Automatic popcorn dispenser with microwave oven and method to operate the same

• US 6,204,491 B1
• Filed: 09/27/1999
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Paideia S.R.L.
• Original Assignee: Paidela SRL
• Inventors: Montani, Marco
• Primary Examiner(s): Leung, Philip H.
• Application Number:
  US09/381,859
• Time in Patent Office: 540 Days
• Field of Search: 219/679, 219/739, 219/762, 219/756, 221/150.HC, 221/150.A, 993/57, 994/51, 99D/IG.14
• US Class Current: 219/679
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 5/15 using wave energy, irradiation, electrical means or magnetic fields, e.g. oven cooking or roasting using radiant dry heat
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 7/187 Discontinuously-working apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0078 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a hot or cooked condition, e.g. popcorn, nuts
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0085 Food articles which for processing need cooking in a liquid, e.g. oil, water
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/808 Microwave heating adapted for vending machines

Abstract

An automatic dispenser and a method to operate the same dispenses food prepacked in packets, particularly popcorn. The dispenser includes a frame with at least one conveying unit, at least a microwave oven and a collecting container mounted on the frame, the conveying unit being positioned above the oven and the container under the oven. The microwave oven includes at least a top inlet door and a bottom outlet door, the packets being fed one-by-one into the inlet door by way of the conveying unit, and dropping out from the outlet door into the collecting container.

Claims

1. Automatic dispenser for food pre-packed in packets (5), comprising a frame (1) with at least one conveying unit (2), at least a microwave oven (3) and a collecting container (4) mounted on said frame, the conveying unit (2) being positioned above the oven (3) and the container (4) under the oven, said microwave oven (3) comprising at least a controlled inlet top door (31) and a controlled outlet bottom door (33), said packets (5) being fed one by one by said conveying unit (2) through a feeding chute (26) and said inlet top door (31) into said oven (3) and out of said oven through said outlet bottom door (33) into said collecting container (4) along a dropping path along which the packets run only by gravity, wherein said inlet top door (31) is tiltably hinged to the oven and it forms, in the opened status, a final portion of said chute (26) into the oven itself.

2. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said microwave oven (3) is of parallelepiped shape and said packets (5) are fed into said oven, from the top, through one of its minor sides.

3. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said inlet door (31) is hinged along one of the short sides of said microwave oven such that, in the open position of said inlet door, it imparts to the food packet (5) falling into the oven a direction of motion parallel to the long side of the oven.

4. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said outlet door (33) is formed by the whole tilting bottom of said microwave oven (3), being hinged along one side thereof.

5. Automatic dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said inlet and outlet doors (31, 33) are kept closed by electric motors (32, 34) which remain energized.

6. Automatic dispenser according to claim 5, wherein said outlet door (33) comprises a counterweight (35) apt to balance, on its tilting hinge, the actual weight of the door and of the pre-packed packet (5) resting thereon.

7. Automatic dispenser according to claim 4, wherein said doors (31, 33) comprise a toothed packing forming a seal against the microwaves.

8. Automatic dispenser according to claim 7, wherein said packing is of metal.

9. Automatic dispenser according to claim 8, wherein said packing is of beryllium alloy.

10. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein the collecting container (4), positioned under the oven (3), is bent into a wide U-shaped channel, the arms of the U being longer that 1 m.

11. Automatic dispenser according to claim 10, wherein said storage and conveying section consists of one or more channels (21), each housing a spiral with wide coils, between which said pre-packed packets (5) are inserted, said spiral being caused to rotate by steps to move said packets forward one by one.

12. Automatic dispenser according to claim 11, wherein the bottom of said channels (21) has a gull-wing section.

13. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said conveying unit (2) comprises a storage and conveying section (21), as well as a feeding chute (26) leading into the oven.

14. Automatic dispenser according to claim 13, wherein said conveying unit (2) comprises detection means (25, 25a), to detect the presence of a pre-packed packet (5) of raw food.

15. Automatic dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said pre-packed packet (5) of raw food contains spiced corn to be popped into popcorn.

16. Method for the automatic and instant cooking of pre-packed packets (5) containing raw food to be dispensed to the public, using an automatic dispenser according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:

picking one by one, from a storage unit (2), said pre-packed packets containing food;

feeding said packet towards a microwave oven (3) with magnetron source, by conveying it along a feeding chute (26);

cooking in said oven (3) the food pre-packed in said packet (5) and subsequently dropping the packet (5) with the cooked food into a collecting container (4) accessible to the consumer, characterized in that said packet (5) is fed towards the microwave oven (3) onto a tilting inlet top door (31) in the closed status, which inlet top door (31) subsequently opens inwardly causing the packet to lay down on to the bottom of said oven (3).

17. Method according to claim 16, wherein before cooking said pre-packed packet (5) of raw food is detected through a scanner so as to regulate, accordingly, a cooking period.

18. Method according to claim 16, wherein said pre-packed packet (5) of raw food contains spiced corn to be popped into popcorn.