A DEVICE FOR DISPENSING GRANULAR FOODSTUFF AND A METHOD FOR MONITORING THE REMAINING AMOUNT OF FOODSTUFF

摘要

The present invention relates to a device (1) for dispensing granular foodstuff (2) such as bulk candy. The device (1) comprises: a container (3) in which foodstuff to be dispensed can be placed, the container (3) having a longitudinal axis (L) extending from a first end (4) to a second end (5) and a dispensing opening (14) at the first end (4) through which the granular foodstuff (2) can be dispensed, said container (3) has an inner wall surface (16) which is provided with at least one guide in the shape of a longitudinal elevation (27) that extends in a direction substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis (L) of the container (3) such that rotation of the container (3) may cause granular foodstuff inside the container (3) to be first lifted by the at least one guide and then fall down; a cradle (9) in which the container (3) is supported in such a way that the longitudinal axis of the container (3) is inclined relative to the horizontal plane and the container (3) can be rotated about its longitudinal axis (L); means for detecting the amount of foodstuff (2) in the container; and a control and/or monitoring device (200) connected to said means for detecting the amount of foodstuff (2) in the container. The invention furthermore relates to a method for monitoring the remaining amount of foodstuff in the container (3).