Ecolab USA Inc.

Jeremy B Finison

Eric Richard Balz

Sarah Elise Gilbertson

Eric R Gingras

Scott Latimer

Dan Anderson

Eric R Balz

Sarah Gilbertson

Eric Gingras

Katherine J Molinaro

Daniel Davis Anderson

Manish Kumar Singh

Karen Rigley

Stephen Todd Smith

Yogesh Bhole

Daniel Meier

Thomas John Vinson

Amber C Spolarich

Morgan G Wanless

Daniel L Moran

An automated robotic food handling or preparation apparatus includes one or more food contact surfaces and an antimicrobial lighting fixture. The antimicrobial lighting fixture includes an enclosure forming a sanitization chamber and one or more antimicrobial lighting elements, wherein each element emits light at a wavelength, irradiance, and direction sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms on a target surface(s) within the sanitization chamber. The automated food handling apparatus subjects itself to an antimicrobial lighting treatment within the sanitization chamber upon detection of one or more conditions. The systems and/or methods of the present disclosure may sanitize food contact surfaces of automated robotic food equipment and help reduce the frequency at which such food contact surfaces need to be manually sanitized to keep microbial growth below acceptable levels.

Automated sanitization of robotic food equipment using antimicrobial light

A tool assembly includes an elongated handle and a locking system for attaching a tool head to the handle. The tool head can be a floor care tool or other accessory that can be attached to the handle such that the elongated length of the handle can aid in the use of the tool attached. The locking system includes a keyed locking collar for engaging at least a first portion of the tool head, and a locking cap rotatably positioned on the handle for engaging a second portion of the tool head. The handle can be extendable, such as by telescoping, and can also be overmolded.

Tool assembly comprising universal handle and interchangeable tool heads

A floor cleaning system may include a docking station to which an autonomous floor cleaning machine can dock between cleaning operations. The docking station can provide power to the autonomous floor cleaning machine to recharge the batteries of the machine when not in use. The docking station may also supply fresh cleaning fluid to the floor cleaning machine and remove collected waste from the machine. In practice, the floor cleaning machine may itself become dirty over repeated use, such as when cleaning greasy floor surfaces. Accordingly, the docking station may include flushing orifices to clean the floor cleaning machine itself, such as with a degreasing composition.

Docking station with undercarriage cleaning functionality for floor cleaning machine

Nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs) have been used as surfactants in a wide variety of household products and industrial applications. Despite their effectiveness as surfactants, NPEs can accumulate in the environment and adversely affect aquatic organisms. The dispersants of the present disclosure can be used to disperse oil and/or microbes while avoiding the adverse effects of NPEs. Oil and microbial fouling is of particular concern in refinery cooling towers where the water may be contaminated with oil and microbial growth can cause cooling inefficiencies among other problems. The dispersant may include an oil dispersant comprising a C-Calcohol ethoxylate, a bio-dispersant comprising a copolymer of ethylene oxide and propylene oxide, and 2-butoxyethanol. The oil dispersant, the bio-dispersant, and the 2-butoxyethanol form a dispersant solution, and the solution does not include a nonylphenol ethoxylate.

Nonylphenol ethoxylate-free oil dispersant formulation

Dispensing systems utilize shaped cartridges to dispense one or more different types of chemical product concentrates. The chemical product concentrates may include, for example, tablets, capsules, encapsulated pellets or loose powders, or any other unit dose form factor. The chemical product concentrates may also include loose pellets or loose powders, or any other form of chemical product concentrate. The chemical product concentrates are dispensed from a plurality of shaped dispensing cartridges having different geometrically shaped cross-sections. Each cross-sectional shape may correspond to a different type of chemical product concentrate. Dispensing units include one or more shaped receptacles, each having a different geometrically shaped cross-section sized to receive a geometrically compatible one of the shaped dispensing cartridges. The dispensing units may further include shaped dispensing fitments sized to receive a geometrically compatible neck of a product container.

Shaped cartridge dispensing systems

Cleaner compositions, methods of making cleaners, and methods of use are disclosed. Disclosed is a method of formulating a ready-to-use degreaser composition that has extended to infinite cling time. The method of making the cleaner results in thickened compositions that are capable of removing from vertical and inverted surfaces fresh, greasy and baked-on soils encountered in the food industry. The compositions include one or more alkalinity sources, one or more chelants, one or more surfactants, one or more thickening agents, one or more solvents, one or more buffers, and as a remainder, water. Compositions prepared according to the method of the invention are substantially free of phosphorous and have a low caustic content making them user friendly, having a lower pH than commercially available cleaners. Yet the cleaners prepared according to the method of the invention are surprisingly effective at removing tenacious baked-on soils encountered in the food service industry.

Ready to use thickened degreaser and associated methods

Growing community of inventors

Saint Paul, MN, United States of America

Jeremy B Finison