US 12,465,190 B2
Monitoring and control of thermal sanitization in automated cleaning machines
Elizabeth Minhee Han, St. Paul, MN (US); Conor Sylvester Smith, Saint Louis Park, MN (US); Paul R. Kraus, Apple Valley, MN (US); Paul Dominic Christian, Apple Valley, MN (US); and Rachel Marie McGinness, Rosemount, MN (US)
Assigned to Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed by Ecolab USA Inc., St. Paul, MN (US)
Filed on Apr. 26, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/307,380.
Application 18/307,380 is a continuation of application No. 17/193,507, filed on Mar. 5, 2021, granted, now 11,666,198.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/086,744, filed on Oct. 2, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0337891 A1, Oct. 26, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. A47L 15/00 (2006.01); A47L 15/42 (2006.01)
CPC A47L 15/0036 (2013.01) [A47L 15/0026 (2013.01); A47L 15/0028 (2013.01); A47L 15/0044 (2013.01); A47L 15/0063 (2013.01); A47L 15/4287 (2013.01); A47L 2401/12 (2013.01); A47L 2401/20 (2013.01); A47L 2501/06 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An automated cleaning machine comprising:
a housing defining a wash chamber in which articles to be cleaned are subjected to a cleaning process;
a sump configured to receive and store a cleaning solution;
at least one processor;
at least one storage device that stores values of cleaning process parameters including one or more of a wash time, a rinse temperature, and a rinse time;
the at least one storage device further comprising instructions executable by the at least one processor to cause the automated cleaning machine to:
control execution by the automated cleaning machine of at least an initial portion of the cleaning process using the values of the cleaning process parameters; and
prior to completion of the cleaning process:
determine a first temperature of the cleaning solution in the sump at a first predetermined time during execution of the cleaning process;
determine a second temperature of the cleaning solution in the sump at a second predetermined time during execution of the cleaning process, wherein the second predetermined time is subsequent to the first predetermined time;
determine a sump temperature difference between the first temperature and the second temperature;
predict a number of heat unit equivalents (HUEs) that will be delivered during the cleaning process based on the sump temperature difference;
in response to the predicted number of HUEs not satisfying a target range indicative of thermal sanitization, adjust the values of one or more of the cleaning process parameters such that a revised predicted number of HUEs that will be delivered during the cleaning process based on the sump temperature difference satisfies the target range indicative of thermal sanitization; and
control execution of a remaining portion of the cleaning process using the adjusted values of the cleaning process parameters.