The present technology is directed to a kiosk for storing, displaying, and distributing a plurality of baked products. The kiosk may include, for example, a housing defining a chamber therein and configured to receive a plurality of baked products. The kiosk may include one or more sensors configured to analyze the individual baked products to determine one or more baked unit parameters and adjust one or more baking inputs based on the measured parameters.

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.

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.

A product dispensing system and methods of use are described. The system includes a linear dispensing unit configured to hold a number of products in an equal number of respective channels in a stacked orientation. Single units of the products are dispensed onto dedicated carriers which maintain an orientation of the product units. The carriers are independently moveable and identifiable and are moved to aggregate various product units associated with a single order and to transport the product units to a validation system. The validation system uses a variety of sensors to verify the identity of the product unit and to cross-reference the product identity with the order. A label is applied to the product unit and the product unit is further transported to a packaging system while continuing to maintain an orientation thereof.

The present invention provides an article storage container and an article feeder by which an article stored in the article storage container cannot be taken out easily and by which the article in the article storage container cannot be taken out easily when the article storage container is attached to and detached from the article feeder. The article storage container includes a lock mechanism in a shutter, and includes an opening/closing restriction mechanism configured to control the opening and closing of the shutter according to whether the article storage container is attached to or detached from the article feeder. The article storage container can be mounted on the article feeder only when the shutter is closed, and the shutter can be opened only after the article storage container is mounted on the article feeder.

Disclosed are a vending machine and a method of detecting height of a storage column. The vending machine may determine whether a sensor squarely faces the front end surface of the level plate of a storage column by detecting the type of an output signal of the sensor. When the sensor squarely faces the front end surface of the level plate of the storage column, the height of the level plate of the storage column may be obtained based on a height difference between the sensor and the bearing surface of a bucket and the height of the bucket. Thus, according to the height of the level plate of the storage column, the bearing surface of the bucket and the upper edge of the front end surface of the level plate of the storage column lie in the same level when dispensing an item.

A method of tracking inventory comprises providing a dispenser. The dispenser includes a body laterally extending between a first end and a second end. The dispenser also includes a stopper slidably coupled to the body to move between the first end and the second end and a biasing member coupled to the stopper to bias the stopper towards the second end. A plurality of identifiers are displayed on the biasing member. The method includes securing a plurality of units within the dispenser between the stopper and the second end, and displaying at least one of the plurality of identifiers to a user of the dispenser, the at least one of the plurality of identifiers corresponding to a total number of units in the dispenser.

A method of tracking inventory comprises providing a dispenser. The dispenser includes a body laterally extending between a first end and a second end. The dispenser also includes a stopper slidably coupled to the body to move between the first end and the second end and a biasing member coupled to the stopper to bias the stopper towards the second end. A plurality of identifiers are displayed on the biasing member. The method includes securing a plurality of units within the dispenser between the stopper and the second end, and displaying at least one of the plurality of identifiers to a user of the dispenser, the at least one of the plurality of identifiers corresponding to a total number of units in the dispenser.

There is provided a device for automatic asset management as well as a method for dispensing items from said automatic asset management device. The device comprises an enclosure, a shelving unit within the enclosure configured to store at least one item, a delivery hatch on the enclosure configured to allow access to the enclosure, and a dispensing unit within the enclosure. The dispensing unit comprises a front gate comprising an open portion and a closed portion, wherein the front gate is configured to control access through the delivery hatch and an elevator module configured to receive the item from the shelving unit, move to the front gate to link with the front gate, while linked with the front gate, move with the front gate to align the open portion with the delivery hatch to allow access to the item within the elevator module; and upon removal of the item from the elevator module, release the front gate to align the closed portion with the delivery hatch to restrict access to the delivery hatch.

Disclosed is a first dispenser module with a product holder for holding a plurality of beverage cans and a dispensing mechanism for dispensing one beverage can of the plurality of beverage cans at a time in a dispensing direction from the product holder, wherein the product holder is arranged for holding the plurality of beverage cans with their central axes parallel to said product orientation direction. The dispensing mechanism has a retaining cam that is movable with at least a vector component in the production orientation direction between a retaining position for retaining the plurality of beverage cans and a release position for releasing the beverage cans from the product holder, wherein the retaining cam, in the retaining position, is arranged to be in the path of the top rim or the bottom rim of one of the beverage cans in the dispensing direction.