Vending machines for storing and dispensing products to consumers in a space-efficient manner. A vending machine may include a product compartment, a product storage system, a support structure, a dispensing port, and a product delivery system. The support structure may elevate the product compartment and form a void beneath the product compartment. Other structures may occupy the void beneath the product compartment, or humans may walk through the void beneath the product compartment. A product may be automatically moved from the product compartment to the dispensing port using the product delivery system.

A vending machine configured to dispense foodstuffs includes a plurality of cartridges having a plurality of slots with each slot releasably retaining a foodstuff; a heating section configured to receive at least one foodstuff from at least one of the plurality of slots and to heat the at least one foodstuff; and a dispensing drawer configured to receive the at least one foodstuff passing through the heating section and to permit access to the foodstuff.

A food management system includes a cabinet having a chamber, a lift, and an ejector. The chamber is defined, in part, by a front wall including a chute defining a first end of a dispensing region along the cabinet. At least one lift is disposed within the chamber, and is configured to receive a plurality of containers therein. The lift is operable to sequentially present at least one of the containers to the dispensing region of the cabinet. The ejector includes a bumper disposed within the dispensing region. The bumper is operable to translate through the dispensing region from a retracted position on an opposite side of the at least one lift from the chute, to an extended position between the retracted position and the chute to bias the at least one of the containers from the at least one lift through the chute.

The data storage system according to certain aspects can implement table level database restore. Table level database restore may refer to restoring a database table and its related data without restoring the entire database. The data storage system may use table metadata index to implement table level restore. A table metadata index may be created for each table, e.g., during a backup of the database. The table metadata index for a table can include any type of information for restoring the table and its related data. Some examples of the type of information included in the table metadata index include the following: container for the table, table backup location, system data, table index, table relationships, etc. Table metadata index can make the restoring of tables fast and efficient by packaging information that can be used to restore a table and its related data in an easily accessible manner.

A vending machine configured to dispense foodstuffs includes a plurality of cartridges having a plurality of slots with each slot releasably retaining a foodstuff; a heating section configured to receive at least one foodstuff from at least one of the plurality of slots and to heat the at least one foodstuff; and a dispensing drawer configured to receive the at least one foodstuff passing through the heating section and to permit access to the foodstuff.

Vending machines for storing and dispensing products to consumers in a space-efficient manner. A vending machine may include a product compartment, a product storage system, a support structure, a dispensing port, and a product delivery system. The support structure may elevate the product compartment and form a void beneath the product compartment. Other structures may occupy the void beneath the product compartment, or humans may walk through the void beneath the product compartment. A product may be automatically moved from the product compartment to the dispensing port using the product delivery system.

The present invention relates to an auxiliary battery and an auxiliary battery rental device, and the auxiliary battery rental device according to the present invention comprises: a battery port allowing an auxiliary battery to be discharged therefrom or returned thereto; a battery queue in which auxiliary batteries are vertically stacked and loaded; a carrier for discharging an auxiliary battery loaded in the battery queue to the battery port, or loading an auxiliary battery returned to the battery port in the battery queue; a lift for lifting at least some of the auxiliary batteries loaded in the battery queue; a charging unit for charging at least some of the auxiliary batteries loaded in the battery queue; and a control unit for controlling an operation of the rental device such that lending and returning operations of the auxiliary batteries are automatically performed. According to the present invention, lending, returning, charging, and lending of auxiliary batteries can be circularly and automatically performed.

A dispenser for scrubs or other items is modular and can be configured with a desired number of cells for storing scrubs and dispensing them accordingly. The dispenser includes a main or primary bank of cells with each cell housing an inventory of multiple scrubs for dispensing. The main bank of cells may operate in a standalone manner to dispense scrubs, or additional banks can be added to the main bank for increased inventory capacity. The scrubs are stored in a vertical stack in each cell with the uppermost scrub in the cell being the next scrub in that cell to be dispensed. One or more pickers each translate along a gantry to be selectively positioned above one of the cells for picking to pull the uppermost scrub in the cell and elevate it out of the cell. Multiple pickers may operate simultaneously to pick and dispense multiple scrubs at the same time. Each cell includes a platform supporting the vertical stack of scrubs. Once picked, the scrub is moved by the picker along the gantry to a discharge position in the main bank over a discharge delivery chute.

A dispenser for scrubs or other items is modular and can be configured with a desired number of cells for storing scrubs and dispensing them accordingly. The dispenser includes a main or primary bank of cells with each cell housing an inventory of multiple scrubs for dispensing. The main bank of cells may operate in a standalone manner to dispense scrubs, or additional banks can be added to the main bank for increased inventory capacity. The scrubs are stored in a vertical stack in each cell with the uppermost scrub in the cell being the next scrub in that cell to be dispensed. One or more pickers each translate along a gantry to be selectively positioned above one of the cells for picking to pull the uppermost scrub in the cell and elevate it out of the cell. Multiple pickers may operate simultaneously to pick and dispense multiple scrubs at the same time. Each cell includes a platform supporting the vertical stack of scrubs. Once picked, the scrub is moved by the picker along the gantry to a discharge position in the main bank over a discharge delivery chute.

A mask dispensing assembly includes a housing that is positionable in a public transportation vehicle and the housing has a dispensing slot extending into an interior of the housing to dispense face masks stored in the housing to the passengers. A lifting unit is positioned within the housing to lift a stack of disposable face masks in the housing thereby aligning a topmost one of the stack of disposable face masks with the slot. A dispenser is positioned in the housing to urge the topmost one of the stack of disposable face masks outwardly through the slot. A switch is positioned in the public transportation and the lifting unit is actuated when the switch is depressed to facilitate the driver to dispense a disposable mask for a passenger to wear.