US 6,556,889 B2 · Vending machine

Abstract

A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of inclined, vertically spaced shelves. The shelves are able to selectively feed a beverage container to an elevator which is located adjacent an interior, right side wall of the cabinet of vending machine. A beverage container is dispensed by an escapement block of a shelf onto the elevator. The elevator vertically moves the beverage container, and then dispenses the beverage container to a delivery mechanism which gently lowers the beverage container to a delivery port which communicates with the exterior of the vending machine. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their vertical spacing within the cabinet can be easily altered. The escapement blocks of the shelves are mechanically activated to dispense a beverage container by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical power and control signals for the individual shelves are not necessary.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of initializing a vending machine, comprising:

providing a vending machine having a plurality of shelves, an elevator shaft, an elevator vertically movable in the elevator shaft, a sensor attached to the elevator, and a controller in communication with the sensor;
loading items onto the plurality of shelves;
programming the controller;
passing the elevator along an extent of the elevator shaft;
sensing at least one parameter of more than one of the plurality of shelves using the sensor;
communicating the sensed parameters from the sensor to the controller;
and
determining at least one of a number and a location of the plurality of shelves.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Vending machine

Life of this patent

Vending machine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20