METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR WASHING AND RINSING GLASSWARE

• US 20080210263A1
• Filed: 02/12/2008
• Published: 09/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Premark FEG LLC (Illinois Tool Works Inc.)
• Inventors: Brunswick, Brian A., Grueser, Thomas A.
• Application Number:
  US12/029,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20080210263A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 134/26
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/0065 specially adapted for drinking glasses
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4229 Water softening arrangements

Abstract

A warewashing apparatus includes a chamber for holding items to be cleaned, a wash system including a plurality of wash nozzles for spraying wash liquid and a rinse system including a plurality of rinse nozzles for spraying rinse liquid. A controller is programmed to carry out a cleaning cycle during which: wash liquid is sprayed onto items in the chamber during a wash step; subsequent to the wash step, hot rinse liquid is sprayed onto the items during a primary rinse step; and subsequent to the primary rinse step, cool rinse liquid is sprayed onto the items during a secondary rinse step.

Claims

1. A method of cleaning glassware, the method comprising the steps of:

placing the glassware in a glasswasher, and within the glasswasher;

spraying wash liquid onto the glassware during a wash step;

subsequent to the wash step, spraying hot rinse liquid onto the glassware during a primary rinse step; and

subsequent to the primary rinse step, spraying cool rinse liquid onto the glassware during a secondary rinse step.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is heated tap water; and

the cool rinse liquid is RO water.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is at least 160 degrees F.; and

the cool rinse liquid is less than 90 degrees F.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms of the glasswasher; and

the cool rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms of the glasswasher.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is delivered only through rotating rinse arms; and

the cool rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms and at least one fixed rinse arm.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the cool rinse liquid is delivered in at least two stages.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein during a first stage the cool rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms only and during a second stage the cool rinse liquid is delivered through at least one fixed rinse arm and not through any rotating rinse arm.

8. The method of claim 4 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is delivered through both rotating rinse arms and at least one fixed rinse arm; and

the cool rinse liquid is delivered through both rotating rinse arms and at least one fixed rinse arm.

9. The method of claim 3 wherein:

the hot rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms of the glasswasher; and

the cool rinse liquid is delivered through at least one fixed rinse arm of the glasswasher and not through any rotating rinse arm of the glasswasher.

10. The method or claim 3 wherein:

a volume of cool rinse liquid delivered during the secondary rinse step is less than 50% of a volume of hot rinse liquid delivered during the primary rinse step.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the cool rinse liquid is tap water;

the hot rinse liquid is at least 160 degrees F.;

the cool rinse liquid is less than 90 degrees F.; and

a volume of cool rinse liquid delivered during the secondary rinse step is less than 50% of a volume of hot rinse liquid delivered during the primary rinse step.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein:

during the primary rinse step the hot rinse liquid is delivered through rotating rinse arms; and

during the secondary rinse step the cool rinse liquid is delivered through one or more fixed rinse arms.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein:

during the secondary rinse step the cool rinse liquid is delivered through both rotating rinse arms and one or more fixed rinse arms.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein:

during the primary rinse step the hot rinse liquid is delivered through both rotating rinse arms and one or more fixed rinse arms.

15. A warewashing apparatus, comprising:

a chamber for holding items to be cleaned,

a wash system including a plurality of wash nozzles for spraying wash liquid;

a rinse system including a plurality of rinse nozzles for spraying rinse liquid;

a controller programmed to carry out a cleaning cycle during which;

wash liquid is sprayed onto items in the chamber during a wash step;

subsequent to the wash step, hot rinse liquid is sprayed onto the items during a primary rinse step; and

subsequent to the primary rinse step, cool rinse liquid is sprayed onto the items during a secondary rinse step.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 wherein:

the rinse system includes a hot rinse portion that delivers hot rinse liquid that is at least 160 degrees F. during the primary rinse step; and

the rinse system includes a cool rinse portion that delivers cool rinse liquid that is less than 90 degrees F. during the secondary rinse step.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein:

the control operates such that a volume of cool rinse liquid delivered during the secondary rinse step is less than 50% of a volume of hot rinse liquid delivered during the primary rinse step.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein:

the rinse system includes an RO water production unit and during the secondary rinse step the cool rinse liquid is cool RO water.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein:

the rinse system includes a lower rotating rinse arm, an upper rotating rinse arm and at least one upper fixed rinse arm; and

during the secondary rinse step, cool rinse liquid is delivered through nozzles of the upper fixed rinse arm.