Food service material dispensers, systems, and methods

• US 10,667,628 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2019
• Issued: 06/02/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: GPCP IP Holdings LLC
• Inventors: Auda, Michelle Lynn, Huffaker, Daniel, Cross, Brandon Seth, Geddes, Daniel James, Wilson, Lenox Gregory, Borke, Brian Scott, Morgan, Jason Aaron, Kennedy, Jeffery Burle
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddo, Ibrahim
• Application Number:
  US16/686,261
• Publication Number:
  US 20200077812A1
• Time in Patent Office: 197 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/085 for nested articles, e.g. cups, cones A47F1/106 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/485 Means for selecting a type of copy material amongst different types of copy material in the printing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/66 Applications of cutting devices
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/663 Controlling cutting, cutting resulting in special shapes of the cutting line, e.g. controlling cutting positions, e.g. for cutting in the immediate vicinity of a printed image
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 11/70 cutting perpendicular to the direction of paper feed
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/04 Supporting, feeding, or guiding devices; Mountings for web rolls or spindles
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/042 for loading rolled-up continuous copy material into printers, e.g. for replacing a used-up paper roll; Point-of-sale printers with openable casings allowing access to the rolled-up continuous copy material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 15/16 Means for tensioning or winding the web
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/407 for marking on special material
• CPC Class Codes: B41J 3/54 with two or more sets of type or printing elements B41J3/60 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B41M 3/00 Printing processes to produce particular kinds of printed work, e.g. patterns printing apparatus or machines of special type or for particular purposes B41F17/00; special designs or pictures per se B44F; manufacturing printed circuits using printing techniques H05K3/12 ; manufacturing organic semiconductor devices using printing techniques H10K71/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/10 with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0064 for processing of food articles cooking vessels A47J37/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00145 from a remote location
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00188 Printing, e.g. prints or reprints H04N1/0019, H04N1/00196 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00206 : Transmitting or receiving computer data via an image communication device, e.g. a facsimile transceiver H04N1/00236 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00673 : Controlling the amount of slack or tension control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 1/00676 : Cutting

Abstract

Systems for providing on-demand food service material printing for food service are provided herein. A food service material dispenser comprises a roll holder configured to hold a roll of food service material, one or more rollers, and a motor configured to operate to translate the food service material along a path within the dispenser. The dispenser includes a cutting arrangement configured to perform a cut of the food service material to form the sheet of food service material that defines a size associated with a food service order. The dispenser also includes a printer configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on the food service material that is based on the associated food service order. The dispenser further includes a chute configured to dispense the sheet of food service material, which includes the at least one of order information or personalization information printed thereon.

Claims

1. A food service material dispenser for dispensing a sheet of food service material, the food service material dispenser comprising:

a roll holder configured to hold a roll of food service material;

at least one roller positioned along a dispensing pathway of the dispenser;

a motor configured to operate the at least one roller to cause movement of a leading edge of the roll of food service material along the dispensing pathway;

a cutting arrangement positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to cut the food service material to form the sheet of food service material;

a printer positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on the food service material, wherein the at least one of order information or personalization information is based on a food service order associated with the sheet of food service material;

a chute positioned relative to the dispensing pathway downstream of both the cutting arrangement and the printer; and

a controller configured to cause dispensing of the sheet of food service material along the dispensing pathway and out of the chute, wherein the dispensed sheet of food service material includes the at least one of order information or personalization information printed thereon.

2. The food service material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the personalization information is related to a customer of the food service order associated with the sheet of food service material.

3. The food service material dispenser of claim 2, wherein the personalization information for the customer is based on at least one of an order history of the customer, a customer profile for the customer, one or more stored preferences of the customer, social media data regarding the customer, or purchase or trend data regarding the customer.

4. The food service material dispenser of claim 2, wherein the personalization information is based on at least one of data provided with the food service order, a customer card used for purchase of the food service order, a loyalty card used in conjunction with the food service order, data obtained from a user device that was used in conjunction with the food service order, or a local promotion.

5. The food service material dispenser of claim 2, wherein the personalization information includes an advertisement that is generated based on the personalization information of the customer.

6. The food service material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the cutting arrangement is configured to cut the food service material at one of a plurality of lengths or widths to form the sheet of food service material such that the sheet of food service material has dimensions that are specific to the food service order.

7. The food service material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive dispensing instructions from a remote device and, in response, cause operation of one or more components of the dispenser to cause dispensing of the sheet of food service material.

8. The food service material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to:

determine, based on the food service order, the order information or the personalization information to print on the food service material; and

cause the printer to operate to print the determined order information or personalization information on the food service material.

9. The food service material dispenser of claim 1, wherein the food service order includes at least one or more custom order characteristics that are specific to the food service order, wherein the printer is configured to print the order information to include the one or more custom order characteristics on the food service material such that it is readable to a food order serviceperson during preparation of the food order.

10. The food service material dispenser of claim 9, wherein the printer is configured to print order information and personalization information on the food service material, wherein the order information that includes the one or more custom order characteristics is printed in a backwards direction on a same surface of the food service material as the personalization information, and wherein the food service material is at least partially translucent to enable the food order serviceperson to read the order information that includes the one or more custom order characteristics.

11. The food service material dispenser of claim 9, wherein the printer is configured to print order information and personalization information on the food service material, wherein the order information that includes the one or more custom order characteristics is printed on a first surface of the food service material, wherein the personalization information is printed on a second surface of the food service material, and wherein the first surface is opposite the second surface.

12. A system for causing dispensing of a sheet of food service material for use in creating a food service order, the system comprising:

a food request module configured to receive a request for food service for a customer, wherein the request for food service includes the food service order; and

a food service material dispenser for dispensing the sheet of food service material, the food service material dispenser comprising;

a communication element configured to communicate with a remote computing device;

a roll holder configured to hold a roll of food service material;

at least one roller positioned along a dispensing pathway of the dispenser;

a motor configured to operate the at least one roller to cause movement of a leading edge of the roll of food service material along the dispensing pathway;

a cutting arrangement positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to cut the food service material to form the sheet of food service material;

a printer positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on the food service material;

wherein the at least one of order information or personalization information is based on a food service order associated with the sheet of food service material;

a chute positioned relative to the dispensing pathway downstream of both the cutting arrangement and the printer; and

a controller configured to cause dispensing of the sheet of food service material along the dispensing pathway and out of the chute, wherein the dispensed sheet of food service material includes the at least one of order information or personalization information printed thereon.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the personalization information is related to the customer of the food service order associated with the sheet of food service material.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the personalization information for the customer is based on at least one of an order history of the customer, a customer profile for the customer, one or more stored preferences of the customer, social media data regarding the customer, or purchase or trend data regarding the customer.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the personalization information is based on at least one of data provided with the food service order, a customer card used for purchase of the food service order, a loyalty card used in conjunction with the food service order, data obtained from a user device that was used in conjunction with the food service order, or a local promotion.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the personalization information includes an advertisement that is generated based on the personalization information of the customer.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the cutting arrangement is configured to cut the food service material at one of a plurality of lengths or widths to form the sheet of food service material such that the sheet of food service material has dimensions that are specific to the food service order.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the food service order includes at least one or more custom order characteristics that are specific to the food service order, wherein the printer is configured to print the order information to include the one or more custom order characteristics on the food service material such that it is readable to a food order serviceperson during preparation of the food order.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein the food request module is configured to operate on a point-of-sale device.

20. A method of dispensing a sheet of food service material, the method comprising:

providing a food service material dispenser for dispensing the sheet of food service material, the rood service material dispenser comprising;

a communication element;

a roll holder configured to hold a roll of food service material;

at least one roger positioned along a dispensing pathway of the dispenser;

a motor configured to operate the at least one roller to cause movement of a leading edge of the roll of food service material along the dispensing pathway;

a cutting arrangement positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to cut the food service material to form the sheet of food service material;

a printer positioned along the dispensing pathway downstream of the roll holder and configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on the food service material, wherein the at least one of order information or personalization information is based on a food service order associated with the sheet of food service material;

a chute positioned relative to the dispensing pathway downstream of both the cutting arrangement and the printer; and

a controller configured to cause dispensing of the sheet of food service material along the dispensing pathway and out of the chute, wherein the dispensed sheet of food service material includes the at least one of order information or personalization information printed thereon.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the personalization information is related to a customer of the food service order associated with the sheet of food service material.