US 11,985,981 B2
Comestible flattener translation
Eric Clay Lawrence, So. El Monte, CA (US)
Assigned to Lawrence Equipment, Inc., South El Monte, CA (US)
Filed by Lawrence Equipment Inc., South El Monte, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/399,644.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/092,271, filed on Oct. 15, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0117240 A1, Apr. 21, 2022
Int. Cl. A21C 11/00 (2006.01); A21C 9/08 (2006.01); B65G 47/04 (2006.01)
CPC A21C 11/006 (2013.01) [A21C 9/085 (2013.01); B65G 47/04 (2013.01); A21C 9/08 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0202 (2013.01)] 30 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system comprising: a comestible loader adapted to receive a comestible and place the comestible on a surface, the comestible loader comprising:
a loader plate comprising an opening passing through the loader plate, the opening adapted for a comestible to move through the loader plate and onto the surface;
a first flattener and a second flattener pivotably and translationally attached to the loader plate at the opening; and
one or more actuators i) coupled to the first flattener and the second flattener, and ii) adapted to pivot and horizontally translate the first flattener and the second flattener to cause the first flattener and the second flattener to support the comestible within the opening and position the comestible approximately at a target position on the surface, wherein:
the one or more actuators coupled to the first flattener and the second flattener are adapted to:
pivot and translate the first flattener and the second flattener to respective first positions to cause the first flattener and the second flattener to support the comestible within the opening, the first flattener and the second flattener having a first distance between respective actuator coupling locations of the first flattener and the second flattener when at the respective first positions; and
pivot and translate the first flattener and the second flattener to respective second positions to cause the first flattener and the second flattener to position the comestible approximately at the target position on the surface, the first flattener and the second flattener having a second distance between respective actuator coupling locations of the first flattener and the second flattener when at the respective second positions, the second distance being a different distance than the first distance.