US20220297306A1 - Automated Pizza Assembly System - Google Patents
Automated Pizza Assembly System Download PDFInfo
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- US20220297306A1 US20220297306A1 US17/806,370 US202217806370A US2022297306A1 US 20220297306 A1 US20220297306 A1 US 20220297306A1 US 202217806370 A US202217806370 A US 202217806370A US 2022297306 A1 US2022297306 A1 US 2022297306A1
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- United States
- Prior art keywords
- pepperoni
- station
- cheese
- pan
- pizza
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- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
- B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
- B25J11/00—Manipulators not otherwise provided for
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A21—BAKING; EDIBLE DOUGHS
- A21C—MACHINES OR EQUIPMENT FOR MAKING OR PROCESSING DOUGHS; HANDLING BAKED ARTICLES MADE FROM DOUGH
- A21C9/00—Other apparatus for handling dough or dough pieces
- A21C9/04—Apparatus for spreading granular material on, or sweeping or coating the surfaces of, pieces or sheets of dough
Definitions
- the present disclosure relates to pizza assembly and, more particularly, to an automated pizza assembly system.
- the assembly of pizzas in a retail establishment is a labor-intensive endeavor.
- Some of the steps performed by the worker may include the making of the dough; the preparation of a pizza pan, the spreading of the dough in the pizza pan; the applying of sauce, cheese and other toppings: the moving of the pizza to the oven for baking; the removal of the pizza from the oven; the slicing of the pizza; and boxing the pizza for delivery to a customer.
- the automation of one or more of these steps may improve the efficiency of the pizza assembly process.
- the automation of one a more of the stops in the pizza assembly process may result in a more consistent quality for the assembled pizza.
- the quantity of sauce, the spreading of the toppings, the quantity and spacing of the toppings, etc. may be more consistently realized through the use of an automated process.
- the automated pizza assembly system may advantageously make fresh pizzas for immediate cooking and delivery to customers desiring to purchase such pizzas. Additionally, the use of the automated pizza assembly system may allow for workers at the retail establishment to perform other value added tasks while the pizza assembly is being performed in an automated manner. As a result, a better utilization of the available manpower may be realized al the retail establishment.
- the automated pizza assembly system may be utilized in conjunction with a computer program or the like that can command the automatic preparation of the desired quantity of pizzas with the desired toppings thereon to automatically meet actual or anticipated customer demand. Additionally, the use of an automated pizza assembly system may improve the speed at which the pizzas can be made, thereby improving throughput. The improved throughput can be especially important during rush times wherein the demand for pizzas is greater than other times.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an automated pizza assembly system according to the present disclosure
- FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the automated pizza assembly system or FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
- FIGS. 4-6 are elevation views of the automated pizza assembly system of FIGS. 1 and 2 ;
- FIG. 7 is an exemplary flow chart of the steps that may be performed by the automated pizza assembly system
- FIG. 8 is a side view of the pepperoni station according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the insertion of pepperoni sucks therein;
- FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of the pepperoni station of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the slicing assembly of the pepperoni station of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 12 is a exploded perspective view of the slicing assembly of the pepperoni station of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 13 is a fragmented side view of a portion of the pepperoni station of FIG. 8 ;
- FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion of the pepperoni station
- FIGS. 15 and 16 are side views of the pepperoni station with the pizza pan in various positions relative to the pepperoni station;
- FIGS. 17A-D are bottom plan views of the pepperoni station of FIG. 8 showing the various movements of the slicing blades;
- FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the various movements in the applying of pepperonis to the pizza;
- FIGS. 19A-D are top plan views of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the rotation of the pizza pan beneath the pepperoni station and the resulting pepperoni pattern achieved on the pizza;
- FIG. 20 is a simplified schematic representation of a control system for the automated pizza assembly system
- FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a pizza sauce nozzle assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure.
- FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 21 ;
- FIG. 23 is a plan view of the pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 21 ;
- FIG. 24 is a perspective cross-sectional view of the pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown in FIG. 21 ;
- FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the cheese station
- FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the cheese hopper of the cheese station.
- FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of the cheese station
- FIG. 28 is a detailed plan view of the cheese hopper drive assembly with a cover plate removed;
- FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the cheese station shown in FIG. 25 ;
- FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along an axis generally transverse to the cross-sectional view of FIG. 29 ;
- FIG. 31 is a front plan view of the cheese station shown in FIG. 25 ;
- FIG. 32 is a bottom plan view of the cheese station shown in FIG. 25 ;
- FIG. 33 is a top plan view of a rotary dial topping system according to an alternative embodiment
- FIG. 34 is a side plan view of a pepperoni station with a rotary dial system according to the embodiment of FIG. 32 .
- FIG. 35 is a perspective view cl the rotary dial system with the cheese and pepperoni stations for use without a robot;
- FIG. 36 is a side plan view of an alternative cheese station with a rotary dial system
- FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the cheese station and rotary dial system shown in FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 39 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the cheese station of FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 39 is a top plan view of the hopper of the cheese station.
- FIG. 40 is a partially cut-away side plan view of the cheese station of FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 41 is a detailed cut away view of the volumetric measuring device of the cheese station of FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 42 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the cheese station of FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of cheese station of FIG. 36 ;
- FIG. 44 is a side view of the rotary dial system, cheese and pepperoni stations incorporated into a refrigeration module according to the principles of the present invention.
- FIG. 45 is a side plan view of the manual station rack system and robot arm.
- FIGS. 46-48 are side plan views of the gripper of the robot arm engaging the pan in various orientations.
- System 50 allows for the automated custom assembly of pizzas.
- System 50 includes a variety of components and stations that perform various functions in the assembly process. The specific components and stations utilized in system 50 can vary depending upon the desired degree of automation in the pizza assembly process.
- system 50 may include a rack station 100 , a dough pressing station (not shown), a sauce station 300 , a cheese station 400 , a pepperoni station 500 , a manual station 600 , an oven conveyor system 700 and/or an oven 800 (see FIG. 3 ).
- a monitor and/or a control panel 52 can be provided in the manual station 600 to provide instructions for adding toppings to a pizza.
- System 50 may also include a robot 6 C that is operable to move a pizza pan 62 between the various stations, as described below.
- One or more stations associated with system 60 (such as the sauce, cheese and pepperoni stations) may be disposed within a refrigerated compartment 900 to provide a controlled environment to maintain the food product therein at a desired temperature or other environmental conditions.
- Robot 60 as shown in FIG. 8 , may include a stationary base 66 and an articulating arm 68 .
- Arm 68 can be comprised of a plurality of segments that allow articulation about various axes, as needed to provide the desired movement of pan 62 .
- a suitable robot 60 can and may be obtained from Fanuc Robotics America. Inc. of Rochester Hills, Michigan.
- Robot 60 includes a gripper 70 attached to the end of arm 68 .
- Gripper 70 is operable to grip pan 62 to allow robot 60 to move pan 62 throughout the various stations of system 50 .
- base 66 may be movable along tracks within system 60 to provide additional range of motion.
- Rack system 100 may include multiple racks IDA that are each operable to receive multiple pans 62 in a vertically spaced apart and/or side-by-side orientation.
- Racks 104 may be sloped within rack station 100 such that pans inserted on the exterior of the racks are gravity fed to the interior portion 74 of system 50 so that robot 60 can remove pans 62 therefrom.
- the exterior of racks 104 can be facing the exterior of system 50 so that they can be loaded by a worker while system 50 is operating. In particular, with two racks 104 facing the exterior, a worker can load pans 62 with pizza dough therein into racks 104 while system 50 is operable to remove pans 62 containing dough therein from racks 104 on interior 74 .
- system 50 can be supplied with pans 62 with pizza dough therein without stopping the assembly of pizzas by system 50 .
- twelve vertically stacked racks can be used for receiving four pans each so that the rack system 100 can have a capacity of forty-eight pans, although greater or fewer racks can be used for receiving a greater or fewer number of pans.
- Alternative arrangements of the rack system can be utilized including rotating racks that are rotatable for taking pans from the exterior to an interior of the system.
- a still further alternative can use pans that are stacked and a mechanism can be utilized to separate the bottom pan while the remainder of the stack is supported.
- System 50 can begin by removing a pan 82 with dough therein from rack station 100 , as indicated in block 80 .
- the dough within pan 62 may be pressed in an optional automated dough pressing station, as indicated in block 82 it should be appreciated that the inclusion of the automated dough pressing station is optional and that the dough within pan 62 may already be pressed prior to pan 62 being inserted into rack station 100 .
- System 50 can move pan 62 to sauce station 300 wherein pizza sauce is supplied to the dough in pan 62 , as indicated in block 84 .
- system 50 can move pan 62 to cheese station 400 wherein cheese is applied to the dough in pan 62 , as indicated in block 86 .
- system 50 can move pan 62 to a topping station to apply toppings thereto, as indicated in block 88 .
- the applying of toppings to the dough in pan 62 can be done in one or more stations.
- pepperoni can be applied to the dough in pan 62 at pepperoni station 500 .
- system 50 can place pan 62 in the oven (not shown) or on a conveyor for carrying the pizza through the oven for baking of the pizza, as indicated in block 60 .
- system 50 can place pan 62 into manual station 600 .
- a worker can apply additional toppings or perform additional tasks to the dough within pan 62 to create a deseed pizza.
- the monitor/control panel 52 can give the worker instructions as to which toppings to add.
- the worker can then place pan 62 in the oven or on an oven conveyor for baking of the pizza.
- Manual Station 600 can include a work surface 602 and storage bins 604 containing a variety of additional toppings that may be utilized to create a customized pizza.
- the storage bins 604 can be refrigerated to maintain the toppings at a desired temperature.
- the manual station 600 can include rack storage 606 below the work surface 602 for storing prepared pizzas and awaiting the addition of specially ordered toppings. As shown in FIG. 45 , the rack storage 606 can be sloped downwardly in an outward direction so that the pizza pans placed in the rack storage by the robot arm 65 are gravity fed outward to the worker standing at the manual station 600 .
- manual station 600 to apply additional toppings may allow for simplification of system 50 wherein system 50 is configured to apply a limited variety of toppings, such as those corresponding to the most common types of pizzas ordered, thereby enabling a more efficient and less complicated system 50 .
- the limitation of the variety of toppings that can be automatically applied by system 50 may allow for a simplification of the system 50 such that a less complex and less costly system is realized.
- the gripper 70 of the robot arm 65 can include an electronic eye-type sensor 12 that emus a light beam 74 for sensing whether a pan exists in a desired location on a rack 606 where the robot 60 is intending to place a pan 62 .
- the gripper 70 can also include two different grip portions 70 A and 70 B that allow the gripper 70 to pick up a pan 62 and allow a greater amount of motion for moving pans 62 .
- the upper gripper portion 70 A can be used for moving pans 62 at lower heights while the lower gripper portion 70 B which is formed generally identical to the upper gripper portion 70 A and can be used to move the pans 62 to higher heights.
- each gripper portion 70 A and 70 B is designed to be manipulated to receive the pan profile with an upper thumb portion 74 received over the upper lip of the pan 62 while a lower finger 76 is received under the pan.
- a dough pressing station when included in system 50 , allows for the mechanical pressing of the dough within a pan 62 .
- the pressing of the dough can alter the form of the dough from a ball or lump into the desired size and orientation to form a pizza within pan 62 .
- An exemplary dough pressing system is commercially available from Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. Ltd., Machine Model PM001.
- the pans 62 can be picked from the rack system 152 by a robot 60 , as described previously.
- a pizza dough can be spread in the pan 62 prior to entry in the rack system 102 .
- the robot 60 can place the pans 62 on a rotary dial topping system 154 , best shown in FIG. 34 .
- the rotary dial topping system 154 can be at least partially disposed within the refrigerated enclosure 900 and includes a rotary platform 158 that includes a plurality of pan receiving locations 160 thereon.
- the rotary platform 158 can be motor driven and controlled to move the pans 62 between a saucing station 300 , a cheese station 400 , and a pepperoni station 500 , as described in detail herein.
- the pan receiving locations 160 can each include a separate rotary platform 162 that allows each pan 62 to be rotated white located in each of the sauce 300 , cheese 400 , and pepperoni 500 stations.
- the position of the rotary platform 158 and the position of each of the separate rotary platforms 162 can be separately controlled during operation of each station 300 , 400 , 500 , and in between operations.
- Rotation of the rotary platform 158 and each separate rotary platforms 162 can be performed by a motor M disposed below the respective platform (see FIG. 36 ). While the pizza pan 62 is located on the rotary platform 158 , the sauce is applied to the dough in the sauce station 300 . In the sauce station 300 , the pan 62 can be rotated by the separate rotary platform 162 to assist in evenly applying the sauce or alternatively the pan can be moved by the robot arm while the sauce is being applied prior to insertion of the pan into rotary dial topping system 154 . When the rotary platform 158 is rotated approximately 120° to the cheese station 400 , the cheese station is operated to apply cheese to the dough in the manner described in detail herein. The pizza pan 62 can be rotated in the cheese station by the separate rotary platform 162 to aid in oven distribution of the cheese.
- the pepperoni station 500 When the rotary platform is rotated approximately 120° to the pepperoni station 500 , the pepperoni station 500 is operated to slice and apply pepperoni directly to the pizza pan 62 .
- the pan 62 can be rotatably indexed relative to the pepperoni station by the separate rotary platform 162 so that the pepperoni is distributed around the pizza pan in a desired pattern evenly distributed over the entire pizza using a series of sequential slicing operations, as will be described in derail herein.
- the pan 62 can be removed by the robot 60 and placed on the even conveyor hack 700 that carries pizza pan 62 through the oven 800 , or alternatively, can place the pan 62 on the manual station 600 for the addition of added toppings.
- the rotary dial topping system 154 can be utilized without the robot 60 .
- an operator 174 can insert pans 62 onto the separate rotary platforms 162 and the rotary platform 158 can be operated either automatically or through operator control to move between the various stations 300 , 400 , 500 .
- the operator 174 can then remove the completed pizzas for insertion in the oven 800 for baking.
- the rotary dial topping system 154 can be used to aid in the pizza assembly process without requiring the added expense of the robot 60 .
- the sauce station 300 , cheese station 400 , and pepperoni station 500 are each disposed in the refrigerated enclosure 900 for maintaining each of the toppings at a refrigerated temperature.
- the pan 62 can be received under the front bottom edge of the enclosure 900 to limit the escape of refrigerated air from the enclosure 900 .
- the enclosure 900 can also include transparent panels 156 A, such as glass on one or more sides to allow the operator to visually inspect the pizza assembly operation.
- the panels 156 A can be openable to allow easy access to the stations for refilling, maintaining, and cleaning of each station.
- the panels 356 A can be sealed similarly to a refrigerator doer for improved efficiency.
- Sauce station 300 is operable to apply sauce to the dough in pan 62 .
- the sauce can be pumped through a nozzle 302 and onto the dough.
- the nozzle 302 may be stationary white robot 60 manipulates pan 62 beneath the nozzle 302 so that a desired coverage of sauce on the dough is realized.
- the pumping of the sauce may be continuous or in spurts or batches sc that the desired coverage of the sauce on the dough is realized.
- the nozzle 302 is illustrated in FIGS. 21-24 and includes a nozzle body 304 , a distributor 306 ( FIGS. 22-24 ), and a clamp 308 .
- the nozzle body 304 includes an inlet opening 310 that can include a flange 312 that is adapted to receive a pipe, tube, or other conduit for delivering pizza sauce to the nozzle 302 .
- the inlet opening 310 is connected to a frustoconical wall portion 314 that flares outward and terminates at a clamping edge 316 , best illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 24 .
- the distributor 306 includes a generally circular body having an outer clamping edge 318 that opposes the clamping edge 316 of the nozzle body 304 .
- the distributor 306 is provided with a plurality of apertures 320 extending therethrough and a frustoconical mid-section 322 that is convex and extends toward the nozzle body 304 .
- the apertures 320 can be spaced from one another a predetermined amount and can an lie within a concentric circle so that the apertures can be equally spaced from a center of the distributor 308 . Alternatively, other aperture patterns can be used to provide a desired sauce distribution.
- the apertures 320 of the nozzle can be aligned on a concentric circle having a diameter of between 2 and 6 inches.
- the clamp 308 includes two semi-cylindrical clamp portions 330 , 332 hinged together by a pivot pin 334 at a first end thereof, and having a thumb screw 336 attached to opposite ends thereof for securing the clamp 308 in engagement with the clamp flange 316 and clamp flange 318 of the nozzle body 304 and distributor 306 , respectively.
- the thumb screw 336 is pivotally attached to a free end of the clamp portion 332 by a pivot pin 340 , which the thumb screw 336 threadedly engages. By lightening the thumb screw 336 , the clamp 308 can become tightly engaged with the nozzle body 304 and distributor 306 .
- sauce is pumped through a hose or other conduit to the nozzle 302 .
- the sauce passes through the inlet opening 310 and then flows radially outward, between frustoconical wall portion 314 and frustoconical mid-section 322 , toward the apertures 320 and then through the apertures 320 onto the pizza crust disposed beneath the nozzle 302 .
- the frustoconical mid-section 322 of the distributor 306 prevents the accumulation of sauce at the center of the nozzle 302 .
- the robot 60 manipulates the pan 62 beneath the nozzle 302 so that even coverage of the sauce is obtained.
- the robot arm manipulates the pan 62 in a first large circle so that sauce is distributed along a band adjacent to the outer crust.
- the robot arm then moves the pan 62 in a smaller circle sc that a second concentric band of sauce is then dispersed onto the crust.
- each band has a width of between 2 and 6 inches corresponding to the location and sparing of the apertures 320 . Additional concentric bands or a direct single shot of sauce can be applied to the center of the pizza dough as necessary to obtain complete coverage of the pizza dough, as desired.
- the nozzle 302 can be disassembled by releasing the clamp 303 from the nozzle body 304 and distributor 206 . Each of the components can then be separately washed and then reassembled for future use.
- Cheese station 400 is operable to apply cheese to the dough or sauce and dough in pan 62 .
- the cheese may be weighed so that a consistent quantity of cheese is applied.
- the pan 62 may be moved or rotated by the rotary platform 162 of the rotary dial topping system 154 during the applying of the cheese so that a desired coverage of cheese on the dough is realized.
- the cheese may be included in pre weighed packages or be supplied from a bulk source and weighed or measured individually for each pizza that is to be assembled.
- the cheese station 400 is illustrated in FIGS. 25-32 .
- the cheese station 400 includes a hopper 402 , a gravimetric measuring device 404 that receives the cheese from the hopper 402 and dumps the cheese through a dispersing mechanism 406 that distributes the cheese evenly onto the pizza dough.
- the hopper 402 includes four walls including end wall 402 A, 402 B and sidewalls 402 C, 402 D.
- the sidewalls 402 C, 402 D taper inward at a bottom portion thereof to define a trough 410 ( FIG. 26 ) that receives a feed screw 412 having helical threads 414 that are designed, upon rotation, to feed shredded, chopped diced or otherwise pre-cut cheese to a central aperture 416 in the bottom of the trough 410 .
- An additional drive spindle 418 is provided in the cheese hopper 402 , at a location spaced above the feed screw 412 , and includes a plurality of agitating arms 418 A extending radially therefrom in order to agitate the cheese that is received in the cheese hopper 402 to break up any clumps therein so as to allow the cheese to be delivered to the trough portion 410 to be fed by the feed screw 412 to the aperture 416 .
- the feed screw 412 and drive spindle 418 are driven by a motor 420 (best shown in FIG. 26 ) that drives a drive pulley 421 that is connected to a driven pulley 422 provided on the screw shaft 412 and a driven pulley 423 provided on the drive spindle 418 .
- Rotation of the drive motor 420 causes drive pulley 421 to drive the drive belt 424 to drive the pulleys 422 and 423 for driving the screw shaft 412 and drive spindle 418 to agitate the cheese in the cheese hopper 402 , and to feed it to the aperture 416 in the bottom of the cheese hopper 402 .
- a belt tensioning mechanism 425 is provided for maintaining tension on the drive belt 424 .
- the belt tension mechanism 425 can include a spring bias to ensure a predetermined level of tension on the belt 424 . Additional adjustment of the belt tensioning device 425 can also be provided.
- the drive mechanism can be provided with a slip clutch to allow the drive train to slip when a predetermined amount of resistance is applied to the drive pulley 421 so as to prevent injury to an operator, or damage to the components.
- the drive spindle 418 and screw thread 412 are designed to be connected to the pulleys 423 , 422 , respectively, by a hexagonal or splined mating engagement to facilitate easy alignment and disengagement therebetween.
- the cheese hopper 402 can be lifted up from the base structure 460 to facilitate easy cleaning of the hopper 402 , feed screw 412 , and agitating drive spindle 418 .
- the cheese that is fed through the aperture 416 is received in a vessel 428 of the gravimetric measuring device 404 .
- the gravimetric measuring device 404 is operable to activate the drive motor 420 for activating the screw thread 412 and drive spindle 418 to feed more cheese into the vessel 428 until a predetermined weight is received in the vessel 428 .
- the drive motor 420 is automatically turned off.
- the gravimetric measuring device 404 can include a balance arm 430 pivotally received on a pivot support 432 with a mass 434 disposed at an end of the arm 430 .
- the mass 434 causes the vessel 428 to lift in an upward direction, which can cause an activation switch to be operated to drive the motor 420 .
- the vessel 428 will begin to move downward, thereby deactivating the switch which then turns off the drive motor 420 so that no more cheese is fed through the aperture 416 in the hopper 402 .
- a servo motor 438 (best shown in FIG. 25 ) is activated to cause the vessel 423 to dump its contents through the cheese distribution mechanism 406 . Simultaneous with, or prior to, the activation of the motor 438 , the cheese dispersing mechanism 406 is also activated.
- the cheese dispersing mechanism 406 includes a cylindrical body 440 having a distribution shaft 442 received therein.
- the dispersing shaft 442 includes a plurality of radially extending arms 444 which are rotated to break up the cheese clumps as the cheese is dumped from the vessel 428 through the cylindrical body 440 .
- the rotational speed of the dispersing shaft 442 is designed such that the arms 444 break up any cheese clumps passing through the cylindrical body 440 .
- an upper shield member 450 is provided in the form of a cylindrical wall that causes any radially projecting cheese particles to bounce off in a random dispersing pattern, and then to pass through outer guide cylinder 452 that is disposed adjacent to the pizza dough so as to prevent the cheese particles from being dispersed beyond the outer wall of the lower cylinder 452 .
- the vessel 428 is designed to be received in an annular ring 462 supported at the end of the balance arm 430 that allows for easy removal of the vessel 428 for cleaning purposes.
- the vessel 428 includes a shoulder portion 428 A that is received against the upper edge of the support ring 462 .
- the cylindrical body 440 of the dispersal mechanism 406 is in the form of a removable sleeve having an upper flange 440 A received against a support member 464 so that the cylindrical body 440 can be easily removed for cleaning purposes.
- the distribution spindle 442 is also designed to be easily removed and reassembled for cleaning purposes.
- the shields 450 , 452 are also designed for easy removal and cleaning.
- the cheese station 1400 includes a hopper 1402 , a volumetric measuring device 1404 that receives the cheese from the hopper 1402 and dumps the cheese through a dispersing mechanism 1406 that distributes the cheese evenly onto the pizza dough.
- the hopper 1402 includes four walls including end wall 1402 A. 1402 B and sidewalls 1402 C, 1402 D.
- the sidewalls 1402 C, 1402 D taper inward to define a trough 1410 ( FIG. 43 ) that receives a pair of feed screws 1412 each having helical threads 1414 that are designed, upon rotation, to feed pre cut cheese to a central aperture 1416 in the bottom of the trough 1410 .
- An additional agitating drive spindle (not shown) can be provided in the cheese hopper 1402 , at a location spaced above the feed screws 1412 .
- a bridge 1417 can be disposed within the hopper 1402 above the aperture 1415 to prevent cheese horn falling through the central aperture 1416 in the bottom of the hopper 1402 .
- the feed screws 1412 are driven by a motor 1420 (best shown in FIG. 38 ) and gear train 1421 .
- Rotation of the drive motor 1420 causes gear train 1421 to drive the screw shafts 1412 to feed the cheese to the aperture 1416 in the bottom of the cheese hopper 1402 .
- the drive mechanism can be provided with a slip clutch to allow the drive tram to slip when a predetermined amount of resistance is applied to the screw shafts 1412 so as to prevent injury to an operator, or damage to the components.
- the screw threads 1412 are designed to be connected to the gear tram 1421 , respectively, by a hexagonal or spined mating engagement to facilitate easy alignment and disengagement therebetween, in particular, the cheese hopper 1402 can be lifted up from the base structure 1460 to facilitate easy cleaning of the hopper 1402 and feed screws 1412 .
- the gear ham can be covered by a housing 1422 and base plate 1424 , as shown in FIG. 38 .
- the cheese mat is fed through the aperture 1416 is received in a vessel 1428 of the volumetric measuring device 1404 .
- the volumetric measuring device 1404 is operable to activate the drive motor 1420 for activating the screw threads 1412 to feed more cheese into the vessel 1428 until a predetermined volume is received in the vessel 1428 .
- the drive motor 1420 is automatically turned off.
- the volumetric measuring device 1404 can include a sensor 1434 disposed at a lop portion of the vessel 1428 to detect when the vessel is full. When the vessel 1428 is empty, the sensor 1434 is unobstructed and can cause an activation switch to be operated to drive the motor 1420 . As the volume of the cheese received in the vessel 1428 obstructs the sensor 1434 , the sensor 1434 deactivates the switch which then turns off the drive motor 1420 so that no more cheese is fed through the aperture 1416 in the hopper 1402 .
- a electric solenoid 1438 (best shown in FIG. 41 ) is activated to cause trap doors 1433 at the bottom of the vessel 1428 to dump its contents through the cheese distribution mechanism 1406 .
- a manual dump lever 1441 can be manually pulled to release the trap doors 1439 .
- the trap doors 1439 are held shut by springs 1443 , and are overcome by the activation of electric solenoid 1438 or manual lever 1441 .
- Sensors 1445 can be provided for detecting an open or closed slate of the trap doors 1439 to ensure that the screw threads are not operated unless the doors 1439 are closed.
- the doors 1439 are cam operated by movement of drive plate 1447 , by the electric solenoid 1438 .
- the cheese dispersing mechanism 1406 can include a conical body 1440 having a plurality of apertures therein.
- a dispersing shaft can be provided including a plurality of radially extending arms which are rotated to break up the cheese clumps as the cheese is dumped from the vessel 1428 .
- the cheese As the cheese contacts the conical body 144 C, the cheese is caused to disperse radially outwardly over the surface of the conical body 1440 and to pass through the various openings 1442 in the conical body 1440 .
- the openings 1442 in the conical body 1440 are sized and spaced to distribute the cheese as desired over the pizza dough.
- An outer cylinder 1452 is disposed adjacent to the pizza dough at the base of the conical body 1440 so as to prevent the cheese particles from being dispersed beyond the outer wall of the cylinder 1452 so that the cheese stays away from the outer crust of the pizza dough as desired.
- the vessel 1423 is designed to be removably supported by a pin 1462 that allows for easy removal of the vessel 1428 for cleaning purposes.
- the pin 1482 extends through the top of the vessel 1428 and is disposed above the light beam omitted by the sensor 1434 that senses when the vessel 1428 is full.
- the pin 1462 shields/prevents the cheese that is led to the vessel from obstructing the sensor tight beam until the vessel 1428 fills from below and subsequently obstructs the sensor light beam.
- the conical body 1440 and outer cylinder 1462 are also designed for easy removal and cleaning.
- the conical body 1440 can be supported at the lower end of the cuter cylinder 1452 and the outer cylinder 1452 can include bayonet shaped slots 1454 for receiving support pins 1456 at the ends of support arms 1458 .
- the pan can be lifted up by the lift system 1460 , as shown in FIG. 36 . With the upper edge of the pan 62 lifted up around the lower edges of the outer cylinder 1452 and the conical body 1440 , the cheese is maintained in the pan.
- Pepperoni station 500 is at least partially contained within a refrigerated compartment 504 which can be the refrigerated compartment 900 described above) so that the pepperoni sticks 506 therein, are maintained in a suitable environment.
- Pepperoni station 500 includes a base 508 with a plurality of openings 510 therethrough.
- a plurality of guide members 512 are attached to base 503 and extend through openings 510 .
- Guide members 512 are configured to receive pepperoni sticks 506 through top openings 514 .
- the upper portion of guide members 512 and base 508 are located within refrigerated compartment 504 .
- the portion of guide members 512 above base 508 may include a plurality of rods 511 that allow the pepperoni 506 therein to easily communicate with the environmental conditions within refrigerated compartment 504 .
- the portion of guide members 512 below base 508 may include solid sleeves 513 ( FIGS. 8, 14 ) or rods 511 .
- the use of solid sleeves 513 can allow the conditioned air within refrigerated compartment 504 to maintain contact with the portion of pepperoni 506 that is located below base 508 and outside of refrigerated compartment 504 . With the refrigerated compartment 900 , the use of the sleeves below the base 508 is unnecessary.
- a motor 516 is attached to base 508 and is operable to rotate a slicing assembly 518 that is located below the base 508 . Motor 516 is operable to rotate slicing assembly 518 relative to base 508 to slice pepperoni, as described below.
- Pepperoni 506 are manually loaded into guide members 512 by a worker. Access to guide members 512 can be realized through an access door in refrigerated compartment 504 / 900 , thereby allowing a worker to insert new pepperoni 506 into guide members 512 or remove existing pepperoni therefrom.
- Slicing assembly 513 includes a post 520 with a driven gear 522 on an end thereof for driving engagement with a drive gear 524 attached to the motor 510 .
- Post 520 is rotatably supported within a pair of bushings 526 supported by a housing 528 .
- Post 520 can rotate within bushings 526 as controlled by the rotation of the drive gear 524 of the motor 516 .
- a central portion of a connecting arm 530 is attached to post 520 .
- Connecting arm 530 is rotationally fixed relative to post 520 such that connecting arm 530 rotates with rotation of post 520 .
- Connecting arm 530 extends in a curved manner from post 520 out to the end such that connecting arm 530 may have a general “S” shape when viewed from above.
- a slicing blade 534 is rotatably supported at each end of the connecting arm 530 .
- a slicing motor 532 includes a drive gear 536 operable to drive a driven gear 538 attached to a drive shaft 540 for driving a pair of gear trains 542 for rotating the slicing blades 532 to slice pepperoni 606 , as described below.
- the drive shaft 540 is concentric to and rotatably supported within post 520 .
- the gear trams 542 are supported by and housed within the connecting arm 530 . It should be noted that each of the slicing blades could alternatively be driven by separate drive motors that could be mounted directly to the connecting arm 530 .
- Slicing assembly 518 includes a plate 544 attached to an end of post 520 .
- Plate 540 is rotationally fixed relative to post 520 so that plate 544 , connecting arm 530 , and slicing blades 532 all rotate in unison with the rotation of post 520 .
- Plate 544 may be generally circular in plan view with a pair of apertures or recesses (apertures are shown) 546 therein corresponding with slicing blades 532 .
- Apertures 546 are slightly larger than the dimensions of slicing blades 532 so that pepperoni slices sliced by slicing blade 532 can fall through a gap 548 therebetween and land on the dough, sauce and cheese in pan 62 beneath slicing assembly 518 .
- Plate 544 includes an upper surface 550 upon which the end of pepperoni 506 rests while waiting to be sliced by slicing blades 532 .
- Pepperoni station 500 is configured to be easily disassembled so that a worker can clean the various components therein, as required by the applicable food safety standards.
- the easy disassembly can be realized by the use of fasteners that retain multiple components in position such that the removal of a single fastener may allow for the removal of multiple components from pepperoni station 500 for cleaning.
- the various components of pepperoni station 500 that come in contact with the food can be of a material suitable for food service use. By way of non-limiting example, such material includes stainless steel.
- Slicing blades 532 include a single beveled edge 552 with the largest radial dimension occurring on an upper surface 554 thereof and a lower radial dimension occurring on the lower surface 556 .
- the upper surface 554 of slicing blades 532 may be slightly above upper surface 550 of plate 544 .
- the distance between the upper surface 554 of slicing blade 532 and upper surface 550 of plate 544 may dictate the thickness of the slices removed from pepperoni 506 .
- Plate 544 is spaced apart from the end of sleeves 513 such that pepperoni 506 within guide members 512 can extend downwardly beyond the and of sleeves 513 and rest on upper surface 550 .
- the rotary dial topping system 154 can move the pan 62 from a position below pepperoni station 500 , as shown in FIG. 15 , to a raised vertical position wherein the end of slicing assembly 518 is located below a top edge 64 of pan 62 , as shown in FIG. 16 .
- the rotary dial lopping system 154 includes a lift device associated with the separate rotary platform 162 . With slicing blades 532 located below top edge 64 of pan 62 , the slices of pepperoni that are made from pepperoni stick 506 can fall onto the dough, sauce and cheese within pan 62 in a desired location and/or orientation.
- slicing motor 534 When pan 62 is positioned relative to pepperoni station 500 , slicing motor 534 is operated to rotate slicing blades 532 relative to plate 544 .
- Rotary motor 516 rotates slicing assembly 513 relative to guide members 512 so that slicing blades 532 contact and slice through pepperoni 506 .
- slicing blades 532 can be in the position wherein they are not engaged with pepperoni 506 .
- Motor 516 rotates slicing assembly 513 clockwise, in the views depicted in FIG. 17 , such that slicing blades 532 slice through pepperoni 506 in guide members 512 containing individual pepperoni 506 , as shown in FIG.
- Motor 516 can then rotate slicing assembly 518 counterclockwise, in the views depicted in FIG. 17 , such that slicing blades 532 engage with and slice through the groups of three pepperonis 506 in guide members 512 , as shown in FIG. 17C .
- Motor 516 can then rotate slicing assembly 513 clockwise, in the views depicted in FIG. 17 , to return back to a starting position, as shown in FIG. 17D . With this operation, eight slices of pepperoni are removed from pepperoni 506 within guide members 512 and disposed on the dough within pan 62 .
- Pan 62 can be rotated or moved 45 degrees relative to pepperoni station 500 by robot 60 or by rotary dial topping system 154 and the slicing operation repeated so that another eight slices of pepperoni are applied to the dough in pan 62 .
- robot arm 68 can change the location of pan 62 relative to pepperoni station 500 from position 1 through positions 2 and 3 and into position 4 .
- pepperoni station 500 is operated to cut and drop eight slices of pepperoni onto the dough within pan 62 .
- 32 slices of pepperoni are disposed on the dough in pan 62 , as indicated in FIG. 19D .
- the arrangement of guide members 512 and pepperoni 506 within pepperoni station 500 can advantageously provide for a configuration wherein each resulting slice of pizza has four entire pepperoni slices thereon.
- the resulting pizza can form eight slices.
- the placement of the pepperoni can be made such that the resulting pizza can be cut into eight slices wherein each slice contains exactly four whole slices of pepperoni, thereby facilitating a consistent quality pizza.
- the ability to consistently make such a pizza, wherein four whole slices of pepperoni can be realized on each slice, can provide for an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the pizza and a more satiating experience in consuming the pizza, it should be understood that the number of pepperoni slices applied to the pizza in each slicing operation can be varied, it is anticipated that for most efficient operation between 3 and 8 slices of pepperoni can be applied with each slicing operation although more or fewer can also be utilized.
- system 50 can then place pan 62 in an oven 800 , if a cheese-and-pepperoni pizza is desired, if additional toppings are desired, system 50 can move pan 62 to other automated topping stations (not shown) where additional toppings can be applied. Alternatively, as shown robot 60 can move pan 62 to manual station 600 where a worker can then add the additional topping and place the resulting pizza in the oven for baking therein.
- system 50 can skip pepperoni station 500 and place the pan 62 directly in the oven 800 after going through the sauce and cheese stations 300 , 400 . In this manner, system 50 can automatically make cheese pizzas and pepperoni pizzas with limited interaction by a worker.
- system 50 can use one or more controllers to control the various components of system 50 .
- Each controller may include one or more modules therein to perform the described functionality.
- an individual controller and/or multiple controllers containing one or more modules may be associated with the various components in each one of the stations and with robot 60 such that the operation of the various stations and robot 60 are coordinated to form the desired pizzas
- a controller 96 communicates with the various stations, the oven, a display 98 , a worker input station 99 , and robot 60 .
- the communication can be two-way communication so that various information and instructions can be relayed between the controller 96 and the various components and stations.
- the worker input station 99 can allow a worker to input desired instructions or programming for controller 96 and/or the various modules utilized by controller 96 and/or the other components and stations.
- Display 98 can function to provide visual indication information to the worker on the operation of system 50 and/or the individual components or stations.
- the various components can include sensors that enable the detection of pan 62 within rack station 100 on the oven and stacked in manual station 600 . In this manner, robot 60 can retrieve pan 62 containing dough from rack station 100 and prevent overloading of the oven or manual station 600 when an existing pan 62 would interfere with the placement of a new pan 62 .
- System 50 may do configured to provide a small foot print wherein system 50 can be installed in existing retail locations without requiring additional retail space or enlarging of the preparation area.
- the system 60 can be separated into easily movable modules wherein the rotary dial topping system 154 including the sauce station 300 , the cheese stations 400 , the pepperoni station 500 , the rotary platform as well as the refrigerated enclosure 900 can be provided as a single module as shown in FIG. 44 that can be supported on a plurality of wheels 902 for mobility.
- the rack system 100 , manual station 600 , conveyor station 700 , robot 60 and oven 800 can each be separately movable modules that can be easily transported and/or moved on wheels within a given space.
- an automated pizza assembly system 50 can automate various steps in the pizza making process.
- the automation can advantageously provide consistent pizza while decreasing the man hours required to produce the pizzas.
- the automated pizza assembly system 50 according to the present disclosure can be easily disassembled for cleaning.
- the automated pizza assembly system 50 can make a robust simplistic design wherein the ease of operation, maintenance, and use is realized.
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Abstract
An apparatus is provided for assembling a pizza, including a pizza sauce spreading station, a cheese spreading station and a pepperoni applying station. A robot including a stationary base and an articulating arm having a gripper attached to the end is operable to grip a pizza pan having pizza dough therein to allow said robot to move the pan throughout the pizza sauce spreading station, and to a rotary dial system including the cheese spreading station and the pepperoni applying station. The robot arm manipulates the pizza pan in the sauce spreading station and the rotary dial system manipulates the pizza pan in the cheese station and the pepperoni applying station to properly distribute the cheese and pepperoni on the pizza.
Description
- This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/320,337, filed Apr. 2, 2010 and U S. Provisional Application No. 61/308,437, filed Feb. 26, 2010. The entire disclosures of each of the above applications are incorporated herein by reference.
- The present disclosure relates to pizza assembly and, more particularly, to an automated pizza assembly system.
- This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art and also provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.
- The assembly of pizzas in a retail establishment is a labor-intensive endeavor. Some of the steps performed by the worker may include the making of the dough; the preparation of a pizza pan, the spreading of the dough in the pizza pan; the applying of sauce, cheese and other toppings: the moving of the pizza to the oven for baking; the removal of the pizza from the oven; the slicing of the pizza; and boxing the pizza for delivery to a customer. The automation of one or more of these steps may improve the efficiency of the pizza assembly process.
- Additionally, the automation of one a more of the stops in the pizza assembly process may result in a more consistent quality for the assembled pizza. In particular, the quantity of sauce, the spreading of the toppings, the quantity and spacing of the toppings, etc. may be more consistently realized through the use of an automated process.
- Accordingly, it would be advantageous to utilize an automated pizza assembly system for the making of pizzas to be sold in a retail establishment. The automated pizza assembly system may advantageously make fresh pizzas for immediate cooking and delivery to customers desiring to purchase such pizzas. Additionally, the use of the automated pizza assembly system may allow for workers at the retail establishment to perform other value added tasks while the pizza assembly is being performed in an automated manner. As a result, a better utilization of the available manpower may be realized al the retail establishment. The automated pizza assembly system may be utilized in conjunction with a computer program or the like that can command the automatic preparation of the desired quantity of pizzas with the desired toppings thereon to automatically meet actual or anticipated customer demand. Additionally, the use of an automated pizza assembly system may improve the speed at which the pizzas can be made, thereby improving throughput. The improved throughput can be especially important during rush times wherein the demand for pizzas is greater than other times.
- Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided heroin. The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
- The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.
-
FIGS. 1 and 2 are perspective views of an automated pizza assembly system according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the automated pizza assembly system orFIGS. 1 and 2 ; -
FIGS. 4-6 are elevation views of the automated pizza assembly system ofFIGS. 1 and 2 ; -
FIG. 7 is an exemplary flow chart of the steps that may be performed by the automated pizza assembly system; -
FIG. 8 is a side view of the pepperoni station according to the present disclosure; -
FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the insertion of pepperoni sucks therein; -
FIG. 10 is an exploded assembly view of the pepperoni station ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the slicing assembly of the pepperoni station ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 12 is a exploded perspective view of the slicing assembly of the pepperoni station ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 13 is a fragmented side view of a portion of the pepperoni station ofFIG. 8 ; -
FIG. 14 is an enlarged view of a portion of the pepperoni station; -
FIGS. 15 and 16 are side views of the pepperoni station with the pizza pan in various positions relative to the pepperoni station; -
FIGS. 17A-D are bottom plan views of the pepperoni station ofFIG. 8 showing the various movements of the slicing blades; -
FIG. 18 is a top plan view of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the various movements in the applying of pepperonis to the pizza; -
FIGS. 19A-D are top plan views of a portion of the pepperoni station showing the rotation of the pizza pan beneath the pepperoni station and the resulting pepperoni pattern achieved on the pizza; -
FIG. 20 is a simplified schematic representation of a control system for the automated pizza assembly system; -
FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a pizza sauce nozzle assembly according to the principles of the present disclosure; -
FIG. 22 is an exploded perspective view of the pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown inFIG. 21 ; -
FIG. 23 is a plan view of the pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown inFIG. 21 ; -
FIG. 24 is a perspective cross-sectional view of lire pizza sauce nozzle assembly shown inFIG. 21 ; -
FIG. 25 is a perspective view of the cheese station; -
FIG. 26 is a top plan view of the cheese hopper of the cheese station; -
FIG. 27 is a top perspective view of the cheese station; -
FIG. 28 is a detailed plan view of the cheese hopper drive assembly with a cover plate removed; -
FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view of the cheese station shown inFIG. 25 ; -
FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view taken along an axis generally transverse to the cross-sectional view ofFIG. 29 ; -
FIG. 31 is a front plan view of the cheese station shown inFIG. 25 ; -
FIG. 32 is a bottom plan view of the cheese station shown inFIG. 25 ; -
FIG. 33 is a top plan view of a rotary dial topping system according to an alternative embodiment; -
FIG. 34 is a side plan view of a pepperoni station with a rotary dial system according to the embodiment ofFIG. 32 . -
FIG. 35 is a perspective view cl the rotary dial system with the cheese and pepperoni stations for use without a robot; -
FIG. 36 is a side plan view of an alternative cheese station with a rotary dial system; -
FIG. 37 is a perspective view of the cheese station and rotary dial system shown inFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 39 is an exploded perspective view of a portion of the cheese station ofFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 39 is a top plan view of the hopper of the cheese station; -
FIG. 40 is a partially cut-away side plan view of the cheese station ofFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 41 is a detailed cut away view of the volumetric measuring device of the cheese station ofFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 42 is a bottom perspective view of a portion of the cheese station ofFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 43 is a cross-sectional view of cheese station ofFIG. 36 ; -
FIG. 44 is a side view of the rotary dial system, cheese and pepperoni stations incorporated into a refrigeration module according to the principles of the present invention; -
FIG. 45 is a side plan view of the manual station rack system and robot arm; and -
FIGS. 46-48 are side plan views of the gripper of the robot arm engaging the pan in various orientations. - Corresponding reference numerals indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
- Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.
- Referring to
FIGS. 1-6 , an exemplary automatedpizza assembly system 50 according to the present disclosure is shown.System 50 allows for the automated custom assembly of pizzas.System 50 includes a variety of components and stations that perform various functions in the assembly process. The specific components and stations utilized insystem 50 can vary depending upon the desired degree of automation in the pizza assembly process. By way ofnon-limiting example system 50 may include arack station 100, a dough pressing station (not shown), asauce station 300, acheese station 400, apepperoni station 500, amanual station 600, anoven conveyor system 700 and/or an oven 800 (seeFIG. 3 ). A monitor and/or acontrol panel 52 can be provided in themanual station 600 to provide instructions for adding toppings to a pizza. -
System 50 may also include a robot 6C that is operable to move apizza pan 62 between the various stations, as described below. One or more stations associated with system 60 (such as the sauce, cheese and pepperoni stations) may be disposed within arefrigerated compartment 900 to provide a controlled environment to maintain the food product therein at a desired temperature or other environmental conditions.Robot 60, as shown inFIG. 8 , may include astationary base 66 and an articulatingarm 68.Arm 68 can be comprised of a plurality of segments that allow articulation about various axes, as needed to provide the desired movement ofpan 62. Asuitable robot 60 can and may be obtained from Fanuc Robotics America. Inc. of Rochester Hills, Michigan.Robot 60 includes agripper 70 attached to the end ofarm 68.Gripper 70 is operable togrip pan 62 to allowrobot 60 to movepan 62 throughout the various stations ofsystem 50. In some embodiments,base 66 may be movable along tracks withinsystem 60 to provide additional range of motion. -
Rack system 100 may include multiple racks IDA that are each operable to receivemultiple pans 62 in a vertically spaced apart and/or side-by-side orientation.Racks 104 may be sloped withinrack station 100 such that pans inserted on the exterior of the racks are gravity fed to theinterior portion 74 ofsystem 50 so thatrobot 60 can removepans 62 therefrom. The exterior ofracks 104 can be facing the exterior ofsystem 50 so that they can be loaded by a worker whilesystem 50 is operating. In particular, with tworacks 104 facing the exterior, a worker can load pans 62 with pizza dough therein intoracks 104 whilesystem 50 is operable to removepans 62 containing dough therein fromracks 104 oninterior 74. In this manner,system 50 can be supplied withpans 62 with pizza dough therein without stopping the assembly of pizzas bysystem 50. By way of non-limiting example, twelve vertically stacked racks can be used for receiving four pans each so that therack system 100 can have a capacity of forty-eight pans, although greater or fewer racks can be used for receiving a greater or fewer number of pans. Alternative arrangements of the rack system can be utilized including rotating racks that are rotatable for taking pans from the exterior to an interior of the system. A still further alternative can use pans that are stacked and a mechanism can be utilized to separate the bottom pan while the remainder of the stack is supported. - Referring to
FIG. 7 , the steps of thepizza assembly process 78 whichsystem 50 may undergo to make a pizza are shown.System 50 can begin by removing apan 82 with dough therein fromrack station 100, as indicated inblock 80. Next, the dough withinpan 62 may be pressed in an optional automated dough pressing station, as indicated inblock 82 it should be appreciated that the inclusion of the automated dough pressing station is optional and that the dough withinpan 62 may already be pressed prior to pan 62 being inserted intorack station 100.System 50 can movepan 62 tosauce station 300 wherein pizza sauce is supplied to the dough inpan 62, as indicated inblock 84. After applying sauce,system 50 can movepan 62 tocheese station 400 wherein cheese is applied to the dough inpan 62, as indicated inblock 86. After applying cheese,system 50 can movepan 62 to a topping station to apply toppings thereto, as indicated inblock 88. The applying of toppings to the dough inpan 62 can be done in one or more stations. For example, pepperoni can be applied to the dough inpan 62 atpepperoni station 500. After the toppings are applied to the dough inpan 62,system 50 can placepan 62 in the oven (not shown) or on a conveyor for carrying the pizza through the oven for baking of the pizza, as indicated inblock 60. Alternatively, as indicated in block 90,system 50 can placepan 62 intomanual station 600. Inmanual station 600, a worker can apply additional toppings or perform additional tasks to the dough withinpan 62 to create a deseed pizza. The monitor/control panel 52 can give the worker instructions as to which toppings to add. The worker can then placepan 62 in the oven or on an oven conveyor for baking of the pizza. -
Manual Station 600 can include awork surface 602 andstorage bins 604 containing a variety of additional toppings that may be utilized to create a customized pizza. Thestorage bins 604 can be refrigerated to maintain the toppings at a desired temperature. Themanual station 600 can includerack storage 606 below thework surface 602 for storing prepared pizzas and awaiting the addition of specially ordered toppings. As shown inFIG. 45 , therack storage 606 can be sloped downwardly in an outward direction so that the pizza pans placed in the rack storage by the robot arm 65 are gravity fed outward to the worker standing at themanual station 600. The use ofmanual station 600 to apply additional toppings may allow for simplification ofsystem 50 whereinsystem 50 is configured to apply a limited variety of toppings, such as those corresponding to the most common types of pizzas ordered, thereby enabling a more efficient and lesscomplicated system 50. The limitation of the variety of toppings that can be automatically applied bysystem 50 may allow for a simplification of thesystem 50 such that a less complex and less costly system is realized. - As shown in
FIGS. 45-48 , thegripper 70 of the robot arm 65 can include an electronic eye-type sensor 12 that emus alight beam 74 for sensing whether a pan exists in a desired location on arack 606 where therobot 60 is intending to place apan 62. Thegripper 70 can also include twodifferent grip portions gripper 70 to pick up apan 62 and allow a greater amount of motion for moving pans 62. In particular, as shown inFIG. 47 , theupper gripper portion 70A can be used for movingpans 62 at lower heights while thelower gripper portion 70 B which is formed generally identical to theupper gripper portion 70A and can be used to move thepans 62 to higher heights. Because the wrist portion of thearm 62 has limited mobility, the presence of upper andlower gripper portions robot arm 68. Eachgripper portion upper thumb portion 74 received over the upper lip of thepan 62 while alower finger 76 is received under the pan. - A dough pressing station, when included in
system 50, allows for the mechanical pressing of the dough within apan 62. The pressing of the dough can alter the form of the dough from a ball or lump into the desired size and orientation to form a pizza withinpan 62. An exemplary dough pressing system is commercially available from Rheon Automatic Machinery Co. Ltd., Machine Model PM001. - With reference to
FIG. 33 thepans 62 can be picked from the rack system 152 by arobot 60, as described previously. A pizza dough can be spread in thepan 62 prior to entry in the rack system 102. Therobot 60 can place thepans 62 on a rotarydial topping system 154, best shown inFIG. 34 . The rotarydial topping system 154 can be at least partially disposed within therefrigerated enclosure 900 and includes arotary platform 158 that includes a plurality ofpan receiving locations 160 thereon. Therotary platform 158 can be motor driven and controlled to move thepans 62 between asaucing station 300, acheese station 400, and apepperoni station 500, as described in detail herein. Thepan receiving locations 160 can each include aseparate rotary platform 162 that allows eachpan 62 to be rotated white located in each of thesauce 300,cheese 400, andpepperoni 500 stations. The position of therotary platform 158 and the position of each of theseparate rotary platforms 162 can be separately controlled during operation of eachstation - Rotation of the
rotary platform 158 and eachseparate rotary platforms 162 can be performed by a motor M disposed below the respective platform (seeFIG. 36 ). While thepizza pan 62 is located on therotary platform 158, the sauce is applied to the dough in thesauce station 300. In thesauce station 300, thepan 62 can be rotated by theseparate rotary platform 162 to assist in evenly applying the sauce or alternatively the pan can be moved by the robot arm while the sauce is being applied prior to insertion of the pan into rotarydial topping system 154. When therotary platform 158 is rotated approximately 120° to thecheese station 400, the cheese station is operated to apply cheese to the dough in the manner described in detail herein. Thepizza pan 62 can be rotated in the cheese station by theseparate rotary platform 162 to aid in oven distribution of the cheese. - When the rotary platform is rotated approximately 120° to the
pepperoni station 500, thepepperoni station 500 is operated to slice and apply pepperoni directly to thepizza pan 62. Thepan 62 can be rotatably indexed relative to the pepperoni station by theseparate rotary platform 162 so that the pepperoni is distributed around the pizza pan in a desired pattern evenly distributed over the entire pizza using a series of sequential slicing operations, as will be described in derail herein. - When the
rotary platform 158 is rotated approximately another 120°, thepan 62 can be removed by therobot 60 and placed on theeven conveyor hack 700 that carriespizza pan 62 through theoven 800, or alternatively, can place thepan 62 on themanual station 600 for the addition of added toppings. - With reference to
FIG. 35 , it can be seen that the rotarydial topping system 154 can be utilized without therobot 60. In particular anoperator 174 can insert pans 62 onto theseparate rotary platforms 162 and therotary platform 158 can be operated either automatically or through operator control to move between thevarious stations operator 174 can then remove the completed pizzas for insertion in theoven 800 for baking. Thus, the rotarydial topping system 154 can be used to aid in the pizza assembly process without requiring the added expense of therobot 60. - The
sauce station 300,cheese station 400, andpepperoni station 500 are each disposed in therefrigerated enclosure 900 for maintaining each of the toppings at a refrigerated temperature. As seen inFIG. 36 , thepan 62 can be received under the front bottom edge of theenclosure 900 to limit the escape of refrigerated air from theenclosure 900. Theenclosure 900 can also includetransparent panels 156A, such as glass on one or more sides to allow the operator to visually inspect the pizza assembly operation. Thepanels 156A can be openable to allow easy access to the stations for refilling, maintaining, and cleaning of each station. The panels 356A can be sealed similarly to a refrigerator doer for improved efficiency. -
Sauce station 300 is operable to apply sauce to the dough inpan 62. The sauce can be pumped through anozzle 302 and onto the dough. Thenozzle 302 may be stationarywhite robot 60 manipulatespan 62 beneath thenozzle 302 so that a desired coverage of sauce on the dough is realized. The pumping of the sauce may be continuous or in spurts or batches sc that the desired coverage of the sauce on the dough is realized. - The
nozzle 302 is illustrated inFIGS. 21-24 and includes anozzle body 304, a distributor 306 (FIGS. 22-24 ), and aclamp 308. Thenozzle body 304 includes aninlet opening 310 that can include aflange 312 that is adapted to receive a pipe, tube, or other conduit for delivering pizza sauce to thenozzle 302. Theinlet opening 310 is connected to afrustoconical wall portion 314 that flares outward and terminates at aclamping edge 316, best illustrated inFIGS. 22 and 24 . - The
distributor 306 includes a generally circular body having anouter clamping edge 318 that opposes the clampingedge 316 of thenozzle body 304. Thedistributor 306 is provided with a plurality ofapertures 320 extending therethrough and afrustoconical mid-section 322 that is convex and extends toward thenozzle body 304. Theapertures 320 can be spaced from one another a predetermined amount and can an lie within a concentric circle so that the apertures can be equally spaced from a center of thedistributor 308. Alternatively, other aperture patterns can be used to provide a desired sauce distribution. Theapertures 320 of the nozzle can be aligned on a concentric circle having a diameter of between 2 and 6 inches. - The
clamp 308 includes twosemi-cylindrical clamp portions pivot pin 334 at a first end thereof, and having athumb screw 336 attached to opposite ends thereof for securing theclamp 308 in engagement with theclamp flange 316 and clampflange 318 of thenozzle body 304 anddistributor 306, respectively. Thethumb screw 336 is pivotally attached to a free end of theclamp portion 332 by apivot pin 340, which thethumb screw 336 threadedly engages. By lightening thethumb screw 336, theclamp 308 can become tightly engaged with thenozzle body 304 anddistributor 306. - During operation of the
sauce station 300, sauce is pumped through a hose or other conduit to thenozzle 302. The sauce passes through theinlet opening 310 and then flows radially outward, betweenfrustoconical wall portion 314 andfrustoconical mid-section 322, toward theapertures 320 and then through theapertures 320 onto the pizza crust disposed beneath thenozzle 302. Thefrustoconical mid-section 322 of thedistributor 306 prevents the accumulation of sauce at the center of thenozzle 302. While the sauce is being dispersed through thenozzle 302, therobot 60 manipulates thepan 62 beneath thenozzle 302 so that even coverage of the sauce is obtained. According to an embodiment of the present application, the robot arm manipulates thepan 62 in a first large circle so that sauce is distributed along a band adjacent to the outer crust. The robot arm then moves thepan 62 in a smaller circle sc that a second concentric band of sauce is then dispersed onto the crust. Preferably, each band has a width of between 2 and 6 inches corresponding to the location and sparing of theapertures 320. Additional concentric bands or a direct single shot of sauce can be applied to the center of the pizza dough as necessary to obtain complete coverage of the pizza dough, as desired. - For purposes of cleaning, the
nozzle 302 can be disassembled by releasing the clamp 303 from thenozzle body 304 and distributor 206. Each of the components can then be separately washed and then reassembled for future use. -
Cheese station 400 is operable to apply cheese to the dough or sauce and dough inpan 62. The cheese may be weighed so that a consistent quantity of cheese is applied. Thepan 62 may be moved or rotated by therotary platform 162 of the rotarydial topping system 154 during the applying of the cheese so that a desired coverage of cheese on the dough is realized. The cheese may be included in pre weighed packages or be supplied from a bulk source and weighed or measured individually for each pizza that is to be assembled. - The
cheese station 400, according to one embodiment, is illustrated inFIGS. 25-32 . Thecheese station 400 includes ahopper 402, agravimetric measuring device 404 that receives the cheese from thehopper 402 and dumps the cheese through adispersing mechanism 406 that distributes the cheese evenly onto the pizza dough. - The
hopper 402 includes four walls including end wall 402A, 402B and sidewalls 402C, 402D. The sidewalls 402C, 402D taper inward at a bottom portion thereof to define a trough 410 (FIG. 26 ) that receives afeed screw 412 havinghelical threads 414 that are designed, upon rotation, to feed shredded, chopped diced or otherwise pre-cut cheese to acentral aperture 416 in the bottom of thetrough 410. Anadditional drive spindle 418 is provided in thecheese hopper 402, at a location spaced above thefeed screw 412, and includes a plurality of agitating arms 418A extending radially therefrom in order to agitate the cheese that is received in thecheese hopper 402 to break up any clumps therein so as to allow the cheese to be delivered to thetrough portion 410 to be fed by thefeed screw 412 to theaperture 416. - As illustrated in
FIG. 28 , thefeed screw 412 and drivespindle 418 are driven by a motor 420 (best shown inFIG. 26 ) that drives adrive pulley 421 that is connected to a drivenpulley 422 provided on thescrew shaft 412 and a drivenpulley 423 provided on thedrive spindle 418. Rotation of thedrive motor 420 causes drivepulley 421 to drive thedrive belt 424 to drive thepulleys screw shaft 412 and drivespindle 418 to agitate the cheese in thecheese hopper 402, and to feed it to theaperture 416 in the bottom of thecheese hopper 402. Abelt tensioning mechanism 425 is provided for maintaining tension on thedrive belt 424. Thebelt tension mechanism 425 can include a spring bias to ensure a predetermined level of tension on thebelt 424. Additional adjustment of thebelt tensioning device 425 can also be provided. The drive mechanism can be provided with a slip clutch to allow the drive train to slip when a predetermined amount of resistance is applied to the drivepulley 421 so as to prevent injury to an operator, or damage to the components. - The
drive spindle 418 andscrew thread 412 are designed to be connected to thepulleys cheese hopper 402 can be lifted up from thebase structure 460 to facilitate easy cleaning of thehopper 402, feedscrew 412, and agitatingdrive spindle 418. - With reference to the cross-sectional view of
FIG. 29 , the cheese that is fed through theaperture 416 is received in avessel 428 of thegravimetric measuring device 404. Thegravimetric measuring device 404 is operable to activate thedrive motor 420 for activating thescrew thread 412 and drivespindle 418 to feed more cheese into thevessel 428 until a predetermined weight is received in thevessel 428. Upon achieving the predetermined weight, thedrive motor 420 is automatically turned off. Thegravimetric measuring device 404 can include abalance arm 430 pivotally received on apivot support 432 with amass 434 disposed at an end of thearm 430. When thevessel 428 is empty, themass 434 causes thevessel 428 to lift in an upward direction, which can cause an activation switch to be operated to drive themotor 420. As the weight of the cheese received in thevessel 428 balances with themass 434, thevessel 428 will begin to move downward, thereby deactivating the switch which then turns off thedrive motor 420 so that no more cheese is fed through theaperture 416 in thehopper 402. - When a pizza pan having a pizza dough thereon is presented to the
cheese station 400 beneath thedispersing mechanism 406, a servo motor 438 (best shown inFIG. 25 ) is activated to cause thevessel 423 to dump its contents through thecheese distribution mechanism 406. Simultaneous with, or prior to, the activation of themotor 438, thecheese dispersing mechanism 406 is also activated. Thecheese dispersing mechanism 406 includes acylindrical body 440 having adistribution shaft 442 received therein. The dispersingshaft 442 includes a plurality of radially extendingarms 444 which are rotated to break up the cheese clumps as the cheese is dumped from thevessel 428 through thecylindrical body 440. The rotational speed of the dispersingshaft 442 is designed such that thearms 444 break up any cheese clumps passing through thecylindrical body 440. As the cheese exits thecylindrical body 440 anupper shield member 450 is provided in the form of a cylindrical wall that causes any radially projecting cheese particles to bounce off in a random dispersing pattern, and then to pass throughouter guide cylinder 452 that is disposed adjacent to the pizza dough so as to prevent the cheese particles from being dispersed beyond the outer wall of thelower cylinder 452. - The
vessel 428 is designed to be received in anannular ring 462 supported at the end of thebalance arm 430 that allows for easy removal of thevessel 428 for cleaning purposes. Thevessel 428 includes a shoulder portion 428A that is received against the upper edge of thesupport ring 462. Thecylindrical body 440 of thedispersal mechanism 406 is in the form of a removable sleeve having an upper flange 440A received against asupport member 464 so that thecylindrical body 440 can be easily removed for cleaning purposes. Thedistribution spindle 442 is also designed to be easily removed and reassembled for cleaning purposes. Theshields - An
alternative cheese station 1400, according to second embodiment is illustrated inFIGS. 36-43 . Thecheese station 1400 includes ahopper 1402, avolumetric measuring device 1404 that receives the cheese from thehopper 1402 and dumps the cheese through adispersing mechanism 1406 that distributes the cheese evenly onto the pizza dough. - The
hopper 1402 includes four walls includingend wall 1402A. 1402B and sidewalls 1402C, 1402D. Thesidewalls 1402C, 1402D taper inward to define a trough 1410 (FIG. 43 ) that receives a pair of feed screws 1412 each havinghelical threads 1414 that are designed, upon rotation, to feed pre cut cheese to acentral aperture 1416 in the bottom of thetrough 1410. An additional agitating drive spindle (not shown) can be provided in thecheese hopper 1402, at a location spaced above the feed screws 1412. In order to agitate the cheese that is received in thecheese hopper 1402 to break up any clumps therein so as to allow the cheese to be delivered to thetrough portion 1410 to be fed by the feed screws 1412 to theaperture 1416. As shown inFIG. 39 , abridge 1417 can be disposed within thehopper 1402 above the aperture 1415 to prevent cheese horn falling through thecentral aperture 1416 in the bottom of thehopper 1402. - As illustrated in
FIG. 23 , the feed screws 1412 are driven by a motor 1420 (best shown inFIG. 38 ) andgear train 1421. Rotation of the drive motor 1420 causesgear train 1421 to drive the screw shafts 1412 to feed the cheese to theaperture 1416 in the bottom of thecheese hopper 1402. The drive mechanism can be provided with a slip clutch to allow the drive tram to slip when a predetermined amount of resistance is applied to the screw shafts 1412 so as to prevent injury to an operator, or damage to the components. - The screw threads 1412 are designed to be connected to the
gear tram 1421, respectively, by a hexagonal or spined mating engagement to facilitate easy alignment and disengagement therebetween, in particular, thecheese hopper 1402 can be lifted up from thebase structure 1460 to facilitate easy cleaning of thehopper 1402 and feed screws 1412. The gear ham can be covered by ahousing 1422 andbase plate 1424, as shown inFIG. 38 . - With reference to the cross-sectional view of
FIG. 43 , the cheese mat is fed through theaperture 1416 is received in avessel 1428 of thevolumetric measuring device 1404. Thevolumetric measuring device 1404 is operable to activate the drive motor 1420 for activating the screw threads 1412 to feed more cheese into thevessel 1428 until a predetermined volume is received in thevessel 1428. Upon achieving the predetermined volume, the drive motor 1420 is automatically turned off. Thevolumetric measuring device 1404 can include a sensor 1434 disposed at a lop portion of thevessel 1428 to detect when the vessel is full. When thevessel 1428 is empty, the sensor 1434 is unobstructed and can cause an activation switch to be operated to drive the motor 1420. As the volume of the cheese received in thevessel 1428 obstructs the sensor 1434, the sensor 1434 deactivates the switch which then turns off the drive motor 1420 so that no more cheese is fed through theaperture 1416 in thehopper 1402. - When a pizza pan having a pizza dough and sauce thereon is presented to the
cheese station 1400 beneath thedispersing mechanism 1406, a electric solenoid 1438 (best shown inFIG. 41 ) is activated to causetrap doors 1433 at the bottom of thevessel 1428 to dump its contents through thecheese distribution mechanism 1406. Amanual dump lever 1441 can be manually pulled to release thetrap doors 1439. Thetrap doors 1439 are held shut bysprings 1443, and are overcome by the activation ofelectric solenoid 1438 ormanual lever 1441. Sensors 1445 can be provided for detecting an open or closed slate of thetrap doors 1439 to ensure that the screw threads are not operated unless thedoors 1439 are closed. Thedoors 1439 are cam operated by movement of drive plate 1447, by theelectric solenoid 1438. Thecheese dispersing mechanism 1406 can include aconical body 1440 having a plurality of apertures therein. As disclosed with reference to thecheese station 400 above, a dispersing shaft can be provided including a plurality of radially extending arms which are rotated to break up the cheese clumps as the cheese is dumped from thevessel 1428. As the cheese contacts the conical body 144C, the cheese is caused to disperse radially outwardly over the surface of theconical body 1440 and to pass through the various openings 1442 in theconical body 1440. The openings 1442 in theconical body 1440 are sized and spaced to distribute the cheese as desired over the pizza dough. Anouter cylinder 1452 is disposed adjacent to the pizza dough at the base of theconical body 1440 so as to prevent the cheese particles from being dispersed beyond the outer wall of thecylinder 1452 so that the cheese stays away from the outer crust of the pizza dough as desired. - The vessel 1423 is designed to be removably supported by a
pin 1462 that allows for easy removal of thevessel 1428 for cleaning purposes. The pin 1482 extends through the top of thevessel 1428 and is disposed above the light beam omitted by the sensor 1434 that senses when thevessel 1428 is full. Thepin 1462 shields/prevents the cheese that is led to the vessel from obstructing the sensor tight beam until thevessel 1428 fills from below and subsequently obstructs the sensor light beam. - The
conical body 1440 andouter cylinder 1462 are also designed for easy removal and cleaning. Theconical body 1440 can be supported at the lower end of thecuter cylinder 1452 and theouter cylinder 1452 can include bayonet shapedslots 1454 for receivingsupport pins 1456 at the ends ofsupport arms 1458. When the cheese is being dispersed in to thepan 62, the pan can be lifted up by thelift system 1460, as shown inFIG. 36 . With the upper edge of thepan 62 lifted up around the lower edges of theouter cylinder 1452 and theconical body 1440, the cheese is maintained in the pan. - Referring now to
FIGS. 8-19 , details ofpepperoni station 500 and the operation of same are shown.Pepperoni station 500 is at least partially contained within arefrigerated compartment 504 which can be therefrigerated compartment 900 described above) so that the pepperoni sticks 506 therein, are maintained in a suitable environment.Pepperoni station 500 includes a base 508 with a plurality ofopenings 510 therethrough. A plurality ofguide members 512 are attached to base 503 and extend throughopenings 510.Guide members 512 are configured to receive pepperoni sticks 506 throughtop openings 514. The upper portion ofguide members 512 andbase 508 are located withinrefrigerated compartment 504. The portion ofguide members 512 abovebase 508 may include a plurality ofrods 511 that allow thepepperoni 506 therein to easily communicate with the environmental conditions withinrefrigerated compartment 504. The portion ofguide members 512 belowbase 508 may include solid sleeves 513 (FIGS. 8, 14 ) orrods 511. The use ofsolid sleeves 513 can allow the conditioned air withinrefrigerated compartment 504 to maintain contact with the portion ofpepperoni 506 that is located belowbase 508 and outside ofrefrigerated compartment 504. With therefrigerated compartment 900, the use of the sleeves below thebase 508 is unnecessary. Amotor 516 is attached tobase 508 and is operable to rotate a slicingassembly 518 that is located below thebase 508.Motor 516 is operable to rotate slicingassembly 518 relative to base 508 to slice pepperoni, as described below. -
Pepperoni 506 are manually loaded intoguide members 512 by a worker. Access to guidemembers 512 can be realized through an access door inrefrigerated compartment 504/900, thereby allowing a worker to insertnew pepperoni 506 intoguide members 512 or remove existing pepperoni therefrom. - Slicing
assembly 513 includes apost 520 with a drivengear 522 on an end thereof for driving engagement with adrive gear 524 attached to themotor 510.Post 520 is rotatably supported within a pair ofbushings 526 supported by ahousing 528.Post 520 can rotate withinbushings 526 as controlled by the rotation of thedrive gear 524 of themotor 516. - A central portion of a connecting
arm 530 is attached to post 520.Connecting arm 530 is rotationally fixed relative to post 520 such that connectingarm 530 rotates with rotation ofpost 520.Connecting arm 530 extends in a curved manner frompost 520 out to the end such that connectingarm 530 may have a general “S” shape when viewed from above. Aslicing blade 534 is rotatably supported at each end of the connectingarm 530. A slicingmotor 532 includes adrive gear 536 operable to drive a drivengear 538 attached to adrive shaft 540 for driving a pair ofgear trains 542 for rotating theslicing blades 532 to slicepepperoni 606, as described below. Thedrive shaft 540 is concentric to and rotatably supported withinpost 520. Thegear trams 542 are supported by and housed within the connectingarm 530. It should be noted that each of the slicing blades could alternatively be driven by separate drive motors that could be mounted directly to the connectingarm 530. - Slicing
assembly 518 includes aplate 544 attached to an end ofpost 520.Plate 540 is rotationally fixed relative to post 520 so thatplate 544, connectingarm 530, and slicingblades 532 all rotate in unison with the rotation ofpost 520.Plate 544 may be generally circular in plan view with a pair of apertures or recesses (apertures are shown) 546 therein corresponding with slicingblades 532.Apertures 546 are slightly larger than the dimensions of slicingblades 532 so that pepperoni slices sliced by slicingblade 532 can fall through a gap 548 therebetween and land on the dough, sauce and cheese inpan 62 beneath slicingassembly 518.Plate 544 includes anupper surface 550 upon which the end ofpepperoni 506 rests while waiting to be sliced by slicingblades 532. -
Pepperoni station 500 is configured to be easily disassembled so that a worker can clean the various components therein, as required by the applicable food safety standards. The easy disassembly can be realized by the use of fasteners that retain multiple components in position such that the removal of a single fastener may allow for the removal of multiple components frompepperoni station 500 for cleaning. The various components ofpepperoni station 500 that come in contact with the food can be of a material suitable for food service use. By way of non-limiting example, such material includes stainless steel. - Slicing
blades 532 include a singlebeveled edge 552 with the largest radial dimension occurring on anupper surface 554 thereof and a lower radial dimension occurring on thelower surface 556. Theupper surface 554 of slicingblades 532 may be slightly aboveupper surface 550 ofplate 544. The distance between theupper surface 554 of slicingblade 532 andupper surface 550 ofplate 544 may dictate the thickness of the slices removed frompepperoni 506. -
Plate 544 is spaced apart from the end ofsleeves 513 such thatpepperoni 506 withinguide members 512 can extend downwardly beyond the and ofsleeves 513 and rest onupper surface 550. - When
system 50 is utilizingpepperoni station 500,robot 60 or alternatively the rotarydial topping system 154 can move thepan 62 from a position belowpepperoni station 500, as shown inFIG. 15 , to a raised vertical position wherein the end of slicingassembly 518 is located below atop edge 64 ofpan 62, as shown inFIG. 16 . The rotarydial lopping system 154 includes a lift device associated with theseparate rotary platform 162. With slicingblades 532 located belowtop edge 64 ofpan 62, the slices of pepperoni that are made frompepperoni stick 506 can fall onto the dough, sauce and cheese withinpan 62 in a desired location and/or orientation. Whenpan 62 is positioned relative topepperoni station 500, slicingmotor 534 is operated to rotate slicingblades 532 relative toplate 544.Rotary motor 516 rotates slicingassembly 513 relative to guidemembers 512 so that slicingblades 532 contact and slice throughpepperoni 506. For example, as shown inFIG. 17A , in the starting position, slicingblades 532 can be in the position wherein they are not engaged withpepperoni 506.Motor 516 rotates slicingassembly 513 clockwise, in the views depicted inFIG. 17 , such that slicingblades 532 slice throughpepperoni 506 inguide members 512 containingindividual pepperoni 506, as shown inFIG. 17B .Motor 516 can then rotate slicingassembly 518 counterclockwise, in the views depicted inFIG. 17 , such that slicingblades 532 engage with and slice through the groups of threepepperonis 506 inguide members 512, as shown inFIG. 17C .Motor 516 can then rotate slicingassembly 513 clockwise, in the views depicted inFIG. 17 , to return back to a starting position, as shown inFIG. 17D . With this operation, eight slices of pepperoni are removed frompepperoni 506 withinguide members 512 and disposed on the dough withinpan 62. -
Pan 62 can be rotated or moved 45 degrees relative topepperoni station 500 byrobot 60 or by rotarydial topping system 154 and the slicing operation repeated so that another eight slices of pepperoni are applied to the dough inpan 62. By way of example, as shown inFIGS. 18 and 19 ,robot arm 68 can change the location ofpan 62 relative topepperoni station 500 from position 1 throughpositions position 4. At each position,pepperoni station 500 is operated to cut and drop eight slices of pepperoni onto the dough withinpan 62. At the end of the operation, 32 slices of pepperoni are disposed on the dough inpan 62, as indicated inFIG. 19D . Thus, in the first position, eight slices of pepperoni are disposed on the dough inpan 62, as shown inFIG. 19A . As shown in FIG. 19B, inposition 2 another eight slices of pepperoni are disposed on the dough inpan 62. Similarly, as shown inFIG. 19C , another eight slices of pepperoni are disposed onto too dough inpan 62 atportion 3. Finally, when inposition 4, another eight slices of pepperoni are placed on the dough inpan 62, resulting in the total of 32 pepperoni slices on the dough inpan 62. - The arrangement of
guide members 512 andpepperoni 506 withinpepperoni station 500 can advantageously provide for a configuration wherein each resulting slice of pizza has four entire pepperoni slices thereon. In particular, as shown inFIGS. 19A-19D , the resulting pizza can form eight slices. The placement of the pepperoni can be made such that the resulting pizza can be cut into eight slices wherein each slice contains exactly four whole slices of pepperoni, thereby facilitating a consistent quality pizza. Moreover, the ability to consistently make such a pizza, wherein four whole slices of pepperoni can be realized on each slice, can provide for an aesthetically pleasing appearance to the pizza and a more satiating experience in consuming the pizza, it should be understood that the number of pepperoni slices applied to the pizza in each slicing operation can be varied, it is anticipated that for most efficient operation between 3 and 8 slices of pepperoni can be applied with each slicing operation although more or fewer can also be utilized. - After going through
pepperoni station 500,system 50 can then placepan 62 in anoven 800, if a cheese-and-pepperoni pizza is desired, if additional toppings are desired,system 50 can movepan 62 to other automated topping stations (not shown) where additional toppings can be applied. Alternatively, as shownrobot 60 can movepan 62 tomanual station 600 where a worker can then add the additional topping and place the resulting pizza in the oven for baking therein. - When just a cheese pizza is desired,
system 50 can skippepperoni station 500 and place thepan 62 directly in theoven 800 after going through the sauce andcheese stations system 50 can automatically make cheese pizzas and pepperoni pizzas with limited interaction by a worker. - Referring now to
FIG. 20 ,system 50 can use one or more controllers to control the various components ofsystem 50. Each controller may include one or more modules therein to perform the described functionality. For example, an individual controller and/or multiple controllers containing one or more modules may be associated with the various components in each one of the stations and withrobot 60 such that the operation of the various stations androbot 60 are coordinated to form the desired pizzas, in one exemplary configuration, acontroller 96 communicates with the various stations, the oven, a display 98, aworker input station 99, androbot 60. The communication can be two-way communication so that various information and instructions can be relayed between thecontroller 96 and the various components and stations. Theworker input station 99 can allow a worker to input desired instructions or programming forcontroller 96 and/or the various modules utilized bycontroller 96 and/or the other components and stations. Display 98 can function to provide visual indication information to the worker on the operation ofsystem 50 and/or the individual components or stations. The various components can include sensors that enable the detection ofpan 62 withinrack station 100 on the oven and stacked inmanual station 600. In this manner,robot 60 can retrievepan 62 containing dough fromrack station 100 and prevent overloading of the oven ormanual station 600 when an existingpan 62 would interfere with the placement of anew pan 62. -
System 50 may do configured to provide a small foot print whereinsystem 50 can be installed in existing retail locations without requiring additional retail space or enlarging of the preparation area. Thesystem 60 can be separated into easily movable modules wherein the rotarydial topping system 154 including thesauce station 300, thecheese stations 400, thepepperoni station 500, the rotary platform as well as therefrigerated enclosure 900 can be provided as a single module as shown inFIG. 44 that can be supported on a plurality ofwheels 902 for mobility. Likewise, therack system 100,manual station 600,conveyor station 700,robot 60 andoven 800 can each be separately movable modules that can be easily transported and/or moved on wheels within a given space. - Thus, an automated
pizza assembly system 50 according to the present disclosure can automate various steps in the pizza making process. The automation can advantageously provide consistent pizza while decreasing the man hours required to produce the pizzas. Additionally, the automatedpizza assembly system 50 according to the present disclosure can be easily disassembled for cleaning. Moreover, the automatedpizza assembly system 50 can make a robust simplistic design wherein the ease of operation, maintenance, and use is realized. - The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention, individual elements or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but where applicable, are interchangeable and can be used in a selected embodiment, even if not specifically shown or described. The same may also be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the invention, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the invention.
Claims (21)
1-44. (canceled)
45. An apparatus for assembling a pizza, comprising:
a platform driven by a motor, the platform holding a pan, the pan configured to hold dough;
a pizza sauce spreading station configured to disperse a sauce;
a cheese spreading station configured to disperse a cheese; and
wherein the platform is configured to move the pan to the pizza sauce spreading station and the cheese spreading station.
46. The apparatus according to claim 45 , wherein said the platform is rotatable underneath the sauce spreading station and the cheese spreading station, the sauce station and the cheese spreading station operable to distribute the sauce and the cheese onto the dough as the platform rotates the pan.
47. The apparatus according to claim 45 , further including a pepperoni applying station configured to disperse a pepperoni slice.
48. The apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein the platform is movable to the pepperoni applying station.
49. The apparatus according to claim 48 , wherein the platform is rotatable underneath the pepperoni applying station.
50. The apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein the sauce spreading station, the cheese spreading station, and the pepperoni applying station are disposed in a refrigerated enclosure.
51. The apparatus according to claim 49 , wherein the platform is rotated at the pizza sauce spreading station and the cheese spreading station by the motor.
52. The apparatus according to claim 47 , wherein the pepperoni applying station includes at least one guide member configured to hold a pepperoni stick and a slicing blade configured to slice the pepperoni stick to form the slice of pepperoni that falls onto the dough.
53. The apparatus according to claim 45 , wherein the pizza sauce spreading station includes a nozzle.
54. The apparatus according to claim 45 , further including a controller configured to actuate the motor so as to move the pan to the pizza sauce spreading station and the cheese spreading station.
55. The apparatus according to claim 54 , wherein the controller is further configured to rotate the pan when the pan is at the pizza sauce spreading station and the cheese spreading station.
56. The apparatus according to claim 47 , further including a controller configured to actuate the motor so as to move the pan to the pizza sauce spreading station, the cheese spreading station, and the pepperoni applying station.
57. A pepperoni applying station configured to disperse a pepperoni slice from a stick of pepperoni; the pepperoni applying station comprising:
a guide member configured to hold the pepperoni stick and a slicing blade configured to slice the pepperoni stick to form the slice of pepperoni that falls onto a pizza dough.
58. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 57 , wherein the guide member is a cylindrical member having a top opening configured to receive the pepperoni stick and a bottom opening opposite of the top opening.
59. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 58 , further including a plate having an upper surface, the upper surface disposed beneath the guide member, wherein the pepperoni stick rests on the upper surface of the plate.
60. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 59 , wherein the plate includes an aperture having a dimension slightly larger than the dimension of the slicing blade so as to define a gap therebetween, the slice of pepperoni falling through the gap.
61. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 57 , further including a refrigerated enclosure, the guide member is disposed within the refrigerated enclosure.
62. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 57 , further including a slicing motor configured to rotate the slicing blade so as to slice the pepperoni stick.
63. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 59 , wherein the plate is rotatable about a post, the slicing blade is rotatable within an aperture of the plate.
64. The pepperoni applying station according to claim 63 , wherein the plate includes an upper surface configured to support an end of the pepperoni stick.
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CA2791135C (en) | 2018-05-22 |
US9914223B2 (en) | 2018-03-13 |
MX358007B (en) | 2018-08-02 |
CA3000671A1 (en) | 2011-09-01 |
CA3077947C (en) | 2022-01-11 |
CA3077947A1 (en) | 2011-09-01 |
MX2012009793A (en) | 2013-01-29 |
MX2023004981A (en) | 2023-05-12 |
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