Dry cleaning system and method having steam injection
OwnerKyong S. Shim, Sun J. Hwanginventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A dry cleaning system and method includes having a rotatable basket therein for receiving to-be-cleaned clothing articles. A fluid circulating system provides for the circulation filtering and cleaning of dry cleaning solvent through the cleaning basket and clothes therein. An air circulating system includes a motor driven fan together with a solvent recovery station utilized to pass heated air through the basket and clothing therein to extract the solvent therefrom. A steam injection system is periodically operated during the drying and reduction portions of the dry cleaning cycle to improve the efficiency of solvent recovery and increase the effectiveness of the dry cleaning system.
Claims13
A dry cleaning system for use in dry cleaning cloth articles, said dry cleaning system comprising:
- a cloth article drum having a movable basket therein;
- solvent circulation means for circulating a solvent through said drum;
- air circulation means for circulating air through said drum;
- and
- steam injection means for intermittently injecting steam into said drum at predetermined times when said air circulation means is operating.
A method of dry cleaning cloth articles comprising the steps of:
- circulating a cleaning solvent through said cloth articles;
- agitating or tumbling said cloth articles in said circulating solvent;
- extracting said solvent by spin extraction;
- drying said cloth articles by circulating heated air therethrough;
- injecting steam into said circulating air proximate said cloth articles during said drying step;
- cooling said heated air to condense solvent and water vapors during said drying step;
- and
- reducing the temperature of said circulating air and cloth articles following said drying step.
A dry cleaning system for cloth articles comprising:
- means for circulating a cleaning solvent through said cloth articles;
- means for agitating or tumbling said cloth articles in said circulating solvent;
- means for extracting said solvent by spin extraction;
- means for drying said cloth articles by circulating heated air therethrough;
- means for injecting steam into said circulating air proximate said cloth articles during operation of said means for drying;
- means for cooling said heated air to condense solvent and water vapors during operation of said means for drying;
- and
- means for reducing the temperature of said circulating air and cloth articles following operation of said means for drying.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.