GB2549127A

GB2549127A - A vending apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2549127A
Application number: GB1605874.5A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Dumont Dominic
Original assignee: Keuken Ltd
Current assignee: Keuken Ltd
Priority date: 2016-04-06
Filing date: 2016-04-06
Publication date: 2017-10-11

Abstract

A vending apparatus comprising a plurality of openable compartments 12, wherein the interior of the compartments are visible through at least two separate portions 16 of the compartment and/or openable through at least two separate portions 14 of the compartment. Preferably a front door is accessible by a paying customer and a rear door is accessible by an employee. A section of the doors may be transparent. Items are removed through the front door and replenished through the back door. The compartments are preferably arranged in a matrix. The vending machine preferably forms part of a wall, where the machine is accessible from both sides of the wall, where the wall may be an interior or exterior wall. The vending apparatus may have an environmental control system, to control the temperature inside each individual compartment or a group of compartments. The compartments are preferably locked until a customer pays, preferably by a cashless payment. When an attendant identifies a compartment is empty the attendant can open the rear door and enter a new item, where the customers can then view, pay for, and remove the item. Items may include food.

Description

A Vending Apparatus

Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to improvements in or relating to vending machines, and in particular to vending machines which include one or more openable compartments.

Background to the Invention

It is known to provide vending machines which store and automatically dispense products, such as food products, upon payment of a pre-determined amount by consumer. Commonly, vending machines of this type are used to store and dispense snack products such as confectionery bars, crisps or bottled drinks, for example. Snack or bottled drinks vending machines typically include a plurality of rows of one or more different products which may be moved towards a consumer upon selection of that product. Typically, the products are moved to a bin or opening for removal from the machine by a consumer. There is, however, a growing interest in expanding known vending machines to dispense more complex food products, such as cooked meals. Known snack and bottle vending machines are generally not suited for this purpose where it may be necessary for the products to be retained in a given position/orientation to prevent the food product from being spoiled.

To overcome this problem it is known to provide machines which include an enclosure (which may be separated into one or more bays or regions) for locating a product or products. The machine may have an openable door or doors associated with the interior of the enclosure (or with each of the bays or regions) for access thereto. The door or doors may be lockable, and may open/unlock only upon payment of a predetermined amount by a consumer. In this way, the products are retained in a given position for display/storage and throughout the transaction process before being manually removed by a user.

However, no complete solution has been provided. For example, a requirement of vending machines is that they must be restocked. In known systems this typically includes opening the same door or doors within the machine as a consumer would to access products located therein. However, in doing so, this renders the machine out of order for the time taken to restock the machine. This is not desirable as it will reduce the time for which the machine is generating money from sales.

Similarly, the stock levels may only be viewed by viewing the bays or regions within the machine directly. In known machines, this may be achieved through a consumer viewing window but may necessitate opening of a door or doors within the machine. In both cases, this may render the machine out of order for the time taken to check the stock within the machine. Again, this is not desirable.

It would therefore be advantageous to provide a vending machine where the stock levels may be checked, or one which may be restocked, without preventing the machine from being used by a consumer at the same time.

It is therefore an aim of an embodiment or embodiments of the invention to overcome or at least partially mitigate the problems associated with prior art vending machines.

Summary of the Invention

According to a first aspect of the present invention there is provided a vending apparatus comprising a plurality of openable compartments; wherein the apparatus is configured such that the interior of each of the plurality of compartments is visible and/or openable through at least two separate portions of the compartment, in use.

By configuring the apparatus such that the interior of each of the compartments is visible through at least two separate portions of the compartment, the vending apparatus of the invention provides a way to see, from two separate perspectives, whether a compartment is stocked with an item without having to open the compartment itself. By configuring the apparatus such that the interior of each of the compartments is openable through at least two separate portions of the compartment, the vending apparatus of the invention provides a way to place or remove, through two separate openings, items within the corresponding compartment.

In some embodiments a first portion of each compartment may be positioned such that the interior of each compartment is visible and/or openable from a location of a consumer when using the apparatus to obtain items located therein, and a second portion of each compartment may be positioned such that the interior of each compartment is visible and/or openable from a location of an operator tasked with restocking each compartment when required. In this way, the stock levels may be checked and refilled without a consumer being prevented from using the apparatus at the same time.

Each of the plurality of compartments may be defined by one or more panels. In some embodiments each of the plurality of compartments comprises at least two panels. The at least two panels may comprise a front panel and a rear panel. In some embodiments the interior of each compartment may be visible and/or openable through at least one of the one or more panels. In embodiments wherein each compartment comprises at least two panels, the interior of the compartment may be visible and/or openable through two or more panels. Each of the plurality of compartments may comprise a front and a rear panel. In such embodiments the interior of a corresponding compartment is visible and/or openable through both the front and rear panels, in use.

The interior of each compartment may be visible and/or openable, in use, through a first panel, which may be a front panel, from a first position relative to the apparatus, and may be visible and/or openable through a second panel, which may be a rear panel, from a second position relative to the apparatus.

In some embodiments at least a portion of each compartment may comprise a transparent section through which the interior of the compartment may be seen. In embodiments wherein the each of the compartments is defined by one or more panels, at least a portion of a panel of each compartment may comprise a transparent section. In embodiments wherein each of the compartments is defined by two or more panels, at least a portion of two of the panels of each compartment may comprise a transparent section. In some embodiments substantially the whole of one or more panels of each compartment may be transparent. The or each transparent section of the compartments may be formed from glass, or another transparent material which may be a plastics material, for example.

Each of the plurality of compartments are openable. In some embodiments each compartment comprises one or more doors through which the interior of the compartment may be accessed. In some embodiments each of the plurality of compartments comprises a single door through which items can be located and removed from within the compartment. In further embodiments at least one of the plurality of compartments may comprise two or more doors therein. In presently preferred embodiments, each of the plurality of compartments comprises two doors which may comprise a first door comprising the first portion of each compartment and a second door comprising the second portion of each compartment. Each compartment comprising two or more doors may comprise a first door for locating items within the compartment and a second door for removing items from within the compartment. In use, the second door may be accessible to a consumer when using the apparatus to obtain items located therein, and in such instances, the first door may be accessible to an operator tasked with restocking each compartment when required.

The one or more doors may be lockable. In such embodiments, the one or more doors may comprise a latch or the like which may lock the door in position to retain the corresponding compartment in a closed configuration. The one or more doors may, in such embodiments, only be openable upon release of a corresponding latch. In some embodiments the doors may comprise a magnetic latch.

In embodiments wherein each compartment comprises two or more doors, at least the door which is accessible to a consumer may be lockable. In further embodiments both the door which is accessible to a consumer and the door accessible to an operator may be lockable.

In embodiments wherein the each of the compartments is defined by one or more panels, at least a portion of a panel of each compartment may comprise a door providing access to the interior of the compartment. In embodiments wherein each of the compartments is defined by two or more panels, at least a portion of two of the panels of each compartment may comprise a door providing access to the interior of the compartment. In some embodiments at least one of the panels defining the compartments may be openable to form at least one door within the corresponding compartment. In some embodiments there is provided one or more transparent sections within a door in the compartment. In embodiments wherein one or more of the plurality of compartments comprises two or more doors, at least two of the doors may comprise a transparent section.

The plurality of compartments may be arranged in a matrix. For example, in some embodiments at least two of the compartments may be arranged side by side to form one or more rows of compartments. The or each row of compartments may be formed from at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 compartments, for example. In some embodiments at least two of the compartments may be stacked to form one or more columns of compartments. The or each column of compartments may be formed from at least 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 compartments, for example. In some embodiments the plurality of compartments may be arranged in at least one row and at least one column. The plurality of compartments may be arranged in a 2x2, 2x3, 3x2, 2x4, 4x2, 3x4, 4x3, 4x4, 2x5, 5x2, 3x5, 5x3, 4x5, 5x4, or 5x5 matrix, for example. In some embodiments the plurality of compartments may be arranged in a matrix having more than 5 rows and/or columns of compartments.

The plurality of compartments may be arranged to form a wall of compartments. The wall of compartments may form at least a portion of a wall of a further structure, which may be an internal wall of a building, such as a wall defining a room within that building, for example. In some embodiments the wall of compartments may form at least a portion of an external wall of a building. For example, in presently preferred embodiments the plurality of compartments are arranged to form a wall of compartments within an outer wall of a shop or restaurant.

In embodiments wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged to form a wall of compartments within the wall of a building, the apparatus may be configured such that the interior of each of the plurality of compartments is visible from either side of the wall of the building, in use. For example, in some embodiments the plurality of compartments may comprise transparent sections on opposing panels forming the compartment, the transparent sections allowing the interior of the compartments to be viewed, in use. In some embodiments each of the plurality of compartments may comprise a pair of doors, each door providing access to the interior of the compartment from one side of the wall of the building. For example, in presently preferred embodiments each of the plurality of compartments comprises a first door on one side of the wall and a second door on the other side of the wall such that each compartment is accessible from either side of the wall, in use. In this way, the vending apparatus of the invention can be used such that items can be withdrawn from one side of the wall by a consumer and may be restocked from the other side of the wall by an operator of the apparatus or an employee of a company using the vending apparatus to sell products/items. By providing transparent sections in opposing panels of each compartment, the contents of each compartment may be viewed by both a consumer on one side of the wall (to see which items are available, for example), and by an operator/employee on the other side of the wall (to see which compartments need restocking, for example).

In some embodiments the apparatus may additionally comprise a compartment environment control system. The environment control system may be operable in use to control one or more environmental variables of at least one of the plurality of compartments. In some embodiments the environment control system is operable in use to control one or more environmental variables of each of the plurality of compartments. The one or more environmental variables of each of the plurality of compartments may be controllable independently. In other embodiments the plurality of compartments may be grouped into one or more groups of compartments, with one or more environmental variables of each group of compartments being controllable independently. The one or more groups of compartments may be a row or column of compartments, for example.

The apparatus may additionally comprise an operator interface. The operator interface may be operable to control the operation of the environment control system.

For example, the operator interface may be operable to receive set/target values of the one or more environmental variables of the compartments/each compartment/group of compartments from an operator. In some embodiments the operator interface may be remote from the environment control system and may, in such embodiments, be communicable with the environment control system over a wireless connection. The wireless connection may comprise an internet connection, Bluetooth connection, NFC connection, or the like, for example.

The environmental variables controllable by the environment control system may include the temperature of an individual compartment, or group of compartments, for example. In such embodiments, the environment control system may be operable in use to heat and/or cool an individual compartment, or group of compartments. The environment control system may be operable in use to heat and/or cool each compartment, or group of compartments, to the same temperature, or to different temperatures. In such embodiments, the choice of temperature to which each compartment, or group of compartments, is heated or cooled will be dependent on the type of item to be located within said compartment/s. In some embodiments the environment control system may be operable in use to heat one or more compartments, or groups of compartments, and cool one or more further compartments, or further groups of compartments. In this way, when used as a vending apparatus for consumable products, the vending apparatus of the present invention may be operable to keep certain consumable products hot and other consumable products cold, dependent on the compartment/s in which the products are located.

In some embodiments the environmental control system may comprise one or more heating elements or cooling elements which may be provided within the interior of the compartment itself, or in preferably within one or more panels defining the compartment/s, operable in use to raise or lower the temperature of the compartment. In embodiments wherein the plurality of compartments are provided in one or more rows or columns of compartments, each row or column may comprise a single heating element or cooling element operable to control the temperature of each of the compartments within the same row or column. For example, in embodiments wherein the at least two of the plurality of compartments are provided within a column, the heating element or cooling elements may run vertically through each of the compartments in the column, or through at least one panel of each of the compartments. Likewise, in embodiments wherein the at least two of the plurality of compartments are provided within a row, the heating element or cooling element may run horizontally through each of the compartments in the row, or through at least one panel of each of the compartments.

In some embodiments the apparatus additionally comprises a payment system operable in use to receive payment from a consumer. The payment system may be operable in use to open or unlock an openable closure within at least one of the compartments upon payment of a pre-determined amount by a consumer. In this way, the apparatus of the invention may provide a means to dispense an item, or allow an item to be removed from within a compartment, upon receipt of payment. The openable closure may comprise an openable door of at least one of the compartments. In some embodiments the payment system may be operable to release a latch to unlock a door of at least one of the compartments upon payment of a pre-determined amount by a consumer. In some embodiments the payment system may be operable to automatically open a door of at least one of the compartments upon payment of a pre-determined amount by a user.

The payment system may comprise a cash-based payment system. In such embodiments the payment system may include one or more slots into which a user may insert notes and/or coins in order to effect payment. In other embodiments the payment system may comprise a cashless system. In such embodiments the system may include a card reader for payment via credit or debit card, for example. The cashless system may in some embodiments be contactless, and may include an RFID reader or NFC reader, for example, which may be operable in use to detect a user presenting a contactless card or mobile device to the reader to effect payment. In embodiments wherein the compartments are provided within a series of rows and/or columns, the payment system may include a series of subsystems, with one or more subsystems being associated with each of the rows/and or columns of compartments. For example, in embodiments wherein the payment system comprises a cashless system, the apparatus may comprise one or more readers, which may be contactless readers such as an RFID reader, NFC reader, barcode reader, QR code reader or a card reader, or combinations thereof, associated with each row and/or column of compartments.

The apparatus may comprise one or more compartment selectors for selecting which of the compartments to open, in use. In some embodiments the apparatus may comprise one or more buttons or switches relating to each of the compartments. In use, the buttons or switches may be actuated in order to open a compartment, or select a compartment to be opened. In some embodiments each compartment comprises an individual compartment selector. In other embodiments two or more compartments may be selected using the same compartment selector. In embodiments wherein the compartments are provided in a series of rows and/or columns, there may be provided one or more compartment selectors associated with each row or column.

In some embodiments the compartment selectors may be mechanically or electronically connected to an openable closure within the corresponding compartment. For example, in embodiments wherein the compartment selectors are mechanically connected to an openable closure, the compartment selectors may be operable in use to release a latch or the like allowing the closure to be opened.

Additionally or alternatively, the vending apparatus may comprise a user interface. The user interface may be operable to allow a user to input data relating to a particular item contained within the apparatus, or data relating to a particular compartment of the apparatus. For example, in some embodiments the user interface may be operable in use to be used to select which compartment to open to access a product or products located therein. In embodiments wherein the apparatus additionally comprises a payment system, the payment system and user interface may be provided as a single unit, or may be provided proximal to one another. In alternate embodiments, the user interface may comprise an application, program or website, which may be running on a user’s electronic device, which may be a computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone, for example, and the apparatus may be communicable with the user’s device. The apparatus and device may be communicable wirelessly via an internet connection, Bluetooth connection, NFC connection or the like, for example.

According to a second aspect of the present invention there is provided a wall comprising a vending apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention.

The wall may comprise an interior wall of a building. In other embodiments the wall may comprise an external wall of a building. The building may be a retail store, or a restaurant, for example.

According to a third aspect of the invention there is provided a building comprising a vending apparatus in accordance with the first aspect of the present invention, wherein the vending apparatus is provided within at least a portion of one or more walls of the building.

The one or more walls of the building may comprise an interior wall of the building. In other embodiments the one or more walls of the building may comprise an external wall of the building. The building may be a retail store, or a restaurant, for example.

According to a fourth aspect of the invention there is provided a method of vending one or more items using an apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying one or more items within a compartment of the apparatus, wherein the interior of each of the compartments is visible to a user through a portion of each compartment; and (b) removing the identified item/s from its corresponding compartment through an opening therein.

In some embodiments the method may comprise opening a door to provide access to the interior of one or more of the compartments to remove the at least one item. The method may comprise looking through a portion of the door to identify an item or items within one or more of the compartments. The method may comprise looking through a transparent portion of the door to identify an item or items within one or more of the compartments.

In some embodiments the method may comprise paying for the at least one item to be removed using a payment system. The method may comprise placing notes and/or coins into one or more slots on the apparatus to effect payment. In other embodiments the method may comprise using a cashless payment system to effect payment. In such embodiments, the method may comprise presenting a card or electronic device to a card reader, RFID reader, NFC reader or the like in order to effect payment. In some embodiments the method may comprise paying for the at least one item before removing the or each items from a compartment of the apparatus.

In some embodiments the method may comprise selecting one or more of the compartments in which an identified item or items is/are located. The one or more compartments may be selected using one or more compartment selectors. The method may comprise activating the compartment selector before paying for the item or items to be removed from the apparatus. In some embodiments the method may comprise activating one or more compartment selectors in order to unlock and/or open an openable closure in a corresponding compartment. The openable closure may comprise a door within the compartment providing access to the interior thereof.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention there is provided a method of restocking an apparatus of the first aspect of the invention comprising: (a) identifying one or more of the compartments of the apparatus which need restocking through a portion of each compartment; and (b) locating at least one item in one or more identified compartments through an opening therein.

In some embodiments the method may comprise opening a door to provide access to the interior of one or more of the compartments to locate one or more items therein. The method may comprise looking through a portion of the door of a compartment to identify whether the compartment needs restocking. The method may comprise looking through a transparent portion of the door to identify whether the corresponding compartment needs restocking.

Detailed Description of the Invention

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood an embodiment thereof will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a side perspective view of an embodiment of a vending apparatus of the present invention;

Figures 2 A and 2B are front views of the vending apparatus shown in Figure 1;

Figures 3 A and 3B are rear views of the vending apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 2; and

Figure 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the vending apparatus shown in

Figures 1 to 3.

The Figures illustrate an embodiment of a vending apparatus 10 in accordance with the invention. The vending apparatus 10 comprises a series of compartments 12 which are stacked in a vertical arrangement. Each of the compartments 12 are substantially cuboidal in shape and comprise a front door 14 (as shown in Figures 1, 2A and 2B) and a rear door 34 (as shown in Figures 3A and 3B). The front and rear doors 14, 34 are hingedly connected to the compartments 12. The front and rear doors 14, 34 of the compartments 12 are openable to provide access to the interior 26 of the compartments 12. In addition, each of the compartments 12 include transparent sections therein such that the interior 26 of the compartments 12 can be seen from outside of the apparatus 10. In the illustrated embodiment, the transparent sections are in the form of windows 16, 36 within the front and rear doors 14, 36 of the compartments 12.

The apparatus 10 additionally includes a payment unit 32. The payment unit 32 is positioned adjacent to the stacked column of compartments 12 and is connected thereto. Payment unit 32 includes a card reader 18. The card reader 18 may be a chip and pin reader, or may be a contactless card reader, such as an RFID reader, or a wireless payment reader, such as an NFC reader, for example, or any combination thereof, for obtaining payment information from an electronic device such as a mobile phone.

In addition, the illustrated apparatus comprises a payment unit 32 which includes a QR code reader 20 for use in scanning a QR code presented thereto by a user as will be readily understood.. The payment unit 32 additionally comprises a series of compartment selectors in the form of push buttons 22. Each of the push buttons 22 is located adjacent to a compartment 12 and is operable in use to be actuated to select a compartment to be accessed by a user. In the illustrated embodiment, the push buttons 22 must be pressed in order to select a corresponding compartment 12, in use. Preferably, the push buttons 22 are mechanically or electronically linked to the doors 14 and pressing the push button automatically causes the door 14 of the corresponding compartment to open. Where a push button 22 is mechanically connected to a door 14, pressing the push button 22 may release a latch holding the door 14 closed.

Figure 4 illustrates an environment control system of the apparatus 10 of the invention operable to control the temperature within the interior 26 of the compartments 12. By controlling the temperature of the interior of the compartments 12, the temperature of any products located within the compartments 12 can also be controlled which may be desirable or even essential in embodiments wherein the apparatus 10 is used as a vending apparatus for perishable goods, such as foods and the like.

In the illustrated embodiment, the environment control system comprises refrigerant pipes 30 which rise vertically through each of the compartments 12. The refrigerant pipes 30 are preferably located within a side panel of the compartments 12 such that they are hidden from view and enclosed to prevent a user coming into contact therewith. Further components of the environment control system are contained within a housing 24 located at the bottom of the stack of compartments 12. The housing 24 encloses a compressor 28 and a cooling fan 29 for preventing overheating of the compressor 28. The operation of a system including a compressor and refrigerant pipes as shown used to cool a given enclosed environment will be readily understood.

The operational use of the apparatus 10 of the present invention will now be described with reference to Figures 2A, 2B, 3A and 3B.

Figures 2A and 2B are front perspective views of an embodiment of the apparatus 10 of the invention. These Figures illustrate the use of the apparatus 10 from a consumer perspective.

The apparatus 10 may normally be provided in the configuration shown in 2A. In this configuration, each of the compartments 12 are fully closed and may contain a product or products located therein. The contents of the compartments 12 are visible through the windows 16 in the front doors 14 of the compartments 12. Furthermore, in this configuration, the environment control system is operational to maintain the temperature of the interiors 26 of the compartments 12.

In order to dispense a product or products located within a compartment 12 of the apparatus 10, a consumer must open the front door 14 of the corresponding compartment 12. The front doors 14 of the compartments 12 are, however, normally locked and therefore must necessarily be unlocked in order to access the contents located therein. This is achieved through payment of a pre-determined amount using the payment unit 32. Depending on the type of reader 18 provided, payment may be effected by inserting the card into a specified slot, or by presenting a payment card or device to a contactless reader.

In addition to payment, a consumer must necessarily select which compartment 12 is to be opened. In the illustrated embodiment, this is achieved by pressing the push button 22 corresponding to the relevant compartment 12. The push button 22 may be pressed before or after payment, however, as described above, in presently preferred embodiments pressing the push button causes the door 14 of the corresponding compartment 12 to open, or at least unlock, automatically. In such embodiments, the push buttons 22 may only be operable to open a corresponding compartment 12 subsequent to the payment reader 18 registering payment of the correct, pre-determined amount.

After the door 14 of a compartment 12 has been opened, a consumer may reach into the interior 26 of the compartment 12 to remove a product or products located therein. The consumer may then reclose the door 14 to reset the apparatus 10.

Figures 3A and 3B are rear perspective views of the apparatus 10 of the invention. These Figures illustrate the use of the apparatus 10 from an operator perspective.

The windows 36 in the rear doors 34 allow an operator to view the interior 26 of the compartments 12. In instances where a compartment 12 is empty, for example where a consumer has removed a product or products from within the compartment 12 as per the method described above, an operator may wish to restock the apparatus 10 by placing one or more further products within that compartment 12. To achieve this, the operator simply opens the rear door 34 of the corresponding compartment 12 to provide access to the interior 26 of that compartment 12.

In the illustrated embodiment, the rear doors 34 of the compartments 12 are openable simply by pulling to door away from the compartment 12. Where the apparatus 10 is used in situations where the rear of the compartments 12 is not accessible other than by an operator, this may be sufficient. However, in other embodiments each of the rear doors 34 may be lockable to prevent erroneous opening of the compartments 12 through the rear doors 34. The rear doors 34 may be locked in the same way as the front doors 14 as discussed above, i.e. through use of a latch which is released under the operation of a push button.

In the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 10 comprises a plurality of compartments 12 which are stacked in a vertical arrangement. It is, however, to be understood that the apparatus 10 of the present invention is not limited to the arrangement of compartments 12 illustrated in these Figures. Rather, it is envisaged that any arrangement of compartments 12 may be provided. For example, in some embodiments the compartments 12 may be arranged side by side in a row, or in some embodiments the arrangement of compartments 12 may be such that there is provided two or more rows and columns of compartments. For example, the compartments 12 may be arranged in a 2x2, 3x2, 2x3, 3x3, 2x4, 4x2, 3x4, 4x3, 4x4, 2x5, 5x2, 3x5, 5x3, 4x5, 5x4, or 5x5 array, for example. There may in further embodiments be more than 5 rows and/or columns of compartments 12.

The illustrated apparatus 10 includes compartment selectors in the form of push buttons 22. However, in other embodiments the push buttons 22 may be replaced by a user interface. In such instances, the user interface may comprise a means for a user to input data relating to a given compartment, or to a given product.

In some embodiments the front and/or rear doors 14, 34 of the compartments 12 may be openable using a handle or other means, rather than automatic opening under the operation of the illustrated push buttons 22. In such embodiments, the front and/or rear doors 14, 34 may be lockable by means of a latch (not shown) which may be a mechanical latch or magnetic latch, for example. The push buttons 22 may be operable to release the latch in order to unlock the doors 14, 34. In further embodiments the front and/or rear doors 14, 34 of the compartments 12 may be openable by initially pushing the doors 14, 24 inwards to release a click-fit latch.

Although the illustrated embodiments includes an environmental control system operable to maintain the temperature at a low temperature (or reduce the temperature) of the compartments 12 through refrigeration, it is to be understood that the apparatus 10 is not limited in this sense. Rather, it may be desirable in some instances to provide an environmental control system operable to maintain or increase the temperature of the compartments 12 to a raised temperature, for instance, where the apparatus 10 is being used to hold hot food products. In such instances, the refrigeration pipes 30, compressor 28 and cooling fan 29 may be replaced by a heating element. The heating element may too run through the compartments 12 and be operable in use to increase the temperature of each of the compartments as is desired. In further embodiments it may be desirable to both heat and cool the interior 26 of the compartments 12 at different times. In such instances, the compartments 12 may be provided with both refrigerant pipes and a heating element associated therewith for controlling the temperature of the interior 26 of said compartments.

Furthermore, in the illustrated embodiment, the apparatus 10 includes an environment control system which is operable to control the temperature of all of the compartments 12 contained within a single column. It is, however, to be understood that in variants of the apparatus 10 shown, the temperature of each of the compartments 12, or groups of two or more of the compartments, may be controlled independently of the remaining compartments. In such embodiments, the apparatus 10 may be adapted to provide refrigerant pipes and/or heating elements associated with individual compartments or groups of compartments as is necessary.

The above embodiment is described by way of example only. Many variations are possible without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A vending apparatus comprising a plurality of openable compartments; wherein the apparatus is configured such that the interior of each of the plurality of compartments is visible and/or openable through at least two separate portions of the compartment, in use.

2. A vending apparatus of claim 1 wherein a first portion of each compartment is positioned such that the interior of each compartment is visible and/or openable from a location of a consumer when using the apparatus to obtain items located therein, and a second portion of each compartment is positioned such that the interior of each compartment is visible and/or openable from a location of an operator tasked with restocking each compartment when required.

3. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each of the plurality of compartments is defined by at least two panels.

4. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein each of the plurality of compartments comprises a front and a rear panel, wherein the interior of a corresponding compartment is visible and/or openable through both the front and rear panels, in use.

5. A vending apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein at least a portion of each compartment comprises a transparent section.

6. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 5, when dependent on claim 3 or claim 4 wherein at least a portion of each of the at least two panels comprises a transparent section.

7. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or claim 6 wherein the transparent section is formed from glass.

8. A vending apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim comprising two or more openable doors through which the interior of the compartment may be accessed.

9. A vending apparatus of claim 8 comprising two doors.

10. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 9 comprising a first door for locating items within the compartment and a second door for removing items from within the compartment.

11. A vending apparatus as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged in a matrix.

12. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 11 wherein at least two of the compartments are arranged side by side to form one or more rows of compartments and/or at least two of the compartments are stacked to form one or more columns of compartments.

13. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 12 wherein the plurality of compartments are arranged to form a wall of compartments, the wall of compartments forming at least a portion of an internal or external wall of a building.

14. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 13 wherein the interior of each of the plurality of compartments is visible from either side of the wall of the building, in use.

15. A vending apparatus of claim 13 or claim 14 wherein each of the plurality of compartments comprises a first door on one side of the wall and a second door on the other side of the wall such that each compartment is accessible from either side of the wall, in use.

16. A vending apparatus of any preceding claim comprising a compartment environment control system operable in use to control one or more environmental variables of at least one of the plurality of compartments.

17. A vending apparatus of claim 16 wherein the environment control system is operable in use to control one or more environmental variables of each of the plurality of compartments independently, or to control one or more environmental variables of one or more groups of compartments.

18. A vending apparatus of claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the one or more environmental variables controllable by the environment control system include the temperature of an individual compartment, or group of compartments.

19. A vending apparatus of any preceding claim comprising a payment system operable in use to receive payment from a consumer.

20. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 19 wherein the payment system is operable in use to open or unlock an openable closure within at least one of the compartments upon payment of a pre-determined amount by a user.

21. A vending apparatus as claimed in claim 19 or claim 20 wherein the payment system comprises a cashless system.

22. A wall comprising a vending apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. A building comprising a vending apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 21, wherein the vending apparatus is provided within at least a portion of one or more walls of the building.

24. A method of vending one or more items using an apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 21, the method comprising the steps of: (a) identifying one or more items within a compartment of the apparatus, wherein the interior of each of the compartments is visible to a user through a portion of each compartment; and (b) removing the identified item/s from its corresponding compartment through an opening therein.

25. A method of restocking an apparatus of any of claims 1 to 21 comprising: (a) identifying one or more of the compartments of the apparatus which need restocking through a portion of each compartment; and (b) locating at least one item in one or more identified compartments through an opening therein.

26. A vending apparatus, wall, building or method substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.