An automatic vending machine for boxed frozen and hot food includes a cupboard, a refrigeration device, racks, an oven, a robotic picking system, a feeding slot and a conveyor board. The refrigeration device and the oven are installed in a first accommodation space and a second accommodation space of the cupboard respectively, and the interior of the first accommodation space is formed into a placing space by a rack for putting food boxes. The robotic picking system picks one of the food boxes and moves it sideway into the oven for heating, and a moving tray in the oven and the conveyor board move the food box into the feeding slot in a seesaw gravitational sliding manner for delivery.

A vending machine for dispensing both soft-serve ice cream and frozen ice-cream-based beverages to consumers. The machine includes a power management system having a controller, a master relay for controlling power supplied to a first component, slave relays for controlling power supplied to second and third components, and a current sensor for sensing a current draw of the machine. The machine also includes a flavoring plate for providing flavoring to a dispensed ice cream product. The plate includes an orifice for extruding the product, a channel extending around the orifice, two or more ports in fluid communication with the channel, and one or more gates in communication with the channel and the orifice. Each of two or more ports is configured to introduce one of a flavoring fluid or a cleaning fluid to the channel.

An improved interactive frozen confectionery vending machine with two alternate freezer enclosures storing a variety of ice creams in cups is presented. The vending machine further comprises a toppings dispensing and a control system enclosures. A programmable control system enables a customer to select one ice cream cup at a time of a flavor of his or her choide and customize the selected ice cream with a choice of automatically dispensed hard or soft toppings via a gear motor operated arm and flexible liquid topping delivery tubes. A Wi-Fi enabled payment system and an ice cream and topping selection are implemented via a touch screen. The vending machine interior is accessible by pre-authorized personnel only.

A vending machine system adapted to open and prepare a contained food item. The system includes a cabinet, a rack frame supported relative to the cabinet, a shelf coupled to the rack frame and configured to support a contained food item, a lid removal apparatus supported relative to the rack frame, and a food item actuator supported relative to the rack frame. The cabinet includes a refrigerated compartment housing the rack frame and a partition separating and selectively allowing access between the refrigerated compartment and a preparation compartment. The lid removal apparatus is configured to selectively retain a lid of the contained food item. The food item actuator is configured to move a container of the contained food item to the preparation compartment of the cabinet while the lid of the contained food item is retained by the lid removal apparatus subsequent to translation of the container.

The present disclosure relates to a flowable edible product dispensing apparatus, comprising: a programmable controller; a touchscreen interface including an indicator of at least one edible item for selection, the operator interface in communication with the programmable controller a dispensing system in communication the operator interface, the programmable controller, being wirelessly connected to the internet, and being operable to associate the at least one edible item with the least one flowable edible and/or inedible product; and the dispensing system dispenses an amount of the at least one flowable edible and/or inedible product associated with the selected edible item when the at least one edible and/or inedible item is selected.

An automatic frozen food product vending machine includes a freezer barrel configured to produce a frozen food product, a spigot fluidly connected to the freezer barrel, the spigot for dispensing the frozen food product, a movable platform for supporting a container to receive frozen food product, the movable container movable among a home position and a fill position below the spigot, and a processing circuit configured to open the spigot and fill the container with an amount of frozen food product.

A vending machine for dispensing both soft-serve ice cream and frozen ice-cream-based beverages to consumers. The machine includes a power management system having a controller, a master relay for controlling power supplied to a first component, slave relays for controlling power supplied to second and third components, and a current sensor for sensing a current draw of the machine. The machine also includes a flavoring plate for providing flavoring to a dispensed ice cream product. The plate includes an orifice for extruding the product, a channel extending around the orifice, two or more ports in fluid communication with the channel, and one or more gates in communication with the channel and the orifice. Each of two or more ports is configured to introduce one of a flavoring fluid or a cleaning fluid to the channel.

Provided is a device, comprising: a barrier configured to impeded or prevent particles shed by a robot in a first volume of space from entering a second volume of space in which the robot manipulates a workpiece; and a robot having three or more degrees of freedom, the robot comprising: a first portion disposed on a first side of the barrier in the first volume, the first portion comprising an actuator of the robot, the actuator being configured to drive movement of the robot to manipulate the workpiece; and a second portion disposed on a second side of the barrier in the second volume, the second portion comprising an end-effector of the robot by which the robot makes contact with the workpiece.

A method for dispensing a beverage container to a consumer. The method includes receiving in a beverage container dispenser a first beverage container that contains a beverage corresponding to a beverage selection of a user. The method further includes dispensing a second beverage container containing the beverage from a temperature-regulated compartment of the beverage container dispenser. The second beverage container that is dispensed from the temperature-regulated compartment corresponds to the beverage selection of the user.

Disclosed herein is a method of controlling a robot arm to make ice cream. The method of controlling includes: receiving ice cream order information; gripping an ice cream capsule disposed on a table using the gripper of a robot arm; placing the ice cream capsule on a capsule support; gripping a cup configured to accommodate ice cream using the gripper of the robot arm; moving the cup under the capsule support while the gripper is gripping the cup; and discharging ice cream in the ice cream capsule to the cup. Discharging the ice cream includes controlling the robot arm so that the cup is rotated while the ice cream is being discharged.