Automated food processing system and method
First Claim
1. An automated modular system for dispensing, frying and packaging food into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
- an automated dispensing module capable of dispensing a desired quantity of food to be fried;
an automated fry module adjacent the dispensing module to receive and fry the quantity of food dispensed from the dispensing module, and to produce and dispense a quantity of fried food;
an automated packaging module adjacent the fry module to receive and package the fried food from the fry module into an individual portion-sized container.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An automated food processing system and method is provided that allows food to be dispensed, fried and packaged in a suitable container, which may be an individual portion-sized container. In one embodiment, the system includes separate automated modules for dispensing, frying and packaging the food.
In one embodiment, an automated dispensing device dispenser a predetermined portion of food from a bulk storage container or food dispensing magazine. Food is dispensed from the automated dispensing device to an automated fry device that can include at least one circular fry wheel having a plurality of food containing compartments. After the food is fried it is dispensed from the fry device to an automated packaging device. The automated packaging device dispenses food to a container that may be an individual portion-sized container that is retrieved, erected and held into position for filling by an automated container handling system. After a food container is filled, a conveyor system transports the filled container to a suitable pick-up location.
112 Citations
83 Claims
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1. An automated modular system for dispensing, frying and packaging food into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
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an automated dispensing module capable of dispensing a desired quantity of food to be fried;
an automated fry module adjacent the dispensing module to receive and fry the quantity of food dispensed from the dispensing module, and to produce and dispense a quantity of fried food;
an automated packaging module adjacent the fry module to receive and package the fried food from the fry module into an individual portion-sized container. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An automated modular system for dispensing, frying and packaging French fries into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
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an automated dispensing module capable of dispensing a desired quantity portion of French fries to be fried;
an automated fry module adjacent the dispensing module to receive the French fries dispensed from the dispensing module;
an automated packaging module adjacent the fry module to receive and package the French fries into individual portion-sized containers. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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30. An automated method of dispensing, frying and packaging food into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
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dispensing a desired quantity portion of food to be fried from an automated dispensing module to an automated fry module;
frying the portion of food dispensed from the dispensing module in the automated fry module adjacent the dispensing module to produce a quantity of fried food;
dispensing the quantity of fried food from the fry module to a packaging module;
packaging the fried food dispensed from the fry module into individual portion-sized containers with an automated packaging module. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45)
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46. An automated method for dispensing, frying and packaging French fries into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
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dispensing a desired quantity portion of French fries to be fried with an automated dispensing device to a frying device;
frying with the frying device the French fries dispensed from the dispensing module to produce a quantity of fried French fries;
packaging the French fries into individual portion-sized containers with an automated packaging device. - View Dependent Claims (47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. An automated system for dispensing, frying and packaging French fries into individual portion-sized containers comprising:
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an automated dispensing device capable of dispensing a desired quantity portion of French fries to be fried;
an automated fry module proximate the dispensing device to receive and fry the portion of French fries dispensed from the dispensing device, and to produce and dispense a quantity of fried French fries;
an automated packaging device proximate the fry device to receive and package the fried French fries from the fry device into an individual portion-sized French fry container. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62)
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63. An automated method of frying food in a fry vat having a heated cooking oil contained therein and packaging the fried food comprising:
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depositing from an automated food dispenser a quantity of food to be fried into one compartment of a circular fry wheel having at least a generally circular perimeter and a plurality of compartments each having an opening towards the perimeter, the fry wheel mounted for rotational movement relative to the radial axis of the fry wheel;
rotating the fry wheel so that the compartment having food therein travels through the heated cooking oil over a period of time to cause the food to be fried;
rotating the fry wheel to cause fried food to be discharged from one of the compartments;
directing the fried food that is discharged from one of the compartments into an automated packaging device; and
operating the automated packaging device to package the fried food into a plurality of individual portion-sized containers. - View Dependent Claims (64, 65, 66, 67, 68)
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69. An automated device for frying food and packaging the fried food in a food carton comprising:
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a fry module;
a packaging module adjacent said fry module;
said fry module composed of a fry vat for containing and heating cooking oil, a container for containing food that is moveable through the heated cooking oil for a period of time sufficient to cook the food contained therein and then out of the cooking oil and a drive mechanism for moving the container through the cooking oil and means for discharging the food from the container after frying and to the packaging module;
said packaging module comprising a rotatable food dispensing member having an inlet location to receive a quantity of fried food and a discharge to discharge the cooked food, a cooked food dispensing chute to receive cooked food from the discharge of the rotatable food dispensing member and a food dispensing chute positioned to receive fried food from the discharge of the rotatable fried food dispenser, the food dispensing chute having a discharge location. - View Dependent Claims (70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76)
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77. An automated system for dispensing, frying and storing cooked food comprising:
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an automated dispensing device capable of dispensing a desired quantity portion of food to be cooked;
an automated fry module proximate the dispensing device to directly receive and fry the portion of food dispensed from the dispensing device, and to produce and dispense a quantity of fried French fries;
a food receiving device proximate the fry device to directly receive and store the cooked food received from the fry device. - View Dependent Claims (78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83)
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Specification