High speed reusable beverage container washing system with beverage container holder having retainer with lateral opening

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12036588-B2
Application number	US-202117490869-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2021
Priority date	Sep 30, 2021
Publication date	Jul 16, 2024
Grant date	Jul 16, 2024

Abstract

A beverage container washing system may be used for rapid washing and/or sanitizing of beverage containers, e.g., for use in a retail environment to wash and/or sanitize customer-provided beverage containers prior to filling the beverage containers with purchased beverages, among other applications. The beverage container washing system may include a holder that utilizes a base that supports a beverage container in an inverted orientation and a retainer that supports a sidewall of the beverage container and includes a lateral opening through which the beverage container may be passed during insertion into and/or removal from the holder.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for washing a beverage container, comprising:
a housing defining a wash chamber; and
a holder disposed within the wash chamber and configured to hold the beverage container in an inverted orientation during a washing operation, the holder including:
a base configured to support the beverage container when the beverage container is held by the holder in the inverted orientation; and
a retainer configured to support a sidewall of the beverage container when the beverage container is held by the holder in the inverted orientation to restrict lateral movement of the beverage container during the washing operation, the retainer including a lateral opening through which the beverage container may be passed during insertion into and/or removal from the holder;

wherein the retainer comprises opposing first and second grippers, each including a container engaging portion configured to engage the sidewall of the beverage container, and each of the first and second grippers being movable between respective first and second positions and biased to the respective first position, wherein movement of each gripper from the respective first position to the respective second position increases a lateral separation between the respective container engaging portions of the first and second grippers;
wherein the holder further includes first and second hinges respectively supporting the first and second grippers and having respective pivot axes such that each of the first and second grippers moves between the respective first and second positions at least partially through rotation about the respective pivot axis;
wherein the first and second hinges are supported by the base and the respective pivot axes of the first and second hinges are substantially horizontally oriented and substantially parallel to one another, and wherein each of the first and second hinges is spring-loaded to respectively bias the first and second grippers to the respective first positions;
wherein the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers includes a wire frame including four contact points protruding inwardly from the respective container engaging portion and arranged in a substantially rectangular arrangement, the four contact points arranged into a first, lower elevation pair and a second, higher elevation pair, the first, lower elevation pair of the four contact points positioned on the container engaging portion to contact the sidewall of the beverage container when a diameter of the beverage container is a first diameter and the container engaging portions of the first and second grippers are at a first lateral separation between one another, and the second, higher elevation pair of the four contact points positioned on the container engaging portion to contact the sidewall of the beverage container when the diameter of the beverage container is a second diameter that is smaller than the first diameter and the container engaging portions of the first and second grippers are at a second lateral separation between one another that is smaller than the first lateral separation, wherein the first, lower elevation pair of the four contact points and the second, higher elevation pair of the four contact points are positioned such that, when the diameter of the beverage container is the first diameter, the first, lower elevation pair of the four contact points contact the sidewall of the beverage container but the second, higher elevation pair of the contact points are separated from the sidewall of the beverage container, and when the diameter of the beverage container is the second diameter, the second, higher elevation pair of the four contact points contact the sidewall of the beverage container but the first, lower elevation pair of the contact points are separated from the sidewall of the beverage container.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers includes first and second generally vertical members joined by first and second diagonal members that cross one another, wherein a first contact point among the four contact points for the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers is defined proximate an intersection of the first generally vertical member and the first diagonal member, a second contact point among the four contact points for the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers is defined proximate an intersection of the first generally vertical member and the second diagonal member, a third contact point among the four contact points for the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers is defined proximate an intersection of the second generally vertical member and the first diagonal member, and a fourth contact point among the four contact points for the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers is defined proximate an intersection of the second generally vertical member and the second diagonal member.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein each of the first and second vertical members and the first and second diagonal members for the wire frame of the container engaging portion of each of the first and second grippers is bowed away from the beverage container when the beverage container is held by the holder in the inverted orientation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the first and second grippers further includes a wing portion adjacent the lateral opening, the respective wing portions of the first and second grippers configured to urge the first and second grippers toward the respective second positions when the beverage container is pushed into the lateral opening and against the respective wing portions.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the wing portion of each of the first and second grippers is a first wing portion and is oriented on a first side of the lateral opening, and wherein each of the first and second grippers further includes a second wing portion disposed on a second, opposite side of the lateral opening from the respective first wing portion such that the beverage container may be passed through either of the first and second sides of the lateral opening during insertion into and/or removal from the holder.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the base includes a substantially vertical portion that projects upwardly towards the beverage container when the beverage container is held by the holder in the inverted orientation and a substantially horizontal portion, wherein the substantially vertical portion defines a first annular support configured to support a shoulder of the beverage container when the beverage container is a narrow mouth beverage container and the substantially horizontal portion defines a second annular support configured to support a lip of the beverage container when the beverage container is a wide mouth beverage container, and wherein the substantially vertical portion extends externally to the beverage container when the beverage container is the narrow mouth beverage container and extends internally to the beverage container when the beverage container is the wide mouth beverage container.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the base includes a wire frame including a plurality of wires projecting inwardly from a perimeter of the base, each wire among the plurality of wires including a substantially vertical portion and a substantially horizontal portion separating the substantially vertical portion from the perimeter of the base, wherein the substantially vertical portion of the base is defined by the substantially vertical portions of the pluralit

Assignees

• Midea Group Co Ltd

Inventors

• Trice Daniel J
• Digman Robert M
• Scalf Eric

Classifications

• A47L15/0065

  specially adapted for drinking glasses · CPC title

• A47L15/50

  Racks {; Baskets} · CPC title

• A47L15/0089

  of small size, e.g. portable mini dishwashers for small kitchens, office kitchens, boats, recreational vehicles (specially adapted for drinking glasses A47L15/0065) · CPC title

• B08B2209/08

  Details of machines or methods for cleaning containers, e.g. tanks · CPC title

• A47L15/0076

  of non-domestic use type, e.g. commercial dishwashers for bars, hotels, restaurants, canteens or hospitals (machines specially adapted for drinking glasses A47L15/0065; drawer-type dishwashers A47L15/0084; in-sink dishwashers A47L15/0086; miniature dishwashers A47L15/0089; conveyor-type dishwashers A47L15/24; machines with crockery cleaned by brushes A47L15/37) · CPC title