System and method for dispensing toppings

• US 9,295,281 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Creator, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Momentum Machines Company
• Inventors: Vardakostas, Alexandros, Frehn, Steven, McDonald, John Lawrence
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUONG T
• Application Number:
  US14/534,043
• Publication Number:
  US 20150053097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 510 Days
• Field of Search: 994/505, 994/504, 993/25, 993/26, 993/57, 993/34, 993/52, 993/58, 993/55, 994/43.C, 994/43.R, 994/94, 994/51, 995/38, 426/274, 426/275, 426/574, 426/629, 426/641, 426/656, 426/634, 426516-519, 426/531, 426/802
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A21C 15/002 Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surface of baked articles of pieces of dough A21C9/04; for confectionary A23G3/28
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/12 Apparatus or processes for applying powders or particles to foodstuffs, e.g. for breading; Such apparatus combined with means for pre-moistening or battering
• CPC Class Codes: A23P 20/20 Making of laminated, multi-layered, stuffed or hollow foodstuffs, e.g. by wrapping in preformed edible dough sheets or in edible food containers
• 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

Abstract

One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.

Claims

1. A system for selectively dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles, comprising:

a first topping module receptacle comprising a first blade;

a second topping module receptacle adjacent the first topping module and comprising a second blade;

a conveyor configured to advance topping vehicles from an initial position to a first dispense position adjacent the first topping module receptacle and from the first dispense position to a second dispense position adjacent the second topping module receptacle;

a first set of topping modules comprising a first topping module and a second topping module, the first topping module configured to transiently engage the first topping module receptacle and to dispense topping samples of a first topping type into the first topping module receptacle during a first time period, and the second topping module configured to transiently engage the second topping module receptacle and to dispense topping samples of a second topping type into the second topping module receptacle during the first time period, the first topping type and the second topping type comprising ingredients of a first menu item;

a second set of topping modules comprising a third topping module and a fourth topping module, the third topping module configured to transiently engage the first topping module receptacle in replacement of the first topping module and to dispense topping samples of a third topping type into the first topping module receptacle during a second time period succeeding the first time period, and the fourth topping module configured to transiently engage the second topping module receptacle in replacement of the second topping module and to dispense topping samples of a fourth topping type into the second topping module receptacle during the second time period, the third topping type and the fourth topping type comprising ingredients of a second menu item distinct from the first menu item; and

an actuator system;

configured to selectively advance and retract the first blade to dispense a serving of a topping sample from the first topping module and to selectively advance and retract the second blade to dispense a serving of a topping sample from the second topping module during the first time period; and

configured to selectively advance and retract the first blade to dispense a serving of a topping sample from the third topping module and to selectively advance and retract the second blade to dispense a serving of a topping sample from the fourth topping module during the second time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first topping module receptacle comprises a first retaining plate offset from and rigidly coupled to the first blade in an assembly, a leading edge of the blade laterally offset from a leading edge of the retaining plate;

and wherein the actuator system advances the assembly forward to slice a serving from a topping sample of the first topping type dispensed from the first topping module and retracts the assembly to dispense the serving from the first topping module receptacle onto a first topping vehicle in the first dispense position based on a request for the first topping type in a first food order corresponding to the first topping vehicle.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first topping module comprises a first magazine of hoppers configured to contain topping samples of the first topping type, hoppers in the first magazine of hoppers sequentially indexed over the first topping module receptacle to dispense topping samples of the first type into the first topping module receptacle during the first time period.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first topping module receptacle comprises a chute extending from adjacent the blade and opposite the conveyor, the chute defining an axial length less than an axial length of a hopper in the first magazine of hoppers and receiving substantially whole topping samples of the first topping type from a hopper in the first magazine arranged over the chute;

wherein the first magazine sequentially aligns hoppers in the first magazine axially with the chute.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the chute defines the axial length exceeding a common length of topping samples of the first topping type and comprises a heating element configured to heat topping samples dispensed into the chute.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first topping module transiently engages the first topping module receptacle and is removable from the first topping module receptacle as a singular unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator system comprises a first linear actuator coupled to the first blade in the first topping module receptacle and a second linear actuator coupled to the second blade in the second topping module receptacle, the first linear actuator actuated independently of the second linear actuator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the actuator system comprises a carriage, a carriage actuator, a first selection actuator, and a second selection actuator;

wherein the first selection actuator is supported on the carriage and selectively engages the first blade based on a request for the first topping type in a first food order corresponding to a first topping vehicle entering the first dispense position;

wherein the second selection actuator is supported on the carriage and selectively engages the second blade based on a request for the second topping type in a second food order corresponding to a second topping vehicle entering the second dispense position; and

wherein the carriage actuator advances and retracts the carriage to slice a serving of a topping sample of the first topping type, dispensed from the first topping module, onto the first topping vehicle and to slice a serving from a topping sample of the second topping type, dispensed from the second topping module, onto the second topping vehicle substantially simultaneously.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of topping modules correspond to the first menu item comprising a lunch menu item;

and wherein the second set of topping modules correspond to the second menu item comprising a dinner menu item.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the first topping module comprises a hopper configured to dispense the first topping type comprising avocado;

wherein the second hopper is configured to dispense the second topping type comprising tomato;

wherein the third hopper is configured to dispense the third topping type comprising mushrooms; and

wherein the fourth hopper is configured to dispense the fourth topping type comprising cheese.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor sequentially advances topping vehicles comprising hamburger bun heels from the initial position to the first dispense position and from the first dispense position to the second dispense position.

12. A system for selectively dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles, comprising:

a set of topping module receptacles;

comprising a first topping module receptacle and a second topping module receptacle, the first topping module receptacle comprising a first blade, the second topping module receptacle adjacent the first topping module and comprising a second blade;

operable in a first configuration during a first time period, the first topping module receptacle receiving a first topping module configured to dispense topping samples of a first topping type and the second topping module receptacle receiving a second topping module configured to dispense topping samples of a second topping type in the first configuration, the first topping type and the second topping type comprising ingredients of a first menu item; and

operable in a second configuration during a second time period, the first topping module receptacle receiving a third topping module, in replacement of the first topping module, configured to dispense topping samples of a third topping type and the second topping module receptacle receiving a fourth topping module, in replacement of the second topping module, configured to dispense topping samples of a fourth topping type in the second configuration, the third topping type and the fourth topping type comprising ingredients of a second menu item distinct from the first menu item;

a conveyor configured to advance topping vehicles from an initial position to a first dispense position adjacent the first topping module receptacle and from the first dispense position to a second dispense position adjacent the second topping module receptacle; and

an actuator system;

configured to selectively advance and retract the first blade and the second blade to dispense servings of the first topping type and the second topping tyke from the first topping module and the second topping module in the first configuration; and

configured to selectively advance and retract the first blade and the second blade to dispense servings of the third topping type and the fourth topping tyke from the third topping module and the fourth topping module in the second configuration.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the conveyor simultaneously supports a first topping vehicle in the first dispense position and a second topping vehicle in the second dispense position during the first time period;

and wherein the actuator system selectively advances and retracts the first blade relative to the first topping module receptacle and the second blade relative to the second topping module receptacle, substantially simultaneously, to dispense a serving of the first topping type from the first topping module onto the first topping vehicle in the first dispense position and to dispense a serving of the second topping type from the second topping module onto a second topping vehicle in the second dispense position, substantially simultaneously, based on a request for the first topping type in a first food order corresponding to the first topping vehicle and based on a request for the second topping type in a second food order corresponding to the second topping vehicle, the second food order distinct from the first food order, the first food order and the second food order specifying the first menu item.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the actuator system comprises a first actuator coupled to the first blade and a second actuator coupled to the second blade, the first actuator operable independently of the second actuator.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the actuator system comprises a carriage, a first selection actuator, and a second selection actuator;

wherein the first selection actuator is supported on the carriage and selectively engages the first blade based on the request for the first topping type dispensed from the first topping module receptacle and the first food order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type; and

wherein the second selection actuator is supported on the carriage and selectively engages the second blade based on the request for the second topping type dispensed from the second topping module receptacle and the second food order for the second topping vehicle specifying the second topping type.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the set of topping module receptacles selectively dispenses ingredients of the first menu item corresponding to a first seasonal menu item;

and wherein the set of topping module receptacles selectively dispenses ingredients of the second menu item corresponding to a second seasonal menu item distinct from the first seasonal menu item.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first topping module receptacle transiently engages the first topping module, the first topping module removable from the first topping module receptacle in unit.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the first topping module receptacle transiently engages the first topping module comprising a magazine of hoppers configured to contain topping samples of the first topping type;

wherein hoppers in the first magazine of hoppers are sequentially indexed over the first topping module receptacle to dispense topping samples of the first type into the first topping module receptacle in the first configuration.

19. A system for selectively dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles, comprising:

a first topping module comprising;

a first receiver;

a first blade supported by the first receiver;

a first hopper configured to contain topping samples of a first topping type; and

a first retaining plate adjacent and offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper;

a second topping module comprising;

a second receiver;

a second blade supported by the second receiver;

a second hopper configured to contain topping samples of a second topping type, the second topping type distinct from the first topping type; and

a second retaining plate adjacent and offset from the second blade opposite the second hopper;

a topping module receptacle configured to transiently receive the first topping module to dispense topping servings of the first topping type in a first configuration and to transiently receive, in replacement of the first topping module, the second topping module to dispense topping servings of the second topping type in a second configuration;

a conveyor configured to advance topping vehicles from an initial position to a dispense position adjacent the topping module receptacle; and

an actuator;

configured to selectively advance and retract the first blade and the first retaining plate relative to the first receiver in the first configuration to dispense a serving of the first topping type from the first receiver in response to advancement of a first topping vehicle into the dispense position based on a first food order corresponding to the first topping vehicle; and

configured to selectively advance and retract the second blade and the second retaining plate relative to the second receiver in the second configuration to dispense a serving of the second topping type from the second receiver in response to advancement of a second topping vehicle into the dispense position based on a second food order corresponding to the second topping vehicle, the second food order distinct from the first food order.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the first topping module is configured to dispense topping samples of the first topping type corresponding to a first seasonal menu item;

and wherein the second topping module is configured to dispense topping samples of the second topping type corresponding to a second seasonal menu item distinct from the first seasonal menu item.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the first blade defines a serrated cutting edge nonparallel to a direction of motion of the first blade into the first receiver.