# US 2014/0195041 A1 · Method of sensing a delivered product in a snack vending machine

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- Number: US 2014/0195041 A1
- Document ID: US20140195041A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/430,652
- Filed: 2012-03-26
- Published: 2014-07-10
- Earliest claimed: 2011-03-25
- Assignees: Coin Acceptors, Inc.
- Inventors: Ronald A. Hoormann
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140195041A1

## CPC

- G07F 11/36: in which the magazines are of helical or spiral form
- G07F 11/005: {Special arrangements for insuring that only one single article may be dispensed at a time}
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

A dispensed product detection system and method for use in a vending machine where the products are hold on shelves and utilizing an optical light beam crossing the path through which a dispensed product travels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vending machine comprising a product retrievable bin for the customer to access and retrieve delivered products, said retrievable bin having a upper side toward the inside of the vending machine that opens and allows a product to fall into the said customer retrievable bin, when a sensor detects that a product from the inside of the said vending machine had fallen on it.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1 where the said upper side of the said customer retrievable bin is made of two walls positioned in a V toward the inside of the said vending machine.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vending machine of claim 2 where the said V shaped upper side of the said customer bin has one of the said two walls lockable with a solenoid mechanism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1 where the said sensor to detect that a product had fallen on the said upper side of the said customer retrievable bin is an optical sensor located just above the said upper side.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A vending machine as described in claim 1 equipped with a Vending Machine Controller that after receiving a signal from the said optical sensor located just above the said upper side of the said customer retrievable bin showing that a product had fallen on the said upper side of the said customer retrievable bin, activates that said solenoid that in return un-locks one of the said V shaped walls of the said V shaped upper side and the said product that activated the said optical sensor falls into the said customer retrievable bin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vending machine of claim 5 where the said customer retrievable bin has an entry door for the customer to open and when the customer opens it to retrieve the said product, the said lockable upper side of the said bin locks up and restricts customer access to the inside of the vending machine.

### Claim 7

A vending machine controller for a vending machine where products are located on spirals rotated by motors, and a sensor for detecting that said product has dropped into a customer accessible retrievable bin, activates the motor until receives a signal from that said product detection sensor and stops said motor if the rotation was more that 360 degrees.

### Claim 8

A vending machine controller for a vending machine where products are located on spirals rotated by motors, and a sensor for detecting that said product has dropped into a customer accessible retrievable bin, activates the motor until receives a signal from that said product detection sensor and the rotation riches 360 degrees.

### Claim 9

A vending machine controller for a vending machine controls the states of an optical sensor for detecting a product arrival at a location inside of that said vending machine such that the calibration mode and detection mode start when the power is turned on and continue one after the other until the product is detected by that said sensor.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vending machine controller of claim 9 where during the said calibration mode the frequency of the every LED pulsing is varied between a low value and a high value until the corresponding detector detects a signal and the corresponding frequency value is noted.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vending machine controller of claim 10 where during the detection mode every LED frequency of pulsing is varied between a low value and a high value function of the said noted value until the product is detected.