JP7231920B2 - Basket cleaning equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a basket cleaning apparatus suitable for cleaning baskets with upward openings, particularly shopping baskets used in stores such as supermarkets.

Baskets used in stores are preferably cleaned regularly to maintain cleanliness. Therefore, a basket cleaning device has been developed for automating basket cleaning work (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

The cage cleaning apparatus of Patent Document 1 has a cleaning layer in which a cleaning liquid is put in the lower half and a space is left in the upper half, and a cleaning tank disposed inwardly in the cleaning tank, the space in the upper half and the space in the lower half. Orbital movement means for vertically orbiting between the half of the cleaning liquid, cage support means for supporting the cage attached to the orbital movement means, and heated air to the cage that is immersed in the washing liquid and exits the space. and a drying means for spraying, in which a basket to be cleaned is mounted downward on the basket supporting means, cleaned with the cleaning liquid, dried in the space and taken out to the outside.

Japanese Patent No. 3059826

In the above-mentioned conventional basket cleaning device, the baskets are set downward on the basket support means, and the baskets stacked upward in the store must be reversed and set downward, resulting in poor workability. bad.
In addition, if the basket has a handle for hanging, it is troublesome to handle the handle that hangs by its own weight when the basket is turned downward. there was a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above, and its object is to provide a cleaning apparatus for baskets, which is easy to set and take out of baskets, is excellent in workability, and can be installed in a small space.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention, as described in claim 1,
A basket cleaning device for cleaning a basket with an upward opening,
a supply set unit having a size capable of accommodating a group of cages configured by stacking a predetermined number of cages upward;
a recovery set unit having a size capable of accommodating the group of baskets;
a line starting end portion capable of accommodating at least one basket continuously provided above the supply set portion;
a line end portion capable of accommodating at least one cage arranged continuously above the collection set portion;
a cleaning unit capable of accommodating at least one cage arranged side by side with the line starting end;
a drying section that can accommodate at least one cage that is positioned between the cleaning section and the line terminal section and connected to both;
a supply elevating means for lifting the basket positioned at the uppermost stage from the basket group of the supply set portion to the line starting end;
a first cross-feeding means for transferring the basket pulled up to the line starting end to the adjacent washing section;
a second transverse feeding means for transferring the basket transferred to the washing section to the drying section;
a third cross-feeding means for transferring the baskets transferred to the drying section to the end of the line;
a recovery lifting means for lowering and stacking the baskets transferred to the end of the line to the recovery set portion;
a cleaning means capable of cleaning by injecting a cleaning liquid into the cage accommodated in the cleaning section;
and a drying means for drying the washed cage housed in the drying section,
The line starting end portion, the washing portion, the drying portion and the line end portion are arranged in a straight line,
The first lateral feeding means includes a first supporting portion for receiving the basket at the line starting end, a first lateral moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the line starting end to the cleaning portion, and a basket in the cleaning portion for moving the basket at the second and a first transfer section that transfers to the lateral feeding means,
The second lateral feeding means includes a second supporting portion for receiving the basket of the washing section, a second lateral moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the cleaning section to the drying section, and the third lateral feeding section for the basket of the drying section. a second transfer unit that transfers to the means,
The third lateral feeding means comprises a third supporting portion for receiving the basket of the drying section, and a third laterally moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the drying section to the end of the line,
The first support part, the second support part and the third support part are integrated, and when the first support part is at the line starting end part, the third support part is at the drying part and the line end part is recovered from the recovery part. When the third support is located at the end of the line, the first support is located at the cleaning section, and the supply elevator means can vertically traverse the starting end of the line. none,
The basket group set in the supply set section is sequentially fed from the uppermost basket to the line start end, the washing section, the drying section, and the line end, so that the basket after cleaning is a recovery set. To provide a cleaning device for a basket which can be stacked on top of each other.

Also, as described in claim 2 , there is provided a circulation path for collecting the cleaning liquid after being used in the cleaning section in the liquid collecting section and circulating it again to the cleaning section, and a circulation path for collecting the cleaning liquid after being used in the liquid collecting section and circulating it to the outside. 2. A cleaning apparatus for baskets according to claim 1 , wherein a switching part is provided for switching between a drainage path for draining a liquid to and a liquid draining path.

Further, as described in claim 3 , there is provided a basket cleaning apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least the cleaning part is provided with a transparent part that enables visual recognition from the outside.

In the cleaning apparatus for baskets of the present invention, a line start end portion, a cleaning portion, a drying portion, and a line end portion are provided above a supply set portion large enough to accommodate a group of stacked baskets and a recovery set portion. Since the baskets are arranged side by side, a group of baskets piled up in a store can be moved and set as they are, or can be set in a supply set part by simply adjusting the stacking condition to some extent, and moreover, the baskets after washing can be set. are reloaded as a group of clean baskets to the collection set section, they can be transported to a store or the like as they are and set in a predetermined place. Therefore, setting and taking out of the basket can be performed easily and efficiently in a short time.

In addition , in the basket cleaning apparatus of the present invention, when the first support is located at the beginning of the line, the third support is disengaged from the end of the line. When the third support is located at the end of the line, the first support is disengaged from the starting end of the line, so that the upper and lower flow lines between the starting end of the line and the supply set section are aligned with the first support. Communicate without being blocked by the part. Then, the supply elevating means and the recovery elevating means are alternately moved up and down at the timing when they are in communication with each other to pull up the cage in the supply setting section to the line start end, and conversely, the cage received from the third support section at the line end. can be reloaded to the collection set. Therefore, since the washing apparatus for basket can be accommodated in the size of four baskets +α in a plan view, it can be installed in a parking space for one car, for example.

In addition, according to the basket washing apparatus of claim 2 , it is possible to change whether the washing liquid is exchanged for each operation or to be reused a plurality of times by setting the switching unit, so that the degree of contamination of the cage can be changed. The cleaning liquid can be efficiently used according to the user's request.

Also, as described in claim 3 , if at least the washing part is provided with a transparent part that allows visual recognition from the outside, for example, customers can be informed of the proper hygiene management status of the baskets used in the store and Cleanliness can be appealed.

It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing|cleaning apparatus for baskets. FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line II of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line II-II of FIG. 1; 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III of FIG. 1; FIG. FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a drying support table and a first transverse feeding means; FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical cross-sectional view of a main part showing the supply lifting means and the basket engaging device; FIG. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a main part showing the supply lifting means and the basket engaging device; 2 is an enlarged cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1; FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a V portion in FIG. 3; FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus for cages which shows a 1st step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus for cages which shows a 2nd step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus for cages which shows a 3rd step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus for cages which shows a 4th step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing|cleaning apparatus for baskets which shows a 5th step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing|cleaning apparatus for baskets which shows a 6th step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing apparatus for cages which shows a 7th step. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the washing|cleaning apparatus for cages which shows an 8th step. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the basket cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 2, showing a state in which the first to third support parts have moved toward the line start end. FIG. 10 is a schematic vertical cross-sectional view showing the basket cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 2, showing a state in which the first to third support parts have moved to the line terminal end side. FIG. 10 is a vertical cross-section of a main part showing a first lateral feeding means of the basket cleaning apparatus of Embodiment 2. FIG. 21 is an enlarged view of a V6 portion of FIG. 20; FIG. (a) is a fragmentary cross-sectional view showing the first shifting portion before operation, and (b) is a fragmentary sectional view showing the first shifting portion during operation. Fig. 10 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a basket engaging device according to Embodiment 2; 24 is an enlarged view of a V8 portion of FIG. 23; FIG. Fig. 24 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a state in which the engaging piece of the cage engaging device of Fig. 23 is engaged with the cage; 26 is an enlarged view of a V9 portion of FIG. 25; FIG. FIG. 27 is an exploded perspective view of the main components of the cage engagement device of FIG. 26; FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a collection lifting means of Embodiment 2; FIG. 29 is a front view of a main part showing the recovery lifting means of FIG. 28;

[I. Embodiment 1]
A cleaning apparatus for baskets according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 17. FIG.

[1. basket]
First, an object to be washed is, for example, a basket B made of synthetic resin in which goods are put when shopping at a store such as a supermarket.
As is well known, the cage B has lateral side plates 2a and 2b gently sloping outward on the four sides of a substantially rectangular bottom plate 1, and longitudinal side plates 2c gently sloping outward. 2d and 2d are erected to form upward openings, and the gently sloping upward spread of the side plates 2a to 2d makes it possible to stack them in multiple stages. In addition, the cage B is provided with mesh-like through holes (not shown) in the bottom plate 1 and the side plates 2a to 2d, and outward-facing flanges 3a to 3d are formed on the upper sides of the side plates 2a to 2d. The direction side plates 2a and 2b have open handle holes 4a and 4a in the upper center of the upper part, and a pair of handles 4b and 4b that can be raised and lowered are provided in the middle of the upper sides of the longitudinal side plates 2c and 2d. there is Further, on the outer surface of the bottom plate 1 of the basket B, a plateau 1a having a suitable height is provided.
Usually, in the store, a so-called basket stock table 5 is prepared, which is made of a rectangular parallelepiped framework made of pipe material and has casters on the ground surface. They are designed to be stacked and returned. A group of baskets B stacked on the basket stock stand 5 is called a basket group BG.

[2. Basket cleaning device]
The cage cleaning apparatus 6 of Embodiment 1 is a building comprising a front wall 7a erected on a floor 7f, a rear wall 7b, a right wall 7c, a left wall 7d, and an upper wall 7e covering the upper surface. It is surrounded by a shaped frame 7.
Inside the right side wall 7c of the frame 7, a supply set portion 8 in the shape of a rectangular tube and a line start end portion 9 thereon are formed in communication, and the supply set portion 8 and the line start end portion 9 can be moved up and down. A supply lifting means 10 is provided.
In addition, inside the left side wall 7d of the frame 7, a collection set portion 11 in the shape of a rectangular tube and a line end portion 12 thereon are formed in communication. A recovery lifting means 13 is provided to obtain the water.
In addition, inside the upper wall 7e of the frame 7, there are provided a washing section 14 connected to the side of the line start end 9, and a drying section connected between the washing section 14 and the line end section 12. 15 are formed. In addition, at the boundary between the line starting end 9 and the washing section 14, the boundary between the washing section 14 and the drying section 15, and the boundary between the drying section 15 and the line terminal section 12, partition drive Partitions 17 , 17 , 17 that can be raised and lowered by driving the portion 16 are formed. A weight 17w is provided at the tip of each partition portion 17. When the weight 17w is at its highest position, each boundary portion communicates with each other. is closed to prevent the cleaning liquid and its splashes from splashing.
A first transverse feeding means 18 is provided between the line starting end 9 and the washing section 14 to transversely feed the baskets B across the boundary. Between the drying section 15 and the line terminal section 12, there is provided a third transverse feeding means 20 for transversely feeding the baskets B across the boundary. is provided.

[2-1. Supply set part]
The supply set part 8 has a basket group BG formed by stacking, for example, 30 baskets B on a basket stock stand 5, and the side plates 2a and 2b of the baskets B in the lateral direction are attached to the rear wall 7b of the frame 7. Positioning means 22 are provided on the floor surface 7f of the supply set portion 8 to hold the four legs 21 of the basket stock stand 5 between them. . Two of the positioning means 22 located on the rear wall 7b side of the frame 7 are fixed to the floor surface 7f, while two of the positioning means 22 located on the front wall 7a side are fixed to the floor surface so that they can be engaged with and disengaged from the legs 21 . It can be rotated around a support shaft 23 projecting from 7f.
The supply set part 8 communicates with the outside through a square carry-in port 24 opened in the front wall 7a of the frame 7, and the cage group BG together with the cage stock base 5 is slid on the flat floor surface 7f. can be carried in, and the basket stock stand 5 can be moored by the positioning means 22 as it is. As a result, the basket group BG can be fixedly set at a predetermined position of the supply set section 8 .

[2-2. Line start]
The line starting end portion 9 is arranged in the shape of an atrium right above the supply set portion 8, and has a size capable of accommodating at least one basket B. As shown in FIG.

[2-3. Supply Lifting Means]
The supply elevating means 10 is a vertical conveyor that vertically connects the supply set portion 8 and the line start end portion 9 and transfers the basket B positioned at the top of the basket group BG in the supply set portion 8 to the line start end portion 9. is.
That is, the supply lifting means 10 includes a vertical frame 25 erected on the floor surface 7f, a lifting rail 26 attached to the vertical frame 25, a driving pulley 27 provided on the upper portion of the vertical frame 25, and a vertical frame 25 a driven pulley 28 provided at the bottom of the driving pulley 27; The lifting body 31 is directly connected to the belt 30 and driven to move up and down, and the cage engaging device 32 integrally attached to the lifting body 31 .

[2-4. Cage engagement device]
As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the cage engaging device 32 is located at the upper end of the lifting body 31 and extends across substantially the center of the supply set portion 8, that is, substantially along the longitudinal side plates 2c and 2d of the cage group BG. A horizontal box-shaped arm 33 is attached across the upper part of the center, a male screw shaft 34 is rotatably installed in the box-shaped arm 33, and an engagement mechanism rotates the male screw shaft 34 forward and backward. It consists of a coupling motor 34M and a pair of engaging pieces 35, 35 having a female thread screwed onto the male threaded shaft 34. As shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 6, the right and left halves of the male threaded shaft 34 have opposite spiral directions, so that the left and right engaging pieces 35, 35 screwed together are male threaded. By rotating the shaft 34 in a specific direction, they move toward each other, and by rotating the male screw shaft 34 in the opposite direction, they move away from each other.
The engaging pieces 35, 35 are substantially L-shaped with lateral claw pieces 37 formed at the lower end of a vertical hanging plate 36. The claw pieces 37 are formed on the lower surfaces of the collars 3c, 3d of the basket B. Engageable.

The cage engagement device 32 includes an engagement assist mechanism for positioning and stabilizing the cage B positioned at the top of the cage group BG and assisting the engagement of the engagement piece 35 with the flanges 3c and 3d. A member 38 is provided.
That is, the engagement assist member 38 includes an assist male screw shaft 39 which has substantially the same structure as the male screw shaft 34 and is horizontally provided in the box-shaped arm 33 in parallel with the male screw shaft 34 , and the assist male screw shaft 39 . and a pair of middle support pieces 41, 41 having a female screw threadedly engaged with the assist male screw shaft 39.
The right and left halves of the assist male screw shaft 39 are opposite in spiral direction, so that the left and right middle support pieces 41, 41 screwed together are arranged in a specific direction of the assist male screw shaft 39. Rotation moves them toward each other, and rotation in the opposite direction causes them to move away from each other. The assist male screw shaft 39 also passes through the hanging plate 36 of the engaging piece 35, but both have a slidable fitting structure and are not in a screwed relationship. Also, the relationship between the male screw shaft 34 and the intermediate piece 41 is the same.
As shown in FIG. 6, the middle support pieces 41, 41 have tapered portions 42 along the inner surface of the cage B at their lower ends. The tapered portions 42 of the inner support pieces 41, 41 are brought into contact with the inner surfaces of the plates 2c, 2d so that they are stretched. A cushion material 43 for protecting the basket B is attached to the surface of the tapered portion 42 that contacts the basket B. As shown in FIG.

[2-5. Operation of Supply Lifting Means]
The supply elevating means 10 is configured as described above, and in the initial state, the elevating body 31 is located above the vertical frame 25 and the cage engaging device 32 is positioned at the line starting end portion 9 .
Then, when the supply lifting means 10 is operated with the basket group BG set in the supply setting section 8 as described above, the belt 30 is actuated, and the lifting body 31 and the lifting body 31 are integrated with it as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. The cage engaging device 32 is lowered, and the claw piece 37 of the hanging plate 36 of the cage engaging device 32 is at a position slightly lower than the flanges 3c and 3d of the cage B positioned at the top of the cage group BG. stop. At this time, the middle contact piece 41 of the engagement assist member 38 is located inside the upper portion of the basket B and faces the inner surfaces of the side plates 2c and 2d as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG.

In this state, when the assist motor 40 of the engagement assist member 38 is actuated to rotate the assist male screw shaft 39 in a predetermined direction, the pair of middle support pieces 41, 41 screwed to the assist male screw shaft 39 are engaged with each other. 6, and finally the tapered portion 42 abuts against the inner surfaces of the side plates 2c and 2d as indicated by the chain double-dashed lines in FIG. As a result, the cage B located at the uppermost stage of the cage group BG is positioned and stabilized without wobbling.

Next, when the motor 34M for engagement of the cage engagement device 32 is actuated to rotate the male screw shaft 34 in a predetermined direction, the engagement pieces 35, 35 screwed together with the male screw shaft 34 are engaged with each other. 6, and finally the claw pieces 37, 37 enter and stop under the flanges 3c, 3d of the cage B as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG.
In this state, when the belt 30 of the supply lifting means 10 is rotated in the opposite direction, the lifting body 31 and the cage engaging device 32 are lifted together with the lifting body 31, and the cage group BG is lifted while being caught by the claw pieces 37, 37. One basket B positioned at the top is lifted and raised.

The hanging plate 36 of the cage engagement device 32 and the middle contact piece 41 of the engagement assist member 38 return to their original states by rotating the male screw shaft 34 and the assist male screw shaft 39 in the opposite direction. deviate from

[2-6. Collection set section, line end section, collection lifting means]
The collection set portion 11, the line end portion 12, and the collection lifting means 13 are bilaterally symmetrical with respect to the center line of the supply setting portion 8, the line starting end portion 9, the supply lifting means 10, and the frame 7, respectively. Therefore, the supply setting section 8, the line starting end section 9, the recovery setting section 11, etc., which are the same as or have the same function as the supply lifting means 10, are assigned the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted. The opening 44 in the front wall 7a of the supply set section 8 corresponding to the carry-in port 24 of the collection set section 11 is the carry-out port for the basket group BG.

[2-7. Cleaning Department]
The cleaning section 14 has a size capable of accommodating one basket B and cleaning means such as an injection nozzle, which will be described later, and is connected to the side of the line starting end section 9 . As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the cleaning unit 14 is provided with cleaning support bases 45, 45 which are cantilevered on the front wall 7a and the rear wall 7b, respectively, and have a generally concave shape when viewed from the front. The bottom of the basket B is accommodated in the support bases 45, 45 and is stably supported.
The washing unit 14 also includes, as washing means, an outer circumference injection nozzle 46a formed in an annular shape that is one size larger than the plane shape of the basket B, and an inner circumference injection nozzle 46a that is formed in an annular shape one size smaller than the plane shape of the basket B. A spray nozzle 46b and a nozzle elevator 47 for integrally lifting both nozzles 46a and 46b are provided, and while spraying cleaning liquid containing detergent from both nozzles 46a and 46b, the basket B is straightly lowered and raised from the upper opening. Both the inner and outer surfaces are washed at the same time by the nozzles 46a and 46b, and the inner and outer surfaces are rinsed by straightly descending and ascending from the opening of the basket B while spraying the washing liquid containing only water without detergent from both nozzles 46a and 46b.

A liquid storage layer 48 having a depth substantially equal to that of the supply set section 8 is formed below the cleaning section 14, and a liquid collecting section 48a is formed between the liquid storage layer 48 and the cleaning section 14. formed. The liquid collecting portion 48 a is provided with a switching portion 51 capable of switching between a liquid storage path 49 leading to the liquid storage layer 48 below and a liquid drainage path 50 for draining liquid to the outside of the frame 7 . The cleaning liquid flowing down from the washing liquid is collected in the liquid collecting portion 48a, and if it contains detergent, it is discharged to the outside through the drainage path 50 and properly treated, and if it does not contain detergent, it is drained to the liquid storage layer 48 through the liquid storage path 49. It is designed to be reused as rinsing water.

Although not shown, the rear wall 7b corresponding to the cleaning unit 14 has a window-shaped transparent portion that enables visual confirmation from the outside, so that the cleaning state can be confirmed from the outside. With this transparent part, it is possible not only to check the washing process on business, but also to appeal to the customers of the store that the hygiene management is appropriate.

[2-8. Drying part]
The drying section 15 has a size capable of accommodating one basket B and drying means such as an air nozzle to be described later, and is provided between the cleaning section 14 and the line terminal section 12 and connected to both. The drying section 15 is provided with drying supports 52, 52 which are cantilevered on the front wall 7a and the rear wall 7b, respectively, and have a generally concave shape when viewed from the front. The bottom of the cage B is placed on 52 and supported stably.
The drying unit 15 also includes, as drying means, an outer peripheral air nozzle 53a formed in an annular shape that is one size larger than the planar shape of the basket B, and an inner peripheral air nozzle 53a that is formed in an annular shape one size smaller than the planar shape of the basket B. 53b and a nozzle lifter 47 (not shown) that lifts and lowers both air nozzles 53a and 53b together. It is designed to blow off the rinsing cleaning liquid remaining on both the inner and outer surfaces.
In addition, the liquid storage layer 48 is also extended to the lower side of the drying section 15 so that the blown cleaning liquid for rinsing falls and accumulates.

[2-9. First transverse feeding means]
The first cross-feeding means 18 transfers the baskets B held by the cage engaging device 32 at the line start end 9 to the cleaning support table 45 of the cleaning section 14 as described above. As shown in FIG. 5, the first lateral feeding means 18 is roughly composed of a first supporting portion 54 for supporting the basket B and a first lateral moving portion 71 for laterally moving the first supporting portion 54. be.

[2-9-1. First Support Section/First Lateral Movement Section]
The first support part 54 is for holding up the basket B, and integrally includes a pair of bottom receiving pieces 56, 56 positioned between the washing support bases 45, 45 and the bottom receiving pieces 56, 56. and connecting shafts 57, 57 to be connected.
On the other hand, the first lateral movement part 71 moves the first support part 54 laterally from the position corresponding to the line starting end 9 (initial position) to the position corresponding to the cleaning support table 45 of the cleaning part 14 (feeding position). It is slidably attached via wheels to a pair of front and rear rails 58, 58 extending from the line starting end 9 to the line terminal end 12, and is laterally moved by a drive source (not shown) such as a cylinder. It is capable of reciprocating in both directions.
The first lateral movement portion 71 and the first support portion 54 are integrated by fixing the first lateral movement portion 71 to both ends of the connecting shafts 57, 57 of the first support portion 54. The first support part 54 is integrated with the one lateral movement part 71, and the cage B moves laterally while being lifted by the first support part 54.例文帳に追加

1, 3, 5, and 9, the rail 58 supporting the first laterally moving portion 71 can be switched between a high track and a low track by lifting cylinders 59, 59. , when the first support 54 moves from the initial position to the feed position, the bottom of the basket B held by the first support 54 passes through a high trajectory, i.e., a high place where the bottom of the basket B held by the first support 54 does not collide with the top of the washing support 45. is set to When the rail 58 switches from the high track to the low track, the first support 54 is lowered from the washing support 45 so that the basket B held by the first support 54 can be held by the washing support 45. Further, when the first support part 54 passes through the low track, the top part of the first support part 54 is set to go under the basket B supported by the washing support base 45 .

[2-10. Second transverse feeding means]
The second lateral feeding means 19 transports the baskets B transferred to the washing support base 45 of the washing section 14 by the first lateral feeding means 18 to the drying support base 52 of the drying section 15 . The second lateral feeding means 19 is roughly composed of a second support portion 60 that supports the basket B and a second lateral movement portion 72 that laterally moves the second support portion 60 .
Since the second support portion 60 and the second laterally moving portion 72 have the same configuration as the first supporting portion 54 and the first laterally moving portion 71 of the first laterally feeding means 18, the same reference numerals are given to them in the figure. description is omitted. Note that the first laterally moving portion 71 of the first laterally feeding means 18 and the second laterally moving portion 72 of the second laterally feeding means 19 are integrally connected, so that the first supporting portion 54 of the first laterally feeding means 18 and the The second supporting portion 60 of the second transverse feeding means 19 is also integrally connected.
When the rail 58 is switched from the low track to the high track as described above, the second lateral feeding means 19 having such a configuration lifts the basket B on the cleaning support table 45 from below with the second support part 60, and the basket B is transferred to the drying support table 52 while it is on the high track, where it is lowered to the low track and the basket B on the second support part 60 is transferred to the drying support table 52, and then the empty second support part 60 is set to the initial position. It is designed to return to a position corresponding to the washing support table 45 while maintaining a low orbit.

[2-11. Third transverse feeding means]
The third transverse feeding means 20 conveys the baskets B transferred to the drying support table 52 of the drying section 15 by the second transverse feeding means 19 to the line end portion 12 . The third lateral feeding means 20 is roughly composed of a third supporting portion 61 that supports the basket B, and a third lateral moving portion 73 that laterally moves the third supporting portion 61 .
Since the third supporting portion 61 and the third laterally moving portion 73 have the same configuration as the first laterally feeding means 18 as well as the second laterally feeding means 19, the same reference numerals are assigned to them in the figure and the description thereof is omitted. . The third laterally moving portion 73 of the third laterally feeding means 20 is also integrally connected with the first laterally moving portion 71 of the first laterally feeding means 18 and the second laterally moving portion 72 of the second laterally feeding means 19. Therefore, the third supporting portion 61 of the third transverse feeding means 20 is also integrally connected to the first supporting portion 54 of the first transverse feeding means 18 and the second supporting portion 60 of the second transverse feeding means 19 .
In the third transverse feeding means 20 having such a configuration, when the rails 58 ascend from the low track to the high track as described above, the basket B on the drying support base 52 is lifted up from below by the third support portion 61, and the basket B B is transferred to the line terminal portion 12 through the high track, where the cage engaging device 32 waiting at the line terminal portion 12 holds the cage B, and then the empty third support portion 61 is moved to the low track. , and is returned to the position corresponding to the drying support table 52, which is the initial position.

The first supporting portion 54 of the first lateral feeding means 18, the second supporting portion 60 of the second lateral feeding means 19, and the third supporting portion 61 of the third lateral feeding means 20 are arranged at regular intervals.
In addition, as is clear from the above description, the washing support table 45 of the first transverse feeding means 18 also serves to transfer the basket B of the washing section 14 to the second supporting section 60 of the second transverse feeding means 19. Therefore, it is also called a "first transfer section". It is also a thing of , so it is also called "Second Transfer Department".

[3. Basket cleaning]
In the cage cleaning device 6 of Embodiment 1, the cage engaging device 32 is in a position where it is raised to the line starting end portion 9 as shown in FIG. , the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 of the first to third traversing means 18, 19, 20 are at the feeding position on the low trajectory. Further, the boundaries between the line start end 9, the washing section 14, the drying section 15 and the line end section 12 are located at positions where the partitions 17, 17, 17 are raised, and are all communicated straight.

In this state, as shown in FIG. After that, an operation start switch (not shown) is turned on. Then, it operates as follows according to the automatic driving program recorded in the control device (not shown).

[3-1. First step]
First, as shown by the solid line in FIG. )".) is pulled up in the manner described above and transferred to the line start end 9 (first step).

[3-2. Second step]
Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 move through the low track by the operation of the first lateral movement portion 71, the second lateral movement portion 72, and the third lateral movement portion 73. The second support portion 60 is moved to the initial position, that is, the position corresponding to the bottom of the first basket B(1) of the line starting end portion 9. 45, the third support portion 61 moves to a position corresponding to the drying support table (second transfer portion) 52 of the drying portion 15 (second step).

[3-3. Third step]
Next, as shown in FIG. 12, the first cage B(1) at the line starting end 9 is separated from the cage engagement device 32 and supported by the first support portion 54, and in this state, the rails 58, 58 Together with , the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 rise to the high track (third step).

[3-4. Fourth step]
Next, as shown in FIG. 13, the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 are moved integrally with the rails 58, 58 through the high tracks to the feed position, that is, the first support portion 54 is positioned above the washing section 14. A second support 60 is positioned corresponding to the washing support (first transfer section) 45, a position corresponding to the drying support (second transfer section) 52 of the drying section 15, and a third support 61. Move to a position corresponding to the line end portion 12 (fourth step).

[3-5. Fifth step]
At this position, the rails 58, 58 descend to the low track as shown in FIG. 14, and the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 also descend to the low track together. As a result, the first basket B (1) held by the first support portion 54 is transferred to the washing support table (first transfer portion) 45 (fifth step).

[3-6. Sixth step]
Next, as shown in FIG. 15, a basket B (hereinafter referred to as “second basket B (2)”) located at the uppermost stage from the basket group BG in the supply set section 8 is carried out in the manner of the first step (FIG. 10). ) is transferred to the line starting end portion 9, and then the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 are returned to the initial positions in the low orbit in the manner of the second step (FIG. 11) (sixth step ).

[3-7. Seventh step]
Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the partitions 17, 17, 17 at the boundaries between the line start end 9, the washing section 14, the drying section 15, and the line end 12 were lowered to close each boundary. After that, as indicated by the chain double-dashed line in FIG. 16, the inside of the first basket B(1) is lowered and raised while the cleaning solution containing the detergent is sprayed from the outer peripheral spray nozzle 46a and the inner peripheral spray nozzle 46b of the cleaning unit 14 for cleaning. do. After that, the inside of the first basket B(1) is lowered and raised while rinsing by injecting cleaning liquid (water) containing no detergent from the outer circumference injection nozzle 46a and the inner circumference injection nozzle 46b. , 17, 17 to open each boundary (seventh step).

[3-8. Repeat steps 3 to 7]
Next, the third step (Fig. 12) to the sixth step (Fig. 15) are repeated, that is, the second cage B (2) at the line start end 9 is supported by the first support portion 54 and rises to the high track. (third step, FIG. 12), and the second basket B (2) is laterally fed to the washing support table (first transfer section) 45 of the washing section 14 and transferred to the washing support table (first transfer section) 45 of the washing section 14. The washed first basket B (1) in the transfer section) 45 is laterally fed to the drying support table (second transfer section) 52 of the drying section 15 (fourth step, FIG. 13), and at that position, the first basket B (1) The first to third support parts 61 are lowered to the low orbit (fifth step, FIG. 14), and furthermore, the cage B (hereinafter referred to as "third cage B (3 )”) to the line start end 9, and then the first to third support portions 54, 60, 61 are returned to the initial position of the low track (sixth step, FIG. 15).
Then, when the seventh step (FIG. 16) is executed, the second basket B (2) in the washing section 14 is washed. At this time, since the outer peripheral air nozzle 53a and the inner peripheral air nozzle 53b in the adjacent drying section 15 also jet compressed air, they descend and ascend, so that the first basket B (1) that has been washed earlier is blown off. .

[3-9. Eighth step]
Next, when the third step (Fig. 12) to the fifth step (Fig. 14) are repeated, the first basket B (1) is attached to the line terminal portion 12, the second basket B (2) is attached to the drying section 15, and the third basket B (2) is attached to the drying section 15. The basket B (3) is sent to the washing section 14 in order.
In this state, the sixth step (FIG. 15) is executed after the basket engagement device 32 holds the first basket B(1) which is located at the line end portion 12 and supported by the third support portion 61. , the fourth basket B (hereinafter also referred to as "fourth basket B (4)") waits at the line starting end portion 9 while being held by the cage engaging device 32 (eighth step, FIG. 17). .
Then, the seventh step (FIG. 16) is executed, and the first basket B (1) held by the basket engaging device 32 at the line end portion 12 as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. It is lowered by the lifting means 13, the first basket B(1) is placed on the basket stock table 5 positioned in the collection set part 11, and the basket engaging device 32 is returned to the raised position.

The above operation is repeated, and when the last basket B in the supply set section 8 is stacked on the basket group BG in the collection set section 11, the operation is stopped, and the basket group BG stacked in the collection set section 11 is transferred to the basket stock. It is carried out together with the table 5 and transported to a predetermined place in the store. Incidentally, if the empty cage stock table 5 in the supply set section 8 is carried out and set in the collection set section 11 as it is, the next cleaning can be performed quickly.

[II. Embodiment 2]
18 to 29 show the basket cleaning device 6 of the second embodiment. The basket B to be cleaned is the same as described above.
The cage cleaning device 6 of Embodiment 2 mainly includes a first support portion 54, a second support portion 60, a third support portion 61, a first lateral movement portion 71, a second lateral movement portion 72, and a third lateral movement portion. 73, the first transfer section 45, the second transfer section 52, and the cage engaging device 32 are different from those of the first embodiment, and the rest of the structure not described below is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[4. First Supporting Part, Second Supporting Part, Third Supporting Part]
The first support portion 54, the second support portion 60 and the third support portion 61 of the second embodiment are the same as the first support portion 54, the second support portion 60 and the third support portion 61 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 20, the cage B is in contact with the outer surface side (rear surface side) of the bottom plate 1 of the cage B and along the outside of the hill 1a. It supports B from below so that it can slide.

[5. First lateral movement part, second lateral movement part, third lateral movement part]
The first laterally moving portion 71, the second laterally moving portion 72, and the third laterally moving portion 73 of the second embodiment are slidably attached to the rails 58, 58 via wheels as in the first embodiment, and are driven by a motor 74. is used as a drive source, and the combination of a rack 75 and a gear 76 enables reciprocating movement in the horizontal direction. A one-way clutch-like basket pushing member 77 is attached to the inside of the rail portion 70 of the portion 60 and the third support portion 61 so as to be swingable, and is biased in the flip-up direction by a coil spring or the like.
The first laterally moving portion 71, the second laterally moving portion 72, and the third laterally moving portion 73 are connected to the first supporting portion 54, the second supporting portion 60, and the third supporting portion 54 via the connecting shaft 57 as in the first embodiment. It is connected with the part 61 .
Therefore, when the cage B is placed on the rail portions 70 of the first support portion 54, the second support portion 60 and the third support portion 61, the first lateral movement portion 71, the second lateral movement portion 72 and the third lateral movement portion 71, the second lateral movement portion 72 and the third lateral movement portion 72 When the moving portion 73 moves from the line start end portion 9 side to the line end portion 12 side as shown in the change from FIG. 19 to FIG. 18, the basket B moves together. At this time, the cage B is slidable on the rails 70 and may slip on the rails 70. Therefore, as shown by the solid line in the enlarged view V3 of FIG. The tip of the member 77 is engaged so that the cage B is positively moved together with the first support 54 and the like.
In FIG. 18, reference numeral 85 denotes a guide frame having a U-shaped cross section. By passing the flanges 3a and 3b of the basket B through the guide frame 85, the basket B is laterally displaced on the rail portion 70. It's not supposed to.

[6. First Transfer Department, Second Transfer Department]
The first transfer section 45 and the second transfer section 52 of the second embodiment have the same structure. Therefore, in order to facilitate understanding, the parts related to the second transfer section 52 are shown in parentheses. description is omitted.
The first transfer portion 45 (52) is placed on the rail portion 70 of the first support portion 54 (60) as shown in the enlarged view V1 of FIG. 18 and FIGS. 29(a) and (b). The handle of the basket B is a one-way clutch-like pawl which is horizontally swingably mounted so as to be able to engage with the handle hole 4a of the basket B and is biased by a coil spring or the like in the direction of entering the handle hole 4a. By engaging with the hole 4a to prevent the cage B from moving backward, the cage B on the first support portion 54 (60) is slid relatively to the second support portion 60 (61) and transferred. be.
That is, when the first laterally moving portion 71 to the third laterally moving portion 73 move from the line starting end portion 9 side to the line terminal end portion 12 side, the basket B moves on the rail portion 70 of the first support portion 54 (60). At that time, the first transfer portion 45 (52) rotates while contacting the outer surfaces of the side plates 2a and 2b of the cage B, as shown in FIG. 22(a). run away. Therefore, the movement of the basket B is not hindered.
Then, when the basket B reaches the cleaning section 14 (drying section 15), the first transfer section 45 (52) enters the handle hole 4a as shown in FIG. , the reverse movement of the cage B is prevented. In this state, when the first laterally moving portion 71 to the third laterally moving portion 73 move backward to return to their original positions, only the first support portion 54 (60) moves along the line of FIG. Move to the starting end 9 side. Therefore, the basket B staying in the washing section 14 (drying section 15) is relatively slid on the rail section 70 and transferred to the adjacent second support section 60 (61). At this time, even if the cage pushing member 77 of the first moving portion 71 (72, 73) provided on the rail portion 70 intersects with the foot 1a of the cage B, So that the tip can go down.

[7. Supply Elevating Means and Recovery Elevating Means]
In the basket washing apparatus 6 of Embodiment 1, the supply lifting means 10 and the recovery lifting means 13 are symmetrical and have substantially the same structure. The means 13 is not the same and has a structure different from that of the first embodiment.

[7-1. Supply Lifting Means]
As described in the first embodiment, the supply lifting means 10 vertically connects the supply set portion 8 and the line start end portion 9 to move the basket B positioned at the top of the basket group BG in the supply set portion 8 to the line start end. It is a vertical conveyor that transfers (pulls up) to section 9 .
The supply lifting means 10 of the second embodiment has two vertical frames 25 erected on the floor surface 7f along the front wall 7a and the rear wall 7b shown in FIG. A carry-in port (not shown) for the basket group BG is established in the . Therefore, the basket group BG is set in the supply set portion 8 from the right side wall 7c side.
Both ends of an elevating body 31 equipped with a cage engagement device 32U are directly connected to the belts 30 wound around the two vertical frames 25 respectively. moves up and down along the elevating rails 26 of the vertical frame 25 .

[7-1-1. Cage engagement device (supply lifting means)]
As shown in FIGS. 23 to 27, the basket engaging device 32U of the supply lifting means 10 engages the claw pieces 37 with the lower surfaces of the flanges 3c and 3d of the basket B in the same manner as in the first embodiment. It has pieces 35, 35 and middle support pieces 41, 41 having a tapered portion 42 along the inclination of the inner surface of the basket B at the lower end, and the middle support pieces 41, 41 are fixed to the box-shaped arm 33. and the driving mechanism of the engaging pieces 35, 35 are different from the first embodiment.

The engaging pieces 35, 35 of the cage engaging device 32U of the second embodiment are rotatably pivoted to both ends of the box-shaped arm 33 through a rotating shaft 78 in the middle portion in the height direction. As shown in FIG. 25, both engaging pieces 35, 35 are inclined in an inverted V shape to prepare for hooking, and as shown in FIG. It can be changed to a hooking posture under the flanges 3c and 3d. In addition, the engaging pieces 35, 35 are in a hooking preparation posture due to elasticity by a tension spring 80 stretched between the upper ends of the engaging pieces 35, 35 and a fixed shaft 79 horizontally provided on the box-shaped arm 33. It is biased to lean to the side.
The postures of the engaging pieces 35, 35 are controlled by a drive mechanism 81 provided substantially in the center of the box-shaped arm 33 and cage sensors 82 provided at both ends of the box-shaped arm 33. It's becoming

[7-1-1-1. drive mechanism]
The driving mechanism 81 includes a driving motor 34M for engagement, a horizontal plate-like cam 81a directly connected to the driving shaft of the driving motor 34M for engagement, and a connecting frame for linking the cam 81a and the engaging pieces 35, 35. 81b and .
That is, one end of the connecting frame 81b is axially attached to a connecting shaft 81c horizontally provided above the rotation shaft 78 of the engaging piece 35, and the other end is horizontally connected to the box-shaped arm 33 in its own long hole 81d. It is slidably attached by passing through a provided fixed shaft 79 . A cam follower 81e is provided at the end of the connecting frame 81b on the long hole 81d side, and the cam follower 81e comes into sliding contact with the cam surface of the cam 81a directly connected to the engaging motor 34M. there is

Therefore, when the engaging pieces 35, 35 are in the hooking preparation posture shown in FIG. 23, when the engaging motor 34M is operated to rotate the cam 81a, the cam surface pushes the cam follower 81e to advance the connecting frame 81b. 25 and 26 while resisting the urging force of the tension spring 80 by pushing the engaging pieces 35, 35 above the rotating shaft 78. As shown in FIG.
On the other hand, when the engaging pieces 35, 35 are in the hooking posture, when the engaging motor 34M rotates the cam 81a in the opposite direction, the cam surface changes in the direction away from the cam follower 81e, so that the pressing force by the connecting frame 81b is reduced. The lost engaging pieces 35, 35 are returned to the hooking preparation posture shown in FIGS. Since the connecting frame 81b is pushed back toward the cam 81a by the movement of the engaging pieces 35, 35, the contact between the cam follower 81e and the cam surface is maintained.

[7-1-1-2. cage sensor]
The basket sensor 82 for controlling the postures of the engaging pieces 35, 35 is roughly composed of a swingable detection plate 82a and a detector 82b for detecting a change in inclination of the detection plate 82a.
The detection plate 82a is formed in a substantially triangular shape as shown in FIGS. One of the lower corners (hereinafter referred to as "contact portion 82c") protrudes outward through the inner support piece 41, and the other lower corner is pulled by a traction spring 82d. The traction spring 82d is hooked on the left and right detection plates 82a so that the detection plates 82a are pulled together.

On the other hand, the detector 82b is attached to the middle support piece 41, and detects a change in inclination such that the contact portion 82c faces upward in the vicinity of the detection plate 82a and emits an ON signal. .
The detector 82b and the motor 34M for engagement of the drive mechanism 81 are electrically connected via a control device. The drive mechanism 81 is controlled so that the engaging pieces 35, 35 maintain the hooking posture when the switch 82b is ON.
This detector 82b is also connected to the prime mover 29 of the supply lifting means 10 via a control device, and when the signal of the detector 82b changes from OFF to ON, the lifting body 31 of the supply lifting means 10 descends. stops, and then turns upward after a predetermined period of time.

[7-1-2. Operation of cage engagement device (supply lifting means)]
The supply elevating means 10 of Embodiment 2 is configured as described above. 19. The height of the specific cage engagement device 32U in its initial state is slightly above the position indicated by the solid line in FIG. position.
When the supply lifting means 10 is operated with the basket group BG set in the supply setting portion 8 as described above, the belt 30 is actuated and the lifting body 31 and the cage assembly integrally formed therewith are shown by the solid line in FIG. The engaging device 32U descends, the middle contact piece 41 of the cage engaging device 32U enters the inside of the cage B, and the engaging piece 35 in the hooking preparation posture passes outside the flanges 3c and 3d.

Then, when the cage engaging device 32U descends, the contact portion 82c of the detection plate 82a contacts the flanges 3c and 3d of the cage B positioned at the top of the cage group BG (the handle 4b overlaps the flanges 3c and 3d). If it is, it abuts on the upper surface of the handle 4b), and the detecting plate 82a is tilted by the subsequent further descent of the cage engaging device 32U. This tilting of the detection plate 82a causes the detector 82b to change from OFF to ON. Change from to hooked posture.
At this time, since the middle support piece 41 is attached to the inner side of the uppermost cage B, there is no danger that the cage group BG will wobble or fall down, and the cage B is stabilized, so that the engaging pieces 35, 35, 35 hooking becomes easy.

Next, when the belt 30 of the supply elevating means 10 is rotated in the opposite direction in this state, the elevating body 31 and the cage engaging device 32U are lifted integrally therewith, and the claw pieces 37, 37 of the engaging pieces 35, 35 are engaged with each other. One cage B positioned at the top of the cage group BG in a hooked state is lifted and raised.
After the cage B is pulled up to a predetermined position, the engagement pieces 35, 35 of the cage engagement device 32U are changed from the hooking posture to the hooking preparation posture, thereby separating the basket B from the cage engagement device 32U. be able to. After that, the basket engaging device 32U is raised to a position where the lower edge of the middle support piece 41 is above the upper edge of the basket B (initial state).

[7-2. Collection Lifting Means]
The collection lifting means 13 connects the collection set section 11 and the line end section 12 vertically, transfers the baskets B on the line end section 12 to the collection set section 11, and furthermore, transfers the basket group BG onto the stock table 5 for baskets. It is a vertical conveyor for unloading.
Similarly to the supply lifting means 10 of the second embodiment, the recovery lifting means 13 of the second embodiment also has two vertical frames 25 erected on the floor surface 7f along the front wall 7a and the rear wall 7b of the frame 7. A carry-out port (not shown) for the basket group BG is formed on the left side wall 7d of the frame 7. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the basket group BG reloaded to the collection set section 11 is carried out to the outside through the carry-out port on the left side wall 7d side.
Two belts 30 wound around each of the two vertical frames 25 are directly connected to cage engaging devices 32D. orbits up and down inside and outside the

[7-2-1. Engagement Device for Cage (Recovery Lifting Means)]
As shown in FIGS. 28 and 29, the basket engaging device 32D of the recovery lifting means 13 includes a movable receiving plate 83 capable of receiving the flanges 3a and 3b of the basket B from below, and a belt connecting the movable receiving plate 83 to the belt. and a bearing member 84 that is pivotably attached to 30 .
The bearing member 84 has a length spanning between the two belts 30 running side by side as shown in FIG. 28 and is fixed to each belt 30 .
The movable receiving plate 83 is pivotally attached to the bearing member 84 so as to be capable of swinging. 29, it can change to a hooking posture of the mechanical end tilting at an acute angle due to its own balance, as shown by the solid line in FIG.
The movable receiving plates 83 are attached to the left and right vertical frames 25 one by one so as to rotate the belt 30 at the same timing. , fit under the flanges 3a, 3b of the cage B at their upper end surfaces.

[7-2-2. Operation of cage engagement device (recovery lifting means)]
The recovery lifting means 13 of Embodiment 2 is configured as described above, and in the initial state, it is located above the vertical frame 25 and the movable receiving plate 83 of the cage engaging device 32D is located at the line end portion 12. . In addition, the specific height of the cage engaging device 32D in the initial state is the height at which the upper end surface of the movable receiving plate 83 in the hooking posture as shown by the solid line in FIG. It is.
Therefore, the above [3-9. 8th step], when the cage B is transferred to the line end portion 12 by the third support portion 61, the collar portion of the cage B is placed on the upper end surface of the movable receiving plate 83 in the hooking posture. It stops when 3a and 3b are covered. By slightly rotating the belt 30 in this state, the basket B on the third support portion 61 can be held floating by the movable receiving plate 83 . At this time, the movable receiving plate 83 is kept in a hooking posture in a mechanical end state in which the lower side of the swing center abuts against the belt 30 and does not rotate further. Even if the load of B is applied, the hooking posture does not collapse.
Then, when the third support portion 61 separated from the cage B returns to the direction of the line starting end portion 9 in an empty state, the lower side of the cage B suspended by the movable receiving plate 83 communicates with the collection set portion 11. By lowering the recovery lifting means 13, the basket B is lowered while being suspended on the movable receiving plate 83. - 特許庁

If the basket stock table 5 in the collecting set section 11 is empty, the basket B is finally fitted to the basket stock table 5 and stopped, but the movable receiving plate 83 of the belt 30 returns to the initial position. Since the movable receiving plate 83 is set so as to circulate up to , the movable receiving plate 83 moves away from the basket B fitted in the basket stock base 5, returns to the initial state via the ascending side of the belt 30, and moves to the next basket B. Stop for transport.
On the other hand, when one or more baskets B are present on the basket stock table 5, the uppermost basket B is placed on the back surface of the movable receiving plate 83 at the timing when the suspended basket B is fitted in the uppermost basket B to a considerable extent. Since the edge of the cage B contacts, the movable receiving plate 83 is pushed by the edge to rotate in the upright direction, and is separated from the lower surfaces of the flanges 3a and 3b by this movement. Therefore, the unsupported basket B is completely fitted in the uppermost basket B, while the movable receiving plate 83 contacts the edges of the stacked baskets B and is pushed down to move downward. In the same way as in , it returns to the initial state when the belt 30 goes around.

[8. Cleaning of the cage of Embodiment 2]
Since the basket cleaning device 6 of Embodiment 2 has the above-described configuration, the baskets B of the basket group BG set in the supply set portion 8 are cleaned and dried one by one, as in the case of the first embodiment. can be reloaded to the collection set part 11 as a clean basket group BG. Of course, the first support portion 54, the second support portion 60, the third support portion 61, the first lateral movement portion 71, the second lateral movement portion 72, the third lateral movement portion 73, the first transfer portion 45, the second The operations in each step of the transfer section 52 and the cage engaging devices 32U and 32D are as described in the second embodiment. A process such as switching between high and low trajectories 60 and 61 is unnecessary.

In the second embodiment, although not shown, the liquid collecting part 48a of the first embodiment corresponding only to the lower side of the washing part 14 is extended to the drying part 15 side to eliminate the liquid storage layer 48 therebelow. Further, a switching portion 51 provided at the lowest position of the liquid collecting portion 48a is used to recirculate the washing liquid collected in the liquid collecting portion 48a after washing to the washing portion 14, and to collect the washing liquid in the liquid collecting portion 48a. and a drainage path 50 for discharging the cleaning liquid after cleaning to the outside. Only water containing no detergent is used as the cleaning fluid, and the rinsing process after cleaning is not performed.
According to the basket washing apparatus 6 of Embodiment 2, it is possible to change the setting of the switching unit 51 to change the washing liquid (water) for each operation or to use it for washing a plurality of times and then drain it. Therefore, the cleaning liquid (water) can be efficiently used according to the degree of contamination of the basket B and the user's request.

Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is of course not limited to the above embodiments. For example, in the first embodiment, the first to third support parts 54, 60, 61 are moved up and down to transfer the basket B to the washing support base 45 and the drying support base 52 and to prevent interference. The track of the third support portion 61 may be fixed at a constant level, and the washing support table 45 and the drying support table 52 may be moved up and down relative to each other.
Further, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the transparent portion is provided corresponding to the cleaning portion 14, but the transparent portion may be provided in a wider range, for example, by forming the rear wall 7b of a transparent plate.
Moreover, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the skeleton 7 is formed only of the wall plates, but the skeleton 7 may be formed by attaching wall plates to the framed pipe material.
Also, the steps of the operations described above may be interchanged within a possible range.
Further, in Embodiments 1 and 2, the basket B with the handle 4b is cleaned, but the basket B without the handle can also be cleaned.
Also, the cleaning unit 14 and/or the drying unit 15 of the first and second embodiments may be provided with a sterilization means such as an ozone generator.
Further, the washing means of the washing section 14 and the drying means of the drying section 15 of Embodiments 1 and 2 are, of course, examples, and any method (structure) may be used as long as washing or drying is possible.
Further, in the second embodiment, in order to prevent the basket B from laterally slipping on the rail portion 70, the guide frame 85 having a U-shaped cross section is provided through which the flanges 3a and 3b of the basket B are passed. A fence member (for example, although not shown, a wire frame bent in an inverted U shape may be used) is provided on the side surface of the rail portion 70 to support the side plates 2a and 2b of the basket B, and the rail portion 70 of the basket B is provided with a fence member. You may make it prevent the lateral shift in. In such a case, since the cleaning liquid and the compressed air for drying spread over the entire cage B including the flanges 3a and 3b, it can be cleaned and dried more cleanly.

B...Cage BG...Cage group 6...Cage cleaning device 8...Supply setting unit 9...Line start end 10...Supply lifting means 11...Collection setting part 12...Line end part 13...Recovery lifting means 14...Washing unit 15...Drying Part 18 ... first transverse feeding means 19 ... second transverse feeding means 20 ... third transverse feeding means 45 ... first transfer section, cleaning support base 48a ... liquid collecting section 50 ... drainage path 51 ... switching section 52 ... third Second transfer section, drying support table 54 ... first support section 60 ... second support section 61 ... third support section 71 ... first lateral movement section 72 ... second lateral movement section 73 ... third lateral movement section

Claims (3)

A basket cleaning device for cleaning a basket with an upward opening,
a supply set unit having a size capable of accommodating a group of cages configured by stacking a predetermined number of cages upward;
a recovery set unit having a size capable of accommodating the group of baskets;
a line starting end portion capable of accommodating at least one basket continuously provided above the supply set portion;
a line end portion capable of accommodating at least one cage arranged continuously above the collection set portion;
a cleaning unit capable of accommodating at least one cage arranged side by side with the line starting end;
a drying section that can accommodate at least one cage that is positioned between the cleaning section and the line terminal section and connected to both;
a supply elevating means for lifting the basket positioned at the uppermost stage from the basket group of the supply set portion to the line starting end;
a first cross-feeding means for transferring the basket pulled up to the line starting end to the adjacent washing section;
a second transverse feeding means for transferring the basket transferred to the washing section to the drying section;
a third cross-feeding means for transferring the baskets transferred to the drying section to the end of the line;
a recovery lifting means for lowering and stacking the baskets transferred to the end of the line to the recovery set portion;
a cleaning means capable of cleaning by injecting a cleaning liquid into the cage accommodated in the cleaning section;
and a drying means for drying the washed cage housed in the drying section,
The line starting end portion, the washing portion, the drying portion and the line end portion are arranged in a straight line,
The first lateral feeding means includes a first supporting portion for receiving the basket at the line starting end, a first lateral moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the line starting end to the cleaning portion, and a basket in the cleaning portion for moving the basket at the second and a first transfer section that transfers to the lateral feeding means,
The second lateral feeding means includes a second supporting portion for receiving the basket of the washing section, a second lateral moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the cleaning section to the drying section, and the third lateral feeding section for the basket of the drying section. a second transfer unit that transfers to the means,
The third lateral feeding means comprises a third supporting portion for receiving the basket of the drying section, and a third laterally moving portion for laterally moving the basket from the drying section to the end of the line,
The first support part, the second support part and the third support part are integrated, and when the first support part is at the line starting end part, the third support part is at the drying part and the line end part is recovered. When the third support is located at the end of the line, the first support is located at the washing section and the supply elevator means can vertically traverse the starting end of the line. none,
The basket group set in the supply set section is sequentially fed from the uppermost basket to the line start end, the washing section, the drying section, and the line end, so that the basket after cleaning is a recovery set. A cleaning device for a basket, characterized in that it is designed to be stacked on top of each other. Switching between a circulation path that collects the cleaning liquid used in the cleaning section in the liquid collecting section and circulates it again to the cleaning section, and a drainage path that drains the used cleaning liquid collected in the liquid collecting section to the outside. 2. The basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a switching portion for obtaining a desired amount of water. 3. The basket washing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least said washing portion is provided with a transparent portion that enables visual recognition from the outside.

Images