Drip Tray Sanitizing System with Spray Manifold
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Solution Overview
Problem
Product dispenser drip trays often become unclean, leading to unpleasant odors, bacterial growth, and attracting pests due to inadequate cleaning practices, especially in citrus and dairy dispensers, where spills can cause spoilage and messes.
Innovation Solution
A sanitizing system for product dispenser drip trays, comprising a valve, pump, and spray manifold that delivers a sanitizing mixture or diluent in a predetermined pattern, with optional automatic or semi-automatic control using a controller and software routine to optimize cleaning and rinsing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If drip trays are made removable to enable regular cleaning, then ease of cleaning is improved, but operators may fail to clean them regularly leading to bacterial growth and odors
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the drip tray to sanitize itself automatically through an integrated spray manifold and sanitizing solution delivery system, eliminating dependence on operator action while maintaining cleaning effectiveness
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs sanitization automatically at scheduled intervals or after dispensing operations, ensuring cleaning occurs before contamination can become problematic, rather than relying on reactive manual cleaning
2Device complexity
If drip trays are made non-draining to avoid plumbing requirements, then device complexity is reduced, but spills accumulate causing odors and bacterial growth
Solution Approach 1:
The spray manifold continuously or periodically delivers sanitizing solution across the drip tray surface, maintaining constant suppression of bacterial growth and odor prevention without requiring draining infrastructure
Solution Approach 2:
Sanitizing solution acts as an intermediary substance that eliminates harmful bacteria and odors in the drip tray, allowing non-draining design while preventing contamination through chemical intervention
3Loss of time
If manual cleaning routines are used to maintain drip tray hygiene, then loss of time for automated systems is reduced, but productivity is lowered due to operator time requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The automated sanitizing system performs drip tray cleaning independently without operator intervention, converting operator time savings directly into productivity gains while maintaining consistent hygiene standards
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements scheduled periodic sanitization cycles that automatically clean the drip tray at optimal intervals, eliminating the need for continuous manual monitoring and cleaning while maintaining high productivity
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 system effectively sanitizes and rinses drip trays, preventing bacterial growth, reducing odors, and maintaining a cleaner environment by ensuring regular sanitization, even in dairy dispensers, and can be retrofitted into existing dispensers or integrated into new ones.
Implementation Method 1
pumping sanitizing solution from a package, mixing the dispensed sanitizing solution with diluent
Implementation Method 2
dispensing the mixed solution through a spraying apparatus into the drip tray in a prescribed pattern
Data Source
AI summary
A drip tray sanitizing system includes a pump connectable to a sanitizer solution container and a valve connectable to a diluent source. A spray manifold disposed in the drip tray receives a mixture of the two streams and sprays the mixture into the drip tray in a prescribed routine to produce a sanitizing or cleansing effect. Methods for using the drip tray sanitizing system include manual, semi-automatic, and automatic sanitizing, as well as manual and automatic rinsing. The semi-automatic and automatic sanitizing routines require the use of a controller. Use of this apparatus in a product dispenser may widen the range of products and product concentrates available for use with a product dispenser.