Conveyor warewasher and method for operating a conveyor warewasher

Abstract

A conveyor warewasher has at least one washing zone, at least one rinsing zone and a conveyor apparatus. A camera system is configured to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus. An evaluation device is configured to determine an average degree of soiling of washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture. A control device is configured to initiate, automatically or optionally automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling, at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone and/or a measure influencing the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher.

1 . A conveyor warewasher for cleaning washware, wherein the conveyor warewasher comprises at least one washing zone and at least one rinsing zone as well as a conveyor apparatus for conveying the washware through the at least one washing zone and the at least one rinsing zone,
 characterized in that
 the conveyor warewasher comprises a camera system, which is arranged above or below or lateral to the conveyor apparatus and is configured in order to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus, wherein an evaluation device is further provided, which is configured in order to determine a average degree of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture, wherein the conveyor warewasher comprises a control device, which is configured in order to initiate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone and/or at least one measure influencing the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher. 
   
     
     
         2 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to set a volumetric flow rate and/or a nozzle pressure and/or a temperature of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to set a cleaning agent concentration of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to set the conveying speed of the conveying apparatus for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to set a freshwater rinsing quantity inserted in the at least one rinsing zone for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to set a separate wash tank regeneration quantity for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to set and/or activate a separate additional machine device, in particular a cleaning agent direct spraying system, for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware; and/or   wherein the control device is configured in order to activate an additional pre-clearing or washing module for treating strongly soiled washware for setting or adjusting the cleaning performance of the conveyor warewasher depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         3 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to regenerate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on a determined average type of soiling of the washware, the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, namely by setting, in a controlling manner, a regeneration water quantity to be added per unit of time to the washing liquid to be sprayed per unit of time, depending on a determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         4 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to set, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, if necessary at a time delay, the soil-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone, or to at least adjust it to the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         5 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to set, in a controlling manner and if necessary at a delay, a temperature of the washing liquid and/or cleaning agent concentration of the washing liquid for setting or adjusting the soil-carrying capacity of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.   
     
     
         6 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, and if necessary at a delay, a soil output from the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.   
     
     
         7 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 6 ,
 wherein the at least one washing zone comprises a washing system configured as a recirculation circuit, wherein the washing system comprises a nozzle system having at least one washing nozzle for spraying washing liquid onto the washware to be cleaned, a wash tank for collecting at least a portion of the sprayed washing liquid, and a wash pump for supplying washing liquid collected in the wash tank to the at least one wash nozzle, and wherein a soil discharge system associated with the washing system is further provided, wherein a tank cover screen is associated with the soil discharge system, which screen is configured in order to separate soil particles from the washing liquid that is sprayed and flows back into the wash tank due to gravity, wherein the soil discharge system comprises a soil collection portion arranged at least partly in the wash tank for collecting the soil particles separated from the washing liquid by means of the tank cover screen, and wherein a soil discharge system fluidly connected to the soil collection portion is further provided, via which system the soil collection portion can be emptied, as needed, wherein the control device is configured in order to activate and/or deactivate the soil discharge system a soil discharge pump associated with the soil discharge system automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware, if necessary at a delay.   
     
     
         8 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate, at a delay, the measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone with regard to the time of determination of the average degree of soiling or with regard to the time of determination of the average type of soiling of the washware, wherein the delay depends on the conveying speed of the conveyor apparatus and/or a distance between the camera system and the at least one washing zone.   
     
     
         9 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to determine a degree of soiling of the washware averaged over a predetermined or determinable period of time, and wherein the control device is configured in order to initiate the measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         10 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 9 , characterized in that
 the conveyor warewasher comprises a camera system, which is arranged above or below or lateral to the conveyor apparatus and is configured in order to capture at least one image of a portion of the conveyor apparatus, wherein an evaluation device is further provided, which is configured in order to determine a average degree of soiling of the washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture and/or a average type of soiling of the pieces of washware present in the portion of the conveyor apparatus at the time of the image capture, wherein the evaluation device is further configured in order to perform machine diagnostics, automatically depending on the determined average degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined average type of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         11 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to discharge an expected average soil load of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone as part of the machine diagnostics and to initiate at least one measure influencing the quality of the washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone.   
     
     
         12 . The conveyor warewasher according to claim or  11 ,
 wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to inform, as part of the machine diagnostics, the operator of the conveyor warewasher regarding the necessity of a basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher and/or regarding a time for performing a basic cleaning of the conveyor warewasher; and/or   wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to provide, to the operator of the conveyor warewasher, as part of the machine diagnostics, an estimate of the starch buildup in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher.   
     
     
         13 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the evaluation device is configured in order to issue a recommendation to the operator of the conveyor warewasher, as part of the machine diagnostics, for an optimized operation of the conveyor warewasher, wherein the recommendation comprises the following:   a conveying speed of the conveyor apparatus; and/or   a dosing amount of the cleaning agent; and/or   a type of cleaning agent; and/or   a temperature of the washing liquid.   
     
     
         14 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 10 ,
 wherein the control device is configured in order to determine, during a learning or observation phase over at least one observation period and over a plurality of observation periods each relating to a washing shift or a washing day of the conveyor warewasher or a portion thereof, a development over time of the average degree of soiling of the washware to be conveyed with the conveyor apparatus through the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or a development over timte of the average type of soiling of the washware to be conveyed with the conveyor apparatus through the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher, wherein the control device is further configured in order to deduce a pattern or a regularity based on the determined development over time.   
     
     
         15 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 14 ,
 wherein the control device is further configured in order to divide the observation period relating to a washing shift or a washing day of the conveyor warewasher or a portion thereof into a first sub-period and into at least one further second sub-period, wherein, in the first sub-period of the observation period, the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware corresponds to a first relative value or falls within a first relative value range, and wherein, in the at least one second sub-period of the observation period, the determined average degree of soiling and/or the determined average type of soiling of the washware corresponds to a second relative value or falls within a second relative value range.   
     
     
         16 . The conveyor warewasher according to  claim 15 ,
 wherein the control device is further configured in order to initiate, for the first sub-period, after the end of the learning or observation phase, automatically during operation of the conveyor warewasher during a washing shift or during a washing day, at least one first measure influencing the treatment of the washware in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone of the conveyor warewasher, if necessary at a delay, and to initiate, for the at least one second sub-period, at least one second measure influencing the treatment of the washware in the treatment zones of the conveyor warewasher and/or at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone of the conveyor warewasher, if necessary at a delay.   
     
     
         17 . A method for operating a conveyor warewasher ( 1 ), wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
 a average degree of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher and/or a average type of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher is determined using a camera system; and   machine diagnostics are performed automatically depending on the determined degree of soiling and/or depending on the determined type of soiling of the washware.   
     
     
         18 . The method for operating a conveyor warewasher ( 1 ), wherein the method comprises the following method steps:
 a average degree of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher and/or a average type of soiling of the washware to be cleaned in the conveyor warewasher is determined using a camera system; and   at least one measure influencing the quality of a washing liquid to be sprayed in the at least one washing zone is initiated, if necessary at a delay, automatically depending on the determined degree of soiling of the washware and/or depending on the determined type of soiling of the washware.