Multiple protocol multiple pump liquid chemical dispenser

• US 5,494,061 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 02/27/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Diversey Limited (Sealed Air)
• Original Assignee: Diversey Limited (Sealed Air)
• Inventors: Chan, Wai Y. C., Livingston, James W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coe, Philip R.
• Application Number:
  US08/475,855
• Time in Patent Office: 265 Days
• Field of Search: 134/18, 134/25.2, 134/56 D, 134/57 D, 134/58 D, 134/95.3
• US Class Current: 134/57.00D
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 15/4418 in the form of liquids A47L15/4409, A47L15/4436, A47L15/4445 take precedence

Abstract

A liquid chemical dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of liquid chemicals into a dishwasher includes at least a detergent pump and a rinse agent pump, a first switch indicating whether the dishwasher is a door type or a conveyor type dishwasher, a second switch indicating whether the controller is in training mode or in run mode, a non-volatile memory and a data processor. The liquid chemical dispensing system is powered on whenever the dishwasher is spraying rinse water. In the training mode, the data processor enables a user to set values for a rinse run time parameter, a detergent run time parameter, and a rinse delay time, and stores those parameters in the non-volatile memory. In the run mode for door type dishwashers, each time the system is powered on the data processor runs the detergent pump a length of time corresponding to the stored detergent run time parameter, delays running the rinse pump, from the time of each power on, by an amount of time corresponding to the stored rinse delay time parameter, and then runs the rinse pump a length of time corresponding to the stored rinse run time parameter. In the run mode for conveyor type dishwashers, the data processor runs the rinse pump each time the system is powered on, and runs the detergent pump for N seconds for each M seconds that the rinse pump is run, where N is the detergent run time parameter and M is a predefined value.

Claims

1. A liquid chemical dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of liquid chemicals into a dishwasher having a wash tank, comprising:

a plurality of pumps, including a detergent pump that pumps detergent into the wash water tank in said dishwasher and a rinse agent pump that pumps rinse agent into a rinse water line in said dishwasher;

a first switch indicating said dishwasher'"'"'s type, said first switch having a first position indicating said dishwasher is a door type dishwasher and a second position indicating said dishwasher is a conveyor type dishwasher;

a second switch having a training mode position and run mode position;

an electronic non-volatile memory;

means for activating said system only when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water;

data processing means coupled to said non-volatile memory, said plurality of pumps, and said first and second switches, for controlling operation of said plurality of pumps;

said data processing means including;

training mode means, enabled when said second switch is in the training mode position, for enabling a user to set values for a rinse run time parameter, a detergent run time parameter, and a rinse delay time and for storing said parameters in said non-volatile memory;

door type run mode means, enabled when said second switch is in the run mode position and said first switch is in the first position, for running said detergent and rinse pumps each time said system is activated, including;

(A) running said detergent pump a length of time corresponding to said detergent run time parameter, (B) delaying running said rinse pump, from the time of each activation of said system, by an amount of time corresponding to said rinse delay time parameter, and then (C) running said rinse pump a length of time corresponding to said rinse run time parameter; and

conveyor type run mode means, enabled when said second switch is in the run mode position and said first switch is in the second position, for running said rinse pump each time said system is activated, and for running said detergent pump with an on/off duty cycle determined by said detergent run time parameter.

2. The liquid chemical dispensing system of claim 1,

said non-volatile memory storing a rinse run time value;

said conveyor type run mode means including rinse run time tracking means for retrieving from said non-volatile memory the rinse run time value stored therein each time that said system is activated, periodically updating said rinse run time value, and running said detergent pump at times determined in accordance with said rinse run time value and said detergent run time parameter;

said conveyor type run means further including means for storing said updated rinse run time value in said non-volatile memory.

3. The liquid chemical dispensing system of claim 2,

said rinse run time tracking means including means for running said detergent pump for N seconds for each M seconds that said rinse pump is run, where N is said detergent run time parameter and M is larger than N.

4. The liquid chemical dispensing system of claim 2,

said non-volatile memory storing specified values at specified locations in said non-volatile memory;

said rinse run time tracking means including non-volatile memory management means for (A) storing in said non-volatile memory a pointer indicating a location in said non-volatile memory where said updated rinse run time value is stored, (B) storing in said non-volatile memory at another location corresponding to said pointer an update data value indicating how many times said updated rinse run time value has been stored in said non-volatile memory, and (C) storing in said non-volatile memory an updated pointer, indicating a different location in said non-volatile memory than the location previously indicated by said stored pointer, when said update data value reaches a threshold value stored by said controller.

5. The liquid chemical dispensing system of claim 1,

said training mode means further including means for enabling a user to set a second detergent run time parameter;

said system further including a detergent pump prime button for user activation whenever said dishwasher'"'"'s water tank is refilled; and

said data processor means further including detergent refill means for responding to user activation of said detergent pump prime button by running said detergent pump a length of time corresponding to said second detergent run time parameter.

6. A liquid chemical dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of liquid chemicals into a conveyor dishwasher having a wash water tank, wherein said dishwasher is configured to spray rinse water on dishware and to route used rinse water into said dishwasher'"'"'s wash water tank, the liquid chemical dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of chemical dispensers, including a detergent dispenser that dispenses detergent into the wash water tank in said dishwasher and a rinse agent dispenser that dispenses rinse agent into a rinse water line in said dishwasher;

a controller having a programmed digital data processor for running said plurality of dispensers; and

an electronic non-volatile memory;

said controller coupled to said non-volatile memory and including a digital processor programmed to;

detect when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water;

run said rinse agent dispenser whenever said dishwasher is spraying rinse water;

generate and periodically increment a rinse run time value so long as said dishwasher continues to spray rinse water such that said rinse run time value is indicative of how long said dishwasher has been spraying rinse water;

store in said electronic non-volatile memory said rinse run time value each time said dishwasher stops spraying rinse water;

retrieve from said non-volatile memory, each time said dishwasher begins to spray rinse water, said rinse run time value stored therein, and then resume periodically incrementing said rinse run time value; and

run said detergent dispenser at times determined in accordance with said rinse run time value such that said detergent dispenser is running a portion of the time that said dishwasher sprays rinse water and is otherwise turned off, wherein said portion is determined by a detergent run time parameter stored by said controller;

whereby detergent is dispensed into said dishwasher'"'"'s wash water tank in amounts corresponding to the amount of time that said dishwasher sprays rinse water.

7. The liquid chemical dispenser of claim 6, wherein said controller is coupled to said dishwasher so that said controller is powered on only when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water.

8. The liquid chemical dispenser of claim 7, wherein said data processor is programmed to run said detergent dispenser for N seconds for each M seconds that said rinse dispenser is run, where N is said detergent run time parameter and M is larger than N.

9. The liquid chemical dispenser of claim 6, wherein said data processor is programmed to:

store in said non-volatile memory a pointer indicating a location in said non-volatile memory where said updated rinse run time value is stored;

store in said non-volatile memory at another location corresponding to said pointer an update data value indicating how many times said updated rinse run time value has been stored in said non-volatile memory; and

store in said non-volatile memory an updated pointer, indicating a different location in said non-volatile memory than the location previously indicated by said stored pointer, when said update data value reaches a threshold value stored by said controller.

10. A liquid chemical dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of liquid chemicals into a conveyor dishwasher having a wash water tank, wherein said dishwasher is configured to route used rinse water into said dishwasher'"'"'s wash water tank, the liquid chemical dispensing system comprising:

a plurality of dispensers, including a detergent dispenser that dispenses detergent into the wash water tank in said dishwasher and a rinse agent dispenser that dispenses rinse agent into a rinse water line in said dishwasher;

a controller having a programmed digital data processor for running said plurality of dispensers; and

an electronic non-volatile memory;

said controller coupled to said non-volatile memory and including a digital processor programmed to;

detect when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water;

generate and periodically increment a rinse run time value so long as said dishwasher continues to spray rinse water such that said rinse run time value is indicative of how long said dishwasher has been spraying rinse water;

each time said dishwasher begins to spray rinse water, resume periodically incrementing said rinse run time value; and

running said detergent dispenser at times determined in accordance with said rinse run time value so that said detergent dispenser is running a portion of the time that said dishwasher sprays rinse water and is otherwise turned off, wherein said portion is determined by a detergent run time parameter stored by said controller;

whereby detergent is dispensed into said dishwasher'"'"'s wash water tank in amounts corresponding to the amount of time that said dishwasher sprays rinse water.

11. A liquid chemical dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of liquid chemicals into a door dishwasher having a wash water tank and at least one dispenser, wherein said dishwasher is configured to route used rinse water into said dishwasher'"'"'s wash water tank, the liquid chemical dispensing system comprising:

at least one dispenser, including a detergent dispenser that dispenses detergent into said wash water tank in said dishwasher,

a controller having a programmed digital data processor for running said at least one dispenser, wherein said digital data processor is programmed to;

establish a first detergent run time parameter;

detect when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water;

initialize a rinse run time value whenever said dishwasher begins to spray rinse water, and periodically increment said rinse run time value so long as said dishwasher continues to spray rinse water such that said rinse run time value is indicative of how long said dishwasher has been spraying rinse water;

each time said dishwasher begins to spray rinse water, run said detergent dispenser a length of time corresponding to said first detergent run time parameter; and

detect when said rinse run time value exceeds a threshold value, and then run said detergent dispenser so as to dispense additional detergent into said dishwasher;

wherein said threshold value is set so that said rinse run time value exceeds said threshold value only when said wash water tank is being refilled;

whereby said wash water tank is automatically recharged with detergent whenever said wash water tank is refilled.

12. The liquid chemical dispenser of claim 11, wherein said data processor is further programmed to:

establish a second detergent run time parameter; and

after detecting when said rinse run time value exceeds said threshold value, run said detergent dispenser a length of time corresponding to said second detergent run time parameter.

13. The liquid chemical dispenser of claim 11, wherein said controller is coupled to said dishwasher so that said controller is powered on only when said dishwasher is spraying rinse water.