Cleaning system and method for cleaning items to be cleaned
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Solution Overview
Problem
In commercial dishwashing systems, especially in canteen kitchens, personnel planning often needs to be oversized to cope with peak loads, leading to inefficient use of staff and resources during off-peak times due to uneven distribution of soiled items and unpredictable workload dynamics.
Innovation Solution
A cleaning system comprising a cleaning device and an automatic transport system with an intermediate buffer store, allowing for flexible personnel planning by automatically managing the transfer and storage of soiled items, reducing the need for constant manual intervention and optimizing resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If staffing levels are increased to handle peak workloads, then the cleaning system can cope with high volumes of soiled items, but staff utilization becomes inefficient during off-peak periods
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by automatically collecting and buffering soiled items during off-peak periods before peak workloads occur. The buffer store accumulates items in advance, allowing the cleaning device to operate continuously at optimal capacity without requiring additional staff during peaks, thus resolving the contradiction between handling peak throughput and maintaining staff utilization efficiency.
2Ease of operation
If manual sorting and feeding of items is performed, then items can be prepared for cleaning, but labor costs and operational complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service by enabling automatic collection, sorting, and buffering of soiled items through the transport system without requiring manual intervention. The conveyor devices and transfer mechanisms autonomously handle item preparation, reducing labor costs while the buffer store manages complexity by decoupling the cleaning device from fluctuating item arrivals.
3Productivity
If the cleaning device operates continuously without interruption, then cleaning efficiency is maximized, but backlog accumulation occurs during low-volume periods
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer store acts as an intermediary between the transport system and the cleaning device. It absorbs fluctuations in item volume by storing excess items during low-volume periods and releasing them during high-volume periods, allowing the cleaning device to operate continuously at optimal efficiency without creating backlogs or requiring interruptions.
Data Source
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AI summary
The invention relates to a cleaning system (110) and to a method for cleaning items (112) to be cleaned. The cleaning system (110) comprises: a) at least one cleaning device (114) having at least one cleaning chamber (116) which is at least partially enclosed and has at least one application device (118) for applying at least one cleaning fluid to the items (112) to be cleaned; and b) at least one transport system (144) for automatically transporting the items (112) to be cleaned, the transport system (144) comprising: a. at least one first conveying device (146) for supplying soiled items (112) to be cleaned; b. at least one second conveying device (148) for transporting the soiled items (112) to be cleaned to the cleaning device (114); c. at least one transfer device (150) for transferring at least some of the soiled items (112) to be cleaned from the first conveying device (146) to the second conveying device (148); and d. at least one temporary storage means (152) for temporarily storing at least some of the soiled items (112) to be cleaned, the transfer device (150) being designed either to transfer the soiled items (112) to be cleaned from the first conveying device (146) directly to the second conveying device (148) or to temporarily store said soiled items in the temporary storage means (152) and then to transfer same to the second conveying device (148).