Vending machine

• US 20020077724A1
• Filed: 06/12/2001
• Published: 06/20/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Daniel D. Kozlak, Jeno F. Paulucci, Joel C. Kozlak
• Original Assignee: Daniel D. Kozlak, Jeno F. Paulucci, Joel C. Kozlak
• Inventors: Paulucci, Jeno F., Kozlak, Daniel D., Kozlak, Joel C.
• Application Number:
  US09/879,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20020077724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/24 Rotary or oscillatory members
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/36 in which the magazines are of helical or spiral form
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0078 Food articles which need to be processed for dispensing in a hot or cooked condition, e.g. popcorn, nuts
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/105 Heating or cooling means, for temperature and humidity control, for the conditioning of articles and their storage dispensers for food articles requiring a processing by temperature treatment or conditioning before they are ready for dispensing G07F17/0064
• CPC Class Codes: H05B 6/808 Microwave heating adapted for vending machines

Abstract

The present invention involves various combinations of new and existing technology to create vending machines with a number of improvements such as, credit and debit card verification in real-time, incorporation of CDPD technology, multiple vends per one payment, vending of large products, bag dispensing, and the incorporation of food heating units into vending machines.

Claims

1. A vending machine, comprising:

a housing;

a dispensing unit disposed within the housing;

control circuitry operably connected to the dispensing unit for dispensing one or more food items; and

a heating unit supported by the housing.

2. The heating unit of claim 1, wherein the heating unit is a pizza oven.

3. The heating unit of claim 1 wherein the heating unit is a toaster oven.

4. A vending machine, comprising:

a housing;

a dispensing unit disposed within the housing and adapted to receive food items approximately or larger than 16 ounces;

control circuitry operably connected to the dispensing unit for dispensing one or more food items;

a heating unit supported by the housing; and

a bag dispenser supported by the housing.

5. The heating unit of claim 4, wherein the heating unit is a pizza oven.

6. The heating unit of claim 4 wherein the heating unit is a toaster oven.

7. The vending machine of claim 4, further comprising a payment mechanism adapted to accept only cashless modes of payment for the food items.

8. The vending machine of claim 4, further comprising a card reader.

9. The vending machine of claim 4, further comprising a communications unit operably connected to the payment mechanism.

10. The vending machine of claim 9, wherein the communications unit enables communication via wireless technology.

11. The vending machine of claim 10, wherein the communications unit enables wireless communications via CDPD wireless technology.

12. The vending machine of claim 9, wherein the communications unit enables communications via telephone lines.

13. The vending machine of claim 9, further comprising a processor programmed to validate a payment card in real-time, each time a payment card is used in the vending machine.

14. The vending machine of claim 13, wherein a payment card comprises at least one of a credit card, a debit card, and a stored value card.

16. The heating unit of claim 15, wherein the heating unit is a pizza oven.

17. The heating unit of claim 15 wherein the heating unit is a toaster oven.

18. The vending machine of claim 15, further comprising a card reader.

19. The vending machine of claim 18, further comprising a communications unit operably connected to the payment mechanism.

20. The vending machine of claim 19, wherein the communications unit enables wireless communications via CDPD wireless technology.

15. A vending machine, comprising:

a housing;

a dispensing unit disposed within the housing and adapted to receive food items approximately or larger than 16 ounces;

control circuitry operably connected to the dispensing unit for dispensing one or more food items; and

a heating unit disposed within the housing.