Abstract:
An automatic baking machine includes a loading unit having a plurality of carriers on a first conveyor configured for receipt of individual goods to be baked. A downstream oven unit has a transportation device to transport the goods received from the loading unit through the oven unit. A delivery unit is arranged downstream from the oven unit and includes a second conveyor with a plurality of carriers for receipt of baked goods from the transportation device. A vertically stationary linear conveyor is arranged between the first conveyor and the transportation device, wherein the goods to be baked are transferred from the first conveyor to the linear conveyor, conveyed by the linear conveyor in a vertically fixed plane, and transferred from the linear conveyor to the transportation device.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention refers to an automatic baking machine having a conveyor equipped with peripheral carriers for delivering baked goods to an oven, and a delivery unit with a second conveyor for receiving the baked goods from the oven. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Such an automatic baking machine for installation above all in supermarkets is known from EP 1 688 042 A2, for example. On the loading side of this automatic baking machine, baked goods are placed on carriers of a paternoster elevator (also known merely as “paternoster”) and held there. Reacting on a demand from the control unit, a correspondingly measured number of baking goods is linearly transported from the filled carriers in a continuous baking oven and stored in carriers of a paternoster elevator on the delivery side after baking. From there, one or more baking goods are deposited in a collection container and guided to a dispensing compartment when requested by customers. In an alternative embodiment, the requested baked goods are directly transported from a carrier to a dispensing compartment. 
     A task of this invention is to improve the known automatic baking machine even more, especially with regard to its ease of maintenance and operation. 
     SUMMARY 
     Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention. 
     An embodiment of an automatic baking machine has a loading unit for especially the manual loading of baked goods, whereby the loading unit has at least one first conveyor device equipped with numerous preferably peripheral carriers for receiving several adjacent individual baked goods. An oven unit is mounted downstream from the loading unit and has a transportation device for transporting the baked goods. A delivery unit is mounted downstream from the baking device and has at least a second conveyor device with numerous preferably peripheral carriers for receiving several adjacent baked goods, wherefrom the baked goods are guided to at least one dispensing compartment. At least one stationary linear conveyor for the baked goods is arranged between the first conveyor device and the transportation device of the oven unit. 
     One of the advantages of the invention is that the accessibility of the individual elements of the automatic baking machine is improved with the help of at least one stationary linear conveyor. Both the first conveyor device on the loading side and the oven unit are now easier to reach for the waiting and service staff, and the cleaning of the individual machine parts has been made easier. Furthermore, the invention facilitates a safe transportation of the baked goods from the preferably peripheral carriers of the first conveyor device on the loading side to the oven unit. Moreover, when the stationary linear conveyor and the transportation device of the oven unit run along a common horizontal plane, the error quota at the local baked goods delivery is very low. The preceding delivery of baked goods by the conveyor device carriers to a subsequent transportation device, however, is more error-prone in principle. It is therefore advantageous for the oven unit&#39;s error proneness to be kept at arm&#39;s length so an intervention in the oven area is less likely. In addition, when the carriers erroneously deliver on the linear conveyor device, it is easily possible to automatically clean the latter, as explained below. 
     It is especially advantageous for the baking to have at least one stationary linear conveyor oriented parallel to the longitudinal extension of the carriers of the first conveyor device. A simple pushing, tilting or lifting movement places the baked goods on the stationary linear conveyor, which transports the baked goods sideways to the oven. The parallel orientation facilitates access to the back side of the first conveyor device. 
     Preferably, the longitudinal extension or running direction of the linear conveyor device is perpendicular to the direction in which the baked goods are being transported through the oven unit. In this case, the stationary linear conveyor transports the baked goods sideways to the oven before they are then turned around by 90°. Together with the previously described parallel orientation of the linear conveyor device to the carriers, the transportation path of the baked goods looks like this: The carriers release the baked goods on the linear conveyor device perpendicular to the longitudinal extension of the carrier, the baked goods are transported away sideways on the linear conveyor device and released perpendicularly to the longitudinal extension of the linear conveyor device to the transport device of the oven unit. 
     In a further development of the invention, the loading unit has two conveyor devices with preferably peripheral carriers, each one connected to the oven unit via a linear conveyor device. In such a modular arrangement, each loading unit can have its own continuous baking oven. In this arrangement, the two continuous baking ovens of the oven unit can be advantageously arranged right beside each other. The oven or ovens are arranged in such a way are supplied with baked goods on the loading side by the two first conveyor devices separated from one another via their respective stationary conveyor devices. In this case, the baked goods are transported towards each other before being transported in parallel through the oven or ovens. 
     According to an advantageous embodiment, the at least one stationary linear conveyor is arranged on the loading side of the first conveyor device. This arrangement can also be seen as an original aspect of the invention. In this case, the linear conveyor device is essentially located above the staff that places the baked goods on the carriers. This saves construction space because in an arrangement on the other side of the conveyor device, the automatic baking machine would be wider or deeper by the width of the linear conveyor device. 
     Advantageously, the direction of rotation of at least one linear conveyor device is reversible to increase flexibility when the baked goods are transported to/from the carriers or the oven unit. 
     For a smooth running of the conveyor device even under temporary faulty transportation of baked goods, experience has shown that it is advantageous for a collection device to be located on the front side, at the end of the at least one stationary linear conveyor, so baked goods that have not reached at least one of the continuous baking ovens are transported. This embodiment can also be seen as an original aspect of the invention. Since owing to the relatively complex transportation path, such faulty transportation processes cannot be fully ruled out, and baked goods remaining on the linear conveyor device can be quickly transported to the collection device without the intervention of the waiting staff. The linear conveyor device can be operated in such a way that after every completed or putative delivery to the transportation device of the oven unit, all baked goods remaining on it (if any) are inevitably transported to the collection device. 
     According to an advantageous embodiment, the collection device can include a chute into which the baked goods are dropped by the linear conveyor device. 
     In the case of two linear conveyor devices—each one allocated to a conveyor device with preferably peripheral carriers—they are advantageously arranged so that baked goods can be delivered from one to the other. In this case, both linear conveyor devices are suitably oriented in true alignment to one another. The possibility of delivering baked goods from one linear conveyor device to the other one makes only one collection device necessary. 
     The transfer of the baked goods from the carriers to at least one stationary linear conveyor and/or from the at least one linear conveyor device to the transportation device of the oven unit takes place with sliders, preferably linear sliders operated by electric motors. One slider can be provided for each baked good. An option is to have one slider in charge of several baked goods. Other transfer devices are readily possible. 
     It is especially preferable if the baked goods deposited on a carrier of the first conveyor device have the same relative position to one another until delivery by a carrier of the second conveyor device. As a result of this, an easily controllable and neat flow of baked goods is facilitated. 
     Advantageously—and to be evaluated as an own aspect of the invention—the oven unit has been designed so it can be largely reached by walking on and below it between the loading and delivery unit. This embodiment facilitates both easy cleaning and easy accessibility for the servicing staff. In addition, the space underneath the baking oven can be used as storage area. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Additional advantages and advantageous further developments of the invention result from the various additional embodiments and the figures that help to explain the embodiments in more detail. They show schematically: 
         FIG. 1  a cross section of the automatic baking machine according to the invention; 
         FIG. 2  a top view of the automatic baking machine according to  FIG. 1 ; 
         FIG. 3  the automatic baking machine according to  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2  from the user&#39;s side; 
         FIG. 4  a top view of an automatic baking machine with two conveyor devices on the loading side and two on the delivery side as well as two continuous baking ovens. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
     Reference will now be made to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are shown in the drawings. Each embodiment is provided by way of explanation of the invention, and not as a limitation of the invention. For example features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be combined with another embodiment to yield still another embodiment. It is intended that the present invention include these and other modifications and variations to the embodiments described herein. 
       FIGS. 1-3  show schematic views of an embodiment of an automatic baking machine according to the invention, in which some parts are not shown in all figures for better clarity. The main components of the automatic baking machine are a loading unit  1  for loading baked goods B (rolls, loaves of bread, baguettes, pretzels, etc.) that need to be baked or fully baked, an oven unit  20  and a delivery unit  30  for delivering the baking goods ready to be eaten at the request of the customers. In this case, loaves of bread have been chosen as baked goods B. 
     The loading unit  1  has a housing  2  that stands on feet  3  in which a first conveyor device  6  in the form of a paternoster elevator  6  has been arranged on the loading side. To this end, numerous oblong carriers  8  are attached to their respective front sides with motor-driven conveying chains  9 . The waiting staff P preferably puts the baked goods B manually side by side on the carriers  8 . For this purpose, an opening  4  has been provided in the housing  2  that can be closed with a door  7  (see  FIG. 3 ). In the embodiment shown, a loading table  5  has been provided before the opening so a container (such as a cardboard box, for example) with baked goods can be placed on it. 
     Using an input panel equipped with a display  10 , the staff can request a free carrier  8  (i.e. one not yet loaded with baked goods B). In addition, staff instructions can be issued on the display—for example, which type of baked good should be baked at the moment owing to consumer demand. 
     The first conveyor device  6  runs peripherally in arrow direction f 1  ( FIG. 1 ), but its direction can also be reversed. Especially when a free carrier  8  is requested for loading with baked goods B, this feature is welcome for shortening the running time of the corresponding carrier  8  if need be. 
     The baked goods B that are not yet baked or pre-baked are stored in the conveyor device  6  until a control unit (not shown) well known to those skilled in the art moves them. For this purpose, on the side facing the waiting staff P, a stationary linear conveyor  15  executed as a conveyor device belt, for example, has been provided for running sideways in the direction of the longitudinal extension of the carriers  8 . As can be especially seen in  FIGS. 1 &amp; 2 , baked goods B are pushed from a carrier  8  moved correspondingly in position by sliders  16  on the linear conveyor device  15 . Other transfer mechanisms—in other places of the automatic baking machine as well, see farther below—are certainly possible, for example by having the carriers  8  tilt the baked goods B on the linear conveyor device  15 . 
     The running direction of the stationary linear conveyor  15  is reversible, see double arrow f 3 . When it runs forward, the linear conveyor device  15  transports the baked goods B to the inlet opening of the housing  21  of the oven unit  20 . Through the oven unit  20  runs a transportation device  22  that can be executed as a peripheral chain link or network conveyor device. For transferring the baked goods B from the linear conveyor device  15  to the transportation device  22 , a wide, motorized slider  19  has been provided here. Instead of a single slider  19 , it is possible to use several sliders for one or a portion of the baked goods B. Conversely, this also applies to the sliders  16 . 
     Heating elements  23  that can be executed as conventional heating spirals have been arranged in the oven unit  20 . The throughput speed and/or baking temperature can be preset or also electronically controlled. An adjustment to the respective type of baked good presents itself. 
     The oven unit  20  is accessible from below, because the connection in series of the stationary linear conveyor  15  diverts the baked goods twice by 90°. Thus, very easy accessibility to the oven unit  20  is created for the waiting and service staff. 
     The delivery unit  30 , in turn surrounded by a housing  31 , is connected to the oven unit  20 . The delivery unit  30  is provided for display in a supermarket&#39;s sales room or something similar, in which case—to minimize the standing area of the automatic baking machine in the sales room—the loading unit  1  and the oven unit  20  are set up outside of the sales room and separated from it by a wall  28 . 
     After baking or full baking, the slider  24  (shown only in  FIG. 1 ) pushes the baked goods from the transportation device  22  on peripheral carriers  34  of a second peripheral conveyor device  32  shaped like a paternoster elevator, which is driven by front-sided conveyor device chains  35  located in the delivery unit  30  that stores the baked goods B that have just been baked until they are delivered to the customer K. A corresponding service display for the customer K is not shown here, but readily known to the expert. 
     A temporary storage compartment  38  has been provided between carrier  34  and a dispensing compartment  41  accessible to the customer K on which in the embodiment shown here, the baked goods B are tilted by a carrier  34 . To accomplish this, the corresponding carrier  34  runs from above against electronically-controlled pins  36  movable from a resting to a working position and this swivels the carrier  34 . The baked goods B then slide on a first slide  37  on the temporary storage compartment  38  mentioned above, from which one or several baked goods B are pushed—if requested by a customer K—with the help of the slider  39  into a funnel slide  40  on which the requested baked goods B slide to the dispensing compartment  41 . 
     Since the baked goods lie only loose on all transportation elements, the transfer to the next one cannot always be ensured. For this purpose, a collection device  11  located on the frontal side facing away from the oven unit  20  has been especially provided for the linear conveyor device  15 . In the present case, the collection device  11  consists of one chute  12  running perpendicularly and a collecting container  13  placed underneath that can be manually emptied. 
     When the linear conveyor device  15  cannot successfully push the baked goods B to the transportation device  22 , the conveying direction of the linear conveyor device  15  is reversed and it runs as long as all baked goods B that are still on it are dropped off into the chute  12 . The reverse movement of the linear conveyor device  15  can be initiated, for example, every time the slider  19  is activated, so that the linear conveyor device  15  runs nonetheless backwards too when the baked goods B are successfully delivered to the transportation device  22 . According to an alternative, the reverse movement can be triggered when a sensor (not shown) registers the presence of at least one baked good B on the linear conveyor device after the slider  19  has been activated. In any case, the reverse path of the linear conveyor device  15  is always longer than the transportation path from the carriers  8  to the transfer position before the oven unit  20 . 
       FIG. 4  shows a schematic top view of an automatic baking machine in which the loading unit  1  has two conveyor devices  6 , the oven unit  20  has two continuous baking ovens, and the delivery unit  30  likewise has two conveyor devices  32  with two dispensing compartments  41  as well, in which case each stationary linear conveyor  15  supplies the two continuous baking ovens. Various baked goods B (on the one hand, loaves of bread, on the other hand, pretzels) are stored in the carriers  8  of the two conveyor devices  6 . Three loaves can be placed on one carrier  8 ; in the case of the pretzels, four. 
     Needless to say, it is also possible for various baked goods B to be placed on different carriers  8  of an individual conveyor device  6  and held in various correspondingly provided temporary storage compartments in the delivery unit  30  until they are requested. Such variability makes it possible to adjust the different spatial circumstances to the number of visiting customers and taste preferences in the respective regions and supermarkets. The modular construction shown exemplarily in  FIG. 4  not only allows larger quantities of different baked goods to be offered, but the total throughput quantity is also naturally larger compared to the design shown in accordance with the  FIGS. 1-3 . 
     The automatic baking machine according to  FIG. 4  has only one collection device  11 . So that pretzels transported to the oven unit  20  cannot be removed either from this stationary linear conveyor  15  (in  FIG. 4  top), it is kept operating in forward motion so the pretzels (in this case, two) can be transferred to the other stationary linear conveyor  15  (in  FIG. 4 , bottom), which will then transport these pretzels to the collection device  11  for disposal. The waiting staff must therefore empty merely one single collection container  13 . In addition, the material for another collection device  11 —which would require more space—is saved. 
     All the operations taking place in the automatic baking machine according to the invention are preferably controlled by a centralized electrical control system (not shown) that controls especially the transportation of the baked goods, determines the demand for goods to be baked and indicates this on the input panel with the display  10 . 
     This invention is not restricted to the embodiments shown. Variations within the claims are certainly possible.