# US 2019/0378367 A1 · Enhanced vending machine product delivery system

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- Number: US 2019/0378367 A1
- Document ID: US20190378367A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 16/476,825
- Filed: 2018-01-12
- Published: 2019-12-12
- Earliest claimed: 2017-01-12
- Assignees: Crane Merchandising Systems, Inc.
- Applicants: Crane Merchandising Systems, Inc.
- Inventors: Grey Parker; William Koederitz; Curtis Bailey; Brian McCormick
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190378367A1

## CPC

- G07F 11/32: two or magazines having a common delivery chute
- G07F 11/42: the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
- 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

The present disclosure relates to a vending machine. The vending machine comprises an access port, a chassis including a plurality of trays and a plurality of columns, a movable stage, and a product catch coupled to the movable stage. The product catch is operable to move in a first direction to accept a product from one of the plurality of trays, and the product catch is operable to move in a second direction to deposit the product in the access port.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vending machine, comprising:
an access port;
a chassis including a plurality of trays and a plurality of columns;
a movable stage; and
a product catch coupled to the movable stage,
wherein the product catch is operable to move in a first direction to accept a product from one of the plurality of trays, and
wherein the product catch is operable to move in a second direction to deposit the product in the access port.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the product catch includes:
a motor configured to apply force to the product catch in the first direction in order to move the product catch to receive a product from the plurality of trays.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vending machine of claim 2, wherein the product catch further includes a gear coupled to the motor, wherein the motor rotates the gear to rotate a hinged plate coupled to the product catch.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The vending machine of claim 3, wherein the product catch is coupled to a frame, and wherein the frame does not rotate with the product catch in the second direction.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The vending machine of claim 4, wherein at least part of the frame rotates with the product catch in the first direction.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The vending machine of claim 5, wherein the frame include a hinge to couple the frame to the product catch, wherein the product catch further includes a second motor, the second motor configured to rotate the product catch in the second direction by rotating the hinge.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the product catch includes a plurality of sidewalls.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The vending machine of claim 7, wherein a top of a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls of the product catch is hingedly coupled to a frame of the product catch.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vending machine of claim 8, wherein the product catch further includes a ledge disposed at a top of a second sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the ledge extends horizontally from a center of the product catch.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The vending machine of claim 9, wherein the chassis further includes a discharge ledge extending from a wall of the chassis into an interior of the chassis, and wherein the discharge ledge is disposed above the access port.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vending machine of claim 10, wherein the ledge of the product catch is configured to interact with the discharge ledge in order to rotate the product catch in the second direction to eject a product from the product catch into the access port.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the product catch includes a platform disposed at a base of the product catch, and the vending machine further comprising:
one or more release mechanisms configured to release a product from one of the plurality of trays when the platform of the product catch depresses the one or more release mechanisms when product catch moves in the first direction.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein an angle of the product catch is similar to an angle of the plurality of columns when the product catch moves in the first direction.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The vending machine of claim 1, wherein an angle of the product catch is greater than an angle of the plurality of columns when the product catch moves in the first direction.

### Claim 15

A method of dispensing a product from a tray to a delivery port, the method comprising:
moving a product catch in a first direction;
accepting a product from a plurality of trays;
moving a stage to a discharge position;
moving the product catch in a second direction; and
depositing the product in an access port as a result of the movement of the product catch.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein depositing the product in the access port includes:
moving the product catch to a position over the access port; and
ejecting the product from the product catch into the access port.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of claim 16, wherein the product catch includes:
a plurality of sidewalls, wherein a top of a first sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls is hingedly coupled to a frame; and
a ledge disposed at a top of a second sidewall of the plurality of sidewalls, wherein the ledge extends horizontally from a center of the product catch.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein ejecting the product into the access port includes:
contacting a discharge ledge by the ledge of the product catch;
moving the product catch in the second direction as a result of the ledge of the product catch contacting the discharge ledge, wherein the frame does not move with the product catch in the second direction; and
pushing, by the first sidewall of the product catch, the product into the access port.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, further comprising depressing, by a platform of the product catch, a release mechanism of a product column to release the product into the product catch.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The method of claim 15, wherein moving the product catch in the first direction includes:
rotating, by a motor, a gear, wherein the gear meshes with teeth of a hinge plate coupled to the product catch; and
rotating the hinged plate by the gear to rotate the product catch in the first direction.

### Claim 21

A method of delivering a product in a vending machine from a column in a tray to a product catch, the method comprising:
providing a product catch coupled to a stage;
initiating release of a product from the column;
accepting by the product catch the product from the column; and
pushing by a pusher assembly a next product in the column towards a release mechanism of the column,
wherein the pusher assembly comprises a spring and a damper, and
wherein the damper counteracts a force of the spring and decreases a velocity of the pusher assembly when the pusher assembly pushes the next product towards the release mechanism of the column.