Food preparation robot

An automatic robotized system for cooking food products comprising:

• (a) a food dispensing station comprising at least one food dispenser for dispensing uncooked food to a food container for holding a quantity of food in a work area;
• (b) at least one cooking station in said work area for cooking food in said container;
• (c) a robot capable of engaging, transporting and releasing said food container in said work area, said container selectively engageable and moveable by said robot to desired locations, including a dispensing position as said food is dispensed into said container and to a cooking position at said cooking station;
• and
• (d) computer control means for controlling and directing said robot to engage and transport said container in sequence to and from said food dispenser and to and from said cooking station at a frequency determined by said computer control means based on the frequency and quantity of food ordered by customers.

A fully automated robotized fry cell for processing bulk uncooked french fries, chicken nuggets, fish filets and chicken patties comprising:

• (a) a dispensing station comprising a plurality of food dispensers including a french fry dispenser, a chicken nugget dispenser, a fish filet dispenser and a chicken patty dispenser, each dispenser capable of dispensing an amount of food into a container;
• (b) a cooking station comprising at least one fry vat;
• (c) a robot capable of working in an area that determines a work area;
• (d) an end of arm robot tool for said robot, said robot capable of, in conjunction with said end of arm tool, selectively engaging, disengaging and moving, in said work area to said stations while engaged, said container for holding a quantity of food from said dispensing station;
• (e) said dispensing station and said cooking station being located with respect to said work area so that said robot can place said container in a food receiving position with respect to any of said plurality of food dispensers, and in a cooking position with respect to said fry vat;
• and
• (f) locator means for allowing said robot to position said container and for retaining said container in a desired cooking position in said fry vat.

An automated system for cooking food products comprising:

• (a) a work area containing dispensing, cooking and storage stations and defining an area in which an operator can interface with said stations;
• (b) said dispensing station for dispensing bulk, uncooked food and comprising at least one food dispenser for dispensing uncooked food pieces into a moveable container located in said work area;
• (c) said cooking station comprising at least one frying vat;
• (d) said storage station for receiving and storing cooked food;
• (e) automated dump means for automatically dumping into said storage means food cooked by said cooking station in response to food being delivered and placed on said dump means by the operator.

An automatic robotized system for cooking food products comprising:

• (a) a computer controlled robot capable of selectively engaging, transporting and releasing a food container for holding a quantity of food in a work area;
• (b) a computer controlled food dispensing station comprising at least one food dispenser for dispensing uncooked food to said food container in said work area;
• (c) at least one computer controlled cooking station in said work area;
• (d) computer control means for controlling and directing said robot to engage and transport said food container in sequence to and from said food dispenser and to and from said cooking means at a frequency determined by said computer means based on the frequency of customer orders, and for monitoring, controlling and operating said food dispensing station and said cooking station.

A fully automated robotized fry cell for processing bulk uncooked french fries, chicken nuggets, fish filets and chicken patties comprising:

• (a) a computer controlled dispensing station comprising a plurality of food dispensers including a french fry dispenser, a chicken nugget dispenser, a fish filet dispenser and a chicken patty dispenser, each dispenser capable of dispensing food into container means for holding a quantity of food;
• (b) a computer controlled cooking station comprising at least one fry vat;
• (c) a computer controlled robot having at least one robot arm capable of movement over an area that determines the robot work area;
• (d) an end of arm robot tool for said robot, said robot capable of, in conjunction with said end of arm tool, selectively engaging, disengaging and moving in said work area to desired locations while engaging said container means for holding a quantity of food from said dispensing station;
• (e) said dispensing station and said cooking station being located with respect to said work area so that said robot can place said container means in a food receiving position with respect to any of said plurality of food dispensers, and in a cooking position with respect to said fry vat;
• and
• (f) locator means for allowing said robot to position said container means and for retaining said container means in a desired cooking position in said fry vat.

A scheduling system for operating an automated robotized system for simultaneously handling and cooking a plurality of types of food batches which operates by a robot performing a first cycle requiring a time period A, which first cycle includes obtaining and transporting a batch of uncooked food to a cooking station and thereafter performing a second cycle requiring a time period B after the food batch has cooked for time C, and includes retrieving the cooked food batch from the cooking station and delivering the cooked food batch to a predetermined location, said scheduling system comprising:

• (a) memory storage means for storing the time periods A and B;
• (b) computer processing and scheduling means for:
• (i) determining the periods of time scheduled if other food batches already in progress;
• (ii) locating the first available time period greater or equal to time period A;
• (iii) determining whether an unscheduled time period greater than or equal to time period B and beginning at time C after time period A is available and if said unscheduled time period is available in said memory storage means, scheduling time period B in said period;
• and
• (iv) if no such unscheduled time period is available, said processing means locates the next available time for time period A and repeats steps (iii) and (iv) if necessary until said unscheduled time period is located and scheduled.

A robotized system for cooking food products comprising:

• (a) a robot having at least one arm capable of engaging, transporting and releasing a food container in an area that determines a work area;
• (b) at least one food dispenser for dispensing a predetermined food batch consisting of a plurality of uncooked food pieces into a moveable container means located in said work area;
• (c) at least one cooking station for cooking food and positioned to allow said robot to place said container means in cooking position with respect to said cooking station;
• and
• (d) receiving means adjacent said work area for receiving cooked food delivered by said robot.