Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H05—ELECTRIC TECHNIQUES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • H05B—ELECTRIC HEATING; ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS FOR ELECTRIC LIGHT SOURCES, IN GENERAL
  • H05B6/00—Heating by electric, magnetic or electromagnetic fields
  • H05B6/64—Heating using microwaves
  • H05B6/80—Apparatus for specific applications
  • H05B6/808—Microwave heating adapted for vending machines
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
  • G07F9/10—Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
  • A23L—FOODS, FOODSTUFFS, OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES A21D OR A23B-A23J; THEIR PREPARATION OR TREATMENT, e.g. COOKING, MODIFICATION OF NUTRITIVE QUALITIES, PHYSICAL TREATMENT; PRESERVATION OF FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS, IN GENERAL
  • A23L7/00—Cereal-derived products; Malt products; Preparation or treatment thereof
  • A23L7/10—Cereal-derived products
  • A23L7/161—Puffed cereals, e.g. popcorn or puffed rice
  • A23L7/174—Preparation of puffed cereals from wholegrain or grain pieces without preparation of meal or dough
  • A23L7/183—Preparation of puffed cereals from wholegrain or grain pieces without preparation of meal or dough by heating without using a pressure release device
  • A23L7/187—Discontinuously-working apparatus
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F17/00—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
  • G07F17/0064—Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for processing of food articles
  • G07F17/0078—Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a hot or cooked condition, e.g. popcorn, nuts
• • G—PHYSICS
  • G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
  • G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
  • G07F9/00—Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus
  • G07F9/10—Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling
  • G07F9/105—Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage

Definitions

• This invention relates to apparatus for dispensing comestibles such as pop corn, pies, sausage rolls, pizzas and many others.
• Popcorn is conventionally made in a heated container which is usually transparent so that the operator can observe the heating or popping process. Pop corn is removed from the container by a scoop into a packet. If a variety of flavours are required, it will be necessary to provide a corresponding number of containers.
• a further object of the invention is to provide a number of different flavours or other attributes of a comestible/s so that the purchaser may make a choice.
• a yet further object of the invention is the provision of an unattended apparatus.
• apparatus for dispensing heated comestibles includes a magazine adapted to be moved into any of a number of positions in relation to a heating station, the magazine being adapted to store comestibles and to present them to the heating station, means to urge the comestibles into the heating station, means to heat the transferred comestible/s at a predetermined temperature and time, and means to recover the heated comestible.
• the apparatus also includes a coin-operated arrangement for at least one of the succession of actions.
• the heating station is preferably a microwave oven with access for the comestible/s from the magazine. The customer should not have access to the magazine.
• the magazine is preferably vertical and rotatable about the vertical. It may contain a plurality of compartments for packets of the comestible/s , preferably more than four arranged radially n the magazine.
• the transfer of a packet from the magazine to the oven is preferably achieved by means of a plunger which is operated by mechanical means or by a pneumatic slave cylinder, the plunger urging the bottom most packet from the chosen compartment to enter the oven.
• a flap may be provided at the rear of the oven to open to receive the packet and then close.
• the oven is then activated to heat the packet at a predetermined temperature and the floor of the oven may be hinged and the packet, when heated, may fall on to a platform or the like by virtue of the tipped bottom.
• This tipping action may also be achieved mechanically or by the same pneumatic slave cylinder.
• Figure 1 is an isometric view of apparatus according to the invention with certain walls omitted for illustrative purposes;
• Figure 2 is a similar view showing the compartments filled with packets of comestibles, such as corn;
• Figure 3 is a detailed view of the top zone of the apparatus illustrating the rotation of the magazine;
• Figure 4 is a isometric detailed view of the mechanisms for the plunger and oven floor opening
• Figure 5 is an similar view to Figure 4 but from a slightly different angle
• Figure 6 is a side view of the lower zone of the apparatus in its first position
• Figure 7 is a similar view with the apparatus in its second position.
• Figure 8 is a similar view with the apparatus in its third position.
• a magazine 10 is mounted for rotation about a vertical centre by means of a motor 12.
• the magazine has four compartments 14 which accommodate packets of comestible/s.
• the magazine is rotated until the chosen compartment is located at the rear of a microwave oven 16. This corresponds with the first position of the apparatus.
• the oven has a rear flap 18 which opens when a plunger 20 urges the bottom packet 22 of the compartment therethrough whence it falls on to the hinged floor 26 of the oven. This corresponds with the second position of the apparatus
• the plunger is actuated by pneumatic slave cylinder 30 through a chain 32.
• a second slave cylinder 34 controls the opening and closing of the hinged floor 36 of the oven
• the rear flap closes and the oven circuit switches on for a predetermined time at a predetermined temperature.
• the floor 26 then opens, corresponding with the third position of the apparatus and dropping the heated packet for retrieval by the customer.
• a coin operated mechanism 38 is provided to control the operation of the sequence of events and this conveniently begins after the choice of compartment by the customer. The latter then inserts a coin and presses a button which starts the sequence.

Landscapes

• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Nutrition Science (AREA)
• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Electromagnetism (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
• Electric Ovens (AREA)
• Massaging Devices (AREA)
• Thermotherapy And Cooling Therapy Devices (AREA)
• General Preparation And Processing Of Foods (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=25588869

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (13)

Families Citing this family (10)

Family Cites Families (5)

• 2000
  • 2000-08-17 ZA ZA200004206A patent/ZA200004206B/xx unknown
• 2001
  • 2001-08-16 BR BR0113329-2A patent/BR0113329A/pt not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-08-16 PL PL01360408A patent/PL360408A1/xx not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-08-16 AU AU2001283593A patent/AU2001283593A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-08-16 JP JP2002518781A patent/JP2004508618A/ja active Pending
  • 2001-08-16 CA CA002427855A patent/CA2427855A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2001-08-16 CN CNA018164455A patent/CN1466741A/zh active Pending
  • 2001-08-16 IL IL15440701A patent/IL154407A0/xx unknown
  • 2001-08-16 KR KR10-2003-7002317A patent/KR20030024884A/ko not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-08-16 MX MXPA03001445A patent/MXPA03001445A/es unknown
  • 2001-08-16 RU RU2003107055/13A patent/RU2003107055A/ru not_active Application Discontinuation
  • 2001-08-16 EP EP01962407A patent/EP1309247A2/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2001-08-16 WO PCT/ZA2001/000118 patent/WO2002013628A2/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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