US 8,616,366 B2 · Food and drink conveying device

Abstract

An object of the invention is to provide a food and drink conveying device that can allow a travel body to travel stably over a travel path. A food and drink conveying device (1) can allow a travel body (7) to travel over a travel path (1a) using a magnetic force between a first magnetic body (18) and a second magnetic body (19) by driving a conveyor driving body (15) and is provided with a lift preventing means (34) in close proximity to the second magnetic body (19), where the lift preventing means (34) makes contact with the travel path (1a) so as to prevent the second magnetic body (19) from lifting due to the magnetic force between the first magnetic body and the second magnetic body (19) and moves together with the conveyor driving body (15).

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Drawings

Claims9

Dependent claims

A food and drink conveying device, comprising:

a travel path;
a conveyor driving body provided beneath the travel path along the travel path;
and
a travel body having a first magnetic body underneath said travel body, said first magnetic body being positioned to travel over said travel path with food or drink placed on top of said travel body, wherein
a second magnetic body having a polarity opposite to that of said first magnetic body is connected to an upper portion of said conveyor driving body beneath said travel path with a connection portion provided between, whereby said travel body travels over said travel path as a result of magnetic force between said first magnetic body and said second magnetic body when said conveyor driving body is driven,
a lift preventing means for preventing said second magnetic body from being lifted due to the magnetic force between said first magnetic body and said second magnetic body, which moves together with said conveyor driving body, is provided in a vicinity of said second magnetic body so as to make contact with said travel path,
said lift preventing means comprises a pair of rollers which make contact with said travel path and rotate so that said lift preventing means move together with said conveyor driving body,
the pair of rollers are aligned in a direction in which said conveyor driving body is driven, and
said second magnetic body is provided between said pair of rollers.

6 more elements

A food and drink conveying device, comprising:

a travel path;
a conveyor driving body provided beneath the travel path along the travel path;
and
a travel body having a first magnetic body underneath said travel body, said first magnetic body being positioned to travel over said travel path with food or drink placed on top of said travel body, wherein
a second magnetic body having a polarity opposite to that of said first magnetic body is connected to an upper portion of said conveyor driving body beneath said travel path with a connection portion provided between, whereby said travel body travels over said travel path as a result of magnetic force between said first magnetic body and said second magnetic body when said conveyor driving body is driven,
a lift preventing means for preventing said second magnetic body from being lifted due to the magnetic force between said first magnetic body and said second magnetic body, which moves together with said conveyor driving body, is provided in a vicinity of said second magnetic body so as to make contact with said travel path,
said lift preventing means comprises a pair of rollers which make contact with said travel path and rotate so that said lift preventing means move together with said conveyor driving body,
the pair of rollers are aligned in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said conveyor driving body is driven, and
said second magnetic body is provided between said pair of rollers.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Description8,360 words

Summary1,277 words

#The present invention relates to a food and drink conveying device that allows a travel body to travel over a travel path using a magnetic force between a first magnetic body and a second magnetic body when a conveyor driving body is driven.

#Conventional food and drink conveying devices have a continuously running chain (conveyor driving body) when a driving motor, not shown, is driven; an ordered item conveying path (travel path) for conveying food or drink, such as sushi, from a kitchen to a customer; and a tray (travel body) with rollers that travels over the flat travel surface of the conveying path and carries a food or drink dish on which sushi is placed on top. These food and drink conveying devices have a first magnetic body with magnetism beneath the tray, and at the same time, the chain is provided with a number of second magnetic bodies having magnetism with opposite polarity to the first magnetic body at constant intervals so that the tray can travel over the conveying path using a magnetic force between the first magnetic body and the second magnetic bodies (see Patent Document 1).

#Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication 2004-16464 (page 4, FIG. 2)

Brief description of the drawings13 figures

#FIG. 1 is a plan diagram showing the entirety of the food and drink conveying device according to the first embodiment;

#FIG. 2 is a plan diagram showing an ordered item conveying path with uncovered portions;

#FIG. 3 is a plan diagram showing the first corner without a cover;

Detailed description6,868 words

#The food and drink conveying devices according to the preferred embodiments of the present invention are described below.

#The food and drink conveying device according to the first embodiment is described in reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In the following descriptions, the left side of FIG. 5 is the front side of the travel body, the upper side of FIG. 6 is the front side of the travel body, and the direction perpendicular to the drawings when being looked at in FIGS. 7 and 8 is the front side of the travel body. In FIG. 1, 1 is the food and drink conveying device to which the present invention is applied. This food and drink conveying device 1 is provided with ordered item conveying paths 1a, 1b and 2, which are travel paths according to the present invention, that run in a kitchen area C where kitchen staff C1, C2 prepare sushi, which is an example of the food and drink, and in a customer area A where customers eat and drink in conveyor belt sushi restaurants.

#A circulating conveying path 5 in rectangular loop form is provided along tables T1, T2, T3 and T4 in the customer area A so as to surround the ordered item conveying paths 1a, 1b and 2. The circulating conveying path 5 is provided with a crescent chain conveyor 4 that continuously rotates, and food and drink plates 6 on which food and drink are placed are continuously conveyed on this crescent chain conveyor 4 when the crescent chain conveyor 4 is driven.

Facts

Application

13/387,801Filed 22 Jul 2010

Priority

JP 2009-17943631 Jul 2009

Published

US 2012/0186948 A126 Jul 2012

Granted

31 Dec 2013

Term ends

23 Jul 2030

Estimated · how

20 years from earliest known nonprovisional domestic filing plus recorded patent term adjustment, including 1 day of adjustment. Maintenance-fee lapses, terminal disclaimers and statutory extensions have not been checked. The continuity chain may be incomplete; this is not an enforceability determination.

Classification8 codes

B65G 17/12
Conveyors having an endless traction element, e.g. a chain, transmitting movement to a continuous or substantially-continuous load-carrying…:…
A47F 10/06
Furniture or installations specially adapted to particular types of service systems, not otherwise provided for: for restaurant service systems
B65G 23/14
Belt- or chain-engaging elements: endless driving elements extending parallel to belt or chain
B65G 23/18
Belt- or chain-engaging elements: suction or magnetic elements

Timeline

31 Jul 2009Priority claimedJP 2009-179436
22 Jul 2010Application filedUS 13/387,801
4 May 2012Assigned to Ishino Seisakusyo Co., Ltd.assignment of assignor's interest
26 Jul 2012PublishedUS 2012/0186948 A1
31 Dec 2013GrantedUS 8,616,366 B2
12 Oct 2026TodayWithin its term
23 Jul 2030Term endsEstimated, includes 1 day of adjustment

Food and drink conveying device

Life of this patent

Food and drink conveying device

Life of this patent

Life of this patent

Abstract

Drawings

Drawings

Claims9

Description8,360 words

Drawings

Classification8 codes

Life of this patent

Description8,360 words