Classifications

• • 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
• • 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

Definitions

• Pre-payment device for the deliyrance of french fries.
• the present invention relates to a pre-payment device for the delivery of french fries.
• This device is designed to ensure, on the one hand, the storage of pre-cooked fries and frozen and, secondly and automatically, the cooking of a predetermined amount of fries before delivering them, contained in a container, to a consumer.
• the invention relates to the field of the manufacture of automatic devices for the distribution of french fries to a consumer against a prior payment.
• this vibrating device in addition to the fact that this vibrating device is very inefficient and does not allow any homogeneous fries baking, this vibrating device, on the one hand, requires a particular and complex arrangement of the french fries dispenser (fixed slides , sliding rails, helical springs ...) and, secondly, causes premature malfunctions and degradations at the dispensing device due to repeated vibrations.
• this dispenser device comprises means for ensuring the evacuation of the fries cooked in the direction of a dispensing station of these fries to the consumer, these means Evacuation consist: in a retractable mounting of the tray receptacle.
• this assembly has a number of disadvantages related to the retractable design of the tray and the nature (fat) fries on this plate.
• these disadvantages consist in that, during the evacuation of French fries by retraction of the tray, a number of these fries remain jammed or hooked at the tray and do not fall into said container. This leads, on the one hand, consumer discontent and, on the other hand, the generation of bacteria that attach to the chips remaining on the tray and which are delivered during a next delivery cycle.
• This dispensing apparatus further comprises means for storing containers for containing french fries.
• These storage means have, again, a number of disadvantages that, on the one hand, these containers are stored with their mouths facing upwards which promotes the deposition of dust or the like in the bottom of such a container and, on the other hand, the suction effect between the containers and the fineness of the edges of these containers prevent proper gripping and easy removal of a container from another.
• the invention is intended to overcome the disadvantages of such a dispensing device and consists of a number of improvements that have been made to such a device.
• the present invention relates to a prepayment device for the delivery of chips, this device being in the form of a cabinet, on the one hand, at which is defined a housing for the reception and delivery to a consumer of a container containing fries cooked as well as means for receiving a means of payment: and, on the other hand, within which are implanted:
• means for evacuating, out of the means of reception, cooked fries received by these reception means means for conveying French fries, discharged out of the receiving means, towards the housing for receiving and delivering a French fries container; means for ensuring a movement of the means for receiving chips between the weighing means, the cooking means and the conveying means;
• Container storage means for containing French fries and delivery means, one by one and in the housing, these containers; means for controlling the triggering of a chip delivery cycle associated with the means for receiving a payment means;
• This device for the delivery of French fries is characterized in that it comprises means for conferring on the means for receiving French fries a rocking movement about an axis, this when these receiving means are positioned at the level of the cooking means of these fries.
• the evacuation means are constituted by means for imparting to the means for receiving chips a tilting movement about an axis and in the direction of the conveying means.
• the means for ensuring a displacement consist, on the one hand, of a carriage of which the means for receiving the chips are made integral, on the other hand, by a guide path on which this trolley is mounted in displacement and, secondly, motorized drive means of the carriage on this guide path, this between the weighing means, the cooking means and the conveying means.
• the carriage comprises means for mounting in rotation, on the latter and along a substantially horizontal axis, means for receiving chips, these rotational mounting means being constituted, on the one hand, by means of bearings defined at the level of the carriage and, secondly, by shaft sections defined at the receiving means and designed adapted to cooperate with said bearings.
• the means for imparting to the means for receiving chips a rocker movement are constituted by a first drive means adapted to cooperate with a first tree section defined at the level of the means for receiving French fries for the purpose of swinging of the latter, this in the cooking position of these receiving means.
• the means for imparting to the means for receiving French fries a tilting movement are constituted by a second drive means capable of cooperating with a second section of tree. defined at the means of receiving the french fries for the tilting drive of the latter, this in the evacuation position of these receiving means.
• the means for evacuating the chips out of the storage means consist of at least two rotary brushes, implanted at the output of said storage means, having an opposite direction of rotation in order to drive the fried, and whose rotational action is, at least in part, controlled by the weighing means.
• the container delivery means comprise, on the one hand, a gripping means, in particular a suction means, of such a container stored at the storage means and, on the other hand a means for turning such a container into a filling position.
• the advantages of the present invention are that the means for receiving the french fries can adopt a rocking movement when these receiving means are at the level of the cooking means of the French fries. Such a rocking movement allows a mixing and a reversal of chips allowing a homogeneous cooking thereof.
• FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the front of a pre-payment device for the delivery of fries according to the invention
• FIG. 2 is a schematic and front view of part of the internal layout of the technical means that the device according to the invention comprises internally;
• FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a portion of the internal layout of the technical means that comprises, internally, the device according to the invention.
• FIG. 4 is a schematic view, front and in detail means for storing and delivering containers, this in different positions thereof;
• FIG. 5 is a schematic view, from the side and in detail of the means for delivering containers, illustrated in FIG. 4.
• the present invention relates to the field of the manufacture of prepayment devices 1 for the delivery of french fries.
• the front face of this device 1 comprises means 3 for receiving a payment means (not shown).
• a payment means may be in the form of at least one slot for the insertion, as appropriate, of coins and / or a payment card (magnetic, chip or the like) constituting said means of payment.
• FIG. 1 it is defined, at the level of the front face of this cabinet 2, an orifice 4 giving access to a housing 5, in particular capable of being closed by a hatch 6 (for example vertically movable) .
• This housing 5 is designed, on the one hand, for receiving a container 7 (for example a tray, a cup or the like) in particular: in the expectation of containing fries cooked and, secondly, for the delivery to a consumer of such a container 7 containing fries cooked.
• a container 7 for example a tray, a cup or the like
• this device 1 comprises, internally, means 8 for storing containers 7 (empty) for containing French fries and means 9 for delivering, one by one and in said housing 5, these containers. 7.
• the means 9 for delivering these containers 7 comprise, on the one hand, a gripping means 10 of such a container 7 stored at the level of the storage means 8 and, on the other hand, a means of reversal 11 of such a container 7 designed to bring the latter 7, after it has been apprehended by the gripping means 10, in a filling position (mouth of the container facing upwards) in which the gripping means 10 releases said container 7.
• the gripping means 10 release said container 7 at a receiving means 9A of the container 7 that comprise the delivery means 9 of such a container 7 and (9A) adopts the shape a pair of parallel rods, on the one hand, on which rest the edges of a tray constituting such a container 7 and, on the other hand, which are designed to move apart (especially by rotation around an axis as visible in FIG. 5) to release such a container 7.
• this container 7 is released directly above the housing 5 which is supplemented by a suction means 9B which forces such a container 7 to fit into this housing 5 and to remain in place therein while filling with french fries.
• this suction means 9B may, again, be designed capable of sucking any fries that have fallen out of a container 7 during the filling phase of the latter 7.
• the latter is constituted by a suction means 12 designed adapted to cooperate with the bottom 13 of a container 7 and associated with said turning means 11.
• Such suction means 12 is preferably constituted by a silicone suction cup connected to a vacuum pump.
• the latter is constituted by an articulated arm 14 mounted at one of its ends 15 and receiving, at its other end 16, said gripping means 10 of a container 7.
• these delivery means 9 are, at least in part, designed to apprehend a container 7 stored at the storage means 8 which comprise, on the one hand, a means 17 for receiving containers 7 stacked so that their bottoms 13 are oriented upwards and their mouths downwards and, on the other hand, means 18 for raising, automatically, the level of the receiving means 17 as and when the dispensing of containers 7, this ensures that the upper container of the stack is always at the level of the gripping means 10.
• the device 1 comprises, still internally, storage means 19, at an appropriate temperature (generally the order of -18 0 C), pre-fried and frozen French fries and means 20 for evacuation of these fries out of said storage means 19 and completing the latter 19.
• an appropriate temperature generally the order of -18 0 C
• pre-fried and frozen French fries and means 20 for evacuation of these fries out of said storage means 19 and completing the latter 19.
• the invention consists in that the means 20 for evacuating the chips from the storage means 19 are constituted by at least two rotary brushes 21, 21 'implanted at the outlet of said storage means 19 and having a sense counterclockwise rotation to drive frites.
• Such rotating brushes 21, 21 ' rotate about two axes, preferably parallel, whose spacing is substantially equal to the diameter of such a brush.
• Such evacuation means 20 make it possible, on the one hand, to group the French fries at the outlet of the storage means 19 and, on the other hand, to retain certain fries in the entanglement of the bristles of the brushes 21, 21 'and to inside the storage means 19 at a suitable freezing temperature.
• the device 1 further comprises means 22 arranged to ensure a weighing of a predetermined quantity (predetermined weight) of french fries, coming from the evacuation means 20 and the storage means 19, and corresponding to one or more portions of fries.
• Such weighing means 22 adopt, for example, the shape of two buckets, articulated along two parallel axes, and mounted on two parallel arms integral with an electronic weighing system.
• the rotational actuation of the rotary brushes 21, 21 ' is, at least in part, controlled by the weighing means 22.
• the device 1 can be designed in so that when the weight of french fries raised by these weighing means 22 corresponds to a portion of french fries, these weighing means 22 control the stopping of the rotation of the brushes 21, 21 'and prevents the delivery of new fries by the evacuation means 20.
• the storage means 19, the evacuation means 20 and the weighing means 22 can be enclosed in a thermally insulated enclosure and refrigerated so as to maintain a temperature inside the enclosure (usually of the order of -18 0 C) suitable for the preservation, in a frozen manner, said French fries.
• this insulated enclosure can be closed by a closure system designed, on the one hand, to open an opening that includes this enclosure in line with the weighing means during the evacuation of a quantity determined fries out of this enclosure and, secondly, to close this opening after such evacuation of french fries.
• this closure system comprises two sliding carriages on common slides.
• One of the carriages supports a hatch via articulated arms.
• the other carriage is motorized and pushes the first carriage via a spring connected to the articulated arms of the hatch which, by gravity, is in the low position.
• the motorized carriage continues its stroke, actuating the articulated arms that come to press the hatch against the opening of the enclosure.
• the second carriage is locked at the end of stroke ensuring a constant thrust of the hatch through the spring.
• the device 1 comprises, again, means 23 for receiving the weighed fries and from the weighing means 22.
• Such receiving means 23 are preferably in the form of a basket or the like, comprising a bottom, rising edges and an opening for the entry and exit of French fries.
• such receiving means 23 preferably adopt the shape of a cylinder, closed at the ends, and cut in a plane of section parallel to an axis of rotation described above. in detail in the following description.
• Such receiving means 23 may, in particular, be defined, at least in part, by a grid, a perforated sheet or the like.
• This device 1 also comprises means 24 for cooking fries weighed and received by the receiving means 23.
• Such cooking means 24 are at least partly in the form of one or more resistors, one or more lamps, including infrared, halogen or other lamps, under which the means 23 for receiving chips come to be positioned.
• the device 1 comprises means 25 for imparting a rocking movement about an axis (more particularly a substantially horizontal axis) to the means 23 for receiving the chips, when these receiving means 23 are positioned at the means 24 for cooking these fries.
• Such means 25 for imparting a rocking movement make it possible to ensure a reversal and a mixing of the chips within the means 23 for receiving these chips, which advantageously allows homogeneous cooking of the latter.
• the device 1 comprises means for managing this pendulum movement (In particular: the speed and / or the amplitude of this movement) as a function, in particular, of the weight, the quantity and / or the shape of the chips contained in the receiving means 23.
• the device 1 comprises, on the one hand, means 26 for evacuating, out of the receiving means 23, cooked fries received by these receiving means 23 and, on the other hand, means 27 for conveying fries, discharged out of the receiving means 23, towards the housing 5 for receiving and delivering a container 7 fries.
• Such conveying means 27 may be constituted by a chute or the like, opening into the housing 5 and above the mouth of a container 7.
• the evacuation means 26 are constituted by means 28 for imparting to the means 23 for receiving chips a tilting movement about an axis (more particularly a substantially horizontal axis) and towards the means of routing 27, this for the purpose of emptying said receiving means 23.
• the device 1 comprises means 29 for moving the means 23 for receiving chips between the weighing means 22, the cooking means 24 and the conveying means 27.
• these means 29 to ensure a movement of the receiving means 23 are constituted, on the one hand, by a carriage 30 which are secured to said means 23 for receiving french fries, on the other hand, by a path 31 on which this carriage 30 is mounted in displacement and, on the other hand, by motorized drive means 32 of this carriage 30 on this guide path 31, this between the weighing means 22, the cooking means 24 and the conveyance means 27.
• the device 1 is designed so that the carriage 30 adopts a translation movement between these various means 22, 24 and 27.
• the guide path 31 is preferably consisting of at least two rods on which said carriage 30 is slidably mounted.
• the carriage 30 comprises means 33 for mounting in rotation, on this carriage 30 and along a substantially horizontal axis, means 23 for receiving the chips.
• These means 33 for mounting in rotation consist, on the one hand, by bearings 34; 34 'defined at the level of the carriage 30, more particularly at the level of support cheeks 35; 35 'that comprises, on both sides (and more particularly at its ends), such a carriage 30. It is, more particularly, these cheeks support 35; 35 'which are slidably mounted on the rods of the guide path 31.
• these means 33 for mounting in rotation are constituted by shaft sections 36; 36 'defined at the receiving means 23 (more particularly on either side of these receiving means 23, in particular at each of the ends thereof 23) and designed to cooperate with said bearings 34; 34 '.
• the means 25 for imparting to the means 23 for receiving chips a rocker movement are constituted by a first drive means 37 adapted to cooperate with a first shaft section 36 defined at of these receiving means 23 (more particularly at a first end of these receiving means 23). Such cooperation is ensured for the purpose of driving this first shaft section 36 in swinging motion and, by Therefore: for the swinging operation: receiving means 23, in the cooking position of the latter 23.
• the latter 28 are constituted by a second drive means 37 'adapted to cooperate with a second shaft section 36' defined in FIG. level means 23 for receiving French fries (more particularly at a second end of these receiving means 23, opposite to that comprising the first shaft portion 36).
• a second drive means 37 ' adapted to cooperate with a second shaft section 36' defined in FIG. level means 23 for receiving French fries (more particularly at a second end of these receiving means 23, opposite to that comprising the first shaft portion 36).
• Such cooperation is provided for the tilting drive of this second shaft section 36 'and, therefore, for the tilting drive of these receiving means 23, this in the evacuation position of these last 23.
• the device 1 comprises, again, means for providing the consumer with at least one sachet containing, each and in particular at the consumer's choice, a dose of a condiment (ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, mayonnaise Or other) .
• a condiment ketchup, mustard, salt, pepper, mayonnaise Or other
• the device 1 further comprises means associated with the receiving means 3 of a payment means, and designed to provide control of the triggering of a fried delivery cycle.
• This device 1 further comprises means, in particular activated by said control means, and arranged to ensure the management of the progress of the various stages of the fries delivery cycle.
• Such a fried delivery cycle consists, then, in ensuring the evacuation, via said discharge means 20, of a certain quantity of fries contained in the storage means 19.
• Such evacuation is ensured in the direction of weighing means 22 which are, for example, constituted by a tilting tray subjected to counterweight means and arranged to return said tray to its filling position after evacuation of a predetermined amount of French fries.
• the chips, once weighed, are conveyed in the receiving means 23 which are then moved towards the cooking means 24 at which it is imparted a rocking movement to these means 23 for receiving.
• the receiving means 23 After firing the chips, the receiving means 23 are moved towards the conveying means 27 at which it is imparted a tilting movement to these receiving means 23, this for the purpose of evacuation of fries cooked out of these receiving means 23.
• the chips then fall into a receptacle 7 placed in the housing 5 and delivered, beforehand, by the delivery means 9.
• the consumer can operate the hatch 6 and access the housing 5, this through said orifice 4 that includes the device 1.

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• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Life Sciences & Earth Sciences (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Food Science & Technology (AREA)
• Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)

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• 2004
  • 2004-11-17 FR FR0452659A patent/FR2878055B1/fr not_active Expired - Fee Related
• 2005
  • 2005-11-14 EP EP05819279A patent/EP1825444A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2005-11-14 CA CA002587513A patent/CA2587513A1/fr not_active Abandoned
  • 2005-11-14 WO PCT/FR2005/050944 patent/WO2006054016A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2005-11-14 US US11/719,282 patent/US8087350B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2005-11-14 AU AU2005305733A patent/AU2005305733A1/en not_active Abandoned

Non-Patent Citations (1)

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