Other

Zhengxu He

Xinlu Tang

Xianxiang Chen

The present application firstly discloses a cooking system comprising two cooking apparatuses, each capable of producing a cooked food from food or food ingredient(s). The first cooking apparatus comprises a plurality of microwave ovens which can be moved by an intermittent motion mechanism or a transport system. The second cooking apparatus comprises a cookware and a motion mechanism to move the cookware to dispense a cooked food to a food container. A semi-cooked food is produced by a microwave oven of the first cooking apparatus and is used as an ingredient in the second cooking apparatus to produce cooked food.

Microwave cooking systems

A cooking system comprising two or more cooking apparatuses, each capable of cooking a food from one or more foods and/or one or more food ingredients. A semi-cooked food is produced in a first cooking apparatus and is used as an ingredient in a second cooking apparatus. The cooking apparatuses work together to produce cooked food from food or food ingredients. A computer system is used to control the cooking system.

Multi-stage cooking systems

The present application discloses a cooking system comprising more than one cooking apparatuses, each capable of cooking a food. A first cooking apparatus can boil or deep fry food or food ingredients to produce a semi-cooked food. The semi-cooked food may be cooked or mixed in a second cooking. The cooking apparatuses work together to produce cooked foods. A computer system is used to control the cooking system.

Cooking system comprising different cooking apparatuses

The present application discloses an automated cooking system including: a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking container and a stirring motion mechanism configured to produce a motion in the cooking container as to stir, mix or distribute the food or food ingredients held in the cooking container; ingredient containers to store food ingredients; an dispensing apparatus to dispense the food ingredients from an ingredient container into the cooking container; food containers to hold a cooked food; an unloading motion mechanism to turn the cooking container to dispense cooked food from the cooking container to a food container; a transfer apparatus configured to grip and move a food container; a food container transport system; a liquid dispensing apparatus to dispense liquid ingredients into the cooking container; and a cleaning apparatus; and a computer system with algorithms to control these mechanisms and apparatuses.

Automatic cooking systems

An automatic cooking system includes a computer system that stores recipes, cooking stations each comprising a cookware that can cook food ingredients therein to produce a first cooked food, wherein the computer system can assign and schedule a plurality of dishes to be cooked at the cooking stations, containers configured to hold food ingredients, mini vehicles each carrying containers of food ingredients, wherein the computer system can control at least some of movements of the mini vehicles in accordance to the recipes, a loading apparatus configured to load containers of food ingredients to the mini vehicles, and a dispensing apparatus that can dispense food ingredients from containers to a cookware.

Scalable automated cooking system

A vehicle comprises: a first support component and a second support component which may rotate relative to each other; a first drive wheel which is rotatable relative to the first support component; a second drive wheel which is rotatable relative to the second support component; a first universal wheel mounted on the first support component; and a second universal wheel mounted on the second support component. The vehicle further comprises motors, sensors, and a computer.

Type of vehicles

The present application firstly discloses a cooking system including a second cooking apparatus and a first cooking apparatus, which is used to deep fry or boil a food or food ingredients. A semi-cooked food is produced in the first cooking apparatus and is used as an ingredient in the second cooking apparatus. The cooking apparatuses work together to produce a cooked food.

Multi-stage cooking

A cooking system comprises: a cooking container; a stirring motion mechanism configured to produce a motion in the cooking container as to stir, mix or distribute the food or food ingredients held in the cooking container; ingredient containers to contain food ingredients; an dispensing apparatus to turn an ingredient container to dispense the food ingredients from the ingredient container to the cooking container; a transfer apparatus to transfer an ingredient container; food containers to hold cooked foods; a cooking container unloading mechanism to turn the cooking container to dispense cooked food from the cooking container to a food container; a receiving apparatus to hold food containers; a transfer apparatus to transfer a food container; a cyclic transport apparatus configured to transport food containers; a lid; and, a cleaning apparatus to clean the cooking container.

Automated cooking system

The present application discloses an automated cooking apparatus that includes a cooking container to contain or otherwise hold food or food ingredients and a stirring motion mechanism to move the cooking container by fast speed yet points on the internal surface of the container are displaced by properly small distance. The stirring motion mechanism may comprise one or more kinematic mechanisms or pairs, each comprising a first mating part and a second mating part whose movement is constrained relative the first mating part, wherein the first mating part is connected to the cooking container.

Stirring motion mechanism for cooking apparatus

The present application discloses an automated restaurant comprising: a kitchen; a customer-tracking area comprising a dining area; and a plurality of vehicles. The kitchen comprises a storage apparatus to store ingredient containers, a transfer apparatus to move ingredient containers, and one or more cooking stations. Each vehicle is configured to move one or more food containers from cooking stations to dining tables. A tracking system comprises cameras, lidars, etc., which are fixedly mounted. The tracking system can dynamically map out the fixtures, humans and vehicles in the restaurant. Information from the tracking system is used to control the motion of the vehicles. The tracking system can dynamically track the positions of customers in the customer-tracking area, so that foods ordered by specific customers may be automatically sent by vehicles to the customers' locations.

Automated restaurant

The present application discloses an automated restaurant comprising: a kitchen; a customer-tracking area comprising a dining area; and a plurality of vehicles. The kitchen comprises a storage apparatus to store ingredient containers, a transfer apparatus to move ingredient containers, and one or more cooking stations. Each vehicle is configured to move one or more food containers from cooking stations to dining tables. A tracking system comprises video cameras, lidars, etc., which are fixedly mounted. The tracking system can dynamically map out the fixtures, humans and vehicles in the restaurant. Information from the tracking system is used to control the motion of the vehicles. The tracking system can dynamically track the positions of customers in the customer-tracking area, so that foods ordered by specific customers may be automatically sent by vehicles to the customers' locations.

The present application discloses an automated kitchen system comprising a first computer and a plurality of second computers which are connected so that the first computer may communicate with any of the second computers. The automated kitchen system also comprises: a plurality of ingredient containers each configured to contain or store food ingredients; caps configured to close on the ingredient containers; a storage apparatus comprising compartments each configured to store a plurality of ingredient containers and refrigeration mechanism configured to cool the food or food ingredients in the containers of the storage apparatus; transport boxes each configured to contain capped ingredient containers; a transportation apparatus configured to move the transport boxes wherein the transportation apparatus comprises motors and sensors; a cap opening apparatus configured to remove a cap from a capped container wherein the cap opening apparatus comprises motors and sensors; a first transfer apparatus configured to move a capped ingredient container from a transport box to the storage apparatus, and also configured to move a capped ingredient container to a location on the cap opening apparatus, wherein the first transfer apparatus comprises motors and sensors; a cyclic transport apparatus comprising a cycle of container holders each configured to hold an ingredient container; a transfer apparatus configured to move an ingredient container from the location of cap opening apparatus to a position on a container holder of the cyclic transport apparatus wherein the second transfer apparatus comprises motors and sensors; and a plurality of cooking systems. Each cooking system comprises a cooking container configured to hold food or food ingredients during a cooking process, a stirring motion mechanism configured to produce a motion in the cooking container as to stir, mix or distribute food or food ingredients held in the cooking container, wherein the stirring motion comprising motors, sensors, and a stove; a cyclic transport apparatus comprising a cycle of container holders each configured to hold an ingredient container; an unloading apparatus configured to unload food ingredients from an ingredient. The above mechanisms and apparatuses comprise electrical or electronic devices and sensors, which are configured to be connected to the second computers. The first computer is configured to store various sub-programs and other lists that are useful to control the electric or electronic devices in the mechanisms, apparatuses or systems in the kitchen system.

Automatic kitchen system

The present application discloses an automated kitchen system comprising: a ingredient containers each configured to contain or store food ingredients; caps configured to close on the ingredient containers; a storage apparatus; a cap opening apparatus; a first transfer apparatus configured to move a capped ingredient container to the cap opening apparatus; a cyclic transport apparatus; a transfer apparatus configured to move an ingredient container from the location of cap opening apparatus; and a plurality of cooking systems, etc.

Automated kitchen system

The present application discloses a vehicle. The vehicle comprises: a first support component and a second support component which may rotate relative to each other; a first drive wheel which is rotatable relative to the first support component; a second drive wheel which is rotatable relative to the second support component; a first universal wheel mounted on the first support component; and a second universal wheel mounted on the second support component. If the vehicle is placed on a horizontal floor and if both drive wheels touch the horizontal floor, then the axis of the first drive wheel and the axis of the second drive wheel may be contained or nearly contained in a vertical plane. The vehicle further comprises motors, sensors and a computer.

Automated vehicle

The present application discloses an automated kitchen system comprising: a plurality of ingredient containers and caps; a storage apparatus; a first transfer apparatus configured to move capped containers in the storage apparatus to a location at a cap opening apparatus as to remove the cap from the ingredient container; a cyclic transfer apparatus; a second transfer apparatus configured to move an uncapped ingredient container to the cyclic transfer apparatus. The automated kitchen system further comprises one or more cooking systems, where each cooking system comprises: a cooking apparatus comprising a cooking container and a stirring mechanism; an unloading apparatus to unload food ingredients; a transfer apparatus to move an ingredient container from the cyclic transfer apparatus to a position at the unloading mechanism.

Growing community of inventors

Reno, NV, United States of America

Zhengxu He