Micro-porous fabric
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The fabric can be made of such microbial adsorbing materials as polymides, polyesters, copolymers or blends. Although a microbial barrier, it still allows the passage of water vapor. The material is made up of fibers, which can be adapted to filter specific viruses, bacteria and cysts. Micro-porous passageways within the fibers allow the material to breathe. Microbes attempting to pass through the passageway are also forced to pass through the microbial adsorbent material, trapping microorganisms.
Patent number: 6,034,010
Date Granted: March 7, 2000
Inventor: William Francis Cartwright and Carol Ann Blaney, Kimberly-Clark Worldwide Inc. (Neenah, WI)
Multi-purpose wringer
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The adjustable wringer can squeegee a variety of mops, wipes, sponges and other items used for sanitizing cleanrooms. The wringer has two stainless steel side plates, which form a rigid and stable frame around the portion where cleaning items are wrung. Each side plate has a slot, which together accommodate a lever outfitted with connecting rod and a handle. The wringer also has a crank with a handle and a rotating crankshaft that extends from one side plate to the other. A lint-free, polyester material cradles the cleaning item and is attached to one end of the rod and the other end of the crankshaft. Once an item is placed in the wringer, the rod may be moved adjacent to the crankshaft. The crank handle may then be rotated to tighten the flexible web around the item, wringing it out. The wringer may additionally include low-friction bushings to replace the lubricating oils and greases typically found in wringers, making the wringer suitable for sterilization in an autoclave.
Patent number: Re. 36,599
Date granted: March 7, 2000
Inventor: Joselito De Guzman, Micronova Manufacturing Inc. (Torrance, CA)
Dust-proof clothing construction
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The material is constructed so that the inside of the clothing will catch dust, while the strong outside layer does not allow particles to attach, making it resistant. It can be worn in cleanrooms of the semiconductor, sealed equipment, medical, pharmaceutical and food processing industries. Compared to the inside surface, the outside surface has fewer dust-catching spaces. The inside surface has more exposed curved fibers than linear fibers. In turn, the outside surface has more linear fibers exposed than curved fibers.
Patent number: 6,034,007
Date granted: March 7, 2000
Inventor: Yukihiro Tominaga, Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. (Tokyo)
Hand-washing method and apparatus
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The method and instrument that actually “dirties the hands” before a thorough washing can be used in the food, health care and cleanroom industries, according to the inventor. It contains a flushing system, much like those found in toilets, and can be manually operated through finger guides and a door handle or with a mechanism that detects hands, ultimately activating it. The instrument applies an identifiable, non-toxic, soluble marking solution. Soap or another sanitizing agent is then applied, forcing the person to wash thoroughly, even between fingers, before the flush or rinse cycle.
Patent number: 6,031,461
Date granted: February 29, 2000
Inventor: John M. Lynn (Austin, TX)
Pleated filter
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The filter is suitable for air filtration and heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems. The interconnected pleats form an array of openings facing the upstream side of the filter assembly when subjected to fluid pressure during use. In addition, the preferred filter media also includes an array of pockets located behind each of the points where the pleats are connected. By connecting the pleats to form openings and pockets during use, the filter assemblies provide a structure that deforms in a predetermined, acceptable manner without the need for external support structure to support the pleats.
Patent number: 6,036,752
Date granted: March 14, 2000
Inventor: Robert J. Reuter, 3M Innovative Properties Co. (St. Paul, MN)
Splash-proof drain
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The drain system can be used in cleanrooms where semiconductors are manufactured. The drain line, for example, may be mechanically coupled to a washing machine drum and may undergo limited movement during operation. The system includes a conduit and a splash plate and provides mechanical isolation between the moveable drain line and the fixed conduit. The splash plate allows limited movement between the drain line and the conduit and provides a substantially splatter-proof connection between the drain line and the conduit. The conduit has an axis aligned with an axis of the drain line, and has an end with an opening larger than an outer dimension of the drain line. A lip surrounds the opening in the end of the conduit. The splash plate has a planar bottom surface and a hole extending through splash plate to receive the drain line. The end of the drain line extends through the hole in the splash plate and into the conduit opening, and the bottom surface of the splash plate makes continuous contact with the conduit lip.
Patent number: 6,035,671
Date granted: March 14, 2000
Inventor: Robert L. Woods, Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (Sunnyvale, CA)
Send your inventions
Information on the patents highlighted above was obtained through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Inventors who have been granted patents within the last six months for new cleanroom and contamination technology are encouraged to submit them to CleanRooms magazine for publication. Send a brief description of the invention along with a detailed drawing to Mark A. DeSorbo, associate editor, CleanRooms, 98 Spit Brook Road, Nashua, NH 03062, or e-mail at [email protected].