US20120185086A1 - automated pizza preparation apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

Automated apparatus for preparing pizza, and method of operating same. A customer selects a type of pizza, such as toppings or crust style. The apparatus slices and defrosts dough, applies cheese, slices and applies toppings, and cooks the pizza to order. The cooked pizza is packaged for delivery to the customer and may include a separate cutting apparatus. Proper temperature of hot and cold sections is maintained while ingredients are stored and as the pizza is cooked. The process is monitored and controlled by one or more processors.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
• This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/433,928, filed Jan. 18, 2011 entitled Improved Automated Pizza Preparation and Vending System, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND
• 1. Field of the Invention
• The present invention generally relates to the field of food preparation devices and vending systems. More specifically, preferred embodiments of the present invention relate to an automated system for preparing and vending individual pizzas for consumption.
• 2. Discussion of the Prior Art
• Pizza is a very popular food in many countries throughout the world. Although pizza is a relatively simple food, having generally just three ingredients in its most basic form—dough, tomato sauce and cheese, there are many variations in the taste and quality of the finished, cooked pizza. There are also a number of ways of preparing and cooking pizza. The most common and typical method of preparation and cooking is what is referred to as “fresh” pizza. This method generally involves the flattening of the dough, placement of the sauce and cheese on the dough, and subsequent cooking in an oven. Once removed from the oven, the “fresh” pizza is consumed while it is still hot or warm.
• The popularity of pizza has led to many different methods of preparation and cooking in order to provide pizza to consumers in many different forms, such that it is available for consumption in virtually any place. The typical method of preparation and cooking, as outlined above, is generally performed in a pizza parlor, restaurant or an individual's home, where the ingredients, as well as an oven, are available. The pizza is then consumed at the pizza parlor, restaurant or home, whichever is more convenient. However, this typical method of preparation and cooking requires one to have the necessary ingredients available, and to also have an oven available for use. These requirements restrict the availability of “fresh” pizza.
• Several approaches have been developed to address these requirements of pizza preparation, i.e., the requirement for the necessary ingredients, and the requirement for the oven. One such approach involves the use of frozen pizzas. This approach eliminates the requirement for having the necessary ingredients on hand. Instead, the prepared, frozen pizza, which can be purchased at a store ahead of time and stored in one's freezer, can then be cooked in one's oven at any convenient and desirable time. However, the use of frozen pizzas still requires one to have access to an oven. Also, the resulting pizza is sometimes not of the same quality as “fresh” pizza, i.e., where the ingredients are assembled together and then cooked right away.
• Another approach that has been developed in order to make pizza more readily available in more places is the use of vending systems or vending machines. These machines typically use pre-stored, frozen pizza which are then cooked in an oven within the vending machine and then dispensed to a customer. This approach eliminates the need for having the necessary ingredients and for having an oven available. However, such vending machines typically use frozen pizza as the starting point. As a consequence, the resulting pizza produced by such a machine is not really considered “fresh” pizza, nor does have the taste of “fresh” pizza.
• Yet another approach to preparing pizza by way of vending machines is the use of fresh ingredients in order to better provide what is considered a “fresh” pizza. Such machines are disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,921,170 and 6,086,934, both to Khatchadourian et al., the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
• Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to an apparatus for preparing and cooking pizza using fresh ingredients, the apparatus being in the form of a vending-type of machine. By way of a keypad, touchpad, touch screen display or other user interface provided on the machine, a user specifies the type of pizza desired. The machine then proceeds to combine the ingredients needed to create the requested pizza, cooks the pizza, as appropriate, places it in a box, and dispenses the boxed pizza to the user or customer.
• Generally, the pizza preparation machine (also referred to as the pizza making apparatus or machine) is provided with fresh ingredients in various types of appropriate containers. For example, the dough may be provided in the form of sealed canisters or tubes, which are opened in an automated fashion. Slices of dough may be cut from the dough canisters for each pizza which is to be made. Sauce may be provided in the form of sealed tubes, bags, or containers, whereby a controlled amount of the sauce may be dispensed by way of a controlled dispensing system, such as a pump or similar mechanism. Finally, the cheese may be provided in a bag or other container, whereby a measured amount of cheese may be dispensed and provided on each pizza as it is prepared.
• The pizza preparation machine may also include a refrigerated section for maintaining at an appropriate temperature ingredients that need to be refrigerated in order to preserve the freshness of such ingredients, as well as to ensure a proper sanitary and food handling environment.
• The pizza preparation machine may also include an oven section where the pizza is cooked. Additionally, the pizza preparation machine may also include a box formation section where a box may be formed for the pizza to be placed inside the box. For example, the pizza preparation machine may be provided with a stack of box blanks, i.e., unfolded boxes, such that the box formation section retrieves an individual box blank and folds it as appropriate in order to create a three-dimensional box. The pizza that has been cooked by the oven can then be inserted inside the formed box. The formed box may then be closed, and then dispensed to the user or customer by way of an opening in the pizza preparation machine.
• The pizza preparation machine may also include appropriate controlled movement mechanisms employing controlled motors or other types of actuators for moving various elements within the machine in order to create the pizza and then transfer the pizza through the various sections within the machine. For example, such controlled movement mechanisms, driven by one or more corresponding actuators, may include a controlled knife for cutting a specific piece of dough, horizontal and vertical transfer mechanisms for moving the cut dough to the various sections of the machine, as well as controlled movement mechanisms for dispensing the ingredients or toppings in a specified amount and in a specified location. Additionally, sensors may be positioned at predetermined locations within the machine to indicate the presence or absence of particular events in order to facilitate the pizza-making process. For example, sensors may be used to indicate the movement of the dough to a sufficient position to thereby indicate a predetermined thickness of dough which is to be cut by the knife. Such sensors and controlled movement mechanisms may be operated in conjunction with one or more programmed processors or other electronic controller device or devices.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
• The above and still further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, especially when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein like reference numerals in the various figures are utilized to designate like components, and wherein:
• FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of a housing of a pizza making apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 2 is a front perspective view of a refrigeration module in the housing of a pizza making apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 3 is perspective view of an evaporator according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 4 is a lower front right perspective view of an exhaust filter housing according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 5 is an elevated front right perspective view of compressor/condenser according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 6 is a front left elevated perspective view of a dough handling module installed within a freezer compartment of a refrigeration module according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7A is a front left elevated perspective view of an uninstalled dough handling module according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7B is a combined cross-sectional and side view of a dough canister, flexible lid and dough wheel according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7C is a perspective view of dough being extruded for slicing according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 7D is a perspective view of dough being extruded for slicing according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 8 is a front, left, elevated wireframe perspective view of a dough handling module without dough canisters according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 9 is a front, left, elevated wireframe perspective view of a dough handling module with dough canisters according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 10 is a first front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion of a dough handling module removing a lid according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 11 is a second front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion of a dough handling module removing a lid according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 12 is a third front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion of a dough handling module removing a lid according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 13 is a front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion of a dough handling module, in which a dough portion has been extruded and is ready to be sliced according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 14A is a front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion of a dough handling module, in which a dough portion has been sliced according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 14B is a perspective view of a moveable end surface of a dough canister according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 15 is a perspective view of an extruder and canister lock cylinders according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 16 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module with a puck elevator at an upper level according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 17 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module with a puck elevator at a lower level according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 18 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module after a rotary arm has pushed a dough puck onto an upward-facing surface according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 19 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module as a bottom press plate and top press plate press a dough puck according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 20 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module after a bottom press plate and a top press plate have par-baked a dough puck according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 21 is a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of a hot-press module as a par-baked dough puck is removed according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 22 is a right, front, elevated perspective view of an ingredients dispensing module situated within a refrigerated module according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 23 is a detailed perspective view of a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 24A is a top plan view of par-baked dough on a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 24B is a perspective view of a sauce dispenser in a central position relative to a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 24C is a perspective view of a sauce dispenser in a sauce edge position relative to a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25A is a detailed view of a cheese handling portion of an ingredients dispensing module according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25B is a bottom view of the exterior of a cheese tub container according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25C is a perspective view of a cheese dispenser beginning to dispense cheese granules onto par-baked dough;
• FIG. 25D is a perspective view of a cheese dispenser in a non-extended position relative to a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25E is a perspective view of a cheese dispenser in an extended position relative to a toppings plate according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25F is a perspective view of a cheese dispenser coupled to a measuring tube via a trap door in a first position according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25G is a perspective view of a cheese dispenser coupled to a measuring tube via a trap door in a second position according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 25H is an exploded perspective view of a cheese tub container according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 26A is a perspective view of a pepperoni carousel, without pepperoni, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 26B is a perspective view of a pepperoni carousel, with pepperoni, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 26C is an exploded perspective view of a pepperoni carousel, with pepperoni, according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 27 is a perspective view of a fork-like transfer mechanism having a plurality of tines according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 28 is a perspective view of a fork-like transfer mechanism inserting an uncooked pizza into the oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 29A is a cross-sectional view of a rotatable oven in an open position according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 29B is a cross-sectional view of a rotatable oven in a closed position according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 29C is an exploded view of a rotatable oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 29D is a side view illustrating a cooking process in an oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 30 is a top, left, elevated perspective view of a boxing module and an oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 31 is a top, left, elevated perspective view of a cooked pizza being removed from an oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIGS. 32A-32E illustrate a shovel removing a cooked pizza from an oven according to an embodiment of the invention.
• FIG. 33 is a top, left, elevated perspective view of a cooked pizza after being removed from an oven according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 34 is a top, left, elevated perspective view of a cooked pizza being inserted into a box according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 35 is a perspective view of box storage preparing to remove one folded box for delivery to a box staging area according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 36 is a perspective view of box storage removing one folded box for delivery to a box staging area according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 37 is a perspective view of box storage delivering one folded box to a box staging area according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 38 is a right, front, elevated perspective view of a portion of a boxing module and an unfolded box according to one embodiment of the present invention;
• FIG. 39 is a method of preparing a pizza according to one embodiment of the present invention; and
• FIG. 40 is a system control architecture of a system for preparing a pizza according to one embodiment of the present invention.
• FIG. 41 is a perspective view of an embodiment pizza vending machine.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
• Throughout this description the term “actuator” will be used to indicate a device that imparts a desired mechanical motion to another component. It will be appreciated that any suitable actuator may be used; for example, preferred embodiments use electric motors for many of the actuators discussed herein. However, other types of actuators can also be used, including pneumatic or hydraulic devices, solenoids or the like, depending upon the particular requirements of the specific task the actuator is to perform.
• Referring toFIG. 1, an example of ahousing100 of an automated pizza maker is illustrated. For the sake of clarity,housing100 is illustrated substantially without interior machinery. Housing100 can include arefrigeration module101, acooking module102 and aboxing module area103.Refrigeration module101, as described below, includes apparatus used to store and process edible components prior to and during preparation of an individual pizza.Cooking module102, as described below, includes apparatus used to cook an individual pizza.Boxing module103, as described below, includes apparatus used to package a cooked pizza for delivery to a customer.Housing100 may also include one ormore wheels104 and/or stands105.Wheels104 may be used for transportinghousing100, and stands105 may be used to fixhousing100 at a desired location. Other designs ofhousing100 that place modules in a different physical relationship with each other may be used, with corresponding alterations to the transfer of the pizza and/or its components from one module to another.
• Refrigeration module101,cooking module102 andboxing module103, as well as any sub-modules therein, may include sensors to monitor various conditions described below, or to provide verification that various commanded movements and motions described below have in fact taken place as commanded or expected. Waiting times for a step to complete may depend upon the sensed conditions, and alarms may be raised if various commands have not completed as commanded or expected. The selection and placement of these sensors is known by persons of skill in the art, unless described otherwise. These modules and sub-modules may be under the monitor and control of a respective module processor, which in turn may be in communication with neighboring module processors when an action should be coordinated with a neighboring module. Such an architecture allows for simpler interconnect wiring throughout the automated pizza maker. The module processors may be in further contact with an overall system processor. Collectively these electronics form the control circuitry of an embodiment device to control all aspects of the device.
• Referring now toFIG. 2,refrigeration module101 includes arefrigerator compartment201 and afreezer compartment202.Refrigeration module101 is cooled by refrigeration equipment that may include compressor/condenser203,evaporator204,coolant tubes205 that connect compressor/condenser203 andevaporator204,refrigerator fan206, and filterhousing207.
• Exemplary operation ofevaporator204 is illustrated inFIG. 3. A stream ofinput air301 is drawn from the interior ofrefrigeration module101 throughair inlet302.Input air301 passes overevaporator pan302. Aboveevaporator pan302 is a heat pump coil (not illustrated inFIG. 3). The heat pump coil coolsinput air301, to produce a stream ofoutput air305, which may be filtered, and which is expelled back into the interior ofrefrigeration module101 throughair outlet304.
• FIG. 4 is a lower front right perspective view offilter housing207, which is coupled torefrigerator compartment201 and is located above thecooking module102. Withinfilter housing207 are one or more air-moving devices such as a fan, an impeller, bellows or the like, which draws a stream ofinput air401 through one ormore inlets401 intofilter housing207, which is then filtered in a conventional fashion and subsequently exhausted fromdevice100. Thefilter housing207 is used to treat and expel the hot and potentially smoke laden air out of thedevice100. The action of expelling air out of thedevice100 draws in “fresh” air into thedevice100 through vents on the bottom of the large front outer door to cool the internal air ofdevice100.
• A plurality of thermocouples or other suitable temperature-measuring devices (not shown inFIG. 3 or4) may be provided withinrefrigeration module101 to monitor the temperature at various places for proper operation. By way of example, programmable control circuitry withindevice100 may activate other components withindevice100 in accordance with pre-programmed criteria in response to input temperature signals generated by the temperature-measuring devices. For instance, temperature of air inside thefilter housing207 may be measured by a first thermocouple located inside theexhaust filter housing207 and after the air filters.Input air301 enteringevaporator204 may be measured by a second thermocouple, andoutput air305 exiting theevaporator204 may be measured by a third thermocouple. Temperature of air insiderefrigerator compartment201 may be measured by a fourth thermocouple. For ease of reference, the temperature measured by the first through fourth thermocouples may be referred to as T1-T4, respectively. Various calculations may be made, based upon temperature measurements produced by the thermocouples. For instance, an average freezer air temperature may be calculated as (T2+T3)/2, and an evaporator differential can be calculated as |T2−T3|. One or more of the thermocouples can also be monitored for comparison to one or more corresponding temperature thresholds (e.g., “low,” “high,” “very high,” etc.). Thedevice100 control circuit may then activate other components, such as fans or the like, based upon the processing of these temperature measurements and related pre-determined threshold conditions.
• In a preferred embodiment, a temperature sensor may be positioned near the dough, and distanced away from the evaporator outlet. Such a sensor may be used without the need for averaging to control the freezer compartment temperature. A dough wheel module, described in detail below, may have additional fans mounted on it to circulate and mix the air throughout the cabinet to minimize temperature gradients and improve dough consistency.
• In other embodiments a temperature sensor may be attached to the evaporator refrigerant feed line tubing and used to measure the temperature of the hot gas leaving the evaporator in hot gas mode to judge when to end a defrost cycle. In defrost mode, the refrigerant flows in the opposite direction, bringing hot gas into the evaporator for rapid defrosting. The presence of ice or frost on the evaporator fins and tubes tends to keep the temperature of the hot gas leaving the evaporator from rising too high, and thus a rise in gas temperature beyond a predetermined threshold may indicate that ice or frost on the evaporator has melted.
• In other embodiments, a temperature sensor may be used to control a fan that draws air from the freezer side to the fridge side into a toppings compartment, which is discussed at length below.
• In yet other embodiments, a temperature sensor may be used to measure the temperature of exhaust air from thedevice100 to determine effectiveness of an exhaust blower to cool the ambient air inside the device100 (not to be confused with the air inside the refrigerated cabinets). Another temperature sensor may be used to monitor the evaporator refrigerant exit line, in which case the difference between the exit line and the feed line (discussed above) may be used to indicate the presence of ice on the evaporator to initiate a defrost cycle. As frost develops on the evaporator coil it insulates the refrigerant from the air flow, causing a drop in this temperature difference over time. When the average difference falls below a predetermined threshold over a predetermined amount of time, it may be interpreted as frost accumulation on the fins and a defrost cycle may be initiated.
• Freezer compartment202 may be a frost-free or non-frost-free design. The temperature measurements and their history can be used by a refrigeration module processor to predict a buildup of frost to a level at which defrosting may be advisable. Excessive frost impairs a cooling efficiency of therefrigeration module101. Since defrosting involves changing temperatures insiderefrigeration module101 and may interfere with the rapid preparation of pizza, it may be desirable to defer defrosting, if possible, to a time when the demand for pizza is expected to be low, such as during overnight hours. Defrosting may also be commenced by manually by a technician, serviceman or the like. During such defrosting operations other maintenance or adjustments may be performed, such as changing the pizza recipe based on the local weather conditions and seasons. The external ambient air temperature measurements can be used as an indirect weather condition indicator for determining the frequency of the scheduled defrosts. Defrosting may be performed in a conventional manner as known in the art or as described above.
• Referring now toFIG. 5, an elevated front right perspective view of compressor/condenser203 is shown, which is used to maintain at least a portion ofrefrigeration module101 at or below one or more preset temperature(s). Standard techniques known in the art may be used to control operations of the compressor/condenser203 and the related defrosting heater for defrosting purposes. However, consideration of pending orders may be one variable when determining whether or not to initiate a defrosting cycle. For example, if a pizza order queue is empty and there is no activity on the user input/output touch screen, the defrost sequence may start immediately; otherwise, it may be delayed until the queue is empty. The defrost sequence may also be initiated manually via, for example, a technician user interface on thedevice100 user interface, discussed below.
• Also, during a defrost sequence, if the air temperature withinfreezer compartment202 rises above a preset threshold for longer than a “dough control” time, which may be set based upon experience by a technician, a warning signal may be activated to provide a “dough is too soft” warning and thus, for example, shut down the defrosting sequence. In preferred embodiments the device control circuitry keeps the freezer compartment at a temperature that is between 20° F. to 25° F. This temperature range is ideal as it insures a natural taste of the baked pizza, and also provides desirable mechanical properties for the cutting and handling that is set forth in more detail below.
• The temperature of therefrigerator compartment201 may be controlled by the circulation of air from thefreezer compartment202. For example, if the air temperature withinrefrigerator compartment201 rises above a predetermined threshold, andfreezer compartment202 is not defrosting, then control circuitry can activaterefrigerator fan206 in order to circulate air betweenrefrigerator compartment201 andfreezer compartment202. If the air temperature withinrefrigerator compartment201 stays very high for a period of time that exceeds a “food safety” time-out, then a “food expired” alarm can be triggered. Once the air temperature withinrefrigerator compartment201 drops below a predetermined threshold, therefrigerator fan206 can be turned off.
• A fan withinexhaust filter housing207 may be controlled by the refrigeration module processor. If the exhaust air temperature rises above a predetermined turn-on threshold, the exhaust fan withinexhaust filter housing207 turns on. If the exhaust air temperature rises above a second, higher threshold, then a “fire” alarm turns on. Once the exhaust air temperature drops below a predetermined turn-off threshold, the exhaust fan turns off. The turn-off threshold is preferably less than the turn-on threshold.
• Referring now toFIG. 6, there is illustrated a front left elevated perspective view of adough handling module601 disposed withinfreezer compartment202 ofrefrigeration module101.FIG. 7A illustrates a front left elevated perspective view ofdough handling module601 withoutrefrigeration module101, in order to more clearly show the components ofdough handling module601.Dough handling module601 includes a dough canister holder in the form of adough wheel702 that is adapted to removably hold a plurality ofdough canisters701 in arespective cradle710 and provide a selecteddough canister701 to subsequent equipment for downstream processing, as discussed below. For example,dough wheel702 may serve as a revolver, rotatably cycling through cartridges ofdough canisters701, delivering them to mechanisms that perform specific tasks upon the selecteddough canister701. Eachdough canister701 contains refrigerated or frozen pizza dough. Eachdough canister701 preferably includes aremovable lid703 on at least a proximal end. A distal end of eachdough canister701 may include a moveable end surface or wall703a,serving as a plunger or the like to push dough out from the proximal end once thelid703 has been removed.Dough canister701 and the dough therein are generally in a cylindrical or tapered shape in order to facilitate the preparation of round pizzas, but other shapes such as a rectangular cross-sectional shape may be usable, with the cartridge andplunger703ashapes of eachcanister701 being adjusted accordingly.
• Referring again toFIG. 7A,dough handling module601 further includes at least one lid-removal mechanism704 andlid collection receptacle708, which typically are disposed adjacent to a portion ofdough wheel702 on a side corresponding to the proximal end ofdough canister701 afterdough canister701 is inserted intodough wheel702. Only onelid remover704 is shown; however, preferred embodiments utilize a pair of lid removermechanisms704, one in front of the dough handling module601 (as shown inFIG. 7A), and one in the back of the dough handling module601 (not shown).Lid collection receptacle708 may take the form of a tray, basket, bag, or the like.Dough handling module601 further includes adough pusher705, which typically is disposed offset to a portion ofdough wheel702 on a side corresponding to the distal end ofdough canister701 afterdough canister701 is inserted intodough wheel702 and engages with theplunger703ain anactive dough canister701.Dough pusher705 may be sufficiently offset fromdough wheel702 to allow clearance fordough canister701 to be positioned, bydough wheel702, in front ofdough pusher705.Dough handling module601 further includes a cutting mechanism706 (illustrated inFIG. 7A in a lowered position), which typically is disposed adjacent to a portion ofdough wheel702 on a side corresponding to the proximal end ofdough canister701 afterdough canister701 is inserted intodough wheel702.Dough handling module601 also includes acollection plate707 to collect the cut dough; thecollection plate707 can be part of apuck elevator1601, discussed later with reference toFIG. 16.
• Operation ofdough handling module601 proceeds first by the loading ofdough wheel702 with one ormore dough canisters701 by, for example, a service person. Initially, the loadeddough canisters701 are substantially filled with dough and are lidded.Dough canisters701 are inserted such that a lidded end is facing in a proximal direction toward the front ofdough handling module601 in the orientation ofFIG. 7A. During operation controlled by a dough module processor, which may be part of theoverall device100 control circuitry,dough wheel702 is moved in order to position a selected,full dough canister701 adjacent to lid-removal mechanism704.Dough canister701 may be selected based upon a lid-detection sensor (not shown inFIG. 7A), or based upon processor-based tracking of used andfull dough canisters701.Full dough canisters701 may also be selected on the basis of avoiding excessively uneven weight loading ofdough wheel702. Hence, the control circuitry may cycle throughcanisters701 in an alternating, opposing pattern to substantially maintain the balance ofwheel702.
• Lid-removal mechanism704 removeslid703, for instance by way of suction, prying, etc. Any suitable mechanism may be used as determined, for example, by the construction of thelid703.Dough wheel702 and/ordough canister701 can include a mechanical stop in order to substantially prevent excessive horizontal movement ofdough canister701 aslid703 is removed.FIG. 7B illustrates one embodiment of adough canister701,flexible lid703 anddough wheel702 designed to operate with a lid-removal mechanism704. An openable end ofdough canister701 may have acircumferential flange751 which couples with anoverhang752 offlexible lid703 whendough canister701 is sealed.Dough wheel702 includes acradle710 used to supportdough canister701, the shape ofcradle710 being designed to closely match the cross-sectional shape ofdough canister701.Dough wheel702 includes a plurality ofposts753,754, arranged around at least a portion of the perimeter ofcradle710, that extend substantially perpendicular from the plane ofdough wheel702 on a side that faces lid-removal mechanism704.Posts753,754 include posts of at least two different lengths.
• Dough canister701 is initially loaded intocradle710 with thelidded end703 facing toward the lid-removal mechanism704, and may be positioned incradle710 such thatflexible lid703 gently touches thelonger post753. Lid-removal mechanism704 removesflexible lid703 fromdough canister701 by first applying a rear-ward (i.e., distal) force, such as by a force pushing the center offlexible lid703, and/or a force pulling in a rear-ward direction on the distal end ofdough canister701. This can be performed by any suitable actuator, such as by a solenoid, a pneumatic device, worm gear or the like, which can engage withcap703 on the proximal end ofcanister701. Another device may similarly engage with, for example, a projection on the distal end of thecanister701 to further distally urgecanister701. In a preferred embodiment, discussed below, arear lid plunger802 may be used that employs suction to distally pull upon thecanister701, such as upon theplunger703a.Contemporaneously, suction may be used on the proximal side and activated to drawflexible lid703 toward lid-removal mechanism704. The rear-ward force pushes the assembleddough canister701 andflexible lid703 against thefirst post753 having the greatest length. Suction can be provided by the same actuator that provides the mechanical motive force upon thelid703, or may be provided by a suction cup, hose, hoses or combinations thereof and engaged therewith.
• Continued application of the rear-ward force pushesdough canister701 backward, but also forcesflexible lid703 to disengage fromcircumferential flange751 ofdough canister701 at the location of afirst post753. Continued application of rear-ward force continues to pushdough canister701 backward, forcingflexible lid703 to disengage fromcircumferential flange751 ofdough canister701 at the location of asecond post754, thesecond post754 having the next greatest length. Application of rear-ward force continues untillid703 pops off. The suction is maintained while thelid remover704 retracts, bringing thelid703 with it, and is then deactivated, allowing the removedflexible lid703 to fall.
• In one embodiment, posts753,754 are arranged around the circumference ofcradle710 in order of their lengths.Flexible lid703 is ideally flexible enough to resist breaking, but not so flexible that insufficient force is coupled to the perimeter offlexible lid703 to disengageflexible lid703 fromdough canister701. Afterlid703 pops off, backward motion ofdough canister701 stops ascircumferential flange751 ofdough canister701 engages withdough wheel702 at the edge ofcradle710.
• Removed lids703 drop tolid collection receptacle708 for collection.Dough wheel702 then positions thede-lidded dough canister701 as anactive canister701 adjacent to cuttingmechanism706. Lid-removal mechanism704 retracts, in order to facilitate positioning ofdough wheel702 anddough canister701 adjacent to cuttingmechanism706.Dough pusher705 pushes thedistal end wall703aofdough canister701, which in turn extrudes a portion of the dough through the de-lidded proximal end ofdough canister701, to be engaged by cuttingmechanism706.
• Sensors709 operate to detect the amount of dough that has been extruded.Sensors709 may operate optically, such as a linear array of emitters (e.g., LEDs) and matching detectors on opposing sides of extruding dough, for example. However, any suitable detecting mechanism for measuring the amount of extruded dough may be used, including mechanical sensors or the like. With specific reference to an optical detection system, the optical detectors may produce a composite signal whose strength or voltage depends upon the amount of light received from the emitters corresponding. The linear array of emitters can preferentially be arranged at an angle that is not parallel to a forward cutting face of the extruded dough (e.g., at a diagonal angle with respect to the cutting face as shown inFIG. 7A, from proximal to distal ends, to as to be able to measure increasing thicknesses of extruded dough). Referring toFIG. 7C, asdough720 begins to be extruded, light721 fromsensors709 begins to be blocked. Referring toFIG. 7D, asmore dough730 is extruded, a greater portion of light731 fromsensors709 is blocked, causing the composite signal to vary in strength as a function of dough extrusion distance. The strength of the composite signal can be monitored to measure the thickness of the extruded dough, and used as a signal by the control circuitry to initiate operation ofcutting mechanism706 when the dough is at a desired thickness. The desired thickness can be user-selectable in order to provide a pizza crust having a selectable characteristic. Hence, user the input/output interface for thedevice100 can change parameters in the control circuitry that cause the control circuitry to correspondingly change the thickness at which the dough is cut.
• Range ofsensors709 may be affected by the number of emitters in the linear array of emitters and/or the length of the array. The sensitivity ofsensors709 can be affected by how closely the individual emitters and detectors are arranged withinsensors709. The angle at which the linear array of emitters are arranged with respect to the forward face of the extruded dough can also affect the range and sensitivity of the measurement of the amount of extruded dough. For instance, a perpendicular angle provides the greatest range but least sensitivity for a given sensor size and density. Conversely, a relatively shallow angle provides a small range but the greatest sensitivity. The range and/or sensitivity can be chosen to provide at least as much range as the difference between the thinnest pizza that might be prepared (e.g., a thin crust pizza) and the thickest pizza (e.g., a deep dish pizza), plus an allowance for tolerances and variations in monitoring and control.
• Dough canister701 may have a substantially cylindrical shape (as opposed to a tapered shape) in order to present a substantially constant friction per unit of length as the dough is extruded. A mechanical stop, such as provided byflange751, can engage with a face of thecutting mechanism706 to substantially prevent forward movement ofdough canister701 as the dough is extruded fromdough canister701.Cutting mechanism706 cuts the extruded dough to create a dough puck (not shown inFIG. 7A). The dough puck drops to acollection plate707 on apuck elevator1601, discussed with reference toFIG. 16, for further processing by the automated pizza maker, which passes through ahole712 in the insulation of thefreezer compartment202.
• Referring now toFIG. 8, there is illustrated a front, left, elevated wireframe perspective view ofdough handling module601. Elements illustrated but not previously described includeextruder801 andrear lid plunger802.Extruder801 is configured to move forward and engage withplunger703aasdough pusher705 pushes dough forward to be extruded fromdough canister701. To prevent unwanted forward motion ofdough canister701, a guillotine hub (not illustrated inFIG. 8) can engage withdough canister701 atcircumferential lip751, thus forming a mechanical stop. A canister lock, such as locking cylinder(s)1501 or the like, discussed later with reference toFIG. 15, may extend forward (i.e, proximally) from the rear ofdough handling module601, parallel to the path ofextruder801, in order to push againstdough canister701 and thus securedough canister701 against the guillotine hub.
• Rear lid plunger802 operates in cooperation with lid-removal mechanism704. Whenlid703 is to be removed,rear lid plunger802 may engage with thedistal end703aofdough canister701 to pulldough canister701 backward as lid-removal mechanism704 pusheslid703 forward.Rear lid plunger802 may operate by suction, prying, etc.Rear lid plunger802 may be retractable, in order to facilitate subsequentpositioning dough wheel702 anddough canister701 adjacent to cuttingmechanism706.
• Referring now toFIG. 9, there is illustrated a front, left, elevated wireframe perspective view ofdough handling module601 being fully populated withdough canisters701, at least some of which havelids703 attached.
• Prior to removal oflid703 fromdough canister701, in an embodiment of the invention, the front (and back, if installed) lid-removal mechanisms704,802 are in an idle (refracted) position. The position of the lid-removal mechanism704,802 may be confirmed by use of a corresponding position sensor.
• Referring now toFIGS. 10-12, illustrated are front, left, elevated perspective views of a portion ofdough handling module601 in the process of removinglid703 fromdough canister701 by a suction method. A plurality ofposts1001 are illustrated, with at least afirst post1001ahaving a different length than asecond post1001b.FIG. 10 illustratesdough canister701 positioned indough wheel702, adjacent to lid-removal mechanism704, with lid-removal mechanisms704,802 in extended positions so as to engage withrespective ends703,703aofcanister701.FIG. 11 illustratesdough canister701 havinglid703 removed and still coupled by suction to lid-removal mechanism704, with lid-removal mechanism704 in a retracted position.FIG. 12 illustrates disposal oflid703 after suction is disabled from lid-removal mechanism704. Any suitable type of actuator may be used to proximally and distally drive lid-removal mechanisms704,802.
• Afterlid703 is removed fromdough canister701,dough wheel702 is rotated in order to position the openeddough canister701 adjacent to thecutting mechanism706. Referring now toFIG. 13, there is illustrated a front, left, elevated perspective view of a portion ofdough handling module601, in which the active openeddough canister701 has been moved adjacent to cuttingmechanism706, and adough portion1301 has been extruded and is ready to be sliced by use ofcutting mechanism706. The thickness ofdough portion1301 may be sensed and/or controlled by sensors709 (illustrated inFIG. 7A), in order—ultimately—to provide a pizza having controllable characteristics, such as crust thickness.
• Once the customer order for a new pizza has been accepted,dough pusher705 pushes forward the dough withindough canister701, thereby extrudingdough portion1301. A predetermined thickness ofdough portion1301 can be produced by monitoring and/or calculating the velocity and acceleration of the dough throughdough canister701, and stopping motion of thedough pusher705 when the predetermined thickness has been attained. The position ofdough pusher705 needed to produce the predetermined thickness ofdough portion1301 may also take into account the thickness ofcutting mechanism706.
• When it is time to cut the dough, thedough pusher705 may retract for a short distance to prevent the further extrusion of dough. Referring toFIG. 14A,cutting mechanism706 moves to an extended position, thereby slicingdough portion1301 to produce adough puck1401.Dough puck1401 then falls onto collection plate707 (not shown inFIG. 14) for further processing by a hot-press module (described below). Various shapes ofcollection plate707 may be useful, such as a flat plate, or a well-shaped receptacle adapted to match the shape ofdough puck1401.
• Referring now toFIG. 14B there is shown an embodiment of thedistal end wall703aofdough canister701, having a plurality ofgripping knobs1411 disposed on aproximal surface1412 ofdistal end wall703a.As cuttingmechanism706slices dough portion1301, a shear force is created in the dough, which would tend to pull more dough out fromdough canister701. To counteract this shear force, themoveable end surface703aat the distal end ofdough canister701 is patterned with a plurality ofgripping knobs1411, which may have, for example, a T-shaped cross-section or the like to provide flanges that mechanically engage with and collectively grasp the dough. Whendough canister701 is initially filled with dough, dough flows around and among the plurality ofgripping knobs1411. As the dough freezes it hardens among the grippingknobs1411, thereby securely gripping the dough and substantially preventing shear forces from pulling an undesired amount or shape of dough fromdough canister701 when the dough is cut.
• Eventually, the dough withindough canister701 is substantially used up, and further movement ofextruder801 ofdough pusher705 may be limited by a mechanical stop, sensors, a software stop based on the measured position ofextruder801, or combinations thereof. Referring now toFIG. 15,extruder801 retracts from distal end ofdough canister701. Next,canister lock cylinders1501, which may engage with a rim ofcanister701, retract distally, unlockingdough canister701 from the guillotine hub, and allowingdough wheel702 to move. One or more actuators can be provided, controlled by the device control circuitry, to facilitate the proximal and distal movement of theextruder801 and thelock cylinders1501.Dough wheel702 moves in order to move another selected, full dough canister701 (if available) to be adjacent to the lid-removal mechanism704 to serve as the nextactive canister701. If alldough canisters701 are empty then an alarm may be activated. If only one filleddough canister701 remains indough wheel702, then a warning may be activated and the remaining filleddough canister701 will be used next. If several filleddough canister701 remain indough wheel702, then the next filleddough canister701 is selected based upon factors such as balancing the weight load on thedough wheel702. Lid(s)703 of the selected filleddough canister701 are removed, and thede-lidded dough canister701 is moved bydough wheel702 to be adjacent to thecutting mechanism706.
• Various sensors may be provided to ensure proper positioning of the dough and dough handling components throughout this process, and to detect anomalous conditions such as dough sticking to cuttingmechanism706 or whether certain operations are taking too much time, indicating the existence of a problem. The status of empty or filleddough canisters701 can be verified periodically, and compared to status maintained by the dough module processor, with anomalies indicating corresponding malfunction conditions.
• Referring now toFIG. 16, there is illustrated a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of hot-press module1600. In a preferred embodiment,collection plate707 is formed as part ofpuck elevator1601.Puck elevator1601 together with arotary arm1606, discussed below, serve as a first transfer mechanism to move thedough puck1401 from thecutting mechanism706 to thehot press module1600 and is configured to move vertically between anupper level1602 and alower level1603.Respective openings1608,712 in hot-press module1600 andfreezer compartment202 may be provided to facilitate this movement. When hot-press module1600 anddough handling module601 are disposed withinhousing100,upper level1602 is preferably at or slightly below the level from whichdough puck1401 is cut from the dough. Optionally,puck elevator1601 may have a surface that is shaped to substantially match, or flexibly overlap (e.g., by a skirt), the shape ofopening1608, thereby providing a thermal barrier between hot-press module1600 anddough handling module601 whenpuck elevator1601 is atupper level1602. In such embodiments, when not inuse puck elevator1601 can be kept positioned at theupper level1602, or at a suitable corresponding position, to maximize the effectiveness of thepuck elevator1601 as a thermal barrier.
• Lower level1603 of hot-press module1600 contains abottom press plate1604, atop press plate1605, apress plate actuator1609 for urging thepress plates1604,1605 together, and arotary arm1606.Bottom press plate1604 has an upward-facingsurface1607 that is situated below, and adapted to the shape of, a downward-facing surface (not shown inFIG. 16) oftop press plate1605. In an idle state of hot-press module1600, upward-facingsurface1607 and the downward-facing surface oftop press plate1605 are brought together in a closed position, which can help to conserve heat if heaters of thepress plates1604,1605 are shut off while the pizza vending machine awaits a pizza order.
• Referring now toFIG. 17, there is illustrated a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of hot-press module1600 withpuck elevator1601 atlower level1603.Press plates1604,1605 have separated from their closed position in order to receivedough puck1401. In operation of hot-press module1600, afterdough puck1401 is deposited on or incollection plate707,puck elevator1601 bringsdough puck1401 down tolower level1603, such that the bottom surface ofdough puck1401 is at a level at or slightly above upward-facingsurface1607. Atop surface2002 of apie transfer arm2001, discussed in more detail below, is level or substantially level with upward-facingsurface1607 to serve as a bridge betweencollection plate707 and upward-facingsurface1607. At that level, an engaging surface ofrotary arm1606, which may be substantially conformal to the shape of the edge surface ofdough puck1401, pushesdough puck1401 onto upward-facingsurface1607, and thenrotary arm1606 retracts to an idle position. A movement (e.g., vibration, jolt, etc.) may be provided by eitherrotary arm1606 or bybottom press plate1604 in order to help disengagedough puck1401 fromrotary arm1606 in the event of sticking. Additionally, in some embodiments, whendough puck1401 is pushed ontosurface1607 byrotary arm1606,bottom press plate1604 can descend to a height that is at least the thickness ofdough puck1401 below, for example 10 to 30 mm or more below, thetop surface2002 ofpie transfer arm2001 beforerotary arm1606 retracts; such movement ofbottom press plate1604 can further serve to disengagedough puck1401 fromrotary arm1606.
• Rotary arm1606 moves in an arc, the shape and direction of which can be designed by the length ofrotary arm1606 and the location of its axis of rotation. In an alternate embodiment, an arm having linear motion in a desired direction could also be used. As previously indicated,rotary arm1606 may have an engaging surface shape that is adapted to the shape ofdough puck1401, for instance a curved engaging surface shape for around dough puck1401, or a corner-like concave engaging surface shape for arectangular dough puck1401.Rotary arm1606 may pushdough puck1301 by a rotary motion and/or linear motion.
• Referring now toFIG. 18, there is illustrated a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of hot-press module1600 afterrotary arm1606 has pusheddough puck1401 onto upward-facingsurface1607.Puck elevator1601 is still atlower level1603.
• Referring now toFIG. 19, there is illustrated a front, right, elevated wireframe perspective view of hot-press module1600 after at least one ofbottom press plate1604 andtop press plate1605 have been moved toward each other and engaged in order to pressdough puck1401 between them. Optionally, a mold may be formed in the engaging surfaces ofpress plates1604,1605 in order to help form the shape of the finished pizza.FIG. 19 illustratesbottom press plate1604 having risen towardtop press plate1605, in other embodimentstop press plate1605 may drop towardsbottom press plate1604.Press plates1604,1605 thaw and ultimately compressdough puck1401 under pressure to approximately the size (e.g., diameter) of the finished, cooked pizza. The separation betweenpress plates1604,1605 can be adjusted to provide a pizza crust of selectable characteristics (e.g., thin crust, standard, or thick crust). The hot-press module thus forms an intermediate dough portion from the sliced dough portion ofdough puck1301 and onto which is subsequently disposed the customer-desired ingredients, if any.
• One or both ofbottom press plate1604 andtop press plate1605 are heated in order to par-bake dough puck1401 asdough puck1401 is compressed. Heaters may be cast into thepress plates1604,1605 or thepress plates1604,1605 may be composed of two halves with standard ring heaters sandwiched in between. Heating time, temperature or both may vary if selectable crust thicknesses are provided.Press plates1604,1605 may begin to be pre-heated earlier in the process, such as whendough handling module601 begins to process an order, in order to reduce par-baking time whendough puck1401 is compressed.
• Dough puck1401 may be frozen when it is pushed ontobottom press plate1604. At least the first time that adough puck1401 is cooked, the control circuitry may measure the time taken to compress afrozen dough puck1401, i.e., the time taken to movebottom press plate1604 from a first position to at least one other position towardtop press plate1605 asdough puck1401 defrosts and begins to cook. The time may provide an indicator of the thickness and hardness ofdough puck1401 when it is frozen. Based on this time measurement, the controller may calculate a number and duration of short movements performed bybottom plate1604 and/ortop press plate1605 to pressfrozen dough puck1401 as it thaws. The short movements can include one or more cycles of movingbottom plate1604 andtop press plate1605 together, and then separatingbottom press plate1604 andtop press plate1605. These movements better allowdough puck1401 to flow and thaw without scorching the surface ofdough puck1401, as well as to form the desired and optimal pie crust, such as thick or thin, fluffy or dense, and so forth. These parameters may be experimentally determined, for example, and then programmed into the control circuitry; the control circuitry may process inputs received from sensors in accordance with these pre-programmed parameters to control the physical displacement of thepress plates1604,1605 from each other, the temperature of theplates1604,1605, the cooking time and so forth.
• Bottom press plate1604 and/ortop press plate1605 may move to an “almost closed” position for a calculated length of time while par-bakingdough puck1401. Asdough puck1401 defrosts and is compressed betweenbottom plate1604 andtop press plate1605, the dough flattens and flows outward to form the shape of the finished pizza. A mold may be formed inbottom plate1604 and/ortop press plate1605 in order to provide a consistent shape, or to provide characteristics such as a raised or thicker perimeter portion of the finished pizza.
• During par-baking, water vapor and gasses are expelled from the dough. In some embodiments,bottom plate1604 and/ortop press plate1605 may include one or more controllable vent outlets, such as poppet valves or double valves, to allow the expelled water vapor and gasses to escape. Vent outlets are controlled to be open at least when expelling of water vapor and gasses is greatest. During par-baking, the dough also may have a tendency to cook faster on outer surfaces of the dough and more slowly in the interior of the dough, thereby leading to a ballooning or voids in the crust. In order to mitigate this effect, in some embodiments thebottom plate1604 and/ortop press plate1605 may have one or more pinch points to pinch the top surface of the dough to the bottom surface of the dough. The pinch points may be provided by bumps on the bottom facing surface of thetop plate1605 that are, for example, 3-5 mm in height and 10-15 mm in diameter. By way of example, the pinch points may be arranged with one bump in the center of thetop plate1605 and a plurality, such as six, bumps in a circular pattern a predetermined diameter about the center, such as three inches about the center. The pinch points may have a height configured to almost touch thebottom plate1604, leaving, for example, a 0.25 mm gap.
• The par-baking time can be calculated based on factors such as previous time and temperature measurements for similarly-sized dough pucks1401, and one or more internal temperatures of the pizza vending machine. Internal temperatures of the pizza vending machine may vary based upon factors such as the rate at which pizzas are prepared, or the length of time since a previous pizza was prepared, or the difference in temperature from outside the pizza vending machine. Prior to completion of par-baking, other modules within the automated pizza vending machine may be notified in order for them to begin preparing for further processing of the pizza.
• Upon completion of the par-baking operation by hot-press module1600, release of the par-baked dough from thepress plates1604,1605 may be assisted, such as by puffs of air fromair outlets1611 embedded in one or both of the engaging surfaces ofpress plates1604,1605, which discharge air between the par-baked dough2000 and therespective press plate1604,1605. If appropriate valving is provided, such as by way of the valves discussed above, then theair outlets1611 may share the same openings inpress plates1604,1605 with the vent outlets used to collect expelled water vapor and gasses from the dough as it par-bakes. Referring now toFIGS. 20 and 21,press plates1604,1605 separate, andpress plate actuator1609 movesbottom press plate1604 to a pie transfer level to await transfer of par-baked dough2000 to the next module of the pizza preparation machine, which ordinarily applies toppings selected by the customer. The pie transfer level ofbottom press plate1604 may have thetop surface1607 ofbottom press plate1604 substantially level with, but slightly below, abottom surface2003 ofpie transfer arm2001 so that thebottom surface2003 ofpie transfer arm2001 can pass over thetops surface1607 ofbottom press plate1604. That is, thetop surface1607 is level but slightly abovepie transfer bridge2005. Hot-press module1600 may be set to a standby mode if there are no other pizza orders presently queued, or may be set to a preheat mode if another pizza is in the queue.
• When par-baked dough2000 is ready to be transferred to an ingredients dispensing module2200 (described below in connection withFIG. 22), a movement or puff of air may be used again to help avoid par-baked dough2000 from sticking to an undesired surface. For example,pie transfer bridge2005 may have pressurized air being ejected straight upward or slanted to reduce sticking and help support the weight of the par-baked dough2000 as it is being pushed ontotoppings plate2203. Pin holes or slots may be used on the top face ofbridge2005 to achieve this, or a perforated tube placed under thebridge2005 with pin holes pointing diagonally upward and towards direction of travel may be employed.Pie transfer arm2001 pushes par-baked dough2000 from thebottom press plate1604 onto atoppings plate2203 described below.Pie transfer arm2001 may have a shape substantially matching the shape of par-baked dough2000.
• Referring now toFIG. 22, there is showningredients dispensing module2200 shown situated withinrefrigerated module101.Ingredients dispensing module2200 includes one ormore cheese tubs2201,sauce dispenser2207, andtoppings dispensers2202, such as for pepperoni or the like.Cheese tubs2201 can hold one or more types of cheese (e.g., mozzarella and cheddar, in granular or diced form), and selectedtoppings dispensers2202 can hold a meat, for example, such as pepperoni in stick form.Cheese tubs2201 may be mounted on aningredient carousel2210, which is coupled to a suitable bearing and actuator, in order to rotatably move selectedcheese tubs2201 into and out of a cheese-dispensing position.Ingredients dispensing module2200 includes at least oneopening2205 to accept par-baked dough2000 from hot-press module1600.Opening2205 may be closeable in order to help thermally isolate hot-press module1600 fromingredients dispensing module2200, such as by an actuated sliding door2209 (shown inFIG. 25A) or the like. Arotatable toppings plate2203 is rotatably connected to and supported by a pizza rotary arm2401 (seeFIG. 24), which provides rotational movement of thetoppings plate2203 within theingredients dispensing module2200. Initially thepizza rotary2401 arm positions thetoppings plate2203 adjacent to opening2205 in order to accept a par-baked dough2000. Respective actuators under control of the device control circuitry can be provided for each of the rotational coupling of thetoppings plate2203 to thepizza rotary arm2401 and for thepizza rotary arm2401 itself to impart the desired respective rotational movement of each, as discussed in more detail below.
• Toppings plate2203 includes a plurality of parallel ridges2301 (seeFIG. 23) on an upper surface. Arespective tube2502 or the like conveys ingredients fromcheese tubs2201 andtoppings dispensers2202 onto par-baked dough2000. As shown inFIG. 22,ingredients dispensing module2200 may include a secondcloseable opening2208 used to transfer a topped par-baked dough2000.Door2206 allows for access toingredients dispensing module2200 by service persons.Ingredients dispensing module2200 also includes a dispensing module controller (not shown) as part of the device control circuitry, which controls the actuators that movetoppings plate2203 anddispensers2201,2202 in accordance with an order obtained via the user input/output interface.
• In operation of theingredients dispensing module2200,toppings plate2203 and thepizza rotary arm2401 initially are in an idle position awaiting delivery of par-baked dough2000 from hot-press module1600. A notification or command from the hot-press module processor to the ingredients dispensing module processor informsingredients dispensing module2200 of a request to receive par-baked dough2000. Thereupon, as illustrated inFIG. 23,ingredients dispensing module2200 prepares to receive par-baked dough2000 by positioningpizza rotary arm2401 adjacent to opening2205 (if not already so positioned), and by rotatingtoppings plate2203 to a position such thatridges2301 point toward opening2205 (i.e., are substantially parallel to the direction of motion of the par-baked dough2000). Havingridges2301 point toward opening2205 lessens risk that par-baked dough2000 will undesirably catch or snag on aridge2301 as par-baked dough2000 slides acrosstoppings plate2203.Opening2205 is opened if not already open,pie transfer arm2001 pushes par-baked dough2000 ontotoppings plate2203,pie transfer arm2001 retracts back into hot-press module1600, andopening2205 may close.Pie transfer arm2001 thus serves as a second transfer mechanism to transfer the par-baked dough2000 to theingredients dispensing module2200.Pizza rotary arm2401 then movestoppings plate2203 to a position away from opening2205, such that at least a portion of par-baked dough2000 is underneath an ingredients dispenser tube, such ascheese dispenser tube2502.
• FIG. 24A illustrates a top plan view of par-baked dough2000 ontoppings plate2203, withpizza rotary arm2401 positioned such thatcheese dispenser tube2502 andsauce dispenser2404 are located above par-baked dough2000.Rotatable motion2402 oftoppings plate2203 can rotatetoppings plate2203 around an axis located near the center oftoppings plate2203.Rotatable motion2403 ofpizza rotary arm2401 can rotatepizza rotary arm2401 around an axis located alongrotary arm2401.
• Dispensing of toppings onto par-baked dough2000 depends upon options selected by a customer. For instance, a customer may order a pizza with or without tomato sauce, with or without pepperoni, or with a different mix or quantity of available cheeses. Pizza may also be prepared with a flat bread crust. Or, the customer may order a simple flat bread with no toppings at all. If tomato sauce is requested, as shown inFIGS. 24A-24C,rotary arm2401 movestoppings plate2203 alongmotion path2403 such that the center oftoppings plate2203 is undersauce dispenser2404. Contemporaneously,tomato sauce2406 begins to flow throughsauce dispenser2404,toppings plate2203 begins to rotate alongmotion path2402, androtary arm2401 begins to rotate alongmotion path2403.Motion2403 can be slower thanmotion2402. Assauce dispenser2404 dispenses sauce,rotary arm2401 movestoppings plate2203 alongmotion2403, such thatsauce dispenser2404 goes from being positioned over the center of par-baked dough2000 to being positioned at a sauce-edge position2405 of par-baked dough2000. Sauce-edge position2405 of par-baked dough2000 is near to, but may be offset from, the edge of par-baked dough2000, in order to allow for a sauce-free perimeter portion of the finished pizza, and to help avoid spillage of sauce off the par-baked dough2000.Motion2402 andmotion2403 together distribute the sauce over the surface of par-baked dough2000 in a spiral-like sauce track. Alternatively, dispensing ofsauce2406 may start fromperimeter2405 and work towards the center oftoppings plate2203.
• Relative speeds ofmotions2402,2403 are selected to avoid or minimize gaps in the spiral-like sauce track. A pump speed ofsauce dispenser2404 may gradually change assauce dispenser2404 approaches the edge of par-baked dough2000 in order to compensate for changes in the linear speed of par-baked dough2000 passing undersauce dispenser2404. Thus, synchronized motion ofrotary arm2401,toppings plate2203 and pump speed ofsauce dispenser2404 helps provide relatively even distribution of sauce over the surface of par-baked dough2000 in a spiral pattern. Alternatively, the rotational speed of thetoppings plate2203 may be changed as a function of the position of therotary arm2401.
• Oncerotary arm2401 arrives at sauce-edge position2405, all motion stops for a short while, such as up to10 seconds, in order to allow residual drops of sauce to fall onto par-baked dough2000. In some embodiments, the stopping time may be from 3 to 5 seconds. A particularly preferred embodiment employs a peristaltic pump in which a very short amount of tubing extends beyond the peristaltic pump, thus minimizing the amount ofsauce2406 that can drip. When the pump withindispenser2404 stops dispensing, the pump reverses direction for a period of time sufficient to suck back the little amount of sauce there is on the exit side of the peristaltic rollers. Then,rotary arm2401positions toppings plate2203 and par-baked dough2000 to be ready for application of the next ingredient. If cheese is requested, thenrotary arm2401 moves to a “cheese center” position explained in further detail below. If pepperoni (without cheese) is requested, thenrotary arm2401 moves to a “pepperoni center” position explained in further detail below. If flat bread with sauce but without cheese or pepperoni is requested, thenrotary arm2401 moves to a waiting position to wait for a forklift to remove par-baked dough2000.
• Referring now toFIG. 25A-25G, there are shown various views of a cheese handling portion ofingredients dispensing module2200. If a customer has requested cheese, then the cheese can be first prefilled into a measuringtube2501. Pre-filling of measuringtube2501 may start before par-baked dough2000 is ready to receive the cheese, so that par-baked dough2000 is ready by thetime measuring tube2501 contains the desired amount of cheese. For instance, depending on the type of the pizza being processed, pre-filling of measuringtube2501 may start either when picking up par-baked dough2000 (if tomato sauce is not used) or during tomato sauce dispersing.
• Referring specifically toFIGS. 25B and 25H, there is shown a bottom view and a perspective exploded view of thecheese tub container2201.Cheese tub2201 includes anoutlet hole2510 along abottom wall2512 ofcheese tub2201, and arotary agitator2511 coupled to an interior side ofbottom wall2512.Carousel2210 may have a hole that corresponds tooutlet2510.Rotary agitator2511 includes acentral axle2514 that runs throughbottom wall2512.Central axle2514 is coupled torotary agitator2511 on the interior side ofbottom wall2512, andcentral axle2514 is coupled to acoupling interface2513 on an exterior side ofbottom wall2512.Rotary agitator2511 includes one or more arms which, when not used, may be positioned in a closed position overoutlet hole2510, thus substantially preventing cheese from falling throughoutlet hole2510.Coupling interface2513 may be coupled to an actuator belowcheese tub2201, controlled by the device control circuitry, in order to rotaterotary agitator2511 and facilitate cheese falling throughoutlet hole2510.Outlet hole2510 is positioned above measuringtube2501, such that cheese falls into measuringtube2501. When measuringtube2501 fills to a predetermined amount of cheese, the actuator positionsrotary agitator2511 overoutlet hole2510 and stops turningrotary agitator2511. Any suitable sensor may be utilized to detect the presence of cheese within measuringtube2501. For example, if a transparent tube material is selected, an optical sensor may be used; if a thin tube material is selected, a capacitive sensor may be used.Bottom wall2512 may be sloped in order to facilitate cheese withincheese tub container2201 moving tooutlet hole2510 whencheese tub container2201 is in an upright position.
• As measuringtube2501 is filling with cheese,rotary arm2401 may be movingtoppings plate2203 such that par-baked dough2000 is in position to begin receiving cheese. When measuringtube2501 is sufficiently full and par-baked dough2000 is in position,toppings plate2203 begins to rotate alongdirection2402. Contemporaneously,rotary arm2401 rotates alongdirection2403 such that par-baked dough2000 is moved from having its center being undercheese dispenser2502, to having a cheese-edge position located undercheese dispenser2502. Cheese-edge position may be located at or near at sauce-edge position2405, allowing a cheese-free perimeter portion of the finished pizza, and helping prevent spillage of cheese off of par-baked dough2000. The rotation rate alongmotion2403 is relatively slow compared to the rotation rate alongmotion2402. Cheese may be transferred from measuringtube2501 intocheese dispenser2502. Cheese drops to the bottom ofcheese dispenser2502 and is spread in a spiral path onto par-baked dough2000 by the combination ofmotions2402 and2403.Cheese dispenser2502 may have a patterned lower shape, such as a rake, teeth, fingers or the like, in order to facilitate uniform spreading of cheese. When the desired quantity of cheese has been substantially spread onto par-baked dough2000,motion2402 may stop androtary arm2401 may move alongmotion2403 to reposition the center of par-baked dough2000 to be nearcheese dispenser2502.
• A sensor, for example a photoelectric sensor, is positioned adjacent to or within measuringtube2501 to detect when measuringtube2501 is full and to signal to the device control circuitry to stop the movement ofrotary agitator2511. If measuringtube2501 does not fill up in a predetermined time, the device control circuitry stopsrotary agitator2511 so as to stop trying to dispense cheese and to closeoutlet hole2510.Ingredient carousel2210 then rotates to position a secondcheese dispensing tub2201 overmeasuring cup2501 to continue filling themeasuring cup2501. A signal is stored or sent to notify of the need to replace the firstcheese dispensing tub2201. When measuringtube2501 is full androtary arm2401 has properly positionedtoppings plate2203 under dispensing cheese dispense2502, atrap door2504 on the bottom surface of the measuringtube2501 is rotated to allow for the cheese in the measuringtube2501 to fall onto par-baked dough2000. Thetrap door2504 can be shaped with a tab on its trailing side that serves to tap the measuringtube2501 to provide some vibration to assist the cheese in the measuringtube2501 to fall. Typically one tap is sufficient, but taps may be repeated if a sensor does not detect cheese having fallen.
• Contemporaneously to the measuringtube2501 being emptied,cheese dispenser2502 is lowered to a height (as shown inFIG. 25E) that is closer to the surface of the par-baked dough2000 to limit cheese granule bouncing off of par-baked dough2000. When the spreading of the cheese completes, thecheese dispenser2502 lifts back up to its original height to allow any larger cheese clumps that could not flow out of the chute to be deposited onto par-baked dough2000. In an alternate embodiment,cheese dispenser2502 may not have rake-like prongs at the bottom, and instead the flow and spread of cheese can be controlled by the device control circuitry to sequentially lower and lift thecheese dispenser2502 in pulses. Each lifting ofcheese dispenser2502 allows for a small amount of cheese to flow out of measuringtube2501 and deposit onto par-baked dough2000. In this arrangement, the vertical movement of thecheese dispenser2502 may also be used to makecheese dispenser2502 squeeze and pinch the surface of thedough2000 at multiple points before any ingredients have been applied, which can help to guard against excessive ballooning ofdough2000 in the subsequent cooking process.
• With specific reference toFIG. 25C, there is illustrated a perspective view of anembodiment cheese dispenser2502 beginning to dispensecheese granules2521 onto par-baked dough2000.Cheese dispenser2502 may have a patternedlower shape2522, for instance a rake shape or finger shape as discussed above, that is useful for spreading thecheese granules2521 more evenly as par-baked dough2000 moves.Cheese granules2521 may also be located withincheese dispenser2502, awaiting distribution as par-baked dough2000 moves undercheese dispenser2502.Cheese granules2521 can be provided in an industry-standard size, such as ⅛″ cubes. Moisture content of thecheese granules2521 affects their tackiness, which in turn affects how effectively patternedlower shape2522 spreads out the cheese granules. Some cheeses such as mozzarella may have a relatively high moisture content. If patternedlower shape2522 does not effectively spread out the cheese granules,cheese granules2521 may clump and start shoveling other ingredients already on par-baked dough2000. Vertical pulsation ofdispenser2502 may be used to further prevent occurrence of this problem.
• Referring now toFIG. 26A, there is shown a perspective view of apepperoni carousel2601, mounted oningredient carousel2210, and having disposed therein a plurality ofempty pepperoni tubes2602.Pepperoni tubes2602 may be loaded with a pepperoni stick or other kinds of cylindrical-shaped meats or food products. Pepperoni is discussed in the following only for the sake of illustration by way of a specific food type.Pepperoni tubes2602 may be closed withstopper2603 to help preserve freshness of the food product within.Pepperoni tubes2602 may include aweight2604 whose function is described below. A bottom of eachpepperoni tube2602 cooperatively engages with abase portion2606 ofpepperoni carousel2601. Belowbase portion2606 is aslicer portion2607.Base portion2606 includes a shaped through-opening under one ormore pepperoni tubes2602. The shape of through-opening can be designed to permit a pepperoni stick to pass throughbase portion2606 toslicer portion2607, but preventpepperoni tubes2602 andweight2604 from fully passing through the through-opening. Referring now toFIG. 26B, there is shown a perspective view of apepperoni carousel2601 having disposed therein at least onepepperoni stick2610 in apepperoni tube2602, withweight2604 disposed on top ofpepperoni stick2610.Weight2604 is used to exert downward pressure on apepperoni stick2610 as thestick2610 is being cut, in order to counteract a tendency of thepepperoni stick2610 to move upward when being cut.
• With further reference toFIG. 26C, in operation,pepperoni carousel2601 may be rotated (e.g., clockwise) to pass apepperoni stick2610 held by a selectedpepperoni tube2602 across acutting blade2605 inslicer portion2607 in order to cut off one slice of pepperoni.Cutting blade2605 ofslicer portion2607 may be, for instance, a fixed blade disposed over an opening in the body ofslicer portion2607; sliced pepperoni passes across the external side of the blade to drop onto the par-baked dough2000, while thepepperoni stick2610 passes over the internal side of theblade2605.Pepperoni carousel2601 may then be rotated in an opposite direction (e.g., counter-clockwise) in order to reposition thepepperoni stick2610 and selectedpepperoni tube2602 for cutting another slice of pepperoni. The clockwise and counter-clockwise motion may be repeated for each slice of pepperoni to be produced. Cut slices of pepperoni fall onto par-baked dough2000. Contemporaneously, par-baked dough2000 is moved by the combined motion oftoppings plate2203 alongmotion2402 androtary arm2401 alongmotion2403, thereby causing the cut pepperoni slices to fall across par-baked dough2000.
• When the pepperoni stick is used up,pepperoni carousel2601 may be rotated to select anotherpepperoni tube2602 for cutting of more pepperoni. Any suitable sensor may be used to determine when apepperoni stick2610 has been used up. For example, in preferred embodiments theweights2604 are made from metal, and a sensor, such as a Hall sensor, can be used to detect the metal ofweight2604 and thus the amount of pepperoni remaining, if any. If all pepperoni sticks are used up, an embodiment pizza machine can be configured to indicate to a customer that no pepperoni is available, but that pizzas without pepperoni can still be prepared.
• In an alternate embodiment, thepepperoni carousel2601 may rotate in only one direction (e.g., clockwise), and a slice of pepperoni is cut from successive, adjacent pepperoni sticks2610 as the pepperoni sticks2610 pass in turn over the cutting blade inslicer2607. In yet another embodiment theslicer2607 may rotate to pass the blade across pepperoni in the holdingtubes2602.
• Because in preferred embodiments theingredients carousel2210 is rotatable, the control circuitry can be programmed to rotate theingredients carousel2210 not only to bring anew cheese tubs2201 into position, but also to enable a customer to view the ingredients offered and to provide ease of serviceability for a technician. For example, the user input/output interface of thepizza machine100 can be programmed to enable the user, for example when placing an order, to move various ingredients into view by rotating one or more of theingredients carousel2210 andpepperoni carousel2601. It will be appreciated in this context thatpepperoni carousel2601 need not store only pepperoni, but can store any cuttable, tube-shaped food product. By being able to rotate theingredients carousel2210, and optionally thepepperoni carousel2601, a customer is enabled the ability to see all of the potential ingredients that can be placed upon a pizza. Similarly, permitting a technician to cause rotation of theingredients carousel2210, such as by way of the customer user interface when in a special diagnostic mode, or by way of buttons, switches or the like present within, for example, therefrigerated compartment101, provides ease of access toempty containers2201,2602 for replacement and/or refilling.
• Once a preset number of food-item slices have been cut and applied to par-baked dough2000, which number may be determined from, for example, parameters pre-programmed into the device circuitry, from customer input obtained via the user input/output interface, or combinations thereof,pepperoni carousel2601 returns to an idle position.Toppings plate2203 moves to a position adjacent to an exit door in order to be in a position to transfer topped par-baked dough2000 to an oven, as described below. The exit door may be configured as second door2208 (seeFIG. 22). Alternative embodiments may be configured to use opening2205 as the exit door.Toppings plate2203 rotates to a position such thatparallel ridges2301 are facing the exit door. The exit door opens if it is not already open.
• Referring now toFIG. 27, there is illustrated a fork-like transfer mechanism2703 (equivalently, fork2703) having a plurality oftines2704, which serves as a lifting device used to transfer the topped par-baked dough2701 to a rotatable oven. Rotation of the oven eliminates the need for conveying mechanisms that may be difficult to clean. Further, rotation of the oven allows for a central closed position where a suitably-shaped non-moving barrier may act as a door instead of the need for a moving door that would require yet another actuator.Fork extender2702 extendsfork2703 through theexit door2208 to pick up the topped par-baked dough2701.Tines2704 are shaped to fit betweenparallel ridges2301 oftoppings plate2203.Parallel ridges2301 are shaped and arranged close enough to each other as to avoid excessive sagging of par-baked dough2701 between adjacentparallel ridges2301, yet spaced far enough apart to allowtines2704 to have sufficient rigidity to pick up the topped par-baked dough2701.
• Aftertines2704 are inserted betweenparallel ridges2301,fork2703 is lifted up so that topped par-baked dough2701 is lifted fromridges2301 and is supported byfork2703.Fork extender2702 then retractsfork2703 through theexit door2208, andfork2703 transports topped par-baked dough2701 by use oftransfer mechanism2705 to the entrance ofrotatable oven2706.Oven2706 includes at least oneopening2707 configured to accept topped par-baked dough2701, and thus in the embodiment ofFIG. 27,transfer mechanism2705 is an elevator that moves between the level of thesecond door2208 and theopening2707 of theoven2706.Fork extender2702,fork2703 andelevator transfer mechanism2705 thus together serve as a third transfer mechanism that moves the topped par-baked dough2701 from theingredients dispensing module2200 to theoven2706. Before topped par-baked dough2701 is loaded intooven2706, a waiting time may be commanded by an oven controller. The waiting time may be desirable to permitoven2706 to complete the cooking of a previous pizza, to pre-heat or the like. In another embodiment,oven2706 may include asecond opening2707 configured to let pass a cooked pizza.
• Oven2706 also includes an interior,horizontal oven plate2708 having a plurality of air holes. Referring now toFIG. 28,fork2703 inserts topped par-baked dough2701 intooven2706, whereuponpusher2801 prevents the par-baked dough2701 from sliding back out asfork2703 is retracted out ofoven2706.Pusher2801 deploys afterfork2703 has enteredoven2706 and an internal blower ofoven2706 has activated to begin lifting par-baked dough2701 off offork2703.Fork extender2702 then retractsfork2703 fromoven2706. Thepusher2801 may be a pneumatic device, a hydraulic device or a solenoid, and includes an retractable andextendible piston2802 for engaging with the topped par-baked dough2701. Thepiston2802 may then retract after retraction of thefork2703.
• Referring now toFIGS. 29A-29B, there are illustrated cross-sectional views ofrotatable oven2706 taken in a horizontal plane throughopening2707.Oven2706 also includes ashroud2906 adjacent to anouter surface2901 ofoven2706.Shroud2906 ordinarily touchesouter surface2901, but is shown separated inFIG. 29A for the sake of clarity. Oven2706 (except shroud2906) is rotatable indirection2905 by use of an actuator3001 (seeFIG. 29C) coupled tooven2706.FIG. 29A showsoven2706 rotated to a first position to haveopening2707 exposed and ready to receive topped par-baked dough2701 (not shown inFIG. 29A) ontooven plate2708.Oven plate2708 includes a plurality ofair holes2903 and areturn air vent2904.
• FIG. 29B showsoven2706 rotated to a second position to haveopening2707 covered byshroud2906. Embodiments ofoven2706 having asecond opening2707 may include asecond shroud2906 to cover the second opening. In another alternate embodiment,oven2706 may be substantially stationary andshroud2906 rotates alongdirection2905, aroundoven2706, to cover or uncoveropening2707. In operation,oven2706 may be rotated to the first position (FIG. 29A) in order to exposeopening2707 and allow topped par-baked dough2701 to be loaded ontooven plate2708. Afteroven plate2708 is loaded andfork2703 is retracted,oven2706 rotates to the second position (FIG. 29B) in order to closeopening2707.Oven2706 then begins to cook topped par-baked dough2701 by a combination of convection, conduction and radiation heating. First (FIG. 29D), heated air is blown upward through the plurality ofair holes2903 inoven plate2708 at a sufficient strength to lift topped par-baked dough2701 off fromoven plate2708, such that topped par-baked dough2701 then floats and convection cooks on a cushion of air; this helps to avoid the topped par-baked dough2701 from sticking to theoven plate2708. Air returns to an oven blower viareturn inlet2904. The quantity and position of the plurality ofair holes2903 may differ from that shown inFIGS. 29A-29D, and are designed such that the cushion of air stably supports topped par-baked dough2701. In addition,oven plate2708 may include a bump or raisedlip2710 along the periphery ofplate2708, which may help to prevent topped par-baked dough2701 from floating off ofplate2708.
• Inother embodiments oven2706 is non-rotating version, having, for example, a square or rectangular shape with separate entry and exit doorways. In such embodiments, the conveying of pizza from one side of the oven to the other may be achieved by the strategic use of air being blown under the pizza in variable amounts at various locations along the path of the pizza, to create the effect of the pizza moving in one direction or another. If unidirectional motion is desired, this effect may be assisted by suitable tilting of the surface. The translational movement of the pizza may additionally be controlled with the use of stoppers that may be deployed or released with suitable actuators as required to prevent undesired forward or backward motion of the pizza. Such embodiments may mimic a conveyor oven, but without the conveyor that is prone to breakage and is difficult to clean. This may also allow for multiple pizzas to be placed in the oven in sequence rather than one at a time.
• FIG. 29C shows an exploded perspective view ofembodiment rotatable oven2706. Elements ofoven2706 not already described include anupper lid3002, ablower intake3010, ablower output3011 and abottom heater3012. When assembled,blower intake3010 couples withreturn air vent2904, andblower output3011 couples with the plurality ofair holes2903. The quantity and position of individual air holes in the plurality ofair holes2903 may differ from that shown inFIG. 29C. Air drawn in throughblower intake3010 by a blower is heated bybottom heater3012 and expelled throughblower output3011 and then through the coupled plurality ofair holes2903.
• Conduction cooking may occur when topped par-baked dough2701 rests directly onheated oven plate2708. Radiative cooking may be provided, for instance, by one or more heating coils recessed into an interior surface ofupper lid3002. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), heating coils for radiative cooking may be provided below par-baked dough2701 as it cooks, and/or hot air for convection cooking may be provided from above par-baked dough2701. If desired, the heating coils can also help provide a toasted texture on a facing surface of the cooked pizza.Cooking surface2708 may be made in two parts, with the center perforatedportion2709 being circular and removable to facilitate cleaning The centerremovable portion2709 may also be made to rotate on its center while the pizza is positioned on it, thus exposing the pie to both hot and cold spots that may occur to promote even heat distribution and uniform cooking
• Topped par-baked dough2701 cooks withinoven2706 for an amount of time determined by the oven processor based upon sensors, such as the temperature ofoven2706, and the type of pizza currently being prepared. Oven temperature may vary in a range from about 400° F. to about 600° F. based on factors such as time since the previous pizza was prepared, frequency of pizza orders, and the type of pizza currently being prepared. Control of radiative cooking may have the quickest response to control signals from the oven controller.
• Referring now toFIG. 30, there is shown anoven2706 in position to unload a cooked pizza.Actuator3001 has rotatedoven2706 to an unloading position, such thatopening2707 is opened and exposed to anunloading shovel3003.Shovel3003 may be moveable in a first direction by afirst positioner3004 for retrieving a cooked pizza from theoven2706, and in a second direction for interacting with asecond positioner3005 for boxing/packaging purposes, as discussed below. Together,first positioner3004 withsecond positioner3005 provide a fourth transfer mechanism for moving a freshly-baked pizza3201 from theoven2706 and into abox3202.Second positioner3005 may also cause the boxed pizza to be delivered to a chute at which the customer can obtain the boxed pizza. That is,second positioner3005 may move freshly-baked pizza3201 intobox3202 and then movebox box3202 out ofdevice100; however, this second movement may also be performed by another suitably-designed mechanism. Embodiments ofoven2706 that have asecond opening2707 may be positioned so that oneopening2707 may be positioned to unload the cooked pizza as asecond opening2707 is positioned to receive another topped par-baked dough2701. Having asecond opening2707 may result in faster loading and unloading of uncooked and cooked pizzas, respectively, since these operations can then at least partially overlap in time.
• Referring now toFIG. 31, there is shown oven2706 as a cooked pizza is being unloaded fromoven2706.First positioner3004, whose operations are controlled by the device control circuitry, insertsshovel3003 throughopening2707 and underneath the cooked pizza. If the cooked pizza is being supported by a cushion of air from plurality ofair holes2903, then shovel3003 can be inserted through the cushion of air before or as the blower begins to shut down to assist in the unloading of the freshly-baked pizza. If the cooked pizza is resting onoven plate2708, then shovel3003 is slid between the cooked pizza andoven plate2708.First positioner3004 then retractsshovel3003 throughopening2707. One or more photo sensors may be used to determine if the pizza was removed correctly and to initiate a second attempt at removing the pizza fromoven2707, if needed. As illustrated inFIGS. 32A-32D, in addition to imparting horizontal movement to shovel3003,first positioner3004 may also cooperate with one ormore tilt actuators3006 to tiltshovel3003 in a direction that assures the pizza does not slide off of theshovel3003 when being pulled out from theoven2706. In some embodiments, thetilt actuators3006 may be installed near opening2707 ofoven2706 and push upwards against bottom surface ofshovel3003.Shovel3003 may be hinged onfirst positioner3004. Hence, thesetilt actuators3006 may cycle between two states, the first being a retracted state that is suited for getting the pizza onto theshovel3003, and a second that is an extended state that causes tilt ofshovel3003 so as to prevent the pizza from backsliding off of theshovel3003 as theshovel3003 retracts from theoven2707. By way of example,shovel3003 may be tilted down by about 3 to 5 degrees whentilt actuators3006 are in the retracted state to get under the freshly-baked pizza and then tilted up by about 20 to 30 degrees by whentilt actuators3006 are in the extended state when retracting out throughopening2707. As shown inFIG. 32E, aleading edge3008 of theshovel3003 may be bent with respect to the main body ofshovel3003 to match or substantially correspond with the inner surface oflip2710 onoven plate2708 asshovel3003 scrapes under the cooked pizza to lift it but not crush it.
• Referring now toFIG. 33, there is shown a cookedpizza3201 aftershovel3003 is substantially fully retracted byfirst positioner3004.Second positioner3005 is in position to move cookedpizza3201 to abox staging area3203, where an unfoldedbox3202 is shown ready to receive cookedpizza3201. Referring now toFIG. 34, there is shown cookedpizza3201 partially inserted into an unfoldedbox3202 withinstaging area3203.
• Abox3202 is stored in a flattened form within abox storage3204 to save space.Boxes3202 are then unfolded into erect form accordion fashion for the subsequent packaging of pizzas. It will be appreciated that this is simply one possible configuration. In other embodiments, boxes may be stored as flat sheets that are subsequently folded into shape by appropriate mechanisms for the packaging of pizzas. In yet other embodiments, formed and unfolded boxes may be stored inbox storage3204 that require no subsequent folding/unfolding for the packaging of pizza. Referring now toFIGS. 35-37, there are shown views of oneembodiment box storage3204 operating to remove one foldedpre-formed box3501 for delivery to boxstaging area3203.FIG. 35 shows a plurality of stored, foldedboxes3401 awaiting usage. As indicated above, boxes are stored in flattened form to conserve space.Elevator3403 brings flattenedboxes3401 in contact with one or morepneumatic suction cups3402.Elevator3403 may operate either by raising the plurality of foldedboxes3401, or by loweringpneumatic suction cups3402.Pneumatic suction cups3402 are used to select the uppermost foldedbox3401.
• Referring now toFIG. 36, a selected foldedbox3501 is brought to a transfer level. InFIG. 37, atransfer arm3601 extends in order to place the selected foldedbox3501 into the box staging area3203 (seeFIG. 33).
• Referring now toFIG. 38, there is shown a right, front, elevated perspective view of a portion ofboxing module3700.Boxing module3700 is illustrated with an erectedbox3701.Boxing module3700 includes one or morepneumatic suction cups3703 and aside mechanism3704 on one or more sides ofbox3701. Abridge3702 may be located betweenshovel3003 andboxing module3700.
• In operation ofboxing module3700, after a selected flattenedbox3501 is delivered tobox staging area3203,transfer arm3601 retracts back intobox storage3204. One or morepneumatic suction cups3703 coupled to a vertically-moving actuator lower to flattenedbox3501; suction is activated, and a top surface of flattenedbox3501 is pulled upward. Contemporaneously, one ormore side mechanism3704 coupled to horizontally-moving or rotationally-moving actuators may push the side edges ofbox3501 inward and upward, thus tending to cause top surface of flattenedbox3501 to separate from a bottom surface ofbox3501 while bending the side surfaces ofbox3501 into a substantially 90 degree relationship with respect to the top and bottom surfaces ofbox3501. Asside mechanism3704 pushes edges ofbox3501 inward to form the side surfaces, locking tabs or the like onbox3501 may cooperatively engage and act to help keepbox3501 open. In another embodiment, a separate suction force may be provided to hold down bottom surface ofbox3501 as top surface ofbox3501 is pulled upward. Substantially fully openedbox3501 producesbox3701.
• Afterbox3701 is open, cookedpizza3201 is pushed intobox3701 bysecond positioner3005, as illustrated inFIG. 34.Second positioner3005 retracts, and one ormore flap folders3705 may push the end edges ofbox3701 inward, thus tending to causebox3701 to close and keep cookedpizza3201 safely insidebox3701. Suction cupsmechanisms3703 keep the top ofbox3701 rigid while the flap folders close thebox3701. When thebox3701 is closed suction frompneumatic suction cups3703 can be deactivated.Second positioner3005 may then pushbox3701 into a pizza exit compartment for delivery to a customer. The box controller may send a command to a Cutter Kit Dispenser controller in order to dispense a pizza cutter. The pizza cutter may be prepackaged in a box or bag, in which case a pneumatic vacuum pickup and elevator arm, similar toFIGS. 35-37, may be used to deliver the pizza cutter. Alternatively, the pizza cutter may be delivered by other mechanisms, such as an auger.
• Boxing module3700 preferably includes sensors at various locations in order to sense conditions (e.g., temperature, “no more boxes”, etc.) and/or whether certain commanded actions have in fact taken place. For example, a sensor (e.g., a weight sensor to sense the combined weight of box and pizza, or a capacitive sensor to sense pizza through the box) can be situated in order to determine whether cookedpizza3201 was in fact loaded intobox3701. If no pizza had been loaded intobox3701, the customer may be notified of a problem in fulfilling the order, and the pizza vending machine may reattempt at least a portion of the entire process, halt the making of pizzas entirely, provide an opportunity for the customer to cancel their order, or combinations thereof. The sensors may be under control of a boxing module processor, and boxing module processor may be in communication with processors in other modules and/or a system processor as part of the overall control circuitry of thepizza making device100.
• FIG. 39 illustrates amethod3800 of operating an automated pizza vending machine in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. Certain steps may be performed in parallel in order to reduce the customer's waiting time.Method3800 begins at startingstep3801, in which initiation of internal parameters, variables and system component states (actuators, sensors, etc.) is performed to place the machine into a predefined state. Next, a customer order is taken atstep3802. After any validation, the customer's order is accepted and dough begins to be processed and cut atstep3803. In parallel, a hot press may begin to be warmed up atstep3804 together with the pizza baking oven. Next, the cut dough is moved to the hot press atstep3805. The dough par-bakes atstep3806. After the dough par-bakes, it is moved to the toppings module and toppings may be applied atstep3808. The topped pizza is then moved to the oven and baked atstep3809. After the pizza is cooked, it is removed from the oven and boxed instep3810. The boxed pizza is then delivered to the customer along with an optional cutting tool atstep3811. It will be understood that certain sub-steps such as querying sensor status or readings, and commanding actuators, are not shown for sake of clarity.
• FIG. 40 illustrates a system architecture for thedevice control circuitry3900 of an embodiment pizza vending machine. Asystem controller3901 communicates via acommunications bus3909 with auser interface3970, which preferably includes a touch screen display, such as a capacitive touch screen display or the like, for user input/output purposes. Thesystem controller3901 is also coupled to a cash handling interface andrelated printer3980. Any suitable cash handling system as known in the art may be utilized, and may include any suitable printer and related dispenser for dispensing printed receipts, menus, ingredient lists and the like. Separate module controllers such as arefrigeration module controller3910, a doughhandling module controller3920, a hotpress module controller3930, acooking module controller3940, an ingredients dispensingmodule controller3950 and aboxing module controller3960 may communicate with each other and withsystem controller3900. Each module controller39c0 may be in communication with one or more associated sensors39x1 and one or more associated actuators39x2. Alternatively or additionally, modules39x0 may be in direct communication with a neighboring module, bypassingbus3901, as indicated by dashed lines withinFIG. 40. Thedevice100 may also include an advertising display andspeaker module3990 for present audio-visual information, such as commercials or the like, which may include its own user input/output interfaces, such as buttons, a touch screen, speakers and the like. Alternatively, theadvertising interface3990 may employ the user input/output interfaces used by theuser interface3970.
• System architecture3900 may be implemented as one or more processors that are programmed with software stored in a storage medium, such as flash memory or the like, the software being configured to perform the computational, sensor querying and control steps of method3800 (generically, “computational steps”). The processor(s) implementing the computational steps may be, for instance, a single processor, or may be a part of a single processor (for example, one core in a multi core processor), or may be multiple processors in communication with other processors, for instance by either a local electrical connection or by a networking connection that allows for a relatively longer remote connection. A remote connection, such as an Ethernet connection, telephonic/modem connection, WiFi or the like may be useful for the remote monitoring of equipment status, such as ingredients out, equipment failure, or a certain amount of cash ready for collection. In such embodiments, thesystem controller3901 may collect status information from the various modules39x0 and relay this information across, for example, a wide area network to a remote monitoring station. This monitoring station can then, for example, dispatch a service technician to the pizza vending machine in response to the received status information. The processor is not limited and may also be implemented as an ASIC or other kind of processing device known in the art. The storage medium storing the software is not limited, and may include any physical and electronic medium used for electronic storage, such as a hard disk, ROM, EEPROM, RAM, flash memory, nonvolatile memory, or any substantially and functionally equivalent medium. The software storage may be co-located with the processor(s) implementingmethod3800, or at least a portion of the software storage may be remotely located but accessible when needed.
• Further reference is drawn toFIG. 41, which shows a perspective view of the embodimentpizza vending machine3900. Thepizza vending machine3900 includes ahousing3902 into which the above-discussed components are disposed. Thehousing3902 preferably includes at least onewindow3904 that permits a customer to view the internal workings of themachine3900 and see, for example, theingredients carousel2210,toppings dispenser2202, the par-baking process and so forth, thus permitting the customer to visually confirm the freshness and quality of the products being used to create the pizza. Further, the customer may be able to view some, many or even all of the actions performed by themachine3900, which may provide some diversion while waiting upon the ordered pizza. For example, cameras may be provided withindevice100 to capture and project inner workings to display3904.Display3904 may also project the status of a particular order and the remaining time to complete the order.
• Thevending machine3900 also includes the user input/output interface3970 that includes the touchsensitive video screen3972 and afunds acceptor3974. Thefunds acceptor3974, coupled tocash handling module3980, may be of standard design as known in the art to accept, detect and process bank notes, coins and optionally credit or debit cards, and to provide change, if needed, in achange dispenser3976. The touchsensitive video screen3972 can be used to both present menu options to the user and to accept responses from the customer. This may be performed, for example, by a cascading series of options, or the like, in which the touching of one displayed option indicates a selection by the customer that subsequently initiates the display of a sub-set of related options, which proceeds until all options have been exhausted. Of course, other input methods are also possible. Additionally, as previously discussed, thescreen3972 may present one or more buttons or the like that permit the user to cycle one or more of theingredients carousel2210 ortoppings carousel2202 to visually confirm the type and quality of the ingredients. Once the options selection process is complete (such as by tapping upon a “Confirm” button or the like displayed on the screen3972), thescreen3972 can display the price of the final product and prompt the customer to use the funds acceptor3974 to make a corresponding payment. Once the payment has been verified, thecontrol circuitry3901 may initiate the process discussed above to create the corresponding freshly-baked pizza. Theboxing module controller3960 may then cause the boxed, freshly-baked pizza to be dispensed fromdispenser3905. A receipt may be printed bymodule3980, which can include, for example, information sufficient to identify the exact type and numbers of pizzas made and the customer for whom the pizzas were made.
• Because the pizza creation process may take a fair amount of time, in preferred embodiments thetouch screen3972 is controlled during this time to present commercials or the like to the customer, such as byadvertising module3990. Information gleaned from the ordering process can be used to provide targeted advertising using any conventional advertising method known in the art. Simply by way of example, location information obtained from processing a credit-card transaction could be used to present advertisements from advertisers located within the same postal code as that used to verify the credit card transaction. Or, the type of toppings selected could potentially indicate a preference for one type of food over another, and advertisements could be tailored accordingly. Of course, other targeting methods are possible. Further, because thescreen3972 is a touch screen, such advertisements could themselves be interactive in nature, prompting the customer for information and responding to the information so provided, such as by providing further information on a selected subject, an electronic coupon, a printed coupon via printer inmodule3980, and so on. More generally, theembodiment machine3900 can be programmed to support kiosk-style applications, such as providing maps, and information related to, for example, movies, weather, sports, news and so forth, in response to cues received from the customer.Preferred embodiment machines3900 also include aspeaker3978 controlled by the user interface logic to present voice messages and prompts to the customer. For example, thespeaker3978 can be used to read out options to the customer, the final price of the desired product or the like, which may be of help to those who are visually impaired.
• While there have been shown, described, and pointed out fundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferred embodiment thereof, it will be understood that various omissions, substitutions, and changes in the form and details of the devices illustrated, and in their operation, may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, it is expressly intended that all combinations of those elements and/or steps which perform substantially the same function, in substantially the same way, to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention. Substitutions of elements from one described embodiment to another are also fully intended and contemplated. It is also to be understood that the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but that they are merely conceptual in nature. It is the intention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Claims (40)

1. An apparatus for preparing and cooking pizza comprising:

a refrigerated dough handling module comprising:

a dough canister holder adapted to removably hold a plurality of dough canisters; and

a dough pusher configured to engage with at least one of the dough canisters to extrude dough therefrom;

a cutting mechanism disposed adjacent to at least a portion of the dough canister holder and configured to slice extruded dough to produce a sliced dough portion;

a press module configured to form the sliced dough portion to create an intermediate dough portion from the sliced dough portion;

an ingredients dispensing module configured to dispense at least an ingredient onto the intermediate dough portion;

an oven configured to cook the intermediate dough portion into a cooked pizza; and

a transfer mechanism configured to move the intermediate dough portion from the ingredients dispensing module to the oven.

2. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the ingredients dispensing module is thermally connected to the refrigerated dough handling module to cool the ingredients dispensing module.

3. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the dough handling module further comprises at least one sensor configured to determine a thickness of the extruded dough for cutting by the cutting mechanism.

4. The apparatus ofclaim 3 wherein the at least one sensor comprises a plurality of sensors that are arranged linearly and at an angle that is not parallel to a forward face of the extruded dough.

5. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the dough handling module further includes a lid remover to remove a lid from at least one of the dough canisters held in the dough canister holder.

6. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the dough handling module comprises a rotatable wheel comprising a plurality of cradles for holding respective dough canisters.

7. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the transfer mechanism includes a lifting device comprising a plurality of tines and configured to retrieve the intermediate dough portion from a toppings plate of the ingredients dispensing module, the toppings plate comprising a top surface upon which the intermediate dough portion is disposed, the top surface comprising a plurality of ridges between which the tines are capable of being disposed.

8. The apparatus ofclaim 7 wherein the toppings plate is movably disposed within the ingredients dispensing module.

9. The apparatus ofclaim 8 wherein the apparatus is configured to change at least one of:

a rate at which at an ingredient is dispensed towards the toppings plate as a function of at least one of a position of the toppings plate in the ingredients dispensing module and a rotational speed of the toppings plate; and

a rate of change of the rotational speed of the toppings plate as a function of the position of the toppings plate in the ingredients dispensing module.

10. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the ingredients dispensing module includes at least one of a cheese dispenser, a sauce dispenser and a toppings dispenser.

11. The apparatus ofclaim 10 wherein the cheese dispenser comprises:

a rotatable carousel, the rotatable carousel configured to removably engage with a plurality of cheese tubs and rotate a selected cheese tub to a cheese-dispensing position;

a measuring tube positioned in the cheese-dispensing position and configured for measuring a predetermined amount of cheese dispensed from at least one of the cheese tubs; and

a cheese dispensing tube positioned to accept cheese from the measuring tube and dispense the cheese towards the toppings plate.

12. The apparatus ofclaim 11 wherein a lower portion of the cheese dispensing tube comprises a predetermined pattern of openings that facilitate uniform spreading of cheese over the intermediate dough portion.

13. The apparatus ofclaim 11 further comprising a movable door disposed between the measuring tube and the cheese dispensing tube.

14. The apparatus ofclaim 11 further comprising an actuator configured to engage with at least one of the cheese tubs to activate an agitator disposed within the cheese tub, the agitator urging cheese out of an opening in the cheese tub.

15. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the ingredients dispensing module includes a toppings carousel comprising:

a base portion disposed adjacent to and in rotatable relationship with a slicer portion, the slicer portion comprising a blade; and

at least a tube extending away from the base portion, the tube configured to hold a tube-shaped food product;

wherein at least an opening in the base portion in register with the tube enables the tube-shaped food product to contact the blade.

16. The apparatus ofclaim 15 further comprising a weight disposed in the tube to exert downward pressure on the tube-shaped food product.

17. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the oven is rotatably disposed in the apparatus.

18. The apparatus ofclaim 17 wherein the rotatable oven comprises at least an opening and is configured to have at least:

a first rotation position in which the intermediate dough portion is loaded into the oven by the transfer mechanism through the opening, and

a second rotation position for baking in which the opening is closed.

19. The apparatus ofclaim 18 wherein the rotatable oven is further configured to have a third rotation position in which the opening aligns with a boxing module for extracting the cooked pizza from the oven and boxing the cooked pizza.

20. The apparatus ofclaim 19 wherein the boxing module comprises:

a first positioner for moving an unloading shovel along a first direction into and out of the opening while the oven is in the third position to extract the cooked pizza from the oven; and

a second positioner for moving the cooked pizza off of the unloading shovel and into a box present in a box staging area.

21. The apparatus ofclaim 20 wherein the first positioner further comprises a tilting mechanism to tilt the unloading shovel.

22. The apparatus ofclaim 20 wherein the boxing module further comprises:

a box storage for storing boxes;

a transfer arm for moving a box from the box storage area to the box staging area, the transfer arm comprising a suction device for grabbing a box present in the box storage area; and

an elevator for bringing the box present in the box storage area and the suction device into contact with each other.

23. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising a pusher disposed in a predetermined relationship to the oven to keep the intermediate dough portion in the oven when the transfer mechanism withdraws from the oven.

24. The apparatus ofclaim 1 wherein the press module comprises:

a bottom press plate;

a top press plate;

an actuator for urging the top and bottom press plates together; and

a transfer arm movably disposed in the press module to urge the an intermediate dough portion towards the ingredients dispensing module.

25. The apparatus ofclaim 24 wherein at least one of the bottom press plate and the top press plate is heated to par-bake the intermediate dough portion.

26. The apparatus ofclaim 24 wherein the actuator is configured to move the bottom press plate to a position at which a top surface of the bottom press plate is below a top surface of the transfer arm.

27. The apparatus ofclaim 24 wherein at least one of the bottom press plate and the top press plate comprises a plurality of air outlets for discharging air towards the intermediate dough portion.

28. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising an elevator positioned between the cutting mechanism and the press module, the elevator comprising a collection plate movable between a first position adjacent the cutting mechanism to accept the sliced dough portion from the cutting mechanism and a second position adjacent the press module to provide the sliced dough portion to the press module.

29. The apparatus ofclaim 28 further comprising a rotary arm positioned substantially at the second position, the rotary arm movable to push the sliced dough portion into the press module.

30. The apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising a user interface for accepting an order from a customer.

31. A method for dispensing a freshly-baked pizza comprising:

utilizing a user interface of a pizza vending machine to accept an order from a customer;

warming a hot press in response to the customer's order;

extruding dough from a dough canister by utilization of an automated plunger in response to the customer's order;

utilizing at least a sensor to determine a thickness of the extruded dough;

in response to the sensor determination, cutting the extruded dough utilizing an automated cutting mechanism;

utilizing the hot press to press and warm the cut dough to form a par-baked pizza crust;

applying toppings to the par-baked pizza crust by utilization of an ingredients dispensing module in response to the customer's order;

utilizing an automated transfer mechanism to move the par-baked pizza crust with toppings into the oven;

baking the par-baked pizza crust with toppings to create a freshly-baked pizza;

boxing the freshly-baked pizza; and

dispensing the freshly-baked pizza to the customer.

32. The method ofclaim 31 further comprising rotating a dough canister into a position to couple with the automated plunger and the automated cutting mechanism.

33. The method ofclaim 32 wherein a plurality of dough canisters are disposed on a rotatable wheel and the method further comprises selecting a dough canister for rotation into the position to couple with the automated plunger and the automated cutting mechanism according to a weight distribution of the dough canisters in the rotatable wheel.

34. The method ofclaim 31 further comprising the steps of:

compressing the cut dough between a top press plate and a bottom press plate of the hot press to thaw the dough and create the par-baked pizza crust; and

measuring an amount of time taken to compress the cut dough; and

utilizing the measurement in a subsequent iteration of compressing cut dough.

35. The method ofclaim 31 wherein cutting the extruded dough is performed in a refrigerated compartment located at a height that is different from a height of the hot press, and the method further comprises:

utilizing an elevator to move the cut dough to the hot press, the elevator passing through an opening in a wall of the refrigerated compartment; and

subsequently stopping the elevator so that at least a portion of the elevator is disposed in the opening to further thermally insulate the refrigerated compartment.

36. The method ofclaim 31 wherein the oven comprises an opening for accepting the par-baked pizza crust with toppings and the method further comprises rotating the oven so that the opening abuts a shroud to close the opening.

37. The method ofclaim 31 further comprising blowing air through air holes in an oven plate so as to lift the freshly-baked pizza off of the oven plate.

38. The method ofclaim 37 further comprising blowing air through the air holes to facilitate removing the freshly-baked pizza from the oven or to prevent the par-baked pizza crust with toppings from sticking to a cooking surface.

39. The method ofclaim 31 further comprising displaying advertisements on the user interface while forming the freshly-baked pizza.

40. A vending machine for delivering a freshly-baked pizza to a customer, the vending machine comprising:

at least a processor; and

memory coupled to the processor, the memory comprising program code executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the following steps:

accepting information from a user interface to obtain a customer order for a pizza;

in response to the customer order, causing a hot press to warm;

causing a dough pusher to extrude dough from a canister;

accepting information from at least a first sensor configured to determine a thickness of the extruded dough;

in response to the first sensor, causing an automated cutting mechanism to cut the extruded dough;

causing a first transfer mechanism to transfer the cut dough to the hot press;

causing the hot press to press and par-bake the cut dough to form an intermediate dough portion;

causing a second transfer mechanism to transfer the intermediate dough portion to an ingredients dispensing module;

causing the ingredients dispensing module to apply toppings to the intermediate dough portion;

causing a third transfer mechanism to transfer the intermediate dough portion with toppings into a rotatable oven via an opening in the oven;

causing the oven to rotate to close the opening;

causing the intermediate dough portion with toppings to remain in the oven for a period of time to bake the intermediate dough portion with toppings to form a freshly-baked pizza;

causing the rotatable oven to rotate so that the opening faces a boxing mechanism; and

causing a fourth transfer mechanism of the boxing mechanism to move the freshly-baked pizza from the oven and into a box.

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