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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the storing of food and relates, more
particularly, to the shelving of wrapped foods, such as wrapped
sandwiches, until removed for consumption or disposal.
In fast food restaurants, food which may be wrapped in either box-like
containers or thin sheets of wrapping material is commonly prepared and
wrapped in advance of an expected sale. Once prepared, the wrapped food
items are commonly stocked behind a counter so that upon the sale of an
item, the item is removed from the collected stock for passage to the
customer. It is not uncommon that wrapped food items are stocked in a
shelf which is sloped from back to front so that food items which are
removed from the front of the shelf are replaced by food items placed
through the back of the shelf thereby removing the food items from the
shelf on a first-in, first-out basis.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved
system having a shelf upon which wrapped food items are stored until sold
and including means for removing a food item from the shelf which has been
positioned upon the shelf longer than a predetermined period of time.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a system wherein
the stored food items can be heated.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a system
for storing a large number of wrapped food items.
A further object of the present invention is to provide such a system
facilitating the separation of unsold food items from their wrappings to
separate edible refuse from non-edible refuse.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a system
wherein an unsold food item which has been separated from its wrapping is
cut into small pieces.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide such a system
wherein wrappings of the wrapped food items are either cleaned, shredded
or collected for disposal.
One more object of the present invention is to provide such a system which
is uncomplicated in construction and effective in operation.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
This invention resides in a shelving and cycling system for a wrapped food
item.
The system includes a frame and an elongated shelf upon which a wrapped
food item is stored. The shelf has an entrance end through which a wrapped
food item is placed into the shelf and an exit end through which a wrapped
food item is removed from the shelf. The shelf is supported by the frame
in a canted orientation so that a wrapped food item placed within the
shelf through the entrance end is gravitationally directed toward the exit
end of the shelf.
The system also includes a gate assembly associated with the shelf
including a gate movably mounted adjacent the exit end of the shelf for
movement between a closed position at which the gate prevents the food
item from exiting the shelf through the exit end thereof and an opened
position at which the food item is permitted to gravitationally move
through the exit end of the shelf. The gate also includes means for moving
the gate between its opened and closed positions, and means are associated
with the gate moving means for initiating movement of the gate to its
opened position upon the occurrence of a predetermined event to permit the
food item to gravitationally exit the exit end of the shelf.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a food shelving and cycling system
embodying features of the present invention, shown cut-away.
FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a food item positioned within one type of
wrapping.
FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a food item positioned within another type
of wrapping.
FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken about line 4--4 of FIG. 1
illustrating schematically various components including one unwrapping
means of the FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken about line 5--5 of FIG. 4.
FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken about line 6--6 of FIG. 1
illustrating schematically various components including another unwrapping
means of the FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken about line 7--7 of FIG. 1
illustrating schematically the two unwrapping means of the FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken about line 8--8 of FIG.
7.
FIG. 9 is a view of a fragment of one unwrapping means of the FIG. 1 system
as shown in FIG. 4 but drawn to a slightly larger scale.
FIG. 10 is a side view of a fragment of the rotating clamp assembly of the
FIG. 1 system.
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a camming arrangement used for moving the
clamps of the rotating clamp assembly of the FIG. 1 system between opened
and closed conditions.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE ILLUSTRATED EMBODIMENT
Turning now to the drawings in greater detail, there is illustrated in FIG.
1 an embodiment, generally indicated 20, of a system within which features
of the present invention are incorporated. The system 20 includes an upper
section 22 within which wrapped food items are warmed and stored for a
predetermined period of time and a lower section 24 within which unsold
food items are routed. Within the lower section 24, the food items and
wrappings are divided into edible and non-edible refuse, and the separated
wrappings are cleaned, shredded or collected for disposal.
With reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, There are shown two types of wrapping for
a food item, such as a sandwich 25, with which the system 20 is intended
to be used. In FIG. 2, the wrapping is in the form of a box-like container
27 constructed, for example, of cardboard or Styrofoam.RTM. having a top
portion 27a and a bottom portion 27b which are hinged together along one
side 29 of the container 27 and a tab 31 on the side of the container 27
opposite the side 29 for releasably locking the top and bottom portions
27a, 27b together. In this connection, the bottom portion 27b has a slot
33 for receiving the tab 31 when the top portion 27a is moved from its
opened condition, as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 2, to its closed
condition, as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 2, and into an interlocking
relationship.
In FIG. 3, the wrapping is in the form of a thin sheet 35 of wrapping
material, such as wax paper or aluminum foil. To wrap the food item 25
with the sheet 35, the food item 25 is centered upon the sheet 35 and the
corners of the sheet 35 are moved upwardly and across the food item 25 to
gather the sheet 35 about the food item 25. When gathered in this manner,
creases are formed in the sheet 35 which help to maintain the sheet 35
about the food item.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 4, the system 20 includes a frame 26 within
which the upper section 22 is supported, and the upper section 22 includes
shelf means including a plurality of elongated shelves 28 into which
wrapped food items can be placed for storage and for ready access. In the
system 20, the shelf means includes a lower set 30 of shelves 28 and an
upper set 32 of shelves 28 superposed upon the lower set 30. Each shelf 28
is elongated with a planar floor 34 having two opposite ends 36, 38 and is
canted with respect to the horizontal so that food items placed in one end
of the shelf 28 are gravitationally directed toward the other end of the
shelf 28. As will be apparent herein, one shelf end 36 (i.e., the higher
end) provides an entrance end for the shelf 28 into which food items are
placed into the shelf and the other shelf end 38 (i.e., the lower end)
provides an exit end for the shelf 28 through which the food items exit
the shelf. As best shown in FIG. 1, the shelves 28 in each set 30 or 32
are arranged in a side-by-side relationship and separated from one another
by dividers 40.
The entrance end 36 of each shelf 28 is open to permit the placement of
food items therethrough, and there is associated with each shelf 28 gate
means 42 for halting the advance of food items along the length of the
shelf 28. At the exit end 38 of each shelf 28 is an abutment wall 39 over
which a food item 25 may be lifted for passage to a customer and a hinged
door 48 through which a food item may be grasped. In the depicted system
20, the gate means 42 includes a pair of gates 44, 46 disposed at
preselected positions along the length of each shelf 28 and a trap door
gate 45 mounted in the floor 34 of each shelf 28 adjacent the wall 39.
Each gate 45 is movable between a closed position as illustrated in solid
lines in FIG. 4 to an open position as illustrated in phantom lines in
FIG. 4. When in its opened position the gate 45 permits a food item
situated therein to fall from the exit end 36. Each gate 44 or 46 is
mounted for movement between a closed position as illustrated in solid
lines in FIGS. 4 and 5 at which the gate 44 or 46 blocks the advance of a
food item along the shelf 28 toward the exit end 36 and an opened position
as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 5 at which a food item is permitted to
slidably advance along the shelf 28 past the gate 44 or 46. In the
depicted system 20, each gate 44 or 46 is attached to the shaft of a
reversible servomotor 52 mounted adjacent each gate 44 or 46. The trap
door gate 45 is hingedly supported by the shelf 28 beneath the plane of
the floor 34 and is suitably geared to a reversible servomotor 53 mounted
adjacent the gate 45. Operation of the servomotors 52, 53 is controlled by
a controller 54 (FIG. 1) described hereinafter.
In the system 20, the controller 54 is a programmable computer which moves
the gates 44, 45, 46 between opened and closed positions to either halt
the advance of food items along the shelf 28 or to permit the food items
to slidably advance along or off of the shelf 28 upon the occurrence of a
predetermined event. In the depicted system 20, the gate 45 is opened upon
the passage of a predetermined amount of time that a food item is
positioned within the shelf 28, and the gates 44, 46 are opened when the
shelf 28 is devoid of food items in advance of the gate 44 or 46. To this
end, there is disposed along the shelf floor 34 a plurality of sensor
switches 60b, 60c, 60d appropriately wired to the controller 54 for
sensing the presence of a food item resting upon the switch and for
measuring, with appropriate timing circuits within the controller 54, the
amount of time that a food item is positioned within the shelf 28. The
controller 54 also includes memory circuits for storing input information
relating to the maximum amount of time that a food item is desired to be
stored within the shelf 28 and comparison circuits for comparing the
measured time that a food item is positioned within the shelf 28 against a
predetermined amount of time that has been preprogrammed into the memory
circuits. As best shown in FIG. 1, the controller 54 includes a keyboard
55 with which time limits can be input into the memory circuits.
As best shown in FIG. 4, each shelf 28 is separated by the gates 44, 46
into three compartments B, C, D which are each sized to hold two wrapped
food items 25. Each sensor 60b, 60c or 60d is mounted in the shelf floor
34 adjacent the lower end of each compartment B, C or D for sensing the
presence of a food item in its corresponding compartment B, C or D. The
controller 54 is preprogrammed to maintain food items within the
compartment B if food items are positioned within the shelf 28 at all.
Accordingly, until the controller 54 senses, by way of the sensor 60b, the
presence of a food item within compartment B, the controller 54 maintains
gates 44 and 46 in an opened position. Upon sensing of a food item within
compartment B, the gate 44 is closed, and upon sensing of a food item
within compartment C, the gate 46 is closed. Preferably, the food items
are inserted two-at-a-time into the shelf to ensure that each compartment
is filled before the gate 44 or 46 is closed, but if desired, sensors 60e
60f and 60g can be mounted adjacent the upper end of the compartments B,
C, D and appropriately wired to the controller 54 so that the gate 44 or
46 is not closed until the compartment B or C is filled.
An understanding of the timing operations of the controller 54 may best be
had by a description of the operation of the upper section 22 of the
system 20. At the outset of a shelf-filling process, the gate 45 is closed
and the gates 44 and 46 are opened to permit the first food items to
travel directly from the entrance end 36 to a position of rest within
compartment B. With a food item resting upon sensor 60b, the controller 54
begins measuring the time that the food items are positioned within the
compartment B. Similarly, when food items are inserted into the shelf 28
and come to rest within compartments C and D, the controller 54 begins
measuring the time that food items are positioned within these
compartments. If food items are pulled from the compartment B for passage
to a customer, the time measurement of the food items positioned within
the B are cleared from the controller 54, and the gates 44 and 46 are
opened and closed in sequence so that the food items positioned within
compartment C advance to compartment B, and the food items positioned
within compartment D advance to compartment C.
If, on the other hand, the controller 54 determines by way of its
comparison circuits that the food items positioned within the compartment
B exceeds the desired amount of time that the food items should be
positioned therein, the controller 54 sends appropriate command signals to
the servomotor 53 so that the gate 45 is opened and the food items are
permitted to gravitationally exit the compartment B. Upon passage of a
prescribed amount of time sufficient to permit the passage of the food
items from the compartment B, the controller 54 sends appropriate command
signals to the servomotor 53 to close the gate 45. Upon closing of the
gate 45, the gates 44 and 46 are opened and closed in sequence so that the
food items positioned within compartment C advance to compartment B, and
the food items positioned within compartment D advance to compartment C.
It will be understood, however, that the controller 54 continues to
monitor the amount of time that the food items which remain within the
shelf 28 as the food items advance from one sensor switch to another
sensor switch. Accordingly, the amounts of time that one food item rests
upon a sensor switch within compartments D, C and B are added together by
the controller 54 for comparison to a desired time limit. A further
feature of the controller 54 is that, with information collected with the
sensor switches, it can provide a continued count of the number of food
items positioned in any shelf 28 and continually display the count on
display 50.
With reference to FIG. 6, the system 20 also includes heating means 70
associated with the upper section 22 for warming the food items positioned
within the shelves 28. In the depicted system 20, the heating means 70
includes an electric steam generator 72 for routing steam against the
underside of the floor of each shelf is a metal-lined cavity 74 joined in
flow communication with the steam generator 72 so that the steam generated
by the generator 72 is routed into the cavities 74 for heating the floors
of the shelves 28 and thereby heating the food items positioned upon the
shelves 28. Connected between each cavity 74 and generator 72 are
appropriate conduits and valves whose construction is known in the art for
delivering of the steam from the generator 72 to each cavity 74. As shown
in FIG. 4, a drain pipe 76 is connected between each cavity 74 and the
generator 72 for draining condensed steam from the cavities 74. If
desired, a vacuum pump 78 may be joined to the drain pipe 76 for actively
drawing the condensed steam from the cavities 74.
The operation of the steam generator 72 of FIG. 6 is controlled by the
controller 54. Preferably, thermostats 80, 82 are mounted within the
cavities 74 and appropriately wired to the controller 54 for controlling,
by means of the steam generator 72, the internal temperature of the
cavities 74, and in turn, the temperature of the floor of each shelf in a
set 30 or 32.
With reference to FIGS. 4, 6 and 7, there is shown mounted within the lower
section 24 of the system 20 means, indicated 90, for unwrapping food items
from box-like packages 27 of FIG. 2 and means, indicated 92, for
unwrapping food items from a wrapping material sheet 35 of FIG. 3. In this
connection, food items which are wrapped in box-like packages 27 are
directed to unwrapping means 90 of FIG. 4 and the food items which are
wrapped in sheets 35 are directed to the unwrapping means 92 of FIG. 6. To
this end, the system 20 includes a chute 94 for funneling box-wrapped food
items which fall off of the rightwardmost shelves 28, as viewed in FIG. 1,
to the unwrapping means 90, and includes a chute 96 for funneling
sheet-wrapped food items which fall off of the leftwardmost shelves 28, as
viewed in FIG. 1, to the unwrapping means 92. Accordingly, an operator who
places food items within the shelves 28 must place box-wrapped items into
the rightwardmost shelves 28 and place sheet-wrapped items into the
leftwardmost shelves 28.
With reference to FIG. 4, the unwrapping means 90 includes a platform 98 to
which food items are directed by the chute 94, and there is mounted upon
the platform 98 a revolving rack 100 having four paddles 102 joined to one
another so as to divide the platform surface into four quadrant sections.
The rack 100 is disposed upon the platform 9B and the paddles 102 are of
such size that the opening provided between adjacent paddles 102 accept
one food item from the chute 94. Therefore, by rotating the rack 100 in
one rotational direction about its center (or counter-clockwise as viewed
in FIG. 7), food items are removed one-at-a-time from the chute 94 and
conveyed in this manner off the back edge 101 of the platform 98 onto a
lower platform 104. A motor 106 mounted beneath the platform 98 is
connected in driving relationship with the rack 100 for rotating the rack
when the motor 106 is energized. The motor 106 is appropriately wired to
the controller 54 for controlling the operation of the motor 106.
When positioned upon the lowered platform 104, the food item is positioned
in registry with a U-shaped bracket 108 for capturing the top portion 27a
(FIG. 2) of the box-like container 27. In the depicted system 20, the
bracket 108 is pivotally mounted upon a pivot arm 107 for pivotal movement
about a pin 111 between a lowered condition, illustrated in solid lines in
FIG. 9, at which the U of the bracket 108 is in a condition for accepting
the top portion 27a of the food item container directed onto the platform
104 and a raised condition, illustrated in phantom in FIG. 9, at which the
bracket 108 is in a position for depositing the container 27 upon a
conveyor 109.
As best shown in FIG. 8, there is mounted upon one side of the bracket 108
a solenoid 110 having a plunger 112 directed toward the opposite side of
the bracket 108 and which is movable inwardly and outwardly between a
retracted position as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 8 and an extended
positions as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 8. By actuating the solenoid
110, the top portion 27a of the container 27 is captured between the
solenoid plunger 112 and the opposite side of the bracket 108. The
operation of the solenoid 110 is controlled by the controller 54.
Preferably, a light sensor 114 (FIG. 4) is mounted adjacent the back edge
101 of the platform 98 for sensing the passage of a boxed food item off
the back edge 101 of the platform 98. By appropriately connecting the
light sensor 114 to the controller 54 and the solenoid 110, the solenoid
110 is actuated only after the boxed food item falls from the platform 98
and onto the platform 104.
With reference again to FIG. 8, the unwrapping means 90 also includes a
controller-controlled solenoid 116 mounted in a stationary condition upon
the platform 104 adjacent the bracket 108 so that upon actuation of the
solenoid 116, its plunger 118 moves against the bottom portion 27b of the
container 27 on the side of the container 27 opposite the solenoid 110. It
has been found that by urging the top and bottom portions 27a, 27b of the
container 27 in opposite directions in what may be described as a shearing
action, the tab 31 (FIG. 2) of the container 27 is forced out of
interlocking relationship with the container slot 33. It is this shearing
action which is simulated as the bracket 108, with the solenoid 110, holds
the container top portion 27a stationary while the solenoid 116 urges the
container bottom portion 27b rightwardly, as viewed in FIG. 8, to unlock
the top and bottom portions 27a, 27b. Following activation of the solenoid
116 so that the top and bottom portions 27a, 27b are unlocked, the
controller 54 de-actuates the solenoid 116 so that the top and bottom
portions 27a, 27b are left in an unlocked condition.
With reference again to FIG. 9, the unwrapping means 90 also includes a
stepping motor 120 connected in driving relationship with the pivot arm
107 so that upon deactivation of the solenoid 116, the pivot arm 107 is
raised upwardly toward its FIG. 9 phantom-line position. Since the top
portion 27a remains captured within the bracket 108, the top portion 27a
is raised with the bracket 108. As the top portion 27a continues its
upward movement, the bottom portion 27b is permitted to swing downwardly
relative to the top portion 27a under the weight of the food item
contained therein so that the food item is dumped from the container 27.
Mounted within the lower platform 104 is a trap door assembly 121, best
shown in FIG. 4, including a trap door 122 positioned generally below the
bracket 108 when the bracket 108 is positioned in its FIG. 9 lowered
position. A grinding apparatus 124 is positioned beneath the trap door 122
into which the food item which is dumped from the container 27 is
permitted to fall. A reversible motor 126 is suitably connected to the
trap door 122 so that upon energizing the motor 126 in one rotational
direction and the other rotational direction, the trap door 122 is moved
between a closed position, as illustrated in solid lines in FIG. 4, and an
open position, as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 4. The operation of the
trap door motor 126 and the grinding apparatus 124 is controlled by the
controller 54 so that upon de-activation of the solenoid 116, the trap
door 122 is opened and the grinding apparatus 124 is energized. Upon
subsequent return of the bracket 108 from its raised position to its
lowered position, the trap door 122 is closed and the grinding apparatus
124 is deactivated. In the depicted system 20, a removable container 127
is situated beneath the grinding apparatus 124 for collecting the ground
food items which exit the bottom of the grinding apparatus 124. This
collected product may be used for consumption by animals.
With reference again to FIG. 9, the container 27 is carried by the bracket
108 to a position at which the container 27 can be deposited upon the
conveyor 109 with both of the top and bottom portions 27a, 27b opening
downwardly. To this end, the bracket 108 is permitted to pivot relative to
the arm 107 under the weight of the container 27 so that by the time the
bracket 108 has moved to its raised position above the conveyor 109, the
top and bottom portions 27a, 27b open generally downwardly toward the
conveyor 109 as illustrated in FIG. 8. Upon reaching the phantom in FIG.
9. Upon reaching the FIG. 9 raised (phantom-line) position, the solenoid
116 is deactuated so that the container 27 is permitted to fall upon the
conveyor 109, and then the motor 120 is used to return the bracket 108 to
its lowered position for acceptance of another food item delivered to the
platform 104 by the rack 100. The operation of the motor 120 is controlled
by the controller 54, and the rotation of the rack 100 and movement of the
pivot arm 107 is synchronized so that a food item is delivered to the
platform 104 only when the bracket 108 is positioned in its lowered
position.
With reference to FIGS. 4 and 9, the conveyor 109 is supported in an
elevated condition by the frame 26 and includes a plurality of rollers 130
which are suitably geared to one another and to a motor 132 so that upon
actuation of the motor 132, the container 27 positioned upon the rollers
130 is moved toward and off of one end, or the right end as viewed in FIG.
4. In the depicted system, a water spray system 134 including a spray head
136 is mounted beneath the conveyor 109 and directed generally upwardly so
that water exiting the head 136 is forced against the downwardly-opening
portions 27a, 27b of the container 27 in a cleaning operation. The spray
system 134 includes appropriate piping 138 connectible to a source of
water under pressure, and a solenoid-actuated valve 140 is incorporated
within the piping 138 and appropriately connected to the controller 54 so
that upon actuation of the conveyor motor 132, water is sprayed from the
head 136 against the container portions 27a, 27b. Preferably, the frame 26
includes a drainage system having a collection drain 144 disposed
generally below the spray head 136 so that water which is sprayed from the
head 136 and subsequently flows downwardly exits he system 20 through the
collection drain 144.
The system 20 also include means, generally indicated 146 in FIG. 4, for
drying the container portions 27a, 27b after they have been cleaned by the
spray system 134. As depicted in FIG. 4, the drying means 146 includes an
electric resistance element 148 mounted below and adjacent the conveyor
109 so that as the container portions 27a, 27b are conveyed across the
drying means 146, the container portions 27a, 27b are exposed to the heat
generated by the element 148. The drying means 146 also includes a fan 150
powered by an electric motor 152 situated generally beneath the electric
resistance element 148. As the container portions 27a, 27b are conveyed
across the resistance element 148, the fan 150 forces air which has been
heated by the element 148 against the container portions 27a, 27b in an
enhanced drying operation. Operation of the fan 150, motor 152 and heater
element 148 is controlled by the controller 54 and synchronized with the
movement of the conveyor 109.
The system 20 also includes a storage drawer 154 situated to the right
side, as viewed in FIG. 4, of the conveyor 109 so that upon conveyance of
the cleaned container portions 27a, 27b off of the conveyor 109, the
containers 27 are collected by the drawer 154. To this end, the drawer 154
has an open top disposed below the horizontal level of the conveyor 109,
and a chute 156 is supported between the conveyor 109 and the top of the
drawer 154 so that containers 27 directed off the conveyor 109 are routed
by the chute 156 into the drawer 154.
As mentioned earlier and with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7, the unwrapping
means 92 is adapted to unwrap food items which have been wrapped within a
sheet 35 (FIG. 3) of wrapping material. The unwrapping means 92 includes a
platform 160 and a revolving rack 162 to which the sheet-wrapped food
items are directed by way of the chute 96, introduced earlier. The rack
162 is identical in construction and operation to the aforedescribed rack
100 in that it accepts and conveys food items delivered through the chute
96 one-at-a-time off of the back edge of the platform 160 onto a lower
platform 164 situated below and adjacent the platform 160. Situated within
the platform 164 is a trap door 166 which is suitably connected to a
reversible motor 168 so that actuation of the motor 168 in one direction
moves the trap door 166 from a closed position as illustrated in solid
lines in FIG. 6 to an open position as illustrated in phantom in FIG. 6,
and actuation of the motor 168 in the opposite direction moves the trap
door 166 from its opened position to its closed position.
Supported above the platform 164 by the frame 26 is a rotating clamp
assembly 170 including a plurality of clamps 172 for clamping the sheet 35
wrapped about the food item and lifting the sheet 35 from the fo | | |
