase Units per 1û0 grams of detergent composi~ion.
Amylase Units are defined in U. K . Patent 1 ,275 ,3~1 Desforges (published May 24, 1972)o The concentrated laundering process also permits the effec-tive use of novel detergent compositions comprising other desir-able auxiliary ingredients at levels ~hat would provide essentially no eonsumer noticeable benefit at normal usage levels in conven-tional automatic wash processes. Such ingredients include o~?tioal brighteners, soil release agents, antis~atic agents, ~yes, per-fumes, pH adjusting agents, detergency builders, antibact2riai agents, antifungal agents, antitarnish and anticorrosion agents, etc. Preferably, tilese ingredients are used at levels in a deter-g~nt composltion that provide no corlsumer noticeable benefit when the detergent cornposition is used in conventional automatic home-type washing machine processes at normal usage levels.
A "consumer noticeable benefit" is based upon a reprecenta-tive number of consumers, the benefit bein~ such that it can be recognized by a majority of the consumers at the 95% confidence level. More preferably these ingredients are used at less than 3/4 of the level at which a consumer benefit is seen, mo5t pref-erably at less than 1/2 of said level.
I$ Is intended to cover in the appended claims all such modifications that are within the scope of this invention.

Claims

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:
1. A process for laundering a discrete wash load of assorted soiled textiles comprising the steps of:
a) producing a quantity of concentrated aqueous wash liquor comprising from about 40% to about 99.9%
water and from about 1000 ppm to about 600,000 ppm of a detergent composition;
b) . distributing substantially evenly and completely onto said textiles in their substantially dry state a quantity of said wash liquor ranging from about just enough to distribute said wash liquor substantially evenly and completely onto said textiles to a quantity of said wash liquor which is about 5 times the dry weight of the textiles, said wash liquor containing from about 5 grams to about 200 grains of said detergent composition per kilogram of said textiles;
c) allowing said wash liquor to remain in contact with said soiled textiles for a period of time during which, if there is more than a minimal amount of free liquor in excess of the absorption capacity of said textile only limited amounts of mechanical energy are applied to said textile so as to prevent oversudsing;
d) rinsing said textiles with a quantity of an aqueous liquid, rinse liquor sufficient to produce enough free water on the surface of said textiles to adequately suspend the soil and the detergent composition and e) separating said rinse liquor containing said wash liquor and said soil from said textiles.
2. The process of claim 1 wherein said quantity of said wash liquor is from about just enough to distribute said wash liquor substantially evenly and completely onto said textiles to a quantity wherein there is at most minimal amounts of said wash liquor in excess of the absorption capacity of said textiles.
3. The process of claim 2 wherein said guantity of said wash liquor is from about just enough to distribute said wash liquor substantially evenly and completely onto said textiles to about 2-1/2 times the dry weight of said textiles and said distribution is by non-immersing means.
4. The process of claim 3 wherein said quantity of said wash liquor is from about 3/4 to about 1-1/2 times the dry weight of said textiles.
5. The process of claim 3 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, contains from about 400 ppm to about 150,000 ppm of a detergent surfactant.
6. The process of claim 5 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, contains from about 1,500 ppm to about 10,000 ppm of said detergent surfactant and from about 1,000 ppm to about 50,000 ppm of a detergency builder.
7. The process of claim 6 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, contains from 1 gram to about 45 grams per kilogram of said wash load of said detergent surfactant and from about 10 grams to about 50 grams per kilogram of said wash load of said detergency builder; the temperature of said wash liquor is from about 25°C to about 50°C;
the textiles are tumbled in a rotating horizontal drum while said wash liquor is being distributed thereon using a spray which is created using one or more spray nozzles; said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon are heated to a temperature of from about 25°C
to about 15°C, while said textiles are tumbled in a rotating horizontal drum for from about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes; and then said textiles are rinsed in from about 2 to about 3 cycles with said rinse liquor comprising from about 5 to about 10 liters of water per kilogram of said textiles per rinse and said rinse liquor is from about 25°C to about 45°C.
8. The process of claim 6 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, contains from about 1 gram to about 45 grams per kilogram of said wash load of said detergent surfactant and from about 10 grams to about 50 grams per kilogram of said wash load of said detergency builder.
9. The process of claim 8 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, further comprises from about 500 ppm to about 2,000 ppm of a bleach material which is most effective above about 55°C
and the temperature of said textiles with the wash liquor distributed thereon is at least about 60°C.
The process of claim 8 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition further comprises from about 500 ppm to about 2,000 ppm of an activated bleach or bleach effective below about 50°C
and wherein the temperature of said textiles with the wash liquor distributed thereon is from about 25°C to about 50°C.
11. The process of claim 8 wherein said wash liquor, provided by said detergent composition, further comprises from about 0 to about 1,500 ppm of an enzyme selected from the group consisting of proteases, amylases, lipases and mixtures thereof.
12. The process of claim 3 wherein the temperature of said wash liquor is from about 2°C to about 90°C.
13. The process of claim 12 wherein the temperature of said wash liquor is from about 15°C to about 70°C.
14. The process of claim 13 wherein the temperature of said wash liquor is from about 25°C to about 50°C.
15. The process of claim 3 wherein said wash liquor is distributed onto said textiles using a spray.
16. The process of claim 15 wherein said textiles are tumbled in a rotating horizontal drum while said wash liquor is being distributed thereon.
17. The process of claim 15 wherein said spray is atomized.
18. The process of claim 15 wherein said spray is created using one or more spray nozzles.
19. The process of claim 3 wherein said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon remain in that state for from about 1 minute to about 30 minutes before said textiles are rinsed.
20. The process of claim 19 wherein said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon remain in that state for from about 5 minutes to about 15 minutes.
21. The process of claim 20 wherein said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon are tumbled in a rotating horizontal drum.
22. The process of claim 21 wherein said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon are heated while being tumbled to a temperature of from about 15°C to about 70°C.
23. The process of claim 22 wherein said textiles with said wash liquor distributed thereon are heated while being tumbled to a temperature of from about 25°C to about 50°C.
24. The process of claim 23 wherein said textiles are rinsed with said rinse liquor comprising from about 4 to about 32 liters of water per kilogram of said textiles per rinse.
25. The process of claim 24 wherein said textiles are rinsed with said rinse liquor comprising from about 5 to about 10 liters of water per kilogram of said textiles per rinse.

26. The process of claim 25 wherein said textiles are rinsed in from about 2 to about 3 cycles.
27. The process of claim 24 wherein the temperature of said rinse liquor is from about 15°C to about 55°C.
28. The process of claim 27 wherein the temperature of said rinse liquor is from about 25°C to about 45°C.
29. The process of claim 1 wherein said quantity of said wash liquor is from minimal amounts of said wash liquor in excess of the absorption capacity of said textiles to a quantity about 5 times the dry weight of said textiles and, at most, only limited amounts of mechanical energy are applied to said textiles so as to prevent oversudsing.