US 12,419,485 B2
Automated cleaning machine processing using shortened cycle times
Rachel Marie McGinness, Rosemount, MN (US); Jonathan Charles Butwinick, Apple Valley, MN (US); Paul R. Kraus, Apple Valley, MN (US); Alissa R. Ellingson, Woodbury, MN (US); Conor Sylvester Smith, Saint Louis Park, MN (US); and Paul Dominic Christian, Apple Valley, MN (US)
Assigned to Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Dec. 28, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/398,859.
Application 18/398,859 is a continuation of application No. 17/193,189, filed on Mar. 5, 2021, granted, now 11,889,963.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/031,990, filed on May 29, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0122437 A1, Apr. 18, 2024
Int. Cl. A47L 15/42 (2006.01); A47L 15/00 (2006.01); A47L 15/44 (2006.01); B08B 3/04 (2006.01); D06F 33/44 (2020.01); D06F 33/70 (2020.01); A47L 15/46 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 15/0044 (2013.01) [A47L 15/0026 (2013.01); A47L 15/0028 (2013.01); A47L 15/0034 (2013.01); A47L 15/449 (2013.01); B08B 3/04 (2013.01); D06F 33/44 (2020.02); D06F 33/70 (2020.02); A47L 15/46 (2013.01); A47L 2401/03 (2013.01); A47L 2501/01 (2013.01); A47L 2501/06 (2013.01); A47L 2501/07 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated cleaning machine comprising:
a wash chamber configured to receive one or more articles to be cleaned, wherein the one or more articles are not component parts of the automated cleaning machine and are configured to be inserted and removed from the automated cleaning machine;
a controller comprising:
at least one processor; and
at least one storage device that stores one or more default cleaning cycle parameters associated with a default cycle mode and one or more short cleaning cycles parameters associated with a short cycle mode,
the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to:
execute a first set of consecutive cleaning cycles using the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters to wash one or more first sets of the one or more articles;
determine first time durations between at least a first predetermined number of cleaning cycles in the first set of consecutive cleaning cycles;
determine that the first time durations satisfy a short cycle threshold;
in response to determining that the first time durations satisfy the short cycle threshold, execute at least one first subsequent cleaning cycle using the one or more short cleaning cycle parameters to wash a second set of the one or more articles;
execute a second set of consecutive cleaning cycles using the one or more short cleaning cycle parameters, wherein the second set of consecutive cleaning cycles includes a second predetermined number of cleaning cycles, wherein the second set of consecutive cleaning cycles includes the at least one first subsequent cleaning cycle, and wherein the cleaning cycles of the second set of consecutive cleaning cycles have shorter total cycle durations than the cleaning cycles of the first set of consecutive cleaning cycles;
determine second time durations, the second time durations being between cleaning cycles in the second set of consecutive cleaning cycles;
determine that the second time durations do not satisfy the short cycle threshold; and
in response to determining that the second time durations do not satisfy the short cycle threshold, execute at least one second subsequent cleaning cycle using the one or more default cleaning cycle parameters to wash a third set of the one or more articles, wherein each cleaning cycle of the at least one second subsequent cleaning cycle has a longer total duration than each of the cleaning cycles of the second set of consecutive cleaning cycles.