Charger vending assembly

• US 10,037,647 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 07/31/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brian Hughes
• Original Assignee: Brian Hughes
• Inventors: Hughes, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Labaze, Edwyn
• Application Number:
  US15/622,770
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 235381, 235380, 235375, 235487
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/006 dispensed for the electrical charging of other devices than vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0042 for hiring of objects
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction

Abstract

A charger vending assembly includes a housing that may be positioned on a support surface. A vending unit is movably positioned within the housing and the vending unit contains a plurality of chargers. The vending unit selectively dispenses a selected number of the chargers outwardly from the housing. In this way the selected number of chargers may be used to charge an electronic device. A control unit is coupled to the housing and the control unit is selectively manipulated. The control unit is electrically coupled to the vending unit such that the control unit controls operational parameters of the vending unit. The vending unit dispenses the selected chargers in accordance with commands from the control unit.

Claims

1. A charger vending assembly being configured to selectively rent a charger for an electronic device, said assembly comprising:

a housing being configured to be positioned on a support surface, said housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and an outer wall extending therebetween, said outer wall having a front side, said front side having a pair of angled lateral surfaces and a planar front face extending between said angled lateral surfaces;

a vending slot extending into an interior of said housing, said vending slot extending through one of said angled lateral surfaces;

a vending unit being movably positioned within said housing, said vending unit containing a plurality of chargers, said vending unit selectively dispensing a selected number of said chargers outwardly from said housing wherein said selected number of chargers is configured to charge an electronic device; and

a control unit being coupled to said housing wherein said control unit is configured to be manipulated, said control unit being electrically coupled to said vending unit such that said control unit controls operational parameters of said vending unit, said vending unit dispensing said selected chargers through said vending slot such that said selected chargers extend perpendicularly from said one of said angled lateral edges wherein said selected chargers dispensed through said vending slot are configured to be displayed to a user positioned in front of said housing without said housing being positioned directly behind said selected chargers.

2. The assembly according to claim 1, wherein said vending unit comprises a shaft being rotatably positioned within said housing, said shaft extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing.

3. The assembly according to claim 2, further comprising a drum having an upper end, a lower end and an exterior wall extending therebetween, said shaft extending through said upper and lower ends such that said drum is vertically oriented within said housing, said exterior wall having a plurality of slots each extending toward a center of said drum, said slots being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said exterior wall, said slots being arranged into a plurality of rows and columns between said upper end and said lower end, each of said plurality of chargers being removably positioned in an associated one of said slots.

4. The assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a motor being positioned within said housing, said motor being mechanically coupled to said shaft such that said motor selectively rotates said drum in said housing.

5. The assembly according to claim 3, further comprising a rod being positioned within said housing, said rod extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing, said rod being positioned between said exterior wall of said drum and said vending slot in said housing.

6. The assembly according to claim 5, further comprising a dispenser being movably coupled to said rod, said dispenser selectively travelling upwardly and downwardly along said rod to be aligned with a selected one of said slots in said drum, said dispenser selectively removing a selected one of said chargers from said selected slot and urging said selected charger outwardly from said vending slot in said housing.

7. The assembly according to claim 6, wherein:

said vending unit includes a motor; and

said control unit comprises a processor being coupled to said housing, said processor being electrically coupled to said motor and said dispenser, said processor selectively generating a vending sequence, said motor rotating said drum to align a selected one of said columns of said slots with said rod when said processor generates said vending sequence, said dispenser moving along said rod to be aligned with a selected one of said slots when said processor generates said vending sequence, said dispenser urging said selected charger outwardly from said vending slot when said processor generates said vending sequence.

8. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising an electronic memory being coupled to said housing, said electronic memory being electrically coupled to said processor, said electronic memory storing data corresponding to the location of each of said slots in said drum and whether or not each of said slots contains one of said chargers.

9. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a touch screen being coupled to said front side of said housing wherein said touch screen is configured to be manipulated, said touch screen being electrically coupled to said processor, said touch screen displaying indicia, said indicia comprising words relating to instructions for vending a selected charger.

10. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a keypad being coupled to said front side wherein said keypad is configured to be manipulated, said keypad being electrically coupled to said processor, said keypad including a plurality of keys, each of said keys being selectively manipulated to control operational parameter of said processor.

11. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a credit card reader being coupled to said front side of said housing wherein said credit card reader is configured to read a credit card, said credit card reader being electrically coupled to said processor to pay a fee associated with renting said selected chargers.

12. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a currency bank being coupled to said front side of said housing, said currency bank being electrically coupled to said processor, said currency bank selectively accepting paper currency and coin currency to pay the fee associated with renting said selected chargers.

13. The assembly according to claim 7, further comprising a power cord being coupled to said housing, said power cord being electrically coupled to said processor, said power cord having a distal end with respect to said housing, said distal end having a plug being electrically coupled thereto, said plug being configured to be electrically coupled to a power source.

14. The assembly according to claim 1, further comprising a sign being coupled to said top wall of said housing, said sign having a forward side, said forward side having indicia being printed thereon, said indicia corresponding to said sign comprising words.

15. A charger vending assembly being configured to selectively rent a charger for an electronic device, said assembly comprising:

a housing being configured to be positioned on a support surface, said housing having a bottom wall, a top wall and an outer wall extending therebetween, said outer wall having a front side, said front side having a pair of angled lateral surfaces and a planar front face extending between said angled lateral surfaces;

a vending slot extending into an interior of said housing, said vending slot extending through one of said angled lateral surfaces;

a vending unit being movably positioned within said housing, said vending unit containing a plurality of chargers, said vending unit selectively dispensing a selected number of said chargers outwardly from said housing wherein said selected number of chargers is configured to charge an electronic device, said vending unit comprising;

a shaft being rotatably positioned within said housing, said shaft extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing,

a drum having an upper end, a lower end and an exterior wall extending therebetween, said shaft extending through said upper and lower ends such that said drum is vertically oriented within said housing, said exterior wall having a plurality of slots each extending toward a center of said drum, said slots being spaced apart from each other and being distributed around said exterior wall, said slots being arranged into a plurality of rows and columns between said upper end and said lower end, each of said plurality of chargers being removably positioned in an associated one of said slots,

a motor being positioned within said housing, said motor being mechanically coupled to said shaft such that said motor selectively rotates said drum in said housing,

a rod being positioned within said housing, said rod extending between said top and bottom walls of said housing, said rod being positioned between said exterior wall of said drum and said vending slot in said housing,

a dispenser being movably coupled to said rod, said dispenser selectively travelling upwardly and downwardly along said rod to be aligned with a selected one of said slots in said drum, said dispenser selectively removing a selected one of said chargers from said selected slot and urging said selected charger outwardly from said vending slot in said housing; and

a control unit being coupled to said housing wherein said control unit is configured to be manipulated, said control unit being electrically coupled to said vending unit such that said control unit controls operational parameters of said vending unit, said vending unit dispensing said selected chargers through said vending slot such that said selected chargers extend perpendicularly from said one of said angled lateral edges wherein said selected chargers dispensed through said vending slot are configured to be displayed to a user positioned in front of said housing without said housing being positioned directly behind said selected chargers, said control unit comprising;

a processor being coupled to said housing, said processor being electrically coupled to said motor and said dispenser, said processor selectively generating a vending sequence, said motor rotating said drum to align a selected one of said columns of said slots with said rod when said processor generates said vending sequence, said dispenser moving along said rod to be aligned with a selected one of said slots when said processor generates said vending sequence, said dispenser urging said selected charger outwardly from said vending slot when said processor generates said vending sequence,

an electronic memory being coupled to said housing, said electronic memory being electrically coupled to said processor, said electronic memory storing data corresponding to the location of each of said slots in said drum and whether or not each of said slots contains one of said chargers,

a touch screen being coupled to said front side of said housing wherein said touch screen is configured to be manipulated, said touch screen being electrically coupled to said processor, said touch screen displaying indicia, said indicia comprising words relating to instructions for vending a selected charger,

a keypad being coupled to said front side wherein said keypad is configured to be manipulated, said keypad being electrically coupled to said processor, said keypad including a plurality of keys, each of said keys being selectively manipulated to control operational parameter of said processor,

a credit card reader being coupled to said front side of said housing wherein said credit card reader is configured to read a credit card, said credit card reader being electrically coupled to said processor to pay a fee associated with renting said selected chargers,

a currency bank being coupled to said front side of said housing, said currency bank being electrically coupled to said processor, said currency bank selectively accepting paper currency and coin currency to pay the fee associated with renting said selected chargers, and

a power cord being coupled to said housing, said power cord being electrically coupled to said processor, said power cord having a distal end with respect to said housing, said distal end having a plug being electrically coupled thereto, said plug being configured to be electrically coupled to a power source; and

a sign being coupled to said top wall of said housing, said sign having a forward side, said forward side having indicia being printed thereon, said indicia corresponding to said sign comprising words.