Vertical Dish Washing Machine

Abstract

A vertical dish washing machine is disclosed to include a dish basket for carrying dishes for washing and a vertical loop conveyer system including a first transmission mechanism adapted to carry the dish basket vertically front a front top location to a front bottom location, a second transmission mechanism adapted to carry the dish basket horizontally from the front bottom location to a rear bottom location, a third transmission mechanism adapted to carry the dish basket vertically from the rear bottom location to a rear top location, and a fourth transmission mechanism adapted to carry the dish basket from the rear top location to the front top location.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vertical dish washing machine, comprising a housing, a vertical loop conveyer system formed of a plurality of transmission mechanisms and mounted inside said housing, and a dish basket movable by said vertical loop conveyer system in said housing for carrying tableware for washing. 
     
     
         2 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said vertical loop conveyer system comprises a first transmission mechanism adapted to carry said dish basket vertically front a front top location to a front bottom location, a second transmission mechanism adapted to carry said dish basket horizontally from said front bottom location to a rear bottom location, a third transmission mechanism adapted to carry said dish basket vertically from said rear bottom location to a rear top location, and a fourth transmission mechanism adapted to carry said dish basket from said rear top location to said front top location. 
     
     
         3 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said vertical loop conveyer system comprises:
 a first transmission mechanism comprising two first power cylinder sets bilaterally mounted in a front side inside said housing, each said first power cylinder set comprising a first power cylinder movable vertically relative to said housing to carry said dish basket from a front top location to a rack at a front bottom location inside said housing;   a second transmission mechanism mounted in a bottom side inside said housing bottom end and adapted to carry said dish basket from said front bottom location to a rear bottom location inside said housing;   a third transmission mechanism comprising two second power cylinder sets bilaterally mounted in a rear side inside said housing, each said second power cylinder set comprising a second power cylinder movable vertically relative to said housing to carry said dish basket from said rear bottom location to a rear top location inside said housing; and   a fourth transmission mechanism mounted in a top side inside said housing and adapted to carry said dish basket from said rear top location to said front top location.   
     
     
         4 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein:
 said first transmission mechanism further comprises two first lifting frames coupled to respective piston rods of said first power cylinders of said first power cylinder sets, a plurality of vertically extending sliding rails respectively connected to said first lifting frames and coupled to respective vertically extending sliding grooves inside said housing, a plurality of dish basket carriers pivotally coupled to said first lifting frames at different elevations, a plurality of first auxiliary pull rods respectively pivotally connected to said dish basket carriers, a first shaft mounted at each said first lifting frame, a plurality of crank levers coupled between said first shafts and the piston rods of said first auxiliary pull rods for enabling said dish basket carriers to be moved between an extended condition and a received condition during rotation of said first shafts, a plurality of support frames respectively pivotally mounted at a left front side and a right front side inside said housing, a plurality of first main pull rods respective coupled to said support frames for biasing said support frames between an extended condition and a received condition, a main pull rod power cylinder for moving said main pull rods to extend out said support frames for carrying said dish basket, and a coupling member coupled between one said support frame and said main pull rod power cylinder;   said second transmission mechanism comprises a movable linkage, a pull block comprising a rope connected to said movable linkage for moving said movable linkage horizontally back and forth, a plurality of pulleys supporting said rope, a third power cylinder connected with a piston rod thereof to one end of said rope opposite to said movable linkage and controllable to move said movable linkage, a support frame connected to said movable linkage, and a rack at a bottom side of said third transmission mechanism, said third power cylinder being controllable to retract and extend out the piston rod thereof, said movable linkage being driven to carry the support frame of said second transmission mechanism and said dish basket to said rack when the piston rod of said third power cylinder is retracted, said movable linkage being moved back when the piston rod of said third power cylinder is extended out;   said third transmission mechanism comprises two second lifting frames coupled to respective piston rods of said second power cylinders of said second power cylinder sets, a plurality of vertically extending sliding rails respectively connected to said second lifting frames and coupled to respective vertically extending sliding grooves inside said housing, a plurality of second dish basket carriers pivotally coupled to said second lifting frames at different elevations, a plurality of second auxiliary pull rods respectively pivotally connected to said second dish basket carriers, a second shaft mounted at each said second lifting frame, a plurality of crank levers coupled between said second shafts and the piston rods of said second auxiliary pull rods for enabling said second dish basket carriers to be moved between an extended condition and a received condition during rotation of said second shafts, a plurality of second support frames respectively pivotally mounted at a left rear side and a right rear side inside said housing, a plurality of second main pull rods respective coupled to said second support frames for biasing said second support frames between an extended condition and a received condition, a second main pull rod power cylinder for moving said second main pull rods to extend out said second support frames for carrying said dish basket, and a coupling member coupled between one said second support frame and said second main pull rod power cylinder;   said fourth transmission mechanism comprises a fourth power cylinder comprising a piston rod, and a linkage pivotally connected to the piston rod of said fourth power cylinder and movable by said fourth power cylinder toward and away from said first transmission mechanism, a plurality of guide blocks mounted at the linkage of said fourth transmission mechanism and slidably coupled to respective guide rails in said housing to guide forward-backward sliding movement of the linkage of said fourth transmission mechanism.   
     
     
         5 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said housing comprises two first tooth racks and two second tooth racks; said first transmission mechanism further comprises a first gear shaft connected between said first lifting frames at said first power cylinders of said first power cylinder sets, and two gears respectively mounted at two distal ends of said first gear shaft and meshed with said first tooth racks; said second transmission mechanism further comprises a second gear shaft connected between said second lifting frames at said second power cylinders of said second power cylinder sets, and two gears respectively mounted at two distal ends of said second gear shaft and meshed with said second tooth racks. 
     
     
         6 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 5 , further comprising at least one rinsing/cleaning device mounted inside said housing and adapted to clean dishes in said dish basket, a drying device, said drying device comprising an air passage and an air blower for blowing a flow of air through said air passage to dry dishes in said dish basket, and an ultraviolet/infrared sterilizer mounted inside said housing for emitting ultraviolet/infrared light to sterilize dishes in said dish basket. 
     
     
         7 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein said housing comprises a soaking chamber for holding a predetermined amount of water; said at least one rinsing/cleaning device comprises a recycled water rising device, a clean water rinsing device, a hot water ringing device and a steam cleaning device. 
     
     
         8 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein said recycled water rinsing device comprises a plurality of recycled water spray pipes and a second water intake pipe connected to said recycled water spray pipes; said soaking chamber is connected to a first pump through a suction pipe, said first pump being controllable to pump water out of said soaking chamber through said suction pipe to a strainer being connected to a water outlet pipe and then a water distributor, said water distributor being connected to one end of said second water intake pipe through a first water distribution pipe for recycling water in said soaking chamber, said water distributor being also connected to said first water intake pipe through a second water distribution pipe; said hot water rinsing device is mounted in a rear side inside said housing and disposed at a top side relative to said recycled water rinsing device, said hot water rinsing device comprising a plurality of hot water spray pipes, a third water intake pipe connecting said hot water spray pipes to a water source, a heater mounted at said water source and adapted to heat water passing from said water source to said third water intake pipe, a second pump, a connection pipe connecting said heater to said second pump for enabling said second pump to pump heated water to said hot water spray pipes for rinsing dishes in said dish basket. 
     
     
         9 . A vertical dish washing machine, comprising a housing, a vertical loop conveyer system formed of a plurality of transmission mechanisms and mounted inside said housing, a dish basket movable by said vertical loop conveyer system in said housing for carrying tableware for washing, and rinsing and cleaning means mounted inside said housing for rinsing and cleaning dishes being carried in said dish basket. 
     
     
         10 . The vertical dish washing machine as claimed in  claim 9 , wherein said vertical loop conveyer system comprises:
 a first transmission mechanism comprising two first power cylinder sets bilaterally mounted in a front side inside said housing, each said first power cylinder set comprising a first power cylinder movable vertically relative to said housing to carry said dish basket from a front top location to a rack at a front bottom location inside said housing;   a second transmission mechanism mounted in a bottom side inside said housing bottom end and adapted to carry said dish basket from said front bottom location to a rear bottom location inside said housing;   a third transmission mechanism comprising two second power cylinder sets bilaterally mounted in a rear side inside said housing, each said second power cylinder set comprising a second power cylinder movable vertically relative to said housing to carry said dish basket from said rear bottom location to a rear top location inside said housing; and   a fourth transmission mechanism mounted in a top side inside said housing and adapted to carry said dish basket from said rear top location to said front top location.