Optical vend-sensing system for control of vending machine

• US 20060011642A1
• Filed: 07/08/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Automated Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Seaga Manufacturing Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Automated Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Seaga Manufacturing Incorporated)
• Inventors: Sprankle, David A., Mason, Paul L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,446,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 221/13
• 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

Abstract

A light curtain device for use in a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper. The light curtain device has first and second emitter/detector arrays, each comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors, said arrays being positionable and arrangeable within said vending machine so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said first array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said second array, and so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said second array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said first array, and so that articles falling through the vend space of the vending machine will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between at least one emitter and at least one detector.

Claims

1. In a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper, an optical vend-sensing system comprising:

(A) an article sensing subsystem arranged athwart said vend space, said article sensing subsystem comprising;

(a1) a first emitter/detector array comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors, and

(a2) a second emitter/detector array comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors, said first and second emitter/detector arrays positioned and arranged so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said first array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said second array, and so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said second array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said first array, and so that articles falling through the vend space will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between at least one emitter and at least one detector;

(B) a machine control unit arranged to control operation of the respective at least one mechanism; and

(C) control circuitry operatively connecting said article sensing subsystem with said machine control unit, and arranged to cause the machine control unit to complete a vend operation procedure of said at least one mechanism upon said article sensing subsystem sensing a transition of an article through said article sensing subsystem.

2. An optical vend-sensing system as in claim 1, wherein the each of the first and second arrays comprises a single emitter and at least six detectors.

3. An optical vend-sensing system as in claim 1, wherein the each of the first and second arrays comprises 1 to 2 emitters and 12 to 14 detectors.

4. An optical vend-sensing system as in claim 1, wherein said emitter/detector arrays are arranged so that the at least one emitter of said first array is diagonally opposite the at least one emitter of said second array.

5. An optical vend-sensing system as in claim 1, wherein the article sensing subsystem senses the transition of an article through said article sensing subsystem by determining that electromagnetic radiation reaching at least one detector as a result of electromagnetic radiation emission by said at least one emitter, has temporarily diminished by predetermined amount.

6. In a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper, a method comprising:

providing an article sensing subsystem arranged athwart said vend space, said article sensing subsystem comprising;

(a1) a first emitter/detector array comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors, and

(a2) a second emitter/detector array comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors,

positioning and arranging said first and second emitter/detector arrays so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said first array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said second array, and so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said second array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said first array, and so that articles falling through the vend space will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between at least one emitter and at least one detector.

7. A light curtain device for use in a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper, said light curtain device comprising:

first and second emitter/detector arrays, each comprising at least one emitter and a plurality of detectors, said arrays being positionable and arrangeable within said vending machine so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said first array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said second array, and so that electromagnetic radiation emitted by said at least one emitter of said second array may be detected by at least some of said plurality of detectors of said first array, and so that articles falling through the vend space of the vending machine will interrupt electromagnetic radiation between at least one emitter and at least one detector.

8. A light curtain device as in claim 7 wherein each of said emitter/detector arrays has an emitter on an end thereof.

9. A light curtain device as in claim 7 wherein each of said emitter/detector arrays has two emitters on an end thereof.

10. A light curtain device as in claim 7 wherein each of said emitter/detector arrays has between twelve and fourteen detectors, inclusive and has one emitter on an end thereof.

11. A light curtain device as in claim 10 wherein the emitters are approximately equally spaced.

12. A light curtain device as in claim 7 wherein, for each of said emitter/detector arrays, said at least one emitter and said plurality of detectors are positioned in a straight row.

13. A light curtain device as in claim 7 wherein first and second emitter/detector arrays are identical.

15. A light curtain device as in claim 12 wherein:

each said at least one detector is arranged on a first oscillating or rotating wheel, and wherein

the movable mechanism comprises a second oscillating or rotating wheel.

16. A light curtain device as in claim 12 wherein:

each said at least one detector is arranged on a first oscillating or rotating pendulum arm, and wherein

the movable mechanism comprises a second oscillating or rotating pendulum arm.

14. A light curtain device for use in a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper, said light curtain comprising:

at least one detector; and

at least one emitter mounted opposite said at least one detector and on a movable mechanism.

17. A light curtain device for use in a vending machine which has at least one mechanism arranged for initiating operation upon selection by a customer for vending an article into a vend space through which the article falls into a customer-accessible hopper, said light curtain comprising:

at least one emitter; and

at least one detector mounted opposite said at least one detector and on a movable mechanism.

18. A light curtain device as in claim 17 wherein:

each said at least one emitter is arranged in a fixed location, and wherein the movable mechanism comprises an oscillating pendulum arm.

19. A light curtain device as in claim 17 wherein:

each said at least one emitter is arranged in a fixed location, and wherein the movable mechanism comprises an oscillating or rotating wheel.