Patents Assigned to Pizza Hut, Inc.
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Publication number: 20130101709Abstract: A system for assembling a pizza includes: a computer configured for receiving an order for the pizza; a database accessible by the computer for providing a list of ingredients for the pizza based on the order; a monitor operably connected to the computer and positioned in an order preparation area for displaying instructions for assembling the pizza; and a scale operably connected to the computer for continuously weighing the pizza during assembly of the pizza. The monitor then displays instructions to apply the ingredients. As the ingredients are applied to the pizza, the scale is continuously weighing the pizza and outputting a signal representative of the weight to the computer, which then displays an indication that the appropriate amount of a selected ingredient has been applied to the pizza.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 22, 2012Publication date: April 25, 2013Applicant: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventor: Pizza Hut, Inc.
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Patent number: 7923048Abstract: Making a pizza crust includes forming a mass of dough into a substantially flattened shape to define an inner crust bordered by an outer crust extending around the inner crust. The outer crust is divided into a plurality of segments without cutting the inner crust by pressing a plurality of cutting fins of a cutting ring through the outer crust to form the plurality of segments. Each of the plurality of segments defines a first end, a second end opposite the first end, a first side facing the inner crust, and a second side facing opposite the inner crust. Each of the plurality of segments is turned such that the second end is moved away from the inner crust.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2006Date of Patent: April 12, 2011Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff
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Patent number: 7914836Abstract: A pizza includes a dough member and at least one topping disposed on the dough member. The dough member defines a substantially flattened shape and includes a central portion and a border portion. The central portion defines a perimeter. The border portion extends about the perimeter of the central portion. The border portion of the dough member is divided into a plurality of dough segments, each dough segment being turned relative to the perimeter of the central portion.Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2006Date of Patent: March 29, 2011Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff
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Patent number: 7823489Abstract: A system and/or method for making a pizza pie having an outer cheese portion comprises a cutting tool and/or a cutting guide to enable formation of at least one opening at an outer crust region of a pizza pie to cause an inner cheese portion embedded within the outer crust to flow through the at least one opening, thereby forming the outer cheese portion at the upper surface of the outer crust. A cutting tool of the system comprises a rotatable disc with notches in its cutting surface to enable formation of the at least one opening in the outer crust. A cutting guide of the system comprises a generally disc shaped member with a support surface at its outer edge for supporting and guiding application of a cutting device against an outer crust region of a pizza dough.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2009Date of Patent: November 2, 2010Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Peter G. Graham, Jennifer T. Nguyen
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Patent number: 7726236Abstract: A sandwich maker includes a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can be positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2007Date of Patent: June 1, 2010Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig
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Patent number: 7677879Abstract: An apparatus for docking dough includes a base member, a plurality of protrusions extending from a lower surface of the base member, and a handle secured to an upper surface of the base member. The base member is not flat, but rather has a curvature that enables the apparatus to be rocked from side to side when placed on a surface. Thus, in use, the apparatus is first placed on and manually pressed into a dough, such as an uncooked pizza dough. Then, the apparatus is rocked from side to side by the user to dock the dough, ensuring that dimples or divots are made throughout the dough.Type: GrantFiled: July 22, 2008Date of Patent: March 16, 2010Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Stephen D. Voels, Maria V. Brister
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Patent number: 7610837Abstract: A system and/or method for making a pizza pie having an outer cheese portion comprises a cutting tool and/or a cutting guide to enable formation of at least one opening at an outer crust region of a pizza pie to cause an inner cheese portion embedded within the outer crust to flow through the at least one opening, thereby forming the outer cheese portion at the upper surface of the outer crust. A cutting tool of the system comprises a rotatable disc with notches in its cutting surface to enable formation of the at least one opening in the outer crust. A cutting guide of the system comprises a generally disc shaped member with a support surface at its outer edge for supporting and guiding application of a cutting device against an outer crust region of a pizza dough.Type: GrantFiled: April 21, 2005Date of Patent: November 3, 2009Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Todd W. Craig, Peter G. Graham, Jennifer T. Nguyen
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Publication number: 20080196597Abstract: A sandwich maker including a base and a perforating member. The base includes a base cavity into which a portion of a sheet of dough can positioned, the base cavity including a plurality of slots positioned in a spaced fashion therein and extending through the base cavity. The perforating member is separably coupled to the base external to the base cavity and moveable between a normally retracted position and an extended position, wherein the perforating member includes a plurality of teeth spaced along the perforating member such that each tooth of the plurality of teeth aligns with a corresponding slot of the plurality of slots, and wherein each tooth is configured to extend into the base cavity via the corresponding slot when the perforating member is in the extended position so as to cut slits in the portion of the sheet of dough positioned within the base cavity.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 28, 2007Publication date: August 21, 2008Applicant: PIZZA HUT, INC.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig
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Patent number: 7387231Abstract: An insert including a support panel, a first tab, and a second tab. The support panel defining a front edge, a back edge opposite the front edge, a first side edge extending between the front edge and the back edge, and a second side edge extending between the front edge and the back edge opposite the first side edge. The support panel is adapted to support a food product during cutting of the food product and during transfer of the food product to a container. The first tab extends along the first side edge of the support panel from the front edge only partially toward the back edge. The second tab extends along the second side edge of the support panel from the back edge only partially toward the front edge. Other inserts and trays and combinations including inserts or trays provide additional advantages.Type: GrantFiled: July 28, 2004Date of Patent: June 17, 2008Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey Yandian, Peter G. Graham
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Patent number: 6843167Abstract: A system for producing par-baked pizza crusts from dough portions includes a pan adapted to support the dough portions. A lid assembly is positioned to contact each dough portion. The dough portions are par-baked in an oven, while the lid assembly contacts the dough portions, in order to produce par-baked pizza crusts.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2000Date of Patent: January 18, 2005Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Hanny Kanafani, Ossama R. ElNakib, Staci L. Hayden, Michael A. Alagna, Jay E. Bauer, James L. Hilton
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Publication number: 20030209194Abstract: A pizza sauce dispenser simultaneously dispenses and spreads a precisely controlled amount of sauce onto a pizza dough base without manually handling the sauce or the dough during operation. The dispenser includes a selectively rotatable disc and an arm that selectively extends over the disc. At lease one nozzle is supported by the arm and selectively dispenses the sauce onto the dough. A control mechanism controls: (1) a selected rate and direction of disc rotation; (2) a selected pivot rate and direction of the arm; and/or (3) a selected rate of dispensing sauce through the nozzle. In use, with pizza dough placed on the disc, the disc is rotated and the arm pivoted over the dough so that the nozzle traverses a path from the outside edge of the dough to the center of the dough or vice versa. Sauce thus is deposited in a spiral or other desirable pattern.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 10, 2003Publication date: November 13, 2003Applicant: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Steven Amigh, Homero Ortegon
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Patent number: 6626996Abstract: A pizza sauce dispenser simultaneously dispenses and spreads a precisely controlled amount of sauce onto a pizza dough base without manually handling the sauce or the dough during operation. The dispenser includes a selectively rotatable disc and an arm that selectively extends over the disc. At lease one nozzle is supported by the arm and selectively dispenses the sauce onto the dough. A control mechanism controls: (1) a selected rate and direction of disc rotation; (2) a selected pivot rate and direction of the arm; and/or (3) a selected rate of dispensing sauce through the nozzle. In use, with pizza dough placed on the disc, the disc is rotated and the arm pivoted over the dough so that the nozzle traverses a path from the outside edge of the dough to the center of the dough or vice versa. Sauce thus is deposited in a spiral or other desirable pattern.Type: GrantFiled: March 14, 2000Date of Patent: September 30, 2003Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Steven Amigh, Homero Ortegon
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Publication number: 20030003211Abstract: A system for producing par-baked pizza crusts from dough portions includes a pan adapted to support the dough portions. A lid assembly is positioned to contact each dough portion. The dough portions are par-baked in an oven, while the lid assembly contacts the dough portions, in order to produce par-baked pizza crusts.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 9, 2002Publication date: January 2, 2003Applicant: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Hanny Kanafani, Ossama R. EINakib, Staci L. Hayden, Michael A. Alagna, Jay E. Bauer, James L. Hilton
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Patent number: 6396031Abstract: A modular processing device and method of using the modular processing device are disclosed. The modular processing device has a plurality of processing modules removably mounted therein. The processing modules are operable alone or as a group to process an item that is placed in the modular processing device.Type: GrantFiled: September 1, 2000Date of Patent: May 28, 2002Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventor: Robert Forrester
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Patent number: D504056Type: GrantFiled: February 10, 2004Date of Patent: April 19, 2005Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Todd Craig, Peter Graham
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Patent number: D536578Type: GrantFiled: May 22, 2006Date of Patent: February 13, 2007Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Steven Amigh
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Patent number: D548426Type: GrantFiled: April 17, 2006Date of Patent: August 14, 2007Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Todd W. Craig, Carrie L. Goff
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Patent number: D681452Type: GrantFiled: November 11, 2011Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Robert P. Dennen, John Pesti, Owen Glock
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Patent number: D691000Type: GrantFiled: June 12, 2012Date of Patent: October 8, 2013Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: Peter G. Graham, Eric M. Walton, Susan K. Cox, Daniel J. Arvin
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Patent number: D747192Type: GrantFiled: May 21, 2014Date of Patent: January 12, 2016Assignee: Pizza Hut, Inc.Inventors: William Robert Nietert, Frederick Holch