High speed reusable beverage container washing system

An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:

• a housing;
• a holder disposed within the housing and configured to hold a beverage container during 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 held by the holder, the spray assembly further including:
• a tank including first and second chambers and a cross-over fluidly coupling the first and second chambers, the first and second chambers having respective first and second outlets, the first chamber coupled to a collector that collects fluid sprayed by the sprayer, and the cross-over including an inverted conduit disposed below a fluid level in the first chamber of the tank such that solid particles in the fluid collected by the collector sink to a bottom of the first chamber and such that floating particles in the fluid collected by the collector float above an inlet of the inverted conduit;
• a heater disposed in the tank and configured to heat wash fluid retained in the tank;
• first and second drain devices respectively coupled to the first and second outlets of the first and second chambers of the tank, the first and second drain devices respectively configured to convey wash fluid stored in the first and second chambers to a drain;
• a filter including an inlet coupled to the second outlet and configured to filter wash fluid from the second chamber, the filter further including an outlet;
• a pump coupled to the outlet of the filter and configured to supply wash fluid to the sprayer;
• and
• a make up water valve configured to supply make up water to the tank;
• and
• a controller coupled to the spray assembly and configured to perform a plurality of washing operations for a plurality of beverage containers by circulating wash fluid stored in the tank with the pump while the first and second drain devices and the make up water valve are closed such that the wash fluid stored in the tank is reused for the plurality of washing operations, and after performing the plurality of washing operations, perform a wash fluid refresh operation by actuating at least one of the first and second drain devices to drain at least a portion of the wash fluid retained in the tank to the drain and actuating the make up water valve to add make up water to the tank.

An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:

• a countertop housing including an entrance and an exit that is separate from the entrance, the entrance configured to receive a beverage container prior to washing and the exit configured to provide access to the beverage container after washing, the countertop housing configured to project above a countertop;
• a holder disposed within the housing and configured to hold the beverage container during washing;
• and
• 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 held by the holder, the spray assembly further including a wash fluid recirculation assembly disposed in a cabinet underneath the countertop and in fluid communication with the at least one sprayer through the countertop.