Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – With discharge means for each source
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-03
2001-05-22
Bollinger, David H. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
With discharge means for each source
C221S125000, C221S131000, C221S1500HC, C221S185000, C221S195000, C221S256000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06234345
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention is directed toward a vending machine, and more particularly toward a vending machine for use in an environment with having reduced available space, such as would be found in a vehicle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Over thirty (30) years ago, it was known very generally to vend certain products in a vehicle. For example, the Rupert patent (U.S. Pat. No. 3,172,713), patented Mar. 9, 1965, was directed toward a vending machine apparatus to be used in conjunction with a vehicle seat structure. This invention was intended to vend small items such as cigarettes, candy, combs, or hand lotion, in a taxi cab. The vending machine was designed to fit into the backside of the front seat, so that it faced the passengers sitting in the rear seat.
Of the two (2) embodiments disclosed by the Rupert patent, the more space-efficient embodiment consisted of plural individual vending machines arranged side-by-side. To restock any one of these individual vending machines required its removal from the backside of the front seat. The less space-efficient embodiment took the form of a more conventional singular vending machine having a plurality of vended items. To restock the less space-efficient embodiment, it was necessary to open the entire face of the machine.
The Rupert patent did not disclose, nor did it envision, that it would be desirable to dispense, much less vend, refrigerated items in a moving vehicle.
In some countries, public transportation, especially inter-city transportation, takes place primarily on coach buses. Such buses seat approximately forty to sixty (40-60) people, and usually have a lavatory. The provision of a lavatory makes it possible to travel non-stop between cities, or to stop very infrequently. With few to no stops, there is little to no opportunity for a passenger on such a coach to obtain refreshments, such as soft drinks.
Typical vending machines are very large in size, which is impractical for the very limited space available in a coach bus. Also, the typical vending machine is cooled via a compressor driven by a motor. Such a cooling system consumes a great deal of energy, is very bulky, and generates a great deal of heat. Again, this is impractical for the typical coach bus, in terms of the volume of space consumed, the power consumed to run the compressor, and the large quantities of heat generated by the compressor.
It is not convenient to simply provide a cooler from which a passenger can withdraw a soft drink and pay an attendant. The profit margin for such a vending operation is small, so that the cost of paying an attendant would likely consume the profits from the sale of the beverage. The responsibilities of attendant and driver could be combined, but this presents a safety hazard if the driver is responsible for vending the soft drinks from the cooler.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
A problem recognized by the Inventors is that there is no cooling dispenser suitable for use in a transportation environment such as a coach bus, much less a vending machine suited for such an environment.
Among other accomplishments, the invention solves the problem in the prior art by providing a cooling dispenser that is sufficiently small in size to be suitable for use on a coach bus. The invention can be of such small size because it incorporates a thermoelectric cooling system, and a vending system that does not require selection buttons.
The profit margin in the vending machine industry is very small, this being especially true for a vending operation in the environment of a coach bus or other vehicle. The invention improves the profitability of such an operation by providing a vending machine that is not only small in size, but is very economical to produce. This, in part, is made possible because the body of the vending machine is formed from two (2) molded plastic halves, each half having a complementarily-shaped serpentine surface. When the complimentarily-shaped serpentine surfaces are arranged against one another, a serpentine path is defined in between them. The stock of the vending machine is stored in one or more serpentine paths defined by the complimentarily-shaped serpentine surfaces.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, having one or more two-part serpentine dispensing paths, the first of the two parts being complementarily-shaped with respect to the second of the two parts.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, that is formed of molded plastic, preferably rotomolded plastic.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, cooled by a thermoelectric device.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, having cradle-terminated dispensing paths, wherein movement of the cradles is electromechanically controlled.
It is an object of the invention to provide a vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, that is operable without the provision of selection buttons.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, having multiple openings in the face, some of the openings being operable to convey dispensed items to a user/customer, and at least one other opening being operable to permit a stock of the dispenser and vending machine, respectively.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, having a power quality circuit to interrupt power to a cooling system if power supplied by the vehicle is of unacceptable quality.
It is an object of the invention to provide each of a dispenser and vending machine, preferably on a vehicle, having debounced sensor circuitry to filter out spurious signals caused by vibration of the substrate to which the dispenser and vending machine are mounted, e.g. a vehicle.
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.
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Baker, III Rex M.
Carlson Paul Albert
Minh Tran Q.
Osborne Stephan A.
Reynal Alejandro
Bollinger David H.
Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner L.L.P.
The Coca-Cola Company
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