Method for assessing and guaranteeing a thermal hygiene effect

Abstract

A method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene effect on items to be washed which are accommodated in a washing chamber of a single-chamber dishwasher or items to be cleaned which are accommodated in a cleaning chamber of a cleaning and disinfecting machine, with a temperature sensor being permanently assigned to the washing chamber or the cleaning chamber. The thermal hygiene effect produced by the temperature and action time acting on the items to be washed or the items to be cleaned is detected by means of the temperature sensor and a control system, and the heat equivalent values are calculated from this information.

Description

[0001]This nonprovisional application is a continuation in part of Ser. No. 11 / 719,746, which is the national stage of International Application No. PCT / EP2005 / 011661, which was filed on Oct. 31, 2005, and which claims priority to German Patent Application No. DE 102004056052.8, which was filed in Germany on Nov. 19, 2004, and which are all herein incorporated by reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a method for assessing and guaranteeing the thermal hygiene effect, in particular of a dishwasher, on the items to be cleaned during the program run in the dishwasher.[0004]2. Description of the Background Art[0005]EP 1 371 319 B1 discloses a dishwasher having a washing container which can be divided into two parts. A dishwashing apparatus comprises an electrically operated valve which controls the entry of water from a mains, and also a softener unit for water, and also a washing container, a discharge line and a micr...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]A further advantage of the solution proposed according to the invention can be seen in that the dishwasher actively monitors the hygiene, that is to say the degree of disinfection of the items to be cleaned, and can automatically correct irregularities in the washing operation, for example the introduction of a larger amount of cold water, using suitable measures. A suitable measure which can be taken when a larger amount of cold water is introduced into the washing chamber is, for example, extending the run time of the post-washing step until signaling of the program end is indicated either optically or acoustically or else by unlocking the appliance door.

[0023]The method proposed according to the invention, in which the values for the heat equivalents to be achieved in accordance with the NSF3 standard and in accordance with A0 value methods are implemented in a control system which is provided externally or internally on the dishwasher, ensures that a thermal hygiene effect which corresponds to the prespecifications is always achieved under the optimum and / or shortest program run time. By virtue of the method proposed according to the invention, in which the values for the equivalents are implemented in the control system, the heat equivalent values which are achieved during the program run can be indicated by means of a display which is actuated by the control system. As a result, the operator is able to read off the respective level of the heat equivalents achieved for the thermal hygiene effect at any time during the program run and to assess progress of the program.

[0024]Cleaning and disinfection machines (bedpan washers) which are used in a hospital or care home and in which bedpans, urine bottles and other collection containers for human excreta are cleaned and disinfected can also be operated by virtue of the method proposed according to the invention. Disinfection of these containers can be performed both thermally, that is to say using steam, and also chemically. During operation of such cleaning and disinfecting machines which disinfect using steam, the method proposed according to the invention permits the thermal hygiene effect of the steam on the containers to be cleaned to be assessed. To this end, the cleaning chamber of these machines is likewise provided with a temperature sensor which detects the temperature prevailing in the cleaning chamber during the entire program run within the cleaning and disinfecting machine. The temperature sensor, which is provided in the cleaning chamber of the cleaning and disinfecting machine, is calibrated with a temperature sensor which is used in an NSF standard 3 test or in an A0 test, with the result that the temperature reached at a particular moment and action time on the items to be cleaned is detected by means of the control system of the cleaning and disinfecting machine and the corresponding heat equivalents can be calculated from this information.

Problems solved by technology

However, laying lines in this way is problematic in the case of relatively thick sensor cables.

Since temperature-measurement control within the washing container can be carried out only when the appliance door is closed, parts of the door seal are so severely deformed by the clamped lines that leakages occur.

A separate measurement opening in the appliance door would have the disadvantage that, when the door is closed, the free cables move in an uncontrolled manner in the washing space and may even, reach the rotary region of the spray arms, which are associated with a rack, and block the spray arms.

One disadvantage of this method is the fact that these test methods can only be carried out on the customer's premises with an extremely great deal of outlay and are therefore not suitable for checking for correct operation of the washer in the case of small washers.

However, this method is not currently used for assessing the hygiene effect of commercial washers in Europe.

However, one disadvantage of this procedure is that unnecessarily long program run times sometimes result on account of the fixed prespecifications for washing programs whose temperature and other program parameters differ from these prespecifications, and this is extremely undesirable.

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