DISPENSING DEVICE FOR BAKERY PRODUCTS

Abstract

A dispensing device for holding, presenting, and removing baked bakery goods includes at least one dispensing tray having a supply section that enables stocking of the dispensing tray with bakery goods, a removal section for removing the bakery goods, a transport surface arranged between the supply section and the removal section, and a measuring device. The bakery goods pass the measuring device on their way from the supply section to the removal section, and the measuring device registers the presence or absence of the bakery goods and generates corresponding electrical signals.

Claims

1. A dispensing device for holding, presenting, and removing bakery goods, with at least one dispensing tray, wherein the at least one dispensing tray comprises: a supply section which allows the supply of the at least one dispensing tray with bakery goods; a removal section for removing the bakery goods; a transport surface arranged between the supply section and the removal section on which the bakery goods arrive from the supply section at the removal section; and a measuring device, wherein the bakery goods pass the measuring device on their way from the supply section to the removal section, wherein the measuring device registers the presence of these bakery goods and/or the absence of bakery goods and generates corresponding electrical signals.

2. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the measuring device comprises a measuring surface in the transport surface and a force transducer coupled to the measuring surface, wherein the bakery goods, on their way from the supply section to the removal section, temporarily rest on the measuring surface or slide over the measuring surface, and the force transducer generates the electrical signals.

3. The dispensing device as in claim 2, wherein the force transducer is a load cell.

4. The dispensing device as in claim 2, wherein the measuring surface is arranged in the removal section such that at least one of the bakery goods located behind the foremost bakery good can rest on the measuring surface.

5. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the measuring device is coupled to a control unit associated with the dispensing device or to an external control unit and operable to process the electrical signals generated by the measuring device and transmit the electrical signals to a feed device that supplies bakery goods to the dispensing tray.

6. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein time-related and/or event-related and/or query-specific measurements in relation to the bakery goods are possible.

7. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the force transducer is arranged next to or below the measuring surface.

8. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the transport surface is inclined between 20 and 60 downwards in the direction of the removal section, wherein the bakery goods are able, at least partially driven by their gravity, to slide to the removal section.

9. The dispensing device as in claim 1, further comprising at least one vibrator in the transport surface to at least partially act on the bakery goods on the transport surface.

10. The dispensing device as in claim 1, further comprising a movable flap or a slot in the removal section for removing individual bakery goods.

11. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray comprises a grid-like frame.

12. The dispensing device as in claim 1, wherein the dispensing tray comprises a transparent material.

13. A device for storing, baking, and dispensing bakery goods, comprising: at least one storage station for receiving unbaked or semi-baked bakery goods; at least one baking station for baking the unbaked or semi-baked bakery goods; at least one dispensing device at which bakery goods can be held, presented, and/or removed; and a measuring device in the dispensing device, wherein the bakery goods pass the measuring device and the measuring device generates an electrical signal based on the presence or absence of the bakery goods.

14. The device as in claim 13, further comprising a feed device that transports the unbaked, semi-baked, or baked bakery goods between the storage station and the baking station or the baking station and the dispensing device.

15. The device as in claim 14, wherein the feed device comprises a robot.

16. The device as in claim 15, wherein the robot is arranged centrally between the storage station, the baking station, and the dispensing device.

17. The device as in claim 14, further comprising a control unit that processes the electrical signal generated by the measuring device to control the feed device.

18. The device as in claim 14, further comprising an intermediate storage station with a plurality of storage compartments for storing trays which are empty or filled with bakery goods.

19. The device as in claim 18, wherein the feed device comprises a robot.

20. The device as in claim 19, wherein the robot is arranged centrally between the storage station, the baking station, the intermediate storage station, and the dispensing device.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof to one skilled in the art, is set forth more particularly in the remainder of the specification, including reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

[0033] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device for storing, baking, and dispensing bakery goods having a dispensing device according to the invention;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a sectional view of the dispensing device shown in FIG. 1;

[0035] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the signal transmission of the measuring device to a control unit, and

[0036] FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of another embodiment of a dispensing device, in this case with vibrators.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device 20 for storing, baking, and dispensing bakery goods 15, which is preferably set up in a supermarket in a separate room from the customer area, but adjacent to the customer area. An infeed and storage station 10, a baking station 11 designed as a continuous oven, an intermediate storage station 12 and a dispensing device 1 are provided. The infeed and storage station 10 is used for transferring carriers 14 (for example, baking sheets) on which bakery goods 15 are stored that are to be baked, for storing carriers 14 with unbaked or baked bakery goods 15, and for discharging empty carriers 14. The intermediate storage station 12 opposite the infeed and storage station 10 has a plurality of storage compartments 24 for carriers 14 either empty or filled with bakery goods 15. The baking station 11 may be fed at one end with carriers 14 on which pre-baked or still unbaked bakery goods 15 are located. The direction of passage of the bakery goods is marked with the arrow f1. At the other end of the baking station 11, the carriers 14 with the ready-baked bakery goods 15 may then be removed. The bakery goods 15 may be removed at the dispensing device 1, which will be discussed in more detail later.

[0038] Centrally with respect to the infeed and storage station 10, the baking station 11, the intermediate station 12, and the dispensing device 1, a feed device 9 designed as a robot is provided, for example, which is attached hanging on a building ceiling (not shown), for example. The robot is movable in all three spatial directions and has an end-side gripping portion with which it can grasp in particular carriers 14 at the edge in order to move the carrier 14with or without bakery goods 15in the interior 25 of the device 20.

[0039] A transport device designed as an incoming conveyor 16 leads through the infeed and storage station 10 to the interior 25 of the device 20. Carriers 14 filled with bakery goods 15 are placeable onto the incoming conveyor (16) (conveying direction f4) from the outside, for example manually, which, after passing through the infeed and storage station 10, are then engageable by the feed device 9 and are transportable to the baking station 11 or into the storage compartments 24 of the intermediate storage station 12. Also, placing the carriers 14 into the compartments (not shown in detail) of the infeed and storage station 10 itself by means of the feed device 9 is possible. It may alsoalternatively or additionallybe provided that these compartments are supplied from the outside with carriers 14 and bakery goods 15 located thereon as raw products. Here, the feed device 9 assumes in the interior 25 of the device 20 all transport paths of the carriers 14 stocked with or without bakery goods 15. A discharge conveyor 17 for the emptied carriers 14 is shown in the illustrated embodiment only schematically above the housing of the infeed and storage station 10 (conveying direction f2). The feed device 9 deposits the empty carriers 14 on the discharge conveyor 17, which leads out of the interior 25.

[0040] As can be seen from FIG. 1 and the sectional view of FIG. 2, the dispensing device 1 comprises a plurality of dispensing trays 2 arranged next to one another and one above the other, each having a supply section 5, a removal section 4, and a transport surface 3 arranged between them. The transport surface 3 is here inclined at an angle of approximately 25 toward the removal section 4, so that the bakery goods, driven by their gravity, are able to slide to the removal section 4. In a further development it is provided that the transport surface 3 is adjustable in its inclination.

[0041] The bakery goods 15 located on the transport surface 3 slide (sliding direction f3) from the supply section 5 to the removal section 4. The supply section 5, which faces away from the customer side, enables the bakery goods 15 to be unloaded by means of the feed device 9 into the respective dispensing devices 1.

[0042] According to the invention, a measuring device 7 is provided which registers the presence and/or the absence of bakery goods 15 in the respective dispensing tray 2. In the exemplary embodiments shown, the measuring device 7 comprises a measuring surface 7a in the region of the transport surface 3, the measuring surface 7a in the present case being integrated flat in the transport surface 3 or enclosed by it. At the under-side of the measuring surface 7a, a force transducer 6 is coupled as part of the measuring device 7 comprising a strain gauge, for example, which is here designed as a known load cell. The force transducer 6 is capable of generating an electrical signal as a function of the presence (by means of exceeding the threshold value) and/or the weight of at least one bakery good 15 on the measuring surface 7a. The at least one bakery good 15 may be located resting on the measuring surface 7a (for example because it rests against another bakery product 15 stored in front of it) or it can slide over the measuring surface 7a.

[0043] According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 2, the measuring surface 7a is arranged in the lowermost dispensing tray 2 such that the two bakery goods closest to the removal section 4, i.e., the two foremost bakery goods 15, have passed the measuring surface 7a on their way from the supply section 5. By contrast, the following two bakery goods 15 are located on the measuring surface 7a, since their path to the removal section 4 is blocked by the front bakery goods 15. In the second uppermost dispensing tray 2 bakery goods 15 formed as baguette rolls are placed; here, the bakery good 15 second to the front is the one that lies on the measuring surface 7a. The purpose of this arrangement of the measuring surfaces 7a is that the force transducers 16 are able to detect, for example, when the bakery goods 15 located on the respective measuring surface 7aafter a customer removes the foremost bakery good(s) 15slidingly leave the measuring surface 7a toward the removal section 4 and, for example, no more bakery goods 15 slide down. The signals generated correspondingly over time by the force transducer 6 may be processed accordingly by a control unit 27 (see FIG. 3 and associated description below) and used in particular as control signals for the feed device 9, in particular for conveying the corresponding bakery goods 15 into the corresponding dispensing devices 1 and/or in the baking station 11 for timely baking. If, for example, the force transducer 6 transmits a measuring signal to the control unit 27 every second and within five seconds no bakery goods 15 slide down onto a free measuring surface 7a, the thus-informed control unit 27 may send a subsequent delivery signal to the feed device 9. Additionally or alternatively, it is possible, based on the number of bakery goods 15 passing the measuring surface 7a to create demand or requirement statistics and/or trigger an effective baking of required corresponding bakery goods 15 and/or to order additional orders from the wholesale baker.

[0044] In the illustrated embodiment, two bakery goods 15 present as baguettes are located in the top dispensing tray 2, wherein here the foremost lies on the measuring surface 7a. If the rear baguette slides down after removal of the front one, no signal for supplying is yet transmitted to the feed device 9 by the control unit 27, for example. This happens only if no new one slides down when the second baguette is removed.

[0045] The aforementioned scenarios are given by way of example only. The arrangement of the force transducer 6 in the dispensing trays 2 of the dispensing device 1 is selectable according to the desired detection of the presence and/or absence of bakery goods 15 on the associated measuring surface 7a.

[0046] It is also easily possible that the bakery goods 15 are located on a dispensing tray 2 not only one behind the other, but also next to each other. The measuring surface 7a then preferably extends over the width of the dispensing tray 2 such that the all of the plurality of side-by-side bakery goods 15 are detected.

[0047] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the signal transmission of a force transducer 6 to the control unit 27 (not shown is the intermediate storage station 12). The control unit 27 transmits the received electrical signals of the force transducer 6 to the feed device 9, which executes the respective required commands. The signal transmission paths are marked with arrows f5. Upon detection of a need for crisped-up bakery goods 15 by means of the force transducer 6 in the respective dispensing trays 2, the feed device 9 supplies, for example, carriers 14 to the baking station 11. Alternatively or additionally, it is conceivable that the feed device 9 removes carriers 14 with already crisped-up bakery goods 15 from one of the storage stations 10, 12 provided for this purpose and supplies the dispensing device 1 with bakery goods 15 through the feed section 5. The filling of the supply sections 5, for example by tilting the carrier 14, may take various forms, for example by means of a funnel on the supply section, an end-side funnel on the feed device 9, a width of the supply section 3 adapted to the width of the carrier 14, etc.

[0048] In addition, the control unit 27 may transmit signals to a signal output device 8, which in the present case is arranged at the infeed and storage station 10 and at which the operating personnel can read, for example, stock information as well as possible error messages.

[0049] In general, time-related and/or event-related and/or query-specific measurements with respect to the bakery goods 15 may be carried out by means of the force transducers 6.

[0050] In the embodiment according to FIG. 4, motor-driven vibrators 26 are additionally indicated, which are capable of acting on the respective entire transport surface 3 and assist the gravity-driven sliding of the bakery goods 15 over the transport surface 3 into the removal section 4 in the sliding direction f3. The arrangement of the vibrators 26 in addition to the respective force transducer 6 is given only as an example.

[0051] In FIGS. 2 and 4, the removal sections 4 of the dispensing trays 2 are closable, each with a pivotable or displaceable flap 18. Preferably, the flaps 18 are formed of a transparent material, so that the customer can see the bakery goods 15 in the dispensing trays 2. According to an alternative, the removal sections 4 have slots narrowing in the cross-section through which the customer has to reach through to be able to remove the respective foremost bakery good 15. Preferably, the dispensing trays 2 are each formed as a grid-like frame. Alternatively, they consist of a transparent material, in particular of plastic (e.g., Plexiglas) or glass.

[0052] The present invention is not limited to the illustrated and described embodiments. Variations within the scope of the claims are also possible as a combination of features, even if they are shown and described in different embodiments.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

[0053] 1 dispensing device

[0054] 2 dispensing tray

[0055] 3 transport surface

[0056] 4 removal section

[0057] 5 supply section

[0058] 6 force transducer

[0059] 7 measuring device

[0060] 7a measuring surface

[0061] 8 signal output device

[0062] 9 feed device

[0063] 10 infeed and storage station

[0064] 11 baking station

[0065] 12 intermediate storage station

[0066] 14 carrier

[0067] 15 bakery goods

[0068] 16 incoming conveyor

[0069] 17 discharge conveyor

[0070] 18 flap

[0071] 20 device for storing, baking, and discharging bakery goods

[0072] 24 storage compartments

[0073] 25 interior

[0074] 26 vibrator

[0075] 27 control unit

[0076] f1 conveying direction

[0077] f2 conveying direction

[0078] f3 sliding direction

[0079] f4 conveying direction

[0080] f5 signal transmission