WAREWASH MACHINE WITH SUBMERSIBLE CUTLERY BASKET

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/649,775, filed March 29, 2018.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] This application relates generally to warewashers such as those used in commercial applications such as cafeterias and restaurants and, more particularly, to a submersible cutlery basket for such warewashers.

BACKGROUND

[0003] Commercial warewashers commonly include a housing area which defines a chamber with one or more washing and rinsing zones for dishes, pots pans and other wares. In conveyor-type machines wares are moved through multiple different spray zones within the housing for cleaning (e.g., pre-wash, wash, post-wash (aka power rinse) and rinse zones). One or more of the zones includes a tank in which liquid to be recirculated for spraying is heated in order to achieve desired cleaning. Other types of machines, such as hood-type batch machines, perform the washing and rinsing sequentially in a single spray zone including a tank below the spray zone.

[0004] In general, it is not uncommon for silverware/tableware or other cutlery to have tightly sticking food soils or, in worse situations when not cleaned instantly, dried food soils that are difficult to fully remove by cleaning. Food residues on cutlery are very unappealing, and it is desirable to clean cutlery effectively. It is therefore common practice for operators to run silverware/tableware or other cutlery through warewash machines more than once (i.e., more than one cleaning cycle) in order to ensure full food soil removal even after the cutlery is considered fully sanitized by an initial cleaning cycle. Such multi-runs of cutlery lower machine productivity given the additional operator time needed to inspect and rerun the cutlery. A warewash apparatus comprising a plurality of waste baskets is disclosed in document US 3,067,757.

[0005] It would be desirable to provide a warewasher cutlery system that enables effective cutlery cleaning without requiring additional operator effort.

SUMMARY

[0006] The invention is a warewash machine as defined by claim 1. The warewash machine includes a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having a wash zone with an associated spray system for spraying liquid onto wares passing therethrough and a collection tank below the wash zone. A strainer pan is located atop the collection tank and includes a first opening with a removable strainer bucket mounted therein and a second opening with a removable cutlery basket mounted therein.

[0007] In another aspect, a warewash machine includes a chamber for receiving wares, the chamber having a wash zone with an associated spray system for spraying liquid onto wares passing therethrough and a collection tank below the wash zone. A strainer pan is located atop the collection tank and includes an opening with a removable cutlery basket mounted therein.

[0008] The invention is also a method as defined by claim 9. The method of cleaning cutlery includes loading the cutlery into a cutlery basket and then removably mounting the cutlery basket within an opening in a strainer pan located at or near the top of a collection tank of a wash chamber of a warewash machine such that the cutlery basket extends into the collection tank. Then, one or more cleaning cycles of the warewash machine can be performed. In each cleaning cycle, a wash liquid is recirculated between the collection tank and a spray system for spraying the wash liquid onto wares in the wash chamber followed by spraying a rinse liquid onto the wares. The cutlery is substantially submerged in the wash liquid in the collection tank during the one or more cleaning cycles. After completion of the one or more cleaning cycles, the cutlery basket may be removed from the strainer pan.

[0009] The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, objects, and advantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and from the claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] 

Fig. 1 is a schematic side elevation of one embodiment of a warewasher; and

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of another embodiment of a warewasher;

Fig. 3 is a schematic elevation of a warewasher with a submersible cutlery basket;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of a cutlery basket; and

Fig. 5 is a bottom perspective of a strainer pan with strainer basket and cutlery basket mounted therein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Referring to Fig. 1, an exemplary conveyor-type warewash machine, generally designated 10, is shown. Warewash machine 10 includes a housing 11 that can receive racks 12 of soiled wares 14 from an input side 16. The wares are moved through tunnel-like chambers from the input side toward a blower dryer unit 18 at an opposite exit end 17 of the warewash system by a suitable conveyor mechanism 20. Either continuously or intermittently moving conveyor mechanisms or combinations thereof may be used, depending, for example, on the style, model and size of the warewash system 10. Flight-type conveyors in which racks are not used are also possible. In the illustrated example, the racks 12 of soiled wares 14 enter the warewash system 10 through a flexible curtain 22 into a pre-wash chamber or zone 24 where sprays of liquid from upper and lower pre-wash manifolds 26 and 28 above and below the racks, respectively, function to flush heavier soil from the wares. The liquid for this purpose comes from a tank 30 and is delivered to the manifolds via a pump 32 and supply conduit 34. A drain structure 36 provides a single location where liquid is pumped from the tank 30 using the pump 32. Via the same drain structure, liquid can also be drained from the tank and out of the machine via drain path 37, for example, for a tank cleaning operation.

[0012] The racks proceed to a next curtain 38 into a main wash chamber or zone 40, where the wares are subject to sprays of cleansing wash liquid (e.g., typically water with detergent) from upper and lower wash manifolds 42 and 44 with spray nozzles 47 and 49, respectively, these sprays being supplied through a supply conduit 46 by a pump 48, which draws from a main tank 50. A heater 58, such as an electrical immersion heater provided with suitable thermostatic controls (not shown), maintains the temperature of the cleansing liquid in the tank 50 at a suitable level. Not shown, but which may be included, is a device for adding a cleansing detergent to the liquid in tank 50. During normal operation, pumps 32 and 48 are continuously driven, usually by separate motors, once the warewash system 10 is started for a period of time.

[0013] The warewash system 10 may optionally include a power rinse (also known as post-wash) chamber or zone (not shown) that is substantially identical to main wash chamber 40. In such an instance, racks of wares proceed from the wash chamber 40 into the power rinse chamber, within which heated rinse water is sprayed onto the wares from upper and lower manifolds.

[0014] The racks 12 of wares 14 exit the main wash chamber 40 through a curtain 52 into a final rinse chamber or zone 54. The final rinse chamber 54 is provided with upper and lower spray heads 56, 57 that are supplied with a flow of fresh hot water via pipe 62 running from a hot water booster 70 under the control of a solenoid valve (or alternatively any other suitable valve capable of automatic control). A rack detector 64 may be actuated when a rack 12 of wares 14 is positioned in the final rinse chamber 54 and through suitable electrical controls (e.g., a controller), the detector causes actuation of, for example, a solenoid valve to open and admit the hot rinse water to the spray heads 56, 57. The water then drains from the wares and is directed into the tank 50 by gravity flow. The rinsed rack 12 of wares 14 then exits the final rinse chamber 54 through curtain 66, moving into dryer unit 18, before exiting the outlet end 17 of the machine.

[0015] Fig. 2 shows a hood-type batch machine 100 in which racks are placed in the spray zone and the full cleaning cycle (e.g., wash, rinse and dry) takes place while the rack is stationary. The warewash machine 100 includes a housing 102 (e.g., with support frame and panels) in part defining a chamber 104 with a wash zone 106. The chamber includes front, left and right access openings through which wares can be moved in and out of the chamber for cleaning. At least one spray arm is disposed above or below the wash zone, the spray arm configured to spray liquid toward the wash zone 106. In a typical machine both a wash spray arm and a rinse spray arm may be provided, with the wash spray arm fed by a pump that recirculates liquid from a collection sump or tank 110 below the wash zone, and the rinse spray arm fed by a pump (or line pressure) that delivers hot water from a hot water booster. The arms may, for example, be rotating arms. Upper and lower sets of arms may be implemented. A multi-sided hood assembly 130 includes movable front, left, right and top wall sections and, in some cases, a movable back wall may also be provided (e.g., forming a box-like hood structure that is open at the bottom). The multi-sided hood assembly is movable (per arrow 132) between a lowered closed position for washing and a raised open position (illustrated in Fig. 1) for inlet and outlet of wares. When the multi-sided hood assembly is in the closed position it closes the access openings so that cleaning sprays within the chamber will be contained during ware cleaning. When the multi-sided hood assembly is in the open position the access openings are open as shown in Fig. 2 to permit access to the wash zone for inlet and egress of wares. Machines having independently movable door sections (e.g., front, left and ride) are also contemplated.

[0016] A submersible cutlery basket that is usable in a warewash machine, such as either of the machines of Figs. 1 and 2, is provided. Fig. 3 shows an exemplary machine 300 with chamber 302, spray zone 304, wash arm 306, rinse arm 308 and collection tank 310. A strainer pan 312 is configured to direct falling liquid into the tank 310 through a strainer bucket 314 that is removably mounted in an opening 311 of the strainer pan 312. The strainer bucket 314 may include one or more sidewalls having a plurality of openings 315 sized for capturing food debris falling within the wash zone.

[0017] The strainer pan 312 includes a further opening 317 into which a cutlery basket 320 is removably mounted. The cutlery basket 320 is sized and configured to provide submersion of a substantial majority of the cutlery items 322 located in the basket. For instance, at least 50% (e.g., such as at least 60%, at least 70%, at least 80% or at least 90%) of a height of the cutlery basket 320 may be positioned below an operating liquid level of the collection tank. Embodiments in which an entire height of the cutlery basket 320 is submerged are also possible. The submerged (partially or fully) arrangement allows an operator to wash regular wares while the cutlery soak in the wash liquid. The turbulence of the wash liquid in the tank helps clean the cutlery. In addition, the operator can allow the cutlery to remain in the wash tank for multiple cleaning cycles, without requiring the operator to repeatedly interact with and handle the cutlery between the cycles. After a desired number of cycles an operator then removes the cutlery basket 320 and places the cutlery into a traditional ware rack 324 for a final cleaning cycle.

[0018] As seen in Fig. 4, the cutlery basket 320 includes an upper handle 330, an upper grid member 332 forming cutlery receiving slots and including a plurality of openings, and a perforated sidewall 334 to allow relative free flow of wash liquid through the cutlery basket for contact with cutlery therein. The cutlery basket may also include a removable solid lid or cover (not shown). Using such a solid lid or cover provides the advantage of preventing heavier soils from falling into the cutlery basket 320 from any wares present in the ware rack 324. The cutlery basket 320 may include one or more sidewalls having a plurality of openings 335 sized for allowing free passage of water into and out of the cutlery basket. In one implementation, the openings may be formed by a mesh configuration of the sidewall(s). The average size of the openings 335 of the cutlery basket 320, when present, are larger than average size of the openings of the strainer bucket 314, when present. The larger size openings of the cutlery basket are intended to be sufficiently large to reduce any capture of food soils within the cutlery basket.

[0019] A bottom wall 336 of the cutlery basket may be solid or perforated and is movably connected to the sidewall 334 to permit cutlery items to be released from the bottom of the basket. In this regard, a hinged connection 338 may be utilized for this purpose, with a latch assembly 340 provided to hold the bottom wall 336 in the closed condition to retain cutlery. The latch may, for example, be formed by a hook member 342 having a portion that sits below the edge of the bottom wall, where the hook member 342 is operatively connected to a manual trigger 344 proximate the handle 330. An operator can push the trigger 344 to cause the hook member 342 to shift to a release position that allows downward pivot of the bottom wall 336 to drop the cutlery items out of the bottom of the cutlery basket. This assembly provides a convenient technique for the operator to drop the cutlery items into a ware rack for a final cleaning cycle. Fig. 5 shows a bottom view of a strainer pan 312 with both strainer bucket 314 and cutlery basket 320 positioned therein.

[0020] Cutlery may be cleaned using a warewash machine with a submersible cutlery basket similar to one described above. A method of cleaning may include loading the cutlery into a cutlery basket and then removably mounting the cutlery basket within an opening in a strainer pan located at or near the top of a collection tank of a wash chamber of a warewash machine such that the cutlery basket extends down into the collection tank. Then, one or more cleaning cycles of the warewash machine can be performed. In each cleaning cycle, a wash liquid is recirculated between the collection tank and a spray system for spraying the wash liquid onto wares in a spray zone of the wash chamber followed by spraying of a rinse liquid onto the wares. The cutlery is substantially submerged in the wash liquid in the collection tank during the one or more cleaning cycles. After completion of the one or more cleaning cycles, the cutlery basket may be removed from the strainer pan. Additionally, the cutlery could be removed from the cutlery basket(e.g., using the dropout feature described above), placed above the strainer pan in the spray zone, perhaps in a traditional ware rack for instance, and finally cleaned by running an additional cleaning cycle of the warewash machine.

[0021] The subject cutlery cleaning basket, system and method is simple, cost effective, fits in the footprint of the machine, ensures effective cleaning and sanitization of cutlery and increases machine/operator efficiency.

[0022] It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended by way of illustration and example only and is not intended to be taken by way of limitation, and that changes and modifications are possible. Accordingly, other embodiments are contemplated and modifications and changes could be made without departing from the scope of the appending claims.

Claims

1. A warewash machine (300) for washing wares, comprising:

- a chamber (302) for receiving wares, the chamber (302) having a spray zone (304);

- a spray system (306, 308) within the spray zone (304) for spraying liquid onto wares passing therethrough;

- a collection tank (310) below the spray zone (304) including said liquid;

- a removable strainer bucket (314);

and

- a strainer pan (312) located atop the collection tank (310) and having a first opening (311) with the removable strainer bucket (314) mounted therein comprising one or more sidewalls having a plurality of openings (315) sized for capturing falling food debris,

characterized in that

the warewash machine (300) further comprises a removable cutlery basket (320); and

the strainer pan (312) has a second opening (317) with the removable cutlery basket (320) mounted in said second opening (317), the cutlery basket (320) being substantially submerged in the liquid in the collection tank (310) and including one or more sidewalls (334) having a plurality of openings (335) sized for allowing free passage of the liquid into and out of the cutlery basket (320) and reducing any capture of food soils within the cutlery basket (320), wherein an average size of the openings (335) of the cutlery basket (320) is larger than an average size of the openings (315) of the strainer bucket (314).

2. The warewash machine (300) of claim 1,
wherein at least 70% of a height of the cutlery basket (320) is positioned below an operating liquid level of the collection tank (310).

3. The warewash machine (300) of claim 1 or 2,
wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes a bottom wall portion (336) that is movable between a cutlery retention position and a cutlery dropout position, wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes a latch system (340) for releasably holding the bottom wall portion (336) in the cutlery retention position.

4. The warewash machine (300) of claim 3,
wherein the latch system (340) includes a latch trigger (344) located toward a top portion of the cutlery basket (320), wherein the latch trigger (344) is positioned proximate a carrying handle (330) of the cutlery basket (320).

5. The warewash machine (300) of claim 1,
wherein the cutlery basket (320) is spaced apart from the strainer bucket (314).

6. The warewash machine (300) of one of the preceding claims,
wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes a removable lid or cover, the lid or cover being solid.

7. The warewash machine (300) of one of the preceding claims,
wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes a plurality of openings for receiving cutlery.

8. The warewash machine (300) of one of the preceding claims,
wherein the strainer pan (312) is configured to direct water flow toward the strainer bucket (314).

9. A method of cleaning cutlery, the method comprising:

- loading the cutlery into a cutlery basket (320);

- removably mounting the cutlery basket (320) within a second opening (317) in a strainer pan (312) located atop a collection tank (310) of a wash chamber (302) of a warewash machine (300) such that the cutlery basket (320) extends into the collection tank (310), wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes one or more sidewalls (334) having a plurality of openings (335) sized for allowing free passage of the liquid into and out of the cutlery basket (320) and reducing any capture of food soils within the cutlery basket (320);

- running one or more cleaning cycles of the warewash machine (300), wherein, in each cleaning cycle, a wash liquid is recirculated between the collection tank (310) and a spray system (306, 308) for spraying the wash liquid onto wares in a spray zone (304) of the wash chamber (302) passing therethrough, the spray zone (304) being located above the strainer pan (312) and cutlery basket (320), followed by spraying of a rinse liquid onto the wares within the spray zone (304), wherein the cutlery in the cutlery basket (320) is substantially submerged in the wash liquid in the collection tank (310) during the one or more cleaning cycles;

- after completion of the one or more cleaning cycles, removing the cutlery basket (320) from the strainer pan (312), wherein the strainer pan (312) includes a first opening (311) with a removable strainer bucket (314) mounted therein, the strainer bucket (314) comprising one or more sidewalls having a plurality of openings (315) sized for capturing falling food debris, wherein an average size of the openings (335) of the cutlery basket (320) is larger than an average size of the openings (315) of the strainer bucket (314).

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

- removing the cutlery from the cutlery basket (320);

- placing the cutlery in the spray zone (304) of the warewash machine (300); and

- running an additional cleaning cycle of the warewash machine (300).

11. The method of claim 10,
wherein the cutlery basket (320) includes a bottom wall portion (336) that is movable between a cutlery retention position and a cutlery dropout position; and wherein the removing the cutlery from the cutlery basket (320) comprises moving the bottom wall portion (336) to the cutlery dropout position.

Ansprüche

1. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) zum Waschen von Spülgut, aufweisend:

- eine Kammer (302) zur Aufnahme von Spülgut, die Kammer (302) eine Sprühzone (304) aufweisend;

- ein Sprühsystem (306, 308) innerhalb der Sprühzone (304) zum Sprühen von Flüssigkeit auf durchlaufendes Spülgut;

- einen Sammeltank (310) unterhalb der Sprühzone (304), der die Flüssigkeit beinhaltet;

- einen entfernbaren Siebeimer (314);
und

- eine Siebwanne (312), die oberhalb des Sammeltanks (310) angeordnet ist und eine erste Öffnung (311) mit dem darin montierten entfernbaren Siebeimer (314) aufweist, der eine oder mehrere Seitenwände mit einer Vielzahl von Öffnungen (315) aufweist, die zum Auffangen herabfallender Nahrungsmittelrückstände bemessen sind,
dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass

die Geschirrspülmaschine (300) ferner einen entfernbaren Besteckkorb (320) aufweist; und

die Siebwanne (312) eine zweite Öffnung (317) aufweist, wobei der entfernbare Besteckkorb (320) in der zweiten Öffnung (317) montiert ist, der Besteckkorb (320) im Wesentlichen in die Flüssigkeit in dem Sammeltank (310) eingetaucht ist und eine oder mehrere Seitenwände (334) mit einer Vielzahl von Öffnungen (335) aufweist, die so bemessen sind, dass sie den freien Durchgang der Flüssigkeit in den und aus dem Besteckkorb (320) ermöglichen und das Auffangen von Lebensmittelverschmutzungen innerhalb des Besteckkorbs (320) reduzieren, wobei eine durchschnittliche Größe der Öffnungen (335) des Besteckkorbs (320) größer ist als eine durchschnittliche Größe der Öffnungen (315) des Siebeimers (314).

2. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach Anspruch 1,
wobei zumindest 70 % einer Höhe des Besteckkorbs (320) unterhalb eines Betriebsflüssigkeitsspiegels des Sammeltanks (310) angeordnet sind.

3. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach Anspruch 1 oder 2,
wobei der Besteckkorb (320) einen unteren Wandabschnitt (336) beinhaltet, der zwischen einer Besteckrückhalteposition und einer Besteckauswurfposition bewegbar ist, wobei der Besteckkorb (320) ein Verriegelungssystem (340) zum lösbaren Halten des unteren Wandabschnitts (336) in der Besteckrückhalteposition beinhaltet.

4. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach Anspruch 3,
wobei das Verriegelungssystem (340) einen Verriegelungsauslöser (344) beinhaltet, der in Richtung eines oberen Abschnitts des Besteckkorbs (320) angeordnet ist, wobei der Verriegelungsauslöser (344) in der Nähe eines Tragegriffs (330) des Besteckkorbs (320) angeordnet ist.

5. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach Anspruch 1,
wobei der Besteckkorb (320) von dem Siebeimer (314) beabstandet ist.

6. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
wobei der Besteckkorb (320) einen entfernbaren Deckel oder eine entfernbare Abdeckung beinhaltet, wobei der Deckel oder die Abdeckung stabil ist.

7. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
wobei der Besteckkorb (320) eine Vielzahl von Öffnungen zur Aufnahme von Besteck beinhaltet.

8. Geschirrspülmaschine (300) nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche,
wobei die Siebwanne (312) zum Leiten des Wasserflusses in Richtung des Siebeimers (314) ausgestaltet ist.

9. Verfahren zum Reinigen von Besteck, das Verfahren aufweisend:

- Bestücken des Besteckkorbs (320) mit Besteck;

- entfernbares Montieren des Besteckkorbs (320) innerhalb einer zweiten Öffnung (317) in einer oberhalb eines Sammeltanks (310) einer Waschkammer (302) einer Geschirrspülmaschine (300) angeordneten Siebwanne (312), sodass sich der Besteckkorb (320) in den Sammeltank (310) hinein erstreckt, wobei der Besteckkorb (320) eine oder mehrere Seitenwände (334) mit einer Vielzahl von Öffnungen (335) beinhaltet, die so bemessen sind, dass sie den freien Durchgang der Flüssigkeit in den und aus dem Besteckkorb (320) ermöglichen und das Auffangen von Lebensmittelverschmutzungen innerhalb des Besteckkorbs (320) reduzieren;

- Durchführen eines oder mehrerer Reinigungszyklen der Geschirrspülmaschine (300), wobei in jedem Reinigungszyklus eine Waschflüssigkeit zwischen dem Sammeltank (310) und einem Sprühsystem (306, 308) zum Sprühen der Waschflüssigkeit auf das Spülgut in einer Sprühzone (304) der durchlaufenden Spülkammer (302) rezirkuliert wird, wobei die Sprühzone (304) oberhalb der Siebwanne (312) und des Besteckkorbs (320) angeordnet ist, gefolgt von dem Sprühen einer Spülflüssigkeit auf das Spülgut innerhalb der Sprühzone (304), wobei das Besteck in dem Besteckkorb (320) während des einen oder der mehreren Reinigungszyklen im Wesentlichen in die Waschflüssigkeit in dem Sammeltank (310) eingetaucht ist;

- nach Abschluss des einen oder der mehreren Reinigungszyklen, Entfernen des Besteckkorbs (320) aus der Siebwanne (312),
wobei die Siebwanne (312) eine erste Öffnung (311) mit einem darin montierten entfernbaren Siebeimer (314) beinhaltet, wobei der Siebeimer (314) eine oder mehrere Seitenwände mit einer Vielzahl von Öffnungen (315) aufweist, die zum Auffangen von herabfallenden Nahrungsmittelrückständen bemessen sind, wobei eine durchschnittliche Größe der Öffnungen (335) des Besteckkorbs (320) größer ist als eine durchschnittliche Größe der Öffnungen (315) des Siebeimers (314).

10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 9, ferner aufweisend:

- Entfernen des Bestecks aus dem Besteckkorb (320);

- Platzieren des Bestecks in der Sprühzone (304) der Geschirrspülmaschine (300); und

- Ausführen eines zusätzlichen Reinigungszyklus der Geschirrspülmaschine (300).

11. Verfahren nach Anspruch 10,
wobei der Besteckkorb (320) einen unteren Wandabschnitt (336) beinhaltet, der zwischen einer Besteckrückhalteposition und einer Besteckauswurfposition bewegbar ist; und wobei das Entfernen des Bestecks aus dem Besteckkorb (320) das Bewegen des unteren Wandabschnitts (336) in die Besteckauswurfposition aufweist.

Revendications

1. Lave-vaisselle (300) pour le lavage de la vaisselle, comprenant :

- un compartiment (302) pour la réception de la vaisselle, le compartiment (302) ayant une zone de pulvérisation (304) ;

- un système de pulvérisation (306, 308) à l'intérieur de la zone de pulvérisation (304) pour la pulvérisation de liquide sur de la vaisselle qui la traverse ;

- un réservoir de collecte (310) sous la zone de pulvérisation (304) comprenant ledit liquide ;

- une passoire amovible (314) ;
et

- un bac de tamisage (312) situé au-dessus du réservoir de collecte (310) et ayant une première ouverture (311) avec la passoire amovible (314) montée dans celui-ci comprenant une ou plusieurs parois latérales ayant une pluralité d'ouvertures (315) dimensionnées pour la capture des débris alimentaires tombants,
caractérisé en ce que

le lave-vaisselle (300) comprend en outre un panier à couverts amovible (320) ; et

le bac de tamisage (312) a une deuxième ouverture (317) avec le panier à couverts amovible (320) monté dans ladite deuxième ouverture (317), le panier à couverts (320) étant sensiblement immergé dans le liquide dans le réservoir de collecte (310) et comprenant une ou plusieurs parois latérales (334) ayant une pluralité d'ouvertures (335) dimensionnées pour permettre le passage libre du liquide dans et hors du panier à couverts (320) et la réduction de toute capture de salissures alimentaires à l'intérieur du panier à couverts (320), dans lequel une taille moyenne des ouvertures (335) du panier à couverts (320) est supérieure à une taille moyenne des ouvertures (315) de la passoire (314).

2. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon la revendication 1,
dans lequel au moins 70 % d'une hauteur du panier à couverts (320) est positionnée en dessous d'un niveau de liquide de fonctionnement du réservoir de collecte (310).

3. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon la revendication 1 ou 2,
dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend une partie de paroi inférieure (336) qui est mobile entre une position de retenue des couverts et une position de sortie des couverts, dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend un système de verrouillage (340) pour le maintien de manière libérable de la partie de paroi inférieure (336) dans la position de retenue des couverts.

4. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon la revendication 3,
dans lequel le système de verrouillage (340) comprend une gâchette de verrouillage (344) située vers une partie supérieure du panier à couverts (320), dans lequel la gâchette de verrouillage (344) est positionnée à proximité d'une poignée de transport (330) du panier à couverts (320) .

5. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon la revendication 1,
dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) est espacé de la passoire (314).

6. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend une coiffe ou un couvercle amovible, la coiffe ou le couvercle étant solide.

7. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend une pluralité d'ouvertures pour la réception des couverts.

8. Lave-vaisselle (300) selon l'une quelconque des revendications précédentes,
dans lequel le bac de tamisage (312) est configuré pour diriger l'écoulement d'eau vers la passoire (314).

9. Procédé de nettoyage de couverts, le procédé comprenant :

- le chargement des couverts dans un panier à couverts (320) ;

- le montage de manière amovible du panier à couverts (320) à l'intérieur d'une deuxième ouverture (317) dans un bac de tamisage (312) situé au-dessus d'un réservoir de collecte (310) d'un compartiment de lavage (302) d'un lave-vaisselle (300) de sorte que le panier à couverts (320) s'étende dans le réservoir de collecte (310), dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend une ou plusieurs parois latérales (334) ayant une pluralité d'ouvertures (335) dimensionnées pour permettre le passage libre du liquide dans et hors du panier à couverts (320) et réduire toute capture de salissures alimentaires à l'intérieur du panier à couverts (320) ;

- l'exécution d'un ou de plusieurs cycles de nettoyage du lave-vaisselle (300), dans lequel, dans chaque cycle de nettoyage, un liquide de lavage est remis en circulation entre le réservoir de collecte (310) et un système de pulvérisation (306, 308) pour la pulvérisation du liquide de lavage sur de la vaisselle dans une zone de pulvérisation (304) du compartiment de lavage (302) passant à travers celui-ci, la zone de pulvérisation (304) étant située au-dessus du bac de tamisage (312) et du panier à couverts (320), suivi par la pulvérisation d'un liquide de rinçage sur la vaisselle à l'intérieur de la zone de pulvérisation (304), dans lequel les couverts dans le panier à couverts (320) sont sensiblement immergés dans le liquide de lavage dans le réservoir de collecte (310) durant le ou les cycles de nettoyage ;

- après l'achèvement du ou des cycles de nettoyage, le retrait du panier à couverts (320) du bac de tamisage (312), dans lequel le bac de tamisage (312) comprend une première ouverture (311) avec une passoire amovible (314) monté dans celui-ci, la passoire (314) comprenant une ou plusieurs parois latérales ayant une pluralité d'ouvertures (315) dimensionnées pour la capture des débris alimentaires tombants, dans lequel une taille moyenne des ouvertures (335) du panier à couverts (320) est supérieure à une taille moyenne des ouvertures (315) de la passoire (314).

10. Procédé selon la revendication 9, comprenant en outre :

- le retrait des couverts du panier à couverts (320) ;

- le placement des couverts dans la zone de pulvérisation (304) du lave-vaisselle (300) ; et

- l'exécution d'un cycle de nettoyage supplémentaire du lave-vaisselle (300).

11. Procédé selon la revendication 10,
dans lequel le panier à couverts (320) comprend une partie de paroi inférieure (336) qui est mobile entre une position de retenue des couverts et une position de sortie des couverts ; et dans lequel le retrait des couverts du panier à couverts (320) comprend le déplacement de la partie de paroi inférieure (336) vers la position de sortie des couverts.

Drawing