Patents by Inventor Steven Frehn
Steven Frehn has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 9788687Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: GrantFiled: May 17, 2016Date of Patent: October 17, 2017Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza, Matthew Williams
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Patent number: 9770049Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: January 29, 2016Date of Patent: September 26, 2017Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Patent number: 9718568Abstract: One variation of a system for packaging a foodstuff includes: a ramp; a bag dispenser adjacent the ramp and dispensing a bag into a load position; a paddle pivotable about a hinge arranged above the ramp, comprising a leading edge opposite the hinge and engaging the ramp, and extensible between a retracted setting and an extended setting, the leading edge of the paddle in contact with the ramp in the retracted setting and inserted into the mouth of the bag in the extended setting; an actuator coupled to the paddle and extending the paddle between the retracted setting and the extended setting; and a conveyor advancing the a foodstuff toward the bag dispenser, foodstuff contacting a bottom surface of the paddle and pivoting the paddle about the hinge to separate an upper layer of the bag from a lower layer.Type: GrantFiled: September 22, 2014Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, John Lawrence McDonald, Steven Frehn
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Publication number: 20170024789Abstract: One variation of a method for fulfilling custom food orders includes: in response to request for a custom food order from a patron through an ordering portal executing on a computing device, retrieving a location of the computing device; identifying a set of food assembly apparatuses within a threshold distance of the location of the computing device; aggregating a list of ingredients currently loaded into the set of food assembly apparatuses; in response to selection of a particular ingredient in the list of ingredients for the custom food order, removing ingredients, from the list of ingredients, unique to a food assembly apparatus not currently loaded with the particular ingredient; selecting a particular food assembly apparatus, from the set, currently loaded with a set of ingredients specified in the custom food order; and inserting the custom food order into a food order queue assigned to the particular food assembly apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2016Publication date: January 26, 2017Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Jeffrey C. Jensen
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Publication number: 20160331176Abstract: One variation of a system for cooking food includes: a griddle module including a lower plate configured to receive a food product and an upper plate arranged over the lower plate and configured to contact the food product; a set of induction stations, each induction station including a lower coil configured to inductively couple to the lower plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station and an upper coil configured to inductively couple to the upper plate when the griddle module is arranged in the induction station; a hub configured to support the lower plate and the upper plate between the upper and lower coils of the induction stations and to sequentially position the griddle module through the set of induction stations; and a controller configured to drive the upper and lower coils to heat the food product between the lower plate and the upper plate.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, Michael Balsamo, Noe Esparza, Matt Williams
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Publication number: 20160330982Abstract: One variation of a system for forming a meat patty includes: a cylinder operable in a upright position and an inverted position; a piston running within the cylinder and defining a set of gas ports; a grinder configured to grind meat and to dispense a quantity of ground meat into the cylinder, in the upright position, during a grind cycle; an actuator system configured to transition the cylinder from the upright position to the inverted position during a dispense cycle to dispense the quantity of ground meat from the cylinder; and a gas supply configured to supply gas to the cylinder behind the piston at a first pressure during the grind cycle to limit ingress of ground meat into the gas ports and at a second pressure greater than the first pressure during the dispense cycle to dislodge the quantity of ground meat from the piston.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 17, 2016Publication date: November 17, 2016Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas, James Brinkman
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Publication number: 20160236367Abstract: One variation of a method for slicing a type of whole bread buns includes: retracting a cutting block along a chute into a load position; dispensing a whole bread bun into the chute between the cutting block and a blade extending across the chute; advancing the cutting block along the chute toward the blade; detecting contact between the cutting block and the blade at a contact position; at a first time, advancing the cutting block into a pierce position offset from the contact position toward the blade by a pierce distance less than a common width of the type of whole bread buns; and, at a second time succeeding the first time by a pierce duration, advancing the cutting block from the pierce position into a slice position adjacent the blade to drive the whole bread bun fully through the blade.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: August 18, 2016Inventors: Aaron Engel-Hall, Alexandros Vardakostas, Jack McDonald, Matthew Williams, Steven Frehn, Tom Hanson
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Publication number: 20160213053Abstract: One variation of a method for tracking temperature exposure of foodstuffs within an automated sandwich assembly apparatus includes: at a topping module, receiving first topping sample and a second topping sample in a column of topping samples; at a first time, determining a first temperature of the first topping sample; in response to the first temperature of the first topping sample exceeding a threshold temperature, setting a first timer assigned to the first topping sample; cutting a slice from the second topping sample; following dispensation of the slice of the second topping sample from the topping module, tracking a position of the first topping sample within the topping module; and in response to expiration of the first timer prior to dispensation of a final portion of the first topping sample from the topping module, disqualifying the final portion of the first topping sample from dispensation onto a topping vehicle.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 27, 2016Publication date: July 28, 2016Inventors: Steven Frehn, Alexandros Vardakostas
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Publication number: 20160213054Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2016Publication date: July 28, 2016Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Patent number: 9386799Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: June 6, 2013Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Publication number: 20160183728Abstract: One variation of a system for buttering and toasting bread buns includes: a butter stage including: a vessel containing liquefied dairy fat and defining a permeable surface, a pressure supply fluidly coupled to the vessel, and a first paddle assembly configured to catch a bun crown dispensed into the butter stage, to compress a sliced face of the bun crown directly against the permeable surface, and to release the bun crown from the butter stage; and a toast stage including a toasting surface arranged vertically below the permeable surface, a heating element arranged behind the toasting surface, and a second paddle assembly arranged vertically below the first paddle assembly and configured to catch the bun crown released from the first paddle assembly, to compress the sliced face of the bun crown directly against the toasting surface, and to release the bun crown from the toasting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 29, 2015Publication date: June 30, 2016Inventors: Aaron MOMA-M04-US1-APP-ADS, Alexandros Vardakostas, Jack McDonald, Matthew Williams, Steven Frehn, Abigail Soong
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Publication number: 20160165948Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 29, 2016Publication date: June 16, 2016Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Patent number: 9326544Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: May 3, 2016Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Patent number: 9295281Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Patent number: 9295282Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: March 29, 2016Assignee: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Publication number: 20150183535Abstract: One variation of a system for packaging a foodstuff includes: a ramp; a bag dispenser adjacent the ramp and dispensing a bag into a load position; a paddle pivotable about a hinge arranged above the ramp, comprising a leading edge opposite the hinge and engaging the ramp, and extensible between a retracted setting and an extended setting, the leading edge of the paddle in contact with the ramp in the retracted setting and inserted into the mouth of the bag in the extended setting; an actuator coupled to the paddle and extending the paddle between the retracted setting and the extended setting; and a conveyor advancing the a foodstuff toward the bag dispenser, foodstuff contacting a bottom surface of the paddle and pivoting the paddle about the hinge to separate an upper layer of the bag from a lower layer.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 22, 2014Publication date: July 2, 2015Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Jack McDonald, Steven Frehn
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Publication number: 20150164131Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2014Publication date: June 18, 2015Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Publication number: 20150075391Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2014Publication date: March 19, 2015Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Publication number: 20150053097Abstract: One variation of a method for dispensing toppings onto topping vehicles includes: indexing a first topping vehicle to a first position adjacent a first topping module, the first topping module comprising a first hopper containing a first topping of a first topping type; indexing a second topping vehicle to a second position adjacent a second topping module comprising a second hopper containing a second topping of a second topping type; retracting a first blade of the first topping module; advancing the first blade through the first topping; retracting a first retaining plate to dispense a topping slice from the first topping onto the first topping vehicle according to a first topping order for the first topping vehicle specifying the first topping type, the first retaining plate offset from the first blade opposite the first hopper; advancing the first retaining plate; and indexing the first topping vehicle to the second position.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 5, 2014Publication date: February 26, 2015Inventors: Alexandros Vardakostas, Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald
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Publication number: 20140324607Abstract: One variation of a method for personalizing food orders includes: from a patron, receiving a taste feedback for a first food item in a first food order submitted previously by the patron; predicting an absolute food preference of the patron from the first food order; predicting a relative taste preference of the patron based on the taste feedback and a recipe of the first food item; generating a taste profile of the patron based on the absolute food preference and the relative taste preference; from the patron, receiving a selection for a second food item in a new food order, the second food item different than the first food item; applying the taste profile of the patron to a recipe for the second food item to generate a personalized recipe; and submitting the personalized recipe with the new food order to a robotic food assembly apparatus.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 13, 2014Publication date: October 30, 2014Applicant: Momentum Machines CompanyInventors: Steven Frehn, John Lawrence McDonald, Alexandros Vardakostas, Harry Shapiro