Vending system for wheeled vehicles
AssigneeNelson-Whittaker, Ltd.
InventorJay A. Maher
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for vending wheeled vehicles, such as strollers for children. The system includes a vehicle station having a series of docking ports with an operator's console connected thereto. Each docking port has a lock and release mechanism for engaging a striker pin of a wheeled vehicle engaged in the docking port. Upon appropriate signals from the operator's console, a vehicle discharge element in the docking port moves the wheeled vehicle when the lock and release mechanism is activated to disengage the striker pin, moving the wheeled vehicle from the locked position and making the availability of the wheeled vehicle obvious.
Claims13
A vending system for wheeled vehicles, comprising
- a. a vehicle station having at least one docking port,
- b. a lock and release mechanism located in the docking port, said lock and release mechanism having a latch,
- c. a striker pin secured to a wheeled vehicle, said striker pin being shaped for engaging said latch of said lock and release mechanism to retain said striker pin and hold the wheeled vehicle in a locked position, and
- d. a vehicle discharge element in said docking port that moves the wheeled vehicle from said locked position to a released position upon activation of said lock and release mechanism to disengage said striker pin from said latch.
A method of vending a wheeled vehicle, comprising the sequential steps of
- a. capturing the wheeled vehicle in a locked and stationary position in a lock and release mechanism by capturing a striker pin secured to the wheeled vehicle,
- b. releasing the wheeled vehicle from the lock and release mechanism responsive to a discharge signal, and
- c. mechanically ejecting the wheeled vehicle upon the releasing of method step b to move the wheeled vehicle from the locked position to a released position.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.