The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 21, 2024
Filed:
Nov. 23, 2020
Ecolab Usa Inc., St. Paul, MN (US);
Jeremy B. Finison, Rural Hall, NC (US);
Ecolab USA Inc., Saint Paul, MN (US);
Abstract
An automated robotic food handling or preparation apparatus includes one or more food contact surfaces and an antimicrobial lighting fixture. The antimicrobial lighting fixture includes an enclosure forming a sanitization chamber and one or more antimicrobial lighting elements, wherein each element emits light at a wavelength, irradiance, and direction sufficient to inactivate one or more microorganisms on a target surface(s) within the sanitization chamber. The automated food handling apparatus subjects itself to an antimicrobial lighting treatment within the sanitization chamber upon detection of one or more conditions. The systems and/or methods of the present disclosure may sanitize food contact surfaces of automated robotic food equipment and help reduce the frequency at which such food contact surfaces need to be manually sanitized to keep microbial growth below acceptable levels.