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US 5,702,535 AGranted
Dry cleaning and degreasing system
AssigneeGebhard-Gray Associates
InventorsDonald J. Gray, Peter T. E. Gebhard, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Clothes are dry cleaned by placing the clothes in a tumbler/dryer, sealing the tumbler/dryer, applying a negative gauge pressure to the tumbler/dryer, providing solvent to the tumbler/dryer, activating the tumbler/dryer to dry clean the clothes, removing the solvent from the tumbler/dryer, and simultaneously throttling hot solvent vapor into the tumbler/dryer while removing vapor from the tumbler/dryer in order to dry the clothes.
Claims24
A method for cleaning an object, comprising:
- placing the object in a sealed chamber;
- applying a negative gauge pressure to the chamber by removing substantially all air from the chamber;
- introducing a solvent into the chamber after applying the negative gauge pressure;
- cleaning the object while maintaining the negative gauge pressure within the chamber;
- recovering the solvent from the object in the chamber while maintaining the negative gauge pressure within the chamber;
- and
- processing and cleaning contaminated solvent within a closed circuit that includes the chamber, whereby the solvent is recovered with a minimum of expense and effort since the solvent is not mixed with air.
4 more elements
A method of dry cleaning clothes, comprising:
- placing the clothes in a tumbler/dryer;
- sealing the tumbler/dryer;
- applying a negative gauge pressure to the tumbler/dryer by removing substantially all air from the tumbler/dryer;
- providing solvent to the tumbler/dryer after applying the negative gauge pressure;
- activating the tumbler/dryer to dry clean the clothes while maintaining the negative gauge pressure;
- removing the solvent from the tumbler/dryer while maintaining the negative gauge pressure;
- and
- simultaneously throttling hot solvent vapor into the tumbler/dryer while removing vapor from the tumbler/dryer while maintaining the negative gauge pressure in order to dry the clothes.
5 more elements
A method for cleaning an object, comprising:
- placing the object in a sealed chamber;
- applying a negative gauge pressure to the chamber;
- introducing a solvent into the chamber after applying the negative gauge pressure;
- cleaning the object while maintaining the negative gauge pressure within the chamber;
- recovering the solvent from the object in the chamber while maintaining the negative gauge pressure;
- and
- processing and cleaning contaminated solvent by directly transferring solvent vapors from the chamber to a holding tank and by distilling contaminated solvent liquid into the holding tank, whereby the solvent is recovered with a minimum of effort and expense since the solvent is not mixed with air.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.