Article dispensing – Plural sources – stacks or compartments – Rotatably mounted or endless belt carried source assembly
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-24
2001-06-05
Noland, Kenneth W. (Department: 3651)
Article dispensing
Plural sources, stacks or compartments
Rotatably mounted or endless belt carried source assembly
C221S277000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06241119
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of vending machines, and in particular but not exclusively to a vending machine for food products.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Food vending machines allow the vending of food products at the convenience of the user in a self-service environment. A particular example is the vending of snacks and light meals to be eaten cold or to be heated in a nearby microwave oven facility. Most commonly, prior art vending machines comprises a refrigerated display area having a carousel mounted for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, the carousel having a plurality of shelves each divided into compartments. Each compartment contains a food product such as a snack or light meal. In use, the carousel is rotated until the desired product is aligned with an access door, and the door unlocked by a payment mechanism receiving, for example, coins, tokens or a smart card.
The prior art vertical carousel arrangements suffers a number of disadvantages. In particular, food is poorly displayed with only a forward portion of the carousel being visible to the user. Only one customer may operate the vending machine at any one time, to rotate the carousel and view the products on offer. Food products on in particular the uppermost and lowermost shelves of the carousel are difficult to view for most users from a normal standing position, leading to poor sales of products in these areas.
The prior art vending machines are technically complex, having relatively high manufacturing costs and poor reliability. Further, the machines are bulky, often being difficult to fit through a normal doorway, and are therefore awkward to transport and install.
GB-A-2104050 (Ahlstrom) discloses a vending machine having a plurality of drums arranged to rotate about a generally horizontal axis, wherein the drums are provided with radially extending partitions to form a plurality of compartments about a circumference of each drum. The compartments each receive a vendable product, suitably frozen goods such as ice cream. However, the arrangement of this prior art document is mechanically complex and is only suitable for a narrow range of products being of a relatively robust nature. Also, this horizontally arranged prior art example suffers similar problems to the typical vertical carousel arrangement discussed above, namely that only a minor proportion of the products can be viewed at any one position of the carousel or drum.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an aim of the present invention to provide a vending machine which displays vendable items such that a majority of the items are simultaneously viewable by the consumer. It is an aim of at least preferred embodiments of the present invention to provide a vending machine which overcomes at least some of the problems associated with prior art vending machines.
In one aspect the present invention provides a vending machine comprising: a display arrangement for displaying vendable items, said display arrangement having a plurality of display shelves; drive means for driving said display arrangement to rotate about an axis of rotation arranged substantially horizontally; and release means for releasing a vendable item from said display arrangement for vending to a user; wherein each of said display shelves is operatively maintainable in a substantially horizontal plane during said rotation of said display arrangement.
Preferably, each shelf is pivotably mounted to a support member, ideally at either end thereof. Preferably the support member is substantially circular with the shelves preferably being spaced about the circumference of the support, preferably equally spaced. Preferably the end of the shelves are each moved in a substantially circular path lying in a plane normal to said horizontal axis of rotation, and preferably each shelf is maintained in a substantially horizontal plane throughout said circular path.
The shelves and supports together form a wheel assembly which operates on the principle of a ferris wheel to rotate the shelves about an axis of rotation whilst keeping the shelves horizontal from the display of food products. Preferably, the wheel assembly is mounted on a base in order to present the food product displayed on the shelves at a convenient height for selection by the user. The base preferably houses a refrigeration unit for directing cool air at the wheel assembly to thus maintain the food product at a desired temperature range. preferably, the wheel assembly is covered by a lid coupled to said base. Ideally, the lid is transparent over most or all of its surface area. Preferably, an access door is provided, preferably in said lid, to allow a user access to a food product displayed on one of the shelves.
The vending machine suitably comprises drive means for driving rotation of said display arrangement, preferably in a stepwise manner with each shelf being aligned in sequence with said access door. Preferably, said drive means drives said rotation in response to a user selection input. The drive means may drive the rotation uni-directionally or bi-directionally.
Preferably, the wheel assembly is readily releasably coupled to said base. Preferably, the number of shelves provided in said wheel assembly may be altered according to the food product to be displayed, preferably with twelve, sixteen or thirty-two shelves being provided. Preferably, the shelves are releasably mounted to the supports such that the number of shelves on each support may be changed.
Preferably, said vending machine comprises payment means such as a coin or token mechanism or a smart card reader for accepting user payment for the food products displayed. Once payment has been accepted, the access door is released, or preferably driven open, such that a food product aligned with the access door may be retrieved by the user. Preferably, the access door comprises guard means for inhibiting access to any shelf other than that aligned with said access door. Alternatively, said guard means may be provided on each shelf.
Preferably, two or more said wheel assemblies are provided on said base, with each wheel assembly being independently driven and having an independent user selection control and payments means. Preferably, four or six or more said wheel assemblies are provided.
Preferably, said base is provided with a shelf projecting substantially horizontal from one or more sides of the base, and preferably the shelf is configured as a tray slide.
The vending machine disclosed herein has a number of advantages. In particular, the vendable items such as food products are displayed on a substantially horizontal plane beneath a transparent lid and are clearly visible to the user. The vendable items are presented at a readily accessible and visible height. Further, all of the items are visible at once, reducing the time taken for each user to select their desired product or products, and thereby increasing throughput. Where the lid and the or each wheel assembly is readily removable from the base, the vending machine is easily disassembled and transported even through narrow door openings. Further, the vending machine is easily cleaned, and wheel assemblies are readily interchanged according to the needs of the food product to be displayed or for maintenance or repair.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become clear from the following description of the preferred embodiments when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2247056 (1973-10-01), None
patent: 2 104050 (1983-03-01), None
patent: 2 178 733 (1987-02-01), None
patent: WO 95/15541 (1995-06-01), None
patent: 95/15541 (1995-06-01), None
Jenkins & Wilson, P.A.
Noland Kenneth W.
U-Select-It
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