CONFIGURABLE OVEN RACK SYSTEM
An oven to facilitate heating a food item is disclosed that includes an oven box one or more upper heating elements, and one or more lower heating elements. The oven box has a floor, a ceiling spaced across a height of the oven box from the floor, and at least one side wall that extends between the floor and the ceiling to at least partially delineate an interior of the oven box from an exterior thereof. The one or more upper heating elements are spaced proximate the ceiling relative to the one or more lower heating elements. The one or more lower heating elements are spaced proximate the floor relative to the one or more upper heating elements. The one or more lower heating elements are arranged in a first pattern and the one or more upper heating elements arranged in a second pattern. The first pattern is different than the second pattern.
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This description generally relates to configurable oven rack systems and, more particularly, to configurable oven rack systems in which food items are prepared.
BACKGROUND Description of the Related ArtHistorically consumers have had a choice when hot, prepared food was desired. Some consumers would travel to a restaurant or other food establishment where such food would be prepared and consumed on the premises. Other consumers would travel to the restaurant or other food establishment, purchase hot, prepared, food and transport the food to an off-premises location, such as a home or picnic location, for consumption. Yet other consumers ordered delivery of hot, prepared food, for consumption at home. Over time, the availability of delivery of hot, prepared, foods has increased and now plays a significant role in the marketplace. Delivery of such hot, prepared, foods was once considered the near exclusive, purview of Chinese take-out and pizza parlors. However, today even convenience stores and “fast-food” purveyors such as franchised hamburger restaurants have taken to testing the delivery marketplace.
The delivery of prepared foods traditionally occurs in several discrete acts. First, consumer places an order for a particular food item with a restaurant or similar food establishment. The restaurant or food establishment prepares the food item or food product per the customer order. The prepared food item is packaged and delivered to the consumer's location. The inherent challenges in such a delivery method are numerous. In addition to the inevitable cooling that occurs while the hot food item is transported to the consumer, many foods may experience a commensurate breakdown in taste, texture, or consistency with the passage of time. For example, the French fries at the burger restaurant may be hot and crispy, but the same French fries will be cold, soggy, and limp by the time they make it home. To address such issues, some food suppliers make use of “hot bags,” “thermal packaging” or similar insulated packaging, carriers, and/or food containers to retain at least a portion of the existing heat in the prepared food while in transit to the consumer. While such measures may be at least somewhat effective in retaining heat in the food during transit, such measures do little, if anything, to address issues with changes in food taste, texture, or consistency associated with the delay between the time the food item is prepared and the time the food item is actually consumed.
Further there are frequently mistakes in orders, with consumers receiving food they did not order, and not receiving food they did order. This can be extremely frustrating, and leaves the consumer or customer faced with the dilemma of settling for the incorrect order or awaiting a replacement order to be cooked and delivered.
BRIEF SUMMARYAn oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including an oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable, the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven having one or more heating elements, and each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven'is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots are empty and unpowered; and a temperature control system used to control a temperature of one or more loadable ovens within the plurality of loadable ovens, the temperature control system including at least one, processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the temperature control system communicatively coupled to regulate the one or more heating elements of the ovens. The common electrical power distribution bus of the oven rack system may include an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate or rotate within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable oven. The system may monitor a time frame between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. The temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of, the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
The system may further include a set of casters connected to the oven rack that assists in movement of the oven rack.
An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable, the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven having one or more heating elements, and each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack: and a transfer robot that includes a robotic arm and an end tool, the robotic arm located in a cargo area and movable with respect to at least a first one of a pair of side walls, the end tool of the robotic arm being selectively positionable to selectively interact with each of the ovens of the array of ovens,
The system may further include a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots are empty and unpowered, the common electrical power distribution bus also including an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. The end tool of the robotic arm may be selectively positionable to selectively insert a respective food item into each of the ovens of the array of ovens. The end tool of the robotic arm may be selectively positionable to selectively withdraw a respective food item from each of the ovens of the array of ovens.
The system may further include a vehicle, the vehicle having a cargo area including a floor, a ceiling, a pair of side walls, and a rear wall. The robotic arm may include a finger extension to selectively interact with the one or more respective doors of each of the ovens of the array of ovens. The robotic arm may include a pizza peel to interface with a food item. The oven doors may be locked, and only openable using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. Loadable ovens may be only insertable into the array of oven slots or removable from the array of oven slots using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. The robotic arm may include one or more cameras to confirm a position of a food item. The robotic arm may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm a position of a food item. The transfer robot may be supported by a platform that is moveable with respect to the two-dimensional array of ovens. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate or rotate within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are also constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens. The system may monitor a time frame between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. A temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens, mounted in the oven, slots of the oven rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable, the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven each loadable oven having one or more heating elements, and each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot the oven rack conveyor system housed within the oven rack, wherein the conveyor system translates or rotates the array of oven slots within the oven rack; and a temperature control system used to control a temperature of one or more loadable ovens within the plurality of loadable ovens, the temperature control system including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the temperature control system communicatively coupled to regulate the one or more heating elements of the ovens.
The system may further include a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots empty and unpowered, the common electrical power distribution bus also including an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot; determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens. The system may monitor a time me between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food ems begin a cooking cycle. The temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
The system may further include a set of casters connected to the oven rack that assists in movement of the oven rack.
An oven may be summarized as including an oven box that has a floor, a ceiling spaced across a height of the oven box from the floor, at least one side wall that extends between the floor and the ceiling to at least partially delineate an interior of the oven box from an exterior thereof: one or more upper heating elements; and one or more lower heating elements, the one or more lower heating elements spaced proximate the floor relative to the one or more upper heating elements and the one or more upper heating elements spaced proximate the ceiling relative to the one or more lower heating elements, the one or more lower heating elements arranged in a first pattern and the one or more upper heating elements arranged in a second pattern, the second pattern different than the first pattern. The pattern of the one or more upper heating elements may match a defined cooking characteristic of an upper surface of a food item and the pattern of the one or more lower heating elements may match a defined cooking characteristic of a lower surface of the food item to achieve different cooking profiles on the upper and the lower surfaces of the food items.
The first pattern of the one or more lower heating elements may be one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The first pattern of the one or more lower heating, elements may be at least one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The one or more lower heating elements may include a single heating a element and the first pattern of the one or more lower heating elements is one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof.
The second pattern of the one or more upper heating elements may be one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The second pattern of the one or more upper heating elements may be at least one of a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The one or more upper heating elements may include a single heating element and the second pattern of the one or more upper heating elements is one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The one or more lower heating elements may have a respective cross-sectional shape and the one or more upper heating elements has a respective cross-sectional shape. The respective cross-sectional shape of the one or more upper heating elements may be different from the respective cross-sectional shape of the one or more lower heating elements The one or more lower heating elements may have a respective resistivity and the one or more upper heating elements has a respective resistivity. The respective resistivity of the one or more upper heating elements may be different from the respective resistivity of the one or more lower heating elements. The oven may include one or more electrical connectors to which the upper heating elements are removably electrically coupled.
The oven may further include a number of additional upper heating elements which are exchangeable with the one or more upper heating elements to change an arrangement of the upper heating elements spaced proximate the ceiling of the oven box. The oven may include one or more electrical connectors to which the lower heating elements are removably electrically coupled.
The oven may further include a number of additional lower heating elements which are exchangeable with the one or more lower heating elements to change an arrangement of the heating elements spaced proximate the floor of the oven box. The oven may include one or more electrical connectors to which the, upper heating elements are removably electrically coupled, and one or more electrical connectors to which the lower heating elements are removably electrically coupled. The one or more upper heating elements may be interchangeable with the one or more lower heating elements. The one or more upper heating elements, the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be bendable to change cooking characteristics.
The one or more upper heating elements or the one or more lower heating elements, or both the one or more upper and the one or more lower heating elements may be positioned in the interior of the oven box, and may further include at least one thermally insulating layer spaced outwardly of the floor, the ceiling or the at least one side wall with respect to the interior of the oven box.
An oven may be summarized as including an oven box having: a floor; a ceiling spaced across a height of the oven box from the floor; at least one side wall that extends between the floor and the ceiling to at least partially delineate an interior of the oven box from an exterior thereof; and at least one of; one or more upper heating elements; and one or more lower heating elements, the one or more lower heating elements spaced proximate the floor relative to the one or more upper heating elements, and the one or more upper heating elements spaced proximate the ceiling relative to the one or more lower heating elements, the oven box containing a support structure upon which a food item is placed during a cooking process the support structure including elements that are spaced and have a pattern that minimalizes surface area in contact with the food items. The pattern of the support structure elements may be one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a gild-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The pattern of the support structure elements may be at least one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The support structure elements include a single support structure element and the pattern of the support structure element may be one of: a longitudinal pattern, a traverse pattern, a grid-shaped pattern, a diagonal pattern, a radial pattern, a concentric-circular pattern, a spiral pattern, a zig-zagging pattern, or combinations thereof. The elements of the support structure may be movable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item. The elements of the support structure may be bendable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item. The support structures of the loadable ovens may be exchangeable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item.
The oven may further include at least one thermally insulating layer spaced outwardly of the floor, the ceiling or the at least one side wall with respect to the interior of the oven box.
An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including an oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; and a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven slots, each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack, wherein each of the plurality of loadable ovens has one or more upper heating elements and one or more lower heating elements, the one or more upper heating elements having a different pattern than the one or more lower heating elements. A pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's upper surface, and a pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's lower surface to evenly cook the food items in the loadable ovens, when the cooking characteristics of the food items upper surface are different from the cooking characteristics of the food item's lower surface. The pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. The pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. A first set of one or more upper heating elements may be exchangeable with a second set of one or more upper heating elements that have a different pattern food items with different cooking characteristics. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be movable to change cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be bendable to change cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements.
The system may further include a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots are empty and unpowered.
The system may further include a temperature control system used to control a temperature of one or more loadable ovens within the plurality of loadable ovens, the temperature control system including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the temperature control system communicatively coupled to regulate the one or more heating elements of the ovens. The common electrical power distribution bus of the oven rack system may include an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an over slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate or rotate within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven, is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens. The system may monitor a time frame between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. The temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain ay be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
The system may further include a set of casters connected oven rack that assists n movement of the oven rack.
An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including an oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable, the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled, when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; and a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven having one or more heating elements, and each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack, each of the plurality of loadable ovens containing a support structure upon which the food item is placed during a cooking process the support structure including elements that are spaced and patterned to have a minimum surface area in contact with the food items. The support structure may include elements that are configured as a grate, a grill, a screen, a grid, cross-hatched, or combinations therein. The elements of the support structure may be movable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item. The elements of the support structure may be bendable to change the minimum surface ea in contact with a food item based upon the food item. The support structures of the loadable ovens may be exchangeable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item.
The system may further include a transfer robot that includes a robotic arm and an end tool, the robotic arm located in a cargo area and movable with expect to at least a first side wall, the end tool of the robotic arm being selectively positionable to electively interact with each of the ovens of the array of ovens.
The system may further include a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots are empty and unpowered, the common electrical power distribution bus also including an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that th each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. The end tool of the robotic, arm may be selectively positionable to selectively insert a respective food item into each of the ovens of the array of ovens. The end tool of the robotic arm may be selectively positionable to selectively withdraw a respective food item from each of the ovens of the array of ovens.
The system may further include a vehicle, the vehicle having a cargo area including a floor, a ceiling, a pair of side walls, and a rear wall. The robotic arm may include a finger extension to selectively interact with the one or more respective doors of each of the ovens of the array of ovens. The robotic arm may include a pizza peel to interface with a food item. The oven doors may be locked, and only openable using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. The loadable ovens may be only insertable into the array of oven slots or removable from the array of oven slots using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. The robotic arm may include one or more cameras to confirm a position of a food item. The robotic arm may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm position of a food item. The transfer robot may be supported by a platform that is moveable h respect to the array of ovens. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate or rotate within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are also constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens. The system may monitor a time frame between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. A temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item may be summarized as including an oven rack containing an array of oven slots into which correspondingly shaped and sized ovens are loadable, the oven rack including a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to which each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is electrically coupled when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; and a plurality of loadable ovens that are insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven having one or more heating elements, and each of the loadable ovens including one or more respective doors and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface of a loadable oven when the loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack, each of the plurality of loadable ovens having one or more upper heating elements and one or more lower heating elements, the one or more upper heating elements having a different pattern than the one or more lower heating elements, and each of the plurality of loadable ovens containing a support structure upon which the food item is placed during a cooking process, the support structure including elements that are spaced and patterned to have a minimum surface area in contact with the food items.
A pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's upper surface, and a pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's lower surface to evenly cook the food items in the loadable ovens, when the cooking characteristics of the food item's upper surface are different from the cooking, characteristics of the food item's lower surface. A pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. A pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. The one or more upper heating elements may be exchangeable with one or more upper heating elements that have a different pattern for food items with different cooking characteristics. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be movable to change cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be bendable to change cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements. The support structure may include elements that are configured as a grate, a grill, a screen, a grid, cross-hatched, or combinations therein. The elements of the support structure may be movable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item. The elements of the support structure may be bendable to change the minimum surface area in, contact with a food item based upon the food item. The support structure of the loadable ovens may be exchangeable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item.
The system may further include a conveyor system housed within the oven rack, wherein the conveyor system translates or rotates the array of oven slots within the oven rack.
The system may further include a temperature control system used to control a temperature of one or more loadable ovens within the plurality of loadable ovens, the temperature control system including at east one processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the temperature control system communicatively coupled to regulate the one or more heating elements of the ovens.
The system may further include a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens when one or more other of the oven slots are empty and unpowered, the common electrical power distribution bus also including an external electrical interface that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet that is external to the oven rack system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack. Securement points at each oven slot may detachably affix to a loadable oven in the oven slot of the oven rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each oven slot of the oven rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when activated.
system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable oven from an oven slot of the oven rack when actuated. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack. The array of oven slots contained in the oven rack may rotate within the oven rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position o an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof,
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens. The system may monitor a time frame between when, food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. The temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when a decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable ovens mounted in the oven slots of the oven rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
The system may further include a set of casters connected to the oven rack that assists in movement of the oven rack.
A food handling system to facilitate active heating and active cooling of a food item may be summarized as including a plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units, each of the loadable refrigeration/oven units respectively having an exterior, an insulated compartment with an interior, a door that is moveable to selectively prevent or provide access to the interior of the insulated compartment from the exterior of the loadable refrigeration/oven unit, at least one heating element, at least one cooling element, and at least one unit interface, the exteriors of the loadable refrigeration/oven units each having a defined shape and defined dimensions, the defined shape and defined dimensions of each of the loadable refrigeration/oven units being the same as the defined shape and defined dimensions of each other of the plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units; and a rack comprising an array of slots, each slot having a respective defined shape and defined dimensions which is shaped and sized to removably receive a respective one of the loadable refrigeration/oven units, the rack further comprising a number of complimentary slot interfaces that are complimentary to the unit interfaces of the loadable refrigeration/oven units, and positioned to automatically couple to the unit interfaces of the loadable refrigeration/oven nits when the loadable refrigeration/oven units are positioned in a leaded position in the slot, and to automatically decoupled from to the unit interfaces of the loadable refrigeration/oven units when the loadable refrigeration/oven units are removed from the loaded position. Each of the plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units may have one or more upper heating elements and one or more lower heating elements, the one or more upper heating elements forming a different pattern than the one or more lower heating elements.
A pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's upper surface, and a pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may be individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's lower surface to evenly cook the food items in the loadable refrigeration/oven units, when the cooking characteristics of the food item's upper surface are different from the cooking characteristics of the food item's lower surface. A pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating, elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. A pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements may include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof. The one or more upper heating elements may be exchangeable with one or more upper heating elements that have a different pattern for food items with different cooking characteristics. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements or both, may be movable to change the cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements. Individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, may be bendable to change the cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements. The interfaces may use electrical current to power heating and cooling coils for heating and cooling of the food items. The interfaces may use electrical current to power to radiant/resistive heater elements for heating of the food items. The interlaces may use electrical current to power heat exchangers and thermoelectric coolers employing a Peltier effect for heating and cooling of the food items. The interfaces may employ fluid thermal transfer of gas or liquid for cooling, heating, or cooling and heating of the food items. The interfaces may employ separate heating and cooling coils to perform the heating and cooling of the food items. The interfaces may employ liquid coolant through conduits and valves for cooling of the food items.
Interfaces may also include communications interface the communication interfaces including electrical communication, inductive communication, optical communication, wireless/radio communications, or combinations thereof.
The system may further elude a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot interfaces of the slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual slots containing loadable refrigeration/oven units when one or more other of the slots are empty and unpowered.
The system may further include a temperature control system used to control a temperature of one or more loadable refrigeration/oven units within the plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units, the temperature control system including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor, the temperature control system communicatively coupled to regulate the one or more heating elements of the ovens. The common electrical power distribution bus of the food handling system may include an external electrical interface that provides power to the food handling system from a power outlet that is external to the food handling system.
The system may further include an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each slot in the rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable refrigeration/oven unit that is inserted into a slot in the rack. Securement points at each slot may detachably affix to a loadable refrigeration/oven unit in the slot of the rack.
The system may further include an ejection switch associated with each slot of the rack, the ejection switch at least partially ejecting a loadable refrigeration/oven unit from a slot of the rack when activated.
The system may further include an extraction handle associated with each loadable refrigeration/oven unit, wherein the extraction handle assists in removing a loadable refrigeration/oven unit from a slot of the rack when actuated. The array of slots contained in the rack may translate or rotate within the rack. The array of slots contained in the rack may translate in a horizontal direction, a vertical direction, or a horizontal direction and a vertical direction within the rack. The gray of slots contained in the rack may translate horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the rack. The array of slots contained in the rack may rotate within the rack about a central axis. The system may include one or more cameras to confirm whether an oven is loaded in a slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof. The system may include one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in a slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable refrigeration/oven units are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one ore heating elements.
The system may further include a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of slots in the rack are constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units hat are loadable in the slots instead of the loadable refrigeration/oven units. The system may monitor a time frame between when food items leave a refrigeration system and when the food items begin a cooking cycle. The temperature control system may modify cooking profiles of the ovens based on quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of an oven; and peak cooking temperature of the oven. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to increase heating when an increased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The temperature control system may modify the cooking profiles of the ovens to decrease heating when decreased quantity of the food items was recently cooked. The plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units mounted in the slots of the rack may remain at an elevated temperature above an ambient temperature between multiple cooking cycles. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units mounted in the slots of the rack remain may be a peak cooking temperature. The elevated temperature at which the plurality of loadable refrigeration/oven units mounted in the slots of the rack remain may be a pre-heating temperature lower than a peak cooking temperature.
The system may further include a set of casters connected to the rack that assists in movement of the rack.
These features, with other technological improvements that will become subsequently apparent, reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully described hereafter and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof.
In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various disclosed embodiments. However one skilled in the relevant art will recognize that embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and the like. In other instances, certain structures associated with food preparation devices such as ovens, skillets, and other similar devices, closed-loop controllers used to control cooking conditions, food preparation techniques, wired and wireless communicators protocols, wired and wireless transceivers, radios, communications ports, geolocation and optimized route mapping algorithms have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments. In other instances, certain structures associated with conveyors, robots, and/or vehicles have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment n embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word “comprise” and variations thereof, such as, “comprises” and “comprising” are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as “including, but not limited to.” As used in this specification and the appended claims, the singular forms “a, ” “an,” and “the” include plural referents unless the content clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be noted that the term “or” is generally employed in its sense including “and/or” unless the content clearly dictates otherwise The headings and Abstract of the Disclosure provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the embodiments,
As used her the terms “food item” and “food product” refer or product intended for human consumption. Although illustrated and described herein in the context of pizza, to provide a readily comprehensible and easily understood description of one illustrative embodiment, one of ordinary skill in the culinary arts and food preparation will readily appreciate the broad applicability of the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein across any number of prepared food items or products, including cooked and uncooked food items or products, and ingredients or components of food items and products.
As used herein the terms “robot” or “robotic” refer to any device, system, or combination of systems and devices that includes at least one appendage, typically with an end of arm tool or end effector, where the at least one, appendage is selectively moveable to perform work or an operation useful the preparation of a food item or packaging of a food item or food product. The robot may be autonomously controlled, for instance based at least in part on information from one or more sensors (e.g., optical sensors used with machine-vision algorithms, position encoders, temperature sensors, moisture, or humidity sensors). Alternatively, one or more robots may be remotely controlled by a human operator. Alternatively, one or more robots may be partially remotely controlled by a human operator and partially autonomously controlled.
As used herein the term “cooking unit” refers to any device, system, or combination of systems and devices useful in cooking or heating of a food product. While such preparation may include the heating of food products during preparation, such preparation may also include the partial or complete cooking of one or more food products. Additionally, while the term “oven” may be used interchangeably with the term “cooking unit” herein, such usage should not limit the applicability of the systems and methods described herein to only foods which may be prepared in an oven. For example, one or more burners, either gas or electric or inductive, a hot skillet surface, a deep fryer, a microwave oven, and/or toaster may be considered a “cooking unit” that included within the scope of the systems, methods, and apparatuses described herein. Further, the cooking unit may be able to control more than temperature. For example, some cooking units may control pressure and/or humidity. Further, some cooking units may control airflow therein, thus able to operate in a convective cooking mode if desired, for instance to decrease cooking time.
As used herein the term “delivery vehicle” or “vehicle” refers to any car, truck, van, drone, boat, dirigible, spaceship, or other vehicle useful in cooking and heating a food item during a delivery process to a customer. The size and shape of the delivery vehicle may depend in part on licensing requirements of the locality in which the delivery vehicle is intended to operate. In some instances, the size and shape of the delivery vehicle may depend on the street layout and the surrounding environment of the locality in which the delivery vehicle is intended to operate. For example, small, tight city streets may require a delivery vehicle that is comparatively shorter and/or narrower than a delivery vehicle that may safely and conveniently navigate larger, suburban thoroughfares.
The configurable oven rack system 100 may include a front face 104, an opposing back face 106, and one or more sides 108 extending therebetween. At least one of the sides 108 may include a handle 122 that may be used to push, pull or otherwise maneuver the configurable oven rack system 100. In some implementations, the handle 122 may be located within a recessed area 124 so the handle 122 does not extend beyond the side 108 of the configurable oven rack system 100. The front face 104 of the rack 100 may include a plurality of oven slots 110 into which individual ovens 102 may be loaded. The oven slots 110 may be regularly spaced in one or multiple dimensions along the front face 104 of the configurable oven rack system 100, which may include a plurality of columns and/or rows of oven slots 110. The configurable oven rack tern 100 may have wheels or casters 112 to assist in easily moving and maneuvering the configurable oven rack system 100.
The wheels or casters 112 also enable the configurable oven rack system 100 to be easily loaded into the cargo area 300 of the vehicle 200 from the ground adjacent the vehicle 200 and as well as easily unloaded from the cargo area 300 of the vehicle 200 onto the ground adjacent the vehicle 200. In some implementations, the vehicle 200 includes an extendable and retractable ramp that the configurable oven rack system 100 may use for loading or unloading purposes by rolling the configurable oven rack system 100 on wheels or casters 2. Additionally or alternatively, in some implementations, the vehicle 200 may include a loading ledge that may be elevated and lowered to assist with loading and unloading the configurable oven rack system 100 from the vehicle 200. Specifically, the configurable oven rack system 100 may be rolled on its wheels or casters 112 from the ground adjacent the vehicle 200 onto the loading ledge when the loading ledge is in its lowered position. The loading ledge may then be elevated up to its raised position, which is the level of the bed of the vehicle 200. The configurable oven rack system 100 may be rolled on its wheels or casters 112 onto the bed of the vehicle 200. The same process may be carried out in reverse to upload the configurable oven rack system 100 from the bed of the vehicle 200 onto the ground adjacent the vehicle 200,
In some implementations, the configurable oven rack system 100 includes securement points at each oven slot 110 that detachably affix a loadable oven 102 in an oven slot 110 of the configurable oven rack system 100. In another aspect, each oven slot 110 in the configurable oven rack system 100 includes an associated ejection switch that at least partially ejects a loadable oven 102 from an associated oven slot 110 of the configurable oven rack system when the associated ejection switch is activated. In still another aspect, the configurable oven rack system 100 includes an extraction handle associated with each loadable oven. The extraction handles may be used to assist in removing a loadable oven 102 from an oven slot 110 of the configurable oven rack system 100 when actuated.
In yet another aspect of the configurable oven rack system 100, tools are required in order to remove a loadable oven 102 from an associated oven slot 110 of the configurable oven rack system 100. In some embodiments, the tools required to remove a loadable oven 102 from an associated oven slot 110 are conventional tools such as screw drivers, wrenches, bolt extractor sockets, and the like. In other embodiments, the tools required to remove a loadable oven 102 from an associated oven slot 110 are specialized fastener extraction tools that are shaped and sized to correspond with specialized fasteners. Such embodiments assist in preventing the unauthorized removal of a loadable oven 102 from an associated oven slot 110, since unauthorized personnel are unlikely to have access to the specialized fastener extraction tools.
Referring now to
In an implementation shown in
Referring again to
In other implementations, the configurable oven rack system 100 includes one or more heat-resistant proximity sensors used to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot. In another aspect of the configurable oven rack system 100, either the same or different heat-resistant proximity sensors are used determine a position of an oven door. In still another aspect of the configurable oven rack system 100, either the sane or different heat-resistant proximity sensors are used to determine or confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item and/or the position of the food item.
In yet other implementations, the configurable oven rack system 100 is actually a combination refrigeration/oven rack system. In this regard, the array of oven slots 110 are actually an array of refrigeration unit/oven slots 110. In such an implementation, the array of refrigeration unit slots 110 are also constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units, which are loadable in the refrigeration unit slots 110 instead of the loadable ovens 102. In this manner, the refrigeration units are shaped and dimensioned in a similar configuration as the loadable ovens 102. In such implementations, the loadable refrigeration units inserted into the refrigeration unit slots 110 are also associated with the electrical temperature controller system and the individual indicator or display panel 120.
In another implementation of the configurable oven rack system 100 that comprises a combination refrigeration/oven rack system, the array of refrigeration unit/oven slots 110 are constructed to receive loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 that are correspondingly shaped and sized. Such a loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 is able to cool, warm, and cook in response to commands from the system (e.g., start cook mode, start cool mode, start warm mode, and the like). In one example implementation, a loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 contains a food item which is cooled by the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 until an order is received from a customer for that food item. The loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 then cooks the food item upon receipt of the order from the customer for that food item.
Alternatively, the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 may wait to commence cooking the food item depending on the expected time of arrival of the customer, so that, the food item finishes cooking at the same time (or approximately the same time) as the arrival of the customer. In this manner, the system may account for transit time of the customer to the combination refrigeration/oven rack system (whether the system is located in a kiosk or a vehicle), as well as traffic conditions along the transit route. In some implementations, the system tracks the customer along its route to the combination refrigeration/oven rack system using a GPS signal from the customer's mobile phone or vehicle. In other implementations, the system employs artificial intelligence and/or machine learning to predict the length of time it will take the customer to arrive at the combination refrigeration/oven rack system using parameters that include, by way of example only, and not by way of limitation, time of day, weather conditions, day of the week, construction events, local traffic inducing events, and the like. This enables the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 to maintain optimum freshness of the cooked food item.
In some implementations, if the customer that ordered the food item is late arriving at the location of the combination refrigeration/oven rack system, the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 may automatically switch from cook mode to warm mode. In another implementation of the combination refrigeration/oven rack system, if the food item is too hot to be handled at the completion of the cooking cycle, the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 may temporarily switch from cooking mode to cool mode to bring the cooked food item to an appropriate temperature. In still another implementation, the combination refrigeration/oven rack system may pre-cook the food item in the loadable refrigeration/oven unit 102 and then keep the food item warm until the arrival of a customer that ordered this food item.
In'some implementations of the configurable oven rack system 100 that comprise a combination refrigeration/oven rack system, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 are capable of only cooling and warming of food items. In other implementations of the configurable oven rack system 100 that comprise a combination refrigeration/oven rack system, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 are capable of cooling, warming, and cooking food items. In some implementations, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 employ heat exchangers to perform the heating and cooling of the food items. In other implementations, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 employ separate heating and cooling coils to perform the heating and cooling of the food items. In at least one implementation, electrical current is used to power the heating and cooling coils to perform the heating and cooling of the food items. For example, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 may include one or more Peltier, thermoelectric heater/coolers. In some implementations, the loadable refrigeration/oven units 102 may include a thermally insulative barrier, preferably a Yttrium, Indium, Manganese, and Oxygen (YInMn) barrier. In other implementations, liquid coolant is used to perform the cooling of the food items.
In another aspect of some implementations, the configurable oven rack system 100 monitors the time frame between when food items leave a refrigerated status in a refrigeration unit and when the food items begin a cooking cycle in a loadable oven 102. In some implementations, the food items are discarded if the monitored time frame exceeds a predetermined time period for that particular food item. In still another aspect of some implementations, the determination of whether food items are discarded also includes monitoring the ambient temperature of the surrounding, and calculating the effect of the ambient temperature as well as the time frame between when food items leave a refrigerated status in a refrigeration unit and when the food items begin a cooking cycle in a loadable oven 102.
Each of the loadable ovens 102 may include a housing disposed at least partially about an interior of an oven compartment 114 formed by one or more surfaces. Food items are cooked under defined cooking conditions within the interior of the oven compartment 114. A hinged or otherwise displaceable door 116 is used to isolate the interior of the oven compartment 114 from the external environment. In at least some instances, the door 116 may be mechanically or electro-mechanically held closed while the cooking process is underway. The oven 102 may include one or more heat sources or heat elements 126 that are used to provide heat to the interior cavity. In addition to the heating element 126, additional elements such as convection fan(s), humidifiers, gas burners or similar items (not shown for clarity) may be installed in place of or along with the heating element 126 in the cooking unit. The ovens 102 may optionally include a stone floor or cast iron floor. In some implementations, the ovens 102 include electrically radiant elements. In some implementations, the ovens 102 take the form of air impingement ovens, including one or more blowers that blow extremely hot air, and optionally a rack with a manifold.
In another aspect of some implementations, at least some loadable ovens 102 of the configurable oven rack system 100 contain upper heating elements 126a that have a different shape than the lower heating elements 126b. For example, in one implementation shown in
The motivation for having some loadable ovens 102 of the configurable oven rack system 100 contain upper heating elements 126a that have a different shape than the lower heating elements 126b is to achieve the goal of evenly cooking the food items in the loadable ovens 102. Since many food items have different cooking characteristics on the upper surface of the food items in comparison to the lower surface of the food items, having different shaped upper heating elements 126a from lower heating elements 126b enables heating elements 126 to be more precisely matched with food surface cooking characteristics. In this manner, a user is not limited to having one of the upper heating elements 126a or lower heating elements 126b match the cooking characteristics of the adjacent food item surface, while the other of the upper heating elements 126a or lower heating elements 126b does not match the cooking characteristics of the adjacent food item surface.
In some implementations, the upper heating elements 126a may be exchangeable with different shaped upper heating elements 126a for food items with different cooking characteristics, as needed. In other implementations, the heating elements 126b may be exchangeable with different shaped lower heating elements 126b for food items with different cooking characteristics, as needed. In still other implementations, the upper heating elements 126a may be exchangeable with different shaped lower heating elements 126b for food with different cooking characteristics, as needed. In yet other implementations, the upper heating elements 126a and/or the lower heating elements 126b may be able to modify their shape for food items with different cooking characteristics, without removing or exchanging the heating elements. For example, individual elements of the upper heating elements 126a and/or the lower heating elements 126b may be movable or bendable to change the cooking characteristics of the heating elements
Each of the loadable ovens 102 contains a support structure 103 upon which the food items are placed during the cooking process. The support structure 103 includes elements that may be configured as a grate, grill, screen, grid as cross-hatched, and the like.
By minimizing the surface area of the support structure 103 in a loadable oven 102, several technological improvements may be achieved. For example, minimizing the surface area of the support structure 103 assists in preventing sticking of the food items to the support structure 103. Additionally, minimizing the surface area of the support structure 103 assists in allowing grease to pass from the bottom of the food items through the support structure 103. Furthermore minimizing the surface area of the support structure 103 assists in allowing moisture to pass from the bottom of the food items through the support structure 103. Moreover, minimizing the surface area of the support structure 103 assists in allowing air flow underneath the food items on the support structure 103, which results in an enhanced final cooked product.
In other implementation, the floor of the oven includes stones, bricks, cast iron components, or other materials that absorb and maintain heat. For example, stone flooring may be used to produce high and consistent heat levels in the loadable ovens 102, resulting in efficient and consistent cooking. Additionally, cooking with brick or stone flooring may produce an improved crust in some food items. Furthermore, cooking with brick or stone flooring may impart a unique and desirable favor to pizzas or other food items.
In still other implementations, the configurable oven rack system 100 employs impingement oven technology that uses manifolds, jet nozzles, or fans that precisely direct forced hot air to surround the food item being cooked. The impingement system moves air at a high speed by the food item being cooked and breaks through any cooler thermal boundaries of the food item. Such use of impingement technology in the configurable oven rack system 100 increases the heating efficiency of the system and shortens the length of the cook time in the loadable ovens 102.
In yet other implementations, the inside of the loadable ovens 102 in the configurable oven rack system 100 are covered with “YInMn Blue,” which is a durable blue pigment, called “YInMn” because of its composition from the elements Yttrium, Indium, Manganese, and Oxygen. YInMn Blue is a heat-reflecting, thermally stable, and UV-absorbing pigment. Additionally, YInMn Blue is suitable for energy-saving cool coatings. Notably, YInMn Blue has an infrared reflectivity of about 40 percent, which is significantly higher than other blue pigments.
In some implementations, the interior of the compartment 114 of the oven 102 may include a bottom face oriented in a downward direction towards the back face 106 of the configurable oven rack system 100. Such an orientation may assist in keeping a food item in place within the interior of the oven compartment 114. In some implementations, the interior of the oven compartment 114 may include an extension, arm or pusher (not shown) to push the food item out of the interior cavity, such as, for example when the cooking time for the food item is complete. In some implementations, the interior of the oven compartment 114 may include a conveyor that may be used to assist in loading and/or unloading a food item.
As described above, the configurable oven rack system 100 may include one or more indicators or display panel 120 that are each associated with an electrical temperature controller system for an individual oven 102. The one or more indicators or display panel 120 provide information about, and/or the cook status of, the food item in an oven 102. In some implementations, each oven 102 may be associated with an individual indicator or display panel 120. In some instances the display panel 120 may include a text display that provides information such as the type of food item in the oven 102; the consumer name and/or location information associated with the food item in the oven 102; the cook status of the food item in the oven 102 (e.g., “DONE,” “COMPLETE,” “2 MIN REMAINING”): or combinations thereof. In other instances, the display panel 120 may include one or more indicators that provide the cook status of the food item in the cooking unit (e.g., color: GREEN=“DONE”; YELLOW=“<5 MIN REMAINING”; RED=“>5 MIN REMAINING”; flash sequence or pattern). The data provided to the display panel 120 may be provided by the on-board control system 312 (see
One or more electrical interfaces may be disposed in on, or about each of the ovens 102 in the configurable oven rack system 100. The power interfaces are used to provide at least a portion of the power to the heating elements 126 of the ovens 102 from the oven slots 110 of the configurable oven rack system 100 via a common electrical power distribution bus. In some implementations, the oven electrical interface 130 for each loadable oven 102 is at the rear end of the oven, opposite the loading door 116, so the oven electrical interface 128 for each loadable oven 102 engages with a slot electrical interface 130 in an oven slot 110 of the oven rack mounting system 100 when an loadable oven 102 is loaded into an oven slot. In some implementations, the common electrical power distribution bus of the oven rack system 100 includes an external electrical interface 132 that provides power to the oven rack system from a power outlet 324 (see
In some implementations of the configurable oven rack system 100, the ovens 102 may include one or ore relays 118 between the power supplies and the ovens 102. The relays 116 may be operable to selectively provide power to one oven 102 or to a set of ovens 102. Such relays 118 may be set in an OFF position when an oven 102 is not in use to thereby conserve energy. In some implementations, the power provided to the ovens 102 may be in the form combustible gas (e.g., hydrogen, propane, compressed natural gas, liquefied natural gas) supplied from a combustible gas reservoir. In some instances, two or more power interfaces may be installed, for example one electrical power interface supplying power to the display panel 120 and a convection fan, and one combustible gas power interface supplying energy to the heating element (e.g., radiant element, gas jet, inductor) may be included on the oven 102.
One or more power distribution devices may be located in each configurable oven rack system 100 such that the corresponding cooking unit power interface is physically and/or electrically coupled to the appropriate power distribution device when the oven 102 is placed in the configurable oven rack system 100. The power distribution devices may include an electrical bus for distributing electrical power to some or all of the ovens 102 inserted into the configurable oven rack system 100. The power distribution devices may include a gas distribution header or manifold for distributing a combustible gas to some or all of the cooking units inserted into the configurable oven rack system 100. In at least some instances the power distribution device may include or more quick connect or similar devices to physically and/or electrically couple the power distribution devices to the appropriate power distribution system (e.g., electrical, combustible gas, or other).
One or more wired or wireless communications buses may be located in each slot 110 in the configurable oven rack system 100 such that the corresponding oven 102 is communicably coupled to the communications bus when the oven 102 is placed in the oven slot 110. In at least some instances, the communications buses may be wiredly or wirelessly communicably coupled to the on-board control system (see
The configurable oven rack system 100 includes an array of oven slots 110 that may accommodate the insertion of any number of ovens 102 up to the number of oven slots 110. The cooking conditions within each of the ovens 102 inserted into an oven slot 110 in the oven rack 100 may be individually adjusted to control the completion time of the particular food item within the oven 102. In some implementations, the cooking conditions may depend on and/or be adjusted based on the type of food item being cooked. For example, in so implementations, each oven 102 may be programmable to cook food items containing a large number of wet ingredients and/or food items containing a large number of dry ingredients. Although the configurable oven rack system 100 may accommodate the insertion of multiple ovens 102 into various oven slots 110 the oven slots 110 of the oven rack 100 need not be completely filled with ovens 102 during operation in order for the configurable oven rack system to properly perform. Otherwise stated, each individual oven slot 110 in the configurable oven rack system 100 provides electricity and control signals individually to an inserted oven 102, regardless of whether or not other oven lots 110 in the configurable oven rack system contain an inserted oven 102.
Referring now to
The configurable oven rack system 50 may include a front face 152, a back face 154 a top face 156, and one or ore side walls 158. The side wall may include a length 160, a width 162, and a height 164. The width 162 of the configurable oven rack system 150 may be sized and dimensioned to be longer than the expected width and/or length of the food item to be stored within the configurable oven rack system 150. The configurable oven rack system 150 may include one or shore wheels or casters 112, to enable the configurable oven rack system 150 to be easily moveable The configurable oven race system 150 may include one or more handles 122 to assist in maneuvering the configurable oven rack system 150. In some implementations, the one or more handles 122 may be contained within a recessed area 124 such that the handle 122 does not protrude above a plane formed by the side wall of the configurable oven rack system 150.
The configurable oven rack system 150 may include a plurality of oven rack slots 166 that may each receive a loadable oven 102. The loadable ovens 102 may in turn receive a food item. Each oven rack slot 166 may be sized and dimensioned to receive a loadable oven 102 within an interior cavity 168. In some implementations, one ore controllers 170 may be included on a configurable oven rack system 150. In other implementations, one or more controllers may, be external to the configurable oven rack system 150.
In one such implementation, every oven rack slot 166 in a stacked column is associated with a single electrical temperature controller system. In some implementations, an individual indicator or display panel 120 may display information related to multiple oven rack slots 166 and any ovens 102 mounted in the oven rack slots 166. In another such implementations, multiple oven rack slots 166 in a stacked column (but not every oven rack slots 166 in the stacked column) are associated with a single electrical temperature controller system. In at least one implementation of the configurable oven rack system, each column of oven rack slots 166 includes ten oven rack slots, each slot for receiving a loadable oven 102. In this implementation, each loadable oven 102 has its own loading door 116, and each oven has its own heating elements 126.
The configurable oven rack system 150 may be communicatively coupled to the on-board control system 312 (see
In another aspect of a configurable oven rack system 150, each instant oven 102 has associated sensors surrounding the instant oven that sense heat coming from the adjacent ovens and modify the heating profile in the instant oven appropriately. In this regard, the instant oven 102 may not require as much electrical power to reach a certain cooking temperature because the instant oven is being partially heated by adjacent ovens surrounding the instant oven. However, if the oven adjacent to the left of the instant oven 102 is at peak cooking temperature and the oven adjacent to the right of the instant oven off or at a lower pre-heating temperature, an unbalanced ambient temperature environment may be produced. In at least one implementation of the configurable oven rack system 150, the instant oven 102 senses the heat gradient from the unbalanced ambient temperature environment and proportionally heats the instant oven 102 as necessary in view of the unbalanced ambient temperature from the adjacent ovens. In another implementation of a configurable oven rack system 150, the cooking profile for food items may be adjusted if food items are being loaded from cold storage in a refrigeration unit, when the cold storage temperature fluctuates.
Notably, the heating elements 126 of each oven may include many subdivisions that may be individually heated to different temperatures so only the necessary heating of the instant oven 102 is performed in view of the ambient heat from the adjacent ovens. In this regard, the individual heating of different subdivisions of the instant oven 102 may be performed to prevent overheating and potential burning of pizza or other food items in view of the ambient heat from the adjacent ovens. This type of asymmetrical heating by the heating elements 126 may also be used to increase efficiency in an unbalanced ambient temperature environment due to adjacent ovens.
Referring now to
The cooking conditions within each of the ovens 102 may be established, controlled, or adjusted based at least in part on the available cooking time. The instructions to establish, control, or adjust the cooking conditions may be received from the on-board control system 312. Such cooking conditions may be determined by one or more applications executed by the on-board control system and/or the off-board control system such that food items are advantageously delivered to the consumer destination location shortly after cooking has completed. In at least some instances real-time updating, for example to reflect traffic conditions between the current location of the vehicle 200 and the destination (e.g., delivery destination) may cause the manifest or delivery itinerary to be autonomously dynamically updated. Cooking conditions in each of the ovens 102 may be adjusted throughout the delivery process to reflect the newly estimated times of arrival using the dynamically updated manifest or delivery itinerary. In some implementations, the on-board control system and/or the off-board control system may control when to begin cooking a food item based, for example, upon an optimization of delivery time and/or labor for delivering food items for a plurality of received orders.
In at least one implementation of a configurable oven rack system 150, each loadable oven 102 may be kept constantly ON (i.e., heated) between multiple cooking cycles. In another implementation, loadable oven 102 may be pre-heated on demand. In some implementations, the loadable ovens 102 in the array of multiple oven rack slots 166 are maintained at their peak cooking temperature. In other embodiments,the loadable ovens 102 in the array of multiple oven rack slots 166 are maintained at a lower pre-heat temperature that may be quickly raised to peak cooking temperature when a pizza (or other food item) is ready to be loaded. In this manner, pizzas (or other food items) are always loaded into pre-heated ovens 102 within the array of multiple oven rack, slots 166, not into cold ovens. Such an implementation may be useful, for example, so food items, such as bread or bread-based items, are not cooked within an oven 102 during a cold start. Notably, cooking bread from an oven 102 that starts out cold is undesirable for the quality of the final product. Thus, always maintaining the ovens 102 in the array of multiple connected ovens at a pre-heated temperature or peak cooking temperature provides a quicker cooking period and a better quality outcome product.
In another aspect of the configurable oven rack system 150, the cooking profiles of the loadable ovens 102 in the array of multiple oven rack slots 166 are adjusted based on starting oven temperature or recent throughput of food items. In this regard, cooking more food items will reduce the heat of the ovens 102 to some degree, depending on the size of the oven, the size of the food items, the size and efficiency of heating element, and the like.
In some implementations, the displaceable door 116 may be locked for each oven 102 that is in use to cook or otherwise prepare a food item. Such a locked oven 102 may not be opened by a human operator during a cooking process. In such an implementation of the configurable oven rack system, the displaceable doors 116 of the ovens 102 remain locked in normal operation and are only operable when engaged by a transfer robot 354. In this implementation, the oven doors 116 of the loadable ovens 102 in the array of multiple oven rack slots 166 may not be opened by humans. In such an implementation, the transfer robot 354 performs automatic loading and unloading of the food items from the ovens 102. In some implementations, the transfer robot 354 unlocks a loadable oven using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. The locked nature of the ovens 102 in combination with the automatic loading and unloading of the food items from the ovens by the transfer robot 354 prevents accidents and injuries from occurring to cooking personnel. In at least some implementations, the oven 102 may provide an emergency override to the operator to provide access to the interior of the compartment 114 of the oven 102 during an emergency, such as, for example, should a fire erupt in one of the oven compartments 114.
In another implementation, loadable ovens 102 in the array of multiple oven rack slots 166 may not be inserted into or removed from the oven rack slots 166 by humans. In such an implementation, the transfer robot 354 performs automatic inserting and removing of the loadable ovens 102 from the oven rack slots 166. The automatic inserting and removing of the loadable ovens 102 from the oven rack slots 166 by the transfer robot 354 prevents accidents and injuries from occurring to cooking personnel. In some implementations, the transfer robot 354 enables a loadable oven to be inserted into an oven slots using a robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof. In at least some implementations, the oven rack slots 166 may provide an emergency override to the operator to enable 14 a loadable oven 102 to be removed from oven rack slot 166 during an emergency, such as, for example, a fire.
The transfer robot 354 may be used to selectively transfer food items into and out of the ovens 102. The transfer robot 354 may be communicatively coupled to the on-board control system 312, which may provide instructions to control the movement of the transfer robot 354. The transfer robot 354 may include one or more arms 362 and an end tool 364 as an end effector or end of arm tool. One or more actuators 356 may be used to linearly or rotationally move the one or more arms 362 of the transfer robot 354 with respect to the cargo area 300 in response to signals received from the on-board control system 312. The one or more actuators 356 of the transfer robot 354 may be operable to move the end tool 364 with 6 degrees of freedom with respect to the interior side walls 306, as illustrated, for example, by a coordinate system. For example, the transfer robot 354 may have an articulating arm 362 with pivot joints, ball joints, or combinations thereof. In this manner, the robotic pizza picker is able to load and unload pizzas or other food items from ovens in the array of multiple connected ovens.
In some implementations, the end tool 364 may include a finger extension 366 sized and shaped to approximate the dimensions of a human finger. The finger extension 366 may be used to engage with the handle 350 on the door 116 of each oven 102 to thereby open or close the door 116 as necessary to transfer food items into and out of the compartment 114 of the oven 102. For example, to open the door 116 to an oven 102, the transfer robot 354 may position the end tool 364 proximate the door 116 of the oven 102 such that the finger extension 366 engages with the top side of the handle 360 to the door 116. The transfer robot 354 may move the finger extension 366 in a downward direction to apply a downward force to the handle 360 to cause the door 116 to rotate downward into an open position. To close the door 116 to the oven 102, the transfer robot 354 may move the finger extension 366 to engage with the handle 360 and/or the downward oriented face of the door 116. The transfer robot 354 may move the finger extension 366 in an upward direction to cause the door to rotate upward into a closed position.
The transfer robot 354 may move the end tool 384 to transfer a food item, such as a pizza, into the compartment 114 of the oven 102 for baking. In me implementations, such as those involving pizzas, the end tool 364 may include a pizza peel sized and dimensioned to enter into each of the compartments 114 of the ovens 102 contained within the rack 100. To place a pizza into an oven compartment 114 for baking, the transfer robot 3 may load the pizza to be baked onto the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364, open the door 116 of the appropriate oven 102 with the finger extension 366 as described above, and then place the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364 into the oven compartment 114. The transfer robot 354 may tilt the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364 to be at an angle directed downwards towards the back portion of the oven compartment 114 to cause the pizza to slide off of the pizza peel. The end tool 364 ray include a camera 368 or some other sensor that may be used to confirm that the pizza, or other food item, has been deposited into the oven compartment 114. The end tool 364 may then move the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364 out of the oven compartment 114 and use the finger extension 366 to close the door 116 to the oven 102.
In some implementations, the oven 102 may include a bar 379, positioned at a rear in the interior of the oven, and one or more sensors that is or are, responsive to contact with the bar 379 by an item of food or a front of the end tool 364. The sensor(s) may take any of a large variety of types, for example a contact sensor or an electric eye. Such can allow time for the transfer robot 354 to place the food item (e.g., pizza) and sense contact, which timing may be variable due to slippage. The transfer robot 354 may place the food item into the oven, for example by positioning the end tool 364 with respect to the oven 102, and operating a conveyor of the end tool 364 to move the food item in a first direction (i.e., toward a rear of the oven 102) into contact with the bar 379. In response to contact with the bar 379, the conveyor may automatically move the food item in a second direction (i.e., away from the rear of the oven 102), opposite the first direction, for example a sufficient distance where the rear of the oven and/or bar 379 will not interfere with the cooking of the food item (e.g., pizza).
The transfer robot 354 may move the end tool 364 to transfer a food item, such as a fully baked pizza, out of the oven compartment 114 of the oven 102. To retrieve a pizza from the compartment 114, the transfer robot 354 may open the door 116 of the appropriate oven 102 with the finger extension 366 as described above, and then maneuver the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364 into the oven compartment 114 underneath the pizza or food item that was being cooked within the oven compartment 114. For example, the transfer robot 354 may slide the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364 into the oven compartment 114 proximate the bottom surface of the oven compartment 114, angled slightly downward toward a back of the oven compartment, to cause the pizza to slide onto the pizza peel. The end tool 364 may include a camera 368 or some other sensor that may be used to confirm the pizza, or other food item, has been slid onto the pizza peel, and, or is properly cooked. The end tool 364 may then move the pizza peel portion of the end tool 364, along with the retrieved pizza or food item, out of the oven compartment 114, and use the finger extension 368 to close the door 116 to the oven 102. In implementations, the pizza peel portion of the transfer robot 354 may include a conveyor that may be used to deposit a food item into and/or retrieve a food item from the interior of the oven compartment 114.
In at least some implementations, one or more weight sensors (e.g., strain gauge, load cell) 380 may be to sense the weight of an item. For, ore weight sensors may be positioned in an oven to sense a weight of an item in the oven, the weight changing as the item cooks. Alternatively or additionally,one or more weight sensors may be positioned to sense a combined weight of the oven, or at least a portion thereof, and a weight of an item in the oven. Alternatively or additionally, one or more weight sensors may be carried by the transfer robot 354 (e.g., pizza peel portion) to sense a combined weight of a portion (e.g., pizza peel portion) of the transfer robot 354 and a weight of an item carried by the portion of the transfer robot 354. The weight sensor may have an adjustable tare to allow the weight of the associated a structure (e.g., oven 102, pizza peel portion) to be automatically subtracted, resulting in a signal that represents the weight of an item (e.g., dough with sauce and cheese, dough with sauce, cheese and one or more toppings). The sensed weight may be automatically, compared via a processor-based device or analog circuit to a threshold or range of acceptable or expected weights for the food item. In response to an out of tolerance or out of range condition, the structure may automatically move the item, for example to a serving or boxing position, or back into the oven 102 for additional cooking.
For example, one or more sensors or imagers (e.g., cameras) 382 may be positioned with a field-of-view that encompasses an interior of the ovens 102, or a field-of-view that encompasses an exit of the ovens 102 or just downstream of the ovens 102. For example, one or more sensors or imagers e.g., cameras) 382 may have a field-of-view that encompasses a top of the food items, a bottom of the food items, and/or a side of the food items either in the ovens 102 or at the exit of the ovens 102 or even downstream of the ovens 102. One or more machine-vision systems may be employed to determine whether the fully baked food items (e.g., pizzas) are properly cooked based on images captured by the one or more sensors or imagers (e.g., cameras) 382. The machine-vision system may optionally employ machine-learning, being trained on a set of training data, to recognize when the food is properly baked or fully cooked, based on captured images or image data. In some instances, this can be combined, with a weight sensor (e g., strain gauge, load cell) to determine when the item of food is properly prepared, for example determining when an item is fully cooked based at least in part one a sensed weight, where the desired weight is dependent on sufficient water having been evaporated or cooked off.
The machine-vision system may, for example, determine whether a top of the food item is a desired color or colors and, or consistency, for instance determining whether there is too little, too much or an adequate or desired amount of bubbling of melted cheese, too little, too much or an adequate or desired amount of blackening or charring, too little, too much or an adequate or desired amount of curling of a topping (e.g., curling of pepperoni slices), too little, too much or an adequate or desired amount of shrinkage of a topping (e.g., vegetables). The machine-vision system may, for example, determine whether a bottom of the food item is a desired color or colors, for instance determining whether there is too little, too much or an adequate or desired amount of blackening or charring.
Additionally or alternatively, one or more electronic noses 384 may be distributed at various points to detect scents which may be indicative of a desired property of the food item or prepared food item. For example, one or more electronic noses can detect via scent when cheese bubbles and cast forms.
The ovens 102 (and hence cooking) and/or transfer robot 354 can be automatically controlled based on any one or more of machine-vision based determinations, weight determinations, and, or detected scent based determinations, and some defined criteria or conditions. Additionally or alternatively, the ovens 10 can be automatically controlled based on any one or machine-vision based determinations, weight determinations, and, or detected scent based determinations, and some defined criteria or conditions. Additionally or alternatively, one or more robotic appendages (e.g., mechanical, fingers, transfer robot 354) or a turntable or other actuator can be automatically, controlled based on any one or more of machine-vision based determinations, weight determinations, and, or detected scent based determinations, and>some defined criteria or conditions, for example turning an item (e.g., rotating a pizza to achieve even cooking or desired charring). While often described in terms of, pizza, the structures and techniques can be applied to other food items, o instance fried chicken or burritos.
The transfer robot 354 may be supported by a transfer robot platform 370 movably coupled to and contained in a frame 372. The frame 372 may include at least two vertical posts 374a, 374b extending from the floor 302 to the ceiling 304 of the cargo area, and at least two horizontal posts 376a, 376b extending from the rear wall 308 towards the opening for the loading door 218. One vertical post 374a may be located proximate the opening created by the loading door 218 and the other vertical post 374b may be located proximate the rear wall 308. One horizontal post 376a may be located proximate the ceiling 304, and the other horizontal post 376b may be located proximate the floor 302. The two vertical posts 374a, 374b and the two horizontal posts 376a, 376b may form the exterior of the frame 372. The transfer robot 354 is operable to move up and down along the vertical posts and move side to side along the horizontal posts.
In some implementations, the configurable oven rack system,100 may be loadable into the cargo area 300 of the vehicle 200 for dispatch to delivery destinations. As depicted and described, food items may be completely or partially prepared at a central location and loaded into the ovens 102, which may be placed in an oven rack slot 166 of the configurable oven rack system. The configurable oven rack system may contain one or more columns of individual oven rack slots 166. While in transit to each of a number of consumer delivery locations, the cooking conditions within each of the ovens 102 may be controlled and adjusted by a control system to complete the cooking process shortly before delivery of the food item(s) to the consumer.
Although a configurable oven rack system with multiple oven rack slots is shown in
The configurable oven rack system 100 may be securely attached to one or more anchor rails and/or retractable bolts spaced along the interior side wall 306 and oriented such that the oven rack slots 166 and the loadable ovens 102 may be accessible from the cargo area 300. The configurable oven rack system 100 may be coupled to one or more of power outlets, water ports, waste fluid ports, air ports, and/or communications ports located along the interior side wall 306. In some implementations, the configurable oven rack system may be loaded into the cargo area 300 with each oven rack slot 166 loaded with a corresponding loadable oven 102. In such an implementation, each oven 102 loaded into an oven rack slot 166 in the configurable oven rack system may further contain a food item to be completed. Each oven 102 may include a handle 360 located along the door 116. In some implementations, the handle 360 may be used to rotate or otherwise displace the door 116 to selectively expose or cover the opening to the interior compartment 114 of the oven 102.
The configurable oven rack system 100 and each oven 102 within an, oven rack slot 166 may be communicatively coupled to, the on-board control system 312 via the one or more communication ports located along the interior side wall 306. The on-board control system 312 may provide cooking commands that control the heating elements 126 within each of the ovens 102. Such cooking commands may be generated according to processor-executable instructions executed by one or some combination of the on-board control system 312, the off-board control system, or some other remote computer system,
The frame 372 may include at least two interior vertical posts 378a, 378b that couple with and support the transfer robot platform 370. The two interior vertical posts 378a, 378b may extend between, and may be movably coupled to, the two horizontal posts 376a, 376b. For example, in some implementations, one or both of the horizontal posts 376a, 376b may include a set of tracks to which the two interior vertical posts 374a, 374b are coupled. One or more motors or other actuators may be used to move the two interior vertical posts 378a, 378b along the length 301 of the cargo area 300. In some implementations, the transfer robot platform 370 may be selectively, movably coupled to the two interior vertical posts 378a, 378b using one or more motors or other actuators that enable the transfer robot platform 370 to move up or down relative to the height 305 of the cargo area 300. The control system 312 may provide commands that control the length-wise movement of the two interior vertical posts 378a, 378b, as well as provide commands that control the vertical movement of the transfer robot platform 370. Such commands may be used, for example, to position the transfer robot 354 such that the end tool 364 may enter into each of the compartments 114 for each of the ovens 102 contained with the cargo area 300.
In some implementations, a storage area may be provided that is refrigerated to prolong the freshness of the additional food items. The storage area may be sized and dimensioned to enable the end tool 364 of the transfer robot 354 to retrieve the food items contained within the storage area. The on-board control system 312 may provide one or more commands to retrieve a food item from the storage area and to place the food item into an appropriate oven 102. In some implementations, such commands may be provided when an oven 102 becomes available. In some implementations, such commands may be provided according to a delivery schedule and expected delivery time (e.g., estimated time of arrival at a destination, for instance a delivery destination) for the food item retrieve from the storage area, in this situation, the on-board control system 312 may provide commands to pre-heat the oven 102 (if it is not already at peak heating temperature) to an appropriate temperature in advance of the food item being retrieved from the storage area and placed in the oven 102.
In some instances, the on-board control system 312 and/or the off-board control system 207 may track information related to the contents of each oven 102 that has been loaded into the vehicle 200. For example, on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may track for each oven 102 th type of food item (e.g., par-baked shell, pepperoni pizza, and the like), the size of the food item, and/or the time the food item was placed in the oven 102. Additionally, the on-board control system 312 and/or the off-board control system 207 may track information related to which oven rack slots 166 have been occupied with loadable ovens 102 while loaded on the vehicle 200.
In some instances, the on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may communicate with one or more other systems to determine the overall time a food item has been placed in the oven 102 including time before the oven 102 was loaded into the vehicle 200. In some implementations, the on-board control system 312 may not load all of the ovens 102 with food items for preparation at any one time. Instead, the on-board control system 312 may keep at least some of the ovens 102 (or some of the oven tack slots 166) empty to process on-demand orders. In some implementations, at least some of the ovens 102 may be kept empty in order to process'and prepare food items that are different, and have different cooking par meters, than food items currently being prepared.
The on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may set a time limit for keeping each food item within the oven 102. If the time limit expires for one of the food items, the on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may alert the operator or customer to discard the food item. The on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may require that the user provide an input to confirm that the identified food item has been discarded. Such input may include, for example, pressing a switch associated with the oven 102 containing the food item to be discarded or acknowledging a prompt on a computer screen. In some implementations, the on-board control system 312 and/or an off-board control system may have access to one or more sensors or imagers that may indicate the user has removed the identified food item. Such sensors may include, for example, one or more imagers (e.g., cameras) that may be used to visually confirm the oven 102 is empty and/or the food item has been placed in a wastebasket. Such sensors may include sensors on the oven door 116 that may detect when the door 116 to the oven 102 has been opened. The configurable oven rack system may also include sensors in the oven rack slots 166 that may determine when a loadable oven 102 has been loaded into a corresponding oven rack slot.
Referring now to
The cargo portion 204 may include a top side 206, a left exterior side wall 208a and a right exterior side wall 208b (collectively exterior side walls 208), a back wall 210, and a bottom side 212. The cargo portion 204 may have a width 214, a length 215 and a height 216. The dimensions of the width 214, length 216, and height 216 of the cargo portion 204 may be based on local or state ordinances regarding delivery, such as, for example, local or state ordinances governing food delivery vehicles. In some implementations, the dimensions of the width 214, length 215, and height 216 of the cargo portion 204 may be smaller than the maximum dimensions allowed by local or state ordinances. Smaller cargo portions 204 may be advantageous, for example, when the vehicle 200a is to travel in or through neighborhoods or areas with narrow roads and/or tight turns.
The back wall 210 may include one or more loading doors 218 sized and dimensioned to provide access to a cargo area (discussed below) enclosed within the cargo portion 204 of the vehicle 200a. In some implementations, the loading door(s) 218 may be a single door stretching substantially across (i.e., >50%) the width 214 along the back wall 210. In such an implementation, the loading door 218 may include a single set o hinges 220 that may physically and rotationally couple the loading doors 218 to the vehicle 200a, and be used to open the loading door 218. In some implementations, the loading door 218 may comprise multiple doors, such as a set of double doors, that together stretch substantially across (i.e., >50%) the width 214 along the back wall 210. In such an implementation, each door may be physically and rotationally coupled to the cargo portion 204 of the vehicle 200a by a respective of hinges.
The back wall 210 may include a personnel door 222 located within the loading door 218. The personnel door 222 may be physically, rotationally coupled to the loading door 218 by a set of one or more hinges 224. The personnel door 222 may rotate in the same direction or in the opposite direction loading door 218 in which the personnel door 222 is located The dimensions, e.g., width and height, of the personnel door 222 are smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the loading door 218, for instance <33% of the width 214 along the back wall 210. The personnel door 222 may be set within the loading door 218 relatively closer to one or the other exterior side walls 208a and 208b, or the personnel door 222 may be centered within the loading door 218 relative to the exterior side walls 208a and 208b. The personnel door 222 may be positioned to provide access between the exterior of the vehicle 200a to the cargo area, an sized and dimensioned to receive a human therethrough (e.g., 36 inches or 42 inches wide, 60 or more inches tall). The size, shape, dimensions, and/or location of the personnel door 222 may be set according to local or state ordinances, such as, for example, those ordinances regarding health and safety for operating food delivery and/or food serving vehicles. In some implementations, the loading door 218 may include one or more additional small doors that may be smaller than the personnel door 222. In some implementations, the small doors may enable food products to be passed from the cargo portion to a person or customer standing outside of the vehicle.
The cargo portion may further optionally include a ramp 226 that may be selectively deployed when the vehicle 200a is in a stationary, parked position to stretch from a ground-level location behind the back wall 210 of the vehicle 200a to the cargo area towards the bottom side 212 of the cargo portion 204. The ramp 226 may be used to roll supplies, equipment, or other material and out of the cargo area. In some implementations, the ramp 226 may be used to roll supplies, equipment, or other material out of one vehicle 200a and into another vehicle 200a. When not employed, the ramp 226 may be stowed within a cavity proximate the bottom side 212 of the cargo portion 204.
One or both of the exterior side walls 208a and 208b may include a display or monitor 228 oriented to display images, e.g, video images, towards the exterior of the vehicle 200a. The display or monitor 228 may be any type of display or monitor, such as, for example, a thin profile LCD, OLED or similar type of screen. The display or monitor 228 does riot extend into the cargo area. The display or monitor 228 may be one that uses a minimal amount of electrical power during operation. The display or monitor 228 may display any type of programming, including still images or moving images. In some implementations, the display or monitor 228 may display a video feed captured by one or more cameras located within the cargo area of the vehicle 200a. In some implementations, such display or monitor 228 may provide advertisements and/or a menu for the products being sold by the vehicle 200a,
In some implementations, as discussed above, the vehicle 200a may make food items to order using one or more robots and/or assembly lines located within the cargo area of the cargo portion 204 of the vehicle 200a. In such an implementation, the cameras may capture live images or, alternatively, pre-recorded images, from the cargo area of the movements and positioning of the various robots when assembling food items. Such images may be displayed by the display or monitor 228 as a form of advertisement and/or entertainment for current and potential customers. In some implementations, the display on the display or monitor 228 may progressively or randomly provide different displays (e.g., menu, interior shot, advertisement) for defined periods of time.
In some implementations, additional devices may be used to attract attention to and provide additional marketing related to the vehicle 200a. For example, in some implementations, the vehicle 200a may include lighting running around the edges and/or exterior side walls 208a and 208b, a projector that may be used to project images onto the vehicle 200a and/or onto objects in the surrounding environment, and/or smart glass displays that may be used to create and/or optionally display advertisements along the exterior side walls 208a and 208b of the vehicle 200a.
One or both of the exterior side walls 208a and 208b may include a food slot 230 that may be used to deliver a hot, prepared food item, for example a pizza, that has been packaged for delivery. The size, dimension, and position of the food slot 230 may be based, for example, on the type of food item to be prepared and delivered. For example, a food slot 230 for pizza may be wider and shorter in height than a food slot 230 used for prepared and packaged hamburgers. The food slot 230 may be used to deliver food items automatically after the food item has been prepared within the cargo area. One or both of the exterior side walls 208a and 208b may include a delivery port 232 providing access to one or more delivery robots, such as flying food delivery robots (e.g., flying drones) or terrestrial food delivery robots (e.g., ground drones), that may be used to carry and deliver prepared food to the final address.
In some implementations, the delivery robots may be used in lieu of delivery people. The delivery robots may be manually controlled by a human who is located locally or remotely from the delivery robot, and/or controlled autonomously, for example using location input or coordinates from an on-board GPS or GLONASS positioning system and receiver from one or more, wireless service provider cellular towers. In some implementations, location input and/or positioning may be provided using on-board telemetry to determine position, vision systems coupled with pre-recorded photos of the surrounding environment, peer-to-peer relative positioning with other autonomous or non-autonomous vehicles, and/or triangulation with signals from other autonomous or non-autonomous vehicles. In some implementations involving multiple delivery robots, the delivery robots may make deliveries during overlapping time periods.
Referring now to
The loading door 218 is rotationally coupled to the back wall 210 of the cargo portion 204 of the vehicle 200b, and may provide access into the cargo 00 from the exterior of the vehicle 200b. The loading door 218 may be sized and dimensioned to enable the loading of equipment and supplies into, and the unloading of equipment and supplies from, the cargo area 300. The loading door 218 may include a personnel door 222 that may be sized and dimensioned to selectively provide access to the cargo area 300 to receive a human therethrough. The personnel door 222 may be smaller in dimension (e.g., width) than the dimensions of the loading door 218. The rear wall 308 of the cargo area 300 may include a door 310 or other opening sized and dimensioned to provide access to a human between the cab portion 202 and the cargo area 300 of the vehicle 200b.
The floor 302 may be a substantially fiat surface parallel to the ground and, forms a horizontal surface when the vehicle 200b is parked on a flat, even surface. The floor 302 may be elevated above the set of wheels 203 and corresponding wheel wells, located within the cargo portion 204 of the vehicle 200b. As such, the wheels 203 and wheel wells may not interrupt or protrude above the floor 302. The floor 302 may be comprised of aluminum, stainless steel, or any other lightweight, hard, durable surface, that is easily cleaned or sanitized. In some implementations, a fire barrier may be adjacent to and underneath the floor 302.
The cargo area 300 may include an on-board control system 312 that may enable the vehicle 200b to operate in a connected mode in which the on-board control system 312 is communicatively coupled to an off-board control system 207, as discussed previously. In the connected mode, the off-board control system 207 may provide routing, delivery, and/or cooking instructions to components in the vehicle 200b. The on-board control system 312 may be operable to function in a stand-alone mode in which the on-board control system 312 is not communicatively coupled to the off-board control system. The on-board control system 312 may be operable to enter a recovery mode at a time when the on-board control system 312 regains a communication connection with the off-board control system 207 and is transitioning from a stand-alone mode to a connected mode.
The interior side walls 306 may comprise or consist of aluminum, stainless steel, or other lightweight, hard, durable material, which may be easily cleaned or sanitized. In some implementations, the interior side walls 306 may be comprised of food safe materials that may be used in a food preparation or serving environment. The interior side walls 306 may each be oriented to extend vertically between the floor 302 and the ceiling 304, and be spaced relatively apart from each other to provide space for food preparation and/or storage equipment to be secured within the cargo area 300. The interior side wall 306 may include one or more food slots 230 through which prepared food items may be provided to an operator or supplied to a customer located on the exterior of the vehicle 200b. In some implementations, the interior side wall(s) 306 may include one or more anchor tracks or rails 313 extending from the floor 302 to the ceiling 304 of the cargo area 300. In some implementations, the anchor tracks or rails 313 may be evenly spaced along the length 301 of the cargo area 300 and provide for loading of an almost unlimited variety of food preparation and cooking equipment in any number of configurations.
One or both of the interior side walls 306 may include a plurality of recessed cavities 450a, 450b arranged relative to the length 301 and/or height 305 of the cargo area 300. Each of the recessed cavities 450a, 450b may contain one or more of: a stationary post 414, a power outlet 324, a water port 326, a waste fluid port 328, an air port 330, and a communication port 332. The recessed cavities 450a, 450b may be sufficiently recessed into the interior side walls 306 such that the contained component or port does not intrude into the cargo area 300. The cavities 450a, 450b may be of various sizes, including a large recessed cavity 450a and a small recessed cavity 450b. In some implementations, the size of each cavity 450a, 450b may depend upon the component or port contained within the cavity. For example, a large cavity 450a may be used to contain a stationary post 414, and a small cavity 450b may be used to contain a power outlet 324 or any of the water port 326, the waste fluid port 328, the air port 330, and/or the communication port 332.
In some implementations, covers 452a, 452b may be used to cover a recessed cavity 450a, 450b containing a component not currently being used, for example, stationary posts 414 that have no attached food preparation and/or storage equipment. The covers 452a, 452b may be comprised of aluminum, stainless steel, or some other lightweight, durable material. The covers 452a, 452b may be selectively removably physically coupled to the interior side wall 306 and may cover a recessed cavity 450a, 450b when the covers 452a, 452b are physically coupled to the interior side wall 306. In some implementations, each cover may be sized and dimensioned based upon the corresponding recessed cavity 450a, 450b the cover 452a, 452b is to be placed over. As such, the covers 452a, 452b may be of different sizes, for example, with large covers 452a covering large recessed cavities 450a and with small covers 452b covering small recessed cavities 450b.
The interior side walls 306 may each include a set of stationary posts 414 that may be regularly spaced along the interior side wall 306 relative to the length 301 and/or height 305 of the cargo area 300. The stationary posts 414 may be accessed via one or more of the recessed cavities 450a. The first interior side wall 306 includes a plurality of three stationary posts 414 (two shown). The second interior side wall 306 may include a plurality of anchor access locations (three shown) arranged in two columns 415a, 415b and three rows 417a, 417b, 417c. In some implementations, the second interior side wall 306 may include six separate stationary posts 414. Alternatively, in some implementations, the second wall 306 may contain two stationary posts 414 extending between the floor 302 and the ceiling 304 of the cargo area 300 with each of the stationary posts 414 accessed via the three corresponding recessed cavities 450a that form one of the two columns 415a, 415b. The lonely posts 414 may be regularly spaced apart from each other along an axis extending between the front portion 307 of the cargo area 300 and the back portion 309 of the cargo area 300. Other configurations and layouts of the stationary posts 414 may be possible.
In some implementations, the stationary posts 414 may be cylindrical in shape with a central axis extending vertically from one end of a recessed cavity 450a, 450b to the opposing end of the recessed cavity. One or more attachment locations 420 may be spaced axially along the stationary posts 414. The attachment locations 420 may be spaced and dimensioned along the stationary posts 414 to spatially align with corresponding attachment points on food preparation and/or storage equipment to thereby secure the various food preparation and/or storage equipment that may be loaded into the cargo area 300 of the vehicle 200b. In some implementations, the attachment locations 420 may include portions spaced axially along a stationary post 414 having a smaller radius than the remaining portions of the stationary post 414. As such, the attachment locations 420 may secure the attached food preparation and/or storage equipment from moving along the length 301, the width 303, and the height 305 of the cargo area 300.
In some implementations, the cargo area 300 may include one or more cameras 340 that may be oriented to capture images of the cargo area 300. Each of the cameras 340 may have a field of view 342 in which the camera 340 may capture still or moving images. In some implementations, the field of view 342 of each camera 340 may encompass substantially the entire cargo area 300. In some implementations, the cameras 340 may be used to capture and provide live images. Such live images may be transmitted via the radio 213 and antenna 205 to a remote location, such as to the off-board control system 207 so the food preparation and delivery operations of the vehicle 200b may be monitored. In some implementations, the live images from the cameras 340 may be supplied to the display or monitors 228 located along the exterior side wall(s) 208a and 208b of the vehicle 200b and visible from the exterior of the vehicle 200. In some implementations, the various cameras 340 and/or displays or monitors 228 may be attached to the ceiling 304 of the vehicle 200 or be attached to be flush against the interior side walls 306. As such, the cameras 340 and/or displays or monitors 228 may not intrude into the floor 302 or interfere with the modular design of the cargo area 300, discussed above.
The various embodiments described above may be combined to provide further embodiments. U.S. Pat. No. 9,292,889, issued Mar. 22, 2016, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/040,866, filed Feb. 10, 2016, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS”; International application No. PCT/US2014/042879, filed Jun. 18, 2014, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS OF PREPARING FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/311,787, filed Mar. 22, 2016, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/465,228, filed Mar. 21, 2017, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/845,916, filed Dec. 18, 2017, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. patent application. Ser. No. 15/936,069, filed Mar. 26, 2018, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; International application No. PCT/US2017/023408, filed Mar. 21, 2017, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/320,282, filed Apr. 8, 2016, titled, “ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY AND RELATED SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/481,240, filed Apr. 6, 2017, titled, “ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY AND RELATED SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS”; International application No. PCT/US2017/026408, filed Apr. 6, 2017, titled, “ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY AND RELATED SYSTEMS, DEVICES AND METHODS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 62/394,063, filed Sep. 13, 2016, titled, “CUTTER WITH RADIALLY DISPOSED BLADES”; U.S., Provisional Patent application Ser. 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No. 29/641,213, filed Mar. 20, 2018, titled, “DISPLAY SCREEN WITH GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE”; International application No. PCT/US2017/059386, filed Oct. 31, 2017, titled, “LAZY SUSAN MENU GRAPHICAL INTERFACE”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/532,885, filed Jul. 14, 2017, titled, “MULTI-MODAL VEHICLE IMPLEMENTED FOOD PREPARATION, COOKING, AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/531,131, filed Jul. 11, 2017, titled, “CONFIGURABLE FOOD DELIVERY VEHICLE AND RELATED METHODS AND ARTICLES”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/531,136, filed Jul. 11, 2017, titled, “CONFIGURABLE FOOD DELIVERY VEHICLE AND RELATED METHODS AND ARTICLES”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/628,390, filed Feb. 9, 2018, titled, “CONFIGURABLE FOOD DELIVERY VEHICLE AND RELATED METHODS AND ARTICLES”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/556,901, filed Sep. 11, 2017, titled, “CONFIGURABLE OVEN RACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/595,229, filed Dec. 6, 2017, titled, “CONFIGURABLE OVEN RACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/529,933, filed Jul. 7, 2017, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/522,583, filed Jun. 20, 2017, titled, “VEHICLE WITH CONTEXT SENSITIVE INFORMATION PRESENTATION”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/633,456, filed Feb. 21, 2018, titled, “VEHICLE WITH CONTEXT SENSITIVE INFORMATION PRESENTATION”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/550,438, filed Aug. 25, 2017, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IDENTIFYING COMPONENTS ON A COMMUNICATIONS BUS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 621569,404, filed Oct. 6, 2017, titled, “SELF-PROPELLED FOOD PREPARATION APPLIANCES AND ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY WITH SELF-PROPELLED FOOD PREPARATION APPLIANCES”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/615,087, filed Jan. 9, 2018, titled, “SYSTEMS AND METHOD RELATED TO A FOOD-ITEM CUTTER WITH METAL WIPERS AND AN ASSOCIATED COVER”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/574,088, filed Oct. 18, 2017, titled, “ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/623.540, filed Jan. 29, 2018, titled, “ON-DEMAND ROBOTIC FOOD ASSEMBLY EQUIPMENT, AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS”; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/568,120, filed Oct. 20, 2017, titled, “VEHICLE HAVING A DEVICE FOR PROCESSING FOOD”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/620,931, filed Jan. 23, 2018, titled, “VENDING-KIOSK BASED SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO VEND AND/OR PREPARE ITEMS, FOR INSTANCE PREPARED FOODS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/613,272, filed Jan. 3, 2018, titled, “MULTI-MODAL DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS USING VENDING KIOSKS AND AUTONOMOUS DELIVERY VEHICLES”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/633,457, filed Feb. 21, 2018, titled, “GARMENTS WITH CONFIGURABLE VISUAL APPERANCES AND SYSTEMS, METHODS AND ARTICLES TO AUTOMATICALLY CONFIGURE SAME”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/651,633, filed Apr. 2, 2018, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. Provisional Patent application No. 62/667,179, filed May 4, 2018, titled, “CONTAINER FOR TRANSPORT AND STORAGE OF FOOD PRODUCTS”; U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/685,093, filed Jun. 14, 2018, titled “CONFIGURABLE OVEN RACK SYSTEM”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/558,874, filed Mar. 22, 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/558,873, filed Mar. 22, 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER COVER”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/558,872, filed Mar. 22 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER BASE”; U.S. Design Patent No. D806,575, filed Aug. 18, 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/618,670, filed Sep. 22, 2017, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/574,805, filed Aug. 18, 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER COVER”; U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/574,808, filed Aug. 18, 2016, titled, “FOOD CONTAINER BASE”; and U.S. Design application Ser. No. 29/641,239, filed Mar. 20, 2018, titled “DISPLAY SCREEN WITH TRANSITIONAL GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE SET are each incorporated herein by reference, in their entirety.
From the foregoing it will be appreciated that, although specific embodiments have been described herein for purposes of illustration, various modifications may be made vithout deviating from the spirit and scope of the teachings. Accordingly, the claims are not limited by the disclosed embodiments.
Claims
1. An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item, the system comprising:
- an oven rack comprising: an array of oven slots to receive correspondingly shaped and sized ovens, a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to provide electrical coupling for each correspondingly shaped and sized oven when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot;
- a plurality of loadable ovens insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven comprising: one or more heating elements, one or more respective doors, and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface when a loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack;
- a common electrical power distribution bus coupled to the respective slot electrical interfaces of the oven slots, the common electrical power distribution bus operable to power individual oven slots containing loadable ovens; and
- a temperature control system to control a temperature of one or more loadable ovens within the plurality of loadable ovens by regulating the one or more heating elements of the ovens, the temperature control system including at least one processor and at least one processor-readable medium communicatively coupled to the at least one processor.
2.-6. (canceled)
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of oven slots contained in the oven rack is configured to translate in a horizontal direction, in a vertical direction, in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, or horizontally and vertically in a looping configuration within the oven rack.
8.-9. (canceled)
10. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of oven slots contained in the oven rack is configured to rotate within the oven rack about a central axis.
11. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
- one or more cameras and/or one or more proximity sensors to confirm whether an oven is loaded in an oven slot, determine a position of an oven door, confirm whether an oven is loaded with a food item, or combinations thereof.
12.-13. (canceled)
14. The system of claim 1, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack is constructed to receive one or more correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots.
15. (canceled)
16. The system of claim 1, wherein the temperature control system is configured to modify a cooking profile of an oven based on one or more of quantity, size, and heating coefficients of food items that were recently cooked; humidity; starting temperature of the oven; or peak cooking temperature of the oven.
17.-22. (canceled)
23. An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item, the system comprising:
- an oven rack comprising: an array of oven slots to receive correspondingly shaped and sized ovens, a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to provide electrical coupling for each correspondingly shaped and sized oven when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot;
- a plurality of loadable ovens insertable into the oven slots, each loadable oven comprising: one or more heating elements, one or more respective doors, and a respective oven electrical interface, wherein a respective slot electrical interface of an oven slot is electrically coupled to a respective oven electrical interface when a loadable oven is inserted into a respective oven slot in the oven rack; and
- one or more of:
- a transfer robot comprising: a robotic arm located in a cargo area and movable with respect to at least a first one of a pair of side walls, and an end tool mechanically coupled to the robotic arm and selectively positionable to selectively interact with each of the ovens of the array of ovens; or a conveyor system housed within the oven rack and configured to translate or rotate the array of oven slots within the oven rack.
24.-25. (canceled)
26. The system of claim 23, wherein the end tool of the robotic arm is selectively positionable to selectively insert a respective food item into each of the ovens of the array of ovens or withdraw the respective food item from each of the ovens of the array of ovens.
27.-28. (canceled)
29. The system of claim 23, wherein the robotic arm includes a finger extension to selectively interact with the one or more respective doors of each of the ovens of the array of ovens.
30. (canceled)
31. The system of claim 23, wherein the robotic arm includes one or more of:
- robotic-based electrical key, a robotic-based mechanical key, a robotic-based transmission signal, a robotic-based actuation gripper, or combinations thereof configured to open oven doors, insert the ovens into the array of oven slots, or remove the ovens from the array of oven slots;
- one or more cameras or one or more proximity sensors to confirm a position of a food item.
32.-102. (canceled)
103. An oven rack system to facilitate heating a food item, the system comprising:
- an oven rack comprising: an array of oven slots to receive correspondingly shaped and sized ovens, a respective slot electrical interface for each oven slot to provide electrical coupling for each correspondingly shaped and sized oven when each correspondingly shaped and sized oven is inserted into a respective oven slot; and
- a plurality of loadable ovens insertable into the oven slots, each of the loadable ovens comprising: one or more respective doors, a respective oven electrical interface, and an oven box, the oven box comprising: a floor, a ceiling spaced across a height of the oven box from a floor of the oven box, at least one side wall that extends between the floor and the ceiling to at least partially delineate an interior of the oven box from an exterior thereof, one or more upper heating elements proximate the ceiling, and one or more lower heating elements proximate the floor,
- wherein the one or more upper heating elements have a different pattern than a pattern of the one or more lower heating elements.
104. The system of claim 103, wherein a pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements is individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's upper surface, and a pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements is individually matched to cooking characteristics of a food item's lower surface to evenly cook the food items in the loadable ovens, when the cooking characteristics of the food item's upper surface are different from the cooking characteristics of the food item's lower surface.
105. The system of claim 103, wherein the a pattern formed by the one or more upper heating elements and a pattern formed by the one or more lower heating elements include longitudinal heating elements, traverse heating elements, grid-patterned heating elements, cross-hatch patterned heating elements, radially extending heating elements, concentric-circular patterned heating elements, a series of zig-zagging heating elements, volute-patterned heating elements, or combinations thereof.
106.-107. (canceled)
108. The system of claim 103, wherein individual elements of the one or more upper heating elements, individual elements of the one or more lower heating elements, or both, are movable to change cooking characteristics of the one or more heating elements and exchangeable with a second set of upper heating elements or lower heating elements that have a different pattern for food items with different cooking characteristics.
109.-133. (canceled)
134. The system of claim 103, further comprising:
- a support structure upon which the food item is placed during a cooking process, the support structure including elements that are spaced and patterned to have a minimum surface area in contact with the food items, wherein the elements are configured as a grate, a grill, a screen, a grid, cross-hatched, or combinations therein.
135. The system of claim 103, wherein the elements of the support structure are one or more of movable, bendable, or exchangeable to change the minimum surface area in contact with a food item based upon the food item.
136.-139. (canceled)
140. The system of claim 103, further comprising an electronic communications bus that interfaces with each oven slot in the oven rack and is communicably coupled to any loadable oven that is inserted into an oven slot in the oven rack.
141.-159. (canceled)
160. The system of claim 103, further comprising:
- a combination refrigeration system, wherein the loadable ovens are thermally insulated units that each include one or more refrigerant coils in addition to having one or more heating elements.
161. The system of claim 103, further comprising:
- a combination refrigeration system, wherein the array of oven slots in the oven rack are also constructed to receive correspondingly shaped and sized refrigeration units that are loadable in the oven slots instead of the loadable ovens.
162.-239. (canceled)
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 3, 2018
Publication Date: Jun 25, 2020
Applicant: Zume Inc. (Mountain View, CA)
Inventors: Joshua Gouled GOLDBERG (San Bruno, CA), Alexander John GARDEN (Tiburon, CA), Vaibhav GOEL (Mumbai)
Application Number: 16/639,754
