A pan cleaning system is provided having a support carriage with one or more track supports and one or more track guides. An indexing conveyor provides a stream of baking pans and indexes the pans onto the support carriage as single pans. One or more twists in the track supports are provided such that the pans admitted by the indexing conveyor are turned at least substantially perpendicular relative to the horizontal plane of the machine. One or more frame assemblies having one or more sets of swing arms mounted on it is provided. With one or more secondary conveyors coupled to th frame assemblies. One or more cleaning subsystems are releasably coupled to the swing arms. A controller is provided where the single baking pan is admitted via the indexing conveyor based on signals from the controller into the one or more track guides as supported by the one or more supports and conveyed by the support carriage along the track guides and into the one or more frame assemblies after the twist turns the pan at least substantially perpendicular and the pan engages the one or more secondary conveyors and the pans is conveyed by the support carriage and the secondary conveyor to one or more cleaning subsystems.

In embodiments, the invention includes a system, an apparatus, and a method for cleaning reusable straws. The system includes a chamber configured to contain a liquid, a siphon to drain the chamber, a transducer to deliver sonic energy to the chamber, and a plurality of straws disposed in the chamber. Each straw includes a tubular wall defining a lumen. The lumen has a length and a cross-sectional area, and the cross-sectional area is substantially constant over the length.

A reusable food or beverage container washing system and method of operation automates tracking, returning, washing, and outputting of reusable food or beverage containers. A reusable food or beverage container has an identification device associated therewith. The reusable food or beverage container is used to supply a food or beverage to a customer and associated with a customer identifier. When the customer is done using the reusable food or beverage container, it is returned to a receptacle of the system, and automatically transported to a washing system where it is washed, sanitized, and dried, and then output to a stack or other organized storage structure of container.

An auxiliary gray water supply device captures used wash water from a commercial warewashing machine for supply to a pre-rinse station without substantial modification of the commercial warewashing machine. The captured wash water and treatment agent are delivered to a pre-rinse station for pre-rinsing of dishes that will be washed within the commercial warewashing machine.

A warewash machine for washing wares includes a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet side, an outlet side, multiple spray zones between the inlet side and the outlet side, and a conveyor arrangement for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple spray zones in a ware travel direction. A prescrapping zone is located toward the inlet side of the chamber, the prescrapping zone having a blow-off system comprising a plurality of prescrapping nozzles and a compressed air feed line for delivering compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles.

A dishwasher (1) 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 (1) has a treatment chamber (2) with at least one wash system which is designed as a recirculation system, wherein 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).

A warewash machine includes a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having at least one spray zone in which a liquid is recirculated from a tank to a spray tube assembly having a plurality of spray nozzles. The spray tube assembly includes a plurality of spray tubes, each including an input end and a distal end connected to a tube support, which has a fixed part and a cover movable between a closed and open positions. Each distal end has an opening that is covered in the closed position and uncovered, perhaps fully, in the open position. The tube support may include at least one latching assembly for holding the cover in the closed position. The cover and the access door may be cooperatively configured such that, when the cover is in the open position, the cover prevents the access door from moving to the closed operating position.

The invention is directed to an improved pan cleaning machine that has a cleaning section that comprises a plurality of frames for mounting a sequence of interchangeable modular cleaning mechanisms. It can include quick-release mounting arrangements so that cleaning mechanisms can be quickly changed for cleaning different types of pans or to replace brushes or other wearing parts of cleaning mechanisms when they require replacement. In some embodiments, the frames for mounting the cleaning mechanisms can comprise swing arms so that the cleaning mechanisms can be swung away from the cleaning position so that the cleaning mechanism can be removed and replaced without interrupting the operation of the machine. If the machine is stopped, the swing arm can still be used to facilitate access to the cleaning mechanism to reduce the time needed to complete the maintenance or replacement. This also allows the position of the cleaning mechanism in relation to the baking pans to be adjustable during the cleaning process which can permit increased application of brushing forces or prevent overloading and also permits easy jam removal. In addition, the swing arm makes the pan cleaning machine more adaptable for cleaning pans with different depths and customizable. A method of operation and control, including pre-programmed cleaning cycles and various control paradigms is also provided.

A conveyor type ware washing machine uses a heat pump to reduce exhaust heat and to heat incoming water. A modulating valve is used to control incoming water flow through a heat exchanger of the heat pump. Processing circuitry automatically dynamically adjusts the modulating valve between a plurality of open states based on the sensed refrigerant head pressure of the heat pump, so that the refrigerant head pressure is maintained in a predefined range. The ware washing machine is efficient, and reduces the amount of heat exhausted to ambient. Related methods are also disclosed.

A dish overflow protection system for a dishwasher. The dishwasher has a conveyor mechanism, a holding area, and a washing system. The dish overflow protection system has a housing including a user interface. A first sensor is disposed on the housing and is configured to take a first reading. A second sensor is remote from the housing and is configured to take a second reading. The dish overflow protection system has a control unit configured to halt operation of the conveyor mechanism where a difference between the first reading and the second reading is greater than a threshold. The user interface is usable to modify the threshold.