Installation for Reheating Portioned Chilled or Frozen Snack Food Products

• US 20080083338A1
• Filed: 12/29/2005
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Walter Niemetz
• Original Assignee: Walter Niemetz
• Inventors: Niemetz, Walter
• Application Number:
  US11/794,401
• Publication Number:
  US 20080083338A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 99/326
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6402 Aspects relating to the microwave cavity
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6408 Supports or covers specially adapted for use in microwave heating apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6441 allowing the input of coded operation instructions, e.g. bar code reader
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/6482 combined with radiant heating, e.g. infrared heating

Abstract

The invention relates to an installation for reheating portioned chilled or frozen snack food products packaged in a lower and upper hinged package parts closed by cooperation of snap means. It comprises a compact oven provided with a first cavity section (41a) infrared heating sand a second cavity section heated by microwave means (64). The package with the food to reheat is taken into the cavity (41), automatically opened and the food only is unload on a moving grill/fork device (20). The grill/fork (20) moves sidewards inside the microwave cavity section (41b) for microwave heating. A door (41c) moves with grill/fork (20) to isolate the microwave heated cavity. After the microwave heating the grill/fork moves inside the infrared cavity section (41a). At the end the food is automatically unloaded back to the package.

Claims

1. Installation for reheating portioned chilled or frozen hot snack food products packaged in a lower and upper hinged package parts closed by cooperation of snap means, comprising a compact oven provided with microwave and infrared heating section means located inside the oven cavity, means for reading a heating instructions label located on the package of the food product and CPU means for controlling the compact oven, wherein the compact oven cavity is closed by a clap, in that it is provided with a schablone/receiver shaped to receive and accurately arrange to unpack automatically the food product from the package allowing the re-heating and crispness process to achieve without the package, in that the oven is provided with means to open automatically the package of the food product, and places it automatically onto a grill/fork device and move it through the oven cavity provided with two different heating and crispness systems and purposes, said grill/fork device being provided with means allowing the grill/fork device under the CPU control to be moved inside the oven cavity and take the heated food product moving it back and by doing so re-package the hot food product automatically into the original package, in that the schablone/receiver is provided with means controlled by the CPU designed to close this package containing the heated food product, and by pressing down the upper part of the package until the snap means are re-engaged for secure and convenient self-service take out by the consumer or user.

2. Installation according to claim 1 wherein the oven cavity comprises two sections separated by a door, a first section provided with the infrared heating means, and a second section provided with the microwave heating means, in that the two sections are separated by a fix mounted microwave closing door, in that the grill/fork device is designed to move forwards and backwards inside the first cavity section and side wards between the first and second cavity sections.

3. Installation according to claim 2, wherein the first cavity section is provided with a ventilator to blowing air onto the food product from above avoiding spoiling sizzling food to dirty the cavity.

4. Installation according to claim 2, wherein the grill/fork is designed to operate side wards serving both heating systems in two different cavity sections with the integrated microwave secured closing door allowing the microwave system to heat the mass of the food product, and the infrared heating to achieve the necessary crispness.

5. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the infrared heating system is provided with tubes underneath and above the grill/fork which are stirred by a heat controller device to be moved as close as possible to the surface of the un-packaged food product to achieve maximum crispness.

6. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the cavity is provided with a sensor device controlled by the CPU means and designed to penetrate the food product to sense temperature and humidity parameters of the product before and during the heating to stop or to extend heating of the product identified by a RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chip which constitutes the said label.

7. Installation according to claim 6, wherein the sensor device comprises three sections designed to penetrate the food product, one into the middle part of the food product and the others near the side to measure homogeneous heating quality.

8. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the grill/fork device comprises several rods which are designed to unload and reload the food snack into the package automatically and move it into the two cavity sections.

9. Installation according to claim 8, wherein the schablone/receiver is designed to lift automatically the food product out of the packaging and onto the grill.

10. Installation according to claim 1, wherein it is designed to move the food product after the heating processes from the grill and to repackage the food product automatically into the original packaging, and to close it automatically disposing it through the oven clap for convenient self service take away by the consumer.

11. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the schablone/receiver is provided with means designed to transport, unpack and repackage the food product after the heating process.

12. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the lower package part is provided with ribs allowing to elevate the food product out of the lower package of the schablone/receiver to accurately positioning the package on the grill or back onto the schablone/receiver.

13. Installation according to claim 1, wherein each of the two package parts is provided with a “

hook on hole”

opposed to the hinged edges, and provided with matching domes allowing automatic open and closing and to be back clicked into each other again holding the package in closed condition.

14. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the hinge is elastically deformed in closed condition of the package and a outside frame is used for closing the package after the heating by gliding backwards and closing it onto the lower packaging part.

15. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the upper package part is provided with integrated pointers stinging from the inside face of the upper package part into the underneath food product allowing to hold centred the food product.

16. Installation according to claim 13, wherein the schablone/receiver is provided near the door of the oven with a bolt and quenches device designed to be moved upwards and downwards, the dimension of which match the dimensions of the “

hook on hole”

in the upwards position the bolt prevents the package from moving.

17. Installation according to claim 3 wherein the ventilator of the microwave cooling system is also designed to produce a vacuum to suck the lower part of the packages against the schablone/receiver for additional fixation for controlled automatic take in and out lifting of the food snack from the package container.

18. Installation according to claim 6, wherein the RFID chip moulded into the packaging container is designed to receive_and transmit via the CPU daily commercial and technical and maintenance data transfer via satellite to a main frame computer.

19. Installation according to claim 1, wherein it integrates a TV screen on the front of the oven for handling instructions, entertainment during the heating time, or advertising synergy related consumer products like soft drinks, Coffee etc.

20. Installation according to claim 1, wherein the schablone is designed to allow uncomplicated change of shape, size or weight, by the inner schablone/receiver with easy cleaning and maintenance, plus maximum flexibility for the resellers or household'"'"'s convenience.