CONVEYOR WAREWASHER AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A CONVEYOR WAREWASHER

Abstract

A conveyor warewasher has at least one washing zone, at least one rinsing zone and a conveyor apparatus. A camera system is configured to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus. An evaluation device is configured to determine an average degree of soiling of washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture. A control device is configured to initiate, automatically or optionally automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling, at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone and/or a measure influencing the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher.

Claims

1. A conveyor warewasher for cleaning washware, wherein the conveyor warewasher comprises at least one washing zone and at least one rinsing zone as well as a conveyor apparatus for conveying the washware through the at least one washing zone and the at least one rinsing zone, characterized in that the conveyor warewasher comprises a camera system, which is arranged above or below or lateral to the conveyor apparatus and is configured in order to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus, wherein an evaluation device is further provided, which is configured in order to determine a average degree of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture, wherein the conveyor warewasher comprises a control device, which is configured in order to initiate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone and/or at least one measure influencing the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher.

2. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured in order to set a volumetric flow rate and/or a nozzle pressure and/or a temperature of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to set a cleaning agent concentration of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to set the conveying speed of the conveying apparatus for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to set a freshwater rinsing quantity inserted in the at least one rinsing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to set a separate wash tank regeneration quantity for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to set and/or activate a separate additional machine device, in particular a cleaning agent direct spraying system, for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or wherein the control device is configured in order to activate an additional pre-clearing or washing module for treating strongly soiled washware for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware.

3. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured in order to regenerate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on a determined average type of soiling of the washware, the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, namely by setting, in a controlling manner, a regeneration water quantity to be added per unit of time to the washing liquid to be sprayed per unit of time, depending on a determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware.

4. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured in order to set, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, if necessary at a time delay, the soil-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, or to at least adjust it to the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware.

5. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 4, wherein the control device is configured in order to set, in a controlling manner and if necessary at a delay, a temperature of the washing liquid and/or cleaning agent concentration of the washing liquid for setting or adjusting the soil-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.

6. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, and if necessary at a delay, a soil output from the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.

7. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 6, wherein the at least one washing zone comprises a washing system configured as a recirculation circuit, wherein the washing system comprises a nozzle system having at least one washing nozzle for spraying washing liquid onto the washware to be cleaned, a wash tank for collecting at least a portion of the sprayed washing liquid, and a wash pump for supplying washing liquid collected in the wash tank to the at least one wash nozzle, and wherein a soil discharge system associated with the washing system is further provided, wherein a tank cover screen is associated with the soil discharge system, which screen is configured in order to separate soil particles from the washing liquid that is sprayed and flows back into the wash tank due to gravity, wherein the soil discharge system comprises a soil collection portion arranged at least partly in the wash tank for collecting the soil particles separated from the washing liquid by means of the tank cover screen, and wherein a soil discharge system fluidly connected to the soil collection portion is further provided, via which system the soil collection portion can be emptied, as needed, wherein the control device is configured in order to activate and/or deactivate the soil discharge system a soil discharge pump associated with the soil discharge system automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, if necessary at a delay.

8. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate, at a delay, the measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone with regard to the time of determination of the average degree of soiling or with regard to the time of determination of the average type of soiling of the washware, wherein the delay depends on the conveying speed of the conveyor apparatus and/or a distance between the camera system and the at least one washing zone.

9. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to determine a degree of soiling of the washware averaged over a predetermined or determinable period of time, and wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate the measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware.

10. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 9, characterized in that the conveyor warewasher comprises a camera system, which is arranged above or below or lateral to the conveyor apparatus and is configured in order to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus, wherein an evaluation device is further provided, which is configured in order to determine a average degree of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the pieces of washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture, wherein the evaluation device is further configured in order to perform machine diagnostics, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware.

11. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to discharge an expected average soil load of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone as part of the machine diagnostics and to initiate at least one measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.

12. The conveyor warewasher according to claim or 11, wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to inform, as part of the machine diagnostics, the operator of the conveyor warewasher regarding the necessity of a basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher and/or regarding a time for performing a basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher; and/or wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to provide, to the operator of the conveyor warewasher, as part of the machine diagnostics, an estimate of the starch buildup in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher.

13. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 10, wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to issue a recommendation to the operator of the conveyor warewasher, as part of the machine diagnostics, for an optimized operation of the conveyor warewasher, wherein the recommendation comprises the following: a conveying speed of the conveyor apparatus; and/or a dosing amount of the cleaning agent; and/or a type of cleaning agent; and/or a temperature of the washing liquid.

14. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 10, wherein the control device is configured in order to determine, during a learning or observation phase over at least one observation period and over a plurality of observation periods each relating to a washing shift or a washing day of the conveyor warewasher or a portion thereof, a development over time of the average degree of soiling of the washware to be conveyed with the conveyor apparatus through the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or a development over timte of the average type of soiling of the washware to be conveyed with the conveyor apparatus through the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher, wherein the control device is further configured in order to deduce a pattern or a regularity based on the determined development over time.

15. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 14, wherein the control device is further configured in order to divide the observation period relating to a washing shift or a washing day of the conveyor warewasher or a portion thereof into a first sub-period and into at least one further second sub-period, wherein, in the first sub-period of the observation period, the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware corresponds to a first relative value or falls within a first relative value range, and wherein, in the at least one second sub-period of the observation period, the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware corresponds to a second relative value or falls within a second relative value range.

16. The conveyor warewasher according to claim 15, wherein the control device is further configured in order to initiate, for the first sub-period, after the end of the learning or observation phase, automatically during operation of the conveyor warewasher during a washing shift or during a washing day, at least one first measure influencing the treatment of the washware in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone of the conveyor warewasher, if necessary at a delay, and to initiate, for the at least one second sub-period, at least one second measure influencing the treatment of the washware in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone of the conveyor warewasher, if necessary at a delay.

17. A method for operating a conveyor warewasher (1), wherein the method comprises the following method steps: a average degree of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher and/or a average type of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher is determined using a camera system; and machine diagnostics are performed automatically depending on the determined degree of soiling and/or depending on the determined type of soiling of the washware.

18. The method for operating a conveyor warewasher (1), wherein the method comprises the following method steps: a average degree of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher and/or a average type of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher is determined using a camera system; and at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone is initiated, if necessary at a delay, automatically depending on the determined degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined type of soiling of the washware.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0068] In the following, the invention is described with reference to the drawing on the basis of a preferred embodiment of the conveyor warewasher according to the invention.

[0069] The following are shown:

[0070] FIG. 1 a schematic longitudinal sectional view of a conveyor warewasher according to an exemplary embodiment of the conveyor warewasher according to the invention.

[0071] FIG. 1 shows a conveyor warewasher 1 with a conveyor apparatus 2 for conveying washware not shown in the drawings through the conveyor warewasher 1 in a direction of conveyance 3.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0072] The conveyor apparatus 2 can, for example, consist of a conveyor belt, which is preferably designed as a multi-component plastic conveyor belt, and is continuously driven by an electric drive not shown in FIG. 1; so that the washware placed upon the conveyor belt 2 is conveyed through the various treatment zones 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 26 of the conveyor warewasher 1 according to the illustration in FIG. 1.

[0073] Typically, the washware conveyed in the direction of conveyance 3 is placed upon the conveyor apparatus or conveyor belt 2 in the area of the inlet 4. According to the direction of conveyance 3 indicated by the arrow, the washware is then conveyed from the inlet 4 into an inlet tunnel 5.

[0074] The conveyor warewasher 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention has at least one washing zone, for example as shown in FIG. 1, a pre-washing zone 6, as well as a first main washing zone 7 and a second main washing zone 8, which are arranged downstream of the pre-washing zone 6 when viewed in the direction of conveyance 3.

[0075] In the conveyor warewasher 1 shown in FIG. 1, a post-washing zone 9 and a rinsing zone 10 downstream of the post-washing zone 9 are arranged downstream of the at least one washing zone 6, 7, 8 when viewed in the direction of conveyance 3.

[0076] In the illustration according to FIG. 1, the conveyor apparatus 2 is shown as a circumferential conveyor belt. However, conveyor racks in which the not explicitly shown washware is inserted and which are placed on the top of the conveyor belt are also conceivable as the conveyor apparatus 2.

[0077] When viewed in the direction of conveyance 3, the washware received either directly on the conveyor belt 2 or held by racks runs in the direction of conveyance 3 through the inlet tunnel 5, the subsequent pre-washing zone 6, the first main washing zone 7, the second main washing zone 8, the post-washing zone 9, the rinsing zone 10, a drying zone 26, and into an outlet path 25.

[0078] Spray nozzles 11, 12, 13, 14, and 15 are respectively associated with the aforementioned treatment zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the conveyor warewasher 1, via which nozzles liquid is sprayed onto the washware conveyed by the conveyor apparatus 2 through the respective treatment zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Each treatment zone 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 is associated with a tank 16, 18, 20, and 22 in which sprayed liquid is received and/or in which liquid is provided for the spray nozzles of the respective zones. In the conveyor warewasher 1 shown in FIG. 1, rinsing liquid is sprayed onto the washware, not shown in the illustrations, in the form of fresh water, which may be pure or mixed with further additives such as rinsing agents, via the spray nozzles 15 of the rinsing zone 10 arranged above and below or to the side of the conveyor belt.

[0079] A portion of the sprayed rinsing liquid is conveyed from zone to zone in a cascading system counter to the direction of conveyance 3 of the washware. The remaining portion is guided directly into the pre-washing tank 16 via a valve 77 and a bypass line 88.

[0080] The sprayed rinsing liquid is collected in the tank 20 (post-washing tank 20) of the post-washing zone 9, from which it is conveyed via a pump system to the spray nozzles 14 (post-wash nozzles 14) of the post-washing zone 9. In the post-washing zone 9, washing liquid is rinsed from the washware. The liquid resulting from this flows into the washing tank 18b of the second main washing zone 8, is usually provided with a cleaning agent and then sprayed onto the washware by a pumping system via the nozzles 13 (wash nozzles 13) of the second main washing zone 8.

[0081] Liquid flows from the washing tank 18b of the second main washing zone 8 into the washing tank 18a of the first main washing zone 7. From there, the liquid is again sprayed onto the washware by a further pump system via the wash nozzles 12 of the first main washing zone 7. From the washing tank 18a of the first main washing zone 7, the liquid then flows into the pre-washing tank 16 of the pre-washing zone 6. The liquid in the pre-washing tank 16 is sprayed onto the washware by a pumping system via the pre-wash nozzles 11 of the pre-washing zone 6 in order to remove coarse impurities from the washware.

[0082] The individual rinsing systems of the treatment zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 ensure that the washware is sprayed from both the top and the bottom.

[0083] The respective zones 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the conveyor warewasher 1 can be separated from one another via separating curtains 37. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the inlet tunnel 5 itself is also separated from the inlet 4 via a separating curtain 37. The provision of separating curtains 37 can prevent washing liquid and rinsing liquid from splashing out and steam from escaping from the conveyor warewasher.

[0084] The aforementioned drying zone 26 follows the rinsing zone 10 in the direction of conveyance 3 of the washware. In the drying zone 26, the washware is dried with dry and heated air in order to blow off or dry the moisture that is present on the washware. In order to maintain the moisture content of the air within a range that is favorable for drying, it is conceivable, for example, to supply room air via an opening, for example through the exit opening for the washware. The warm and moistened air is extracted from the drying zone 26, for example, by means of a fan 31 via a further opening.

[0085] It is advantageous for the exhaust air from the drying zone 26 to pass through a device for heat recovery 30, in which a condenser can be provided. The heat recovery device 30 serves to recover at least a portion of the heat energy contained in the exhaust air.

[0086] In today's belt/rack conveyor warewashers, the washware is conveyed through a plurality of treatment zones, such as pre-washing zones, main washing zones, post-washing zones, rinsing zones, and drying zones.

[0087] As already indicated, different types of washware in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher require different treatment parameters. However, with the currently known conveyor warewashers, there is no automatic differentiation of the types of washware to be treated, so that conventional systems are typically designed as a compromise, such that they are more or less efficient for multiple types of washware. This approach leads to the fact that significantly more resources (energy, water, chemicals, etc.) are generally used in order to treat the washware than would actually be necessary.

[0088] The conveyor warewasher 1 according to the invention, as shown for example in FIG. 1, is characterized in that the conveyor warewasher 1 comprises a camera system 34, which is arranged above the conveyor apparatus 2 and is designed to take at least one image of an area of the conveyor apparatus 2, preferably continuously or at predetermined or determinable times and/or events.

[0089] The camera system 34 is associated with an image processing device 35, which is designed to, in particular optionally, pre-process the at least one image captured by the camera system 34, segment the in particular optionally pre-processed image, extract features, and classify objects contained in the image (washware).

[0090] The conveyor warewasher 1 according to the invention, as shown schematically by means of an exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1, is, in particular, characterized in that with the aid of the camera system 34, which can be arranged above, below, or to the side of the conveyor apparatus 2, at least one image of an area of the conveyor apparatus 2 is preferably captured continuously or at predetermined or fixed times and/or events. This image is then evaluated accordingly by the evaluation device 35.

[0091] The evaluation device 35 herein analyzes the extent to which the washware is soiled. The average degree of soiling of the washware is determined, but the average type of soiling of the washware is preferably also determined.

[0092] In other words, the control device 36 of the conveyor warewasher 1 according to the invention knows the dirt load found on the washware to be treated in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher 1.

[0093] This can be used to deduce how high the dirt discharge will be, in particular in the washing liquid, and what type of soiling is to be expected.

[0094] For example, this can be used to determine whether an increased amount of grease or oil-containing dirt residues/food residues per time unit will enter the washing liquid, so that corresponding measures can then be initiated, in particular, to increase the quality of the washing liquid.

[0095] In particular, the control device 36 is therefore designed to initiate, preferably automatically and even more preferably optionally automatically, as a function of the determined, in particular average, degree of soiling of the washware and/or as a function of the determined, in particular average, type of soiling of the washware, at least one measure which influences the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, if necessary with a time delay.

[0096] It is conceivable in this context, for example, that the control device 36 is designed to regenerate the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, preferably automatically and even more preferably optionally automatically, as a function of the determined, in particular average degree of soiling of the washware and/or as a function of a determined, in particular average type of soiling of the washware, such that a quantity of regeneration water to be supplied per time unit to the washing liquid to be sprayed is set, in particular in a regulating manner, preferably as a function of the determined, in particular average, degree of soiling of the washware and/or as a function of the determined, in particular average, type of soiling of the washware.

[0097] Alternatively or in addition, it is conceivable that the control device 36 initiates measures to adjust the dirt-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, in particular to the determined, in particular average degree of soiling and/or to the determined, in particular average type of soiling of the washware.

[0098] For this purpose, the control device 36 can be designed to adjust or adapt the dirt-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone by adjusting a temperature of the washing liquid and/or a cleaning agent concentration of the washing liquid or, alternatively, by adjusting the type of cleaning agent for the washing liquid, in particular in a regulating manner.

[0099] Alternatively or additionally, however, it is also conceivable that the control device 36 is designed to initiate a discharge of dirt from the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, with a time delay if necessary.

[0100] Alternatively or in addition to the aforementioned embodiment of the control device 36, however, it is also conceivable that the evaluation device that is assigned to the control device 36 is designed to determine a preferably average degree of soiling of the washware that was present in the area of the conveyor apparatus 2 at the time at which the image was recorded and/or a preferably average type of soiling of the washware that was present in the area of the conveyor apparatus 2 at the time at which the image was recorded, wherein machine diagnosis is carried out preferably automatically and particularly preferably optionally automatically, depending on the determined, in particular average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined, in particular average type of soiling of the washware.

[0101] Within the scope of these machine diagnostics, an expected average dirt load of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone can be derived in the short and medium term, in order to initiate a measure that influences the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone in advance.

[0102] Herein it is conceivable, for example, that the operator of the conveyor warewasher 1 is given advance notice of the need for basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher 1 and, in particular, a time for carrying out a necessary basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher 1. Alternatively or additionally, it is conceivable to provide the operator of the conveyor warewasher 1 with an estimate of starch buildup in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher 1.

[0103] According to a further development of the conveyor warewasher 1 according to the invention, the control device 36 is designed to detect, within the framework of machine learning, at what times during a washing shift or washing day of the conveyor warewasher 1 which types of soiling/which degrees of soiling of the washware are to be expected, so that this knowledge which was gained during a learning or observation phase can be used to automatically initiate corresponding measures with regard to influencing the quality of the washing liquid or other measures.

[0104] The invention is not limited to the conveyor warewasher 1 schematically shown in FIG. 1, but results from a summary of all features disclosed herein.