Article dispensing – Processes
Reexamination Certificate
2001-12-13
2004-08-10
Bollinger, David H (Department: 3653)
Article dispensing
Processes
C221S013000, C221S021000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06772906
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for vending vendible products, and in particular, to a methodology and apparatus to attempt to ensure a successful vend every time.
B. Problems in the Art
The art of vending machines has advanced significantly over the years. There has been a proliferation of the number and types of vending machines. Furthermore, there has been a significant increase in the types of products that are vended (e.g. kind, size, shape, weight, value).
One area with need for improvement is ensuring that a selected product is in fact vended to the customer. While this is a desirable goal, it must be implemented in an economical, effective, and efficient way.
There are times when the vending machine is improperly loaded such that there is a gap in products or missing products in the vending machine. The customer may make a selection that results in operation of the machine. However, the gap or missing product does not result in the selected product being produced to the customer. Because the machine has operated, it assumes a successful vend was made. The customer not only does not receive the selected product, but cannot retrieve the money or token used to initiate the vending cycle.
Similarly, in some instances a vending cycle is properly initiated but the product gets hung up or does not make it all the way to a location that is accessible to the customer. For example, there are times when a vending machine operates a complete vend cycle (e.g. operates a motor rotating a spiral for 360 degrees of rotation), but the product is not quite able to fall from the dispensing mechanism. Again, the machine assumes a successful vend was made.
U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, published Apr. 26, 2001, describes many of the concerns and considerations with respect to these types of problems. This publication is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
There is a need for an improvement in the art relative to this issue. U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1 discusses such problems in detail and discloses an attempt at a solution. It uses an optical detector to attempt to automatically detect whether a product actually makes it to a customer-accessible location. The vending machine initiates a vend cycle in response to an appropriate instruction and/or money from the customer. In U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, the vending machine has one or more horizontal trays, each with one or more horizontally positioned spirals or helixes positioned front to back. Each helix is operatively connected to an independently operable motor. Vendible products are loaded between turns of each spiral in what is referred to as a horizontal column of vendible products. Operation of a motor causes its associated spiral to turn, which is intended to cause all products in the column of products loaded in the spiral to advance toward the front of the spiral. If the optical sensor of U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, detects a predetermined variation in intensity, the vending machine assumes it was caused by a falling selected product, the vend cycle is assumed complete, the motor is turned off, and the machine waits for the next selection by a customer. U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1 addresses the problems in the art in a specific way. When the vend cycle is initiated, a timer is started. The timer has been pre-set to correspond to rotation of the motor for that spiral well past one complete rotation. If the sensor detects nothing over the first 360 degrees of rotation, the motor does not stop but continues to operate until the timer expires. In U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, the timer period is selected to be equivalent to about 540 degrees, or one and one-half revolutions of the spiral. The theory is that instead of relying on one motor rotation for one vend cycle, and risking that a product will not be successfully vended, the motor will be allowed to operate for well over one rotation to attempt to give substantial opportunity for at least one product vend to take place. U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1 avoids using motors that have internal switches, well known in the art, that indicate when each 360 degree rotation has occurred, freeing itself from the cost and assumption that 360 degrees of rotation is the standard rotation to use for each vend cycle. Instead, it places reliance upon the optical sensor and an intentional extended time period of possible motor rotation (substantially over 360 degrees), to try to ensure that a successful vend is made each time. At expiration of the predetermined time period, if the optical sensor has not sensed a vend, the machine stops the motor and assumes there is a problem with that selection or column of product, and either refunds credit or prompts the customer to made another selection. Because of this reliance on the optical sensor, substantial pre-calibration steps of the sensor are taken prior to each vend request.
Additionally, U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1 describes in detail a variety of steps that are taken to deter malfunction or manipulation of the vending machine. These appear necessary because of reliance on the optical sensor and use of the above-described methodology to try to ensure a vend every time. While this does attempt to solve the above-discussed problems, its approach can result in the following. If, for example, the sensor is temporarily or otherwise malfunctioning, and such is not detected or acted upon by the vending machine, it is possible the customer did receive a first vend, but then would be given the windfall of a second vend. Examples are discussed in U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, including the possibility that a product could, in some cases, bypass detection of the sensor, or the sensor does not accurately assume a vend or lack of a vend.
Also, there are times when, at the completion of an unsuccessful vend cycle (e.g. 540 degrees rotation), the product is close to being vendible, or is temporarily hung up or stalled from falling to the detector, or otherwise slightly delayed in reaching the vend sensors. Again, in U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, the selected time period (and amount of rotation, e.g. 540 degrees) may not be enough to obtain a successful vend. And then, the customer would be denied selection from that column because it would be disabled until the vending machine operator can review and remedy the situation.
Furthermore, there is no disclosed back-up system for operation of a column in U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1 if the optical sensor is indicated to be malfunctioning.
Also, because the motor is immediately stopped when the optical sensor indicates a vend in U.S. patent application U.S. 2001/0000408 A1, there is no general uniformity how much angular rotation of the spiral occurs per vend cycle. Thus, if one product falls out early in a vend cycle (e.g. with 160 degrees rotation), the motor stops the spiral at about 160 degrees for the first vend cycle. If the next-in-line product was loaded or reacts in a manner that it does not vend over the next 540 degrees spiral rotation, it might not vend the next-in-line product; even though the two products might have both vended on two successive 360 degree motor rotations.
Also, since the leading end of the spiral “runs out”, the operator may want to doubly make sure that the first few vends will be successful. It is likely the operator will place the first product in the column somewhat back away from the leading end of the spiral, to avoid a problem on the second vend. This can lead to less products being loaded in the column when the machine is re-stocked, which is less productive and efficient for the operator.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,202,888 B1, issued Mar. 20, 2001, also incorporated by reference herein, recognizes there can be problems with product hang up and also with product security. Its solution is to rotate the mechanism that moves
Walke Gary L.
Wilson Roger L.
Wittern, Jr. Francis A.
Bollinger David H
Inland Finance Company
McKee Voorhees & Sease, P.L.C.
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