WO2008053347A1

WO2008053347A1 - Dishwasher

Info

Publication number: WO2008053347A1
Application number: PCT/IB2007/003395
Authority: WO
Inventors: Régis THIBON
Original assignee: Premark Feg L.L.C.
Priority date: 2006-11-03
Filing date: 2007-10-30
Publication date: 2008-05-08
Also published as: FR2908030A1; FR2908030B1

Abstract

The invention relates to a dishwasher (1) comprising at least a washing station (2) and a rinsing station (3) defining a tunnel (5), a conveyor (6) provided in the tunnel (5) for the translation displacement in said tunnel (5) of at least one basket (7) loaded with dishes (8) to be washed, an energy meter (18) for measuring the energy used by the machine, a water flow meter (15) for measuring the water used by the machine, a basket counter (26) for counting the dish baskets passing through the tunnel (5), an energy unitary cost input (30), a water unitary cost input (32), computing means (25) for computing the washing cost per dish basket according to the energy consumption, the water consumption, the energy unitary cost and the water unitary cost, and a display (40) for displaying the washing cost per basket.

Description

Washing machine

The present invention relates to the field of high-speed dishwashing machines, in particular used in laundries for restaurants, canteens and, more generally, establishments that are open to the public.

Tunnel-type washing machines are known in which dish racks are moved on a conveyor for successive washing and rinsing steps. In this regard, WO 2006/034760 discloses a method and an installation for energy-saving operation of a dishwashing machine.

However, the Applicant has found that the operating savings in a dishwashing machine have reached certain limits. After conducting research, the Applicant realized that. pushing these limits required that the dishwashing machine be used economically by the operators. The Applicant has found that it is particularly interesting to inform the operators of the operating costs of the washing machine in order to induce them to find for themselves economic modes of use of the machine.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art described above.

The present invention aims to give operators information on the operating cost of the washing machine.

The present invention aims to generate reliable information and useful for the operators of the dishwashing machine.

The dishwashing machine comprises at least one washing station and a rinsing station forming a tunnel, and a conveyor arranged in the tunnel for moving at least one dish-laden bin from one station to the other. The machine is connected to sources of energy and water. The dishwashing machine comprises an energy meter consumed by said machine, a water flow meter consumed by said machine, a counter for dishes passing through the tunnel, a unit energy cost entry, a unit water cost entry, computing means configured to calculate a wash per trap cost based on unit energy and water costs, and consumption of energy and water, and a display of the calculated cost of washing by rack. It is thus possible to provide operators with reliable information on the costs of consumption caused by the operation of the washing machine.

In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate a running cost of the washing machine, preferably daily.

In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate an average cost of washing per locker per time slot. In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate the average cost of washing per locker per slice of rack flow in the washing machine.

In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate the instantaneous cost per bin. In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate a washing cost per bin with smoothing as a function of one or more previous bins.

In one embodiment, the calculation means are configured to calculate a rack washing cost reduced to the nominal rack rate of said machine.

In one embodiment, the machine includes a laundry cost entry per bin, the computing means being configured to add the individual laundry cost per bin to the other calculated costs. In another embodiment, the machine comprises a laundry reserve, a laundry quantity measuring means disposed at the outlet of the laundry reserve, a laundry unit cost entry, the calculation means being configured to calculate the cost laundry per bin to add to other calculated costs. Unit cost means the cost reduced to the unit generally used for the consumption in question, for example the m ³ for water consumption, the kWh for electricity consumption, the liter or kg for laundry, the m ³ or the equivalent kWh of gas, etc. In other words, the unit cost is expressed in the unit in which it is generally billed.

In one embodiment, the washing machine includes a damping cost input. The depreciation cost entry can be a depreciation per period of time, for example annual or daily, or a depreciation entry brought back to the rack given the estimated life of the washing machine, the average flow lockers over a long period, for example annual, depreciation rules and the investment cost of the washing machine. In one embodiment, the energy meter comprises an electric meter, the machine being equipped with a unit cost input of electrical energy.

In one embodiment, the energy meter comprises a gas flow meter, the machine being equipped with a unit cost of gas input.

A person responsible for the dishwashing machine can thus realize the cost of operation of the machine and use it optimally, which is economically and ecologically advantageous. The present invention will be better understood on reading the detailed description of an embodiment taken by way of non-limiting example and illustrated by the appended drawings, in which:

FIG 1 is a schematic view of a washing machine according to one aspect of the invention; and FIG. 2 is a logic diagram of the control unit of the washing machine.

As can be seen in FIG. 1, the dishwashing machine 1 comprises at least one washing station 2, a rinsing station 3 and a drying station 4 forming a tunnel 5 in which is disposed a carrier 6, projecting upstream of the washing station 2 and downstream of the drying station 4. The conveyor 6 may comprise rails for sliding the bins, a movable advance bar in the direction of arrow 9, and anti-return cleats. A rack 7 receiving dishes to be washed 8 can thus be arranged by an operator at the beginning of the conveyor 6 upstream of the washing station 2, then move forward in the direction of advancement of the conveyor 6, see arrow 9, passing through the washing station 2, the rinsing station 3 and the drying station 4, then leaving the tunnel 5.

Alternatively, a prewash station not shown is disposed upstream of the washing station 2. Alternatively, the drying station is absent.

The washing station 2 comprises a pump 10 for supplying water with washing nozzles. The rinsing station 3 also comprises a pump 1 1 for supplying water to rinsing nozzles, and a heating element 12, for example electric resistors, for heating the water for rinsing purposes. The dishwashing machine 1 comprises a water supply circuit 13 provided with a water inlet 14, a water meter 15 and supply pipes arranged between the water meter 15, the pumps 10 to 1 1, the heating element 12, and generally the elements consuming fresh water.

The dishwashing machine 1 comprises an electric circuit 16 provided with an inlet 17, an electric meter 18 and power supply cables connected to the pumps 10 and 11, to the heating element 12, to a motor 19 of the conveyor belt 6, as well as the electricity-consuming elements 20 of the drying station 4, for example a fan 21 and an electric heating element 22 arranged in the upper part of the drying station 4 to produce a hot air drying of the dishes 8 present in the bin 7 during its passage in the drying station 4.

The dishwashing machine comprises a reservoir 23 of detergent. The reservoir 23 may, optionally, be provided with a laundry quantity measuring means 24, for example a flow meter, for measuring the flow of detergent used in the washing station 2, the reservoir 23 and the washing station 2 being connected to a pipe not shown.

The dishwashing machine 1 comprises a calculation unit 25 connected to the water meter 15, to the electric meter 18 and to the laundry quantity measuring means 24.

The dishwashing machine 1 also includes a bin counter 26. The counter 26 is illustrated in greater detail in FIG. 2 and is connected to the calculation unit 25. The counter 26, shown in more detail in FIG. 2, comprises a pallet 56 mounted to pivot about an axis 57, for example vertical. The pallet 56 can pivot on an angle of the order of a few tens of degrees and is brought into position by a return element 58, for example a spring. The biasing member may be disposed about the axis 57 or in contact with the pallet 56.

The return element 58 tends to keep the pallet 56 in the waiting position projecting in the space traveled by the dish racks. The counter 26 further comprises a sensor 59 whose output is connected to the control unit 25. The sensor 59 is configured to detect the movement of the pallet 56.

Thus, when a dish rack 7 passes at the level of the counter 26, the edge of the bin comes into contact with the pallet 56 and pushes it out of its path, as opposed to the effect of the element. 58. In the position thus displaced from the pallet 56, the sensor 59 sends a signal to the control unit 25 which then generates a modification of the temperature setpoint of the drying station 4.

In standby period, that is to say during operation of the washing machine 1 before a dish rack 7 triggers the counter 26, the temperature setpoint may be equal to 60 °. In the drying phase, after detection of the passage of a dish rack 7 by the counter 26, the temperature setpoint sent by the control unit 25 to the heating element 12 may be equal to 80 °. The walls of the drying station 4 are therefore already substantially at the stand-by temperature when the temperature setpoint changes to the drying temperature. This results in a reduction of the energy taken to heat the inside of the tunnel 5 at the drying zone during the transition from the standby temperature to the drying temperature. The forward speed of the carrier 6 can be known, just have the meter

26 sufficiently upstream of the drying station 4 to allow time for said drying station 4 to rise to a temperature close to the temperature set point _. drying.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the computing unit 25 comprises an input 27 from the water meter 15, an input 28 from the electric meter 18, and optionally an input 29 from the measuring means amount of laundry 24. the calculation unit 25 also includes an inlet 30 of unit price of water, for example a price m ^3, an inlet 31 of unit price of electricity, for example a price kwh, and optionally, an entry 32 of unit price of detergent product, for example per liter. The inputs 30, 31 and 32 may be connected to a computer for receiving information relating to said unit prices. In the embodiment shown, the inputs 30 to 32 are connected to a control interface 33, for example a control panel of the machine, allowing the operator to manually adjust in a simple manner the unit prices of the machine's consumptions. to wash 1.

The control interface 33 includes a display 34, a menu scroll key 35, and two quantitative control keys 36 and 37 "+" and "-". The user can thus cause the calculation and display of an hourly cost, a locker cost, a cost per time slot and a cost per unit of flow of the dishwashing machine 1. scrolling through the choices on screen 34 by pressing the key 35. The keys 36 and 37 make it possible to adjust the unit prices of the consumptions, for example by increments of euro cents on the prices of kWh and m ³ d. 'water. The results of the calculations can be displayed on a display 40 and / or sent to a remote computer. The calculation unit 25 also comprises an input 41 of numbers of bins receiving the output of the locker counter 26. The calculation unit 25 comprises a multiplier 42 whose inputs are connected to the power consumption input 28 and to the power supply. electric unit price entry 31, a multiplier 43 whose inputs are connected to the water consumption inlet 27 and to the water unit price entry 31, and optionally a multiplier 44 provided with inputs connected to the entry of detergent product 29 and the entry 32 unit price of detergent product. The calculation unit 25 comprises an adder 45 receiving the outputs of the multipliers 42, 43 and 44, and a divider 46 comprising an input connected to the output of the adder 45 and an input connected to the input 41 for counting the bins. . The calculation unit 25 comprises a clock 47 and a storage module 48. The storage module 48 receives the output of the clock 47, the output of the divider 46, the output of the adder 45 and the output of the keys The storage module 35 is controlled by the control interface 33 to output the hourly cost of consumption, the cost per box, the cost per time slot, or the cost per unit of flow of the dishwashing machine.

The instantaneous cost of the water is obtained at the output of the multiplier 42, the instantaneous cost of electricity is obtained at the output of the multiplier

44 and if necessary, the instantaneous cost of the detergent product is obtained at the output of the multiplier 43. The sum of these partial costs is made in the adder 45 to obtain an operating cost which is then divided by the divider 46 by the number lockers. The storage means 48 are configured to process the unit cost per rack and display it on the display 40, or perform a memorization of the unit cost per rack to deduce an hourly cost of the dishwashing machine 1, a cost per time slot or a cost per installment. The cost unitary per bin can be instantaneous or smoothed according to at least one previous rack.

In a simplified embodiment, the computing unit 25 displays on the display 40 the cost per rack. The display 40 may be integrated in the control interface 33 and uses the screen 34. In this case, the storage means 48 may also be of reduced capacity.

In one embodiment, an additional input, not shown, is provided to provide the calculation unit 25 with a cost of damping the dishwashing machine 1 which is then taken into account for the cost calculation displayed on the display 40.

In one embodiment, the washing machine 1 comprises at least one gas consuming element, a gas flow meter and a gas unit cost entry, the calculation means being configured to add the cost of the consumed gas to the other costs of the gas. operation.

Thanks to the invention, the operators are thus informed of the operating cost of the dishwashing machine 1, which constitutes a powerful incentive to achieve operational savings, for example by grouping dish racks during operation. at low flow, for example at the beginning and at the end of the service. For example, the operator can better realize the cost of the first dish racks and can choose to store a few dirty dish racks to start the dishwashing machine 1 later and have him process a series dish racks one after the other rather than spread over time.

Claims

1-washing machine (1) dishes comprising at least one washing station (2) and a flushing station (3) forming a tunnel

(5), and a conveyor (6) arranged in the tunnel (5) to move in translation in said tunnel (5) at least one rack (7) loaded with dishes to be washed, characterized in that it comprises a counter of energy (18) consumed by said machine, a water flow meter

(15) consumed by said machine, a dish rack counter (26) passing through the tunnel (5), a unit energy cost entry (30), a unit water cost entry (32), and calculating means (25) configured to calculate a dishwashing washing cost as a function of energy consumption, water consumption, unit energy cost and unit water cost, the machine comprising in addition a display (40) of the cost of washing by rack.

2-machine according to claim 1, wherein the calculation means (25) are configured to calculate a periodic operating cost of the machine, preferably daily.

3-machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the calculation means (25) are configured to calculate an average cost per bin and per time slot.

4-machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the calculating means (25) are configured to calculate an average cost of washing per bin and per trap volume.

A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the power source comprises an electric source, the energy meter comprising an electric meter and the unit energy cost input comprising a cost input of electricity.

A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the energy source comprises a source of gas, the energy meter comprises a gas flow meter and the unit energy cost input comprises a unit cost of gas input.

7-machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the calculation means (25) are configured to calculate the instantaneous cost per rack.

8-machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the calculation means (25) are configured to calculate a washing cost per bin with smoothing according to at least one previous rack. 9-machine according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the calculation means (25) are configured to calculate a rack washing cost reduced to the nominal capacity of the rack of said machine.