Automated Systems for Dispensing Food Products

Abstract

A system includes a hopper, a permeable seal, a gas supply, and a receiver. The hopper includes an elongated housing holding a row of food products. The elongated housing defines a pressurized end opposite a discharge end through which the food products are dispensed. The permeable seal is interposed between an interior wall of the hopper and a surface of the piston. The permeable seal cooperates with the hopper and the piston to define a closed volume between the piston and the pressurized end. The permeable seal is configured to bleed gas from the closed volume toward the discharge end. The gas supply selectively supplies gas into the closed volume to displace the piston toward the discharge end. The receiver receives food products dispensed from the elongated housing and is positioned to allow the food products to move along at least partially by gravity.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A system comprising:
 a hopper comprising an elongated housing configured to contain a row of food products, wherein the elongated housing defines a discharge end through which the food products are dispensed out of the elongated housing, and wherein the elongated housing defines a pressurized end opposite the discharge end;   a piston arranged within the hopper between the pressurized end of the hopper and the row of food products;   a permeable seal interposed between an interior wall of the hopper and a surface of the piston, wherein the permeable seal cooperates with the hopper and the piston to define a closed volume between the piston and the pressurized end of the hopper, and wherein the permeable seal is configured to bleed gas from the closed volume toward the discharge end of the hopper;   a gas supply selectively supplying gas into the closed volume to displace the piston toward the discharge end of the hopper; and   a receiver positioned to receive the food products dispensed from the discharge end of the elongated housing, wherein the receiver is positioned to allow the food products to move along at least a portion of a length of the receiver under a gravitational force.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the hopper includes a surface that supports each food product in the row of food products;   the system further comprises a roller that rotates about an axis parallel to the surface; and   the roller inhibits release of one of the food products in the row of food products into the receiver.   
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a distance sensor configured to output a signal proportional to a distance between the distance sensor and a surface of a nearest one of the food products in the row of food products and   wherein, during a dispense cycle, the gas supply supplies gas to the closed volume at a flow rate determined based on the signal output by the distance sensor.   
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the gas supply comprises a pressurized gas reservoir and a valve arranged between the pressurized gas reservoir and the closed volume;   the valve is configured to, during the dispense cycle, selectively open according to a duty cycle determined based on the signal output by the distance sensor; and   the valve is configured to close in response to a step change in the signal output by the distance sensor to complete the dispense cycle.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a pop-off valve fluidly coupled to the pressurized end of the hopper,   wherein the pop-off valve is configured to open in response to a detection of release of one of the food products in the row of food products out of the discharge end during a dispense cycle.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the piston comprises a tongue that extends (i) toward the discharge end of the hopper and (ii) over at least a portion of one of the food products in the row of food products. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the piston defines a first end facing the pressurized end of the hopper and a second end facing the discharge end of the hopper,   the permeable seal comprises a first seal portion and a second seal portion,   the first seal portion is arranged about a circumference of the piston adjacent the first end of the piston,   the second seal portion is arranged about the circumference of the piston adjacent the second end of the piston, and   the first seal portion and the second seal portion cooperate to bleed gas from the first end of the piston to the second end of the piston.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising a receptacle, wherein the receptacle is:
 fluidly coupled to the gas supply,   configured to transiently receive the pressurized end of the hopper,   configured to seal against the pressurized end of the hopper, and   configured to support the hopper.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a second hopper configured to contain a second row of food products, the second hopper defining a second discharge end configured to dispense food products into the receiver, the second hopper defining a second pressurized end opposite the second discharge end;   a second piston arranged within the second hopper between the second pressurized end of the second hopper and the second row of food products; and   a second permeable seal interposed between an interior wall of the second hopper and a surface of the second piston,   wherein the second permeable seal
 cooperates with the second hopper and the second piston to define a second closed volume between the second pressurized end of the second hopper and the second piston and 
 is configured to bleed gas from the second closed volume toward the second discharge end of the second hopper, and 
   wherein the gas supply selectively supplies gas:
 to the closed volume to advance the piston toward the discharge end of the hopper and 
 to the second closed volume to advance the second piston toward the second discharge end of the second hopper. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 a blade extending across the receiver between first and second ends of the receiver; and   a cutting block arranged in the receiver and configured to advance from a load position to a pierce position to a slice position during a dispense cycle,   wherein:
 in the load position, the cutting block is adjacent the first end of the receiver, 
 in the pierce position, a leading edge of the cutting block is offset from the blade by less than a length of the one of the food products, and 
 in the slice position, the leading edge of the cutting block extends past the blade to sever a first portion of the one of the food products from a second portion of the one of the food products. 
   
     
     
         12 . A system comprising:
 a dispenser assembly comprising a hopper and an advancing system, wherein the hopper defines a first end and a second end and is configured to hold a row of food products, wherein the advancing system is configured to dispense the food products out of the hopper through the second end;   a receiver positioned to receive the food products dispensed from the second end of the hopper, wherein the receiver is positioned to allow the food products to move along at least a portion of a length of the receiver under a gravitational force;   a blade;   an actuator coupled to the blade; and   a cutting block arranged in the receiver and configured to advance one of the food products discharged from the hopper along at least a portion of a length of the receiver,   wherein the cutting block applies a force on the one of the food products to urge the one of the food products against the blade while the actuator moves the blade relative to the receiver.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the advancing system comprises a piston arranged within the hopper between the first end of the hopper and the row of food products. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein:
 the advancing system comprises a permeable seal including a first seal portion and a second seal portion;   the first seal portion is arranged about a circumference of the piston adjacent a first end of the piston;   the second seal portion is arranged about the circumference of the piston adjacent a second end of the piston; and   the first seal portion and the second seal portion are configured to cooperate to bleed gas from the first end of the piston to the second end of the piston.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the piston includes a tongue that extends (i) toward the second end of the hopper and (ii) over a portion of at least one of the row of food products. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the advancing system further comprises:
 a permeable seal interposed between an interior wall of the hopper and an adjacent surface of the piston, wherein:
 the permeable seal cooperates with the hopper and the piston to define a closed volume between the first end of the hopper and the piston, and 
 the permeable seal is configured to bleed gas from the closed volume toward the second end of the hopper; and 
   a gas supply selectively supplying gas into the closed volume to displace the piston toward the second end of the hopper.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a roller configured to rotate about an axis perpendicular to a length of the hopper,   wherein a first surface of the hopper supports a first edge of each food product in the row of food products, and   wherein a line intersecting the first edges also intersects the roller.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a distance sensor aligned with the hopper,   wherein the distance sensor is configured to output a signal proportional to a distance between the distance sensor and a surface of a nearest one of the food products in the row of food products arranged in the hopper.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the advancing system comprises a gas supply supplying gas to the hopper between the first end of the hopper and a piston of the advancing system; and   during a dispense cycle, the gas supply supplies gas to the hopper at a flow rate determined based on the signal output by the distance sensor.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein:
 the gas supply comprises a pressurized gas reservoir and a valve arranged between the pressurized gas reservoir and the hopper; and   the valve is configured to, during the dispense cycle, selectively open according to a duty cycle determined based on the signal output by the distance sensor.   
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 a pop-off valve fluidly coupled to the hopper,   wherein the pop-off valve is configured to open in response to a detection of release of one of the food products in the row of food products out of the second end of the hopper during a dispense cycle.