Conveyor Dishwasher Unloading Arrangement for Automated Tray Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor dishwashers require significant manual effort for sorting and loading, particularly with trays, leading to increased physical strain and reduced efficiency in commercial settings.
Innovation Solution
An unloading arrangement with a feed conveyor belt and multiple unloading stations that automatically sorts and loads washware into predefined groups, using magnets, wiping devices, and pusher mechanisms to separate and direct items onto specific conveyor belts based on type, reducing manual handling and optimizing the workflow.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If trays are manually removed and sorted from place settings before loading onto the conveyor belt, then the trays can be cleaned without blocking smaller items of washware, but the manual labor and physical strain on operating staff increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic self-service unloading where the conveyor apparatus itself performs the sorting function. Trays are automatically separated from place settings by the conveyor fingers that engage with tray edges and deposit trays onto a separate tray conveyor, eliminating the need for manual intervention while maintaining cleaning efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The tray sorting function is extracted from the main place setting loading process. A dedicated tray conveyor apparatus is provided that runs parallel to the main conveyor belt, specifically designed to receive and transport trays separately from other washware items, thus automating the extraction of trays from place settings.
2Productivity
If trays are placed transversely on the conveyor belt to be cleaned, then the entire area is occupied preventing other washware from being cleaned simultaneously, but this manual placement method is time-consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The cleaning system is segmented into two separate parallel pathways: a main conveyor belt for cleaning plates, bowls, and other washware items, and a separate tray conveyor for cleaning trays. This segmentation allows both tray cleaning and other washware cleaning to occur simultaneously without interfering with each other, thus increasing overall throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The solution moves from a single-dimensional sequential cleaning process to a two-dimensional parallel processing system. By providing a separate tray conveyor running parallel to the main conveyor belt, the system utilizes an additional spatial dimension to enable simultaneous cleaning operations for different types of washware.
3Ease of operation
If operating staff manually sort and load all washware items, then flexibility and control are maintained, but the physical strain and reduced efficiency occur in commercial settings
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor apparatus is designed with multi-functionality to handle different types of washware automatically. The conveyor fingers can engage with various tray types and sizes, and the system can automatically sort place settings while separately conveying trays, providing universal automated handling for multiple washware categories without requiring manual intervention.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution significantly reduces manual labor, enhances ergonomic operation, improves cleaning efficiency, and ensures uniform orientation of washware, minimizing spray shadows and resource consumption.
Implementation Method 1
a magnet which can be actuated in order to lift items of cutlery from the tray
Implementation Method 2
a wiping device which has a guide in such a way that washware of a washware group which comprises cups and bowls or other items of washware of this kind, but not cutlery, plates and saucers, trays and tray-like objects or other items of washware of this kind, hits the guide and is deflected out of the conveying direction
Implementation Method 3
a feed conveyor belt for feeding the items of washware which are arranged on trays or tray-like objects
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 4
AI summary
An unloading arrangement (10) for unloading items of washware (5a, 5b, 5c) which are arranged, in particular, on trays or tray-like objects (6), in particular items of washware (5a, 5b, 5c) from place settings. The unloading arrangement (10) has a feed conveyor belt (11) for feeding the items of washware. The unloading arrangement (10) also has a large number of unloading stations (12, 13, 14) arranged one behind the other - as seen in the conveying direction of the feed conveyor belt (11). For successively unloading the feed conveyor belt (11) or for successively unloading the trays or tray-like objects (6), a predefined or predefinable washware group is preferably associated with each unloading station (12, 13, 14) and each unloading station is designed to unload preferably only items of washware of the associated washware group from the washware which is fed by means of the feed conveyor belt (11).