Equipment for the closed-loop deodorization and cooling of a fabric, in machines for continuous textile treatment with solvents

Abstract: An equipment for the closed-loop deodorization and cooling of a fabric (14) in machines for the continuous textile treatment with solvent, of the type comprising an external container case (15) inside which the fabric, fed in continuous, is contacted with air, the air being intaken towards the outside after being made pass through purification means. The external container case is connected, in closed-loop configuration, by means of an intake manifold (17), and a delivery manifold, with an electrically-driven fan; distributing boxes for distributing the air on the fabric are connected to the inlet of the delivery manifold and upstream distribution boxes for air, steam injection means (27) for injecting steam on the fabric are provided, and in correspondence of the outlet of the intake manifold from the container case, a cooling and condensation unit (21) is provided, to act as a purification means.

Description: The present invention relates to an equipment for the closed-loop deodorization and cooling of a fabric in machines for continuous textile treatment with solvents. It is known that when leaving machines wherein the continuous textile treatment with solvents is carried out, the dry fabric coming from the drying chamber entrains residual traces of solvent, which must be removed, and its temperature must be lowered down to values which allow it to be normally handled. Such an operation is traditionally carried out in a purposely provided outlet section of the machine, by means of a so-said "washing" of the fabric with air from the surrounding environment, the air is subsequently treated with suitable separate activated charcoal filters, for recovering the solvent extracted from the fabric, and is then discharged again back to the external environment, in a purified condition. Apparatuses working according to this operating system, the so-said "open-loop system", show the drawback of a causing the delivery, to the external environment surrounding the facility, of air, whose purity conditions may vary over time, as a function of the efficiency of the activated-charcoal filters wherein same air is treated. Such apparatuses, furthermore, must provide for an activated-charcoal filters unit to be installed separately from the machine, for purifying air and recovering the solvent, with a consequent additional cost of investment, and additional operating costs. From document DE-PS-652 132 a method and apparatus for the treatment of a fabric with solvents is known, said apparatus comprising a cooling chamber through which the incoming fabric web to be treated passes, a treatment vessel containing the solvent with which the fabric web is to be impregnated and a drying chamber in which the treated fabric web is heated and dried. An air channel between the treatment vessel and the cooling and drying chamber and through which the incoming and the treated fabric web pass in counter-current is connected, at one end, by means of a heater with the delivery manifold of a fan and, at the other end, by means of a cooling and condensation unit with the intake manifold of said fan. The air stream in said channel passes firstly through the treated fabric removing part of the solvent from it, which solvent is transferred in great part to the dry incoming fabric web. The partially dried fabric web is further dried in the drying chamber by heat and by means of heated air branched from the main stream in said air channel. This known apparatus thus performs mainly a drying system by removing from the treated wet fabric web the solvent after the impregnation stage. From document DE-A-1 469 263 a method and device to finish, size, dye etc. a textile material with a chemical substance is further known, in which a fabric web coming from a treating apparatus enters a drying chamber to be dried therein by means of a drying air stream. In the drying chamber both a primary and a secondary air circulation are produced, wherein the primary air stream is cooled and its aim is to dry the fabric web, while the secondary air stream is heated and distributed on the fabric web by means of mutually opposed nozzles between which the web is guided to pass. There can be also installed an additional chamber after the drying process to remove residual traces of solvent from the fabric web. The purpose of the present invention is to provide an equipment, such to carry out a closed-loop deodorization and cooling of a fabric, in correspondence of a purposely provided outlet section from machines for the continuous textile treatment with solvents, consisting in extracting the residual solvent retained by the fabric, without involving any discharges of air to the external environment surrounding said outlet section of the machine. This, and further purposes according to the present invention are achieved by providing an equipment for the deodorization and cooling of a dry fabric coming from the drying chamber of a machine for the continuous treatment of the fabric with solvents, as defined in claim 1. The characteristics and advantages of an equipment according to the present invention are better evidenced and understood from the following exemplifying, non-limitative disclosure thereof, made by referring to the related hereto attached schematic drawing. In the figure, an outlet section 11 of a machine for the continuous textile treatment with solvents is shown, sad outlet section 11 being connected with a drying chamber 12, partially shown, through an air-tight louver 13, e.g., a louver of the so-said "eyelid type", through which a continuous fabric 14 to be deodorized and cooled passes. The outlet section 11 is essentially constituted by an external container case 15, with which an intake manifold 17 and a delivery manifold 18 are connected, which are operatively connected, at their other end, with an electric fan 16, for air recycling. More precisely, the delivery manifold 18 is connected by means of a first branch thereof 18a, with a couple of air distribution boxes 19, opposite to each other, and, by means of a second branch thereof 18b, with a further container case 20, defined by related separation walls 22, inside which a heat-exchange cooling unit 21 is housed. In the region of connection of the delivery manifold 18 with its branches 18a and 18b, an adjustable butterfly valve 30 is installed, which is capable of selecting the air flow towards the two internal areas inside the external container case 15. The intake manifold 17 is furthermore essentially connected with said further container case 20. Inside said external container case 15 of the outlet section 11, besides the couple of air distribution boxes 19 and the further container case 20, a separation wall 23 is provided, which defines a channel 24, inside which the fabric 14 passes, after being treated, along its end route towards an outlet opening 25. The fabric 14, guided along the route inside the outlet section 11 by a set of rollers 26, passes first in correspondence of a steam injection means 27, such as a pipe positioned transversely to the distribution of travelling of the same fabric, and fed with steam by an outer steam source, and is subsequently introduced between the couple of air distribution boxes 19, which in such case also act a means for tightly sealing the duct 24 towards the external environment. Such an arrangement of the further container case 20 and of the channel 24 also defines a further channel 28, which connects the portion of the external container case, wherein the steam injection pipe 27 and the couple of air distribution boxes 19 are contained, with the further case 20 by means of a connection opening 29 provided on the separation walls 22 of this latter. A device according to the invention is used in machines for continuous textile treatment as follows. The fabric 14, containing residual traces of solvent, and coming from the drying chamber 12 through the louver 13, when entering the outlet section 11 is crossed by a steam jet distributed by the pipe 27, positioned beneath it, in a transversal position, in the direction of its width. The function performed by said steam jet is of extracting from the fabric 14 the residual traces of solvent, making them evaporate as an azeotropic mixture with steam. Said mixture of steam and solvent vapour which is thus formed, is entrained by the air stream flowing upwards from the distribution boxes 19, and is conveyed, through the channel 28 and the opening 29, inside the further container case 20, wherein it is forced to flow through the cooling unit 21, acting as a purification means. The effect of the cooling carried out by the unit 21 is to cause steam and solvent vapour, which are contained in the recycled air, to condense. The condensation products are thus collected on the bottom of said further container case 20 and are sent, through drain pipes 31 and 32, to a collection and separation vessel (not shown in the Figure). On the contrary, the air cooled in the same way, is intaken again through the intake manifold 17 by the fan 16, and a portion thereof is recycled by this latter, by being delivered again back to the air distribution boxes 19 through the manifold 18 and its branch 18a. By means of the adjustable butterfly valve 10, and the branch 18b of the manifold 18, a portion of said air can be continuously recycled through the cooling unit 21, such to further decrease its temperature, and make it possible the fabric 14 to be efficaciously cooled. In fact, the fabric 14 is licked up in counter-current by the cold air recycled by the fan 16, which extractes the vapour fumes entrained by the fabric 14, and causes, at the same time, the cooling of said fabric. The fabric 14, along its end route towards the outlet opening leading to the outside 25, runs along the channel 24, isolated from the remainder of the outlet section 11, so that the internal turbulence is prevented from causing fumes to escape from the treatment machine. Thus, the herein proposed equipment solves the problem of the emissions of air to the external environment surrounding the facility, and leads to a substantial simplification of said facility, both from a technical, and from an economic point of view.

Claims: Equipment for the deodorization and cooling of a dry fabric (14) coming from the drying chamber (12) of a machine wherein a continuous treatment of the fabric with solvents is carried out, to remove residual traces of solvent entrained by said dry fabric (14) and to reduce its temperature, comprising an external container case (15) inside which said dry fabric (14), fed in continuous from said drying chamber (12) of the machine, is contacted with air, said air being intaken towards the outside of said external container case (15) and being made to pass through purification means (21), whereby said external container case (15) is connected, in closed-loop configuration, by means of an intake manifold (17) and a delivery manifold (18), with an electrically driven fan (16), that between an air outlet opening (29) of said external container case (15) and the inlet of said intake manifold (17) a cooling and condensation unit (21) is provided to act as said purification means, characterised in that the outlet of said delivery manifold (18) is connected to a couple of mutually opposed air distribution boxes (19) provided inside said external container case (15) in a lower portion of it, that in said lower portion of said external container case (15) steam injection means (27) are further provided upstream of said air distribution boxes (19) with respect to the direction of running of the fabric (14), in such a manner that the dry fabric (14) entering the external container case (15) is guided by means of guide rollers (26) to pass first over said steam injection means (27) to be crossed by the steam jet distributed by said means (27) and to pass subsequently between said couple of air distribution boxes (19) in counter current to the air flow distributed by said boxes (19) and flowing upwards to said air outlet opening (29), and that an isolated channel (24) is provided leading to a fabric outlet opening (25) inside which the treated fabric (14) coming out from between the couple of air distribution boxes (19) is guided to pass along its end route towards said fabric outlet opening (25), wherein said couple of distribution boxes (19) acts as means for tightly sealing said channel (24) towards the external environment. Equipment according to claim 1, characterised in that said cooling and condensation unit (21) is housed in a further container case (20) connected with said intake manifold (17), said further container case (20) having separation walls (22) and being disposed together with said air distribution boxes (19) inside said external container case (15), in which a separation wall (23) is further provided, which defines said channel (24) for the passage of the treated fabric (14) towards said fabric outlet opening (25), and a further channel (28) connecting said lower portion of the external container case (15) with said air outlet opening (29) which is provided on said separation walls (22) of said further container case (20).

Inventors: DALLA VECCHIA GINO, DALLA VECCHIA, GINO
Applicants: SPEROTTO RIMAR SPA, SPEROTTO RIMAR S.P.A.
Application year: 1988
Main classification: D06B9
IPC codes: D06B9