An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a frozen food product dispensing station for dispensing at least one frozen food product, a container dispenser for storing multiple frozen food product containers and configured to automatically dispense one frozen food product container at a time, a first movable platform for supporting a dispensed frozen food product container, a topping dispensing station for dispensing at least one topping, a second movable platform for supporting the dispensed frozen food product container, a user input device configured to receive a user selection of a desired frozen food product and a user selection of a desired topping, and processing electronics configured to automate operation of the vending machine after the user selections are made.

A system for providing treated water includes a water treatment unit including an inlet water quality probe, a worker bed, a probe to measure a parameter of water from the worker bed, a polisher bed connected downstream from the worker bed and having a probe to measure a parameter of water from the polisher bed, and a flow meter upstream of the worker bed or downstream of the polisher bed. A controller in communication with the flow meter and the probes is configured to receive data from same. A remote server in communication with the local water treatment unit is configured to receive data from the local water treatment unit. The controller or the server may determine a cumulative flow total, a billing cycle flow total, a current exchange flow total, a contaminant load, or a remaining capacity of the water treatment unit.

The game machine comprising a display device and a controller is provided. The display device is configured to display a game. The controller is configured to display a plurality of reels, the reels reach displaying a plurality of symbols. Each reel includes at least one activation zone with each activation zone have at least one symbol. The controller is configured to determine the number of symbols within the activation zone, randomly determine an outcome of the game, and display the outcome of the game including the activation zone. The activation zone includes a determined number of symbols.

In an automatic beverage vending machine, a feed assembly for feeding a granular or powder product has a feed duct for feeding the granular or powder product and a choke device configured to receive and choke at least partially an elastically deformable discharge section of the feed duct; the choke device comprising a fixed attachment frame, a choke member and a motorized movement assembly for moving the choke member between a support position, in which it maintains the discharge section in a product feed condition, and an overturned position, in which it elastically deforms and chokes at least partially the discharge section.

A powder feeding apparatus drops powder from a tank storing the powder to an oblique portion, and accumulates the powder on a plate disposed below the oblique portion. The plate is provided with a flat surface portion and a groove portion which is inverted from the flat surface portion to a lower part. The scraper moves powder which has accumulated to a higher level than a constant height on the flat portion and the groove portion, to an outer-side of the flat portion and smoothes the powder on the flat portion and the groove portion to a constant height. An ejector takes in powder which has accumulated on the groove portion of the plate by a suction opening, disposed at a front side of the scraper, in a relative moving direction of the plate, and discharges the powder from the discharge opening.

A product dispenser is configured to dispense products subject to a warning and products not subject to a warning, the product dispenser further configured to transmit a product warning notice only in response to a request to dispense a product subject to the warning. In another embodiment, a product dispenser is configured to dispense a food or beverage product and provide information indicative of an attribute of the food or beverage product, such as nutrition facts, as it is being dispensed. In another embodiment, a product dispenser is configured to enable a user to request a customized product from the product dispenser, to determine a first profile for the customized product blend, compare the first profile to a second profile, and reformulate the customized product blend to a dispensed product blend comprising a third profile approximating the second idealized profile.

A product dispenser is configured to dispense products subject to a warning and products not subject to a warning, the product dispenser further configured to transmit a product warning notice only in response to a request to dispense a product subject to the warning. In another embodiment, a product dispenser is configured to dispense a food or beverage product and provide information indicative of an attribute of the food or beverage product, such as nutrition facts, as it is being dispensed. In another embodiment, a product dispenser is configured to enable a user to request a customized product from the product dispenser, to determine a first profile for the customized product blend, compare the first profile to a second profile, and reformulate the customized product blend to a dispensed product blend comprising a third profile approximating the second idealized profile.

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a frozen food product dispensing station for dispensing at least one frozen food product, a container dispenser for storing multiple frozen food product containers and configured to automatically dispense one frozen food product container at a time, a first movable platform for supporting a dispensed frozen food product container, a topping dispensing station for dispensing at least one topping, a second movable platform for supporting the dispensed frozen food product container, a user input device configured to receive a user selection of a desired frozen food product, a user selection of a desired amount of frozen food product, and a user selection of a desired topping, and processing electronics configured to automate operation of the vending machine after the user selections are made.

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a frozen food product dispensing station for dispensing at least one frozen food product, a container dispenser for storing multiple frozen food product containers and configured to automatically dispense one frozen food product container at a time, a first movable platform for supporting a dispensed frozen food product container, a topping dispensing station for dispensing at least one topping, a second movable platform for supporting the dispensed frozen food product container, a user input device configured to receive a user selection of a desired frozen food product, a user selection of a desired amount of frozen food product, and a user selection of a desired topping, and processing electronics configured to automate operation of the vending machine after the user selections are made.

A gravity-feed dispensing system includes a hopper configured to hold a bulk material for dispense. A hopper identifier encodes an identification of the bulk material in the hopper. A valve of a gravity feed dispenser is operable by an actuator assembly between open and closed conditions to selectively permit bulk material to pass from the hopper into a consumer receptacle. A controller is configured to receive an indication of a dispense of bulk material from the hopper and to receive the identification of the bulk material in the hopper. A retail endpoint is configured to receive the indication of a dispense and the identification of the bulk material in the hopper and configured produce a sale indicator from the indication of the dispense and the identification of the bulk material in the hopper.