System for loading a dishwasher and dishwasher having a system of this kind
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional conveyor dishwashers require significant manual labor for loading and sorting of washware, leading to increased physical strain and inefficiency, particularly when handling trays that occupy a large surface area and necessitate double handling.
Innovation Solution
A system for automatic or partially automatic loading of a conveyor dishwasher, featuring a feed conveyor belt, sorting arrangement, and loading arrangements that categorize washware into groups like cutlery, trays, and crockery, using detectors and manipulators to streamline the process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If trays are placed on the conveyor belt transverse to the conveying direction, then trays can be sorted by type and prevented from casting spray shadows, but the available surface area of the conveyor belt is completely occupied and cleaning time for trays increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is divided into multiple lanes (first lane for trays, second lane for other washware). This segmentation allows trays to be conveyed separately from other items, enabling them to be placed lengthwise without blocking space for other washware, thus resolving the contradiction between proper tray orientation for cleaning quality and space utilization for productivity
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of placing trays only in the transverse direction (occupying all surface area), the solution uses the longitudinal dimension by creating parallel lanes. Trays are placed in the first lane while other washware is placed in the second lane, both extending in the conveying direction, thereby utilizing the third dimension (depth/width of conveyor) to resolve the space occupation issue
2Ease of operation
If trays are manually picked up and placed onto the conveyor belt, then sorting by type can be performed, but the amount of manual work and physical strain on operating personnel increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables automatic loading where the conveyor apparatus itself performs the sorting and placement functions. The automatic loading arrangement picks up washware from the feed conveyor belt and places it in the appropriate lanes without requiring manual intervention, thereby maintaining sorting capability while eliminating manual labor and physical strain on personnel
3Ease of operation
If trays are placed in the conveyor belt transverse to the conveying direction, then sorting by type is achieved, but all available surface area of the conveyor belt is taken and other washware cannot be cleaned simultaneously
Solution Approach 1:
The conveyor belt is segmented into multiple independent lanes. The first lane is dedicated for trays placed lengthwise, while the second lane accommodates other washware. This segmentation allows simultaneous cleaning of different types of washware without interference, resolving the contradiction between sorting efficiency and multi-item cleaning capability
Solution Approach 2:
The solution transitions from a single-plane transverse placement to a multi-lane longitudinal arrangement. By utilizing the width dimension of the conveyor to create parallel lanes, the system can handle multiple types of washware simultaneously, each lane operating independently with its own sorting and placement logic
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2A~2B
Figure 3A~3B
AI summary
A system (10) for loading a dishwasher which is designed as, in particular, a commercial conveyor dishwasher (1). The system (10) has a feed conveyor belt (11) for feeding washware (9a, 9b, 9c) to a loading region of the conveyor dishwasher (1). The system (10) also has a sorting arrangement for sorting the washware (9a, 9b, 9c), which is fed to the loading region of the conveyor dishwasher (1) by means of the feed conveyor belt (11), in accordance with predefined or predefinable washware groups. At least one loading arrangement (13a, 13b, 13c) is associated with the sorting arrangement for the purpose of automatically loading the conveyor dishwasher (1) with washware (9a, 9b, 9c) of one of the predefined or predefinable washware groups.