US 7,441,388 B2Granted

Automated device for packaging food

AssigneeRestaurant Technology, Inc.

InventorsGerald A. Sus, Ron Dorsten, Jenny Hong, Glenn Schackmuth, Mario G. Ceste, Curtis Clarence Pinnow, Christopher Juneau, Steven Konold, Richard Montafi, Benny Nunley, Charles E. Rose, Andrew Courier, Kevin Keough, Richard Terrazzano

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Abstract

An automated food processing system and method is provided that allows food to be dispensed, fried and packaged in a suitable container, which may be an individual portion-sized container. In one embodiment, the system includes separate automated modules for dispensing, frying and packaging the food. In one embodiment, an automated dispensing device dispenser a predetermined portion of food from a bulk storage container or food dispensing magazine. Food is dispensed from the automated dispensing device to an automated fry device that can include at least one circular fry wheel having a plurality of food containing compartments. After the food is fried it is dispensed from the fry device to an automated packaging device. The automated packaging device dispenses food to a container that may be an individual portion-sized container that is retrieved, erected and held into position for filling by an automated container handling system. After a food container is filled, a conveyor system transports the filled container to a suitable pick-up location.

Claims37

Dependent claims

An automated device for packaging cooked French fries into an individual portion-sized French fry container comprising:

a rotatable French fry dispensing member having in its lower interior region an inlet location to receive a quantity of cooked French fries and in its upper interior region a discharge location to discharge cooked French fries, the rotatable French fry dispensing member having a plurality of French fry-containing compartments disposed about its periphery, the compartments being open in a direction toward the center axis of the rotatable French fry dispensing member;
a French fry supply chute positioned to deposit cooked French fries into the opening of each French fry containing compartment at the inlet location of the rotatable French fry dispensing member;
a French fry metering and dispensing chute, distinct from the rotatable dispensing member and positioned to receive cooked French fries from each of the compartments at the discharge location of the rotatable French fry dispensing member, said French fry metering and dispensing chute having a chute inlet and a chute discharge, said metering and dispensing chute including a French fry holding area in fixed relation to said dispensing chute for holding a quantity of cooked French fries deposited therein, the holding area being located between said chute inlet and said chute discharge;
means for maintaining said French fry metering and dispensing chute in a relatively horizontal position, means for measuring the amount of French fries in the holding area, and means for tilting said French fry metering and dispensing chute from the relatively horizontal position to a relatively inclined position to permit the measured quantity of cooked French fries to be dispensed from the holding area of said French fry metering and dispensing chute when the means for measuring detects that an amount of French fries sufficient to fill the individual portion-sized French fry container is contained within the holding area;
and
the automated device further comprising an automated French fry container retrieving device for retrieving and grasping an individual portion-sized French fry container and positioning the container adjacent the chute discharge to receive French fries from the French fry dispensing chute.

3 more elements

An automated device for packaging a plurality of pieces of cooked food into an individual portion-sized food container comprising:

a rotatable food dispensing member having in its lower interior region an inlet location to receive a quantity of pieces of the cooked food and in its upper interior region a discharge location to discharge pieces of the cooked food, the rotatable food dispensing member having a plurality of food-containing compartments disposed about its periphery, the compartments being open in a direction toward the center axis of the rotatable food dispensing member;
a food supply chute positioned to deposit pieces of cooked food into the opening of each food-containing compartment at the inlet location of the rotatable food dispensing member;
a food metering and dispensing chute, distinct from the rotatable food dispensing member and positioned to receive pieces of the cooked food from each of the compartments at the discharge location of the rotatable food dispensing member, said food metering and dispensing chute having a chute discharge, said food metering and dispensing chute including a food holding area in fixed relation to said food metering and dispensing chute for holding a quantity of cooked food pieces deposited therein, the food holding area being located between said chute inlet and said chute discharge;
means for maintaining said metering and dispensing chute in a relatively horizontal position, means for measuring the amount of cooked food in the holding area, and means for tilting said metering and dispensing chute from the relatively horizontal position to a relatively inclined position to permit the measured quantity of cooked food pieces to be dispensed from the holding area of said metering and dispensing chute when the means for measuring detects that an amount of cooked food sufficient to fill the individual portion-sized food container is contained within the holding area;
and
the automated device further comprising an automated food container retrieving device for retrieving and grasping an individual portion-sized food container and holding the individual portion-sized food container in position to receive cooked food pieces from the discharge of the food dispensing chute.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 10/127,369Filed 22 Apr 2002
Published: US 2003/0205034 A16 Nov 2003
Granted: 28 Oct 2008
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification4 codes

B65B 43/305
By grippers engaging opposed walls, e.g. suction-operated: specially adapted for boxes, cartons or carton blanks
A47J 37/1228
Deep fat fryers, e.g. for frying fish or chips: automatic machines for frying and dispensing metered amounts of food
B65B
Machines, apparatus or devices for, or methods of, packaging articles or materials
A47J
Kitchen equipment