A module includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening. The agitator has a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface. The shaft passes through the inner bore. The locking feature when engaged permits independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore.

A compact gravity-driven distribution mechanism for spherical objects comprises a spherical objects container, a deflector inside the container, and a spherical objects regulator with a rotary plate attached at the bottom. Spherical objects are pre-loaded or dynamically flow into the spherical objects container and the deflector in the container guides spherical objects into the spherical objects regulator underneath the container. The spherical objects regulator regulates the spherical objects into three chambers where the spherical objects are ready for discharge. Spherical objects flow out of the spherical objects regulator in three streams. The rotary plate can be rotated to shut or open the channel of spherical objects flow. Spherical object flow is driven solely by gravity, which makes the mechanism energy efficient. The compound structure of this mechanism can be small and compact, making it easy to be deployed.

The medication container includes a receptacle that has an inner space for holding medications. The cap assembly is coupled with the receptacle for retaining the medications in the inner space. The cap assembly includes at least one passage that can be selectively opened and closed and includes at least one medication sensor that is configured to detect any medications travelling through the passage and out of the receptacle in a contactless manner. A microprocessor is in electrical communication with the at least one medication sensor and with a memory. The microprocessor is configured to record data to the memory in response to the at least one medication sensor detecting a medication travelling through the passage. A wireless module is in electrical communication with the microprocessor for uploading the data to an external device.

Contact lens dispensers are provided including a pens dispenser having an interior and a dispensing end. A delivery screw is provided in the interior of the tubular housing. The delivery screw has a thread pitch and a plurality of contact lenses, one contact lens per pitch. Upon actuation of an actuator, each contact lens moves along the thread by a distance of one pitch and a single contact lens is dispensed from the dispensing end of the tubular housing. A case and disposable foil contact lens cartridge are also provided as a re a case and disposable contact lens foil spool, wherein actuation of push-buttons dispense contact lenses ready for immediate application onto an eye.

A module includes a housing, a sealing feature, a locking feature, and an agitator. The housing has an opening separating inner and outer surfaces and a boss that extends through the housing such that part of the outer surface forms an inner bore of the boss having a terminus pointing toward the opening. The agitator has a base, a shaft, and a mixing element coupled to the base such that the base, in cooperation with the sealing feature, circumferentially seals the opening of the housing to form a cavity defined by the inner surface. The shaft passes through the inner bore. The locking feature when engaged permits independent or simultaneous translational and rotational movement of the shaft while an area between the terminus of the boss and the shaft remains mechanically sealed during the movement against liquid or powder encroachment into a clean area of the inner bore.

A sealed capsule for blending and dispensing an initially solid food product holds a blending component with embedded food product. Actuating the blending component through an electronic control system causes the food product to be blended within the capsule. One or more feedback control mechanisms are used to guarantee a desired consistency of the blended food product. Provided are structural features of the capsule, and methods of using its contents to blend and dispense soft-serve products.

The present invention provides a new bulk, dry foods dispensing apparatus and system for commercial, retail and home use designed to dispense a predetermined volume of dry bulk food into a bowl or other receptacle without crushing or breaking the food. The bulk food dispenser includes a hopper, a dispensing chamber including two or more openings, a baffle located above the dispensing chamber for directing the solid bulk material to be dispensed from the hopper to the dispensing chamber, and a paddle wheel located within the dispensing chamber, where the paddle wheel further includes a plurality of protrusions for directing a solid material out of the dispensing chamber when the paddle wheel is rotated, where at least one of the two or more openings receive the solid material directed by the baffle, and where at least one of the two or more openings dispense the solid material out of the dispensing chamber.

The present invention provides a new bulk, dry foods dispensing apparatus and system for commercial, retail and home use designed to dispense a predetermined volume of dry bulk food into a bowl or other receptacle without crushing or breaking the food. The bulk food dispenser includes a hopper, a dispensing chamber including two or more openings, a baffle located above the dispensing chamber for directing the solid bulk material to be dispensed from the hopper to the dispensing chamber, and a paddle wheel located within the dispensing chamber, where the paddle wheel further includes a plurality of protrusions for directing a solid material out of the dispensing chamber when the paddle wheel is rotated, where at least one of the two or more openings receive the solid material directed by the baffle, and where at least one of the two or more openings dispense the solid material out of the dispensing chamber.

Contact lens dispensers are provided including a pens dispenser having an interior and a dispensing end. A delivery screw is provided in the interior of the tubular housing. The delivery screw has a thread pitch and a plurality of contact lenses, one contact lens per pitch. Upon actuation of an actuator, each contact lens moves along the thread by a distance of one pitch and a single contact lens is dispensed from the dispensing end of the tubular housing. A case and disposable foil contact lens cartridge are also provided as a re a case and disposable contact lens foil spool, wherein actuation of push-buttons dispense contact lenses ready for immediate application onto an eye.

[Technical Problem]

To improve convenience of a medicine dispensing apparatus.

[Solution to Problem]

A medicine dispensing apparatus (1) includes a first rotator, a second rotator, a counter (26), a recovering path (22) having a recovering end (22A), a dispensing end (21) having a dispensing end (21A) disposed in a position higher than the recovering end, and a switching mechanism (25) for switching a medicine passage path between the dispensing path and the recovering path.