Vending Machine For Heated Food Products And Cup For Use In The Vending Machine

Vending machine (100) for heated food products, wherein the vending machine (100) comprises

• storage device (2) for packaged food products,
• a selection device for selecting a food product,
• first transport means for displacing a chosen food product from the storage device (2) to a first transport position (101),
• second transport means for transferring the chosen food product from the first transport position (101) to a heating device (1) comprising a microwave oven, which microwave oven is provided with an oven space (25),
• automatic operating means for operating the microwave oven, and
• third transport means for displacing the heated food product from the microwave oven to a take-out device (29),
• a heating device (1, 200) for heating a liquid food product in a cup-like container with a closed upper side further comprising a microwave oven, this microwave oven being provided with an oven space (25), which oven space (25) is provided with
• an entrance (102) which can be closed to microwaves by means of first closing means (23) and
• an exit (103) which can be closed to microwaves by means of second closing means (24),
• wherein the entrance (102) is located above the exit (103) and the entrance (102) and the exit (103) are located in opposite sides of the oven space (25),
• a transport space which forms the third transport means and which runs through the oven space (25) and extends between the entrance (102) and the exit (103),
• and wherein the microwave oven is provided with
• positioning means for gripping and holding in position the food product at a chosen location in the transport space during operation of the microwave oven,
• wherein the positioning means comprise at least two co-acting arms (45, 46) of microwave-permeable material configured to grip the container which are displaceable between a first and a second position, wherein in the first position first outer ends of the arms (45, 46) are placed close together and a receiving space (104) is formed between the first outer ends for receiving the food product at the chosen location, in the second position the first outer ends of the arms (45, 46) are placed apart and release the food product, the second outer ends of the arms (45, 46) are placed outside the oven space (25) and the vending machine (100) is provided with drive means (27, 28) for displacing the arms (45, 46) from the first to the second position and vice versa, wherein the drive means (27, 28) are also configured to shake the food product during operation of the microwave oven and a control of the drive means (27, 28) is for this purpose such that both the first and the second arm (45, 46) move in the same direction and hold the first outer ends of the arms (45, 46) in the first position during this movement.