Patent ID: 7520288
Filing Date: 2009-04-21
Classification: B08B

Abstract:
1. A parts washer comprising: a) a cabinet having top, bottom, and side walls; b) a frame secured to and disposed around the exterior of the cabinet, a major part of the frame being spaced from and out of contact with the cabinet; c) a shell secured to the frame to be disposed around and spaced from the cabinet; d) a layer of thermal insulation disposed between the cabinet and the shell; e) an upright support in the cabinet; f) vertically adjustable clamps secured to the support to hold a load of parts to be washed at different vertically spaced locations in the cabinet; g) a manifold in the cabinet for spraying a washing liquid on the parts; h) a drive for rotating the support and manifold relative to each other about a substantially vertical axis in the cabinet; i) the manifold including substantially horizontal upper and lower sections which pass through the axis of rotation, a pair of horizontally spaced side sections each having a respective upper end connected to a respective end of the upper section, and each side section having a respective lower end connected to a respective end of the lower section, each side section being attached to a respective adjacent side wall; j) a thrust bearing supported by the upper section of the manifold, the support being suspended from the thrust bearing so the load of parts is substantially carried by the manifold; k) a lateral conduit substantially on the axis in the lower section of the manifold for supplying a flow of washing liquid in a direction substantially collinear with the axis; l) a vent in the upper part of the cabinet for releasing expanding gas from within the cabinet; m) a coalescing and condensing chamber having an outlet connected to the vent, and having an inlet located a substantial distance below the outlet; n) a pressure relief valve in the vent to permit gas to flow from the cabinet when the pressure in the cabinet is at one value, and which impedes flow of gas from the cabinet when the pressure in the cabinet is at a lower value; o) a door opening in a side wall of the cabinet, the door opening including a gasket flange disposed around the door opening and extending into the door opening in a plane substantially parallel with the side wall, the interior periphery of the flange being free of sharp angles; p) an elastomeric gasket mounted on the flange to be free of wrinkles and kinks; q) a door secured by hinges to one edge of the door opening, and adapted to contact the gasket to open and close the door opening; r) an adjustable latch on the door and cabinet to permit the door to be sealed against the gasket with an adjustable pressure; s) a filter tray sealed across a lower part of the cabinet and above the cabinet bottom wall; t) a reservoir for holding washing liquid at a normal operating level in the bottom of the cabinet and below the filter tray; u) at least one filter bag sealed in an opening through the filter tray and extending down below the filter tray; v) a pump connected to circulate washing liquid from the reservoir through the manifold so washing liquid is sprayed on parts in the cabinet and is returned through at least one filter to the reservoir; w) an overflow conduit having an inlet above the filter plate and an outlet below the filter plate to carry accumulated washing liquid from the top of the filter plate to the reservoir; and x) a return drain having an inlet to collect washing liquid exterior of the cabinet and an outlet to deliver collected liquid to the reservoir below the normal operating level of the washing liquid.