Portable Overnight Degreasing System and Method of Use

Abstract

The invention relates to a portable overnight degreasing system and a method of use. The invention includes a portable soak tank with a disposable liner bag liner that is placed within the interior of the soak tank. The liner bag is then filled with a cleaning solution and soiled items are lowered into the bag liner upon removable grates. The soiled items remain within the locked soak tank overnight or until grease and carbon falls off of the soiled items. An optional heater and/or pump may be used within the soak tank to increase the speed of degreasing. The soak tank also includes a slanted floor that funnels fluid from the interior of the soak tank into a pipe that connects to a valve on the front wall of the soak tank. Fluid is removed from the system through the valve and then the empty liner bag is disposed.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A portable degreasing system comprising:
 A soak tank comprising four adjacent walls, wherein the adjacent walls are each perpendicular to one another,   a slanted floor in the interior of the soak tank for urging solutions towards an opening in the central portion of the slanted floor,   a removable, disposable bag liner disposed within the interior of the soak tank during use, wherein the bag liner extends from the open end to the floor of the soak tank,   a removable grate disposed within the soak tank, wherein the grate is held steady by a catch during use,   a valve mechanism for starting and stopping the flow of fluid from interior of the soak tank to the exterior,   a pipe connecting the opening to the central portion of the slanted floor to the valve mechanism,   a lockable lid for enclosing the interior of the soak tank during use, and   a cleaning solution for removing carbon and grease from equipment placed in the soak tank.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the soak tank further comprises a plurality of caster wheels attached to a lower end of the closed end of the soak tank, wherein the caster wheels swivel 360 degrees. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the plurality of caster wheels is four or six wheels. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the caster wheels are about 8 inches in size to allow the system to roll over bumps and cracks. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the slanted floor of the interior of the soak tank is slanted towards the center of the interior of the soak tank at a 3 degree downgrade from each of the four walls, respectively, thereby forcing the fluid to flow towards the opening. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the removable, disposable bag liner is 4 mils thick to provide durability and flexibility simultaneously. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the removable, disposable bag liner is constructed of at least one of a durable plastic, rubber or composite, wherein the material does not deteriorate when in contact with cleaning solutions. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the grate includes handles or indentations graspable by the user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the grate comprises two coplanar grates within the soak tank during use. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the valve mechanism further comprises a drain disposed on a front wall of the soak tank. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the valve mechanism comprises at least one of a knife gate, a ball valve, a butterfly valve, or a disk valve. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the front wall is slanted so that that the outer face is directed substantially downward to allow complete drainage from the interior of the soak tank. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pipe is constructed of one of metal, polypropylene, or PVC. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the lid comprises vents in the lid for exhausting fumes and pressure from the interior of the soak tank. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the lid comprises a gasket around the inner perimeter of the lid for forming a seal with the exterior of the soak tank. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprises a connection between the removable, disposable liner bag and the opening in the central portion of the slanted floor, wherein the connection is one of a fabricated plug with an aperture there through or a male-female press fit connection. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a heating and/or pump element. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a storage compartment between the slanted floor and a closed end of the soak tank, wherein the storage compartment includes a lockable hinged door. 
     
     
         19 . A method of using a degreasing system comprising:
 Removing a grate from the interior of the soak tank,   installing the removable, disposable bag liner within the interior of soak tank,   replacing the grate after installing the removable, disposable bag liner,   securing the grate along the catches,   placing soiled items upon the grate,
 filling the soak tank with a warm water until the soiled items are submerged, but not beyond the fill line, 
   donning protective gear from the storage compartment,   adding the degreasing product to the water,   closing and locking the lid upon the soak tank,
 degreasing for at least 8 hours, or activating heating element and degreasing for 6 hours, 
   opening lid and removing grates,   rinsing items with hot water,   adding neutralizing agent to cleaning solution,
 attaching hose to valve mechanism and draining used solution from the removable, disposable bag.