US 11,678,769 B2
Automated cooking system and methods of managing basket workflow for food preparation
Kimberly Reichelderfer, Yellow Springs, OH (US); Thomas M. Smith, Lewisburg, OH (US); Adrian Jason Pereira, Dayton, OH (US); and Michael Maddux, Kettering, OH (US)
Assigned to Henny Penny Corporation, Eaton, OH (US)
Filed by Henny Penny Corporation, Eaton, OH (US)
Filed on Apr. 29, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/244,096.
Prior Publication US 2022/0346599 A1, Nov. 3, 2022
Int. Cl. A47J 37/12 (2006.01); F25D 13/06 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 37/1228 (2013.01) [A47J 37/1219 (2013.01); A47J 37/1266 (2013.01); F25D 13/06 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for managing basket workflow during food preparation at an automated cooking system, which includes a gantry system including a gantry, a dispensing freezer, a fryer including a plurality of fryer vats each including at least one platform for receiving and moving a basket, and a hot holding station, the method comprising:
performing, by the gantry system, a plurality of basket loading cycles, each basket loading cycle defined by at least the following: picking up an empty basket from one of the platforms at the fryer with the gantry, moving the gantry and the empty basket to the dispensing freezer, dropping off the empty basket at the dispensing freezer, picking up a filled basket from the dispensing freezer, moving the gantry and the filled basket to a selected one of the platforms at the fryer, and dropping off the filled basket onto the selected one of the platforms to allow the fryer to cook food product in the filled basket; and
performing, by the gantry system, a plurality of basket discharge cycles, each basket discharge cycle defined by at least the following: picking up a filled basket containing food product that has been cooked by the fryer from one of the platforms at the fryer with the gantry, moving the gantry and the filled basket to the hot holding station, actuating the filled basket with the gantry to open a bottom of the filled basket and thereby discharge the cooked food product into the hot holding station to empty the basket, moving the gantry and the empty basket to another selected one of the platforms at the fryer, and dropping off the empty basket onto the another selected one of the platforms,
wherein the automated cooking system prioritizes and orders the basket loading cycles and the basket discharge cycles for the gantry system to satisfy varying levels of demand for cooked food products from the automated cooking system.