MULTI-STAGE COOKING

20220031122

17/072011

October 15, 2020

The present application firstly discloses a cooking system including a second cooking apparatus and a first cooking apparatus, which is used to deep fry or boil a food or food ingredients. A semi-cooked food is produced in the first cooking apparatus and is used as an ingredient in the second cooking apparatus. The cooking apparatuses work together to produce a cooked food.

1. A cooking system comprising: a first cooking apparatus comprising: a support component; a plurality of cooking sub-apparatuses configured to deep fry or boil one or more food ingredients, wherein each cooking sub-apparatus comprises: a liquid container configured to contain a heated cooking liquid; a container holder comprising a solid structured to position or hold a cooking container, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold the one or more food ingredients; a first motion mechanism configured to move the container holder up or down, said first motion mechanism comprising a motor, an actuator, or other driving mechanism; a lid configured to cover a cooking container which is positioned or held by the container holder; and a second motion mechanism configured to move said lid, said second motion mechanism comprising a motor, an actuator, or other driving mechanism; and a third motion mechanism comprising a motor, said third motion mechanism being configured to produce a motion of the plurality of cooking sub-apparatuses relative to the support component; and a second cooking apparatus comprising: a cookware configured to contain or otherwise hold one or more foods or food ingredients; a fourth motion mechanism configured to move said cookware, to dispense a cooked food from said cookware to a food container, wherein the food container is used to contain or hold the cooked food, said fourth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism; wherein the first cooking apparatus is configured to produce a semi-cooked food from the one or more food ingredients, and the second cooking apparatus is configured to produce a cooked food from the semi-cooked food and/or additional food ingredients.

2. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising a storage configured to position or store a number of ingredient containers, wherein each ingredient container is used to contain or hold one or more food ingredients.

3. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising an ingredient dispensing apparatus configured to move an ingredient container to dispense one or more food ingredients to a cooking container which is positioned or held by one of the container holders of the first cooking apparatus, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold the one or more food ingredients prior to the dispensing, said ingredient dispensing apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip the ingredient container; and a fifth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said fifth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

4. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising an ingredient dispensing apparatus configured to move an ingredient container to dispense one or more food ingredients held to the cookware of the second cooking apparatus, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold the one or more food ingredients prior to the dispensing, said ingredient dispensing apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip the ingredient container; and a sixth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said sixth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

5. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising a transport system configured to transport an ingredient container, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold the one or more food ingredients.

6. The cooking system of claim 5, wherein said transport system comprises a plurality of vehicles, said cooking system further comprising a container transfer apparatus configured to load an ingredient container to one of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold one or more food ingredients, said container transfer apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a seventh motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said seventh motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

7. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising a transport system configured to transport a food container, wherein the food container is used to contain or hold a cooked food.

8. The cooking system of claim 7, said transport system comprises a plurality of vehicles, each of the plurality of vehicles being configured to move a food container which is used to contain or hold a cooked food, said cooking system further comprising a transfer apparatus configured to move a food container to one of the plurality of vehicles, wherein the food container is used to contain or hold a cooked food, said transfer apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip the food container; and an eighth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said eighth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

9. The cooking system of claim 1, said first cooking apparatus comprises a liquid dispensing apparatus configured to dispense a liquid ingredient to said cookware of the second cooking apparatus.

10. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the third motion mechanism of the first cooking apparatus is configured to produce an intermittent rotation.

11. The cooking system of claim 1, further comprising a food dispensing apparatus configured to move the cooking container which is positioned or held by one of the container holders to dispense a semi-cooked food from the cooking container to the cookware, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold the semi-cooked food prior to the dispensing, said food dispensing apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a ninth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said ninth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

12. The cooking system of claim 11, wherein the ninth motion mechanism of said food dispensing apparatus comprises: a first motion sub-mechanism comprising a moving member, a stationary member, and a motor or other driving mechanism, said motion sub-mechanism being configured to produce a motion of said moving member relative to said stationary member; a second motion sub-mechanism comprising a moving member, a stationary member, and a motor or other driving mechanism, said motion sub-mechanism being configured to produce a motion of said moving member relative to said stationary member; and a third motion sub-mechanism comprising a moving member, a stationary member, and a motor or other driving mechanism, said motion sub-mechanism being configured to produce a motion of said moving member relative to said stationary member; wherein the moving member of the first motion sub-mechanism is configured to be rigidly, fixedly, or otherwise connected to the support component of the gripping mechanism; wherein the moving member of the second motion sub-mechanism is configured to be rigidly, fixedly, or otherwise connected to the stationary member of the first motion sub-mechanism; wherein the moving member of the third motion sub-mechanism is configured to be rigidly, fixedly, or otherwise connected to the stationary member of the second motion sub-mechanism.

13. The cooking system of claim 12, wherein the first motion sub-mechanism is configured to produce a rotation of its moving member relative to its stationary member, wherein the second motion sub-mechanism is configured to produce a vertical linear motion of its moving member relative to its stationary member, wherein the third motion sub-mechanism is configured to produce a rotation of its moving member relative to its stationary member.

14. The cooking system of claim 1, wherein the third motion mechanism of the first cooking apparatus is configured to produce a rotation.

15. A cooking system comprising a cooking apparatus, said cooking apparatus comprising: a support component; a plurality of cooking sub-apparatuses, each comprising: a liquid container configured to contain a heated cooking liquid; a container holder comprising a solid structured to position or hold a cooking container, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold one or more foods or food ingredients; a first motion mechanism configured to move the container holder and the cooking container positioned or held by the container holder towards or away from the liquid container, said first motion mechanism comprising a motor, an actuator, or other driving mechanism; a lid configured to cover the said cooking container that is positioned or held by the container holder; and a second motion mechanism configured to move said lid, said second motion mechanism comprising a motor, an actuator, or other driving mechanism; and a third motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism, said third motion mechanism being configured to move the plurality of cooking sub-apparatuses relative to the support component.

16. The cooking system of claim 15, wherein the third motion mechanism is configured to produce a rotation.

17. The cooking system of claim 15, further comprising an ingredient dispensing apparatus configured to move an ingredient container to dispense one or more food ingredients from the ingredient container to a cooking container which is positioned or held by one of the container holders of the first cooking apparatus, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold the one or more food ingredients, said ingredient dispensing apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a fourth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said fourth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

18. The cooking system of claim 15, wherein the second motion mechanism of one of the cooking sub-apparatuses is configured to move the corresponding lid by rotation or by a vertical linear motion.

19. The cooking system of claim 15, wherein said cooking apparatus further comprising a liquid dripping mechanism comprising: a plurality of container holders, each comprising a solid shape structured to position or hold a cooking container, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold a semi-cooked food; and a fifth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism, said fifth motion mechanism being configured to intermittently move the plurality of container holders.

20. The cooking system of claim 15, further comprising a transfer apparatus configured to move a cooking container from a said container holder of the cooking apparatus to a said container holder of the liquid dripping apparatus, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold a food or one or more food ingredients, said transfer apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a sixth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said sixth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

21. A cooking system comprising a cooking apparatus, said cooking apparatus comprising: a container holder comprising a solid structured to position or hold a cooking container, wherein the cooking container is used to contain or hold a food or one or more food ingredients; a liquid container configured to contain a heated cooking liquid; a first motion mechanism configured to move the container holder and the cooking container positioned or held by the container holder towards or away from the liquid container, said first motion mechanism comprising a motor, an actuator, or other driving mechanism; a lid configured to cover the said cooking container that is positioned or held by the container holder; and a second motion mechanism configured to move said lid, said second motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

22. The cooking system of claim 21, further comprising an ingredient dispensing apparatus configured to move an ingredient container to dispense one or more food ingredients to a cooking container; which is positioned or held by the container holder, wherein the ingredient container is used to contain or hold the food ingredients prior to the dispensing, said ingredient dispensing apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a third motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said third motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

23. The cooking system of claim 21, further comprising a storage configured to position or store a number of ingredient containers, wherein each ingredient container is used to contain or hold one or more food ingredients, and a transfer apparatus and/or transport system configured to transfer one of the ingredient containers from said storage to cooking apparatus, said transfer apparatus comprising: a gripping mechanism comprising a support component and one or more grippers, said gripping mechanism being configured to grip a said ingredient container; and a fourth motion mechanism configured to move the support component of the gripping mechanism, said fourth motion mechanism comprising a motor or other driving mechanism.

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edspap.20220031122