US 12,185,847 B2
Bulk food dispenser automation
Craig Pavlich, Glen Ellyn, IL (US); Christopher Lyons, Western Springs, IL (US); and Austen Siwiec, Naperville, IL (US)
Assigned to Trade Fixtures, LLC, Little Rock, AR (US)
Filed by Trade Fixtures, LLC, Little Rock, AR (US)
Filed on Mar. 14, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/694,001.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/161,734, filed on Mar. 16, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0296009 A1, Sep. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. A47F 3/02 (2006.01); B65G 65/00 (2006.01); G01F 11/46 (2006.01); G06Q 30/0283 (2023.01); G07F 17/00 (2006.01)
CPC A47F 3/02 (2013.01) [B65G 65/005 (2013.01); G01F 11/46 (2013.01); G06Q 30/0283 (2013.01); G07F 17/0064 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A bulk food product gravity-feed dispenser for use by customers in a retail setting, the gravity-feed dispenser comprising:
a compartment configured to receive and store bulk food material;
a valve separating the compartment from an outlet, the valve operable to open and close to selectively permit bulk food material to pass from the compartment through the outlet;
a controller configured to receive an identification of the bulk food material in the compartment and to receive a dispense input, the controller configured to operate the valve based upon the received dispense input and to lookup food product data using the identification of the bulk food material, and the controller configured to, upon operation of the valve, calculate an estimated dispense volume from the valve operation and the food product data and to calculate an estimated dispense price based at least in part upon the estimated dispense volume and the food product data; and
a graphical display operable by the controller to present a visual indication of an estimated dispense amount and the estimated dispense price, wherein the estimated dispense amount is the estimated dispense volume or an estimated dispense weight calculated from the estimated dispense volume.