WO2020008011A1

WO2020008011A1 - Glassware handling apparatus

Info

Publication number: WO2020008011A1
Application number: PCT/EP2019/068048
Authority: WO
Inventors: Andrew David NEWBOLD; Mehmet Oktay Kaya
Original assignee: Elior Group
Priority date: 2018-07-06
Filing date: 2019-07-04
Publication date: 2020-01-09
Also published as: GB201811118D0; GB2575313A

Abstract

A ware handling apparatus for transferring wares to a conveyor and for conveying the transferred wares through an area of a warewasher is disclosed. The apparatus comprises: a ware receiving stage for receiving a ware at a ware transfer location; and a conveyor comprising a plurality of ware transfer elements arranged for engaging, in operation as the conveyor moves, with a ware to be transferred that is located at the ware transfer location and for transferring that ware to the conveyor for subsequent conveying through the area of the warewasher. The plurality of ware transfer elements comprise a plurality of rods arranged to move, in operation, with the conveyor. The rods are configured for, in operation, entering a cavity in the ware to be transferred, to engage with an internal surface of that ware, to transfer that ware from the ware receiving stage to the conveyor.

Description

Glassware Handling Apparatus

The present invention relates to handling glassware in a warewasher and has particular, although not exclusive, relevance for use as an apparatus for transferring glassware to a dedicated transport lane in a warewasher.

In large kitchens such as those found in hotels or hospitals there is a need to rapidly clean very large quantities of dining ware. In these high-volume environments, it is prohibitively time consuming to wash the objects (wares) by hand, and so the process is typically automated using a warewasher system.

Warewasher systems process large numbers of wares, such as crockery or glassware, to clean the wares of debris such as food waste. Due to the variety in shape, size and material of the wares that enter a warewasher, such systems often comprise several separate washing areas, each optimised for washing a different class of ware. Therefore, the wares that enter the machine are often separated into different types, so that a particular type of ware can be routed to the corresponding washing area. For example, crockery may be separated from glassware and other objects, and transported to an area of the machine optimised for washing crockery. In low-capacity warewasher systems, objects may be manually separated by the user when placing the objects into the machine. High capacity warewasher systems on the other hand are highly complex machines able to process hundreds to thousands of objects per hour, and may separate the objects automatically.

When glassware passes through a wash cycle along with other types of wares that are inserted into the warewasher, there is a tendency for the glassware to become contaminated by grease transferred from the other items, reducing the quality of the wash. Therefore, it is desirable that the glassware that enters a washing stage is separated from other types of wares, to improve the quality and efficiency of the cleaning processes. However, whilst automatic loading and ware separating systems are often effective at handling relatively robust items, such as dining trays or crockery, there can be a relatively high risk of breakages when such systems are used to handle fragile wares such as glassware. As a result, a human operator is often used to load the glassware into the warewasher, even when the system is generally highly automated in other areas of the machine. For example, the human operator may load the glassware into racks, which are then inserted manually into the warewasher. However, human operators are prone to becoming overloaded during peak periods when the number of wares entering the warewasher system is very high.

The present invention seeks to provide ware handling apparatus and a method of transferring wares to a conveyor for addressing or at least partially ameliorating one or more of the above issues.

In a first aspect the invention provides ware handling apparatus for transferring wares to a conveyor, and for conveying the transferred wares through an area of a warewasher, the apparatus comprising: a ware receiving stage for receiving a ware at a ware transfer location; a conveyor comprising a plurality of ware transfer elements arranged for engaging, in operation as the conveyor moves, with a ware to be transferred that is located at the ware transfer location and for transferring that ware to the conveyor for subsequent conveying through the area of the warewasher; wherein the plurality of ware transfer elements comprise a plurality of rods arranged to move, in operation, with the conveyor; and wherein the rods are configured for, in operation, entering a cavity in the ware to be transferred, to engage with an internal surface of that ware, to transfer that ware from the ware receiving stage to the conveyor.

The ware receiving stage may comprise a ware supporting surface for supporting the ware to be transferred at the ware transfer location, wherein the ware supporting surface comprises an aperture arranged to at least partially align, during operation, with an opening in the cavity in the ware to be transferred, and for allowing passage of at least one of said rods through the aperture into the opening in the ware to be transferred for subsequent transfer of that ware from the ware supporting surface to the conveyor.

The ware receiving stage may be configured for receiving wares at the ware transfer location in single file.

The ware receiving stage may comprise a ware loading stage and a ware guide for guiding received wares as they are conveyed from the ware loading stage to the ware transfer location.

The ware guide may be configured to guide wares received at the ware loading stage into a substantially single file as the wares are conveyed towards the ware transfer location. The ware guide may comprise a pair of ware guiding elements forming a funnel for guiding the wares received at the ware loading stage into the substantially single file through a ware outlet, the ware guiding elements being arranged asymmetrically relative to the outlet.

The ware guide may be provided with a ware retainer for retaining wares in the ware transfer location, the retaining means comprising at least one movable element for moving between a first configuration for inhibiting the transfer of wares from the ware transfer location, and a second configuration for releasing the wares for transfer from the ware transfer location.

The at least one movable element of the ware retainer may be configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a position of at least one of the rods.

The ware guide may be provided with a ware movement restrictor comprising at least one movable element for moving between a first configuration for restricting the transfer of wares into the ware transfer location, and a second configuration for releasing the wares for transport into the ware transfer location.

The at least one movable element of the ware movement restrictor may be configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on whether another ware is in the ware transfer location.

The at least one movable element of the ware movement restrictor may be configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a position of at least one of the rods.

The rods may have a length that is configured to be no greater than a corresponding dimension of the cavity of the ware to be transferred.

The conveyor may have a conveyor surface arranged to support the transferred wares, and the conveyor surface may comprise at least one aperture configured for fluid flow for, in operation, cleaning wares being conveyed by the conveyor on the rods.

An end of the rods may have a shape configured for: entering a cavity in the ware to be transferred when that ware is positioned in an optimum area of the ware transfer location for ware transfer; and for pushing the ware to be transferred in a direction away from the conveyor when that ware is positioned in a sub-optimal area of the ware transfer location.

The conveyor may comprise a single row of rods.

The apparatus may be configured for transferring and conveying wares comprising items of glassware (e.g. drinking glasses).

In a second aspect the invention provides a method of transferring wares to a conveyor, the method comprising: receiving a ware at a ware transfer location of apparatus according to the first aspect; and operating the conveyor of said apparatus to cause the rods of said apparatus to enter a cavity in a ware to be transferred that is located in the ware transfer location, to engage with an internal surface of that ware, and to transfer that ware from the ware receiving stage to the conveyor.

Each feature disclosed in this specification (which term includes the claims) and/or shown in the drawings may be incorporated in the invention independently (or in combination with) any other disclosed and/or illustrated features. In particular but without limitation the features of any of the claims dependent from a particular independent claim may be introduced into that independent claim in any combination or individually.

Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the attached figures in which:

Figure 1 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an area of a warewasher system;

Figure 2 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary glassware loading stage;

Figure 3 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the glassware loading stage; and

Figure 4 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary glassware transfer stage.

Detailed Description

Figure 1 shows, for illustrative purposes, a simplified schematic diagram of an area of a warewasher system 100. The system comprises a first conveyor 1 for transporting items of glassware 3, and a second conveyor 2 for transporting other wares such as crockery 4. In the example shown in Figure 1 , the first 1 and second 2 conveyors are arranged to transport wares into a washing stage 20 of a warewasher, in the direction indicated by arrow A1.

Figure 2 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an exemplary glassware loading stage 40. The glassware loading stage 40 comprises a receiving conveyor 5, a pair of ware guiding parts 6 and a ware supporting part 8.

In this example, glassware 3 is transferred to the surface of the receiving conveyor 5 at an earlier stage of the warewasher system 100. For example, the glassware may be loaded onto the surface of the receiving conveyor 5 at the entrance to the warewasher. The glassware 3 is arranged on the surface of the receiving conveyor 5 such that an edge or ‘rim’ of the glassware 3 that defines an opening of the glassware 3 is engaged with the surface of the receiving conveyor 5.

The receiving conveyor 5 transports the glassware 3 on the surface of the receiving conveyor 5 towards the pair of ware guiding parts 6, in the direction indicated by arrow A2.

The pair of ware guiding parts 6 are arranged to engage with glassware 3 transported by the receiving conveyor 5, to funnel the glassware 3 towards a central axis of the receiving conveyor 5. The pair of ware guiding parts 6 are arranged to form an opening between the pair of ware guiding parts 6 that has a width that is comparable to, but larger than, a corresponding largest width of the glassware 3, such that when the glassware 3 passes through the opening, it passes through in single file. The ware supporting part 8 is generally aligned with the opening between the pair of ware guiding parts 6 such that an item of glassware 3 that passes through the opening is transferred onto the upper surface of the ware supporting part 8.

Thus, in operation, the receiving conveyor 5 transports glassware 3 towards the pair of ware guiding parts 6, and the ware guiding parts 6 funnel the glassware 3 towards the opening between the pair of ware guiding parts 6. The glassware 3 passes through the opening in single file, and is transferred onto the upper surface of the ware supporting part 8. An item of glassware 3 on the surface of the ware supporting part 8 is propelled, in the direction indicated by arrow A1 , as a result of engagement with a neighbouring item of glassware 3, as other items of glassware are transferred from the receiving conveyor 5 to the ware supporting part 8. In other words, an item of glassware 3 that passes through the opening between the pair of ware guiding parts 6 engages with another item of glassware on the ware supporting part 8, and the items of glassware 3 on the ware supporting part 8 are pushed towards the glassware transfer stage 30.

Figure 3 shows a simplified schematic diagram of an alternative configuration of the glassware loading stage 40 in which the ware guiding parts 6 are arranged asymmetrically with respect to a central axis of the receiving conveyor 5. Beneficially, the asymmetric arrangement of the ware guiding parts 6 helps prevent bridging of the glassware 3 across the gap between the ware guiding parts 6. In other words, the asymmetric arrangement helps prevent the glassware 3 from forming an arch between the ware guiding parts 6, causing a blockage and preventing or inhibiting the transfer of the glassware 3 onto the ware supporting part 8.

Figure 4 shows the glassware transfer stage 30, the ware supporting part 8 and the first conveyor 1 in more detail.

The ware supporting part 8, in this example, comprises a pair of generally parallel ware supporting elements arranged to support items of glassware 3 on the upper surface of the ware supporting elements, and defining an opening between the pair of ware supporting elements. The ware supporting part 8 may comprise at least one guide rail (not shown in the figure) along a longitudinal edge of the ware supporting elements, to maintain the glassware 3 on the upper surface of the ware supporting part 8.

The first conveyor part 1 comprises a plurality of rods 9 extending perpendicularly from a conveyor surface 12 of the first conveyor 1. The rods 9 have a diameter that is smaller than a corresponding diameter of an opening of the items of glassware 3.

The opening in the glassware 3 that is defined by the rim of the glassware 3 engaged with the ware supporting part 8 is arranged such that the opening of the glassware 3 at least partially overlaps with the opening between the pair of ware supporting elements.

In operation, as the first conveyor 1 moves, the rods 9 move with the surface 12 of the conveyor 1 to engage with and pull corresponding items of glassware 3 from the ware supporting part 8 towards the warewasher washing stage 20. Specifically, each rod 9 of the first conveyor 1 will, as it approaches the ware supporting part 8 from an underside of the conveyor 1 and subsequently rotates around a conveyor end, pass through the opening between the ware supporting elements, into an opening of a respective item of the glassware 3. The rod 9 will then move into the cavity in that item of glassware 3 and will engage with and apply a force to an internal surface of the glassware 3. The engagement of the rod 9 with the internal surface of the glassware 3 thus drives the glassware 3 in the direction indicated by arrow A1 towards the washing stage 20. The glassware 3 is thus transferred from the ware supporting part 8 to the first conveyor 1.

The item of glassware 3 is then transported by the first conveyor 1 in the direction indicated by arrow A1.

The rod 9 of the first conveyor 1 may be shorter than the corresponding length of the cavity of the glassware 3, such that the glassware 3 is engaged with, and supported by, the conveyor surface 12 after the glassware 3 has been transferred to the first conveyor 1. In this arrangement apertures may be provided in the conveyor surface to facilitate the passage of cleaning fluids into the glassware.

Alternatively, the rod 9 of the first conveyor 1 may be longer than a corresponding length of the cavity of the glassware 3, such that the glassware 3 is supported by the rod 9 above the conveyor surface 12, and is carried by the rod 9 in the direction indicated by arrow A1. This configuration allows cleaning fluid jets to enter the glassware 3 relatively easily via the space between the conveyor surface and the rim of the glassware 3. In this configuration, the shape of the end of the rods may be configured to provide additional stability and thus minimise undesirable movement induced wobbling of the glassware.

Beneficially, one or more retractable ware-engaging paddles or moveable friction plates (not shown in the figure) may be provided to prevent or inhibit an item of glassware 3 from being pushed past the end of the ware supporting part 8 by the other items of glassware 3, before a rod 9 of the first conveyor 1 is inserted into the cavity of the item of glassware 3. However, it will be appreciated that depending on the dimensions of the ware supporting part 8 and the first conveyor 1 , and the rate of glassware 3 entering the machine, the set of paddles or friction plates need not necessarily be provided.

Moreover, a double gated arrangement may be provided in which a set of gates define a glass pickup area (e.g. of dimensions suitable for a single glass) between a first‘upstream’ gate and a second‘downstream’ gate. The a first‘upstream’ gate (which may comprise one or more retractable paddles) may be opened to allow a glass into the glass pickup area, and closed to prevent or inhibit other glasses from entering the glass pickup area and pushing against a glass that is already present in the glass pickup area. The downstream gate (which may comprise one or more retractable paddles) may be closed, to prevent or inhibit glasses that enter the glass pickup area from being pushed too far off the end of the ware supporting part 8, and opened, as a rod moves into and through the glass pickup area, to allow a glass to be moved onto the first conveyor 1.

Thus, if there are relatively few glasses entering the glassware transfer stage 30 and the demand is therefore insufficient to push a glass into the correct location, before the rod moves into position, the upstream gates closes thus preventing the glass from being knocked over or damaged by the rod due to rod-glass misalignment. Contrastingly, if there are a relatively high number of glasses entering the glassware transfer stage 30 the downstream gate prevents a glass being pushed too far by other glasses before the upstream gate closes.

Beneficially, the rods 9 of the first conveyor 1 may be shaped (e.g. having a curved, domed, or‘mushroom shaped’ end portion) such that when an item of glassware 3 on the surface of the supporting part 8 is not in a suitable position for the insertion of a rod 9 into the cavity of the glassware 3, the rod pushes the glassware 3 away from the first conveyor 1 (for example, by engaging with the rim or outer surface of the glassware 3) with movement of the first conveyor 1 , and the glassware 3 is not transferred to the first conveyor 1 by that rod 9. Thus, the provision of shaped rods 9 may beneficially reduce the risk of glassware 3 being knocked over by the rods 9, when the glassware 3 is not in a suitable position for transfer to the first conveyor 1.

It will be appreciated that the engagement of an item of glassware 3 on the ware supporting part 8 with a neighbouring item of glassware 3, and with the guide rails (if provided) of the ware supporting part 8, beneficially reduces the risk that the glassware 3 is knocked over as a rod 9 is inserted into the cavity of the glassware 3.

Beneficially, the arrangement of the rod 9 inside a cavity of the glassware 3 reduces the risk of the glassware 3 from becoming disengaged with the first conveyor 1 , and falling from the first conveyor 1 , even when the glassware 3 is washed using relatively high pressure water jets, or the like. Therefore, the efficiency of the cleaning process can be improved, and the risk of breakages is minimised.

In summary, therefore, a system 100 and apparatus is provided for handling glassware 3 in a warewasher. Beneficially, the system 100 is able to process relatively fragile vessels such as glassware 3, to load the glassware 3 onto a dedicated transport lane for subsequent transport through the warewasher system. The provision of a separate transport lane allows the glassware 3 to be processed in a specialised washing stage. The arrangement of a rod 9 inside a cavity of the glassware 3 beneficially reduces the risk of the glassware 3 disengaging with the first conveyor 1 and falling from the conveyor, and enables the use of relatively high pressure water jets to clean the glassware 3. Therefore, the efficiency of the cleaning process can be improved, and the risk of breakages is minimised.

Modifications and alternatives

An exemplary system and apparatus for handling glassware 3 in warewasher has been described above in detail. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, a number of modifications and alternatives can be applied in the above examples and variations whilst still benefiting from the inventions embodied therein.

Although in the above examples the supporting part 8 has been described as a static supporting surface, the supporting part 8 could alternatively comprise a conveyor, or any other suitable means, for transporting the glassware 3 towards the glassware transfer stage 30.

Although in the above examples the system 100 has been described as comprising the glassware loading stage 40 and the ware guiding parts 6, it will be appreciated that the glassware loading stage 40 and the ware guiding parts 6 need not necessarily be provided. For example, the glassware 3 may be loaded directly onto the supporting part 8.

Various other modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art and will not be described in further detail here.

Claims

1. Ware handling apparatus for transferring wares to a conveyor, and for conveying the transferred wares through an area of a warewasher, the apparatus comprising: a ware receiving stage for receiving a ware at a ware transfer location; a conveyor comprising a plurality of ware transfer elements arranged for engaging, in operation as the conveyor moves, with a ware to be transferred that is located at the ware transfer location and for transferring that ware to the conveyor for subsequent conveying through the area of the warewasher; wherein the plurality of ware transfer elements comprise a plurality of rods arranged to move, in operation, with the conveyor; and wherein the rods are configured for, in operation, entering a cavity in the ware to be transferred, to engage with an internal surface of that ware, to transfer that ware from the ware receiving stage to the conveyor.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the ware receiving stage comprises a ware supporting surface for supporting the ware to be transferred at the ware transfer location, wherein the ware supporting surface comprises an aperture arranged to at least partially align, during operation, with an opening in the cavity in the ware to be transferred, and for allowing passage of at least one of said rods through the aperture into the opening in the ware to be transferred for subsequent transfer of that ware from the ware supporting surface to the conveyor.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ware receiving stage is configured for receiving wares at the ware transfer location in single file.

4. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the ware receiving stage comprises a ware loading stage and a ware guide for guiding received wares as they are conveyed from the ware loading stage to the ware transfer location.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the ware guide is configured to guide wares received at the ware loading stage into a substantially single file as the wares are conveyed towards the ware transfer location.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the ware guide comprises a pair of ware guiding elements forming a funnel for guiding the wares received at the ware loading stage into the substantially single file through a ware outlet, the ware guiding elements being arranged asymmetrically relative to the outlet.

7. The apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 6 wherein the ware guide is provided with a ware retainer for retaining wares in the ware transfer location, the retaining means comprising at least one movable element for moving between a first configuration for inhibiting the transfer of wares from the ware transfer location, and a second configuration for releasing the wares for transfer from the ware transfer location.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 wherein the at least one movable element of the ware retainer is configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a position of at least one of the rods.

9. The apparatus according to any of claims 4 to 8, wherein the ware guide is provided with a ware movement restrictor comprising at least one movable element for moving between a first configuration for restricting the transfer of wares into the ware transfer location, and a second configuration for releasing the wares for transport into the ware transfer location.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 wherein the at least one movable element of the ware movement restrictor is configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on whether another ware is in the ware transfer location.

1 1. The apparatus according to claim 9 or 10 wherein the at least one movable element of the ware movement restrictor is configured to move between the first configuration and the second configuration based on a position of at least one of the rods.

12. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the rods have a length that is configured to be no greater than a corresponding dimension of the cavity of the ware to be transferred.

13. The apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein the conveyor has a conveyor surface arranged to support the transferred wares, and the conveyor surface comprises at least one aperture configured for fluid flow for, in operation, cleaning wares being conveyed by the conveyor on the rods.

14. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein an end of the rods has a shape configured for: entering a cavity in the ware to be transferred when that ware is positioned in an optimum area of the ware transfer location for ware transfer; and for pushing the ware to be transferred in a direction away from the conveyor when that ware is positioned in a sub-optimal area of the ware transfer location.

15. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the conveyor comprises a single row of rods.

16. The apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the apparatus is configured for transferring and conveying wares comprising items of glassware (e.g. drinking glasses).

17. A method of transferring wares to a conveyor, the method comprising: receiving a ware at a ware transfer location of apparatus according to any preceding claim; and operating the conveyor of said apparatus to cause the rods of said apparatus to enter a cavity in a ware to be transferred that is located in the ware transfer location, to engage with an internal surface of that ware, and to transfer that ware from the ware receiving stage to the conveyor.