Abstract:
A food dispensing apparatus for preparing a sandwich. The apparatus includes a housing including a bun pocket forming mechanism, a bun transfer member, and a pair of opposing driven rollers. The pocket forming mechanism includes a motor-driven articulating cutting disc which forms a food receiving slit into a bun as the bun transfer mechanism moves the bun into cutting engagement with the cutting disc. The rollers are adapted in size and spacing to receive and squeeze food from an elongated food package opened at a distal end thereof into the food receiving slot of the bun.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    Not applicable 
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT 
       [0002]    Not applicable 
       INCORPORATION-BY-REFERENCE OF MATERIAL SUBMITTED ON A COMPACT DISC 
       [0003]    Not applicable 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0004]    1. Field of the Invention 
         [0005]    This invention relates generally to food dispensing apparatus, and more particularly to a food dispensing apparatus which forms a slit or pocket in a bun and then dispenses prepared food from a sealed flexible tube into the slit within the bun. 
         [0006]    2. Description of Related Art 
         [0007]    Food dispensing apparatus come in a variety of forms. Some of these apparatus are designed to dispense food which is ready for opening and consumption while others dispense a fluid beverage into a cup also ready for consumption. 
         [0008]    A number of additional prior art devices designed for various aspects of food preparation and consumption in a commercial setting are disclosed in the following U.S. patents. 
         [0009]    U.S. Pat. No. 460,283 to Adler discloses a metallic ceiling. Shapiro et al. teach a ceiling panel for installation as a component of a matrix grid of similar panels which are capable of being installed directly on sheetrock ceilings in U.S. Pat. No. 7,134,249. 
         [0010]    A decorative ceiling panel to be placed over and directly attached to an existing ceiling or wall surface is also disclosed by Shapiro in U.S. Patent Application Publication 2007/0011975. Herrmann teaches a lightweight and interlocking plastic ceiling tile system in U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,514. 
         [0011]    A ceiling panel is taught by Halfaker in U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,287. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,210 to Zafir discloses a composite insulated building panel. 
         [0012]    A concealing trim assembly for a wall or ceiling panel system is taught by Gailey in U.S. Pat. No. 5,191,743. Widdowson teaches a prefabricated, insulated, metal wall panel in U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,190. 
         [0013]    The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the specification and a study of the drawings. 
       BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0014]    This invention is directed to a food dispensing apparatus for preparing a sandwich. The apparatus includes a housing including a bun pocket forming mechanism, a bun transfer member, and a pair of opposing driven rollers. The pocket forming mechanism includes a motor-driven articulating cutting disc which forms a food receiving slit into a bun as the bun transfer mechanism moves the bun into cutting engagement with the cutting disc. The rollers are adapted in size and spacing to receive and squeeze food from an elongated food package opened at a distal end thereof into the food receiving slot of the bun. 
         [0015]    It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a food dispensing apparatus which slices or forms a slit into a fresh bun and then dispenses prepared food which may have been previously warmed by e.g. microwave, into the bun ready for consumption. 
         [0016]    It is another object of this invention to provide a food dispensing apparatus having a unique bun slitting mechanism which facilitates the forming of a pocket within a fresh bun immediately prior to filling that pocket with fresh processed food from a flexible tubular container. 
         [0017]    The following embodiments and aspects thereof are described and illustrated in conjunction with systems, tools and methods which are meant to be exemplary and illustrative and not limiting in scope. In various embodiments one or more of the above-described problems have been reduced or eliminated while other embodiments are directed to other improvements. In addition to the exemplary aspects and embodiments described above, further aspects and embodiments will become apparent by reference to the drawings and by study of the following descriptions. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING(S) 
         [0018]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of the invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 2  is a section view in the direction of arrows  2 - 2  in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0020]      FIG. 3  is a perspective view of a food package used in conjunction with the invention shown in  FIG. 1 . 
           [0021]      FIG. 4  is a top plan view of  FIG. 3 . 
           [0022]      FIG. 5  is a side elevation view of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0023]      FIG. 6  is an end elevation view of  FIG. 4 . 
           [0024]      FIG. 7  is a section view in the direction of arrows  7 - 7  in  FIG. 4 . 
           [0025]      FIG. 8  is a top plan view of a bun pocket forming mechanism positioned ready for use with respect to a sandwich bun. 
           [0026]      FIGS. 9 to 14  are top plan views similar to  FIG. 8  showing the sequential steps in slitting the bun in preparation for filling the prepared slit or cavity with processed food. 
           [0027]      FIG. 15  is a perspective view of the bun having been slit after the final step shown in  FIG. 14 . 
           [0028]      FIG. 16  is a section view in the direction of arrows  16 - 16  in  FIG. 15 . 
           [0029]      FIG. 17  is a section view in the direction of arrows  17 - 17  in  FIG. 15 . 
           [0030]      FIGS. 18 to 23  show an enlarged portion of the invention in  FIG. 2  depicting the sequential filling of the slit formed within the bun with processed food from a food package  18 . 
           [0031]      FIG. 24  is a section view of the bun filled with processed food ready for consumption. 
       
    
    
       [0032]    Exemplary embodiments are illustrated in reference figures of the drawings. It is intended that the embodiments and figures disclosed herein are to be considered to be illustrative rather than limiting. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Nomenclature 
       [0000]    
       
           10 . food dispensing apparatus 
           12 . housing 
           14 . case 
           16 . bun transfer drawer 
           18 . food package 
           20 . roller access opening 
           22 . squeezing rollers 
           24 . working surface 
           26 . upright drawer panel 
           28 . housing interior 
           30 . bun pocket forming mechanism 
           32 . drive motor 
           34 . control arm 
           36 . cutting disc 
           38 . drive pin 
           40 . support block 
           42 . stationary guide pin 
           44 . roller drive 
           46 . drive belt 
           48 . sealed food bag 
           48   a.  empty food bag 
           50 . sealing flange 
           50   a.  lead flange 
           50   b.  trailing flange 
           52 . sandwich food 
           52   a.  sandwich food 
           54 . slot 
           56 . open end 
       
     
         [0061]    Referring now to the drawings, and firstly to  FIGS. 1 to 7 , the invention is there shown generally at numeral  10  in  FIG. 1  and includes a housing  12  formed of suitable molded plastic or metal material, a bun pocket forming mechanism  30  mounted within the interior volume  28  of the housing  12 , and a bun transfer drawer  16 . In one aspect, the invention further includes a prepackaged quantity of processed food in a variety of forms held in a sealed food package  18 . 
         [0062]    The bun transfer drawer  16  is slidably engageable within the housing case  14  and positioned below a horizontal working surface  24  of the housing  12 . The bun transfer drawer  16  is openable and closable in the direction of arrow A so that an uncut bun may be positioned atop the bottom  25  of the drawer  16  when the drawer  16  is opened. By closing the drawer  16  and the bun is carried into contact with the cutting disc  36  of the bun pocket forming mechanism  30  described in more detail herebelow. 
         [0063]    The bun pocket forming mechanism  30  includes a drive motor  32  mounted atop the floor of the case  14  within the interior volume  28 . As also seen in  FIG. 8 , the bun pocket forming mechanism  30  also includes a stationary support block  40  mounted atop the floor of case  14 . An elongated control arm  34  is pivotally connected to a drive pin  38  at one end thereof while also being supported at a mid-portion thereof atop support block  40  wherein an elongated slot  54  is fitted over stationary guide pin  42  for slidable translation of the control arm  34  thereover. 
         [0064]    Affixed to the opposite end of the control arm  34  is a cutting disc  36  having sharpened edges therearound. The entire arrangement of control arm  34  and cutting disc  36  is preferably flat. However, the cutting disc  36  may also be offset vertically as desired for adjustability in bun thickness. 
         [0065]    As seen schematically in  FIGS. 8 to 14 , as the bun is moved in the direction of arrow B in  FIG. 9  by closing of the drawer  16  with the bun positioned therein, the drive motor is energized so that the drive pin begins to rotate in the direction of arrow C. Because the elongated slot  54  is secured around the stationary guide pin  42 , movement of the cutting arm  34  causes the cutting disc  36  to move back and forth from the horizontal at rest position shown in  FIG. 8  to one extreme of the cutting motion shown in  FIG. 10  to the other extreme position of cutting motion shown in  FIG. 12 . 
         [0066]    This back and forth motion of the cutting disc  36  as the bun is moved inwardly in the direction of arrow B causes the sequential forming of the initial cut into the bun wherein slit A is formed to the next stage of slit formation in  FIG. 10  to form slit B, then slit C is formed in  FIG. 11  with a continued articulated movement of the cutting arm  34  and movement in the direction of arrow D. During the next 180° rotation of the drive pin  38  as seen in  FIGS. 12 and 13 , the remainder of the slit is formed and defining slit D with the movement of the control arm  34  in the direction of arrow E. Finally, in  FIG. 13 , the cutting disc  36  is, having completed the cutting of slit B, is withdrawn from the bun by movement of the now-slit bun in the direction of arrow F by the opening of drawer  16  in the direction of arrow A. 
         [0067]    As seen in  FIGS. 15 to 17 , then, the bun has an opening and a slit D which has been formed without breaking through any of the sides of the bun except for the opening, the use of which will be described herebelow. 
         [0068]    Referring now to  FIGS. 3 to 7 , the food package  18  is formed of an outer flexible plastic or metallic sealed food bag  18  having an elongated, slender configuration and an outwardly extending sealing flange  50  to ensure a completely sealed package and, for purposes described herebelow. A selected quantity of processed sandwich food  52  is sealed within the interior of the food bag  48 , the only requirement being that the sandwich food  52  be capable of being squeezed or expressed from one opened end of the food bag  48  in a manner described herebelow. 
         [0069]    Referring now to  FIGS. 19 to 24 , the sequence of introducing the sandwich food  52  into slit D of the bun is thereshown. A roller access opening  20  is formed into the case  14  so as to provide clearance for a pair of opposing squeezing rollers  22  secured in proximity to and preferably within the roller access opening  20 . These rollers  22  are rotatably driven in the direction of either arrows K or K′ (described herebelow) by a drive belt  46  operably connected to a roller drive  44  connected to the upper interior surface of the case  14 . 
         [0070]    Best seen in  FIG. 18 , then, one end  50   b  of the sealing flange  50  is inserted between the rollers  22 . 
         [0071]    Then in  FIG. 18 , the bun is moved in the direction of arrow G so that the opposite end  50   a  of the sealing flange  50  is inserted through the opening of the bun into the slit B. As seen in  FIG. 19 , the bun is continued in its movement in the direction of arrow H until a substantial portion of the length of the food package  18  is inserted into the slit B. 
         [0072]    The steps of expressing the sandwich food  52  from the interior of the food bag  48  is accomplished by the operation of the rollers  22  in the direction of arrow K which causes the food bag  48  to be drawn in the direction of arrow A through the rollers  22 . In doing so, the sandwich food is expressed from the open end  56  of the food bag  48  so that the sandwich food moves into the slit B in the direction of arrow J. 
         [0073]    Note that the open end  56  of the food bag  48  may be accomplished either by slicing the lead flange  50   a  or by providing a line of weakness thereacross so that the pressure created by the rollers  22  will rupture the line of weakness automatically, allowing the sandwich food  52   a  to fill the expanded slit B′. 
         [0074]    As seen in  FIG. 23 , once all of the sandwich food  52   a  has been forced into the expanded slit B′ of the bun, the rollers  22  are reversed and rotated in the direction of arrow K′ so that the emptied food bag  48   a  will then be discharged in the direction of arrow N for disposal. It is at this point that the user may then thoroughly enjoy the sandwich produced by the slit bun and the sandwich food  52   a  which has been deposited into the expanded slit B′ through the opening produced by the bun pocket forming mechanism  30  described hereinabove. 
         [0075]    While a number of exemplary aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those of skill in the art will recognize certain modifications, permutations and additions and subcombinations thereof. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims and claims hereinafter introduced are interpreted to include all such modifications, permutations, additions and subcombinations that are within their true spirit and scope.