Article dispensing – With orienting – By manipulation of successive individual articles
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-15
2001-09-11
Ellis, Christopher P. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
With orienting
By manipulation of successive individual articles
C221S172000, C221S253000, C221S273000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06286715
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vending machine having an elevator for transporting products to a vend port. A transparent window is provided in the face of the machine such that the consumer can see the dispensing operation.
2. Description of the Background Art
Conventionally vending machines have a closed front such that the internal operation of the machine is not visible to the consumer. Conventional vending machines which do have transparent faces which drop articles into a bin in the lower front portion of the machine. The consumer can then reach into the bin and withdraw the products after viewing the vend operation. However, for certain products, such a vending operation is unacceptable. For example, if beverages, and in particular, carbonated beverages, were to be dispensed, this dropping operation would unsatisfactorily shake-up the product.
Other vending machines are known wherein an internal elevator lowers articles to a discharge port. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,333 discloses a vending machine with an interior elevator for lowering selected articles from a storage shelf to a vend port. The operation is visible through a front window of the vending machine. This arrangement, however, is primarily used for food products, such as sandwiches, salads, lunch platters and dessert items. These items will slide onto the elevator from their storage shelf. Because the items generally have a low center of gravity, they will not tip over. However, when dispensing certain items such as beverage containers, the center of gravity is higher than that contemplated for items dispensed in this U.S. Pat. No. 4,108,333. Thus, if beverage bottles, cans or juice boxes were attempted to be dispensed from this known vending machine, they would likely tip over. Moreover, no provision of horizontal movement of the elevators is provided in this known machine and as such, a rather large and awkward vend port is required.
Accordingly, a need in the art exists for a simple and effective transparent front vending machine that avoids the drawbacks of the prior art machines. This vending machine should increase consumer interest in the vending process and the vended product in order to thereby increase sales.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a transparent front vending machine that will display the vending process to attract consumer interest.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that has an interior elevator that moves the product both vertically and horizontally.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine with an elevator that has either a powered conveyor or a tilt slide mechanism for moving vended objects to a vend port.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can dispense products, such as beverage cans or containers, in a desired orientation without unnecessarily shaking them.
To this end, a further object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine that can dispense elongated products in an upright position, if so desired.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which will fully display all rows of items to be vended and wherein the vending mechanism will not obstruct this display.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method for dispensing articles which will provide an attractive display for generating consumer interest in the vended product.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vending machine which is simple to operate and easy to maintain.
These and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a vending machine comprising at least one shelf for holding articles; an elevator vertically movable relative to the at least one shelf, the elevator having a bottom member; a conveyor mounted on the elevator for transporting articles from the at least one shelf, the conveyor being horizontal, articles on the conveyor being movable relative to the bottom member of the elevator during transport by the conveyor, both the conveyor and the bottom member of the elevator being vertically movable with the elevator; and a vend port for receiving articles from the elevator and for discharging articles from the vending machine, the horizontal conveyor enabling articles to remain in an upright position during transport to the vend port.
Moreover, these and other objects of the present invention are further provided by a vending machine comprising at least one shelf for holding articles; an elevator vertically movable relative to the at least one shelf, the elevator having a bottom member, articles being deliverable from the at least one shelf to the elevator in a first direction; a conveyor mounted on the elevator, the conveyor being movable relative to the bottom member of the elevator, the conveyor being movable in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, both the conveyor and the bottom member of the elevator being vertically movable with the elevator; and a vend port for receiving articles from the elevator and for discharging articles from the vending machine, the vend port being in a front face of the vending machine, the first direction being a direction toward the front face of the vending machine.
Additionally, these and other objects of the present invention are fulfilled by a method of vending articles from a vending machine comprising the steps of displaying articles on the shelves of the vending machine; releasing a selected article from one of the shelves to an elevator within the vending machine; vertically transporting the selected article on the elevator within the vending machine; horizontally transporting the selected article on the elevator, the selected article moving relative to a bottom member of the elevator; discharging the selected article from the vending machine; and continually displaying the selected article during the steps of releasing, vertically transporting and horizontally transporting, the selected article being visible through a window provided in the vending machine.
In another aspect, the vending machine includes a shelf for holding articles in a substantially upright orientation and a tipping mechanism positioned at a first end of the shelf. The tipping mechanism modifies an orientation of an article being delivered from the shelf to a conveyor. The substantially horizontal conveyor is positioned adjacent the first end of the shelf and receives the article delivered from the shelf. The vending machine also includes a vend port for receiving the article from the conveyor and accommodating the discharge of the article from the vending machine in a substantially upright orientation.
In yet another aspect, a method of vending articles from a vending machine includes providing articles on a shelf of the vending machine in a substantially upright position and tipping the articles as they reach an end of the shelf proximal a conveyor within the vending machine. The method further includes delivering an article from the shelf to the conveyor, horizontally moving the conveyor to orient the article in a second position substantially perpendicular to the upright position, horizontally transporting the article on the conveyor within the vending machine, and discharging the article from the vending machine in the substantially upright position.
Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3294282 (1966-12-01), Brown
patent: 3348732 (1967-10-01), Schwarz
patent: 4108
Bowen Daniel J.
Jasmin John W.
Mayne Michael C.
Miller John S.
Ziesel Lawrence B.
Crawford Gene O.
Ellis Christopher P.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
The Coca-Cola Company
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