In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes an automated delivery system apparatus comprising a mechanical guide, a movable unit coupled to the guide on a first surface, and an engaging unit configured to couple to a second surface separated from the first surface by a thickness. The engaging unit is configured to engage an item on the second surface. A magnetic binding force between the movable unit and engaging unit moves the engaging unit along a path corresponding to a path of the movable unit. The engaging unit moves an item along a least a portion of the path.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a granule dispenser comprising a container for holding granulated components, a cap coupled to a bottom of said container, and a stopper. The stopper may be spring loaded against the ridge of said cap. An interface between the stopper and the cap comprises a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of sawtooth forms, wherein the protrusions mate to a base portion between the sawtooth forms in a first position to form a seal between the cap and the stopper, and wherein, when the stopper is rotated, the protrusions engage a sloped portion of the sawtooth forms to create a plurality of openings between the cap and the stopper.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a granule dispenser comprising a container for holding granulated components, a cap coupled to a bottom of said container, and a stopper. The stopper may be spring loaded against the ridge of said cap. An interface between the stopper and the cap comprises a plurality of protrusions and a plurality of sawtooth forms, wherein the protrusions mate to a base portion between the sawtooth forms in a first position to form a seal between the cap and the stopper, and wherein, when the stopper is rotated, the protrusions engage a sloped portion of the sawtooth forms to create a plurality of openings between the cap and the stopper.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes an automated food production kiosk. Embodiments of a kiosk may comprise a robotic system having a reach. A plurality of food ingredient dispensers may be configured around the robotic system. Each dispenser may have a physical interface within a reach of the robotic system to receive an item. One or more physical processing units have a physical interface within the reach of the robotic system to receive the item. The kiosk may prepare food items under control of a local server, a cloud server, or both, for example.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a solid dispenser comprising a dispensing element and a housing. The dispensing element includes a plurality of blades extending from a cylindrical base. In one example embodiment, the blades are separated by 90 degrees to form channels from an upper opening in the housing to a lower opening in the housing. A hopper for storing items to be dispensed may be configured on one side of the dispenser, and a trap for controlling the flow of dispensed items may be configured on the other side of the dispenser. In one embodiment, the dispenser is controlled by motors coupled to a server as part of a fully automated cloud controlled robotic food preparation system, where each dispenser may accurately deliver different quantities of ingredients for different orders.

In one embodiment, the present disclosure includes a cloud computer system for controlling a plurality of remote devices comprising a cloud server including a cloud based operating system comprising a data model stored in a computer memory. The data model includes commands that may be performed by a plurality of remote devices in a remote system and, for each remote device, one or more operations for triggering processes executed by the remote device. The cloud based operating system generates a set of instructions from the plurality of commands and corresponding operations to control a portion of the remote devices to perform a task.

The disclosed aspects relate to a closure that includes a lid and a body portion operatively attached to the lid. The closure can include a primary dispensing opening in the body portion and a shelf area adjacent to the primary dispensing opening, wherein the shelf area is configured to hold dispensed product. The closure can also include a secondary dispensing opening above the shelf area and the primary dispensing opening.

A container having an automatically opening and closing lid and for storing various contents is disclosed. To this end, the present invention includes: an outer container (10); an inner container (20); a contents container (30); an upper lid (40) having an upper lid body (41), a contents supply hole (42), an opening and closing piece (43), and an opening and closing piece actuating portion (44); and a lower support (50) comprised of an upper fixed member (51) and a lower actuating member (55). Therefore, the present invention can be used without a separate opening and closing operation of the lid and thus is highly convenient and sanitary.

A liquid container orifice assembly, lid assembly, and unibody lid construction enable a user to outfit particularized liquid containers for enabling lid-based liquid-pooling or compartmentalization and heat transfer from lid-pooled or lid-compartmentalized liquid prior to liquid egression from a lid-outfitted liquid container prior to liquid consumption. All embodiments provide liquid re-directing or damming structures that operate to control the delivery of hot liquid for promoting heat loss from re-directed liquid flows. Certain structures cooperate with existing art to minimize leakage problems associated therewith. Other structures operate to particularly shape parceled liquid volumes for effecting rapid heat transfers therefrom. Still other structures harness material-philic properties of liquids for further effecting rapid heat transfers and liquid directional control mechanisms. Combinations of the various structural features here noted are also contemplated throughout the following specifications.

A squirt dispensing closure (10) for liquid drink flavor concentrate includes a closure body (12), a hinged cap (14), and a flow baffle (18). The closure body has a closure deck (20) and a tubular dispensing spout (22) having a lower portion (26) extending downwardly to provide a flow conduit (28) from the interior of the closure body. The flow baffle (18) includes a bottom wall (40), and a side wall (42) which is snap mounted over the lower portion of the dispensing spout (22). A fluid well (50) is formed in the bottom wall (40) and a fluid opening (52) is formed on a peripheral edge of the bottom wall. An arcuate baffling wall (54) extends upwardly from the bottom wall (40) adjacent the fluid opening (52), forming a restricted flow gap (56) from the fluid opening into an interior of the flow baffle (18). A baffling post (58) extends upwardly from within the fluid well 50) into the flow conduit (28) to form a restricted annular flow passage (60) therebetween.