JPH0696076B2 - Dry cleaner - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application The present invention relates to a dry cleaner.

(B) Conventional technology Conventionally, a dry cleaner for cleaning clothes by supplying a solvent into a cleaning chamber is disclosed in Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 1-49515 (D06F43 / 0).
It is known as shown in 0).

(C) Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the conventional example, when a petroleum solvent is used as the solvent, the ignition temperature is as low as about 41 ° C., so the temperature inside the cleaning chamber becomes high for some reason. It is currently difficult to use because of the danger of ignition and explosion.

In addition, among organic solvents, it is possible to use a chlorine-based solvent that does not cause ignition, but it is not preferable because it has been regarded as a problem in recent years because it causes environmental pollution.

The present invention is intended to provide a dry cleaner in which the amount of non-combustible gas used is controlled in order to avoid the risk of solvent ignition and explosion.

(D) Means for Solving the Problems The dry cleaner of the present invention supplies a solvent into a cleaning chamber to wash clothes, and a tank for storing the solvent and a solvent from the tank to the cleaning chamber. A solvent supply device that supplies the cleaning chamber, a decompression device that decompresses the cleaning chamber, a gas supply device that supplies an incombustible gas to the cleaning chamber, and a control unit that controls the operation of each device. A first means for reducing the pressure in the cleaning chamber by the pressure reducing device,
The second means for supplying the solvent by the solvent supply device into the cleaning chamber decompressed based on the first means, and the non-combustible gas supplied by the gas supply device into the cleaning chamber where the solvent is supplied based on the second means. And a fourth means for performing the cleaning operation in the cleaning chamber supplied with the non-combustible gas based on the third means.

(E) Action That is, in order to cause a fire accident, it is essential that the combustibles, the fire species, and the oxygen each have a predetermined amount. First, the pressure in the cleaning chamber is reduced to remove the oxygen. Next, a cleaning solvent is supplied into the cleaning chamber to reduce the gas storage volume in the cleaning chamber, and finally, an inert gas such as nitrogen or argon is supplied into the cleaning chamber to bring the cleaning chamber to normal pressure. Get closer,
Make it possible to smoothly supply and drain the fluid to and from the solvent tank.

(F) Example An example of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 2, reference numeral 1 is a solvent tank in which a solvent containing a cleaning agent such as soap (petroleum system: industrial gasoline No. 5) is stored. A cleaning tank 2 is provided above the solvent tank 1, and a cleaning drum 3 is rotatably supported therein. Reference numeral 4 denotes a liquid supply path that connects the tank 1 and the cleaning tank 2, and reaches the cleaning tank 2 via an opening / closing valve VA, a liquid supply pump 5, and an opening / closing valve VB. Reference numeral 6 is a filter path that branches from the inlet of the on-off valve VB and merges with the outlet.
It has a C and a filter 7. Further, the inlet sides of the on-off valve VA and the on-off valve VB are connected to the tank 1 via the on-off valve VD.

A drainage passage 8 connects the bottom of the cleaning tank 2 and the tank 1, and reaches the tank 1 through a button trap 9, an opening / closing valve VE, and an opening / closing valve VA. 10 is a liquid level sensor for detecting the liquid level in the cleaning tank 2, 11 is a decompression pipe communicating from the cleaning tank 2 to the outside of the machine via an opening / closing valve VF, a filter 12, an air pump 13, and an opening / closing valve VH. , 14 are under the introduction branching from the inlet of the on-off valve VE and communicating with the outside of the machine, and are opened and closed by the on-off valve VG.

Reference numeral 15 is a drying air passage, and hot air is supplied to the cleaning tank 2 during the drying process.
It has a built-in drying / collecting device that is introduced into the inside and condenses and collects the evaporated solvent. That is, in the dry air passage 15, from the windward side, the lint filter unit 16, the blower 17,
A cooler 18 and a heater 19 are provided. The cooler 18
Is configured by passing cold water inside the cooling pipe 20,
The heater 19 is configured by passing the (steam) inside a heating pipe 21. Also, the dry air duct 15
A heat exchange chamber 22 for accommodating the cooler 18 and the heater 19 is defined by a wall 23 therein, and the interior of the heat exchange chamber 22 is also cooled by a wall 24 to accommodate the cooler 18. Chamber 25
And a heating chamber 26 that houses the heating chamber 19. 27 and 28 are valve bodies that open and close a dry air inlet 29 and an outlet 30 into the heat exchange chamber 22, respectively.

Reference numeral 31 is a temporary storage tank that communicates with the cooling chamber 25 through a communication pipe 32. The inlet side is an opening / closing valve VJ and the outlet side is an opening / closing valve VK.
Are opened and closed respectively. Reference numeral 33 is a water separator connected to the outlet side of the tank 31, for collecting the solvent condensed in the cooling chamber 25, separating the solvent and the solvent by specific gravity, and returning only the solvent to the tank 1. It is a thing.

A connecting pipe 34 connects the inlet side of the on-off valve VH and the cooling chamber 25, and is opened and closed by the on-off valve VI. Reference numeral 35 is a nitrogen gas cylinder, which is connected to the cooling chamber 25 by a gas supply pipe 36. The gas supply pipe 36 is opened / closed by an opening / closing valve VL. VX is a manual safety valve that opens and closes between the cooling chamber 25 and the outside of the machine, 37 is connected near the outlet of the drying air passage 15,
A pressure sensor for detecting the pressure in the cleaning tank 2,
Specifically, a vacuum meter may be used.

Now, FIG. 3 shows a control mechanism of a dry cleaner centered on a microcomputer 38 (hereinafter referred to as a microcomputer). The microcomputer 38 has an input key circuit 39 composed of various operation key groups and the liquid level sensor 10. , Pressure sensor 3
7. Controls the operations of the various valves, the drum rotation motor, the load 41 such as the blower, the display device 42, and the like based on information from the various abnormality detection circuits 40 and the like for detecting an abnormal state.

Since the structure of the microcomputer 38 is well known, it will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

The microcomputer 38 includes a CPU 43 (central processing unit).
t), RAM44 (random access memory), ROM45 (read on
ly memory), a timer 46, a system bus 47, and input / output devices 48, 49.

The CPU 43 is composed of a control unit 50 and a calculation unit 51, the control unit 50 fetches and executes an instruction, the calculation unit 51, by the control signal from the control unit 50 in the instruction execution stage. Performs arithmetic processing such as binary addition, logical operation, increase / decrease, and comparison on data given from an input device or memory. The RAM 44 is for storing data related to the device, and the ROM 45 is configured to read in advance means for operating the device, setting conditions for determination, rules for processing various information, and the like. It is something to put.

The operation based on such a configuration will be described with reference to FIG.

The dry cleaner of this embodiment executes a program consisting of cleaning (washing, rinsing), liquid removal, and drying under the sequential control of the microcomputer 38.

Further, in the tank 1, a part of the heating pipe 21 is arranged and the solvent is heated. Therefore, the solvent temperature at the time of cleaning rises, and the cleaning effect is improved. However, by controlling a thermostat (not shown), the supply of steam is stopped while the solvent temperature exceeds 35 ° C so that the temperature does not exceed the ignition temperature of 41 ° C to prevent the temperature from rising.

Now, when the power is turned on, the microcomputer 38 is initially reset (S-1), then the valve bodies 27 and 28 are opened and the drying air passage 15 is opened (S-2). At the same time, the on-off valves VA to VL are all closed (S-3). As a result, the cleaning tank 2, the button trap 9, the drying air duct 15
A closed loop consisting of

When the start key of the program is operated in this state, the on-off valves VF and VH are opened (S-4) and the air pump 13 is driven (S-5), and the closed loop (cleaning tank 2). The air inside) is drawn out of the machine, and the pressure inside the closed loop begins to drop. The step related to this pressure drop corresponds to the first means of the present invention.

When the pressure drops below 200 mmHg, the on-off valve V
F and VH are closed (S-6) and the air pump 13 is turned off (S
-7), the low speed rotation of the drum 3 is started (S-
8).

Next, the opening / closing valves VA, VB and the liquid supply pump 5 are operated to supply the solvent into the cleaning tank 2 up to the set liquid level (S
-9) to (S-12), and as will be described later, the valve body 27,
28 is opened to open the dry air duct 15 (S-1
3). The step relating to the solvent supply is the second aspect of the present invention.
It corresponds to the means.

Then, the on-off valve VL is opened (S-14), nitrogen gas is introduced into the closed loop (cleaning tank 2), and the introduction is stopped when the pressure in the closed loop becomes equal to the atmospheric pressure. (S-15). This step relating to the introduction of nitrogen gas corresponds to the third means of the present invention.

In this way, cleaning (reversing the drum 3), draining (rotating the drum 3 in one direction at high speed), and drying (in the cleaning tank 2) with the oxygen amount in the cleaning tank 2 significantly reduced The heating air heated by the heater 19 is introduced to cause heat exchange with the cleaning product, and the drying air after heat exchange is used as the cooler.
Each step of cooling at 18 and dehumidifying) is sequentially executed (S
-16) to (S-18). The step related to the cleaning process corresponds to the fourth means of the present invention.

When the drying process is completed, the on-off valves VF and VI are opened (S-19) and the air pump 13 is driven (S-).
20) Further, the valve bodies 27 and 28 are both closed (S-21).
As a result, the nitrogen gas in the cleaning tank 2 is transferred to the heat exchange chamber.
Installed within 22. Thus, the nitrogen gas is discharged from the inside of the cleaning tank 2 to simultaneously deodorize the cleaning material.

Further, the on-off valve VJ is closed so that nitrogen gas does not leak from the heat exchange chamber 22 (S-22), and at the same time, the on-off valve VK is closed.
Is opened and the solvent in the tank 1 is supplied to the water separator 33 (S-23).

The introduction operation of the nitrogen gas is time-controlled, and at the time when a predetermined time has elapsed, the on-off valves VF and VI are closed (S-2
4) Then, the air pump 13 is turned off (S-25) and the process ends.

Finally, the on-off valve VG is opened, and air is introduced into the cleaning tank 2 up to the atmospheric pressure (S-26).
G and VK are closed (S-27) (S-28), and the drum 3 is stopped (S-29).

The microcomputer 1 waits in this state as long as the power is turned on, and when the start key is operated to repeat the program, the decompression (S-4) to (S-4) in the cleaning tank 2 is performed again.
-8), the supply of the solvent (S-9) to (S-12) is performed, and then the steps of supplying the nitrogen gas (S-13) to (S-).
In (15), since the valve elements 27, 28 are opened and the drying air passage 15 is opened in (S-13), the nitrogen gas stored in the heat exchange chamber 22 is discharged. It is discharged into the closed loop (cleaning tank 2). Therefore, the amount of nitrogen gas newly supplied from the cylinder 35 is smaller than that at the first time.

(G) Effect of the Invention According to the dry cleaner of the present invention, the air in the cleaning chamber is replaced with an incombustible gas, and even if a solvent having a low ignition temperature such as a petroleum solvent is used, ignition and explosion occur. You can avoid the danger.

Further, since the non-combustible gas is supplied into the cleaning chamber to which the solvent is supplied, the supply amount of the non-combustible gas can be reduced by the volume occupied by the solvent, and the operating cost can be suppressed.

Furthermore, when the air in the cleaning chamber is replaced with non-combustible gas, the pressure inside the cleaning chamber is reduced, and then the non-combustible gas is supplied into the cleaning chamber. As a result, the pressure inside the cleaning chamber can be brought close to normal pressure, and the liquid supply / drain between the solvent tank and the cleaning chamber can be smoothly performed thereafter.

[Brief description of drawings]

1 (a) and (b) are flowcharts showing the operation of the dry cleaner of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a piping system diagram, and FIG.
FIG. 4 is a block circuit diagram of the control mechanism, and FIG. 4 is a block configuration diagram of the microcomputer. VA to VL ... Open / close valve, 2 ... Cleaning tank (cleaning chamber), 4 ... Liquid supply passage, 5 ... Liquid supply pump (VA, VB, 4, 5: solvent supply means), 11 ... Pressure reducing pipe , 13 …… Air pump (VF, VH, 1
1, 13: decompression means), 35 ... nitrogen gas cylinder, 36 ... gas supply pipe (VL, 36, 37: gas supply means), 38 ... microcomputer (control means).

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cleaning chamber for supplying a solvent into a cleaning chamber to wash clothes, a tank for storing the solvent, a solvent supply device for supplying the solvent from the tank to the cleaning chamber, and the cleaning chamber. A decompression device for decompressing, a gas supply device for supplying an incombustible gas to the cleaning chamber, and a control unit for controlling the operation of each device, the control unit decompressing the cleaning chamber by the decompression device. One means, a second means for supplying the solvent by the solvent supply device into the cleaning chamber decompressed based on the first means, and the gas supply into the cleaning chamber supplied with the solvent based on the second means A dry cleaner comprising: a third means for supplying an incombustible gas by the apparatus; and a fourth means for performing a cleaning operation in the cleaning chamber supplied with the incombustible gas based on the third means.