US 4,225,056 A · Computerized vending machine

Abstract

A computerized vending machine for dispensing a large number of varied products has a frame wherein is housed a plurality of dispensing racks each of which is loaded with a product. Each of the dispensing racks has a dispensing mechanism. A coin sensing mechanism senses the coins deposited by a purchaser to pay for a desired product. A keyboard enables a purchaser to select a specific product. A microcomputer connected to the keyboard and the coin sensing mechanism compares the price of the selected product with the accumulated credit which the purchaser has established. An output buffer settable by the control computer controls the actuation of a solenoid associated with the dispensing mechanism of each member of the plurality of trays. The solenoid rotates a mechanical dispenser which permits one of a selected product to be dispensed to the purchaser. A transducer in the cabinet of the vending machine senses the delivery of a selected product and provides a feed-back signal to the control computer. In the absence of a feed-back signal, the coinage in the coin sensing mechanism is returned to the purchaser.

Claims16

Dependent claims

A vending machine for dispensing a plurality of products comprising, a frame having a product delivery plate mounted thereon, a plurality of product dispensing racks supported by said frame, each member of said plurality having an associated means for dispensing, one at a time, a product stored on the said rack, a coin sensing mechanism, a coin box affixed to said coin sensing mechanism, means for selecting one of the plurality of product dispensing racks for dispensing a selected product, means affixed to said product delivery plate for detecting the impact of one of the selected product against said product delivery plate, control means for receiving signals from said coin sensing mechanism and accumulating a current total in a selected memory location, including means for sensing an output from said means for selecting defining a selected one of the plurality of products to be dispensed, reading a pre-stored price corresponding to the selected product, comparing the accumulated total in said selected memory location to the pre-stored price of the selected product, activating a selected one of said means for dispensing associated with a selected member of said plurality of dispensing racks to dispense one of the selected product if the contents of said selected memory location equals to the pre-stored price of the selected product and sensing whether one of the selected product has been dispensed by sensing a signal from said means for detecting the impact of one of the selected product against said product delivery plate.

A vending machine for dispensing a plurality of products comprising:

a supporting frame,
a product delivery plate affixed to said frame,
a plurality of product dispensing racks supported by said frame,
each member of said plurality of product dispensing racks having means for dispensing connected to said member comprising;
a solenoid,
a member capable of limited movement under the control of said solenoid,
a dispenser having;
a body member,
an actuating member affixed to said body member,
a first and a second spaced apart elongated member each affixed at a first end to said body member,
said dispenser being capable of limited movement in a selected direction and supported by an elongated supporting member operatively affixed to said member of said plurality of product dispensing racks,
a coin sensing mechanism affixed to said frame and having a port for the receipt of coins, a coin box affixed to said coin sensing mechanism,
means for selecting one of the plurality of products,
a transducer affixed to said product delivery plate operable to detect the impact of one of the selected product against said product delivery plate,
means for control comprising
an input buffer capable of receiving a signal from said coin sensing mechanism indicating that a coin of a selected value has been deposited into said port, a first memory capable of temporarily storing a value representing an accumulated current credit based on the coins deposited into said port, an accumulator connected to said input buffer and said memory capable of accumulating a current credit based on the value of the latest coin deposited in said port and the previous credit stored in said first memory,
a price storage circuit capable of storing a plurality of manually settable, preselected prices one of which may be associated with each member of the plurality of available products,
said price storage circuit having an input port capable of receiving an indicia associated with a selected product and an output port controlably connected to said accumulator whereat the prestored price associated with the received indicia of the selected product may be sensed by said accumulator
comparison and control circuitry operable to compare the prestored price associated with the selected product to the current credit and to generate an indicia of equality of the two values are equal,
circuitry connected to said comparison and control circuitry for sensing the indicia of equality and for energizing a said means for dispensing associated with a said member of said plurality of product dispensing racks thereby releasing one of the selected product,
analogue circuitry operable to receive an electrical signal from said transducer indicating that the dispensed one of the selected product has impacted against said product delivery plate and for generating a signal receivable by said input buffer and detectably by said comparison and control circuitry,
said control circuitry including further means to signal said coin sensing mechanism to deposit the collected coins in said coin box.

19 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Computerized vending machine

Life of this patent

Computerized vending machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims16