A dispensing device for a hot food vending machine, the dispensing device comprising:
- at least one dispensing bay,
- an open-top container removably mounted in each of the at least one dispensing bay, the open-top container being configured to store a stack of trays, each tray of the stack of trays containing at least one food item and comprising a top lid;
- a slide assembly configured to lift the stack of trays in the open-top container of each of the at least one dispensing bay until a top tray of the stack of trays exits the open-top container;
- and
- a horizontal conveyor configured to receive and transfer the top tray to a tray discharge chute;
- wherein each of the at least one dispensing bay comprises a frame and at least one vertical guide rail attached to the frame;
- wherein the slide assembly comprises:
- a lifting fork configured to slide along the at least one vertical guide rail, thereby lifting the stack of trays;
- a first gearmotor;
- and
- a first timing belt coupling the lifting fork to the first gearmotor;
- wherein the open-top container comprises:
- a vertical channel configured to receive the stack of trays;
- and
- a support ledge configured to support the stack of trays in the vertical channel, the support ledge being provided in a bottom part of the open-top container so as to form a space for the lifting fork under the vertical channel, the lifting fork being configured to occupy the space when the vertical channel is completely filled with the stack of trays;
- and
- wherein the horizontal conveyor comprises:
- a second gearmotor;
- a second timing belt;
- a pair of flippers arranged on opposite sides over the open-top container, the pair of flippers being configured to:
- swing up when the top tray begins to exit the open-top container;
- and
- swing down when the top tray finally exits the open-top container;
- and
- a pusher mechanism configured, when driven by the second gearmotor through the second timing belt, to operate in a forward-motion mode and a reverse-motion mode, the pusher mechanism comprising a first pusher arm and a second pusher arm, the second pusher arm being a pivoting arm, the pusher mechanism being configured to:
- push, in the forward-motion mode, the top tray with the first pusher arm towards the tray discharge chute until the top tray is under the second pusher arm;
- switch to the reverse-motion mode to move the second pusher arm along the top lid of the top tray to a position in which the second pusher arm is in front of the top tray;
- and
- switch again to the forward-motion mode to push the top tray with the second pusher arm until the top tray is completely in the tray discharge chute.