Warewasher with air assisted prescrapping

Abstract

A warewash machine for washing wares includes a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet side, an outlet side, multiple spray zones between the inlet side and the outlet side, and a conveyor arrangement for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple spray zones in a ware travel direction. A prescrapping zone is located toward the inlet side of the chamber, the prescrapping zone having a blow-off system comprising a plurality of prescrapping nozzles and a compressed air feed line for delivering compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A warewash machine for washing wares, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet side, an outlet side, multiple spray zones between the inlet side and the outlet side, and a conveyor arrangement for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple spray zones in a ware travel direction;   a prescrapping zone toward the inlet side of the chamber, the prescrapping zone having a blow-off system comprising a plurality of prescrapping nozzles and a compressed air feed line for delivering compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles.   
     
     
         2 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein:
 the prescrapping zone is located either (i) external of the chamber upstream of the inlet side of chamber relative to the ware travel direction or (ii) internal of the chamber downstream of the inlet side of the chamber and upstream of any liquid spray zones within the chamber. 
 
     
     
         3 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein the prescrapping nozzles are oriented to deliver air flow onto wares in the prescrapping zone so as to move at least some food soils off of the wares and into a soil collection system of the prescrapping zone. 
     
     
         4 . The warewash machine of  claim 2  wherein the plurality of prescrapping nozzles are arranged over the conveyance path and are oriented to deliver air downward onto wares, and the soil collection system is located beneath the conveyance path. 
     
     
         5 . The warewash machine of  claim 4  wherein the soil collection system comprises a collection compartment with walls that direct food soils toward a strainer, and a liquid spray system including a plurality of collection system nozzles for spraying liquid onto one or more of the walls to promote movement of the food soils toward the strainer. 
     
     
         6 . The warewash machine of  claim 5  wherein the soil collection system further comprises a compressed air delivery arrangement below the conveyance path to promote movement of the food soils toward the strainer. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The warewash machine of  claim 5  wherein the liquid spray system includes a liquid feed line connected to receive liquid from a tank of one the spray zones in the chamber via operation of a pump associated with a liquid recirculation system of the one spray zone. 
     
     
         9 . The warewash machine of  claim 8  wherein a valve is located along the liquid feed line between the pump and the soil collection system nozzles to selectively control whether liquid is delivered from the tank to the soil collection system nozzles when the pump is operated. 
     
     
         10 . The warewash machine of  claim 5  wherein the liquid spray system includes a liquid feed line connected to receive liquid from a tank to which water from one or more of the spray zones is drained, and a pump to feed liquid from the tank to the collection system spray nozzles. 
     
     
         11 . The warewash machine of  claim 10  wherein the tank is connected to a drain line that receives water drained from one or more of the spray zones of the warewash machine. 
     
     
         12 . The warewash machine of  claim 11  wherein the tank includes an overflow to a main drain outlet of the machine 
     
     
         13 . The warewash machine of  claim 5  wherein the one spray zone is a pre-wash zone. 
     
     
         14 . The warewash machine of  claim 5  wherein the soil collection system further comprises a drain line that receives liquid that flows through the strainer. 
     
     
         15 . The warewash machine of  claim 1  wherein delivery of compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles is controlled automatically based upon (i) ware sensing, (ii) timing based on conveyor speed and/or (iii) timing based upon ware distance travelled. 
     
     
         16 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A warewash machine for washing wares, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having an inlet, an outlet, multiple spray zones between the inlet and the outlet, and a conveyor arrangement for moving wares along a conveyance path through the multiple spray zones in a ware travel direction;   wherein the multiple spray zones include a pre-wash spray zone with a plurality of spray nozzles, a liquid collection tank below the conveyor arrangement for collecting sprayed liquid that falls within the pre-wash spray zone, and a pump connected to recirculate liquid from the liquid collection tank back to the plurality of spray nozzles;   a prescrapping zone located upstream of the pre-wash spray zone relative to the ware travel direction and adjacent the inlet, wherein the prescrapping zone includes a blow-off system including a plurality of prescrapping nozzles above the conveyance path, wherein the prescrapping zone includes a soil collection system below the conveyance path;   wherein the blow-off system further comprises a compressed air feed line for delivering compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles, wherein the prescrapping nozzles are oriented to deliver air downward toward the conveyance path for moving food soils off of wares and down into the soil collection system;   wherein the soil collection system comprises a collection compartment below the conveyance path, wherein the collection compartment includes walls configured to direct food soils toward a strainer below the conveyance path.   
     
     
         24 . A warewash machine for washing wares, comprising:
 a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber including multiple spray zones for receiving wares and spraying liquid thereon during cleaning;   a conveyor passing through the chamber for carrying wares through the chamber in a ware travel direction during cleaning;   wherein the multiple spray zones include a first spray zone with a plurality of spray nozzles, a liquid collection tank below the conveyor for collecting sprayed liquid that falls within the first spray zone, and a pump connected to recirculate liquid from the tank back to the plurality of spray nozzles;   a prescrapping zone internal of the chamber and upstream of the first spray zone relative to the ware travel direction, the prescrapping zone including a blow-off system and a soil collection system, the blow-off system comprising a plurality of prescrapping nozzles above the conveyor and a compressed air feed line for delivering compressed air to the prescrapping nozzles, wherein the prescrapping nozzles are oriented to deliver air flow down onto wares on the conveyor in the prescrapping zone so as to move at least some food soils off of the wares and into the soil collection system, wherein the soil collection system is located beneath the conveyor;   wherein the soil collection system comprises a collection compartment with walls that direct food soils toward a strainer.