Touch selection panel for a vending machine
First Claim
1. A touch-sensitive selection panel structure for a vending machine for initiating the vend of related products comprising:
- (a) a first sheet member having transparent areas thereon defining touch-sensitive product selection windows, said first sheet member defining the obverse face of said selection panel;
(b) pressure-sensitive switch means disposed directly behind and contiguous to said first sheet member, said switch means being responsive to pressure applied to said product selection windows to generate electrical signals for initiating the vend of related products, said switch means being transparent to visible light;
(c) a second sheet member secured to said first sheet member by an adhesive coating and having transparent areas thereon disposed behind and contiguous to said switch means; and
(d) pocket means between said first and second sheet members for removably containing said pressure-sensitive switch means, said adhesive coating being relieved in area behind said product selection windows to define said pocket means.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A touch-sensitive selection panel structure for a vending machine including a pressure-sensitive membrane-type switch contained between first and second polycarbonate panels comprising the display panel of the vending machine. The touch-sensitive switch configuration is totally transparent to visible light. A product selector window array on the first polycarbonate panel is back-illuminated from within the vending machine with images of the vendable products available, for display in the selector windows on the front face of the vending machine display panel. The images are provided on the back face of the second polycarbonate panel within the vending machine and illuminated from behind in order to project the names and product logos through the membrane switch, and the first polycarbonate panel for viewing by a potential customer. The membrane switch contacts are easily actuatable by merely pressing on a flexible product window area defined in the first polycarbonate sheet, which causes selected membrane switch contacts to close and initiate the vend of a corresponding product. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane switch is replaced by discrete touch-sensitive switches disposed in portions of each of the window areas.
137 Citations
14 Claims
-
1. A touch-sensitive selection panel structure for a vending machine for initiating the vend of related products comprising:
-
(a) a first sheet member having transparent areas thereon defining touch-sensitive product selection windows, said first sheet member defining the obverse face of said selection panel; (b) pressure-sensitive switch means disposed directly behind and contiguous to said first sheet member, said switch means being responsive to pressure applied to said product selection windows to generate electrical signals for initiating the vend of related products, said switch means being transparent to visible light; (c) a second sheet member secured to said first sheet member by an adhesive coating and having transparent areas thereon disposed behind and contiguous to said switch means; and (d) pocket means between said first and second sheet members for removably containing said pressure-sensitive switch means, said adhesive coating being relieved in area behind said product selection windows to define said pocket means. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of making a display panel for a vending machine including a sign panel portion for displaying logo related to at least one product to be vended and a touch-sensitive selection portion for selectively initiating the vend of selected products, comprising the steps of:
-
(a) providing first and second transparent sheet members including said sign panel portion and said selection portion; (b) applying coloring to both said portions of said first sheet member to define said logo in said sign panel portion and discrete transparent windows in said selection portion corresponding to the products to be vended; (c) coating at least one of said sheet members with adhesive in substantially all areas except the area behind said transparent windows in the provision of a pocket for containing a touch-sensitive switch array; and (d) securing said first sheet member to said second sheet member with said adhesive. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
-
Specification