Article dispensing apparatus

• US 3,979,017 A
• Filed: 06/11/1975
• Issued: 09/07/1976
• Est. Priority Date: 06/11/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Consumer Growth Capital Incorporated, Obuchouseki Stanley Not Individually But As Assignee For The Benefitof Barvender Incorporated's Creditors, Spectrum Capital Limited II An IL Limited Partnership
• Original Assignee: Captain International Industries Incorporated
• Inventors: Comeau, Charles Philip, O'Toole, Francis Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Tollberg, Stanley H.
• Application Number:
  US05/586,102
• Time in Patent Office: 454 Days
• Field of Search: 221/78, 221/5, 221/2, 221/155, 221/106, 221/120, 221/122, 194/10, 194/51, 194/59, 194/65
• US Class Current: 221/7
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/54 about vertical axes
• 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

Abstract

Article dispensing apparatus for use in a hotel room or the like includes an article support such as a rotatable carousel having a plurality of compartments. Access to any individual compartment is attained by means of a door on the apparatus. A detent means prevents the door from being opened unless the carousel is in a dispensing position. Opening of the door to attain access to an article causes an interlock to latch the carousel in the dispensing position and simultaneously produces a record of the value of an article in the compartment opposite the door when the door was opened.

Claims

1. Article dispensing apparatus comprising:

a. A housing, a rotatable article support in said housing, means supported by said housing for rotating said support, said support having a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open on the periphery of the support,

b. A movable door on said housing opposite the open side of one of said compartments,

c. An interlock supported by said housing for latching said article support in a dispensing position wherein one of said compartments has its open side opposite said door,

d. A lock means supported by said housing for locking said door in a closed position,

e. A detent means supported by said housing, said detent means being coupled to said lock means and said interlock for causing said lock means to block any opening movement of said door unless said article support is in a dispensing position so it can be latched by said interlock, said detent means being responsive to rotation of said article support and during such rotation prevents opening of said lock means, and

f. means to open said lock means and for causing said interlock to latch said article support in a dispensing position while opening said door.

2. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said movable article support is a rotable carousel having a plurality of radially disposed compartments on its outer periphery, said carousel being supported within said housing for rotation about an upright axis.

3. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said movable door is supported by said housing for pivotable movement about an upright axis, said door at least in part being transparent, and spring means biasing said door to an open position.

4. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 wherein said lock means includes a latch, said latch having a jaw for embracing a free edge portion of said door, said latch being biased to an open position, and a lever movably supported for movement from a position wherein it blocks movement of said latch to a position wherein it permits movement of said latch in response to customer manipulation of an article selection means associated with said door.

5. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 4 including first and second switches in series with an electrical actuator for said interlock, said first switch being closed only when said door is closed, said second switch being closed only when said latch is in its closed position, said electrical actuator being part of (f) so that the article support remains latched until each of said first and second switches is closed.

6. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a key operable switch for coupling power to a discrete solenoid associated with each of said interlock and lock means.

7. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 1 including a second movable door on said housing opposite the open side of another compartment on said movable article support, said first mentioned door being opposite a different portion of said movable article support, a discrete article selection means on said housing for each of said doors, said doors being disposed one above the other, a discrete lock means for each of said doors, and each of said doors having a discrete means as set forth in (f).

8. Article dispensing apparatus comprising:

a. a housing, first and second rotatable article supports in said housing, each support having a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open on one side,

b. a first movable door on said housing opposite the open side of one compartment on said first article support, a second movable door on said housing opposite the open side of one of said compartments on said second article support,

c. first and second interlocks supported by said housing, each interlock being associated with a separate one of said article supports in a manner so as to latch its article support in a dispensing position wherein a compartment thereon has an open side opposite its associated door,

d. a discrete lock means supported by said housing for separately locking each door in a closed position,

e. a discrete detent means supported by said housing for each article support, each detent means being coupled to one of said lock means for causing the same to block any opening movement of the door associated therewith unless the associated article support is in a dispensing position so that it can be latched by its associated interlock,

f. and separate means associated with opening of each door for causing the associated article support to be latched in its dispensing position.

9. Apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein said housing contains a central column, the lock means for each of said doors being supported by said central column, said lock means for each door including a discrete movable latch associated with each door, each movable latch being supported by said central column.

10. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein each article support has a plurality of slots in a wall thereof uniformly spaced about a longitudinal axis thereof, and each interlock including a tab adapted to enter one of the slots on said article support associated therewith.

11. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein each movable article support is a rotatable carousel having a plurality of radially disposed compartments on its outer periphery, each carousel being supported within said housing for rotation about an upright axis.

12. Article dispensing apparatus in accordance with claim 8 wherein each lock means includes a latch and an associated lever, each latch having a jaw for embracing a free edge portion of its associated door, each latch being biased to an open position, each lever being movably supported for movement from a position wherein it blocks movement of its associated latch to a position wherein it permits opening movement of its associated latch in response to customer manipulation of an article selection means associated therewith.

13. Article dispensing apparatus comprising:

a. A housing, a rotatable article support in said housing, manually operable means accessable on the front of and supported by said housing for rotating said support, said support having a plurality of compartments, each compartment being open on the periphery of the support,

b. A movable door on said housing opposite the open side of one of said compartments,

c. An interlock supported by said housing for latching said article support in a dispensing position wherein one of said compartments has its open side opposite said door,

d. A lock means supported by said housing for locking said door in a closed position,

e. A detent means supported adjacent the axis of rotation of said support, said detent means being coupled to said lock means and said interlock for causing said lock means to block any opening movement of said door unless said article support is in a dispensing position so it can be latched by said interlock, said detent means being responsive to rotation of said article support in clockwise and counterclockwise directions and during such rotation prevents opening of said lock means, and

f. a release means for causing said lock means to open and for causing said interlock to latch said article support in a dispensing position, said release means being rendered inoperative by moving said door from an open position to a closed position to thereby unlatch said interlock and render said lock means operative.