Dishwasher in the form of a commercial utensil washer or dishwasher which is designed as a batch dishwasher

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Solution Overview

Problem

Commercial batch dishwashers face bottlenecks during busy periods due to long cycle times required for heavily soiled items, leading to reduced capacity and increased manual workload, as well as inefficiencies in resource usage such as energy, water, and chemicals.

Innovation Solution

A hood-type or pass-through dishwasher with a treatment chamber divided into two zones, allowing for independent treatment of items based on soiling levels, with one zone optimized for standard cleaning and the other for intensive programs, enabling simultaneous operation without capacity loss and optimized resource usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a single treatment chamber is used for all items, then the dishwasher structure remains simple, but heavily soiled items require long cycle times that reduce overall productivity during busy periods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning capacityVSAvoidtreatment chamber structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The treatment chamber is divided into two independent treatment zones (first and second zones) that can operate simultaneously with different wash programs. This segmentation allows lightly soiled items to be processed in one zone while heavily soiled items receive intensive treatment in another zone, thereby increasing overall cleaning capacity without requiring a completely separate machine.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Reliability

If long wash cycles are used for heavily soiled items, then cleaning quality improves, but the cycle time increases leading to bottlenecks during busy periods

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning qualityVSAvoidcycle time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The dual-zone system enables continuous operation where both zones can run different wash programs simultaneously. While one zone completes a standard wash, the other can begin an intensive wash, ensuring that the dishwasher maintains high utilization and continuous productive action without idle time between cycles.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Reliability

If standard wash programs are used for all items, then energy and water consumption remain moderate, but heavily soiled items do not receive adequate cleaning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecleaning effectivenessVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Different treatment zones are configured with different spray arm arrangements, nozzle configurations, and wash program parameters optimized for their specific cleaning tasks. The first zone uses a configuration suitable for lightly soiled items while the second zone employs a more intensive configuration for heavily soiled items, ensuring each zone operates at optimal efficiency for its designated function.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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

Enhances cleaning capacity during busy periods by allowing for parallel processing of lightly and heavily soiled items, reducing cycle times, and conserving resources like energy and water by optimizing wash and rinse cycles.

Implementation Method 1

The wash liquid situated in the wash tank can, by way of the wash pump, be delivered via the line system to the wash nozzles

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHydraulic principles: Hydraulic Press

Implementation Method 2

sprayed through the wash nozzles in the treatment chamber onto the items of washware to be cleaned

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectFluid spray: Fluid Spray

Implementation Method 3

liquid can flow back from the treatment chamber under the action of gravitational force

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectGravitational force: Gravitation

Data Source

PatentUS10588477B2Dishwasher in the form of a commercial utensil washer or dishwasher which is designed as a batch dishwasher

Publication Date: 2020.03.17 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS INC

AI summary

A batch dishwasher is realized as a hood-type dishwasher having a treatment chamber (2) with at least one recirculating wash system for spraying wash liquid in the treatment chamber (2), and has at least one final rinse system for spraying final rinse liquid in the treatment chamber (2). The treatment chamber (2) has a first treatment zone (6) and at least one further, second treatment zone (7), 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 (6, 7). The two treatment zones (6, 7) are physically separated from one another by a partition (50) such that when wash liquid is sprayed in one of the two treatment zones (6, 7), recontamination in the other treatment zone (7, 6) is effectively prevented.