Apparatus for storing, heating and dispensing portioned food items

An apparatus for dispensing heated portioned foot items comprising:

• a storage unit, for storing and providing portioned food items for dispensing, containing a plurality of endless conveyors, each having a horizontally disposed conveying surface, arranged one above another;
• a cooking unit, for heating the portioned food items provided from the storage unit, including a first opening at an input end of the cooking unit for entry of the portioned food items into the cooking unit and a second opening at an output end of the cooking unit for exit of heated portioned food items from the cooking unit and including an endless conveyor having a horizontally disposed conveying surface for transporting the portioned food items through the cooking unit from the input end to the output end;
• a transport lift unit, including an endless conveyor having a horizontally disposed conveying surface, for transferring the portioned food items from the storage unit conveyors to the conveying surface of the horizontally disposed cooking unit conveyor;
• an output unit, including a dispensing station, an endless conveyor and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the output unit conveyor horizontally through 90.degree. for transfer of the heated portioned food items to the dispensing station, wherein the output unit conveyor has a horizontally disposed conveying surface for receiving heated portioned food items from the output end of the cooking unit from the cooking unit conveyor for transfer to the dispensing station for dispensing the heated portioned food items from the apparatus.

An apparatus for dispensing heated portioned food items comprising

• a storage unit, for storing and providing portioned food items for dispensing, containing a plurality of endless conveyors, each having a horizontally disposed conveying surface, arranged one above another;
• a cooking unit, for heating the portioned food items provided from the storage unit, including a combination of a microwave oven and an infrared heater having a first opening at an output end of the cooking unit for entry of the portioned food items into the cooking unit and a second opening at an output end of the cooking unit for exit of heated portioned food items from the cooking unit and including an endless conveyor having a horizontally disposed conveying surface for transporting the portioned food items through the cooking unit from the input end to the output end;
• a transport lift unit, including an endless conveyor having a horizontally disposed conveying surface, for transferring the portioned food items from the storage unit conveyors to the conveying surface of the horizontally disposed cooking unit conveyor;
• an output unit, including a dispensing station, an endless conveyor and a pivoting mechanism for pivoting the output unit conveyor horizontally through 90.degree. for transfer of the heated portion food items to the dispensing station, wherein the output unit conveyor has a horizontally disposed conveying surface for receiving heated portioned food items from the cooking unit for transfer to the dispensing station for dispensing the heated portioned food items from the apparatus.