US-20260123814-A1 - DISHWASHER WITH WASHING SYSTEM AND CLEANING OPENING

US20260123814A1US 20260123814 A1US20260123814 A1US 20260123814A1US-20260123814-A1

Abstract

A dishwasher includes a washing system designed as a recirculation system, which has at least one washing arm with at least one washing nozzle for spraying washing liquid onto items to be washed, a washing tank for collecting at least some of the sprayed washing liquid and a feed line system with a washing pump, via which washing liquid collected in the washing tank can be or is fed to the at least one washing arm. In the feed line system, at least one cleaning opening is formed or provided, via which, during the operation of the washing pump, some of the washing liquid conveyed by the washing pump in the direction of the at least one washing arm is sprayed or discharged into a treatment chamber or treatment zone of the dishwasher.

Inventors

Heinrich Gonska
Anne Schmitt
Frank Zoller

Assignees

ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260507
Application Date: 20251031
Priority Date: 20241104

Claims (15)

1 . A dishwasher having at least one washing system designed as a recirculation system, which washing system has at least one washing arm with at least one washing nozzle for spraying washing liquid onto the items to be washed, a washing tank for collecting at least some of the sprayed washing liquid and a feed line system with a washing pump, via which washing liquid collected in the washing tank can be or is fed to the at least one washing arm, characterized in that at least one cleaning opening is formed or provided in the feed line system, via which, during operation of the washing pump, some of the washing liquid conveyed by the washing pump in the direction of the at least one washing arm is sprayed or discharged into a treatment chamber or treatment zone of the dishwasher.
2 . The dishwasher according to claim 1 , wherein the washing arm is connected or can be connected to an end region of the feed line system in a releasable manner, and wherein the at least one cleaning opening is formed in or provided on the end region of the feed line system.
3 . The dishwasher according to claim 2 , wherein the end region of the feed line system is formed by a connecting piece, wherein the connecting piece has a fluid inlet which is connected or can be connected, in terms of flow to an end region of a feed line of the feed line system, and wherein the connecting piece has a fluid outlet which is connected or can be connected, in terms of flow to a fluid inlet of the washing arm.
4 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting piece—as seen in cross-section—is at least essentially L-shaped, such that the washing liquid supplied to the connecting piece via the fluid inlet of the connecting piece in the connecting piece is deflected before the washing liquid is supplied or can be supplied to the washing arm via the fluid outlet of the connecting piece.
5 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein the at least one cleaning opening is formed integrally in the connecting piece.
6 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein the connecting piece has a first arm region, in which the fluid inlet of the connecting piece is formed, and a second arm region, in which the fluid outlet of the connecting piece is formed, wherein the at least one cleaning opening is formed at least partially or in some regions in the first arm region of the connecting piece.
7 . The dishwasher according to claim 6 , wherein the first arm region of the connecting piece is designed at least partially or in some regions as a female plug-in part and is constructed to receive at least partially or in some regions the end region of the feed line of the feed line system, wherein the cleaning opening is formed, spraying or discharging at least some of the portion of the washing liquid conveyed by the washing pump in the direction of the washing arm along a main direction into the treatment chamber or treatment zone of the dishwasher, wherein the main direction runs at least substantially counter to the plug-in direction in which the plug-in connection is formed between the first arm region of the connecting piece and the end region of the feed line of the feed line system.
8 . The dishwasher according to claim 7 , wherein, at least in a state when the end region of the feed line of the feed line system is connected to the first arm region of the connecting piece, a flow reversing region is formed in the connecting piece, in which a main direction of flow of the washing liquid supplied to the connecting piece via the feed line is reversed, wherein the flow reversing region is connected in flow communication to a cleaning channel, wherein the cleaning opening forms an outlet opening of the cleaning channel.
9 . The dishwasher according to claim 8 , wherein the cleaning channel is connected to the flow reversing region via an opening region, wherein the opening region is formed in a wall region of the connecting piece that extends at least substantially parallel to the plug-in direction.
10 . The dishwasher according to claim 8 , wherein the cleaning channel is connected to the flow reversing region via an opening region, wherein the opening region has a filter for filtering out at least some of the dirt particles contained in the washing liquid supplied to the connecting piece.
11 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein the cleaning opening is configured as an outlet opening of a cleaning channel, wherein the cleaning channel is formed, at least in certain regions, by an inner wall region, of the connecting piece, and by an outer wall region, of the end region, which is inserted into the first arm region of the connecting piece, of the feed line of the feed line system.
12 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein a washing liquid channel system is formed in the connecting piece, which channel system connects the fluid inlet of the connecting piece to the fluid outlet of the connecting piece in terms of flow.
13 . The dishwasher according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one washing nozzle is designed to spray at least some of the washing liquid supplied to the corresponding washing arm by the washing pump and the feed line system into the treatment chamber or treatment zone of the dishwasher along a first main direction, and wherein the cleaning opening formed or provided in the feed line system is designed to spray or discharge at least some of the portion of the washing liquid conveyed by the washing pump in the direction of the washing arm along a second main direction into the treatment chamber or treatment zone of the dishwasher, wherein the second main direction is different different from the first main direction.
14 . The dishwasher according to claim 1 , wherein the feed line system is designed as a combined feed line system and has a first feed line for washing liquid and a second feed line for clear rinsing liquid, wherein the first feed line and the second feed line are arranged at least partially or in some regions and coaxially to one another, wherein the second feed line is arranged inside the first feed line.
15 . The dishwasher according to claim 3 , wherein a clear rinsing liquid channel is formed in the connecting piece which channel is designed to connect the second feed line of the feed line system in terms of flow with a clear rinsing arm or with clear rinsing nozzles of the dishwasher.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The invention relates to a commercial tableware or utensil washer, which is configured as a box-type warewasher or as a conveyor warewasher. BACKGROUND The invention is aimed at a warewasher having at least one washing zone configured as a recirculation loop. The washing zone configured as the recirculation loop comprises a nozzle system having at least one washing nozzle for spraying washing liquid onto the wash items to be cleaned, a washing tank for collecting at least a portion of the sprayed washing liquid, and a washing pump for feeding washing liquid collected in the washing tank to the at least one washing nozzle. Optionally, the warewasher may comprise a dirt discharge system associated with the at least one washing zone, having at least one tank cover screen in order to separate dirt particles from the washing liquid flowing back into the washing tank due to gravity. Box-type warewashers are manually loadable and unloadable warewashers. The box-type warewashers (also referred to as “batch dishwashers”) can be tableware basket sliding warewashers (“hood-type warewashers”) or front loaders (“front loader warewashers”). Front loaders can be under-counter machines, top-counter machines, or free-standing front loaders. A warewasher configured as a box-type warewasher typically comprises a treatment chamber for the cleaning of items. Typically, a washing tank is arranged below the treatment chamber, in which liquid can flow back from the treatment chamber due to gravity. In the washing tank, there is washing liquid, which is typically water, to which a cleaning agent may be added. A warewasher configured as a box-type warewasher further comprises a washing system having a washing pump, a conduit system connected to the washing pump, and a nozzle system having at least one washing nozzle. The washing liquid located in the washing tank can be conveyed from the washing pump via the conduit system to the at least one washing nozzle and, through at least one washing nozzle, sprayed onto the items to be cleaned in the treatment chamber. The sprayed washing liquid subsequently flows back into the washer tank due to gravity. Conveyor warewashers are in particular flight-type warewashers or rack conveyor warewashers. Conveyor warewashers are commonly used in the commercial sector. By contrast to box-type warewashers, in which the wash items to be cleaned remain stationary in the machine during cleaning, in conveyor warewashers the wash items are conveyed through different treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher. A conveyor warewasher typically comprises at least one pre-washing zone and at least one main washing zone located downstream of the pre-washing zone(s) when viewed in the conveying direction of the wash items. When viewed in the conveying direction, at least one post-washing or pre-rinsing zone and at least one rinsing zone downstream of the post-washing zone(s) are typically arranged downstream of the main washing zone(s). When viewed in the conveying direction, the wash items received either directly on the conveyor belt or held by racks typically run in the conveying direction through the inlet tunnel, the subsequent pre-washing zone(s), main washing zone(s), post-washing zone(s), rinsing zone(s), a drying zone, and into an outlet path. The aforementioned washing zones of the conveyor warewasher are each associated with a washing system comprising a washing pump and a conduit system (washing conduit system) connected to the washing pump, via which washing liquid is fed to the nozzle system or the at least one washing nozzle of the nozzle system. The washing liquid fed to the at least one washing nozzle of the nozzle system is sprayed onto the wash items in the respective washing zones of the conveyor warewasher, which are conveyed by a conveyor apparatus of the conveyor warewasher through the respective washing zones. Each treatment zone is associated with a tank in which liquid sprayed by the washing nozzles is received and/or in which liquid is provided for the nozzle systems of the respective treatment zones. In conveyor warewashers commonly known from the prior art, rinsing liquid in the form of fresh water, which can be pure or can be mixed with further additives such as a rinsing agent, is sprayed via the spray nozzles of the rinsing zone onto the wash items. At least a portion of the sprayed rinsing liquid is conveyed from zone to zone in a cascading system counter to the conveying direction of the wash items. The sprayed rinsing liquid is collected in a tank (post-washing tank) of the post-washing zone, from which it is conveyed via the washing pump system of the washing system belonging to the post-washing zone to the spray nozzles (post-washing nozzles) of the post-washing zone. In the post-washing zone, washing liquid is rinsed off of the wash items. The resulting liquid flows into the washing tank of the at least one main washing zone, which is upstream of the post-wash