FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments described here concern a machine for treating objects.

In particular, the machine according to the present invention is the type with racks for supporting objects, selectively removable from the treatment machine.

By treatment here we generally mean pre-washing, washing, rinsing and/or drying.

In particular, the treated objects can be containers, trays or other receptacles intended for animals, or guinea pigs, reared in enclosures or containers for research in specialized laboratories.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Machines for treating objects are known, in particular machines for washing objects, such as containers or cages, particularly in the context of scientific research on laboratory animals.

The machines generally have a washing chamber and shelves in which the containers or cages are disposed.

Inside the washing chamber, washing and rinsing units are provided, for washing and rinsing the objects as above.

Known washing and rinsing units, however, have an inflexible and non- versatile functioning which does not guarantee a uniform distribution of the jet of treatment liquid on the objects to be treated.

Consequently, known washing and rinsing units result in a poor dynamism of the treatment, with a consequent incorrect cleaning of the objects to be treated and considerable energy consumption.

Other limitations and disadvantages of conventional solutions and technologies will be clear to a person of skill after reading the remaining part of the present description with reference to the drawings and the description of the embodiments that follow, although it is clear that the description of the state of the art connected to the present description must not be considered an admission that what is described here is already known from the state of the prior art.

There is therefore a need to perfect a machine for treating objects which can overcome at least one of the disadvantages of the state of the art. In particular, one purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating objects which facilitates and guarantees the correct execution of the operations for treating such objects, such as pre- washing, washing, rinsing and drying operations.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating objects which can be used for different types of objects to be treated, allowing the correct treatment of the objects as above.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating objects which is economical and simple to manage and control.

Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a machine for treating objects which allows to increase the efficiency of the treatment and the productivity of the treatment process itself.

The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is set forth and characterized in the independent claim, while the dependent claims describe other characteristics of the invention or variants to the main inventive idea.

In accordance with the above purposes, one object of the present invention is a machine for treating objects which overcomes the limits of the state of the art and eliminates the defects present therein.

Here and hereafter in the present description, the term treatment means one or more of the operations of pre-washing, washing with water, washing with hot or cold water, washing with chemical agents, a combination of these washings, rinsing with hot or cold water, possible sterilization or thermal disinfection, dripping and drying of the objects.

According to the invention, the machine comprises a treatment chamber delimited by perimeter walls, at least one housing compartment provided in the treatment chamber and a hydraulic circuit configured to feed treatment liquid into the housing compartment.

According to the invention, the machine also comprises at least one support rack able to contain objects to be treated and to be slidably inserted inside the housing compartment.

According to one aspect of the invention, the machine comprises at least one treatment unit connected to the hydraulic circuit and provided with at least one delivery pipe disposed transversely to the opposite perimeter walls inside the housing compartment above and/or below the support rack.

According to another aspect of the invention, the delivery pipe longitudinally comprises at least a plurality of primary nozzles aligned with each other and configured to deliver treatment liquid into the housing compartment.

According to another aspect of the invention, the treatment unit is provided with movement means configured to selectively rotate the delivery pipe in continuous oscillatory motion around its own longitudinal axis from a desired first angular position to a desired second angular position, said plurality of primary nozzles defining a desired angular delivery sector in the passage from the desired first angular position to the desired second angular position in the housing compartment.

Advantageously, due to the oscillatory motion of the delivery pipe, the treatment unit allows to suitably treat all the objects present inside the support rack in a uniform manner with a consequent reduction in energy consumption.

Furthermore, in this way all the objects present on the support rack are treated correctly, even those present on the periphery of the rack itself, by suitably regulating the amplitude of the angular sector according to the treatment and/or the size of the support rack and/or the number of objects. This advantageously allows to obtain a treatment machine which is versatile and able to treat different objects suitably and efficiently with different types of treatment.

According to one embodiment, the treatment unit can comprise at least two delivery pipes disposed side by side above or below the support rack to serve specific zones of the treatment compartment.

The delivery pipes can be fluidly connected to each other.

The use of multiple delivery pipes is preferable when the housing compartment has considerable sizes in which a single delivery pipe would not be sufficient to treat all the objects contained inside.

According to another embodiment, the movement means can be configured to move a delivery pipe independently or dependently on the other adjacent delivery pipe, guaranteeing high versatility in the control and regulation of the treatment to be performed.

According to one embodiment, the machine comprises at least two treatment units per support rack:

- a first treatment unit provided above the support rack and configured to deliver treatment liquid downward over the objects contained in the support rack;

- a second treatment unit provided below the support rack and configured to deliver treatment liquid upward, under and/or inside the objects contained in the support rack.

Advantageously, the first and second treatment units cooperate with each other for the correct treatment of the objects so as to treat each surface thereof both internally and externally.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of some embodiments, given as a non-restrictive example with reference to the attached drawings wherein:

- fig. 1 is a perspective view of a machine for treating objects in accordance with a possible embodiment of the invention;

- fig. 2 is a partly sectioned lateral view of the machine in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 3 is a partly sectioned lateral view of the machine in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 4 is a partly sectioned view from the opposite side of fig. 3 of the machine for treating objects in fig. 1 ;

- fig. 5 is a partly sectioned view from the opposite side of fig. 3 of a variant of the machine for treating objects in fig. 1.

To facilitate comprehension, the same reference numbers have been used, where possible, to identify identical common elements in the drawings. It is understood that elements and characteristics of one embodiment can conveniently be incorporated into other embodiments without further clarifications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS

We will now refer in detail to the various embodiments of the present invention, of which one or more examples are shown in the attached drawings. Each example is supplied by way of illustration of the invention and shall not be understood as a limitation thereof. For example, the characteristics shown or described insomuch as they are part of one embodiment can be adopted on, or in association with, other embodiments to produce another embodiment. It is understood that the present invention shall include all such modifications and variants.

Before describing these embodiments, we must also clarify that the present description is not limited in its application to details of the construction and disposition of the components as described in the following description using the attached drawings. The present description can provide other embodiments and can be obtained or executed in various other ways. We must also clarify that the phraseology and terminology used here is for the purposes of description only, and cannot be considered as limitative.

Embodiments of the present invention, described with reference to the attached drawings, concern a machine 10 for treating objects 11. For example, the objects 11 can be containers, cages or receptacles dedicated to the use of animals.

According to one embodiment, with reference to figs. 1-3, the machine 10 is provided with a treatment chamber 12 delimited by perimeter walls 28, 29, 30, 31.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 is provided, inside the treatment chamber 12, with at least one housing compartment 15.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 is provided with at least one support rack 13 for the objects 11 to be treated, slidably insertable inside the housing compartment 15.

With reference to the attached drawings, by way of non-restrictive example, two overlapping and communicating compartments 15 are located inside the treatment chamber 12.

According to one embodiment, a housing compartment 15 can slidably house multiple support racks 13.

The support racks 13 can be disposed side by side inside the compartment 15.

The support racks 13 can be disposed in multiple housing compartments 15, one above the other, inside the treatment chamber 12.

With reference to the attached drawings, the machine 10 also comprises a door 16 to selectively open and hermetically close the treatment chamber 12 so as to carry out the treatment, for example the washing, of the objects 11.

In particular, when the door 16 is in the closed position it defines an internal perimeter wall 28 of the treatment chamber 12.

The machine 10 is provided with a support frame 24 inside which the treatment chamber 12 is made, provided with an aperture 33 toward the outside, which can be selectively closed by means of the door 16.

The housing compartment 15 can be provided with guide elements 34 configured to allow the insertion of one or more support racks 13, which slide inside it through the aperture 33 selectively opened by the door 16.

In particular, one housing compartment 15 can be separated from the next by means of the guide elements 34.

The support rack 13 comprises one or more inclinable shelves 17 so as to assume one or more distinct angular positions, inclined with respect to a base plane 35 thereof, that is, with respect to the guide elements 34.

The objects 11 to be treated are disposed on top of the support racks 13, in correspondence with the inclinable shelves 17.

The inclinable shelves 17 can be square or rectangular in shape.

In particular, the inclinable shelves 17 can be reticular or grid-shaped to allow the passage of the washing liquid.

The base plane 35 can be configured to allow the passage of treatment liquid so that it is not retained in the support rack 13. In particular, also the base plane 35 can be reticular or grid-shaped to allow the passage of the treatment liquid.

The machine 10 also comprises a hydraulic circuit 22 to feed the treatment liquid (indicated by L in figs. 4-5), for example for washing and/or rinsing, inside the treatment chamber 12 and, in particular, inside the compartment 15.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 is provided with at least one treatment unit 14 associated with the at least one housing compartment 15.

According to one embodiment, the treatment unit 14 is connected to the hydraulic circuit 22 to selectively deliver the treatment liquid inside the housing compartment 15.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 is provided with at least two treatment units 14 per housing compartment 15, in which at least one support rack 13 can be inserted. According to one embodiment, a first treatment unit 14 is provided above the support rack 13 and is configured to deliver treatment liquid downward over the support rack 13, and a second treatment unit 14 is provided below the support rack 13 and is configured to deliver treatment liquid upward under the support rack 13. In this way the objects 11 disposed inside the support rack 13 are treated with treatment liquid both below and above so as to sanitize them correctly.

The treatment unit 14 is provided with at least one delivery pipe 18 to deliver treatment liquid, disposed transversely to the opposite perimeter walls 28, 29 and 30, 31 inside the housing compartment 15 above and/or below the support rack 13.

The delivery pipe 18 is configured to deliver treatment liquid over the entire support rack 13.

The delivery pipe 18 can preferably be disposed transversely to the opposite walls 30, 31 and parallel to the perimeter wall 28 defined by the door 16 in the closed position. Advantageously, this solution simplifies the installation and maintenance of the treatment unit 14 and simplifies the regulation of the delivery of the treatment liquid through the hydraulic circuit 22.

According to one embodiment, the delivery pipe 18 longitudinally comprises at least a plurality of primary nozzles 20 aligned with each other along its own longitudinal axis X and configured to deliver treatment liquid into the housing compartment 15.

The primary nozzles 20 can be provided in sequence at desired distances along the longitudinal axis X so as to deliver treatment liquid along the entire transverse size of the housing compartment 15 covered by the delivery pipe 18.

The primary nozzles 20 can be provided protruding from the delivery pipe 18 and in fluid communication with the latter.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in fig. 3, the delivery pipe 18 longitudinally comprises a plurality of secondary nozzles 21 laterally adjacent to the plurality of primary nozzles 20.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in fig. 3, the plurality of primary nozzles 20 and the plurality of secondary nozzles 21 are configured to deliver treatment liquid in substantially parallel directions.

According to a possible embodiment, the plurality of primary nozzles 20 and the plurality of secondary nozzles 21 are configured to deliver treatment liquid in substantially converging or diverging directions.

According to one embodiment, the primary nozzles 20 and the secondary nozzles 21 are hydraulically connected to each other and to the hydraulic circuit 22.

According to one embodiment, the plurality of primary nozzles 20 and the plurality of secondary nozzles 21 can be disposed to function differently from each other in terms of flow rates and/or pressure. In this case, the treatment unit 14 can advantageously carry out different treatments and/or in close sequences by using, for example, first the primary nozzles 20 and then the secondary nozzles 21 independently of each other, thus guaranteeing a high versatility and rapidity of treatment inside the treatment chamber 12. This solution allows to increase the efficiency of the treatment and the productivity of the treatment process.

According to another embodiment, the primary nozzles 20 and the secondary nozzles 21 are hydraulically connected to two separate hydraulic circuits 22 suitable to deliver treatment liquids, possibly different from each other, with identical or differentiated flow rates and/or pressures.

In particular, the primary nozzles 20 and the secondary nozzles 21 can be suitable to deliver different treatment liquids, for example rinsing and/or washing.

According to one embodiment, the primary nozzles 20 are configured to deliver washing liquid and the secondary nozzles 21 are configured to deliver rinsing liquid.

The opposite case is not excluded, in which the primary nozzles 20 can be configured to deliver rinsing liquid and the secondary nozzles 21 can be configured to deliver washing liquid.

By way of non-restrictive example, the primary nozzles 20 could have the function of wetting the surfaces of the objects 11 and, therefore, they could be configured to deliver a wide and delicate jet (that is, with low delivery pressures) with a parabolic development. While the secondary nozzles 21 could have a more aggressive washing function, supplying a narrow jet and at high pressures with a substantially cylindrical development.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in fig. 3, the delivery pipe 18 comprises a second plurality of primary nozzles 20a, disposed diametrically opposite to the first plurality of primary nozzles 20 on the delivery pipe 18 so as to deliver treatment liquid in opposite directions.

In particular, the first plurality of primary nozzles 20 can be configured to deliver treatment liquid in a first housing compartment 15 and the second plurality of primary nozzles 20a can be configured to deliver treatment liquid in a second housing compartment 15, consecutive to the first compartment 15.

In particular, the first plurality of primary nozzles 20 can be configured to deliver treatment liquid downward and the second plurality of primary nozzles 20a can be configured to deliver treatment liquid upward.

According to one embodiment, shown by way of example in fig. 3, the distribution pipe 18 comprises a second plurality of secondary nozzles 21a disposed diametrically opposite to the first plurality of secondary nozzles 21 on the delivery pipe 18.

The second plurality of secondary nozzles 21a can be adjacent to the second plurality of primary nozzles 20a.

The embodiments described above for the plurality of primary nozzles 20 and the plurality of secondary nozzles 21 can also be applied to the second plurality of primary nozzles 20a and secondary nozzles 21a.

The use of at least two pluralities of primary nozzles opposite one another along the delivery pipe 18 is particularly advantageous when at least two overlapping and distanced support racks 13 are present in the treatment chamber 12 (fig. 3). In this case, by way of non-restrictive example, three treatment units 14 are provided in the treatment chamber 12:

- a first treatment unit 14a on top of a first support rack 13 a;

- a second treatment unit 14b between a first support rack 13a and a second support rack 13b;

- a third treatment unit 14c under the second support rack 13b.

With reference by way of example to fig. 3, the first treatment unit 14a is configured to distribute treatment liquid downward onto the objects 11 resting on the first support rack 13 a, while the second treatment unit 14b, providing at least a second plurality of primary nozzles 20a diametrically opposite to the first plurality of primary nozzles 20, is configured to distribute treatment liquid upward inside the objects 11 disposed on the first support rack 13a and downward over the objects 11 disposed on the second support rack 13b. The third treatment unit 14c is configured to distribute treatment liquid inside the objects 11 disposed on the second support rack 13b.

According to one embodiment, the delivery pipe 18 is mobile.

According to one embodiment, the delivery pipe 18 is rotatable around its longitudinal axis X so as to regulate the delivery direction of the at least one plurality of primary nozzles 20.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the delivery pipe 18 is provided with movement means 19 configured to selectively rotate the delivery pipe 18 in continuous oscillatory motion around its longitudinal axis X from a desired first angular position to a desired second angular position.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the plurality of primary nozzles 20 defines a desired angular delivery sector in the passage from the desired first angular position to the desired second angular position in the housing compartment 15 so as to deliver the treatment liquid on all the objects 11 along the entire width and/or length of the support rack 13.

This leads to a shorter treatment time inside the treatment machine and a greater number of objects that can be treated in sequence therein.

Fig. 3 shows by way of non-restrictive example a first angular position PI and a second angular position P2.

By way of non-restrictive example, the first angular position PI can provide that the nozzle has a delivery direction substantially parallel to the base plane 35 of the support rack 13 and the second angular position P2 can provide that the nozzle has a delivery direction substantially opposite to the first angular position PI and parallel to the base plane 35.

According to one embodiment, the circular sector has an angular amplitude a correlated with the width and/or length of the support rack 13.

According to one embodiment, the circular sector can have an angular amplitude a comprised between 0° and 180°, preferably between 30° and 150°. Consequently, the delivery pipe 18 is configured to oscillate the at least one plurality of primary nozzles 20 and the possible plurality of secondary nozzles 21 continuously inside the angular sector to deliver treatment liquid in an oscillatory manner above and/or inside the objects 11.

According to one embodiment, the treatment unit 14 can comprise at least two delivery pipes 18 disposed side by side inside the at least one housing compartment 15 to serve specific zones of the housing compartment 15.

For example, with reference to the attached drawings, two delivery pipes 18 can be provided, one for treating one half of the support rack 13 containing objects 11 and one for treating the other half of the support rack 13 containing objects 11.

According to one embodiment, the treatment unit 14 can comprise at least two delivery pipes 18 disposed side by side on a plane parallel to the base plane 35 of a support rack 13 so as to treat all the objects 11 present in the support rack 13 itself.

According to one embodiment, the movement means 19 comprise a piston actuator 27 and lever means 26 connected on one side to the delivery pipe 18 and on the other side to the piston actuator 27.

The lever means 26 are configured to convert an alternating linear motion of the piston actuator 27 into the continuous oscillatory motion of the delivery pipe 18.

According to one embodiment (fig. 5), the movement means 19 comprise at least two piston actuators 27 each connected to a respective delivery pipe 18 and configured to rotate the delivery pipes 18 in a continuous oscillatory motion independently of each other. This embodiment is advantageous in the case where the objects 11 to be treated contained in a support rack 13 are different from each other or require differentiated treatments, or in the case where the support rack 13 is partly loaded by activating only the delivery pipe 18 in cooperation with the loaded part of the rack 13.

According to one embodiment (fig. 5), the treatment unit 14 comprises at least two delivery pipes 18 mechanically connected to each other by means of the lever means 26, and the movement means 19 comprise a single piston actuator 27 connected to the lever means 26 and configured to rotate the delivery pipes 18 in continuous oscillatory motion in a coordinated manner with each other. This embodiment is preferable in the case where the objects 11 to be treated are the same type and the support rack 13 is always fully loaded. According to one embodiment (figs. 4-5), each treatment unit 14 comprises movement means 19 which are autonomous and independent from other treatment units 14.

According to one embodiment, the movement means 19 are configured to command and regulate the speed, the amplitude and the frequency of the rotation in oscillatory motion of the at least one delivery pipe 18 of the treatment unit 14 inside the angular sector.

The movement means 19 can be configured to command and regulate the speed, amplitude and frequency of rotation in oscillatory motion inside the angular sector of multiple delivery pipes 18 of one or more treatment units 14 independently of each other or simultaneously with each other.

According to one embodiment, the movement means 19 are disposed outside the treatment chamber 12 inside the support frame 24 of the machine 10. This facilitates the maintenance and cleaning operations of the movement means 19, guaranteeing a longer useful life of the machine 10, excluding any contact of the washing liquid with the electrical or electronic circuitry present in the movement means 19.

Furthermore, both the hydraulic circuit 22 and the movement means 19 are provided compact and recessed on one side of the support frame 24 of the machine 10. In this way, the hydraulic circuit 22 and the movement means 19 are easily accessible for an operator in the maintenance step and with difficulty come into direct contact with the treatment in the treatment chamber 12.

According to one embodiment, the treatment unit 14 comprises one or more delivery pipes 18 disposed side by side and connected to the hydraulic circuit 22 by means of at least one regulation valve 23.

According to one embodiment, the regulation valve 23 is configured to selectively intercept and/or regulate the flow rate of the feed to a single delivery pipe 18 independently of the others or to multiple delivery pipes 18 in a coordinated manner with each other.

In this way, it is possible to suitably regulate the delivery of the treatment liquid through the primary nozzles 20 and/or the secondary nozzles 21, and possibly to stop its flow according to the type of treatment to be performed and the presence of objects 11 to be treated in the chamber of treatment 12. According to one embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 22 is configured to simultaneously feed multiple treatment units 14.

According to one embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 22 is configured to selectively feed multiple treatment units 14 in series.

According to one embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 22 can comprise one or more regulation valves 23, one for each treatment unit 14, to selectively feed one or more of the treatment units 14.

In particular, the treatment units 14 can be connected to the hydraulic circuit 22 independently of each other by means of one or more regulation valves 23.

In this way, the feed to the individual treatment units 14 can be regulated independently also according to the presence of objects 11 inside the compartment 15.

According to another embodiment, the hydraulic circuit 22 can comprise multiple regulation valves 23, one for each delivery pipe 18 of each treatment unit 14.

The one or more regulation valves 23 can be electro valves.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 comprises one or more sensors 32 in the treatment chamber 12, configured to detect the presence of the support racks 13 inside the housing compartments 15.

In particular, the sensors 32 can be configured to detect the presence of the objects 11 on top of the support racks 13.

According to one embodiment, the machine 10 comprises a command and control unit 25 configured to command and regulate the drive of the movement means 19 and the feed of treatment liquid through the hydraulic circuit 22 according to the treatment to be performed, the number of support racks 13 in the treatment chamber 12 detected by the sensors 32, the presence of objects 11 to be treated in the housing compartment 15 detected by the sensors 32 and the closure of the treatment chamber 12 by means of the door 16.

The command and control unit 25 can be connected to the regulation valves 23 so as to regulate the flow rate and pressure of the treatment liquid or, possibly, to block the passage of the treatment liquid in the individual treatment units 14 or in the individual delivery pipes 18 provided inside each treatment unit 14.

The sensors 32 can be, for example, weight or capacitive sensors associated with the guide elements 34 that detect the change in weight following the insertion of a support rack 13.

Based on the weight detected by the sensor 32, the command and control unit 25 can identify whether the support rack 13 is loaded, half loaded or has no objects 11 inside it.

The sensors 32 can be, for example, optical sensors able to detect the presence of the support racks 13 and/or objects 11 on the support racks 13.

Other types of sensors 32 usable for the purpose of detecting the number of support racks 13 and the presence of objects 11 on the support racks 13 are not excluded.

According to one embodiment, a sensor (not shown) or other detection system able to communicate to the command and control unit 25 that the door 16 is correctly closed can also be associated with the door 16.

In particular, the command and control unit 25 can be configured to command the sending of treatment liquid to the hydraulic circuit 22 only if the door 16 is closed and if there are objects 11 to be treated inside the treatment chamber 12 detected by the one or more sensors 32.

The command and control unit 25 can be configured to command the sending of treatment liquid to the hydraulic circuit 22 only to some treatment units 14 according to the presence of the support rack 13 and objects 1 1.

The command and control unit 25 can be configured to command the sending of treatment liquid to the hydraulic circuit 22 only to some delivery pipes 18 of the treatment unit 14 according to the presence of objects on the support rack 13. For example, if there are two delivery pipes 18 in a treatment unit 14 and the support rack 13 is only half filled, the command and control unit 25 commands the activation of the movement means 19 and of the regulation valve 23 to drive only the delivery pipe 18 provided above and/or below this half of the support rack 13 loaded with objects 11, so as to serve the specific zone where the treatment is required, significantly reducing energy consumption.

By way of example, if in the treatment chamber 12 there is only one support rack 13 loaded with objects 11 to be treated, the command and control unit 25 drives the movement means 19 of the treatment unit 14 present above the rack 13 and of the treatment unit 14 present under the rack 13 and commands its selective feed through the hydraulic circuit 22. If there are other treatment units 14 which are not in direct cooperation with the only support rack 13 inserted, the command and control unit 25 activates the regulation valves 23 to intercept the feed to these units 14 and does not drive their movement means 19, reducing the energy consumption connected to these units 14.

According to one embodiment, the command and control unit 25 is configured to command and regulate the flow rate and pressure of the treatment liquid sent to the individual treatment units 14 independently of each other.

The command and control unit 25 can be configured to command the movement means 19 to regulate the speed of oscillation of each delivery pipe 18 of each treatment unit 14 inside the angular sector independently of the other delivery pipes 18 or simultaneously with them.

According to one embodiment, the sensors 32 can also detect the inclination level of the inclinable shelves 17 of each support rack 13.

The inclination level can affect the type of treatment to be performed and the angular amplitude of the delivery sector of the delivery pipe 18.

Consequently, the command and control unit 25 can be configured to operate the movement means 19 and the regulation valves 23 according to the inclination level of the inclinable shelves 17 of each support rack 13 in order to regulate the flow rate and pressure of the treatment liquid to be sent inside the compartment 15.

In particular, each inclinable shelf 17 can assume different distinct angular positions on the basis of an angle of inclination b with respect to the base plane 35.

According to one embodiment, the angle b can be comprised between 0° and 60°, preferably between 0° and 45°, so as to guarantee that the objects 11 disposed on the support rack 13 are correctly treated and that the liquid subsequently drips off them. This inclination promotes the drainage of the liquid from the objects 11, accelerating and improving the drying thereof.

Depending on the applications, multiple distinct angular positions can be provided, close to each other in a specific and desired manner.

According to a possible embodiment shown by way of example in figs. 1-3, the support rack 13 comprises at least one guide device 36 mounted directly at the side of the base plane 35 and provided with guides 37 shaped with a profile transverse to the base plane 35 and comprising one or more stable positioning seatings 38 each coordinated with a respective angular position to be assumed for the one or more inclinable shelves 17. Each inclinable shelf 17 is provided with an attachment portion 39 able to slide along a respective guide 37 to selectively engage with one of the stable positioning seatings 38 to define a corresponding one of the distinct angular positions of the one or more inclinable shelves 17.

The inclination of the inclinable shelves 17 allows to accelerate and improve the drying of the objects 11 by accelerating the dripping thereof.

According to one embodiment, the number of guides 37 of the guide device is identical to the number of inclinable shelves 17.

The inclinable shelves 17 can be configured to assume the distinct angular positions independently of each other.

The inclination of the inclinable shelves 17 can be automatically commanded by an automated device (not shown) provided inside the treatment chamber 12.

The inclination of the inclinable shelves 17 can be carried out before the support rack 13 is inserted into the treatment chamber 12.

Once the object 11 has been treated, the support rack 13 can be removed from the machine 10 with the inclinable shelves 17 inclined, so as to allow the rinsing liquid to drip and drain also outside the treatment machine 10. In this way it is possible to make the treatment cycle more efficient and productive, using the same machine 10 to treat other objects while others are in the process of dripping or drying outside the machine 10.

It is clear that modifications and/or additions of parts may be made to the machine 10 for treating objects 11 as described heretofore, without departing from the field and scope of the present invention.

It is also clear that, although the present invention has been described with reference to some specific examples, a person of skill in the art shall certainly be able to achieve many other equivalent forms of machine 10, having the characteristics as set forth in the claims and hence all coming within the field of protection defined thereby.

In the following claims, the sole purpose of the references in brackets is to facilitate reading: they must not be considered as restrictive factors with regard to the field of protection claimed in the specific claims.