Automated pizza preparation and vending system
Automated apparatus for preparing pizza, and method of operating same. A customer selects a type of pizza, such as toppings or crust style. The apparatus slices and defrosts dough, applies cheese, slices and applies toppings, and cooks the pizza to order. The cooked pizza is packaged for delivery to the customer and may include a separate cutting apparatus. Proper temperature of hot and cold sections is maintained while ingredients are stored and as the pizza is cooked. The process is monitored and controlled by one or more processors.
1. An oven for cooking a food product, the oven comprising:
a housing at least partially surrounding a cavity of the oven, the housing comprising an opening, the opening connected to the cavity;
a closing mechanism for closing the opening;
a cooking surface disposed within the cavity and configured to accept a food product, the cooking surface comprising a plurality of holes and a return air vent;
a blower fluidly connected to the plurality of holes and the return air vent and configured to draw air from the return air vent and to blow the air through the plurality of holes with sufficient force to lift the food product at least partially off of the cooking surface; and
a heater configured to heat the oven.
2. The oven of claim 1 wherein the closing mechanism comprises a door disposed in movable relationship to the opening.
3. The oven of claim 1 wherein the closing mechanism comprises:
a shroud disposed adjacent an outer surface of the housing; and
an actuator for moving at least one of the shroud and the housing in relationship to each other such that in a first position the shroud covers the opening and in a second position the shroud does not cover the opening.
4. The oven of claim 3 wherein the housing is rotatably disposed relative to the actuator, and the actuator rotates the housing to create relative movement between the outer surface of the housing and the shroud.
5. The oven of claim 1 wherein the blower is disposed between the cooking surface and the heater, and the heater is configured to heat the air blown by the blower; wherein air discharged by the blower through the plurality of holes returns to the blower via the return vent in the cooking surface.
6. The oven of claim 1 wherein the cooking surface comprises a raised portion to prevent the food product from being blown off of the cooking surface.
7. The oven of claim 1 further comprising a retractable and extendible piston disposed adjacent to the opening and positioned to selectively engage with the food product through the opening.
8. A method for cooking a food product, the method comprising:
passing a food product through a first opening in an oven housing and into a cavity of the oven, the cavity having a cooking surface; and
causing heated air to recirculate in the oven by passing through the cooking surface in a first direction so as to at least partially levitate the food product off of the cooking surface to prevent the food product from sticking to the cooking surface and passing through the cooking surface in a second direction substantially opposite to the first direction to return to a blower.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising closing the first opening of the oven.
10. The method of claim 9 comprising rotating the oven housing so that the first opening is covered by a shroud disposed adjacent to the oven housing.
11. The method of claim 8 further comprising removing the food product from the housing through the first opening, wherein the food product is at least partially levitated by air passing through the cooking surface while removing the food product.
12. The method of claim 8 further comprising causing air to selectively pass through the cooking surface to move the food product from a first position to a second position.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein the housing further comprises a second opening, and the first position is adjacent the first opening and the second position is adjacent the second opening.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising removing the food product from the cavity through the second opening, wherein the food product is at least partially levitated by air passing through the cooking surface while removing the food product.