ASSISTING HEAT EXCHANGER AND DIRECT TEMPERATURE RISE/LOWERING DEVICE OF ULTRA-LOW LIQUOR RATIOR DYEING MACHINE

Abstract

An ultra-low liquor ratio fabric dyeing machine includes an assisting heat exchanger and a direct temperature rise/lowering device. The assisting heat exchanger or multiple ones of the assisting heat exchanger are additionally included in the dyeing machine. The assisting heat exchanger includes an external pipe that is mounted to a pump pipe of a pump at an inlet port, an outlet port, or both inlet and outlet ports thereof and is mounted with inlet and outlet openings for steam and cooling water in order to serve as an external casing that houses the pump pipe, while the pump pipe serves as a heat exchange pipe of the heat exchanger. The direct temperature rise/lowering device is mounted to a dyeing bath of the dyeing machine to directly introduce steam or cold water therein for quickly increasing or decreasing the temperature of the dyeing bath.

Description

(a) TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an assisting heat exchanger and a direct temperature rise/lowering device for use with an ultra-low liquor ratio dyeing machine, and in particular to an assisting heat exchanger that is additionally installed in a dyeing machine without increase of liquid or water consumption (liquor ratio) such that the assisting heat exchanger that is structured to use a pumping pipe as a heat exchange pipe serve as an auxiliary or secondary heat exchanger of the dyeing machine. In addition, the present invention also provides a direct temperature rise/lowing device that is mounted to a predetermined location in the dyeing machine so that in conducting a washing operation of a dyeing bath of the dyeing machine, steam may be fast introduced therein to fast increase the temperature of water used to wash a dying bath and in an attempt to lower down the temperature of the dyeing bath, cold water is fast introduced to cause a quick drop of the temperature of the dyeing bath so as to provide an assisting temperature rise/lowering device for washing the dyeing bath of the dyeing machine.

(b) DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

A conventional ultra-low liquor ratio dyeing machine is often installed with a small-sized heat exchanger due to low liquor ratio and small liquid amount used, in order to reduce the amount of water consumed. However, temperature rise or lowering is often slow when fast increase or decrease of temperature (such as for washing a dyeing bath) is needed and this would affect the efficiency of operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an assisting heat exchanger that helps increases the rate of increasing/decreasing a temperature of a dyeing machine and improves operation efficiency but does not requires an increase of the amount of water (liquor ratio) used. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a direct temperature rise/lowering device that assists the performance of a heat exchanger to achieve fast increase or decrease of a temperature of water that is used to wash a dyeing bath of a dyeing machine in order to shorten the time period required for washing the dyeing bath.

The feature of the present invention is that an external pipe is additionally mounted to an inlet port or an outlet port or both inlet and outlet ports of a pump of an ultra-low liquid ratio dyeing machine and is mounted with inlet and outlet openings for seam and cooling water so that additionally mounted external pipe may be structured as a housing of a heat exchanger to function as a typical heat exchanger to increase the rate of increasing or decreasing a temperature but without increasing the amount of water (liquor) used in the dyeing machine.

In this way, an existing pump pipe can be used as a heat exchange pipe of a heat changer to form a typical heat exchanger that might serve as an auxiliary or secondary heat exchanger, and additionally, a direct temperature rise/lowering device may be mounted in a dyeing bath of a dyeing machine at a predetermined location so that steam may be directly introduced into a dyeing bath in washing the dyeing bath in order to directly heat washing water so that the cleaning liquid can be quickly increased of the temperature thereof to improve washing performance and shorten washing time, and cold water may be alternatively introduced in an attempt to lower down the temperature of the dyeing bath so that quick lowering of temperature of the dyeing bath may be achieved.

The foregoing objectives and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a structure of a dyeing machine according to an embodiment the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

As shown in FIG. 1, the present invention provides an assisting heat exchanger and a direct temperature rise/lowering device for an ultra-low liquor ratio dyeing machine that comprises a machine body 1 and a dyeing tube 8 arranged above the machine body 1 to allow fabric to move therethrough. The dyeing tube 8 is provided therein with a fabric seam detectors 5 that is set at a predetermined location to detect a leading edger or seam of the fabric. The machine body 1 is provided, in an interior space thereof, with a nozzle 4 and a fabric guide roller 3 arranged at an upper portion of a front end thereof. The machine body 1 is provided with a liquid storage tank 6 that is mounted to a bottom of the machine body at a rear end thereof. The liquid storage tank 6 is provided with a primary heat exchanger 12 arranged therein. In an alternative arrangement, the primary heat exchanger 12 may be mounted to a pipe 9 for circulation of dye. The liquid storage tank 6 is connected, at a bottom thereof, through a pipe 13 to a pump 7. The pump 7 has an inlet port and an outlet port and an external pipe 101 is additionally mounted to encompass the pipe 9 at the inlet port or the outlet port of the pump and comprises a steam inlet opening 113, a cooling water inlet opening 114, and a cooling water outlet opening 115 mounted thereto. The additionally mounted external pipe 101 may serve as a housing or external casing of a heat exchanger to help increase the rate of increasing or decreasing a temperature but does not require an increase of the amount of water (liquor ratio) consumed by or involved in the operation of the dyeing machine. In this way, the pipe 9 of the pump 7 may serve as a heat exchange pipe of the heat exchanger to thereby form a typical heat exchanger, which functions as an assisting heat exchanger 10. Preferably, valves for controlling ingress and egress of steam and cooling water for the assisting heat exchanger 10 are shared with the primary heat exchanger 12 of the dyeing machine in order to simplify the overall structure and save cost. Further, the present invention also involves a direct temperature rise/lowering device 11 that is mounted in a dyeing bath 1-1 inside the machine body 1 at a predetermined location. When washing the dyeing bath 1-1 is required, steam may be introduced through a steam pipe 111 to cause a direct temperature rise of washing water so that the temperature of the washing water may be quickly increased thereby shortening the washing time. When temperature drop is required form the dyeing bath 1-1, cold water may be introduced through a cold water pipe 112 so that the temperature the dyeing bath 1-1 can be lowered down quickly.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. An assisting heat exchanger and direct temperature rise/lower device used in combination with an ultra-low liquor ratio fabric dyeing machine, comprising an external pipe that is mounted to a pipe at an inlet port, an outlet port, or both the inlet and outlet ports of a pump of the dyeing machine, such that the external pipe houses the pipe to serve as an external casing of a heat exchange device and the pipe that is housed functions as a heat exchange pipe of the heat exchange device that forms a heat exchanger operable to selectively increase or decrease a temperature without increase amount of water consumed in the dyeing machine, a direct temperature rise/lowering device being additionally included and mounted to a dyeing bath of the dyeing machine at a predetermined location to quickly increase or decrease a temperature of the dyeing bath.

2. The assisting heat exchanger and direct temperature rise/lower device according to claim 1, wherein the assisting heat exchanger or the direct temperature rise/lowering device is installed individually.