Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Patent
1998-05-13
1999-12-21
Le, Thien Minh
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
235381, G06K 500
Patent
active
060037660
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to vending machines.
BACKGROUND ART
It is known from GB-A-2262861 to suggest a panel-form loudspeaker comprising: formed of two skins of material with a spacing core of transverse cellular construction, wherein the panel is such as to have ratio of bending stiffness (B), in all orientations, to the cube power of panel mass per unit surface area (.mu.) of at least 10; body, in a free undamped manner; excite a multi-modal resonance in the radiator panel in response to an electrical input within a working frequency band for the loudspeaker.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
Embodiments of the present invention use members of nature, structure and configuration achievable generally and/or specifically by implementing teachings of our copending parent U.S. application Ser. No. 08/707,012. Such members thus have capability to sustain and propagate input vibrational energy by bending waves in operative area(s) extending transversely of thickness often but not necessarily to edges of the member(s); are configured with or without anisotropy of bending stiffness to have resonant mode vibration components distributed over said area(s) beneficially for acoustic coupling with ambient air; and have predetermined preferential locations or sites within said area for transducer means, particularly operationally active or moving part(s) thereof effective in relation to acoustic vibrational activity in said area(s) and signals, usually electrical, corresponding to acoustic content of such vibrational activity. Uses are envisaged in co-pending application Ser. No. 08/707,012 for such members as or in "passive" acoustic devices without transducer means, such as for reverberation or for acoustic filtering or for acoustically "voicing" a space or room; and as or in "active" acoustic devices with transducer means, such as in a remarkably wide range of sources of sound or loudspeakers when supplied with input signals to be converted to said sound, or in such as microphones when exposed to sound to be converted into other signals.
This invention is particularly concerned with vending machines incorporating active acoustic devices e.g. in the form of loudspeakers for the purpose of providing information concerning the manner of operation of the machine or its contents. The term "vending machine" is intended to encompass not only food and drink and the like dispensers but also ticket dispensers, automated Bank telling machines, cash dispensers, and the like.
Members as above are herein called distributed mode radiators and are intended to be characterised as in the above copending parent application Ser. No. 08/707,012 and/or otherwise as specifically provided herein.
The invention is a vending machine of the kind comprising a store of articles or product to be dispensed, user operated means for selecting the article or product to be dispensed, means, e.g. a coin freed mechanism authorising dispensing, and a dispensing outlet, characterised by a loudspeaker comprising a distributed mode acoustic radiator and a transducer mounted wholly and exclusively on the radiator to vibrate the radiator to cause it to resonate.
The vending machine may comprise a visual display panel formed by the radiator. The radiator may comprise a stiff lightweight panel having a cellular core sandwiched between a pair of skins, the panel being surrounded by a frame and mounted in the frame by means of a resilient suspension.
The vending machine may comprise a body and the frame may be attached to or formed by the body.
The vending machine may comprise a second transducer coupled to the radiator to produce a signal in response to resonance of the radiator due to incident acoustic energy. Preferably at least two said second transducers are provided, at spaced locations on the radiator.
A further transducer may be provided on the radiator to produce a signal in response to resonance of the radiator to due to incident acoustic energy, and means may be provided for comparing the signal generated by the said further transducer wit
REFERENCES:
patent: 5091713 (1992-02-01), Horne et al.
patent: 5408417 (1995-04-01), Wilder
patent: 5445295 (1995-08-01), Brown
Azima Henry
Colloms Martin
Harris Neil
Le Thien Minh
New Transducers Limited
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