Dual-Zone Hood Dishwasher for Parallel Batch Washing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Commercial batch dishwashers face bottlenecks during peak times due to long cycle times required for heavily soiled items, leading to reduced capacity and increased manual handling, while resources like energy, water, and chemicals are not utilized efficiently.
Innovation Solution
A hood-type dishwasher with a treatment chamber divided into two zones, allowing independent treatment of washware based on soiling levels, where the main zone handles lightly soiled items efficiently and an auxiliary zone handles heavily soiled items with extended cycles, optimizing resource use and capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a single treatment zone is used in a batch dishwasher, then the device complexity is low, but the productivity decreases during peak times due to long cycle times for heavily soiled items
Solution Approach 1:
The treatment chamber is divided into two independent treatment zones (first and second zones), each capable of operating separately with its own wash system. This segmentation allows the dishwasher to handle different types of washware simultaneously - lightly soiled items in one zone and heavily soiled items in another, thereby increasing overall productivity without requiring a completely complex redesign of the entire system
2Reliability
If extended wash cycles are used for heavily soiled items, then the wash performance improves, but the loss of time increases for other washware that could be processed faster
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the treatment chamber into two independent zones, the system can run different wash cycles simultaneously - a short cycle for lightly soiled items and an extended cycle for heavily soiled items. This eliminates the time loss because both cycle types occur in parallel rather than sequentially, maintaining high wash performance for heavily soiled items while not delaying processing of lightly soiled items
Solution Approach 2:
The dual-zone configuration enables continuous useful action by ensuring that the dishwasher is always processing washware - while one zone completes an extended cycle for heavily soiled items, the other zone simultaneously completes a short cycle for lightly soiled items, maximizing resource utilization and eliminating idle time
3Adaptability or versatility
If a single wash system serves the entire treatment chamber, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability decreases when different wash programs are needed for different zones
Solution Approach 1:
The wash system is segmented into two independent subsystems (first wash system and second wash system), each controlling a separate treatment zone. This allows each zone to run different wash programs simultaneously - for example, a delicate glass cycle in one zone while a heavy-duty pot cycle runs in the other - providing high adaptability without requiring a single complex centralized control system
4Productivity
If the dishwasher operates at full capacity during peak times, then the productivity increases, but the loss of energy and resources increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies partial action by allowing operators to select which zones are active based on the actual washload composition. If only lightly soiled items need washing, only the first zone operates, consuming less energy and water. If heavily soiled items require treatment, the second zone is activated. This prevents excessive resource consumption while maintaining the ability to operate at full capacity when truly needed
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
This solution enables continuous operation during peak times without blocking the dishwasher, improving wash performance for heavily soiled items while maintaining capacity for lightly soiled items, and reducing energy and water consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The wash liquid contained in the wash tank can be conveyed from the wash pump to the wash nozzles via the line system
Implementation Method 2
The sprayed wash liquid then flows back into the wash tank
Implementation Method 3
The treatment chamber generally has arranged beneath it a wash tank in which liquid from the treatment chamber can flow back due to the force of gravity
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a dishwasher in the form of a commercial utensil washer or dishwasher which is designed as a batch dishwasher and is realized as a hood-type dishwasher, wherein the dishwasher has a treatment chamber with at least one wash system which is designed as a recirculation system, wherein the treatment chamber has a first treatment zone and at least one further, second treatment zone, wherein items of washware can be treated independently of one another and at least temporarily at the same time in the first and in the at least one second treatment zone.