§
Luxuse
Patent Intelligence
Sign In
Patent US3052330A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
← Back to Patent Explorer
US4534830A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Solvent recovery method

Assignee: RECYCLENE PRODUCTS Inc A CA Corp
•
Filing: 1983-10-05
•
Granted: 1985-08-13
•
Expires: 2003-10-05
📄 Original PDF 🌐 Google Patents 🔄 Sync Now

Abstract

Abstract A method for recovering clean solvent from a mixture of solvent and contaminants. An open top tank is mounted in a housing below a sink in which articles to be cleaned with solvent are placed. The sink has a tap through which solvent is directed so that the articles can be cleaned by hand in the sink itself. A disposable, plastic bag is receivable in the tank and the tank is closed by a cover. Contaminated solvent can flow from the sink, through the cover and into the bag in the tank. Contaminated solvent in the bag is heated by heating a liquid surrounding the side wall of the tank and below the bottom of the tank so that the solvent in the bag will vaporize. A tube leading out of the tank carries solvent vapor into a heat exchanger where the vapor is condensed to form clean, liquid solvent, and the liquid solvent is collected in a reservoir. A pump is coupled to the reservoir for pumping liquid solvent to the tap at the sink. The bag can be disposed of after the solvent has been vaporized therefrom. The heating means has an expansion chamber for allowing expansion of the heating liquid as it is heated. The apparatus provides a solvent reclaiming and cleaning station near a location where articles to be cleaned are used.

Inventors

  • 👤 Manuel G. Pastor

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-03 12:15
CPC Classifications
D; D06; D06F; D06F43/00; D06F43/08; B; B01; B01D; B01D3/00; B01D3/02; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S203/00; Y10S203/11; Y10S203/13

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim 112 words
In a solvent recovery method having a distilling mode and an emptying mode, the improvement comprising: providing a tank having a heating means for heating the interior of said tank; placing a plastic bag within said interior of the tank so that at least a part of the bag forms a substantially liquid-tight barrier between contaminated solvent within said bag and said heating means during said distilling mode; heating the contaminated solvent during the distilling mode to separate clean solvent vapor from the contaminants; allowing the clean solvent vapor to be directed out of the bag; and removing said plastic bag when it contains a quantity of contaminants during the emptying mode.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 112 words
In a solvent recovery method having a distilling mode and an emptying mode, the improvement comprising: providing a tank having a heating means for heating the interior of said tank; placing a plastic bag within said interior of the tank so that at least a part of the bag forms a substantially liquid-tight barrier between contaminated solvent within said bag and said heating means during said distilling mode; heating the contaminated solvent during the distilling mode to separate clean solvent vapor from the contaminants; allowing the clean solvent vapor to be directed out of the bag; and removing said plastic bag when it contains a quantity of contaminants during the emptying mode.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 27 words
In a method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said bag is a flexible, open top bag which conforms to said tank when containing a solvent.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 16 words
In a method as set forth in claim 2, wherein the bag is formed from nylon.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 26 words
In a method as set forth in claim 2, wherein is included the step of releasably holding the upper end of the bag to the tank.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 30 words
In a method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said tank has a bottom wall, said placing step including at least partially supporting the bag on the bottom wall.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 25 words
In a method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said heating step includes heating the solvent from below said bottom wall of the tank.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 32 words
In a method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said heating step includes heating the bottom wall and at least part of the side of the tank with a heating fluid.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 16 words
In a method as set forth in claim 7, wherein said heating fluid is silicone oil.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 29 words
In a method as set forth in claim 5, wherein said tank has an open top, and including the step of removably closing the open top of said tank.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 49 words
In a method as set forth in claim 9, wherein is included the steps of providing a cover coupled to the holding region, said closing step including elevating the tank to the cover to close the tank, and releasably securing the cover to the side wall of the tank.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 40 words
In a method as set forth in claim 5, wherein is included the steps of holding articles to be cleaned in a holding region above the tank, and allowing contaminated solvent to flow from the holding region into the bag.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 32 words
Solvent recovery apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein is included the step of collecting clean solvent in a reservoir, and pumping clean solvent from the reservoir to the holding region.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US686772A Cited
US3890988A Cited
US4323429A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1988-08-12 1989-02-11 1989-08-13 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1992-08-12 1993-02-11 1993-08-13 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1996-08-12 1997-02-11 1997-08-13 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

Assigned Categories & Tags

No categories assigned to this patent yet.

Assign Category Tag