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US3899348A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Method for automatically cleaning reusable foodstuff containers with reduced quantities of fresh water and chemicals

Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1972-10-19
•
Granted: 1975-08-12
•
Expires: 1992-10-19
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Abstract

Abstract A method for cleaning reusable foodstuff containers, such as bottles or cans, using successive liquid cleaning and rinsing baths or stages, wherein liquid is supplied and circulated so that less fresh water and cleaning chemicals are required and the waste water composition is improved. Steam derived from an evaporator holding soft water is passed through a heat exchanger to heat washing liquid in the machine. The condensate from the heat exchanger is supplied to a first rinse water tank or container for use as rinsing water immediately following the last cleaning solution stage and before the final fresh water rinse. Preferably the first rinse water container has two chambers, a second chamber receiving the condensate and storing the excess, and a first chamber receiving overflow from the second chamber. Rinse water from the first chamber, comprising condensate and cleaning agent rinsed from the treated foodstuff containers, is returned to the evaporator as feed water for reheating. The progressively concentrated evaporator water is adjustably fed back to the cleaning bath to restore cleaning agent lost or carried away to the rinsing stages on the foodstuff containers.

Inventors

  • 👤 Erhard Tedden

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-27 20:29
CPC Classifications
B; B08; B08B; B08B9/00; B08B9/08; B08B9/20; B08B9/22; B08B3/00; B08B3/04; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S203/00; Y10S203/17

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 7
Claim 1
Independent Claim 97 words
A METHOD FOR SUPPLYING AND CIRCULATING LIQUID IN AN AUTOMATIC CLEANING MACHINE FOR REUSABLE FOODSTUFF CONTAINERS, SAID MACHINE BEING OF THE TYPE CONTAINING SUCCESSIVE LIQUID CLEANING AND RINSING BATHS OR STAGES FOR APPLICATION OF CLEANING AGENT AN RINSE TO THE FOODSTUFF CONTAINERS TRAVELLING THROUGH THE MACHINE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: HEATING LIQUID IN AN EVAPORATOR TO FORM STEAM, PASSING THE STEAM TO A HEAT EXCHANGER IN THE MACHINE TO LIBERATE HEAT FOR HEATING WASHING LIQUID IN THE MACHINE AND TO FORM CONDENSATE FROM SAID STEAM, FEEDING THE CONDENSATE TO A FIRST RINSE WATER CONTAINER IN THE MACHINE, AND
Claim 2
Independent Claim 97 words
A METHOD FOR SUPPLYING AND CIRCULATING LIQUID IN AN AUTOMATIC CLEANING MACHINE FOR REUSABLE FOODSTUFF CONTAINERS, SAID MACHINE BEING OF THE TYPE CONTAINING SUCCESSIVE LIQUID CLEANING AND RINSING BATHS OR STAGES FOR APPLICATION OF CLEANING AGENT AN RINSE TO THE FOODSTUFF CONTAINERS TRAVELLING THROUGH THE MACHINE, SAID METHOD COMPRISING: HEATING LIQUID IN AN EVAPORATOR TO FORM STEAM, PASSING THE STEAM TO A HEAT EXCHANGER IN THE MACHINE TO LIBERATE HEAT FOR HEATING WASHING LIQUID IN THE MACHINE AND TO FORM CONDENSATE FROM SAID STEAM, FEEDING THE CONDENSATE TO A FIRST RINSE WATER CONTAINER IN THE MACHINE, AND
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 45 words
A method for supplying and circulating liquid as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of: feeding the liquid in the first rinse water container, including condensate and cleaning agent rinsed from the foodstuff containers to the evaporator as feed water for renewed evaporation.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 79 words
A method for supplying and circulating liquid as claimed in claim 2 further comprising the step of: passing liquid which has accumulated in the evaporator, which includes cleaning agent rinsed from the foodstuff containers in the first rinse water container, back to a cleaning stage container in the machine, thereby to restore cleaning agent carried away therefrom on the foodstuff containers, thereby reducing the amount of cleaning agent needed to be supplied for cleaning and later discharged as waste.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 50 words
A method for supplying and circulating liquid as claimed in claim 3, further comprising the step of: passing accumulated liquid from the evaporator to the cleaning stage container in accordance with the quantity of fresh replacement water supplied to the machine to maintain the amount of fluid in the evaporator.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 31 words
A method for supplying and circulating liquid as claimed in clAim 4, wherein the replacement water is supplied to the first rinse water container to be fed back to the evaporator.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 55 words
A method for supplying and circulating liquid as claimed in claim 2 wherein the first rinse water container has first and second chambers, and wherein the condensate from the heat exchanger is fed into the second chamber and wherein excess liquid feeds therefrom into the first chamber and is fed therefrom back into the evaporator.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US2617435A Cited
US2721562A Cited
US2774361A Cited
US3598131A Cited
US3799807A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1978-08-11 1979-02-10 1979-08-12 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1982-08-11 1983-02-10 1983-08-12 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 1986-08-11 1987-02-10 1987-08-12 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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