US 5,205,303 AGranted

Liquid cleaning process and apparatus for circuit boards and the like

AssigneeElectrovert Ltd.

InventorJohn Gileta

Life of this patent

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Abstract

In a liquid cleaning process and apparatus where work pieces such as printed circuit boards are cleaned in an isolated enclosure, there is provided an inert gas purging system within the enclosure and a recycling condenser within the isolated enclosure to recycle all vapors from cleaning tanks within the enclosure. The apparatus has a cleaning tank and a water tank, an isolated enclosure extends between the tanks and has liquid seal dividers that extend down into the tanks. The work pieces pass on a conveyor through the cleaning tank, under a first divider, and into the enclosure where cleaning occurs. The work pieces then pass through the water tank under the second divider. A condenser is positioned above the isolated enclosure which condenses vapors rising from the enclosure and the condensate is recirculated to the cleaning tank and the water tank.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A closed system liquid cleaning apparatus for cleaning workpieces on a conveyor comprising:

a cleaning tank at the system entrance for containing a liquid cleaning agent,
a water tank at the system exit for holding water,
an enclosure means isolated from the atmosphere extending between a first liquid seal divider extending into the liquid in the cleaning tank and a second liquid seal divider extending into the water in the water tank,
a conveyor means adapted to carry work pieces thereon into and through the cleaning liquid in the cleaning tank and under the first liquid seal divider into and through the free space in the isolated enclosure means in which the cleaning liquid on the work pieces vaporizes and out of the isolated enclosure means into and through the water in the water tank and under the second liquid seal divider and out of the water tank,
means for supplying an inert gas purge to the isolated enclosure means, and
condenser means communicating with the interior of said isolated enclosure means and the portion of said cleaning tank and said water tank between said first and second liquid seal means and adapted to condense the cleaning liquid and water vapors within the isolated enclosure means and recirculate the condensate to the cleaning tank and the water tank.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 07/624,199Filed 6 Dec 1990
Granted: 27 Apr 1993
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

H05K 3/26
Secondary treatment of printed circuits: cleaning or polishing of the conductive pattern
B08B 3/041
Cleaning involving contact with liquid: cleaning travelling work
B08B 15/02
Preventing escape of dirt or fumes from the area where they are produced; Collecting or removing dirt or fumes from that area: using chambers or…
H05K 2203/0743
Methods for applying liquids, e.g. spraying: mechanical agitation of fluid, e.g. during cleaning of the conductive pattern