ES2541675T3 - Dishwasher and associated system for drying dishes - Google Patents

Abstract

A dishwasher machine (10) comprising: - at least one prewash area (12) provided with a means (20, 24, 28, 32) for carrying out the dishwashing prewash, - at least one area (14) of washing provided with a means (22, 26, 30, 34) to carry out the dishwashing, - at least one rinse area (16) provided with a means (36, 38, 40, 42) for carrying out dishwashing, and - at least one drying area (46) provided with a means (48) for carrying out the drying of dishes, where said areas (12, 14, 16, 46) are arranged in series and are crossed by a means (18) for transporting dishes, where said drying area (46) comprises at least one dehumidifying device (50) that is capable of dehumidifying the air transported by said drying means (48) to the dishes that pass through through said drying area (46), characterized in that said dehumidifier device (50) is constituted by a heat pump provided with a gr upo (52) evaporator / condenser which in turn comprises a pair of evaporating elements and a pair of condensing elements, wherein said drying area (46) comprises a suction means that sucks moist air, which comes from drying the dishes , and transports it through a first evaporator element of said evaporator / condenser group (52), in such a way that the moisture contained in the air condenses and is capable of being discharged, where said drying area (46) It is additionally provided with a plurality of closed ducts (54), that is, without any openings that allow air to be exchanged with the outside, which are capable of transporting dry air, which comes from said dehumidifying device (50), to the dishes which passes through said drying area (46), where said drying area (46) is therefore capable of drying the dishes by blowing completely recycled dry air, to high speed, on the dishes, where one of the two condensing elements of said evaporator / condenser group (52) is capable of delivering the possible excess energy of the refrigeration cycle, which is carried out inside the pump (50) of heat, to one of the means (20; 22; 38) to carry out the prewash, wash and / or rinse of the dishes.

Description

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DESCRIPTION

Dishwasher and associated system for drying dishes

The present invention relates generally to a dishwasher machine and, more particularly, to a system for drying dishes for a dishwasher machine.

In order to deal with the washing and subsequent drying of dishes in large cafeterias, hospitals, hotels and, in general, in any situation where there is a continuous and considerably large workload, the use of dishwashing machines is known. type called "tunnel". These dishwashing machines generally comprise a plurality of operating areas, or modules, arranged in series that are crossed, during machine operation, by the dishes to be washed located in an appropriate means of transport, such as a conveyor belt. or a mobile basket. A tunnel type dishwasher typically comprises, in order, a dishwashing pre-wash area, a washing area itself, a rinse area and a drying area of the dishes themselves.

The tableware transport means can be operated in accordance with at least two operating speeds, which can be selected depending on the type and number of tableware elements, also depending on the degree of dirtiness thereof. The variation in the speed of such means of transport is clearly in inverse proportion to the variation in the time that the dishes have been subjected to water jets in the prewash and washing areas of the machine.

In tunnel type dishwashing machines, the drying of the dishes is commonly carried out in modules equipped with a fan or more than one, which makes the air recirculate from the drying area proper and take a portion of air from the outside to transport it to the dishes that are circulating through the machine. An appropriate heating means therefore allows an increase in the temperature of the air transported by the fans, in order to ensure a more effective drying of the dishes.

An embodiment of a tunnel type dishwasher is described, for example, in DE 78 00 591 U1.

However, conventional tunnel type dishwashers are not without problems.

In a tunnel type dishwasher, the temperature rises from the area in which the dishes enter the machine to the area where the dishes leave the machine itself. Consequently, the thermal gradient generates a convective movement that continues outside the machine (tunnel effect), causing a great dispersion of energy and worsening the working conditions of the operators.

Moreover, in a tunnel-type dishwasher the drying module absorbs a portion of air from the outside, recycling the remaining part of air from within the module itself. This causes hot air to escape to the surrounding area, increasing the tunnel effect and heating the dishes unnecessarily.

Finally, in a tunnel-type dishwasher the dishes accumulate heat as it passes through the tunnel. The amount of heat accumulated is related to the material from which said tableware is made. The heat accumulated by the dishes is released to the area surrounding the machine, thereby reducing the energy efficiency of the machine itself.

The purpose of the present invention is therefore to solve the problems of tunnel type dishwashers according to the prior art, providing a dishwasher machine and an associated system for drying dishes that makes it possible to carry out the drying step of the own dishes in an effective way, regardless of the external conditions in which the dishwasher operates.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a dishwashing machine and an associated system for drying dishes that makes it possible to optimize the electrical energy used to carry out the treatment of the dishes.

A further purpose of the present invention is to provide a dishwashing machine and an associated system for drying dishes that do not adversely affect the surrounding environment in which the machine operates, that is, limiting heat and humid air emissions by Part of the machine itself.

These purposes according to the present invention are achieved by manufacturing a dishwasher machine and an associated system for drying dishes as specified in claim 1.

In the dependent claims, which constitute an integral part of the present description, additional features of the invention are highlighted.

The characteristics and advantages of a dishwashing machine and an associated system for drying dishes according to the present invention will be more clearly appreciated from the following description, given as an example and not for a limited purpose, which refers to the attached schematic drawings, in the 2 5

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which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view showing the main construction components of a dishwashing machine according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a schematic view of the dishwashing machine of Figure 1, in which the energy balance is highlighted;

Figure 3 is a schematic view of a component of the dishwashing machine of Figure 1, adapted in particular for drying the dishes; Y

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the component shown in Figure 3.

Referring to the figures, a dishwashing machine according to the present invention is shown, in particular of the so-called tunnel type, indicated as a whole with the reference number 10.

The dishwashing machine 10 comprises, in a manner known per se, at least one prewash area or module 12, at least one wash area or module 14 and at least one rinse area or module 16 that are crossed, during the operation of the machine 10, for the dishes to be washed, located in an appropriate means of transport 18 such as, for example, conveyor belts or baskets.

The prewash module 12 and the wash module 14, respectively, have a prewash tank 20 and a wash tank 22 functionally connected to each other, and at least one pump 24, 26 adapted to supply prewash / wash liquid to a plurality of upper spray nozzles 28, 30 and lower 32, 34, with respect to the means 18 for transporting the dishes.

In turn, the rinse module 16 may also comprise a pump 36 adapted to supply the rinse water, contained in a reservoir 38, to a series of upper 40 and lower spray nozzles 42, with respect to the means 18 for transporting the crockery. It is also possible to provide for the existence of at least one kettle 44, or an equivalent heating device, which is capable of heating the water that will be supplied during the rinsing of the dishes in the rinse module 16.

The machine 10 finally comprises at least one drying area or module 46, located downstream of the rinse module 16 within the drying module 46, as shown in Figure 3, and the existence of a fan 48 of blades can be provided or more than one that are suitable for transporting the air from the outside at high speed to the dishes that pass through the drying module 46 itself.

Advantageously, according to the present invention, the washing module 46 also has at least one dehumidifying device 50 that is capable of dehumidifying the air transported by the fans 48 to the dishes that pass through the drying module 46 itself. Therefore, thanks to the use of the dehumidifier device 50, the drying module 46 of the dishwasher machine 10 is capable of drying the dishes by blowing dry air over it, at high speed.

In detail, the drying module 46 has a plurality of closed ducts 54, that is, without any openings that allow an exchange of air with the outside, so that the ducts are capable of transporting dry air, coming from the dehumidifier device 50, towards the dishes that are passing through the drying module 46 itself. In other words, the air used in the drying module 46 of the dishwasher machine 10 is completely recycled and no air is added from the outside. The conditions of temperature and humidity of the air that sweeps the dishes are such that they produce the absorption of the drops of water that are on the dishes themselves while simultaneously absorbing their heat, returning it to a temperature that is close to the ambient temperature.

According to the exemplary embodiment of the machine 10 shown in the figures, the dehumidifying device 50 of the drying module 46 is constituted by a heat pump, provided with an evaporator / condenser group 52 which in turn comprises a pair of evaporating elements and a pair of condensing elements. The dry air, dehumidified by the heat pump, hits the dishes that pass through the machine in the means of transport 18 and causes the evaporation of the residual water present in the tableware itself, getting wet.

The moist air is therefore sucked by an appropriate suction means present in the drying module 46 and is forced to pass through the evaporator of the evaporator / condenser group 52, in such a way that the moisture contained therein condenses and It can be downloaded.

The dehumidified air finally continues its path within one of the condensers of the evaporator / condenser group 52, thus returning to the initial temperature and humidity values. The possible excess energy of the refrigeration cycle, which is carried out inside the heat pump, is delivered to the water of one of the tanks 20, 22 and / or 38 through the other condenser of the group 52 evaporator / condenser.

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By using the dehumidifier device 50 of the dishwasher machine 10 it is thus possible to efficiently remove the water from all the elements of the dishes that pass through the machine 10 itself in numerous types of operating conditions. As an example, the following table shows the amount of water (in grams per individual tableware element) that can be removed from some tableware items based on the supply conditions (in tableware items per hour) of the dishwasher machine 10 .

Crockery

Amount of water removed [g / dishware] Number of tableware items introduced into the machine [units / h]

Dishes (porcelain, polycarbonate)

7.96 1,800 ÷ 9,500

Trays (melamine, various plastic materials)

23.27 500 ÷ 4,750

Glasses (glass)

8.83 2,500 ÷ 7,500

Using the device 50 dehumidifier of the dishwasher machine 10 it is also possible to obtain, as shown in Figure 2, a flow rate of air exchange between the machine itself 10 and the practically zero outside 10, for the benefit of the conditions of working staff work. At the same time it is guaranteed that the dishes leave the machine 10 at room temperature once its elements have been washed and dried, in order to be able to be used again immediately. Finally, it can be seen that the energy recovered from the dishes, and the energy introduced by the compressor of the dehumidifying device 50 and by the fans 48, can be delivered to a tank containing water that can be heated until it reaches

15 a temperature of 70ºC, with obvious advantages in terms of energy savings.

It has therefore been shown that the dishwashing machine and the associated system for drying dishes according to the present invention achieve the purposes outlined above, in particular obtaining the following advantages:

-an effective drying of the dishes, since the process is carried out with cold and dry air;

20 -a containment of the process air inside the machine, with the consequent reduction of the energy dispersion in the form of latent and sensitive heat;

-a recovery of the heat of the dishes, which can be used to heat the tanks.

The dishwasher and the associated system for drying dishes of the present invention thus conceived may in any case undergo numerous modifications and variations, all of them covered by the same inventive concept;

Moreover, all the details can be replaced by technically equivalent elements. In practice, the materials used, as well as the shapes and sizes, can be any according to the technical needs.

The scope of protection of the invention is therefore defined by the appended claims.

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Claims (6)

5 10 fifteen twenty 25 30 35 40 Four. Five 1.-A dishwasher machine (10) comprising: -at least one prewash area (12) provided with a means (20, 24, 28, 32) for carrying out the dishwashing prewash, -at least one washing area (14) provided with a means (22, 26, 30, 34) for washing the dishes, -at least one rinse area (16) provided with a means (36, 38, 40, 42) to carry out the rinse of dishes, and -at least one drying area (46) provided with a means (48) for carrying out the drying of dishes, wherein said areas (12, 14, 16, 46) are arranged in series and are crossed by means (18) for transporting dishes, where said drying area (46) comprises at least one dehumidifying device (50) which is capable dehumidify the air transported by said drying means (48) to the dishes that pass through said drying area (46), characterized in that said dehumidifying device (50) is constituted by a heat pump provided with a group (52) evaporator / condenser which in turn comprises a pair of evaporating elements and a pair of condensing elements, wherein said drying area (46) comprises a suction means that sucks moist air, which comes from drying the dishes, and transports it through a first evaporator element of said evaporator / condenser group (52), in such a way that the moisture contained in the air condenses and is capable of being discharged, where said Drying area (46) is additionally provided with a plurality of closed ducts (54), that is, without any openings that allow air to be exchanged with the outside, which are capable of transporting dry air, which comes from said device (50). ) dehumidifier, towards the dishes that pass through the mentioned area

(46)

for drying, where said drying area (46) is therefore capable of drying the dishes by blowing completely recycled dry air, at high speed, on the dishes, where one of the two condensing elements of said group ( 52) Evaporator / condenser is capable of delivering the possible excess energy of the refrigeration cycle, which is carried out inside the heat pump (50), to one of the means (20; 22; 38) to carry out prewashing, washing and / or rinsing dishes.

2. A dishwasher machine (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said means (20, 24, 28, 32) for carrying out the dishwashing prewash comprise a prewash tank (20) and at least one pump

(24)

adapted to supply prewash liquid to a plurality of upper (28) and lower (32) spray nozzles with respect to said means (18) for transporting dishes.

3. A dishwasher machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (22, 26, 30, 34) for carrying out dishwashing comprise a washing tank (22), connected functionally with said prewash tank (20), and at least one pump (26) adapted to supply washing liquid to a plurality of upper (30) and lower spray nozzles

(3. 4)

 with respect to said means (18) for transporting dishes.

4. A dishwasher machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (36, 38, 40, 42) for carrying out dishwashing comprise a pump (36) adapted to supply the rinse water, contained in a tank (38), to a series of upper (40) and lower (42) spray nozzles with respect to said means (18) for transporting dishes. 5. A dishwasher machine (10) according to claim 4, further comprising at least one device (44) for heating, which is capable of heating the water to be supplied during the rinsing of the dishes within said rinsing area (16). A dishwasher machine (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said means (48) for carrying out the drying of dishes comprises a fan of blades or more than one. 5