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US 5,240,507 AGranted
Cleaning method and system
OwnerDonald J. Gray, Peter T. E. Gebhardinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A closed circuit solvent cleaning method and system in which the object to be cleaned is placed in a chamber and subjected to a negative gauge pressure to remove air and other non-condensible gases, after which a solvent is introduced to the evacuated chamber and the object is cleaned. Following this, the solvent is recovered from the object and chamber and then the clean object is removed.
Claims20
A closed circuit solvent cleaning method comprising the steps of:
- placing the object to be cleaned in a chamber;
- subjecting the chamber to a negative gauge pressure to remove air and other non-condensible gases;
- introducing a solvent to the evacuated chamber;
- cleaning the object while maintaining an airless environment within the chamber;
- recovering and processing the solvent from the object and chamber within the closed circuit for preventing emissions to the environment;
- and
- removing the cleaned object.
4 more elements
A method of cleaning objects in a closed circuit solvent cleaning system including a solvent supply system in sealable communication with a cleaning chamber comprising:
- sealing said solvent supply system with respect to said chamber;
- opening said chamber to the atmosphere and placing an object to be cleaned in said chamber;
- evacuating said chamber to remove air and other non-condensable gases;
- sealing said chamber with respect to the atmosphere;
- opening said chamber with respect to said solvent supply system and introducing a solvent into the evacuated chamber;
- cleaning the object while maintaining an airless environment within the chamber;
- recovering and processing the solvent introduced into the chamber within the closed circuit solvent cleaning system;
- sealing said chamber with respect to said solvent supply system;
- and
- opening said chamber and removing the cleaned object.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.