CA2115080A1 - Vending machines - Google Patents
Vending machinesInfo
- Publication number
- CA2115080A1 CA2115080A1 CA002115080A CA2115080A CA2115080A1 CA 2115080 A1 CA2115080 A1 CA 2115080A1 CA 002115080 A CA002115080 A CA 002115080A CA 2115080 A CA2115080 A CA 2115080A CA 2115080 A1 CA2115080 A1 CA 2115080A1
- Authority
- CA
- Canada
- Prior art keywords
- product
- vending
- carousels
- carousel
- vending machine
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Classifications
-
- G—PHYSICS
- G07—CHECKING-DEVICES
- G07F—COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
- G07F11/00—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles
- G07F11/46—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from movable storage containers or supports
- G07F11/50—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from movable storage containers or supports the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted
- G07F11/54—Coin-freed apparatus for dispensing, or the like, discrete articles from movable storage containers or supports the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted about vertical axes
Landscapes
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Control Of Vending Devices And Auxiliary Devices For Vending Devices (AREA)
- Vending Machines For Individual Products (AREA)
- Eye Examination Apparatus (AREA)
- Confectionery (AREA)
Abstract
The present invention provides a vending machine comprising a plurality of carousels (20), each having a plurality of predetermined locations (28) for storing products for sale, a plurality of vending positions (10), each comprising: means (30) for the purchaser to select one of the desired products that are for sale, means (34, 36) for the purchaser to pay for the selected product and, means (40, 52, 54, 56) for delivering the product to the purchaser, means (22) for rotating each carousel independently of the other carousels, and control means comprising a memory for storing the location(s) on the carousels of each product for sale and which, in response to the selection of a product from one of the vending positions, is able to cause one of the carousels to rotate to bring a location carrying the desired product to the delivery means of that vending position and to activate the delivery means to deliver the desired product to the purchaser.
Description
~ W O 93/03463 PCT/GB92/01372 1.
~endi~ ~achl~es Technical Fi~ld The present inYention relates to vending machines.
Bac~E u~ ~Et Vending machines presently available generally allow only a single vendor to purchase any item at any on~ time and if more than one vending position is required a corresponding number of vending machines must be pro~ided. One problem associated with this approach is that vending machines are usually pro~ided in public locations e.g. on railways ~tations, bus stations and on streets, where space is at a premium and a large number of vending machines provide an obstruction.
This is particularly disadvantageous in railways stations and bus stations where evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency require the number of obstructions to be kept to a minimum. ;
A fur~her problem with vending machines is the limi.ted number of items that can be dispensed from any one machine.
Disclosure of the Invention ~-The present invention is designed to overcome the above problems by providing a vending machine that can be used by two or more people - si~ultaneously to purchase products.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vending machine comprising:
a plurality of carousels, each hav~ng a plurality of predetermined locations for storing products for sale, a plurality Qf vending positions, each comprising:
means for the purchaser to select one of the desired prod~cts that are for sale, means for the purchaser to pay for the selected product and, means for delivering the product to ehe purchaser means for rotating each carousel independently of the other carousels, and control means comprising means which, in response to the selection of a product from one of the vending positions, is able tO
- .`. ` . . . . .
W O 93/03463 PCT/GB92/01372 - !
~endi~ ~achl~es Technical Fi~ld The present inYention relates to vending machines.
Bac~E u~ ~Et Vending machines presently available generally allow only a single vendor to purchase any item at any on~ time and if more than one vending position is required a corresponding number of vending machines must be pro~ided. One problem associated with this approach is that vending machines are usually pro~ided in public locations e.g. on railways ~tations, bus stations and on streets, where space is at a premium and a large number of vending machines provide an obstruction.
This is particularly disadvantageous in railways stations and bus stations where evacuation procedures in the event of an emergency require the number of obstructions to be kept to a minimum. ;
A fur~her problem with vending machines is the limi.ted number of items that can be dispensed from any one machine.
Disclosure of the Invention ~-The present invention is designed to overcome the above problems by providing a vending machine that can be used by two or more people - si~ultaneously to purchase products.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided a vending machine comprising:
a plurality of carousels, each hav~ng a plurality of predetermined locations for storing products for sale, a plurality Qf vending positions, each comprising:
means for the purchaser to select one of the desired prod~cts that are for sale, means for the purchaser to pay for the selected product and, means for delivering the product to ehe purchaser means for rotating each carousel independently of the other carousels, and control means comprising means which, in response to the selection of a product from one of the vending positions, is able tO
- .`. ` . . . . .
W O 93/03463 PCT/GB92/01372 - !
2.
cause one of the carousels to rotate to bring a location carrying the desired product to the delivery Qeans of that vending po~ition and to cause the delivery means to deliver the desired product to the purchaser.
~
The present inveneion will be described ~n further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
F~gure 1 is a side elevation of a vending machine in accordRnce with the present inYention, Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the ~ending machine along the line 2-2 shown in Figure ~, Figure 3 is a ~ertical section taken through the ves~ing machine along the line 3-3 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken through a further embodiment of the present invention.
Best-~k~G~-~or Carryine--ut the Invention The vending machine shown in Figures 1 to 3 is generally circular in plan (al~hough other shapes are, of~course, possible) and includes four vending positions 10 at which a purchaser can select and pay for the product that he wants to purchase, and receive the product, as will be described in greater detail below. The diameter of the machine may be about 2m but lar~er or smaller diameters can of course be used.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a cylindrical inner wall 12 su~ports ele~en (or any other appropriate number) static shelves fixed to the central wall 12; insteat of static shelves, eleven sets of radially-extending brackets 14 may be used, each set being at a different level within the machine. As shown in F~gure ~, each shelf 14 - includes twelve pairs of roller bearings 16 extending between inner wall 12 and the rim 18 of the shelf 14 (see Figure 2). A carousel 20 is supported on each shelf 14 by means of the roller bearings 16 and can be rotated by means of drive motors 22 having drive pinions 24 that engaged the underside of each carousel and for that reason each carousel extends slightly further in the radial direction than the shelf 14. Alternatively, the shelf can be cut-away to allow engagement - ~ W O 93/0~463 PCT~GB92/01372 3.
between the pinion and the carousel. If brackets are used to support the roller bearings 16, the pinions can engage the carousels in a sp~ce between two at~acent brackets. The rim of the carousel may be provided with teeth tO engage the pinion of the trive motor 22 or alternatively ~he pinion 24 may be replaced by a soft-rubber roller which engages the underside of each carousel and rotates the carousel by frictional engagement. A separate drive motor 22 is provided for each carousel and the drive motors can be individually aceivated so that the carousels can be rotated independently of one another.
A central ca~ity 26 is formed within the central wall 12 so that the vending machine can be built around a fixed object, such as a column supporting the roof of a bus or railway station. In this way, the obstruction caused by the vending machine of the present invention can be minimised since the obstruction caused by the colwnn is already in existence and the addition of the vendin~ machine will cause only minimal additional obstruotion.
Alternatively, the vending machine of the present invention may be free-standing in wh~ch case the internal cavity 26 can be utilised to house the drive motors 22 and other working parts of the vending machine. - ~
Each carousel 20 is divided up by dividers 29 into a number of compartments 28, which may be of equal or unequal size. The carousel 20 shown in Figure 2 has forty eight equally-spaced compartments of a - - maximum width of 50 mm, only a few of which have been indicated by the reference number 28. The goods to be sold are stored on the carousel 20 in ~he compartments 28. Some of the carousels have ninety six compartments of a maximum width of 25 m~. Obviously, the number of compartments depends on the nature of the goods to be dipensed.
- Referring now to Figure l, each vending position lO includes a bank 30 of switches each switch being associated with one of the products being sold; these switches may be heat or capacitance sensitive and preferably bear a picture of the product concerned. A
data display device, e.g. a colour monitor 32, a liquid crystal display or a cathode ray tube, can give further lnformation on the products available and/or instructions on how t operate the vending machine.
Each vending position also includes a coin receiving mechanism and bank 4.
note reader 34, a card reader 3S that can read credit cards and/or pre-pald cards; these pre-psid cards may allow a purchaser to purchase i~ems up to a given value, for example 5, ~10 or 20 (or equivalent - amounts in other currencies); if the full value of the card is greater than the cost of the item purchased, the vending machine can deduct the amount of a purchase from the card and allow the purchaser to make further purchases up to the value Qf the balance of money at a future date. The car~ reader 36 preferably also includes a card dispenser so that pre-paid cards can be dispensed by the machine on payment through the coin and note reader 34. A unit 38 may also be provited for giving change.
Each vending position has a flap 40 that can be released to allow ~he purchasar to remove the prod~ct he has purchased from the vending machine.
The ~ending machine may also include a headpiece 42 that can include an information display, for example in the $orm of a moving dot matrix display, advertising the presence of the vending machine and/or the products available in the machine. Also incorporated in the heatpieoe 42 above each vending position are lights 44 (see Figure 3) for illuminating the vending positions.
~- Between the four vending positions are panelled doors 46 each of which can be opened by releasing a lock (not shown) and swinging the ~ door outward about hinge 48 (shown in Figure 2). Advertising posters - can be displayed on each pan~lled door 46 and preferably the doors - include a light unit 50 that can back-lighe the posters. By opening the panel doors 46, access to ehe carousels can be provided for restocking -- and~or access to the motors and other internal working parts of the machine for maintenance thereof.
I Behind each vending position, there is provided a chute or i trunking 52 that is open to the outer periphery of the carousels so that products may be pushed off the outer rim of the carousels into the chute for dispens~ng the product ordered at any particular vending position. The products may be pushet off the carousels by means of a pivoted lever arm 54 carrying a roller 56 on its free end; only four such lever arms 54 are shown in Figure 3 (for the sake of simplicity of illustration) but a lever arm will be providet for each carousel at .
- jW O 93/03463 PCT/GB92/01372 5.
each of the four chutes 52. The lever arms 54 ~re ~oved by ~otors (not shown in Figures 1 to 3). The bottom of the chute 5Z is provided with a foam lining 58 that cushions the fall of a product from the relevant carousel so that it is not damaged. The fall of the product can be further checked by an upward flow of air in the chute 52 provided by fans 60, which forces air through passages 64, up through the chute and OUt ehrough a grille 66. To further reduce damage to fragile products and to assist the handling of goods, e.g. socks, that are not themselves rlgid, such products and goods should sultably be packaged in a rigid or semi-rigid container; for ease of stock-handling, all products are preferably packaged in a container of standard size to be accommodatet within the compartments 28.
Four bar code readers 68 are provided for each carousel, each reader being associated with one of the ~ending positions 10. The edge 70 (see Figure 3) of each carousel bears bar codes; these bar codes can be indicative of the products in the compartment opposite the chute 52 of the associated vending position 10 but more preferably ~hey indicate which compartment is opposite the chute 52 of the various vending units; in the latter case, only one bar code reader need be provided for each carousel since it is possible for the central processing unit of the vending machine (discusset in further details below) to work out which compartments are opposite which chutes 52 by knowing the exact orientation of the carousel. Alternatively, the bar code reader can be dispensed with and the exact position of the carousel can be derived by - the central processing unit monitoring how far forward or backwards the motors 22, which are formed as stepping motors have been moved; from this information and the memory, the central processing unit will know the exact position of all the carousels at any given time and the exaet location of all the various products in the vending machine.
The operation of the vending machine is controlled by a central processing unit (not shown) which includes a memory that holds the nature of the product held in each compartment of each carousel or whether the compartment is empty. Thus, when a product is requested by a purchaser at any vending position, the central processing unit rotates one of the carousels that bears that product to a position in which the compartment holding that product is opposite the chute 52 of W O 93/03463 P ~ /GB92/01372 6.
~he vending positlon, it then actlvates the motor of the pivot arm 54 opposite the chute of the respective carousel to push the product ln that compart~ent off the carousel into the chute 52; slmultaneously, it activates fan 60 tO cause an upward flow of air in the chute 52. The central processing unit then releases a latch on the flap 40 allowing the product to be removed by the vendor; the unit also updates its memory that the product has been sold from thae particularly compartment and so that compartment $s now empty.
As stated above, the positioning of the caxousel opposite the chute 52 Gf any of the vending positions lO can be controlled by feedback from the bar code reader 68 and/or by the centra:L processing unit monitoring the advance of each carousel so that it knows exactly which compartments are opposi~e which vending positlons and accordingly can rotate the carousel in one direction or another to bring a compartment bearing the desired product opposite to the chute 52. ;~
It is possible to use all four vending positions of the vending machine simultaneously since the central processing unit will rotate a different carousel to service each vending position. It will be appreciated that any given product will be provided on more than one lScarousel so that, in the event of each vending position requesting the same product, this product can be delivered from separate carousels.
The stocking pattern of the carousels can be worked out so that any product can be supplied to any vending position from at least one of the carousels.
` The central processing unit can also keep stock of the a~ount of 20each product that has been sold and this information can be sent by the central processing unit, for example via a land line, to a central ;
- monitoring office so that it is possible to do an immediate stock-take of the vending machine and re-stock it if necesssry. In addition, the central processing unit can be arranged to alert the remote central monitoring office if the stock of any one product falls to a predetermined level.
25The sequence of operations performed by tha central processing unit ~CPU) to vend a product are as fo}lows: `
l. Detect she selection of a product by a vendor pressing one of the buttons of the bank 30 at a particularly vending W O ~3/03463 P ~ /GB92/01372 7.
position (which we w~ll call position ~An), 2. Supply instructions to the ~onitor 32 lnstructing the insertion of money and/or a card into ~nits 34 to 36, 3. Read frD~ the me~o~y of the CPU the price of the product selected and either (a) co~pare that price with the amount of money that has be~n inserted into ~nit 34 snd, if necessary, give change to unit 38 or (b) deduct the pay~ent for the product from the eard in unit 36, 4. Identify a co~part~ent on a carousel bearing the desired produc~, S. Rotate the selected carouse~ to bring the co~par~ment bearing that product to a position opposite the chute 52 of vending position HAn, 6. Activate the fan 60 to provide a flow of air up the delivery chu~e of position "A~, 7. Activate the pivot arm 54 at position "A" associated with ~he chosen carousel, -~
cause one of the carousels to rotate to bring a location carrying the desired product to the delivery Qeans of that vending po~ition and to cause the delivery means to deliver the desired product to the purchaser.
~
The present inveneion will be described ~n further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
F~gure 1 is a side elevation of a vending machine in accordRnce with the present inYention, Figure 2 is a horizontal section taken through the ~ending machine along the line 2-2 shown in Figure ~, Figure 3 is a ~ertical section taken through the ves~ing machine along the line 3-3 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a horizontal section taken through a further embodiment of the present invention.
Best-~k~G~-~or Carryine--ut the Invention The vending machine shown in Figures 1 to 3 is generally circular in plan (al~hough other shapes are, of~course, possible) and includes four vending positions 10 at which a purchaser can select and pay for the product that he wants to purchase, and receive the product, as will be described in greater detail below. The diameter of the machine may be about 2m but lar~er or smaller diameters can of course be used.
Referring to Figures 2 and 3, a cylindrical inner wall 12 su~ports ele~en (or any other appropriate number) static shelves fixed to the central wall 12; insteat of static shelves, eleven sets of radially-extending brackets 14 may be used, each set being at a different level within the machine. As shown in F~gure ~, each shelf 14 - includes twelve pairs of roller bearings 16 extending between inner wall 12 and the rim 18 of the shelf 14 (see Figure 2). A carousel 20 is supported on each shelf 14 by means of the roller bearings 16 and can be rotated by means of drive motors 22 having drive pinions 24 that engaged the underside of each carousel and for that reason each carousel extends slightly further in the radial direction than the shelf 14. Alternatively, the shelf can be cut-away to allow engagement - ~ W O 93/0~463 PCT~GB92/01372 3.
between the pinion and the carousel. If brackets are used to support the roller bearings 16, the pinions can engage the carousels in a sp~ce between two at~acent brackets. The rim of the carousel may be provided with teeth tO engage the pinion of the trive motor 22 or alternatively ~he pinion 24 may be replaced by a soft-rubber roller which engages the underside of each carousel and rotates the carousel by frictional engagement. A separate drive motor 22 is provided for each carousel and the drive motors can be individually aceivated so that the carousels can be rotated independently of one another.
A central ca~ity 26 is formed within the central wall 12 so that the vending machine can be built around a fixed object, such as a column supporting the roof of a bus or railway station. In this way, the obstruction caused by the vending machine of the present invention can be minimised since the obstruction caused by the colwnn is already in existence and the addition of the vendin~ machine will cause only minimal additional obstruotion.
Alternatively, the vending machine of the present invention may be free-standing in wh~ch case the internal cavity 26 can be utilised to house the drive motors 22 and other working parts of the vending machine. - ~
Each carousel 20 is divided up by dividers 29 into a number of compartments 28, which may be of equal or unequal size. The carousel 20 shown in Figure 2 has forty eight equally-spaced compartments of a - - maximum width of 50 mm, only a few of which have been indicated by the reference number 28. The goods to be sold are stored on the carousel 20 in ~he compartments 28. Some of the carousels have ninety six compartments of a maximum width of 25 m~. Obviously, the number of compartments depends on the nature of the goods to be dipensed.
- Referring now to Figure l, each vending position lO includes a bank 30 of switches each switch being associated with one of the products being sold; these switches may be heat or capacitance sensitive and preferably bear a picture of the product concerned. A
data display device, e.g. a colour monitor 32, a liquid crystal display or a cathode ray tube, can give further lnformation on the products available and/or instructions on how t operate the vending machine.
Each vending position also includes a coin receiving mechanism and bank 4.
note reader 34, a card reader 3S that can read credit cards and/or pre-pald cards; these pre-psid cards may allow a purchaser to purchase i~ems up to a given value, for example 5, ~10 or 20 (or equivalent - amounts in other currencies); if the full value of the card is greater than the cost of the item purchased, the vending machine can deduct the amount of a purchase from the card and allow the purchaser to make further purchases up to the value Qf the balance of money at a future date. The car~ reader 36 preferably also includes a card dispenser so that pre-paid cards can be dispensed by the machine on payment through the coin and note reader 34. A unit 38 may also be provited for giving change.
Each vending position has a flap 40 that can be released to allow ~he purchasar to remove the prod~ct he has purchased from the vending machine.
The ~ending machine may also include a headpiece 42 that can include an information display, for example in the $orm of a moving dot matrix display, advertising the presence of the vending machine and/or the products available in the machine. Also incorporated in the heatpieoe 42 above each vending position are lights 44 (see Figure 3) for illuminating the vending positions.
~- Between the four vending positions are panelled doors 46 each of which can be opened by releasing a lock (not shown) and swinging the ~ door outward about hinge 48 (shown in Figure 2). Advertising posters - can be displayed on each pan~lled door 46 and preferably the doors - include a light unit 50 that can back-lighe the posters. By opening the panel doors 46, access to ehe carousels can be provided for restocking -- and~or access to the motors and other internal working parts of the machine for maintenance thereof.
I Behind each vending position, there is provided a chute or i trunking 52 that is open to the outer periphery of the carousels so that products may be pushed off the outer rim of the carousels into the chute for dispens~ng the product ordered at any particular vending position. The products may be pushet off the carousels by means of a pivoted lever arm 54 carrying a roller 56 on its free end; only four such lever arms 54 are shown in Figure 3 (for the sake of simplicity of illustration) but a lever arm will be providet for each carousel at .
- jW O 93/03463 PCT/GB92/01372 5.
each of the four chutes 52. The lever arms 54 ~re ~oved by ~otors (not shown in Figures 1 to 3). The bottom of the chute 5Z is provided with a foam lining 58 that cushions the fall of a product from the relevant carousel so that it is not damaged. The fall of the product can be further checked by an upward flow of air in the chute 52 provided by fans 60, which forces air through passages 64, up through the chute and OUt ehrough a grille 66. To further reduce damage to fragile products and to assist the handling of goods, e.g. socks, that are not themselves rlgid, such products and goods should sultably be packaged in a rigid or semi-rigid container; for ease of stock-handling, all products are preferably packaged in a container of standard size to be accommodatet within the compartments 28.
Four bar code readers 68 are provided for each carousel, each reader being associated with one of the ~ending positions 10. The edge 70 (see Figure 3) of each carousel bears bar codes; these bar codes can be indicative of the products in the compartment opposite the chute 52 of the associated vending position 10 but more preferably ~hey indicate which compartment is opposite the chute 52 of the various vending units; in the latter case, only one bar code reader need be provided for each carousel since it is possible for the central processing unit of the vending machine (discusset in further details below) to work out which compartments are opposite which chutes 52 by knowing the exact orientation of the carousel. Alternatively, the bar code reader can be dispensed with and the exact position of the carousel can be derived by - the central processing unit monitoring how far forward or backwards the motors 22, which are formed as stepping motors have been moved; from this information and the memory, the central processing unit will know the exact position of all the carousels at any given time and the exaet location of all the various products in the vending machine.
The operation of the vending machine is controlled by a central processing unit (not shown) which includes a memory that holds the nature of the product held in each compartment of each carousel or whether the compartment is empty. Thus, when a product is requested by a purchaser at any vending position, the central processing unit rotates one of the carousels that bears that product to a position in which the compartment holding that product is opposite the chute 52 of W O 93/03463 P ~ /GB92/01372 6.
~he vending positlon, it then actlvates the motor of the pivot arm 54 opposite the chute of the respective carousel to push the product ln that compart~ent off the carousel into the chute 52; slmultaneously, it activates fan 60 tO cause an upward flow of air in the chute 52. The central processing unit then releases a latch on the flap 40 allowing the product to be removed by the vendor; the unit also updates its memory that the product has been sold from thae particularly compartment and so that compartment $s now empty.
As stated above, the positioning of the caxousel opposite the chute 52 Gf any of the vending positions lO can be controlled by feedback from the bar code reader 68 and/or by the centra:L processing unit monitoring the advance of each carousel so that it knows exactly which compartments are opposi~e which vending positlons and accordingly can rotate the carousel in one direction or another to bring a compartment bearing the desired product opposite to the chute 52. ;~
It is possible to use all four vending positions of the vending machine simultaneously since the central processing unit will rotate a different carousel to service each vending position. It will be appreciated that any given product will be provided on more than one lScarousel so that, in the event of each vending position requesting the same product, this product can be delivered from separate carousels.
The stocking pattern of the carousels can be worked out so that any product can be supplied to any vending position from at least one of the carousels.
` The central processing unit can also keep stock of the a~ount of 20each product that has been sold and this information can be sent by the central processing unit, for example via a land line, to a central ;
- monitoring office so that it is possible to do an immediate stock-take of the vending machine and re-stock it if necesssry. In addition, the central processing unit can be arranged to alert the remote central monitoring office if the stock of any one product falls to a predetermined level.
25The sequence of operations performed by tha central processing unit ~CPU) to vend a product are as fo}lows: `
l. Detect she selection of a product by a vendor pressing one of the buttons of the bank 30 at a particularly vending W O ~3/03463 P ~ /GB92/01372 7.
position (which we w~ll call position ~An), 2. Supply instructions to the ~onitor 32 lnstructing the insertion of money and/or a card into ~nits 34 to 36, 3. Read frD~ the me~o~y of the CPU the price of the product selected and either (a) co~pare that price with the amount of money that has be~n inserted into ~nit 34 snd, if necessary, give change to unit 38 or (b) deduct the pay~ent for the product from the eard in unit 36, 4. Identify a co~part~ent on a carousel bearing the desired produc~, S. Rotate the selected carouse~ to bring the co~par~ment bearing that product to a position opposite the chute 52 of vending position HAn, 6. Activate the fan 60 to provide a flow of air up the delivery chu~e of position "A~, 7. Activate the pivot arm 54 at position "A" associated with ~he chosen carousel, -~
8. Release the flap 40 of position ~A~, 9. Detect when the flap 40 has been opened by the vendor and the product re~oved and then lock the flap 40 again, 10. Update the memory of the CPU to record the sale of ~he product from the compartment.
The vending machine can be used to sell foods, in which case it could be chilled by a chilling unit (not shown)~
One advantage of the present in~ention is that it can remain in operation while it is being re-stocked or during maintenance since the operation of each carousel is independent of the other carousels. Thus each carousel can be fitted with isolation and resetting switches and the operation of one carousel inactivated by means of its associated isolation switch for restocking or maintenance; when so isolsted, the CPU can be arranged to divert all sales to other carousels.
The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that described in connection with Figures l to 3 {and accordingly further description will not be giv~n, the same reference num~ers being used throughout Figures l to 4 to indicate the ~ame features); however, in Figure 4, the product chute 52 is provided on the inside of the W O 93/034~3 PCT/GB92~01372 8.
carousels ant extends under the lowe~t carousel to deliver any product to a position behlnd the flap 40 of the desired vending posltion; also the dispensing arms 54 and rollers 56 are pro~ided on the outside of the carousels ~in Flgure 4, the motors 55 powering the dispensing arms and rollers 54, 56 are shown). The arrangement of Fig 4 has the advantage that, for a given diameter of the vending machine, the diameter of the carousels may be larger than Ln the embodiment of Figure 1 to 3, thereby allowing more stock to be carried; also access to the internal workings of the vend~ng mach~ne i5 easier, thereby facilitat~ng malntenance.
.
-.
The vending machine can be used to sell foods, in which case it could be chilled by a chilling unit (not shown)~
One advantage of the present in~ention is that it can remain in operation while it is being re-stocked or during maintenance since the operation of each carousel is independent of the other carousels. Thus each carousel can be fitted with isolation and resetting switches and the operation of one carousel inactivated by means of its associated isolation switch for restocking or maintenance; when so isolsted, the CPU can be arranged to divert all sales to other carousels.
The embodiment shown in Figure 4 is substantially the same as that described in connection with Figures l to 3 {and accordingly further description will not be giv~n, the same reference num~ers being used throughout Figures l to 4 to indicate the ~ame features); however, in Figure 4, the product chute 52 is provided on the inside of the W O 93/034~3 PCT/GB92~01372 8.
carousels ant extends under the lowe~t carousel to deliver any product to a position behlnd the flap 40 of the desired vending posltion; also the dispensing arms 54 and rollers 56 are pro~ided on the outside of the carousels ~in Flgure 4, the motors 55 powering the dispensing arms and rollers 54, 56 are shown). The arrangement of Fig 4 has the advantage that, for a given diameter of the vending machine, the diameter of the carousels may be larger than Ln the embodiment of Figure 1 to 3, thereby allowing more stock to be carried; also access to the internal workings of the vend~ng mach~ne i5 easier, thereby facilitat~ng malntenance.
.
-.
Claims (10)
1. A vending machine comprising a plurality of carousels (20), each having a plurality of predetermined locations (28) for storing products for sale, a plurality of vending positions (10), each comprising:
means (30) for the purchaser to select one of the desired products that are for sale, means (34, 36) for the purchaser to pay for the selected product and, means (40, 52, 54, 56) for delivering the product to the purchaser, means (22) for rotating each carousel independently of the other carousels, control means which, in response to the selection of a product from one of the vending positions, is able to cause one of the carousels to rotate to bring a location carrying the desired product to the delivery means of that vending position and to cause she delivery means to deliver the desired product to the purchaser.
means (30) for the purchaser to select one of the desired products that are for sale, means (34, 36) for the purchaser to pay for the selected product and, means (40, 52, 54, 56) for delivering the product to the purchaser, means (22) for rotating each carousel independently of the other carousels, control means which, in response to the selection of a product from one of the vending positions, is able to cause one of the carousels to rotate to bring a location carrying the desired product to the delivery means of that vending position and to cause she delivery means to deliver the desired product to the purchaser.
2. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the product delivery means of each vending position includes a chute (52) located adjacent the outer perimeter of the carousels (20) and capable of receiving a product from any one of the carousels.
3. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the product delivery means of each vending position includes a chute (52) located adjacent the inner perimeter of the carousels (20) and capable of receiving a product from any one of the carousels.
4. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a memory for storing the location(s) on the carousels of each product for sale.
5. A vending machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein each carousel is rotated by means of a stepping motor controlled by the control means and wherein the position of each carousel is held in the memory of the control means by monitoring the advance of the motor.
6. A vending machine as claimed in claim 4, wherein each carousel carries bar codes, each code being associated with one 10.
location and the machine includes a bar code reader capable of reading the codes and transmitting information from the codes to the control means to indicate which location of the carousel is opposite the delivery means of each vending position.
location and the machine includes a bar code reader capable of reading the codes and transmitting information from the codes to the control means to indicate which location of the carousel is opposite the delivery means of each vending position.
7. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein each carousel carries a bar code at each location, each bar code being associated with the product in that location, and the machine includes a bar code reader capable of reading the codes and transmitting information from the codes to the control means to indicate which product is opposite the delivery means of each vending position.
8. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the carousels are annular and the vending machine includes a central void.
9. A vending machine as claimed in claim 8, which is built around a pillar or other part of a building or structure.
10. A vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the number of carousels is equal to or greater than the number of vending positions.
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB919116816A GB9116816D0 (en) | 1991-08-05 | 1991-08-05 | Vending machines |
| GB9116816.1 | 1991-08-05 |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA2115080A1 true CA2115080A1 (en) | 1993-02-18 |
Family
ID=10699492
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA002115080A Abandoned CA2115080A1 (en) | 1991-08-05 | 1992-07-24 | Vending machines |
Country Status (8)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP0623234B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JPH06509434A (en) |
| AT (1) | ATE136672T1 (en) |
| AU (1) | AU657159B2 (en) |
| CA (1) | CA2115080A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE69209852D1 (en) |
| GB (1) | GB9116816D0 (en) |
| WO (1) | WO1993003463A1 (en) |
Families Citing this family (7)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WO2005093674A1 (en) * | 2004-03-29 | 2005-10-06 | Water Vending Australia Pty Ltd | A vending machine including a security enclosure |
| WO2008026674A1 (en) * | 2007-08-30 | 2008-03-06 | Tangram Co., Ltd. | Merchandise dispensing device and merchandise display rack |
| US20140316562A1 (en) * | 2011-09-23 | 2014-10-23 | Vision Box-Solucoes De Visao Por Computador | Identification card dispenser and operation method thereof |
| US10867463B2 (en) * | 2018-09-18 | 2020-12-15 | Pepsico, Inc. | Vending machine |
| CN109979092A (en) * | 2019-04-22 | 2019-07-05 | 苏州博众机器人有限公司 | A kind of selling system and vending method |
| RU2732197C1 (en) * | 2019-08-15 | 2020-09-14 | Алексей Валериевич Симонович | Vending machine |
| KR102669309B1 (en) * | 2022-03-21 | 2024-05-24 | 주식회사 우노스 | Kiosk integrated cigarette vending machine |
Family Cites Families (5)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US3129039A (en) * | 1958-02-03 | 1964-04-14 | Vendo Co | Visible product vending machine |
| DE1233186B (en) * | 1963-07-06 | 1967-01-26 | Automatic Canteen Co | Self-seller with ring fans |
| US4391388A (en) * | 1981-04-30 | 1983-07-05 | Merrill Krakauer | Control system for increasing the versatility of an all purpose merchandiser |
| JPS58142496A (en) * | 1982-02-18 | 1983-08-24 | 富士電機株式会社 | Beverage cup feeder for vending machine |
| US4942954A (en) * | 1987-08-20 | 1990-07-24 | G. T. Norton, Inc. | Vending machine |
-
1991
- 1991-08-05 GB GB919116816A patent/GB9116816D0/en active Pending
-
1992
- 1992-07-24 DE DE69209852T patent/DE69209852D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-07-24 AU AU23618/92A patent/AU657159B2/en not_active Ceased
- 1992-07-24 JP JP5503376A patent/JPH06509434A/en active Pending
- 1992-07-24 WO PCT/GB1992/001372 patent/WO1993003463A1/en active IP Right Grant
- 1992-07-24 EP EP92916248A patent/EP0623234B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 1992-07-24 AT AT92916248T patent/ATE136672T1/en not_active IP Right Cessation
- 1992-07-24 CA CA002115080A patent/CA2115080A1/en not_active Abandoned
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| EP0623234B1 (en) | 1996-04-10 |
| JPH06509434A (en) | 1994-10-20 |
| EP0623234A1 (en) | 1994-11-09 |
| GB9116816D0 (en) | 1991-09-18 |
| ATE136672T1 (en) | 1996-04-15 |
| AU657159B2 (en) | 1995-03-02 |
| WO1993003463A1 (en) | 1993-02-18 |
| DE69209852D1 (en) | 1996-05-15 |
| AU2361892A (en) | 1993-03-02 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FZDE | Discontinued |