IP Library Granted Patent US 12,358,033
Granted Patent B2
US 12,358,033 · App. 18/390,994 · Granted Jul 15, 2025

System and method to clean a range exhaust

Inventors: Kyle Haugen (Eagan, MN); Jason Platz (Mendota Heights, MN)
Assignee: Restaurant Technologies, Inc.
B08B13/00B08B3/02B08B3/08B08B9/0325F24C15/2042F24C15/2057B08B2203/027B08B2209/032
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,358,033
App. No.
18/390,994
Granted
Jul 15, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system including a nozzle coupled to a conduit and arranged to spray a zone of a cooking range exhaust system, a pump configured to provide a cleaning solution to a supply line, and a control box connected to the pump via a supply line. The control box includes a controller and an electronically-controlled valve configured to selectively couple the supply line to the conduit. The controller can be configured to, in response to receipt of a start signal to initiate a cleaning operation, cause the cleaning solution comprising a mixture of detergent and water having a ratio based on a target mixing ratio to be provided to a supply line and cause the electronically-controlled valve to open to facilitate provision of the cleaning solution to the nozzle via the conduit for a predetermined period of time.

Claims (14)

1. A system, comprising:

a nozzle coupled to a conduit and arranged to spray a zone of a cooking range exhaust system;

a pump configured to provide a cleaning solution to a supply line; and

a control box connected to the pump and comprising a controller and an electronically-controlled valve configured to selectively couple the supply line to the conduit, wherein the controller is configured to, in response to receipt of a start signal to initiate a cleaning operation:

cause a reservoir to fill with a mixture of detergent and water having a ratio based on a target mixing ratio to form the cleaning solution, wherein causing the reservoir to fill with the mixture of detergent and water includes monitoring a float switch mechanism at least partially in the reservoir to determine the reservoir contains a minimum threshold of the water prior to causing the detergent to be added to the reservoir;

cause the cleaning solution to be provided to the supply line; and

cause the electronically-controlled valve to open to facilitate provision of the cleaning solution to the nozzle via the conduit for a predetermined period of time.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to cause the cleaning solution to be pumped from the reservoir to the supply line.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control box further comprises a plurality of electronically-controlled valves each configured to selectively couple the supply line to a respective conduit configured to spray a different respective zone of the cooking range exhaust system based on a respective start signal to initiate a second scheduled cleaning operation directed to the respective zone.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to cause the cleaning solution to be provided to the supply line and to cause the electronically-controlled valve to open via at least one of a programmable logic controller configured to or executable instructions stored at a memory and executed by a processor unit.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to receive the start signal from a scheduler.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control box further comprises a wired or wireless interface configured to receive the start signal from a remote device.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the control box further comprises a wired or wireless interface configured to provide data corresponding to the cleaning operation to a remote device.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to monitor data from sensors to determine whether film on the zone of the cooking range exhaust system exceeds a threshold and to provide the start signal in response to a determination that the film exceeds the threshold.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 3, 2026
From: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: KEPT COMPANIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 075897/0665 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 20, 2023
From: HAUGEN, KYLE; PLATZ, JASON
To: RESTAURANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 065923/0930 →
Continuity (3)
Division 17368016 · Jul 6, 2021
Provisional Application 63048924 · Jul 7, 2020
Related Publication 20240116091A1 · Apr 11, 2024
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