Waterless dishwasher

A dishwashing apparatus for washing dishware contaminated by food residue including grease and water, the apparatus comprising:

• a blasting medium transport system, including:
• an air compressor;
• a feed valve connected to the air compressor by a first conduit, wherein the feed valve is adjustable to provide compressed air only and alternatively a combination of compressed air and a dry blasting medium;
• a dividing manifold connected to the feed valve by a second conduit;
• a first rail manifold connected to the dividing manifold by a third conduit;
• a second rail manifold connected to the dividing manifold by a fourth conduit;
• a first plurality of pressure heads connected to the first rail manifold;
• a first plurality of pressure nozzles, wherein every one of the first plurality of pressure heads has at least one pressure nozzle extending therefrom;
• a second plurality of pressure heads connected to the second rail manifold;
• and
• a second plurality of pressure nozzles, wherein every one of the second plurality of pressure heads has at least one pressure nozzle extending therefrom;
• a blasting medium storage system, including:
• a feed hopper;
• and
• a fifth conduit connecting the feed hopper to the feed valve;
• an enclosure, wherein the first rail manifold and the second rail manifold are positioned within the enclosure;
• a carriage rack transport system positioned in the enclosure, wherein the carriage rack transport system is configured to guide a carriage rack containing the dishware to a position longitudinally between the first plurality of pressure heads and the second plurality of pressure heads;
• and
• a return system located in a lower compartment of the enclosure, the return system including an angled portion;
• wherein the feed valve of the blasting medium transport system is configured to provide only compressed air during a waterless rinse or, alternatively, a combination of compressed air and the dry blasting medium during a waterless wash,
• wherein the dry blasting medium is transported through the fifth conduit to the feed valve by action of compressed air from the air compressor flowing through the first conduit and the feed valve;
• wherein the combination of compressed air and the dry blasting medium flows through the second conduit, the dividing manifold, the third conduit, the first rail manifold to flow through the first plurality of pressure heads, and then through the at least one pressure nozzle extending from every one of the pressure heads of the first plurality of pressure heads, and in parallel through the fourth conduit, the second rail manifold to flow through the second plurality of pressure heads, and then through the at least one pressure nozzle extending from every one of the pressure heads of the second plurality of pressure heads;
• wherein the combination of compressed air and the dry blasting medium flows under pressure from the pressure nozzles to flow into the enclosure to impinge on the dishware in the carriage rack positioned in the carriage rack transport system;
• wherein action of the compressed air and the dry blasting medium removes food debris from the surfaces of the dishware;
• and
• wherein used blasting medium and the food debris falls into the lower compartment to land on the angled portion.