Food or edible material: processes – compositions – and products – Processes – Packaging or treatment of packaged product
Reexamination Certificate
2002-02-21
2004-06-29
Becker, Drew (Department: 1761)
Food or edible material: processes, compositions, and products
Processes
Packaging or treatment of packaged product
C426S395000, C426S403000, C426S406000, C426S407000, C426S412000, C426S519000, C426S523000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06756068
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates generally to a method and apparatus for vending and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for vending food products on a roller-type grilling apparatus that is typically used to grill hot dogs and other sausage-type products; such roller-type grilling machines being common at convenience stores, concession stands and the like.
2. Background of the Invention
One of the first roller-type grills was disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,842 entitled “Sausage Grill” which issued on Jul. 29, 1952, the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference. This type of grill has been modernized over the years, but the basic concept remains. That is, a plurality of elongate cylindrical rods are placed in parallel relationship so as to support a hot dog between the rods. The rods are heated to a desired temperature and continuously rotated. As the rods rotate, the hot dogs rotate in an opposite direction within the space created between the rods. By rotating the hot dogs, the hot dogs remain hot without becoming burned, as would be the case if the hot dogs were to be heated by a grill without rotation.
Another common type of roller-type grilling apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,486 (the '485 patent) to Miller, the teachings of which are herein incorporated by reference, in which a plurality of rods extend transversely across an inclined platen. Food items are positioned on the platen between adjacent rods. The rods are then moved a predetermined distance over the platen by in a reciprocating matter to cause the food items to roll on the inclined platen.
More modern roller-type grills are similar in size to that shown in the '485 patent and include such features as the ability to create various zones of heat on a single roller-type grill to accommodate different types of foods. For example, the front rollers may be heated to a first temperature with the back rollers heated to a second higher temperature. The front rollers may then be employed to heat a first food product that requires less heating than a second food product placed on the back rollers. More recently, such roller grill units have been utilized to heat in a vending situation food products other than hot dogs. For example, burrito products have been manufactured to roll on and be heated by a roller grill. Such other products, however, have not been successful because of the relatively short product life experienced by such products.
Hot dogs have a product life on a roller grill of approximately twenty minutes. It takes approximately twenty minutes for hot dogs to even reach their desired vending temperature. After one hour of exposure, the hot dogs should be discarded and replaced by new products. Thus, the hot dogs only have approximately forty minutes of total vending time, after which they should are be disposed of and replaced with fresh product. It is often the case, however, that hot dogs remain on the grill well after their product life has expired.
In addition to the fact that the hot dogs become over cooked if left on a roller grill for more than one hour, the hot dogs can become contaminated with enough bacteria to become harmful to the consumer. Because the food product is not packaged, the food product is touched by hand when placed on the grill. In the case of a convenience store, it is typically the store clerk that is operating the roller grill and placing the food product on the grill. This is typically the same person handling money at the cash register. Thus, cross-contamination between bacteria on money and the food product is highly likely. In addition, if the grill itself is not properly maintained and cleaned, bacteria can be picked up from the grilling apparatus onto the food product. Moreover, the extended period of non-refrigeration of the food product can allow bacteria to grow to dangerous levels on the food product as well.
Another problem with roller grills exists with the products themselves. That is, food products such as hot dogs are typically frozen prior to being placed on the grill. If the hotdog or other food product is not sufficiently linearly straight, the food product can “crawl” from roller to roller until the food product falls off of the roller grill and onto the floor. Furthermore, if the hot dogs are not straight, they are commonly placed aside until thawed to allow them to straighten. If not carefully monitored, the hot dogs can sit unheated for an extended period of time even before being placed on the grill, again shortening the product life.
Thus, it would be advantageous to provide a food product that can be vended from a roller-type grilling apparatus that has a relatively long product life once placed on the grilling apparatus and that does not directly contact the surface of the grilling apparatus. These and other advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following description of the illustrated embodiments of a method and apparatus for vending food products from a roller-type grilling apparatus in accordance with the principles of the present invention.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A method and apparatus for vending food products from a roller-type grilling machine includes a packaging system that extends the product life on the grilling machine by keeping the food product from directly contacting the grilling machine. By packaging the product in accordance with the principles of the present invention, the food product is kept in a controlled environment until it is opened by the ultimate consumer after being heated by the grilling machine. The packaging apparatus and method of vending of the present invention typically increases the product life on the grill from about twenty minutes to over six hours.
The present method and apparatus for vending food products from a roller-type grilling apparatus also improves the storage characteristics of the food product. In many case, the food product packaged in accordance with the principles of the present invention need not be refrigerated prior to vending and has a shelf life of several weeks without refrigeration. In other cases where refrigeration is recommended or where the food product is frozen prior to vending, the storage life of the food product is increased from minutes to hours. Thus, an entire day's supply of product can be thawed overnight on the night before sale and then simply placed as needed on the grilling apparatus as sales warrant during the day.
The present invention also improves the handling characteristics for storage and transport prior to sale. That is, because the food product of the present invention is packaged through the vending process and only opened by the end consumer, the operator of the grilling apparatus never touches the edible portion of the product.
Furthermore, because the food product is packaged and thus substantially sealed from the external environment, the food itself never touches the grill. Thus, the present invention virtually eliminates the need to clean the roller grill after use.
Additionally, the present invention reduces the loss associated with the product becoming stale on the grill. Because the product life on the grill is significantly increased (i.e., from minutes to hours), the timing decisions associated with turning over stale product is removed from the sales staff. That is, based upon the projected sales for a given day based upon prior sales, product can be placed on the grill that is likely to be sold during a period of time. Because that period of time is relatively long, there is significantly less chance that the product in accordance with the present invention will become stale prior to sale.
The packaging system of the present invention provides all of the foregoing advantages as well as others not specifically enumerated by comprising either an airtight or pressure relief packaging apparatus to prevent the food contained within the package from becoming contaminated from the package's external environment until it is opened by the end co
Kafentzis Kyle
Kafentzis Sean
Becker Drew
Morris O'Bryant Compagni, P.C.
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