Vending Systems and Methods
AssigneeThe Coca-Cola Company
InventorJurgen Roekens
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The present application provides a vending system for dispensing a number of products. The vending system may include a number of enclosures with each of the enclosures including an access system, a weighing system positioned about the enclosures, and a user interface in communication with the access systems and the weighing system. The weighing system may be adapted to determine the number of products removed from the enclosures.
Claims20
A vending system for vending a number of products, comprising:
- a plurality of enclosures;
- each of the plurality of enclosures comprising an access system;
- a weighing system positioned about the plurality of enclosures;
- the weighing system adapted to determine the number of products removed from the plurality of enclosures;
- and
- a user interface in communication with the access systems and the weighing system.
A method of vending a number of products of known weights from a number of enclosures to a consumer, comprising:
- receiving a value balance available to the consumer;
- providing access to one or more of the number of enclosures if the value balance meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold balance;
- weighing the number of enclosures before and after a number of the products have been removed;
- determining the number of products removed from the number of enclosures based upon the change in weight of the number of enclosures;
- determining the value of the number of products removed;
- and
- providing a revised value balance to the consumer.
A vending system for vending a number of products, comprising:
- a plurality of glass door coolers;
- the plurality of glass door coolers each comprising an access system;
- a common weighing system positioned about the plurality of glass door coolers;
- and
- a common user interface in communication with the access systems and the common weighing system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.