초록 ▼

A system and method for making a food item are provided. The apparatus includes a food item assembly and packaging station having a first work area for assembling and packaging a food item and a food order assembly station having a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food it

A system and method for making a food item are provided. The apparatus includes a food item assembly and packaging station having a first work area for assembling and packaging a food item and a food order assembly station having a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged on the first work surface. A conveyor is positioned beneath the first work area and extends from a position proximate to the first area to a position proximate to the second work area. A conveyor access opening is proximate to the first work area to provide worker access to the conveyor to permit manual placement of a food item assembled and packaged at the first work area onto the conveyor for conveying the packaged food item beneath the first work area to the location proximate the food order assembly station.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising: providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item;providing a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;providing a

1. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising: providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item;providing a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;providing a conveyor beneath the first work area for conveying a packaged food item from the first work area to the second work area;providing a conveyor access opening proximate to the first work area for allowing downwardly depositing of a food item assembled and packaged at the first work area onto the conveyor;manually assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;thereafter depositing the assembled and packaged food item downwardly from the first work area through the conveyor access opening and onto the conveyor;thereafter conveying the assembled and packaged food item beneath and along the first work area to the second work area;thereafter including a packaged food item conveyed from the first work area to the second work area into a food order that is being assembled at the second work area wherein the food order includes the conveyed packaged food item. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising: providing a supply of packaging proximate to the first work area;providing a supply of cooked food item filling proximate to the first work area;providing a supply of buns for forming the food item proximate to the first work area;manually accessing the supply of packaging, cooked food item filling, and buns during assembling and packaging a food item composed of at least some of the cooked food item filling material and a bun at the first work area;providing a supply of items for assembling a food order proximate the second work area; andmanually accessing the supply of items for assembling a food order to assemble a food order at the second work area. 3. The method of claim 1 further comprising; providing at least a third work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item, the third work area positioned upstream of the first work area, and the third work area including an opening therethrough to provide the conveyor access opening. 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising; providing at least third and fourth work areas for manually assembling and packaging a food item, the third work area and fourth work area positioned upstream of the first work area with a conveyor extending underneath the third work area,assembling and packaging a first type of food item at the first work area,assembling and packaging a second type of food item at either of the third or fourth work areas; andconveying the second type of food item after packaging to the second work area for inclusion of the second type of food item in a food order assembled at the second work area. 5. The method of claim 1 further comprising the first work area including a work surface and the conveyor access opening is an opening in the work surface, placing the food item assembled and packaged on the first work area through the access opening and onto the conveyor, and conveying the deposited packaged food item underneath the first work area toward the second work area the first work area. 6. The method of claim 1 further comprising: forming an assembly line for the assembling and packaging of a food item and a food order that includes a packaged food item by the relative movement of a first movable module and a second movable module, the first movable module including the first work area and the second movable module including the second work area, the relative movement of the first and second movable modules carrying the conveyor into a position for conveying the packaged food item away from the first movable module and toward the second movable module. 7. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising: providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item, the first work area including a work surface;providing a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;providing a conveyor for conveying a packaged food item from the first work area to the second work area;providing a conveyor access opening in the work surface of the first work area;manually assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;thereafter depositing the food item assembled and packaged on the first work area through the access opening and onto the conveyor;thereafter conveying the assembled and packaged food item beneath and along the first work area toward the second work area;thereafter including a packaged food item conveyed from the first work area to the second work area into a food order that is being manually assembled at the second work area wherein the food order includes the conveyed packaged food item. 8. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising; providing a food item assembly and packaging station comprising a first movable module having a first work area for assembling a food item and packaging an assembled food item;providing a second movable module having a second work area for assembling a food order that includes at least one packaged food item packaged at the first work area;providing a conveyor for conveying the packaged food item from the first movable module toward the second movable module, the conveyor integral with one of the first or second movable modules;positioning the first movable module and the second movable module relative to each other to form an assembly line for assembling and packaging food items and food orders, whereby the relative positioning of the first movable module and the second movable module moves the conveyor into a position for conveying food items packaged at the first work area to a location proximate the second work area;assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;depositing a packaged food item assembled and packaged at the first work area onto the conveyor;conveying the packaged food item beneath the first work area to the location proximate the second work area;assembling at the second work area a food order that includes a food item packaged at the first work area and conveyed on the conveyor from the first work area to the location proximate the second work area. 9. The method of claim 8 further comprising providing proximate to the first work area an access opening to the conveyor, and placing a food item packaged at the first work area through the access opening and onto the conveyor. 10. The method of claim 8 wherein the relative positioning of the first movable module and the second movable module moves the conveyor to a position that extends from a location proximate the first work area to the location proximate the second work area for conveying a packaged food item from the location proximate the first work area to a location proximate the second work area. 11. The method of claim 8 wherein the first work area includes a work surface, the conveyor access comprising an opening in the work surface whereby the food item assembled and packaged on the first work area can be placed through the opening in the work surface and deposited on the conveyor for conveyance underneath the first work area toward the second work area. 12. The method of claim 8 further comprising the assembly line including a third movable module, positioning the third movable module upstream from the first movable module, the third movable module including a secondary work area positioned proximate to the food item assembly and packaging station whereat the conveyor extends upstream from the first movable module to a position proximate to the third movable module;assembling and packaging at the secondary work area of the third movable module food items of a different type than those packaged at the food item assembly and packaging station of the first movable module;depositing a food item packaged at the secondary work area of the third movable module onto the conveyor at a location on the conveyor that is upstream from the first movable module,conveying downstream the deposited food item packaged at the third movable module in a downstream direction from the third movable module, underneath the first work area of the first movable module and upstream from the first movable module toward the second movable module. 13. The method of claim 12 wherein the third movable module includes the conveyor access opening. 14. The method of claim 13 wherein the conveyor extends upstream from the first movable module and into the third movable module. 15. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising; providing a food item assembly and packaging station comprising at least a first movable module having a first work area for assembling a food item and packaging an assembled food item;providing a food order assembly station comprising at least a second movable module having a second work area for assembling a food order that includes at least one packaged food item packaged on the first work area;providing a conveyor for conveying the packaged food item from the first movable module toward the second movable module, the conveyor integral with and carried by one of the first or second movable modules;forming an assembly line for assembling and packaging food items and food orders by the relative positioning of the first module and the second module, wherein the relative positioning carries the conveyor into a position for conveying under the first work area food items packaged at the first work area toward the food order assembly station;assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;depositing from a position proximate to the first work area a food item packaged at the first work area onto the conveyor; thereafterconveying the deposited packaged food item downstream from the first work area toward the food order assembly station; thereafterremoving the conveyed packaged food item from the conveyor; and thereafterassembling at the food order assembly station a food order that includes the packaged food item removed from the conveyor. 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising: positioning a third movable module downstream from the first movable module and upstream of the second movable module when the first movable module, the second movable module and the third movable module are positioned to form the assembly line, the third movable module having a downstream side, the conveyor mounted to the first movable module, and when the first, second and third movable modules have been positioned to form the assembly line, the conveyor extends downstream from the first movable module, through the third movable module and downstream from the downstream side of the third movable module, whereby packaged food items can be conveyed underneath the first work area of the first movable module, and thereafter conveyed downstream from the food item assembly and packaging station and through the third movable module and downstream past the downstream side of the third movable module and toward the second movable module. 17. The method of claim 15 further comprising positioning the third movable module in the assembly line, the third movable module including at least one bun conditioning system; andconditioning in the bun conditioning system a bun to be included in the food item assembled at the first work area. 18. The method of claim 17 further comprising: positioning a fourth movable module in the assembly line upstream from the second movable module, the fourth movable module including a heating means for maintaining a packaged food item at an elevated temperature and a work surface having an access opening for removing therethrough the packaged food item held at the fourth movable module;conveying a packaged food item through the third movable module to a position at the fourth movable module;holding the packaged food item at the fourth movable module while maintaining the packaged food item at an elevated temperature; andthereafter removing the packaged food item from the fourth movable module and including the removed packaged food item in an assembled and packaged food order. 19. The method of claim 15 further comprising positioning at least one cooked food storage device proximate to the first work area for staging a cooked food filling; removing the cooked food filling from the cooked food storage device; andincluding the removed cooked food filling in the packaged food item assembled and packaged at the first work area. 20. The method of claim 19 further comprising: providing a point-of-sale food delivery location for delivering food orders to a customer;providing at least one bun conditioning system positioned proximate to the first work area for conditioning a bun included in a food item assembled at the first work area; andpositioning the assembly line at a location where the bun conditioning system is prominently visible to a customer located at the customer point-of-sale food delivery location and where the cooked food storage device is not prominently visible to a customer at the point-of-sale food delivery location. 21. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising: providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item;providing a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;providing a conveyor for conveying a packaged food item from the first work area to the second work area;providing a conveyor access opening proximate to the first work area;providing at least a third work area and a fourth work area for manually assembling and packaging food items, the third work area and fourth work area positioned upstream of the first work area with a conveyor extending underneath the third work area,manually assembling and packaging a first type of food item at the first work areathereafter depositing at the conveyor access opening a packaged and assembled food item onto the conveyor;conveying the assembled and packaged food item beneath and along the first work area to the second work area;assembling and packaging a second food item at one of the third and fourth work areas;depositing the second food item onto the conveyor;conveying the second food item after packaging to the second work area; andincluding a packaged food item conveyed from the first work area and a packaged item from one of the third and fourth work areas to the second work area into one or more food orders being assembled at the second work area. 22. A method of assembling and packaging a food item to be included in a food order comprising: providing a first work area for manually assembling and packaging a food item;providing a second work area for assembling a food order that includes a food item packaged in the first work area;providing a conveyor for conveying a packaged food item from the first work area to the second work area;providing a conveyor access opening proximate to the first work area;forming an assembly line for the assembling and packaging of a food item and a food order that includes a packaged food item by the relative movement of a first movable module and a second movable module, the first movable module including the first work area and the second movable module including the second work area, the relative movement of the first and second movable modules carrying the conveyor into a position for conveying the packaged food item away from the first movable module and toward the second movable module;assembling and packaging a food item at the first work area;thereafter depositing at the conveyor access opening a packaged and assembled food item onto the conveyor;thereafter conveying the assembled and packaged food item beneath and along the first work area to the second work area;thereafter including a packaged food item conveyed from the first work area to the second work area into a food order that is being assembled at the second work area wherein the food order includes the conveyed packaged food item.