Food service cup dispensers, systems, and methods

Abstract

Systems for providing on-demand cup printing and dispensing for food service are provided herein. A cup dispenser includes a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups and one or more cup-moving elements configured to cause a cup from the stack of cups to move through the cup dispenser. The cup dispenser includes a motor configured to operate the one or more cup-moving elements to cause the cup to move through the cup dispenser along a path. The cup dispenser also includes a printer configured to print at least one of order information or personalization information on the cup that is based on the food service order associated with the cup. The cup dispenser further includes a dispensing slot that provides the cup, which includes the at least one of order information or personalization information printed thereon.

1 . A system for use in creating a food service order, the system comprising:
 a food request module stored on a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device comprises a food request module configured to:
 receive a request for food service for a customer, wherein the request for food service includes the food service order, wherein the food service order includes a drink order associated with a drink order name and one or more custom order characteristics for the drink order, wherein the drink order name is associated with a predetermined recipe used during preparation of a typical drink order corresponding to the drink order name; 
 determine, based on the request for food service, order information and personalization information to print on a cup associated with the drink order; 
 determine, based on the request for food service, cup dispenser instructions to provide to a cup dispenser to cause the cup dispenser to dispense a printed cup with the order information and the personalization information; 
 determine, based on the request for food service, napkin or cutlery dispenser instructions to provide to a napkin or cutlery dispenser to cause the napkin or cutlery dispenser to dispense a certain number or type of napkins or cutlery, wherein the certain number or type of napkins or cutlery is based on the request for food service; 
 the napkin or cutlery dispenser, the napkin or cutlery dispenser comprising: 
   a communication element configured to communicate with the remote computing device;
 a controller configured to receive the napkin or cutlery dispenser instructions from the remote computing device and causing corresponding dispensing of the certain number or type of napkins or cutlery; and 
   the cup dispenser, the cup dispenser comprising:
 a communication element configured to communicate with the remote computing device; 
 a controller configured to receive the cup dispenser instructions from the remote computing device; 
 a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups; 
 one or more cup-moving elements configured to cause a cup from the stack of cups to move through the cup dispenser; 
 a motor configured to operate the one or more cup-moving elements to cause the cup to move through the cup dispenser along a path; 
 a printer configured to print, using ink, the order information and the personalization information on the cup, wherein the printed order information includes text detailing at least the drink order name corresponding to the drink order and the one or more custom order characteristics, wherein the one or more custom order characteristics are specific to the food service order and include detail regarding a differing type or amount of ingredient for preparation of the drink order than what is in the predetermined recipe associated with the drink order name, wherein the printed personalization information includes a printed image or text associated with the customer that requested the food service order; and 
 a dispensing slot positioned along the path and configured to hold the cup with the order information and the personalization information printed thereon and enable a user to retrieve the cup for preparation of the drink order according to the text detailing the drink order name and the one or more custom order characteristics printed on the cup. 
   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more cup-moving elements comprise a cup source removal structure configured to separate the cup from the stack of cups to cause the cup to drop under the influence of gravity along a path within the housing and become positioned in a printing position. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the printing position is in the dispensing slot. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 3 , wherein the cup source is positioned above the printer such that the separated cup falls into the printing position for being printed on by the printer. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the cup dispenser further comprises a cup-rotation structure configured to cause the cup to rotate after being printed on by the printer. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the cup-rotation structure is positioned within the dispensing slot and configured to cause the cup to rotate within the dispensing slot. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the cup dispenser includes a housing defining a footprint that enables the cup dispenser to sit on a counter within a food service preparation area. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7  further comprising a door configured to cover the dispensing slot during printing. 
     
     
         9 . A cup dispenser for dispensing a cup with printed information for use with a food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:
 a housing defining a footprint that enables the cup dispenser to sit on a counter within a food service preparation area;   a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups;   a cup source removal structure positioned within the housing and configured to separate the cup from the stack of cups so as to cause the cup to drop under the influence of gravity along a path within the housing and become positioned in a printing position;   a motor positioned within the housing and configured to operate the cup source removal structure;   a communication element positioned within the housing and configured to communicate with a remote computing device, wherein the remote computing device is configured to receive a request for food service for a customer, wherein the request for food service includes the food service order that includes a drink order and one or more custom order characteristics for the drink order;   a controller positioned within the housing and configured to determine, based on data received from the remote computing device, order information and personalization information to print on the cup, wherein the order information and the personalization information are based on the food service order and the customer associated with the cup;   a printer positioned within the housing and configured to print, using ink, the order information and the personalization information on the cup when the cup is in the printing position, wherein the printed order information includes text detailing at least the one or more custom order characteristics, wherein the printed personalization information includes a printed image or text associated with the customer that requested the food service order, wherein the cup source is positioned above the printer such that the separated cup falls into the printing position for being printed on by the printer; and   a dispensing slot positioned along the path and configured to receive the cup with the order information and the personalization information printed thereon and enable a user to retrieve the cup for preparation of the drink order according to the text detailing the one or more custom order characteristics printed on the cup.   
     
     
         10 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the printing position is in the dispensing slot. 
     
     
         11 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9  further comprising a cup-rotation structure configured to cause the cup to rotate after being printed on by the printer. 
     
     
         12 . The cup dispenser of  claim 11 , wherein the cup-rotation structure is positioned within the dispensing slot and configured to cause the cup to rotate within the dispensing slot. 
     
     
         13 . The cup dispenser of  claim 12  further comprising a door configured to cover the dispensing slot during printing. 
     
     
         14 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the food service order includes a drink order name, wherein the drink order name is associated with a predetermined recipe used during preparation of a typical drink order corresponding to the drink order name, wherein the text for the printed order information further includes detail of the drink order name, and wherein the one or more custom order characteristics for the text for the printed order information includes detail regarding a differing type or amount of ingredient for preparation of the drink order than what is in the predetermined recipe associated with the drink order name. 
     
     
         15 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to:
 determine, based on the request for food service, napkin or cutlery dispenser instructions to provide to a napkin or cutlery dispenser to cause the napkin or cutlery dispenser to dispense a certain number or type of napkins or cutlery, wherein the certain number or type of napkins or cutlery is based on the request for food service; and   provide, via the communication element, the napkin or cutlery dispenser instructions to the napkin or cutlery dispenser to cause corresponding dispensing of the certain number or type of napkins or cutlery for the aiding in fulfilling the food service order.   
     
     
         16 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9  further comprising a user interface configured to display information corresponding to the food service order. 
     
     
         17 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the cup source is configured to hold a plurality of stacks of cups, wherein two of the plurality of stacks of cups comprise differently-sized cups, and wherein the cup source removal structure is configured to selectively cause removal of a specifically sized cup based on the food service order. 
     
     
         18 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the personalization information associated with the customer is based on at least one of an order history of the customer, a customer profile for the customer, one or more stored preferences of the customer, social media data regarding the customer, or purchase or trend data regarding the customer. 
     
     
         19 . The cup dispenser of  claim 9 , wherein the personalization information printed on the cup includes an advertisement that is generated based on the personalization information associated with the customer. 
     
     
         20 . A method of dispensing a cup, the method comprising:
 providing a cup dispenser for dispensing the cup with printed information for use with a food service order, the cup dispenser comprising:
 a housing defining a footprint that enables the cup dispenser to sit on a counter within a food service preparation area; 
 a cup source configured to hold a stack of cups; 
 a cup source removal structure positioned within the housing and configured to separate the cup from the stack of cups so as to cause the cup to drop under the influence of gravity along a path within the housing and become positioned in a printing position; 
 a motor positioned within the housing and configured to operate the cup source removal structure; 
 a communication element positioned within the housing and configured to communicate with a remote computing device; 
 a controller positioned within the housing; 
 a printer positioned within the housing and configured to print, using ink, on the cup when the cup is in the printing position, wherein the cup source is positioned above the printer such that the separated cup falls into the printing position for being printed on by the printer; and 
 a dispensing slot positioned along the path and configured to receive the cup; 
   receiving food service order data corresponding to the food service order received from a customer, wherein the food service order includes a drink order and one or more custom order characteristics for the drink order;   determining, based on the food service order data, the order information and the personalization information to print on the cup, wherein the order information and the personalization information are based on the food service order and the customer associated with the cup; and   causing dispensing of the cup into the dispensing slot of the cup dispenser, wherein the dispensed cup includes the order information and the personalization information printed thereon to enable a food service person to retrieve the cup for preparation of the drink order according to the order information printed on the cup, wherein the order information printed on the cup includes text detailing at least the one or more custom order characteristics, wherein the personalization information printed on the cup includes a printed image or text associated with the customer that requested the food service order.