Back to results
US 5,689,848 AGranted
Method and apparatus for dry cleaning textiles
AssigneeSatec Ltd.
InventorsHans-Udo Saal, Ralf Mathias Saal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The invention relates to a method of dry cleaning textiles which are washed with solvent and dried by hot air, the solvent being recovered after condensation, the invention being characterised in that the solvent concentration is measured at the point where it is highest and temperature is measured, both being measured continuously throughout the whole of the drying process and the values are processed in a computer, and the concentration in the supply of hot air is controlled as a function of the relationship of concentration, acting as the pilot value, to temperature along a characteristic.
Claims20
Method for dry cleaning textiles comprising the steps of:
- washing said textiles with a solvent;
- drying said textiles using hot air;
- continuously measuring throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, a concentration level of said solvent;
- measuring continuously throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, a temperature of said drying hot air;
- processing in a computer said measured concentration level of said solvent and said measured temperature of said drying hot air;
- continuously controlling throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, based upon said computer processing of said concentration level and said temperature, said temperature level of said drying hot air, said continuous controlling being a function of a relationship between said concentration level, acting as a pilot value, and temperature along a characteristic and to be not more than a predetermined highest temperature;
- controlling continuously throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles said concentration level of said solvent, said controlling continuously being a function of said relationship between said concentration level, acting as said pilot value, and said temperature along said characteristic and to be not more than a predetermined highest concentration level;
- and
- recovering said solvent after condensation.
6 more elements
Apparatus for cleaning textiles with a solvent comprising:
- a washing and drying drum;
- means for introducing said solvent into said washing and drying drum;
- a heating system and means for supplying hot air for drying said textiles in said washing and drying drum;
- a condenser for condensing said solvent during said drying of said textiles;
- means for continuously measuring throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, a concentration level of said solvent, said means for continuously measuring said concentration level, positioned at an exit from said washing and drying drum;
- means for measuring continuously throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, a temperature of said drying hot air, said means for measuring continuously said temperature, positioned at said exit from said washing and drying drum;
- means for processing, in a programmable logic computer, said measured concentration level of said solvent and said measured temperature of said drying hot air, said programmable logic computer internal to said apparatus (PLC) to supply preprogrammed signals to act as control signals for the supply of heat;
- means for continuously controlling throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, based upon said computer processing of said measured concentration level and said measured temperature, said temperature level of said drying hot air, said continuous controlling being a function of a relationship between said concentration level, acting as a pilot value, and temperature along a characteristic and to be not more than a predetermined highest temperature;
- means for controlling continuously throughout the whole of said drying of said textiles, based upon said computer processing of said measured concentration level and said measured temperature, said concentration level of said solvent, said controlling continuously being a function of said relationship between said concentration level, acting as said pilot value, and said temperature along said characteristic and to be not more than a predetermined highest concentration level;
- and
- means for recovering said solvent after condensation.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.