Article dispensing – With discharge assistant – Rotary
Reexamination Certificate
1999-10-15
2001-06-19
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With discharge assistant
Rotary
C221S154000, C221S181000, C221S251000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06247611
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vending machines and dispensers for containing and releasing articles. In particular, a vending apparatus adapted to collect coins is disclosed for dispensing packets, generally flat or box-like such as towelettes and non-prescription medication, by including a wall mountable or free-standing fixture for receiving pre-packaged cartridges. The vending apparatus receives coins to allow passage of stacked packages from a rectangular cartridge into a secured chamber. The cartridge is mounted above the coin mechanism for simple retrieval and replacement. The cartridge contains pre-packaged items for dispensing, and the cartridge is easily changed out and, where allowed, becomes recyclable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Multi-product, coin-operated vending machines can normally be found in shopping malls or grocery stores. The machines vend a variety of products, from small candies or gumballs to large toys and packages. These machines are normally compartmented to receive the items directly into the device, which may be transparent to allow identification of the need to refill. Refilling these devices is normally done by the respective company of the articles and may be unsanitary, costly, or even result in spillage onto a public venue. The actual mechanics used for the coin and release mechanism may be very bulky and costly. This traditional means of vending uses a middle-man to stock and re-stock the machine, which increases the cost to the user, and decreases the margin of profit to the vending site.
More simple devices that are not coin-operated are also known to dispense packaged articles. As seen in U.S. Patents such as those by Stone and Abramczyk, simple containers can dispense small articles from a stacked position simply by having a lip at a bottom surface whereon the articles fall by gravity. The items that are distributed in this simple manner may be subject to size constraints depending on the articles contained therein. The design of these simple containers subjects them to vandalism.
The purpose of storing and dispensing articles such as non-prescription medication packets, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,022, by Oldorf, is to allow purchasers at stores to have the convenience of the low cost packets easily at their disposal. Distributing small articles in this manner, can, however, cause for loss of profit due to inventory loss or theft. Many lack a simple design for a coin receiving mechanism, yielding an undue burden for a store clerk in accounting for purchases.
Thus, there is a need for a packer-vending device that can collect coins and is secured from theft, which allows for the dispensing of pre-packaged articles in already assembled cartridges. The device employs a means for removably sliding the compartments holding the flat articles, such that the coin mechanism is fixated while the articles can be replaced in a quick and simple manner. In this way, earnings for sales are already accomplished by the coin feed, and the articles are more efficiently replenished.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is the objective of the present invention to provide a coin-collecting vending machine that utilizes a disposable cartridge adapted to hold a number of pre-loaded packets. The cartridges may be purchased in bulk by a store owner, and the individual packets are purchased individually by a customer by the insertion of a coin and operation of the coin mechanism.
It is a further objective of the present invention to coordinate the number of product packets in the cartridge with the amount of coins collected in a coin box, thereby yielding a known amount of income for the store clerk. In one embodiment, the coins can be automatically stacked for packaging in bank-acceptable rolls.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide variability of shape within the cartridge to allow for the containment of groups of packets with varying dimensions and geometries. Notched grooves in the cavity of the cartridge allows sleeves to be slid therein, thereby reducing the area of the cavity such that packets of smaller dimension are easily stored and individually released by the same release mechanism.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide the cartridge slidably attached to a fixed main housing. The main housing has a locking door to allow for secure access to the coin box, and thereby be fixed to a variety of surfaces in an easily accessible area of a convenient store or gas station. This reduces loss of credit from theft.
It is a further objective of the present invention to include a simple design for the product release mechanism adapted to individually force packets from the cartridge to exit upon deposition of the coin. The packets are released and slide down an inclined chute for easy retrieval by the customer. The simplicity of the design is appropriate for the low cost of purchasing products residing in flat packets or boxed articles, such as towelettes or individually packaged nonprescription medication.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3680736 (1972-08-01), Viessmann
patent: 4382526 (1983-05-01), Stone
patent: 4586633 (1986-05-01), Holland et al.
patent: 4589571 (1986-05-01), Sykes
patent: 4700869 (1987-10-01), Bogner
patent: 4767022 (1988-08-01), Oldorf
patent: 5190185 (1993-03-01), Blechl
patent: 5265759 (1993-11-01), Coffin
patent: 5295592 (1994-03-01), Thorne
patent: 5407094 (1995-04-01), Vajtay
patent: 5447253 (1995-09-01), Williams
patent: 5476190 (1995-12-01), Hermann et al.
patent: 5590813 (1997-01-01), Abramczyk
patent: 5607085 (1997-03-01), Cooper
patent: 5642837 (1997-07-01), Hayes et al.
patent: 5836661 (1998-11-01), Oldorf
patent: 5857588 (1999-01-01), Viessmann
Clements Matthew J
Hofmeister Eric
Johnson Robert C.
Clements Mathew
Crawford Gene O.
Ellis Christopher P.
Law Offices of K. Patrick McKay
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