Patent ID: 8186544

Claim:
A dispensing device, comprising: a stand; a main body supported by the stand, the main body including a wall having a dispensing mouth defined in the wall; a tank retained by the main body for storing items to be dispensed, wherein at least a portion of the tank is made of a transparent material; a funnel located at a bottom section of the tank, wherein the funnel has a funnel opening defined therein for receiving items to be dispensed; a conveyance path extending from the funnel opening and providing communication between the tank and the dispensing mouth; a ramp positioned at an end of the conveyance path and proximate the dispensing mouth; an auger rotatably positioned in the conveyance path for conveying items to be dispensed along the conveyance path toward the dispensing mouth, wherein a first end of the auger is positioned adjacent the funnel opening to receive items from the funnel opening and a second end of the auger is positioned adjacent the ramp to convey items to the ramp; a drive motor mechanically coupled to the auger for rotating the auger; an optical sensor mounted above the ramp and in optical communication with the environment proximate to the dispensing mouth for optically sensing a receptacle proximate the dispensing mouth, wherein the optical sensor is optically coupled to the environment along an optical path, wherein at least a portion of the optical path is defined by the dispensing mouth; and circuitry electrically coupled to the sensor and to the drive motor, wherein the circuitry is configured to activate the drive motor for a time period upon receiving an output from the sensor indicating the presence of a receptacle proximal to the dispensing mouth, and wherein the circuitry is configured to control the duration of operation of the drive motor for a specified time period.