Patent Application
20230309778
This application relates general to machines for washing wares, and more particularly to hood-type warewash machines.
Warewash machines are frequently used by commercial enterprises, such as restaurants and cafeterias, for washing relatively large and high numbers of wares. Often, the wares are placed in a rack for ease of handling and to maintain separation between the wares during washing. Some warewash machines, such as hood-type machines, have front and side access openings to the treatment chamber so that the wares do not have to be removed from the treatment chamber through the same access opening through which they were placed into the treatment chamber. A rack track is located in the machine to facilitate sliding movement of the ware racks into and out of the machine, when the door/hood of the machine is raised, and to support the rack in the machine during cleaning operations. A sump/tank below the rack track forms part of the wash spray system, in which washing liquid sprayed from one or more wash arms in the machine and the sprayed wash liquid falls down into the sump and is then recirculated back to the spray arm(s) by a pump.
In certain commercial enterprises, large trays are used and limitations of the ware racks prevent such trays from being positioned in or on the ware rack in a manner that permits the door/hood of the machine from being closed.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to implement a system that facilitates loading of a variety of long tray type wares in hood-type warewash machines.
In one aspect, a warewash machine includes a housing at least in part defining a treatment chamber having an access opening, a hood mounted for movement between a closed position for washing and an open position for inlet and outlet of wares through the access opening, at least one nozzle for emitting liquid into the treatment chamber, and a rack track positioned within the treatment chamber for having a dish rack rest thereon. A tray support is mounted for movement relative to the rack track between a lowered position and a raised position, in the lowered position the tray support is at or below a rack support plane defined by the rack track, in the raised position at least part of the tray support is located above the rack support plane.
In another aspect, a rack track for supporting a ware rack within a treatment chamber of a warewash machine includes a wire or rod form frame including supporting portions that define a rack support plane. A tray support is mounted to the wire or rod form frame for movement between a lowered position and a raised position. In the lowered position the tray support is at or below the rack support plane, and in the raised position at least part of the tray support is located above the rack support plane.
The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.
Referring to
A multi-sided hood assembly 30 includes movable front 32, left 36 and right 38 wall sections (e.g., forming a box-like hood structure that is open at the bottom) and the hood assembly may or may not have a moving top wall section and back wall section. The wall sections move together as a unit, such that the multi-sided hood assembly is movable (per arrow 42) between a lowered closed position for washing and a raised open position (e.g., per
A stationary chamber rear wall 50 is disposed at the back or rear side of the treatment chamber and, in embodiments in which the hood assembly includes a rear wall section, the wall 50 is at least partly behind the hood rear wall section when the hood is closed.
A rack track 90 is removably supported at a lower portion of the treatment chamber in a substantially horizontal use orientation by support structure located at both the front and rear of the treatment chamber. By way of example, the support structure may be various internal housing surfaces and/or brackets. The illustrated rack track 90 is of a metal bar or wire form configuration, with upper bar sections aligned to define a rack support surface or rack support plane for a rack containing wares to be cleaned (e.g., dishes, glasses, pots and/or pans etc.). A rear rack slide rail 80 and a forward rack slide rail 82 are shown here, in positions raised relative to the rack support plane, for guiding the sliding movement of a rack from, for example, into the treatment chamber via the left side access opening 20 for cleaning, and then out of the treatment chamber via the right side access opening 22 after ware cleaning.
A front tray support 92 is mounted to the front side of the rack track 90 and a rear tray support 120 is mounted to an upwardly extending duct housing 122 (e.g., by fasteners that connect to one or more brackets secured to the housing 122), in which a wash line and/or a rinse line run in order to reach an upper wash arm and/or an upper rinse arm. The front tray support 92 is mounted for movement relative to the rack track 90 between a lowered position (e.g.,
Here, the front tray support 92, which may be of a plate configuration, includes guide slots 94 that interact with projecting features of the rack track 90 such that movement of the tray support relative to the projecting feature causes the tray support to shift from the lowered position to the raised position. The projecting features may be fasteners 95 mounted to collars 96 that are, for example, welded to the rack track 90. Thus, the front tray support 92 remains with the rack track even when the rack track is removed from the treatment chamber.
By moving the front tray support 92 laterally along the width of the rack track, the front tray support will be moved upward or downward. In the lowered position of the front tray support 92, the projections are disposed at slot end portion 94a of the guide slots 94 and, in the raised position of the front tray support, the projections are disposed at end portion 94b of the guide slots. Slot end portion 94a is located at the end of a lateral portion 94c of the slot, which interacts with the projecting features to prevent the tray support 92 from shifting downward under the force of gravity. The lateral slot portion joins 94c joins with a slot portion 94d to that angles laterally away and upward toward the slot end portion 94b.
In the illustrated embodiment, the fasteners 95 and collars 96 are also used to attach the forward rack slide rail 82 to the rack track 90. In other embodiments, the forward rack slide rail 82 may be absent.
In embodiments, when the front tray support 92 is raised, the portion of the front tray support 92 that is above the rack support plane 84 has a length L92 that is at least 60% (e.g., at least 80%) of a width W90 of the rack supporting surface of the rack track 90, and runs substantially parallel to a direction from a left side to a right side of the rack track 90.
In embodiments, the rear tray support 120 is located at least 10 inches above the rack support plane, such as at least 15 inches above the rack support plane.
In the illustrated embodiment of
It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible. For example, the front tray support could be alternatively mounted, such as pivotably, the rack track.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63326498 | Apr 2022 | US |
