Patent ID: 8033423

Claim:
A storage and dispensing system for storing and dispensing products, the system comprising: a substantially enclosed cabinet; an infeed/outfeed mechanism coupled with the cabinet for receiving products that are to be stored in and dispensed from the cabinet, wherein the infeed/outfeed mechanism includes at least one conveyor belt with a ribbed conveying surface presenting a planar portion and a plurality of ribs extending upwardly from the planar portion, each rib presenting a top edge distal the planar portion, wherein at least a portion of the conveyor belt extends through an opening of a wall of the cabinet; and a transporter enclosed by and moveable within the cabinet for removing products from the infeed/outfeed mechanism and placing products on the ribbed conveying surface of the infeed/outfeed mechanism, wherein the transporter includes a plurality of tines operable to mate with the ribbed surface such that each tine fits between two consecutive ribs of the ribbed surface and between the planar portion of the ribbed surface and the top edge of each of the two consecutive ribs.