Abstract:
A freezer component stores and removes frozen food in response to a signal. The freezer component includes a rotatable portion, a loading side and a feeding side. Two raiseable platforms are located in each of the loading side and the feeding side. Food is loaded into the freezer component by placing food onto the platforms positioned in the loading side. The rotatable portion then rotates 180° to position the food-loaded platforms in the feeding side. The empty platforms now located in the loading side are loaded with additional food. When a signal is received, food in the feeding side is removed from the freezer component by alternately raising the two platforms holding the food. When the feeding side is empty and contains no more food, the rotatable portion rotates 180° in the reverse direction. The food loaded platforms are now located in the feeding side. The empty platforms are located in the loading side and ready for loading of additional food.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates generally to a freezer component which stores frozen food and automatically removes the frozen food from the freezer component in response to a signal 
     Freezers are used to keep objects, such as food, frozen. Freezers are commonly used in residences, grocery stores, and restaurants to keep food frozen. In the restaurant or food service industry, food is often stored in a freezer prior to preparation and serving. The food is usually manually placed into the freezer by an employee for storage. When the food is to be prepared and served, the food is manually removed by an employee and prepare for serving. 
     A drawback to the prior art freezers is that additional labor is needed to remove the food from the freezer prior to preparation for serving as the food is manually removed by an employee. It would be beneficial to use a freezer that automatically transfers frozen food from a freezer component to a preparation area in response to an operator request. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The freezer component of the present invention automatically removes frozen food from the freezer component in response to a signal. The freezer component includes a rotatable portion, a loading side and a feeding side. The rotatable portion is rotatable by a carousel. Two raiseable platforms are located in each of the loading side and the feeding side. Food is loaded into the freezer component by placing the food onto the platforms positioned in the loading side. The carousel then rotates the rotatable portion 180° to position the food-loaded platforms in the feeding side. Rods around the platforms prevent the food from falling from the platforms during rotation. The empty platforms now located in the loading side are loaded with additional food. 
     When a signal is received, food in the feeding side is automatically removed from the freezer component by alternately raising the two platforms holding the food. When a sensor detects that the feeding side is empty and contains no more food, the rotatable portion rotates 180° in the reverse direction, positioning the recently food-loaded platforms in the feeding side and the empty platforms in the loading side. Stops in the freezer component prevent over-rotation of the carousel. 
    
    
     These and other features of the present invention will be best understood from the following specification and drawings. 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     The various features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the currently preferred embodiment. The drawings that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows: 
     FIG. 1 schematically illustrates a side view of the freezer component of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 schematically illustrates a cross sectional view of the freezer component of the automated grill of FIG. 1 taken along line  2 — 2 ; 
     FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a top view of the carousel of the freezer component; 
     FIG. 4 schematically illustrates a cross sectional view of the freezer component of the automated grill of FIG. 1 taken along line  4 — 4 ; and 
     FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a perspective view of the exterior of the freezer component of the automated grill. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     FIG. 1 illustrates the freezer component  22  of the present invention. Frozen food items  52 , such as frozen hamburger patties, are loaded in the freezer component  22 . The freezer component  22  includes a rotatable portion  28  mounted on a carousel  30 . The freezer component  22  further includes a loading side  32  and a feeding side  34 . An upper sensor  42  and a lower sensor  44  are located proximate to the upper end and the lower end, respectively, of the rotatable portion  28 . 
     In one example, the freezer component  22  uses forced air convection. In another example, the freezer component comprises  22  a cold wall freezer. Preferably, the temperature in the freezer component  22  is between −18° C. and −21° C. 
     As shown in FIG. 2, the example rotatable portion  28  includes four surfaces  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c  and  36   d . When the rotatable portion  28  is positioned as in FIG. 1, the surfaces  36   a  and  36   b  are located in the feeding side  34 , and the surfaces  36   c  and  36   d  are located in the loading side  32 . A platform  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  is received against each of the respective surfaces  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c  and  36   d  and is moveable in the Y direction (i.e., up or down according to FIG. 1) by a drive  40   a ,  40   b ,  40   c , and  40   d , respectively, shown in phantom, which is powered by a respective motor  45   a ,  45   b ,  45   c  and  45   d  (shown in FIG.  1 ). Preferably, the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  are circular. 
     When the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  in the loading side  32  (as in FIG. 1) are in a loading position, the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are loaded with the food items  52 . Rods  41  located on the outer periphery of the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  create a cage to prevent the food items  52  from falling from the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  during rotation of the rotatable portion  28 . After a desired number of food items  52  are loaded, the carousel  30  rotates the rotatable portion  28  180° in a first direction, positioning the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  with the loaded food items  52  in the feeding side  34 . The same motion moves the platforms  38   a  and  38   b  to the loading side  32 . The platforms  38   a  and  38   b  can then be loaded with more food items  52 . 
     As shown in FIG. 3, the carousel  30  includes a magnet  19 . Opposing sensors  17   a  and  17   b , such as magnetic reed sensors, are positioned proximate to the carousel  30 . When the carousel  30  rotates 180° and the sensor  17   a  detects the magnet  19 , a signal is sent to the motor  43  by the control  51  to stop rotation of the carousel  30 . When the carousel  30  is rotated 180° in the opposing direction and the sensor  17   b  detects the magnet  19 , a signal is sent to the motor  43  by the control  51  to stop rotation of the carousel. 
     The carousel  30  further includes a projection  46  to prevent over-rotation. Stops  47  and  48  located in the freezer compartment  22  prevent over-rotation of the carousel  30  and tangling of wires (not illustrated). If the carousel  30  over-rotates, the projection  46  engages one of the stops  47  and  48 , preventing further rotation of the carousel  30 . 
     Returning to FIG. 1, when at least one of the food items  52  is to be grilled, an input  50  sends a signal to a control  51  which sends a signal to the desired motor  45   c  and  45   d  to raise at least one of the respective platforms  38   c  and  38   d  in the feeding side  34  for removal of the food items  52  from the freezer component  22 . As the rotatable portion  28  has rotated 180°, the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are located in the feeding side  34  and the platforms  38   a  and  38   b  are located in the loading side  32 . The food items  52  are alternately delivered from the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  for removal from the freezer component  22 . For example, after the input  50  sends a signal indicating a request to grill a food item  52 , platform  38   c  rises to position a food item  52  for removal from the freezer component  22 . When the food item  52  is raised, it is removed from the freezer component  22  by a removal device  90  and exits through the front slot  76  (shown in FIG.  5 ). When the next signal is received, platform  38   d  rises to position another item of food  52  for removal from the freezer component  22  by the removal device  90 . A subsequent signal raises the platform  38   c , and so on. 
     Preferably, the input  50  includes a POS (point of service) register. When an item of food  52  is ordered by a customer, an operator inputs the order into the POS register. The POS register sends the signal to the control  51 , which responsively dispenses the desired number of food items  52 . Alternatively, an operator inputs into the input  50  the numbers of food items  52  that are to be dispensed. 
     The platforms  38   c  and  38   d  rise until all the food items  52  in the feeding area  34  are removed. When the upper sensor  42  senses that both of the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are positioned in an empty position, that is, the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are in a position where all of the food items  52  are removed, the feeding side  34  is empty. The carousel  30  then rotates the rotatable portion  28  180° in an opposing direction. If the carousel  30  over-rotates, the projection  46  engages the other stop  47  (shown in FIG. 3) to prevent over-rotation. A sensor  49  monitors the position of the carousel  30  and communicates to the carousel  30  when to stop rotating. 
     Rotation in the opposition direction positions the platforms  38   a  and  38   b  loaded with the food items  52  in the feeding side  34 , and the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  holding no food items  52  in the loading side  32 . During rotation, the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  in the loading side  32  lower so they are ready to receive additional food items  52 . When the lower sensor  44  senses the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are lowered and in the loading position, the freezer component  22  knows that the loading side  32  is ready for loading of additional food items  52 . 
     Preferably, the upper sensor  42  and the lower sensor  44  are magnetic reed switches and the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c , and  38   d  include a magnet. When the upper sensor  42  or lower sensor  44  sense the magnet, the sensors  42  or  44  detect the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  and can determine if the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  are in the loading portion or in the empty position. 
     After all the food items  52  are removed from the feeding side  34  of the freezer component  22 , the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are in the empty position. When the upper sensor  42  senses the magnet in the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  in the feeding side  34 , the upper sensor  42  knows that the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are in the empty position. The upper sensor  42  through the control  51  provides a signal to the motor  43  to rotate the carousel  30  and to the motors  45   c  and  45   d  of the respective empty platforms  38   c  and  38   d  to lower the platforms  38   c  and  38   d . Therefore, the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  will be in the loading position once in the loading side  32 . Once the platforms  38   c  and  38   d  are in the loading position in the loading side  32 , the lower sensor  44  detects the magnets. Although magnetic sensors have been described, it is to be understood that other types of sensors  42  and  44  can be employed. 
     As shown in FIG. 4, a ring  54   a ,  54   b ,  54   c  and  54   d  is secured to the top of the rotatable portion  28  in each of the respective four surfaces  36   a ,  36   b ,  36   c  and  36   d . The rings  54   a ,  54   b ,  54   c  and  54   d  each include an inner aperture  56   a ,  56   b ,  56   c , and  56   d  sized to allow passage of the food items  52 . The rings  54   a ,  54   b ,  54   c  and  54   d  assist in guiding the stack of the food items  52  as the platforms  38   a ,  38   b ,  38   c  and  38   d  lift and funnel the food items  52  for removal from the freezer component  22 . In one example, the rings  54   a ,  54   b ,  54   c  and  54   d  have a height which is sized to receive several food items  52  at once. 
     Alternatively, the freezer component  22  does not include a carousel  30  and a feeding side  34 . The food items  52  are both loaded into the freezer component  22  and removed from the freezer component  22  in the loading side  32 . The food items  52  can be loaded into the loading side  32  in a cartridge which contains a plurality of food items  52  to expedite the loading process. 
     As shown in FIG. 5, the freezer component  22  is enclosed by a housing  58  including a door  60 . When the door  60  is opened, an operator can access the loading side  32  (shown in FIG. 1) of the freezer component  22  through an access opening  62  during operation. The example freezer component  22  further includes an interlock  64  which prevents rotation of the rotatable portion  28  when the door  60  is opened. 
     Additionally, the frozen food items  52  can be placed in the freezer component  22  in cartridges which contain several food items  52 , reducing crew labor in loading. 
     The freezer component  22  of the present invention can be used with an automated grill, such as described in co-pending patent application Ser. No. 10/124,629 entitled “Automated Grill” filed on Apr. 17, 2002. 
     The foregoing description is only exemplary of the principles of the invention. Many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings. It is, therefore, to be understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than using the example embodiments which have been specifically described. For that reason the following claims should be studied to determine the true scope and content of this invention.