A storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals is provided. The storage container includes a housing, which encloses a receptacle chamber having a guide section, wherein an inner wall of the guide section defines a circular-cylindrical guide chamber. A singulating unit is arranged in the guide section of the housing having a central axis of rotation. The singulating unit has a main section and multiple projections, wherein each projection has two end sections and a middle section. One pharmaceutical duct is formed between each two end sections of adjacent projections, wherein the middle sections of the projections are recessed and one or both end sections of each projection bear on the wall of the guide section. Gaps between the singulating unit and the inner wall allow pharmaceutical dust to fall through to avoid pharmaceutical dust formed during singulation causing increased friction between the singulating unit and the wall of the storage container.

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 storage container for a storage and dispensing station for pharmaceuticals is provided. The storage container includes a housing, which encloses a receptacle chamber having a guide section, wherein an inner wall of the guide section defines a circular-cylindrical guide chamber. A singulating unit is arranged in the guide section of the housing having a central axis of rotation. The singulating unit has a main section and multiple projections, wherein each projection has two end sections and a middle section. One pharmaceutical duct is formed between each two end sections of adjacent projections, wherein the middle sections of the projections are recessed and one or both end sections of each projection bear on the wall of the guide section. Gaps between the singulating unit and the inner wall allow pharmaceutical dust to fall through to avoid pharmaceutical dust formed during singulation causing increased friction between the singulating unit and the wall of the storage container.

A food vending machine and a food vending method are provided. The food vending machine includes a storage device, a movement device, a delivery device and a heating device. The storage device is configured to store at least one food item. The movement device is provided corresponding to the storage device, and is configured to fetch the at least one food item from the storage device and move the at least one food item. The delivery device is provided corresponding to the movement device, and includes at least one delivery portion. The at least one delivery portion includes a placement board. The movement device is configured to move and place the at least one food item on the placement board. The heating device includes a steam portion, a hot water portion and at least one injection member.

A system and a methodology are presented to solve the problem of increasing the capacity for different types of products, while matching stock with forecasted sales volumes per product type in automatic vending machines. The position of a selected product in a sub-shelf is calculated and tracked in a product stack. All products in the product stack, up to and including the selected product, are removed from the stack while maintaining their relative order in the stack. The selected product is then dispensed or discarded and the remaining removed products are returned to the stack while maintaining their relative order in the stack.

A system and a methodology are presented to solve the problem of increasing the capacity for different types of products, while matching stock with forecasted sales volumes per product type in automatic vending machines. The position of a selected product in a sub-shelf is calculated and tracked in a product stack. All products in the product stack, up to and including the selected product, are removed from the stack while maintaining their relative order in the stack. The selected product is then dispensed or discarded and the remaining removed products are returned to the stack while maintaining their relative order in the stack.

Disclosed is a bucket, including a bucket body having inner cavity, a power assembly and a driving assembly. The power assembly is configured to detachably mate with the power input member of a storage column of a vending machine, to supply power for the power input member. The driving assembly is connected to the power assembly and is configured to drive the power assembly to move back and forth in a set direction. Also disclosed is a vending machine.

A vending machine has a cabinet internally defining a dispensing compartment that is closed by a front door and houses a plurality of dispensing trays, each of which supports a plurality of products and is slidably engaged in a guide device defined by a pair of elongated guides, each of which is coupled to the cabinet through a front tooth and a rear tooth and is provided with a retractable spring-loaded locking pin movable between a coupling position and a release position with respect to the cabinet.

A vending machine has a cabinet internally defining a dispensing compartment that is closed by a front door and houses a plurality of dispensing trays, each of which supports a plurality of products and is slidably engaged in a guide device defined by a pair of elongated guides, each of which is coupled to the cabinet through a front tooth and a rear tooth and is provided with a retractable spring-loaded locking pin movable between a coupling position and a release position with respect to the cabinet.

The present disclosure provides a driving device, a bucket and a vending machine. The driving device comprises a base, a motor arranged on the base, a transmission mechanism in transmission connection with the output shaft of the motor and a power output wheel in transmission connection with the transmission mechanism; the transmission mechanism is configured to drive the power output wheel to rotate and to move from a first position to a second position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a first preset direction; the transmission mechanism is also configured to drive the power output wheel to move from the second position to the first position when the output shaft of the motor rotates in a second preset direction; wherein the first preset direction is opposite to the second preset direction.