Apparatus and method for controlling the use of carbon dioxide in dry cleaning clothes

• US 5,970,554 A
• Filed: 08/28/1998
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Snap-Tite Technologies, Inc. (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Snap-Tite Technologies, Inc. (Parker-Hannifin Corporation)
• Inventors: Shore, Stephen H., Rosio, Larry R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US09/143,397
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 8/142, 8/158, 68/18 C, 68/18 F, 68/18 R, 73/295
• US Class Current: 8/158
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/00 Dry-cleaning apparatus or methods using volatile solvents D06F9/00 - D06F41/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: D06F 43/081 Reclaiming or recovering the solvent from a mixture of solvent and contaminants, e.g. by distilling
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/22 by measuring physical variables, other than linear dimensions, pressure or weight, dependent on the level to be measured, e.g. by difference of heat transfer of steam or water involving the use of floats G01F23/30
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/248 Constructional details; Mounting of probes

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling the use of carbon dioxide in drying cleaning clothes, garments and other fabrics is disclosed and claimed. The components of the invention include a distillation vessel, a compressor, a warm-up vessel, a cleaning chamber, a condenser, and a carbon dioxide storage tank. A programmable logic controller is utilized to control the apparatus. Several modes of use are disclosed. One mode, the reclaim mode, enables the efficient operation of the apparatus. As the name implies the reclaim mode recovers most of the carbon dioxide gas remaining in the cleaning chamber is removed therefrom. There are three steps of the reclaim mode: in the first steps the compressor pumps the gaseous carbon dioxide in two parallel stages from the cleaning chamber to the condenser where heat is removed therefrom and it is liquified; in the second step the compressor pumps the gaseous carbon dioxide through the warm-up vessel and back to the cleaning chamber thus preventing the formation of solid carbon dioxide (dry ice) on the clothes, garments or fabrics in the cleaning chamber; and, in the third step two stages of compression are utilized to remove as much of the gaseous carbon dioxide as possible from the cleaning chamber and pump it to the condenser. The carbon dioxide used in the apparatus is cleaned, in part, by a distillation vessel. Heated thermocouples are used to detect the level of liquid carbon dioxide in the storage tank and the distillation vessel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning clothes, garments or fabrics using liquid carbon dioxide comprising:

a cleaning chamber for soaking and agitating said clothes, garments or fabrics in liquid carbon dioxide;

a storage tank for storing liquid and gaseous carbon dioxide;

a compressor;

a condenser;

a pump;

and, a warm up vessel;

a first valve residing in a first line communicating between said cleaning chamber and said compressor;

a second valve residing in a second line communicating between said warm-up vessel and said cleaning chamber;

said compressor having a first stage and a second stage;

said first stage of the compressor having a first stage input and a first stage output and said second stage of the compressor having a second stage input and a second stage output;

a third valve residing in a third line interconnecting said first output of said compressor and said second output of said compressor;

a fourth valve residing in a fourth line interconnecting the first output of said compressor with the second stage input of the compressor;

a fifth valve in a fifth line interconnecting the compressor with said condenser;

a sixth line interconnecting the condenser with said storage tank; and

,

a pump residing in a seventh line interconnecting the storage tank and said cleaning chamber.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a filter interconnected between said cleaning chamber and said condenser.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a lint trap interconnected between said cleaning chamber and said condenser.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for removing an additive from said liquid carbon dioxide.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4 wherein said additive is an emulsifier.

6. An apparatus for reclaiming gaseous carbon dioxide from a cleaning chamber employing carbon dioxide to launder clothes, garments or fabrics comprising:

a compressor;

a condenser;

a storage tank;

said compressor compressing said gaseous carbon dioxide;

said condenser condensing said compressed gaseous carbon dioxide; and

,

said storage tank storing said carbon dioxide.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6 further including a warm-up vessel, said warm-up vessel in combination with said compressor recirculating said compressed gaseous carbon dioxide to said cleaning chamber.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said compressor is a two stage compressor.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7 wherein said compressor is a dual single stage compressor.

10. A process for reclaiming gaseous carbon dioxide from a cleaning chamber employing carbon dioxide to launder clothes, garments or fabrics, utilizing a compressor, condenser and storage tank, comprising the steps of:

compressing said gaseous carbon dioxide;

condensing said gaseous carbon dioxide into liquid carbon dioxide; and

, storing said liquid carbon dioxide in a storage tank.

11. A process for reclaiming gaseous carbon dioxide as claimed in claim 10 further utilizing a warm-up vessel and further comprising the steps of:

recirculating a portion of said compressed carbon dioxide through said warm-up vessel and to said cleaning chamber whereby said carbon dioxide is heated preventing the formation of solid carbon dioxide on said clothes, garments and fabrics.

12. An apparatus for cleaning the liquid carbon dioxide used in laundering clothes, garments and fabrics comprising;

a storage tank and a distillation vessel;

a compressor and a condenser;

said distillation vessel includes a heater for boiling said liquid carbon dioxide;

said compressor removing and compressing gaseous carbon dioxide from said distillation vessel;

said condenser condensing said compressed gaseous carbon dioxide into liquid carbon dioxide; and

,

said storage tank storing said liquid carbon dioxide.

13. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further comprising a valve controlling flow of liquid carbon dioxide to said distillation vessel.

14. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a valve controlling flow of gaseous carbon dioxide between said distillation vessel and said compressor.

15. An apparatus as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a valve controlling flow of compressed gaseous carbon dioxide between said compressor and said condenser.

16. An apparatus as claimed in claim 12 further comprising valve means for:

controlling flow of liquid carbon dioxide to said distillation vessel;

controlling flow of gaseous carbon dioxide between said distillation vessel and said compressor; and

,

controlling flow of compressed gaseous carbon dioxide between said compressor and said condenser.

17. A process for cleaning carbon dioxide used in a process employing a storage tank, a distillation vessel, a compressor, and a condenser to clean clothes, garments and fabrics comprising the steps of:

filling a distillation vessel with liquid carbon dioxide from a storage tank until a predetermined high level in said distillation vessel is reached;

heating and boiling said liquid carbon dioxide in said distillation vessel to generate gaseous carbon dioxide;

removing said gaseous carbon dioxide from said distillation vessel and compressing said gaseous carbon dioxide with said compressor;

condensing said gaseous carbon dioxide in said condenser into liquid carbon dioxide; and

,

returning said liquid carbon dioxide to said storage tank.

18. A process as claimed in claim 17 wherein said step of heating and boiling said liquid carbon dioxide in said distillation vessel to generate gaseous carbon dioxide lowers said liquid level in said distillation vessel until a predetermined low level in said distillation vessel is reached initiating said filling of said distillation vessel.