Vending machine

A vending machine including:

• a cabinet;
• a refrigerated storage compartment in said cabinet for storing chilled or frozen food products, said storage compartment having an upwardly directed access opening and a compartment closure for closing said upwardly directed access opening;
• product extraction means in said cabinet for extracting chilled or frozen food products from said storage compartment and a customer accessible product station for receiving products extracted by said product extraction means;
• opening means operatively connected to said compartment closure for selectively opening said closure to allow said product extraction means access to food products in said refrigerated storage compartment;
• selection means on a customer accessible position of said cabinet for selecting a product to be extracted;
• control means in operative communication with said product extraction means for controlling the operation of said product extraction means and said opening means in response to a product selection;
• and
• said product extraction means including a base member operatively connected to said cabinet or mounted in said cabinet for pivoting movement relative thereto about a vertical axis and first elongate link means operatively connected at one end to said base member for pivoting movement relative thereto about a first horizontal axis and second elongate link means operatively connected at one end to the other end of said first elongate link means for movement relative to said first elongate link means about a second horizontal axis, first actuation means operatively connected to said first elongate link means and said base member for pivotally moving said first elongate link means about said first horizontal axis, second actuation means operatively connected to said first and second elongate link means for pivotally moving said second elongate link means relative to said first elongate link means above said access opening about said second horizontal axis, third actuation means operatively connected to said base member for pivotally moving said base member about said vertical axis, and coupling means operatively connected to the other end of said second elongate link means for coupling with a selected food product wherein it may be extracted from said storage compartment.

A vending machine including:

• a cabinet;
• a refrigerated storage compartment in said cabinet for storing chilled or frozen food products, said storage compartment having an upwardly directed access opening and a compartment closure for closing said upwardly directed access opening;
• product extraction means in said cabinet for extracting chilled or frozen food products from said storage compartment and a customer accessible product station for receiving products extracted by said product extraction means;
• opening means operatively connected to said compartment closure for selectively opening said closure to allow said product extraction means access to food products in said refrigerated storage compartment;
• selection means on a customer accessible position of said cabinet for selecting a product to be extracted;
• control means in operative communication with said product extraction means for controlling the operation of said product extraction means and said opening means in response to a product selection;
• transfer means for receiving extracted food products from said product extraction means and transferring said products to said product station, said transfer means including a chute and guide means for guiding a product to be transferred into said chute, said guide means being movable in response to a product selection from a stowed position remote from said storage compartment to a guiding position adjacent said storage compartment upon opening of said compartment closure;
• said product extraction means including a base member operatively connected to said cabinet or mounted in said cabinet for pivoting movement relative thereto about a vertical axis and first elongate link means operatively connected at one end to said base member for pivoting movement relative thereto about a first horizontal axis and second elongate link means operatively connected at one end to the other end of said first elongate link means for movement relative to said first elongate link means about a second horizontal axis, first actuation means operatively connected to said first elongate link means and said base member for pivotally moving said first elongate link means about said first horizontal axis, second actuation means operatively connected to said first and second elongate link means for pivotally moving said second elongate link means relative to said first elongate link means above said access opening about said second horizontal axis, third actuation means operatively connected to said base member for pivotally moving said base member about said vertical axis, and coupling means operatively connected to the other end of said second elongate link means for coupling with a selected food product wherein it may be extracted from said storage compartment and delivered to said transfer means.