APPARATUS FOR THE SELECTION AND AUTOMATIC DISPENSING OF PRODUCTS SUCH AS FOOD PRODUCTS

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus for the selection and automatic dispensing of products such as food products. The products are stored in a storage cabinet where detachment means cut them into a dispensable form for dispensing. The invention relates to an operating panel enabling the consumer to make his selection simply and quickly.

Description: Apparatus for the selection and automatic dispensing of products such as food products The invention relates to an apparatus in accordance with the preamble of claim 1. Such an apparatus is known from EP 0 470 673. The apparatus described in this document is used for slicing meat products stored in a refrigerated atmosphere or an atmosphere provided with protective gas, the user conveying his order to the control system by means of an operating panel. Practice has shown that the apparatus slices the meat product and carries out the order in a very short time and that the performance of the apparatus is limited by the time required to pass the order on to the control system. Such an apparatus is used, for instance in a shop, by many different people who are not familiar with operating panels and who are not trained to use them. Putting an order through to the control system seems to cause much delay, which limits the performance of the apparatus. In order to avoid this disadvantage, the selection means of the apparatus according to the invention have separate selection positions for all possible options, and are provided with indicator means to indicate the selection that has been made. By offering a choice of selection positions for all the possible options the user is enabled to choose quickly, and immediately after the selection is made, indicator means display his selection, so that he is immediately able to make adjustments if necessary. This allows the user to make his choice more quickly and to correct any errors quickly. The fact that there is less loss of time ensures that the apparatus is used more efficiently. In accordance with an improvement of the invention, the control means are designed such that after a product has been selected, the indicator means display a stored standard setting of options associated with a product on the operating panel. This aids the user in making his choice, and the setting selected as standard is the one that will be used for the majority of the orders. As a result, the choice will be made more quickly and the order can be carried out faster. In accordance with a further improvement of the invention the control means comprise a counter for the registration of the selections made per product and an adjustment device which, in concurrence with the counter, adjusts the standard setting associated with a product. In this way the standard setting can be adjusted to the set- ting used most frequently. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the selection means are push buttons comprising lamps as indicator means . The use of lamps with the buttons provides an easily visible direct feedback with respect to the selections made. In accordance with an embodiment of the invention in which the various kinds of products are visible in the storage cabinet, indicator means are provided near the selectable products, to indicate the provisionally selected product. This allows the consumer to compare the product selected on the operating panel with the product that will be cut off. This comparison facilitates the use of the operating panel for people who are not accustomed to using such panels. The invention also relates to an apparatus which is embodied such that the detachment means comprise a cutting device for slicing foodstuffs such as, for instance, meat products, and the selection means for the quantity comprise a first subgroup for the selection of the weights and a second subgroup for the selection of the number of slices . This offers sufficient quantity options because it is possible for one thing to select a fixed weight, or for another thing a quantity in which not the weight is important for the customer, but the number of slices. In accordance with a further improvement of the invention the temperature in the storage cabinet is some degrees below freezing point. Due to the fact that the meat products and the cutting device have a temperature of some degrees below freezing point, even meat products that are difficult to slice, for instance, because they have a high fat content, can be thinly sliced. The temperature at the bottom of the storage cabinet is then preferably about 8° below freezing point and at the top of the cabinet at least 2° below freezing point. The meat products which due to their fat content are the most difficult to slice, are stored at the bottom. The invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to one explanatory embodiment including a drawing, in which Fig. 1 shows the storage cabinet, and Fig. 2 shows the operating panel. Figure 1 shows a storage cabinet 2 , provided with a door 5, in which a window 6 is fitted. In the storage cabinet 2 a storage rack 7 is placed provided with presentation shelves 4 for meat products. The storage cabinet 2 is equipped with refrigeration for keeping foodstuffs, in this case meat products, at some degrees below freezing point. Optionally a gas-metering device is installed for metering gasses which promote the preservation of the stored meat products. In order to prevent condensation on the window 6, said window may be provided, in the usual manner, with heating. In the bottom part of the storage cabinet 2 a sli- cing device (not shown) is placed. There are conveyor means for transporting the presentation shelves 4 with the meat products to the slicing device where the ordered amount of meat can be cut off. Due to the fact that the meat products are kept near or slightly below freezing point, even meat products that are difficult to slice, such as for instance fatty bacon and other meat products with a high fat content, can be sliced quite easily. It has been found that at an average temperature of 4 degrees below freezing point the stored meat products are not frozen and that it is always possible to thinly slice meat products of this temperature . It has been found that the temperature in the storage cabinet is not everywhere the same, because this would require very considerable air circulation. In practice a temperature of 8° below freezing point can be maintained in the bottom part of the storage cabinet, while in the top part of the cabinet the temperature is at least 2° below freezing point. By placing the fatty meats and those that are difficult to slice in the bottom part of the cabinet, their sliceability is maintained. The meats with a somewhat lower fat content are placed in the top part of the storage cabinet . Because the meat products are stored at this temperature, said temperature pervades the meat through and through. The slicing device is located in the same storage cabinet and also has this temperature, so that even the meat products which are difficult to slice can be sliced thinly without the knife locally heating the meat during slicing. The sliced meat product is weighed, wrapped and the price is printed on the wrapping, after which a conveyor belt 9 conveys it through a dispenser opening 8 to a dis- penser shelf 10. The consumer retrieves his order from the dispenser shelf 10. To place his order, the consumer uses an operating panel 1 provided at the front of the storage cabinet 2 , the choice of meat product being visible through the win- dow 6. On or near each shelf bearing a meat product an indicator lamp 3 is provided and is visible through the window 6. When a meat product has been selected the indicator lamp 3 on the shelf of choice lights up, allowing the consumer to check whether he made the correct selec- tion. To avoid the window 6 becoming non-transparent due to frosting up or condensation, it may be provided in the usual manner with heating wires. The operating panel 1 is connected with a control system (not shown) provided in or near the storage cabinet 2 which controls the various components of the apparatus. The control system is provided with a memory in which the various data concerning the meat products are stored. 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Claims: CLAIMS 1. An apparatus for the selection and automatic dispensing of products such as food products, comprising at least a storage cabinet for the unwrapped storage of products, detachment means for the removal of the stored products in a dispensable form, control means comprising among other things a memory and an operating panel which is connected with the control means and which is provided with selection means for, among other things, the selection of the type of product to be dispensed, the desired quantity and optionally the form in which the product is to be dispensed, characterized in that the selection means have separate selection positions for all possible options, and indicator means are provided to indicate a selection that has been made. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the control means are designed such that after a product has been selected, the indicator means display a stored standard setting of options associated with a product on the operating panel. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that the control means comprise a counter for the registration of the selections made per product and an adjustment device which, in concurrence with the counter, adjusts the standard setting associated with a product. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1, 2 or 3 , characterized in that the selection means are push buttons comprising lamps as indicator means . 5. An apparatus according to any one or a combination of the preceding claims in which the various kinds of products are visible in the storage cabinet, characterized in that indicator means are provided near the selectable products, to indicate the provisionally selected product. 6. An apparatus according to any one or a combination of the preceding claims in which the detachment means comprise a cutting device for slicing foodstuffs such as, for instance, meat products, characterized in that the selection means for the quantity comprise a first subgroup for the selection of the weights and a second subgroup for the selection of the number of slices. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6, characterized in that the average temperature in the storage cabinet is a few degrees below freezing point. 8. An apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that the temperature in the bottom of the storage cabinet is about 8° below freezing point and at the top of the cabinet more than 2° below freezing point.

Inventors: DE GRAAF MATTIJN GODEWIJN, DE GRAAF, MATTIJN, GODEWIJN
Applicants: GRAAF MATTIJN GODEWIJN DE, VEROOST INNOVATIE B V, DE GRAAF, MATTIJN, GODEWIJN, VEROOST INNOVATIE B.V.
Application year: 1998
Main classification: G07F9
IPC codes: G07F9, G07F11