Warewasher with intermediate blowoff zone or cycle step

Abstract

A warewash machine for washing wares includes a housing defining a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet end, an outlet end, multiple liquid spray zones between the inlet end and the outlet end, and a conveyor for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple liquid spray zones in a ware travel direction, the multiple liquid spray zones including a main wash zone and a final rinse zone. An intermediate zone is located, relative to the ware travel direction, after the main wash zone and before the final rinse zone. The intermediate zone includes a blowoff system including multiple blowoff nozzles that direct non-liquid flows onto wares to move residual detergent solution and soils from the wares as the wares move through the intermediate zone. A batch-type machine could also be provided with an intermediate non-liquid blowoff step.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A warewash machine for washing wares, comprising:
 a housing with a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet end, an outlet end, multiple liquid spray zones between the inlet end and the outlet end, and a conveyor for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple liquid spray zones in a ware travel direction, the multiple liquid spray zones including a main wash zone and a final rinse zone;   an intermediate zone located, relative to the ware travel direction, after the main wash zone and before the final rinse zone, where the intermediate zone includes a blowoff system including multiple blowoff nozzles that direct non-liquid flows onto wares to move residual detergent solution and soils from the wares as the wares move through the intermediate zone.   
     
     
         2 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the blowoff nozzles output streams of one or more of compressed air, steam or blower dryer air onto the wares as the wares move through the intermediate zone. 
     
     
         3 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the blowoff system includes (i) a compressed air input or device to provide compressed air to the blowoff nozzles or (ii) a steam input or steam generator to provide steam to the blowoff nozzles. 
     
     
         4 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate zone does not include any liquid sprays. 
     
     
         5 . The warewash machine of  claim 4  wherein a first spray blocking curtain is positioned at an upstream end of the intermediate zone and a second spray blocking curtain is positioned as a downstream end of the intermediate zone. 
     
     
         6 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate zone includes a flowback pan structure to direct falling residual detergent solution and soils into a collection tank upstream of the intermediate zone in the ware travel direction. 
     
     
         7 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate zone is located one of (i) immediately after the main wash zone and immediately before a dual rinse zone, (ii) immediately after a dual rinse zone and immediately before the final rinse zone, (iii) immediately after the main wash zone and immediately before the final rinse zone, (iv) immediately after the main wash zone and immediately before a power rinse zone, (v) immediately after a power rinse zone and immediately before a dual rinse zone. 
     
     
         8 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein a power rinse zone or dual rinse zone is located between the main wash zone and final rinse zone, wherein the intermediate zone is after the main wash zone and before the power rinse zone or the dual rinse zone, and a second intermediate zone with non-liquid blowoff is located after the power rinse zone or the dual rinse zone and before the final rinse zone. 
     
     
         9 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate zone includes a total non-liquid flow from the blowoff nozzles of between about 500 CFM and about 3500 CFM. 
     
     
         10 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the intermediate zone includes first blowoff nozzles that direct non-liquid flows onto leading sides of wares and second blowoff nozzles that direct non-liquid flows onto trailing sides of wares. 
     
     
         11 . The warewash machine of  claim 1 , further comprising a controller that selectively turns the non-liquid flows from the blowoff nozzles ON in response to a predefined machine condition. 
     
     
         12 . The warewash machine of  claim 11  wherein the predefined machine condition is one of (i) initiation of conveyor movement, (ii) a specified time lapse after initiation of conveyor movement, (iii) triggering of a sensor that detects wares in or entering the machine, (iv) triggering of a sensor that detects wares in or entering the intermediate zone, (v) a specified time lapse after a sensor detects wares in or entering the machine, or (vi) a specified time lapse after a sensor detects wares in or entering the intermediate zone. 
     
     
         13 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein all non-liquid flows are downward. 
     
     
         14 . A warewash machine for washing wares, comprising:
 a housing with a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber accessible by a door that is movable between open and closed positions relative to a chamber access opening, a wash spray system in the chamber for spraying wash liquid from multiple wash nozzles, a rinse spray system in the chamber for spraying rinse liquid from multiple rinse nozzles, and a blowoff system in the chamber for delivering non-liquid flows from multiple blowoff nozzles toward wares in the chamber, wherein a controller is configured to selectively run at least one cleaning cycle that includes a washing step involving wash liquid sprays from the wash nozzles, a rinsing step involving rinse liquid sprays from the rinse nozzles and an intermediate blowoff step involving non-liquid flows from the blowoff nozzles, wherein at least part of the intermediate blowoff step occurs after the washing step has concluded and before the rinsing step has started.   
     
     
         15 . The warewash machine of  claim 14  wherein the blowoff nozzles output streams of one or more of compressed air, steam or blower dryer air. 
     
     
         16 . The warewash machine of  claim 14  wherein all non-liquid flows from the blowoff nozzles during the intermediate blowoff step occur after the washing step has concluded and before the rinsing step has started.