FR2688397A1 - Machine for washing, drying and if necessary disinfecting boots - Google Patents

Abstract

This machine is of the sort that comprises, in a sealed cabinet, a boot rack equipped with tubular bars (9) whose free ends have nozzles through which the treatment liquid is sprayed into the interior of a boot. On the one hand, each tubular bar (9) is connected to a hot air distributing tube (49), and on the other hand there is provided, at least over each pair of horizontal rows of bars (9), two fixed sprinkler pipes (31) through which the washing liquid is sprayed, the supply lines of which include a pump (24) whose intake port (24a) is connected to a filter (22) immersed in a recycling tank (14) and whose delivery port (24b) is connected on the one hand to branch pipes (29, 32) supplying at least one tube (9) or sprinkler pipe (31), and on the other hand to a drain pipe (37) which carries away the washing liquid.

Description

APPARATUS FOR WASHING, DRYING AND, POSSIBLY,
SHOE DISINFECTION
The present invention relates to an apparatus for washing, drying and possibly disinfecting shoes and, more particularly although not exclusively, boots used in the food industry and which are liable to transport really undesirable bacteria.

 Currently, the personnel working in this industry must follow a compulsory course comprising a tank which contains water loaded with a disinfectant product and in which each person is obliged to pass with his boots on. Often, the end of the route is equipped with a brushing machine of the type commonly used to clean, wax and shine the shoes.

 It is easy to see that this somewhat archaic way of operating is very insufficient because, on the one hand, the water in the tank loaded with disinfectant is not changed often enough to maintain its effectiveness and, on the other hand apart, the inside of the boots is never washed or disinfected.

 By French patent application No. 90 07258 of May 28, 1991, there is known an apparatus for washing and disinfecting shoes which essentially comprises placed inside a sealed parallelepiped cabinet opening on at least one side, a shoe rack having a plurality of tubular bars, oriented from bottom to top and outward from their fixing end, arranged so as to form alignments along vertical columns and horizontal rows, equipped, at their free end, with spray nozzles for spraying the treatment liquid inside a shoe and each of which is intended to receive and support a shoe engaged on it by its upper, means being provided to supply the bars of the rack with desired and pressurized treatment liquid, and other means, again, being provided for recovering and discharging t raitement used.

 In this known device, there is provided a main carriage movable horizontally along the upper part of the aforementioned cabinet, that is to say above the rack and supporting two vertical slides on each of which is mounted a secondary carriage and which are arranged on either side of the rack so that each of them sweeps a vertical plane located in front of or behind the rack, each secondary carriage supporting two nozzles for spraying the liquid for treating the outside of the shoes, means being adapted to control the advance, step by step, of the main carriage so that it stops in front of each vertical row of shoes, each time the secondary carriage has completed a vertical stroke and to control a complete vertical stroke, upward or descending from the secondary carriages, after each step forward of the main carriage.

 It is easy to see that such a device, although giving every satisfaction as to its operation and efficiency, is relatively expensive and that, moreover, not being equipped with drying means, after washing, the shoes must be transferred to a dryer.

 As a result, the duration of the complete treatment of the shoes washed using this device is very important, whatever the speed of execution of the washing operations, since the washed shoes must be transferred to another device in order to be dried. .

 It is understood that this device is very justified when it is necessary to treat a large number of shoes but that, conversely, it is too expensive to be suitable for the regular treatment of a relatively small number of shoes, for example those of the members of the teams working in three eight, because it would then be necessary to have three very expensive devices.

 The present invention aims to remedy the aforementioned drawbacks by providing an inexpensive device capable of not only washing but also drying the shoes to be treated.

 To this end, in the apparatus which it concerns and which is of the aforementioned type, on the one hand, to each tubular bar of the rack, intended for spraying the washing liquid, is associated a hot air distribution tube. drying and, on the other hand, there is provided, at least above each pair of horizontal rows of bars, at least one and, preferably, two fixed spraying booms for washing liquid, the supply circuit in washing liquid from the nozzles fitted in the bars of the rack and fixed ramps comprising a pump whose suction port is connected to a strainer immersed in a recovery tank located below the rack and whose discharge port is connected, on the one hand, through a filter and at least one solenoid valve, to bypass pipes, each of which is connected to at least one spraying tube or boom and, on the other hand, through another solenoid valve, to a pipe ion for removing the washing liquid, means being provided for supplying the recovery tank with water, washing product such as a detergent and, optionally, disinfecting product such as a chlorine-based product, while the hot air distribution tubes are connected to a manifold equipped with a ventilator aspirating the outside air and means for heating the air discharged by this ventilator, such as one or more electrical resistances, an electronic circuit of control being provided to control, successively, the filling of the recovery tank with washing liquid at its upper level, the opening of each solenoid valve controlling the supply of the tubes and spray bars, during a washing operation, with the liquid of washing drawn from the tank, then their closing and simultaneously, the opening of the solenoid valve for emptying the tank during its emptying to its lower level, then its filling. e with pure water, then the opening of each solenoid valve controlling the supply of the spray tubes and booms, during a shoe rinsing operation, and finally the supply of the fan and associated heating means during the 'drying operation and simultaneously opening the drain solenoid valve to evacuate the rinsing liquid before refilling the recovery tank to its upper level, in water and treatment product.

 This device, which is very simple in design, therefore makes it possible to wash and dry shoes and, if necessary, to disinfect them, without it being necessary to transfer them from one device to another between washing and drying.

 In addition, the simplicity of this device makes it a cheap product which it is possible, without making a large investment, to be equipped with several copies and, in particular, three copies each of which will be assigned to one of the three teams working in three eight.

 To allow a reduction in the instantaneous flow rate of the washing and rinsing liquid and thus allow the use of a low flow rate pump, according to an advantageous embodiment of the invention, instead of a single general solenoid valve to the output of the pump, there is provided a solenoid valve on each branch pipe in the direction of a tube or a sprayer boom and the control circuit is arranged to control their opening successively and not simultaneously.

 According to a simple embodiment of the invention, the washing liquid recovery tank are associated with heating means at substantially constant and adjustable temperature such as at least one electrical resistance associated with a thermostat and the supply of which is controlled by the electrical control circuit, through the thermostat.

 This arrangement, which makes it possible to adjust the temperature of the washing liquid to the desired value, has the advantage of improving its efficiency by choosing the ideal temperature.

 Preferably, this device further comprises a filter cleaning circuit comprising a first pipe connecting the downstream chamber of the filter to a pipe of the water distribution network, through a solenoid valve and, preferably, a pressure switch and a filter and a second pipe connecting the upstream chamber of the filter to a discharge pipe, through another solenoid valve, a non-return valve being placed just downstream of the discharge port of the pump.

 This arrangement therefore makes it possible to clean the filter when desired with the mains water injected, through the filter, in the opposite direction. For this, the pump being in operation, it suffices to close all the solenoid valves and to open only the two solenoid valves of the filter cleaning circuit, the non-return valve preventing network water from entering the pump through its orifice. of repression.

 According to a particular characteristic of the invention, the means of supplying, in detergent product, to the tank for recovering the washing liquid comprise a dosing pump drawing this product, by dosing it, in a container.

 According to another characteristic of this device aimed at allowing the disinfection of the shoes, at the same time as their drying, with the ventilator for distributing the drying air is associated an ozone lamp placed on the flow of hot air discharged by the ventilator. .

 According to yet another characteristic of the invention, aimed at improving the efficiency of this device in the drying cycle, there is provided an air extraction fan sucking the air charged with humidity inside the cabinet and pushing it outside.

Anyway, the invention will be well understood, with the aid of the description which follows, with reference to the appended drawing diagram representing, by way of nonlimiting example, an embodiment of this device
Figure 1 is a front view in elevation
Figure 2 is a sectional view along II-II of Figure 1
Figure 3 is, on an enlarged scale, a vertical sectional view showing the arrangement of a bar of the shoe rack, this bar being capped by a shoe to be treated;
Figure 4 is a plan view from above of the bar of Figure 3 without the shoe;
Figure 5 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of the hydraulic washing circuit and pneumatic drying of the shoes to be treated.

 As shown more particularly in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing, all the components of this device are contained in a sealed rectangular cubicle 1, the six faces of which are closed by six walls, respectively a front wall 2, a rear wall 3, two side walls 4 and 5, an upper wall 6 and a lower wall 7.

 In the example illustrated in the drawing, the front wall 2 is partially constituted by a closing flap 2a allowing the cabinet 1 to be opened and access to its interior.

 Inside this cupboard 1 is placed a shoe rack, that is to say a rack 8 having a plurality of tubular bars 9 arranged so as to form alignments along vertical columns 11 and horizontal rows 12, each bar 9 of the rack 8 being intended to receive and support a shoe to be treated 13 engaged on it by its rod as shown in the drawing. To this end, each bar 9 is arranged so as to be inclined from the bottom upwards from its end for fixing to the rack 8, so that in the treatment position, the shoes 13 are arranged so as to drip naturally.

 In the bottom of the cabinet 1, that is to say above its bottom wall 7 is arranged a tank 14 for storing and recovering the treatment liquid. This tank 14 is advantageously equipped with an electrical resistance 15 making it possible to heat the treatment liquid to the ideal temperature for treatment, such as, for example, to a temperature of 600C.

 The tank 14 is supplied by a pipe 16 connected to the supply network 17 and comprising a solenoid valve 18 and, preferably, a filter 19.

 The tank 14 is also equipped with a detector 21 of the lower and upper levels of its filling.

 In the tank 14 is also installed a plug 22 connected, by a pipe 23, to the suction orifice 24a of a pump 24 whose delivery orifice 24b is connected, through a non-return valve 25, and a filter 26 and through a pipe 27, to the devices for spraying the shoe treatment liquid 13 installed in the cabinet 1.

 In the example illustrated in the drawing and in particular in FIGS. 1 and 2, there are provided four horizontal rows 12 of bars 9 used for spraying the treatment liquid inside the shoes 13. Each bar 9 is therefore a bar tubular connected, by a manifold 28, to a bypass 29 stuck on the pipe 27 for distributing the treatment product.

 As shown more particularly in FIG. 2 and as shown very diagrammatically in FIG. 5, four booms 31 for spraying the treatment liquid are placed inside the cabinet 1, being associated in pairs, so that each pair of these ramps 31 ensures the treatment of two horizontal rows 12 of shoes 13. As shown in FIG. 2, a ramp 31 of each pair is located near the front wall 2 of the cabinet 1 while the other is located near of the rear wall 3 of this cabinet.

 The supply of each pair of ramps 31 is provided by a branch 32 pricked on the distribution pipe 27.

 It is easily understood that the treatment liquid discharged by the pump 24 is distributed, after having passed through the filter 26, by the tubes 9 and the spray bars 31.

 As will be explained later, it is necessary to be able to isolate from the circuit of the pump 24 the tubes 9 and spray bars 31. This could be achieved using a general solenoid valve mounted on the distribution pipe 27. However, according to an advantageous arrangement of the invention, instead of a single general solenoid valve, there is provided an individual solenoid valve, respectively 33 and 34, mounted on each branch pipe, respectively 29 and 32.

 Compared to a single general solenoid valve, the fact of having individual solenoid valves 33 and 34 makes it possible to open only all or part of the bypass lines 29 and 32 and, consequently, to reduce the instantaneous flow rate of the treatment liquid. Thus, without adversely affecting the effectiveness of the treatment, it will be possible to use a pump 24 with a lower flow rate than if all the bypass pipes 29 and 32 were necessarily in service simultaneously and, consequently, a cheaper pump 24.

 Finally, to allow the emptying of the tank 14 and the change of the treatment liquid which it contains, the discharge orifice 24b of the pump 24 is also connected, downstream of the non-return valve 25 and by a pipe 35 equipped with 'a solenoid valve 36, to a discharge pipe 37 of the treatment liquid.

 This arrangement therefore makes it possible to empty the tank 14 since, for this, it suffices to close the solenoid valves 33 and 34, hence the advantage of their presence, and to open the solenoid valve 36 so that the treatment liquid contained in the tank 14 will be sucked by the pump 24 and discharged into the evacuation pipe 37.

 The hydraulic circuit of this device, as shown in FIG. 5, further comprises a filter cleaning circuit 26. This filter cleaning circuit 26 comprises a pipe 38 equipped with a solenoid valve 39 and connecting the downstream chamber 26a from the filter 26 to the pipe 17 of the distribution network 12.

This connection is advantageously made between the solenoid valve 18 which controls the filling of the recovery tank 14 and the filter 19 located upstream of this solenoid valve 18, on the supply line 16 of the tank 14. In addition, this line 38 is advantageously equipped with a pressure switch 41 which avoids any risk of deterioration of the filter 26 as a result of a possible sudden increase in the pressure of the water distribution network.

 The filter cleaning circuit 26 further comprises a pipe 42 fitted with a solenoid valve 43 and connecting the upstream chamber 26b of the filter 26 to the discharge pipe 37 for the treatment liquid.

 Thus, all the solenoid valves being closed, it suffices to open the solenoid valves 39 and 43 in order to clean the filter 26 by injecting, against the direction, the water from the network at the normal pressure of this network, the check valve return 25 preventing the mains water from entering the pump 24, through its discharge orifice, during the cleaning of the filter 26.

 I1 was previously indicated that the recovery tank 14 of the treatment liquid was equipped with a pipe 16 allowing this filling with network water. To allow the injection of a washing product such as a detergent and other possible products, this pipe 16 is associated with a pipe 44 connecting the delivery orifice 45b of a metering pump 45 to the tank 14, the orifice 45a of this metering pump 45 being connected, by a pipe 46 to a strainer 47 immersed in a container 48 containing the desired washing product.

The shoe washing cycle 13 using this apparatus is as follows:
The tank 14 having been filled to its upper level, with water from the pipe 17 of the water distribution network, added with a washing product such as a detergent coming from the container 48 and delivered by the metering pump 45, the pump 24 is put into operation.

 At the start of the washing cycle, the solenoid valves 36 and 43 controlling the discharge pipe 37 as well as the solenoid valve 39 controlling the circuit for injecting cleaning water into the downstream chamber 26a of the filter 26 are closed. At the same time, the solenoid valves 33 and 34 controlling the bypass lines 29 and 32 are opened successively and sequentially, for a predetermined period, corresponding to the time necessary to obtain good cleaning of the shoes 13. All of the treatment liquid projected by the tubes 9 and the spraying booms 31 is naturally recovered in the tank 14.

 When the washing operation is finished, the solenoid valves 33 and 34 are closed while the solenoid valve 36 is open so that the treatment liquid contained in the tank 14 is evacuated through the line 37. When the treatment liquid has reached , in the tank 14, its lower level, detected by the detector 21, the operation of the pump 24 is stopped and the solenoid valve 36 is closed while the solenoid valve 18 is open so that the tank 14 is again filled with the water coming from the pipe 17 of the water distribution network up to its higher level detected by the detector 21.

 When this second filling of the tank 14 is finished, then begins the rinsing operation by successive opening, as during washing, of the solenoid valves 33 and 34 controlling the supply of the tubes 9 and of the spray bars 31.

 At the end of rinsing, all the solenoid valves 33 and 34 controlling the supplies to the tubes 9 and ramps 31 for spraying rinsing water are closed while the solenoid valve 36 is open allowing a new emptying through the water pipe 37 contained in the tray 14 until this water has reached its lower level. The operations of washing and rinsing the shoes 13 are then completed.

 It is then possible, if this is deemed necessary, to clean the filter 26 by operating as indicated above.

 The apparatus of the invention is also designed to allow the drying of shoes 13. For this purpose, as the drawing shows, each tube 9 for spraying the treatment liquid is associated with an auxiliary tube 49 on which is intended to be engaged a shoe 13 at the same time as on the tube 9. Each auxiliary tube 49, which is intended to inject hot drying air into the shoe 13 which covers it, is connected to a collector 51 arranged between the rack 8 of the bars 9 and the rear wall of the cabinet 1. A fan 52 is installed at the top of the manifold 51 to draw air outside of the cabinet 1 and inject it into this manifold. With this fan 52 is associated an electrical resistance 53 located just downstream of its discharge orifice so as to heat the air blown into the manifold 51 to the desired temperature for drying the shoes 13 in the time allocated to this operation.

 In the example illustrated in the drawing, the free end of each tube 49 for blowing hot air is cut at a bevel so that the air blown into each shoe 13 does not come out of it until after licking its entire inner wall.

 As also shown in the drawing, each tube 9 for spraying the treatment liquid is advantageously equipped, at its free end, with two spray nozzles 9a and 9b, the different orientations of which make it possible to project the treatment liquid over the entire internal surface of the shoe.

 In addition, as was the case in the bars of the rack of the apparatus known from the aforementioned French patent application, each bar of the rack 8, that is to say each set of tubes 9 and 49 is capped by a perforated cover 55 constituted by a wire frame, more particularly visible in FIG. 5 and the presence of which aims to avoid that a shoe 13 supported by this bar risks blocking the orifices of the spray nozzles 9a and 9b of the spray tube 9 as well as the orifice of the hot air blowing tube 49.

 Finally, as shown in FIG. 2, if it is desired to simultaneously disinfect the shoes 13, their disinfection, it is possible to provide in the collector 51, just downstream of the discharge port of the fan 52, a lamp ozone 56.

Claims (7)

 1. Apparatus for washing, drying and possibly disinfecting shoes, of the type comprising, essentially, placed inside a sealed parallelepiped cabinet (1) opening on at least one side (2), a rack shoe rack (8) having a plurality of tubular bars (9), oriented from bottom to top and outward from their fastening end, arranged so as to form alignments along vertical columns (11) and horizontal rows ( 12), equipped, at their free end, with spray nozzles (9a, 9b) for spraying the treatment liquid inside a shoe and each of which is intended to receive and support a shoe (13) engaged on it by its rod, means being provided for supplying the bars (9) of the rack (8) with the desired treatment liquid and under pressure, and other means, again, being provided for recovering and evacuating the liquid. used treatment fluid, characterized in that on the one hand, to each tubular bar (9) of the rack (8), intended for spraying the washing liquid, is associated a tube (49) for distributing hot air drying and, on the other hand, there is provided, at least above each pair of horizontal rows (12) of bars (9), at least one and, preferably, two fixed booms (31) for spraying the liquid washing system, the washing liquid supply circuit for the nozzles (9a, 9b) of the bars (9) of the rack (8) and of the fixed ramps (31) comprising a pump (24) whose suction orifice ( 24a) is connected to a strainer (22) immersed in a recovery tank (14) located below the rack (8) and the discharge orifice (24b) of which is connected, on the one hand, through a filter (26) and at least one solenoid valve (33, 34), to bypass pipes (29, 32) each of which is connected to at least one spray tube (9) or a spray boom (31) and, on the other hand, through another solenoid valve (36), to a pipe (37) for discharging the washing liquid, means being provided for supplying the recovery tank (14) with water, washing product such as a detergent and possibly a disinfectant such as a chlorine-based product, while the tubes (49) for distributing hot air are connected to a manifold (51) equipped with a fan (52 ) sucking in the outside air and heating means (53) of the air discharged by this fan (52), such as one or more electrical resistances, an electronic control circuit being provided for controlling, successively, the filling of the recovery tank (14) for washing liquid at its upper level, the opening of each solenoid valve (33, 34) controlling the supply of the spray tubes (9) and spray bars (31), during a washing operation, with the washing liquid drawn from the tank (14), then closing them and simultaneously, the opening of the solenoid valve (36) for emptying the tank during its emptying to its lower level, then its filling with pure water, then, the opening of each solenoid valve (33, 34) controlling the supply of the spray tubes (9) and booms (31), during a shoe rinsing operation (13), and finally the supply of the fan (52) and of the associated heating means (53) during the drying operation and, simultaneously opening the drain solenoid valve (36) to evacuate the rinsing liquid before refilling the recovery tank (14) to its upper level, in water and in treatment product.  2. Apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that there is provided a solenoid valve (33, 34) on each branch pipe (29, 32) in the direction of a tube (9) or a ramp (31) spraying and the control circuit is arranged to control their opening successively and not simultaneously.  3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the recovery tank (14) of the washing liquid are associated with heating means at substantially constant and adjustable temperature such as at least one electrical resistance (15) associated to a thermostat and whose supply is controlled by the electrical control circuit, through the thermostat.  4. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises a filter cleaning circuit comprising a first pipe (38) connecting the downstream chamber (26a) of the filter (26) to a pipe (17) of the water distribution network, through a solenoid valve (39) and, preferably, a pressure switch (41) and a filter (19) and a second pipe (35) connecting the upstream chamber (26b ) from the filter (26) to an evacuation pipe (37), through another solenoid valve (36), a non-return valve (25) being placed just downstream of the discharge orifice (24b) of the pump (24).  5. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the means for supplying, in detergent product, to the recovery tank (14) of the washing liquid comprise a metering pump (45) drawing this product, by dosing it, in a container (48).  6. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the ventilator (52) for distributing the drying air is associated with an ozone lamp (56) placed on the hot air flow driven back by the fan (52).  7. Apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that there is provided an air extraction fan sucking the air charged with moisture inside the cabinet (1) and driving it outside.