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US 12,082,761 B2Granted
Heated wash fluid circulation system for high speed reusable beverage container washing system
AssigneeMidea Group Co., Ltd.
InventorsJoel Boyer, Robert M. Digman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A beverage container washing system may utilize a heated wash fluid circulation system to circulate wash fluid retained in a line between a tank and a sprayer to enable fluid that is supplied to the sprayer to be maintained at a suitable temperature for washing and/or sanitizing a beverage container, and in many instances regardless of the amount of time between wash cycles.
Claims20
An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:
- a housing including a wash chamber configured to receive a beverage container for washing;
- at least one sprayer disposed within the housing and configured to spray a wash fluid onto the beverage container while the beverage container is disposed in the wash chamber;
- a collector disposed in the housing and configured to collect wash fluid sprayed by the at least one sprayer;
- a tank coupled to receive wash fluid collected by the collector;
- a heater disposed in the tank and configured to heat wash fluid retained in the tank;
- a main pump in fluid communication with an outlet of the tank through a recirculation line and configured to supply wash fluid from the tank to the sprayer through a sprayer supply line;
- a filter coupled to the recirculation line;
- a return line coupled to a between an inlet of the tank and a high pressure side of the main pump;
- and
- a circulation pump coupled to the return line and configured to circulate wash fluid retained in the recirculation line back to the tank through the return line while the main pump is idle.
7 more elements
An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:
- a housing including a wash chamber configured to receive a beverage container for washing;
- at least one sprayer disposed within the housing and configured to spray a wash fluid onto the beverage container while the beverage container is disposed in the wash chamber;
- a tank coupled to receive wash fluid sprayed by the at least one sprayer;
- a heater disposed in the tank and configured to heat wash fluid retained in the tank;
- a pump in fluid communication with an outlet of the tank and configured to supply wash fluid from the tank to the sprayer;
- a plurality of lines coupling the tank to the pump and the pump to the at least one sprayer;
- and
- a heated wash fluid circulation system coupled between at least one line of the plurality of lines and the tank and configured to circulate wash fluid retained in the at least one line back to the tank while the pump is idle.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.