Warewash machine arm and nozzle construction with set spray pattern

Abstract

A warewash machine includes a housing including an area for receiving wares to be washed and a liquid dispensing arm removably positioned within the housing, the liquid dispensing arm including a nozzle receiving opening. Removably positioned in the nozzle opening is a nozzle that is configured to output liquid in a specific output pattern. The nozzle receiving opening and the nozzle are cooperatively shaped and configured such that when the nozzle is inserted in the nozzle receiving opening the nozzle is automatically positioned such that an orientation of the specific output pattern relative to the area is automatically set to a specific orientation.

1 - 15 . (canceled) 
     
     
         16 . A conveyor-type machine for washing items, comprising:
 a housing including an area for receiving items to be washed and a conveyor mechanism for carrying items therethrough;   a liquid dispensing arm removably positioned within the housing, the liquid dispensing arm including a nozzle receiving opening having a non-circular perimeter; and   a fluidic oscillator nozzle removably positioned in the nozzle receiving opening, the fluidic oscillator nozzle including a nozzle body having a non-circular perimeter and a fluid passageway extending through the nozzle body to a nozzle outlet, the nozzle outlet configured to output liquid in an oscillating output pattern;   wherein the non-circular perimeter of the nozzle receiving opening and the non-circular perimeter of the nozzle body are cooperatively shaped and configured such that when the nozzle body is inserted in the nozzle receiving opening, the non-circular perimeter of the nozzle body and the non-circular perimeter of the nozzle receiving opening cooperate to align the nozzle so that the nozzle is automatically positioned such that an orientation of the oscillating output pattern relative to the area is automatically set to a specific orientation.   
     
     
         17 . The machine of  claim 16  wherein the liquid dispensing arm includes a plurality of nozzle receiving openings, each nozzle receiving opening having a corresponding fluidic oscillator nozzle positioned therein. 
     
     
         18 . The machine of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle receiving opening is elongated. 
     
     
         19 . The machine of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle fits within the nozzle receiving opening in either a first inserted orientation or a second inserted orientation, the second inserted orientation being rotated about 180 degrees relative to the first inserted orientation, in both the first orientation and second orientation the oscillating output pattern of the nozzle is set to the specific orientation. 
     
     
         20 . The machine of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle snap fits into the nozzle receiving opening. 
     
     
         21 . The machine of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle is removably held within the nozzle receiving opening by a threaded fastener passing upward through the liquid dispensing arm and toward the nozzle receiving opening. 
     
     
         22 . The machine of  claim 16 , wherein the nozzle body and the nozzle receiving opening are shaped and configured to form a stop-and-go relationship. 
     
     
         23 . A liquid dispensing arm for washing items, comprising:
 an elongated arm body having an external surface with a plurality of nozzle receiving openings extending therethrough;   a plurality of fluidic oscillator nozzles, each fluidic oscillator nozzle removably positioned within a respective nozzle receiving opening of the elongated arm body, each fluidic oscillator nozzle including:
 a nozzle body and an enlarged head portion extending outwardly from the nozzle body, the nozzle body being removably positioned in the respective nozzle receiving opening, the head portion having a dimension that is larger than the nozzle receiving opening to seat against the external surface of the elongated arm body, the nozzle configured to output liquid in an oscillating output pattern, the nozzle body and the respective nozzle receiving opening are cooperatively shaped and configured such that when the nozzle is inserted in the respective nozzle receiving opening the nozzle is automatically positioned such that an orientation of the oscillating output pattern relative to an axis of the elongated arm body is automatically set to a specific orientation, the respective nozzle receiving opening and the nozzle body are cooperatively shaped and configured to prevent rotation of the nozzle relative to the respective nozzle receiving opening when the nozzle body is inserted in the respective nozzle receiving opening. 
   
     
     
         24 . A conveyor-type machine for washing items and including a plurality of liquid dispensing arms according to  claim 23 , the machine comprising:
 a housing including an area for receiving items to be washed and a conveyor mechanism for carrying items therethrough;   the plurality of liquid dispensing arms according to  claim 23  including a first liquid dispensing arm arranged above the conveyor mechanism and a second liquid dispensing arm arranged below the conveyor mechanism.   
     
     
         25 . The machine of  claim 24  wherein the first liquid dispensing arm and the second liquid dispensing arm are located in a rinse section of the machine, the rinse section located downstream of a wash section. 
     
     
         26 . The arm of  claim 23  wherein the surface is a generally flat surface. 
     
     
         27 . An arm for ejecting liquid in a desired pattern, the arm comprising:
 an arm body defining an internal liquid space along an arm axis;   a fluidic oscillator nozzle configured to output liquid in an oscillating pattern, the nozzle removably connected with the arm body to receive liquid from the internal liquid space, the nozzle removably connected to the arm body in a manner such that a position of the nozzle relative the arm is automatically set to a position in which an orientation of the oscillating pattern relative to the axis of the arm is automatically set to a specific orientation;   the arm body receives a portion of the nozzle within a nozzle receiving opening and a head portion of the nozzle seats against an external surface of the arm body, the nozzle and nozzle receiving opening being cooperatively shaped and configured to prevent insertion of the nozzle into the nozzle receiving opening far enough to seat the head portion against the external surface unless the nozzle is set to the position that will produce the specific orientation.