A new and improved touchless flowable product dispenser which is to be utilized to reduce the amount of bacteria and germs transmitted when a customer wishes to dispense a flowable product, such as, for example, various condiments into a container. This invention allows large quantities of the flowable product to be stored and dispensed without customer contact, thereby reducing the risk of germ and bacteria transmission inside of a restaurant, particularly during infectious disease events or calendar seasons.
A new and improved automated bun handling and toasting system and method are disclosed comprising a plurality of horizontally oriented bun storage tubes mounted upon a carousel, and an indexing system operatively connected to the carousel so as to rotate the carousel in a predetermined incremental manner and thereby dispose a particular one of the plurality of horizontally oriented bun storage tubes at a predetermined discharge position such that a bun can be discharged from the particular bun storage tube. The discharged bun has a vertical orientation, however, a bun separator separates the bun into its crown and heel bun segments which then attain horizontal orientations with the internal surface portions facing upwardly so as to pass through a toaster appliance so as to be toasted.
An automatic food preparation line for automatically preparing bread products for making sandwiches or burgers comprises an automatic bread product handling system containing a plurality of different types of bread products, an automatic toaster appliance for toasting the bread products, an automatic packaging system for automatically dispensing both box and wrapping paper packaging, an automatic sauce dispensing system for dispensing a plurality of different sauces onto the bread product, an automatic non-sauce condiment dispensing system for dispensing one or more different condiments onto the bread product, and an automatic conveyor system for conveying the bread product between the various systems. The entire automatic food preparation line is under the control of a suitable computer, such as, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and a patron may select the type of bread product, the type of sauce, and the type of non-sauce condiment by inputting such selections into a user interface (UI) located at a point-of-sale (POS) location.
G07F 17/00 - Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articlesCoin-freed facilities or services
G07F 11/58 - Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from movable storage containers or supports the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
A23P 20/20 - Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers
B65B 25/00 - Packaging other articles presenting special problems
B65B 43/18 - Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines by grippers by suction-operated grippers
A21C 15/00 - Apparatus for handling baked articles
4.
Energy conservation damper mechanisms for use in conjunction with food preparation or food storage equipment
Damper mechanisms are provided in conjunction with housings of various different appliances and are disposed at first positions at which the dampers effectively close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances within which various heated, refrigerated, or frozen environments have been established. Such damper mechanisms can be moved to second positions so as to permit food items to be inserted into, or extracted from, the various housings of the appliances, but will automatically return to their first positions so as to again close off or seal the interior regions of the appliances. In this manner, thermal energy is preserved whereby the appliances are enabled to operate at peak energy efficiency.
B65D 43/16 - Non-removable lids or covers hinged for upward or downward movement
B65D 81/18 - Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
B65D 81/38 - Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents with thermal insulation
5.
Food cooking appliance utilizing both steam and heat for rapidly cooking food products
A food cooking appliance which utilizes both steam and heat for rapidly cooking food products is disclosed. The food products are disposed within a food cooking housing and a steam generator is provided within a steam generator housing so as to generate steam which is fluidically conducted into the food cooking housing. In this manner, the food products are cooked as a result of the steam being conducted into upper regions of cooking chambers defined within the food cooking housing while the heat generated from the heated grills or platens impart heat to the lower regions of the cooking chambers thereby cooking the food in an accelerated manner which is extremely desirable by commercial fast-food establishments. The steam generator housing is wholly separate and apart from the food cooking housing but fluidically connected to the food cooking housing by a fluid conduit which may rigid or flexible. In this manner, the food cooking housing and the steam generator housing may be located at different locations within a kitchen facility in order that the kitchen facility be capable of accommodating both the food cooking housing and the steam generator housing. The steam generator housing may also be provided with multiple fluid conduits such that a single steam generator can supply steam to a plurality of different appliances.
An automated bun feeding and toasting system is disclosed wherein the system is to be utilized in restaurants, particularly fast-food restaurants, in order to quickly and accurately prepare food products, such as, for example, conventional hamburger sandwiches which require two buns, or Big Mac® sandwiches which require three buns, in accordance with specific patron orders. The system comprises a plurality of bun storage tubes, discharge mechanisms for discharging bun segment into a bun separator, a chute conveyor, a bun rotator, and at least one toaster appliance whereupon completion of a toasting operation, the bun segments are picked up and conveyed downstream toward a food or sandwich preparation station. All operations are automated and are under the control of a master control unit such as, for example, a programmable logic controller (PLC).
An automated condiment dispensing system for dispensing predetermined amounts of condiments such as are commonly utilized in connection with the preparation of food sandwiches or other food menu items, particularly within fast food restaurants, whereby a particular condiment, or a combination of condiments, can be automatically dispensed onto a food sandwich or food item transported to a particular condiment dispensing station at which the particular condiment dispensing system is located and from which the particular condiment is to be dispensed. Multiple different condiment dispensing stations can be employed so as to dispense different condiments in accordance with a patron's food item order, and the entire dispensing system is automatically controlled by a programmable logic controller (PLC).
G01G 15/04 - Arrangements for check-weighing of materials dispensed into removable containers with provision for adding or removing a make-up quantity of material to obtain the desired gross weight
A47J 47/01 - Kitchen containers, stands or the like, not provided for in other groups of this subclassCutting-boards, e.g. for bread with dispensing devices
8.
Food service equipment comprising a multiple-pass feeder conveyor and toaster with floating platen to accommodate different food products having different thickness dimensions
Food service equipment comprises a multiple-pass feeder conveyor and toaster which comprises an upper inclined food product infeed conveyor ramp for causing the food products to proceed in a first direction extending from the rear of the appliance toward the front of the appliance and onto the upper run of a first upper endless conveyor. The upper run of the first upper endless conveyor conveys the food products into a semi-circular return product feeder which causes the food products to be conveyed in a second opposite direction extending from the front of the appliance toward the rear of the appliance and into an entry space defined by means of the lower run of the first upper endless conveyor and the upper run of a second lower endless conveyor, the two conveyors being synchronized together. The pair of conveyors convey the food products between heated platens respectively associated with the two conveyors whereby the food products are cooked or toasted. Additional pairs of conveyors can also be incorporated within the system, in a vertically stacked array, so as to effectively increase the length of travel experienced by the multiple food products without increasing the footprint of the equipment. In addition, upper and lower heated platens are operatively associated with the first and second upper and lower endless conveyors, and the upper heated platen is movably mounted within the food service equipment so as to move upwardly and downwardly and thereby permit different food products, having different thickness dimensions, to be conveyed through the food service equipment.
A conveyor belt for conveying articles along a conveyor path comprises a plurality of slat members disposed parallel to each other and disposed transversely with respect to the conveyor path, wherein leading and trailing edge portions of the slat members are angled downwardly with respect to the conveying surface upon which articles being conveyed are supported so as to prevent edge portions of the articles being conveyed from being interposed between the leading and trailing edge portions of the slat members so as not to be pinched by adjacent ones of the leading and trailing edge portions of adjacent slat members.
B65G 17/06 - Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying surface or to a series of individual load-carriersEndless-chain conveyors in which the chains form the load-carrying surface having a load-carrying surface formed by a series of interconnected, e.g. longitudinal, links, plates, or platforms
06 - Common metals and ores; objects made of metal
07 - Machines and machine tools
09 - Scientific and electric apparatus and instruments
11 - Environmental control apparatus
20 - Furniture and decorative products
21 - HouseHold or kitchen utensils, containers and materials; glassware; porcelain; earthenware
Goods & Services
Parts made of metal for steamers, cookers, hot dog grillers,
bread warmers, corn cookers, warmer drawers, water
purification and filtration apparatus, display cases, food
display cabinets and cup dispensers, namely screws, nuts,
bolts, clamps, clips, latches and catches, metal chains,
door parts being metal doors and metal hinges, metal
magnetic strikes. Parts for steamers, cookers, toasters, hot dog grillers,
bread warmers, corn cookers, warmer drawers, water
purification and filtration apparatus, display cases, food
display cabinets and cup dispensers, namely, gears other
than for land vehicles, machine parts, namely bearings and
bushings, belts, pulleys for machines, valves [parts of
machines], water and liquid line fittings [parts of
machines], pumps and motors [parts of machines]. Electronic controls for motors, valves and electric heating
elements in the food industry; measuring instruments and
apparatus, namely, food scales; electronic timers;
temperature controllers for cookers, steamers and warmers;
parts for steamers, cookers, toasters, hot dog grillers,
bread warmers, corn cookers, warmer drawers and water
purification and filtration apparatus, namely, electric
wires and cables, connectors, electric wire harnesses,
electronic thermostats, electric power supplies and cords,
electrical switches and buttons, thermocouples, electronic
relays, electrical transformers, electrical conductor
terminal blocks, thermistors and varistors, electronic
buzzers, potentiometers, electric resistors and electric
resistor assemblies, fuses and fuse blocks, motor
capacitors, liquid-level actuated electronic switches,
lighting ballasts, liquid and gas pressure gauges,
thermometers, electric contactors. Water purification apparatus for the removal of chlorine,
chloramine and chlorides and for the treatment of hardness
and the minimization of scale; water filtration apparatus
for removing particulates, bacteria and viruses from water;
electric food steamers, electric cookers, electric hot dog
grillers, steam-actuated bread warmers, warming drawers,
electric corn cookers, electric griddles, toasters; heated
food display cases and cabinets; parts for all of the
foregoing, namely structural parts, electric heating
elements, heaters, light bulbs, electric lamps and lights,
electrical heating element head assemblies, panels, covers
and lids, structural plates, legs and feet, chutes and
chimneys, water filters for water filtration apparatus,
light sockets and lamp holders, carriage assemblies. Food display cases; unheated food display cabinets; cup
dispensers primarily made of metal in the nature of
cabinets; structural parts for all of the foregoing; parts
for steamers, cookers, toasters, hot dog grillers, bread
warmers, corn cookers, water purification and filtration
apparatus, food display stands, food display cabinets and
cup dispensers, namely, nonmetal screws, nuts, bolts
washers, clamps and clips, plastic lock rings, nonmetal
diffuser rings, nonmetal leg spacers, nonmetal annular
spacers, nonmetal cover knob spacers, nonmetal cylindrical
spacers, nonmetal hinge spacers, mica spacers, nonmetal
latch spacers, shelves, knobs made primarily of plastic. Griddle scrapers; wire baskets for cooking food.
11.
Spherical food product container for heating or cooking various food products by steam in order to cook multiple sized portions of food products within shortened cooking times, and a food cooking appliance incorporating the spherical food product container therein
A bulbous or spherically shaped food product container for heating or cooking various food products by means of steam in order to cook multiple sized portions of food products within relatively short cooking times is dis-closed. When steam flows into the food product container, the food product is cooked by the steam. The use of the unique bulb-shaped or spherical food product container enables more than a single or individual food product portion to be cooked within the food product container, and the use of the steam, in conjunction with the bulbous or spherically-shaped food product container, causes the steam and food product to undergo turbulent, rotational, or swirling flow within the bulbous or spherically-configured food product container whereby the food product is greatly dispersed, effectively thinned, and is caused to travel along the internal peripheral surface areas of the bulbous or spherical food product container such that cooking times are dramatically reduced.
A47J 27/04 - Cooking-vessels for cooking food in steamDevices for extracting fruit juice by means of steam
A47J 43/12 - Whipping by introducing a stream of gas
12.
Baffle plate filtering system for preventing ambient air contaminants from entering machinery or equipment in order to protect internal components of the machinery or equipment from being contaminated or fouled
A baffle plate filtering system is disclosed which is adapted to be operatively associated with an external housing wall of a piece of machinery or equipment, through which cooling air is to be ingested or inducted in order to cool internal operative components of the machinery or equipment, wherein the baffle plate filtering system will effectively prevent the ingestion or induction of ambient particulates, contaminants, grease, dirt, and the like into the internal regions of the machinery or equipment such that the operative components of the machinery or equipment do not become contaminated or fouled by means of the ambient particulates, contaminants, grease, dirt, and the like.
B01D 45/08 - Separating dispersed particles from gases or vapours by gravity, inertia, or centrifugal forces by utilising inertia by impingement against baffle separators
13.
Food service equipment comprising a multiple-pass feeder conveyor and toaster
Food service equipment comprises a multiple-pass feeder conveyor and toaster which comprises an upper inclined food product infeed conveyor ramp for causing the food products to proceed in a first direction extending from the rear of the appliance toward the front of the appliance and onto the upper run of a first upper endless conveyor. The upper run of the first upper endless conveyor conveys the food products into a semi-circular return product feeder which causes the food products to be conveyed in a second opposite direction extending from the front of the appliance toward the rear of the appliance and into an entry space defined by means of the lower run of the first upper endless conveyor and the upper run of a second lower endless conveyor, the two conveyors being synchronized together. The pair of conveyors convey the food products between heated platens respectively associated with the two conveyors whereby the food products are cooked or toasted. The cooked or toasted food products are discharged onto a lower inclined food product discharge ramp which is disposed substantially parallel to the first inclined food product infeed ramp such that the finished food products are conveyed in a third direction, parallel to the first direction, toward a finished food product platform from which the finished food products may be removed for serving to diners. Additional pairs of conveyors can also be incorporated within the system, in a vertically stacked array, so as to effectively increase the length of travel experienced by the multiple food products without increasing the footprint of the equipment.
A food cooking appliance which utilizes both steam and heat for rapidly cooking food products is disclosed. The food products are disposed within food containers which are effectively formed as openings within one or more plates or templates, wherein the openings may have different geometrical configurations and size dimensions, and the one or more plates or templates are pivotally movable between upper or raised non-cooking positions and lower cooking positions at which the food products, disposed within the openings, are disposed atop one or more heated grills or platens. One or more covers are also utilized to cover the plates or templates such that the food products are cooked within covered cooking chambers. A steam generator is also provided so as to generate steam which is fluidically conducted into the covered cooking chambers. In this manner, the food products are cooked as a result of the steam being conducted into the upper regions of the covered cooking chambers while the heat generated from the heated grills or platens impart heat to the lower regions of the covered cooking chambers thereby cooking the food in an accelerated manner which is extremely desirable by commercial fast-food establishments.
06 - Common metals and ores; objects made of metal
09 - Scientific and electric apparatus and instruments
11 - Environmental control apparatus
20 - Furniture and decorative products
21 - HouseHold or kitchen utensils, containers and materials; glassware; porcelain; earthenware
Goods & Services
(1) Parts made of metal for electric steamers, electric food cookers, electric hot dog grillers, electric bread warmers, electric corn cookers, heated drawers for warming food, water demineralization units, water filters for commercial purposes, display cases, food display cabinets and cup dispensers, namely screws, nuts, bolts and latches
(2) Light-powered electronic timers, electronic hand wash timers; parts for electric steamers, electric food cookers, toasters, electric hot dog grillers, electric bread warmers, electric corn cookers, heated drawers for warming food, water demineralization units and water filters for commercial purposes, namely, electric wires and cables, electronic thermostats; electric cords, thermocouples, electronic relays, electrical transformers, electrical conductor terminal blocks, thermistors and varistors, electronic buzzers, potentiometers and lighting ballasts
(3) Water filters for commercial purposes; water demineralization units; electric food steamers; electric hot dog grillers; electrically heated drawers for warming food; electric griddles; toasters
(4) Electric steam-actuated bread warmers
(5) Electric countertop cookers
(6) Heated food display cases and cabinets
(7) Electric corn cookers
(8) Parts for water filters for commercial purposes, water demineralization units, electric food steamers, electric hot dog grillers, electrically heated drawers for warming food, electric griddles, toasters, electric countertop cookers, heated food display cases and cabinets and corn cookers, namely light bulbs, electric lamps and lights
(9) Food display cases; unheated food display cabinets
(10) Cup dispensers primarily made of metal
(11) Griddle scrapers; wire baskets for cooking food
16.
Insert for fluid treatment cartridge with fluid treatment cartridge
Cooking assembly comprising a flexible ring conformable to predeterminedly shaped templates of a cooking station for providing cooked foods with predeterminedly different shapes, and the cooking station employing the cooking assembly
A cooking assembly, and a cooking station employing the cooking assembly, is disclosed. The cooking assembly comprises a flexible ring which is conformable to any one of a plurality of different predeterminedly structured templates, any one of which can be interchangeably utilized upon a food station, in order to provide cooked foods with predeterminedly different shapes or configurations as may be desired.
