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Machine for vending articles and methods associated therewith

  • US 20040256402A1
  • Filed: 07/23/2004
  • Published: 12/23/2004
  • Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2000
  • Status: Abandoned Application
First Claim
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1. A vending apparatus, comprising:

  • at least one storage area being operable to store packaged goods for sale;

    at least one retrieving device operable to retrieve the goods from the storage area and to dispense the goods from the vending apparatus; and

    a processing unit operable to (i) permit the dispensing of goods from the vending apparatus for an interval, (ii) partially disable the vending apparatus from dispensing at least some of the goods at an end of the interval, and (iii) cause the vending apparatus to remain fully enabled at the end of the interval if a continuation code is received by the vending apparatus before the end of the interval, wherein;

    the interval represents at least one of (i) one or more predefined periods of time, (ii) one or more predefined numbers of vends of goods from the vending apparatus, (iii) one or more predefined quanta of sales by the vending apparatus, and the processing unit is further operable to at least one of reset and modify the interval in response to the vending apparatus receiving the continuation code.

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