A vending machine with a curved exterior shape is disclosed. Some embodiments of the vending machine are circular in design, and include a transparent upper housing that allows customers to see into the interior of the vending machine. Products for vending may be stored in a non-transparent lower housing. A centrally-located product delivery system transports products for vending from the lower housing to delivery portals located on the upper housing. The product delivery system is able to move along a vertical line and rotate through the horizontal plane and can deliver products from any portion of the lower housing to any delivery portals located on the upper housing.

In a medication dispensing system, pills of different medications are stored in different chambers of a pill bottle. An assembly of a non-moving disc having holes corresponding to each chamber, a rotatable disc having a hole for dispensing pills therethrough, and a motor, dispenses the pills according to a prescribed schedule. The motor controls the rotations of the rotatable disc according to a user-specified schedule.

A storage and dispensing station for drugs is provided. The storage and dispensing station includes a receiving space for drug portions, the receiving space having a feed section with a base section and a dispensing opening, an ejection device for moving a drug portion through the dispensing opening, the ejection device having a slide which can be moved in the feed section towards the dispensing opening and a slide drive coupled to the slide for moving the slide, as well as a lock which can be moved in the feed section and which can be moved in the feed section such that when a drug portion is moved towards the dispensing opening, movement of drug portions in the feed section is prevented.

A medicine cassette 100 includes a side-wall constituent body 110, a first rotating body 120, a second rotating body 130 and a medicine discharging part 144c. The medicine cassette 100 can scrape up medicines prepared in a medicine containing part 182 along with a rotation of the first rotating body 120 to transfer and place the medicines onto the second rotating body 130 and transfer the medicines toward a downstream side of a rotational direction of the second rotating body 130 to discharge the medicines from the medicine discharging part 144c. An expanding portion 110a expanding toward an outer side of a radial direction of the second rotating body 130 is provided in the side-wall constituent body 110 on a lower side of the second rotating body 130.

A medicine cassette 100 includes a side-wall constituent body 110, a first rotating body 120, a second rotating body 130 and a medicine discharging part 144c. The medicine cassette 100 can scrape up medicines prepared in a medicine containing part 182 along with a rotation of the first rotating body 120 to transfer and place the medicines onto the second rotating body 130 and transfer the medicines toward a downstream side of a rotational direction of the second rotating body 130 to discharge the medicines from the medicine discharging part 144c. An expanding portion 110a expanding toward an outer side of a radial direction of the second rotating body 130 is provided in the side-wall constituent body 110 on a lower side of the second rotating body 130.

A vending machine comprises a cabinet, a rotating mechanism and a linkage mechanism. The cabinet comprises a cabinet body and a cabinet door pivotally connected to the cabinet body. An accommodating space is arranged in the cabinet body. An opening communicated with the accommodating space is arranged on the cabinet body. The cabinet door is capable of opening or closing the opening. The rotating mechanism is arranged in the cabinet body and is rotatable relative to the cabinet body. The cabinet door drives the rotating mechanism to rotate via the linkage mechanism, when the cabinet door is rotated toward a set position from a closed position.

A vending machine comprises a cabinet, a rotating mechanism and a linkage mechanism. The cabinet comprises a cabinet body and a cabinet door pivotally connected to the cabinet body. An accommodating space is arranged in the cabinet body. An opening communicated with the accommodating space is arranged on the cabinet body. The cabinet door is capable of opening or closing the opening. The rotating mechanism is arranged in the cabinet body and is rotatable relative to the cabinet body. The cabinet door drives the rotating mechanism to rotate via the linkage mechanism, when the cabinet door is rotated toward a set position from a closed position.

A dispensing mechanism includes at least two helical augers having threads, and at least two channels configured to hold the items to be dispensed. The items to be dispensed are received at least partially within the threads of the augers. The dispensing mechanism includes a drive mechanism engaged with the at least two augers and configured to rotate the at least two augers to transport the items to be dispensed, driven by the threads of the augers, to dispense the items from the dispensing mechanism. The dispensing mechanism may include a separable dispenser and cassette.

A dispensing machine is provided comprising a main frame with a bottom wall, top wall and side walls defining an enclosure for storage and dispensing of containers. A carousel is rotatably mounted atop said bottom wall about a vertical axis of rotation, said carousel having a plurality of separate compartments located around said axis for receiving a container in a compartment. A door is hingedly mounted to said main frame and movable to and from an open position allowing access to said compartment and a closed position limiting access to said compartment. A driver is mounted on said main frame and engaged with said carousel for drivingly rotating said carousel about said axis and position the compartment behind the door.

Systems, apparatus, methods, and articles of manufacture provide for modular vending systems utilizing reloadable product dispensing modules, including, but not limited to, vertical product dispensing modules comprising a vertical conveyor and a mounting structure for releasably engaging with module holder structures of modular vending machines, and a central controller device for communicating with a plurality of modular vending machines.