Automated food processing system and method
First Claim
1. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:
- a freezer;
a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;
means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said means for dispensing located in the freezer; and
means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.
13 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 a 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 filled by an automated container handling and filling system. After a food container is filled, an automated device transports the filled container to a suitable pick-up location.
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Citations
111 Claims
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1. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:
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a freezer;
a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;
means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said means for dispensing located in the freezer; and
means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A tray for vibratory conveying food articles from a hopper comprising:
- a tray body, a food inlet portion and a food outlet portion, the food inlet including an upwardly extending dividing member for dividing the tray into at least two food inlet conveyor passageways, the inlet conveyor passageways merging into a single food passageway that extends to the food outlet portion.
- View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
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23. A method of dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:
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storing food items in a storage container;
dispensing food items from the storage container to a conveyor;
conveying the food items on the conveyor to a secondary container having at least a partially open bottom with a floor member adjacent the open bottom;
monitoring the amount of food items delivered to the secondary container;
terminating delivery of the food items to the secondary container when a desired amount of food items are determined to be present in the secondary container as determined by said monitoring;
dispensing the food items from the secondary container and through the open bottom of the container by relative movement of the floor member to the open bottom of the container. - View Dependent Claims (25)
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26. A device for the automated frying of foods comprising:
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(a) a fry vat for containing and heating cooking oil;
(b) at least one 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 wheel which radial axis is disposed above the normal operating level of the frying oil in the fry vat;
(c) a drive mechanism for rotating the fry wheel; and
(d) an overflow passageway having an inlet that is located above the normal operating level of the frying oil in the fry vat. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. An automated method of frying food comprising:
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(a) placing food to be fried in a fry wheel compartment of a 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 wheel which radial axis is disposed above the normal operating level of the frying oil in a fry vat having heated cooking oil therein;
(b) providing an overflow passageway having an inlet that is located above the normal operating level of the frying oil in the fry vat;
(c) collecting in the overflow passageway at least some of the water-containing foam when the food to be fried placed in the fry wheel contacts the frying oil; and
(d) rotating the fry wheel so that the compartment containing the food travels submerged in the heated cooking oil. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35)
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36. An automated device for packaging cooked French fries into an individual portion-sized French fry container comprising:
a mechanical arm having an end-of-arm tool capable of picking up and grasping an erected individual portion-sized French fry carton from an erected carton pick-up location, and scooping the erected carton while held by the end-of-arm tool into a quantity of cooked French fries located at a filling location to fill the French fry carton and depositing the filled French fry carton at a drop-off location spaced from the filling location. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85)
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86. An automated method of packaging cooked French fries in an individual portion-sized French fry container comprising:
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delivering with a mechanical device cooked French fries to a French fry holding bin;
mechanically scooping with a mechanical device an open French fry container into the cooked French fries in the holding bin to fill the French fry container with French fries; and
mechanically depositing the filled French fry container at a drop-off location. - View Dependent Claims (87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101)
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102. A method of erecting a collapsed individual portion-sized French fry type container of the type having opposed sidewalls connected by a collapsible container bottom, comprising:
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grasping the unerected French fry container, pulling the container against a restraining member;
mechanically dragging the bottom of the container so that it traverses up an inclined ramp to urge up the container bottom to urge the container to an erected position. - View Dependent Claims (103)
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104. An automated device for erecting an individual portion unerected French fry container of the type having opposed sidewalls connected by a collapsible container bottom, comprising:
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an automated retrieving and container grasping device for grasping one of the opposed sidewalls of the unerected container;
a restraining member for restraining from relative movement the other of said opposed sidewalls when said one sidewall is grasped by the grasping device and moved in the desired direction;
means for causing relative movement of the grasping device away from the restraining member while the grasping device grasps the unerected carton for causing the opposed carton sidewalls to move apart from each other. - View Dependent Claims (105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111)
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Specification