Ware wash machine with fluidic oscillator nozzles

Abstract

A ware wash machine includes one or more fluidic oscillator nozzles (or other variable stream orientation nozzles) used in connection with the dispensing of wash liquid, rinse liquid, sanitizing liquid and/or gaseous fluids onto wares being cleaned and/or dried and/or heated within the machine.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A ware wash machine, comprising: 
 a housing including an area for receiving wares to be washed;    at least one variable stream orientation nozzle positioned within the housing and arranged for outputting a stream of fluid with an instantaneous direction that varies over time relative to a nozzle axis, the stream at least sometimes directed towards the area for contacting wares.    
     
     
         2 . The ware wash machine of  claim 1  wherein the variable stream orientation nozzle is a fluidic oscillator nozzle connected with a source of liquid.  
     
     
         3 . The ware wash machine of  claim 2 , further comprising: 
 at least one liquid manifold located within the housing and acting as the source of liquid and having a plurality of fluidic oscillator nozzles associated therewith, each one of the fluidic oscillator nozzles arranged for outputting an oscillating stream of liquid towards the area for contacting wares.    
     
     
         4 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the at least one liquid manifold comprises at least one rinse arm supplied by a rinse liquid.  
     
     
         5 . The machine of  claim 4  wherein the rinse arm is stationary.  
     
     
         6 . The machine of  claim 5  wherein the rinse arm extends in a direction across a conveying direction of a ware conveyor that extends through the housing, the fluidic oscillator nozzles are located to assure that rinse liquid covers an entire lateral area of the conveyor, and each of the plurality of fluidic oscillator nozzles is oriented to prevent its output oscillating stream from interfering with oscillating streams output by adjacent fluidic oscillator nozzles.  
     
     
         7 . The machine of  claim 5  wherein each of the fluidic oscillator nozzles is oriented to output its oscillating stream such that oscillating movement of ejected liquid occurs at an angle offset from a longitudinal axis of the rinse arm.  
     
     
         8 . The machine of  claim 4  wherein the at least one rinse arm includes a first rinse arm located below a ware conveyor that extends through the housing and a second rinse arm located above the ware conveyor.  
     
     
         9 . The machine of  claim 4  wherein the rinse arm is connected for movement within the housing.  
     
     
         10 . The machine of  claim 4  wherein when the rinse arm is supplied by rinse liquid at 20 psi, rinse liquid is collectively output by the plurality of fluidic oscillators associated with the rinse arm at no more than about 3 gallons/min.  
     
     
         11 . The machine of  claim 10  wherein each of the plurality of fluidic oscillator nozzles outputs rinse liquid at no more than about 0.3 gallons/min.  
     
     
         12 . The machine of  claim 11  wherein each of the plurality of fluidic oscillators outputs rinse liquid with an average drop size at least twenty-five percent greater than that output by a fanjet nozzle having the same flow rate.  
     
     
         13 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the manifold comprises at least one wash arm supplied by a wash liquid.  
     
     
         14 . The machine of  claim 3  wherein the at least one liquid manifold comprises a tubular member with a plurality of openings therein and a multiplicity of the fluidic oscillators are each positioned in a respective one of the openings.  
     
     
         15 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein the tubular member includes at least one substantially flat side and the openings are located in the substantially flat side.  
     
     
         16 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillator nozzles is constructed entirely of plastic.  
     
     
         17 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillator nozzles includes a first portion internal of the tubular member and a second portion extending from the tubular member, each second portion extending no more than about 0.4 inches from the tubular member.  
     
     
         18 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillator nozzles is formed by first and second pieces that are pressed together.  
     
     
         19 . The machine of  claim 18  wherein the first and second pieces are identical to each other.  
     
     
         20 . The machine of  claim 19  wherein the first and second pieces are press-fit together.  
     
     
         21 . The machine of  claim 20  wherein the first and second pieces are further welded together.  
     
     
         22 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillator nozzles includes a portion extending from the tubular member, and such portion includes a removal notch for receiving a tool to facilitate prying the fluidic oscillator nozzle from its opening.  
     
     
         23 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillators is snap-fit into its respective one of the openings.  
     
     
         24 . The machine of  claim 14  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillators is held in its respective one of the openings by a fastener.  
     
     
         25 . The machine of  claim 24  wherein each of the multiplicity of the fluidic oscillator nozzles includes a mounting flange and a gasket is positioned between the mounting flange and tubular member.  
     
     
         26 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a ware rack within the housing to locate the wares in the area.    
     
     
         27 . The machine of  claim 2  wherein each fluidic oscillator nozzle includes at least one nozzle port guard adjacent its output port.  
     
     
         28 . The machine of  claim 27  wherein each fluidic oscillator nozzle includes a raised nozzle head surrounded by a mounting flange, with a plurality of spaced apart support ribs extending from the mounting flange to the raised nozzle head.  
     
     
         29 . The machine of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 at least one of: 
 (i) a ware conveyor extending through the housing for carrying wares through the housing, and  
 (ii) a ware holding rack movable between a position within the housing for cleaning wares and a position exterior from the housing for loading and unloading wares.  
   
     
     
         30 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle is positioned in a stationary arm within the housing.  
     
     
         31 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle is positioned in a moving arm within the housing.  
     
     
         32 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the source of fluid is a source of a liquid.  
     
     
         33 . The machine of  claim 32  wherein the liquid is one of a wash liquid and a rinse liquid.  
     
     
         34 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the source of fluid is a source of a drying gas.  
     
     
         35 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the source of fluid is a steam.  
     
     
         36 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the instantaneous direction of the stream of fluid varies in an oscillatory manner.  
     
     
         37 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the instantaneous direction of the stream of fluid varies in three dimensions.  
     
     
         38 . The ware wash machine of  claim 1  wherein: 
 at least one wash liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located within the housing and arranged for outputting a stream of wash liquid that is at least sometimes directed towards wares within the housing; and  
 at least one rinse liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located within the housing and arranged for outputting a stream of rinse liquid that is at least sometimes directed towards wares within the housing.  
 
     
     
         39 . The machine of  claim 38  wherein the at least one wash liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located in a mobile wash arm within the housing and the at least one rinse liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located in a mobile rinse arm within the housing.  
     
     
         40 . The machine of  claim 38  wherein the at least one wash liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located in a stationary wash arm within the housing and the at least one rinse liquid variable stream orientation nozzle is located in a stationary rinse arm within the housing.  
     
     
         41 . The machine of  claim 1  wherein the nozzle axis passes through a center of an output port of the variable stream orientation nozzle.  
     
     
         42 . A variable stream orientation nozzle, comprising: 
 a first nozzle side part;    a second nozzle side part connected to the first nozzle side part to form a functional variable stream orientation nozzle;    wherein the first nozzle side part and second nozzle side part are identical in shape and configuration.    
     
     
         43 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein both the first nozzle side part and second nozzle side part are of unitary construction.  
     
     
         44 . The nozzle of  claim 43  wherein both the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part are of molded plastic construction.  
     
     
         45 . The nozzle of  claim 44  wherein both the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part are formed of a PVDF polymer.  
     
     
         46 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein both the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part include internal sides having identical protrusions and recesses, the first nozzle side part is arranged in mirror image orientation relative to and adjacent the second nozzle side part such that the protrusions of the first nozzle side part frictionally engage into the recesses of the second nozzle side part and the protrusions of the second nozzle side part frictionally engage into the recesses of the first nozzle side part.  
     
     
         47 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein both the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part include at least one exterior mating finger and at least one exterior mating opening, the first nozzle side part is arranged in mirror image orientation relative to and adjacent the second nozzle side part such that the exterior mating finger of the first nozzle side part engages the exterior mating opening of the second nozzle side part and the exterior mating finger of the second nozzle side part engages the exterior mating opening of the first nozzle side part.  
     
     
         48 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the nozzle includes at least two flexible fingers to facilitate snap-fit insertion of the nozzle into an appropriately sized and shaped opening.  
     
     
         49 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the nozzle includes at least two fastener receiving bosses.  
     
     
         50 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the first nozzle side part and second nozzle side part are connected by one of an adhesive, one or more fasteners, a welding operation or a brazing operation.  
     
     
         51 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the nozzle comprises a fluidic oscillator nozzle.  
     
     
         52 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the nozzle includes a nozzle outlet port and at least one nozzle port guard adjacent to the nozzle port.  
     
     
         53 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the second nozzle side part is initially formed separate from the first nozzle side part prior to being connected thereto to form the nozzle.  
     
     
         54 . The nozzle of  claim 42  wherein the first nozzle side part and second nozzle side part are constructed together.  
     
     
         55 . The nozzle of  claim 54  wherein the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part are initially constructed together in a clam-shell configuration.  
     
     
         56 . The nozzle of  claim 55  wherein a hinge is provided between the first nozzle side part and the second nozzle side part, the first nozzle side part is folded adjacent the second nozzle side part to form the functional variable stream orientation nozzle.  
     
     
         57 . A fluid dispensing arm for a ware wash machine, the arm including a plurality of variable stream orientation nozzles positioned therein, the variable stream orientation nozzles being of the type defined by  claim 42 .  
     
     
         58 . A method for cleaning one or more wares such as dishes, glasses, pots and pans, comprising the steps of: 
 directing at least one of a wash liquid, a rinse liquid, a sanitizing liquid, a drying gas and a heating gas toward the ware through a variable stream orientation nozzle.    
     
     
         59 . The method of  claim 58  wherein the variable stream orientation nozzle is a fluidic oscillator nozzle.  
     
     
         60 . The method of  claim 58  wherein at least both wash liquid and rinse liquid are directed toward the wares through respective variable stream orientation nozzles.  
     
     
         61 . The method of  claim 58  wherein steam is directed toward the wares through the variable stream orientation nozzle.  
     
     
         62 . The method of claim wherein rinse liquid is directed toward the wares through the variable stream orientation nozzle at a flow rate of no more than about 0.3 gallons/min.  
     
     
         63 . The method of  claim 62  wherein the rinse liquid is output from the variable stream orientation nozzle with an average drop size at least twenty-five percent greater than that output by a fanjet nozzle having the same flow rate.  
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63  wherein the variable stream orientation nozzle is a fluidic oscillator nozzle.