Spent solvent recovery in circuit processing
First Claim
1. A method of removing solvent from a manufacturing system during processing, comprising the steps of:
- connecting a substantially fluid tight chamber to said manufacturing system, said chamber having input means for receiving air laden with solvent from the system, exhaust means for removing cleaned air from the chamber, and a fluid output port disposed on a sidewall of said chamber adjacent a bottom portion thereof through which spent solvent is transferred out of said chamber;
connecting an inverted U-shaped tubing member on one end to said output port;
positioning a second end of said tubing member adjacent the chamber bottom;
extending said tubing upward away from said output port and then downward toward said chamber a bottom in a generally inverted U configuration within said housing interior;
applying a negative pressure to said exhaust means so as to draw solvent laden air into said housing and reduced solvent content air out of said chamber; and
providing a predetermined minimum volume of solvent within said chamber so as to maintain a predetermined minimum pressure barrier between said applied negative pressure and pressure exterior of said chamber to which said tubing member is connected.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides an apparatus and method for removing spent solvent from manufacturing apparatus during operation. The apparatus uses a collection housing having input, exhaust, and output ports with U-shaped output transfer tubing positioned inside the housing and connected on one end to the output port. The output tubing arches upward inside the housing and has a tapered opening positioned near the bottom of the housing. Negative pressure is applied to the exhaust port to move cleaned air out of the housing and solvent laden air into the housing through the input port. Solvent precipitates from the air and collects as a liquid in the housing until the liquid level rises above the arched bottom of the transfer tubing. At this point, the solvent flows through the tubing and the output port, and out of the housing under the influence of gravity at atmospheric pressure. In further embodiments, a liquid level indicator using translucent is secured between a pair of access ports extending outward from a sidewall of the housing.
31 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method of removing solvent from a manufacturing system during processing, comprising the steps of:
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connecting a substantially fluid tight chamber to said manufacturing system, said chamber having input means for receiving air laden with solvent from the system, exhaust means for removing cleaned air from the chamber, and a fluid output port disposed on a sidewall of said chamber adjacent a bottom portion thereof through which spent solvent is transferred out of said chamber; connecting an inverted U-shaped tubing member on one end to said output port; positioning a second end of said tubing member adjacent the chamber bottom; extending said tubing upward away from said output port and then downward toward said chamber a bottom in a generally inverted U configuration within said housing interior; applying a negative pressure to said exhaust means so as to draw solvent laden air into said housing and reduced solvent content air out of said chamber; and providing a predetermined minimum volume of solvent within said chamber so as to maintain a predetermined minimum pressure barrier between said applied negative pressure and pressure exterior of said chamber to which said tubing member is connected. - View Dependent Claims (2, 14, 15)
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3. Apparatus for recovering solvent from a manufacturing process comprising:
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a collection housing having a substantially fluid tight interior volume; input means connected to said housing for receiving air laden with solvent from said process; exhaust means connected to said housing for removing cleaned air from said housing; at least one fluid output port disposed on a sidewall of said housing adjacent a bottom portion thereof for transferring collected solvent out of the interior of said housing; and an arcuate tubing member positioned within said housing interior, having an opening on a first end connected to said output port and an opening on a second end extending downward toward a housing bottom region, said tubing member having a central portion that extends upward in a generally inverted U shape from and between said first and second ends. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification