EP2170555B1 - Cleaning machine - Google Patents

Abstract

The machine (MA) has a moving belt (BA) mounted in a tank (VE), supported by a driving roller (RM), a follower (RS) and two lower rollers (RB1, RB2), and centered with respect to lateral flanges. The belt supports a load of abrasive deformable elements (CA) and a load of burnishing rigid balls (CB). The tools are provided for being immersed in water (WA). An independent claim is also included for a cleaning method by utilizing a cleaning machine.

Description

The invention relates to a cleaning machine according to the preamble of claim 1. The document WO 98/15383 A1 presents such a machine .

This machine can rub and brown metallic instruments such as cutlery, dishes, surgical instruments or, more generally, all kinds of instruments. It finds application in hospitals, restaurants, hotels, beaters.

The document FR 2 682 630 presents a machine which comprises a tank in which is mounted a stirring member. The latter essentially comprises a moving band which is mounted on transverse rollers. The band moves under the action of a motor roller rotated by a drive member. It has a honeycomb structure allowing the passage of water and small waste. The strip forms a pocket for containing, on the one hand, a plurality of instruments to be treated, and on the other hand a load of cleaning utensils. It is bordered laterally by two vertical flat cheeks integral with the tank. It is partially immersed in a cleaning liquid, essentially water. This liquid passes freely through the intervals between the cheeks and the band on the one hand, through the cells of the band on the other hand.

In addition, the machine has transverse deflectors arranged vis-à-vis the upper rollers on which the band bears. These baffles are used to block the utensils in their upward movement along the band in its direction of travel. The rougher the band is, the faster it goes.

According to a first use of this machine, utensils of a first type are loaded on the band. The machine then makes it possible to perform a rubbing operation. The principle is to scrub instruments with these tools to remove the rubbish that adheres to it, avoiding scratching the instruments. In addition, the action of the utensils must be sufficiently energetic to thoroughly clean the micro-cavities on the surface of these instruments. The waste is then discharged through a drain hole located at the bottom of the tank. The rubbing operation is currently relatively difficult to control both in terms of its duration and in terms of the choice of the hardness of the utensils.

According to a second use of this machine, the load of utensils of the first type is removed to be replaced by a load of utensils of a second type. The machine now allows a browning operation. The principle here is to harden the surface of the instruments to be treated with utensils such as beads formed from one or different materials. The improvement of the surface condition is achieved without removal of material. These balls, usually steel, roll permanently on the band. The instruments are immersed in the mass of moving balls that smooth their surface by crushing the asperities that appear. Instead of attacking the metal as is the case during manual cleaning, a burnishing operation presses the surface metal layer to restore the instrument to its original state. The lifespan of the instruments thus treated is considerably increased. Indeed, a hard surface is more resistant to wear and oxidation, which has a certain advantage in the case of silverware. The browning operation is often performed in the presence of pure cold water or soap and lasts a few minutes.

It is recalled that burnishing is used in the field of mechanics to treat engine pistons. The burnishing must be sufficient to flatten the roughness on the surface of these pistons. However, the dishes thus obtained constitute sliding pads avoiding seizures when the engine is put into service. It is necessary that the burnishing is limited in order to avoid a total suppression of the ridges or cavities to be able to be loaded with lubricating oil.

Such a machine has a number of limitations.

Firstly, everything happens as if the rubbing and burnishing were done in two separate machines because a complete emptying is essential between these two operations. It is indeed necessary to recover all the utensils of a given type in order to replace them with utensils of the other type. This manipulation is long, tedious and difficult, especially since the opening of the tank is at its top.

Second, scrubbing is not mastered satisfactorily.

Thirdly, the waste removed from the instruments to be treated during rubbing may have dimensions greater than those of the cells of the moving band. It is therefore not possible to evacuate them in full.

The present invention thus aims to facilitate the rubbing and browning of all kinds of instruments.

According to the invention, a cleaning machine comprises a tank in which is mounted a stirring member, this member carrying a load of a first type of utensils: in addition, this body also supports a load of a second type of utensils.

This mixture of utensils no longer requires the succession of two separate operations of rubbing and burnishing each implementing his own type of utensil. It is no longer necessary to drain the machine.

According to the invention, the utensils of the first type are each presented as a deformable block.

It follows that the rubbing performance is increased because the utensils of the first type are embedded in utensils of the second type that force them on the instruments to be treated.

In addition, these blocks each comprise at least one edge.

In addition, at least one section of this edge is notched.

Preferably, at least part of the surface of these blocks is abrasive.

According to a first option, the blocks each have a core of carded nylon fiber coated with resin.

According to a second option, the blocks each have a polyester support coated with expanded polyvinyl chloride.

Optionally, the blocks are each provided with a ballast.

This ballast further increases the rubbing performance.

According to the invention, the utensil loads being provided for bathing in a washing liquid, the density of these blocks is lower than that of the liquid.

According to the invention, the utensils of the second type are each in the form of a rigid piece of rounded shape.

For example, this piece is a ball that has a diameter less than 50 mm.

In addition, this piece is made of stainless steel.

According to the invention, the charges being provided for bathing in a washing liquid, the density of these parts is greater than that of this liquid.

These balls ensure the grinding of the waste removed from the instruments during rubbing. Thus, all the waste has dimensions smaller than those of the cells of the moving band, so that they can be evacuated without difficulty.

According to a first embodiment, the stirring member is a rotary drum.

According to a second embodiment, the stirring member is constituted by a moving strip mounted on transverse rollers and bordered by two vertical flanges.

A fourth limitation of the machines of the interior art should be emphasized. The deflectors are all the less effective as the utensils are light. Indeed, if light tools reach near the baffles, they increase the wear and the risk of jamming of the band.

According to an additional feature of the invention, a transverse deflector being arranged vis-à-vis one of the rollers, it is provided with water emission nozzles directed downwards to oppose the upward movement of utensils.

In addition, these nozzles are orientable.

This deflector effectively opposes the rise of the blocks along the moving band when they are collected on the surface of the water and the water level is high. By removing any friction on the band and baffle, it eliminates the subsequent wear and the risk of blockage of the band.

It should also be emphasized a fifth limitation of the machines of the prior art. Improper centering of the band with respect to the side cheeks results in premature wear on one side of the band and excessive play on the other side of the band.

According to another important characteristic of the invention, the cheeks are provided with a device for catching clearance with respect to the moving band.

Advantageously, the play catch device consists of several centering feet interposed between the bowl and each of the cheeks.

For example, these feet comprise a return means working in compression.

Centering the resulting band relative to the cheeks avoids premature wear on one side of the band, and excessive play on the other side of the band.

The invention also relates to a method of cleaning by means of a machine as described above, this machine containing a washing liquid; this method comprises a first cleaning phase during which the liquid level is less than or equal to the content of the stirring member.

This makes it possible to obtain a mixture of blocks and pieces. The blocks are pressed against the instruments by the heavier parts, and can realize the rubbing.

This method preferably comprises a second cleaning phase during which the level of the liquid is greater than the level of the content of the stirring member.

This allows the blocks to be raised above the pieces. The instruments to be cleaned are then browned.

The scrubbing and burnishing requiring two phases each implementing a given type of utensil, the selection operation of the required type is done by adjusting the level of the liquid.

• la figure 1 représente en coupe longitudinale une machine de nettoyage en phase de frottage,
• la figure 2 représente en coupe longitudinale une machine de nettoyage en phase de brunissage, et
• la figure 3 représente en coupe transversale perpendiculaire aux précédentes une machine de nettoyage munie d'un dispositif de rattrapage de jeu automatique.

The present invention will now appear in greater detail in connection with the following description of exemplary embodiments given by way of illustration with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

• the figure 1 represents in longitudinal section a scrubbing cleaning machine,
• the figure 2 represents in longitudinal section a cleaning machine in the browning phase, and
• the figure 3 represents in cross section perpendicular to the preceding a cleaning machine provided with a device for automatic play catch.

The elements present in several figures are assigned a single reference.

With reference to the figure 1 a cleaning machine MA comprises a tank VE with a lid PV. The tank is mounted on several feet including two FT1, FT2 appear in the figure and it is provided with an OV drain hole whose valve is not shown. In order not to weigh down the design, neither the water supply, nor the electrical connectors nor the surveillance windows are represented.

The machine contains a moving band BA resting on four transverse horizontal rollers, a motor roll RM, a follower roller RS, a first low roller RB1, and a second low roller RB2. The upper section BS of this band is free to deform under the weight of the load that it supports between the motor roller RM motor axis AM and follower roller RS follower axis AS. The RM motor roller is higher than the follower roller. The upper section BS thus forms a pocket. The lower section Bl of the band BA is in contact with the two low rollers RB1, RB2 of respective axes AB1, AB2. The axes of the rolls AM, AS, AB1, AB2 are all horizontal and that of the motor roll RM is driven by an element OE drive such as an electric motor. The BA band then moves in the direction indicated by an arrow.

A load of utensils of a first type, CA scrubbing utensils in this case, and a load of utensils of a second type, BC burnishing utensils in this case, are introduced into the tank VE.

The utensils CA, CB and two instruments to be treated OB1, OB2 are loaded in bulk on the moving band BA. The level of the load is indicated by a horizontal line with small dashes CS. WA water is introduced into the tank VE.

The two sections BS, BI of the band BA are partially immersed in this WA water. The water level is indicated by a horizontal line with large dashes WS1, located below the level of the load CS.

The band BA is bordered by two vertical side cheeks parallel to the plane of the figure. The outline of one of these FL2 cheeks appears on the figure 1 . This cheek is connected to the wall of the tank VE by flexible shims CL1, CL2, CL3, CL4.

When the motor roller RM drives the moving web BA, CA scrubbing utensils, browning tools CB and the instruments to be treated OB1, OB2 are stirred and mixed. In a first phase of cleaning, in this case a rubbing phase, the water level is lower than the level of the instruments. CA scrubbing tools do not tend to float. They are squeezed and jammed by CB browning tools in contact with instruments OB1, OB2. Their protruding shapes make it possible to perform an effective scrubbing action and consequently to promote an extraction of all the waste present in the cavities of the instruments to be treated OB1, OB2.

According to a first option, the CA scrubbing utensils are obtained from a resin-coated carded nylon fiber on which abrasive grains have been sprayed.

According to a second option, CA scrubbing utensils are obtained from polyvinyl chloride expanded on a polyester support.

Nothing prevents the use of other species of CA scrubbing utensils such as abrasive porous grains, crushed cores, etc.

It is also possible to ballast these CA scrubbing tools to bring their density to the desired value.

The rubbing utensils are generally polyhedra, that is, they have a polygonal section.

In addition, when CA rubbing utensils are provided with notched edges, this allows them to reach the bottom of the cavities present on the OB1, OB2 instruments to be cleaned.

With reference to the figure 2 in a second cleaning phase, browning phase, WA water is added to the MA machine.

The water level is now indicated by a line with large WS2 dashes. The level of the load is indicated by the horizontal line with small dashes CS.

In this case, the WS2 water level clearly exceeds that of the CS load. CA scrubbing tools have a lower density than WA water, they float on the surface. The only remaining instruments are OB1, OB2 and CB burnishing tools which have a higher density than WA.

When the roller RM drives the moving web BA, burnishing equipment CB are alone in contact with the instruments OB1, OB2 to be cleaned. Their rounded shape and higher density than water facilitate an effective browning action.

CB browning tools are here rigid pieces of rounded shape. According to a preferred embodiment, these utensils are balls, for example stainless steel. These beads advantageously have a diameter of less than 50 mm.

CB browning tools also have the role of grinding the waste produced during the rubbing phase. Once this waste is made smaller, they can pass through the cells of the mobile band BA and then cross the OV outlet of the tank VE when WA water is drained.

The invention also makes it possible to solve a problem that arises when the BA band is in motion: the utensils CA, CB as well as the instruments OB1, OB2 have a tendency to go up along the band that drives them.

AC scrubbers that are lighter than water progress more than CB burnishing tools that are heavier than water. They come close to the deflector DF arranged transversely above the band BA in the area where it comes into contact with the motor roller RM.

To prevent CA rubbing utensils from getting caught between the deflector DF and the moving web BA, it is provided with nozzles OR1, OR2, OR3. These nozzles emit jets of water JT1, JT2, JT3 tangential to the mobile band BA directed downwards. These jets of water are opposed to the upward movement of CA rubbing utensils. The nozzles OR1, OR2, OR3 are advantageously arranged on a ramp.

According to one variant, these water jets are orientable. The pressure of the water jets can also be modulated and adapted to the density of utensils CA, CB.

The invention also makes it possible to solve the problem of playing catch between the cheeks FL1, FL2 and the mobile band BA.

Thus, the cheeks are mounted on flexible shims CL1, CL2, CL3, CL4 connected to the walls of the tank VE, and are further provided with a play catch device D1 shown in FIG. figure 3 .

This device connects each cheek FL1, FL2 to the VE tank by three centering feet PC11-PC12-PC13, PC21-PC22-PC23. These feet each consist of a tube TB11-TB12-TB13, TB21-TB22-TB23 integral with the cheek FL1, FL2 and containing a spring SP11-SP12-SP13, SP21-SP22-SP23 working in compression.

This arrangement makes it possible to maintain a constant pressure between the band BA and the lateral cheeks FL1, FL2. It avoids wear too fast on one side of the band, wear that could lead to large garbage and small curing utensils to pass between the other side of the band and the cheek facing it. No more utensils are lost and the life of the band is prolonged. In addition, the maintenance of the machine is simplified.

The embodiment described so far relates to a mobile band machine. The skilled person easily replaces this band with another brewing member. One thinks in particular of a rotating drum or a vibrating tray. It is then not necessary to use the deflectors or the play catch device.

In addition, nothing prevents more than two types of utensils.

The embodiments of the invention presented above have been chosen in view of their concrete nature. It would not be possible, however, to exhaustively list all the embodiments covered by this invention.

Claims (19)

1. A cleaning machine (MA) comprising a vessel (VE) having a stirring member (DA) mounted therein, the member carrying a load of utensils of a first type and a load of utensils of a second type, said loads being designed to be immersed in a washing liquid (WA), the machine being characterized in that:

   each of the utensils of the first type is in the form of a deformable block (CA), the density of which is less than the density of a washing liquid (WA); and

   . each of the utensils of the second type is in the form of a rigid part (CB) of rounded shape, the density of which is greater than the density of the washing liquid (WA).
2. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that said block (CA) includes at least one edge.
3. A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that at least one section of said edge is notched.
4. A machine according to any one ot claims 1 to 3, characterized in that at least a portion of the surface of said block (CA) is abrasive.
5. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said block (CA) presents a core of carded nylon fiber coated in resin.
6. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that said block (CA) presents a polyester support coated in expanded polyvinyl chloride.
7. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that said block (CA) is weighted.
8. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said part (CB) is a bead.
9. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said part (CB) is made of stainless steel.
10. A machine according to claim 8, characterized in that said bead has a diameter of less than 50 mm.
11. A machine according to any preceding claim, characterized in that said stirring member (BA) is a rotary drum.
12. A machine according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said stirring member (BA) is constituted by a moving band mounted on transverse rollers (RM, RS) and bordered by two vertical cheek plates (FL1, FL2).
13. A machine according to claim 12, characterized in that a transverse deflector (DF) is disposed in register with one of said rollers (RM, RS), said deflector (DF) being provided with downwardly-directed nozzles (OR1, OR2, OR3) to oppose upward movement of said utensils (CA, CB).
14. A machine according to claim 13, characterized in that said nozzles (OR1, OR2, OR3) are steerable.
15. A machine according to any one of claims 12 to 14, characterized in that said cheek plates (FL1, FL2) are provided with a device (DI) for taking up clearance relative to the moving band (BA).
16. A machine according to claim 15, characterized in that said clearance take-up device (DI) is constituted by a plurality of centering pegs (PC11-PC12-PC13, PC21-PC22-PC23) interposed between said vessel (VE) and each of said cheek plates (FL1, FL2).
17. A machine according to claim 16, characterized in that said centering pegs (PC11-PC12-PC13, PC21-PC22-PC23) include return means (SP11-SP12-SP13, SP21-SP22-SP23) working in compression.
18. A method of cleaning by means of a machine according to any preceding claim, the machine containing a washing liquid, the method being characterized in that it includes a first cleaning stage during which the level of said liquid (WA) is lower than or equal to the level of the content of said stirring member (BA).
19. A method according to the preceding claim, characterized in that it includes a second cleaning stage during which the level of said liquid (WA) is higher than the level of the content of said stirring member (BA).

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