Frozen product vending machine
OwnerAlfred W. Peterafinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and apparatus for an improved frozen vending machine having a glass front which provides the customer the opportunity to view the actual product they wish to purchase, while ensuring the maintenance of a freezing environment and utilizing a product conveyor system which reliably delivers a larger selection of frozen product to the customer than has been available in the past. The present invention also provides a method and kit for modifying existing vending machines into the frozen vending machine described herein.
Claims10
A frozen product vending machine comprising:
- an outer cabinet having a hollow interior;
- a front panel hingedly attached to said outer cabinet having an upper product viewing opening and a lower product retrieving opening;
- a refrigerated frozen product storage compartment positioned within said hollow interior of said outer cabinet and behind said front panel, said frozen product storage compartment further comprising:
- at least eight horizontally aligned frozen product delivery mechanisms, each said delivery mechanisms being driven by an independent driving motor, and each having an upper product carrying span and a lower product carrying span, said upper span and said lower span being connected to form a continuous loop;
- and
- a window in a front face of said frozen product storage compartment;
- each of said upper product viewing opening, said window, and said at least eight horizontally aligned frozen product delivery mechanisms being in horizontal alignment such that all may be viewed from the front of said frozen product vending machine.
A kit for converting an existing frozen or refrigerated product vending machine having an existing control system into a glass front frozen product vending machine comprising:
- a freezer cabinet having an open front face;
- a plurality of electric motors mounted on an exterior of said freezer cabinet;
- a plurality of horizontally arranged product delivery conveyors mounted on an interior of said freezer cabinet and operatively engaged to said electric motors;
- a panel fixedly attached to and covering said open face of said freezer cabinet, said panel further comprising:
- a heated window hingedly attached to an upper portion of said panel for accessing an upper portion of said freezer cabinet;
- an access door hingedly attached to a lower section of said panel for accessing a lower portion of said freezer cabinet;
- and
- electrical connectors for connecting each of said motors to said existing control system.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.