State machine and/or container-specific operational control of high speed reusable beverage container washing system

An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:

• a housing including a wash chamber configured to receive a beverage container for washing;
• a spray assembly including 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, the spray assembly further including:
• 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 drain device configured to convey wash fluid retained in the tank to a drain;
• a pump disposed downstream of the filter and configured to supply wash fluid to the at least one sprayer;
• a make up water valve configured to supply make up water to the tank;
• a temperature sensor configured to sense a temperature of wash fluid retained in the tank;
• a fluid property sensor configured to sense a fluid property associated with wash fluid cleanliness;
• and
• a fluid level sensor configured to sense a level of wash fluid in the tank;
• and
• a controller coupled to the spray assembly and configured to execute a plurality of state machines, wherein the plurality of state machines are configured to:
• initialize the apparatus by priming the pump and activating the make up water valve to add make up water to the tank;
• maintain a predetermined temperature of wash fluid retained in the tank by selectively activating the heater in response to the temperature sensed by the temperature sensor;
• maintain a predetermined wash fluid level in the tank by selectively activating the make up water valve in response to the level sensed by the fluid level sensor;
• perform first and second washing operations for respective first and second beverage containers positioned in the wash chamber at respective first and second times by selectively activating the pump to supply wash fluid to the at least one sprayer, wherein the wash fluid used in the first washing operation is reused in the second washing operation;
• and
• perform a wash fluid refresh operation after the second washing operation and while the controller is not performing any washing operation by, in response to the fluid property sensed by the fluid property sensor, selectively activating the drain device to drain at least a portion of the wash fluid retained in the tank and selectively activating the make up water valve to add make up water to the tank;
• wherein the predetermined temperature is a sanitizing temperature and the spray assembly further includes:
• 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 and while the controller is not performing any washing operation;
• wherein the plurality of state machines are further configured to circulate wash fluid retained in the at least one line back to the tank while the pump is idle and while the controller is not performing any washing operation to maintain an elevated temperature in the at least one line between washing operations and thereby reduce a time for wash fluid sprayed by the at least one sprayer to reach the sanitizing temperature during a subsequent washing operation.