Vending Machine and Associated Methods
First Claim
1. A vending machine comprising:
- a delivery aperture configured to enable a user to remove a vendible product from the vending machine;
a delivery unit for presenting vendible product to a user for removal from the vending machine;
a pick mechanism configured to retrieve a plurality of vendible products in the vending machine and to provide the plurality of vendible products to the delivery unit;
wherein the delivery unit comprises a bag receiving portion configured to receive a bag and a separate product receiving portion configured to receive one or more vendible products.
0 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vending machine comprising: a delivery aperture configured to enable a user to remove a vendible product from the vending machine; a delivery unit, movable between a non-user-accessible loading position, distal to the delivery aperture, and a user-accessible delivery position proximal to the delivery aperture; a robotic arm; and a pick mechanism coupled to the robotic arm, the pick mechanism configured to retrieve the vendible product in the vending machine and to provide the vendible product to the delivery unit while the delivery unit is located in the non-user-accessible loading position; wherein, the delivery unit is configured to move the received vendible product from the non-user-accessible loading position to the user-accessible delivery position.
15 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A vending machine comprising:
-
a delivery aperture configured to enable a user to remove a vendible product from the vending machine; a delivery unit for presenting vendible product to a user for removal from the vending machine; a pick mechanism configured to retrieve a plurality of vendible products in the vending machine and to provide the plurality of vendible products to the delivery unit; wherein the delivery unit comprises a bag receiving portion configured to receive a bag and a separate product receiving portion configured to receive one or more vendible products. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A vending machine comprising:
-
a delivery aperture configured to enable a user to remove a vendible product from the vending machine; a delivery unit, movable between a non-user-accessible loading position, distal to the delivery aperture, and a user-accessible delivery position proximal to the delivery aperture; a robotic arm; and a pick mechanism coupled to the robotic arm, the pick mechanism configured to retrieve the vendible product in the vending machine and to provide the vendible product to the delivery unit while the delivery unit is located in the non-user-accessible loading position; wherein, the delivery unit is configured to move the received vendible product from the non-user-accessible loading position to the user-accessible delivery position. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
-
-
17. A vending machine comprising:
-
a plurality of vendible product locations for storing a plurality of vendible products, the plurality of vendible product locations each having a corresponding x-y coordinate; a robotic arm; a pick mechanism coupled to the robotic arm, the robotic arm configured to move the pick mechanism from an initial x-y coordinate to an x-y coordinate corresponding to a target vendible product, the pick mechanism configured to retrieve the target vendible product in the vending machine, the pick mechanism comprising a picker arm extending and moveable in a z direction, the picker arm having a product picker for retrieving the target vendible product; and a distance sensor, coupled to the robotic arm, configured to measure a distance between the product picker and a vendible product in the vending machine. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
-
Specification