| 摘要 |
<p>A product dispenser includes a storage station (34) for storing items of a product to be dispensed, an exit from the dispenser (58), and an intermediate station (46) inaccessible from the exit except during delivery of an item to the exit. A transport member (12) carries one item or a predetermined number of items of the product at a time from the storage station to the intermediate station. An item or the predetermined number of items at the intermediate station are delivered to the exit through a gate (14) movable between an open position and a closed position. A perceptual indication of the presence of an item or the predetermined number of items at the intermediate station is given by a window (20) in the dispenser or other means so the user may know when to open the gate. A latch (70) enables and disables the gate responsive to a timer at prescribed time intervals and another latch (62) disables the transport member when the gate is open so delivery of the prescribed number of items to the exit may not be exceeded.</p> |
