Carrier Commercial Refrigeration, Inc.

Taylor Commercial Foodservice, LLC

Restaurant Technology Inc.

Mcdonald's Corporation

Carrier Commerical Refrigeration, Inc.

Taylor Company

Ronald J Glavan

Jeffrey L Sands

Otley Dwight Freymiller

Henry Thomas Ewald

Dennis J Nelson

Andrew Paul Franklin

Randy L Ginner

Manuel Calzada

Michael Newberry

David A Hill

James D Conlin

Thomas J Franken

Ronald J Dorsten

Scott A Glawe

Jack Pellicane

Curtis J Scadden

Richard J Lunden

Ad Verkuylen

Robert K Newton

Craig Conley

Arthur J Erickson

A method of controlling a cooking apparatus includes identifying an initial thickness of a food product on a lower heating plate of the cooking apparatus and calculating a difference between an initial gap value corresponding to the initial thickness of the food product and a predefined final gap value. The method includes controlling at least one of a pressure of at least one of an upper heating plate and a lower heating plate on the food product, a rate of descent of the upper heating plate toward the lower heating plate, and a rate of ascent of the lower heating plate toward the upper heating plate based on the calculated difference between the initial gap value and the predefined final gap value.

Cooking gap control of a cooking apparatus

A method of calibrating a grill is provided including performing a first calibration run. A first calibration run includes monitoring a current of a leveling mechanism as the first grilling surface moves into contact with a second opposite grilling surface to determine a first location of the grilling surface. The current of the leveling mechanism is also monitored as the first grilling surface moves out of contact with the second grilling surface to determine a second location of the first grilling surface. A first calibration setting including the first location and the second location is stored in the control.

Grilling appliance with automated platen leveling and gap calibration system

A grill is provided including a base structure. A lower platen assembly is connected to the base structure and includes a lower grill plate having a first cooking surface. An upper platen assembly is connected to the base structure and includes an upper grill plate having a second cooking surface movable between a raised position and a lowered position. A backsplash is arranged at a joint between the upper platen assembly and the lower platen assembly. The backsplash includes a partially open compartment within which a back end of the upper grill plate is arranged when in the raised position. The upper platen assembly includes an extended back end configured to direct grease away from the cooking surface. When the upper platen assembly is in the lowered position, the extended back end if offset from the first cooking surface.

Two sided grill with easy clean features

A cooking apparatus includes a base including a lower heating plate an upper heating unit including an upper heating plate and a cleaning structure configured to move a cleaning blade along at least one of the lower heating plate and the upper heating plate. The apparatus also includes a control circuit configured to control movement of the cleaning blade across the one of the lower heating plate and the upper heating plate.

Automated cleaning of cooking apparatus

A flame sense assembly () includes a flame sense electrode having a sense rod (), at least a portion of the sense rod () for placement in a flame area; and an electrically conductive ground screen () for electrical connection to ground, at least a portion of the ground screen () for placement in the flame area; wherein the ground screen () is positioned relative to the sense rod () to allow an electric current to pass between the sense rod () to the ground screen () in the presence of a flame.

Flame sense assembly with ground screen

A cooking system includes a first cooking apparatus including a first base and a first upper heating unit. The first base has a first lower heating plate and the first upper heating unit has a first upper heating plate. The first upper heating unit is moveable to bring the first upper heating plate towards the first lower heating plate. The first base includes a mounting surface configured to receive a plurality of interchangeable lower heating plates including the first lower heating plate and the first upper heating plate is one of a plurality of interchangeable upper heating plates.

Cooking apparatus with modular cooking surfaces

A grill includes a lower platen assembly having a lower grilling surface and a pivotally attached upper platen assembly having an upper grilling surface. The upper platen assembly includes three motors encased in a shell. A cable attached to each motor suspends the upper grilling surface. The grill is automatically calibrated to ensure that the upper grilling surface is level. Each motor independently and sequentially raises the upper grilling surface from the lower grilling surface. When the upper grilling surface lifts from the lower grilling surface, the current in the motor changes. The settings of each motor at this instant are stored in a control to determine the calibration point when the upper grilling surface is level. The grill also automatically recognizes a food item placed on the lower grilling surface to determine the cooking parameters of the grill.

Grill including automatic gap calibration

A loading device includes a feeder having a cutout and a sensor. When a sensor detects that an item is positioned in the cutout, a motor slides the feeder out of a first component to remove the item from the first component for delivery to a second component. Alternatively, the loading device is a pivotal arm which pivots to slide the item out of the first component.

Loading device with a moveable platform and a pivotal arm

An automated grill automatically transfers frozen food from a freezer component to grilling component by an automatic loading device in response to a signal. Frozen food is loaded in a loading side in the freezer component. When the signal is received indicating that the food is to be grilled, food in a feeding side is raised and delivered to the loading device. When a sensor detects that food is positioned in the loading device, the loading device removes the food from the freezer component and into the grilling component. The food is then grilled as it travels between two substantially vertical grilling structures each surrounded by a conveyor belt. Preferably, the conveyor belt is made of a non-stick coated Invar. A lateral sensor detects and compensates for lateral movement of the conveyor belts. After the food exits the grilling component, the food slides onto a heated holding area for serving.

Automated grill

An automated freezer stores food items stacked in a removable cartridge. The food items are dispensed from the automated freezer in response to a request for the food items. The food items are loaded into the cartridge outside of the automated freezer. When the cartridge is inserted into the automated freezer, the upper end of the cartridge is inserted into a buffer, pushing a plurality of arms in the buffer upwardly to allow food items to pass through the buffer. When the cartridge is removed from the freezer for reloading of food items, a resilient member biases the arms downwardly to retain any food items in the buffer and to prevent any food items in the buffer from falling.

Automated freezer component

A food item is cooked in a cooking device and transferred to a heated holding table by two exit conveyors. The food item then falls onto one of two transfer conveyors that move perpendicularly to the direction of movement of the exit conveyors. The food items travel on the transfer conveyors and then fall onto a main conveyor. The main conveyor moves in a direction that is parallel to the direction of movement of the exit conveyors. If the food item has not been manually removed from the main conveyor after a predetermined amount of time, the food item falls off the main conveyor and into a drawer waste chute for disposal.

Growing community of inventors

Rockton, IL, United States of America

Ronald J Glavan