Patent Application
20070294908
Advantages and characteristics of the present invention will become clear from the following detailed description which is provided by way of non-limiting example with reference to the appended drawings, in which:
A drier 10 comprises (
A removable shelving unit 26 is disposed in the chamber 14 and has a plurality of shelves 28 on which the products to be dried (which are not shown in the drawings for greater clarity) can be placed. Moreover, a circuit for the flow of a fluid for heating the shelves 28 is fixed firmly to the shelving unit 26. The circuit has an inlet duct 32 and an outlet duct 30 which extend through respective openings 34 formed through a fixed wall of the housing 12 and are connected to respective heating-fluid supply and discharge pipes 40 and 38 by quick coupling means 36. The heating circuit also comprises, in known manner, a manifold portion 42 and flow branches 44 formed within the various shelves 28.
Each of the inlet and outlet ducts 32, 30 has a radially projecting flange 46 and a portion having a threaded outer lateral surface 48 on which a ring-nut 50 having an internal threaded hole is engaged. The flange 46 and the ring-nut 50 can clamp between them a radially projecting annular portion of the edge of the respective opening 34 so as to isolate the interior of the chamber 14 from the working, that is non-sterile, environment 52 adjacent the openings 34 formed in the fixed wall of the housing 12.
The drier 10 described above is washed with the aid (
The implement 60 comprises a liquid-supply coupling 62, a distributor duct 64 which is supplied by the coupling, and a plurality of uniformly-spaced liquid-delivery ducts 66 which extend substantially transversely from the distributor duct 64 and carry spray heads 68 for the liquid at their respective distal ends. The supply coupling 62 is oriented substantially transversely relative to the distributor duct 64 and is located in the central portion thereof on the side remote from the delivery ducts 66. Advantageously, the number of delivery ducts 66 is equal to the number of shelves 28 of the drier 10 and the spacing of the ducts 66 is equivalent to that of the shelves 28.
A method for the normal maintenance washing of the above-described drier 10 provides first of all for the removal of the plugs 22 from the openings 18, 20 formed in the door 16. After the door 16 has been opened, the supply coupling 62 of the implement 60 can thus be inserted through the first opening 18 so that, after the closure of the door 16, the delivery ducts 66 of the implement 60 are interposed between the shelves 28.
The delivery pipe 56 of the cleaning-liquid container-pressurizer device 54 is then connected to the supply coupling 62 and the return pipe 58 of the device 56 is connected to the second opening 20 of the door 16.
Activation of the device 54 thus causes the cleaning liquid to be delivered into the chamber 14 through the spray heads 68 and the cleaning liquid is then discharged through the second opening 20. The liquid is then caused to flow back to the container-pressurizer device 54 through the return pipe 58 and, after optional purification, can then be sprayed into the chamber 14 again.
When the chamber 14 is considered to have been washed satisfactorily, the delivery of cleaning liquid is stopped and the delivery pipe 56 of the device 54 is disconnected from the supply coupling 62 and the return pipe 58 is disconnected from the second opening 20. Once the door 16 is open, the implement 60 can thus easily be removed from the interior of the chamber 14. Finally, after the plugs 22 have been replaced in the respective openings 18, 20, the washed drier 10 is ready to resume its normal operation.
In order to perform thorough washing of the drier 10, on the other hand, a different method is used which requires (
The thorough washing method provides first of all for the disconnection of the inlet duct 32 and the outlet duct 30 of the heating circuit from the respective heating-fluid supply and discharge pipes 40 and 38 (see
The intermediate spaces 70 are then sealed by bolting together the flanges 76, 78 which constitute the respective facing surfaces of each cover/bush pair 72/74. It is thus possible to wash the intermediate spaces 70 as a result of a flow of cleaning liquid inside them through the supply and discharge ducts 80, 82, in which the respective on/off valves 84 are open.
The subsequent removal (
In parallel with the washing of the shelving unit 26, the plugs 22 are removed from the openings 18, 20 in the door 16, the supply coupling 62 of the implement 60 is inserted (
When the chamber 14 is considered to have been washed satisfactorily, the delivery of cleaning liquid is stopped, the delivery pipe 56 of the cleaning-liquid container-pressurizer device 54 is disconnected from the supply coupling 62, and the return pipe 58 is disconnected from the second opening 20. Once the door 16 is open, the implement 60 can easily be removed from the interior of the chamber 14 in which the shelving unit 26 can be re-inserted.
At this point, the flanges 76, 78 which constitute the facing surfaces of each cover/bush 72/74 pair are disconnected, separating the covers 72 from the bushes 74 and putting the intermediate spaces 70 into communication with the working environment 52 but not with the chamber 14, from which they are isolated by the flanges 46 on the heating-fluid inlet and outlet ducts 30 and 32. The ring-nuts 50 are then screwed onto the respective threaded portions 48 of the ducts 32, 30 and the ducts are re-connected to the respective heating-fluid supply and discharge pipes 40, 38 by operation of the respective quick coupling means 36.
The thorough washing method is thus completed and the normal operating configuration of the drier 10 shown in
Naturally, the principle of the invention remaining the same, the details of construction and forms of embodiment may vary widely with respect to the coupling described purely by way of example without thereby departing from its scope.
