Procedure and machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, and the resulting hot sandwich

Abstract

 Procedure and machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, and the resulting hot sandwich.
The procedure consists in first wrapping the formed sandwich (1) in aluminum foil, sulphuretted paper or some other suitable paper (2), placing it in a refrigerating chamber (4) and conveying it to a grill (6), wherefrom, once heated, it is conveyed to a dispenser (18) from where it is removed by the consumer, the sandwich also being liable to be provided to said dispenser on a tray (7). The machine comprises a refrigerating chamber (4); two doors (14, 20), one (14) for closing the chamber, inside of which at least one carrousel (8) is provided for storing the wrapped sandwiches (3), and another (20) for closing over the first door and forming a second chamber inside of which is fitted the grill (6) for heating the sandwich (3) received through an opening (15) of the first door (14); a dispenser (18), where the sandwich is moved for dispensing; and a tray (7) storage unit (21).

Description

[0001] The present invention refers to a procedure and machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, and to the resulting hot sandwich.

[0002] Machines are known to expend hot sandwiches, among them the so-called ham and cheese "bikinis", after coins are inserted into them.

[0003] These machines are normally quite complex, since they include containers for the bread, ham and cheese slices, conveyor mechanisms to convey the ham and cheese slices over a bread slice, devices for positioning the another bread slice on top, and other such devices.

[0004] In order to obtain a better quality hot sandwich, other known machines contain ham and cheese blocks wherein a knife cuts the slices when the machine is put into operation.

[0005] Said machines, although producing great quality hot sandwiches, have high manufacturing costs and high maintenance costs in view of the large number of mechanisms involved and the amount of maintenance work required to keep them in good working condition, being thus impractical and exceedingly expensive for commercial exploitation.

[0006] An object of this invention is to provide a procedure and a corresponding very simple machine that offers the user high quality hot sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil and supplied on a small tray. The sandwich can also be wrapped in sulphuretted paper or some other suitable means, the wrapping taking, for example, the form of a bag.

[0007] The procedure consists in first wrapping the already formed sandwich preferably in aluminum foil and placing it in a refrigerating chamber from where it is conveyed (after inserting the coins in the machine) to a grill and, once heated, to a dispenser from where it is removed by the consumer, a tray being provided in the dispenser for each sandwich.

[0008] The machine comprises a rear refrigerating chamber for storing the sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil, the sandwiches being arranged in respective platforms of at least one longitudinal vertical carrousel, the refrigerating chamber being closed by a front door which externally supports a double electric grill onto which the sandwich is pushed through an opening in said door; once heated, the sandwich is pushed to a dispenser that is accessible from the exterior of the machine through an opening arranged in the front door; a vertical tray storage unit is provided between the refrigerating chamber door and the front door, the upper tray being pushed onto the dispenser in order to receive the wrapped hot sandwich.

[0009] It is further foreseen to remove, from both the procedure and the machine, the dispenser sandwich-receiving tray and thus exclude the tray storage unit and the device that pushes the trays toward the dispenser, thereby considerably reducing the cost of the machine.

[0010] These and other features may be better understood from the following detailed description and the two drawings sheets attached which describe a practical embodiment merely intended to reflect a non-limiting example of the scope of the present invention.

[0011] In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a diagram showing the various process steps followed in the course of preparing and dispensing the sandwich,

figure 2 schematically illustrates a sectioned side view of a machine according to the invention, in which the already wrapped sandwiches are placed in position for heating and dispensing,

figure 3 is a schematic front view of a machine with the front and refrigerating chamber doors partially cut out,

figure 4 schematically and frontally illustrates the upper part of one of the carrousels comprised in the machine for storing the sandwiches,

figure 5 is a schematic and sectioned plan view of the machine,

figure 6 is a plan view of the part of the machine corresponding to the tray storage unit and the dispenser,

figure 7 is a plan view, on a larger scale, of the tray storage unit,

figure 8 shows, schematically and in partially broken side elevation, the upper part of the tray storage unit, and

figure 9 is a perspective view of the dispensed sandwich.

[0012] According to the above drawings, the procedure for preparing and dispensing hot sandwiches is performed in two phases, namely A and B; in the first phase, the sandwich 1 is prepared, wrapped with the corresponding paper or placed inside an adequate bag 2, and the resulting package 3 is placed in a refrigerating chamber 4 in the machine, where it is stored.

[0013] In phase B, which starts after the necessary coins are inserted in the machine, the package 3 is conveyed to and heated on a grill 6 and then dispensed to the consumer, possibly on a tray 7 previously stored in the machine.

[0014] This machine comprises a metal cabinet 5, the internal part of which forms a refrigerating chamber 4; in front of the chamber mouth are juxtaposed two longitudinal vertical carrousels 8, each of which rotates around two end cylinders 9, the upper being driven by a motor 9' and the lower being fitted with a tension member 9" designed to ensure the carrousel's perfect operation.

[0015] Said carrousels 8 comprise respective series of platforms 10 on which the packages 3 are arranged and which present a tubular design following an enveloping section of said packages 3 (see figure 4), allowing the packages to be held regardless of the position of said platforms 10 in the carrousel, said tubular design providing an opening that allows passage of two pushers 11 which move over respective guides 12 and are installed between the upper carrousel 8 portions and driven by respective motors 13 for the purpose of moving each package 3 from the carrousel 8 toward an electric grill 6 installed outside a chamber 4 door 14 and through an opening 15 in said door, said opening being closed by an external upper-hinged trap door 16.

[0016] Said pushers 11 are installed on respective racks 11' which move along the guides 12 and engage respective pinions 13' directly driven by the motors 13.

[0017] The package 3 is placed on the grill 6, over the grill's lower fixed plate 6', enabling the upper plate 6" - hinged to a support 6a and upwardly/downwardly driven by a motor 6b fitted with an eccentric and connecting rod device 6c - to be applied over the package, which is subsequently heated and conveyed by a side pusher 17 in a manner similar to that of the pusher 11, the sandwich then falling on a dispenser 18 reachable from the outside of cabinet 5 through a side opening 19 in a door 20 hinged on the side of the cabinet 5 mouth opposite the side on which door 14 is hinged and closes over the door when the machine is in the operational position (figure 5), further comprising an upwardly hinged trap door 19' which closes said opening 19.

[0018] Said door 20 presents a large backwardly oriented peripheric edge 20' forming the chamber containing the plate 6, the pusher 17 and the dispenser 18, and optionally a vertical storage unit 21 for the trays 7 arranged one on top of the other inside said storage unit and supported by a lower pusher device 23 which, biased upwardly by tension member 24, keeps the trays piled up against the blades 25 of a retainer device 26.

[0019] This retainer device 26 is driven by a motor 27 and, via a connecting rod system, moves the blades 25 by means of the two shafts 28 installed in front and behind the mouth of the storage unit 21, driving the blades over the trays 7 in order to release them one by one and allow, through operation of the other pusher 17 installed on one side of the storage unit 21 mouth, movement up to the upper portion of dispenser 18 through an opening 18' thereof fitted with a trap door 18", the dispenser receiving the heated package 3, from where it may be removed by the consumer, without the danger of being burnt, through the opening 19 in front door 20, which presents, over most of its front surface, a transparent panel 22 which, illuminated at the back by fluorescent tubes 29, exhibits publicity and whatever other information is deemed necessary concerning the product dispensed by the machine.

Claims

1. Procedure for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, characteristic in that the sandwich is wrapped in aluminum foil and placed in a refrigerating chamber, from where it is first conveyed for consumption to a grill and, after heating, to a dispenser where it is removed by the consumer.

2. Procedure for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 1, characteristic in that a tray is provided in the dispenser for each sandwich, on which tray the hot sandwich is dispensed.

3. Procedure for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 1, characteristic in that the sandwich is wrapped in sulphuretted paper or some other suitable paper.

4. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, comprising a rear refrigerating chamber for storing the sandwiches wrapped in aluminum foil, the sandwiches being arranged in respective platforms of at least one longitudinal vertical carrousel, the refrigerating chamber being closed by a front door which externally supports a double electric grill onto which the sandwich is pushed through an opening in said door; once heated, the sandwich is pushed to a dispenser that is accessible from the exterior of the machine through an opening provided in a front door.

5. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that it comprises, between the refrigerating chamber door and the machine front door, a vertical tray storage unit, the upper tray being pushed onto the dispenser in order to receive the wrapped hot sandwich.

6. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the carrousel rotates around an upper cylinder coupled to an electric motor, and a lower cylinder fitted with a tension device.

7. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the refrigerating chamber comprises a rack and pinion type pusher device located behind the carrousel at the height of said chamber door opening for pushing the sandwich toward the grill.

8. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the refrigerated chamber door opening is closed by a trap door.

9. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the grill comprises a lower fixed plate and an upper hinged plate fitted with a raising eccentric and connecting rod device.

10. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 5, characteristic in that the vertical tray storage unit comprises a resilient tension lower pusher device which moves the trays upwardly and a side pusher device that pushes the upper tray to the bottom of the dispenser.

11. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 5, characteristic in that the vertical tray storage unit comprises, in its upper mouth, a tray retainer and separator device for separating the upper tray from the subsequent trays and positioning it in front of the side pusher device.

12. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the sandwiches are wrapped in sulphuretted paper or some other suitable paper.

13. Machine for preparing and expending hot sandwiches, according to claim 4, characteristic in that the carrousel platforms carry the sandwiches and present a design according to an enveloping section thereof.

14. Hot sandwich, characteristic in that it is wrapped in aluminum foil, and is heated and expended in said wrapping.

15. Hot sandwich, according to claim 14, characteristic in that it is wrapped in sulphuretted paper or some other suitable paper.

Drawing