Frozen food dispensing device and method

• US 7,703,636 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2007
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Restaurant Technologies Incorporated (Goldman Sachs Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dorsten, Ron, Bone, David, Hong, Jenny M., Conley, Craig, Greening, Doug Christian, Rudesill, Brian, Ceste, Mario G., Schackmuth, Glenn, Ewald, Henry T., Pinnow, Curtis Clarence, Sus, Gerald A., Keough, Kevin, Wedel, John A. J., Meisner, John
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Waggoner; Timothy R
• Application Number:
  US11/982,520
• Publication Number:
  US 20080061072A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 221/150.R, 221/150.A, 221/150.HC
• US Class Current: 221/150.0HC
• CPC Class Codes: A47J 37/1228 Automatic machines for frying and dispensing metered amounts of food
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 43/305 specially adapted for boxes, cartons or carton blanks

Abstract

A device and method are provided for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked. The device includes a freezer, a storage container located in the freezer, means located in the freezer for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, and means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside the freezer. The means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food may be, for example, a magazine with dual spiral flights for dispensing food items one at a time, or a vibratory conveyor cooperating with a device for determining a quantity of food in the secondary conveyor and means for terminating the dispensing when a predetermined quantity of food is sensed. The secondary container may have an opening in its bottom and be movable laterally to align its opening with an opening in the freezer.

Claims

1. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a bulk storage container having an open bottom and located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

a conveyor located at the bottom of the bulk storage container for causing food to be dispensed out of the bulk food storage container and for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the open bottom of the bulk storage container into a secondary container, said conveyor for dispensing located in the freezer, and said conveyor located below said bulk storage container, said conveyor comprising a conveyor body for supporting the food to be dispensed;

the conveyor body located below and cooperating with the bulk storage container to define a generally vertically disposed opening through which the predetermined quantity of food is to be dispensed into the secondary container; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.

2. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said secondary container comprises at least a partially open bottom, the secondary container being movable laterally between a filling position located within the freezer and a dispensing position for dispensing food through the open bottom and out of the freezer.

3. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food further comprises a device for determining the quantity of food located in the secondary container and means for terminating the operation of said means for dispensing when a predetermined quantity of food is sensed in the secondary container.

4. The automated dispensing device of claim 3 wherein the device for determining the quantity comprises a load cell.

5. The automated dispensing device of claim 3 wherein the means for dispensing from the secondary container comprises a device for moving the secondary container laterally sufficiently to the dispensing position so that food contained therein is dispensed.

6. The automated dispensing device of claim 5 further comprising a door that is located over an opening in the freezer in position relative to the secondary container so that when the secondary container is moved laterally to the dispensing position, the food in the secondary container exits the freezer through the open bottom and through said freezer opening.

7. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said conveyor is a vibratory conveyor having a serpentine food travel pathway.

8. The automated dispensing device of claim 7 wherein the conveyor is a vibratory conveyor and further comprises an inlet portion having a divider member dividing the inlet portion into two passageways.

9. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said conveyor body has a plurality of spaced apart holes less than about 0.25 inches in diameter.

10. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising a declumping member having a portion located above the conveyor body for contacting and declumping clumped food on the conveyor body.

11. The automated dispensing device of claim 10 wherein the conveyor is a vibratory conveyor and the declumping member is generally vertically extending.

12. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein said secondary container comprises a platform and a container with at least a partially open bottom and located above the platform, the platform and the container being movable relative to each other between first and second positions, and wherein in the first position the platform is adjacent the open bottom and prevents food from being dispensed from the container and when in the second position food is free to fall through the open bottom of the container.

13. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 wherein the conveyor is a vibratory conveyor and further comprises a saddle-shaped divider member.

14. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising a regulating means for preventing the jamming and overloading of the conveyor.

15. The automated dispensing device of claim 1 further comprising a regulating device for preventing the jamming and overloading of the conveyor.

16. The automated dispensing device of claim 15 wherein the regulating device for preventing the jamming and overloading of the conveyor comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a single bladed rotor, a rotor having vanes and an elongated vane device.

17. The automated dispensing device of claim 15 wherein the regulating device for preventing the jamming and overloading of the conveyor comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a bladed rotor, a rotor having vanes and an elongated vane device which rotates in alternating directions to dispense food from the storage container to the conveyor.

18. The automated dispensing device of claim 15 wherein the regulating device for preventing the jamming and overloading of the conveyor further comprises a sensor for sensing when additional food is needed for the conveyor.

19. A method of dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

storing food items in a bulk storage container;

dispensing food items out of the bulk storage container with a vibratory conveyor having a conveyor body for supporting the food items to be dispensed, the conveyor body located below and cooperating with the bulk storage container to define a generally vertically disposed opening through which food is dispensed;

operating the conveyor to convey the food items from the storage container through the generally vertically disposed opening to a secondary container having at least a partially open bottom with a floor member adjacent the open bottom;

monitoring the amount of food items delivered to the secondary container;

terminating delivery of the food items to the secondary container when a desired amount of food items are determined to be present in the secondary container as determined by said monitoring; and

dispensing the food items from the secondary container and through the open bottom of the secondary container by relative movement of the floor member to the open bottom of the secondary container.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said dispensing from the secondary container comprises lateral movement of the secondary container relative to the floor member that remains stationary.

21. The method of claim 19 further comprising holding back and declumping clumped items on the conveyor body.

22. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said means for dispensing located in the freezer, said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity being capable of holding and maintaining three or more individual pieces of food in linear alignment and capable of dispensing the food pieces on a piece-by-piece basis; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.

23. The automated dispensing device of claim 22 wherein said secondary container comprises at least a partially open bottom, the secondary container being movable laterally between a filling position located within the freezer and a dispensing position for dispensing food through the container open bottom and out of the freezer.

24. The automated dispensing device of claim 23 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food comprises a food magazine capable of dispensing individual pieces of food on a piece-by-piece basis.

25. The automated dispensing device of claim 24 wherein said magazine comprises dual rotatable spiral flights, said spiral flights having a spacing to allow a food item selected from the group consisting of chicken patty, filet of fish, single serving unitary hash brown and single serving pie to be placed therebetween.

26. The automated dispensing device of claim 24 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food further comprises a vibratory conveyor disposed below said magazine.

27. The automated dispensing device of claim 23 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food further comprises a device for determining the quantity of food located in the secondary container and means for terminating the operation of said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food when a predetermined quantity of food is sensed in the secondary container.

28. The automated dispensing device of claim 23 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity comprises a vibratory conveyor located below said storage container.

29. The automated dispensing device of claim 28 wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food further comprises a device for determining the quantity of food located in the secondary container and means for terminating the operation of said means for dispensing when a predetermined quantity of food is sensed in the secondary container.

30. The automated dispensing device of claim 29 wherein the means for dispensing from the secondary container comprises a device for moving the secondary container laterally sufficiently to the dispensing position so that food contained therein is dispensed.

31. The automated dispensing device of claim 30 further comprising a door that is located over an opening in the freezer in position relative to the secondary container so that when the secondary container is moved laterally to the dispensing position, the food in the secondary container exits the freezer through the open bottom and through said freezer opening.

32. The automated dispensing device of claim 28 wherein said vibratory conveyor includes a bottom portion having a plurality of spaced apart holes less than about 0.25 inches in diameter.

33. The automated dispensing device of claim 22 wherein said secondary container comprises a platform and a container with at least a partially open bottom and located above the platform, the platform and the container being movable relative to each other between first and second positions, and wherein in the first position the platform is adjacent the open bottom and prevents food from being dispensed from the container and when in the second position food is free to fall through the open bottom of the container.

34. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said means for dispensing located in the freezer, wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity comprises a vibratory conveyor located below said storage container, said vibratory conveyor comprising a bottom portion for supporting the food to be dispensed, wherein said vibratory conveyor has a serpentine food travel pathway; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.

35. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

means for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said means for dispensing located in the freezer, wherein said means for dispensing a predetermined quantity comprises a vibratory conveyor located below said storage container, said vibratory conveyor comprising a bottom portion for supporting the food to be dispensed, wherein said bottom portion has a plurality of spaced apart holes less than about 0.25 inches in diameter; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.

36. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

a conveyor for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said conveyor for dispensing located in the freezer, and said conveyor located below said storage container, said conveyor comprising a conveyor body for supporting the food to be dispensed;

the conveyor body located below and cooperating with the storage container to define a generally vertically disposed opening through which the predetermined quantity of food is to be dispensed into the secondary container, wherein said conveyor is a vibratory conveyor having a serpentine food travel pathway; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.

37. An automated dispensing device for dispensing a quantity of food to be cooked comprising:

a freezer;

a storage container located in the freezer for containing food to be dispensed;

a conveyor for dispensing a predetermined quantity of food from the storage container into a secondary container, said conveyor for dispensing located in the freezer, and said conveyor located below said storage container, said conveyor comprising a conveyor body for supporting the food to be dispensed;

the conveyor body located below and cooperating with the storage container to define a generally vertically disposed opening through which the predetermined quantity of food is to be dispensed into the secondary container, wherein said conveyor body has a plurality of spaced apart holes less than about 0.25 inches in diameter; and

means for dispensing the quantity of food from the secondary container to a location outside of the freezer.