Food item cooking, assembly and packaging system and method

• US 20090241481A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bridgman, Ed, Kirby, David, Sus, Gerald A., Tapper, Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,953 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 53/474
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/06 for restaurant service systems table equipment A47G ; dirty crockery transport in association with crockery washing machines A47L15/00
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 25/001 of foodstuffs, combined with their conservation B65B25/041, B65B25/062, B65B25/067 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

A system and method for making a food item are for provided. The apparatus includes a food item assembly and packaging station having a first work area assembling and packaging a food item and meal order assembly station having a second work area for assembling a meal order that includes a food item packaged on the first work surface. A conveyor is positioned beneath the first work area and extends from a position proximate to the first area to a position proximate to the second work area. A conveyor access opening is proximate to the first work area to provide worker access to the conveyor to permit manual placement of a food item assembled and packaged at the first work area onto the conveyor for conveying the packaged food item beneath the first work area to the location proximate the meal order assembly station.

Claims

1. A system for making an assembled food item comprising;

a food item assembly and packaging station having a first work area for assembling a food item and packaging an assembled food item;

a meal order assembly station remote from the food item assembly and packaging station and having a second work area for assembling a meal order that includes at least one packaged food item packaged on the first work area;

a conveyor extending from a location proximate the first work area to a location proximate the second work area for conveying a packaged food item from a location proximate the first work area to a location proximate the second work area toward the meal order assembly station,

a conveyor access proximate the first work area for providing worker access to the conveyor to permit placement by a worker of the assembled and packaged food item at the first work area may be manually deposited at the conveyor access opening onto the conveyor for conveying the packaged food item beneath the first work area to the location proximate the meal order assembly station.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the conveyor is positioned beneath the first work area and the first work area includes a first work surface and the conveyor access comprises an opening in the first work area.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the first work area has a first and a second side each side providing a worker access to the first work area and the conveyor access opening is positioned to be readily accessible to a worker positioned adjacent either of the first and second sides of the first work area.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a secondary work station positioned proximate to the food item assembly and packaging station, the secondary work station adapted for assembling and packaging food items of a different type than those packaged at the food item assembly and packaging station.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a secondary work station positioned proximate to the food item assembly and packaging station, the secondary work station having a second work area for assembling and packaging food items and said conveyor access is an opening in the second work area.

6. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one storage surface above and proximate to the first work area for storing food items manually included in a food item assembled at the first work area.

7. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one storage surface at the food item assembly and packaging station for storage of packaging for packaging a food item at the first work area.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one cooked food storage device proximate to the first work area for staging a cooked food item filling that is included in a food item assembled at the first work area.

9. The system of claim 1 further comprising at least one bun conditioning device positioned proximate to the first work area for conditioning a bun included in a food item assembled at the first work area.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the bun conditioning device is a bun steamer that steams a bun and is positioned at the food item assembly and packaging station.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the bun conditioning device is a bun toaster.

12. The system of claim 10 further comprising a customer point-of-sale food delivery location wherein the bun conditioning system is prominently visible to a customer located at the customer point-of-sale food delivery location and wherein the cooked food storage is not prominently visible to a customer at the customer point-of-sale food delivery location.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of secondary work stations each having at least one work area at which assembling or packaging a food item takes place.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising at least one of the secondary work stations includes a cooked food storage device for staging a cooked food item filling included in a food item assembled on the assembly line, and at least one of the secondary work stations includes a storage surface for packaging used for packaging a food item assembled at a secondary work station.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the conveyor extends underneath the first work area and at least one work area for a secondary work station.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the conveyor extends underneath at least two of said work stations.

17. The system of claim 16 wherein the each of the stations are modular and repositionable within the line to allow reconfiguration of the order of the stations within the apparatus.

18. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a meal order comprising:

providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item;

providing a second work area for assembling a meal order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;

providing a conveyor for conveying a packaged food item from the first work area to the second work area;

providing a conveyor access opening proximate to the first work area;

manually assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;

thereafter depositing at the conveyor access opening a packaged and assembled food item onto the conveyor;

thereafter conveying the assembled and packaged food item beneath and along the first work area to the second work area;

thereafter including a packaged food item conveyed from the first work area to the second work area into a meal order that is being manually assembled at the second work area wherein the meal order includes the conveyed packaged food item.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

providing a supply of packaging proximate to the first work area;

providing a supply of cooked food item filling proximate to the first work area;

providing a supply of buns for forming the food item proximate to the first work area;

manually accessing the supply of packaging, cooked food item filling, and buns during assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;

providing a supply of items for assembling a meal order proximate the second work area; and

manually accessing the supply of items for assembling a meal order to assemble a meal order at the second work area.

20. The method of claim 18 further comprising;

providing at least a third work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item, the third work area positioned upstream of the first work area, and the third work area including an opening therethrough to provide the conveyor access opening.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising;

providing at least third and fourth work areas for manually assembling and packaging a food item, the third work area and fourth work area positioned upstream of the first work area with a conveyor extending underneath the third work area,

assembling and packaging a first type of food item at the first work area,

assembling and packaging a second type of food item at either of the third or fourth work areas; and

conveying the second type of food item after packaging to the second work area for inclusion of the second type of food item in a meal order assembled at the second work area.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the conveyor is positioned below the first work area.