Abstract:
A cabinet washer is supported on legs above a floor. Fluid dispensing heads discharge wash fluid within the cabinet. A sump collects wash fluid leaving the cabinet, for recirculation as desired through a pump. A wheeled cart has a frame which supports a tray and a rack above the wheels. Items to be washed are positioned on the rack and the cart is received within the cabinet, at which point the bottom wall of the tray underlies the cabinet bottom wall opening. The tray bottom wall slopes to receive fluid discharged within the cabinet interior compartment and convey it through a cabinet rear wall opening. The sump may be provided with a deflector which alternately sends fluid to be recirculated or drained from the sump. The front door may be hinged to the cabinet, or may be mounted to the cart itself.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional app. No. 61/823,181, filed May 14, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein. 
    
    
     STATEMENT AS TO RIGHTS TO INVENTIONS MADE UNDER FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT 
     Not applicable. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to devices for treating elements with fluid within an enclosed cabinet. 
     Cabinet style washers are used in commercial and industrial applications to clean equipment and products in batches. Typically the parts to be cleaned will be loaded on a rack of a cart exterior to the cabinet, and then brought into the cabinet for cleaning. Because the cleaning fluid, which can be costly, is recirculated throughout the cleaning cycle, fluid will be collected and recirculated from a sump which is located beneath the level of the rack, thus requiring that the sump be recessed into the floor, or that the rack travel by ramp or lift to the level of the cabinet. If a sump is to be located at or above floor level in such a system, a suction pump is required to bring the liquid from its point of collection to the sump. Ramps, lifts, and sumps add cost to the installation. Moreover, ramps and lifts require additional space and hence add cost. In addition extra safety precautions must be taken when working with ramps and lifts to avoid inherent hazards. Recessed sumps can flood causing damage to nearby electrical equipment. Another approach uses nested carts comprising a first wheeled cart which is releasably mounted to an underlying second wheeled cart. The assembly is then brought adjacent to a cabinet washer with an elevated wash chamber, and the first cart is then rolled into and out of the wash chamber. 
     What is needed is a fluid treatment assembly which permits for the convenient treatment of cart mounted elements while obviating the need for a below grade sump, ramp, lift, or multiple nested carts. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     A cabinet washer of this invention has a cabinet that extends upwardly from a floor, and which has side walls having a front opening, and a bottom wall with a bottom opening. Fluid dispensing heads within the cabinet are connected to a pump which recirculates wash fluid collected in a sump which collects wash fluid discharged from the cabinet. A wheeled cart has a frame which supports a tray and a rack above the wheels. A front door is positionable to close the front opening when the cart is received within the cabinet, at which point the bottom wall of the tray underlies the cabinet bottom wall opening. The tray bottom wall communicates with the sump, and is sloped so as to receive fluid discharged within the cabinet interior compartment and to convey the fluid through an opening in a rear wall of the cabinet to the sump. The sump may be provided with a deflector which alternately sends fluid to be recirculated or drained from the sump. The front door may be hinged to the cabinet, or may be mounted to the cart itself, such that when the cart is inserted within the cabinet, the door is sealed against the cabinet front wall. 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a cabinet washer which mounts flush with a building floor and which receives the items to be washed on a wheeled cart. 
     It is a further object of the present invention to provide a cabinet washer which allows items to be washed without being removed from a transporting cart. 
     Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is an isometric view, partially broken away in section, of a cabinet washer and rack cart assembly of this invention, with the rack cart shown prior to insertion within the cabinet. 
         FIG. 2  is an isometric view, partially broken away in section, of the apparatus of  FIG. 1  with the rack cart received within the cabinet. 
         FIG. 3  is a side elevational view, partially broken away in section of the apparatus of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of a cabinet washer and rack cart assembly of this invention, with the rack cart shown prior to insertion within the cabinet. 
         FIG. 5  is a cross-sectional view of the apparatus of  FIG. 4  taken along section line  5 - 5 . 
         FIG. 6  is a rear isometric view, partially broken away in section, of a sump arrangement for use with the cabinet washer and rack cart assembly of this invention. 
         FIG. 7  is a fragmentary isometric view of an alternative embodiment cart and tray arrangement to be used with the cabinet of  FIG. 1 . 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring more particularly to  FIGS. 1-7 , wherein like numbers refer to similar parts, a cabinet washer assembly  20  is shown in  FIG. 1 . The assembly has a cabinet  22  which receives a wheeled cart  24  having articles supported thereon which it is desired to clean. Process fluid  106  such as cleaning solution, sodium hydroxide mixed with water, rinse water, etc., is introduced into the cabinet for treatment of the articles carried on the cart  24 . 
     The cabinet  22  has a top wall  26  with downwardly extending side walls  28  including a rear wall  30 . A bottom wall  32  is defined by a left pan  34  and a right pan  36  which slope from opposite side walls  28  to a bottom opening  38 . A front wall  40  extends between the opposed side walls  28  and has a front opening  42  through which the cart  24  gains admittance to an interior compartment  44  defined within the cabinet  22 . The cabinet  22  may be fabricated of stainless steel or other durable corrosion resistant materials. The cabinet  22  is supported above a floor  46  on level-adjustable legs  48 . A front door  50  is pivotally mounted to the front wall  40  on hinges  52 . The door is pivotable to clear the front opening  42 , and may be pivoted to close on the front wall  40  and block the opening. The door  50  is held in a closed position by two door cam latches  54 . 
     The cart  24  has a frame  56  to which four adjustable casters  58  are mounted. A tray  60  is mounted to the frame  56  above the casters  58 . The front casters may be swivel casters, while the rear may be fixed. A support structure such as a rack  62  is mounted to the frame  56  to extend upwardly from the tray  60 . The rack  62  supports the various elements or parts which it is desired to clean within the cabinet  22 . The cart  24  is freely movable on the wheels of the casters  58  from a second position exterior to the cabinet, where the rack  62  is loaded with the items to be cleaned, and a first position, shown in  FIG. 2 , in which the rack  62  and its contents are received within the cabinet. The cart  24  rides on the casters, which directly engage the floor, to move in a first direction towards the cabinet. The cabinet  22  may be provided with two rack guide members  66 , each mounted between two cabinet legs  48 . The guide members  66  are rods which have angled segments  68  which extend frontwardly of the cabinet front wall  40  and which engage the cart frame to guide the cart  24  into engagement with the cabinet until the frame is entirely received within the cabinet interior compartment. A handle  69  is mounted to the front of the cart frame  56 , and may be extended for pulling the cart out of the cabinet, or folded down against the frame when the cart is received within the cabinet, as shown in  FIG. 2 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 1 , the cart tray  60  may be formed of sheet metal, such as stainless steel, and has a bottom wall  64  which is inclined in the first direction away from the front of the cart. The inclined bottom wall  64  extends rearwardly to a rear perimeter  70 . A front lip  72  extends upwardly from the bottom wall, and has a central segment  74  which extends upwardly somewhat from the two side segments  76  of the front lip. The front door  50  has an inside seal  78  which engages against the central segment  74  of the tray front lip  72  when it is closed on the cabinet. The seal  78  may be a compressible rubber gasket, or an inflatable elastomeric seal. Two side lips  80  extend upwardly from the sides of the tray bottom wall  64 . The lips  80  are parallel, and extend rearwardly from the side segments  76  of the front lip  72 . Each lip has an upper perimeter  82  which is parallel to the tray bottom wall  64 , and thus is inclined downwardly towards the rear of the tray  60 . 
     As best shown in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , when the cart  24  is received within the cabinet  22 , the tray bottom wall  64  protrudes beneath the lower edge  84  of the cabinet rear wall  30  to extend over a fluid receptacle or sump  86 . The tray side lips  80  then extend to the outside of two downwardly extending bottom pan lips  88  which extend from the left pan  34  and the right pan  36  on either side of the bottom opening  38 . Because the bottom pans  34 ,  36  have a single slope, the height of the bottom pan lips is greater at the rear of the cabinet than at the front. With the cart tray side lips  80  on either side of the bottom pan lips  88 , the bottom wall  64  of the tray underlies the cabinet bottom opening so that fluid draining from the cabinet is captured on the tray  60  and discharged into the sump  86 . Although there is not a liquid tight seal between the cart and the cabinet, a limited amount of leakage is acceptable. The central segment  74  of the front lip  72  of the cart  24  overlaps the front wall of the cabinet by 1-2 inches on either side of the front opening. Preferably shallow indents are formed in the cabinet front wall  40  on each side of the front opening  42 , which receive elastomeric gaskets  91 . The outer surfaces of the gaskets  91  are engaged by the lower portion of the front door  50  when it is closed on the cabinet allowing a face seal on the door perimeter across and between the cabinet front surface and the cart tray lip  72  front face. 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 , the sump  86  is an upwardly opening box supported on height adjustable feet  90  rearwardly of the cabinet  22 . Portions of the sump  86  may be received underneath the cabinet  22  to give a greater extent of overhang of the cart tray bottom wall  64  over the top opening  92  of the sump. A screen  94  is positioned within the sump  86  beneath the top opening  92  and beneath the rear perimeter  70  of the overlying cart tray bottom wall  64 , such that larger elements in the fluid discharged from the cabinet can be prevented from recirculation. The sump  86  communicates with a pump  96  which is connected via a conduit  98  to a fluid discharge opening  100  in a spray device  102  within the cabinet interior. An exemplary spray device is illustrated in  FIG. 1 , but any type of spray device may be used, such as a spray ball, a spray nozzle, an array of spray nozzles on a vertical pipe which is rotated by a gear motor or pneumatic cylinder, or a spinner with nozzles on the end of radially extending conduits which are rotated by water pressure or other means. A drain  104  is provided in the side of the sump  86  which permits wash fluid to be drained from the sump as needed, or replaced with rinse fluid. The sump is supplied with the fresh fluid from the outside through fill conduits which are not shown. 
     In use the cart is first loaded with the items to be treated within the assembly  20 , for example utensils and flatware, manufactured parts prior to painting or coating, process equipment, etc. The loaded cart  24  is then pushed along the floor into the cabinet  22  until it is fully received within the interior compartment. The front handle  69  is then folded down and the front door  50  is closed over the front wall opening  42 , bringing the seal  78  into engagement with the front wall  40  and the front lip  72  of the cart. The front lip  72  then engages the gaskets  91  on the front wall  40 . Some leakage is acceptable at this juncture, or a cuplike extension of the cart may be provided as discussed below with respect to  FIG. 7 . The door cam latches  54  are secured to hold the cart  24  securely within the cabinet  22 . The assembly  20  may be provided with a safety switch, not shown, which prevents operation when the front door is not closed, as well as a safety switch the prevents operation when the rack is not fully or properly received within the cabinet. With the cart  24  received within the cabinet  22 , the cart tray bottom wall  64  extends beneath the rear wall  30  of the cabinet over the sump  86 . The pump  96  is then engaged to discharge the fluid from the sump  86  into the interior compartment  44 . The fluid may be changed at designated times, such as to rinse off the cleaning fluid. Then, when the cleaning cycle is complete, the pump is deactivated  96  and all liquid is allowed to drain along the cart tray bottom wall  64  into the sump  86 . The front door  50  is then opened, and the cart  24  is removed from the cabinet  22  and transported to a place of final disposition of the treated elements. 
     An alternative embodiment assembly  108  is shown in  FIGS. 4 and 5 , in which the front door  110  is fixed directly to the cart  112 . The cart  112  has casters  114 , a frame  116 , and a rack  118  similar to the ones described above, but the front door  110  is mounted to the frame  116  and extends upwardly from the tray  120  mounted beneath the rack  118 . The cabinet  122  has a front wall  124  with a front opening which has a perimeter  126  which has a sheet metal angled piece  128 , shown in  FIG. 5 , which engages with a mating angled piece  130  of sheet metal on the top and sides of the front door  110 , such that a labyrinth seal is formed when the cart is received within the cabinet. The front door  110  has a handle  125 , which, because it does not need to fit inside the cabinet, need not be foldable. The cart  112  front door  110  is held securely in place on the cabinet by cam latches  127  mounted to the cabinet  122  on each side of the front door. 
     An alternative embodiment sump assembly  132  is shown in  FIG. 6  which may be employed with the cabinets and racks described above. The sump assembly  132  has a housing  134  mounted on adjustable legs  136  which is divided by a dividing wall  138  into a process liquid or wash solution chamber  140  and a drain chamber  142 . The wash solution chamber is covered by a filter screen  144  while the drain chamber  142  need not have a screen. The wash solution chamber  140  communicates with a pump  150 , and the drain chamber  142  communicates with a drain pipe  152 . 
     A divert plate  146  is pivotally mounted to the housing  134 , and has upwardly extending parallel front and back lips  148 . The divert plate  146  extends beneath the cart tray  60 , and receives all of the liquid that flows from the cabinet on the tray  60 . An actuator  141  may extend between the divert plate  146  and the housing  134 , and may be operated to tilt the divert plate to one side or the other. The divert plate  146  can be adjusted between a first position, in which the divert plate is inclined towards the process liquid chamber  140  to direct the flow of liquid into the process liquid chamber for recirculation by the pump, and a second position in which the divert plate is inclined towards the drain chamber to direct the flow of liquid into the drain chamber for discharge of the liquid from the fluid receptacle. The side walls  154  of the housing  134  extend above the levels of liquid within the housing to serve as a splash guard to restrict fluid escaping from the open housing. 
     An alternative embodiment cart  156  and tray  158  is shown in  FIG. 7 , which can be used with the cabinet  22  having a hinged door  50 . The tray  158  has a front lip  159  with a central segment  160  which extends vertically to overlie the front wall  40  on either side of the front opening  42 . The side segments  162  of the front lip are angled frontwardly from the central segment  160 , and are joined by intermediate segments  164  to the central segment, and on the sides are connected to the side lips  166  to define cups  168  which project frontwardly the thickness of the door  50 . The cups  168  are thus positioned to collect liquid which drips downwardly from the corners of the door  50 . 
     It should be noted that the support structure may include a rack with multiple levels as illustrated, or, in a special case may be integrated with the cart tray to support an element to be cleaned directly on the tray. 
     It is understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction and arrangement of parts herein illustrated and described, but embraces all such modified forms thereof as come within the scope of the following claims.