According to one embodiment, a bagging device includes a commodity placing unit having an inclined surface and on which a commodity is placed, an openable and closable door provided at the lowermost portion of the inclined surface, determining the position of the commodity placed on the commodity placing unit in a closed state, and allowing the placed commodity to slide outward along the inclined surface in an open state, and a storage mechanism for dropping the slid commodity into a storage body set at a sliding movement destination of the commodity.

Disclosed are systems and methods for protecting an escrow clutch of a self-service terminal. The systems and methods may include actuating a motor of the self-service terminal to cause an escrow clutch of the self-service terminal to spin at a rate. As the clutch spins, a determination as to when a clutch slippage exceeds a preset slippage rate may be made. When the clutch slippage exceeds the preset slippage rate, the motor may be actuated to cause the escrow clutch to spin at a second rate. The second rate may less than the first rate.

An apparatus and method for storing medical products such as pharmaceutical and medical products in climate controlled storage devices includes climate control systems in communication with inventory access and tracking systems.

A novel food station comprises first and second pluralities of cubbies, each sized to enclose a food portion container, and a food collection hatch that is selectively externally accessible. A heating system can controllably heat one or more of the first plurality of cubbies independently of the first plurality of cubbies, and a cooling system can cool one or more of the second plurality of cubbies independently of the first plurality of cubbies. An internal transport system including an end effector that temporarily couples to the portion container carrier of a selected cooled cubby of the second plurality of cubbies and can controllably move the food portion container carrier to a selected heated cubby or to the food collection hatch.

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.

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 disclosure provides a pizza vending machine and an automatic pizza selling system. The pizza vending machine includes a first cabinet with a first window, a second cabinet arranged on one side of the first cabinet with a second window corresponding to the first window, a pizza storage device arranged in the first cabinet to store pizza, a conveying device arranged in the first cabinet and corresponding to the first window, a pizza baking and feeding device arranged in the second cabinet and corresponding to the second window to make a baked pizza to be packaged out, and a packaging box storage device arranged in the second cabinet and corresponding to the pizza baking and feeding device to make a packaging box fall into the pizza baking and feeding device to complete packaging.

The invention relates to a method for step dispensing discrete medicaments from a feeder unit, wherein the feeder unit comprises a container holding said medicaments, and a dispensing mechanism configured for receiving the medicaments from the container and selectively dispensing the medicaments from the feeder unit, wherein the dispensing mechanism comprises a singulating body with a plurality of singulation chambers; and a first release member arranged below the singulating body and provided with a release opening, wherein the first release member and the singulating body are movable with respect to each other, the method comprising the steps of: moving the singulating body and the first release member relative to each other into an aligned position in which one of the plurality of singulation chambers is aligned with the release opening; when the singulating body is in the aligned position, stopping relative movement between the singulating body and the first release member; maintaining the singulating body stationary with respect to the first release member for a predetermined waiting period to allow any medicaments accommodated in the aligned singulation chamber to fall through the release opening.

A novel food station comprises a plurality of cubbies, each cubby sized to enclose a food portion container, and an externally accessible collection hatch large enough for the food portion container to pass therethrough. A heating system can controllably heat the food portion container within a selected one of the cubbies, independently of an operation of the heating system the other cubbies. A cooling system can perform cooling within a subset of cubbies that includes at least the selected cubby. An internal transport system includes an end effector that temporarily couples to the portion container carrier of the selected cubby and controllably moves the food portion container carrier within the food station to the collection hatch. A control system includes a memory that controls the heating and controls the movement of the internal transport system.

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.