# US 5,706,841 A · Arrangement for cleaning automatically heat-exchanging passageways, particularly tool-coolant passageways > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,706,841 A - Document ID: US5706841A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/464,860 - Filed: 1995-07-11 - Granted: 1998-01-13 - Earliest claimed: 1993-01-13 - Assignees: Lars Werre - Inventors: Lars Werre; Johan Adler - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5706841A ## CPC - B08B 9/0325: {Control mechanisms therefor} - F28G 9/00: Cleaning by flushing or washing, e.g. with chemical solvents (appliances using jets of fluid for removing debris F28G1/16, F28G3/16) - B08B: CLEANING IN GENERAL; PREVENTION OF FOULING IN GENERAL - F28G: CLEANING OF INTERNAL OR EXTERNAL SURFACES OF HEAT-EXCHANGE OR HEAT-TRANSFER CONDUITS, e.g. WATER TUBES OR BOILERS (cleaning pipes or tubes in general B08B9/02; devices or arrangements for removing water, minerals, or sludge from boilers while the boiler is in operation, or which remain in position while the boiler is in operation, or are specifically adapted to boilers without any other utility F22B37/48; removal or treatment of combustion products or combustion residues F23J; removing ice from heat-exchange apparatus F28F17/00) ## Abstract The present invention relates to an arrangement for automatically cleaning heat-exchanging passageways, particularly the coolant passageways of tools. According to the invention, the arrangement includes an outlet line (1), an inlet line (2) and connections for connecting the outlet line and the inlet line to a respective inlet and outlet of the passageway or passageways to be cleaned; a liquid tank (3); a pump and associated lines (4, 6, 7) for filling the tank with cleaning liquid or with rinsing liquid; a pump and associated lines (6, 1, 2, 3, 5) for circulating liquid from the tank in a closed circuit through the passageway or passageways to be cleaned; and a microprocessor for performing automatically the operations of filling the tank with cleaning liquid, circulating cleaning liquid through the heat-exchanging passageway or passageways, emptying the tank of cleaning liquid, filling the tank with rinsing liquid and circulating the rinsing liquid in the heat-exchanging passageway or passageways, and emptying the tank and the heat-exchanging passageway or passageways of rinsing liquid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 Apparatus for automatically cleaning heat-exchanging passageways, such as the coolant passageways of tools, said apparatus comprising: a liquid tank; conduit means for selectively filling the tank with one of a cleaning liquid and a rinsing liquid, the conduit means including an inlet line extending from the apparatus and adapted to be connected with one of an inlet for heat exchange fluid and an outlet for heat exchange fluid, and an outlet line extending from the apparatus and adapted to be connected with the other of the inlet for heat exchange fluid and the outlet for heat exchange fluid; means for circulating liquid from the tank in a closed circuit through a passageway to be cleaned; and control means for automatically controlling the operations of filling the tank with cleaning liquid, circulating cleaning liquid through the passageway to be cleaned and into the tank, emptying the tank of cleaning liquid, filling the tank with rinsing liquid and circulating said liquid in the passageway to be cleaned and into the tank, and emptying the rinsing liquid from the tank and the passageway to be cleaned, wherein two liquid level sensors are mounted at different levels in the tank in order to control the filling and emptying of the liquid tank. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, including heating means mounted in the tank for heating liquid contained in the tank. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for filling the tank with rinsing liquid includes a rinsing liquid supply line connected to a water supply line, and a flow control valve positioned in the rinsing liquid supply line. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein an outlet line from the tank includes a Ph filter. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the means for circulating liquid from the tank includes a pump which functions to pump liquid from the tank in a closed circuit through the passageway to be cleaned that is connected to the apparatus. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein a compressed airline is connected to the suction side of the pump, and a flow control valve is positioned in the compressed air line. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) Apparatus according to claim 6, including a container for corrosion-inhibiting liquid, wherein a line extending from the container is connected to the suction side of the pump, and wherein a return line that extends from the container is connected to the inlet line of the apparatus. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control means includes a microprocessor.