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:
Nov. 22, 2011
Filed:
Dec. 02, 2003
Jeffrey L. Sands, Freeport, IL (US);
Ronald J. Glavan, Rockton, IL (US);
Andrew Paul Franklin, Beloit, WI (US);
Randy L. Ginner, Beloit, WI (US);
Henry Thomas Ewald, Roselle, IL (US);
Jeffrey L. Sands, Freeport, IL (US);
Ronald J. Glavan, Rockton, IL (US);
Andrew Paul Franklin, Beloit, WI (US);
Randy L. Ginner, Beloit, WI (US);
Henry Thomas Ewald, Roselle, IL (US);
Restaurant Technology, Inc., Oak Brook, IL (US);
Abstract
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.