Food and drink conveying system

• US 6,431,318 B1
• Filed: 06/29/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KURA Limited
• Original Assignee: KURA Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Kunihiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Christopher P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFREY ALAN
• Application Number:
  US09/607,551
• Time in Patent Office: 775 Days
• Field of Search: 186/38, 186/49, 186/50
• US Class Current: 186/49
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 10/06 for restaurant service systems table equipment A47G ; dirty crockery transport in association with crockery washing machines A47L15/00

Abstract

A food and drink conveying system is provided in which the sorts of foods and drinks displayed on display members placed on a circulating conveying path and the number of foods and drinks placed on the circulating conveying path following after their respective display members are detected. An optimum number of foods and drinks to be placed following after their respective display members placed on the circulating conveying path is set, and then it is judged whether or not the number of foods and drinks placed on the circulating conveying path are the optimum number based on the detected sorts and number of foods and drinks. The sorts of and the number of insufficient foods and drinks are displayed when it is judged that the number of foods and drinks placed on the circulating conveying path is smaller than the optimum, so that a food preparer can be informed of the sorts and number of insufficient foods and drinks.

Claims

1. A food and drink conveying system comprising:

a circulating conveying path for conveying a plurality of items of food and drink;

a plurality of tables arranged along the circulating conveying path;

a plurality of display members provided on the circulating conveying path at respective positions corresponding to respective types of the food and drink items for displaying the types of the food and drink items placed on the circulating conveying path;

food and drink detecting means for detecting the types of the food and drink items displayed by the display members and a number of the food and drink items of each type present on the circulating conveying path;

optimum number setting means for setting an optimum number of the food and drink items of each type to be placed on the circulating conveying path;

number judgment means for judging whether or not the number of food and drink items of each type present on the circulating conveying path matches the optimum number set by the optimum number setting means based on signals output from the food and drink detecting means; and

display means for displaying the types and the number of insufficient food and drink items when the number judgment means judges that the number of the food and drink items present on the circulating conveying path is smaller than the optimum number set by the optimum number setting means.