Manual food service system

• US 5,573,082 A
• Filed: 06/07/1995
• Issued: 11/12/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Diner-Mite, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Diner-Mite, Inc.
• Inventors: Conlan, Thomas J., Conlan, John T.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/472,440
• Time in Patent Office: 524 Days
• Field of Search: 186/39, 186/40, 186/41, 186/44, 186/38, 312/137, 312/140.1, 312/140.3, 312/140.4, 312/198, 52/33
• US Class Current: 186/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00

Abstract

A manual food service system is provided for precluding a food server from touching currency or other items which may contaminate food. The system includes food preparation and assembly stations cooperable with an order payment station for receiving a token representing a certain value, for determining and updating the value of the token to account for the cost of an entered food order.

Claims

1. A modular food service unit in which an operator assembles food preparations for a customer, said unit comprising a first module forming one side wall of the service unit,

a second module mounted in a parallel spaced relation to said first module and forming the other side wall of the service unit, said second module forming an assembly and service counter,

a third module abutting one end of said first module and said second module, said third module including a cooking device, and

a fourth module abutting the other end of said first module and said second module to form a service area within said modules, said fourth module including a back wall for supporting an oven and a refrigeration unit, a storage unit positioned at the intersection of the second module with the fourth module, said first module including a self-service beverage station remote from the service area, and an order and payment module outside of said first, second, third and fourth modules whereby the operator may assemble unwrapped comestibles for delivery to the customer without contacting any item transferred from the customer to the order and payment module.

2. The modular unit according to claim 11 wherein said order and payment module is mounted at the intersection of said first module with said fourth module, said third module including means for displaying orders entered by the customer at the order and payment module.