GB1536533A - Storage apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

1536533 Dispensers TELEVISION SYSTEMS & RESEARCH Ltd 17 Nov 1975 [15 Aug 1974] 46270/75 Divided out of 1536532 Heading B8U [Also in Division F4] Storage apparatus has a plurality of storage locations for receiving respective different articles, said storage locations being arranged to display and permit selection of the art cles, and a plurality of sensing means associated respectively with said respective different storage locations, each sensing means being operable to sense an article at its associated location. As disclosed, the articles are bottles in a refrigerator 400 (Fig. 14) in a hotel room. Figure 16 shows the arrangements for an inclined bottle (at 414 in Fig. 14) and Fig. 21 for an upright bottle (at 416 in Fig. 14). In Fig. 16, when the bottle (not shown) is manually removed, spring 428 rotates cam 422 clockwise (as shown) since flap 420 on the cam is no longer held down by the bottle. A bent portion 430c of one end of a pivoted catch 430 (weighted at the other end 430a) engages a recess 422a in cam 422 to lcck it in position. A magnet 446 on cam 422 closes a reed contact-pair 148, so that a central computer in the hotel can detect the removal of the bottle and bill the guest accordingly. Use of a staff key (see below) energizes a solenoid to raise a bar 436 to disengage the catches 430, permitting replenishment of the bottles. In Fig. 21, when the bottle is manually removed, a platform 454 on which it stood is pulled up by a spring 462, the end 468a of a catch 468 is pulled into a recess 456a by a spring 468b to lock the platform in the raised position, and a magnet 474 closes a reed contactpair (not shown in Fig. 21) so that the computer can detect removal of the bottle as above. Use of the staff key (see below) energizes a solenoid 408 to disengage the catch 468. The refrigerator (Fig. 14) can be opened by a guest key (at 134) or the staff key (at 130). Use of the keys and whether the door is open can be detected by the computer. Opening using the guest key may be inhibited by the computer. The computer can also order the refrigerator to de-frost.