Cleaning fixtures and methods of cleaning components using cleaning fixtures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10654065-B2
Application number	US-201715675174-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 11, 2017
Priority date	Aug 11, 2017
Publication date	May 19, 2020
Grant date	May 19, 2020

Abstract

Cleaning fixtures for a component(s) are disclosed. The cleaning fixtures may include a first and second component recess configured to receive a first and second component, respectively. Each component recess may be defined between a first and second member of the cleaning fixture. The cleaning fixture may also include a first solvent conduit in fluid communication with the first component recess, and a second solvent conduit in fluid communication with the second component recess. The first and second solvent conduit may include physical characteristic(s) configured to control delivery of solvent into the respective component recess at desired fluid parameter(s). The cleaning fixture may also include a first gas conduit in fluid communication with the first component recess, and a second gas conduit in fluid communication with the second component recess. Each of the first and second gas conduit may deliver a pressurized gas to the respective component recess.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cleaning fixture for at least one component, the cleaning fixture comprising:
a first component recess configured to receive a first component therein and a second component recess configured to receive a second component therein, each component recess defined between a first member and a mating second member of the cleaning fixture;
a first solvent conduit in fluid communication with the first component recess, and a second solvent conduit in fluid communication with the second component recess, the first solvent conduit and the second solvent conduit each including a physical characteristic configured to control delivery of a solvent into the respective component recess at a desired fluid parameter; and
a first gas conduit in fluid communication with the first component recess, and a second gas conduit in fluid communication with the second component recess, each of the first gas conduit and the second gas conduit configured to deliver a respective pressurized gas to the respective component recess,
wherein each of the first gas conduit and the second gas conduit include a plurality of gas outlets extending from and in fluid communication with the respective component recess, and
wherein each of the first gas conduit and the second gas conduit include a component recess manifold segment surrounding the respective component recess, the component recess manifold segment in fluid communication with each of the plurality of gas outlets.

2. The cleaning fixture of claim 1 , further comprising a solvent manifold for fluidly communicating the solvent to each of the first solvent conduit and second solvent conduit.

3. The cleaning fixture of claim 1 , wherein each of the first solvent conduit and the second solvent conduit include a solvent outlet extending from and in fluid communication with the respective component recess.

4. The cleaning fixture of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of gas outlets of the first gas conduit are disposed around the first component recess, and the plurality of gas outlets of the second gas conduit are disposed around the second component recess.

5. The cleaning fixture of claim 1 , wherein the physical characteristic of the first solvent conduit and the second conduit includes at least one of:
a conduit length, or
a conduit width.

6. The cleaning fixture of claim 5 , wherein each of the first solvent conduit and the second solvent conduit include an equal length.

7. The cleaning fixture of claim 5 , wherein each of the first solvent conduit and the second solvent conduit include a distinct width.

8. The cleaning fixture of claim 1 , wherein the desired fluid parameter of the delivered solvent includes at least one of:
a desired flow rate,
a desired pressure, or
a desired solvent exposure duration.

Assignees

• Gen Electric

Inventors

• Lopez Jose Troitino
• Brown Raymond Michael

Classifications

• B29C64/35

  Cleaning · CPC title

• B05B15/557 Primary

  the cleaning fluid being a mixture of gas and liquid · CPC title

• B08B11/02

  Devices for holding articles during cleaning {(B08B9/42 takes precedence)} · CPC title

• B05B12/14

  for supplying a selected one of a plurality of liquids or other fluent materials {or several in selected proportions} to a {spray apparatus, e.g. to a} single spray outlet · CPC title

• B22F2999/00

  Aspects linked to processes or compositions used in powder metallurgy · CPC title