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US 12,729,903 B2Granted
Automated frozen goods dispenser
AssigneeLab2Fab, LLC
InventorsSamuel Lewis Tanaka, Cory David Lent, John Paul Norman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are presented herein for dispensing a frozen food item from storage. A food dispensing apparatus comprises a food storage cabinet, a plurality of storage bins within the cabinet, and a plurality of actuators corresponds to the plurality of storage bins. The food storage cabinet is configured to maintain a plurality of consumable items at a storage temperature. The plurality of storage bins are each configured to hold one of the consumable items. The plurality of actuators are each configured to move the consumable item out of the storage bin to a dispensing area.
Claims12
A food dispensing apparatus, comprising:
- a food storage cabinet configured to maintain a plurality of unpackaged consumable items at a storage temperature below ambient temperature;
- a plurality of storage bins forming a storage grid within the cabinet, wherein the storage grid is configured to be removed from the cabinet for loading the consumable items into the storage bins, the storage bins each defined by sidewalls configured to hold a pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items and defining an open discharge end configured to dispense the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the storage bin;
- a plurality of actuators corresponding to the plurality of storage bins, the actuators each configured to empty one of the storage bins by moving the pre-portioned amount of the consumable item out of the storage bin to a dispensing area of the food storage cabinet via a discharge chute;
- a basket configured to receive the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the discharge chute;
- and
- a robot arm configured to articulate and manipulate the basket between the dispensing area and a cooking station to transport the basket with the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items to the cooking station.
3 more elements
A method for dispensing unpackaged consumable items, comprising:
- storing the unpackaged consumable items at a storage temperature below ambient temperature within a cabinet in a plurality of storage bins forming a storage grid, wherein each of the storage bins is defined by sidewalls configured to hold a pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items, the sidewalls of each storage bin defining an open discharge end configured to dispense the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the storage bin;
- dispensing the unpackaged pre-portioned quantity of consumable items from a first storage bin of the plurality of storage bins by displacing an actuator from a location within the first storage bin in a consumable item movement direction toward the discharge end, thereby emptying the first storage bin and moving the unpackaged pre-portioned quantity of consumable items to a dispensing area of the cabinet via a discharge chute, wherein the pre-portioned quantity of the unpackaged consumable items are received by a basket;
- and
- articulating a robotic arm to transport the basket between the dispensing area and a cooking station and transport the basket with the pre-portioned quantity of the unpackaged consumable items to the cooking station, thereby moving the one or more consumable items from the dispensing area to a food processing device.
1 more element
An apparatus, comprising:
- a food storage cabinet configured to maintain a plurality of unpackaged consumable items at a storage temperature below ambient temperature;
- a grid of storage bins mounted on a vertical wall of the food storage cabinet, the storage bins each defined by sidewalls extending horizontally relative to the vertical wall and configured to hold a pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items, the horizontally extending sidewalls of each storage bin defining an open discharge end configured to dispense the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the storage bin and an actuator receiving end opposite the discharge end;
- an actuator array mounted on a vertical wall of the food storage cabinet and including actuation means extending into the actuator receiving end of each of the storage bins for discharging the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items, the food storage cabinet including a dispensing area configured to receive the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the grid of storage bins, the dispensing area including a discharge chute configured to receive and discharge the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items external to the food storage cabinet;
- a basket configured to receive the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items;
- and
- a robotic arm configured to articulate and manipulate and transport the basket between the dispensing area and a cooking station to receive the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items from the discharge chute in the basket and transport the pre-portioned amount of the unpackaged consumable items to the cooking station.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.