Automated beverage dispensing machines

A beverage dispensing machine that extends from top to bottom in a vertical direction, from right side to left side in a width direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction, and from front to back in a depth direction that is perpendicular to the vertical direction and perpendicular to the width direction, the beverage dispensing machine comprising:

• a countertop that extends in the width direction and in the depth direction;
• a conveyor on the countertop, wherein the conveyor carries a plurality of cup holders around a track having a front side oriented towards the front of the beverage dispensing machine and a back side oriented towards the back of the beverage machine, wherein the front side is accessible by an operator to remove cups from the plurality of cup holders;
• a cup tower located above the countertop in the vertical direction, the cup tower comprising a plurality of cup dispenser tubes that are each configured to hold a respective stack of cups, wherein the cup tower is rotatable about a vertical cup tower axis;
• a cup grabber located above the countertop and adjacent to the cup tower and between the back side of the track and the back of the beverage dispensing machine, wherein the cup grabber is movable up and down in the vertical direction into and between a raised position in which the cup grabber is positioned to grab a cup from one of the stacks of cups, a lowered position in which the cup grabber is positioned to place a cup into one of the plurality of cup holders, and an intermediate position in between the raised and lowered position wherein the cup grabber is spaced apart from and between the cup tower and the plurality of cup holders in the vertical direction so that the tower is free to rotate about the cup tower axis and the conveyor is free to carry the plurality of cup holders around the track;
• wherein each cup holder in the plurality of cup holders comprises a base, sidewalls extending upwardly from the base, and a front window formed in the sidewalls having an open top, wherein the front window is oriented away from a center of the track, the front window oriented and sized to facilitate manual grasping and removal of a cup from the cup holder when the cup holder is located on the front side of the track;
• and
• an ultrasonic sensor that senses whether a cup is present in each of the plurality of cup holders via the front window in the cup holder, and further comprising a controller that is configured to control the conveyor based upon an output from the sensor.