Treatment using an automated cleaning machine with a shortened cycle time

Abstract

An automated cleaning machine can include one or more short cleaning cycles, where the duration of the cleaning cycle is shortened relative to the duration of a default cleaning cycle. During a short cleaning cycle, other cleaning cycle parameters can also be adjusted to ensure that the articles subjected to the short cleaning cycle are adequately cleaned and disinfected. For example, wash temperature, rinse temperature, and / or cleaning product amount or concentration can be adjusted to account for the shortened duration of the cleaning cycle. The automated cleaning machine can further include one or more short cycle modes during which short cleaning cycle parameters are used, and one or more default cycle modes during which default cleaning cycle parameters are used.

Description

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 031,990, filed May 29, 2020, entitled “Automated Cleaning Machine Processing Using Shortened Cycle Times,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Background Technology

[0002] Automated cleaning machines are used in restaurants, healthcare facilities, and other locations to clean, sterilize, and / or disinfect a variety of items. In restaurants or food processing facilities, automated cleaning machines (such as dishwashing machines or dishwashers) are used to clean food preparation and dining items, such as tableware, glassware, deep pots, pans, utensils, food processing equipment, and other items. Generally, items to be cleaned are placed on a rack and fed into the cleaning chamber of the automated cleaning machine. In the cleaning chamber, one or more cleaning products and / or rinsing agents are applied to the items during the cleaning process. The cleaning process may include one or more washing stages and one or more rinsing stages. At the end of the cleaning process, the rack is removed from the cleaning chamber. Water temperature, water pressure, water quality, concentration of chemical cleaning and / or rinsing agents, duration of washing and / or rinsing stages, and other factors can affect the effectiveness of the cleaning process. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Generally, this disclosure relates to systems and / or methods for automated cleaning machine processing using shortened cycle times. For example, systems and / or methods according to this disclosure may include automated cleaning machines having one or more “short” cleaning cycles that effectively clean and disinfect items within a shortened time period. Short cleaning cycles may include other short-cycle parameters to ensure that items are cleaned and disinfected within a shortened time period compared to default or normal machine cycle settings. The short cleaning cycles of this disclosure can be used to increase the throughput of automated cleaning machines while ensuring satisfactory cleaning and / or disinfection results.

[0004] In one instance, this disclosure relates to an automated cleaning machine including at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the number of cleaning cycles to be performed during a predetermined time period; compare the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0005] One or more default cleaning cycle parameters may include at least one of the following: default wash phase duration, default rinse phase duration, default detergent concentration, default wash water temperature, and default rinse water temperature. One or more short cleaning cycle parameters may include at least one of the following: short cycle wash phase duration, short cycle rinse phase duration, short cycle detergent concentration, short cycle wash water temperature, and short cycle rinse water temperature, and the short cycle wash water temperature may be relatively higher than the default wash water temperature.

[0006] The detergent concentration for short cycles can be relatively higher than the default detergent concentration. The rinse water temperature for short cycles can be relatively higher than the default rinse water temperature. The duration of a short cycle wash can be relatively shorter than the default wash duration.

[0007] The duration of the short-cycle washing phase and the temperature of the short-cycle washing water are sufficient to transfer at least 3,600 thermal unit equivalents (HUE) to the products in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0008] Short-cycle detergent concentrations can be relatively higher than the default detergent concentration, and the duration of the short-cycle wash phase, the short-cycle wash water temperature, and the short-cycle detergent concentration are sufficient to effectively clean products in the wash chamber of automated cleaning machines.

[0009] At least one storage device may further include instructions executable by at least one processor to: control the execution of one or more cleaning cycles in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode; in the default cycle mode, control the execution of at least one cleaning cycle in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine using default cleaning cycle parameters; and in the short cycle mode, control the execution of at least one cleaning cycle in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine using short cleaning cycle parameters. At least one storage device may further include instructions executable by at least one processor to: control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using default cycle cleaning process parameters in response to a determined number of cleaning cycles being less than a predetermined short cycle threshold.

[0010] In another instance, this disclosure relates to an automated cleaning machine comprising a washing chamber configured to receive one or more articles to be cleaned; a controller controlling the execution of one or more cleaning cycles in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine in either a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode, the controller comprising: at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters associated with the default cycle mode and short cleaning cycle parameters associated with the short cycle mode, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to execute at least one cleaning cycle in the default cycle mode using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the number of cleaning cycles to be executed during a predetermined time period; compare the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle in the short cycle mode using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0011] In another instance, this disclosure relates to an automated cleaning machine including at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine whether the current moment is within a predetermined short cycle time period; and, in response to determining that the current moment is within the predetermined short cycle time period, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0012] At least one storage device may further include instructions executable by at least one processor to perform the following operations: determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed using short cleaning process parameters during a predetermined time period; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being less than a predetermined short cycle threshold, comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with the predetermined short cycle threshold and using default cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0013] One or more default cleaning cycle parameters may include at least one of the following: default wash phase duration, default rinse phase duration, default detergent concentration, default wash water temperature, and default rinse water temperature. One or more short cleaning cycle parameters may include at least one of the following: short cycle wash phase duration, short cycle rinse phase duration, short cycle detergent concentration, short cycle wash water temperature, and short cycle rinse water temperature, and the short cycle wash water temperature may be relatively higher than the default wash water temperature.

[0014] The detergent concentration for short cycles can be relatively higher than the default detergent concentration. The rinse water temperature for short cycles can be relatively higher than the default rinse water temperature. The duration of a short cycle wash can be relatively shorter than the default wash duration.

[0015] The duration of the short-cycle washing phase and the temperature of the short-cycle washing water are sufficient to transfer at least 3,600 thermal unit equivalents (HUE) to the products in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0016] Short-cycle detergent concentrations can be relatively higher than the default detergent concentration, and the duration of the short-cycle wash phase, the short-cycle wash water temperature, and the short-cycle detergent concentration are sufficient to effectively clean products in the wash chamber of automated cleaning machines.

[0017] In another instance, this disclosure relates to a method comprising storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed during a predetermined time period; comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0018] In another instance, this disclosure relates to a method comprising: storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining whether the current moment is within a predetermined short cycle time period; and in response to determining that the current moment is within the predetermined short cycle time period, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0019] The method may further include determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed using short cleaning process parameters during a predetermined time period; comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being less than the predetermined short cycle threshold, using default cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0020] In another instance, this disclosure relates to a method comprising storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining the duration between a plurality of consecutive cleaning cycles performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determining whether the duration between at least a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies a short cycle threshold; and, in response to determining that the duration between at least a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies the short cycle threshold, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0021] In another instance, this disclosure relates to an automated cleaning machine comprising at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform cleaning cycles using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the duration between consecutive cleaning cycles performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine whether the duration between at least a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies a short cycle threshold; and, in response to determining that the duration between at least a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies the short cycle threshold, control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0022] Details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and description below. Other features will be apparent from the description and drawings and from the claims. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 An exemplary automated cleaning machine comprising one or more short cleaning cycles is shown according to this disclosure.

[0024] Figure 2 This is a block diagram of an exemplary system for monitoring and / or controlling the operation of an automated cleaning machine comprising one or more short cleaning cycles, in accordance with this disclosure.

[0025] Figure 3A It is a graph illustrating the cycle time of an exemplary default cleaning cycle according to this disclosure, and Figure 3B It is a graph illustrating the cycle time of an exemplary short cleaning cycle according to this disclosure.

[0026] Figure 4 It is a graph showing the simulated daily savings when using short cleaning cycles at a threshold of 60 cycles per hour.

[0027] Figure 5A and 5B This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of cleaning cycles per hour throughout the day for two food establishments with different peak washing times.

[0028] Figure 6A and 6B This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of default cleaning cycles per day for two locations of a chain restaurant over a nine-month period.

[0029] Figure 7A and 7B This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of default cleaning cycles that two different types of hotel restaurants may experience on a time-by-time basis each day.

[0030] Figures 8A to 8C This is a graph showing exemplary data on the number of cleaning cycles per hour of each day for two different types of dishwashers (door type and conveyor type) in multiple locations.

[0031] Figure 9 This is a table showing exemplary data on the duration of cleaning cycles and the amount of accumulated HUE (thermal equivalent units) under various experimental conditions.

[0032] Figure 10 This is a graph showing the experimental results of HUE accumulated over time for an experiment on a design in a cleaning machine.

[0033] Figure 11This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process (300) of a computing device according to the present disclosure controlling one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode (302) or a short cycle mode (312). The computing device determines whether the cleaning machine should operate in the default cycle mode or the short cycle mode based on an analysis of the number of cleaning cycles completed per unit time.

[0034] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary process (340) of a computing device according to the present disclosure controlling one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode (346) or a short cycle mode (350). In this example, the computing device determines whether the cleaning machine should operate in the default cycle mode or the short cycle mode based on the time of day.

[0035] Figure 13A This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process by which a computing device according to the present disclosure controls one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine based on a manual input selection in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode.

[0036] Figure 13B This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process by which a computing device controls one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode based on the time between consecutive cleaning cycles.

[0037] Figure 14 This is a graph showing the variation of exemplary temperature parameters throughout the day for a dishwasher capable of implementing short cleaning cycles according to this disclosure.

[0038] Figure 15 This is a graph showing the variation of detergent concentration parameters throughout the day in an exemplary dishwasher capable of implementing short cleaning cycles according to this disclosure.

[0039] Figure 16 This is a graph showing the exemplary temperature and detergent concentration parameters of a dishwasher capable of implementing short cleaning cycles according to this disclosure, varying throughout the day (both parameters are adjusted simultaneously).

[0040] Figure 17A This is a graph illustrating the daily variation of exemplary staggered temperature and detergent concentration parameters of a dishwasher capable of implementing short cleaning cycles according to this disclosure.

[0041] Figure 17B This indicates the time period from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Figure 17A A graph of the data. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Generally, this disclosure relates to systems and / or methods using automated cleaning machines that include one or more “short” cleaning cycles with shortened cycle times. For example, systems and / or methods according to this disclosure may include automated cleaning machines comprising one or more short cleaning cycles that effectively clean and disinfect items to be cleaned within a shortened time period. The short cycle time can be combined with other short cycle parameters to ensure that items are cleaned and disinfected within a shortened time period compared to default or normal machine cycle settings. Such default settings are typically designed to minimize energy and / or cleaning product consumption, and thus clean and disinfect items while minimizing energy and product-related costs. However, these default settings may result in longer cleaning cycle times because they specify lower temperatures and less cleaning product in order to minimize energy and product consumption. Under such default conditions, a longer cycle duration is required to adequately clean and / or disinfect the items being cleaned. However, these long cycle times are disadvantageous during high-volume cycles in restaurants or other food preparation or service establishments. The short cycles of this disclosure can be used to increase the throughput of automated cleaning machines while ensuring satisfactory cleaning and / or disinfection results. Therefore, short cycles can be particularly useful during busy, high-volume periods in restaurants or other food preparation or service locations.

[0043] The short-cycle operation according to this disclosure can be implemented as a cleaning machine cycle setting that can be manually accessed through the user interface of the controller on the automated dishwashing machine. The short-cycle operation can also be implemented automatically by the cleaning machine controller during a predetermined cycle of the day or when a predetermined threshold number of cleaning cycles has been reached per unit time. When the cleaning machine experiences high throughput, one or more short cleaning cycles can be manually selected or automatically initiated to shorten the duration of each individual cleaning cycle and adjust other cleaning cycle parameters to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection of the dishes exposed to the short cleaning cycles. Cleaning cycle parameters that can be adjusted for short cleaning cycles may include washing temperature, rinsing temperature, detergent concentration, detergent type, etc. The automated cleaning machine may further include one or more short-cycle modes using short cleaning cycle parameters and one or more default cycle modes using default cleaning cycle parameters.

[0044] Figure 1An exemplary automated cleaning machine 100 according to this disclosure is shown, wherein short cleaning cycles can be used to clean and / or disinfect articles 102A to 102N within the washing chamber 152 of the cleaning machine 100. In this example, the cleaning machine 100 is a dishwashing machine or dishwasher for cleaning and / or disinfecting food and / or food preparation articles 102A to 102N. In this example, articles 102A to 102N are plates. However, it should be understood that articles 102A to 102N may also include other food or food preparation articles, such as bowls, coffee cups, glassware, silverware, cooking utensils, pots, pans, etc. It should also be understood that the cleaning machine 100 may include any other type of cleaning machine, such as a laundry or textile washing machine, a medical device reprocessor, an automated washing and sterilizing machine, an autoclave, a sterilizer, or any other type of cleaning machine, and this disclosure is not limited to the type of cleaning machine or the type of articles to be cleaned.

[0045] The cleaning machine 100 includes a housing 158 defining one or more cleaning chambers 152 and having one or more doors 160, 161 allowing entry into and / or exit from the cleaning chambers 152. One or more removable racks 154 are sized to fit inside the cleaning chambers 152. Each rack 154 may be configured to receive items to be cleaned directly thereon, or may be configured to receive one or more trays or holders in which the items to be cleaned are held during the cleaning process. The racks 154 may be general-purpose or special-purpose racks and may be configured to accommodate large and / or small items, food processing / preparation equipment such as deep pots, saucepans, cooking utensils, etc., and / or glassware, plates and other eating utensils, etc. In hospital or healthcare applications, racks may be configured to accommodate instrument trays, durable goods, medical devices, tubing, masks, basins, bowls, bedpans or other medical items. It should be understood that, as per [the relevant regulations], [the following applies]. Figure 1 The configuration of rack 154 and the description of items that may be placed on or in rack 154 shown and described throughout this specification are for illustrative purposes only, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect.

[0046] For example, a typical cleaning machine, such as cleaning machine 100, operates by spraying one or more cleaning solutions 164 (a mixture of water and one or more chemical cleaning products) into a cleaning chamber 152 and thus onto the items to be cleaned. The cleaning solution is pumped to one or more spray arms 162, which spray the cleaning solution 164 into the cleaning chamber 152 at appropriate times. Cleaning machine 100 has a fresh water source and, depending on the application, may also include one or more storage tanks, such as storage tank 110, to hold used cleaning and / or rinsing solutions 112 that will be reused in the next cleaning cycle. Cleaning machine 100 may also include or be equipped with a chemical product dispenser 240 that automatically dispenses appropriate chemical products at appropriate times during the cleaning process, mixes them with a diluent, and distributes the resulting cleaning solution into cleaning machine 100 for distribution into the cleaning chamber 152. Depending on the machine, the products to be cleaned, the amount of dirt on the products to be cleaned, and other factors, one or more washing stages may be alternated with one or more rinsing stages and / or disinfection stages to form a complete cleaning process for cleaning machine 100.

[0047] The automated cleaning machine 100 further includes a cleaning machine controller 200. The controller 200 includes one or more processors that monitor and control various parameters of the cleaning machine 100, such as the washing and rinsing phase times and durations, cleaning solution concentration, timed dispensing of one or more chemical products, the amount of chemical product to be dispensed, the water temperature during the washing and / or rinsing phases, and the timing of applying water and chemical products to the washing chamber. The controller 200 can communicate with a product dispensing system 240 to monitor and / or control the timing and / or amount of cleaning products dispensed into the cleaning machine 100.

[0048] In some instances, the cleaning machine controller 200 and / or product distribution system 240 may be configured to communicate with one or more remote computing devices or cloud-based server computing systems. The cleaning machine controller 200 and / or product distribution system 240 may also be configured to communicate directly or remotely with one or more user computing devices, such as tablets, mobile computing devices, smartphones, and laptops.

[0049] like Figure 1As shown, one or more items to be cleaned, such as plates 102A to 102N, can be placed on rack 154 and moved into cleaning chamber 152 at the start of the cleaning process. Rack 154 can be moved on conveyor belt 166 or other support structure. Cleaning machine controller 200 may include a plurality of short cleaning cycles, which can be started manually or automatically during periods of desired high machine throughput. Throughput can be measured based on the number of machine cleaning cycles completed per unit time. Utilizing the short cleaning cycles of this disclosure, higher throughput based on the number of cleaning cycles completed per unit time can be achieved while ensuring that articles undergoing short cleaning cycles are adequately cleaned and disinfected within a shortened time period.

[0050] The cleaning machine controller 200 can be programmed to automatically initiate short cleaning cycles during one or more defined time periods. For example, the cleaning machine controller 200 can be programmed to automatically run short cleaning cycles during one or more predefined high-capacity periods, such as those associated with breakfast, lunch, and / or dinner, or other desired high-capacity periods. The predefined high-capacity periods can be customized to meet the needs of a specific location.

[0051] Furthermore, the short cleaning cycles and associated cleaning cycle parameters, including the duration of the washing and rinsing phases, the type and amount of cleaning products applied, and the washing and rinsing water temperature, can also be customized based on the type of items being cleaned on each individual rack. Cleaning process parameters can be tailored to the types of dirt typically encountered when cleaning each item type. For example, deep pots and pans can be stained with large amounts of baked or cooked starch, sugar, protein, and grease. Conversely, drinking glasses or cups are typically not heavily soiled but have stubborn stains such as lipstick, coffee, and tea stains. In some instances, the system controller 200 can control one or more washing parameters of the short cleaning cycle based on the item type to effectively clean and sterilize the utensils.

[0052] In some instances, the cleaning machine 100 may include one or more sensors that provide additional information about parameters of the cleaning cycle. For example, the cleaning machine 100 may include one or more temperature sensors 153 that measure the temperature inside the cleaning chamber 152. Figure 1In one example, temperature sensor 153 is positioned on a side wall inside the cleaning chamber 152 of cleaning machine 100. Cleaning machine 100 may further include a tank temperature sensor 114, which measures the temperature of solution 112 in tank 110. For example, the tank water temperature can be measured at the beginning of a cleaning cycle and at the end of the same cleaning cycle to determine differences in tank water temperature that occur during the cleaning cycle. As another example, the tank water temperature can be measured or sampled at periodic intervals or continuously at predetermined times during the cleaning cycle throughout the cleaning cycle. The tank water temperature data can be analyzed to identify the rate of change of tank water temperature at any point in time during the cleaning cycle (e.g., the slope or derivative of the temperature versus time curve at any given point). The system can analyze, alone or in combination with other data related to the cleaning cycle, the differences in tank water temperature from one point in time to another, and / or the rate of change of tank water temperature at any given point in time, to determine and / or adjust cleaning cycle parameters to adequately clean and / or disinfect vessels exposed to the relevant cleaning cycle of cleaning machine 100. The machine can automatically adjust the current cleaning cycle parameters, or these changes can be implemented in one or more subsequent cycles.

[0053] The controller 200 can also analyze the accumulated heat energy of the cleaning cycle (determined based on one or more measured temperatures and one or more cycle times or durations during the cleaning cycle) and compare it with a disinfection threshold to determine whether the accumulated heat energy is sufficient to achieve adequate disinfection of the utensils during the cleaning cycle. If the accumulated heat energy does not meet the disinfection threshold, the controller 200 can extend the washing and / or rinsing phase, or add additional washing and / or rinsing phases, to achieve a heat energy level that meets the disinfection threshold. Alternatively, the extended washing and / or rinsing phase or the additional washing and / or rinsing phase can be implemented in the next cleaning cycle.

[0054] In this way, compared to default or typical cleaning cycles optimized in terms of energy and / or product usage, the techniques of this disclosure can achieve satisfactory cleaning and / or disinfection results using cleaning cycles with a shorter overall duration. Such default cleaning cycles sacrifice total cleaning cycle time (i.e., they may require longer cleaning cycle durations) to reduce energy (e.g., by washing and / or rinsing at lower temperatures) and / or cleaning product costs (e.g., by using less product), and thus reduce the overall cost per cycle. Therefore, the short-cycle techniques of this disclosure can thus result in shorter cleaning cycle times and higher throughput (as measured, e.g., an increased number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time), while ensuring that articles exposed to the short cleaning cycles are adequately cleaned and disinfected. Due to the reduced amount of time required to complete each individual cleaning cycle and the increased number of cycles that can be completed per unit time, the short-cycle techniques of this disclosure can further lead to reduced labor costs and increased efficiency.

[0055] In some instances, the cleaning machine controller 200 or a remote computing system (see example) Figure 2 The controller 200 can generate one or more reports or notifications regarding short cleaning cycles. For example, the controller 200 can generate notifications for display, such as a display on a user's computing device, based on cleaning machine data generated during the short cleaning cycle. These notifications include cleaning cycle parameters associated with the short cleaning cycle, data monitored during the short cleaning cycle or data generated based on analysis of data monitored before, during, or after the short cleaning cycle, and / or any information associated with the short cleaning cycle operated by one or more cleaning machines. The displayed data may further include one or more graphs or charts about the data monitored or generated during the short cleaning cycle.

[0056] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary cleaning machine controller 200 for controlling one or more short cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine according to the present disclosure. The cleaning machine controller 200 is a computing device including one or more processors 202, one or more user interface components 204, one or more communication components 206, and one or more data storage components 208. The user interface component 204 may include one or more of an audio interface, a visual interface, and a touch-based interface component, including a touch-sensitive screen, display, speaker, button, keyboard, stylus, mouse, or other mechanism that allows human interaction with the computing device. The communication component 206 allows the controller 200 to communicate with other electronic devices, such as a product dispenser controller 242 and / or other remote or local computing devices 250. This communication can be accomplished via wired and / or wireless communication, as typically indicated by network 230.

[0057] Controller 200 includes one or more storage devices 208, which include a cleaning process control module 212, default cleaning cycle parameters 214, short cleaning cycle parameters 218, an analysis / reporting module 216, and a data storage device 210. Modules 212 and 216 can perform the described operations using software, hardware, firmware, or a mixture of hardware, software, and firmware residing in and / or executing at controller 200. Controller 200 can execute modules 212 and 216 using one or more processors 202. Controller 200 can execute modules 212 and 216 as a virtual machine executing on the underlying hardware. Modules 212 and 216 can be executed, for example, as a service or component of an operating system or computing platform by one or more remote computing devices 250. Modules 212 and 216 can execute as one or more executable programs at the application layer of the computing platform. User interface 204, as well as modules 212 and 216, may be additionally remotely arranged in and accessible by controller 200, for example, as one or more network services operating in a cloud-based network computing system provided by one or more remote computing devices 250.

[0058] Default cleaning cycle parameters 214 include cleaning cycle parameters for one or more default cleaning cycles that are optimized for energy saving, cleaning product saving, or both. Such default cycles typically sacrifice the overall cycle duration (i.e., the total time required to complete the cleaning cycle is often longer) to reduce energy consumption, water usage, and / or cleaning product usage. The longer total duration of the default cleaning cycle allows for the use of lower temperature wash or rinse water and less cleaning product. For example, a default cleaning cycle in a typical commercial door dishwasher may include a total default cycle duration between 60 seconds and 360 seconds. As another example, a default cleaning cycle in a typical commercial conveyor dishwasher may include a total default cycle rate between 3 and 6 racks per minute.

[0059] Short cleaning cycle parameter 218 includes cleaning cycle parameters for one or more short cleaning machine cycles, the purpose of which is to reduce cycle duration while providing effective cleaning and sanitizing performance. Such short cycles can use relatively high temperature wash and / or rinse water, relatively short wash and / or rinse stages, increased product dosage, or other variations of cleaning cycle parameters to achieve a meaningful short cleaning cycle duration while providing effective cleaning and / or sanitizing performance. For example, a short cleaning cycle for a door-type dishwasher according to this disclosure can have a total short cleaning cycle duration between 30 and 45 seconds.

[0060] The cleaning cycle parameters used for both the default cleaning cycle process parameter 214 and the short-cycle cleaning cycle parameter 218 may include, for example, the timing and sequence of the washing and rinsing phases, the washing and rinsing water temperature, the tank water temperature, the washing and rinsing water conductivity, the washing phase duration, the rinsing phase duration, the residence time duration, the washing and rinsing water pH, the detergent concentration, the rinsing agent concentration, humidity, water hardness, turbidity, rack temperature, mechanical motion within the cleaning machine, and any other cleaning cycle parameters that may affect the effectiveness of the cleaning process. For the short-cycle cleaning cycle of this disclosure, the cleaning cycle parameter values ​​are determined differently compared to the default cleaning process. For example, compared to the default cleaning cycle parameters, the short-cycle cleaning cycle parameters may include a higher washing water temperature, a higher rinsing water temperature, a higher tank water temperature, a shorter washing phase duration, a shorter rinsing phase duration, a larger amount of one or more cleaning products, or one or more other adjusted cleaning cycle parameters to achieve a short cleaning cycle with a reduced total cycle duration while providing effective cleaning and disinfection of the utensils subjected to the short cleaning cycle. Depending on the type of machine, the cleaning cycle parameters can be different. For example, gantry machines and conveyor belt machines can have different default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters.

[0061] The cleaning process control module 212 includes instructions executable by the processor 202 to perform various tasks. For example, the cleaning process control module 212 includes instructions executable by the processor 202 to initiate and / or control one or more short cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine according to this disclosure. For example, the cleaning process control module 212 may receive commands manually entered by a user into the user interface 204 to initiate a short cleaning cycle. Such commands may be manually entered by a user during busy times at a location when a high throughput in cleaning cycles per unit time may be desired. As another example, the cleaning process control module 212 may be programmed to automatically execute short cleaning cycles during certain predetermined time periods, such as time periods associated with breakfast, lunch, dinner, or other busy or high-capacity cycles at a food facility. As another example, the cleaning process control module 212 may be programmed to automatically determine whether a threshold for the number of cleaning cycles per unit time has been met, and may automatically execute one or more short cleaning cycles when the threshold is met. In other words, the cleaning process control module 212 can be programmed to automatically determine when a food establishment needs to increase the throughput of the cleaning machine (such as when the food establishment experiences a high volume of customers or otherwise experiences a large number of dishes to be cleaned) based on the number of cleaning cycles performed by the cleaning machine per unit time, and can automatically execute one or more short cleaning cycles when the conditions are met.

[0062] The cleaning process control module 212 includes instructions executable by the processor 202 to initiate and / or control one or more short cleaning cycles using short cleaning cycle parameters 218. Cycle data corresponding to one or more short cleaning cycles performed by the cleaning machine can be stored in the data storage device 210.

[0063] According to this disclosure, the cleaning process control module 212 may further include instructions executable by the processor 202 to determine whether sufficient disinfection of the articles undergoing the cleaning cycle has been achieved, based on the heat energy accumulated during the cleaning cycle, and to further control one or more cycles of the cleaning cycle based on the result. For example, if the heat energy accumulated during the cleaning cycle is insufficient to achieve sufficient disinfection of the articles, the cleaning process control module 212 may determine an extended rinsing phase duration required for sufficient disinfection of the articles in the cleaning machine. The controller 200 may then control the cleaning machine to automatically execute the extended rinsing phase of the determined duration. In this example, the rinsing phase duration is extended because the controller 200 determines that applying additional hot rinsing water during the extended rinsing phase will achieve the additional heat transfer necessary to meet the disinfection threshold. In this way, the cleaning process control module 212 can dynamically control the duration of the rinsing phase based on a calculated amount of heat energy accumulated during the duration of the cleaning cycle to ensure sufficient disinfection results. In other instances, extended wash phases, extended rinse phases, or additional wash and / or rinse phases may be added during the next short cleaning cycle, rather than being applied dynamically during the current short cleaning cycle.

[0064] According to this disclosure, the cleaning process control module 212 may further include instructions executable by the processor 202 to analyze the tank water temperature measured at one or more times during the cleaning process, and to control one or more cleaning cycle parameters based on the tank water temperature to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection results. For example, the cleaning process control module 212 may analyze the tank water temperature measured at one or more times during the cleaning cycle, and may automatically determine the duration of extended washing and / or rinsing phases based on the tank water temperature to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection results.

[0065] The analysis / reporting module 216 (or any of the cleaning process control modules 212, or other software or modules stored in the storage device 208) can generate one or more notifications or reports about the results of one or more cleaning cycles for storage or display on the user interface 204 of the controller 200, or on any other local or remote computing device 250.

[0066] As another example, reports may include data corresponding to one or more specific cleaning cycles, or data about cleaning cycles specific to one or more of the following: location, cleaning machine, date / time, employee, etc. This data can be used to identify trends, areas needing improvement, or otherwise help organizational personnel responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the cleaning cycles to identify and address problems within those cycles.

[0067] The report may further include information monitored during one or more cleaning cycles, and the data for each cleaning cycle may include information monitored during the execution of that cleaning cycle, such as the date and time of the cleaning cycle, the unique identifier of the cleaning machine, the unique identifier of the person running the cleaning cycle, the type of products cleaned during the cleaning cycle, the rack capacity or type of rack or tray used during the cleaning cycle, the duration of the washing phase, the duration of the rinsing phase, the residence time, the temperature of the washing and rinsing water, the temperature of the tank water, the conductivity of the washing and rinsing water, the pH of the washing and rinsing water, the detergent concentration, the rinsing agent concentration, the ambient humidity, the water hardness, the turbidity, the rack temperature, the type and amount of chemical products allocated during each cycle of the cleaning cycle, the volume of water allocated during each cycle of the cleaning cycle, the total number of HUEs accumulated during the cleaning cycle, or other information related to the cleaning cycle. The report may also include information about location; business entity / enterprise; company cleaning validation targets and tolerances; cleaning scores by location, region, machine type, date / time, employee and / or type of cleaning chemicals; energy costs; chemical product costs; and / or any other cleaning cycle data collected or generated by the system or requested by the user.

[0068] Figure 3A It is a graph showing the individual cycle components of a default cleaning cycle with a total cycle duration between 60 and 90 seconds. Figure 3B This is a diagram showing the individual components of a short cleaning cycle with a total cycle duration between 30 and 50 seconds. (See diagram for example.) Figure 3AAs shown, the wash phase of the default cleaning cycle includes a wash water temperature (tank temperature) between 155°F and 164°F, a duration between 45 and 75 seconds, a total tank volume between 7 and 10 gallons, and a default detergent concentration. The default detergent range can be specified by the manufacturer or set / adjusted by a service technician during machine installation or during a service call. The default detergent range can be defined as, for example, 100% of the recommended detergent range. The dwell time (time between the wash and rinse phases) is approximately 2 seconds. The rinse phase of the default cleaning cycle includes a wash water temperature (tank temperature) of 180°F, a duration of approximately 10 seconds, a rinse water volume between 0.5 and 1.0 gallon (typically fresh rinse water), and a rinse aid concentration within the default rinse aid range. The total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle is the sum of the wash phase duration, dwell time, and rinse phase duration; in this example, the total default cycle duration is between 60 and 90 seconds.

[0069] like Figure 3B As shown, the wash phase of a short clean cycle includes a wash water temperature (tank temperature) between approximately 165°F and 180°F, a duration between approximately 25 seconds and 40 seconds, a total tank volume between 7 gallons and 10 gallons, and a detergent concentration relatively higher than the default detergent concentration. A higher detergent range can be any value between, for example, 5% to 50% higher than the default detergent range. For example, a higher detergent range could be 105% of the recommended detergent range, 110% of the recommended detergent range, 120% of the recommended detergent range, etc. However, it should be understood that other percentages greater than the default detergent range can also be used. The dwell time is approximately 2 seconds. The rinse phase of a short clean cycle includes a wash water temperature of 180°F (tank temperature), a duration of approximately 10 seconds, a rinse water volume between 0.5 gallons and 1.0 gallon (typically fresh rinse water), and a rinse aid concentration within the default rinse aid range. The total cycle duration of a short cleaning cycle is the sum of the duration of the washing phase, the dwell time, and the rinsing phase. In this example, the total short cycle duration is between approximately 30 and 50 seconds.

[0070] Figure 3A and 3BThe diagram illustrates that by increasing the wash water (tank) temperature from a range of 155°F to 164°F to a range of 165°F to 180°F and / or increasing the detergent concentration from a recommended range to a relatively high range, a meaningful difference in total cycle duration can be achieved when using short cycle parameters compared to default cycle parameters. It should be understood that to shorten the duration of the cleaning cycle, the wash water temperature can be increased, the detergent concentration can be increased, or both the wash water temperature and detergent concentration can be increased, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect. It should also be understood that other cleaning cycle parameters can be adjusted to shorten the duration of the cleaning cycle, such as the rinse water temperature, the rinse aid concentration, etc., and this disclosure is not further limited in this respect.

[0071] Figure 4This is a graph showing a comparison of the number of cleaning cycles run per hour in two exemplary scenarios: (1) real-world data using the default machine cycle parameters (black bars), and (2) simulated data that would be generated if the same number of cycles were run under the exemplary "Short Cycle Enabled" scenario (grey bars and patterned bars). Solid black bars represent exemplary-world data of the number of cleaning cycles run per hour in a commercial dishwasher using the default cleaning cycle parameters over a 24-hour period. Gray bars represent simulated data of cycles run under the default parameters, since the short cycle threshold condition has not yet been met. Patterned bars represent simulated data of short cleaning cycles run when the short cycle threshold condition is met. The short cycle threshold in this example is taken as 60 cycles / hour. The number of cycles per hour is increased by 15%. Under these conditions, at a cycle rate of less than 60 cycles / hour, the number of cycles per hour is simulated using the default cleaning cycle parameters (grey bars). At the default cycle rate of more than 60 cycles / hour, the number of cycles per hour is simulated using the short cleaning cycle parameters (15% more cycles / hour). For example, in hours 7, 8, 9, and 10, the hourly cycle count for the previous hour was below the exemplary short cycle threshold of 60 cycles / hour. Therefore, the hourly cycle count for these times remained the same as the real field data (grey bars (simulation) and black bars (field data) are the same). In hour 10, the short cycle threshold was exceeded, and this remained the case in hour 13, and therefore, as indicated by the pattern bars, the hourly cycle count increased by 15% in hours 11, 12, 13, and 14. In hours 15 and 16 of the short cycle simulation, all cleaning cycles had been completed previously during hours 11, 12, 13, and 14, so no cleaning cycles were run during hours 15 and 16. This is the opposite of the default cleaning cycle in the field data, where more than 30 cleaning cycles were run in each period of hours 15 and 16. In hour 17, the short cycle threshold was exceeded and remained so until hour 22, causing the hourly cycle count to increase by 15% in hours 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22. In the 23rd hour, all cleaning cycles had been completed previously during hours 18, 19, 20, 21, and 22, so no cleaning cycle was required during the 23rd hour under the short cycle simulation.

[0072] By increasing the number of cycles per hour when a predetermined short cycle threshold is met, more cycles are executed per hour during those time periods when the short machine cycle parameter is enabled. One result of this is that while the total number of cycles required to clean all utensils remains the same, the same number of cycles can be completed more quickly. In other words, some default cleaning cycles that would run later can be effectively time-shifted to earlier time periods as short cleaning cycles. Consequently, when using short cleaning cycles, the default cleaning cycles that must run during certain time periods in the example field data may be omitted. Furthermore, if all utensils can be cleaned at these earlier times by initiating short cleaning cycles, there may be time periods during the day when the cleaning machine is idle compared to using only the default machine cycles. This further translates to labor savings associated with the number of hours per day, as no staff are needed during these time periods associated with these cleaning cycles. Figure 4 In the example, the default cleaning cycle omitted in the exemplary field data by enabling short cleaning cycles is indicated by the shaded rectangle. That is, when short cycles are enabled, the default cycles running at hours 0, 1, 15, 16, and 23 are not needed because enabling short cleaning cycles at a threshold of 60 cycles / hour causes these cycles to run faster in one or more of the previous time periods. In this example, the simulation indicates a reduction of approximately 5 hours / day in the use of the cleaning machine. This reduction in machine use can further result in labor savings of approximately 5 hours / day. Therefore, enabling short cleaning cycles not only leads to an increase in the throughput of the cleaning machine (i.e., more cycles can be run per unit of time), but also results in an overall reduction in the amount of time the cleaning machine is used per day and the associated labor savings.

[0073] Despite Figure 4 In this example, the short cycle threshold is based on a predetermined number of cycles per hour; however, it should be understood that other short cycle thresholds can be used to trigger short cycle operation modes in the cleaning machine, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect. For example, the short cycle threshold can be based on the duration between two or more consecutive cleaning cycles. As another example, the short cycle threshold can be based on the time of day.

[0074] Cleaning machine data on the average number of racks per day versus time for default and short cleaning cycles can provide meaningful information for several different types of food establishments. For example, independent (e.g., standalone or non-chain restaurants) food establishments can gain insights into which time of day short cleaning cycles might be beneficial in terms of the number of cycles performed in each time period, labor savings, or both. As another example, cleaning machine data from multiple locations within a chain restaurant can be compared to gain a high-level view of changes in dishwashing practices across multiple locations within the chain. Based on this analysis, recommendations can be made at the company account level regarding which locations might most benefit from implementing short-cycle algorithms. Several examples of different types of food establishments and the implications of short cycles are further described in detail below.

[0075] Figure 5A and 5B This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of cleaning cycles per hour throughout the day for two food establishments with different peak washing times. Figure 5A This is a graph illustrating an exemplary daily average number of cleaning cycles against time for a type 1 food service establishment. In this example, the food service establishment is a separate account that is only open during dinner time, so peak washing times are in the later part of the evening (e.g., starting around 5:00 PM).

[0076] Such as Figure 5A For example, establishments that operate only during dinner hours may choose to implement short cycles only during later evening hours (such as starting at 5 p.m.). Implementing short cycles during peak hours will result in an increase in the average number of cleaning cycles per hour of the day during those peak hours, potentially compressing the total time frame in which all cleaning cycles are run. For instance, a dishwasher could finish at 10 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.

[0077] Figure 5B This is a graph illustrating an exemplary average number of cleaning cycles per hour of the day for a second type of food establishment. In this example, the food establishment is a separate account with multiple peak washing times throughout the day (e.g., corresponding to breakfast, lunch, and dinner).

[0078] Such as Figure 5B For example, institutions open all day can choose to implement short cycles multiple times throughout the day; for instance, short cycles can be enabled during time slots associated with breakfast (7 to 8 a.m.), lunch (1 p.m.), and dinner (7 to 9 p.m.). This will increase the average number of cycles run within these timeframes.

[0079] Figure 6A and 6BThis is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of default cleaning cycles per day for two locations of a chain restaurant over a nine-month period. Figure 6A This is a graph showing the average default cleaning cycle count per hour per day for a chain restaurant location operating a conveyor belt machine over a 9-month period. The location exhibited higher average cycle counts during the 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM (lunch) and 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM (dinner) time periods over the 9-month period.

[0080] Figure 6B This is a chart summarizing data from nine months, showing the comparison with... Figure 6A The average hourly cycle of another location in the same chain store, however, with Figure 6A Compared to other instances, this location has a slightly different peak period. Figure 6B The exemplary locations show three high-capacity wash cycles: 2 a.m. to 5 a.m., 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

[0081] Cleaning machine data from multiple locations within a restaurant chain can be compared to gain a high-level view of changes in dishwashing practices across various locations within the chain. Based on this analysis, recommendations can be made at the company account level regarding which locations might most benefit from implementing short-loop algorithms. For example, for Figure 6A and 6B The location can be used to make suggestions only. Figure 6A Short cycles are implemented at the location during lunch and dinner times, and Figure 6B The location implements short cycles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[0082] Figure 7A and 7B This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of default cleaning cycles that two different types of hotel restaurants may experience on a time-by-time basis each day. Figure 7A This is a graph showing the average default cleaning cycle count per hour of each day, which could be the number of times a restaurant within a hotel experiences while providing food and / or room service throughout the day. The graph shows multiple peak times throughout the day, indicating periods of low and high capacity at the location.

[0083] Figure 7B It is a graph showing the average number of default cleaning cycles per hour per day at hotel locations where their dishwashers are running stably throughout the day, thus indicating that they may have high-capacity restaurants that are busy throughout the day and / or room services that are available throughout the day.

[0084] for Figure 7BAn exemplary hotel location (or any location with a dishwasher running stably throughout the day) could benefit from a human-determined, manually implemented short-cycle mode daily, based solely on that location's unique factor. In other words, when a major event occurs, the user manually inputs a short-cycle command into the dishwasher's user interface (such as via an actuation button, switch, or softkey) to change to short-cycle mode. Conversely, for Figure 7A Exemplary hotel locations (or any location with a dishwasher that has regular peak hours throughout the day) can benefit from dishwashers that automatically switch to short-cycle mode during a predetermined period of the day or when a short-cycle threshold is met. In other words, unlike human users, dishwasher algorithms can determine whether to implement short-cycle mode.

[0085] In some instances, a combination of automatic and manual short cycles may be appropriate. Therefore, the way short cycles are enabled can be customized (manually or automatically) for each individual machine, for each location (e.g., a location with one or more cleaning machines), or for each customer (e.g., customers of a chain of stores with one or more cleaning machines at each location).

[0086] Figures 8A to 8C This is a graph showing exemplary data on the average number of cleaning cycles per hour of each day for two different types of dishwashers (door type and conveyor type) in multiple locations. Figure 8A This is an exemplary graph showing the average number of racks aggregated hourly across two different types of dishwashers (door and conveyor types) in multiple locations each day. The data shows that the conveyor machines (gray bars) run a significantly more cleaning cycle on average than the door machines (black bars). However, as... Figure 8B As shown in the (gantry machine) and 8C (conveyor belt machine), they do indeed have similar peak profiles.

[0087] Figure 8B This is a graph illustrating exemplary data on average racks aggregated hourly across multiple locations daily using a gantry cleaning machine. On average, the number of cycles per hour is significantly lower compared to conveyor belt machines. Figure 8C However, in this instance, there are typically two peak dishwashing cycles each day – after lunch (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.) and after dinner (8 p.m. to 10 p.m.).

[0088] Figure 8C This is a graph illustrating exemplary data on the average number of racks aggregated hourly across multiple locations daily using a conveyor-type cleaning machine. On average, the number of cycles per hour is significantly higher compared to a gantry machine. Figure 8BHowever, in this example, there are typically two peak dishwashing cycles each day – after lunch (12 p.m. to 2 p.m.) and after dinner (7 p.m. to 9 p.m.).

[0089] Because conveyor belt machines offer higher throughput per hour compared to gantry machines, implementing shorter cycles, especially during peak hours, will be most beneficial for these locations. For example, a 15% faster cycle time would increase throughput from, say, approximately 100 cycles / hour to approximately 115 cycles / hour, representing an increase in the number of vessels that can be processed within a given time period. Furthermore, shorter cleaning cycles will effectively shift to earlier time periods compared to the default cleaning cycle (due to more cycles completing earlier).

[0090] Figure 9 This is a table showing the cleaning time and accumulated HUE (Heat Equivalent Units) under various experimental conditions. The row highlighted in green represents the condition under which representative food contaminants were removed from the validation sample within 45 seconds. This experimental data indicates that representative food contaminants were removed within 45 seconds at a detergent concentration of at least 80% of the default detergent concentration. At higher detergent concentrations and higher washing temperatures, food contaminants were consistently removed within 20 seconds. If the washing temperature decreased, the cleaning time shifted to approximately 35 seconds. These experiments demonstrate that under appropriate operating conditions, food contaminants can be adequately removed within 20 seconds. To meet the sterilization requirements of high-temperature dishwashing operations, NSF standards stipulate that ≥3600 HUEs must be accumulated during the cycle to achieve heat sterilization. Figure 9 Experimental data show that cleaning performance and sufficient HUE for disinfection can be met with a cleaning cycle of less than 45 seconds.

[0091] Figure 10 This is a graph showing the experimental results of cumulative HUE over time for an exemplary 62-second cleaning cycle with a washing temperature of 178℉ and a rinsing temperature of 145℉. As can be seen from the graph, the NSF standard value of 3600 HUE is reached after 10 seconds, based on the tank temperature. Figure 10 Experimental data show that using short cleaning cycles can achieve sufficient HUE for disinfection.

[0092] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process (300) of a computing device according to the present disclosure controlling one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode (302) or a short cycle mode (312). In this example, the computing device determines whether the cleaning machine should operate in the default cycle mode or the short cycle mode based on an analysis of the number of cleaning cycles completed per unit time. The computing device may include, for example... Figure 2An exemplary cleaning machine controller 200 can control the process (300) based on the execution of instructions stored in the cleaning process control module 212 and executed by the processor 202.

[0093] Once powered on (301), the computing unit of the automated cleaning machine can automatically enter the default cycle mode (302). In the default cycle mode, the computing unit controls the default cleaning process based on default cleaning cycle parameters. Default cleaning cycle parameters, such as washing phase duration, rinsing phase duration, cleaning product concentration, washing water temperature, rinsing water temperature, etc., are designed to minimize energy and / or cleaning product consumption, and thus minimize energy and product-related costs, while still achieving adequate cleaning and disinfection of the items inside the machine. The default cycle parameters can be stored as default cleaning cycle parameters 214 in, for example, a storage device 208. Figure 2 As shown.

[0094] In the default mode (302), the computing device uses default loop parameters to control the execution of the default cleaning loop (304). For example, the computing device can send commands to a cleaning machine (such as...) Figure 1 The cleaning machine 100 shown sends one or more command signals to perform the cleaning process using default loop parameters.

[0095] Upon completion of the default cycle (306), the computing device can determine and store cycle data (307) associated with the default cleaning cycle, such as cycle type (e.g., default), target default cycle parameters associated with the default cleaning cycle, actual machine parameters measured or sensed during the default cleaning cycle, updated cycle count, time and date stamp, machine ID, cycle ID, location, store and / or company ID, and / or any other data associated with the default cleaning cycle. The default cycle data can be stored, for example... Figure 2 The storage device 208 shown is in the data storage device 210.

[0096] Default cycle parameters in default modes can result in longer cleaning cycle durations because they specify lower temperatures and smaller amounts of cleaning product to minimize energy and product consumption. Under such default conditions, longer cycle durations are required to adequately clean and / or disinfect the products being cleaned. However, these long cycle times are disadvantageous during high-volume cycles in restaurants or other food preparation or service establishments. Therefore, according to this disclosure, the computing device includes a short cycle mode during which a cleaning machine performs a shorter cleaning cycle (compared to the default cleaning cycle). The short cycle of this disclosure can be used to increase the throughput of automated cleaning machines while ensuring satisfactory cleaning and / or disinfection results. Therefore, short cycles are particularly useful during busy, high-volume cycles in restaurants or other food preparation or service locations, or at other times when higher throughput of cleaning machines is required.

[0097] Therefore, in Figure 11 In an exemplary process (300), the computing device calculates the total number of default cycles completed per unit of time (308). For example, the computing device may calculate the number of default cleaning cycles that have occurred during a predetermined time period, such as the immediately preceding 30 minutes, the immediately preceding 60 minutes, or other predetermined time periods. As another example, the computing device may calculate from a specific time, such as from the current full hour (e.g., during the current hour of a 24-hour day, where each hour is numbered 0 to 23, such as...). Figures 4 to 9 The default number of cleaning cycles that have occurred since (as shown in the figure).

[0098] The computing device compares the default number of cycles per unit time with a predetermined short cycle threshold (310). The short cycle threshold is the default number of cycles that occur per unit time, after which the cleaning machine will automatically switch from the default cycle mode to the short cycle mode. If the default number of cycles per unit time does not meet the short cycle threshold (310), the computing device remains in the default cycle mode (312) and will use the default cycle parameters to control the execution of the next cleaning cycle in the default cycle mode.

[0099] If the default number of cycles per unit time meets the short cycle threshold (310), the computing device enters short cycle mode (312). In short cycle mode, the computing device controls one or more short cycle cleaning processes based on short cleaning cycle parameters. Short cleaning cycle parameters, such as washing phase duration, rinsing phase duration, cleaning product concentration, washing water temperature, rinsing water temperature, etc., are designed to minimize the total cleaning cycle duration while adjusting (if necessary) the washing water temperature, rinsing water temperature, and / or cleaning product dosage to effectively clean and disinfect products within the machine. Figure 2 As shown, the short cycle parameter can be stored, for example, in a storage device 208 as a shortened cleaning cycle parameter 218.

[0100] In the short-loop mode (312), the computing device uses short-loop parameters to control the execution of shortened cleaning cycles (or simply "short cycles") (314). For example, the computing device can direct the cleaning machine (such as...) Figure 1 The cleaning machine 100 shown sends one or more command signals to perform a shortened cleaning process using short cycle parameters.

[0101] Upon completion of a short cycle (316), the computing device can determine and store short cycle data (317) associated with the short cleaning cycle, such as cycle type (e.g., short), target short cycle parameters associated with the short cleaning cycle, actual machine parameters measured or sensed during the short cleaning cycle, updated cycle count, time and date stamp, machine ID, cycle ID, location, store and / or company ID, and / or any other data associated with the short cleaning cycle. The short cycle data can be stored, for example... Figure 2 The storage device 208 shown is in the data storage device 210.

[0102] At some point before executing the next cleaning cycle, the computing device analyzes one or more short-cycle exit conditions (320). That is, the computing device can determine whether one or more conditions are met to determine whether to exit the short-cycle mode. For example, if the cleaning machine is turned off and subsequently powered on, the cleaning machine will start in the default mode (302). As another example, if the computing device receives an instruction associated with a command manually entered into the cleaning machine's user interface to return to the default mode, the cleaning machine will exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. As another example, the computing device can determine idle time by monitoring the length of time since the end of the most recent cleaning cycle. If the cleaning machine has been idle for a predetermined period of time, the computing device can exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. As another example, if the number of cleaning cycles completed per unit time is less than a threshold number, the computing device can exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. If the computing device determines that any condition for exiting the short-cycle mode is met (320), the computing device exits the short-cycle mode and returns to the default mode (302).

[0103] refer to Figure 4 Instances of process (300) can be further explained. For example, suppose... Figure 4The cleaning machine is powered on at hour 7. Upon startup, the machine enters the default mode, as indicated by the gray bar for hour 7. The machine remains in the default mode during hours 8, 9, and 10 until hour 10 when the machine determines that the short-cycle threshold of 60 cycles / hour has been met. The machine then switches to short-cycle mode and thus performs cleaning cycles for hours 11, 12, 13, and 14 in short-cycle mode (patterned bar). After each cleaning cycle in short-cycle mode, the machine checks whether any short-cycle mode exit conditions have been met. Figure 4 In this example, when the number of cycles per hour falls below the short cycle threshold of 60 cycles / hour, at least one of the short cycle mode exit conditions is met in the 14th hour. (Although the thresholds for entering and exiting short cycle mode are described as 60 cycles / hour in this example, it should be understood that the thresholds for entering and exiting short cycle mode need not be 60 cycles / hour, and the thresholds need not be the same). The machine then returns to the default mode, and thus, when the next cycle runs during the 17th hour, the machine has returned to the default mode, as indicated by the gray bar for the 17th hour. The number of cycles per hour in the 17th hour again meets the short cycle threshold, and the machine enters short cycle mode. Therefore, cleaning cycles during the 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd hours are performed in short cycle mode (pattern bar). In the 23rd hour, no cycles below the short cycle threshold are run, so the cleaning machine will remain in short cycle mode for the subsequent 0 ( Figure 4 (Not shown in the image) Return to the default mode.

[0104] As another example, at the 15th hour, the cleaning machine can determine that it is idle at that time and can therefore return to the default mode. Furthermore, at any time during the execution of the short cycle mode, the cleaning machine can receive a manually entered command to return to the default mode.

[0105] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating another exemplary process (340) of a computing device according to the present disclosure controlling one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode (346) or a short cycle mode (350). In this example, the computing device determines whether the cleaning machine should operate in the default cycle mode or the short cycle mode based on the time of day. The computing device may include, for example... Figure 2 An exemplary cleaning machine controller 200 can control the process (340) based on the execution of instructions stored in the cleaning process control module 212 and executed by the processor 202.

[0106] When power is applied (341), the computing device determines the time (342) and whether the time falls within a predetermined short cycle period (344). For example, the computing device may be programmed to perform short cleaning cycles during times of day when the cleaning machine is typically busy. For example, in a restaurant, when a higher throughput of the cleaning machine is desired (i.e., an increase in the number of cycles per unit time), the cleaning machine may be programmed to perform short cleaning cycles during predefined time periods associated with the restaurant's breakfast, lunch, dinner, and / or other busy times. If the time does not fall within the predetermined short cycle period (344), the computing device of the automated cleaning machine enters a default cycle mode (346). In the default cycle mode, the computing device controls a default cleaning process based on default cleaning cycle parameters (348). At the end of each cycle (or before the start of each cycle) (346), the computing device determines the time (342) to determine whether to maintain the default mode or switch to the short cycle mode (344).

[0107] If the time falls within a predetermined short cycle period (344), the computing device of the automated cleaning machine enters short cycle mode (350). In short cycle mode, the computing device controls the short cycle cleaning process based on short cleaning cycle parameters (352). Upon completion of the cycle (354), the computing device determines the time (342) and decides whether to maintain the default mode or switch to short cycle mode (344).

[0108] Figure 13A This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process (360) of a computing device according to the present disclosure controlling one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine based on a manually input user selection in a default cycle mode (362) or a short cycle mode (370). The computing device controls the operation of the cleaning machine based on receiving a selection manually input by the user at the user interface of the cleaning machine. When the cleaning machine is experiencing high throughput, one or more short cleaning cycles can be manually selected to shorten the duration of each individual cleaning cycle and adjust other cleaning cycle parameters to ensure adequate cleaning and sterilization of the utensils exposed to the short cleaning cycles. The computing device may include, for example... Figure 2 An exemplary cleaning machine controller 200 can control the process (360) based on the execution of instructions stored in the cleaning process control module 212 and executed by the processor 202.

[0109] Once powered on (301), the computing unit of the automated cleaning machine can automatically enter the default cycle mode (362). Before executing a cleaning cycle, the computing unit determines whether the user has selected a short cycle mode (368). For example, when the cleaning machine is experiencing or is expected to experience high demand, the user can manually select a short cleaning cycle to shorten the duration of each individual cleaning cycle for higher throughput. If no short cycle command is received (368), the computing unit remains in the default cycle mode (362). For example, the user can manually select the short cleaning cycle mode through the user interface of the dishwasher controller.

[0110] In the default cycle mode, the computing device controls the default cleaning process based on the default cleaning cycle parameters as described herein (364). Upon completion of each default cycle (366), the computing device may determine and store default cycle data associated with the default cleaning cycle (367), such as cycle type (e.g., default), target default cycle parameters associated with the default cleaning cycle, actual machine parameters measured or sensed during the default cleaning cycle, updated cycle count, time and date stamp, machine ID, cycle ID, location, store and / or company ID, and / or any other data associated with the default cleaning cycle. Default cycle data may be stored, for example... Figure 2 The storage device 208 shown is in the data storage device 210.

[0111] If a short cycle selection has been received, the computing device transitions from the default mode to the short cycle mode (370). In short cycle mode, the computing device controls the short cycle cleaning process based on short cleaning cycle parameters (372). For example, the computing device automatically adjusts other cleaning cycle parameters (such as temperature and / or detergent concentration) to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection of utensils exposed to the short cleaning cycle. When each short cycle is completed (374), the computing device can determine and store short cycle data associated with the short cleaning cycle (375), such as cycle type (e.g., short), target short cycle parameters associated with the short cleaning cycle, actual machine parameters measured or sensed during the short cleaning cycle, updated cycle count, time and date stamp, machine ID, cycle ID, location, store and / or company ID, and / or any other data associated with the short cleaning cycle. Short cycle data can be stored, for example... Figure 2 The storage device 208 shown is in the data storage device 210.

[0112] At some point before executing the next cleaning cycle, the computing device analyzes one or more short-cycle exit conditions (376). That is, the computing device can determine whether one or more conditions are met to determine whether to exit the short-cycle mode and transition to the default mode. For example, if the cleaning machine is turned off and then subsequently powered on (361), the cleaning machine will start in the default mode (362). As another example, if the computing device receives an instruction associated with a command manually entered into the user interface of the cleaning machine to return to the default mode, the cleaning machine will exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. As another example, the computing device can determine the idle time by monitoring the length of time since the end of the most recent cleaning cycle. If the cleaning machine has been idle for a predetermined period of time, the computing device can exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. As another example, if the number of cleaning cycles completed per unit time is less than a threshold number, the computing device can exit the short-cycle mode and return to the default mode. If the computing device determines that any condition for exiting the short-cycle mode is met (375), the computing device exits the short-cycle mode and returns to the default mode (362).

[0113] Figure 13B This is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary process (380) in which a computing device controls one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine based on the time between consecutive cleaning cycles, in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode. The computing device may include, for example... Figure 2 An exemplary cleaning machine controller 200 can control the process (380) based on the execution of instructions stored in the cleaning process control module 212 and executed by the processor 202. In this example, the computing device controls the operation of the cleaning machine based on the duration between consecutive cleaning cycles. When the cleaning machine is experiencing high throughput, the time between the end of one cycle and the start of the second consecutive cycle can be relatively short (e.g., a few seconds for a dishwasher). For example, in a door dishwasher, the time between cycles can be determined in part by the speed at which the operator can open the door, insert a new rack, and close the door again (e.g., 2 to 3 seconds). If the minimum number of consecutive cycles (e.g., 3 or 4) has a short duration between cycles, this can indicate that the food establishment is experiencing a "busy" time, and higher throughput would be beneficial. In such cases, the computing device can switch to a short cycle mode. When the time between consecutive cycles increases beyond a short cycle threshold, the cleaning machine can switch back to the default mode.

[0114] Once powered on (381), the computing unit of the automated cleaning machine can automatically enter the default cycle mode (382). The computing unit controls the cleaning machine to perform a cleaning cycle using the default cleaning cycle parameters (383). The computing unit detects (controls) when the cycle is completed (384) and detects (controls) the start of a continuous cleaning cycle (385). The computing unit determines the time between continuous cleaning cycles (386). The computing unit then determines whether the duration between at least a predetermined number (“N”) of continuous cleaning cycles is less than a short cycle threshold (388). The short cycle threshold can be determined based on the type of cleaning machine and the amount of time between cleaning cycles indicating high throughput. For example, for a door dishwasher, the short cycle threshold between cycle durations can be approximately a few seconds, such as less than 10 seconds or, in some instances, less than 2 or 3 seconds. The predetermined number of continuous cleaning cycles can also be determined based on the type of cleaning machine and the number of continuous cleaning cycles indicating high throughput. For example, for a door dishwasher, the predetermined number of continuous cleaning cycles can be 3 or 4 continuous cleaning cycles.

[0115] If the duration between a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles does not meet the short cycle threshold (the "No" branch of 388), the computing device remains in the default mode (382). If the duration between a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles meets the short cycle threshold (the "Yes" branch of 388), the computing device switches to short cycle mode (390). The computing device uses short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of the next consecutive cleaning cycle (392). The computing device continues to monitor the duration between each consecutive cleaning cycle (384, 385, 386, 388). If at any time the duration between a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles does not meet the short cycle threshold (the "No" branch of 388), the computing device returns to the default mode (382).

[0116] Figure 11 , 12 Flowcharts 13A and 13B illustrate exemplary processes by which a computing device according to this disclosure can control one or more cleaning cycles in a cleaning machine in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode. However, it should be understood that... Figure 11 , 12The processes shown in 13A and 13B can be implemented individually or in one or more combinations, and this disclosure is not limited in this respect. For example, if a cleaning machine is programmed to perform short cleaning cycles during one or more predetermined time periods, but the number of cleaning cycles performed during those predetermined time periods, or the time between two or more consecutive cleaning cycles, does not meet the corresponding short cycle threshold, the cleaning machine can return to a default mode during those predetermined time periods. As another example, the cleaning machine may include one or more short cycle modes (e.g., short cycle mode 1, short cycle mode 2, short cycle mode 3, etc.), each short cycle mode having its own short cycle cleaning parameters, including cleaning cycle duration, washing temperature, rinsing temperature, product quantity, etc. A specific short cycle can be selected based on the cleaning machine's desired throughput, the number of cleaning cycles per unit time during a previous time period, and / or the time between two or more consecutive cleaning cycles.

[0117] As another example, the short cycle mode can also be used to adjust cycle parameters to address situations where the product is running low. In this example, if a product shortage or lack of product is detected, the cleaning machine can switch to short cycle mode, in which the temperature is increased to compensate for the remaining small amount of product.

[0118] Figure 14 This is a graph illustrating an exemplary daily temperature variation over time for a dishwasher implementing a short cleaning cycle according to this disclosure. Figure 14 The data represents the number of dishwasher cycles performed per unit time in an exemplary restaurant with increased traffic during lunch and dinner hours, during which short cleaning cycles are enabled to increase dishwasher throughput. Machine throughput is indicated at the bottom of the graph, where each vertical line corresponds to a cleaning cycle performed by the dishwasher.

[0119] exist Figure 14 Short cycles were implemented during time period B (corresponding to lunchtime between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM) and subsequently again during time period D (corresponding to dinnertime between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM). Default cycles were implemented during time periods A (before 11:00 AM), C (between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM), and E (after 7:30 PM). During time period A, the machine operated in default cycle mode at a default temperature of approximately 160°F. At 11:00 AM, the machine switched to short cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration was reduced, thereby increasing the machine's throughput during time period B, as indicated by the increased number of cycles per unit time during that time period. During this period, the wash temperature increased from the default temperature of 160°F to the short clean cycle temperature of 166°F to ensure adequate cleaning and sanitizing due to the shorter duration of the short clean cycle.

[0120] At 1:00 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration is increased and the wash temperature is reduced to 160°F, thus reducing the machine's throughput during time period C, as indicated in the lower part of the figure. At 5:30 PM, the machine switches back to short cycle mode, reducing the wash cycle duration to increase the machine's throughput during time period D, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during this time period. During this period, the wash temperature increases from the default temperature of 160°F to the short clean cycle temperature of 166°F to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection due to the shorter duration of the short clean cycle. Finally, at 7:30 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration is increased and the wash temperature is reduced back to 160°F, thus reducing the machine's throughput during time period E.

[0121] Figure 15 This is a graph showing the variation of detergent concentration parameters over time throughout the day in an exemplary dishwasher implementing a short cleaning cycle according to this disclosure. Figure 15 The data represents the number of dishwasher cycles performed per unit of time in an exemplary restaurant with increased traffic during lunch and dinner hours, during which short cleaning cycles are enabled to increase dishwasher throughput. Figure 14 Similarly, the machine's throughput is indicated at the bottom of the graph, where each vertical line corresponds to a cleaning cycle performed by the dishwasher.

[0122] exist Figure 15 Short cycles were implemented again during time period B (corresponding to lunchtime between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM) and subsequently again during time period D (corresponding to dinnertime between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM). Default cycles were implemented during time periods A (before 11:00 AM), C (between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM), and E (after 7:30 PM). During time period A, the machine operated in default cycle mode with 100% of the default detergent concentration. At 11:00 AM, the machine switched to short cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration was reduced, thereby increasing the machine's throughput during time period B, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during that time period. During this period, the detergent concentration was increased by 10% from 100% of the default detergent concentration to 110% of the default detergent concentration to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection during the short cleaning cycles.

[0123] At 1:00 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode. During this mode, the wash cycle duration increases back to the duration established by the default cycle duration parameter, and the detergent concentration decreases back to 100% of the default parameter, thus reducing the machine's throughput during time period C, as indicated in the lower part of the figure. At 5:30 PM, the machine switches back to short cycle mode, reducing the wash cycle duration to increase the machine's throughput during time period D, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during this time period. During this period, due to the shortened cleaning cycle duration during time period D, all detergent concentrations increase by 10% to 110% of the default detergent concentration to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection. Finally, at 7:30 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration increases, and the detergent concentration decreases back to 100% of the default detergent concentration, thus reducing the machine's throughput during time period E.

[0124] Figure 16 This is a diagram illustrating an example of how temperature and detergent concentration parameters can be varied according to this disclosure to implement short cleaning cycles in a dishwasher. Figure 16 The data represents the number of dishwasher cycles performed per unit time in an exemplary restaurant with increased traffic during lunch and dinner hours, during which short cleaning cycles are enabled to increase dishwasher throughput. Machine throughput is indicated at the bottom of the graph, where each vertical line corresponds to a cleaning cycle performed by the dishwasher.

[0125] exist Figure 16 Short cycles were implemented during time period B (corresponding to lunchtime between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM) and subsequently again during time period D (corresponding to dinnertime between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM). Default cycles were implemented during time periods A (before 11:00 AM), C (between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM), and E (after 7:30 PM). During time period A, the machine operated in default cycle mode using a default temperature of approximately 160°F and 100% of the default detergent concentration. At 11:00 AM, the machine switched to short cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration was reduced, thereby increasing the machine's throughput during time period B, as indicated by the increased number of cycles per unit time during that time period. During this period, the detergent concentration increased to 110% of the default detergent concentration, and the wash temperature increased from the default temperature of 160°F to the short clean cycle temperature of approximately 167°F to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection due to the shorter duration of the short clean cycle.

[0126] At 1:00 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration is increased, thereby reducing the machine's throughput during time period C, as indicated in the lower part of the figure. Additionally, the wash temperature is reduced to 160°F, and the detergent concentration is reduced to 100% of the default detergent concentration. At 5:30 PM, the machine switches back to short cycle mode, reducing the wash cycle duration to increase the machine's throughput during time period D, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during this time period. Furthermore, the wash temperature is increased from the default temperature of 160°F to a short-clean cycle temperature of 167°F, and the detergent concentration is increased to 100% of the default detergent concentration to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection due to the shorter duration of the short-clean cycle. Finally, at 7:30 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration is increased, thereby reducing the machine's throughput during time period E. Additionally, the wash temperature is reduced to 160°F, and the detergent concentration is reduced to 100% of the default detergent concentration.

[0127] Figure 17A This is a diagram illustrating another example of how temperature and detergent concentration parameters can be varied according to this disclosure to implement short cleaning cycles in a dishwasher. Figures 14 to 16 Same, Figure 17A The data represents the number of dishwasher cycles performed per unit time in an exemplary restaurant with increased traffic during lunch and dinner hours, during which short cleaning cycles are enabled to increase dishwasher throughput. Machine throughput is indicated at the bottom of the graph, where each vertical line corresponds to a cleaning cycle performed by the dishwasher.

[0128] exist Figure 17AShort cycles were implemented during time period B (corresponding to lunchtime between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM) and subsequently again during time period D (corresponding to dinnertime between 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM). Default cycles were implemented during time periods A (before 11:00 AM), C (between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM), and E (after 7:30 PM). During time period A, the machine operated in default cycle mode using a default temperature of approximately 160°F and 100% of the default detergent concentration. At 11:00 AM, the machine switched to short cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration was reduced, thereby increasing the machine's throughput during time period B, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during that time period. During this period, the detergent concentration was first increased to 110% of the default detergent concentration and then increased to 120% of the default detergent concentration. Furthermore, the machine temperature is increased from the default temperature of 160F to a short cleaning cycle temperature of approximately 170F, and then increased again to approximately 165F to ensure adequate cleaning and disinfection due to the shortened duration of the short cleaning cycle.

[0129] At 1:00 PM, the machine switches back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration is increased, thereby reducing the machine's throughput during time period C, as indicated in the lower part of the figure. Additionally, the wash temperature is reduced to 160°F, and the detergent concentration is reduced to 100% of the default detergent concentration. At 5:30 PM, the machine switches back to short cycle mode, reducing the wash cycle duration to increase the machine's throughput during time period D, as indicated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit time during this time period. Furthermore, the detergent concentration is increased to 120% of the default detergent concentration, and then again to 110% of the default detergent concentration. Moreover, during time period D, the wash temperature first increases from the default temperature of 160°F to a short clean cycle temperature of 165°F, and then again to a short clean cycle temperature of 170°F.

[0130] Finally, at 7:30 PM, the machine switched back to the default cycle mode, during which the wash cycle duration was increased, thereby reducing the machine's throughput during time period E. Additionally, the wash temperature was reduced to 160°F, and the detergent concentration was reduced to 100% of the default detergent concentration.

[0131] Figure 17B This indicates the time period from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Figure 17A The data is plotted as follows: During time period A', the machine is in default loop mode; during time period B, the machine is in short loop mode; and during time period C', the machine is in default loop mode. Figure 17BThis diagram illustrates how the dishwasher's throughput can be increased when a short-cycle mode is implemented. This is demonstrated by the increase in the number of cycles per unit of time during time period B compared to time periods A' and C'.

[0132] Figure 17A and 17B The examples illustrate various combinations of increased temperature and detergent concentration that can be implemented during short cycles. For instance, with a shortened cycle and a detergent concentration increased to 120%, the temperature may not need to be increased to 170°F, and could therefore be reduced to 165°F to save energy. Similarly, if the short cycle temperature is 170°F, the detergent concentration may only need to be increased to 110% to achieve adequate cleaning and disinfection. This combined increase in temperature and detergent concentration can be useful for accounts with poorly applied programs and / or high levels of food contaminants accumulated in their reservoirs.

[0133] The examples described herein illustrate the implementation of shortened cleaning cycles, where the duration of the cleaning cycle is relatively shorter than the default cleaning cycle. This can help increase the throughput of automated cleaning machines while adjusting other cleaning process parameters, such as washing temperature and / or detergent concentration, to ensure that utensils undergoing the shorter cleaning cycle are adequately cleaned and / or disinfected. Therefore, shorter cleaning cycles can be useful during busy, high-capacity periods in restaurants or other food preparation or service locations, allowing more cycles to be performed per unit of time while ensuring satisfactory cleaning and / or disinfection results. Furthermore, in some instances, by implementing shorter cleaning cycles during high-capacity periods when increased throughput is desired or helpful, cleaning machines enabled by shorter cleaning cycles can still achieve energy and / or cost savings by remaining in the default cycle mode, where cleaning process parameters are optimized for energy and / or product usage at other times when increased throughput is not desired or necessary.

[0134] Although the examples given herein are described with reference to automated cleaning machines (e.g., dishwashers or dishwashing machines) for food preparation / processing applications, it should be understood that the cleaning process validation techniques described herein can be applied to a wide variety of other applications. Such applications may include, for example, food and / or beverage processing equipment, laundry applications, agricultural applications, hospitality applications, and / or any other applications where the cleaning, sterilization, or disinfection of items may be useful.

[0135] In one or more instances, the functionality described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functionality may be stored as one or more instructions or code on or transmitted over a computer-readable medium and executed by a hardware-based processing unit. A computer-readable medium may comprise a computer-readable storage medium corresponding to a volatile medium such as a data storage medium or a communication medium that facilitates, for example, the transfer of a computer program from one place to another according to a communication protocol. In this manner, a computer-readable medium may generally correspond to (1) a non-transitory tangible computer-readable storage medium or (2) a communication medium such as a signal or carrier wave. A data storage medium may be any available medium that can be accessed by one or more computers or one or more processors to retrieve instructions, code, and / or data structures for implementing the techniques described herein. Computer program products may include computer-readable media.

[0136] By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable storage media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disc storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, flash memory, or any other medium that can be used to store desired program code in the form of instructions or data structures and that can be accessed by a computer. Furthermore, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if instructions are transmitted from a website, server, or other remote source using coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave, then coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwave are included in the definition of medium. However, it should be understood that computer-readable storage media and data storage media do not include connections, carrier waves, signals, or other transient media, but rather refer to non-transient volatile storage media. As used, disks and optical discs include compact optical discs (CDs), laser discs, optical discs, digital versatile optical discs (DVDs), floppy disks, and Blu-ray discs, where disks typically reproduce data magnetically, while optical discs reproduce data optically using lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0137] The instructions can be executed by one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general-purpose microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field-programmable arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuit systems. Therefore, the term "processor" as used can refer to any of the foregoing structures or any other structure suitable for implementing the described techniques. Additionally, in some instances, the described functionality can be housed within dedicated hardware and / or software modules. Furthermore, the techniques can be entirely implemented within one or more circuit or logic elements.

[0138] The techniques disclosed herein can be implemented in a variety of devices or apparatuses, including wireless mobile phones, integrated circuits (ICs), or a set of ICs (e.g., chipsets). Various components, modules, or units are described in this disclosure to emphasize functional aspects of a device configured to perform the disclosed techniques, but they do not necessarily need to be implemented through different hardware units. Rather, as described above, the various units can be combined in a hardware unit or provided by a series of interoperable hardware units comprising one or more processors as described above, in conjunction with suitable software and / or firmware.

[0139] It should be recognized that, depending on the instance, some actions or events in any of the methods described herein may be performed in a different order, may be added, combined, or omitted entirely (e.g., practicing the methods does not require all of the described actions or events). Furthermore, in some instances, actions or events may be performed simultaneously rather than sequentially, for example, through multithreading, interrupt handling, or multiple processors.

[0140] In some instances, computer-readable storage media may include non-transitory media. The term "non-transitory" may indicate that the storage medium is not embodied in a carrier wave or propagating signal. In some embodiments, non-transitory storage media may store data that may change over time (e.g., in RAM or cache memory).

[0141] Example

[0142] Example 1. An automated cleaning machine includes at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the number of cleaning cycles to be performed during a predetermined time period; compare the determined number of cleaning cycles with the predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0143] Example 2. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 1, wherein one or more default cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of a default washing phase duration, a default rinsing phase duration, a default detergent concentration, a default washing water temperature, and a default rinsing water temperature, and one or more short cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of a short cycle washing phase duration, a short cycle rinsing phase duration, a short cycle detergent concentration, a short cycle washing water temperature, and a short cycle rinsing water temperature, and wherein the short cycle washing water temperature is relatively higher than the default washing water temperature.

[0144] Example 3. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 2, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is relatively higher than the default detergent concentration.

[0145] Example 4. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 2, wherein the temperature of the short-cycle rinse water is relatively higher than the default rinse water temperature.

[0146] Example 5. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 2, wherein the duration of the short cycle washing phase is relatively shorter than the duration of the default washing phase.

[0147] Example 6. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 2, wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase and the temperature of the short-cycle washing water are sufficient to transfer at least 3,600 thermal unit equivalents (HUE) to the articles in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0148] Example 7. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 2, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is relatively higher than the default detergent concentration, and wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase, the temperature of the short-cycle washing water, and the concentration of the short-cycle detergent are sufficient to effectively clean the products in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0149] Example 8. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 1, wherein the at least one storage device further comprises instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the following operations: controlling the execution of one or more cleaning cycles in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine in a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode; controlling the execution of at least one cleaning cycle in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine using the default cleaning cycle parameters in the default cycle mode; and controlling the execution of at least one cleaning cycle in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine using the short cleaning cycle parameters in the short cycle mode.

[0150] Example 9. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 1, wherein the at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the following operation: in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being less than the predetermined short cycle threshold, controlling the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using default cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0151] Example 10. An automated cleaning machine includes a washing chamber configured to receive one or more articles to be cleaned; a controller controlling the execution of one or more cleaning cycles in the washing chamber of the cleaning machine in either a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode, the controller comprising: at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters associated with the default cycle mode and short cleaning cycle parameters associated with the short cycle mode, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to execute at least one cleaning cycle in the default cycle mode using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the number of cleaning cycles to be executed during a predetermined time period; compare the determined number of cleaning cycles with the predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle in the short cycle mode using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0152] Example 11. An automated cleaning machine comprising: at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine whether the current moment is within a predetermined short cycle time period; and, in response to determining that the current moment is within the predetermined short cycle time period, control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0153] Example 12. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 11, wherein the at least one storage device further comprises instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the following operations: determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed using the short cleaning process parameters during a predetermined time period; comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and controlling the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using default cycle cleaning process parameters in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being less than the predetermined short cycle threshold.

[0154] Example 13. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 11, wherein one or more default cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of a default washing phase duration, a default rinsing phase duration, a default detergent concentration, a default washing water temperature, and a default rinsing water temperature, and one or more short cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of a short cycle washing phase duration, a short cycle rinsing phase duration, a short cycle detergent concentration, a short cycle washing water temperature, and a short cycle rinsing water temperature, and wherein the short cycle washing water temperature is relatively higher than the default washing water temperature.

[0155] Example 14. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 13, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is relatively higher than the default detergent concentration.

[0156] Example 15. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 13, wherein the temperature of the short-cycle rinse water is relatively higher than the default rinse water temperature.

[0157] Example 16. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 13, wherein the duration of the short cycle washing phase is relatively shorter than the duration of the default washing phase.

[0158] Example 17. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 13, wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase and the temperature of the short-cycle washing water are sufficient to transfer at least 3,600 thermal unit equivalents (HUE) to the articles in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0159] Example 18. The automated cleaning machine according to Example 13, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is relatively higher than the default detergent concentration, and wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase, the temperature of the short-cycle washing water, and the concentration of the short-cycle detergent are sufficient to effectively clean the products in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

[0160] Example 19. A method comprising storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed during a predetermined time period; comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with the predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being greater than the predetermined short cycle threshold, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0161] Example 20. A method comprising storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining whether a current moment is within a predetermined short cycle time period; and, in response to determining that the current moment is within the predetermined short cycle time period, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0162] Example 21. The method according to Example 20 further includes determining the number of cleaning cycles to be performed using the short cleaning process parameters during a predetermined time period; comparing the determined number of cleaning cycles with a predetermined short cycle threshold; and, in response to the determined number of cleaning cycles being less than the predetermined short cycle threshold, using default cycle cleaning process parameters to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0163] Example 22. A method comprising storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; using the default cleaning cycle parameters to control a cleaning machine to perform at least one cleaning cycle; determining the duration between a plurality of consecutive cleaning cycles performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determining whether the duration between at least a predetermined number of the consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies a short cycle threshold; and, in response to determining that the duration between at least the predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies the short cycle threshold, using short cycle cleaning process parameters to control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle.

[0164] Example 23. An automated cleaning machine includes at least one processor; at least one storage device storing default cleaning cycle parameters and short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the short cleaning cycle parameters include a total cycle duration that is relatively less than the total cycle duration of the default cleaning cycle; the at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to: control the cleaning machine to perform cleaning cycles using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine the duration between consecutive cleaning cycles performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters; determine whether the duration between at least a predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies a short cycle threshold; and, in response to determining that the duration between at least the predetermined number of consecutive cleaning cycles satisfies the short cycle threshold, control the cleaning machine to perform at least one subsequent cleaning cycle using short cycle cleaning process parameters.

[0165] Various examples have been described. These and other examples are within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. An automated cleaning machine, comprising: A washing room configured to receive one or more items to be cleaned, wherein the one or more items are not part of the automated cleaning machine and are configured to enter and exit the automated cleaning machine; A controller, comprising: a default cycle mode or a short cycle mode, controls the execution of one or more cleaning cycles in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine to wash the one or more products. At least one processor; and At least one storage device stores one or more default cleaning cycle parameters associated with the default cycle mode and one or more short cleaning cycle parameters associated with the short cycle mode, wherein the total cycle duration of the one or more short cleaning cycle parameters is less than the total cycle duration of the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters; The at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the following operations: Using the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters, the automated cleaning machine performs at least one cleaning cycle in the default cycle mode to wash one or more items in the first group; Determine the number of cleaning cycles to be performed per unit of time; The number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time is determined to reach a short cycle threshold, wherein the short cycle threshold is the number of cycles per unit time; and In response to the determined number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time reaching the short cycle threshold, the short cleaning cycle parameters are used to control the execution of at least one subsequent cleaning cycle to wash one or more items of a second group in the washing chamber, wherein the second group is a different group from the first group.

2. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 1, in, The at least one cleaning cycle is at least one of the first set of cleaning cycles, and the number of cleaning cycles is the first number of cleaning cycles. The at least one storage device further includes instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform the following operations: At least one of the second set of cleaning cycles is performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters to wash one or more items from the third set; Determine the number of second cleaning cycles to be performed per unit of time; Determine whether the number of second cleaning cycles executed per unit time reaches the short cycle threshold; In response to the determination that the number of second cleaning cycles performed per unit time has not reached the short cycle threshold, at least one subsequent cleaning cycle is performed using the default cleaning cycle parameters to wash one or more articles of the fourth group.

3. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 1, wherein one or more default cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of a default washing phase duration, a default rinsing phase duration, a default detergent concentration, a default washing water temperature, and a default rinsing water temperature. One or more short cleaning cycle parameters include at least one of the following: short cycle washing phase duration, short cycle rinsing phase duration, short cycle detergent concentration, short cycle washing water temperature, and short cycle rinsing water temperature. The temperature of the short-cycle washing water is higher than the default washing water temperature.

4. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is higher than the default detergent concentration.

5. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the temperature of the short-circuit rinsing water is higher than the default rinsing water temperature.

6. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the duration of the short cycle washing phase is less than the duration of the default washing phase.

7. The automated cleaning machine according to claim 3, wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase and the temperature of the short-cycle washing water are sufficient to transfer at least 3,600 thermal unit equivalents (HUE) to the articles in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

8. The automated cleaning machine of claim 3, wherein the short-cycle detergent concentration is higher than the default detergent concentration, and wherein the duration of the short-cycle washing phase, the temperature of the short-cycle washing water, and the concentration of the short-cycle detergent are sufficient to effectively clean the products in the washing chamber of the automated cleaning machine.

9. The automated cleaning machine of claim 1, wherein the one or more articles comprise one or more of food processing and preparation equipment, clothing, textiles, and medical articles.

10. A method comprising: Store one or more default cleaning cycle parameters and one or more short cleaning cycle parameters to wash one or more items in the washing chamber of an automated cleaning machine, wherein the total cycle duration of a cleaning cycle performed using the one or more short cleaning cycle parameters is less than the total cycle duration of a cleaning cycle performed using the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the one or more items are not part of the automated cleaning machine and are configured to enter and exit the automated cleaning machine. The automated cleaning machine performs at least one cleaning cycle to wash one or more items in the first group using the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters; The number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time is determined by the controller of the automated cleaning machine; The controller of the automated cleaning machine determines that the number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time reaches a short cycle threshold, wherein the short cycle threshold is the number of cycles per unit time. as well as In response to the determined number of cleaning cycles performed per unit time reaching the short cycle threshold, at least one subsequent cleaning cycle is performed by the automated cleaning machine using the short cleaning cycle parameters to wash one or more items of a second group in the washing chamber, wherein the second group is a different group from the first group.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more articles comprise one or more of food processing and preparation equipment, clothing, textiles, and medical articles.

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