# US 12,318,045 B2 · Touchless food dispenser > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,318,045 B2 - Document ID: US12318045B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/421,630 - Filed: 2024-01-24 - Published: 2024-05-23 - Granted: 2025-06-03 - Earliest claimed: 2022-08-15 - Assignees: Touchless Dispenser Company, Inc. - Applicants: Touchless Dispenser Company Inc. - Inventors: Bryan Hakim; George Hakim; Gabe Hakim; Christian Haller - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12318045B2 ## CPC - A47J 47/01: with dispensing devices - G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence) - G05B 19/0423: {Input/output} - G07F 9/009: {User recognition or proximity detection} - G07F 9/023: {Arrangements for display, data presentation or advertising} - G07F 9/0235: {the arrangements being full-front touchscreens} - G07F 9/105: {Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage (dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064)} - G07F 11/005: {Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time} - G07F 11/62: in which the articles are stored in compartments in fixed receptacles - G07F 13/00: Coin-freed apparatus for controlling dispensing or fluids, semiliquids or granular material from reservoirs - G07F 13/10: with associated dispensing of containers, e.g. cups or other articles - G05B 2219/23021: Gesture programming, camera sees hand, displays it on screen, grasp buttons - G05B 2219/2645: Vending, distribute drinks - A47J: KITCHEN EQUIPMENT; COFFEE MILLS; SPICE MILLS; APPARATUS FOR MAKING BEVERAGES - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract A touchless food dispenser. The touchless food dispenser includes one or more types of food stored therein, one or more removable nozzles, and one or more nozzle replacement mechanisms. The touchless food dispenser is configured to dispense the food through the one or more removable nozzles. The one or more nozzle replacement mechanisms are configured to remove the one or more removable nozzles and replaces the one or more removable nozzles with a different removable nozzle. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A touchless food dispenser comprising: a plurality of packets of food stored within the touchless food dispenser; one or more apertures oriented to direct at least one of the plurality of packets of food out of the touchless food dispenser; a packet sensor that is configured to detect the plurality of packets of food as the plurality of packets of food are being dispensed; a powered roller assembly including a plurality of drive rollers configured to feed the plurality of packets of food continuously one after another toward the one or more apertures and to squeeze the plurality of packets of food between the plurality of drive rollers as the plurality of drive rollers feed the plurality of packets of food toward the one or more apertures; and a controller configured to: control the plurality of drive rollers to feed the plurality of packets of food from inside the touchless food dispenser continuously one after another toward the one or more apertures such that the at least one of the plurality of packets of food is dispensed through the one or more apertures and out of the touchless food dispenser, and the plurality of drive rollers squeeze the at least one of the plurality of packets of food as the plurality of drive rollers feed the plurality of packets of food toward the one or more apertures; detect the plurality of packets of food being fed through the plurality of drive rollers; determine whether a selected amount of the food has been dispensed out of the touchless food dispenser based on the plurality of packets of food detected by the packet sensor; and stop dispensing the plurality of packets of food out of the touchless food dispenser when the selected amount of food has been dispensed. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine a number of the plurality of packets of food that are being fed towards the one or more apertures for determining the selected amount of the food that has been dispensed. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine perforations in the plurality of packets of food as the plurality of packets of food pass the packet sensor. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the packet sensor is a photo-electronic device for detecting the plurality of packets of food. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive the selected amount of food to dispense and control the touchless food dispenser to dispense the selected amount of food. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the touchless food dispenser to dispense a predetermined amount of food. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, further comprising one or more dispenser proximity sensors to detect a gesture of a user, and the controller is configured to control the food being dispensed through the one or more apertures based on the gesture of the user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The touchless food dispenser of claim 7, wherein the controller controls the touchless food dispenser to dispense the food as long as the one or more dispenser proximity sensors detect the gesture of the user. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller receives a selection of an amount of food to dispense from a computing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to receive a selected quantity of the plurality of packets of food to dispense and control the touchless food dispenser to dispense the selected quantity of the plurality of packets of food. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drive rollers are configured to force the food out of the plurality of packets of food to dispense the food out of the one or more apertures and from the touchless food dispenser. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, further comprising an electric motor that is configured to provide mechanical power to the plurality of drive rollers for rotating the plurality of drive rollers. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The touchless food dispenser of claim 1, further comprising a cutting mechanism, wherein the controller is configured to control the cutting mechanism to cut the plurality of packets of food to dispense the at least one of the plurality of packets of food from the touchless food dispenser. ### Claim 14 A method of dispensing food from a touchless food dispenser including plurality of packets of food stored within the touchless food dispenser, one or more apertures, a packet sensor, and a powered roller assembly including plurality of drive rollers, the method comprising: dispensing at least one of the plurality of packets of food out of the touchless food dispenser by feeding the plurality of packets of food continuously one after another toward the one or more apertures and squeezing the at least one of the plurality of packets of food with the plurality of drive rollers as the plurality of drive rollers feed the plurality of packets of food toward the one or more apertures; detecting the plurality of packets of food being fed through the plurality of drive rollers; determine whether a selected amount of the food has been dispensed out of the touchless food dispenser based on the plurality of packets of food detected by the packet sensor; and stop dispensing the plurality of packets of food out of the touchless food dispenser when the selected amount of food has been dispensed. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a number of the plurality of packets of food that are being fed towards the one or more apertures for determining the selected amount of the food that has been dispensed. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising determining perforations in the plurality of packets of food as the plurality of packets of food pass the packet sensor. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the packet sensor is a photo-electronic device for detecting the plurality of packets of food. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving the selected amount of food to dispense and control the touchless food dispenser to dispense the selected amount of food. ### Claim 19 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising dispensing a predetermined amount of food. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting a gesture of a user by one or more dispenser proximity sensors, and dispensing the food through the one or more apertures based on the gesture of the user. ### Claim 21 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising receiving, at the touchless food dispenser, the selected amount of food to dispense from a computing device. ### Claim 22 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising forcing the food out of the plurality of packets of food with the plurality of drive rollers to dispense the food out of the one or more apertures and from the touchless food dispenser. ### Claim 23 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, providing mechanical power to the plurality of drive rollers with an electric motor for rotating the plurality of drive rollers. ### Claim 24 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising cutting the plurality of packets of food with a cutting mechanism to dispense the at least one of the plurality of packets of food from the touchless food dispenser.