Food service cup dispensers, systems, and methods

A system for providing on-demand cup printing for a food service order, the system comprising:

• a food request module configured to receive a request for food service for a customer, wherein the request for food service includes the food service order;
• and
• a cup dispenser for dispensing a cup with printed information for use with the food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:
• a communication element;
• a cup source configured to hold a plurality of cups that are arranged in a first stack and a second stack, each of the plurality of cups comprising an open end and a closed end and a sidewall extending therebetween;
• a printing module comprising a printer configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on a sidewall of a first cup received from the first stack via a first path and further configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on a sidewall of a second cup received from the second stack via a second path, wherein the at least one of order information or personalization information is based on the food service order associated with the corresponding cup;
• and
• a dispensing section configured to enable a user to access at least one of the printed first cup or the printed second cup, wherein, the printed first cup includes the order information or personalization information printed thereon when the printed first cup is accessible in the dispensing section,
• wherein the printer is configured to print the at least one of order information or personalization information on the sidewall of the first cup when the first cup is in a horizontal orientation, wherein, when the first cup is in the horizontal orientation, at least one of a central axis of the first cup extending through each of the first cup's open and closed ends or a portion of the sidewall of the first cup is horizontal during printing of the first cup,
• wherein the printing module is configured to receive the first cup from the first stack of cups at a first printing position such that the first cup is disposed in the horizontal orientation and the second cup from the second stack of cups at a second printing position such that the second cup is disposed in a horizontal orientation, and wherein a printer head of the printing module is configured to print on both of the first cup disposed in the first printing position and the second cup disposed in the second printing position.

A cup dispenser for providing on-demand cup printing for a food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:

• a cup source configured to hold one or more cups, wherein each of the one or more cups comprises an open end and a closed end and a sidewall extending therebetween;
• a printing module comprising a printer configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on a sidewall of a first cup so as to form a printed first cup, wherein the at least one of order information or personalization information is based on the food service order associated with the first cup;
• a dispensing section configured to enable a user to access the printed first cup, wherein, the printed first cup includes the order information or personalization information printed thereon when the printed first cup is accessible in the dispensing section;
• and
• one or more cup-moving elements configured to change the first cup from a first orientation in the cup source to the horizontal orientation as the cup moves from the cup source to the printing module, wherein the first orientation is different than the horizontal orientation,
• wherein the printer is configured to print the at least one of order information or personalization information on the sidewall of the first cup when the first cup is in a horizontal orientation, wherein, when the first cup is in the horizontal orientation, at least one of a central axis of the first cup extending through each of the first cup's open and closed ends or a portion of the sidewall of the first cup is horizontal during printing of the first cup, and
• wherein the one or more cup-moving elements comprise a sled having a cup-receiving portion disposed below the cup source, wherein the cup-receiving portion comprises a resilient shoulder configured to engage a lower surface of a lip at the open end of the first cup and to release engagement of the lower surface of the lip when the first cup is disposed within the printing module.