Patents Assigned to Automation Tech, LLC
  • Patent number: 12287098
    Abstract: A modular cooking apparatus is disclosed. The modular cooking apparatus includes a housing for containing a first and second interchangeable cooking modules. The first interchangeable cooking module contains a first oven, and the second interchangeable cooking module contains a second oven. A grease shield is located within the first oven. The second oven is different from the first oven. The modular cooking apparatus also includes a control panel for receiving cooking inputs, a controller for controlling the first and second interchangeable cooking modules, and a single power plug for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Automation Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Lee T. Vanlanen
  • Patent number: 12239255
    Abstract: A modular cooking apparatus is disclosed. The modular cooking apparatus includes a housing for containing a first and second interchangeable cooking modules. The first interchangeable cooking module contains a first oven, and the second interchangeable cooking module contains a second oven. The second oven is different from the first oven. The modular cooking apparatus also includes a control panel for receiving cooking inputs, a controller for controlling the first and second interchangeable cooking modules, and a single power plug for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: AUTOMATION TECH, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Scott Smith, Andrew Podevels, Harold Hansen, Lee Vanlanen, Harold Sackett
  • Patent number: 12178357
    Abstract: A modular cooking apparatus is disclosed. The modular cooking apparatus includes a housing having a first interchangeable cooking module, a second interchangeable cooking module, and a single power connection for receiving electrical power from a wall outlet. The first interchangeable cooking module contains a first oven, and the second interchangeable cooking module contains a second oven. The second oven is a different oven type from the first oven. The modular cooking apparatus also includes a controller within the housing for controlling the first and second ovens. The controller includes a memory for storing a list of food items to be cooked within the modular cooking apparatus and a corresponding oven type for each of the food items. The modular cooking apparatus further includes a control panel on the housing for displaying only the food items for which the first oven or the second oven is a corresponding oven type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: AUTOMATION TECH, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Harold Hansen, Andrew Podevels
  • Patent number: 12063732
    Abstract: A modular cooking apparatus is disclosed. The modular cooking apparatus includes a first interchangeable cooking module containing an impingement oven and a second interchangeable cooking module containing a microwave oven. The microwave oven includes a magnetron and a cooking chamber, an oven door for covering the cooking chamber, wherein the oven door includes an external cover and an internal cover, a motor located outside the cooking chamber, a food holding surface located inside the cooking chamber, and a crank-and-cam mechanism connected to the food holding surface via a rod. The crank-and-cam mechanism moves the food holding surface to and fro within the cooking chamber during cooking for promoting food cooking evenness.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2024
    Assignee: Automation Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Lee Vanlanen, Anthony Sayas, Danny McCauley
  • Patent number: 11739942
    Abstract: A modular cooking apparatus includes a first interchangeable cooking module containing an impingement oven, a second interchangeable cooking module containing a hot air oven with built-in magnetron, and a single power connection for receiving three-phase electrical power. Each oven has a base load and a boost load. A first multiplexor is configured to direct electrical power from a first phase pair of the three-phase electrical power to either the base load or the boost load of the first oven. A second multiplexor is configured to direct electrical power from the first phase pair to the boost load of the first oven or to the boost load of the second oven. The modular cooking apparatus is configured such that either the first multiplexor or the second multiplexor can direct electrical power from the first phase pair to the boost load of the first oven.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: AUTOMATION TECH, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Andrew Podevels
  • Patent number: 11737467
    Abstract: A method for cooking is disclosed. In response to an oven being selected to cook a food item, a determination is made whether or not any oven is being engaged in cooking. If no oven is being engaged in cooking, then temperature-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the selected oven. If one oven is currently being engaged in cooking, then another determination is made whether or not the total current demand by the two ovens to cook respective food items exceeds a predetermined current limitation under temperature-control mode. If the total current demand does not exceed the predetermined current limitation, then temperature-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the two ovens. If the total current demand exceeds the predetermined current limitation, then time-control mode is utilized to control oven temperature of the two ovens.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2023
    Assignee: Automation Tech, LLC
    Inventors: Philip R. McKee, Andrew Podevels, Harold Hansen