Patent ID: 7644838

Claim:
A food dispensing device, comprising: a first food portion dispenser; a first deployment mechanism for deploying first food portions dispensed from the first food portion dispenser; a first heating mechanism; a first conveyance mechanism for receiving the first food portions, for transporting the first food portions to the first heating mechanism, and for transporting the heated first food portions to a food combining location; a second food portion dispenser; a second deployment mechanism for deploying second food portions dispensed from the second food portion dispenser, each of the second food portions being disposed in a container, the container having at least one indentation formed in a bottom surface; and a second conveyance mechanism for receiving the second food portions for transporting the second food portions to the food combining location, and for transporting the combined first and second food portions to a dispensing location, the second conveyance mechanism including a container receiving tray having at least one tray projection, the tray projection being operable to engage a corresponding indentation in the bottom surface of the container to prevent translational movement of the container on the tray in a first direction along a major longitudinal axis of the container and in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the second conveyance mechanism being configured to move the container receiving tray with the container.