Machine for washing medical and/or surgical instruments

2/- The machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein it comprises:

• means for locking in at least two states of said door (4), a locked state in which said locking means are designed to lock said door (4) in the washing position such that it is impossible to open said door (4) during a washing cycle, and an unlocked state in which said locking means are designed to allow an opening of said door (4),
• a control unit (16) for said locking means designed to be able to control the locking and unlocking of the locking means.

3/- The machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein it comprises, associated with said control unit (16):

• at least one positioning sensor for said door, known as a door sensor (17), designed to detect an open position of said door (4) and a closed position of said door (4),
• at least one sensor for detecting the presence of medical and/or surgical instruments in said tank (2) known as the tank sensor (18),
• at least one washing indicator (19) in two states, a washed state corresponding to the end of the washing cycle and a state to be washed corresponding to a washing cycle to be carried out or underway.

4/- The machine as claimed in one of claim 2 or 3, wherein said control unit (16) is designed to:

• control the locking of said locking means if at least said door sensor (17) detects a closed door (4), said tank sensor (18) detects instruments (1) in said tank (2) and said washing indicator (19) indicates said state to be washed,
• control the unlocking of said locking means in the other cases.

5/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 2 to 4, wherein said control unit (16) is designed to change the state of said washing indicator (19) from the washed state to the state to be washed if at least said tank sensor (18) no longer detects instruments (1) in said washing tank (2).

6/- The machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein said locking means comprise three states, a locked state in which they are designed to lock said door (4) in the washing position, a first unlocked state, known as the unlocked loading state in which they are designed to permit an opening of said door (4) for loading, and a second unlocked state, known as the unlocked unloading state, in which they are designed to permit an opening of said door (4) for unloading.

7/- The machine as claimed in claims 3 and 6, wherein said control unit (16) is designed to:

• control the passage of the locking means into the unlocked loading state if at least said tank sensor (18) detects an absence of instruments (1) for washing and a door sensor (17) detects a closed door (4),
• control the passage of the locking means into the unlocked unloading state if at least said washing indicator (19) indicates said washed state and a door sensor (17) detects a closed door (4).

8/- The machine as claimed in one of claim 6 or 7, wherein it comprises a pedal, known as the unloading pedal, arranged on the unloading side of the machine and designed to activate an opening of the door (4) for unloading and a pedal, known as the loading pedal, arranged on the loading side of the machine and designed to activate an opening of the door (4) for loading.

9/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 1 to 8, wherein it comprises a frame (15) arranged about said tank (2) and comprising an opening opposite said opening of said tank (2) and in that said door (4) comprises hinge plates (8) arranged respectively on the edge of the door (4) located on the loading side (5) of the machine, once the door (4) is in the closed position, known as the loading edge, and on the edge of the door (4) located on the unloading side (6), once the door (4) is in the closed position, known as the unloading edge of the door.

10/- The washing machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein said locking means comprise at least two claws (29) carried by the frame (15) and arranged, when the door (4) is in the closed position, respectively opposite a hinge plate (8) of the door (4) arranged on the loading edge of the door (4) and opposite a hinge plate (8) of the door (4) arranged on the unloading edge of the door (4), each claw (29) being designed:

• in one position, known as the locked position, corresponding to said locked state, to block the hinge plate (8) of the door (4) arranged opposite so as to prevent any opening of the door (4),
• in one position, known as the released position, corresponding to an unlocked state, to permit a release of said hinge plate (8) of the door (4) arranged on said claw side so as to permit a lateral opening of the door (4) on said claw side.

11/- The machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein each claw (29) comprises two levers (13, 14) respectively provided with two hooks (25, 26) which are joined together and designed to be able to form a claw for clamping a hinge plate (8) of said door (4) and to be able to be separated from one another so as to allow the release of said hinge plate (8) of said door (4) and to permit a lateral opening of the door (4).

12/- The machine as claimed in claim 11, wherein each claw (29) is mounted on the frame (15) by means of at least two journals which are fixed relative to the frame, known as guide journals (23) and at least one slider (32) which is mobile relative to the frame, known as the displacement slider (32), said displacement slider (32) being designed to cause the displacement of said levers (13, 14) of said claw (29) in a plane at right angles to said access plane (34) between a retracted position in which the levers (13, 14) maintain the door (4) in a washing position, and at least one deployed position in which the levers (13, 14) allow an opening of the door on said claw (29) side, the door (4) being thus moved away from the tank (2).

13/- The machine as claimed in claim 12, wherein each lever (13, 14) extends in a plane at right angles to said access plane (34) and comprises an oblong aperture, known as the displacement aperture (21), extending in a principal direction parallel to said access plane (34) and through which is arranged, at right angles to said principal direction, said displacement slider (32) and two oblong apertures, known as guide apertures (22), extending in a direction at right angles to said access plane (34), arranged on both sides of said displacement aperture and through which are arranged said guide journals (23) which are fixed relative to said frame (15).

14/- The machine as claimed in claim 13, wherein said hinge of said door (4) comprises on each loading (5) and unloading (6) side, a mechanism, known as an eccentric mechanism (24), comprising a shaft (31) which is parallel to said access plane (34) and designed to be driven in rotation by driving means and at each end of which are arranged two eccentric displacement sliders (32), extending in a direction parallel to the direction of the shaft (31), each slider (32) passing through said oblong displacement apertures (21) of the levers (13, 14) forming a claw (29) such that the eccentric rotation of said displacement sliders (32) forces a displacement of said claws (29) at right angles to said access plane (34).

15/- The machine as claimed in one of claim 13 or 14, wherein for each claw (29), one of the oblong guide apertures (22) for one of the levers, known as the articulated lever (14), has a portion which is inclined relative to the guide aperture (22) of the opposite lever (13) such that said guide apertures (22) of the levers (13, 14) forming this claw (29) are partially blind.

16/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 12 to 15, wherein each displacement slider (32) is designed to position each claw (29), in an intermediate deployed position, known as the pivoted position, between said retracted position and a fully deployed position, and in which it forms a pivot pin of a hinge plate (8) of the door (4) clamped in said claw (29).

17/- The machine as claimed in claim 14, wherein said means for driving said shafts (31) of said eccentric mechanisms (24) in rotation are associated with electric motors.

18/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 10 to 17, wherein it comprises positioning sensors for each claw (29).

19/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 1 to 18, wherein it comprises two controlled telescopic articulated arms (7) arranged between the lateral edges of the door (4) and the machine, said articulated arms (7) being designed to be deployed to ensure automatic opening of the door (4) and to be able to be retracted to allow a closing of the door (4).

20/- The machine as claimed in one of claims 1 to 19, wherein said door (4) is designed to extend in the closed position, in a horizontal plane, and in that said bilateral hinge is arranged such that said loading and unloading apertures of said door (4) are openings at the top.