Patent ID: 8650844

Claim:
A product dispenser, comprising: a shell defining a product dispensing chamber, wherein the product dispensing chamber is environmentally controlled; an inlet port disposed within the shell, wherein the inlet port is in communication with a product source, whereby the product source delivers a product into the product dispensing chamber through the inlet port; a portioning station disposed within the product dispensing chamber, wherein the portioning station houses at least one product receptacle having a receiving chamber for receiving the product, and further wherein a predetermined amount of the product is dispensed into the receiving chamber of the at least one first product receptacle, thereby creating a portioned product receptacle; a sealing apparatus disposed at the portioning station, wherein the portioned product receptacle is sealed after the portioning; a dispense buffer disposed within the product dispensing chamber, wherein the dispense buffer comprises a conveyor bank comprising: a receiving slot position disposed on a conveyor, wherein the dispense buffer receives the portioned product receptacle from the portioning station at the receiving slot; and at least one dispense buffer slot disposed on the conveyor bank, wherein the at least one dispense buffer slot to be filled moves backward to the receiving slot to receive the portioned product receptacle, and further wherein the conveyor is rotated forward to move the portioned product receptacle disposed at the receiving slot to the at least one dispense buffer slot for storing until an external demand is registered; an ejection device disposed within the product dispensing chamber and in communication with the portioning station, wherein the ejection device extends from a first position to a second position to move the portioned product receptacle from the portioning station to the receiving slot of the dispense buffer; and an outlet port disposed within the shell, whereby the portioned product receptacle is dispensed through the outlet port when an external demand is registered.