System and method for dispensing food product

Abstract

A dispensing system includes a reservoir that retains a flowable food product. A removable lid covers the reservoir and a pump system is coupled to the lid to convey a fluid from the reservoir. The pump system includes a first valve, an electronic actuator fixed relative to the lid, a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator, and a pump including a piston actuatable by the ram. The pump system further includes a hollow conduit that conveys the flowable food product away from the reservoir, a user interface configured to receive an input and to generate an input signal, and a controller configured to receive the input signal and to actuate the electronic actuator based on the input signal. Actuation of the piston causes the first valve to open due to a pressure differential across the first valve.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR DISPENSING FOOD PRODUCTCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims from the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 652,117, filed May 27, 2024, and from U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 753,266, filed February 3, 2025, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.BACKGROUND

[0002] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for dispensing food products. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to systems and methods for dispensing a flowable food product.SUMMARY

[0003] According to an aspect of the present disclosure, a dispensing system can be provided. The dispensing system can include a housing including a reservoir that retains a flowable food product. A removable lid can cover an open end of the housing. A pump system can be coupled to the lid to convey a fluid from the reservoir. The pump system can include an electronic actuator that can be fixed relative to the lid, a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator, and a pump including a piston coupled to the ram. The piston can be actuatable by the ram. The system can include a first valve and a hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir to a conduit open end disposed on an exterior side of the housing. The conduit can convey the flowable food product away from the reservoir. A user interface can be configured to receive an input and to generate an input signal. A controller can be configured to receive the input signal and to actuate the electronic actuator based on the input signal to dispense the fluid. Actuation of the piston can cause the first valve to open due to a pressure differential across the first valve.

[0004] In some examples, the system may include a sensor configured to detect a presence of a food item, and wherein the controller can be configured to actuate the pump in response to detecting the presence of the food item.

[0005] In some examples, the sensor may be configured to detect an amount of a food item, and wherein the controller can be configured to actuate the pump to dispense a pre-determined amount of the flowable food product, based on the amount of the food item.

[0006] In some examples, the open end of the conduit may include a nozzle to control dispensing of the flowable food product.

[0007] In some examples, the user interface may include indicators to indicate a status of the dispensing system.

[0008] In some examples, the user interface may include a first button that when actuated sends the input signal to the controller to actuate the pump to dispense a first amount of the flowable food product. The user interface may also include a second button that when actuated sends the input signal to the controller to actuate the pump to dispense a second amount of the flowable food product.

[0009] In some examples, the system can include a second housing including a second reservoir that retains a second flowable food product, a second removable lid covering a second open end of the second housing, and a second pump system coupled to the second lid to convey a fluid from the second reservoir, the second pump system including a second electronic actuator and a second hollow conduit.

[0010] In some examples, the removeable lid may include a secondary housing having an inner volume to house the controller, the inner volume being disconnected from the reservoir.

[0011] In some examples, the first end of the hollow conduit may be coupled to a first port of the first valve within the reservoir, and a pump housing that houses the piston may extend from a second port of the first valve.

[0012] In some examples, the system can include a second valve to regulate flow through a third port and into the first valve. Furthermore, a third valve may regulate flow through the second port and out of the first valve. The third port may fluidly connect the first valve to the reservoir. The second valve and the third valve may each be actuated by a pressure differential across the second and third valves, respectively.

[0013] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a removable lid for a reservoir of a dispenser for a flowable food product can be provided. The lid can include a cover plate having a first side and a second side, the second side configured to cover a first reservoir. Aconduit tube can extend from the first side of the cover plate to the second side of the cover plate to provide a passage through the cover plate for the flowable food product. A pump system can be coupled to the cover plate to pump the flowable food product through the conduit. An electronic actuator can be configured to operate the pump system. A controller can be configured to operate the electronic actuator to dispense a predetermined amount of the flowable food product. The cover plate can be switchable between covering the first reservoir containing a first flowable food product and covering a second reservoir containing a first flowable food product. The pump system can be configured to pump the first and second flowable food product in the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

[0014] In some examples, the lid may include a valve between the pump system and the conduit to control a direction of flow through the conduit tube. The valve can be disposed within the first reservoir and can include an inlet to receive the first flowable food product from the first reservoir and an outlet that can be coupled to the conduit tube.

[0015] In some examples, the valve may include a first check valve to control flow though the inlet and a second check valve to control flow through the outlet.

[0016] In some examples, the conduit tube may extend from the first side of the cover plate to a conduit open end, and the pump system can be coupled to the conduit open end.

[0017] In some examples, the pump system may receive fluid from the conduit tube through a first port, and the pump system may pump fluid out of the pump system through a second port. The second port can be coupled to a second conduit tube configured to convey fluid away from the pump system.

[0018] In some examples, the pump system may further include a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator, and a pump including a piston coupled to the ram. The piston can be actuatable by the ram. Actuation of the piston may cause a first valve to open due to a pressure differential across the first valve. The pressure differential across the first valve can be configured to cause the first flowable food product to flow into the conduit tube.

[0019] In some examples, the lid may further comprise a housing and a user interface. The controller can be disposed within the housing. The controller may determine the predetermined amount of flowable food product to be dispensed based on an input signal provided by a user at the user interface.

[0020] In some examples, the user interface may be coupled to one or more of the cover plate and the housing and exposed along an exterior surface thereof.

[0021] In some examples, the housing may be coupled to the pump system, and a barrier may separate the interior of the housing and the first reservoir.

[0022] In some examples, a method of using the lid can include adding the first flowable food product to the first reservoir. The method can include covering the first reservoir using the lid. The method can include pumping the first flowable food product from the first reservoir;

[0023] removing the lid from the first reservoir. The method can include adding the second flowable food product to the second reservoir. The method can include covering the second reservoir using the lid. The method can include pumping the second flowable food product from the second reservoir.

[0024] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a dispensing system can be provided. The dispensing system can include a housing including a reservoir that retains a flowable food product. A removable lid can cover an open end of the housing. A pump system can be coupled to the lid to convey a fluid from the reservoir. The pump system can include an electronic actuator, a pump actuatable by the electronic actuator disposed within a pump housing, and a first hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir through the removable lid. The first hollow conduit can be fluidly coupled with the pump housing and can be configured to convey the flowable food product from the reservoir to the pump housing. The pump system can include a second hollow conduit fluidly coupled with the pump housing configured to convey the flowable food product from the pump housing to the ambient environment. A user interface can be configured to receive an input and to generate an input signal. A controller can be configured to receive the input signal and to actuate the electronic actuator based on the input signal to dispense the fluid. Actuation of the pump can draw the flowable fluid product into the pump housing through the first hollow conduit and dispense the flowable food product to the ambient environment through the second hollow conduit.

[0025] In some examples, the system may include a secondary housing coupled to the pump, configured to house the controller and at least a portion of the actuator.

[0026] In some examples, one or more of the secondary housing and the pump may be removably coupled to the lid.

[0027] In some examples, the secondary housing may be separated from the reservoir by a barrier.

[0028] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a dispensing system can be provided. The dispensing system can include a support surface, a plurality of reservoirs configured to retain one or more flowable food products, and a plurality of nozzles configured to convey the flowable food products to the ambient environment of the dispensing system. Each of the plurality of nozzles can be fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of reservoirs. The plurality of nozzles can be arranged in a first array along the support surface. The system can include a plurality of pumps actuatable by a plurality of first electronic actuators. Each of the plurality of pumps can be configured to pump the flowable food products from one or more of the plurality of reservoirs to one or more of the plurality of nozzles. The system can include a tray including a plurality of recesses configured to receive and retain a plurality of receptacles for receiving the flowable food product. The recesses can be arranged in a second array, the tray being rotatable to align the first array of the nozzles with the second array of the recesses. The first array and second array can define similar patterns, such that aligning one of the nozzles of the first array with one of the recesses of the second array may cause a plurality of the nozzles to be aligned with a plurality of the recesses.

[0029] In some examples, the tray may be rotatable using a second electronic actuator.

[0030] In some examples, the first array and the second array may each be circular such that one or more the nozzles of the first array can be radially aligned with one or more of the recesses of the second array, relative to a center of the first or second arrays.

[0031] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a dispensing system can be provided. The dispensing system can include a support surface, a plurality of reservoirs configured to retain one or more flowable food products, and a plurality of nozzles configured to convey the flowable food products to the ambient environment of the dispensing system. Each of the plurality of nozzles may be fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of reservoir. The plurality of nozzles may be arranged in a first array along the support surface. The dispensing system can include a plurality of pumps that can be actuatable by a plurality of first electronic actuators. Each of the plurality of pumps can be configured to pump the flowable food products from one or more of the plurality of reservoirs to one or more of the plurality of nozzles. The dispensing system caninclude a plurality of receptacles arranged linearly along the support surface in a second array. The first array and second array can define similar patterns, such that aligning one of the nozzles of the first array with one of the receptacles of the second array may causes a plurality of the nozzles to be aligned with a plurality of the recesses.

[0032] In some examples, the receptacles may be arranged along a conveyor disposed along the support surface, the conveyor being actuatable by a second actuator to align the second array of receptacles with the first array of nozzles.

[0033] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of retrofitting a dispenser for a flowable food product can be provided. The method can include providing the dispenser for the flowable food product including a pump, a piston, and a manual actuator coupled to the piston via a linkage, the dispenser being configured to dispense the flowable food product upon actuation of the manual actuator. The method can include providing a secondary housing including an electronic actuator, a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator, and a controller to control actuation of the electronic actuator. The method can include uncoupling the manual actuator from the piston. The method can include coupling the ram to the piston via the linkage, fixedly coupling the secondary housing to the dispenser. The method can include actuating the ram using the actuator to extend the piston to dispense the flowable food product.

[0034] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of operating a lid for a reservoir of a dispenser for a flowable food product can be provided. The method can include adding a flowable food product to the reservoir. The method can include covering the reservoir using the lid, the lid including a pump system coupled thereto to convey a fluid from the reservoir, the pump system including: an electronic actuator, and a hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir to a conduit open end disposed on an exterior side of the reservoir, the conduit conveying the flowable food product away from the reservoir. The method can include inputting a command to a controller to actuate the pump system to dispense a predetermined amount of the flowable food product. The method can include pumping the predetermined amount of flowable food product through the hollow conduit and away from the reservoir.

[0035] In some examples, the command input to the controller may be based on an input signal provided by a user at a user interface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] The invention will be better understood and features, aspects, and advantages other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such detailed description makes reference to the following drawings.

[0037] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a dispenser, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0038] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

[0039] FIG. 3 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

[0040] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 3 taken at 4-4.

[0041] FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 3 taken through 5-5 in FIG. 3, and including a removable reservoir.

[0042] FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a dispensing system including a plurality of dispensers.

[0043] FIG. 7 is an axonometric view of a dispenser, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 8 is an exploded view of the dispenser of FIG. 7.

[0045] FIG. 9 is a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 7.

[0046] FIG. 10 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG. 7.

[0047] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 9, taken through 11-11 inFIG. 10.

[0048] FIG. 12 is an axonometric view of a housing for a dispenser, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0049] FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the housing of FIG. 12, taken at 13-13.

[0050] FIG. 14 is an axonometric view of a dispenser, according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0051] FIG. 15 is a side view of the dispenser of FIG. 14.

[0052] FIG. 16 is a front view of the dispenser of FIG. 14.

[0053] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 16, taken at 17-17.

[0054] FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 16, taken at 18-18.

[0055] FIG. 19 is an axonometric view of a coating system including a plurality of dispensers.

[0056] FIG. 20 is a front view of the coating system of FIG. 19.

[0057] FIG. 21 is a top plan view of the coating system of FIG. 19.

[0058] FIG. 22 is a side view of the coating system of FIG. 19.

[0059] FIG. 23 is an axonometric view of a coating system including a plurality of dispensers.

[0060] FIG. 24 is a front view of the coating system of FIG. 23.

[0061] FIG. 25 is a side view of the coating system of FIG. 23.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0062] Before any embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the following drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Unless specified or limited otherwise, the terms “mounted,” “connected,” “supported,” and “coupled” and variations thereof are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect mountings, connections, supports, and couplings. Further, “connected” and “coupled” are not restricted to physical or mechanical connections or couplings, and may also include fluid and electrical connections.

[0063] The following discussion is presented to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use embodiments of the invention. Various modifications to the illustrated embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein can be applied to other embodiments and applications without departing from embodiments of the invention. Thus, embodiments of the invention are not intended to be limited to embodiments shown, but are to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features disclosed herein. The following detailed description is to be read with reference to the figures, in which like elements indifferent figures have like reference numerals. The figures, which are not necessarily to scale, depict selected embodiments and are not intended to limit the scope of embodiments of the invention. Skilled artisans will recognize the examples provided herein have many useful alternatives and fall within the scope of embodiments of the invention.

[0064] One or more embodiments are described and illustrated in the following description and accompanying drawings. These embodiments are not limited to the specific details provided herein and may be modified in various ways. Further, other embodiments may exist that are not expressly described herein. Also, functions described as being performed by multiple components may be consolidated and performed by a single component. Similarly, functions described herein as being performed by one component may be performed by multiple components in a distributed manner. Additionally, a component described as performing particular functionality may also perform additional functionality not expressly described herein. For example, a device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way is configured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways that are not expressly listed.

[0065] In addition, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. For example, the use of “comprising,” “including,” “containing,” “having,” and variations thereof herein is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. Additionally, the terms “connected” and “coupled” are used broadly and encompass both direct and indirect connecting and coupling, and may refer to physical or electrical connections or couplings. Furthermore, the phase "and / or" used with two or more items is intended to cover the items individually and the items together. For example, “a and / or b“ is intended to cover: a, b, and a and b. As used herein, the terms "substantially," "approximately," and the like may refer to a value that is ± 1%, ± 5%, ± 10% of the intended amount, value, angle, or other quantity. Furthermore, the terms first, second, third, etc. may be used herein to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections. These elements, components, regions, layers and / or sections should not be limited by these terms. These terms may be only used to distinguish one element, component, region, layer, or section from another region, layer, or section. Terms such as “first,” “second,” and other numerical terms do not imply a sequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context. Thus, a first element, component, region, layer, or section discussed below could be termed a secondelement, component, region, layer, or section without departing from the teachings of the example configurations.

[0066] In many restaurant settings, workers and customers manually dispense flowable food product (e.g., syrups, dressings, coatings, etc.) over a food item or into a receptacle. Manually dispensing flowable food products may require workers and customers to mechanically actuate a pump, squeeze a flowable item through a valve in a reservoir, or pour the flowable item through a hole in a reservoir. Such manual flowable food product dispensing methods can be time consuming, can be prone to spills, and may dispense an undesired amount of the flowable food product (e.g., too much or too little). Additionally, some customers or workers may struggle to mechanically actuate a flowable food product reservoir by pumping, squeezing, or otherwise pouring the flowable food product.

[0067] The present disclosure provides a system for dispensing a flowable food product (e.g., a seasoning, sauce, dressing, flavorant, etc.) that provides benefits over conventional manual pumps. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a dispensing system including a dispenser that can receive and retain the flowable food product, and dispense the flowable food product using an automated pump (e.g., a pump, solenoid, etc.). For example, a customer or worker can activate the automated pump via a user interface (e.g., physical buttons, a touchscreen, etc.). More specifically, the customer or worker can dispense the flowable food product by interacting with the user interface of the dispensing system. The pump can then dispense a pre-determined serving size of the flowable food product onto a food item (e.g., wings, burgers, salads, or other coated or sauced food items) or into a receptacle (e.g., a cup, bowl, or plate) based on the input to the user interface. The dispenser system may therefore be utilized to deliver a consistent amount of the flowable food product, with little manual input from the customer and worker.

[0068] The dispensing system may be advantageous to increase efficiency of kitchen staff. For example, the dispensing system can be configured to automatically dispense the flowable food product onto an item placed under a dispensing port of the dispensing system, allowing a worker to perform other tasks, thereby increasing efficiency. For example, after adding a food item to a plate or bowl, a worker may activate an actuator or other mechanism configured to actuate the automated pump, allowing the worker to attend to another duty (e.g., cooking), while the flowablefood product is dispensed. The dispensing system can therefore save valuable time during the preparation of the food item, allowing the kitchen to operate more efficiently.

[0069] In some examples, a dispensing system can include a plurality of dispensers, each configured to dispense a different type of flowable food product. The dispensing system may therefore service customers or customer orders that require multiple types of flowable food products (e.g., ketchup, mustard, ranch, etc.). Such arrangements can, in some examples, allow for multiple orders to be completed with minimal worker input. For example, a worker can place a receptacle on conveyor our turntable that can move the receptacle to the desired dispenser.

[0070] In one example, the dispenser system described below is configured to dispense a known (e.g., predetermined) and repeatable volume of the food product based upon a selection made by the user. In some examples, the dispenser system can include an array of food product dispensers that can dispense a predetermined amount of the food product into a predetermined number of receptacle. In some cases, the array of food product dispensers can provide an improved method for dispensing the food product into multiple receptacle more efficiently.

[0071] Relatedly, the dispensing system can be used in conjunction with other kitchen systems to further improve efficiency. The dispensing system can be configured to communicate with a network and may be configured to operate in accordance with a signal received from the network. For example, the kitchen management system may provide information on a customer order or operation instructions for the dispensing system (e.g., an amount or type of the flowable food product). The dispensing system in cooperation with the kitchen staff may then dispense the correct amount and type of the flowable food product to fulfill the customer order.

[0072] As generally mentioned above, a dispensing system can be used to dispense a food product onto a food item that is being prepared, or to dispense the food product into a receptacle, such as a portion cup, plate, bowl, or other type of dishware. FIGS. 1-6 illustrate a non-limiting example of a dispensing system 100 that is configured to dispense a flowable food product (e.g., a seasoning, a sauce, a dressing, a topping, or other food product ingredient). As described below, the dispensing system 100 can be used to automate the dispensing of the flowable food product. Moreover, the dispensing system 100 may be configured for dispensing of a specific amount or type flowable food product. In some cases, the amount of food product being dispensed can be determined based on a number of strokes of a pump of the dispenser, for example, 0.25, 0.33, 0.5,0.66, 0.75, 1, 1.25, 1.5, 1.75, 2, etc. strokes of a pump. Additionally, by allowing for automatic dispensing, the dispensing system 100 can allow a worker to perform other tasks, improving overall kitchen efficiency and reducing total preparation time.

[0073] Referring to FIG. 1, the dispensing system 100 may generally include one or more dispensers 104. Each dispensers 104 may include a housing 108 having a reservoir 112 to receive and retain the flowable food product. The housing 108 can further support a pump system 116 configured to dispense the flowable food product from the reservoir 112. Specifically, the pump system 116 can include an actuator 120 and a pump 124 that are configured to cooperatively dispense the flowable food product from the reservoir 112. The actuator 120 can be, for example, a motor, a solenoid, a linear actuator, a rotary actuator, or another type of actuator that can operate the pump 124. The pump 124 can be a piston pump, a rotary pump, a diaphragm pump, or another type of pump and the actuator 120 can actuate the pump 124 via a direct connection or an indirect connection (e.g., a geartrain, linkage, etc.). As discussed further below, the actuator 120 and pump 124 may be selectively actuated using a controller 128. For example, inputs to a user interface 132 may cause the controller 128 to acuate the actuator 120 and pump 124 to dispense the flowable food product. As discussed further below, in some examples, the controller 128 can also receive commands via a wireless or wired network. As also discussed below, the dispensing system 100 may utilize one or more sensors 136 to sense a presence of a surface (e.g., a bowl, a plate, or a food item) prior to dispensing the flowable food product. In some cases, sensors 136 can also be used to determine an amount of food product that has been dispensed (e.g., an encoder, position sensor, flow sensor, weight sensor, etc.).

[0074] It is appreciated that the actuator 120, pump 124, the controller 128, the user interface 132, and / or the sensors 136 can be powered by a power supply 140. For example, the power supply 140 may be a wall plug-in power supply configured to draw power from an outlet. In other examples, the power supply 140 may also include a battery. In still other examples, the power supply 140 may be wireless. For example, the power supply 140 might use electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance coupling, radio frequency transmission, or other applicable methods of transmitting energy wirelessly.

[0075] Referring to FIG. 2, the housing 108 can include a plurality of sidewalls 144 that extend from a base wall 148 to a cover plate 152. The base wall 148 of the housing 108 may reston a support surface (e.g., a table, countertop, dedicated stand, etc.) to support the housing 108 relative to the support surface. In some examples, the sidewalls 144 or the cover plate 152 of the housing 108 may include labels or other identifiers that identify a type of the flowable food product retained by the reservoir 112 of the housing 108. Additionally, the reservoir 112 for retaining the flowable food product may be defined by an inner volume of the housing 108. Specifically, the reservoir 112 may be defined by the internal surfaces of the walls 144, 148 and the cover plate 152 (see FIG. 4). However, the reservoir 112 (or a second reservoir 156, see FIG. 5) may instead be removable from the housing 108 to reduce an amount of time required to clean the dispenser 104. Correspondingly, a reservoir 112 can be configured for direct pour applications, as well as for retaining prefilled containers (e.g., bags, cans, tubs, etc.)

[0076] In some examples, the dispenser 104 (e.g., the reservoir 112) can be filled by removing one or more walls or the cover plate of the housing 108. As illustrated in FIG. 2, at least a portion of the cover plate 152 may act as a lid 160 and may be removable from the housing 108. The removable lid 160 may then ease the cleaning of the housing 108 and the refilling of the reservoir 112 by providing a larger hole through which to manipulate cleaning implements and ultimately add the flowable food product. In some cases, the pump system 116, including the controller 128, user interface 132, actuator 120, pump 124, valve 164, conduit 168, nozzle 172, any associated sensors, etc. can be included as part of the lid 160. Specifically, the controller 128, user interface 132, actuator 120, pump 124, valve 164, conduit 168, nozzle 172, any associated sensors, etc. can be coupled directly or indirectly to the lid 160, such that removal of the lid 160 from the housing 108 causes the aforementioned components to be removed from the housing 108. This can allow the lid 160, or the cover plate 152, to be used in retrofit applications to allow automation of existing manual pump systems (e.g., fountain pump systems).

[0077] In some examples, the cover plate 152 may include a first side 176 or an exterior surface that faces an ambient environment of the dispenser 104, and a second side 180 or an interior surface that faces an interior of the dispenser 104 (e.g., the reservoir 112). In some examples, the cover plate 152, or the lid 160, can define different widths and lengths, to allow the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 to be fitted (e.g., retrofitted) onto various different sizes of the housing 108 or reservoir 112.

[0078] In some examples, the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 can include a sealing mechanism or closure to secure the cover plate to the housing 108 or the reservoir 112, and to reduce spillage of the flowable food product therein. In some examples, the cover plate 152, or the lid 160, may include a sealing mechanism. For example, the sealing mechanism may be a gasket. The gasket may be configured to engage an open end of the housing 108 to aid the retention of the flowable food product within the housing 108. The gasket may therefore reduce cleaning associated with spills of the flowable food product. In some examples, the cover plate 152 may include a closure 182. For example, the closure 182 may be a latch configured to engage the housing 108, a recessed channel configured to receive the sidewalls 144 at the open end of the housing 108, or a lip that overhangs and extends around a perimeter of the housing 108 to engage an exterior of the sidewalls 144 of the housing 108. The closure 182 can reduce shifting of the cover plate 152 or lid 160 relative to the housing 108, reducing the likelihood of spills and damage to components of the dispenser 104.

[0079] In some examples, the cover plate 152 can include a secondary housing configured to protect and house electrical components of the dispenser 104. For example, the cover plate 152 may include a secondary housing 184, extending from the first side 176 of the cover plate 152 in a direction opposite the base wall 148. In some examples, an exterior surface of the secondary housing 184 may define at least a portion of the first side 176. Furthermore, the secondary housing 184 may define a recess or compartment to house electrical components of the dispenser 104, to suspend the electrical components above the flowable food product contained in the reservoir 112. In examples where the secondary housing 184 defines a recess, an interior surface of the secondary housing 184 may define at least a portion of the second side 180 of the cover plate 152. Specifically, at least a portion of an inner volume 188 of the secondary housing 184 may be connected to the reservoir 112 to allow components (e.g., the actuator 120, the pump 124, the conduit 168, and other components) to extend between the inner volume 188 of the secondary housing 184 and the reservoir 112. In examples where the secondary housing 184 defines a compartment, the inner volume 188 of the secondary housing may be disconnected from the reservoir 112 (e.g., via a wall or other surface). In such examples, the actuator 120 or the pump 124 can be disposed within the secondary housing 184, and can be connected to the reservoir 112 via one or more of a second conduit 186 and a housing of the pump 124, as discussed furtherbelow. It is appreciated that the secondary housing 184 may also be disposed on and extend from the lid 160.

[0080] In some examples, the dispenser 104 can dispense the flowable food product using a conduit extending from the reservoir 112 to an exterior of the housing 108. As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 4, a dispenser 104 can include the conduit 168 and the nozzle 172 for conveying flowable food products. As illustrated, the conduit 168 can extend from reservoir 112 through the cover plate 152 (e.g., from the first side 176 to the second side 180 of the cover plate 152) and into the ambient environment surrounding the housing 108. However, it is appreciated that the conduit 168 can instead extend through any of the base wall 148 and the sidewalls 144. The conduit 168 may be a hollow tube that extends from the reservoir 112 and through the cover plate 152 to provide a passage for the flowable food product. An open end 192 of the conduit 168, disposed outside the reservoir 112 in the ambient environment, may be positioned to deliver the flowable food product. In some examples, the open end 192 may include the nozzle 172. The nozzle 172 may help to control dispensing of the flowable food product. For example, the nozzle 172 may mitigate dripping or spilling of the flowable food product while the dispenser 104 is not in use. Furthermore, the nozzle 172 may improve directional control of the dispensed flowable food product while the dispenser 104 is in use.

[0081] It is appreciated that the conduit 168 and the nozzle 172 may be rigid to maintain a consistent trajectory and landing zone of the dispensed flowable food product. However, in other examples, the conduit 168 or the nozzle 172 may instead be movable in one or more directions to allow the operator of the dispenser 104 to alter a trajectory or landing zone of the dispensed flowable food product. For example, the conduit 168 or the nozzle 172 may be rotatable relative to the housing 108 to alter a trajectory or landing zone of the dispensed flowable food product.

[0082] In some examples, the dispenser 104 can utilize an actuator and a pump to automate the dispensation of the flowable food product through the conduit 168 and onto a food item (e.g., a burger, wings, a salad, pasta, or other known sauced food item) or into receptacle (e.g., a bowl, a plate, or a cup). As described above, automating the dispensation of the flowable food product using an actuator and a pump can reduce an amount of mechanical work for the operator of the dispenser 104, and can save the operator time to accomplish other tasks while the dispenser 104 is dispensing the flowable food product. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the housing 108, or the secondaryhousing 184, can support the actuator 120 and the pump 124. The actuator 120 may be operatively coupled to the pump 124 to control a stroke of the pump 124. The actuator 120 and pump 124 may cooperate to pump or otherwise move the flowable food product from the reservoir 112 into the conduit 168 and onto the food item or into the receptacle.

[0083] As illustrated, the pump 124 and the actuator 120 may be coupled to the cover plate 152 (e.g., the lid 160) of the housing 108 so that the pump and actuator 120 can be easily removed from the housing 108 along with the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 for cleaning. Specifically, the actuator 120 and the pump 124 may be coupled to the secondary housing 184 to suspend the actuator 120 above the flowable food product retained by the reservoir 112. However, it is appreciated that the actuator 120 and the pump 124 can instead be coupled directly to the lid 160, or to any of the base wall 148 and the sidewalls 144.

[0084] In some applications, the dispenser 104 can allow for clean-in-place capabilities that do not require the dispenser 104 to be disassembled for cleaning. The inclusion of the actuator 120 and the pump 124 can reduce worker demand during cleaning, as the pump 124 can be operated via the controller 128 to automatically pump a cleaning solution through the dispenser 104. The user interface 132 may allow a worker to select a cleaning operation to cause the dispenser 104 to enter a cleaning mode.

[0085] Still referring to FIG. 4, it is appreciated that any type of pumping mechanism can be used to pump the flowable food product through the conduit 168. For example, the pump 124 can be any type of dynamic pump or positive pressure pump. In some examples, the pump 124 may be a positive pressure pump (e.g., a diaphragm pump, a gear pump, a peristaltic pump, a lobe pump, a piston pump, or a plunger pump), to reduce contact between components of the pump 124 and the flowable food product, maintaining cleanliness of the pump and reducing the burden of cleaning the dispenser 104. Furthermore, positive pressure pumps can be more efficient when pumping fluids having higher viscosity such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, and other known viscous flowable food products. For example, the pump 124 may achieve an evacuation rate of ninety percent or more.

[0086] As illustrated in FIG. 4, in some examples, the pump 124 can be a piston pump. The pump 124 can include a pump housing 194 and a piston 196 disposed within the pump housing 1 4. The piston 196 may be actuated by the actuator 120 to drive pressure. In some examples, thepiston 196 may be driven back and forth within the pump housing 194 by the actuator 120. In other examples, the piston 196 may be actuated by the actuator 120 from a first position to a second position within the pump housing 194, and a resilient member 200 (e.g., a spring or other known resilient member) may return the piston 196 from the second position to the first position. As will be discussed further below, the actuator 120 may drive the pump 124 at varying speeds or at varying amounts of stroke to alter an amount or dispensing rate of the flowable food product dispensed by the dispenser 104.

[0087] In some examples, the dispenser 104 may utilize a valve to control a direction of the flow of the flowable food product through the conduit 168. As illustrated in FIG. 4, a valve 164 may couple the pump 124 to the conduit 168. Specifically, each of the pump housing 194 and the conduit 168 may be fluidly coupled to the valve 164. In some examples, the pump 124 may be indirectly coupled to the valve 164 via the second conduit 186. More specifically, the pump housing 194 can be coupled to the second conduit 186, and the second conduit 186 can be coupled to the valve 164. However, in other examples, the pump 124 can be directly coupled to the valve 164.

[0088] It is appreciated that the valve 164 may be any valve that encourages one-way flow through the valve 164. For example, the valve 164 may be a check valve, a reed valve, or the like.

[0089] In some examples, the valve 164 may include a port to allow fluid flow through the valve 164 from the reservoir 112. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the valve 164 can be disposed within the reservoir 112 to submerge or otherwise facilitate fluid communication with the flowable food product to allow the flowable fluid product to flow from the reservoir 112 through a first port 204 (e.g., an inlet) and into an internal chamber 208 of the valve 164. The flowable food product in the internal chamber 208 may then flow through a second port 212 from the internal chamber 208 of the valve 164 to the conduit 168. Furthermore, the valve 164 can include a third port 214, that fluidly couples the valve 164 to the pump housing 194 or the second conduit 186, to allow the pump 124 to alter an internal pressure of the valve 164 and selectively control fluid flow therethrough. In some cases, a first check valve 216 can be provided at the first port 204 to control flow between the reservoir 112 and the internal chamber 208 and a second check valve 220 can be provided at the second port 212 to control flow between the reservoir 112 and the conduit 168. For example, as the piston 196 is retracted (e.g., via the actuator 120 or the resilient member 200)from the second to the first position, pressure in the internal chamber 208 is reduced below the pressure in each of the reservoir 112 and the conduit 168. This causes the second check valve 220 to close to block flow from the conduit 168 to the internal chamber 208 and causes the first check valve 216 to open to allow food product to flow into the internal chamber 208 from the reservoir 112, thereby charging the dispenser 104. As the piston 196 is extended by the actuator 120, pressure in the internal chamber 208 is increased above the pressure in each of the reservoir 112 and the conduit 168. This causes the first check valve 216 to close to block flow from the internal chamber 208 to the reservoir 112 and causes the second check valve 220 to open to allow food product to flow into the conduit 168 from the internal chamber 208, thereby discharging the dispenser 104 and dispensing the food product. In other examples, as described further below, flowable food product can instead flow directly into the conduit 168 or pump housing 194, and subsequently be dispensed through the open end 192 of the conduit 168. Thus, actuation of the pump 124 causes the flowable food product to be dispensed.

[0090] Referring briefly to FIG. 5, in some cases a reservoir may be a removable bag or bin that can be placed into the housing. For example, a second reservoir 156 (e.g., a removable reservoir) can be placed into the reservoir 112 of the housing 108. In such cases the first port 204 may include an attachment mechanism for coupling the second reservoir 156. For example, the first port 204 may include a piercing mechanism to penetrate a side wall of the second reservoir 156. The first port 204 may create a channel between the second reservoir 156 and the conduit 168 to allow the flow of the flowable food product. Similar to above, during actuation of the pump 124 the flowable food product may be drawn through the first port 204 and the second port 212 into the conduit 168.

[0091] In some examples, actuation of the pump and delivery of the flowable food product to the user can be controlled by a controller. For example, the actuation of the actuator 120 and pump 124 may be controlled by the controller 128. Specifically, the controller 128 may control a dispensing rate and portion of the flowable food product by controlling a stroke volume and pump rate of the pump 124. As illustrated in FIG. 4, the actuator 120 can be electronically coupled to the controller 128. The controller 128 can control a speed or duration of actuation of the actuator 120, to control a stroke volume and pump rate of the pump 124. In some examples, the controller 128 can have onboard memory to store actuator actuation speeds, actuator actuation patterns, andactuator actuation durations for the actuator 120. The stored actuator actuation speeds, patterns, and durations can be stored in a lookup table and mapped to specific types of the flowable food product and specific amounts and rates of dispensation of the flowable food products (e.g., in milliliters or ounces). The controller 128 can also operate in a free pour mode to allow a user to dispense a desired amount of food product.

[0092] In some examples, similar to the actuator 120 and the pump 124, the controller 128 can be coupled to the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 of the housing 108, so that the controller 128 can be easily removed from the housing 108 along with the cover plate 152 or the lid 160. Specifically, the controller 128 may be coupled to the secondary housing 184 to suspend controller 128 above the flowable food product retained by the reservoir 112. However, it is appreciated that the controller 128 can instead be coupled to any of the base wall 148 and the sidewalls 144. In some cases, the controller 128 may be positioned remotely from the rest of the dispenser or may be used to control multiple dispensers.

[0093] In some examples, operation of the actuator 120 by the controller 128 can be determined by the operator interacting with a user interface of the dispenser 104. The user interface 132 can be configured to receive an operator input or to display a status of the dispenser to the operator. Additionally, the user interface 132 can allow the customer to choose from a plurality of selections including amount of flowable food product or other order information (e.g., a quantity, type, size, etc. of food item). Still referring to FIG. 4, the controller 128 can be electronically coupled to the user interface 132. The user interface 132 can allow the operator to provide an input via a screen 222 (e.g., digital screen), buttons 224 (e.g., mechanical or digital), dials, switches, knobs, or another sensor or input mechanism thereof. The input provided by the operator to the user interface 132 may be conveyed as an input signal to the controller 128. In some examples, the input signal conveyed to the controller 128 may correspond to a rate, duration, and / or pattern of actuator actuation for pumping the flowable food product from the reservoir 112. For example, a first button 228 may be actuated to dispense a single serving of the flowable food product from dispenser 104. Additionally, a second button 232 may be actuated to dispense a continuous flow of the flowable food product to allow the operator to dispense any desired amount of the flowable food product (e.g., for free-pour operation). Furthermore, in some examples, a knob, lever, or other input mechanism can set the rate of dispensation of the flowable food product. Varying the speedat which the flowable food product is dispensed may, for example, allow users to quickly dispense the flowable food product into a dish or slowly dispense the flowable food product over a food item (e.g., a hot dog, wings, or other food item).

[0094] In some examples, the user interface 132 may also include status indicators 236 to display a status of the dispensing system 100 to the operator. For example, the user interface 132 can display a duration or speed of dispensation, an empty reservoir indicator, a maintenance indicator, a request to clean indicator, a type of the flowable food product indicator, etc. The status indicators 236 may be provided, including, for example, as visual indicators (e.g., lights), auditory indicators, screens, etc. The indicators 236 may be operated by the controller 128 based upon signals from one or more sensors 136.

[0095] In some examples, similar to the actuator 120 and the pump 124, the user interface 132 can be coupled to the coverplate 152 or the lid 160 of the housing 108, so that the user interface 132 can be easily removed from the housing 108 along with the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 for cleaning. Specifically, the user interface 132 can be coupled to the first side 176 of the cover plate 152 to expose the user interface 132 to the ambient environment of the dispenser 104. In some examples, the user interface 132 may be coupled to the secondary housing 184 to suspend the user interface 132 above the flowable food product retained by the reservoir 112. However, it is appreciated that the user interface 132 can instead be coupled to any of the base wall 148 and the sidewalls 144. In some examples, the user interface 132 can extend from the cover plate 152 or the lid 160 of the housing 108, in a direction opposite the base wall 148. In some cases, the user interface 132 may positioned remotely from the dispenser 104 and can be configured to communicate with the controller 128 via a wired or wireless communication link.

[0096] In some examples, the dispenser 104 can utilize sensors to detect a presence of the operator, or specific features of a food item or receptacle. As illustrated in FIG. 4, one of the sensors 136 can be disposed below the open end 192 of the conduit 168 (e.g., aligned with the open end 192). However, it is appreciated that the sensor 136 may be disposed anywhere within or on the housing 108, the lid 160, the cover plate 152, or elsewhere on the dispenser 104. In some examples, the sensors 136 can be presence sensors (e.g., a pressure sensor, a switch, a time-of- flight sensor, an IR sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or other type of presence sensor) configured to inform the controller 128 of the presence of the operator, food item, or receptacle. In response,the controller 128 can actuate the actuator 120 to dispense a pre-determined amount of the flowable food product.

[0097] In some examples, the sensor 136 may sense features of the food item or receptacle, such as weight, shape, color, or other features. The controller 128 may then identify a type of the food item or receptacle based on the features. The controller 128 may utilize the type of the food item or receptacle to dispense different amounts of the flowable food product at varying rates. For example, the controller 128 may identify a type of the food item (e.g., wings, burger, salad) or an amount of the food item, and determine the amount of the flowable food product to dispense based on the type and amount of the food item. In other examples, the controller 128 may identify a type of receptacle (e.g., bowl, plate, sauce cup), and determine the amount of the flowable food product to dispense based on the type and amount of the food item.

[0098] In some examples, the receptacle may include a scannable code (e.g., QR code) that is associated with a specific type of receptacle, food product, or a customer order. Furthermore, the scannable code may also or otherwise be included on a receipt or a non-receptacle object (e.g., a placard, an order number sign or tent, or other devices used to communicate a customer order to restaurant workers or customers themselves). In such examples, the sensor 136 can scan the scannable code and the controller 128 may then identify a type of the food item or receptacle based on data acquired from the scannable code. As above, the controller 128 may utilize the type of the food item or receptacle to dispense different amounts of the flowable food product at varying rates. It is appreciated that the scannable code can be repeatedly reassigned to communicate different data to the controller 128 based on different customer orders.

[0099] In some examples, the dispensing system can include more than one of the dispensers capable of cooperatively dispensing a plurality of types of the flowable food product. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the dispensing system 100 can include a plurality of the dispensers 104. The dispensers 104 (e.g., controllers 128 of the dispensers) can be connected to a network 240 (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection). The network 240 may receive and communicate customer orders to the dispensers 104. In some examples, the dispenser 104 may cooperatively fulfill the customer orders by selectively dispensing flowable food products onto a food item ordered by the customer. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a conveyor system 244 (e.g., a transport system) may transport the food item between each of the dispensers 104. The conveyor system 244 maypause the food item at each of the dispensers 104 containing a desired flowable food product specified by the customer order, and the desired flowable food product may be dispensed onto the food item. However, in other examples, the conveyor system 244 may be moving while the dispensers 104 dispense the flowable food product(s) onto the food item, to allow the food item to be evenly coated with the flowable food product(s). As an illustrative example, a cheeseburger conveyed by the conveyor system 244 may be paused at a ketchup dispenser and a mustard dispenser. In other examples, an operator may simply move the food item between the various desired flowable food product dispensers. For example, the operator may be directed to one or more of the dispensers 104 having the desired flowable food product of the customer order using status indicator of the user interface 132. In other examples, especially where food items are moved manually between dispensers 104, the user interface 132 may include an indicator 236 to indicate which dispenser 104 is to be used.

[0100] In some embodiments, a secondary housing of a pump or actuator system may not be integrated with a cover plate of a dispenser. In this regard, for example, FIGS. 7-11 illustrate another embodiment of a dispenser 304. The dispenser of FIGS. 304 of FIGS. 7-11 may generally include similar features as the dispenser 104 of FIGS. 1-6 including but not limited to a housing 308 defining sidewalls 344 and a base wall 348, a reservoir 312, a pump system 316, an actuator 320, a pump 324, a controller 328, a user interface 332, sensors 336, a cover plate 352 having a first side 376 and a second side 380, a valve 364, a conduit 368, a secondary housing 384, a pump housing 394, a first port 404, an internal chamber, 408, a second port 412, a third port 414, a second conduit 386, a closure 382, afirst checkvalve 416, and a second checkvalve 420. Thus, discussion of the dispenser 104 above also generally applies to similarly numbered or named components of the dispenser 304 (and vice versa).

[0101] As described above, the dispenser 304 can include a closure to secure the cover plate 352 relative to the housing 308. Referring to FIGS. 7-10, the dispenser 304 includes the cover plate 352 that includes the closure 382 extending around a perimeter of the cover plate 352. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the closure 382 may be a lip 383 that extends from the perimeter of the cover plate 352 toward the base wall 348 of the housing 308. The lip 383 may be angled obliquely relative to the first side 376 of the cover plate 352 (e.g., relative to a plate plane extending along the first side 376). The lip 383 may extend around an exterior perimeter of the sidewalls 344 ofthe housing 308. The lip 383 may engage the sidewalls 344 of the housing 308 when the cover plate 352 is shifted in a direction that is parallel with the plate plane, consequently reducing the likelihood of the cover plate 352 becoming unseated from the housing 308 and reducing the likelihood of spilling the flowable food product within the reservoir 312.

[0102] Still referring to FIGS. 7-11, the dispenser 304 includes the pump system 316 coupled to the cover plate 352. Components of the pump system 316 including one or more of the controller 328, user interface 332, actuator 320, pump 324, valve 364, conduit 368, pump housing 394, any associated sensors, etc. can extend through the cover plate 352 from the second side 380 of the cover plate 352 (e.g., a reservoir facing side) to the first side 376 of the cover plate 352 (e.g., an ambient environment facing side). Specifically, the pump, 324, the actuator 320, and the conduit 368 can each extend through holes (see FIGS. 8 and 11) disposed in the cover plate 352.

[0103] The pump 324 and the actuator 320 can be coupled to the cover plate 352 using a pump collar 448 (e.g., a first collar). For example, a first end of the pump housing 394 may extend through a first hole 452 of the cover plate 352 from the second side 380 to the first side 376 and the pump collar 448 can be coupled to the pump housing 394 (e.g., via a threaded engagement) on the first side 376 to secure the pump 324 and actuator 320 to the cover plate 352. More specifically, the pump housing 394 may include a pump flange 456 that engages the second side 380, while the pump collar 448 engages the first side 376 to secure the pump 324 and the actuator 320 to the cover plate 352. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the pump flange 456 and the pump collar 448 may each define a larger diameter than the first hole 452.

[0104] Still referring to FIGS. 7-11, the conduit 368 can be coupled to the cover plate 352 using a conduit collar 460 (e.g., a second collar). For example, the conduit 368 may extend through a second hole 464 of the cover plate 352 from the second side 380 to the first side 376. In some examples, the conduit collar 460 can be coupled to the conduit 368 (e.g., via a threaded engagement) on the first side 376 to the secure the conduit 368 to the cover plate 352. In such examples, the conduit 368 may include a conduit flange 468, disposed along the conduit 368 that threadedly secures the conduit 368 to the conduit collar 460. Furthermore, the conduit flange 468 may engage the second side 380 of the cover plate 352, while the conduit collar 460 engages the first side 376 to secure the conduit 368 to the cover plate 352. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the conduit flange 468 and the conduit collar 460 may each define a larger diameter than the second hole 464.

[0105] Referring briefly to FIG. 9, the conduit 368 may extend from the first side 376 of the cover plate 352 to an open end 392 in the ambient environment. In some examples, a flow axis 470 (e.g., an axis along which the flowable food product is generally dispensed) may extend through a center of the open end 392. The flow axis 470 may not intersect the cover plate 352. The flow axis 470 being offset from the cover plate 352 may allow the operator to dispense the flowable food product onto a food item or into receptacle disposed beyond the perimeter of the cover plate 352 and the lip 383 (e.g., offset from the cover plate 352). Furthermore, the offset flow axis 470 may ensure any residual flowable food product drips do not spill on the cover plate 352.

[0106] In some examples, the dispenser 304 can include an actuator that can be coupled to a pump, to drive the pump to dispense the flowable food product from the dispenser. Referring specifically to FIG. 11, in some examples, the actuator 320 may be a linear actuator configured to adjust a travel distance, speed, and force of the piston 396 of the pump 324 to alter a flow of the flowable food product from the conduit 368. More specifically, the actuator 320 can include a motor, or a solenoid, or other electronic actuator that is configured to drive a ram 472 linked to the piston 396 of the pump 324.

[0107] In some examples, components of the actuator 320 may extend from the pump housing 394 opposite a coupling between the pump housing 394 and the valve 364. For example, the ram 472 driven by the actuator 320 may extend from a linkage 476 between the ram 472 and the piston 396 of the pump 324. The ram 472 may extend from the linkage 476 within the pump housing 394 and through the pump collar 448 to the ambient environment of the dispenser 304 (e.g., beyond the reservoir 312).

[0108] In some examples, the actuator 320 can be fixed relative to the pump housing 394 and the cover plate 352. More specifically, and as described further below, the actuator 320 may be coupled to and housed within a secondary housing 384, which is coupled to and fixed relative to the pump collar 448 or the pump housing 396. Therefore, the actuator 320 may be fixed relative to the pump collar 448 or the pump housing 396, and the ram 472 can be movable relative to the pump collar 448 or the pump housing 396. In such examples, driving the ram 472 using the actuator 320 causes the ram 472 to extend or retract, to actuate the pump 324, while the actuator 320 remains fixed in place relative to the pump housing 394 and the cover plate 352. As described further below, extending the ram 472 to actuate the pump 324 may cause one or more valves toopen, to induce fluid flow through the pump system 316. However, it is appreciated that the valves are not directly acted upon by the piston 396 or the ram 472. Rather, actuation of the pump 396 alters a pressure within the pump housing 396, and the alteration in pressure in the pump housing 396 causes the aforementioned one or more valves to open or close.

[0109] As above, the user interface 332 can allow the operator to provide an input via a button or input mechanism thereof. The input provided by the operator to the user interface 332 can be conveyed as an input signal to the controller 128, and can correspond to a rate, duration, and / or pattern of actuation for the actuator 320 (and ram 472) for pumping the flowable food product from the reservoir 312.

[0110] Similar to the valve 164 described above with relation to FIGS. 1-6, the valve 364 may include the first port 404, the second port 412, and the third port 414. Furthermore, fluid flow may be regulated through the first port 404 and the second port 412 by the first check valve 416 and the second check valve 420. The valve 364 can be disposed within the reservoir 312 to submerge or otherwise facilitate fluid communication with the flowable food product to allow the flowable fluid product to flow from the reservoir 312 through the first port 404 (e.g., an inlet) and into an internal chamber 408 of the valve 364. In some examples, as the piston 396 is retracted by the actuator 320 (e.g., due to retraction of the ram 472), pressure in the pump housing 394 and therefore in the internal chamber 408 is reduced below the pressure in each of the reservoir 312 and the conduit 168. This causes the second check valve 420 to close to block flow from the conduit 368 to the internal chamber 408 and causes the first check valve 416 to open to allow food product to flow into the internal chamber 408 from the reservoir 312, thereby charging the dispenser 304. As the piston 396 is extended by the actuator 320 (e.g., due to extension of the ram 472), pressure in the pump housing 394 and therefore in the internal chamber 408 is increased above the pressure in each of the reservoir 312 and the conduit 368. This causes the first check valve 416 to close to block flow from the internal chamber 408 to the reservoir 312 and causes the second check valve 420 to open to allow food product to flow into the conduit 368 from the internal chamber 408, thereby discharging the dispenser 304 and dispensing the food product. Thus, actuation of the pump 324 causes the flowable food product to be dispensed.

[0111] Referring briefly to FIG. 7, in some examples, the secondary housing 384 can house and protect electrical components of the dispenser 304. As described above, the secondary housing384 can extend from, and can be coupled to, the pump collar 448. As such, the secondary housing 384 can be offset from the cover plate 352 in a direction that is opposite from the reservoir 312, potentially mitigating the chance that the flowable food product contacts the electrical components within the secondary housing 384. However, in some examples, the secondary housing 384 may instead be coupled directly to the cover plate 352 or the pump housing 394.

[0112] In some examples, the secondary housing 384 may house an actuator assembly 480 including at least the actuator 320, the controller 328, the sensor 336, and the user interface 332. Furthermore, the secondary housing 384 may house a power supply and other electrical components of the dispenser 304. The secondary housing 384 may house the electrical components of the dispenser 304 within an interior volume of the secondary housing 384, or may be communicably coupled to the electrical components disposed along an exterior surface of one or more of the secondary housing 384 and the cover plate 352 facing the ambient environment.

[0113] In some examples, the secondary housing 384 may encompass only a portion of the one or more of the electrical components. For example, at least a portion of the actuator 320 may extend from the secondary housing 384 toward the pump housing 394. More specifically, the ram 472 of the actuator 320 can extend through the pump collar 448 to couple to the pump 324 at the linkage 476 in the pump housing 394. As described further below, the actuator assembly 472 (e.g., the ram 472) can be coupled to a pump that was previously coupled to a manual actuator to electrify a previously manual dispenser.

[0114] In some examples, one or more components of the dispenser 304 can be decoupled, removed, or replaced to allow for easy configurability and removability of components of the dispenser 304. For example, the pump system 316 and the secondary housing 384 can be readily decoupled from the cover plate 352. For example, one or more components of the pump system 316 can be decoupled from the cover plate 352 by uncoupling the conduit flange 468 from the conduit collar 460, and by uncoupling the pump collar 448 from the pump flange 456. The decoupled component of the pump system 316 can then be swapped onto another cover plate 352 or onto another dispenser.

[0115] In some examples, one or more components of the dispenser 304 can be added to a previously manual dispenser to electrify the dispenser. For example, the cover plate 352 and the pump system 316 (e.g., electric pump system) of the dispenser 304 can be installed or retrofit ontoa housing previously used as a housing for manual dispensers. In other examples, one or more components of the dispenser 304 can be swapped with components of a manual dispenser to electrify the previously manual dispenser. For example, a dispenser including a manual actuator system may be reconfigured or retrofit with one or more components of the pump system 316 and the secondary housing 384, to electrify the previously manual dispenser. In such examples, one or more components of the actuator assembly 472 and the secondary housing 384 can be coupled to and electrify the previously manual dispenser (e.g., to replace the previously manual actuator), to drive the pump of the previously manual dispenser. More specifically, the actuator assembly 472 and the secondary housing 384 (e.g., the ram 472) can be coupled to a pump and pump housing that was previously coupled to a manual actuator to electrify the previously manual dispenser.

[0116] Referring to FIGS. 12 and 13, in some examples, the dispenser 304 can include a controller housing (e.g., a tertiary housing) to house and protect electrical components of the dispenser 304, For example, the dispenser 304 can include a controller housing 500 configured to protect and house electrical components of a dispenser that is physically separated from the cover plate 352 and the secondary housing 384. In such examples, the electrical components such as the controller 328, the sensors 336, the user interface 332, the power supply, and others, may be housed exterior to the secondary housing 384. In some examples, the power supply may be a wall plug-in power supply configured to draw power from an outlet, a portable power supply (e.g., a battery), or a wireless power supply, which may receive energy using electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance coupling, radio frequency transmission, or other applicable methods of transmitting energy wirelessly. Furthermore, in such examples, the controller housing 500 can be positioned adjacent to the housing 308 or the reservoir 312 to allow the user to easily interact with the user interface 332 of the controller housing 500 to control the dispensation of the flowable food product from the reservoir 312.

[0117] The controller housing 500 may include a plurality of housing sidewalls 504 that connect a housing base wall 508 with a housing top wall 512, to define an inner volume for housing the electrical components. In some examples, the housing base wall 508 may include a plurality of feet 516 extending from the housing base wall 508. The feet 516 can be made from a high- friction material (e.g., rubber) that can reduce shifting of the controller housing 500 relative to a support surface (e.g., a table or counter).

[0118] The controller housing 500 may house the controller 328, the sensors 336, the user interface 332, a power supply, and other electrical components within an interior volume of the controller housing 500, or along an exterior surface of one or more of the plurality of housing sidewalls 504, the housing base wall 508, and the housing top wall 512. In some examples, the electrical components housed within the controller housing 500 (e.g., the controller 328) may be communicatively coupled (e.g., via a wire or wireless coupling) to the actuator 320 within the secondary housing 384. This may allow a user to control operation of the pump system 316 by interacting with the user interface 332 disposed on the controller housing 500. Furthermore, in some examples, the wired coupling of the electrical components housed within the controller housing 500 to the actuator 320 and the pump system 316 may provide power to the actuator 320 and the pump system 316.

[0119] In some examples, the controller 328 or other electrical components housed within the controller housing 500 may be removable from the pump system 316 or the actuator 320 (e.g., the controller housing 500 electrically, physically, or communicatively uncoupled from the pump system 316 or the actuator 320) of the dispenser 304. The controller 328 or other electrical components may then be connected to another pump system or actuator. In such examples, a user may interchange the cover plates and pump systems on the dispenser 304, without replacing an entirety of the dispenser 304. As an illustrative example, a user may disconnect a first cover plate and pump system from the controller 328 or other electrical components housed within the controller housing 500, remove the first cover plate and pump system from the reservoir 312 containing a flowable food product, replace the first cover plate and pump system with a second cover plate and pump system, and connect the second cover plate and pump system to the controller 328 and other electrical components of the controller housing 500. In such examples, users may reduce the number of components of the dispenser 304 that are removed from the reservoir 312 when replacing or cleaning the cover plate 352 and the pump system 316. Furthermore, such examples may reduce operating costs, as users may purchase one controller housing to interchangeably operate a plurality of cover plates and pump systems.

[0120] In some examples, the electrical components housed within the controller housing 500 may be communicatively coupled (e.g., via a wired or wireless connection) to pump systems and actuators of a plurality of dispensers. This may allow a user to control operation of a pluralityof the dispensers 304 by interacting with the user interface 332. Furthermore, in some examples, the wired coupling of the electrical components housed within the controller housing 500 to the actuator 320 and the pump system 316 may provide power to the pump systems of the plurality of dispensers.

[0121] In some embodiments, a pump or actuator system may not use a valve to regulate pressure delivered by the pump to a conduit extending into a reservoir containing flowable food product. In this regard, for example, FIGS. 14-18 illustrate another embodiment of a dispenser 604. The dispenser 604 of FIGS. 14-18 may generally include similar features as the dispenser 104 of FIGS. 1-6 and the dispenser 304 of FIGS. 7-13, including but not limited to a housing 608 defining sidewalls 644 and a base wall 648, a reservoir 612, a pump system 616, an actuator 620, a pump 624, a controller 628, a user interface 632, sensors 636, a cover plate 652 having a first side 676 and a second side 680, a first conduit 668, a secondary housing 684, a pump housing 694, a closure 682, and a lip 683. Thus, discussion of the dispensers 104, 304 above also generally applies to similarly numbered or named components of the dispenser 604 (and vice versa).

[0122] Referring to FIGS. 14-18, in some examples, the dispenser 604 can include a secondary housing configured to protect and house electrical components of the dispenser 604. For example, the dispenser 604 can include the secondary housing 684 configured to house and protect electrical components of the dispenser 604, such as the actuator 620, the controller 628, the user interface 632, the sensors 636, and a power supply, from the flowable food product. In some examples, the power supply may be a wall plug-in power supply configured to draw power from an outlet, a portable power supply (e.g., a battery), or a wireless power supply, which may receive energy using electromagnetic induction, magnetic resonance coupling, radio frequency transmission, or other applicable methods of transmitting energy wirelessly.

[0123] The secondary housing 684 can extend from the cover plate 652 in a direction that is perpendicular to the first side 676 of the cover plate 652. In some examples, the secondary housing 684 can define a plurality of housing sidewalls 800 that extend between a housing base wall 804 and a housing top wall 808, to define an interior volume for housing the electrical components of the dispenser 604.

[0124] Referring briefly to FIGS. 17-18, in some examples, the secondary housing 684 can be separated from the reservoir 612 by a barrier. For example, during regular operation of thedispenser 604, the secondary housing 684 may rest on the first side 676 of the cover plate 652. More specifically, the housing base wall 804 may contact and rest on the cover plate 652, such that the cover plate 652 supports the secondary housing 684. As such, an interior volume of the secondary housing 684 may be separated from the reservoir 612 by both the cover plate 652 and the housing base wall 804. In such examples, as the secondary housing 684 is a separate component from the cover plate 652, the secondary housing 684, and components of the dispenser 604 attached thereto or retained therein, can be separably removable from the dispenser 304 (e.g., without removing the cover plate 652).

[0125] In some examples, the secondary housing 684 may support and suspend components of the pump system 616. For example, the pump system 616 can be coupled to, and may extend through, one of the housing sidewalls 800 of the secondary housing 684. More specifically, the actuator 620 and the pump housing 694 can be coupled to and extend through a front sidewall 812 of the housing sidewalls 800 (see FIGS. 17-18). In some examples, the actuator 620 and the pump housing 694 can be coupled to and extend through the front sidewall 812, such that the actuator 620 and the pump housing 694 are offset from the cover plate 652 in a direction that is opposite from the reservoir 612. As such, the secondary housing 684 may suspend the pump system 616 above the first side 676 of the cover plate 652.

[0126] Referring to FIGS. 14-18, the dispenser 604 includes the pump system 616 coupled to the cover plate 652. For example, components of the pump system 616 can extend through the cover plate 652 from the second side 680 of the cover plate 652 to the first side 676 of the cover plate 652. More specifically, the first conduit 668 can extend through a first hole 764 (see FIGS. 17-18) disposed in the cover plate 652.

[0127] In some examples, the first conduit 668 can be coupled to the cover plate 652. For example, the first conduit 668 can be coupled to the cover plate 652 using a conduit collar 760. The first conduit 668 may extend through the first hole 764 of the cover plate 652 from the second side 680 to the first side 676. In some examples, the conduit collar 760 can be coupled to the conduit 368 (e.g., via a threaded engagement) on the first side 676 to the secure the first conduit 668 to the cover plate 652. In such examples, the first conduit 668 may include a conduit flange 768, disposed along the first conduit 668 that threadedly secures the first conduit 668 to the conduit collar 760. Furthermore, the conduit flange 768 may engage the second side 680 of the cover plate652, while the conduit collar 760 engages the first side 676 to secure the first conduit 668 to the cover plate 652. As illustrated in FIGS. 17-18, the conduit flange 768 and the conduit collar 760 may each define a larger diameter than the first hole 764. As discussed further below, the first conduit 668 may extend beyond the conduit collar 760 in a direction opposite the reservoir 612 to couple the pump housing 694.

[0128] Still referring to FIGS. 14-18, in some examples, the pump 624 and the actuator 620 can be indirectly coupled to the cover plate 652. For example, the pump 624 and the actuator 620 can be coupled to the first conduit 668, which in turn is coupled to the cover plate 652. As discussed above, the pump 624 and the actuator 620 may be offset from the cover plate 652 and reservoir 612, such that the pump system 616 does not extend into the reservoir 612. In some examples, a first port 704 of the pump housing 694 may extend toward the first hole 764 of the cover plate 652 (e.g., toward the first conduit 668). Furthermore, the first port 704 of the pump housing 694 can be fluidly coupled to the first conduit 668, to allow the pump 624 to draw the flowable food product from the reservoir 612. As illustrated in FIGS. 14-18, the first port 704 of the pump housing 694 can be coupled to the first conduit 668 using a first intermediary conduit 816. Specifically, the first intermediary conduit 816 can extend between the first port 704 and the first conduit 668, and each of the first conduit 668 and the first port 704 can be coupled to the first intermediary conduit 816 using a first set of fasteners 820 (e.g., hose clips, threadings, or other type of applicable fastener). It is appreciated that the first port 704 can instead be directly coupled to the first conduit 668 using a fastener. As described further below, the pump 624 may draw the flowable food product from the reservoir 612 and into the pump system 616 via the first conduit 668.

[0129] In some examples, the dispenser 604 can include a conduit that is configured to convey the flowable food product from the pump system 616 to the ambient environment (e.g., onto a food item or onto receptacle). For example, a second conduit 824 may be fluidly coupled to the pump system 616 to convey the flowable food product away from the pump housing 694. The second conduit 824 can be fluidly coupled to a second port 712 of the pump housing 694. Similar to the first conduit 668, the second conduit 824 can be coupled to the second port 712 of the pump housing 694 using a second intermediary conduit 828. Specifically, the second intermediary conduit 828 can extend between the second port 712 and the second conduit 824, and each of thesecond conduit 824 and the second port 712 can be coupled to the second intermediary conduit 828 using a second set of the fasteners 820. It is appreciated that the second port 712 can instead be directly coupled to the second conduit 824 using a fastener.

[0130] Referring briefly to FIG. 15, the second conduit 824 may extend from the second port 712 to an open end 692 of the second conduit 824 in the ambient environment. In some examples, a flow axis 770 (e.g., an axis along which the flowable food product is generally dispensed) may extend through a center of the open end 692. The flow axis 770 may not intersect the cover plate 652. The flow axis 770 being offset from the cover plate 652 may allow the operator to dispense the flowable food product onto a food item or into receptacle disposed beyond the perimeter of the cover plate 652 and the lip 683 (e.g., offset from the cover plate 352). Furthermore, the offset flow axis 770 may ensure any residual flowable food product drips do not spill on the cover plate 652.

[0131] In some examples, the open end 692 of the second conduit 824 may include a nozzle 672. The nozzle 672 may help to control the dispensation of the flowable food product. For example, the nozzle 672 may mitigate dripping or spilling of the flowable food product while the dispenser 104 is not in use. Furthermore, the nozzle 672 may improve directional control of the dispensed flowable food product while the dispenser 604 is in use.

[0132] As illustrated in FIGS. 17-18, a portion of the first conduit 668 can be disposed within the reservoir 612 to submerge or otherwise facilitate fluid communication with the flowable food product to allow the flowable fluid product to flow from the reservoir 612 to the pump 624. In some examples, the pump 624 may be a positive displacement pump (e.g., a rotary pump, vane pump, lobe pump, peristaltic pump, internal gear pump, external gear pump, or other applicable pump). Furthermore, the actuator 620 may be a motor (e.g., brushed DC motors, brushless DC motors, AC motors, universal motors, stepper motor, or other applicable motor) having a rotatable shaft configured to rotate a component of the pump 624. In such examples, actuating the pump 624 using the actuator 620 alters an internal pressure of the first conduit 668 and selectively controls fluid flow therethrough. Specifically, actuating the pump causes pressure in the first conduit 668 and at the first port 704 to be reduced below the pressure in the reservoir 612. This causes the flowable food product to flow into the first conduit 668 and through the first port 704. As the flowable food product enters into the pump housing 694, rotors, vanes, lobes, or otherrotatable fluid propellers contact and push the flowable food product through the pump 624 (e.g., the pump housing 694 to the second port 712 and into the second conduit 824. As the flowable food product is pushed through the pump 624 to the second port 712, pressure builds in the second port 712 and in the second conduit 824 causing the flowable fluid product to flow out of the open end 692, thereby discharging the dispenser 604 and dispensing the food product. In some examples, the pump 624 may be a peristaltic pump, such that the flowable food product does not directly contact rotors or rollers of the pump 624. Thus, actuation of the pump 624 causes the flowable food product to be dispensed.

[0133] In some examples, electrical components of the dispenser 604 can be coupled to or retained within the secondary housing 684. More specifically, the controller 628, the sensors 636, the actuator 620, the user interface 632, the power supply, and other components can be coupled to or retained within the secondary housing, so that the electrical components can be easily removed from the housing 608 and the cover plate 652. Furthermore, the user interface 632 can be coupled to the secondary housing 684, to expose the user interface 632 to the ambient environment of the dispenser 604. However, it is appreciated that the user interface 632 can instead be coupled to any of the cover plate 652 and the housing 608, or may otherwise be positioned remotely from the dispenser 604. As described above in relation to the dispenser 104, the controller 628 may utilize user inputs from the user interface 632 or data communication from the sensors 636 to selectively actuate the actuator 620 and the pump 624 to dispense the flowable food product from the dispenser 604.

[0134] In some embodiments, more than one dispenser can be used in a dispenser system or network, to increase the variety of flowable food products available to the user. In this regard, for example, FIGS. 19-22 illustrate a dispenser assembly 900 that includes a plurality of dispensers 910. The dispensers 910 of FIGS. 19-22 may generally include similar features as the dispenser 104 of FIGS. 1-6, the dispenser 304 of FIGS. 7-13, and the dispenser 604 of FIGS. 14- 18. Thus, discussion of the dispensers 104, 304, 604 above also generally applies to similarly numbered or named components of the dispenser 910 (and vice versa).

[0135] Referring to FIGS. 19-22, The first arrangement of the food dispenser assembly 900 includes a plurality of food dispensers 910 (e.g., a food product dispenser) that can be configured to dispense a food product. In other words, the food dispensers 910 are each configuredto dispense a food product such as a flowable food product, or other food product that can be added to corresponding containers or receptacle (e.g., a cup, a bowl, a plate, a condiment container, a food item, or the like) from a plurality of food supply units (e.g., housings containing reservoirs for flowable food product). For example, each of the food dispensers 910 can include a food supply unit 930 that contains flowable food product. As discussed further below, actuation of a pump may dispense a flowable food product from the food supply unit 930 into receptacle 950 that may be empty or may otherwise contain a food item. As an example, the food dispensers 910 can be used to dispense food products such as wing sauces, syrups, flavors, fudge sauces, caramel sauces, condiments, melted cheese, milk, or other similar flowable food products, that can be dispensed from either a bottle, container, a flexible food pouch, or the like.

[0136] The food dispenser assembly 900 includes one or more housings, shelves, or racks to hold one or more components of the food dispenser assembly 900. In the illustrated example, the food dispenser assembly 900 includes a cart 940 that supports the food dispensers 910. In particular, the cart 940 includes an upper shelf 942 (e.g., an upper rack) and a lower shelf 944 (e.g., a lower rack). In the illustrated example, the upper shelf 942 supports a base and nozzle of each of the dispensers 910, and the lower shelf 944 supports the food supply units 930 of each of the dispensers 910. In some cases, the lower shelf 944 can be sized and shaped to allow easy access to the food supply units 930 (e.g., by a user). The cart 940 can support one or more of the food dispensers 910, to provide users with options of various different types of the flowable food product at a single location. Furthermore, although the illustrated embodiment includes the cart 940 that is rollable and mobile, other embodiments can include a cart that is stationary or be configured as a countertop, a wall, or a built-in shelf.

[0137] In some examples, the food dispensers 910 can each include a base 912 (e.g., a cover plate) that can be coupled to the upper shelf 942. Additionally, the food dispensers can each include a dispensing nozzle 914 (e.g., a conduit and nozzle combination) that dispenses the food product (e.g., through one or more dispensing holes). In some examples, the base 912 can threadably engage with the upper shelf 942 to secure the base 912 to the upper shelf 942. However, it is appreciated that the base 912 can instead include an alternate closure (e g., a clamp, a latch, a recessed channel configured to receive a protrusion along the upper shelf 942, a lip that overhangs and extends around a perimeter of the base 912 to engage a protrusion or slot along the upper shelf,or another applicable closure) to aid the securement of the base 912 to the upper shelf 942. The base 912 and the dispensing nozzle 914 may therefore be readily removable from the upper shelf 942 for cleaning or for interchanging the types of flowable food products offered on the cart 940.

[0138] In some examples, the dispensing nozzle 914 is supported by the base 912. For example, the dispensing nozzle 914 can extend from the base 912. Furthermore, a tip of the dispensing nozzle 914 can extend forward of the base 912. In some examples, a flow axis 916 (e.g., an axis along which the flowable food product is generally dispensed) may extend through a center of an open end of the nozzle 914. The flow axis 916 may not intersect the base 912. The flow axis 916 being offset from the base 912 may allow the operator to dispense the flowable food product onto a food item or into receptacle disposed beyond the perimeter of the base 912. Accordingly, the receptacle 950 can be provided under the tip of the corresponding dispensing nozzle 914 and receive the food product dispensed through the dispensing nozzle 914.

[0139] In the illustrated example, the food dispenser assembly 900 includes a set of six of the dispensing nozzles 914 in a first array. The dispensing nozzles 914 are spaced apart from one another, such that the respective nozzles 914 do not interfere with one another. More specifically, the dispensing nozzles 914 may be circumferentially spaced from one another around a circular array. Furthermore, the dispensing nozzles 914 may point toward a center of the array, providing a centralized location for dispensing the flowable food products.

[0140] In some examples, the receptacles 950, or a plurality of recesses that receive the receptacles 950, can be arranged in a second array (e.g., a circular array) within the circular array defined by the first array. The receptacle 950 can be provided on a tray 920 (e.g., an indexing tray) that includes the plurality of recesses 922 for receiving at least a portion of the corresponding receptacle 950 (e.g., a bottom of each of the receptacle). The recesses 922 can be aligned with the tip of the corresponding dispensing nozzle 914 when the tray 920 is secured to the upper shelf 942. Thus, the food product can be dispensed through the dispensing nozzles 914 into the receptacle 950 arranged on the tray 920.

[0141] In some examples, the first array of the nozzles 914 and the second array of the receptacles 950 or the recesses 922 may define the same shape, pattern, or layout, or a similar shape, pattern, or layout. For example, the nozzles 914 of the first array can be radially aligned with the recesses 922 of the second array, such that a radius extending from a center of the first orsecond array extends through at least one of the nozzles 914 and one of the recesses 922. Furthermore, aligning one of the nozzles 914 of the first array with one of the recesses 922 of the second array may cause a plurality of the nozzles 914 to be aligned with a plurality of the recesses 922.

[0142] In some examples, the tray 920 can include a tray actuator (e.g., a motor) that rotates the tray 920 relative to the dispensing nozzles 914. The tray 920 may therefore be rotated to align one or more of the receptacle 950 with a desired dispensing nozzle 914, to dispense a desired type of flowable food product into the receptacle 950. In other examples, the tray 920 can instead be rotated manually by a user to align one of the receptacle 950 with a tip of the desired dispensing nozzle 914.

[0143] In some cases, the recesses 922 can include an aperture that extends entirely through the tray 920 or a blind hole that partially extends through the tray 920. In the illustrated example, the food dispenser assembly 900 includes twelve recesses 922 and twelve receptacle 950, with each of the receptacle 950 received in a corresponding one of the recesses 922. The recesses 922 can be distributed in a circular array. The recesses 922 can be spaced apart from one another (e.g., evenly) by a predetermined angle that corresponds to an angle between adjacent dispensing nozzles 914. Thus, each of the dispensing nozzles 914 can be provided with a designated receptacle to be filled. As such, two or more of the plurality of dispensers 910 can simultaneously dispense one or more types of the flowable food product into the receptacle 950 using the plurality of dispensing nozzles 914.

[0144] The receptacle 950 that are filled with the food product can be replaced with empty receptacle (e.g., replacement receptacle). In particular, the replacement receptacle can be provided for one or more of the dispensing nozzles 914, for example, by removing the receptacle 950 from the corresponding recesses 922 or rotating the tray 920 to align the dispensing nozzles 914 with the corresponding replacement receptacle. In some cases, the tray 920 can be rotated by a predetermined angle (e.g., 180 degrees) to align one or more of different recesses 922 with the dispensing nozzles 914. The dispensing nozzles 914 can then dispense the food product into the replacement receptacle received into the different recesses 922.

[0145] In the illustrated example, the food dispenser assembly 900 includes two sets of the dispensing nozzles 914 and the corresponding trays 920. In other examples, the food dispenserassembly 900 can include less or more sets of the dispensing nozzles 914 and less or more sets of the receptacle 950 on the corresponding trays (e.g., one set, three sets, four sets, five sets, etc.). Further, while the illustrated example includes six dispensing nozzles and twelve receptacle, other examples can include less or more dispensing nozzles per set (e.g., two, three, four, five, seven, eight dispensers, or the like) and less or more receptacle per set (e.g., two, three, four, five, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, thirteen, or fourteen holes, or the like). Further, the dispensing nozzles 914 and the receptacle need not be provided in a two-dimensional array that is circular. For example, the dispensing nozzles 914 and the receptacle can be arranged in a one-dimensional array (e.g., a linear array) or different types of a multi-dimensional array (e.g., a square array).

[0146] In some examples, the food supply units 930 pump the flowable food product to the dispensing nozzles 914. The food supply units 930 include reservoirs 932 that contain the flowable food product. In various examples, the food supply units 930 can be stacked side-by-side, stacked on top of each other, stacked in a combination of side-by-side or on top of each other, or the like. In some examples, the reservoirs 932 of the food supply units 930 can be one or more bottles, one or more bags, one or more pouches, one or more cans, one or more jars, or the like. In other examples, the one or more reservoirs 932 can be configured to contain one or more bottles, one or more bags, one or more pouches, one or more cans, one or more jars, or the like. In some instances, one or more food products can be directly poured into the one or more reservoirs 932.

[0147] The food dispensers 910 further include pump systems 934 configured to pump the flowable food product to the dispensing nozzle 914. For example, the pump system 934 of each of the dispensers 910 can include one or more pumps 936 and one or more actuators configured to dispense a known amount of a flowable food product or a granular food product. The number of pumps 936, actuators, or other components included in each of the dispensers 910 may vary depending on a number of food products that are capable of being dispensed from the dispensing nozzle 914.

[0148] In some examples, each of food supply units 930 can include the pump 936 and the actuator that may be disposed within, or partially within, the food supply unit 930. However, in other examples, the dispensers 910 may each include the pump 936 or the actuator disposed along a conduit or tube connecting the food supply unit 930 of the dispenser 910 to the dispensing nozzle 914 of the dispenser 910. Various tubes, conduits, or fittings can connect the pumps 936 and thedispensing nozzles 914 to convey a different amounts or types of food products (e.g., different types of sauces) from the reservoirs 932 to the corresponding dispensing nozzles 914.

[0149] In some examples, the operation of the pump system 934 and a rotation of the tray 920 can be controlled via a controller. Specifically, the controller can selectively actuate the pump 936 using the actuator to dispense the flowable food product into the receptacle 950. Furthermore, the controller can selectively rotate the tray 920 using the tray actuator, to align dispensing nozzles with receptacle. In some examples, the controller may receive commands from a network (e.g., a network that stores customer orders). The controller may therefore rotate tray 920 and actuate the pump systems 934 to dispense flowable food products according to customer orders or according to other commands from the network.

[0150] In some cases, the controller can control one or more functionalities of the food dispenser assembly 900, including a volume of the food product to be dispensed, a number of receptacle 950 to be filled, types of the food product, rotation of the tray 920, a temporal pattern of dispenses, etc. In some cases, the controller can provide signals for automatically dispensing one or more food products based on the detection of the receptacle 950 by one or more sensors. Further, the controller can be provided on one or more features of the food dispenser assembly 900. For example, the controller can be located on the upper shelf 942, the lower shelf 944 (e.g., near the food supply units 930), the base 912, or the food supply units 930, elsewhere on the dispensers 910, etc.

[0151] In some examples, one or more of the dispensers 910 can include a user interface 954 (e.g., control panel, screen, a switch, a button, lever, remote control, or other applicable interface). The user interface 954 can convey inputs from the user to the controller, and can further provide the user with information regarding a status of the dispenser 910. In some examples, the user interface can allow for touchless or touch activation and the ability to modify the operation of the food dispensers 910 from the user interface 954. In other examples, two or more of the dispensers 910 the food dispenser assembly 900 can be controlled by a single controller and user interface pairing.

[0152] In some cases, one or more components of the food supply units 930 or individual food supply units 930 can be replaced or rearranged. In some cases, power cables for the foodsupply units 930 can be routed in a particular arrangement to aid in the replacement or rearrangement processes.

[0153] In some cases, various conduits of the food dispenser assembly 900 can be cleaned or sanitized via a cleaning system (e.g., an integrated or portable cleaning system). For example, a flow of cleaning solution can be provided to clean the conduits of the food supply units 930 or the food dispensers 910.

[0154] In some embodiments, a plurality of dispensers can be arranged in a linear array. In this regard, for example, FIGS. 23-25 illustrate a dispenser assembly 1100 that includes a plurality of dispensers 1110. The dispensers 1110 of FIGS. 23-25 may generally include similar features as the dispenser 104 of FIGS. 1-6, the dispenser 304 of FIGS. 7-13, the dispenser 604 of FIGS. 14- 18, and the dispenser assembly 900 of FIGS. 19-22 including dispensers 1110 each having a base 1112, a dispensing nozzle 1114, a pump, an actuator, and a food supply unit 1130, as well as a cart 1140 having an upper shelf 1142, a lower shelf 1144, and a plurality of receptacle 1150 arranged thereon. Thus, discussion of the dispensers 104, 304, 604, 910 above also generally applies to similarly numbered or named components of the dispenser 1110 (and vice versa).

[0155] The food dispenser assembly 1100 differs from the food dispenser assembly 900 in some aspects, including configurations of the food dispensers 1110 in an array. For example, the dispensing nozzles 1114 of the dispensers 1110 are arranged in a linear array along the upper shelf 1142. Thus, the food dispensers 1110 can dispense the food product into the receptacle 1150 that are arranged in a similar linear array. In some examples, the receptacle 1150 can be provided on a tray (e.g., an elongated tray) to enhance a process of placing or removing the receptacle 1150 after dispensation. In other examples, the receptacles 1150 cabe provided on a conveyor. The conveyor may be actuatable by an electronic actuator to one or more of the receptacles 1150 with one or more of the dispensing nozzles 1114.

[0156] In some examples, the actuator assembly may be quickly interchangeable with preexisting manual actuators to allow for a quick and seamless transition between conventional manual actuators and the present automatic actuator. For example, the actuator assembly may simply be secured to a pre-existing pump housing to electrify the pump system.

[0157] This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the invention. The patentablescope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims.

Claims

CLAIMSI / We claim:

1. A dispensing system comprising: a housing including a reservoir that retains a flowable food product; a removable lid covering an open end of the housing; a pump system coupled to the lid to convey a fluid from the reservoir, the pump system including: an electronic actuator that is fixed relative to the lid; a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator; a pump including a piston coupled to the ram, the piston being actuatable by the ram; a first valve; a hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir to a conduit open end disposed on an exterior side of the housing, the conduit conveying the flowable food product away from the reservoir; a user interface configured to receive an input and to generate an input signal; and a controller configured to receive the input signal and to actuate the electronic actuator based on the input signal to dispense the fluid, wherein actuation of the piston causes the first valve to open due to a pressure differential across the first valve.

2. The dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising a sensor configured to detect a presence of a food item, and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the pump in response to detecting the presence of the food item.

3. The dispensing system of claim 2, wherein the sensor is configured to detect an amount of a food item, and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the pump to dispense a pre-determined amount of the flowable food product, based on the amount of the food item.

4. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the open end of the conduit includes a nozzle to control dispensing of the flowable food product.

5. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes indicators to indicate a status of the dispensing system.

6. The dispensing system of claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a first button that when actuated sends the input signal to the controller to actuate the pump to dispense a first amount of the flowable food product, and wherein the user interface includes a second button that when actuated sends the input signal to the controller to actuate the pump to dispense a second amount of the flowable food product.

7. The dispensing system of claim 1 further comprising: a second a housing including a second reservoir that retains a second flowable food product; a second removable lid covering a second open end of the second housing; and a second pump system coupled to the second lid to convey a fluid from the second reservoir, the second pump system including: a second electronic actuator; and a second hollow conduit.

8. The dispensing system of claim 7, wherein the removeable lid includes a secondary housing having an inner volume to house the controller, the inner volume being disconnected from the reservoir.

9. The dispensing system of claim 1 , wherein first end of the hollow conduit is coupled to a first port of the first valve within the reservoir, and wherein a pump housing that houses the piston extends from a second port of the first valve.

10. The dispensing system of claim 9, wherein a second valve regulates flow through a third port and into the first valve, wherein a third valve regulates flow through the second port and out of the first valve, wherein the third port fluidly connects the first valve to the reservoir, and wherein the second valve and the third valve are each actuated by a pressure differential across the second and third valves, respectively.

11. A removable lid for a reservoir of a dispenser for a flowable food product, the lid including: a cover plate having a first side and a second side, the second side configured to cover a first reservoir; a conduit tube extending from the first side of the cover plate to the second side of the cover plate to provide a passage through the cover plate for the flowable food product; a pump system coupled to the cover plate to pump the flowable food product through the conduit; an electronic actuator configured to operate the pump system; and a controller configured to operate the electronic actuator to dispense a predetermined amount of the flowable food product, wherein the cover plate is switchable between covering the first reservoir containing a first flowable food product and covering a second reservoir containing a first flowable food product, wherein the pump system is configured to pump the first and second flowable food product in the first reservoir and the second reservoir, respectively.

12. The lid of claim 11, further comprising a valve between the pump system and the conduit to control a direction of flow through the conduit tube, the valve being disposed within the first reservoir and including an inlet to receive the first flowable food product from the first reservoir and an outlet that is coupled to the conduit tube.

13. The lid of claim 12, wherein the valve includes a first check valve to control flow though the inlet and a second check valve to control flow through the outlet.

14. The lid of claim 11, wherein the conduit tube extends from the first side of the cover plate to a conduit open end, and wherein the pump system is coupled to the conduit open end.

15. The lid of claim 12, wherein the pump system receives fluid from the conduit tube through a first port, and wherein the pump system pumps fluid out of the pump system through a second port, the second port being coupled to a second conduit tube configured to convey fluid away from the pump system.

16. The lid of claim 11, wherein the pump system further includes: a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator; and a pump including a piston coupled to the ram, the piston being actuatable by the ram, wherein actuation of the piston causes a first valve to open due to a pressure differential across the first valve, and wherein the pressure differential across the first valve is configured to cause the first flowable food product to flow into the conduit tube.

17. The lid of claim 11, further comprising a housing and a user interface, wherein the controller is disposed within the housing, and wherein the controller determines the predetermined amount of flowable food product to be dispensed based on an input signal provided by a user at the user interface.

18. The lid of claim 17, wherein the user interface is coupled to one or more of the cover plate and the housing and exposed along an exterior surface thereof.

19. The lid of claim 17, wherein the housing is coupled to the pump system, and wherein a barrier separates an interior of the housing and the first reservoir.

20. A method of using the lid of claim 11 comprising: adding the first flowable food product to the first reservoir; covering the first reservoir using the lid; pumping the first flowable food product from the first reservoir; removing the lid from the first reservoir; adding the second flowable food product to the second reservoir; covering the second reservoir using the lid; and pumping the second flowable food product from the second reservoir.

21. A dispensing system comprising: a housing including a reservoir that retains a flowable food product; a removable lid covering an open end of the housing; a pump system coupled to the lid to convey a fluid from the reservoir, the pump system including: an electronic actuator; a pump actuatable by the electronic actuator disposed within a pump housing; a first hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir through the removable lid, the first hollow conduit being fluidly coupled with the pump housing configured to convey the flowable food product from the reservoir to the pump housing; a second hollow conduit fluidly coupled with the pump housing configured to convey the flowable food product from the pump housing to the ambient environment; a user interface configured to receive an input and to generate an input signal; and a controller configured to receive the input signal and to actuate the electronic actuator based on the input signal to dispense the fluid, wherein actuation of the pump draws the flowable fluid product into the pump housing through the first hollow conduit and dispenses the flowable food product to the ambient environment through the second hollow conduit.

22. The dispensing system of claim 21 further comprising a secondary housing coupled to the pump, configured to house the controller and at least a portion of the actuator.

23. The dispensing system of claim 22, wherein one or more of the secondary housing and the pump are removably coupled to the lid.

24. The dispensing system of claim 22, wherein the secondary housing is separated from the reservoir by a barrier.

25. A dispensing system comprising: a support surface; a plurality of reservoirs configured to retain one or more flowable food products; a plurality of nozzles configured to convey the flowable food products to the ambient environment of the dispensing system, each of the plurality of nozzles being fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of reservoirs, the plurality of nozzles being arranged in a first array along the support surface; a plurality of pumps actuatable by a plurality of first electronic actuators, each of the plurality of pumps configured to pump the flowable food products from one or more of the plurality of reservoirs to one or more of the plurality of nozzles; and a tray including a plurality of recesses configured to receive and retain a plurality of receptacles for receiving the flowable food product, the recesses being arranged in a second array, the tray being rotatable to align the first array of the nozzles with the second array of the recesses, wherein the first array and second array define similar patterns, such that aligning one of the nozzles of the first array with one of the recesses of the second array may cause a plurality of the nozzles to be aligned with a plurality of the recesses.

26. The dispensing system of claim 25, wherein the tray is rotatable using a second electronic actuator.

27. The dispensing system of claim 25, wherein the first array and the second array are each circular such that one or more the nozzles of the first array can be radially aligned with one or more of the recesses of the second array, relative to a center of the first or second arrays.

28. A dispensing system comprising: a support surface; a plurality of reservoirs configured to retain one or more flowable food products; a plurality of nozzles configured to convey the flowable food products to the ambient environment of the dispensing system, each of the plurality of nozzles being fluidly coupled to one or more of the plurality of reservoirs, the plurality of nozzles being arranged in a first array along the support surface; a plurality of pumps actuatable by a plurality of first electronic actuators, each of the plurality of pumps configured to pump the flowable food products from one or more of the plurality of reservoirs to one or more of the plurality of nozzles; and a plurality of receptacles arranged linearly along the support surface in a second array.

29. The dispensing system of claim 28, wherein the receptacles are arranged along a conveyor disposed along the support surface, the conveyor being actuatable by a second actuator to align the second array of receptacles with the first array of nozzles.

30. A method of retrofitting a dispenser for a flowable food product, the method including: providing the dispenser for the flowable food product including a pump, a piston, and a manual actuator coupled to the piston via a linkage, the dispenser being configured to dispense the flowable food product upon actuation of the manual actuator; providing a secondary housing including an electronic actuator, a ram actuatable by the electronic actuator, and a controller to control actuation of the electronic actuator; uncoupling the manual actuator from the piston; coupling the ram to the piston via the linkage; fixedly coupling the secondary housing to the dispenser; and actuating the ram using the actuator to extend the piston to dispense the flowable food product.

31. A method of operating a lid for a reservoir of a dispenser for a flowable food product, the method including: adding a flowable food product to the reservoir; covering the reservoir using the lid, the lid including a pump system coupled thereto to convey a fluid from the reservoir, the pump system including: an electronic actuator, and a hollow conduit extending from a first end within the reservoir to a conduit open end disposed on an exterior side of the reservoir, the conduit conveying the flowable food product away from the reservoir; inputting a command to a controller to actuate the pump system to dispense a predetermined amount of the flowable food product; and pumping the predetermined amount of flowable food product through the hollow conduit and away from the reservoir.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the command input to the controller is based on an input signal provided by a user at a user interface.

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