Unmanned food delivery device in cabin and application method thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12377979-B2
Application number	US-202217840313-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2022
Priority date	Jul 8, 2021
Publication date	Aug 5, 2025
Grant date	Aug 5, 2025

Abstract

Disclosed is an unmanned food delivery device in a cabin. The device comprises a first conveying mechanism, a second conveying mechanism and a loading and unloading mechanism. The first conveying mechanism comprises a universal conveyor belt, and the universal conveyor belt is driven by universal wheels to convey lunch boxes, and the universal conveyor belt is used for conveying lunch boxes in a kitchen area and a passenger area in a reciprocating manner; multiple second conveying mechanisms are respectively arranged on a luggage rack bottom plate in the passenger area, the luggage rack bottom plate is provided with multiple feeding openings respectively corresponding to seats at intervals, each second conveying mechanism is respectively positioned at the feeding openings, the second conveying mechanisms are connected with the first conveying mechanism and used for conveying lunch boxes by the first conveying mechanism to the seats.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An unmanned food delivery device in a cabin, comprising:
a universal conveyor, wherein the universal conveyor is driven by universal wheels to convey lunch boxes, and the universal conveyor is used for conveying the lunch boxes in a kitchen area and a passenger area in a reciprocating manner, the universal conveyor located in the passenger area is located in a luggage rack bottom plate;
a plurality of lift devices, respectively arranged on the luggage rack bottom plate in the passenger area, wherein the luggage rack bottom plate is provided with a plurality of feeding openings corresponding to seats at intervals, lift devices are respectively located at the feeding openings, and the lift devices are connected with the universal conveyor and used for conveying lunch boxes on the universal conveyor to the seats; and
a loading and unloading mechanism, arranged in the kitchen area and connected with the universal conveyor for loading or unloading the universal conveyor;
wherein the universal conveyor comprises:
a main conveyor, used for reciprocating the lunch boxes in the kitchen area and the passenger area; and
diversion conveyors, arranged at one side of the main conveyor and connected with the lift devices,
wherein the diversion conveyors are arranged in parallel and perpendicular to the main conveyor, the main conveyor and the diversion conveyors are provided with a plurality of universal wheels; and the plurality of universal wheels are used for guiding the lunch boxes on the main conveyor to the diversion conveyors;

wherein the lift devices comprise:
lunch box storage boxes for storing the lunch boxes, wherein each of the lunch box storage boxes is provided with a plurality of lunch box inlet-and-outlet openings, and one of the lunch box inlet-and-outlet openings is arranged just opposite to the main conveyor; and
a plurality of telescopic power rods, wherein both ends of the telescopic power rods are respectively connected with the luggage rack bottom plate and the lunch box storage boxes, and are used for driving the lunch box storage boxes to lift up and down;

wherein the plurality of lunch box inlet-and-outlet openings comprise a first inlet and outlet opening, a second inlet and outlet opening and a third inlet and outlet opening, wherein the first inlet and outlet opening, the second inlet and outlet opening and the third inlet and outlet opening are respectively arranged on three side walls of the lunch box storage box, and the first inlet and outlet opening is arranged opposite to the main conveyor; and the first inlet and outlet opening, the second inlet and outlet opening and the third inlet and outlet opening are in one-to-one correspondence with three passengers in each row and configured to pop out the lunch boxes;
wherein the loading and unloading mechanism comprises:
a roller conveyor provided with a connecting end and a discharging end, wherein the connecting end is connected with the universal conveyor;
a meal case for storing new lunch boxes, wherein a pushing assembly is arranged in the meal case, and the pushing assembly is used for sending the lunch boxes in the meal case to the roller conveyor; and
a garbage can connected with the discharging end of the roller conveyor and used for collecting used lunch boxes.

2. The unmanned food delivery device according to claim 1 , wherein the roller conveyor comprises:
a controller, a first roller conveyor and a second roller conveyor located at a top of the first roller conveyor and spaced apart from the first roller conveyor, wherein two ends of the second roller conveyor are a connecting end and a discharging end respectively, and a middle part of the second roller conveyor is separated by a fixed baffle; and
wherein one end of the first roller conveyor is a discharging end, and another end of the first roller conveyor is connected with the meal case; a middle part of the first roller conveyor is separated by a slidable baffle, and the slidable baffle is connected with the first roller conveyor in a sliding way;
the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor are both provided with a plurality of rollers at intervals, and the plurality of rollers are rotationally connected with the first roller conveyor for conveying lunch boxes, and the controller is configured to drive the rollers of the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor to rotate;
the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor are connected to a connecting assembly; and
the fixed baffle and the slidable baffle are located on a same vertical horizontal line;
wherein the connecting assembly comprises:
a lunch box elevator, wherein the lunch box elevator is located at one side of the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor, and is provided with a lifting belt; and
a plurality of brackets, wherein brackets are arranged at intervals and connected with the lifting belt through bracket shafts respectively, and the brackets are arranged just opposite to the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor, and are used for reciprocating the lunch boxes on the first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor.

3. The unmanned food delivery device according to claim 2 , wherein the pushing assembly comprises a first pushing plate, a second pushing plate and a liftable bottom plate;
the liftable bottom plate is arranged at a bottom of the meal case and used for lifting the lunch boxes upwards;
the first pushing plate is arranged at one end of the meal case far away from the first roller conveyor, and is used for pushing the lunch boxes towards the first roller conveyor; and
the second pushing plate is arranged at one side far away from a joint between the meal case and the first roller conveyor, and is used for pushing the lunch boxes towards the joint.

4. An application method of an unmanned food delivery device according to claim 1 , comprising:
S 101 : sending the lunch boxes to the universal conveyor by the loading and unloading mechanism when meals need to be served;
S 102 : sending the lunch boxes to the lift devices located at the feeding openings corresponding to the seats by the universal conveyor;
S 103 : conveying the lunch boxes to the seats by the lift devices, and taking the lunch boxes by the passengers to complete a meal delivery process;
S 104 : after the passengers finish eating, pressing lunch box recovery buttons on armrests of the seats, and descending the lift devices to the seats;
S 105 : putting used lunch boxes on the lift devices by the passengers, and sending the used lunch boxes by the lift devices to the universal conveyor; and
S 106 : conveying the used lunch boxes by the universal conveyor to the loading and unloading mechanism to complete a meal receiving process.

Assignees

• Univ Shandong Science & Tech

Inventors

• Jia shun
• Wang Shang
• Zhang Na
• Hou Tianyou
• Yang Bo
• Liu Yang
• Jie Xiaoming
• Chen Hong
• Min Xiangpeng
• Ma Le
• Yang Yang
• Su Shengshuai
• Zhang Jingyan

Classifications

• B64D11/0007 Primary

  Devices specially adapted for food or beverage distribution services · CPC title