container

Abstract

To provide a water droplet removing device capable of highly efficiently removing water droplets adhering to a container.SOLUTION: A water droplet removing device 4 removes water droplets adhering to a container 20 having a storage space partitioned by a shelf board 22 therein. The water droplet removing device 4 includes air injection mechanisms 102, 103 having a plurality of injection ports 103c constituted to blow out a plurality of air jets by aligning along a plane surface of the shelf board 22 from one side of the storage space toward the other side thereof. The air injection mechanisms 102, 103 have: one injection port 103c blowing air jets toward the plate surface of the shelf board 22; and other injection ports 103c blowing other air jets to sandwich air jets by the one injection port 103c against the plane surface.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a water droplet removing device for removing water droplets adhering to a container having an accommodation space partitioned by a shelf board inside.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, containers having shelf boards inside on which foods, tableware, etc. can be placed have been used for the purpose of providing meals in various facilities (for example, schools, medical facilities, nursing facilities, etc.). Since this type of container generally has a large number of accommodation spaces partitioned by shelf boards in a large housing, it is difficult to wash by hand. Therefore, a dedicated washing device for washing the container after use has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, after washing the container, it is not preferable from the viewpoint of hygiene management of the container that water droplets remain particularly on the plate surface of the shelf board and its periphery. Furthermore, there is a concern that the accumulated water droplets may drip from the washed container and cause the floor surface around the washing device to become wet. For these reasons, it is desirable to remove the water droplets adhering to the washed container as much as possible, and the above-described conventional container washing device includes nozzles for effectively blowing air onto the shelf board and the like. However, this nozzle has a complicated and large structure, and there is a possibility that a great cost may be required to prepare the number of nozzles corresponding to a large number of shelf boards.

[0005] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a drip removal device that has a simple structure and can efficiently remove water droplets adhering to a container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, the droplet removal device according to the present invention is characterized by the following [1] to [4]. [1] A de-drip device for removing water droplets adhering to a container having internal storage spaces separated by shelves, The air injection mechanism has multiple nozzles configured to blow out multiple air jets in a row along the surface of the shelf board from one side to the other side of the storage space. It is a container drip removal device. [2] In the droplet removal device described in [1] above, The aforementioned air injection mechanism is The device has one nozzle that blows an air jet toward the surface of the shelf board, and another nozzle that blows out another air jet so as to sandwich the air jet from the first nozzle between itself and the surface of the shelf board. It is a container drip removal device. [3] In the droplet removal device described in [1] or [2] above, The container is supported in an inclined position such that one side of the shelf is positioned lower than the other side. It is a container drip removal device. [4] In the droplet removal device described in any one of the above [1] to [3], The aforementioned air injection mechanism is The system comprises an air supply pipe for supplying air to the plurality of injection ports, and a plurality of injection nozzles for guiding air linearly from the air supply pipe to each of the plurality of injection ports. It is a container drip removal device.

[0007] According to the de-icing device with the configuration described in [1] above, the air injection mechanism is configured to spray multiple air jets in a row from multiple nozzles along the surface of the shelf towards the container to which water droplets are attached (specifically, from one side of the container's storage space to the other). This allows the air jets to spread over a wider area of ​​the shelf compared to spraying air from a single nozzle, and enables efficient removal of water droplets attached to the shelf without using a nozzle with a complex structure like the conventional cleaning device described above. Therefore, the de-icing device with this configuration can efficiently remove water droplets attached to containers while having a simple structure.

[0008] In the de-icing device with the configuration described in [2] above, an air jet is blown from one nozzle toward the surface of the shelf, while another air jet is blown from another nozzle so as to sandwich the first air jet between itself and the surface of the shelf. As a result, the water droplets on the surface of the shelf are mainly blown away by the former air jet (i.e., from the first nozzle), while the latter air jet (i.e., from the other nozzle), which flows above the shelf, pushes the first air jet, whose flow velocity has decreased due to pressure loss when it comes into contact with the surface of the shelf, in the direction of the jet, thereby suppressing the overall decrease in flow velocity of the multiple air jets. As a result, compared to de-icing with only a single air jet, an air jet with sufficient flow velocity can be distributed over a wider area of ​​the shelf, and water droplets adhering to the container can be removed efficiently.

[0009] According to the drip removal device with the configuration described in [3] above, the container is supported in a tilted position such that one side of the shelf is lower than the other side, and an air jet is blown out from one side towards the other along the surface of the shelf. This allows for efficient removal of water droplets adhering to the container by allowing the water droplets on the shelf to flow off due to the tilt of the container itself, while the air jet blows away and removes any remaining water droplets on the shelf.

[0010] According to the de-icing device with the configuration described in [4] above, air is supplied linearly and simultaneously from the air supply pipe to multiple injection nozzles. This reduces pressure loss between the air supply pipe and the injection nozzles compared to cases where complexly shaped piping is interposed between the air supply pipe and the injection nozzles. Therefore, the flow velocity and discharge pressure of the air jet blown out from the injection nozzles can be easily improved without excessively increasing the performance of the pump or other equipment supplying air to the air supply pipe. Consequently, water droplets adhering to containers can be efficiently removed while avoiding the need to increase the size of the de-icing device and the manufacturing costs. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a droplet removal device that has a simple structure and can efficiently remove water droplets adhering to a container.

[0012] The present invention has been briefly described above. Furthermore, the details of the present invention will be further clarified by referring to the attached drawings and reading through the embodiments for carrying out the invention described below (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments"). [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a side view showing an overview of the internal structure of a container washing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows a container during transport; Figure 2(a) is a side view thereof; Figure 2(b) is an enlarged view of section A in Figure 2(a); and Figure 2(c) is a rear view of section A in Figure 2(a). [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows the container during washing and dewatering, with Figure 3(a) being a side view, Figure 3(b) being a rear view, and Figure 3(c) being an enlarged view of section B in Figure 3(b). [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows an overview of the internal structure of the container transport device of the container washing machine shown in Figure 1, where Figure 4(a) is a side view and Figure 4(b) is a top view. [Figure 5]FIG. 5 is a rear view showing a state in which a container is being conveyed by a conveying device. FIG. 5(a) shows a stage of passing through the entrance traveling section, FIG. 5(b) shows a stage of passing through the horizontal traveling section, and FIG. 5(c) shows a stage of passing through the exit traveling section. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the transition of the contact state between the front casters and rear casters of the container with respect to the front-wheel protrusions and rear-wheel protrusions of the first conveying path in the process of conveying the container by the conveying device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a rear view showing the state of the rough washing process. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a rear view showing the state of the first stage of the dew removal process, and FIG. 8(b) is a rear view showing the state of the second stage of the dew removal process. [Figure 9] FIG. 9(a) is a rear view showing the state of the third stage of the dew removal process, and FIG. 9(b) is a rear view showing the state of the fourth stage of the dew removal process. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a rear view showing the state of the fifth stage of the dew removal process. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which two upward and downward leftward air jets are blown from two upper and lower first nozzles arranged on the right side of the shelf board onto the upper surface of each shelf board. [Figure 12] FIGS. 12(a) and 12(b) are diagrams corresponding to FIGS. 8(a) and 8(b) in the modified example, respectively. [Figure 13] FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) are diagrams corresponding to FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) in the modified example, respectively. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 10 in the modified example.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0014] <Embodiment> Hereinafter, a washing machine 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The washing machine 1 shown in Figure 1 is a device that sequentially transports a plurality of containers 20 that have been put in through an inlet 12 provided in the housing 11 of the washing machine 1 by a transport device 2 (see Figure 4, etc.), while washing and dewatering the containers 20 with a washing device 3 and a dewatering device 4 (see Figure 1, etc.), and discharges the washed and dewatered containers 20 from an outlet 13 provided in the housing 11. The containers 20 that are washed and dewatered by the washing machine 1 can be containers capable of storing a large number of food items, tableware, etc., for the purpose of providing meals at various facilities (for example, schools, medical facilities, and nursing care facilities, etc.).

[0015] For the sake of explanation, the following definitions are given as shown in Figures 1 to 14: "front-back direction," "left-right direction," "up-down direction," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "up," and "down." The "front-back direction," "left-right direction," and "up-down direction" are orthogonal to each other. The front-back direction coincides with the direction of transport of the container 20 by the transport device 2 (the direction of the transport path), with the front side corresponding to the downstream side of the transport path and the rear side corresponding to the upstream side of the transport path.

[0016] First, let's describe the container 20, which is washed and dewatered by the washing machine 1. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the container 20 has a rectangular, box-shaped metal container body 21 that opens on both the left and right sides. Inside the container body 21, there is a storage space divided vertically by a plurality of shelves 22 arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction. Numerous food items, dishes, etc., will be placed on the top surface of each shelf 22.

[0017] The rectangular bottom surface of the container body 21 is provided with a pair of front casters 23 and a pair of rear casters 24 at the front and rear corners, respectively. The container body 21 is provided with a pair of front and rear metal doors 25 (a total of four doors 25) that can open and close the left and right openings of the container body 21. Each door 25 has a rectangular flat shape and is identical in shape. Each door 25 can rotate approximately 270 degrees from the closed state shown in Figure 2(a) toward the open direction until it abuts against the corresponding front and rear wall of the container body 21.

[0018] An upper resin bumper 26 is provided at the upper edge of the outer wall of each door 25, extending in the front-rear direction when the door 25 is closed (see Figure 2(a)). A lower resin bumper 27 is provided at the lower edge of the outer wall of each door 25, extending in the front-rear direction when the door 25 is closed (see Figure 2(a)). The upper bumper 26 and the lower bumper 27 serve to protect the door 25 when it rotates in the opening direction and comes into contact with the corresponding front-rear wall of the container body 21.

[0019] Each door 25 has an upper bumper 26 with a notch 26a for a fastening bracket (see Figure 2(b)), and each door 25 has a lower bumper 27 with a through hole 27a that penetrates vertically (see Figure 2(a)). Fastening brackets 28 are provided on both the left and right edges of the rectangular top surface of the container body 21, corresponding to the notches 26a for fastening brackets of each door 25 when it is closed. Each fastening bracket 28 is provided on the top surface of the container body 21 so as to be rotatable between an engagement position in which it engages with the corresponding notch 26a (see solid line in Figure 2(c)) and an unengaged position in which it does not engage with the corresponding notch 26a (see dashed line in Figure 2(c)).

[0020] When transporting the container 20, such as when food or tableware is stored in the internal storage space, as shown in Figure 2(a), the left and right doors 25 of the container body 21 are closed, and a pair of front and rear fasteners 28 are engaged with a pair of front and rear notches 26a belonging to the closed front and rear doors 25, and a pair of vertically extending pins 29a, integrally provided with the fixing member 29, are inserted from above into a pair of front and rear through holes 27a belonging to the closed front and rear doors 25. In this way, the top and bottom of the front and rear doors 25 are fixed, and the pair of doors 25 can be reliably kept in a closed state. As a result, the doors 25 can be prevented from opening unintentionally during transport of the container 20.

[0021] When the washing machine 1 washes and removes droplets from the container 20, as shown in Figure 3, the doors 25 on both the front and rear sides of the container body 21 are opened from the closed position to a position rotated approximately 180 degrees. At this time, the left and right through holes 27a belonging to the pair of left and right doors 25 are positioned opposite each other in the left-right direction, and the bent portions 31a provided at both ends of the connecting plate 31, which extends in the left-right direction with approximately the same width as the pin 29a, can be inserted from above. By inserting the connecting plate 31 in this way, the pair of left and right doors 25 can be reliably kept in the open position, and the multiple shelves 22 inside the container 20 can be kept exposed. As a result, the doors 25 can be prevented from closing unintentionally during the washing and removal of droplets from the container 20.

[0022] <Overall configuration of washing machine 1> Next, the overall configuration of the washing machine 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the washing machine 1 has a roughly rectangular cylindrical housing 11 that is long in the front-to-back direction. The housing 11 is placed on a recess 6 (see Figure 1) that is recessed downwards and extends in the front-to-back direction, which is provided on a horizontal floor surface 5. The rear opening of the housing 11 functions as an inlet 12 for loading containers 20, and the front opening of the housing 11 functions as an outlet 13 for discharging the containers 20 after washing and de-dripping.

[0023] The internal space of the housing 11 is composed of a lower space R1 located below the floor surface 5 (located inside the recess 6) and an upper space R2 located above the floor surface 5. The upper space R2 is composed of a rough cleaning chamber R3 located at the rearmost part of the upper space R2 where the rough cleaning process described later takes place, a main cleaning chamber R4 adjacent to the front of the rough cleaning chamber R3 where the main cleaning process described later takes place, a finishing cleaning chamber R5 adjacent to the front of the main cleaning chamber R4 where the finishing cleaning process described later takes place, and a drip removal chamber R6 adjacent to the front of the finishing cleaning chamber R5 and located at the frontmost part of the upper space R2 where the drip removal process described later takes place. The rough cleaning chamber R3, the main cleaning chamber R4, the finishing cleaning chamber R5, and the drip removal chamber R6 are in communication in the front-to-back direction. Exhaust pipes 14 for discharging air from the internal space of the housing 11 are provided at a predetermined number of locations in the front-to-back direction on the upper wall of the housing 11. The exhaust pipe 14 allows steam and vapor from inside the housing 11 to be discharged through the exhaust pipe 14, and also discharges the air blown onto the container 20 during the de-drip process described later through the exhaust pipe 14, preventing steam and vapor from being ejected from the inlet 12 and outlet 13.

[0024] <Conveying device 2> Next, the configuration of the conveying device 2 of the washing machine 1 will be described. As shown in Figure 4, a conveyor 7 is provided at a position slightly to the left of the center in the left-right direction near the boundary between the lower space R1 and the upper space R2, and is configured to extend horizontally in the front-rear direction. The conveyor 7 has a drive gear 41 with a rotation axis in the left-right direction provided at the front end of the lower space R1, a driven gear 42 with a rotation axis in the left-right direction provided at the rear end of the lower space R1, and a conveying chain 43 (see Figure 4(b)) wrapped around the drive gear 41 and the driven gear 42 so as to extend in the front-rear direction.

[0025] A motor 44 is provided near the drive gear 41 in the lower space R1. A motor gear 45 is integrally mounted on the rotating shaft of the motor 44. A drive chain 46 is wrapped around the motor gear 45 and the drive gear 41 so as to extend at an inclination with respect to the vertical direction.

[0026] The conveyor chain 43 is composed of multiple links, each having a flat surface on its outer circumference on which heavy objects can be placed. When the multiple links are arranged in a straight line, the flat surfaces of each link form a substantially continuous plane. The outer surface (upper flat surface) of the portion of the conveyor chain 43 facing the upper space R2 functions as a conveying path on which the left front caster 23 and rear caster 24 of the container 20 are placed. Thus, the conveying path formed by the conveyor 7 (in particular, for the sake of explanation, the upper flat surface of the conveyor chain 43) corresponds to the "first conveying path 49". The first conveying path 49 is flush with the floor surface 5 that is continuous with the entrance 12 and the exit 13 (see Figure 4(a)).

[0027] As shown in Figure 4(b), a plurality of front wheel protrusions 47 are fixed to the outer surface of the conveying chain 43 (i.e., the first conveying path 49) so as to be spaced at a predetermined first interval (the interval between adjacent containers 20 being conveyed) in the direction of extension of the conveying chain 43, and a rear wheel protrusion 48 is fixed at a position a predetermined second interval behind each front wheel protrusion 47. In this example, the front wheel protrusions 47 and rear wheel protrusions 48 have the shape of ridges extending in the left-right direction.

[0028] The front wheel projections 47 and rear wheel projections 48 are projections for engaging the front casters 23 and rear casters 24 of the container 20, respectively (see Figure 6, described later). The first spacing D1 is wider than the second spacing D2, and the second spacing D2 is wider than the front-to-rear spacing D3 between the front casters 23 and rear casters 24 of the container 20 (see Figure 2).

[0029] A pair of guide walls 51 (see Figure 5) are provided near both the left and right sides of the first transport path 49, extending in the front-to-back direction. The pair of guide walls 51 serve to prevent the left front caster 23 and rear caster 24 of the container 20 placed on the first transport path 49 from falling off the first transport path 49 in the left-to-right direction. The pair of guide walls 51 at the entrance 12 are formed in a radial pattern that extends towards the rear and function as guide members that guide the front caster 23 into the first transport path 49.

[0030] To drive the conveyor 7, the motor 44's rotation axis is rotated counterclockwise at a constant rotational speed when viewed from the left. This drives the torque to be transmitted sequentially to the drive chain 46, drive gear 41, transport chain 43, and driven gear 42. As a result, the transport chain 43 is rotated counterclockwise at a constant rotational speed when viewed from the left, causing the first transport path 49 to move along the front-rear direction at a constant speed from the entrance 12 to the exit 13.

[0031] A metal rail 52 is provided extending in the front-to-back direction at a position slightly to the right of the left-to-right center near the boundary between the lower space R1 and the upper space R2. The rail 52 integrally has a bottom wall 53 and a pair of guide walls 54 located on both the left-to-right sides of the bottom wall 53 (see Figure 5(a)). The bottom wall 53 of the rail 52 functions as a transport path through which the right-side front casters 23 and rear casters 24 of the container 20 travel. The bottom wall 53 corresponds to the "second transport path 53". Unlike the first transport path 49, the second transport path 53 does not move in the front-to-back direction (it is fixed to the housing 11). The pair of guide walls 54 serve to prevent the right-side front casters 23 and rear casters 24 of the container 20 from falling off the second transport path 53 in the left-to-right direction as they pass through the second transport path 53. Furthermore, the pair of guide walls 54 at the entrance 12 are formed in a radial pattern that extends towards the rear and function as guide members that guide the front casters 23 to the second transport path 53.

[0032] Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the rail 52 is composed of an entrance running section 52a located at the rearmost end of the rail 52, a first inclined section 52b connected to the front of the entrance running section 52a, a horizontal running section 52c connected to the front of the first inclined section 52b, a second inclined section 52d connected to the front of the horizontal running section 52c, and an exit running section 52e connected to the front of the second inclined section 52d and located at the frontmost end of the rail 52.

[0033] The inlet travel section 52a and the first inclined section 52b extend in the front-rear direction from the rear end position to an intermediate position in the rough washing chamber R3, the horizontal travel section 52c extends in the front-rear direction from the aforementioned intermediate position in the rough washing chamber R3, through the main washing chamber R4 and the finishing washing chamber R5, to an intermediate position in the drip removal chamber R6, the second inclined section 52d extends in the front-rear direction from the aforementioned intermediate position in the drip removal chamber R6 to the front end position in the drip removal chamber R6, and the outlet travel section 52e extends in the front-rear direction in front of the drip removal chamber R6.

[0034] The entrance travel section 52a (i.e., the second transport path 53 of the entrance travel section 52a) extends horizontally in the front-rear direction and is flush with the floor surface 5 that is continuous with the first transport path 49 and the entrance 12 (see Figures 4(a) and 5(a)). The first inclined section 52b (i.e., the second transport path 53 of the first inclined section 52b) extends in the front-rear direction, inclined downwards (from the horizontal direction) as it moves forward.

[0035] The horizontal travel section 52c (i.e., the second transport path 53 of the horizontal travel section 52c) extends horizontally in the front-rear direction and is located below the first transport path 49 (see Figure 5(b)). The second inclined section 52d (i.e., the second transport path 53 of the second inclined section 52d) extends in the front-rear direction, inclined upward (from the horizontal direction) so as it moves forward, approaching the first transport path 49 in the vertical direction. The exit travel section 52e (i.e., the second transport path 53 of the exit travel section 52e) extends horizontally in the front-rear direction and is flush with the floor surface 5 that is continuous with the first transport path 49 and the exit 13 (see Figures 4(a) and 5(c)).

[0036] In the conveying device 2 having the above configuration, when the motor 44 is driven (i.e., the conveyor 7 is driven and the conveying chain 43 is moving so as to rotate counterclockwise in Figure 4), a container 20 (see Figure 3) with the door 25 kept open is fed in from the entrance 12. For example, when the rear wheel projection 48 turns around the driven gear 42 and moves from the lower space R1 to the upper space R2, the operator is notified by a notification means or the like that the container 20 should be fed into the washing machine 1, and the operator pushes the container 20 into the entrance 12. When the container 20 is pushed into the entrance 12 at this timing, the left front caster 23 is placed between the rear wheel projection 48 and the front wheel projection 47 of the first conveying path 49. At the same time, the right front caster 23 is also placed on the second conveying path 53. As the transport chain 43 continues to move counterclockwise, the front wheel projection 47 comes into contact with the left front caster 23 as it moves from the rear to the front, causing the front wheel projection 47 to push the left front caster 23 toward the exit 13. As the transport chain 43 continues to move counterclockwise, the left front caster 23 begins to move, and the container 20 is pulled into the entrance 12 and transport begins. At this time, the worker only needs to push the container 20 in while being guided by the guide members of the first transport path 49 and the second transport path 53 of the entrance 12 (i.e., the guide walls 51 and 54 that radiate toward the rear), and there is no need to perform any special operations or checks such as attaching a towing device to the container 20 or visually checking the towing status.

[0037] As a result, the left front caster 23, which is locked to the front wheel projection 47, remains on the first transport path 49 and moves forward together with the conveyor 7, causing the entire container 20 to move forward along the first transport path 49. As the container 20 moves forward along the first transport path 49, the left front caster 23 and rear caster 24 do not rotate, while the right front caster 23 and rear caster 24 rotate in a driven motion on the second transport path 53.

[0038] In this process, as the container 20 moves forward, first, when the right front caster 23 and rear caster 24 pass through the entrance travel section 52a, there is no difference in height between the first transport path 49 and the second transport path 53, so the container 20 moves forward without tilting in the left-right direction (see Figure 5(a)).

[0039] Next, as the right front caster 23 passes the first inclined section 52b, the second transport path 53 moves relatively downward relative to the first transport path 49 as the container 20 moves forward. Consequently, the right front caster 23 moves relatively downward relative to the left front caster 23, causing the container 20 to begin tilting slightly forward and also to the right, and the angle of inclination gradually increases. This increase in the angle of inclination continues until the right front caster 23 enters the horizontal travel section 52c.

[0040] As the container 20 tilts forward and to the right in this manner, the center of gravity of the container 20 also shifts to the front right, and the left rear caster 24 temporarily lifts off the first transport path 49 (see the lower right diagram in Figure 6). Even though the left rear caster 24 lifts off in this manner, the engagement between the left front caster 23 and the front wheel projection 47 is maintained, so the container 20 continues to move forward along the first transport path 49. This lifting of the left rear caster 24 continues until the right rear caster 24 enters the horizontal travel section 52c. As described above, as the container 20 moves through the rough washing chamber R3, it begins to tilt to the right, and the angle of tilt gradually increases to a predetermined first angle (= predetermined acute angle).

[0041] Next, as the front caster 23 and rear caster 24 on the right side pass through the horizontal travel section 52c, the downward movement of the second transport path 53 relative to the first transport path 49 is kept constant, so the container 20 moves forward while tilted to the right by a predetermined first angle (= acute angle) (see Figure 5(b)). As described above, the container 20 moves forward while tilted to the right by a predetermined first angle (= acute angle) as it passes through the section from an intermediate position in the rough washing chamber R3, through the main washing chamber R4 and the finishing washing chamber R5, to an intermediate position in the drip removal chamber R6.

[0042] Next, as the right front caster 23 passes the second inclined section 52d, the second transport path 53 moves relatively upward relative to the first transport path 49 as the container 20 moves forward. As a result, the right front caster 23 moves relatively upward relative to the left front caster 23, and the tilt angle of the container 20 to the right is maintained at a predetermined first angle (= acute angle). At the same time, the container 20 also begins to tilt slightly backward, causing the center of gravity of the container 20 to move to the right rear. This causes the left front caster 23 to lift off the first transport path 49, and the amount of lift gradually increases. This increase in lift continues until the right rear caster 24 enters the second inclined section 52d.

[0043] In this process, as the amount of lift of the left front caster 23 from the first transport path 49 increases, the locking between the left front caster 23 and the front wheel projection 47 may be released (see the lower center diagram in Figure 6). When the locking is released, the pressure from the conveyor 7 (front wheel projection 47 of the transport chain 43) is eliminated, and the right front caster 23 receives a backward component force (resistance) from the second inclined section 52d, causing the container 20 to not move, and only the first transport path 49 (transport chain 43) to continue moving forward until the first transport path 49 (transport chain 43) makes contact with the left rear caster 24 (see the lower left diagram in Figure 6). After the left rear caster 24 is locked to the rear wheel projection 48, the locking between the left rear caster 24 and the rear wheel projection 48 causes the container 20 to continue moving forward along the first transport path 49 again. Furthermore, the lift of the left front caster 23 continues until the right rear caster 24 enters the exit running section 52e.

[0044] Next, as the right rear caster 24 passes the second inclined section 52d, the right rear caster 24 moves relatively upward relative to the left rear caster 24, gradually decreasing the angle of inclination of the container 20 to the right. This decrease in the angle of inclination continues until the right rear caster 24 enters the exit running section 52e. As described above, the angle of inclination of the container 20 to the right begins to decrease while moving through the drip removal chamber R6 and gradually decreases to zero.

[0045] Then, as the front caster 23 and rear caster 24 on the right side pass through the exit travel section 52e, there is no difference in height between the first transport path 49 and the second transport path 53, so the container 20 moves forward without tilting in the left-right direction (see Figure 5(c)).

[0046] Subsequently, when the container 20 moves forward and reaches the end of the exit running section 52e, the front wheel projection 47 wraps around the drive gear 41 and enters the lower space R1, so that the front wheel projection 47 is no longer in front of the front caster 23, and the worker can pull out the container 20 as is.

[0047] As described above, when a worker loads a container 20 (see Figure 3) with its door 25 open from the entrance 12, the left front caster 23 engages with the front wheel projection 47 of the first transport path 49, and the container 20 is transported forward within the housing 11 by the transport device 2. That is, each time one of the multiple front wheel projections 47 provided on the first transport path 49 reaches the vicinity of the rear end of the first transport path 49 (near the entrance 12), a container 20 with its door 25 open is sequentially loaded so that the left front caster 23 engages with the front wheel projection 47 of the first transport path 49, thereby transporting multiple containers 20 forward within the housing 11 with the aforementioned first spacing between them.

[0048] On the other hand, at the exit 13, when the front wheel projection 47 rotates downward as the drive gear 41 rotates, the worker can pull out the container 20 without having to perform any special operations or checks such as releasing the towing device from the container 20 or visually confirming that it is released.

[0049] <Washing device 3> Next, the cleaning device 3 of the cleaning machine 1 will be described. The cleaning device 3 comprises a rough cleaning system, a main cleaning system, and a finishing cleaning system. Below, the rough cleaning system will be described first.

[0050] • Rough washing system The rough washing system is a system for spraying the washing water used in the rough washing process towards the container 20, which is being transported by the conveying device 2, within the rough washing chamber R3. The washing water used in the rough washing process is prepared by mixing water and detergent.

[0051] As shown in Figure 1, a washing tank 61 is provided in the lower space R1 below the rough washing chamber R3 for storing washing water used in the rough washing process. The upper opening of the washing tank 61 is covered with a tank strainer (not shown) made of mesh (a mesh with many fine through-holes). The washing water used in the rough washing process in the rough washing chamber R3 is collected into the washing tank 61 through the mesh of the tank strainer. The washing water stored in the washing tank 61 is heated by a heater (not shown) and maintained at a predetermined high temperature.

[0052] As shown in Figure 1, the washing tank 61 is connected to the suction side of the pump 62 located in the lower space R1. The discharge side of the pump 62 is connected to the rough washing pipe 64 via piping 63. In this example, as shown in Figure 7, a pair of left and right rough washing pipes 64 extending vertically are provided on both the left and right sides of the container 20, which is transported by the conveying device 2 in a state of tilting to the right within the rough washing chamber R3. Also in this example, as shown in Figure 1, a pair of left and right rough washing pipes 64, as shown in Figure 7, are provided at four locations in the front-to-back direction within the rough washing chamber R3.

[0053] As shown in Figure 7, water spray nozzles 65 extending to the right toward the container 20 are provided at multiple locations in the vertical direction of the left rough cleaning pipe 64, and water spray nozzles 65 extending to the left toward the container 20 are provided at multiple locations in the vertical direction of the right rough cleaning pipe 64. These multiple water spray nozzles 65 are positioned to match the vertical positions of multiple shelves 22 that are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction inside the container body 21.

[0054] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in this example, for each of the left and right casters 23 and 24 of the container 20, a pair of left and right caster cleaning pipes 66 extending vertically are provided on both the left and right sides of the caster 23 and 24. Each caster cleaning pipe 66 is connected to a corresponding rough cleaning pipe 64. The pair of left and right caster cleaning pipes 66 are equipped with water spray nozzles 67 extending toward the casters 23 and 24.

[0055] The rough cleaning process is carried out using the rough cleaning system having the above configuration. In the rough cleaning process, high-temperature cleaning water, pressurized by the pump 62, is sprayed from multiple water spray nozzles 65 located on both the left and right sides of the container 20, mainly towards multiple shelves 22 inside the container body 21. This performs rough cleaning of the inside of the container body 21. Furthermore, high-temperature cleaning water, pressurized by the pump 62, is sprayed from multiple water spray nozzles 67 towards the left and right casters 23 and 24 of the container 20. This cleans the left and right casters 23 and 24 of the container 20. The rough cleaning system has now been described. Next, the main cleaning system will be described.

[0056] • Main flushing system The main cleaning system is a system for spraying cleaning water used in the main cleaning process towards containers 20 that are transported by the transport device 2 within the main cleaning chamber R4. The cleaning water used in the main cleaning process is also manufactured by mixing water and detergent. The concentration of detergent in the cleaning water used in the main cleaning process may be the same as or different from the concentration of detergent in the cleaning water used in the rough cleaning process.

[0057] As shown in Figure 1, a cleaning tank 71 for storing cleaning water used in the main cleaning process is provided in the lower space R1 below the main cleaning chamber R4. The upper opening of the cleaning tank 71 is covered by a tank strainer (not shown) made of mesh (a mesh with many fine through-holes). The cleaning water used in the main cleaning process in the main cleaning chamber R4 is collected into the cleaning tank 71 through the mesh of the tank strainer. The cleaning water stored in the cleaning tank 71 is heated by a heater (not shown) and maintained at a predetermined high temperature. The temperature of the cleaning water used in the main cleaning process may be the same as or different from the temperature of the cleaning water used in the rough cleaning process.

[0058] As shown in Figure 1, the cleaning tank 71 is connected to the suction side of the pump 72 located in the lower space R1. The discharge side of the pump 72 is connected to the main cleaning pipe 74 via piping 73. In this example, similar to the pair of left and right rough cleaning pipes 64 shown in Figure 7, a pair of left and right main cleaning pipes 74 extending vertically are provided on both the left and right sides of the container 20, which is transported by the transport device 2 in a state of tilting to the right within the main cleaning chamber R4. Also in this example, as shown in Figure 1, a pair of left and right main cleaning pipes 74 are provided at two locations in the front-to-back direction within the main cleaning chamber R4.

[0059] Similar to the pair of left and right rough-cleaning pipes 64, multiple water spray nozzles 75 extending toward the container 20 are provided at multiple locations in the vertical direction of the pair of left and right main cleaning pipes 74. These multiple water spray nozzles 75 are positioned in accordance with the vertical positions of multiple shelves 22 that are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction inside the container body 21.

[0060] The main cleaning process is performed using the main cleaning system having the above configuration. In the main cleaning process, high-temperature cleaning water, pumped by the pump 72, is sprayed from multiple water injection nozzles 75 located on both the left and right sides of the container 20, mainly towards multiple shelves 22 inside the container body 21. This performs the main cleaning on the inside of the container body 21 after the rough cleaning has been completed. The main cleaning system has now been described. Next, the finishing cleaning system will be described.

[0061] • Finishing cleaning system The finishing cleaning system is a system for spraying water (hot water) used in the finishing cleaning process towards the container 20, which is being transported by the transport device 2, within the finishing cleaning chamber R5.

[0062] As shown in Figure 1, a water tank 81 for storing water used in the finishing cleaning process is provided in the lower space R1 in front of the finishing cleaning chamber R5. The water stored in the water tank 81 is heated by a heater (not shown) and maintained at a predetermined high temperature.

[0063] As shown in Figure 1, the water tank 81 is connected to the suction side of the pump 82 located in the lower space R1. The discharge side of the pump 82 is connected to the finish cleaning pipe 84 via piping 83. In this example, similar to the pair of left and right rough cleaning pipes 64 shown in Figure 7, a pair of left and right finish cleaning pipes 84 extending vertically are provided on both the left and right sides of the container 20, which is transported by the transport device 2 in a state of inclination to the right within the finish cleaning chamber R5.

[0064] Similar to the pair of left and right rough cleaning pipes 64, multiple water spray nozzles 85 extending toward the container 20 are provided at multiple points in the vertical direction of the left and right finishing cleaning pipes 84. These multiple water spray nozzles 85 are positioned in accordance with the vertical positions of multiple shelves 22 that are arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction inside the container body 21.

[0065] A reduction tank 86 for storing water used in the finishing cleaning process is provided in the lower space R1 below the finishing cleaning chamber R5. The upper opening of the reduction tank 86 is covered by a tank strainer (not shown) made of mesh (a mesh with many fine through-holes). Water used in the finishing cleaning process within the finishing cleaning chamber R5 is recovered into the reduction tank 86 through the mesh of the tank strainer.

[0066] As shown in Figure 1, the reduction tank 86 is connected to the suction side of the pump 87, which is located in the lower space R1. A pipe 88 connected to the discharge side of the pump 87 extends to the cleaning tank 71. An on / off solenoid valve 89 is interposed in the middle of the pipe 88. By controlling the on / off solenoid valve 89, the water pumped by the pump 87 is returned to the cleaning tank 71 as appropriate.

[0067] A pipe 91 branches off from a branch section 88a located upstream of the on-off solenoid valve 89 in pipe 88 and extends to the cleaning tank 61. An on-off solenoid valve 92 is installed in the middle of pipe 91. By controlling the on-off solenoid valve 92, the water pumped by the pump 87 is returned to the cleaning tank 61 as needed.

[0068] The finishing cleaning process is performed using the finishing cleaning system having the above configuration. In the finishing cleaning process, hot water pressurized by the pump 82 is sprayed from multiple water injection nozzles 85 located on both the left and right sides of the container 20, mainly toward multiple shelves 22 inside the container body 21. This performs a finishing cleaning on the inside of the container body 21 after the main cleaning has been completed. The finishing cleaning system has now been described.

[0069] <Drip removal device 4> Next, the de-drip device 4 of the washing machine 1 will be described. The de-drip device 4 is a device that removes water droplets adhering to the container body 21 by blowing an air jet onto the container body 21 after the final washing has been completed. As shown in Figure 1, the de-drip device 4 is equipped with an air supply pipe 102 that is connected to the blower 101 and extends in the vertical direction. Compressed air generated by the blower 101 is supplied to the air supply pipe 102. In this example, a device for heating the air supplied to the air supply pipe 102 is not provided, but such a device may be provided.

[0070] In this example, as shown in Figure 1, vertically extending air supply pipes 102 are provided on either the left or right side of the container 20, which is transported by the transport device 2 at five locations in the front-to-back direction within the drip removal chamber R6, tilted to the right by a predetermined first angle (= acute angle) (see also Figures 8 to 10). In the drip removal device 4, with the container 20 tilted to either the left or right, for example, with the shelf 22 tilted by a first angle (= acute angle) so that the right side of the shelf 22 is lower than the left side, an air jet is blown towards the shelf 22. This allows water droplets on the shelf 22 to flow off and be removed by the tilt of the shelf 22 itself, while the air jet blows away and removes any remaining water droplets on the shelf 22.

[0071] Specifically, of the five air supply pipes 102 provided in the drip removal chamber R6, the first air supply pipe 102 that the container 20 passes through (located at the rearmost position) is a single air supply pipe 102a extending vertically on the left side, which is the higher side of the inclined position of the container 20, as shown in Figure 8(a). Multiple first injection nozzles 103 facing to the right are provided on the air supply pipe 102a so as to be arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction over substantially the entire vertical area of ​​the container body 21. Each first injection nozzle 103 extends directly vertically from the air supply pipe 102a. Therefore, the pressure loss between the air supply pipe 102a and the first injection nozzle 103 is smaller compared to the case where complex piping is interposed between the air supply pipe 102 and the injection nozzle (for example, the second injection nozzle 104 described later).

[0072] Air is sprayed from multiple first injection nozzles 103 provided on the air supply pipe 102a in a substantially horizontal direction toward the shelves 22, and is blown at a sharp angle to the underside of the multiple shelves 22 inside the container body 21. As a result, water droplets adhering mainly to the underside of the multiple shelves 22 can be removed by the air jet sprayed from a single air supply pipe 102a. By removing the water droplets from the underside of the shelves 22 in this way, the situation in which water droplets fall from the underside of the shelves 22 to the upper surface of the shelf 22 directly below, after the upper surface of the shelves 22 has been removed as described later, and the upper surface of the shelves 22 becomes wet again is suppressed. Furthermore, since air is sprayed throughout the inside of the container body 21 as described above at the beginning of the series of water droplet removal processes, the spraying of air from the multiple first injection nozzles 103 also acts as a rough removal to reduce the amount of water droplets in the entire container 20. Therefore, each water droplet removal process described later can be carried out effectively. In the example shown in Figure 8(a), the length of the first injection nozzle 103 is the same for all nozzles. However, the length of the first injection nozzle 103 may be changed to match the inclination of the container body 21 so that the distance between the first injection nozzle 103 and the container body 21 does not differ from place to place.

[0073] For the sake of explanation, in the following, when the storage space inside the container body 21 is divided into four spaces at equal intervals in the vertical direction, the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the uppermost space will be called the first shelf group, the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the second space from the top will be called the second shelf group, the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the third space from the top will be called the third shelf group, and the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the lowermost space will be called the fourth shelf group.

[0074] Of the five air supply pipes 102 provided in the drip removal chamber R6, a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102b extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the container 20 are provided as air supply pipes 102 adjacent to the front of air supply pipe 102a, as shown in Figure 8(b).

[0075] The right-side air supply pipe 102b is equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103 facing left, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the first shelf group. Each first injection nozzle 103 extends directly from the right-side air supply pipe 102b. The left-side air supply pipe 102b is equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104 facing downward to the right, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the first shelf group. Each second injection nozzle 104 extends from the left-side air supply pipe 102b via a branch pipe that is erected vertically. The orientation of the second injection nozzles 104 can be adjusted vertically so as to rotate around the branch pipe. The injection pressure of the air injected from the second injection nozzles 104 is lower than the injection pressure of the air injected from the first injection nozzles 103 by the amount of pressure loss in the branch pipe located between the air supply pipe 102b and the second injection nozzles 104.

[0076] More specifically, the multiple second injection nozzles 104 are arranged one by one, corresponding to each shelf 22 belonging to the first shelf group. In contrast, the multiple first injection nozzles 103 are arranged two by two, above and below, corresponding to each shelf 22 belonging to the first shelf group, as shown in Figure 11.

[0077] For each shelf 22 belonging to the first shelf group, two leftward-facing air jets are blown onto the upper surface of each shelf 22 from two first injection nozzles 103 located on the right air supply pipe 102b, intersecting at an acute angle, primarily to remove droplets from each shelf 22. At the same time, a rightward-facing air jet is blown from a single second injection nozzle 104 located on the left air supply pipe 102b, intersecting at an acute angle to the upper surface of the shelf 22, to remove droplets from areas that are difficult to remove with the first injection nozzles. In this way, the air jets blown from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102b primarily remove water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of multiple shelves 22 belonging to the first shelf group.

[0078] Furthermore, from the nozzle 103c (see Figure 11) of the lower of the two upper and lower first injection nozzles 103a, a lower air jet is blown toward the upper surface of the shelf plate 22 as a droplet removal jet. At the same time, from the nozzle 103c (see Figure 11) of the upper of the two first injection nozzles 103b, an upper air jet is blown out as a guide jet so as to sandwich the droplet removal jet between itself and the upper surface of the shelf plate 22. In this way, the water droplets on the upper surface of the shelf plate 22 are mainly blown away by the lower droplet removal jet, while the guide jet flowing above the droplet removal jet pushes the droplet removal jet, whose flow velocity has decreased due to pressure loss when it comes into contact with the upper surface of the shelf plate 22, in the direction of the jet (left), thereby suppressing the overall decrease in flow velocity of the two upper and lower air jets. By blowing a guide jet along the droplet removal jet, a sufficiently high-velocity air jet can be distributed over a wider area of ​​the shelf 22, compared to when droplet removal is performed by a single air jet alone, thereby enabling droplet removal.

[0079] The first injection nozzle 103 consists of a cylindrical single pipe with no irregularities on its inner surface, and its length is sufficiently longer than its inner diameter. For example, the nozzle length is four times or more the inner diameter. Therefore, the straightness of the air jet sprayed from the first injection nozzle 103 is extremely high.

[0080] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 8(b), the lengths of all the first injection nozzles 103 are the same. As a result, due to the inclination of the container 20, the distance between the nozzle openings 103c of the multiple first injection nozzles 103 and the container body 21 becomes larger for the lower first injection nozzles 103, which may weaken the injection force onto the shelf board 22. To address this, in order to make the distance between the nozzle openings 103c of the multiple first injection nozzles 103 and the container body 21 the same, the length of the first injection nozzles 103 may be made longer for the lower first injection nozzles 103.

[0081] Of the five air supply pipes 102 provided in the drip removal chamber R6, a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102c extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the container 20 are provided as air supply pipes 102 adjacent to the front of air supply pipe 102b, as shown in Figure 9(a).

[0082] The right-side air supply pipe 102c is equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103 facing left, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the second shelf group. The left-side air supply pipe 102c is equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104 facing downward to the right, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the second shelf group.

[0083] The pair of left and right air supply pipes 102c differ from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102b, which are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the first shelf group, only in that they are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the second shelf group. That is, water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of multiple shelves 22 belonging to the second shelf group can be mainly removed by the air jets blown from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102c.

[0084] Of the five air supply pipes 102 provided in the drip removal chamber R6, a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102d extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the container 20 are provided as air supply pipes 102 adjacent to the front of air supply pipe 102c, as shown in Figure 9(b).

[0085] The right-side air supply pipe 102d is equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103 facing left, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the third shelf group. The left-side air supply pipe 102d is equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104 facing downward to the right, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the third shelf group.

[0086] The pair of left and right air supply pipes 102d differ from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102c, which are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the second shelf group, in that they are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the third shelf group. That is, water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of multiple shelves 22 belonging to the third shelf group can be mainly removed by the air jets blown from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102d.

[0087] Furthermore, a second injection nozzle 104a, which points downward to the right, is provided on the left-side air supply pipe 102d, corresponding to the upper surface of the container body 21. As a result, water droplets adhering to the upper surface of the container body 21 can be removed primarily by the air jet sprayed from the second injection nozzle 104a.

[0088] Of the five air supply pipes 102 provided in the drip removal chamber R6, a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102e are provided, extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the container 20, as shown in Figure 10, adjacent to the front of air supply pipe 102d and located furthest forward.

[0089] The right-side air supply pipe 102e is equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103 facing left, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the fourth shelf group. The left-side air supply pipe 102e is equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104 facing downward to the right, arranged at equal intervals in the vertical direction corresponding to the fourth shelf group.

[0090] The pair of left and right air supply pipes 102e differ from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102d, which are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the third shelf group, in that they are provided with multiple first injection nozzles 103 and second injection nozzles 104 corresponding to the fourth shelf group. That is, water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of multiple shelves 22 belonging to the fourth shelf group can be mainly removed by the air jets blown from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102e.

[0091] Furthermore, the left air supply pipe 102e, like the left air supply pipe 102d, is equipped with a second injection nozzle 104a that points downward to the right, corresponding to the upper surface of the container body 21. As a result, the air jet sprayed from the second injection nozzle 104a can primarily remove water droplets adhering to the upper surface of the container body 21.

[0092] As described above, the dewatering process is performed using the dewatering device 4. Specifically, in the dewatering process, first, water droplets adhering to the lower surfaces of the multiple shelves 22 are removed by an air jet sprayed from the air supply pipe 102a, then water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the first shelf group are removed by an air jet sprayed from the air supply pipe 102b, then water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the second shelf group are removed by an air jet sprayed from the air supply pipe 102c, then water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the third shelf group are removed by an air jet sprayed from the air supply pipe 102d, and finally, water droplets adhering to the upper surfaces of the multiple shelves 22 belonging to the fourth shelf group are removed by an air jet sprayed from the air supply pipe 102e. By removing water droplets in this order, water droplets adhering to the container 20 can be efficiently removed with a simple configuration. Furthermore, since only a blower 101 is connected to each air supply pipe 102, the drip removal device 4 can be configured compactly, allowing drips to be removed from the container 20 over a short distance.

[0093] In the above-described drip removal device 4 (see Figures 8 to 10), each of the air supply pipes 102b, 102c, 102d, and 102e is provided with a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102 extending vertically on both the left and right sides of the container 20. The right air supply pipe 102 is equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103, and the left air supply pipe 102 is equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104.

[0094] In contrast, as shown in Figures 12 to 14, for each of the air supply pipes 102b, 102c, 102d, and 102e, a pair of left and right air supply pipes 102 are provided on both the left and right sides of the container 20, each inclined to the right by an angle greater than the rightward inclination angle of the container 20 (= first angle (= acute angle)) (with respect to the vertical direction). The left air supply pipe 102 may be equipped with multiple first injection nozzles 103, and the right air supply pipe 102 may be equipped with multiple second injection nozzles 104.

[0095] In the example shown in Figures 12 to 14, a leftward-facing air jet is blown onto the upper surface of each corresponding shelf 22 from a corresponding second injection nozzle 104 located on the right air supply pipe 102, intersecting at an acute angle. At the same time, two rightward-facing air jets are blown onto the upper surface of each corresponding shelf 22 from two corresponding upper and lower first injection nozzles 103 located on the left air supply pipe 102, intersecting at an acute angle. As a result, similar to the droplet removal device 4 described above (see Figures 8 to 10), water droplets adhering mainly to the upper surface of each corresponding shelf 22 can be removed by the air jets blown from the pair of left and right air supply pipes 102. Furthermore, in this example, since the two upper and lower first injection nozzles 103 that mainly remove droplets from the shelf 22 are located on the higher side of the shelf 22 which is tilted left and right, the water droplets removed by the first injection nozzles 103 tend to flow more easily to the lower side of the shelf 22, allowing for more efficient droplet removal.

[0096] The water droplets removed from the container 20 by the droplet removal device 4 are collected in a drain tank 93 (see Figure 1) located in the lower space R1 below the droplet removal chamber R6. The water collected in the drain tank 93 is discharged to the outside of the washing machine 1 through a drain port 94 provided in the drain tank 93.

[0097] <Effects and Actions> According to the de-drip device 4 of the washing machine 1 in this embodiment, multiple air jets are sprayed in a row from multiple nozzles 103c along the surface of the shelf plate 22 toward the container 20 to which water droplets are attached (specifically, from one side of the storage space of the container 20 toward the other side). As a result, the air jets can be spread over a wider area of ​​the shelf plate 22 compared to when an air jet is sprayed from a single nozzle, and water droplets attached to the shelf plate 22 can be efficiently removed without using a nozzle with a complex structure like the conventional washing device described above. Therefore, the de-drip device 4 of this configuration can efficiently remove water droplets attached to the container 20 while having a simple structure.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the drip removal device 4 of the washing machine 1 according to this embodiment, while an air jet is blown from the nozzle 103c of the first spray nozzle 103a toward the surface of the shelf plate 22, an air jet is blown out from the nozzle 103c of the first spray nozzle 103b so as to sandwich the air jet between the two surfaces. As a result, the water droplets on the surface of the shelf plate 22 are mainly blown away by the former air jet (i.e., from the nozzle 103c of the first spray nozzle 103a), while the latter air jet (i.e., from the nozzle 103c of the first spray nozzle 103b), which flows above the shelf plate 22 than the former air jet, pushes the former air jet, whose flow velocity has decreased due to pressure loss when in contact with the surface of the shelf plate 22, in the direction of the spray, thereby suppressing a decrease in the overall flow velocity of the multiple air jets. This allows a sufficiently velocating air jet to spread over a wider area of ​​the shelf 22 compared to when droplet removal is performed by a single air jet, enabling efficient removal of water droplets adhering to the container 20.

[0099] Furthermore, according to the drip removal device 4 of the washing machine 1 in this embodiment, with the container 20 supported in a tilted position such that one side of the shelf 22 is positioned lower than the other side, an air jet is blown out from one side towards the other along the surface of the shelf 22. As a result, water droplets adhering to the container 20 can be efficiently removed by allowing the tilt of the container 20 itself to cause water droplets on the shelf 22 to flow off and be removed, while the air jet blows away and removes the remaining water droplets on the shelf 22.

[0100] Furthermore, according to the de-drip device 4 of the washing machine 1 according to this embodiment, air is supplied linearly and collectively from the air supply pipe 102 to the multiple injection nozzles 103 via the multiple first injection nozzles 103. As a result, pressure loss along the route from the air supply pipe 102 to the injection nozzles 103c is reduced compared to the case where complexly shaped piping or the like is interposed between the air supply pipe 102 and the injection nozzles 103c. Therefore, the flow velocity and discharge pressure of the air jet blown out from the injection nozzles 103c can be easily improved without excessively increasing the performance of the pump or the like that supplying air to the air supply pipe 102. Consequently, water droplets adhering to the container 20 can be efficiently removed while avoiding an increase in the size of the de-drip device 4 and increased manufacturing costs.

[0101] <Other forms> It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications can be adopted within the scope of the present invention. For example, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified, improved, etc. as appropriate. Furthermore, the material, shape, dimensions, number, placement, etc. of each component in the embodiments described above are arbitrary and not limited as long as they can achieve the present invention.

[0102] In the above embodiment, the transport device 2 is provided with front wheel projections 47 and rear wheel projections 48 on the first transport path 49. However, the front wheel projections 47 and rear wheel projections 48 do not necessarily have to be provided on the first transport path 49. Furthermore, instead of the front wheel projections 47 and rear wheel projections 48, an engaging member may be provided that does not engage with the wheel portion of the front caster 23 and rear caster 24, but is configured to directly engage with the main body portion of the front caster 23 and rear caster 24.

[0103] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the conveying device 2 is configured such that only the first conveying path 49 has a conveying chain 43 (i.e., a conveyor 7). In contrast, the second conveying path 53 may also be configured to have a conveyor such as a conveying chain, similar to the first conveying path 49. In this case, the conveyor of the second conveying path 53 may also be provided with front wheel projections 47 and rear wheel projections 48, similar to the first conveying path 49.

[0104] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the drip removal device 4 blows two air jets, one above and one below, from two first injection nozzles 103, one above and one below, onto the upper surface of each shelf 22. Alternatively, three or more air jets, arranged vertically, may be blown vertically from three or more first injection nozzles 103, arranged vertically, onto the upper surface of each shelf 22.

[0105] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the container 20 is configured so that the storage space can be closed by opening and closing the right-side opening and the left-side opening of the container body 21 with the door 25. However, the container 20 does not necessarily need to have a door 25, and a container 20 without a door 25 may be washed in the washing machine 1.

[0106] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the first transport path 49, on which the transport chain 43 (i.e., conveyor 7) is provided, is located above the second transport path 53 in a part of the transport path (i.e., the horizontal travel section 52c). In contrast, the first transport path 49 may be configured to be located below the second transport path 53 in a part of the transport path (for example, the horizontal travel section 52c), or the first transport path 49 and the second transport path 53 may be located at the same vertical position throughout the entire transport path (i.e., the first inclined section 52b and the second inclined section 52d do not exist).

[0107] Herein, the features of the embodiments of the drip removal device 4 of the washing machine 1 according to the present invention described above are briefly summarized and listed below in [1] to [4]. [1] A drip removal device (4) for removing water droplets adhering to a container (20) having internal storage spaces separated by shelves (22), The air injection mechanism (102, 103) has multiple nozzles (103c) configured to blow out multiple air jets in a row along the surface of the shelf (22) from one side to the other side of the storage space. Container drip removal device (4). [2] In the droplet removal device described in [1] above, The aforementioned air injection mechanism (102, 103) The shelf board (22) has one nozzle (103c) that blows an air jet toward the board surface, and another nozzle (103c) that blows another air jet so as to sandwich the air jet from the first nozzle (103c) between itself and the board surface. Container drip removal device (4). [3] In the droplet removal device described in [1] or [2] above, The container (20) is supported in an inclined position such that one side of the shelf (22) is positioned lower than the other side. Container drip removal device (4). [4] In the droplet removal device described in any one of the above [1] to [3], The aforementioned air injection mechanism (102, 103) The system includes an air supply pipe (102) for supplying air to the plurality of injection ports (103c), and a plurality of injection nozzles (103) for guiding air linearly from the air supply pipe (102) to each of the plurality of injection ports (103c), Container drip removal device (4). [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 Washing machine 2. Conveying device 3. Washing device 4 Drip removing device 20 containers 22 shelves 102 Air supply pipe (air injection mechanism) 103 First injection nozzle (injection nozzle, air injection mechanism) 103c injection port

Claims

1. A container for storing and transporting a large number of food items and tableware, A container body having an opening, through which the food and tableware can be stored, The container body comprises a door body that can open and close the opening, The door body has a pair of doors on the left and right sides of the opening, Each of the doors has a bumper on its outer wall to protect the door when it rotates in the opening direction and abuts against the corresponding wall of the container body. The container body is, It has a fastener that engages with the door body to maintain the door body in a closed state, The aforementioned fastener is, It is provided above the container body and has a substantially L-shape, and is configured to rotate between an engagement position in which it engages with the notch in the bumper at the top of the door, and a non-engagement position in which the fastener is retracted towards the container body side of the opening in the container body and does not engage with the notch. container.

2. A container according to claim 1, The aforementioned fastener is, It has a shape that is bent in a roughly L-shape, and when in the engagement position, the portion on one side of the bending point contacts the upper surface of the door, and the portion on the other side of the bending point contacts the front surface of the notch of the bumper. container.

3. A container according to claim 1, Each door is provided with a through-hole that extends vertically through the lower part of the door, and when the door is closed, a fixing member can be inserted into each of the through-holes to maintain the door body in a closed state. container.

4. A container according to claim 1, The container body has a pair of openings that face each other and communicate in opposite directions, The container comprises a pair of door bodies that can open and close each of the pair of openings, container.

5. A container according to claim 1, Inside the container body, multiple shelves are arranged so as to be spaced apart in the vertical direction. container.

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