IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,408,799
Granted Patent B2
US 12,408,799 · App. 18/444,469 · Granted Sep 9, 2025

Enhanced automated food making apparatus

Inventors: Deepak Chandra Sekar (San Jose, CA); Kathirgugan Kathirasen (Selangor, MY); Brian Richardson (Los Gatos, CA); Sanath Bhat (Redwood City, CA); Levi Lalla (Redwood City, CA)
Assignee: DoorDash, Inc.
A47J44/00A47J36/00B25J9/026Y10S901/16
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,408,799
App. No.
18/444,469
Granted
Sep 9, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for operating an automated food making apparatus having a motor, actuator arm, and an apparatus. The apparatus may be a paddle with flexible fins. The method rotates the paddle with a pin-shaft mechanism to dispense an ingredient placed in a canister, controls the motor automatically based on weight sensor readings, and locates a position of the actuator arm with position sensors. The same motor dispenses ingredients from a plurality of canisters. The method may have a plurality of paddle rotation and weight measurement steps until a target weight is reached. The plurality of paddle rotation steps may be unidirectional or bidirectional paddle rotation. The paddle may be rotated according to one or more paddle rotation algorithms, an error recovery algorithm, or different algorithms based on the amounts of ingredients remaining in the canister. The paddle may be rocked until the target weight is achieved.

Claims (40)

1. An automated food making apparatus, comprising:

a canister;

a paddle disposed within the canister, with the paddle being configured to rotate;

a shuffler disposed within the canister, with the shuffler having a first end that extends to an opposite second end, wherein the first end of the shuffler is placed on a top side of the canister and the second end of the shuffler is configured to directly contact the paddle as it rotates,

wherein the canister is configured to store and dispense ingredients, and

wherein the shuffler is configured to push the ingredients stored in the canister.

2. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shuffler is placed along an inner side of the canister.

3. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second end of the shuffler has a coating material.

4. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a second shuffler.

5. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a gravity fed mechanism configured to dispense the ingredients.

6. The automated food making apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the shuffler is configured to assist the gravity fed mechanism, wherein the shuffler pushes the ingredients stored in the canister.

7. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ingredients stored in the canister is lettuce.

8. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the shuffler is one of a plurality of shufflers.

9. The automated food making apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second shuffler, wherein the shuffler and the second shuffler are located on opposing sides of the canister.

10. An automated food making apparatus, comprising:

a carousel having a plurality of canisters, each canister storing an ingredient;

a shuffler located within at least one canister of the plurality of canisters, with the shuffler having a first end that extends to an opposite second end; and

a paddle located within the at least one canister,

wherein the paddle is configured to rotate to dispense the ingredient from the at least one canister,

wherein the first end of the shuffler is placed on a top side of the at least one canister and the second end of the shuffler is configured to directly contact the paddle as it rotates, and

wherein the shuffler is configured to assist the dispensing by pushing the ingredients stored in the canister.

11. The automated food making apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the shuffler is coupled to an inner side of the at least one canister.

12. The automated food making apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second end of the shuffler has a coating material.

13. The automated food making apparatus of claim 10 , further comprising a second shuffler, wherein the shuffler and the second shuffler are located on opposing sides of the at least one canister.

14. A method for dispensing ingredients from an automated food making apparatus, the method comprising:

providing a canister to store ingredients;

providing a paddle and a shuffler within the canister, with the shuffler having a first end that extends to an opposite second end;

rotating the paddle to dispense the ingredients from the canister; and

directly contacting the second end of the shuffler with the paddle as the paddle rotates to push the ingredients within the canister downward; and

dispensing the ingredients from the canister.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein providing the shuffler comprises placing the first end of the shuffler on a top side of the canister.

16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a coating material on the shuffler.

17. The method of claim 14 , further comprising providing a second shuffler within the canister.

18. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:

dispensing the ingredients with a gravity fed mechanism.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising:

assisting the gravity fed mechanism with the shuffler by pushing the ingredients with the shuffler.

20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the shuffler is placed along an inner side of the canister.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: SEKAR, DEEPAK CHANDRA; KATHIRASEN, KATHIRGUGAN; RICHARDSON, BRIAN; BHAT, SANATH; LALLA, LEVI
To: CHOWBOTICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 072035/0919 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 15, 2025
From: CHOWBOTICS, INC.
To: DOORDASH, INC.
Reel/Frame 072035/0930 →
Continuity (13)
Division 16933130 · Jul 20, 2020
Continuation 15945483 · Apr 4, 2018
Continuation In Part 15449548 · Mar 3, 2017
Continuation In Part 14847959 · Sep 8, 2015
Provisional Application 62481217 · Apr 4, 2017
Provisional Application 62304277 · Mar 6, 2016
Provisional Application 62047785 · Sep 9, 2014
Provisional Application 62056368 · Sep 26, 2014
Provisional Application 62094595 · Dec 19, 2014
Provisional Application 62150303 · Apr 21, 2015
Provisional Application 62185524 · Jun 26, 2015
Provisional Application 62201105 · Aug 4, 2015
Related Publication 20240285130A1 · Aug 29, 2024
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