Low profile wire form rack for hood-type warewash machine and associated warewash machine and method

Abstract

A wire form ware rack for holding trays to be washed in a chamber of a hood-type warewash machine includes multiple rack supporting structures for supporting the wire form ware rack on corresponding structures of the warewash machine, and a primary support frame defining a ware support surface. The multiple rack support structures are configured and oriented relative to the primary support frame such that the ware support surface will be located below a bottom of a ware inlet opening and a bottom of a ware outlet opening of the warewash machine when the rack support structures are engaged with the corresponding structures of the warewash machine.

1 . A warewash machine, comprising:
 a chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet opening;   a hood-type door movable upward and downward between an open position to allow access to the chamber through the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and a closed position that closes the inlet opening and the outlet opening;   a wire form ware rack supported in a lower portion of the chamber, the wire form ware rack having a ware support surface that is located below a bottom of the inlet opening and a bottom of the outlet opening.   
     
     
         2 . The warewash machine of  claim 1 , wherein the wire form ware rack includes multiple rack supporting structures for supporting the wire form ware rack on corresponding structures of the warewash machine, and a primary support frame defining the ware support surface. 
     
     
         3 . The warewash machine of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the ware support surface is defined, at least in part, by first and second wire form supports running from a front of the primary support frame to a back of the primary support frame, wherein a plurality of wire form rail members extend upward from and laterally between the first and second wire form supports, and the plurality of wire form rail members are spaced apart from each other along a direction from the front of the primary support frame to the back of the primary support frame to define a plurality of lateral tray receiving slots therebetween; and   a lateral spacing between the first and second wire form supports is sufficient to allow the handle portions of trays, located within the lateral tray receiving slots, to fit between the first and second wire form supports such that at least part of each handle extends below the ware support surface.   
     
     
         4 . The warewash machine of  claim 2 , wherein the multiple rack supporting structures include a first support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame, a second support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame, and a laterally extending rear wire form support that is located above the ware support surface. 
     
     
         5 . The warewash machine of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a rack support structure located externally on the machine, the rack support structure holding a wire form rack support, wherein the wire form rack support includes a rack support surface, wherein, when the wire form ware rack is removed from the lower portion of the chamber and the wire form rack support is positioned into the lower portion of the chamber, the rack support surface is substantially aligned with the bottom of the inlet opening and the bottom of the outlet opening.   
     
     
         6 . A wire form ware rack for holding trays to be washed in a chamber of a hood-type warewash machine, the wire form ware rack comprising:
 multiple rack supporting structures for supporting the wire form ware rack on corresponding structures of the warewash machine;   a primary support frame defining a ware support surface;   wherein the multiple rack support structures are configured and oriented relative to the primary support frame such that the ware support surface will be located below a bottom of a ware inlet opening and a bottom of a ware outlet opening of the warewash machine when the rack support structures are engaged with the corresponding structures of the warewash machine.   
     
     
         7 . The wire form rack of  claim 6 , wherein the multiple rack supporting structures include a first support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame and a second support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame, wherein, when the ware support surface is oriented horizontally, a vertical distance between a bottom of each of the first support leg and the second support leg and the support surface is no more than 1.50 inches. 
     
     
         8 . The wire form rack of  claim 6 , wherein the ware support surface is defined, at least in part, by first and second wire form supports running from a front of the primary support frame to a back of the primary support frame, wherein a plurality of wire form rail members extend upward from and laterally between the first and second wire form supports, and the plurality of wire form rail members are spaced apart from each other along a direction from the front of the primary support frame to the back of the primary support frame to define a plurality of lateral tray receiving slots therebetween. 
     
     
         9 . The wire form rack of  claim 8 , wherein a lateral spacing between the first and second wire form supports is sufficient to allow the handle portions of trays, located within the lateral tray receiving slots, to fit between the first and second wire form supports such that at least part of each handle extends below the ware support surface. 
     
     
         10 . The wire form rack of  claim 6 , wherein the multiple rack supporting structures include a first support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame, a second support leg extending downward and outward from the primary support frame, and a laterally extending rear wire form support that is located above the ware support surface. 
     
     
         11 . A warewash machine including the wire form rack of  claim 6 , the warewash machine including a hood-type door movable upward and downward between an open position to allow access to an chamber of the warewash machine through the inlet opening and the outlet opening, and a closed position that closes the inlet opening and the outlet opening, wherein the wire form rack is supported in a lower portion of the chamber with the support surface below the bottom of the ware inlet opening and the bottom of the ware outlet opening. 
     
     
         12 . The warewash machine of  claim 11 , further comprising a rack support structure located on an externally facing portion thereof for supporting a further wire form rack that is exchangeable with the wire form rack of  claim 1  to enable the warewash machine to be used for sliding of peg racks into and out of the chamber. 
     
     
         13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 . A method of reconfiguring a warewash machine as between a configuration for cleaning standard wares and a configuration for cleaning long trays, wherein the warewash machine includes a housing defining an internal cleaning chamber having one or more wash and/or rinse arms, and a hood mounted form movement on the housing for movement between a raised open position that allows access to the chamber through an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and a lowered closed position that closes the inlet opening and the outlet opening, the method comprising:
 when configuring the warewash machine for cleaning standard wares, positioning a first wire form rack in the chamber on support portions of the chamber such that a ware rack receiving surface of the first wire form rack is positioned at a height substantially aligned with a bottom of the inlet opening and a bottom of the outlet opening;   when configuring the warewash machine for cleaning long trays, positioning a second wire form rack in the chamber on the support portions of the chamber such that a tray support surface of the second wire form rack is positioned below the bottom of the inlet opening and the bottom of the outlet opening;   wherein the second wire form rack is not present in the chamber when the warewash machine is configured for cleaning standard wares, and the first wire form rack is not present in the chamber when the warewash machine is configured for cleaning long trays.