Loading apparatus for a conveyor dishwasher

Abstract

A loading apparatus ( 50; 50 ′) for a conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), wherein the loading apparatus ( 50; 50 ′) has at least one stacking magazine ( 51;51 ′) by means of which washware ( 100 ) which is to be cleaned is received in a stackwise manner. The at least one stacking magazine ( 51; 51 ′) has a separating arrangement by means of which the items of washware ( 101 ) received in the stacking magazine ( 51; 51 ′) are discharged one by one. The loading apparatus ( 50; 50 ′) also has a conveying arrangement ( 55; 55 ′) by means of which the items of washware ( 101 ′) discharged one by one by the separating arrangement are fed to a transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ). The separating arrangement moves the items of washware ( 101 ) in the vertical direction and discharges a respectively lowermost item of washware ( 101 ) out of the stacking magazine ( 11, 11 ′).

1 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) for a conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), comprising:
 at least one stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) by means of which washware ( 100 ) which is to be cleaned is received in a stackwise manner, wherein the at least one stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) has a separating arrangement by means of which the items of washware ( 101 ) received in the stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) are discharged one by one; and 
 a conveying arrangement ( 55 ;  55 ′) by means of which the items of washware ( 101 ′) discharged one by one by the separating arrangement are fed to a transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), 
 wherein the separating arrangement moves the items of washware ( 101 ) in the vertical direction and in each case one item of washware ( 101 ) is discharged out of the stacking magazine ( 11 ,  11 ′). 
 
     
     
         2 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the separating arrangement has at least one thread which can be rotated relative to the washware ( 100 ) received in the stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) and between the thread turns of which peripheral regions of individual items of washware ( 101 ) can be received such that, upon rotation of the thread, a respectively lowermost item of washware ( 101 ) is discharged out of the stacking magazine ( 11 ,  11 ′). 
     
     
         3 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ) according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one thread is configured as an internal thread ( 52 ) of a drum ( 53 ) which can be rotated relative to the washware ( 100 ) received in the stacking magazine ( 51 ) and in which the items of washware ( 101 ) can be stacked, wherein the peripheral region of the items of washware ( 101 ) can be received by the thread turns of the internal thread ( 52 ). 
     
     
         4 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ′) according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one thread is designed as the external thread of at least two parallel conveying belts ( 52 ′,  52 ″,  52 ′″) which can be rotated relative to the washware ( 100 ) received in the stacking magazine ( 51 ′) and between which the washware ( 100 ) can be stacked, wherein individual peripheral regions of the items of washware ( 101 ) can be received by regions of the thread turns of the respective conveying belts ( 52 ′,  52 ″,  52 ′″). 
     
     
         5 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 2 , wherein a drive arrangement is also provided for driving the at least one thread of the separating arrangement, as is a control arrangement ( 40 ) for activating the drive arrangement, wherein the control arrangement ( 40 ) is designed to activate the drive arrangement in dependence on the transporting speeds of the transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) and to set the rotary speed of the at least one thread of the separating arrangement in dependence on the transporting speed of the transporting belt ( 62 ). 
     
     
         6 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 5 , wherein the control arrangement ( 40 ) is designed to set the rotary speed of the at least one thread of the separating arrangement such that the number of items of washware ( 101 ) discharged out of the stacking magazine ( 51 ,  51 ′) per unit of time is identical to the number of items of washware ( 101 ′) which are fed to the transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), and can be received by the transporting belt ( 62 ) per unit of time. 
     
     
         7 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 6 , wherein the control arrangement ( 40 ) is designed to set the rotary speed of the at least one thread of the separating arrangement in dependence on the size of washware ( 100 ) received in the at least one stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′). 
     
     
         8 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 1 , wherein the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) is designed such that the items of washware ( 101 ) which are to be cleaned can be stacked in the at least one stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) with the user side upwards or with the user side downwards. 
     
     
         9 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the conveying arrangement ( 55 ;  55 ′) has a chute or a conveying belt by means of which the items of washware ( 101 ′) discharged one by one by the separating arrangement are fed to the transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ). 
     
     
         10 . A loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 1 , wherein the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) has a chassis for moving in three dimensions. 
     
     
         11 . A commercial conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) and at least one loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 1 , wherein the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) has a loading zone ( 61 ) in which the at least one loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) is coupled to the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) such that, with the aid of the conveying arrangement ( 55 ,  55 ′) of the at least one loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′), the items of washware ( 101 ′) discharged one by one by the separating arrangement are fed to a transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ). 
     
     
         12 . A commercial dishwasher and loading apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the transporting belt ( 62 ) is of endless configuration and is provided with fingers ( 63 ), and wherein the at least one loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) is designed such that the operations of feeding the separated items of washware ( 101 ′) to the transporting belt ( 62 ) and of introducing the separated items of washware ( 101 ′) into the transporting belt ( 62 ) take place in a region of a transporting-belt deflection. 
     
     
         13 . A commercial dishwasher and loading apparatus according to  claim 12 , wherein the transporting belt ( 62 ) is of endless configuration, and wherein the at least one loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) is designed such that the operations of feeding the separated items of washware ( 101 ′) to the transporting belt ( 62 ) and of loading the transporting belt ( 62 ) take place in a region above a transporting-belt deflection. 
     
     
         14 . A commercial dishwasher and loading apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) is coupled simultaneously to a plurality of loading apparatuses ( 50 ;  50 ′) arranged one beside the other. 
     
     
         15 . A commercial dishwasher and loading apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein individual stacking magazines ( 51 ;  51 ′) can be assigned to individual tracks of the transporting belt ( 62 ). 
     
     
         16 . A method of loading a commercial conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) with washware ( 100 ), wherein the method has the following method steps:
 providing a loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) according to  claim 1 ;   stacking washware ( 100 ) in the at least one stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) of the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′);   coupling the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) to a loading zone ( 61 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) such that the conveying arrangement ( 55 ;  55 ′) of the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) communicates with a transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ); and   rotating the at least one thread of the stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) in dependence on a transporting speed of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) such that separated items of washware ( 101 ′) discharged out of the stacking magazine ( 51 ;  51 ′) are continuously supplied to the transporting belt ( 62 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ) and received by the same.   
     
     
         17 . A method according to  claim 16 , wherein, prior to the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) being coupled to the loading zone ( 61 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ), the loading apparatus ( 50 ;  50 ′) is displaced to the loading zone ( 61 ) of the conveyor dishwasher ( 1 ).