Automated food management system
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Solution Overview
Problem
Automated cooking devices face challenges in efficiently storing and organizing cooked food products for further processing or sale due to the need for suitable storage and handling before they can be prepared for customers.
Innovation Solution
An automated food management system with an enclosure, elevator, shuttle, and rotatable fork is used to handle and store cooked food products, ensuring they are maintained in a substantially horizontal orientation and efficiently transferred between trays for storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If automated cooking devices are used to cook food continuously, then productivity is improved, but the complexity of storing and organizing cooked food products increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested storage system where multiple trays are stacked vertically within the enclosure. Each tray can hold cooked food products, and the trays are arranged in a compact vertical configuration. This nesting approach maximizes storage capacity within a limited space, allowing the system to handle high-volume continuous cooking output without requiring proportionally larger storage areas.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from horizontal to vertical storage by implementing an elevator mechanism that moves trays vertically within the enclosure. The elevator can lift and position trays at different heights, enabling three-dimensional utilization of storage space. This vertical arrangement allows multiple trays to be stacked and accessed systematically, resolving the complexity of organizing large volumes of cooked food products.
2Quantity of substance
If cooked food products are stored in stacked trays, then storage efficiency is improved, but the difficulty of retrieving and organizing individual trays increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic tray management system where the elevator mechanism can automatically retrieve, lift, and reposition individual trays from the stacked arrangement. The system can selectively access specific trays based on storage duration requirements, with the ability to move trays between different vertical positions. This dynamic operation simplifies tray retrieval and organization despite the large number of stacked trays.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a FIFO (First-In-First-Out) storage strategy where trays are pre-organized in the vertical stack according to their storage duration. Trays that have been in storage the longest are positioned for easier retrieval, while recently added trays remain in the stack. This preliminary organization reduces the complexity of retrieving individual trays, as the system automatically maintains optimal retrieval order through the elevator mechanism.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system facilitates efficient storage and organization of cooked food products, allowing for consistent quality control and streamlined processing, enhancing the benefits of automated cooking.
Implementation Method 1
an elevator that is configured to lift a tray from a plurality of stacked trays when received within the enclosure to a position where the lifted tray can receive the cooked food product
Implementation Method 2
a fork that receives a cooked food product thereon and rotates to allow the cooked food product to fall into the positioned tray
Implementation Method 3
the shaft comprises an input configured to engage with the external source and receive torque from the external source, the input disposed at an eccentric position upon the shaft with respect to a longitudinal axis of the shaft through a center of the shaft, such that rotation of the external source causes rotation of the shaft and reciprocating cyclic linear motion of the shaft
Data Source
AI summary
A system to store food products within a heated compartment is provided. The system includes an enclosure that receives stacked trays, and an elevator to lift trays to a position to receive a plurality of food products from a conveyor or another source. A fork may be provided that receives a cooked food product thereon and rotates to allow the cooked food product to fall into the positioned tray while being maintained in a horizontal manner. A shuttle moves a full tray into a heated compartment, which moves trays therewithin to organize them for future use within a restaurant operation.