CA2053191A1 - Apparatus for heating and dispensing food products - Google Patents

Abstract

Abstract of the Disclosure A completely automatic, fully self-contained vending machine of standard size which may be operated so that a packaged (boxed) dough-based food product such as a pizza can be withdrawn from a freezer for storing the food product, and delivered to a microwave oven for heating to an appropriate temperature, for delivery (of the heated and cooked food product) to the consumer within a relative short, commercially-desirable time period on the order of one minute or less. Also, a special, high intensity microwave oven which incorporates directionally variable guide vanes for regulating the microwave cooking process with improved efficiency; a dough-based food product (such as a pizza or the like) constituted of a dough which is specially blended for interacting with the microwave oven to achieve rapid cooking times while simultaneously providing a cooked food product of improved taste, quality and consistency; and a carton for containing the food product which is formed in a manner which facilitates all phases of the food-dispensing process including freezing, microwave cooking, and eventual delivery to the consumer.

Description

~ 3 APPARATUS FOR HEATING AND DISPENSING FOOD PRODUCTS

Back~round of the Invention The present invention generally relates to devices for heating and dispensing food products, particularly vending machines for dispensing heated food products.
Money~-actuated, or so-called "vending" machines have ~ long been used to vend various di~ferent typeæ of food products.
: 10 Originally~ such machines were used to vend Pood products which either could remain at room temperature, or which needed to be cooled. However, it has recently beco~ne inareasingly popular to vend food products which are to be served warm or hot, and which there~ore need to be heated.
Examples of machines which have been developed to dispens~ warm and/or heated ~ood produc~s may be fo~nd with I
a~ ~J ?Y"i3 reference to U.S. Pàtents No.)'4,838,455; 4,398,651; 3,620,341; ~q~r~5 ` 3,534,:676; and 3,245,581, among others. Collectively, the~e : patents illu~trate vending machines for storing a refrig2rated Js food product which, responsive to operation of the vending machine, is dispensed from the refrigeration unit for delivery to a heating device, followed by delivery of the heated food product : .. . .: .. - , ~ :
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from the apparatus at an apprOpriate dispensing point. These devices are used to dispense heated food products of different types, and generally vary depending upon the type of food product which is to be vended. However, in practice, it has been found that vending machines of this general type are subject to certain limitations.
For example, an important consideration in the dispensing of food products from vending machines is one of convenience. It is generally recognized that the desire to obtain food products from vending machines is heavily dependent upon considerations of time. In dispensing food products at room -`
temperature, or at reduced temperatures, such considerations are not important since the desired food product can be vended directly from the storage compartment of the vending machine.
However, in dispensing food products which need to be warmed, or even heated, considerations of time b~ecome significantly more ; important in that a certain amount of time is necessary to properly raise the temperature of the food product which is to be dispensed, prior to its delivery from the vending machine.
Indeed, it is generally believed by those in the industry that time periods of even two or three minutes could represent a significant impediment to the interest on the part of the general public in obtaining heated food from a vending ~achine.
Prevailing opinion is that consumer interest is generally limited to time periods on the order of one minute, or less, representing a rather short period of time in which to comple~ely heat and 2 ~ 9 ~
vend a given food product.
Yet another consideration is thak o~ the food product which is to be dispensed from the vending machine~ Certain types of foods are well suited to rapid heating techniques, using any of a variety of oven types (e.g., electric heating, infrared heating, convection heating, microwave heating, etc.). Examples of these are available with reference to the patents which are identified above. However, it has been found that some food products are not well suited to heating and dispensing from a vending machine. One example of this is the pizza, which the above-descrihed devices are not well suited to handling.
A key reason for this is that despite the wide popularity of piz~a, which is one of the largest, single consumed ~ood types in the United States, ~ood s~rvice companies have been unable to produce a frozen pizza which is suited to rapid heating and cooking techniques adaptable to a vending machine.
Specifically, a pizza which is well suiked to microwave cooking, ` one of the most rapid cooking techni~les available, has not yet been developed. As a result of ~his, vending machines for handling pizza products have not been forthcoming.
The reasons for this are primarily two-fold. First, even the best so-called "microwaveable" pizzas tend to be less than acceptable in consistency. Available pizza products exhibit drawbacks ranging from very poor taste, to unacceptably doughy crusts, extrem~ly and/or hard chewing crusts, uneven cooking, and at times, a cardboard like consistency. Second, availa~le ::~

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"microwaveable" pizzas could not, even under the best of circumstances, be cooked in less than approximately three minutes, significantly in excess of the period of time deemed advisable for maintaining consumer interest in obtaining a particular food product from a vending machine.
For this reason, although a variety of vending machines have be~n developed for dispensing heated and/or cooked food products, none has been developed which is capable of satisfactorily vending a pizza (or other equivalent dough-based food product), despite the significant popularity which the pizza enjoys.

Summar~__f_the Invention It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a vending machine for disp~nsing heated and/or cooked food products with improved effectiveness.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine for automatically dispensing heated and/or cooked food products which is fully self-contained, and capable o~ effective stand-alone operation.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which can take a food product which is originally storad in frozen condition, and which can then heat and/or cook the food product for delivery to an appropriate dispensing point with improved efficiency.

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It is also an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which can prepare and deliver a heated and/or cooked food product to a consumer within a desirable period of time, generally on the order of one minute or less.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a vending machine which can accomplish the foregoing .~ improvements making use of microwave cooking techniques as the heating medium.
It is also an object of the present invention to pro~ide a vending machine which incorporates an improved microwave cooking system for achieving the foregoing improvements.
It is also an objsct of the present invention to pro~ide a vending machine which is capable of heating and/or cooking and dispensing a dough-based food product, such as a ~. pizza.
: It is also an object of the! present invention to provide a vending machine which is calpahle of heating and/or cooking and dispensing a dough-based food product such as a pizza, having a consistency on the order of that of a conventionally prepared food product, despits its preparation making use of microwave cooking techni~ues.
It is also an object o~ the present inv2ntion to provide a dough-based food product, such as a pizza, which can be rapidly heated and/or cooked making use of microwave cooking techniques while maintaining its taste, quality and consistency, .

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and which is suited to dispensing from a vending machine having the above-described qualities.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a container for receiving a food product which is to be heated and/or cooked making use of microwave cooking techniques, which itself contributes to the food-preparing steps which are required, and which is suited to the dispensing of food products from a vending machine having the above-described capabilities.
These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by providing a completely automatic, fully self-contained vending machine o~ standard siæe which may be operated so that a packa~ed (boxed) dough-based food product such as a pizza can be withdrawn from a freezer for storing the food product, and delivered to a microwave oven for heating to an appropria~e temperature, for delivery (of the heated and cooked ~ood product) to the consumer within a relative short, commexcially-desirable time period on the order of one minute or ss .
To this end, a vending system is provided which incorporates various different improvements for achieving such a result. The operating controls of the vending machine are designed for simple operation, yet are designed to accept coin, bill and/or credit card payment. The freezer of the vending machine is designed to store as much food product as is reasonably possible, while facilitating servicing of the unit (including refilling operations). A special, high intensity . , .

2~3~91 microwave oven is provided, which if desired~ can further incorporate directionally variable guide vane~ for regulating the microwave cooking process with improved efficiency. The food product to be heat~d and/or cooked, primarily a dough-based food product such as a pizza or the like, is constituted of a dough - which is specially blended for interacting with the microwave oven to achieve rapid cooking times while simultaneously providing a cooked food product of improved taste, quality and consistency. This is facilitated by a carton for containing the food product which is formed in a manner which facilitates all phases of the food-dispensing process including freezing, microwave cooking, and eventual delivery to the consumer.
For further detail regarding a vending machine and associated food products having the foregoing capabilities, reference is made to the detailed description which is provided below, taken in conjunction with the following illustrations.

_rie.f DescriPtion of the Drawin~s Figure 1 i5 a cross-sectional view of the vending machine of the present invention, showing its internal components from the front.
Fiqure 2 is a cross-sectional view o~ the vending machine of the present invention, showing its internal components from the side.
Figure 3 is a sectional view of the freezer of the ~53~9~
vending machine, taken along line 3-3 of Figure 1.
Figure 4 is a top plan view of the selector disk of the vending machine's dispensing mechanism.
Figures 5A, 5B and 5C are sectional views schematically illustrating the dispensing of food products from the freezer of the vending machine.
Figure 6 is a side elevational view of an alternative embodiment freezer door for the vending machine.
Figure 7 is partial, sectional~view of an alternative embodiment freezer for the vending machine.
Figure 8 is a sectional view of the freezer of Figure 7, taken along line 8-8.
Figure 9 is top plan view of tha selector disk assembly for the freezer shown in ~igure 7.
'Figure 10 is a bottom plan view of the ~reezer of Figure 7, showing the discharge openings.
Figure 11 is a plan view of a Geneva mechanism for operating the dispensing mechanis~ as~ociated with the freezer of the vending machine.
Figure 12 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment delivery mechanism ~or the vending machine.
Figure 13 is a perspective view of a drive mechanism for use with the delivery mechanism of Figure 12.
Figure 14 is a perspective view of a delivery door for use with the delivery mechanism of Figure 12.
Figure 15 is a schematic plan view showing opera~ion of the delivery mechanism shown in Figures 12 to 14.
Figure 16 is a partially sectioned, side elevational view of the microwave oven of the vending machine.
Figure 17 is a schematic representation of the operative components of the microwave oven of Figure 16.
Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view of the wave guide for the microwave oven of Figure 16.
Figure 19 is an isometric view of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism associated with the wave guide of Figure 18.
Figure 20 is a partially sectioned, side elevational view of the guide vanes of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism of Figure 19, showing their manner of attachment.
Figure 21 is a top plan view of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism of Figure l9.
Figures 22 and 23 are schematic representations of infrared thermal mappings of a pizza product heated by the microwave oven of the present invention.
Figure 24 i~ a cross-sectional view of a container for receiving the pizza product of ~he present invention.
Figure 25 is a partial, side elevakional Vi2W of the container o Figure 24.
In the several views provided, like reference numbers denote similar structures.

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Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodi~ent Figures 1 and 2 provide an overall illustration of a vending machine 1 produced in accordance with the present invention. The vending machine 1 generally takes the form of a cabinet 2 disposed upon a supporting frame 3, for containing the various components needed to develop a money-actuated machine for vending specified types of food products as will be discussed more fully below.
The major components comprising the vending machine 1 include the following. A freezer 5 i6 provided for receiving and storing the food product~ to be vended, for eventual discharge responsive to operation of the vending machine 1 by a consumer.
To thiæ end, a dispensing mechanism 6 is provided for selectively dispensing food product contained within the freezer, for further processing. Dispensed food product i~s then delivered to a microwave oven 7 for heating and/or cooking (while microwave cooking is presently preferred, other forms of rapid heating may also be employed, if desired, such as convection, infrared, or even laser heating). The cooked food product is then delivered to the consumer at an appropri~te discharge point 8. These major components of the vending machine 1 cooperate to deliver an originally frozen, and subsequently cooked food product to a consumer, as follows.
The freezer 5 generally takes th~ form of an enclosure 10 which is cooled in otherwise conventional fashion by a :`' 2~3~ ~
condenser/compressor unit 11 which is advantageously located within the base of the cabinet 2 which fo~ms the vending machine 1. For ease in servicing, the condenser/compressor unit 11 is preferably a closed cycle, sealed unit type which incorporates a condenser fan 12 for drawing air across the conden~er of the condenser/compressor unit 11, for eventual discharge through a conduit 13. A filter 14 is preferably fitted over the exit of the conduit 13, which again corresponds to generally recognized practicas for refrigeration units of this general type.
The condenser/compressor unit 11 co~municates with a series of cooling coils 15 which are housed within the enclosure 10 of the freezer 5. To this end, the enclosure 10 is defined by an outer wall 16 and an inner wall 17 which are separated by a suitable insulation material 18 such as molded polys yrene. The cooling coils 15 are embedded within t:he insulation material 18 to develop the refrigeration necessary to maintain food product contained within the freezer 5 at its desired temperature. To this end, the cooling coils 15 are preferably positioned to make : direct contact with the inner wall 17 of the enclcsure 10 of the freezer 5, to cool the interior of the enclosure 10 by convection through the inner liner, and in turn cooling the food products stored within the freezer 5 by radiation. ~his arrangement has b~an found to be important in avoiding the formation of frost or ice within the unit, which might tend to foul thP product delivery system and/or cause the packaged food products to stick to one another. It has been found that a freezer construction of - :

2~3~ 1 this general type is satisfactory in maintaining food product to temperatures as low as 20F (minimum), which is effective for the proper storage of food products over a relatively extended period of time.
S As will be discussed more fully below, a variety of measures are taken to monitor the condition of the various compQnents comprising the vending machine 1 of the present invention, since the vending machine l i~ intended for stand-alone use. One such device takes the form of a monitor 20 (e.g., a thermocouple) for determining the temperature within the enclosure 10 of the freezer 5. The monitor 20 in turn preferably - communicates with a strip recorder 21, which can ~e activated in the event thak the refrigerator S elevates to an unacceptably high temperature (e.g., preferably on the order of 209F). From this point forward, the strip recorder 21 operates to record times and temperatures sub~equent ~o t:he event which initiated its operation to ensure that the food product which i~ contained within the freezer 5 does not reach a temperature that would thaw the food product and jeopardize its ~~ ty. If so, steps would then be taken to replace the spoiled food product, for purposes o~ consumer safety.
The freezer 5 preferably incorporates a tilting mechanism 65 which facilitates loading of the freezer 5 with food productO This generally takes the form of appropriate linkages 66 interconnecting the enclosure 10 of the freezer 5 with the frame 3 of the vending machine 1 ~o that the freezer 5 can be ,, ... :: .:.

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titled from its normal upright position to the tilted position which is shown in phantm in Figure 2. Such tilting can be accomplished either mechanically, or responsive to an electric motor 67 associated with the linkages 66. Depending upon the size (primarily the height) of the freezer 5, it may in some cases also be necessary to tilt back the top 22 of the cabinet 2 as the freezer 5 is tilted outwardly. Operation of the tilting mechanism 65 preferably causes a lock-out mechanism (e.g., a contact switch or the like) to disable other systems associated with the vending machine 1 so that accidental operation of the various subsystems of the vending machine 1 is precluded during servicing of the unit.
As will be discussed more fully below, ~he vending machine 1 of the present invention is particularly well suited to the dispensing of dough-based food products such as pizza and the like, and the freezer 5 of the vending machine 1 is th~refore prefarably configured to best accommodate ~ood products of this general type. To this endl the top for the enclosure 10 is formed of the sa~e general constructlon as the cylindrical shell 23 which forms the e~closure 10, and is removable from the cylindrical shell 23 for gaining acces~ to the interior of the freezer S, and the interior cavity 24 o~ the freezer 5 is configured to house a plurality of generally vertically oriented storage magaæines 25, as follows.
Referring now to Figure 3, the storage magazines 25 are preferably oriented so that a maximum number of storage magazines ' ' ,, 2~-3~

25 may be placed within the limi~ed confines of the enclosure lO
of the freezer 5. In the embodiment shown, each storage magazine 25 is generally tubular in construction, preferably formed of thin aluminum stock (or equivalent~ and having a diameter which is appropriate for receiYing the food products which are to be dispensed. Support for the vertically oriented magazines ~5 is provided by a series of header plates 26, which further assist in centering the assembly of storage magazines 25 within the confines of the enclosure lO of the freezer 5. In this fashion, the assembled unit is held stationary within the cavity 24 of the freezer 5, assisting in maintaining a proper and fixed alignment of the storage magazines 25 (which could otherwise ~e jeopardized by tha moving parts of the dispensing mechanism 6 which is used to withdraw food product from the storags magazines 25 of the freezer 5~.
The diameter of each storage magazine 25 is preferably select~d so that the packaged, frozen food product which is to be contained is snugly received in a stacked form which is arranged geometrically and regularly to maximize the amount of food product which can be contained within the freezer 5, while further facilitating the dispensing funckion which is to follow.
For example, as previously indicated, the vending machine 1 herein described is primarily configured for vending pizza food products. For vending food products of this type J the storage magazines 25 of the freezer 5 are preferably configured as cylindrical tubes having a diameter closely configured to the ~3~
containerS which receive the pizzas which are to be dispensed.
For example, in dispensing a 7 inch (individual serving) pizza, cylindrical tu~es having a diameter of approximately 7.125 inches would be appropriate. The length of the tube, and accordingly the height of the column of containers developed, will determine the number of pizzas which can be stored within the unit, and will depend upon the weight which can be effectively supported by the lowermost containers forming the column. Lengths on the order of 28 inches are appropriate for this purpose, with shorter lengths tending to reduce the capacity of the unit, and with longer lengths tending to create too much weight upon the lowermost containers in the stack which is developed. For a vending machine 1 incorporating storage magazines 25 of this general size, it is been found that seven storage magazines 25 may be ad~antageously contained within a single enclosure 10.
This will, of course, depend upon the size of the vending machine, and the nature of the food products which are to be dispensed .
The bottom 27 of the freezer 5 incorporates the 20 dispensing mechanism 6, which serves to dispense food product contained within the ~torage magazine~ 25 of the freezer 5 for further processing. ~he dispenser mechanism 6 primarily operates responsive to a selector disk 30. The selector disk 30 is mounted upon a rotatable actuator shaft 31, which is in turn operable responsive to a motor 32.
Referring now to Figures 4 and 5, the selector disk 30 . :

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generally takes the form of a disk provided with a single carrier hole 33 having a diameter and thickness adapted to rather closely receive food product (in its container) ~rom the storage magazines 25 of the freezer 5. The carrier hole 33 of the selector disk 30 is rotatable responsive to operation of the motor 32 to selectively move the carrier hole 33 from a neutral position (Figure 5A) to a position beneath a desired storage magazine 25 of the freezer 5 (Figure 5B), and to then move the food product received from the addressed storage magazine 25 to a discharge opening 35 formed in the base 27 of the enclosure 10 of the freezer 5 (Figure 5C). In this fashion, food product can be selectively dispensed from the several storage magazines 25, exiting at the discharge opening 35.
Such movement of the selector disk 30 is advantageously electronidally con~rolled (clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation) making use of a DC motor 32 coupled with an octagonal gear 37 which operates as a Geneva movement, responsive to a toothed belt 38 connecting the octagollal gear 37 with the DC
motor 32. Such controls are generally known and therefore need not be described in further detail.
A Geneva movement is preferably used to prscisely position the selector disk 30 beneath the storage magazine 25 which is to be addressed, although other means (e.g., servomotors or the like) could be used i~ desired. While Geneva mechanisms of this general type are known, the Geneva mechanism of the present invention is improved by altering the engagement of th~

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drive gear pin with the driven Geneva gear, as shown in Figure 10. As illustrated, the lead-in and gentle tail-out of the engagement cycle is modified, which has proven to be beneficial to the smoothness of operation of the drive, as well as establishing the proper dwell se~uence necessary to allow the food product to drop into the carrier hole 33 of the selector disk 30, while providing greater mechanical advantage by allowing a more direct pressure to be applied at a greater angle on the gear faces. This modification causes a figure "8"
mov~ment in the Geneva drive, as compared to the generally utilized figure "V" movement, which proves to be more efficient in operation.
Preferably associated with the carrier hole 33 of the selector dis~ 30 are an optical sensor 40 and a ma~s sensor 41 for assist~ing in the di6pensing of food product from the freezer 5. These sensors operate to detect food product ~containers) which have been transferred from the addressed (selected) storage magazine 25 to the selector disk 30 o~ the dispenser mechanism 6.
This event initiates further operation of the dispenser mechanism 6, namely rotation of the selector disk 30 to the discharge : opening 35.
Important to note is the simplicity of the dispenser mechanis~, which is primarily a gravity-type system. Also important to note is that by providing different types of food products within the different storage magazines 25 of the freezer 5, the dispenser mechanism 6 not only permits the dispensing of food products from the freezer 5, one at a time, but also permits a selection between different types cf ~ood products by controlling the direction of rotation of the selector disk 30 (e.g., clockwise for one type of food product, counter~cloc~wise for another).
It is clearly important to properly maintain the temperature within the cavity 24 of the freezer 5 while food product is being dispensed. Two structures cooperate to provide this result. First, a certain degree of isolation will result from the generally solid selector disk 30, in cooperation with the insulated bottom 27 of the enclosure 10 for the freezer 5.
Second, a freezer door 42 is pre~erably fitted to th bottom 27 of the enclosure 10, which covers the discharge opening 35 of the enclos~re 10 when a food product dispensing operation i~ not in progress.' As shown in Figure 5A, the freezer door 42 is selectively opened by an actuator mechanism 43 when food product i8 to be dispensed from the freezQr 5. The carrier hole 33 is preferably positioned over the discharge opening 3S prior to opening the freezer door 42 so that the selector disk 30 operates to isolate the cavity 24 of the fre~er 5 when the freezer door 42 is opened by the actuator mechanism 43. Following this, the dispensed food product is dropped from the discharge opening 35, passing the freezer door 42, under the influence of gravity. The dispensed food product then drops to a delivery roller system 45 which, in turn, guides the dispensed food product toward the 2~3.~ ~
microwave oven 7, for heating.
As shown in Figure 6, an alternative embodiment freezer door 42' may be similarly employed to selectively dispense food product from the discharge opening 35, if desired. The ~reezer door 42' is received by a collar 111 associated with the bottom 27 of the enclosure lO. A pair of hinges 110 permit the freezer door 4~' to drop from a first position 112 which encloses the discharge opening 35 to a second position 113 which permits the food product to drop from the discharge opening 35 of the freezer 5, as desired, responsive to a solenoid or motor drive ~at 114).
A disk 115 is mounted for rotation upon the freezer door 42', and fits into the opening 116 which is defined by the collar 111 to e:Efectively seal ~he discharge opPning 35. To this end, the disk 115 is pre~erably formed of a rigid plastic, and a strip 117 of compliant sealing material is preferably positioned along the perimeter of the disk 115 ~o better ensure an effective seal at this interface. Rotation of the disk 115 is per~it~ed to facilitate this sealing process. The freezer door 42' extends into a chute 118 for guiding th~ dispensed food product toward the microwave oven 7, si~ilar to ~he clelivery roller system 45 associated with the ~reezer door 42 of Figure 5A.
Figures 5A, 5B and 5C illustrats a pr~ferred embodiment dispenser mechanism 6, and its manner of operation. As illustrated, th~ dispenser mechanism 6 is generally comprised of three cooperating layers including the lowermost header plate 26 supporting the assembly o~ storage magazines 25, the selector _~ g_ , .

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disk 30, and the bottom 27 of the enclosure 10 for the freezer 5.
As previously indicated, to dispense a food product the carrier hole 33 of the selector disk 30 is first moved from its neutral position over the discharge opening 35 (Figure 5A~ to a selected storage magazine 250 This proceeds until the carrier hole 33 of the selector disk 30 is positioned beneath the desired storage magazine 25 (Figure 5B), whereupon food product (a container) drops into the carrier hole 33 (under tlle influence of gravity), resting upon the bottom 27 of the enclosure 10. In the event that the carrier hole 33 of the selector disk 30 addresses a storage magazin~ 25 which has been emptied, preferred operation is for the carrier hol 33 of the selector disk 30 to ~ontinue on to the next storage magazine 25, receiving a food product container for :Eurther processing.
Since the thickness of the selector disk 30 is ~et to generally correspond to the height of the food product to be clispensed (e.g., about 3/4 o~ an inch for a pizza), continued movement of khe selector disk 30 operates to draw the selected food product container along the cavity 44 which is developed between the header plate 26 and the bottom 27 of the enclosure 10, while remaining ~ood product containers hou~ed within the storage magazine 25 rests upon the otherwise solid sslector disk 30. To be noted is that such actuation develops a shearing action capable of separating even containers which have been fro~en together. The selected ~isolated) food product container is then brought bacX to tha discharge opening formed in the ~3~

bottom 27 of the enclosure 10, permitting the selected food product container to drop from the carrier hole 33 and into the discharge opening 35 under the influence of gravity. The freezer door 42 (or 42') is opened to discharge the selected ~ood product container as previously described. To be noted is that different types of food products may be selected by filling different storage magazines 25 with different types of food products, and by selectively rotating the selector disk 30 either clocXwise or counter-clocXwise responsive to the particular product which has been selected by the consumer.
Flgures 7 to 10 show an alternative emhodi~ent dispensing mechanism 6' which can be used to dispense an increased number of different typ~s of food products from a single vending machine 1. In this e~bodiment, and r~farring to Figures 6 and 7, plural series of storage magazines 25 are positioned to develop annular groupings capable of receiving di~ferent types of ~ood products. To this end, each annular grouping of storage magazines can be provided with either a single type o~ ~ood product, or different t~pes (responsiva to clockwis~ and counter-clockwise rotat.ions of the selector disk), as desired.
Cooperating with this conPiguration of storage magazinas is a dispenser mechanism ~' which, as shown in Figure 9, is comprised of threa concentrically disposed selector disks 30', 3Q ", 30''' which are adapted for rotational movement beneath the annular groupings of s~orage magazines 25 wbich are 2~-2~3~
provided. ~ssociated with the selector disks 30', 30'', 30''' are a corresponding series of discharge openings 35', 35'', 35' ", as shown in Figure 10. Operation of the dispenser mechanism 6~ proceeds substantially similarly to the operation of the dispenser mechanism 6, with selective rotations of the selector disks 30', 30'', 30' " operating to select food product from the various storage magazines 25 which are providedO To be noted is that such movements can result in the selection of a single food product responsive to the rotation of only one of the selector disks which are provided, or a selection of multiple food products responsive to the rotation of multiple selector disks should this be desired. In any evsnt, selected food product is delivered from the appropriate discharye openings 3~', 35 ", 35~-l, dropping to the delivery roller system 45 (which is oriented ~o pass beneath each of the several discharge openings which are provided).
To be noted is that while tbree concentric selector disks are shown in this illustrative embodiment, other numbers are also possible provided that the number of storage magazines and the number of discharge openings are ~orrespondingly modified. In any event, a maximum amount of product is made storable within thP freezer 5 due to the efficient stacking configuration of the storage magazines 25, and the simplicity of the associated ~ispensing mechanism. To be noted is that while considered less desirable, similar freezar storage and dispensing mechanisms may be developed for products hav~ng other shapes, , , ~3~
such as squares or triangles. However, a circular configuration is preferred since the ~echanisms involved tend to be less subject to jamming.
Referring again to Figures 1 and 2, frozen food product is received from the delivery roller system 45 upon a transporter tray 46 associated with the door 47 of the microwave oven 7. Th~
transporter tray 46 and door ~7 are retained in position by an arm 48 and associated actuator shaft 49 which combine to move the transporter tray 46 and door 47 from a rest position beneath the dslivery roller system 45 to an operative position in which the transporter tray 46 is received within the cavity 50 of the : microwave oven 7, which is simultaneously enclosed by the door 47. operation of the actuator shaft 49 is advantageously accomplished responsive to a DC ~otor 51. The DC motor 51 is 1~ preferabl~ operated responsive to an optical sensor 52 which is positioned to detect when food product has been received from the delivery roller system 45, and placed upon the transporter tray 46.
In addition to causing movement o~ the transporter tray 46 toward the microwave oven 7, and closing the door 47 behind it, the detection of food product by the optical sensor 52 is also used to start a timer for operating the microwave oven 7, and to close the ~reezer door 42. The timer operates to allow for variable heating and/or cooking within the microwave oven 7, 2~ as will be discussed more fully below. Following cooking, the timer is stopped and a signal is provided which operates-the 2~3~
motor 51, withdrawing the door 47 and transporter tray 46 from the microwave oven 7, and bringing the cooked food product to the discharge point 8. This electrical signal is also preferably used to reset the vending apparatus previously described, for another vending cycle.
To be noted is that the transporter tray 46 can also be used ~o facilitate the cooking process, if desired. An important feature of the vending machine 1 of the present inve~tion is its ability to take frozen, precooked and prepackaged food products from their stored (frozen) condition to a fully cooked condition in a short period of time. A variPty of improvements are combined in order to achieve this result, and will be discussed more fully below. The transporter tray 46 can also be used to facilitating this process, and is therefore preferably formed of polished aiuminum having a serles of spaced apertures. The polished aluminum causes microwave energy to be reflectad back into the ~ood product being heated. The spaced apertures allow for emitted ~ases and steam resulted i-'rom the microwave cooking process to pass through the bottom o~ the cooking food product, avoiding the build-up of condensation which would otherwise result (and which might tend to cause the container to come apart and/or cau~e the food product to become wet or soggy). Apertures on the order of one thirty-second of an inch are preferred since apertures of this size will allow steam and water molecules to pass through the transporter tray, while being too small to permit microwaves to pass through the tray (resulting in their ,: " `
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Upon r2traction of the door 47 and transporter tray 46 to the rest position, the cooked food product will be stationed directly in front of the discharge point 8, making the food product available for delivery to the consumer. This is preferably accomplished by means of a vending door 55 which is only capable of being opened when prepared food product is to be dispensed, to ensure that access to the vending machine 1 is prevented at all other times to avoid tampering, and for safety in operation. Such functioning is accomplished by fitting the vending door 55 with an actuator 56 which releases the vending door 55 only upon the detection of hot food product on the (withdrawn) tran~porter tray 46. For example, a ~eat sensor 57 may be used to operate a solenoid for controlling the vending door. Otner implementations are also possible. The signal from the sensor 57 is al~o advantageously used to provide a visu~l indication on the outside of the vending machine 1, advising the consumer that the food product is realdy and that the vending door 55 can be opened. Once the food product is removed, the sensor 57 will no longer detect the presence of hot food pxoduct on the ~: transporter tray 46/ releasing the actuator 56 and once again locking the vending door 55 (upon its closure) to prevent further access to the interior of vending machine 1.
Figures 12 to 15 illustrate an alternative e~bodiment delivery mechanism 120 for accomplishing the ~bove-described operations. The delivery mechanism 120 employs a pivotable transporter tray 121 for receiving a food product from the dispenser mechanism 6, and following cooking, for delivering the heated food product to the consumer. The transporter tray 121 is attached to the door 47 of the microwave oven 7 by a shaft 122 which engages a bearing 123 asso~iated with the transporter tray, and which is received within a pair of bearing blocks 124 associated with the door 47 of the microwave oven 7~
Any of a variety of techniques may be employed for attaching the bearing blocks 124 to the door 47 of the microwave oven 7. For example, adhesives, heat, or even ultrasonic welding techniques may be used for this purpose. However, it has been found that a particularly advantageous means for accomplishing this connection is to employ a mold which permits the injection of suitable plastics ~or ~orming the bearing blocks 124, directly through t~e viewing holes 125 which conventionally form part of the door 47 of the microwave oven 7. Employing this technique, the material formin~ the bearing blocks 124 extrudes through the viewing holes 125, bonding to and creating a part of the inside of th~ door 47. This results in a secure mounting of the working part to th~ inside of the door 47, for subsequent operations which will be described below. Important to note is that this technique can be similarly employed to attach other implements to the inside of the door 47 of a microwave oven 7, if desired.
Rotation of the transporter tray 1~1 is controlled by a drive mechanism 126. To this end, a drive pin 127 is fixed to a frame 128, at a pivot 129, for rotation responsive to a solenoid 2 ~ 5 ~
130. The frame 128 is, in turn, fixed to the shaft 131 of a drive motor 132. In operatioll, the drive pin 127 is normally retracted, assuming a generally horizontal orientation located beneath the plane of the transporter tray 121. Extension of the drive pin 127 is accompli~hed responsive to operations of the solenoid 130, causing the drive pin 127 to assume a generally vertical position and bringing the drive pi~ 127 into engagement with the transporter tray 121. E'ollowing this, rotations of the transporter tray 121 are accomplished by the motor 13~, as desired. Such rotations are advantageously controlled by limit switches 133 associated with the frame 128 of the drive mechanism 126, as desirecl.
The clelivery mechanism 120 operates in conjunction with a modified vencling door 55' which is generally horizontally oriented, ~and which is connected to the frame of the vending machine 1 by a pivot 135 which preferclbly extends along the bottom of the vending door 55'. A solenoid 136 engages a frame 137 attached to the inside.of the vending door 55', 50 that operations of the solenoid 136 can open the vending door 55' when a heated ~ood product is to be dispensed.
Referring now to Figur~ 15, operations of the delivery mechanism i20 proceed as follows. A selected food product dispensed from the discharge opening 35 will be received either by the delivery roller system 45 of Figure 5A, or the chute 11 25 of Figure 6. In either case, this dispensed food product will then be introduced onto the receiving surfac~ 138 of the `

2~3~ ~
transporter tray 121 (the door 47 of the microwave oven 7 will then be in its opened position and ~he transporter tray 121 will be retracted against the door 47). Following this, the door 47 of the microwave oven 7 is closed, and the food product is heated as desired.
After heating, steps are then taken to deliver the cooked food product to the consumer~ To this end, the door 47 of the microwave oven 7 is opened and the delivery mechanism 1~0 is employed by activating the solenoid 136 to open the vending door ~0 55', and by activating the solenoid 130 to engage the transporter tray 121. Following such engagement, the motor 132 is used to swing the transporter tray 121 from its position against the door 47 of the microwave oven 7, outwardly through the vending door 55', which is then open. This, in essence, operates to deliver the cooked food product directly to the consumer, avoiding the need ~or the consumer to have to reach into the vending machine 1 for purposes o~ obtaining the heated food product.
A photosensor 139 is preferably mounted above the transporter tray 121, adjacent to the vending door 55', to detect removal of the food product from th~ surface 138 (following delivery to the consum~r~. This then provide~ an electrical signal for returning the delivery mechanism 120 to its initial po~ition~ and ~or closing the vending door 5~' ~o prevent access to interior portions of the vending machine 1. Such movements may be controlled by the limit switches 133 associated with the d~livery mechanism 120, or if desired, through servomotors and -28~

~ ~ ~ 3 ~
micraprocessor controls.
The foregoing provides a structural and functional overview of the vending machine 1 of the present invention.
~owever, many of the basic structural features previously described incorporate additional improvements which further facilitate the functioning of the vending machine 1.
For example, it will be understood that the various interactive functions of the vending machine 1 of the present invention may be implemented by fixed logic circuitry, if desired. However, it is preferable to implement these control functions within a suitable microprocessor in view of the addèd flexibility which this affords. This further has the advantage that in addition to providing the control function~ which are required, additional (optional) system functions are advantageo~sly performed. This can include various warning signals, additional functions assisting in securing payment for the food product which is to be dispensed, as well as interactive co~munications for assisting in servic:ing of the vending machine 1 .
One such feature is the previously describèd monitor 20 ~` associated with the freezer 5 of the vending machine 1, fordetecting power interruptions and potential product spoilage.
: Yet another desirable ~eature is to provide the vending machine 1 with ta~per resistant alarms. This may include contact switches for detecting unauthorized access to the vending machine l, including access through the vendiny door 55. This may also 2 ~
include an al~rm signal received from an anti~tipping device 59 associated with the cabinet 2 of the vending machine 1 which incorporates an appropriate mechanism (itself known~ for determining if the vending machine 1 has been tipped or even kicked.
As to the manner of payment for vended food product~
the vending machine 1 is advantageously provided with a control panel 60 for xeceiving coins and/or paper currency in generally known fashion. However, i:E desired, it is also possible to incorporate a credit/debit card payment system into the control panel 60, so that food product may be paid for using prevailing cxedit/debit cards rather than requiring the us~ of cash. Such transactions are advantageou~ly accomplished with the assistance of the system~s microprocessor, in co~junctinn with an appropriat~ telephone modem or the like, to enable communications with a remote location for monitoring debit/credit card :; transactions of this type.
The telephone mode~ also penmits the vending machine 1 to be contacted from a remot~ locatioll, to facilitate various servicing functions. Thus, in addition to the transmi~sion of alarms as previously described, diagnostic operations may be performed, and desired statistical information may be obtained.
~ The availability o~ two-way ommunications both enables `:: monitoring functions associated with the vending machine to be transmitted to a ramote location, and for the remote location to poll specified functions of the vending machine 1, as desired.

~ -2 ~ 3 ~
Yet another feature which is advantageously performed by the microprocessor of the vending machine 1 is the ability to advise the consumer as to the status of the food product which is being prepared. This not only has certain utility in advising S the consumer of the status o~ the food product which is being prepared, but also assists in occupying th~ consumer for the period time which is otherwise required to heat the Pood productO
Preferably, this takes the form of a progressive graphic display for illuminating front portions of the cabinet 2 of the vending ~ 10 machine 1, showing a sequence or progression of lighted patterns ; representing the various stages of the dispensing and cooking process, in turn advising the consumer of the status of the product which is being prepared. Other displays are also possible, ran~ing from simple indicator lights to more complicat~d message-indicating graphical and/or audible displays.
To accomplish the cooking procedure which is desired, the following considerations must be ,accommodated. First, microwave ener~y of sufficient power~must be applied to the cavity 24 of the microwave oven, and effectively directed to the required ~'target" (i.e., area to be cooked). Second, the food product must be capable of accepting the amount of microwave energy which is developed without causing damage to the food product, and without compromising its quality. Third, steps must : be, taken to provide a container for the food product which is 25 sufficiently air tight to prevent freezer burn, yet which will withstand (i~ not promote) the conditions developed within the ~, ~3 ~ ~
microwave oven, which will not contaminate the food product, and which will allow gases (steam~ to escape from the container during the cooking process. To this end, a container is needed which will not burst during the cooking process, yet which will retain sufficient steam to facilitate the microwave cooking process (which is dependent upon the excitation of water molecules responsive to microwave oscillation). These potentially conflicting objectives are met by three separate improvements made to the microwave oven 7, the dough formulation for the food product which is to be prepared, and the container ~; for the food product, respectively.
To provide the heating capacity which is required to heat the desired food product within the limited time available, ; the microwave oven 7 incorporates everal improvements. For example, w~ile the ~ajority of the co~ponents of the microwave oven 7 correspond ~o conventionally available units, steps are taken to increase the power of the unit, preferably to 1,200 to 1,600 watts, by providing a ~agnetron gu~ of increased capacity.
; A larger magnetron cooling fa~ should also be provided to accommodate the larger output of the magnetron gun. This has ; been found to be suffi~lent to cook the selected and dispensed food product in tha amount of time which is desired for such puxposes.
However, it is additionally possible, if desired, to replace the conventional electromagnetic wave guide with a directionally variable electromagnetic wave guide assembly, which ., ' ~ ", ' ' will be more fully described below, to in essence "tailor" the output of the microwave oven 7 to the food product which is to be cooked. The conventional design for a microwave oven calls for electromagnetic radiation to be uniformly scattered throughout the enclosure of the unit due to the wide range of food products (shape, consistency, composition, etc.) which are to be cooked.
Also to be considered are variations in placement of the food product within the microwave oven, which is often non-uniform at best. However, in the present case, the food product which is to be heated and/or cooked is known, and therefore more readily controlled, as will be discussed belowO This includes specifics such as food type, size, density and placement within the microwave oven, and allows the microwave cooking process to be more effectively controlled to signi~icantly reduce cooking times. "
Re~erring now to Figure 16, the microwave oven 7 of the present invention generally constitutes an enclosure 70 which is completed by the door 47, as previously described, to define a heating cavity 71. Electromagne~ic radiation for heating the cavity 71 is developed by the magnetron gun 74, and emanates from a wave guide 72 positioned over the cavity 71 and extending through th~ top 73 of the enclosure 70. As previously indicated, the overall enclosure 70 and door 47 for the microwave oven 7 correspond to otherwise conventional structures, but for the transporter tray 46, which is con~igured to assist in the heating process. However, in the present configuration, the wave guide 72 is a modified structure, which will be described more fully below, which receives electromaqnetic xadiation from a magnetron gun 74 of increased capacity (at least 1,000 watts or more).
The wave guide 72 is advantageously configured to crPate a specified pattern for the discharge of electromagnetic radiation. For example, in heating a pizza, the wave guide 72 is advantageously configured to promote the creation of a conical pattern, generatinq a circle for covering the ~ood product (e.g~, an eight inch diameter circle to cover a seven inch pizza product). In this fashion, efficiencies of up to 96% can be achieved. While such heating is specific to a single shape, this is generally satisfactory in a vending machine application, and is readily modified to heat different types of food products in other machines which may be developed.
: 15 In overall operatlon, and referring now to Figure 17, electromagnetic radiation received from the magnetron gun 74 is passed through the wave guide 72 and directed toward the cavity 71 o~ the microwave oven 7. This is controlled by an iris (an iris diaphragm) 75 which is capable of opening and closing to regu~ate the application of electromagnetic radiation to the cavity 710 The iris 75 is operated responsive to sensors 76, 77 associated with the cavity 71 of the microwav~ oven 7. The sensor 76 is a moisture sensor which is capable of optically detecting moisture content of the food product as it is heated.
The sensor 77 is an infrared sensor which is capable of detecting heat within the food product as it is heated. These sen~ors ~3~
provide electrical signals for application to the microprocessor, which is capable of subdividing the food product to be heated into a grid pattern having defined regions which can be separately monitored by the sensors 76, 77. This is then used to control operation of the iris 75, as well as a directionally var.1.able guide vane mechanism 80 associated with the wave guide 72, details of which will be provided below.
Microwave cooking is accomplished by producing electromagnetic waves (usually having a wave length of less than ten meters) which, when passed through the food product, causes oscillation o~ water molecules at a frequency which is sufficient to cause heat. Consequently, heating of the food product is greatly dependent upon the moisture ~ontent and density of the food product. It is for this reason that cooking by microwave heating t~chniques is seldom uniform, and di~ficult to a~curately control. The moisture sensor 76 operates to accommodate thic problem by determining the moisture content within the various grid sectors ~efined for the food product which is being heated, so that areas o~ higher moisture content can be provided with reduced levels o~ electromagnetic energy, while areas of lower moisture content can be providsd with higher levels of electromagnetic energy, resulting in a ~ore even heating of the food product. The infrared sensor 77 detects the heat within the various grid sectors which are developed, indicating the present condition (temperature) of the food product as it is being cooked. These parameters, together with information earlier ,' ;.

received from the mass sensor 41 associated with the dispensing mechanism 6, can be used to e~fectively monitor the food product as it is being heated, to direct electromagnetic radiation to the various regions o~ the food product according to need. This not only results in an evenly heated food product, but al50 contributes to a food product which can be heated in the shortest possible time and to a closely controlled temperature.
Preferably, the moisture sensor 76 and the infrared sensor 77 are simultaneously polled for each region defined by the grid established ~or the food product to be heated.
~; Electrical signals from the sensors 7S, 77 are then delivered to a binary signal converter 78, which in turn communicates with the microprocessor 79 (Model 68HCll, Automatic Timing and Controls, Inc., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania, or equivalent), digitizing and storing information received from the ~ensors 76, 77 in accordance with the grid pattern established for the food product to be heated. Within the microprocesaor, signals received from the sensors 76, 77 are processed by combin~ng these signals in proportions established for the particular food product to be heated. For example, in heating a pizza, signals received from the infrared sensor 77 are pra~erably provided about twice ~e value of signals receiv~d from th moisture sensor 76 (de~ining a preferred 70/30 combination). To be noted is that this proportion can change depending upon the ~ood product which is to be heated and/or the heating re~uirements o~ the unit, resulting in variations in this proportion o~ rom about 70/30 to about .: . ,.

~3~ ~
50/50.
These signals are then processed to determine the current status of the food product as it is h~ated, supplying signals for controlling the iris 75 and the directionally variable guide vane mechanism 80 to modify the discharge of electromagnetic radiation into the cavity 71 of the microwave oven 7~ To this end, signals from the microprocessor 79 are interfaced with the iris 75, opening and closing the iris as needed, and with the directionally variable guide vane mechanism :~ 10 80, as follows.
Referring now to Figure 18, electromagn~tic radiation produced by the magnetron gun 74 is discharged into the cavity of the wave guide 72, encountering an impingement wall 81. Such radiation further encounters a series o~ diffuser~ ~2 and stationary turning vanes 83, directing the microwave radiation into a chamber which has a tuned shaple, and which is used as a collector, and toward the directlonally variable guide vane mechanism 80. The directionally variable guide vane mechanism incorporates a saries of individual guide vanes 85 which are movable and varia~le, and which can change both the guide geometry as well as alter the wave direc~ion. In this fashion, microwave radiation can be directed, as desirad, within the cavity 71 o~ the microwave oven 7 based upon the shape, temperatura and/or moisture content of the food product to be cooked.
Figures 19 to 21 further illustrate the structure .. . .

~31$:~
comprising the directionally vaxiable guide vane mechanism 80.
As illustrated, a series of guide vanes 85 are provided which are made of an appropriate material such as "300 series" stainless steel, and which are preferably formed with a curvature on the order of 2.75 degrees. This curvature affords greater control in capturing the true rebound position of the microwave energy, and is also better for subsequently controlling its redirection. The guide vanes 85 incorporate a bearing 86 which permit each guide vane 85 to be ro ated and/or tilted responsive to si~nals received from the microprocessor 79. To this end, each guide vane 85 extends through a fore/aft shaft 87 which is pivotabie about its axis. Rotation (left/right) of the guicle vane 85 is in turn accompli~hed responsive to a trunion 88. Th~ shaft 87 and trunion 88 are mechanically interconnected with actuation motors 89, which~preferably take the form of fractional linear induction motors (JOE~-type or equival~nt~. Such motors, as well as the controllers which operate them, are commercially available, and are readily interfaced wi~h the microprocessor 79 using techniques which ara themselves known,. In so doing, the several guide vanes 85 are ~ade individually and selectively rotatable and/or tiltable responsive to changes in the food product during the cooking process.
To be noted is that the clearance between the guide vanes 85 of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism 80 and the bottom of the collector box de~ined by th2 wave guide 72 must be ~ept to within one-eighth o~ an inch in order to prevent .
::

2~
wave back-scatter. ~n addition, the trunion support. ~or the guide vanes 85 must be tightly grounded using a fiber metal sf the appropriate attenuation to cancel out arcing.
It should be noted tha~ although the direc~ionally variable guide vane mechanism 80 of the present invention is described for use in controlling microwave cooking by directing microwave energy toward various different areas of the food product being cooked (responsive to changes in moisture and/or heat content), it would also be possible to make use of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism 80 of the present invention to modulate the positions of the guide vanes 85 to provide a uniform wave de~sity of equal value over the full target area. Many such variations are clearly possible making use of the directionally variable guide vane mechanism 80 of the present invention. This includes applications in vending ~achines such as the vendin~ machine '1 previously descr~b~d, as well as in conventional microwave ovens for cooking various different types o~ food products. In the latter case, ~imilar "mapping" techniques may be used to monitor the food product as it is heated, and to regulate the electromagnetic energy directed into the open cavity of the microwave oven to evenly and more rapidly heat the food pro~uct in question. Examples of this are provided below.

l 9 .~
~BL~

A pizza food product was heated using a Litton lQ00 w modified microwave oven incorporating the directionally variable guide vane mechanism previously described and four quadrant SIY
120 mm JFM sensors. Each sensor was set to read a r~dial pattern of 164 mm ~round) at a distance of 180 mm. A JOEL I~ monitor was used externally to monitor temperature. As shown in Figure 22, the grid patterns were set at a 3/8" square, which created a requirement for 289 grid ~et~ to cover the 7" diameter pizza target. The four quadrant SIY sensor combination wa~ coordinated to read all 289 areas, but to disregard grid squares outside of the target area. The test was conducted using a 1" thick layer of pancake batter (standard microwave energy absorption test method) cdntained in a 7" round gla~s pie container.
The sensor~ picked up larger block~ of infrared images tapproximately 2" square) and caused ~nultiple guide vane actua~ions to re~pond a~ bloc~s cover.ing the 2" squara. This sensing/reacting of a~tuators and guide vanes is believed to have been caused by ~he rapid ~eat diffusion ~hroughout the "ba~ter'l, 20 leading to the conclu~ion that a 3/8" grid is often rather small and complex for cooking/h~ating food.

, .: ' ~' ", ' ' Exam~le 2 Testing was conducted the same as in Example 1, with the exception that the SIY 120 mm sensors were adjusted to a field of view of 2" areas, and the microprocessor was adjusted to develop 25 sites (as compared to 289). The IR readings were begun at 5 secorlds and concluded at 58 ~econds, at which time the batter test signature was traced (Figure 23)o The results were greatly improved in that the variable modulating guide vanes operated very unifor~ly, directing miGrowave ener~y only to the cold areas and keeping the heating process very uniform throughout the 58 second exposure cycle.
The guide vanes covered an individual area of 1.75" with little overlap.
In addition to the above-de~;cribed improve~ent6 to th~
microwave oven 7, it has further been found to be quite important to develop a propQr dough formulation in ordar to provide a food product (e.g., a pizza, pa~ta, pretze:L, bun, roll, pita pocket or other dense dough based product~ which can be operated upon by the microwave oven 7 to provid~ a ~ood product of proper guality in the rather short p~riod of time required. To this end, a dough product has been developed which is ideally suited for baking, then reezing (and storing for desired periods of time), and then a microwave heat treatment to an edible temperature without undue burning and wi~hin a time of ~rom about one to two minutes.

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The dough mixture generally comprises a mixture of different flours constituted in a certain proportion of wheat flour with the balance in other grain flours, such as barley, soy, oat, rice, rye, millet and other grains. It has also been found that it i5 highly desirable that the wheat flour be a mixture of hard and soft wheat, such as white spring wheat flour (soft) and red winter wheat flour (hard). A preferred composition is described further below. It has been found that the flours (other than the wheat flours) should also be mixed in certain proportions. Preferably, the mixture comprises barley, soy and oat flour in relative proportions ranging from about 5 to 75%.
During the development of these preferred dough compositions, it was found that unlike in conventional doughs, the doughs of the present invention had little or no correlation to protein or gluten content (which caused the flour to harden in the microwave treatment of traditional crusts). This contributed to making the final product propextieP~ difficult if not largely unpredictable from the knowledg~ of the constitution of ; 20 conventional products.
A preferred formulation for the dough composition comprises the following flour ingredients: white spring wheat flour ~soft); red winter wheat flour (hard); Semolina flour (from Durum wheat); barley flour (preferably with at least 55%
carbohydrates and not less than 10% protein); soy flour (preferably as defatted soy and lectin); and oat flour ' 2~3~
(preferably as Avenex with a fat content of not more than 5% and with a protein content of from 10 to 23%).
A particularly favor~d composition includes spring wheat, white soft (enriched): winter wheat, red hard (gluten and enriched); Semolina from Durum wheat; soy flour as defatted soy and lectin; and oat flour as Avenex.
It has been found that wheat flour in specified percentage should be a constituent of the dough composition. For optimum results, a maximum of about 65% by weight and not less than about 5% by weight of wheat flour is desired. Further, it is preferable for the wheat flour to ~e con titutPd by a mixture of at least two types of wheat, particularly red hard winter and soft white spring wheat. While it is not essential that the dough composition contain any hard red winter wheat, the presence of about 5% to about 15% by weight of the total composition of hard is highly desirable. Further, it has been found that it is preferable that the ratio of white soft spring wheat to haxd red winter wheat flour be such that there i8 a greater proportion of the first with respect to the second. It ~ppears that the effact of the spring wheat as opposed to the winter wheat on the final baked pizza composition, is not the same. A smaller percentage of winter wheat seems to have a larger effect ~han the same percentage of spring wheat. Thus, the adverse effect of hard winter wheat flour is perceptibly more evident than that of an equivalent amount of spring wheat flour. Spring wheat flour is more forgiving in its effects on the inal product.

2 ~
It has been found that Semolina flour (for instance, from Durum wheat) is a very desirable constituent of the dough composition. Theoretically, the winter wheat flour (hard) can all be substituted by and indeed the total proportion of winter wheat flour can be replaced by, Semolina flour. But for cost considerations, it is possible to use Semolina flour up to the range of from about 25% to about 35% by weight of the composition without adversely affecting the dough's performance and use.
Unexpectedly, while the Semolina flour contributes significantly to a high prot~in (and is hard like winter wheat flour~, it does not respond in an adverse way to microwave heating as does hard wheat.
. It has further bean found that in addition to the wheat flour component of the composition, the composition should preferably contain a balance of flours other than wheat flours.
The balance or proportion (in percent by weight) of the other flours ranges from about 5% to 75% by weight. Typical of such flours other than wheat flours are balrley, soy, oat, rice, millet, panicum, sorghum (Dura), corn anA other flours.
For simplicity, the flours constituting the dough composition are divided into two groups. The first (Group A) is constituted of the wheat flour~ and the second (Group B) is constituted of the flours other than the wheat flours. The flours of Group A contribute to dough workability. The flours of Group B tend to detract from the workability and toughness of the dough, which i~ needed for pizza. The ingredient~ of the flours -44~

of Group B have different chemical and bio-chemical reactivity with respect to the flours of Group A. Typically, soy flour has the greatest reactivity with respect to the flours of Group A.
~t has also been noted that the flours of Group B have a favorable effect on flours of Group A, particularly in minimizing the over-cooking or burning and undue hardening of the baked, frozen and then microwave treated dough composition.
With respect to the Semolina flour (from Durum wheat), it has been noted that when the proportion of Semolina flour is in the range from about 10% to about 15%, the response of the other ingredients and its contribution to the flour mixture and dough composition is quite favorable. If the proportion exceeds about 20% or 25%, then the Semolina causes a response like that of hard winter wheat ~lour.
Regarding taste, wheat contributes a desirable flavor which is customary, particularly in Western civilizations. When the product is formulated to please other tastes, the formulation can be modified by increasing or decreasing the other ~lours in an appropriate manner. For instance, for certain markets such as the Oriental markets, less critical of the wheat flour $aste, it is acceptable to increase the proportion of rice or other flour.
Yet, flavor is not the only determinative factor inasmuch as the reactivity of the particular flour may adversely or favorably affect the property of the frozen dough to produce on exposure to microwave treatment, a highly satisfac~ory baked pizza product.
The three main constituents which inter-react in the flour mixture and in the baked product include the amino acids, the cellulose and the gluten or protein composition.
A singular important aspect that contributes to differentiate the above~described pizza dough from the prior art S dough compositions and final products, is the particular microwave treatment to which the baked dough composition of the invention is subjected. This microwave treatment causes an excitation upon re-heating the molecules of the baked dough which yields a satisfactory final product.
The dough composition of the present invention contains in addition to the blend~ of flours discussed above, conventional ingredients used in the preparation of food products such as pie crusts and other pastry components. These conventional components are not critical insofar as necessary to make a palatable product according to conventional formulating and processing techniques~ The basic conventional ingredients of the above flour blends include water, fat or shortening material, or oils and yeast. A typical dough formulation which include~ a dough blend of the present invention includes the wheat blends which are blended dry (for about 5 minutes in a tumble barrel) and then mixed with a yeast cake in a ratio of 15 ounces of yeast per 250 ounces of dry flour, mixed in a Hobart 20 guart mixer and adding 2Q ounces of olive oil and tap water sufficient to make a pizza dough of appropriate consistency. The dough composition is allowed to rise and is then baked a~ 475'F for 5 minutes in a hot ail, high impinger electric oven. ~fter baking, the product is -~6-, : ;
.

~3~
air cooled, vacuum bagged and quick-frozen to 35F.
In heating, the frozen pizza is treated with microwave energy. Microwave energy can be vary effectively employed to thaw frozen foods, because the heating eff ct penetrates deeply into the food product. What is more, due to its special flour blend, the frozen pizza is also ideally suited for microwave heating. The cooked pizza product which is obtained, even by conventional microwave treatment, is far superior in all respects to those previously manufactured.
There have been described above mixtures of flours which are especially well-suited for preparing baked dough products which are then d~ep-frozen and then subjected to microwave heating. From what has been described, it becomes apparent that it cannot be foreseen whether the final microwave heated product will be satisfactory vr not. Whether a product will be satisfactory is not purely a subjective consideration.
It has been found that there are product~ which upon microwave heating from the frozen stage turn out to be hard and rock-like, but not ~rittle: others (at the sam~ microwave energy and exposure time) become hard and brittle, but not rock-like, even tough in all physical respects, like thickness, they are virtually the same. These are satisfactory objective criteria.
In an experiment using an all white wheat flour dough formulation where both high gluten, high protein flours were used and comparing this formulation with an all white wheat ~lour formula but using this time a low protein, low gluten flour, it :" , . ~

was found that the high protein flour, when exposed to the same microwave reheating energy became very hard, almost rock like;
while the low protein, dough flour became hard and brittle, but not rock like.
While no theory fully explaining these phenomena can be proposed, it appears at this time that the relative content of gluten and protein in the flours ~and dough derived therefrom) have critical effects on the acceptability of the final product.
In work in conjunction with the invention, certain guidelines have been developed which lends itself particularly well for microwave heating to turn out a superior product. Such dough comprises a mixture of flours as follows:

CON~ROL n~ P~o~ IN
: Tv~e Protein_%
Flour from wheat, Winter Hard 10-30 Flour from wheat, S~ring Hard 10-30 Flour from wheat, Red Soft 40-60 Flour from wheat, Spring Soft 18-45 Barley flour 10-65 corn flour 5-75 Rice flour 2-28 Rye flour 5-70 Soya flour 25-62 Soya Defatted 25-58 Durham 10-30 -48~

'.'' , ' ' ' ` ' ' ' .

2~3i ~

This mixture provides a virtually ideal consistency of the final product by control of the percentage of the protein content. However, it has been found that the content of gluten is also very importan~ if such a superior product is to be made.
A flour mixture which provides a vir~ually ideal consistency of the final product by control of the gluten content, comprises the following:

CON~RO~ ~Y ~UT~N
~y~ Gluten %
Flour from wheat, Winter Hard 1-12 Flour from wheat, Spriny Hard 1-~2 Flour from wheat, Red So~t 5-23 Flour from wheat, Spring Soft 4-18 Barley ~lour 4-26 Corn flour 0-3 Rice flour 0-13 Rye flour 0-30 Soya flour Not ~pplicable Soya, Defatted Not Applicable Durham 5-10 ~ hus, in accordance with the invention, there can bP
selected any flour in the above-recommended proportions to make up a virtually near ideal dough ~or ~urther processing. The near ideal dough is thus constituted of a mixture of flours which preferably fall within the ranges specified of protein and gluten contentO When products need not be as ideal as discussed, one can depart in one or more respects from the percentage of ranges specified and/or even omittiny one or more ingredients of the mixture. However, it is understood that such variants though within the contemplation of the invention may result in a product that may be less than optimum, yet satisfy customers that may not be so demanding.
From work in conjunction with the invention, it has become increasingly apparent that the concentration of cellulosa, amino acid~, gluta~ate and the type of proteins in the diffsxent flours significantly a~ect the acceptability of the final microwaved, reheated product. Further, it does appear that not only the concentration of these components affect the acceptabi1ity of the final product, but the manner in which these components chemically and/or phys~cally-chemically tie or react in the various grain~flour products. Some of the ingredients which have a binding (or perhaps a s~questering) ef~ect are peptides, ribosome compounds and pol~ers. The interreactions between these binders, which may also be considered ~odifiers, appear to accelerate or decelerate ~he reactive changes brought about by the microwave energy upon heating the frozen product.
Another f~ctor should be taken into account in addition to the protsin content and the type o~ protein: this is the amino acid component of these flours. It does appear that the amino acids are different from flour to ~lour, at least to some :. :
:

extent, and react to microwave heating through a peptide linkage which appears not to be the sama, i.e., different in the white wheat flour grains than in any other non-wheat flour grains, such as rye, rice, and soya wheats.
From further experimentation in conjunction with the invention, it appears that in white wheat flour dough an amino peptidase is formed during dough formulation and baking. The enzyme begins to catalyze (e.g., hydrolyze) the and molecules of the peptide having a free amino acid group. Presumably the liberated amino acid may cause further polymerization and thus an ; aglomerization of the monomers in both the protein and the cellulose. What has become apparent is that some ~odifiers in white wheat flour cause the higher gluten, protein flours to respond poorly to the specific microwave conditions at the energy levels recommended for heating the frozen, baked dough products.
It is ~urther understood, though not yet explainable, that the different constituents found in white wheat flours in these concentrations play a major part in the m~crowavability of these doughs. These modifiers are: glutamate acid, peptides, ribosome amino acids and lignins.
It has been ~urther discovered that various phase changes seem to occur in the white wheat dough based products which either do not occur or are of minor significance in the other flours. Some o~ these are thought to be the formation of amino peptidase, carboxy-methyl cellulose ( from reactions with salt during baking), cellulose esters, and possibly lignin ~ . . ~ ! , 2 ~
plastics or polymers~ While these reaetionS are not fully understood, what may be suggested is that the excitation from the microwaves at the specific frequencies discussed above cause detrimental changes or ef~ects on white wheat flour doughs.
It can be appreciatPd from the above that ideal edibl~
dough based products of the invPntion result from mixtures of flours which contain certain components in certain acceptable ranges. Apparently the sequence of treatments to which these dough products are subjected, namely, the thorough mixing of the ingredients at the dough-making stage, generally at room temperatures, i.e., from about 20-C tc about 30C, then the exposure to baking temperatures/ then the exposure to freezing tempera ures low enough and for a time ~dequakely long to obtain a deep-frozen product which may be stored virtually indafinitely lS and then finally the exposure to microwave heating for a very limited time (such a~ for instance, about one to three minutes) are responsible for highly complex inkeractions between the ; components of the various flours used.
In conjunction with the invention .it has been further determined that dough made ~rom white wheat flour suffers when microwaved. It is thought that this effect is caused by peptide bonds in the various amino acid groups which are ~eing ~roken down (presu~ably hydrolyzed) and/or modified. This in turn creates an unbalance o~ glutamate acid (as CsHbO4N) and allows further and rapid polymerization of the large protein molecules. ^~
It is beli~ved that this reaction begins by forming carboxymethyl .

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~31~

cellulose upon exposure to the microwave radiation which causes the formation of cellulose gum. The concentration of polymer (~-D-glucose~ continues to increase and causes a thickness as the dough is dehydrated during the microwave heating. The process S seems to continue until all the free hydroxyl groups have been replaced entirely or in part causing a har~ product due to cel~.ulose estar, combined with the concentrate of lignin plastics (or polymers).
The reactions may be illustrated as follows 10 Monomer s ~ Amlno ACldtln ~Carboxyl group An~no ~ Polymerlzatlon ~ Amino Acid(2) Peptides llnkage/bond CO-NH llnk~ge ~ Proteins Peptides~ nin~ Acid(3 4snlno Group Decarbo~ylic acid ~ Glutamate Ac'~J
Amlno Ac~ds-Carboxyl group ~ Cellulose rhnlno Peptldes Anino Acids-Glutamate Acld ~ Llgnlns ~ Carboxymethyl Cellulose 15 Arnino Acids-~ Ketogluta~lc Acldt Protelns ~ Protelns ~ H~crowave Cooklng Pulym~r12~tton An~no Aclds-Decarboxyllc Acld \ Free Anino Aclds ¦ Decarboxyl1c Acld Peptldas~ EnzymerJ Cellulose Ester ~ Rlbonucle1c Acld (3 molecules)) lgnln Pl~stlc Peptlde Synt?Iesls CAUSE5 IIARD DOUGH
CRUST IN l~HEAT FLOUR
~AKED PRODUCTS.
These chemical reactions are believed to be caused and/or promoted by the high cycle vibration or excitation ~reated in the dough molecules which actually cause the chemical and molecular stripping of amino acid groups which normally have a stabilizing influence. These groups seem only (or primarily) to be associated with those peptides having a free terminal amino acid, thus with the catalysis (hydrolysis) which starts at the ; 30 end of the peptide chain. This in turn begins a chain reastion that converts, it is believed all of the amino acid groups, or at least the larger proportion thereof, to glutamate. The glutamate (perhaps as glutamic acid) is believed to react with the .~

. , , cellulose in lignin to form a hardened polymer like product, which i5 undesirable.
These observations support the importance of maintaining the appropriate proportion of protein and gluten as discussed herein above.
Thus, it appears also that for the purpose~ of the invention, the content o~ white wheat flour is important. There appears to be no prior art literature which has recognized the possible adverse effects of white wheat flour at least in the context of making a dough product, such as a pizza by the steps described above ending with the step heating by microwave as performed herein. It should be noted that a product preferred :Eor preparation in accordance with the invention are pizzas of a particular style, namely the New York type (or style) pizza.
This is a recognized type which is di.~fer~nt ~rom other pizzas, like the sicilian style. It is consi.derably more difficult ~o obtain a satisfactory microwaved prodluct from New York than from the other pizza types. This inventiorl contributes to produce a fine product from dough products generally, especially pizzas of 2 0 the New York typP .
~: The above description has provided ample guidelines for one skilled in the art to produce a dough baked, reheated, frozen product in all acceptable respects.
Yet another consideration is the container for receiving the food product, both while in the freezer 5 and during heating within the microwave oven 7. As previously 2~3~
indicated, this requires a material which is resistant to freezer burn, and which is capable of releasing pressure (steam) developed during the microwave cooking process in controlled fashion. ~ container ~5 suitable ~or use in this regard is illustrated in Figure 24, and generally includes interconnecting top and bottom sections 96, 97 which are sealed together along the edges 98 making use of an appropriate tape or heat shrinkable material. The major faces 9~ of the top and bottom sections 96, 97 are circular, to accommodate the shape of a pizza. The edges 98 are preferably formed as a double-walled construction. To this end, and referring to FigurP 25, a plurality of gussets 100 are folded inwardly from the top and bottom faces 9~, respectively, and an inner backing ~e~ber 101 (e~g., an adhesive tape on the order of 8 mils in thicXness) is provided to secure 15~ the gu~setrs 100 in position following folding, and up to final assembly of the top and bottom sections 96, 97 (following final assembly, the tape or heat shrinkable material operates to maintain the integrity of the contain~er 95). The gussets 100 may ~ either incorporate a straight cut, just meeting following 20 folding, or a so-called "J" cut, developing extension~ 100' following folding which ean be joined together with, or even without employing the backing mPmber 101.
Use of a double-walled construction is important in ensuring that an effective product load density can be maintained 2S within the storage magazines 25 of the freezer 5, while keeping the dispensing mechanism 6 as simple as possible. It has been `~`
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2 ~

found that a construction of this general type can support a 25 pound load when spread over a 7 inch circle, the typical size of the pizza to be processed by the vending machine 1. The height of the box will of course depend upon the thickness of the pizza, with any toppings provided.
Of key importance in developing the container 95 of the present invention is the selection o~ materials used. The components of the container 95 are advantageously formed from a cardboard stock of controlled porosity, in the range of from about 18 to 29%. This range is sufficient to allow steam and gas to escape from the container while the food pro~uct is being heated, yet is sufficiently moisture resistant to retain an adeq~late amount of steam withln the container for heating purposes, and to avoid freezer burn. To this end, a cardboard stocX is used which incorporates a dull, outer white clay coating on both its top 96 and bottom 97. On the top section 96 of the container 95, an additional sizing is used which is made from ?
wheat starch~ This additional sizing operates to close and seal the pores on the top-portion 96 ; 20 In operation, both the clay coating and the starch sizing work in combination to aohieve dif~erent results at different times during the handling process. For example, the stz~rch is significantly more soluble in wa~er/vapor than is clay, and will therPfore ~egin to dissolve as soon as steam begins to fonm in the container. On the other hand, the clay is more resistant to the solubiliæation process but is much more brittle .
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~3~
than the starch sizing and will crack, leaving large open pores when the container deforms responsive to steam pressure developed within the container. In this fashion, a pressure o~
approximately 3 to 5 inch-ounces is developed at the peak of the heating process, just before the steam penetrates, and accordingly, solubilizes the sizing, enabling an appropriate release of steam and pressure.
It will be understood that various changes in the details, materials and arrangement of parts which have been herein described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims. It will further be understood that many of the components herein described, including the microwave oven 7, the dough compcsition, and the containar S~S, will find utility both separate from and in conjunction with the vending machine 1 of the present invention.

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Claims (79)

Claims What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for dispensing a dough-based food product received within a container and in frozen form, and for heating the dispensed food product to edible form while within the container, the apparatus comprising:
a plurality of magazines for receiving a plurality of containers for the food product in a stacked arrangement, each magazine defining an opening along a bottom thereof;
a selector disk disposed beneath the plurality of magazines, having a carrier hole of a size and shape for receiving a container from an opening of one of the magazines, wherein the selector disk is rotatable about an axis so that the carrier hole is movable along and beneath the magazines;
a base disposed beneath the selector disk, having a discharge opening therein;
means for controlling rotation of the selector disk relative to the magazines and to the discharge opening so that a selected container from one of the magazines is receivable within the carrier hole responsive to rotations of the selector disk beneath the plurality of magazines, and is transferrable from the carrier hole to the discharge opening when the carrier hole is disposed over the discharge opening responsive to further rotations of the selector disk; and means for enclosing the discharge opening, and for discharging the selected container for delivery to means for cooking the selected food product, including microwave cooking means and means for controlling the microwave cooking means to cook the food product in the container in a prescribed manner.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage means is a freezer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the freezer is a closed cycle, sealed unit type.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further including cooling coils which are in direct contact with an inner wall of the freezer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including means for monitoring the temperature of the storage means.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein the monitoring means includes a strip recorder.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage means includes an enclosure mounted on a tilting mechanism.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further including lock-out means for disabling at least a portion of the apparatus when the enclosure is tilted.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 which is coin-operated.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 which is credit card operated.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, including means for communicating with a remote facility, for transfers of data therebetween.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 which is enclosed in a free-standing structure.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, including anti-tipping alarm means.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the storage magazines are disposed within an enclosure.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, including refrigeration means associated with the enclosure.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the enclosure is tiltable for providing access to upper portions of the magazines.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for controlling rotation of the selector disk incorporates a Geneva movement.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the Geneva movement operates in a path defining a figure "8".

19. The apparatus of claim 1, including an optical sensor and a mass sensor associated with the carrier hole to detect the presence of a product therein.

20. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the selector disk moves relative to the opening of the magazines to shear a bottom-most product in the magazine from remaining products in the magazine.

21. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of magazines are stationary relative to the apparatus.

22. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the magazines are arranged in a plurality of nested groups, and including a plurality of concentric, annularly-arranged selector disks, wherein each selector disk is independently rotatable beneath one of the groups of magazines, and a plurality of discharge openings defined in the base, wherein each discharge opening is associated with one of the selector disks.

23. The apparatus of claim 22 wherein each group of magazines is associated with a different type of product, and further including means for selecting a product from one of the groups of magazines.

24. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the carrier hole is of the same general shape, and slightly larger than the product it is to receive.

25. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the plurality of magazines are arranged in a circle.

26. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for enclosing the discharge opening is a door slidingly disposed beneath the discharge opening.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, further including roller means for delivering the discharged container to the cooking means.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, further including a transporter tray for receiving the container, and which is receivable within the microwave.

29. The apparatus of claim 28, further including sensor means for determining when a container is present on the transporter tray.

30. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the means for enclosing the discharge opening is a door hinged beneath the discharge opening.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the door includes a disk for closing and sealing the discharge opening.

32. The apparatus of claim 30, further including a chute for delivering the discharged container to the cooking means.

33. The apparatus of claim 32 wherein the cooking means includes a door for enclosing a cavity for receiving the discharged container, and a tray affixed to the door for receiving the container from the chute.

34. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein portions of the tray are extruded to the door.

35. The apparatus of claim 33 wherein the tray is pivotally affixed to the door.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, further including means for selectively engaging the tray, and for moving the tray from a first position adjacent to the door, to a second position in alignment with a delivery point for the container.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, further including a retractable delivery door for receiving the tray when in the second position.

38. The apparatus of claim 33, further including sensor means for determining when the container is present on the tray.

39. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the microwave cooking means includes means for producing microwave radiation, wave guide means for directing the produced microwave radiation toward a heating cavity for receiving a target to be heated, and directionally variable guide vanes for selectively varying the direction of the produced microwave radiation according to characteristics of the heated target.

40. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the radiation producing means includes a magnetron gun for producing electromagnetic radiation, and regulator means disposed between the magnetron gun and a heating cavity for receiving the target to be heated.

41. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the regulator means is a diaphragm adapted to define an opening having a selectably variable area.

42. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the magnetron gun has a capacity of at least 1000 watts.

43. The apparatus of claim 40 wherein the wave guide means propagates electromagnetic radiation into the heating cavity in a conical pattern.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 wherein the wave guide means includes an impingement wall, a plurality of diffusers, and stationary turning vanes for developing said conical pattern of electromagnetic radiation.

45. The apparatus of claim 39 wherein the directionally variable guide vanes are individually movable, for changing the guide geometry and altering the wave direction of electromagnetic radiation emanating from the wave guide means.

46. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the guide vanes are made of stainless steel.

47. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the guide vanes are formed with a curvature of approximately 2.75 degrees.

48. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein the guide vanes are separated by a clearance of less than 1/8 of an inch.

49. The apparatus of claim 45 wherein each of the guide vanes incorporates a bearing for mounting each guide vane for movement responsive to control means associated therewith.

50. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the guide vanes are movable responsive to a plurality of fractional linear induction motors.

51. The apparatus of claim 49 wherein the control means includes means for polling moisture content and temperature of defined regions of a food product in the heating cavity.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, further including a moisture sensor for detecting moisture content in the defined regions of the food product in the heating cavity.

53. The apparatus of claim 51, further including a heat sensor for determining temperature in the defined regions of the food product in the heating cavity.

54. The apparatus of claim 51, further including a binary signal converter for accepting signals from a moisture sensor for polling the moisture content of the food product and a heat sensor for polling the temperature of the food product.

55. The apparatus of claim 54, further including microprocessor means for receiving signals from the moisture sensor and the heat sensor for each defined region of the food product, and for processing said signals over time in accordance with a prescribed manner of preparing the food product.

56. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein a defined quantity of electromagnetic radiation is directed to each defined region of the food product so that each region of the food product is cooked at a substantially equal rate.

57. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein a uniform wave density of equal value is provided over the entire food product.

58. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein the quantity of electromagnetic radiation provided to a defined region of the food product is controlled responsive to changes in moisture content in the defined region as the food product is being cooked.

59. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein the quantity of electromagnetic radiation provided to a defined region of the food product is controlled responsive to changes in heat content in the defined region as the food product is being cooked.

60. The apparatus of claim 55 wherein the microprocessor means controls movement of the directionally variable guide vanes.

61. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the food product includes a flour mixture specially suited for making a quick frozen pizza suitable for microwave cooking to an edible state without burning and within a short time, and having improved taste, quality and consistency, comprising hard wheat and soft wheat, and at least one flour other than wheat and selected from the group consisting of barley, soy, oat, rice, millet, panicum, sorghum and corn.

52. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein hard wheat is substituted by semolina.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, further including semolina.

64. The apparatus of claim 61 wherein the food product includes a dough composition specially suited for microwave cooking to an edible state without burning and within a short time, and having improved taste, quality and consistency, comprising the flour mixture and conventional materials including water, fat or shortening, oils and yeast.

65. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the microwave cooking is performed within a time period of from about one to about two minutes.

66. The apparatus of claim 64 wherein the flour mixture comprises from about 5% to about 65% by weight of the hard wheat and of the soft wheat and from about 5% to about 75%
by weight of at least one flour other than wheat selected from the group consisting of barley, soy, oat, rice, millet, panicum, sorghum and corn.

67. The apparatus of claim 66 wherein the hard and soft wheat are selected to contain the below listed percentages, respectively, of protein and gluten content:

68. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the container for receiving the food product defines an enclosure for receiving the food product and is formed of cardboard, and wherein major face portions of the container are coated with a dull-white lay, and a wheat starch sizing.

69. The apparatus of claim 68 wherein the cardboard and the dull-white clay form a porous cardboard stock having a porosity not less than 18% and not more than 29%.

70. The apparatus of claim 69 wherein the sizing operates to substantially close and seal the porous cardboard stock.

71. The apparatus of claim 70 wherein the sizing is disposed along top portions of the container.

72. The apparatus of claim 70 wherein the sizing is water soluble.

73. The apparatus of claim 72 wherein the water soluble sizing dissolves responsive to water vapor resulting from heating of the food product.

74. The apparatus of claim 73 wherein the sizing is adapted to maintain a pressure of from 3 to 5 inch-ounces within the enclosure of the container.

75. The apparatus of claim 68 wherein the container receives a dough-based food product.

76. The apparatus of claim 68 wherein the container is comprised of a nested cover and base formed of cardboard.

77. The apparatus of claim 76 wherein the cover and base are comprised of a planar face portion and a plurality of gussets depending from the planar face portions for combining to form edge portions of the cover and base.

78. The apparatus of claim 77 wherein the gussets are J-cut in shape.

79. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the food product is heated to a consumable temperature in about one minute or less.