Printing system for a vending machine
AssigneeBeaver Machine Corporation
InventorsMark RENDELL, Detlef LANGE, Robert SCHWARZLI
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vending machine includes: a printing apparatus contained in the vending machine for printing printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is a container for containing one or more products to be dispensed or is a label for the container; and a user interface for enabling customization of the printable data for each dispensing cycle. The user interface is configured to provide, at the time of use for dispensing, a user with at least one option to incorporate selected custom data into the printable data for printing onto the substrate thereby to customize the container.
Claims25
A vending machine, comprising:
- a printing apparatus contained in the vending machine for printing printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is a container for containing one or more products to be dispensed or is a label for the container;
- and
- a user interface for enabling customization of the printable data for each dispensing cycle, the user interface configured to provide, at the time of use for dispensing, a user with at least one option to incorporate selected custom data into the printable data for printing onto the substrate thereby to customize the container.
A method of operating a vending machine during a vending cycle, comprising:
- receiving from a user, via a user interface, a selection of one or more products for incorporation into a container to be dispensed by the vending machine;
- providing, via the user interface at the time of use for dispensing, at least one user option to customize the container;
- in the event that the user selects the option to customize the container, incorporating selected custom data into printable data;
- in any order:
- printing the printable data onto a substrate, wherein the substrate is the container or a label for the container;
- and
- incorporating the selected one or more products into the container;
- the method further comprising:
- vending the container.
A vending machine comprising:
- a secure housing for physically containing vendable products;
- a user interface associated with the secure housing for receiving at least a purchaser's payment for vendable product during a respective purchase transaction from the vending machine;
- a local database associated with the secure housing;
- a printing system within the secure housing and including:
- a printer;
- a local print driver in communication with at least the printer and the local database;
- and
- a shuttle for, responsive at least in part to the user interface receiving a purchaser's payment during a respective purchase transaction and prior to a corresponding dispensing operation by the vending machine, positioning a container for the vendable product at a printer station of the printing system during the application by the printer of indicia provided to the printer by the local print driver,
- wherein the indicia applied by the printer includes both:
- information stored in the local database;
- and
- information customized to the respective purchase transaction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.