Dry cleaning machine with a refrigeration system adopted for multiple solvents

Abstract

A dry cleaning machine with washing and drying cycles and a refrigeration system has a rotary drum holding clothing or likes, a first solvent tank for storing a first solvent for a first washing cycle, a second solvent tank storing a second solvent for a second washing cycle, a first water separator operationally connected to the first solvent tank, a second water separator operationally connected to the second solvent tank, and a solvent recovery system operationally connected to the first and second water separators at one end and the rotary d The refrigeration system contains a first heat exchange system, a second heat exchange system, a refrigeration tank storing a refrigerant, and a fan for cooling the refrigerant. The dry cleaning machine is configured so that the different solvents can he independently used within the same machine for different washing cycles without need of manual exchange of the solvents or system purge.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A dry cleaning machine having a washing cycle and a drying cycle, comprising:
 a rotary drum;   a first solvent tank for storing a first solvent;   a first water separator operationally connected to the first solvent tank   a second solvent tank for storing a second solvent;   a second water separator operationally connected to the second solvent tank; and   a solvent recovery system operationally connected to the first and second water separators and the rotary drum, the solvent recovery system comprising a refrigeration system wherein the refrigeration system comprises a first heat exchange system and a second heat exchange system, a refrigerant tank for storing a refrigerant, and a fan for cooling the refrigerant,   wherein the washing cycle uses either the first solvent or the second solvent at a time and the drying cycle uses heated air to evaporate the solvent used in the washing cycle; and   wherein the first heat exchange system heats air to be used for the drying cycle; the second heat exchange system cools and condenses the solvent evaporated by the heated air; the condensed solvent passes through the first water separator and is collected in the first solvent tank when the condensed solvent is the first solvent and the condensed solvent passes through the second water separator and is collected in the second solvent tank when the condensed solvent is the second solvent.   
     
     
         2 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 1 , further comparing a heat booster heating the air to be used for the drying cycle. 
     
     
         3 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 2 , further comprising an electrical heater providing heat energy for the heat booster. 
     
     
         4 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 2 , wherein heat energy for the heat booster is provided by an external heat source using steam. 
     
     
         5 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a refrigerant cooling system wherein the refrigerant cooling system is turned on when the refrigerant tank reaches at a preset temperature. 
     
     
         6 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the preset temperature is between about 70-100° F. 
     
     
         7 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 5 , further comprising a coolant tank storing a coolant wherein the refrigerant cooling system utilizes the coolant to cool the refrigerant tank. 
     
     
         8 . A dry cleaning machine having a washing cycle and a drying cycle, comprising:
 a rotary drum;   a first solvent tank for storing a first solvent;   a first water separator operationally connected to the first solvent tank   a second solvent tank for storing a second solvent;   a second water separator operationally connected to the second solvent tank;   a first solvent recovery system operationally connected to the first water separator and the rotary drum,   a second solvent recovery system operationally connected to the second water separator and the rotary drum; and   a refrigeration system wherein the refrigeration system comprises a first heat exchange system, a second heat exchange system, a third heat exchange system, a fourth exchange system, a refrigerant tank for storing a refrigerant, and a fan for cooling the refrigerant,   wherein the washing cycle uses either the first solvent or the second solvent at a time and the drying cycle uses heated air to evaporate the solvent used in the washing cycle; and   wherein the first heat exchange system heats air to be used for the drying cycle when the first solvent is used for the washing cycle; the second heat exchange system cools and condenses the first solvent evaporated by the air heated by the first heat exchange system; the third heat exchange system heats air to be used for the dry cycle when the second solvent is used for the washing cycle, the fourth heat exchange system cools and condenses the second solvent evaporated by the air heated by the third heat exchange system; the first or second solvent passes through respectively the first or second water separator and is collected in respectively the first or second solvent tank.   
     
     
         9 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 8 , further comparing a heat booster heating the air to be used for the drying cycle. 
     
     
         10 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 9 , further comprising an electrical heater providing heat energy for the heat booster. 
     
     
         11 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 9 , wherein heat energy for the heat booster is provided by an external heat source using steam. 
     
     
         12 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 8 , further comprising a refrigerant cooling system where the refrigerant cooling system is turned on when the refrigerant tank reaches at a preset temperature. 
     
     
         13 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 12 , wherein the preset temperature is between about 70-100° F. 
     
     
         14 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 8 , wherein the first solvent is a hydrocarbon base solvent and the second solvent is a silicon base solvent. 
     
     
         15 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 8 , further comprising a third solvent tank holding a third solvent and a third water separator, the third water separator being operationally connected to the first solvent recovery system and the third solvent tanks. 
     
     
         16 . A dry cleaning machine having a washing cycle and a drying cycle, comprising:
 a rotary drum;   a first solvent tank for storing a first solvent;   a first water separator operationally connected to the first solvent tank   a second solvent tank for storing a second solvent;   a second water separator operationally connected to the second solvent tank;   a third solvent tank for storing a second solvent;   a third water separator operationally connected to the third solvent tank;   a first solvent recovery system operationally connected to the first and second water separators and the rotary drum,   a second solvent recovery system operationally connected to the third water separator and the rotary drum; and   a refrigeration system wherein the refrigeration system comprises a first heat exchange system, a second heat exchange system, a third heat exchange system, a fourth exchange system, a refrigerant tank for storing a refrigerant, and a fan for cooling the refrigerant,   wherein the washing cycle uses one of the first, second and third solvents at a time and the drying cycle uses heated air to evaporate the solvent used in the washing cycle; and   wherein the first heat exchange system heats air to be used for the drying cycle when the first or second solvent is used for the washing cycle; the second heat exchange system cools and condenses the solvent evaporated by the air heated by the first heat exchange system; the third heat exchange system heats air to be used for the dry cycle when the third solvent is used for the washing cycle, the fourth heat exchange system cools and condenses the third solvent evaporated by the air heated by the third heat exchange system; the condensed first, second or third solvent passes through respectively the first, second or third water separator and is collected in respectively the first, second or third solvent tank.   
     
     
         17 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 16 , further comparing a heat booster heating the air to be used for the drying cycle. 
     
     
         18 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 17 , further comprising an electrical heater providing heat energy for the heat booster. 
     
     
         19 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 16 , further comprising a refrigerant cooling system where the refrigerant cooling system is turned on when the temperature of the refrigerant tank reaches at a preset temperature. 
     
     
         20 . The dry cleaning machine according to  claim 16 , wherein the first and second solvents are hydrocarbon base solvents and the third solvent is a silicon base solvent.