US 12,220,081 B2
Automated broiler with product sensor system
Joel S. Pittman, Windsor, CA (US); and Michael D. Janney, Windsor, CA (US)
Assigned to NIECO, LLC, Windsor, CA (US)
Filed by Nieco, LLC, Windsor, CA (US)
Filed on May 19, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/303,054.
Prior Publication US 2022/0369859 A1, Nov. 24, 2022
Int. Cl. A47J 37/04 (2006.01); A47J 36/32 (2006.01)
CPC A47J 37/044 (2013.01) [A47J 36/32 (2013.01)] 15 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A food product conveyor broiler or oven, comprising:
a food product loading platform having a loading platform with at least one motorized feed belt for conveying uncooked food product to and into a broiler;
a broiler or an oven or a combination thereof, including an inlet end with a food product inlet through which uncooked food product is received from said at least one feed belt, said broiler/oven including a cooking chamber, a discharge end having a food product outlet for discharging cooked food product, at least one motorized cook belt for conveying food through said broiler from said inlet end to said discharge end, and heating elements for heating and cooking food products in said cooking chamber, wherein said at least one feed belt is spaced apart from said at least one cook belt to define a transition zone;
a cook controller operatively coupled to said broiler/oven and controlling cooking parameters, including temperature and cooking time, said cook controller having a user interface;
at least one photoelectric sensor system electrically connected to said cook controller and having operative elements disposed at the sides of said transition zone, said operative elements including a light emitter positioned and configured to emit a beam of light laterally across all or a portion of said transition zone at or above an upper plane of said at least one cook belt on which food product is transported, and a light receiver positioned at the same level, said light receiver positioned and configured such that said photoelectric sensor system detects food product passing through the transition zone;
said broiler includes first and second feed belts paired with respective first and second cook belts;
wherein each of said first and second cook belts is under separate control by said cook controller, such that each of said cook belts may move at different speeds through said cooking chamber; and
including first and second photoelectric sensor systems for each pair of feed belts and cook belts.