Material dispensing device

A material dispensing device comprising

• a horizontal mounting plate configured to receive on its surface a collapsible cartridge containing a material,
• a longitudinally moving cartridge compressing assembly configured and operable for compressing said collapsible cartridge (against the mounting plate), and
• optionally a material dispensing assembly configured and operable to downwardly press said collapsible cartridge.

The system according to 45, further comprises a material mixing unit, a product assembly unit and a product cooking unit.

A method for supplying a metered amount of a material from a collapsible cartridge having at least one material outlet, the method comprising in a device comprising a mounting plate provided with a collapsible material-filled cartridge, causing a cartridge compressing assembly configured and operable for compressing said collapsible material-filled cartridge to move along an axis defining the length of the cartridge, and causing a material dispensing assembly configured and operable to angularly press said collapsible material-filled cartridge to dispense a metered amount of the material via the at least one material outlet.

A method of forming a food product, the method comprising:

• in a device comprising a mounting plate provided with a collapsible material-containing cartridge having a material outlet, compressing said collapsible material-containing cartridge to displace a material in said cartridge to a region of the material outlet, and downwardly pressing on the material above the material outlet to cause dispensing of a metered amount of the material via the outlet.