Claims
- 1. A system for cleaning objects with liquid solvent comprising:
a) a cleaning chamber containing the objects; b) a storage tank containing a supply of the liquid solvent with a head space there above and having a liquid side that is selectively in communication with said cleaning chamber; and c) a compressor selectively in circuit between said cleaning chamber and the head space of said storage tank, said compressor pressurizing said storage tank with gas from said cleaning chamber so that solvent is delivered from the liquid side of said storage tank to said cleaning chamber.
- 2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a means for agitating the objects in the cleaning chamber.
- 3. The system of claim 2 wherein the means for agitating the objects includes a basket rotatably mounted within said cleaning chamber and containing the objects.
- 4. The system of claim 1 wherein the means for agitating includes nozzles in circuit between the liquid side of the storage tank and the cleaning chamber.
- 5. The system of claim 1:
further comprising a still containing contaminated liquid solvent with a head space there above; and wherein said compressor is selectively in circuit between the head space of said still and said cleaning chamber, said compressor pressurizing said cleaning chamber with gas from said still so that the contaminated liquid solvent in said still is vaporized and solvent vapor produced thereby is transferred to said cleaning chamber.
- 6. The system of claim 1 further comprising a still containing contaminated liquid solvent with a head space there above, the head space of said still selectively communicating with and pressurizing said cleaning chamber with gas from said still so that the contaminated liquid solvent in said still is vaporized and solvent vapor produced thereby is transferred to said cleaning chamber.
- 7. The system of claim 6 further comprising means for heating said still.
- 8. The system of claim 1:
further comprising a still; and wherein said cleaning chamber contains liquid solvent with a head space there above and includes a liquid side that is selectively in communication with said still and said compressor is selectively in circuit between said still and the head space of said cleaning chamber, said compressor pressurizing said cleaning chamber with gas from the still so that liquid solvent flows from the liquid side of said cleaning chamber to said still.
- 9. The system of claim 1 further comprising a transfer tank containing an additional supply of liquid solvent, said transfer tank selectively communicating with said cleaning chamber so that additional solvent may be added to the system.
- 10. The system of claim 1:
wherein said cleaning chamber contains liquid solvent with a head space there above and includes a liquid side; and further comprising a filter selectively in circuit between the liquid side of said cleaning chamber and said storage tank and said compressor selectively in circuit between said storage tank and the head space of said cleaning chamber, said compressor pressurizing said cleaning chamber with gas from said storage tank so that solvent is delivered from the liquid side of the cleaning chamber through the filter to the storage tank.
- 11. The system of claim 10:
wherein said filter includes an outlet side; and further comprising a dispenser containing a supply of an additive, said dispenser in communication with the outlet side of said filter so that the additive is injected into filtered liquid solvent exiting the outlet side of the filter.
- 12. The system of claim 10:
wherein said filter includes an inlet side; and further comprising a still and means for selectively placing the still in communication with the inlet side of the filter so that liquid solvent from the cleaning chamber may be selectively directed to the still without filtration.
- 13. The system of claim 10 further comprising a pressure relief valve positioned in circuit between the filter and the storage tank, said pressure relief valve opening to permit solvent to flow to the storage if pressure within the filter exceeds a predetermined value.
- 14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a pressure relief valve positioned in circuit between the cleaning chamber and the storage tank, said pressure relief valve opening to permit solvent to flow to the storage if pressure within the cleaning chamber exceeds a predetermined value.
- 15. The system of claim 1 further comprising:
d) a still positioned within said storage tank, said still selectively communicating with said cleaning chamber so as to receive liquid solvent therefrom; and e) means for depressurizing said still so that liquid solvent therein boils.
- 16. The system of claim 15:
further comprising a cylindrical shroud partially surrounding said still so that an annular space is defined between the still and the shroud; and wherein said compressor is selectively in circuit between the cleaning chamber and a bottom of said shroud so that gas from the cleaning chamber is directed into the annular space so that the still is warmed to improve boiling of the liquid solvent therein.
- 17. A system for filtering liquid solvent contained in a cleaning chamber with a head space there above and where the cleaning chamber includes a liquid side comprising:
a) an eductor having a gas inlet, a liquid inlet and an outlet; b) a filter having an inlet side and an outlet side; and c) a compressor selectively in circuit between the head space of said cleaning chamber and the gas inlet of said eductor so that solvent gas is withdrawn from said cleaning chamber and directed to said eductor; d) the liquid side of said cleaning chamber in communication with a liquid inlet of said eductor so that liquid solvent from the cleaning chamber is transferred to said eductor and combined with the solvent gas from the cleaning chamber so that a stream of solvent fluid exits the outlet of the eductor; and e) the outlet of said eductor in communication with the inlet side of said filter and the outlet side of said filter in communication with the cleaning chamber so that the stream of solvent fluid from the outlet of the eductor passes through the filter and then to the cleaning chamber.
- 18. A system for warming liquid solvent contained in a cleaning chamber comprising:
a) a storage tank containing an additional supply of liquid solvent with a head space there above; and b) a compressor selectively in circuit between the head space of the storage tank and the cleaning chamber, said compressor withdrawing gas from the storage tank and directing it to the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent in the storage tank boils and warm vapor produced thereby is transferred to the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent therein is warmed.
- 19. A system for warming liquid solvent contained in a cleaning chamber with a head space there above and where the cleaning chamber includes a liquid side comprising:
a) a compressor including a suction side in communication with the head space of the cleaning chamber and a discharge side in communication with the liquid side of the cleaning chamber so that solvent gas is with withdrawn from the head space of the cleaning chamber and provided to the liquid side of the cleaning chamber; b) a flow restrictor selectively in circuit between the head space of the cleaning chamber and the suction side of the compressor, said flow restrictor causing solvent gas passing through the compressor to be heated so that warmed solvent gas is provided to the liquid side of the cleaning chamber.
- 20. The system of claim 19 further comprising a heat exchanger in circuit between the flow restrictor and the suction side of the compressor so that solvent gas traveling to the compressor is warmed.
- 21. The system of claim 19 wherein said flow restrictor is an orifice.
- 22. A method for cleaning objects in a cleaning chamber with liquid solvent supplied by a storage tank having a head space above the liquid solvent and a liquid side comprising the steps of:
a) connecting the cleaning chamber and the head space of the storage tank; b) connecting the liquid side of the storage tank to the cleaning chamber; and c) pressurizing the head space of the storage tank with gas from the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent flows from the liquid side of the storage tank to the cleaning chamber.
- 23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of agitating the objects in the cleaning chamber.
- 24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of pressurizing the cleaning chamber to an intermediate pressure above atmospheric pressure but below that of the storage tank prior to step c) to avoid thermal shock during the filling of the chamber.
- 25. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:
d) providing a still; e) connecting the still to the cleaning chamber; f) draining liquid solvent from the cleaning chamber to the still so that the still contains liquid solvent with a head space there above; g) connecting the head space of the still and the cleaning chamber; and h) transferring gas from the head space of said still to the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent in the still boils and vapor produced thereby is transferred to the cleaning chamber.
- 26. The method of claim 25 wherein step f) includes the substeps of connecting a head space of the cleaning chamber to the still, connecting a liquid side of the cleaning chamber to the still and pressurizing the head space of the cleaning chamber with gas from the still so that liquid from the liquid side of the cleaning chamber is forced into the still.
- 27. The method of claim 25 further comprising the step of heating the still.
- 28. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:
d) connecting the head space of the storage tank to the cleaning chamber; and e) withdrawing gas from the head space of the storage tank and transferring it to the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent in the storage tank boils and vapor produced thereby is transferred to the cleaning chamber so that liquid solvent in the cleaning chamber is warmed.
- 29. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:
d) providing a filter; e) withdrawing liquid solvent from the cleaning chamber; f) directing the withdrawn liquid solvent through the filter; and g) returning the filtered liquid solvent to the cleaning chamber.
- 30. The method of claim 22 further comprising the steps of:
d) withdrawing solvent gas from a head space of the cleaning chamber; e) warming the solvent gas; and f) returning the warmed solvent gas to the cleaning chamber so that the liquid solvent therein is warmed.
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/313,426, filed May 17, 1999, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/979,060, filed Nov. 26, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,737.
Continuation in Parts (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09313426 |
May 1999 |
US |
Child |
09835168 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
Parent |
08979060 |
Nov 1997 |
US |
Child |
09313426 |
May 1999 |
US |