Patent ID: 6843166
Filing Date: 2005-01-18
Classification: A47J

Abstract:
1. An automatic cooking and vending machine, for preparing, dispensing, and vending a plate of cooked food to a paying customer who has placed an order for a plate of cooked food, comprising: a housing having an interior, a top, a bottom, two opposing sides, a front, a rear, and a substantially centrally located horizontal platform, said housing having an access door which opens to dispense the plate of cooked food to the customer, said housing enclosing: two gas burners; a water sprinkler; a motorized tracking mechanism having two handles, each having a substantially hemispherical pot attached thereunto, for shuttling each of the pots from a cooking position wherein the pot is sandwiched between the burners, to an inverted washing position wherein the pot is positioned just above the sprinkler; a plate dispensing assembly, comprising a plate compartment for holding a plurality of empty plates, and a plate dispensing mechanism for shuttling an empty plate from the plate compartment to a position underneath the pot which is in the cooking position, for accepting the cooked food therefrom after the pot has been inverted by the tracking mechanism, and then, through the access door; a quantity measuring device for measuring quantities of different foods prior to the release of the foods into the cooking pot in the cooking position; a stirrer assembly, which extends into each of the cooking pots, for stirring the food while it is cooking; and a computer for controlling all of the components of the machine, said computer having an associated touch screen for selectively displaying a menu and for placing the order for cooked food, a credit card scanning slot for scanning an existing credit card to pay for the order, and a printing slip outlet for printing details of the order; and a food storage compartment, having a top and a bottom, wherein the bottom of the food storage compartment is supported upon the platform, said food storage compartment for selectively containing a plurality of different food storage containers, each of which contains food which is selectively emptied into the pot in the cooking position.