Scalable semi-automated injera making system

Abstract

A thin, flat bread-making machine targeted at the Ethiopian bread called Injera, including apparatus, methods and processes. The machine includes cooking surface stations, batter depositing apparatus and cover moving robot. A moving batter depositing apparatus deposits a batter at a stationary griddles followed by placing covers for a specified time to complete the cooking. When cooking is completed an apparatus/robot will remove the covers and the system alerts the end of the process to the operator. Removing the Injera from the machine manually and repeating the whole process again will complete the Injera making process.

Claims

1. A semi-automated injera making apparatus comprising: (a) a linearly disposed platform wherein said platform includes a plurality of heated griddle surfaces for cooking injera; (b) a linearly moving injera batter dispensing device for dispensing and retaining a quantity of injera batter, said injera batter dispensing device being in operative communication with said platform to dispense said injera batter onto said griddle surfaces; (c) a batter spreading device for spreading said injera batter on to said griddle surfaces when said injera batter is dispensed on a respective one of said griddle surfaces; (d) a robotic arm device configured to move rotationally and along an X-axis a Y-axis and a Z-axis and being in operative communication with said platform and said griddle surfaces, said robotic arm device for picking up and placing a cover from a shelf onto a respective one of said griddles and removing said cover and replacing said cover back on said shelf based upon a preset cooking time of said injera batter.

2. The semi-automated injera making system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of heated griddle surfaces comprises four to six heated griddle surfaces, each said heated griddle surface disposed on said platform and wherein said platform includes guide rods to carry and linearly move the batter dispensing device in a back and forth motion.

3. The semi-automated injera making system of claim 1, wherein said injera batter dispensing device retains a predetermined amount of batter to be dispensed on to said plurality of griddle heated surfaces while said dispenser and said platform communicatively move linearly.

4. The semi-automated injera making system of claim 1, wherein said batter dispensing device comprises a container for retaining a quantity of batter, which is inoperative cooperation with said batter spreading device further in communication with said platform and griddle surface wherein said batter spreading device moves in an vertical upward and downward position.

5. The semi-automated injera making system of claim 4, wherein the batter dispensing device and container for retaining said quantity of batter further comprises a fluid sensor in operative connection with said batter dispensing and batter spreading device and platform to control the flow of batter when the platform moves linearly.

6. The semi-automated injera making system of claim 1, wherein the batter dispensing device and injera batter container in communication with said batter spreading device including fluid valves and hoses for dispensing the batter onto said griddle hot surfaces in a uniform thickness.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) FIG. 1 is the top schematic view of the invention.

(2) FIG. 2 is the side schematic view of the invention.

(3) FIG. 3 is the front schematic view of the invention.

(4) FIG. 4 is the perspective view of the invention.

(5) FIG. 5 to FIG. 8 is the view of batter delivery process at different stages on one station.

(6) FIG. 9 to FIG. 13 is the view of the batter-spreading embodiment at different stations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

(7) In general there are two steps in this invention as it was being done traditionally for years.

(8) Step 1 is the batter delivery step done by the batter-spreading embodiment

(9) Step 2 is the cooking step

(10) A start switch to the controller will start those two steps. On step one, after receiving the start switch, the batter-spreading embodiment moves to station one and starts the process of delivering the batter to the griddle/Hot surface (FIG. 5-FIG. 8). Once completed, it will continue to the second station. After finishing at the second station, it will move on to the third and fourth stations (FIG. 9-FIG. 13).

(11) After completing delivering the batter in a thin and uniform manner over all the griddles/hot surfaces, it will return to it's ready position and the second step will be starting.

(12) On step 2 the XYZ and rotational moving robot hand will move the covers to put on top of the griddles and a cooking timer will be initiated by the controller. When the preset cooking timer is expired, the robot hand will move back and pick all the covers back to the shelf it brought them before. Once this process is completed, it will be waiting for the operator to remove the Injera and restart the whole process by pushing the start switch again.

(13) Detailed Explanation of Step 1:

(14) At the ready station 110 (FIG. 1), the batter-delivering container 220 moves to position under batter container 202 by motor 201, which is attached to it through the shaft 204 (FIG. 3). Valve 203 opens and the batter flows to batter delivering container 220. Once the level of batter sensed with fluid sensor just below the delivering holes 211, the valve 203 closes, and there will be a batter at batter delivery container 220.

(15) A start switch part of the electronics controller, which is not part of this invention, will be pressed to start the sequences of events. Once pressed, the batter-spreading embodiment 200 moves to position 111 directly at the center and on top of the griddle located at position 111. One way to accomplish the movement of the batter-spreading embodiment 200 is using a motor 120 attached to a timing pulley 121 (at both ends) and a timing belt 122 attached to the spreading embodiment 200 (FIG. 2).

(16) Once on top of the station 111, motor 210 moves batter delivery container 220 to delivery position by rotating the attached shaft 212. At the delivery position holes 211 will point downward delivering the batter on the griddle/hot surface. While the batter is pouring down on the griddle/hot surface motor 201 moves shaft 204 and batter delivering container 220 in one complete circular motion delivering a thin batter 250 covering the whole griddle. See FIG. 5 through FIG. 8. Once the circular motion is completed, motor 201 stops batter delivery container 220 under batter container 202. At the same time, motor 210 reverse direction putting holes 211 to their original position by which batter transfer from the container 202 to the delivery container 220 is possible. The valve 203 opens again and batter flows from the batter container 202 to batter delivery container 220 again for the coming delivery at the next station.

(17) The above steps will be repeated by moving the batter-spreading embodiment 200 at stations 112, 113 and 114. That is depicted at FIG. 9. through FIG. 13.

(18) Explanation of Step 2.

(19) Once the delivery of the batter is completed, the cover will be placed by the robot arm 310 (FIG. 1) on but not limited to the griddle/hot surface at stations 111, 112, 113 and 114. After a specific time the robot arm 310 will pick the covers and the process will be completed. By this time the all Injeras are cooked and a human operator collects the Injera and will start the process all over again. In this step the x,y,z and rotational moving robot is not part of this invention. It has been invented for a long time and it will be incorporated in to this invention. But the set-up and the steps to perform the task will be claimed requiring the explanation of the process.