System and method for autonomous cooking of food products

Abstract

An autonomous cooking grill includes a grate or bakeware connected to a rotatable hub connected to a hub rotation device, all of which are supported by a grill body, where the hub rotates the grate when the hub rotation device is activated. In another embodiment, the autonomous cooking grill includes a bakeware connected to a rotatable hub connected to a hub rotation device, all of which are supported by the grill body, where the hub rotates the bakeware when the hub rotation device is activated. The gridiron may have one or more features such as an autonomous turner, an autonomous ejector, an autonomous grate cleaner and an autonomous temperature probe, and a bin that stores cooked food pushed from the gridiron. The autonomous cooking grill may use gas or power to cook and use an electric actuator to rotate the grate or the bakeware. In another embodiment, there is also a central grill for manually cooking food.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to Canadian Patent Application No. 3,166,189 filed on June 29, 2022, U.S. Patent Application No. 17 / 810,137 filed on June 30, 2022, U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 491,979 filed on March 24, 2023, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 501,178 filed on May 10, 2023, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The following relates to a system and method for autonomously cooking food products, particularly using a cooking grill, and more particularly to a cooking grill for autonomously cooking food products, such as in a commercial kitchen environment. Background Art

[0004] Stand-alone cooking grills used in commercial kitchens (e.g., restaurants, mobile kitchens, food trucks, etc.) are typically gas powered, electric powered, infrared powered; use radiant heating, convection heating, or induction heating; and use stainless steel or similar materials that are square or rectangular in shape with correspondingly shaped grates. Such grills can be used to cook a variety of foods. Disadvantages of using such grills include: human error, inattention, difficulty in precise quality control, and inconsistency when cooking; uneven heating; and heat loss. Attempts have been made to address these issues, for example, portable smokeless charcoal grills with waste heat recovery, enclosed cooking grills; and other systems that use grills with uniform heat distribution.

[0005] However, these grills require a human to manually input what type of food is being cooked, flip the food (e.g., burgers), measure the temperature for safety, and clean the grill. In addition, the design may be limited in flexibility, where only a few pieces of the same food are cooked at a time. U.S. Patent 9,788,687, dated October 17, 2017, describes a hamburger cooking system without manual flipping of burgers, which has separate upper and lower plates for each patty and a conveyor for moving the patties. This takes up more space than a typical grill due to the conveyor system, and there is no way to flip the patties on the grill or form the desired grill marks on the cooked patties. U.S. Patent 7,997,189 describes an oven and grill for cooking food using convection and radiant heat, comprising: a housing defining a cooking chamber having an inlet for introducing uncooked food into the cooking chamber, an outlet for ejecting cooked food, and a conveyor for conveying the food from the inlet to the outlet; an array of heating elements; and a compressed air injection system for providing a stream of moving air over the food during the early stages of cooking in order to break up the blanket of cold air over the food. Such systems have been found to be less flexible in that they may be limited to only a few types of food at a time due to the limited number of conveyors. In addition, these systems do not allow the food to be flipped so that grill marks, if any, are applied only to one side.

[0006] U.S. Publication No. 2014 / 0023755 provides a clamshell grill having a user interface that enables a user to select an initial cooking recipe for a food product by determining an actual product thickness of the food product, determining whether the actual product thickness of the food product is greater than or less than the product thickness of the cooking recipe, and if the actual product thickness of the food product is greater than or less than the product thickness of the cooking recipe, executing a modified cooking recipe to accommodate the change in actual product thickness during the cooking cycle. The modified cooking recipe then adjusts at least one parameter of the initial cooking recipe. However, it has also been found that clamshell grills are less flexible because the fixed number of sections limits the number of different types of food that can be cooked simultaneously. In addition, the clamshell type is not adaptable to open flames, which is desirable for many types of food.

[0007] There is other equipment available for autonomous kitchen work, including robotic arms from several manufacturers, including Japan's FANUC TM The company's UR5e, a robotic arm and general-purpose robot that includes multiple electric motors to provide movement TM . Summary of the invention

[0008] An autonomous cooking grill is provided that autonomously cooks food safely, reliably, and efficiently. The autonomous cooking grill includes a rotating cooking surface including one or more grates, and the autonomous cooking grill has a processor, a user interface, a flipping station, a temperature detection station, a push-out station, and a cleaning station. The autonomous cooking grill uses a detection system to identify food and then performs a cooking process based on the type of identified food.

[0009] In one embodiment, an autonomous cooking grill is provided, comprising a body supporting a grate, wherein at least one heat source is directed toward or coupled to the grate, and the grate and at least one tool are movable relative to each other such that a portion of the grate can be aligned with the at least one tool according to a cooking sequence.

[0010] In certain example embodiments, the grate rotates relative to the at least one tool.

[0011] In certain example embodiments, a plurality of tools are spaced about the grate.

[0012] In certain example embodiments, the at least one tool includes at least one autonomous inverter.

[0013] In certain example embodiments, the at least one tool comprises at least one autonomous ejector.

[0014] In certain example embodiments, the at least one tool includes at least one autonomous grate cleaner.

[0015] In certain example embodiments, the at least one tool includes an autonomous temperature probe.

[0016] In certain example embodiments, the grill further includes an additional cooking surface centrally positioned in a hub surrounded by the grate.

[0017] In certain example embodiments, the at least one heat source comprises at least one gas burner for heating the grate.

[0018] In certain example embodiments, the at least one heat source comprises at least one electric heat source.

[0019] In certain example embodiments, the at least one heat source includes both a gas heat source and an electric heat source.

[0020] In certain example embodiments, the additional cooking surface is heated by a first heat source that is different than a second heat source used to heat the grate.

[0021] In certain example embodiments, the first heat source is electric and the second heat source is gas powered.

[0022] In certain example embodiments, the grill further includes a bin capable of containing food.

[0023] In certain example embodiments, the grill further includes a master controller coupled to the plurality of signal inputs and the actuator controller to control the actuators and transmit outputs based on the signal inputs.

[0024] In certain example embodiments, the main controller is coupled to a detection system to apply a food recognition program as an input to determine a cooking algorithm.

[0025] In certain example embodiments, the grill further includes a user interface coupled to a control system used in operating the grill.

[0026] In certain example embodiments, the grill further comprises at least one data interface to provide cooking log data.

[0027] In certain example embodiments, the grill includes a network data interface for sending log data to a central server.

[0028] In certain example embodiments, the grill further comprises an indexing mechanism for determining a position of the rotatable grate.

[0029] In certain example embodiments, the grill further includes a wall positioned on an underside of the body below the grate, the wall separating a relatively hotter region including the at least one heat source from a relatively cooler region aligned with an area including the at least one tool surrounding the grate.

[0030] In certain example embodiments, the at least one heat source is fed by a fuel source that is regulated by a regulating valve that is computer controlled and connected to an inlet fuel line, wherein a thermal sensor is configured to measure a temperature of at least a portion of the grate, the temperature being used to control the regulating valve.

[0031] In certain example embodiments, the thermal sensor provides temperature readings to a controller, and the controller uses the temperature readings to control the regulating valve to vary the amount of fuel delivered to each of the at least one heat source to increase or decrease the temperature of the grate.

[0032] On the other hand, a system is provided, comprising: at least one autonomous cooking grill as described above; a network interface connected to each of the at least one autonomous cooking grill to obtain data generated by each grill; and a central server connected to each cooking grill via the corresponding network interface to exchange data with the corresponding grill.

[0033] In another aspect, a method is provided, the method comprising: detecting placement of food to be cooked on an autonomous cooking grill as described above; detecting the type of food; determining a cooking algorithm based on the detected type of food; and rotating the grill based on the cooking algorithm.

[0034] In certain example embodiments, the method further includes rotating to the ejector area and activating an ejector tool, if necessary, when cooking is complete.

[0035] In certain example embodiments, the method further includes aligning the food product with a turner tool and turning the food product at an indicated time during the cooking algorithm.

[0036] In certain example embodiments, the method further includes aligning the food product with a temperature probe to determine the temperature of the food product during execution of the cooking algorithm.

[0037] In certain example embodiments, the method further includes aligning the grate on which the food is placed with a scraper tool and activating the scraper tool to clean the grate for the next cooking iteration.

[0038] In certain example embodiments, the method further includes aligning the food product with a specific incubator based on the type of food product.

[0039] In another aspect, there is provided a computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions for performing the method as defined above.

[0040] In another aspect, an autonomous cooking grill is provided that includes a body supporting a grate, wherein at least one heat source is directed toward or coupled to the grate, the grate being rotatable in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0042] Figure 1a It is a three-dimensional diagram of an autonomous cooking grill.

[0043] Figure 1b is a perspective view of the autonomous cooking grill in another configuration.

[0044] Figure 1c is a front view of an autonomous cooking grill in yet another configuration.

[0045] Figure 1d is with Figure 1c The height profile of the configuration shown is compared to the Figure 1b Front view of the autonomous cooking grill shown.

[0046] Figure 1e yes Figure 1c Side view of the configuration shown.

[0047] Figure 1f yes Figure 1b Side view of the configuration shown.

[0048] Figure 2a is a top view of the cooking grill of FIG. 1 .

[0049] Figure 2b is a schematic plan view of one example of an arrangement for enabling relative motion between a cooking surface and one or more tool features.

[0050] Figure 2c is a schematic plan view of another example of an arrangement for enabling relative motion between a cooking surface and one or more tool features.

[0051] Figure 2d is a schematic front view of a presence detection system using a light curtain beam to detect the presence of an operator in a cooking zone.

[0052] Figure 2e is a perspective view of an imaging system for inspecting food products loaded into a cooking zone.

[0053] Figure 3 is a front view of the cooking grill of FIG. 1 .

[0054] Figure 4 is a left side view of the cooking grill of FIG. 1 .

[0055] Figure 5a It is a perspective view of a grill body of a cooking grill.

[0056] Figure 5b yes Figure 5a A top view of the grill body.

[0057] Figure 5c yes Figure 5a Front view of the grill body.

[0058] Figure 5d yes Figure 5a Left side view of the grill body.

[0059] Figure 5e is a perspective view of an indexing system for detecting a position of a rotatable grill relative to one or more tool features.

[0060] Figure 6a yes Figure 1a Exploded view of a cooking grill.

[0061] Figure 6b is a side view of an autonomous cooking grill showing the Figure 1bAlternative positioning of food collection bin shown.

[0062] Figure 6c yes Figure 6a A partial front view of the autonomous cooking grill is shown, showing a side view of the food collection bin in this configuration.

[0063] Figure 7a is a perspective view of a heating system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0064] Figure 7b is a schematic diagram showing a gas distribution system for a group of grill burners.

[0065] Figure 7c It is shown for Figure 7b Schematic diagram of the power distribution of the ignition system for a group of grill burners shown in FIG.

[0066] Figure 7d is a top perspective view of a computer controlled fuel delivery and control system for an autonomous cooking grill shown in isolation.

[0067] Figure 7e is a bottom perspective view of the underside of the autonomous cooking grill to illustrate the thermal management system utilizing a double firewall.

[0068] Figure 8a It is a perspective exploded view of the grate system of the autonomous cooking grill.

[0069] Figure 8b is a plan view of a set of grates in one configuration.

[0070] Figure 8c is a plan view of a set of grates in another configuration.

[0071] Figure 8d It is a plan view of a separate single grate.

[0072] Figure 8e Provides a comparison chart of different chassis sizes that can be altered to take advantage of different placement footprints.

[0073] Figure 9a is a perspective view of an example of a flipping system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0074] Figure 9b yes Figure 9a Exploded perspective view of the flip system.

[0075] Fig.9c is an uncovered perspective view of another example of a tilting system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0076] Figure 9d yes Fig.9c Side view of the flip system.

[0077] Fig.9e It is in operation Fig.9c A stereogram of the flipping system.

[0078] Fig.10a is a perspective view of an example of an extendable ejector system for a cooking grill.

[0079] Fig.10b yes Fig.10a An exploded perspective view of the extendable ejector system.

[0080] Fig.10c It is a three-dimensional diagram of the lifting ejector system.

[0081] Fig.10d It is in operation Fig.10c A three-dimensional diagram of the lifting ejector system.

[0082] Fig.11a is an exploded perspective view of one example of a cleaner system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0083] Fig.11b is in an idle position Fig.11a A perspective view of a cleaner system.

[0084] Fig.11c is a perspective view of another example of a cleaner system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0085] Fig.12a is a perspective view of an example of a temperature probe system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0086] Figure 12b is in an idle position Fig.12a A perspective view of the temperature probe system.

[0087] Fig.12c It is in the detection position Fig.12a A perspective view of the temperature probe system.

[0088] Fig.12d is a perspective view of another example of a temperature probe system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0089] Fig.12e It is in operation Fig.12d A perspective view of the temperature probe system.

[0090] Fig.12f is a perspective view of yet another example of a temperature probe system for an autonomous cooking grill.

[0091] Fig.13 is a perspective view of another embodiment of an autonomous cooking grill.

[0092] Fig.14 is a perspective view of the top of another embodiment of a self-contained cooking grill.

[0093] Fig.15 It is modified Fig.14 Top view of the autonomous cooking grill.

[0094] Fig.16 yes Figure 1b A top perspective view of an autonomous cooking grill showing an arrangement of tool features surrounding an indexable rotatable cooking grill.

[0095] Fig.17 is a schematic diagram of a connection system for recording the operation of a plurality of cooking positions with at least one autonomous cooking grill.

[0096] Fig.18 is a schematic diagram of one example of a control system for operating an autonomous cooking grill.

[0097] Fig.19 Operations performed by an autonomous cooking grill in operation in one exemplary programming configuration are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0098] like Figure 1a and Figure 2a As shown, an autonomous cooking grill 10 is provided, which includes: a cooking surface, such as a centrally located grate 30 (or grill pan 350, Fig.13 8 ); a rotatable hub 40; and a hub rotation mechanism 39 (shown in FIG. 8 ), all of which are supported by the grill body 20, wherein the grate 30 (or grill pan 350) is supported by the frame 29 connected to the hub 40, the hub rotation mechanism 39 (not shown) is connected to the hub 40, and wherein the hub 40 rotates the grate 30 (or grill pan 350) when the hub rotation mechanism 39 is activated. In an alternative embodiment, the grate 30 (or grill pan 350) can be rotated by an external gear system. Although the rotatable hub 40 is used to rotate the grate 30 relative to the surrounding tool features 22 in this example (see also Figure 2b ), but the hub 40 may also remain stationary relative to the grate 30 so that the central cooking surface is positioned within the surrounding grate 30 that moves about the hub 40. As such, the hub 40 may represent a component of the rotatable grate 30 or a separate component that may rotate relative to the grate 30, as further described below. Furthermore, while a generally circular grate 30 and hub 40 are shown, any shape may be utilized as long as it is indexable relative to the additional tool features 22.

[0099] The autonomous cooking grill 10 may have one or more additional tool features 22, such as one or more autonomous turners 62, one or more autonomous ejectors 100, 110, an autonomous grate cleaner 72, and an autonomous temperature probe 90. It is understood that the autonomous cooking grill 10 may be combined with one or more additional tool features 22. Figure 1a and Figure 1b 30 and other tool features 22 shown in the other figures, such as autonomous entry, loading, removal, etc. With these additional tool features 22, the autonomous cooking grill 10 can grill suitable food, autonomously turn the food, measure the internal temperature, push the food out of the grate 30, and clean the portion of the grate 30 where the food is placed. In further embodiments, various combinations of the above features can be implemented. In embodiments, these tool features 22 can be combined into one or more tools each having multiple tool features 22. Although the examples provided herein show that the autonomous cooking grill 10 can use gas to cook and use an electric actuator (not shown) to rotate the grate, it is understood that other heating sources, such as electric induction, can be used.

[0100] exist Figure 1a , Figure 2a , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5a to Figure 5d and Figure 6a In the embodiment seen in , there is an autonomous cooking grill 10 that includes a rotating grate 30 in a grill body 20. On the periphery of the grate 30 are a first turner housing 60 and a second turner housing 50, each of which houses a turner 62. Alternatively, there can be a turner 62 with tool change capability, such as from a meat turner to a vegetable turner. Figure 1a In the illustrated embodiment, there is also a grill cleaner housing 70 that houses a grill cleaner 72 and a temperature probe housing 80 having a temperature probe 90 with a thermometer 92. In alternative embodiments, one or more of the turner 62, grill cleaner 72, and temperature probe 90 may be located in the center of the grate 30 or grill pan 350, or above on a gantry system.

[0101] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the grill body 20 can rest on legs 25 that are sized to elevate the body 20 sufficiently to accommodate an actuator (not shown) or any other mechanism positioned below and / or within the actuator cover 300 (i.e., below the grill body 20).

[0102] As in Figure 1aAs seen in the exemplary configuration shown, in the hub 40, there are ejector openings 44, through one of which a first ejector face 100 is visible, and through the other ejector opening 44 a second ejector face 110 is visible. Opposite the first ejector face 100 is a first ejector ramp 120 that terminates in a first box 140. Opposite the second ejector face 110 is a second ejector ramp 130 that terminates in a second box 150. The ejector faces 100, 110 are identical in this embodiment, but may be differentiated for different food products.

[0103] In an alternative embodiment, instead of the ejector described above, one or more additional tools (e.g., implemented as a flipper 62) may be used that lifts and places the food into the bins 140, 150 instead of pushing it in. In another alternative embodiment, instead of the ejector described above, the flipper 62 that flips the food also serves as an ejector by scraping the food, but instead of flipping the food, the flipper 62 pivots and places the food into the bins 140, 150. In this way, the flipper 62, which is also used to "push" the food into the bin, can be placed closer to the bin, or the bin can be moved closer to the flipper 62. In yet another embodiment, tool exchange capability can be provided so that one mechanism can flip, push, temperature detect, and clean. That is, a set of tool features 22 can be interchanged with a common base via a quick connect or other attachment mechanism to allow the grill 10 to autonomously (and / or manually) swap tool feature "heads" as needed to perform different functions. This may be advantageous, for example, when working in a grilling area with a smaller footprint or work area. This exchange feature can be implemented using any additional robotic or manual functionality, such as a "rolodex" of heads that can be exchanged on command.

[0104] Figure 1bAnother example of a configuration of an autonomous cooking grill 10 is shown. In this example, a grill body 20 is supported by a frame. In this example, the frame provides a set of legs 25, which are selected to have a height that positions the grate 30 and any other cooking surface (e.g., positioned at the hub 40) at a desired height. The legs 25 can be adjusted manually or automatically. For example, if the grill 10 is placed on an existing countertop or other structure, the legs 25 may not be needed. The grill body 20 includes a set of control knobs 220 for individually controlling the gas flow of individual burners or individually controlling other heating elements (e.g., induction elements) used. In other embodiments, control knobs may not be used, for example, an on / off switch may be coupled with an emergency stop button and a modulation / solenoid gas valve to electronically control one, multiple pairs, multiple, or all burners. This allows the grill 10 to automatically adjust the gas flow to one or more burners, such as on / off to trigger full gas flow, or to provide individual control of the gas flow to each burner (or a subset of burners) by using multiple valves. In this example, the user interface (UI) terminal 260 is supported above the grill body 20 so as not to block the front plane through which food can be loaded onto the grate 30. In this example, a right heat shielding panel 171 as well as a rear panel 174 and a push-out side panel 172 are provided. Figure 1b Other features associated with the configuration shown.

[0105] Figure 1c Shows a ratio Figure 1b Another configuration of the autonomous cooking grill 10 with a lower profile is shown, such as with Figure 1d The views shown are shown side by side. Figure 1c In the configuration shown, the panel of control knobs 220 may be eliminated when a computer controlled or other non-manual gas flow control system is used, as will be described later. Figure 7d As shown in the side-by-side comparison, the overall height of the grill body can be modified to fit a specific existing countertop or workspace. For example, Figure 1c The lower profile shown may allow a relatively shorter person to more comfortably use the grill 10. On the other hand, it may be desirable to have a Figure 1d The higher profile shown is to better match the height of the grate 30 with the adjacent countertop. Therefore, while eliminating the control knob 220 allows for a lower profile, it may not be necessary to take advantage of this. In this case, there may be additional space below the grate 30 to accommodate the various mechanisms and tools discussed herein.

[0106] like Figure 2aAs shown, in this configuration, the hub 40 is surrounded by the grate 30, which is surrounded by one or more tool features 22 that autonomously interact with the food being cooked on the grate 30. That is, the grate 30 rotates relative to the tool features 22, which remain stationary. The hub 40 can be connected to the grate 30 and rotate with it, or, as described above, the hub 40 itself can remain stationary relative to the grate 30 and can be used to provide an additional cooking surface. This configuration and relative movement of the substantially concentric portions of the grill 10 can also be applied to Figure 1b Configuration shown. Figure 2b This arrangement is schematically shown, where the food product p rotates clockwise on the grate 30 while the hub 40 and tool features remain stationary. It will be appreciated that counterclockwise motion is also possible. Figure 2b As shown, at time t, the food is positioned adjacent to the tool feature 22 at the lower right corner of the figure, while at t-1 and t+1, the same food is positioned at the previous and next tool features, respectively. It will be appreciated that other indexing / indexing may be used, for example, moving the food to additional positions between tool features 22, and that each indexed position does not necessarily coincide with the next tool feature 22.

[0107] Figure 2b The relative motion shown in is only an example. Figure 2c As shown, the hub 40 and the grate 30a can remain stationary while the outer platform 30b or other structure rotates around the grate 30a to move the tool features 22 to the food product p, rather than the other way around. In this example, the product p2 remains stationary so that the tool features 22 interacting with it at time t were previously adjacent to the product p1 and will next be adjacent to the product p3. It will be appreciated that in other configurations, the hub 40 can also rotate relative to the grate 30a and the outer platform 30b. That is, each of the grate 30, the hub 40 and the outer platform 30b can be rotatable so that a variety of relative indexing can be applied.

[0108] It is also understood that the tool features 22 may also be housed above the grate 30 and hub 40 and deployed downward toward the cooking surface to interact with the food product, rather than rotating relative to such cooking surface. Similarly, each tool feature 22 may be housed below or otherwise external to the cooking zone and moved into the cooking zone when needed (e.g., when additional robotic articulation can be accommodated). This capability may be employed when the autonomous cooking grill 10 is to be integrated with other autonomous kitchen equipment, such as preparation equipment, serving equipment, etc.

[0109] Reference now Figure 2d, a light source 14 is shown coupled to a controller 12 such that a light beam or light curtain 15 is used to detect the presence of an operator 16 or other object entering a "cooking zone" associated with a grate 30 and / or hub 40 and any surrounding areas that may have moving parts (such as surrounding tool features). The light curtain 15 can be generated such that an interruption of the light beam or light curtain triggers an input to the controller 12, for example, to stop movement of the autonomous cooking grill 10 until the light curtain 15 is restored or a manual input / override is detected. This provides an automatic safety switch for the grill 10.

[0110] Figure 2e Shown in Figure 1b An exemplary implementation of such a light source 14 is shown in the configuration. In this example, the light source 14 comprises an emitter and a detector positioned relative to each other across an opening between the side walls 171, 172. It will be appreciated that this is only one possible arrangement of the light source 14. Figure 2e Also shown is a mounting post 261 on which the UI screen 260 is mounted. The mounting post 261 also provides a mechanism for supporting an imaging system 263 with a field of view 265 directed toward a target starting position on the grate 30 to enable the imaging system 263 to detect the presence of new food products and perform image recognition or other computer vision techniques to identify the type of product so that the cooking time and sequencing can be adjusted accordingly.

[0111] exist Figure 1a In the embodiment, Figure 5a to Figure 5d As shown, the grill body 20 may include a grill body top 160 (see Figure 1a ), grill body side 170, grill body rear 175 and grill body front 190. Grill body side 170 and grill body rear 175 have grill body vents 180. At the front of grill body 20, first and second drip tray handles 200 and 210 can be seen extending from first and second drip tray slots 205 and 215, respectively. In another embodiment, there are four drip trays. It should be understood that the drip tray is used to manage food drips caused by grilling any food, and other ways of collecting drips and food debris can be utilized. Figure 1b Another example is shown where a pair of drip tray slots 215 are positioned below the control knob 220 .

[0112] exist Figure 1a , Figure 2a and Figure 3 On the front of the cooking grill 10 shown in the embodiment of FIG. 1 , there is a panel of gas knobs 220, an ejector system panel 240, and a main user panel (also referred to herein as a UI screen using numerals 260). Figure 3As shown, the ejector system panel has a first ejector counter 242, a second ejector counter 244, a first ejector reset button 246, a second ejector reset button 248, and an emergency stop button 250. The ejector system is optional because the system may not need to count how many times the food is pushed out of the system, and instead, the information can be collected using load and / or visual sensors and remotely collected data. The data can also be displayed on the UI screen 260. The main user panel 260 has a main user display 262, a temperature probe maintenance button 264, and a first food selection button 266, a second food selection button 268, a third food selection button 272, a fourth food selection button 274, and a fifth food selection button 276. The UI screen 260 can be on a bracket for the grill or on a flip screen on the grill, or it can be on a cart. The grill 10 can also be on the cart itself. As will be understood, the above components can be in different positions, can be in different configurations, can be operated by a touch screen, can be operated on a remote control, or can be accessed with an App or computer program. Using vision and / or load sensors, button controls can be eliminated. Data can be collected for quality control purposes and / or for improving the cooking process. The touch screen can be removably coupled to the front, top, or side of the autonomous cooking grill 10.

[0113] Figure 5a to Figure 5d Shown for Figure 1a The grill body 20 of the illustrated embodiment. To cover the ejector 99 (not shown), an ejector plate 282 having an ejector plate opening 283 is attached to the top of the ejector bracket 280. A first drip pan 284 and a second drip pan 286 rest on a first drip pan support 285 and a second drip pan support 288, respectively. The grill body front 190 has an intermediate grill body front section 290 between the boxes 140, 150.

[0114] Figure 5e Shown for Figure 1b The illustrated embodiment shows a rotating frame 29 which supports the grate 30. The frame 29 is rotated by an axis 42 which is controlled by a motor 47. In this example, a series of posts 33 protrude from the underside of the frame 29 at the interface of each station or section of the grate 30. In this manner, an imaging system, magnetic switch, proximity sensor, light sensor, or other detector mechanism can be used to determine when the grate 30 has reached the next station when rotating. It will be appreciated that the posts 33 are merely one example of an indexing detection mechanism which can be used to determine when the rotation operation should be stopped so that a cooking time or other operation can be performed at that position before further rotating the grate 30. By modifying the outer ring 34 of the frame 29 accordingly (see FIG. 8 ), Figure 5e The frame 29 shown in FIG. 1 may also be adapted to Figure 1a The embodiments shown in are used together.

[0115] Figure 6a The exploded view shows Figure 1a , Figure 2a , Figure 3 and Figure 4 Components of a cooking grill are shown to illustrate a first grill guard 310, a second grill guard 312, and a third grill guard 314 which provide an optional back up to catch any food that slides off the grate 30 and to catch some grease splatter. Figure 6a Also shown are boxes 140, 150 which fit within pockets or recessed areas on the front of the grill 10 to accommodate the grill 10. Figure 1a The ejector used in the embodiment shown is aligned.

[0116] Figure 6b Shown according to Figure 1b In the alternative configuration shown, in which the boxes 140, 150 are arranged along the side wall 172 and fit into the recesses 141, 151 respectively, while protruding through the opening 173, another Figure 6c In this manner, as food is pushed into bins 140, 150, bins 140, 150 may be removed when appropriate without disrupting operations occurring at the front of grill 10.

[0117] Figure 7a Shown according to Figure 1a The heating system of the cooking grill 10 of the illustrated embodiment may also be adapted for use in Figure 1b is used in the embodiment shown. In this example, the gas burner 320 is supplied with gas, which enters the burner via the gas inlet 330, through the gas inlet pipe 335 and thereafter to the corresponding burner gas pipe 340 if one of the gas knobs 222, 224, 226, 228, 232, 234 is turned on. It should be understood that there may be one gas burner or multiple gas burners (for example, one burner is aligned with each grate 30) and one or more controls for autonomously regulating heating of the gas burner or from the gas burner. In addition, there may be one or more deflectors or radiation shields to distribute heat, the deflectors or radiation shields being made of various materials, such as cast iron, stainless steel or ceramic, etc. Alternatively, there may also be a burner placed under such a radiation shield to generate a heat vortex and prevent grease accumulation.

[0118] Reference now Figure 7b, a schematic layout of a set of burners 320 is shown. The set of burners 320 provides a burner 320 aligned with each grate 30, wherein the pairs of burners 320 are supplied by a common gas supply conduit 950. That is, in this example arrangement, six pairs of burners 1A / 1B, 2A / 2B, 3A / 3B, 4A / 4B, 5A / 5B, and 6A / 6B are positioned around the perimeter of the grill 10, wherein the other two pairs of burners 7A / 7B and 8A / 8B are aligned with the stationary center grill 40, 400. By having multiple burners 320 (in this case, one burner aligned with each grate 30), a more even distribution of heat can be provided at any given point in the rotation of the main grill 10, thereby avoiding cool spots and hot spots. In addition, having separate burners 320 provides the ability to individually control the heat delivered to any particular grate 30, thereby providing additional control and programmability based on the desired cooking time, the food being cooked, or other factors (such as ambient temperature, etc.).

[0119] exist Figure 7b In the configuration shown, a natural gas source 952 is fed to a wall mounted shutoff valve 954 which feeds to a pressure regulator 956. The pressure regulator 956 feeds to a normally closed solenoid valve 958 which may be opened when the grill 10 is to be turned on and operated. The valve 958 feeds a thermal mass flow meter 960 which enables flow values ​​to be calculated before the gas is fed to a gas distribution manifold 962. The manifold 962 provides gas to each gas valve 964, with one gas valve provided for each pair of burners 320. The valve 964 may be a flow control safety valve.

[0120] Figure 7c A power distribution schematic is shown showing power distribution terminals 966 connected to igniters 968, one for each pair of burners 320, each igniter having a spark electrode 970 to provide a spark to ignite the corresponding burner 320 when gas flows to the burner 320. A power supply 972 is connected to a normally open relay 974, which is connected to an on / off switch 976 mounted on the panel. The gas flow valve relay 978 is used to power the gas flow valve solenoid 958 (see Figure 7b ). This ensures that gas will only flow to the burner 320 when the igniter 968 is available to ignite.

[0121] Figure 7d It shows that it can be combined with Figure 1cA computer controlled fuel delivery and control system 1000 is shown in an autonomous cooking grill 10 that does not require a separate control knob 220. The system 1000 allows the grill 10 to quickly preheat the grate 30 using a high flame while avoiding the need to manually throttle the flame or manually observe the temperature of the grate 30. The gas inlet can be fed into a gas regulating valve 1002 (e.g., a natural gas regulating valve). The valve 1002 controls the delivery of gas to the manifold ( Figure 7d 1004). The manifold distributes the gas to the safety gas valve 1006 for each burner 1010 via the corresponding burner supply line 1008. It will be appreciated that the gas valve 1006 can be a flow control valve or an on / off safety valve. In this example, the grate temperature sensor 1012 uses an infrared beam 1014 directed to one or more grates in the grate 30, and the grate control system can automatically monitor and control the grate surface temperature, for example, by adjusting the regulating valve 1002 to maintain the grate temperature within the temperature threshold range. It will be appreciated that other temperature sensors 1012, such as thermocouples, can be used in addition or alternatively. Figure 7d The configuration shown in FIG. 1 provides equal fuel delivery to each burner 1010 (which has been opened via its valve 1006) to maintain a consistent grate surface temperature for consistent cooking. Thus, only the temperature of a single grate 30 is required to perform monitoring and control. It will be appreciated that the computer controlled system 1000 also enables the grill 10 to perform an automatic preheat operation and automatically adjust the grate temperature based on the food being cooked.

[0122] Figure 7e A perspective view of the underside of the chassis of the autonomous cooking grill 10 is provided. To help control the heat within the chassis area, a double fire wall system can be used. The double fire wall system includes a pair of wall structures 1020 that provide an additional layer of material between the hot fire box area 1022 and a relatively cool area 1024, which contains sensitive mechanisms positioned below the upper surface of the chassis. The wall structures 1020 can be spaced apart from each other to provide an air gap. The air gap can also be filled with insulating material. The wall structures 1020 can be coated with a high temperature insulating paint. A flexible insulating wrap such as Kevlar can also be applied to help inhibit additional heat transfer. By separating the "hot" zone 1022 and the "cold" zone 1024, fresh air can be blown around the cold zone 1024 of the chassis to help prevent stagnant air from heating up. For example, a rating of 250m 3 A pair of blowers (not shown) with a flow rate of 100 kW / h will enable the system to evacuate all air from the chassis every 2.5 seconds.

[0123] Figure 8a Shown according to Figure 1a The cooking grill 10 of the illustrated embodiment has a grate system, but the grate system may be adapted to Figure 1bIn the embodiments, use or utilize Figure 1b Features of embodiments, such as Figure 5e As shown. In this example, the grate 30 includes grate segments 35 resting on a support frame 29, which includes a frame inner ring 31 and a frame outer ring 34, involving frame spokes 37 located between the frame inner ring 31 and the frame outer ring 34. (The frame 29 can also be tubular, with a corresponding shape of the grate 30 to rest firmly on the frame). The outer edge of each grate segment 35 forms a grate lip 36 that rests on the frame outer ring 34. The frame inner ring 31 is attached to the hub 40. The grate can be composed of grate segments 35 on the frame 29 (because the grate segments 35 are easier to clean), or a single-piece grate or grill pan that can still be removed for cleaning. The grate 35 (or grill pan 350) and the support frame 29 can also be continuous and still be removably attached to the hub 40 so that it can be removed for cleaning. Figure 2a An outline of an alternative embodiment of a frame supporting the grate 30 is shown.

[0124] The hub rotation mechanism 39 includes a hub attachment 43, a shaft 42, and an actuator connection 41. The shaft 42 is attached to the hub attachment 43 at a first end, and the hub attachment 43 is fixed below the center of the hub 40. The shaft 42 is connected to the actuator connection 41 at a second end, and the actuator connection 41 is attached to an actuator (not shown) within the actuator cover 300. It will be understood that the movement is affected by the corresponding actuator, and the mechanism can be driven by available modes, such as pneumatic, hydraulic, belt drive, lead screw, ball screw, etc. For example, each flipper 62 can have two actuators (one rotation and one extension), there can also be an actuator for the grill cleaner 72, an actuator for the temperature probe 90, an actuator for rotating the shaft 42, and three actuators for the flipper ejector (one actuator each for extension, rotation, and rotation). Other rotation mechanisms such as harmonic drives can be used instead.

[0125] Figure 8b , Figure 8c and Figure 8d An alternative grate configuration is shown in FIG, wherein each individual grate section 35 corresponds to an individual cooking surface. That is, although Figure 8a A set of three cooking surfaces in each section 35 is shown, but any one or more cooking slots or areas designated for each item of food being cooked may comprise a section 35 . Figure 8b and Figure 8c Potential tradeoffs between the number of cooking surfaces or slots and the amount of space available in the chassis for heat shielding, thermal management, and linear travel of the mechanism are shown. Figure 8b The example shown provides fourteen (14) cooking surfaces (segments) 35, while Figure 8cThe example shown provides twelve (12) cooking surfaces (segments) 35. It can be observed that by reducing the number of segments 35 in this example, additional area is provided around the grate 30 for a given size chassis. In addition, having fewer cooking surfaces (segments) 35 requires fewer burners 320, 1020. This will reduce gas consumption because the overall cavity is smaller and the amount of cast iron used is less. In addition, as Figure 8d As shown, the resulting grate will be wider and can therefore accommodate larger diameter cakes and other cooking items. In this way, the geometry and number of cooking surfaces (segments) 35 can be adjusted to adjust the specifications required for a specific application or installation of the grill 10, thereby allowing further customization and adaptation for various cooking environments.

[0126] Figure 8e Further illustrating configuration considerations that may be made to adapt the size of the grill 10 to different footprints and existing workspaces into which the grill 10 is integrated. Figure 8e In the following view, such as Figure 2b The design shown with a set of control knobs 220 can expand the footprint of the frame 20, in this case, by up to 2 inches. Thus, for example, removing a plurality of control knobs 220 may be advantageous. Figure 2c The control knob 220 shown can lead to additional design configuration options. In one option, the overall size of the grill 10 can be reduced by having a shorter depth. In another option, using the same footprint, the size of the chassis can be increased in size associated with the control knob 220 to have additional space for the linear travel of the mechanisms and tools described herein. For example, the flipper 62 can be designed with longer fingers to produce an enhanced or more precise flipping action. Figure 8e A different configuration is shown in FIG. 1 , where the overall grate depth (G d ) can allow for a greater chassis depth (C d ).

[0127] Figure 9a and Figure 9b An autonomous turner 62 of a cooking grill is shown, which may be adapted to Figure 1a , Figure 1bThe embodiment of the present invention can be used together or in other configurations. In this example, the turner 62 is covered by the first turner housing 60, and the second turner housing 50 can be identical, with the only difference being the placement around the grate 30. The turning system includes a first turner housing 60 that houses the turner 62. The housing can be removed using a quick release handle 64. In this embodiment, such a handle 64 can be found on each of the first turner housing 60, the second turner housing 50, the grill cleaner housing 70, and the temperature probe housing 80. It should be understood that other mechanisms for securing the housing can be used.

[0128] When activating the turner 62, the turner 62 is exposed from the turner housing 50, the turner housing 60, and the lower fork 61 of the turner just slides below the top of the grate slats 28 (see Figure 8), and the upper fork 63 slides above the food. The turner bracket can be attached to a lead screw driven by a motor. When the motor is actuated, the motor rotates the lead screw, and the lead screw pushes the turner forward. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the lead screw bracket is attached to the CAM, which provides the direction in which the turner moves. Then the turner 62 is indicated to rise to lift the food held between the upper fork 63 and the lower fork 61. Another motor can be connected behind the connection of the turner attachment and the turner bracket. When the turner is indicated to rotate, the motor can be turned on. Other mechanisms can be used to rotate the turner 62, such as magnets. The turner 62 rotates 180 degrees and lowers the food back onto the grate slats 28 (reversing the upper and lower tines into lower and upper tines), after which the turner 62 rotates back 180 degrees and retracts into the housing 50, 60. In this embodiment, the turner 62 slides out of the housing 50, 50 via a lead screw powered by an electric actuator and rides on a cam that raises the turner 62 off the grill, and a second actuator rotates the turner 180 degrees and retracts it on the cam to its original position. In an embodiment with a grill pan 350, the lower tines 61 slide along the grill pan 350. The tines 61, 63 can also be removed from the turner 62, for example, using a magnet or other coupling / disengagement mechanism.

[0129] Fig.9c , Figure 9d and Fig.9e An alternative configuration of the flipper 62 is shown. Fig.9c and Figure 9d, the turner 62 may include two opposing sets of tines 61, 63, which, as described above, may be sized and spaced to allow the tines 61, 63 to be inserted between the slats 28 of the grate 30. Also shown in this example are side guards 65, which may be included to facilitate insertion of food between the two sets of tines 61, 63 to allow a rotational motion to "turn" the food so that the opposite side is placed on the grate 30. In this example, the turner 62 is coupled to the body 600 via a turner motor 602. As shown in FIG. Figure 9d As shown, the body 600 also supports an axle 608 that travels along the track 606 when the drive motor 610 moves the body 600 toward and / or away from the grate 30. The drive motor 610 can take the form of a captive nut type motor that rotates a nut that interacts with the threaded shaft 612. That is, when the drive motor 610 rotates its internal nut, this causes the motor 610 to follow along the shaft 612, and causes the movable upper portion of the body 600 to follow the contour of the slot 606, and thus lift the turner 62, as shown in FIG. Fig.9e In this manner, the turner 62 can insert the tines 61 (or 63) between the slats 28 from below and capture the food between the two sets of tines 61, 63 as they are raised through the slats 28, thereby raising the food off the grate 30 and minimizing damage to the surface of the food that may occur when scraping the food off the grate 30. It will be appreciated that Figure 9c to Figure 9d The drive screw mechanism shown in is just one example, and other examples include straps and cables, articulated arms, telescoping arms with pivotable hinges, etc.

[0130] exist Figure 1a In the illustrated embodiment, the ejector 99 pushes, pulls or turns the food away from the grate 30 or baking tray 350, and in one embodiment, the ejector 99 (not shown) can have the same configuration and action as the above-described turner 62. In another embodiment, the turner 62 can also be used as an ejector, rather than having a separate ejector (which may require moving the turner 62 closer to the box).

[0131] In the embodiment with a separate ejector 99, Fig.10a and Fig.10bAn autonomous ejector 99 of a cooking grill is shown, which in this figure is described as having a first ejector face 100, but the ejector with a second ejector face 110 can be identical and the only difference is the placement around the hub 40 and a different ejector face if desired. The ejector face 100 extends through an ejector extension arm 105. The ejector extension arm 105 has an ejector arm attachment mechanism 102 with a slot therein to attach the ejector face 100. The ejector face 100, 110 has an ejector face attachment mechanism 103 that fits into a slot 104 in the ejector arm attachment mechanism 102, which is attached to the end of the ejector extension arm 105. The ejector face attachment mechanism 103 can be secured to the slot 104 via corresponding arm attachment holes 106 and face attachment holes 107 by fasteners or magnetically (not shown). The ejector 99 is located below the ejector plate 282 (at Figure 5a to Figure 5d ), and there is an ejector 99 on either side of the shaft 42 that emerges through the ejector plate opening 283.

[0132] When the ejector 99 is activated, the telescopic ejector extension arm 105 extends to push the ejector face 100, 110 against the food and push the food away from the grate 30 or the baking tray 350. The ejector face groove 101 fits on the grate slats 28 so that the ejector face can scrape the food from the grate 30. For the baking tray 350, the ejector face 100, 110 is raised to scrape the food from the baking tray, and the ejector face 100, 110 can be a flat face instead of having an ejector face groove 101. The telescopic action of the ejector 99 is driven by a cable and pulley system that is located below the grate and powered by an electric actuator. As will be understood, the ejector 99 can be configured differently, including without a telescopic aspect. For example, in a situation where there is additional space in the hub to accommodate additional length, the ejector 99 can have a solid shaft that is actuated to extend the ejector face 100, 110 forward.

[0133] Fig.10c An alternative ejector system 100 is shown in Figure 1b The embodiment shown in FIG. 1 can also be adapted to be located below the grate 30. Figure 1a In this example, the ejector system 100 includes a set of fingers 702 that are raised through slots 704 in a plate 706 that is positioned below the grate 30 so that the fingers 702 are aligned with the spaces between the slats 28 in the grate 30. The fingers 702 are coupled to a body (not visible) that supports an axle 714 that follows the contour of the slots 708 to expose the fingers 702 vertically and then push them forward, as shown. Fig.10dAs shown, the food is lifted off the grate 30 and pushed toward the boxes 140, 150, as shown. Fig.10d The ejector system 100 may use a threaded shaft 720 along which a drive motor 716 having a cage nut travels during operation, similar to Figure 9c to Figure 9e The pusher 700 not only provides a larger surface area for interacting with the food, but by emerging from below, the food can be lifted off the grate 30 in a more evenly and evenly distributed manner to avoid damaging the grilling surface of the cooked food. Figure 1a Positioning the ejector system 700 below the grate 30 may save space and / or avoid utilizing space in the hub 40 area when compared to the illustrated embodiment.

[0134] Fig.11a and Fig.11b Shown according to Figure 1a The illustrated embodiment of the cooking grill 10 has an autonomous grill cleaner 72 having a grill cleaner housing 70. The autonomous cooking grill's grill cleaner 72 cleans the grate slats 28 (or grill pan 350) after food is pushed out of the grate or grill pan. For the autonomous cooking grill embodiment with grates 30, the grill cleaner face 73 may have grooves to scrape along the grate slats 28 toward the hub 40 and carry any debris that falls through the grate 30 back into the grill cleaner housing 70. In this example, the grill cleaner 72 may be powered by a belt on a slide driven by an electric actuator that pushes the grill cleaner 72 back and forth to sweep across the grate 30. Alternatively, the scraper may also be driven by a rack and pinion lead screw or pneumatic actuator. In the embodiment with the grill pan 350, as shown in FIG. Fig.13 As shown, the grill cleaner 72 may have a flat surface 73 (not shown) to clean the grill pan 350 , and food debris may be pushed through the ejector opening 44 across from the grill cleaner housing 70 and through a slot (not shown) in the front of the grill cleaner housing 70 .

[0135] Fig.11c Shown for Figure 1b Another example configuration of the embodiment shown. In this example, a similar grill cleaner 72 and face 73 are shown that allow for cleaning of the slats 28 of the grate 30. In this example, the grill cleaner 72 is supported by a body 750 that is driven along a threaded shaft 754 using a captive nut type drive motor 752 to provide the same precise control and reliability as some of the other tool features 22 described above. It will be appreciated that Fig.11c The configuration shown in can also be adapted to Figure 1a The embodiments shown in the drawings may be used together with the embodiments shown in the drawings and are not necessarily limited to any particular configuration.

[0136] Figures 12a to 12c Shown as Figure 1a The cooking grill 10 is shown with its own temperature probe arm 90 having a thermometer 92 and having a temperature probe housing 80 . Fig.12a The temperature probe arm 90 is shown in a sanitizing position, wherein the thermometer 92 and the temperature probe arm 90 may be manually wiped clean with a sanitizer; Figure 12b The temperature probe arm 90 is shown in a home position; and Fig.12c The temperature probe arm 90 is shown in the detection position. In this embodiment, the temperature feature is activated for foods that need to reach certain temperatures to ensure safety (so, not vegetable patties), but can also be used for quality control to ensure that the desired temperature is reached for safety or food order reasons (for example, to achieve certain "doneness" levels, such as detecting medium-rare and medium-well done). When activated to obtain a temperature reading when the food is present, the temperature probe arm 90 pivots on an axis driven by a belt and an electric actuator, which lowers the thermometer 92 into the food for a specific amount of time and then retracts the temperature probe arm 90 to the original position. The motor rotates in one direction to move the temperature probe arm 90 downward, and rotates in the opposite direction to move the temperature probe arm 90 upward. The temperature probe arm 90 and the thermometer 92 generally need to be sterilized after multiple uses according to safety protocols. This can be programmed to occur automatically after a specific period of time, or the temperature probe maintenance button 264 can be manually pressed. When the sterilization position is activated, the temperature probe returns to the sterilization position. The temperature probe arm 90 and the thermometer 92 can be manually sterilized, usually with a food-grade sterilizing wipe. Sterilization can also be performed by holding the thermometer 92 over a flame to reach a temperature suitable for sanitation. It should be understood that the sanitizing position is not required, but helps to avoid dripping of sanitizing solution onto the grate 30. It should be understood that sanitization can also be automatic (e.g., by holding the thermometer 92 over the grate 30 when an open flame is present).

[0137] Fig.12d and Fig.12e Another example of a configuration of the temperature probe arm 90 is shown, where the temperature probe arm 90 advances toward the food product and retreats away from the food product, rather than pivoting to Figures 12a to 12c Temperature reading location in the illustrated embodiment. In this example, probe arm 90 is supported within a locking collar 762 that allows the probe to be adjusted depending on the thickness of the food being measured. Probe arm 90 may include a tip 92 that includes a thermometer or other temperature sensing mechanism to measure the temperature of the food into which it is inserted. Collar 762 is coupled to a drive motor 764, which, as described above, may include a cage nut for advancing motor 764 along threaded shaft 766 or drive screw. The body of motor 764 may also slide along parallel guide shafts 768 to inhibit rotation of motor 764 itself. As Fig.12eAs shown, the cover 80 can be fixed adjacent to the grate 30, with the probe arm 90 directed to a station where the temperature is measured by activating the motor 764 to advance the probe arm 90 toward the food. Figure 12d to Figure 12e The configuration of the probe arm 90 shown in FIG. 1 may also be adapted to be used with Figure 1a The embodiments shown in are used together.

[0138] Fig.12f Still another example configuration of a temperature probe arm 90 is shown. In this configuration, a tip 92 protrudes vertically from the end of the probe arm 92, and the probe arm 92 is operated by a rotation mechanism 770. The rotation mechanism 770 includes the probe arm 90 rotatably connected to a piston-driven actuator 774, and may include a height adjustment stop 772 to control the height of the tip 92 when the probe arm 90 has been rotatably extended. The rotation mechanism 770 is controlled by a motor 778 housed in a housing 776, wherein the housing 776 is fixed below the upper surface of the chassis of the grill 10, similar to, for example, Figure 6a By actuating the rotation mechanism 770, the probe arm 90 is rotated downward toward the grate 35 to engage the tip 92 with the food being cooked. The probe arm 90 and / or the tip 92 may be removable to allow for easy cleaning.

[0139] It should be appreciated that the housing described above helps protect the mechanisms for the turner 62, temperature probe arm 90 and grill cleaner 72, but is not required.

[0140] The autonomous cooking grill 10 can grill any food, however, the autonomous features of the cooking grill shown in the drawings work with suitable food products that can be turned over by the turner 62 and pushed out by the pusher when cooking on the grate 30. If the center grate or grill plate is located at the hub 40, other foods can be cooked simultaneously independently of the autonomous cooking sequence. In addition, for example, if only rotation and temperature measurement are required, certain stations can be selectively used. Examples of such suitable foods are hamburgers (meat and vegetables), steaks, fish, chicken, sausages, samosas, Jamaican patties, bagels, ham slices, dumplings, waffles, breakfast sandwiches, and other foods that preferably have a consistency and / or shape that will not fall or break through the grate when turned over. When using the grill plate 350, more food options are available. In addition, the grate 30 can be used as a traditional stationary grill by using the emergency stop button (or any manual mode (e.g., via a touch screen button)) during tool failure or as needed. That is, a manual mode can be provided in which the grate 30 is stationary or only continues to rotate without any automation. In this mode, the tool can be retracted out of the grate 30 to allow manual use without interference.

[0141] It should be understood that the autonomous cooking grill can be used to grill any food without activating the features that provide autonomous turning and / or pushing out and / or temperature measurement. If desired, the autonomous grill cleaner 72 may also not be activated.

[0142] When the autonomous cooking grill 10 is loaded with suitable food, the autonomous turner 62 turns the food, and the autonomous ejector system ejects the food from the grate 30. The autonomous cooking grill may also include an autonomous grill cleaner 72 to clean a portion of the grate 30, and additionally include an autonomous temperature probe system to measure the temperature of the food. In combination with all of these features, the embodiments shown in the figures (e.g., Figure 1a and 1b ) provides an autonomous cooking grill 10 that turns food items, delivers consistently and safely cooked food items, delivers food items with grill marks on both sides, provides a quality control check of food item temperature for safety, removes food items when cooking is complete, and cleans the grill for the next food item.

[0143] In the figure (especially Figure 3 ), gas may be delivered individually to the gas burners 320 by turning on the gas knobs 222, 224, 226, 228, 232, 234. Alternatively, a user may manually ignite one or more burners and / or other electronic and automatic ignition systems may be implemented. In some embodiments, the temperature of the grate 30 may be displayed on the main user display 262, which may also display the temperature of the thermometer 92 ( Fig.12a ) as well as any notifications, alarms, and any safety protocols (e.g., Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points, known as "HACCP") logging information. All of this information and controls can be adjusted as needed, and the information can appear in the confirmation or remotely, and can be controlled by one or more computing devices, which may include a touch screen or remote control instead of knobs. A control system having a computer with a processing unit can be programmed to manage specific foods cooked on the autonomous cooking grill and the various components of the grill. An example of such a control system 820 is shown in Fig.18 30 and further described below. It will be appreciated that in the event of a vision system failure or other autonomous failure, the display screen may provide a UI option to select the type of food to be added to the grate 30 at any given time. In addition, such a UI option may provide an option to manually move a portion of the tool (e.g., the turner 62) to allow for cleaning, maintenance, etc.

[0144] The processing unit may be configured to rotate the grate 30 or grill pan 350, activate the turner 62 to turn any food, activate the temperature probe arm 90 to check the temperature, activate the grill cleaner 72, and adjust the gas flow.

[0145] Once the grate 30 or grill pan 350 is hot enough, grilling is usually started, and an infrared sensor can be used to determine the temperature of the grate / grill pan. The actuator (not shown) is electrically turned on by pressing one of the selection buttons 266, 268, 272, 274, 276, and the autonomous cooking grill can remain plugged in (the cable and plug are not shown). Alternatively, the placement of the cake or food on the grate or grill pan can be sensed with a visual or load sensor to automatically start the grate / grill pan rotation. The actuator rotates the shaft 42, which is connected to the bottom of the hub attachment mechanism 43, which is attached to the hub 40 at its top. Since the hub is above the ejector plate 282, the ejector plate opening 283 allows the shaft to be connected to the bottom of the hub attachment mechanism 43. The rotation of the hub 40 above the ejector plate 282 causes the grate 30 to rotate counterclockwise.

[0146] The autonomous cooking grill 10 can be programmed so that the grate 30 stops 12 times, 14 times, or any other desired number of times during rotation. For example, in another embodiment, the autonomous cooking grill has fourteen slots instead of twelve slots. Depending on the type and / or amount of food on the grill, alternative programming (e.g., using a different cooking sequence 810 - see description below) may be used. Fig.17 ) settings only stop at the station (e.g., flipping, temperature, and cleaning). That is, the grate 30 can stay in certain positions until it needs to be indexed to the next station. For example, a pie can be cooked in place until it needs to be flipped, at which time the cooking algorithm indexes the grate 30 so that the pie is aligned with the flipper 62. Therefore, various rotation sequence logics can be used. When used, selection buttons can be set to cook various foods, for example, the settings can be used to grill various pie, such as large beef patties, ordinary beef patties, vegetable patties, mini beef patties, and small beef patties (veal patties), respectively. In this embodiment, the selection button lights up to indicate what selection is activated to confirm the selected setting. In order to cook different patties, the visual system 263 can detect different types, or the corresponding selection button can be pressed to activate the cooking protocol for the next new pie (e.g., to cover the UI). In this way, a large beef patty can have a selection once, and the next selection can be used for vegetable patties, etc.

[0147] The autonomous cooking grill stops at various positions as the grate 30 or grill pan 350 rotates. Using individual grate sections 35 as positions, the grate can stop at each rotation to move to the next grate section position, or only stop at specific positions, such as when flipping, cleaning, temperature detection and / or push-out activities are required. In one embodiment, the grill cleaner housing 70 is the twelfth position, and the next position moving counterclockwise is the first position where each pie is first placed / loaded on the grate 30 or grill pan 350. Sensors (e.g., weight or camera / vision - see Figure 2e ) can be used to detect that a cake is currently loaded on the grate 30 or baking tray to automatically start rotation and automatically activate appropriate actions (flipping, temperature detection, pushing out and cleaning).

[0148] If the vegetable cake selection button is selected, when the vegetable cake reaches the first turner housing 60, the turner 62 turns the vegetable cake during this stop, and the vegetable cake continues to move. When the vegetable cake has rotated on the grate 30 for a sufficient time to cook, the first ejector is activated when the vegetable cake approaches the station, and the ejector face 100 pushes the vegetable cake onto the first ejector ramp 120 and into the first box 140. If there is another vegetable cake on the grill, it will go through the same stop and process. The activation of the ejector also activates the grill cleaner 72 to emerge from the grill cleaner housing 70 and scrape the grill for the next cake or food.

[0149] If the normal beef patty selection button is selected, when the normal beef patty reaches the second turner housing 50, the turner 62 turns the beef patty during the stop, and then the beef patty continues to move. In the embodiment where there is a temperature probe, at the temperature probe housing 80, the grate 30 stops and the temperature probe is activated to the detection position, where the thermometer 90 is inserted into the patty and then moves back to the idle position. All temperatures of the patties or food on the grate / grilling plate can be recorded according to the HACCP recording protocol. When the burger has rotated around the grate 30 for enough time to cook (for example, if the desired temperature has not been reached, further rotation can be applied), the second ejector is activated so that the second ejector face 110 pushes the patty onto the second ejector ramp 130 and into the second box 150. According to HACCP principles, the temperature probe maintenance button 264 lights up and sounds an audible alarm to indicate that the thermometer 92 needs to be manually disinfected or can be kept above the flame to heat it enough to meet the required hygiene standards. It should be understood that in other alternative embodiments, the grate / cooking plate can rotate clockwise, there can be more or fewer stops, the grate can be larger or smaller, there can be only one turner and one ejector or multiple turners and ejectors, there can be various rotation speeds, or one gas knob or on / off switch to control all burners. In addition, the grate or cooking plate can rotate counterclockwise and clockwise, and the logic using artificial intelligence can take the best path, for example, if the food has reached optimal cooking and is farther from the ejector if the food continues to travel in the direction it is moving, the direction can be changed to reach the ejection position faster.

[0150] The use of different ejectors and ramps and boxes avoids possible cross contamination and addresses the preference of some consumers that their food not come in contact with another food.

[0151] Given the proximity of heat from the grill, the pancakes or other food in the boxes 140, 150 remain warm. In addition, the boxes can be made of insulating materials to help keep the cooked food warm. Alternatively, the food can be placed in an area with an electric heater, such as a heating station or box with an electric heater.

[0152] It should be understood that the autonomous cooking grill can be programmed to facilitate specific uses and users. The vision and load sensors can be customized according to the desired use of the autonomous cooking grill to sense actions such as the presence of meat or veggie burgers, when to flip, take temperature measurements, push out, clean, etc.

[0153] If two different patties are being cooked, such as a regular meat patty and then a vegetable patty, the selection button for the meat patty is selected and placed in position 1, and when the meat patty is in position 2, the selection button for the vegetable patty is selected and the vegetable patty is placed in position 1. Each time the grate 30 rotates one revolution, the meat patty will flip at the second housing 50, and the vegetable patty will flip at the first housing 60. The flipper 62 is activated to flip the correct patty only based on the selection button, because the selection button indicates that the patty will reach this station after six stops for the meat patty and after three stops for the vegetable patty. When the selection button is selected, the flipper 62 flips based on the presence of a hamburger. In an alternative embodiment, the flipper flips based on the presence of a patty sensed with a force sensor and / or a vision system.

[0154] The time the food rotates on the grate 30 is based on the selected option, which can be activated by a button as shown or by a remote control or App or computer program, etc. For example, in one setting, the mini beef patties rotate twice, each rotation is 45 seconds, for a total of 90 seconds; the regular beef patties and vegetable patties are rotated four times, with a total cooking time of about 180 seconds. Large beef patties may require six rotations for a total of 270 seconds. It should be understood that a larger grate 30 will cook the patties with fewer rotations, and increasing or decreasing the heat will also increase or decrease the cooking speed.

[0155] In an alternative embodiment, a load cell and vision sensor detects the type of food product and automatically selects the number of rotations in which the food product will be turned and when pushed out, rather than pressing a selection button.

[0156] In one embodiment, as food is added to the bin, the corresponding first and second ejector counters 242, 244 keep track of the visual or weight sensor, and when at capacity, e.g., ten cakes, an audible alarm warns that the bin needs to be emptied. Either bin 140 or bin 150 is then emptied, and the corresponding ejector reset button 246, 248 is pressed to reset. If either bin is removed, the grate 30 stops rotating, so the ejectors will not push food away without a bin to catch it. Changing bins restarts grate rotation.

[0157] Drips, food crumbs, grease, etc. fall through the grate 30 (or the holes in the ejector opening 44 and the grill pan 350) and are caught by the first drip pan 284 and the second drip pan 286. To clean the first drip pan 284, the first drip pan handle 200 is pulled and the first drip pan 284 slides out through the first drip pan slot 205. To clean the second drip pan 286, the second drip pan handle 210 is pulled and the second drip pan 286 slides out through the second drip pan slot 215.

[0158] The housings, i.e., the first turner housing 60, the second turner housing 50, the grill cleaner housing 70, and the temperature probe housing 80 are not essential, but are used to keep the grill cleaner 72, the turner 62, their internal workpieces, and the temperature probe internal workpieces cleaner. The respective housings 50, 60, 70, 80 can be secured with a quick release handle 64 so that they can be easily removed and reattached when cleaning is required, or can have other ways of securing to the grill or not be used at all, or be configured as one continuous housing for the turner 62, the grill cleaner 72, and the temperature probe 90.

[0159] The grill can be constructed of materials used for conventional grills or new materials that are developed. For example, the grill body can be stainless steel, and more specifically 10Ga.304 stainless steel. The burners can be propane-compatible natural gas burners. There can be twelve individual burners for each grill slot, for a total of six pairs. Safety measures can be included, such as if the gas knob is turned on without a flame, the gas valve will automatically shut off. Moreover, in the absence of electricity, the gas valve will automatically disconnect (although there may be an option to open it manually). The grate 30 can be high-quality cast iron or suitable food-grade steel, or other materials such as ceramic, and each part of the grill on which the burgers are placed can have parallel lines, so all the grill marks on the cakes will be parallel, or any aesthetic grill marks desired. The frame 29 for the grate 30 can be steel.

[0160] The turner 62, grill cleaner 72, ejector faces 100, 110, boxes 140, 150 and housing can all be easily removed for frequent cleaning. The grate sections 35 can also be easily removed for cleaning, but not as frequently.

[0161] In an electrical alternative, there would be no gas burners, gas knobs, gas lines, etc., but instead a corresponding electrical connection to an electric heat source would be included. In another alternative, crumbs and drippings could be caught through holes in the grill pan 350, e.g., holding one hole per section of food, and thus could be configured so that large drip pans 284, 286 are not required.

[0162] exist Figure 1aIn the illustrated embodiment, there are two turners 62, two ejectors 99, a temperature probe 90, and a grill cleaner 72, however, it should be understood that the grill can be scaled up or down and have a single or multiple turners, etc. This embodiment can have a grate 30 or a grill pan 350. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are not limited to specific variations, because various changes or modifications can be made, and equivalents can be replaced without departing from the scope of the appended claims. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art when reading this disclosure, each of the various embodiments described and illustrated herein has discrete components and features that can be easily separated or combined with the features of any of the other several embodiments. In addition, many modifications can be made to adapt specific situations, materials, material compositions, processes, process actions, or steps to the goals, spirit, or scope of the embodiments described herein. All such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the claims made herein.

[0163] Fig.14 and Fig.15 The autonomous cooking grill 10 shown in FIG. 1 further includes Fig.15 4, which may be a grill or grill pan for manually cooking food such as hamburgers 500, chicken 510, and / or Vienna sausages 520. Fig.14 A hub 40 is shown with a hub opening 45 that allows heat to rise through from additional gas burners (not shown) (e.g., four center gas burners or one large gas burner). The autonomous cooking grill 10 with center grill 400 does not include the ejector 99, and thus the hub 40 is below the Figure 1a , Figure 2a , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5a to Figure 5d and Figure 6a The hub 40 shown in FIG. 400 or the entire autonomous cooking grill 10 of this embodiment may alternatively be electrically heated. The center grill 400 rests on a grill ring 401 which is held above the hub 40 by a ring support 402. It should be understood that the center grill may be rotatable, for example, if the center grill is alternatively connected to the hub by a center support (not shown). The center grill 400 may also be connected to the hub 400 by a central support (not shown). Figure 1b The illustrated embodiment and the related figures described above may be used in any configuration having one or more tool features 22 .

[0164] Fig.15 and Fig.14 There are some modifications compared to the autonomous cooking grill of , namely the addition of the cover 410 and the removal of the housing for the turner 62. Figure 1a , Figure 2a , Figure 3 , Figure 4 , Figure 5a to Figure 5d and Figure 6a The autonomous cooking grill 10 shown in FIG. 1 may also include such a cover 410. The cover 410 partially covers the grate 30 or grill pan 350 and reduces cooking time because it captures heat and it also prevents grease splatter. It may be removable and may be constructed of sheet metal. Fig.15 In the embodiment, the temperature probe 90 is located next to the inverter 62.

[0165] In another embodiment, the autonomous cooking grill 10 includes a grate 30 or grill pan 350 connected to a rotatable hub, the rotatable hub being connected to a hub rotation mechanism, all of which are supported by the grill body, wherein when the hub rotation mechanism is activated, the hub rotates the grate, and the autonomous cooking grill 10 additionally includes a robot or robotic arm capable of performing one or more of a food flipping function, a food push-out function, a food removal function, a food temperature measurement function, and a grate or grill pan cleaning function. In this embodiment with a robotic arm, the robotic arm can be located next to, above, or as part of the autonomous cooking grill 10. These robotic arms can be obtained from third parties and provide four degrees of freedom or up to seven axes. Where required by regulations, these industrial robotic arms can be used in food grade or covered with a jacket or similar material to ensure compliance with such regulations, including a jacket that is pressurized with clean dry air to limit contamination.

[0166] In another embodiment, the autonomous cooking grill 10 includes a grate 30 or a grill pan 350 connected to a rotatable hub, the rotatable hub is connected to a hub rotation mechanism, and these components are supported by the grill body, the autonomous cooking grill includes one or more turners 62, and includes a robotic arm capable of performing one or more of a food push-out function, a food removal function, a food temperature measurement function, and a grate or grill pan cleaning function. Alternatively, the autonomous cooking grill 10 may additionally include a grill cleaner 72 and / or a temperature probe 90, and the robotic arm performs at least the function of food push-out or food removal.

[0167] If there is no power to rotate the autonomous cooking grill 10, it can be used for manual cooking like a conventional grate or griddle, as long as the gas is still working. In addition, the operator can be given the option of not using automation, in which case the indexing grill can continue to move without stopping at a specific tool during the cooking sequence. To this end, the autonomous cooking grill 10 can be implemented using the indexing grate 30 as described in any of the configurations described herein, without necessarily needing to position any tools around the grate 30. That is, in at least one embodiment, the indexing grate 30 itself can provide the primary functionality of the cooking grill 10.

[0168] Fig.16 Shows Figure 1b A top view of the illustrated embodiment is provided to illustrate a configuration including an imaging system 263, a first flipper 62, a temperature probe arm 90, followed by a second flipper 62, followed by a pair of ejector systems 700 (only one is shown aligned with the box 150) and a scraper 72. It will be appreciated that the positioning and spacing of the tool features 22 can be performed based on the intended food product, and different indexing timings can be utilized accordingly. For example, the grate 30 can be rotated more slowly or using multiple (circle) rotations depending on the thickness of the hamburger or steak being cooked. In addition, indexing can occur in both directions and does not need to follow the same direction. For example, when cooking a food that is flipped twice, a single flipper 62 can be used, where after the first flip, the temperature is acquired, further cooking is performed, and then the grate 30 is reversed to flip again, and the temperature is acquired again before moving to the ejector station.

[0169] Reference now Fig.17 , a cloud-based connection system 800 is shown for connecting and controlling multiple locations 804 (e.g., restaurants) to a central server 802 via one or more networks 806. In this example, three locations (Location A 804a, Location B 804b, and Location C 804c) are shown for illustrative purposes, and various features are omitted for ease of illustration. At each location, at least one grill 10 is utilized, in this example, grills 10a, 10b, and 10c. At each location 804, a data storage device 808 for a cooking log and a data storage device 810 for a cooking sequence are stored on the grill 10 or in a connected computer network or off-machine computer storage device. The cooking log 808 can be used to track cooking times, temperature readings, inventory counts, etc.

[0170] In commercial kitchens, existing systems such as inventory, equipment networks, and point of sale (POS) can be integrated with the autonomous cooking grill 10 to further automate the commercial kitchen environment. For example, when food is obtained from a warehouse, it can be tracked through the inventory system, then tracked through the restaurant order system until it is added to the grate 30 and tracked through the autonomous cooking grill 10, to the server's ticket, added to the bill or account, and then sent updates through a wider network. Each event can be recorded and tracked and used to trigger further actions, such as ordering new inventory, updating bills, issuing final bills or invoices, etc. The data collected during these operations can be further analyzed to predict future needs and improve kitchen workflow procedures. In addition, order data can be fed to the autonomous cooking grill 10 in real time to adjust cooking time, "doneness" and other attributes based on what the server enters into the order system. For example, a table ordering three sirloin steaks can have three different cooking types (e.g., one is well-done, one is medium rare, and the other is medium rare). Then, for example, when the operator places the food on the grate 30, the control system 820 can determine that the first one should be associated with the longest cooking time. The system can also use historical ordering data to create detailed cooking schedules and lists of when to cook to minimize holding time, or the food can be placed directly in the warming box. It can also recommend when to defrost the pies at the end of the day. In addition, the connectivity shown herein can allow remote monitoring and diagnosis of the grill 10 to provide operational and maintenance feedback to the main control system 820.

[0171] The cooking sequence 810 can be used to enable the autonomous grill 10 to utilize centrally controlled programming logic that can be updated and modified based on information collected by the central server 802 via cooking logs 808 generated at different locations 804 (e.g., using machine learning or other analytical systems (not shown)).

[0172] As described above, the autonomous grill 10 includes a control system 820 to enable utilization of its various features and autonomous operation of the tool features 22 . Fig.18 An example of a control system 820 that may be incorporated into the grill 10 is shown. In this example, the control system 820 includes a main controller 822 having a system memory 828 and a communication bus 824 that provides input / output (I / O) to the sensor and actuator controllers. The main controller 822 also includes a processor. The system memory 828 stores an operating system 830, which in this example implements a robot operating system (ROS) 832. ROS 832 includes: a cooking algorithm 834, which in this example is Fig.17810; a data collection system 836, for example, for creating a cooking log 808; and a human-machine interface (HMI) display system 838, for example, for providing a user interface to the above-mentioned screen 260. The main controller 822 can communicate with a user interface 840, which includes an emergency stop 842 (e.g., an override button), a mode selection switch 844 (e.g., to select a cooking mode, whether through a UI or other button / switch / input mechanism), and an HMI screen, such as a UI to be displayed on the screen 260.

[0173] The main controller 822 also communicates with the sensor and actuator controller 848. This may include a first motor controller and sensor encoder module 850, a second motor controller and sensor encoder module 852, and a third motor controller and sensor encoder module 854. The sensor 866 may provide input to the sensor and actuator controller 848 and any machine vision system 868, such as the imaging system 263 described above. The machine vision system 868 may include a food recognition program 870 to enable detection of food items placed on the grate at any given time.

[0174] The sensor and actuator controller 848 controls the actuator 858 via the motor driver module 856 and, in a gas implementation, controls the gas flow control valve 862 and the flame ignition module 864 via the relay module 860 .

[0175] Reference now Fig.19 , illustrating operations that may be performed by the control system 820. At block 900, the grill 10 may be preheated to a desired cooking temperature. The screen 260 may display to the operator when the machine is ready to begin cooking. At block 902, the grill operator loads the grill at a loading station (e.g., Figure 1b As shown, raw (or otherwise to be cooked or heated) food (such as hamburger patties) is placed on the grill at the front of the grate 30. At block 904, any movement is stopped as the light curtain beam 14 is interrupted during the loading process, and movement is resumed once the operator has successfully loaded the food and left the detection zone. At block 906, the grill indexing mechanism rotates counterclockwise (in Figure 1b ), and when a food item enters the field of view 265 of the imaging system 263, the imaging system 263 determines the type of food item at that station, i.e., that it has just been loaded.

[0176] At block 908, in this example, one of a plurality of detection options is selected, such as: a hamburger patty, an original hamburger patty, angus hamburger patty, a vegetable patty, or a chicken breast / chicken burger, each with its own cooking sequence 810. At block 910, the screen 160 may be updated to show what type of food item the imaging system 263 identified. The grill control system 820 then adjusts the cooking algorithm 834 (or selects a corresponding cooking sequence 810) based on what was identified in blocks 906 and 908. At block 912, if the imaging system 263 detects an incorrect food item, the operator may manually override the selection through the UI presented on the screen 160.

[0177] At box 914, the grill 10 rotates the indexing mechanism according to the cooking algorithm 834 or the cooking sequence 810. Once the correct number of full rotations have occurred and the food is at the corresponding flipping station, the flipper 62 will be activated. For example, at box 916, if the pie is identified as a vegetable burger, the indexing mechanism rotates to the vegetable pie flipper 62a. On the other hand, at box 918, if the pie is identified as a meat pie, the indexing mechanism rotates to the meat pie flipper 62b. In both cases, the cooking algorithm 834 or the cooking sequence 810 resumes, and at box 920, the grill 10 continues to rotate until the cooking algorithm 834 or the cooking sequence 810 indicates that the pie should be cooked. In the event of a failure of one of the flippers 62a, 62b, the other flipper can be used, and if the vegetable pie flipper 62a is used with meat, the vegetable pie can be transferred to the center grill (e.g., if provided at the hub 40 area) until the problem is resolved. Once the grill section with the pie has reached the temperature probing station, the temperature probe arm 90 is extended to contact the pie to take a temperature reading at block 920 .

[0178] At box 922, if the temperature probe reading indicates that the patty has not yet reached the desired internal temperature, the cooking algorithm 834 or cooking sequence 810 can be updated to rotate the indexing mechanism so that the patty will travel around the grill again or otherwise continue to be subjected to the heat source for an additional time. At box 924, if the temperature probe reading indicates that the patty has reached the desired internal temperature, the cooking algorithm rotates the indexing mechanism so that the patty moves to the ejector station. At box 926, if the patty is identified as a meat patty, the indexing mechanism rotates until the meat patty is at the meat patty ejector 700a. If the patty is identified as a vegetarian patty, the indexing mechanism rotates until the vegetable patty is at the vegetable patty ejector 700b.

[0179] At box 930, if the holding bin 140, 150 is detected to be full after the push-out process, the display 160 can notify the user to empty the corresponding holding bin 140, 150. The grill 10 then continues to rotate until the holding bins 140, 150 have been emptied and replaced. At box 932, the indexing mechanism then rotates so that the grill section where the pie was just pushed out is at the cleaner station, and the cleaner mechanism 72 operates to clean the grill section. At box 934, the indexing mechanism rotates so that the grill section that was just cleaned is at the pie loading station, and the process repeats at box 902. It will be appreciated that at any time during autonomous operation, if a subsystem fails or encounters a mechanical failure, an emergency stop button (mechanical button, soft button, or both) can be selected to stop movement and allow the grate 30 and hub 40 (if applicable) to be used as a conventional grill.

[0180] from Fig.19 As can be appreciated from the logic diagram shown in , the various grill sections need not proceed sequentially through each station, such that the second patty or food passes through each station directly after the first patty or food. That is, depending on the cooking time, the patty may spend different amounts of time rotating on the indexing mechanism until it is time for it to move to its next station, thereby enabling the grill 10 to execute the cooking sequence 810 or cooking algorithm 834 in parallel depending on the food being cooked. In this way, multiple different types of food can be cooked simultaneously using the same autonomous grill 10.

[0181] For simplicity and clarity of explanation, reference numerals may be repeated in the accompanying drawings to indicate corresponding or similar elements where deemed appropriate. In addition, many specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the examples described herein. However, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that the examples described herein may be practiced without these specific details. In other cases, well-known methods, processes, and components are not described in detail to avoid blurring the examples described herein. In addition, this description should not be considered to limit the scope of the examples described herein.

[0182] It should be understood that the examples and corresponding figures used herein are for illustrative purposes only. Different configurations and terms may be used without departing from the principles expressed herein. For example, components and modules may be added, deleted, modified or arranged in different connections without departing from these principles.

[0183] It should also be understood that any module or component of the execution instructions illustrated herein may include or otherwise access computer-readable media, such as transient or non-transient storage media, computer storage media, or data storage devices (removable and / or non-removable), such as, for example, disks, optical disks, or tapes. Computer storage media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology to store information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Examples of computer storage media include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage devices, cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transitory computer-readable medium that can be used to store the desired information and can be accessed by the application, module, or both. Any such computer storage media may be part of the autonomous grill 10, the system 800, or any component or related component thereof, or accessible or connectable to the autonomous grill 10, the system 800, or any component or related thereof. Any application or module described herein may be implemented using computer-readable / executable instructions that may be stored or otherwise maintained by such computer-readable media.

[0184] The steps or operations in the flowcharts and figures described herein are provided by way of example. Without departing from the above principles, these steps or operations may have many variations. For example, the steps may be performed in different orders, or steps may be added, deleted or modified.

[0185] While the above principles have been described with reference to certain specific examples, various modifications to the appended claims will become apparent to those skilled in the art in view of the overall description.

Claims

1. An autonomous cooking grill, comprising: A body supports a grate, wherein at least one heat source is directed toward or coupled to the grate, the grate and at least one tool being movable relative to each other such that a portion of the grate can be aligned with the at least one tool according to a cooking sequence.

2. The autonomous cooking grill according to claim 1, wherein: The grate rotates relative to the at least one tool.

3. The autonomous cooking grill according to claim 2, wherein: A plurality of tools are spaced about the grate.

4. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The at least one tool comprises at least one autonomous inverter.

5. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The at least one tool includes at least one autonomous ejector.

6. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The at least one tool includes at least one autonomous grate cleaner.

7. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein: The at least one tool includes an autonomous temperature probe.

8. The autonomous cooking grill of any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising an additional cooking surface centrally positioned in a hub surrounded by the grate.

9. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one heat source includes at least one gas burner for heating the grate.

10. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: The at least one heat source comprises at least one electric heat source.

11. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The at least one heat source includes both a gas heat source and an electric heat source.

12. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 8, wherein: The additional cooking surface is heated by a first heat source that is different from a second heat source used to heat the grate.

13. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 12, wherein: The first heat source is electric and the second heat source is gas powered.

14. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 13, further comprising a box capable of containing food.

15. The autonomous cooking grill of any one of claims 1 to 14, further comprising a main controller coupled to a plurality of signal inputs and the actuator controller to control the actuators and send outputs based on the signal inputs.

16. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 15, wherein: The main controller is coupled to the detection system to apply the food recognition program as input to determine the cooking algorithm.

17. The autonomous cooking grill of any one of claims 1 to 16, further comprising a user interface coupled to a control system used in operating the grill.

18. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 17, further comprising at least one data interface for providing cooking log data.

19. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 18, comprising a network data interface for sending log data to a central server.

20. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 19, further comprising an indexing mechanism for determining the position of the rotatable grate.

21. The autonomous cooking grill of any one of claims 1 to 20, further comprising a wall positioned on an underside of the body below the grate, the wall separating a relatively hotter zone including the at least one heat source from a relatively cooler zone aligned with an area including the at least one tool surrounding the grate.

22. The autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein The at least one heat source is fed by a fuel source regulated by a regulating valve that is computer controlled and connected to an inlet fuel line, wherein a thermal sensor is configured to measure a temperature of at least a portion of the grate, the temperature being used to control the regulating valve.

23. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 18, wherein: The thermal sensor provides temperature readings to a controller, and the controller uses the temperature readings to control the regulating valve to vary the amount of fuel delivered to each of the at least one heat source to increase or decrease the temperature of the grate.

24. A system, comprising: at least one autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 19; a network interface coupled to each of at least one of the autonomous cooking grills to obtain data generated by each grill; as well as A central server is coupled to each cooking grill via a respective network interface to exchange data with the respective grill.

25. A method comprising: Detecting the placement of food to be cooked on the autonomous cooking grill according to any one of claims 1 to 19; The type of food being tested; determining a cooking algorithm based on the detected food type; and Rotate the grill according to the cooking algorithm.

26. The method according to claim 25, further comprising: When cooking is complete, rotate to the ejector area and activate the ejector tool if necessary.

27. The method of claim 25 or 26, further comprising aligning the food product with a turner tool and turning the food product at an indicated time during the cooking algorithm.

28. The method of any one of claims 25 to 27, further comprising aligning the food product with a temperature probe to determine the temperature of the food product during execution of the cooking algorithm.

29. The method according to any one of claims 25 to 28, further comprising: The grate on which the food is placed is aligned with the scraper tool, and the scraper tool is activated to clean the grate for the next cooking iteration.

30. The method of any one of claims 25 to 29, further comprising aligning the food product with a specific incubator depending on the type of food product.

31. A computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions for performing the method of any one of claims 25 to 30.

32. An autonomous cooking grill comprising a body supporting a grate, wherein: At least one heat source is directed toward or coupled to the grate, and the grate is rotatable in a clockwise and / or counterclockwise direction.

33. The autonomous cooking grill of claim 32 further comprising an indexing mechanism for determining a position of the rotatable grate.

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