System and method for dispensing toppings

• US 9,326,544 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2014
• Issued: 05/03/2016
• 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:
  US14/534,038
• Publication Number:
  US 20150075391A1
• Time in Patent Office: 545 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, 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 20/20 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 receiver;

a blade supported by the receiver;

a set of hoppers comprising a first hopper and a second hopper configured to contain topping samples of a first topping type, the second hopper adjacent and offset behind the first hopper;

a magazine operable between a first magazine position and a second magazine position, the magazine aligning the first hopper with the receiver and supporting the second hopper behind the receiver in the first magazine position, the magazine aligning the second hopper with the receiver in the second magazine position;

a retaining plate adjacent and offset from the blade opposite the magazine;

a conveyor sequentially advancing topping vehicles from an initial position to a dispense position aligned with the receiver;

an actuator;

configured to selectively advance and retract the blade relative to the receiver to slice topping servings from topping samples dispensed from the first hopper and to selectively advance and retract the retaining plate relative to the receiver to dispense topping servings from the receiver onto topping vehicles in the first position during a dispense cycle; and

configured to selectively advance the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position during a magazine cycle in response to evacuation of a last topping sample from the first hopper; and

a latch operable between an open position and a closed position, the latch releasing the magazine from the actuator during a segment of the dispense cycle in the open position and yoking the actuator to the magazine during a segment of the magazine cycle in the closed position.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the latch couples the actuator to the magazine during the magazine cycle comprising a segment of the dispense cycle to substantially simultaneously dispense a topping serving from the receiver and index the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the latch selectively engages a bolt extending from the magazine to couple the magazine to the actuator.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a selection actuator coupled to the actuator;

wherein the latch disengages the magazine and the selection actuator selects the blade and the retaining plate during the dispense cycle to dispense a serving of the first topping type from the receiver; and

wherein the latch engages the magazine and the selection actuator deselects the blade and the retaining plate during the magazine cycle to index the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the second hopper is offset behind the first hopper by a center-to-center distance;

wherein the latch comprises a ratcheting mechanism interposed between the actuator and the magazine, configured to engage the magazine at a start point in the magazine cycle, configured to disengage the magazine at an end point in the magazine cycle, and configured to reset to the start point position upon completion of the magazine cycle;

wherein the start point is offset from the end point by the center-to-center distance.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the magazine comprises a track arranged over the receiver and extending from of the receiver substantially perpendicular to the conveyor;

and wherein the actuator selectively indexes the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the track comprises a receiving end and a discard end, the receiving end receiving hoppers loaded with topping samples of the first topping type, the discard end discarding empty hoppers from the magazine.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver defines a chute interposed between the blade and discharge ends of hoppers in the set of hoppers, the chute defining an axial length less than an axial length of hoppers in the magazine and greater than a height of a topping serving of the first topping type;

wherein the actuator cooperates with the magazine to sequentially align hoppers in the set of hoppers axially with the chute.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the chute defines the axial length exceeding a common length of topping samples of the first topping type.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a topping guide arranged within the chute and a chute actuator coupled to the topping guide, the chute actuator configured to manipulate the topping guide to constrain a particular topping sample, dispensed into the receiver, against an interior wall of the chute during actuation of the blade by the actuator to slice a topping serving from the particular topping sample.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade and the retaining plate are fixedly coupled in an assembly, a leading edge of the blade laterally offset from a leading edge of the retaining plate;

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

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a topping module receptacle arranged over the conveyor;

wherein the receiver, the blade, the retaining plate, the set of topping modules and the magazine define a first topping module transiently installable in the topping module receptacle and replaceable by a second topping module configured to dispense topping servings of a second topping type distinct from the first topping type.

13. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a second receiver arranged over the conveyor adjacent the receiver and opposite the initial position;

a second blade supported by the second receiver;

a second set of hoppers, each hopper in the second set of hoppers configured to contain topping samples of a second topping type and and separately dispensing topping samples of the second type into the second receiver;

a second magazine supporting the second set of hoppers;

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

a carriage;

a first selection actuator supported on the carriage;

a second selection actuator supported on the carriage;

wherein the conveyor sequentially advances topping vehicles from the first dispense position to a second dispense position adjacent the second receiver; and

wherein the actuator advances and retracts the carriage during a dispense cycle, the first selection actuator selectively coupling the blade and the retaining plate to the carriage during the dispense cycle based on a request for the first topping type in a first food order corresponding to a first topping vehicle in the first dispense position, and the second selection actuator selectively coupling the second blade and the second retaining plate to the carriage during the dispense cycle based on a request for the second topping type in a second food order corresponding to a second topping vehicle in the second dispense position.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein during the dispense cycle:

the actuator advances the carriage forward toward the first receiver and the second receiver;

the first selection actuator selects the blade and deselects the retaining plate based on the request for the first topping type in the first food order;

the second selection actuator selects the second blade and deselects the second retaining plate based on the request for the second topping type in the second food order;

the actuator retracts the carriage away from the first receiver and the second receiver;

the actuator advances the carriage forward toward the first receiver and the second receiver to slice a first topping serving from a topping sample of the first topping type in the receiver and to slice a second topping serving from a topping sample of the second topping type in the second receiver;

the first selection actuator deselects the blade and selects the retaining plate based on the request for the first topping type in the first food order;

the second selection actuator deselects the second blade and selects the second retaining plate based on the request for the second topping type in the second food order; and

the actuator retracts the carriage away from the first receiver and the second receiver to dispense the first topping serving onto the first topping vehicle and to dispense the second topping serving onto the second topping vehicle.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein the conveyor advances topping vehicles comprising hamburger bun heels;

and wherein hoppers in the set of hoppers are configured to contain topping samples of the first topping type comprising one of whole pickle, whole tomato, whole onion, and head of lettuce.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein the blade defines a serrated leading edge and a planar perforated region behind the serrated leading edge, the perforated region defining a series of bores of cross-sections smaller than a common cross-section of topping samples of the first topping type.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising a heating element fixedly coupled to the receiver and configured to heat contents of the first topping module in a discharge position over the receiver;

wherein the actuator selectively advances the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position to index the first hopper past the heating element and to index the second hopper into the discharge position adjacent the heating element in response to evacuation of the last topping sample from the first hopper.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the second hopper comprises a second discharge end configured to dispense topping samples of the first topping type into the first receiver and comprises a lid initially closing the second discharge end of the second hopper;

and wherein the receiver defines a static engagement feature configured to draw the lid out of the second discharge end and to vertically support topping samples contained in the second hopper as the actuator advances the magazine from the first magazine position into the second magazine position.

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

a receiver;

a blade supported by the receiver;

a set of hoppers comprising a first hopper and a second hopper configured to contain topping samples of a first topping type, the first hopper initially in a discharge position aligned with the receiver and comprising a first discharge end initially feeding topping samples into the receiver, and the second hopper initially offset behind the discharge position and comprising a lid and a second discharge end initially closed by the lid;

a retaining plate adjacent and offset from the blade opposite the set of hoppers;

a conveyor configured to sequentially advance topping vehicles into a dispense position aligned with the receiver;

an actuator system configured to advance the blade and the retaining plate relative to the receiver to dispense a serving of the first topping type from the receiver onto a topping vehicle in the dispense position;

a magazine configured to transiently receive the set of hoppers and to advance the second hopper into the discharge position, in place of the first hopper, in response to evacuation of a last topping sample from the first hopper; and

an engagement feature adjacent the receiver and configured to remove the lid from the second discharge end of the second hopper as the magazine advances the second hopper into the discharge position to release topping samples contained in the second hopper into the receiver.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the actuator system comprises a linear actuator, a selection actuator, and a latch;

wherein the latch disengages the magazine from the linear actuator, the selection actuator couples the blade and the retaining plate to the linear actuator, and the linear actuator advances and retracts during a dispense cycle to dispense a serving of the first topping type from the receiver; and

wherein the latch couples the magazine to the linear actuator, the selection actuator disengages the blade and the retaining plate from the linear actuator during, and the linear actuator advances and retracts during a magazine cycle to index the magazine forward relative to the receiver.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the lid defines a ramped surface;

and wherein the engagement feature comprises a wedge extending from the receiver, configured to engage the ramped surface of the lid to draw the lid off of the second discharge of the second hopper as the magazine advances the second hopper, and configured to vertically support topping samples contained in the second hopper as the magazine advances the second hopper into the discharge position.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the second hopper defines a closed base opposite the second discharge end and a stake extending from the closed base toward the second discharge end, the stake configured to pierce and constrain topping samples of the first topping type contained within the second hopper.