Means to control vending functions

Improvements in control circuits for multi-selection vending machines which include credit entry means, accumulator means for entering the credits entered during each vending operation, selection means operable by a customer to select a particular vend when an amount of credit entered at least equals the vend price of the selected vend, a plurality of vend motors energizable selectively to cause a selected vend to be produced, and means to refund amounts credited in excess of the selected vend price, the improvement comprising means to establish a predetermined time interval commencing when a vend operation is initiated, a sensor device positioned to sense each product delivery as it occurs and to produce a response therefor, means responsive to occurrence of a sensor response during said predetermined time interval to enable subtracting of the cost of a product vended from the amount of credit entered and initiate a payback operation if the credit entered exceeds the cost of the vended product, and other means to prevent subtracting the cost of a vended product if the sensor device does not produce a response during the predetermined time interval.

In a multi-product vend control circuit having a vend selection means including means to select different vends at the same or at different costs, means for depositing credit entries and means for accumulating the amount deposited during each vend operation, means for initiating a vend delivery operation whenever the amount of credit entered at least equals the cost of a selected vend, means for establishing a predetermined time interval during which delivery of a selected vend is expected to take place, sensor means located to respond to the delivery of each product as it occurs, means to deduct from the credit amount deposited the amount of each product that is delivered at the conclusion of each predetermined time interval when a vend delivery is sensed by the sensor means, means to prevent deduction from the credit amount deposited during a vend operation if the sensor means do not sense the delivery of a product, and means to prevent enabling of future vends of a product that has failed to be delivered and be sensed.

A control logic circuit for a vending machine having credit entry means, means to accumulate the amount of credit entered during each vending operation, means to select a particular vend at a particular vend price, operator means actuable when the credit entered at least equals the vend price of a selected vend to cause a vend cycle to take place, and means to deduct from the credit entered the vend price whenever a product is delivered, the improvement comprising means forming a path along which all products are delivered to the customer, sensor means located along said path means in position to respond to the passage of each product as it is delivered, circuit means operatively connected to said sensor means and to the means to deduct the vend price from the credit entered, means to initiate a timing cycle of predetermined duration which is long enough to cover the time required to deliver a product each time a vend operation is initiated, means including said sensor means to prevent deduction of the vend price from the credit entered whenever the sensor means fails to sense the passage of a product during the timing cycle, and means operable when a vend operation is initiated for a particular product but no product is delivered to prevent future effective selections of the vend that failed.

A vend control logic circuit comprising a vend control system having at least two operator actuable selection means connected thereto and means for entering credit amounts therein, means energizable to deliver a product to a customer whenever the customer actuates one of the selection means at a time when the amount of credit entered at least equals the price of the selected vend, means responsive to energizing of the product delivery means to establish a time period during which the selected product should be delivered to the customer if it is going to be delivered, a sensor device positioned to sense the passage of every product delivered to the customer, circuit means operatively connected to said sensor device, said circuit means including a first portion operable to deduct from the credit entered the price of each selected product when the product during delivery is sensed by the sensor device, and a second portion to inhibit deducting the vend price from the credit entered when the sensor device does not sense a product being delivered during the established time period, and means responsive to operation of the second circuit portion to prevent future selections of a product that fails to be delivered.