Fruit bin cleaning method and apparatus
First Claim
1. An apparatus for washing fruit bins, the apparatus comprising:
- a) a first means to simultaneously rinses the 4 inside walls, the top and a first pair of opposing exterior sides of an inverted stationary bin, the inverted bin having the open side facing downward, the top being opposite the open side that faces downward, the bin having a second pair of opposing exterior sides disposed orthogonally to the first pair thereof and;
b) a second means to rinse the second pair of opposing exterior sides as the bin is transported in and out of the stationary position used to wash the inside and top.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated process for cleaning fruit bins, and particularly grape bins, deploys a conveyer system in which bins are simultaneously rinsed on the inside and outside in an inverted position. Two rinse cycles are rapidly completed with the conveyance of the inverted bins through a wash station. The wash station deploys a pivoting V-shaped spray rod inside the bin, below the conveyor track, while the outside is rinsed by a second surrounding inverted V-shaped spray bar that moves transverse to conveyor direction will the bin is stationary inside the wash station. A pivoting L-shaped arm with an integrated conveyor track move the bins on or off the central conveyor, while flipping them 90 degrees. Two such conveyors return the bins to an upright position for use and stacking. The water from a first rinse is optionally screened and treated before its use to rinse subsequent bins.
5 Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for washing fruit bins, the apparatus comprising:
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a) a first means to simultaneously rinses the 4 inside walls, the top and a first pair of opposing exterior sides of an inverted stationary bin, the inverted bin having the open side facing downward, the top being opposite the open side that faces downward, the bin having a second pair of opposing exterior sides disposed orthogonally to the first pair thereof and; b) a second means to rinse the second pair of opposing exterior sides as the bin is transported in and out of the stationary position used to wash the inside and top. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A bin washing system comprising:
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a) a conveyor track for transporting inverted bins laterally, b) a wash station surrounding a portion of said conveyor track, the conveyor track configured to deliver bins to the wash station from an inboard side thereof and dispense bins on an outboard side thereof, c) a first pair of upright spray bars disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor track on an inboard side of the wash station, d) a second pair of upright spray bar disposed on opposite sides of the conveyor track on an outboard side of the wash station, e) an overhead spray bar in the wash station configured to move transverse to the conveyor direction, f) an oscillating interior spray bar capable of extending upward from below the conveyor track in the wash station, and a a third pair of upright spray bars that are coupled to move transverse to the conveyor direction in the wash station with the overhead spray bar, each spray bar of the third pair being disposed on opposite sides of the wash station for spraying water toward the center of the wash station when an inverted bin resides therein. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for cleaning fruit bins, which comprises:
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a) a washing station having; i) a means to simultaneously spray water on all of an interior, a top exterior surface and at least two exterior outside surfaces of a stationary inverted fruit bin, ii) a means to collect the water that drains off the stationary fruit bin in the washing station, and iii) a means to filter particulate from the collected water, b) a conveyor means that is operative to; i) receive upright fruit bins and invert the upright fruit bins before conveying them to the washing station, ii) convey inverted fruit bins from the washing station and then invert the bins to an upright position for subsequent removal from the conveyor means. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification