Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A47—FURNITURE; DOMESTIC ARTICLES OR APPLIANCES; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L—DOMESTIC WASHING OR CLEANING; SUCTION CLEANERS IN GENERAL
  • A47L15/00—Washing or rinsing machines for crockery or tableware
  • A47L15/42—Details
  • A47L15/44—Devices for adding cleaning agents; Devices for dispensing cleaning agents, rinsing aids or deodorants
  • A47L15/4436—Devices for adding cleaning agents; Devices for dispensing cleaning agents, rinsing aids or deodorants in the form of a detergent solution made by gradually dissolving a powder detergent cake or a solid detergent block

Definitions

• 5 different mechanical warewashing machines which have 4 unique functions.
• one machine or one portion of a machine may be particularly designed to presoak dirty dishes.
• a second machine might be designed to wash the presoaked dishes.
• Another machine might be
• the present invention is premised upon the realization that the above problems can be overcome by using a dispensing system which incorporates a plural-
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET uniquely shaped opening and chute which will permit only a particular shape of detergent composition to be placed into the opening.
• a presoak will have a defined geometric shape and a pot and pan scrubber will have a different but unique geometric shape so that neither can be placed in the wrong dispenser.
• the different dispensers used can be identi ⁇ cal except for the shape of the chute.
• the same tooling can be used to make different dispensers, only the tooling for the chute need by changed.
• FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic depiction of the kitchen employing multiple dispensers according to the present invention
• Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the present invention taken at lines 2-2 of Fig. 1;
• Fig. 3A is a top view partially broken away of one embodiment of a detergent block for use in the present invention;
• Fig. 3B is a top view of a perspective view of an alternate embodiment of the detergent block for use in the present invention.
• Fig. 3C is a top view of a second alternate embodiment of a detergent block for use in the present invention.
• a kitchen area 10 equipped with a plurality of washers 11a, lib and lie connected to detergent dispensers 12a, 12b and 12c via drains 23a,
• the detergent dispenser 12 of the present invention is shown more particularly in Fig. 2. It includes a chute 16 adapted to receive a long bar of detergent 18 which will be resting on a support 17. 5 Between the support 17 and the chute 16 is a small gap 19
• the detergent dispenser 12 includes a front wall 24, back wall 25 and two side walls 26 and 27. Inside the detergent dispenser 12 is a water slide 28. Water slide 28 is bonded to the side walls 26 and 27 holding it in position. Water slide 28 includes a
• a first water inlet 31 is directed against the sloped vertical portion 29 of water slide 28 so that water sprayed from the inlet forms the stream 22 of water.
• the water slide extends beneath the chute 16
• Beneath the water slide is the bottom wall 34 of the dispenser 12. This is a sloped bottom wall that
• the chute 16 is relatively interchangeable. Thus different dispensers can be identical except for the uniquely shaped chute.
• the chute includes a planar top
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET which is open at its bottom. Top wall 35 rests on ledge 38 which extends completely around the four walls of the apparatus 12.
• the dispensing apparatus 12 also includes a top cover 39 which covers chute 16. This is connected to the back wall at hinge 41.
• the top 39 and the top wall 35 of chute 16 also include slots or small openings 42 and 49 respectively adapted to permit water sprays to enter the detergent apparatus.
• the dispenser 12 includes a water inlet 43, connectable with supply line 13, which extends to an on/off valve 44. As shown, the valve 44 connects to first water spray 31 and second water spray 45 via tubing 46.
• the orifice size of sprays 31 and 45 are provided so that about 20 to 100% of the water passes through spray 31 and acts to dissolve detergent.
• the water passing from spray 45 goes directly into tube 47.
• the space 48 between the spray 45 and tube 47 should eliminate the need for any siphon break.
• Tube 47 leads to drain 23 acting as a drain assist and sucking in dissolved detergent and foam. Since drain 23 is larger in diameter than tube 47, dissolved detergent passes freely down drain 23 to the respective working apparatus.
• the top cover 39 of the dispenser is lifted and a bar of detergent is dropped into the opening 37 of chute 16.
• the detergent bar has a cross sectional configuration which corresponds to the cross sectional configuration of opening 37 of chute 16.
• the detergent bar drops through the chute 16 and rests on the support 17 which is the horizontal portion of the water slide 28.
• Valve 44 is opened and water from inlet 43 flows through up tube 46 to sprays 31 and 45.
• a first water supply flows through spray 31. This directs water down the water slide 28 against its sloped vertical portion 29. As this water flows down, it widens out in a fan-shaped pattern or a sheet of water. This sheet of water
• SHEET impinges against the bar of detergent 18 at the exposed bottom portion 21. This dissolves the exposed portion 21 of the detergent bar. In turn, the dissolved detergent passes beyond the water slide and down to the bottom wall 34 to the drain 23. This is then mixed in drain 23 with the second stream of water which flowed from spray 45 down tube 47 into drain 23.
• chute 16 includes an optional pressure switch 50 which is adapted to sense the presence of a detergent bar within the chute !6. This can be connected to a warning light which would tell an operator to insert an additional bar of detergent into the chute 16.
• One of the primary benefits of the present invention is the ability to use basically the same dispenser for different detergents without significant modification of the dispenser.
• one mold can be used to form a large portion of the dispenser, only the chute need be different to make the dispenser suitable for use only with the appropriate detergent.
• the detergent bars each having unique chemical compositions will also have unique shapes. Three are shown but there can be as many as required.
• the dishwashing detergent I8a which is formulated for use as a pot and pan scrubber might have an oval shape as shown in Fig. 3A and be inserted in dispensers 12a.
• the detergent 18b which is used to wash plates and the like and having a composition especially adapted for that application might have a square cross-sectional configuration as shown in Fig. 3B and be inserted in dispensers 12b.
• the detergent composition 18c which is used to wash silverware might have a cylindrical configuration as shown in Fig. 3C and be inserted in dispensers 12c.
• a kitchen using a plu ⁇ rality of detergents dispensers would have a dispenser for each of these detergents. More particularly, each
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET one of these dispensers would have a chute corresponding in shape to the shape of the detergent 3A-3c.
• the dispenser for the pot and pan scrubber would have an oval shaped chute. This would prevent the operator from inserting round or square detergent bars.
• Any solid detergent formulation can be used as part of the present invention.
• a suitable detergent formulation is disclosed in Bruegge application “Method of Making Paste Detergent and Product Produced," Serial No. 476,297, filed February 7, 1990, and is hereby incorporated by reference.
• the detergent compositions 18a, 18b and 18c will preferably be covered in a water soluble wrapper 55 as shown more particularly in Fig. 2 and Figs. 3A-3C.
• a water soluble wrapper 55 is sold by CMS Gilbreath under brand name dissolvo pouching DP45.
• the top 39 of the dispenser can be color coded for the particular detergent.
• the oval detergent which is adapted to be used to wash pots and pans, and be used only in an oval chute, might have a green wrapper.
• the top 39 of the dispenser for the pot and pan scrubber likewise would be green.
• the detergent bar formulated for washing dishes which is square in shape, might have a blue water soluble wrapper.
• the top of the dispenser covering the square chute for the dishwashing machine dispenser would likewise be blue and so on. In a kitchen which would include two, three or more dispensers, this provides many unique advantages.
• the color coating quickly tells an operator what detergent to be used in what dispenser. Since the chutes have a cross sectional configuration which must correspond to the cross sectional configuration of the detergent bar, it is almost impossible to use the wrong detergent in the wrong dispenser.
• the dispenser of the present invention provides many safety features. Since the spray of water is lateral, it is very unlikely that it is going to spray out of the dispenser from the top. Since an elongated chute is used this possibility is then again reduced. The water would simply have to go too far up the dispenser chute to spray out the top.
• SUBSTITUTE SHEET the dispenser as well as the manufacturer of the dispenser.

Landscapes

• Detergent Compositions (AREA)
• Washing And Drying Of Tableware (AREA)
• Pharmaceuticals Containing Other Organic And Inorganic Compounds (AREA)
• External Artificial Organs (AREA)
• Domestic Plumbing Installations (AREA)
• Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)
• Bidet-Like Cleaning Device And Other Flush Toilet Accessories (AREA)
• Sink And Installation For Waste Water (AREA)

Priority Applications (9)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=27160041

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (8)

Cited By (20)

Citations (7)

Family Cites Families (1)

• 1991
  • 1991-10-25 ES ES91918518T patent/ES2074970T3/es not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-10-25 AT AT91918518T patent/ATE146348T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1991-10-25 BR BR9107324A patent/BR9107324A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 1991-10-25 EP EP91918518A patent/EP0609204B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1991-10-25 WO PCT/CA1991/000386 patent/WO1993007798A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1991-10-25 CA CA002119234A patent/CA2119234A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 1991-10-25 DE DE69123763T patent/DE69123763T2/de not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 1991-10-25 DE DE0609204T patent/DE609204T1/de active Pending
  • 1991-10-25 AU AU88531/91A patent/AU668676B2/en not_active Ceased

Patent Citations (7)

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