An improved dispenser unit for dispensing bulk food items, including a cabinet having at least one hopper having a drum with product compartments, a deflector and flexible gate valve, a dispense assembly, and a control system. The dispense assembly may or may not include one or more belts and/or sensors. The product compartments include flexible and/or elastic membranes, which dynamically change the effective product storage volume within a compartment, and eliminate rigid or semi-rigid pinch points between the drum and drum compartment. A product flow divider may be positioned above the receiving container in the dispense assembly, said divider configured to cause the dispensed product to divide into two or more flow streams into the receiving container. The receiving container may be vibrated or oscillated.

Systems are disclosed for dispensing, weighing, identifying, processing, and/or printing tag identifiers for items (e.g., bulk food items). In one embodiment, a storage system includes a scoop bin configured to store a product, wherein the scoop bin has a lid configured to be moved between a closed position and an open position, and wherein the product is configured to be scooped out of the scoop bin by a customer when the lid is in the open position. The system further includes a sensor configured to monitor a movement of the scoop bin, wherein the sensor is configured to transmit a notification to the computing device identifying the movement of the scoop bin. A printer is configured to receive an instruction from the computing device to automatically print a label identifying the product stored in the scoop bin following the computing device receiving the notification of the movement.

An improved dispenser unit for dispensing bulk food items, including a cabinet having at least one hopper having a drum with product compartments, a deflector and flexible gate valve, a dispense assembly, and a control system. The dispense assembly may or may not include one or more belts and/or sensors. The product compartments include flexible and/or elastic membranes, which dynamically change the effective product storage volume within a compartment, and eliminate rigid or semi-rigid pinch points between the drum and drum compartment. A product flow divider may be positioned above the receiving container in the dispense assembly, said divider configured to cause the dispensed product to divide into two or more flow streams into the receiving container. The receiving container may be vibrated or oscillated.

An improved dispenser unit for dispensing bulk food items, including a cabinet having at least one hopper having a drum with product compartments, a deflector and flexible gate valve, a dispense assembly, and a control system. The dispense assembly may or may not include one or more belts and/or sensors. The product compartments include flexible and/or elastic membranes, which dynamically change the effective product storage volume within a compartment, and eliminate rigid or semi-rigid pinch points between the drum and drum compartment. A product flow divider may be positioned above the receiving container in the dispense assembly, said divider configured to cause the dispensed product to divide into two or more flow streams into the receiving container. The receiving container may be vibrated or oscillated.

A system for bulk pet food dispersing. The system has one or more scales, and for each scale a pulley system and a pair of rails which can be used to lift a bulk bag of pet food into place above the scale and a gravity-fed dispenser, which can include a dispenser control. The bulk bag of pet food can attach to the pulley system using hooks, eyelets, knots, chains, etc., then raised into place using a crank which moves the pulley system. Users can then disperse the pet food from the raised bulk bag into their own bag using a dispenser control, such as a handle or lever.

A system for bulk pet food dispersing. The system has one or more scales, and for each scale a pulley system and a pair of rails which can be used to lift a bulk bag of pet food into place above the scale and a gravity-fed dispenser, which can include a dispenser control. The bulk bag of pet food can attach to the pulley system using hooks, eyelets, knots, chains, etc., then raised into place using a crank which moves the pulley system. Users can then disperse the pet food from the raised bulk bag into their own bag using a dispenser control, such as a handle or lever.

A nut dispenser device for dispensing nuts is provided. The nut dispenser device comprises a hollow support structure having a top side, a bottom side, and an open front side. A nut holder housing is pivotally connected to the support structure with the nut holder housing having a back door pivotally connected to the nut holder housing near a top of the nut holder housing. A spring mechanism is positioned between the support structure and the nut holder housing with the spring mechanism biasing the nut holder housing in a generally upward direction. A nut collection base is mounted to the bottom side of the support structure. As the back door of the nut holder housing opens and the nuts are dispensed therethrough, and into the nut collection base by gravity for retrieval by the user.

A dispenser includes a main body having a discharge opening, an open interior configured to receive a supply of granulated product and a discharge spout for dispensing the granulated product therefrom. A loading and dispensing member is constructed with a plurality of spaced apart receiving cavities formed therein, and is movably mounted within the main body. A portion control container receiving the granulated product and defining a first portion control volume is received and removably retained in each of the plurality of retaining cavities. Each entire portion control container is removable from one of the receiving cavities and is replaceable with a different portion control container defining a second portion volume which is different that the first portion volume. An agitator is positioned within the main body, and is configured for separate engagement with each of the portion control containers to agitate the granulated product received in each of the portion control containers during movement of the loading and dispensing member.

A dispenser includes a main body having a discharge opening, an open interior configured to receive a supply of granulated product and a discharge spout for dispensing the granulated product therefrom. A loading and dispensing member is constructed with a plurality of spaced apart receiving cavities formed therein, and is movably mounted within the main body. A portion control container receiving the granulated product and defining a first portion control volume is received and removably retained in each of the plurality of retaining cavities. Each entire portion control container is removable from one of the receiving cavities and is replaceable with a different portion control container defining a second portion volume which is different that the first portion volume. An agitator is positioned within the main body, and is configured for separate engagement with each of the portion control containers to agitate the granulated product received in each of the portion control containers during movement of the loading and dispensing member.

A system that includes detergent articles and a dispenser. The dispenser may include a drum containing the articles, a collection element having a scoop, and a refilling area. The drum may be rotatable around a drum rotation axis making an angle of at least 75 degrees and of less than 135 degrees with the direction of gravity, and the drum may have a cylindrical shape, a barrel shape, a funnel shape or a conical shape.