SPRAYING DEVICE FOR A CLEANING MACHINE FOR CLEANING MEDICAL, PHARMACEUTICAL AND/OR LABORATORY UTENSILS

Abstract

The invention relates to a spraying device, a cleaning machine for cleaning medical, pharmaceutical and/or laboratory utensils, a retrofitting device for retrofitting a hydraulic spraying device and a method for cleaning medical, pharmaceutical and/or laboratory utensils. At least one washing arm (3, 3a) is rotatably arranged on an axle (4) and can be supplied with cleaning fluid from a cleaning fluid supply line (5) in the axle (4). The washing arm (3, 3a) is provided with outlet openings (6) from which jets of cleaning fluid can be directed onto the utensils (8). The spraying device (2) has a drive device (9) for actively driving the washing arm (3, 3a). The drive device (9) comprises a turbine (11) which is in operative connection with the washing arm (3, 3a) in such a way that a rotation of the turbine (11) leads to a rotation of the washing arm (3, 3a). The drive device (9) also has a drive fluid line (10, 10a) separate from the cleaning fluid supply line (5). The turbine (11) can be driven by a drive fluid flowing out of the separate drive fluid line (10, 10a).

Claims

1-18. (canceled)

19. A spraying device for a cleaning machine for cleaning medical, pharmaceutical and/or labor utensils, wherein at least one washing arm is rotatably arranged on an axle and can be supplied with cleaning fluid from a cleaning fluid supply pipe, wherein the washing arm is provided with outlet openings, from which cleaning fluid jets can be directed onto the utensils, the spraying device has a drive unit for actively driving the washing arm, wherein the drive unit comprises a turbine which is operatively connected to the washing arm in such a way that a rotation of the turbine leads to a rotation of the washing arm, and wherein the drive unit further comprises a drive fluid pipe separate from the cleaning fluid supply pipe, and the turbine is drivable by a drive fluid flowing out of the separate drive fluid pipe.

20. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein at least a part of the separate drive fluid pipe is arranged in the axle and/or parallel to the axle.

21. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein the rotation axis of the turbine is aligned parallel to the rotation axis of the washing arm.

22. The spraying device according to claim 21, wherein the rotation axis of the turbine is at a distance from the rotation axis of the washing arm.

23. The spraying device according to claim 21, wherein the turbine has a distance from the washing arm in an axial direction.

24. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein the separate drive fluid pipe has at least one outflow opening arranged such that drive fluid flowing out of the outflow opening hits the turbine.

25. The spraying device according to claim 24, wherein the outflow opening is arranged at the same axial height as the turbine.

26. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein the spraying device comprises a gear box for torque transmission from the turbine to the washing arm.

27. The spraying device according to claim 26, wherein the gear box comprises a spur gear and/or a planetary gear.

28. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein the spraying device comprises at least one fluid diverter, wherein the cleaning fluid supply pipe and the separate drive fluid pipe can be fed from the same supply line for cleaning fluid.

29. The spraying device according to claim 19, wherein the spraying device comprises at least one device for adjusting pressure and/or flow rate in the separate fluid line.

30. A cleaning machine for cleaning medical, pharmaceutical and/or laboratory utensils comprising a wash chamber and a spraying device according to claim 19.

31. The cleaning machine according to claim 30, wherein at least one washing arm is arranged on a wash load receiving trolley which can be inserted into the wash chamber.

32. The cleaning machine according to claim 30, wherein several washing arms are arranged on individual superimposed levels of the wash load receiving trolley.

33. The cleaning machine according to claim 30, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a control unit by means of which the speed of the at least one washing arm can be adjusted.

34. The cleaning machine according to claim 30, wherein the cleaning machine comprises a rotation sensor.

35. The cleaning machine according to claim 34, wherein the control unit is designed to adjust the speed of the at least one washing arm based on measured values of the rotation sensor.

36. A conversion device for converting a hydraulic spraying device into a spraying device according to claim 19, comprising a separate drive fluid pipe and a turbine.

37. A method for cleaning medical, pharmaceutical and/or laboratory utensils, in a cleaning machine according to claim 30, wherein at least one washing arm rotates on an axle, is sup-plied to the washing arm via a cleaning fluid supply line in the axle, and the cleaning fluid is directed from outlet openings of the washing arm onto the utensils wherein the washing arm is actively driven, and wherein drive fluid flows out of at least one outflow opening of a drive fluid pipe separate from the cleaning fluid supply line and drives a turbine which is operatively connected to the washing arm, a rotation of the turbine leading to a rotation of the washing arm.

38. The method according to claim 37, wherein the cleaning fluid supply line and the separate drive fluid pipe are supplied with cleaning fluid from a common supply line.

39. The method according to claim 37, wherein the flow rate of the drive fluid from the at least one outflow opening is adjusted via a control unit.

Description

THE DRAWINGS SHOW

[0075] FIG. 1 a schematic front view of a cleaning machine;

[0076] FIG. 2 a sectional view of a first example of a spraying device;

[0077] FIG. 3 a perspective view of a second example of a spraying device.

[0078] FIG. 1 shows a schematic front view of a cleaning machine 1.

[0079] The cleaning machine 1 comprises a washing chamber 19 in which a spraying device 2 is mounted.

[0080] The spraying device 2 is used to spray cleaning fluid onto utensils 8 arranged on a receiving carriage 7.

[0081] The spraying device 2 comprises a washing arm 3 arranged in the washing chamber 19, which is arranged rotatably about an axis of rotation A on an axle 4. A further washing arm 3a is arranged on the carriage for receiving items 7, which can be inserted into the washing chamber 19.

[0082] The spraying device 2 comprises a drive device 9 for actively driving the washing arm 3. The washing arm 3a arranged on the carriage for receiving items 7 is also equipped with a drive device 9 which is not explicitly shown.

[0083] The washing machine 2 comprises a rotation sensor 21, and the measured values are transmitted to a control unit 20.

[0084] The control unit 20 can be used to adjust the drive device 9 and thus the rotational speed of the washing arm 3.

[0085] If the rotation sensor 21 does not measure the desired speed, the control unit 20 adjusts the drive device 9 until the desired speed is reached. For this purpose, the control unit 20 can adjust a throttle valve 18 (see FIG. 2) of the drive device 9.

[0086] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of a first example of a spraying device 2 with washing arm 3 and drive device 9.

[0087] Cleaning fluid can be supplied to the washing arm 3 via a cleaning fluid supply line 5 in the axle 4. The cleaning fluid is discharged from outlet openings 6 in the washing arm 3.

[0088] The drive device 9 comprises a turbine 11 which drives the washing arm 3 via a gear box 15. A rotation of the turbine 11 causes a rotation of the washing arm 3.

[0089] Drive fluid is brought to an outlet opening 13 through a drive fluid line 10 separate from the cleaning fluid supply line 5, which in this case also runs in the axis 4. From here, the drive fluid flows onto the turbine 11 and causes it to rotate.

[0090] The axes of rotation T through the shaft 14 of the turbine 11 and the axis of rotation A of the washing arm 3 are arranged parallel to each other and have a distance 22.

[0091] The turbine 11 is arranged below the washing arm 3 and has a distance 12 from the washing arm 3 in the direction of the axes of rotation.

[0092] The drive fluid in this case is a cleaning fluid, which is brought in via a supply line 17. In a fluid diverter 16, the inflow is divided, with part of the cleaning fluid flowing into the cleaning fluid supply line 5, and part of the cleaning fluid flowing into the drive fluid line 10. Downstream of the fluid diverter 16, a throttle valve 18 is provided, with which the flow rate of the drive fluid can be adjusted. The valve 18 is controlled by the control unit 20.

[0093] FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a second example of a spraying device 2.

[0094] In this case, two drive fluid lines 10, 10a run in parallel but outside the axle 4. Each of the drive fluid lines 10 has two outflow openings 13.

[0095] If drive fluid flows through the first drive fluid line 10, the turbine 11 rotates in a first direction of rotation D, if drive fluid flows through the second drive fluid line 10a, the turbine 11 rotates in the other direction.

[0096] The rotation of the turbine 11 is transmitted to the washing arm 3 via a gear box 15.