Apparatus and method for vending products

A method of vending bottled beverages from a vending machine of the type having a transparent front viewing panel that enables customer viewing of the actual beverages held by the machine and available for vending, comprising the steps of:

• a. aligning a plurality of bottled beverages in at least two ordered queues of said beverages;
• b. providing a customer selection input identifiable with at least one of said two ordered queues of beverages;
• c. removing a bottled beverage from said one of said ordered queues by means of a robotic assembly, in response to said customer selection input;
• and
• d. smoothly moving said bottled beverage by said robotic assembly in a generally vertical X-Y plane within a vend selection space of the vending machine, to a delivery port of the machine;
• wherein said removing and moving steps are performed without dropping or subjecting the bottled beverage to sharp impact forces.

A method vending bottled beverages from a vending machine of the type having a transparent front viewing panel that enables customer viewing of the actual beverages held by the machine and available for vending, comprising the steps of:

• a. aligning a plurality of bottled beverages in at least two ordered queues of said beverages;
• b. providing a customer selection input identifiable with at least one of said two ordered queues of beverages;
• c. removing a bottled beverage from said one of said ordered queues in response to said customer selection input;
• and
• d. moving said removed bottled beverage to a delivery port of the machine positioned at a height of greater than 27 inches above the surface that supports the vending machine;
• wherein said removing and moving steps are smoothly performed without dropping or subjecting the bottled beverage to sharp impact forces.

A method of vending discrete products from a vending machine of the type having a transparent viewing panel for customer viewing and selection of the products to be vended, and support mean for supportably holding said products for visual presentation to a customer through said viewing panel;

• comprising the steps of:
• a. ordering said products in a plurality of selectable queues of said products on said support means, said products being ordered in standing upright manner so as to be identifiably distinguishable from those of other queues and such that a foremost one of said products in each of said queues addresses the viewing panel at a dispensing end of its associated queue;
• b. moving a capture assembly into alignment with the dispensing end of a customer selected one of said queues;
• c. transferring the foremost one of said products, in said standing upright manner from said customer selected one of said queues into retainment by said capture assembly;
• d. moving said capture assembly with its retained product in view of said viewing panel to a delivery port;
• e. enabling customer removal of said retained product from said capture assembly at said delivery port;
• and
• f. wherein the steps of transferring and moving said foremost product from said selected queue to said delivery port are performed while retaining said product in said standing upright manner and without subjecting said foremost product to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. a storage facility defining an enclosed internal cavity and a container delivery port opening into said internal cavity;
• b. a container holder within said internal cavity configured to hold in a queue a plurality of selectable sealed beverage containers in upright standing manner;
• said container holder being disposed so as to define with said storage facility a vend selection space within said internal cavity;
• c. a beverage container capture system for retainably removing one of said plurality of selectable beverage containers from said container holder in response to a vend control signal;
• d. a transporter operatively connected with said beverage container capture system for moving said beverage container capture system within said vend selection space in response to said vend control signal;
• and
• e. a controller operatively connected with said capture system and with said transporter for producing and providing said vend control signal thereto to cause said capture system and said transporter to cooperatively capture a selected beverage container from said container holding means and smoothly carry said captured container in said upright manner through said vend selection space to said delivery port without dropping or subjecting said selected beverage container to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for vending selectable products comprising:

• a. a product storage chassis including a door, cooperatively forming an internal cavity;
• said chassis including a transparent wall panel portion for enabling viewing therethrough into said internal cavity and a product delivery port spaced from said transparent wall panel portion;
• b. a product selector operable by a customer for generating a vend control signal indicative of a product selection of the customer;
• c. a support operatively mounted within said internal cavity of the product storage chassis configured to support said products in a plurality of selectable and separate ordered queues of such products, said products being supported in standing upright manner by said support;
• and
• d. a robotic assembly mounted to said chassis and operatively movable within said internal cavity in response to said vend control signal to rapidly and smoothly remove and carry a selected said product from its associated said ordered queue to said product delivery port without dropping or jarring the selected product, and all while maintaining orientation of said product in said standing upright manner;
• wherein a customer can visually inspect said products before selection and can view the entire product removal and carrying operations of a vending cycle of the machine through said transparent panel portion.

A carriage assembly for use with a vending machine of the type having:

• a chassis defining an internal cavity, a front door forming one side of said chassis;
• a product support assembly mounted in said chassis and configured to hold a plurality of products to be vended in separate ordered queues of said products, such that one end of said queues address a dispensing end of said product support assembly, wherein the volume between said dispensing ends of said product support assembly and said door defines a vend selection space;
• said carriage assembly comprising:
• a. an X-rail assembly mounted to said chassis in generally horizontal orientation;
• b. a Y-rail assembly mounted to said X-rail assembly in generally vertical orientation and configured for movement along said X-rail assembly;
• c. an X-drive motor mounted for movement with said Y-rail assembly for controlling movement of said Y-rail assembly along said X-rail assembly;
• d. a carriage mounted to said Y-rail assembly for movement therealong;
• e. a Y-drive motor mounted for movement with said carriage for controlling movement of said carriage along said Y-rail assembly;
• and
• f. said carriage assembly being configured to accurately move, position and hold said carriage relative to said product support assembly within said vend selection space.

A product release and capture assembly for use in a vending machine of the type having:

• a chassis defining an internal cavity;
• a product support assembly mounted in said chassis and configured to hold a plurality of products to be vended in separate ordered queues of said products;
• said product support assembly being arranged and configured to define a dispensing end of said queues, wherein a vend selection space is defined in said internal cavity adjacent said dispensing ends of said queues;
• said product support assembly further including means for urging products in said queues to move toward the dispensing ends of said queues;
• a carriage;
• drive means connected to controllably move said carriage generally in an X-Y coordinate plane within said vend selection space into alignment with the dispensing end of a selected one of said product queues;
• said product release and capture assembly comprising:
• a. an escapement mechanism mounted to said product support assembly of said selected one of said product queues adjacent the dispensing end thereof;
• said escapement mechanism comprising:
• i. a first engagement member configured to selectively engage a first-in-line product at the dispensing end of said selected queue;
• ii. a second engagement member configured to selectively engage a second-in-line product aligned in said queue immediately adjacent to and behind said first-in-line product;
• iii. a connector operatively connecting said first and said second engagement members for cooperative movement;
• said connector being configured to move said first engagement member into engaging and disengaging positions relative to said first-in-line product while simultaneously respectively moving said second engagement member into disengaging and engaging positions relative to said second-inline product;
• iv. bias means operatively connected with said connector for normally moving said first engagement member into its said engaging position;
• and
• v. a force receiving surface operatively connected with said connector for receiving an activating force tending to move said connector against the normal bias of said bias means;
• and
• b. a capture receptacle, movably mounted to said carriage, for movement between first and second positions;
• said capture receptacle when operable in said first position enabling free movement of said capture receptacle and said carriage relative to said escapement mechanism in said vend space;
• and being operable when moving to said second position, and when said carriage is positioned in operative alignment with the dispensing end of the selected queue, to engage said force receiving surface to operatively move said connector against the bias of said bias means, to move said first engagement member toward its disengaging position, thereby releasing said first-in-line product for movement out of the dispensing end of the queue and into said capture receptacle.

A method for vending beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. storing a plurality of packaged beverages in selectable queues of containers of such beverages within a vending machine;
• b. aligning a robotic assembly in the machine in registration with a customer selected one of said beverage container queues;
• c. transferring one of the beverage containers from the selected container queue to the robotic assembly;
• d. carrying the transferred beverage container by said robotic assembly in a generally vertical X-Y plane of travel within said vending machine, to a delivery port of the vending machine;
• and
• e. presenting the carried beverage container at the delivery port for customer removal from the vending machine;
• wherein the entire process is performed without dropping or subjecting the container to severe impact forces.

A method for vending beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. storing a plurality of packaged beverages in selectable queues of containers of such beverages in a vending machine;
• b. retaining a plurality of said beverage containers in said selectable queues by retainably preventing a first-in-line container from moving out of said queue;
• c. aligning a robotic assembly in the machine in registration with a customer selected one of said beverage container queues;
• d. transferring one of the beverage containers from the selected container queue to the robotic assembly;
• e. carrying the transferred beverage container to a delivery port of the vending machine;
• and
• f. presenting the carried beverage container at the delivery port for customer removal from the vending machine;
• wherein the entire process is performed without dropping or subjecting the container to severe impact forces.

A method of vending bottled beverages from a vending machine of the type having a transparent front viewing panel that enables customer viewing of the actual beverages held by the machine and available for vending, comprising the steps of:

• a. aligning a plurality of bottled beverages in at least two ordered queues of said beverages;
• b. providing a customer selection input identifiable with at least one of said two ordered queues of beverages;
• c. smoothly removing a bottled beverage from said one of said ordered queues by means of a robotic assembly in a generally vertical X-Y plane within a vend selection space of the vending machine in response to said customer selection input;
• and
• d. moving said removed bottled beverage to a delivery port of the machine;
• wherein said removing and moving steps are smoothly performed without dropping or subjecting the bottled beverage to sharp impact forces.

A method of vending bottled beverages from a vending machine of the type having a transparent front viewing panel that enables customer viewing of the actual beverages held by the machine and available for vending, comprising the steps of:

• a. aligning a plurality of bottled beverages in at least two ordered queues of said beverages;
• b. providing a customer selection input identifiable with at least one of said two ordered queues of beverages;
• c. removing a bottled beverage from said one of said ordered queues comprising:
• (i) moving a robotic assembly so as to engage and release an escapement cam mechanism associated with said queue to enable the bottled beverage being removed to slide by gravity along said queue, and
• (ii)
• d. moving said removed bottled beverage to a delivery port of the machine;
• wherein said removing and moving steps are smoothly performed without dropping or subjecting the bottled beverage to sharp impact forces.

A method of vending discrete products from a vending machine of the type having a transparent viewing panel for customer viewing and selection of the products to be vended, and support means for supportably holding said products for visual presentation to a customer through said viewing panel;

• comprising the steps of:
• a. ordering said products in a plurality of selectable queues of said products on said support means such that a foremost one of said products in each of said queues addresses the viewing panel at a dispensing end of its associated queue;
• b. moving a capture assembly into alignment with the dispensing end of a customer selected one of said queues;
• c. transferring the foremost one of said products from said customer selected one of said queues into retainment by said capture assembly by
• (i) moving said capture assembly to activate an escapement mechanism at the dispensing end of the customer selected one of said queues;
• and
• (ii) sliding said foremost one of said products past said escapement mechanism and into said capture assembly;
• d. moving said capture assembly with its retained product in view of said viewing panel to a delivery port;
• e. enabling customer removal of said retained product from said capture assembly at said delivery port;
• and
• f. wherein the steps of transferring and moving said foremost product from said selected queue to said delivery port are performed without dropping or subjecting said foremost product to sharp impact forces.

A method of vending discrete products from a vending machine of the type having a transparent viewing panel for customer viewing and selection of the products to be vended, and support means for supportably holding said products for visual presentation to a customer through said viewing panel;

• comprising the steps of:
• a. ordering said products in a plurality of selectable queues of said products on said support means such that a foremost one of said products in each of said queues addresses the viewing panel at a dispensing end of its associated queue;
• b. moving a capture assembly into alignment with the dispensing end of a customer selected one of said queues within a vertical alignment accuracy of better or equal to {fraction (1/32)} inch;
• c. transferring the foremost one of said products from said customer selected one of said queues into retainment by said capture assembly;
• d. moving said capture assembly with its retained product in view of said viewing panel to a delivery port;
• e. enabling customer removal of said retained product from said capture assembly at said delivery port;
• and
• f. wherein the steps of transferring and moving said foremost product from said selected queue to said delivery port are performed without dropping or subjecting said foremost product to sharp impact forces.

A method of vending discrete products from a vending machine of the type having a transparent viewing panel for customer viewing and selection of the products to be vended, and support means for supportably holding said products for visual presentation to a customer through said viewing panel;

• comprising the steps of:
• a. ordering said products in a plurality of selectable queues of said products on said support means such that a foremost one of said products in each of said queues addresses the viewing panel at a dispensing end of its associated queue;
• b. moving a capture assembly generally along X and Y coordinates of a generally vertical X-Y plane by rack and pinion drive members, into alignment with the dispensing end of a customer selected one of said queues;
• c. transferring the foremost one of said products from said customer selected one of said queues into retainment by said capture assembly;
• d. moving said capture assembly with its retained product in view of said viewing panel to a delivery port;
• e. enabling customer removal of said retained product from said capture assembly at said delivery port;
• and
• f. wherein the steps of transferring and moving said foremost product from said selected queue to said delivery port are performed without dropping or subjecting said foremost product to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. a storage facility defining an enclosed internal cavity and a container delivery port opening into said internal cavity;
• b. a container holder within said internal cavity for holding a plurality of selectable sealed beverage containers;
• said container holder being disposed so as to define with said storage facility a vend selection space within said internal cavity;
• c. a shelf operatively mounted within said internal cavity for maintaining said beverage containers in a plurality of selectable queues such that a discharge end of said queues is positioned adjacent said vend selection space;
• d. a beverage container capture system for retainably removing one of said plurality of selectable beverage containers from said container holder in response to a vend control signal;
• e. a container release operatively connected with at least one of said queues adjacent said discharge end thereof for selectably retaining said beverage containers in said one queue;
• said container release including a cam assembly constructed and arranged to cooperatively engage with said capture system;
• said beverage container capture system being cooperatively engagable with said container release of said one queue for activating said container release when removing a container from said container holder;
• f. a transporter operatively connected with said beverage container capture system for moving said beverage container capture system within said vend selection space in response to said vend control signal;
• and
• g. a controller operatively connected with said capture system and with said transporter for producing and providing said vend control signal thereto to cause said capture system and said transporter to cooperatively capture a selected beverage container from said container holder and smoothly carry said captured container through said vend selection space to said delivery port without dropping or subjecting said selected beverage container to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. a storage facility defining an enclosed internal cavity and a container delivery port opening into said internal cavity;
• b. a container holder within said internal cavity for holding a plurality of selectable sealed beverage containers;
• said container holder being disposed so as to define with said storage facility a vend selection space within said internal cavity;
• c. a beverage container capture system for retainably removing one of said plurality of selectable beverage containers from said container holder in response to a vend control signal;
• d. a transporter operatively connected with said beverage container capture system for moving said beverage container capture system within said vend selection space in response to said vend control signal;
• said transporter comprising a rack and pinion system for operatively moving said beverage container capture system in said vend selection space relative to said container holder;
• and
• e. a controller operatively connected with said capture system and with said transporter for producing and providing said vend control signal thereto to cause said capture system and said transporter to cooperatively capture a selected beverage container from said container holder and smoothly carry said captured container through said vend selection space to said delivery port without dropping or subjecting said selected beverage container to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:

• a. a storage facility defining an enclosed internal cavity and a container delivery port opening into said internal cavity;
• b. a container holder within said internal cavity for holding a plurality of selectable sealed beverage containers;
• said container holder being disposed so as to define with said storage facility a vend selection space within said internal cavity;
• c. a beverage container capture system for retainably removing one of said plurality of selectable beverage containers from said container holder in response to a vend control signal;
• d. a transporter operatively connected with said beverage container capture system for moving said beverage container capture system within said vend selection space in response to said vend control signal;
• said transporter having an X-Y drive apparatus for accurately moving said capture system in two orthogonal directions within said vend selection space;
• and
• e. a controller operatively connected with said capture system and with said transporter for producing and providing said vend control signal thereto to cause said capture system and said transporter to cooperatively capture a selected beverage container from said container holder and smoothly carry said captured container through said vend selection space to said delivery port without dropping or subjecting said selected beverage container to sharp impact forces.

A vending machine for vending selectable products comprising:

• a. a product storage chassis including a door, cooperatively forming an internal cavity;
• said chassis including a transparent panel portion for enabling viewing therethrough into said internal cavity and a product delivery port spaced from said transparent panel portion;
• said product delivery port including a door and a power operator operatively connected with said door for opening and closing of said door relative to said delivery port, said power operator including a rack and pinion opening and closing apparatus;
• b. a product selector operable by a customer for generating a vend control signal indicative of a product selection of the customer;
• c. a support operatively mounted within said internal cavity of the product storage chassis for supporting said products in a plurality of selectable and separate ordered queues of such products;
• and
• d. a robotic assembly mounted to said chassis and operatively movable within said internal cavity in response to said vend control signal to rapidly and smoothly remove and carry a selected product from its associated ordered queue to said product delivery port without dropping or jarring the selected product;
• wherein a customer can view the entire product removal and carrying operations of a vending cycle of the machine through said transparent panel portion.

A vending machine for vending selectable products comprising:

• a. a product storage chassis including a door, cooperatively forming an internal cavity;
• said chassis including a transparent panel portion for enabling viewing therethrough into said internal cavity and a product delivery port spaced from said transparent panel portion;
• b. a product selector operable by a customer for generating a vend control signal indicative of a product selection of the customer;
• c. a support operatively mounted within said internal cavity of the product storage chassis for supporting said products in a plurality of selectable and separate ordered queues of such products;
• and
• d. a robotic assembly mounted to said chassis and operatively movable within said internal cavity in response to said vend control signal to rapidly and smoothly remove and carry a selected product from its associated ordered queue to said product delivery port without dropping or jarring the selected product;
• said robotic assembly comprising:
• (i) an X-Y support frame mounted in said chassis and at one end of said support;
• (ii) a shuttle, movably mounted to said X-Y support frame for controlled rapid uniform movement therealong in an X direction;
• (iii) a carriage assembly operatively connected to said shuttle for controlled movement therealong in a Y direction;
• (iv) a capture mechanism operatively mounted to said carriage assembly for removing and carrying said selected product from its associated ordered queue;
• wherein a customer can view the entire product removal and carrying operations of a vending cycle of the machine through said transparent panel portion.

A vending machine for vending selectable products comprising:

• a. a product storage chassis including a door, cooperatively forming an internal cavity;
• said chassis including a transparent panel portion for enabling viewing therethrough into said internal cavity and a product delivery port spaced from said transparent panel portion;
• b. a product selector operable by a customer for generating a vend control signal indicative of a product selection of the customer;
• c. a support operatively mounted within said internal cavity of the product storage chassis for supporting said products in a plurality of selectable and separate ordered queues of such products at an inclined angle to the horizontal;
• wherein said support includes a low friction floor portion in said at least one of said queues;
• and
• d. a robotic assembly mounted to said chassis and operatively movable within said internal cavity in response to said vend control signal to rapidly and smoothly remove and carry a selected said product from its associated said ordered queue to said product delivery port without dropping or jarring the selected product;
• wherein a customer can view the entire product removal and carrying operations of a vending cycle of the machine through said transparent panel portion.