Chemical-specific sensor for monitoring amounts of volatile solvent during a drying cycle of a dry cleaning process

Abstract

A solvent vapor sensor for determining amounts of solvent vapor flowing during a solvent dry cleaning process is provided. The solvent cleaning process utilizes a solvent based cleaning fluid primarily made up of cyclic siloxane solvent. The solvent vapor sensor, i.e., a chemical specific sensor, may be configured in various forms, such as a spectroscopic sensor, a piezo-based sensor, a strain-gauge based sensor, and a capacitive sensor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An article cleaning apparatus comprising: 
 an air management mechanism;    a cleaning basket assembly;    a fluid regeneration device;    a working fluid device coupled to said fluid regeneration device, said cleaning basket assembly, and said air management mechanism, a clean fluid device coupled to said cleaning basket assembly and said fluid regeneration device;    a controller coupled to said air management mechanism, said cleaning basket assembly, said working fluid device, said regeneration device, and said clean fluid device; wherein said controller is configured to control a cleaning process, including at least a solvent cleaning process, wherein said solvent cleaning process utilizes a solvent based cleaning fluid comprising cyclic siloxane solvent; and    a solvent vapor sensor coupled to the controller to determine amounts of solvent vapor that may flow during said solvent cleaning process.    
     
     
         2 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said solvent vapor sensor is selected from the group consisting of a spectroscopic sensor; a piezo-based sensor; a strain-gauge based sensor; and a capacitive sensor.  
     
     
         3 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises an infrared sensor responsive to siloxane absorbance of infrared radiation.  
     
     
         4 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises an infrared sensor selectively responsive to infrared radiation absorbance of siloxane and water vapor.  
     
     
         5 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises a quartz crystal microbalance sensor including a transducer film.  
     
     
         6 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 5  wherein said transducer film comprises a non-polar polymer.  
     
     
         7 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 6  wherein said transducer film comprises a hydrocarbon chain.  
     
     
         8 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises a strain gauge sensor including a transducer film.  
     
     
         9 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said transducer film comprises a non-polar polymer.  
     
     
         10 . The article cleaning apparatus of  claim 8  wherein said transducer film comprises a hydrocarbon chain.  
     
     
         11 . A solvent vapor sensor for determining amounts of solvent vapor flowing during a solvent dry cleaning process, wherein said solvent cleaning process utilizes a solvent based cleaning fluid comprising cyclic siloxane solvent.  
     
     
         12 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 11  wherein said solvent vapor sensor is selected from the group consisting of a spectroscopic sensor, a piezo-based sensor, a strain gauge based sensor, and a capacitive sensor.  
     
     
         13 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 11  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises an infrared sensor responsive to siloxane absorbance of infrared radiation.  
     
     
         14 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 11  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises an infrared sensor selectively responsive to infrared radiation absorbance of siloxane and water vapor.  
     
     
         15 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 11  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises a quartz crystal microbalance sensor including a transducer film.  
     
     
         16 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 15  wherein said transducer film comprises a non-polar polymer.  
     
     
         17 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 16  wherein said transducer film comprises a hydrocarbon chain.  
     
     
         18 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 11  wherein said solvent vapor sensor comprises a strain gauge sensor including a transducer film.  
     
     
         19 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 18  wherein said transducer film comprises a non-polar polymer.  
     
     
         20 . The solvent vapor sensor of  claim 18  wherein said transducer film comprises a hydrocarbon chain.  
     
     
         21 . An article cleaning apparatus comprising: 
 a controller configured to control a cleaning process, including at least a solvent cleaning process, wherein said solvent cleaning process utilizes a solvent based volatile cleaning fluid comprising cyclic siloxane solvent; and    a chemical-specific sensor configured to monitor amounts of the volatile solvent fluid, and coupled to the controller to control a drying cycle for extracting a desired level of moisture from the articles.