Computer controlled machine for vending personalized products or the like

• US 5,036,472 A
• Filed: 12/08/1988
• Issued: 07/30/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Pacific Equity, Inc., Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Hurlburt, John H., Robinson, Richard A., Buckley, Stephen P., Pfahl, Kurt A., Doerflinger, Arthur E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jerry
• Assistant Examiner(s): Trammell, Jim
• Application Number:
  US07/282,013
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 364/471, 364/478, 364/479, 364/519, 364/520, 364/518, 364/468, 221/9, 101/211, 414/793, 414/796
• US Class Current: 700/233
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/26 for printing, stamping, franking, typing or teleprinting apparatus ticket printing or the like apparatus G07F17/42

Abstract

A machine for vending greeting cards or other personalized or customized products includes audio and video presentations of available products and options available to a customer, provisions for payment and apparatus for automatic delivery of products. Base products such as preprinted forms are stored for selective transfer by a robot device to modifying apparatus such as a printer, modified products being delivered to a delivery receptacle, all operations being under computer control and being changeable as desired for adding or substituting new forms of products.

Claims

1. A machine for delivering a product which may be automatically personalized by the customer at the time of purchase and which is selected from a plurality of different products, said machine comprising:

storage means for storing base products, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations and including electrically controllable transfer means for effecting transfer of a base product from said storage means, electrically controllable modification means for effecting modification of said base product to produce a modified base product and electrically controllable delivery means for effecting delivery of said modified base product to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and product handling means therewithin, selection means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect entry of control data which defines the desired final form of the personalized product to be delivered to the customer, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said selection means and to said electrically controllable transfer, modification and delivery means of said product handling means, said computer means controlling said transfer, modification and delivery means of said product handling means to perform a series of operations in accordance with said control data, said series of operations being performed within said enclosure without operator intervention and including transfer of a base product from said storage means, modification of a base product transferred from said storage means and delivery of the desired final form of product from said modification means to said delivery receptacle means,

wherein said selection means includes display means arranged for display of said different products for selection by a customer.

2. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage, product handling, selection and computer means are arranged for handling a variety of products, whereby said machine provides a flexible manufacturing platform for one-of-a-kind personalized products.

3. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein the selections available to the customer define a large number of types of finished products, whereby said machine operates on a just-in-time basis to eliminate a large finished goods inventory which would otherwise be required.

4. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said selection means comprises electronically alterable presentation means for presentation of options available to a customer for selection of the desired final form of the product, whereby the forms of products offered by said machine may be quickly altered.

5. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said base products include base products in the form of sheets of sheet material and wherein said modification means of said product handing means include printing means for printing personalized data on said base products.

6. A machine as defined in claim 5, wherein said printing means includes a printer having an impression roller, sheet receiving and guide means positioning a sheet for engagement with said impression roller, said printer being controlled to drive said roller in a reverse direction to place said lower edge at a predetermined position and to then drive said roller through a certain angle in a forward direction to accurately place a leading edge of the sheet at a certain substantially fixed start position prior to printing of data thereon.

7. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said storage means include means for storing a stack of base products in the form of sheets of sheet material and wherein said handling means comprises suction pick-up means cooperative with said storage means for frictional engagement with a leading sheet of said stack to effect an initial separation from remaining sheets of said stack followed by the application of suction to completing remove said leading sheet from said stack.

8. A machine as defined in claim 1, further including start means coupled to said computer means for initiating performance of said series of operations in accordance with said control data.

9. A machine as defined in claim 8, said start means including payment means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect payment for a product.

10. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said base products include sheets of greeting card stock, and wherein said modification means include means for applying indicia to a transferred sheet of greeting card stock to form a completed personalized greeting card.

11. A machine as defined in claim 10, wherein said modification means include means for applying message indicia of a selectable form to a transferred sheet of greeting cards stock, and wherein said selection means include means for selecting the form of message indicia to be applied to a transferred sheet of greeting card stock.

12. A machine as defined in claim 11, wherein said selection means includes means for selecting characters from a complete alphabet for composition of the form of message indicia to be applied to a transferred sheet of greeting card stock.

13. A machine as defined in claim 12, wherein said display means include a touch screen on which complete alphabet is displayed to be touched by a customer for selection the form of message indicia to be applied to a transferred sheet of greeting card stock.

14. A machine as defined in claim 10, wherein said base products include sheets of greeting cards having various indicia printed thereon to provide various forms of greeting cards.

15. A machine as defined in claim 10, wherein said base products include blank sheets of greeting card stock, and wherein said modification means include means for applying graphic indicia to a transferred sheet of greeting card stock in forming a completed personalized greeting card.

16. A machine as defined in claim 1, wherein said display means include a touch screen for display and selection of said different products and for display of operating instructions.

17. A machine as defined in claim 16, further including audio means for providing operating instructions and indications to a customer.

18. A machine for delivering a product which may be automatically personalized by the customer at the time of purchase and which is selected from a plurality of different types of products, said machine comprising:

storage means for storing base products, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations including transfer of a base product from said storage means, modification of said base product to produce a modified base product and delivery of said modified base product to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and product handling means therewithin, payment means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect payment of a product, selection means operable by a customer on the outside of said enclosure to effect entry of control data which defines the desired final form of the personalized product to be delivered to the customer, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said payment, selection and product handling means, said computer means controlling said product handling means following payment by a customer to perform said series of operations in accordance with said control data and to effect delivery of the desired final form of product to said delivery receptacle means, wherein said storage means include means for storing a stack of base products in the form of sheets of sheet material and wherein said handling means comprises suction pick-up means cooperative with said storage means for frictional engagement with a leading sheet of said stack to effect an initial separation from remaining sheets of said stack followed by the application of suction to completing remove said leading sheet from said stack, and wherein said storage means include restraining means engageable with end edge portions of sheets of said stack adjacent side edges thereof, said leading sheet being buckled to move past said restraining means during said initial separation while said restraining means prevent movements of sheets behind said leading sheet.

19. A machine for delivering a product selected from a plurality of different types of products, said system comprising:

presentation means for presenting identification of said products, selection means for entry of a selection of one of said types of products, payment means operable to effect payment by a customer for a selected product, receptacle means for holding a selected and delivered product until removal by a customer, an enclosure supporting said presentation, selection, payment and receptacle means, storage means within said enclosure including a plurality of separate compartments for storing said plurality of different types of products, product modification means within said enclosure for effecting controllable modifications of each of said plurality of different types of products, product transfer means within said enclosure arranged to move a single product away from a compartment and to said modification means and to thereafter move the product after modification to said respectable means, and control means within said enclosure and coupled to said product identification, selection, payment, product modification and product transfer means, said control means including computer means programmed to control operation of said presentation means and to respond to payment and entry of a selection by a customer to effect movement of a corresponding product away from one of said compartments and to said receptacle means, said presentation means being controllable by said computer after a payment by a customer to operation in a selection mode to present instructions for further operations by the customer to effect selections of a product and to effect selections of modifications of the selected product in accordance with preferences of the customer.

20. A machine for delivering a product which is selected from a plurality of different types of products, said machine comprising:

storage means for storing base products, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations including transfer of a base product from said storage means, modification of said base product to produce a modified base product and delivery of said modified base product to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and product handling means therewith, selection means operable to effect entry of control data which defines the desired final form of a product to be delivered to said delivery receptacle means, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said selection and product handling means, said storage means being arranged to store a plurality of base products of different types, and said product handling means including modification means for effecting modifications of said base products and transfer means for selective transfer of said base products of different types to said modification means and transfer of modified base products to said delivery receptacle means, said computer means controlling said modification and transfer means of said product handling means in accordance with said control data to transfer a selected base product to said modification means and to effect modification of the selected base product in accordance with said control data and to then effect transfer of the desired final form of product to said delivery receptacle means, wherein said selection means includes means for presenting options for selection including a type select option determinative of the type of base product to be delivered to said modification means and modification options determinative of modifications to be performed by said modification means, said type select option being presented prior to said modification options, and computer means being operative in response to said type select option to initiate transfer of the selected type of base product to said modification means while said modification options are presented for selection by said selection means.

21. A machine as defined in claim 20, wherein said transfer means are arranged for transfer of base products of certain types for assembly with modified base products of other types to produce the desired final product.

22. A machine for delivering a product which is selected from a plurality of different types of products, said machine comprising:

storage means for storing base products, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations including transfer of a base product from said storage means, modification of said base product to produce a modified base product and delivery of said modified base product to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and product handling means therewith, selection means operable to effect entry of control data which defines a desired final form of a product to be delivered to said delivery receptacle means, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said selection and product handling means, said storage means being arranged to store a plurality of base products of different types, and said product handling means including modification means for effecting modifications of said base products and transfer means for selective transfer of said base products of different types to said modification means and transfer of modified base products to said delivery receptacle means, said computer means controlling said modification and transfer means of said product handling means in accordance with said control data to transfer a selected base product to said modification means and to effect modification of the selected base product in accordance with said control data and to then effect transfer of the desired final form of product to said delivery receptacle means, wherein said selection means includes means for presenting options for selection including a type select option determinative of the type of base product to be delivered to said modification means and modification options determinative of modifications to be performed by said modification means, said type select option being presented prior to said modification options, and computer means being operative in response to said type select option to initiate transfer of the selected type of base product to said modification means while said modification options are presented for selection by said selection means, wherein said transfer means are arranged for transfer of base products of certain types for assembly with modified base products of other types to produce the desired final product, and wherein said computer being operative to control said transfer means to effect transfer of a base product of one of said certain types to an assembly point while controlling said modification means to modify a base product of one of said other types and to thereafter control said transfer means to transfer a modified base product from said modification means to said assembly point.

23. A machine for delivering a product which is selected from a plurality of different types of products, said machine comprising:

storage means for storing base products, delivery receptacle means, product handling means for effecting a series of operations including transfer of a base product from said storage means, modification of said base product to produce a modified base product and delivery of said modified base product to said delivery receptacle means, an enclosure containing said storage, receptacle and product handling means therewithin, selection means operable to effect entry of control data which defines a desired final form of a product to be delivered to said delivery receptacle means, and computer means within said enclosure and coupled to said selection and product handling means, said storage means being arranged to store a plurality of base products of different types, and said product handling means including modification means for effecting modifications of said base products and transfer means for selective transfer of said base products of different types to said modification means and transfer of modified base products to said delivery receptacle means, said computer means controlling said modification and transfer means of said product handling means in accordance with said control data to transfer a selected base product to said modification means and to effect modification of the selected base product in accordance with said control data and to then effect transfer of the desired final form of product to said delivery receptacle means, wherein said transfer means includes a turret head pick-up means supported by said head, said turret head being rotatable about a vertical axis to selectively position said pick-up means opposite storage and modification stations at different angular positions about said axis and said pick-up means being operable for pick-up of a base product at a storage station and transfer thereof to a modification station.

24. A machine as defined in claim 23, wherein said product handling means includes a transfer device at a transfer station at an angular position different from the angular positions of said storage and modification stations, said pick-up means being operable for transfer of a modified base product from said modification station to said transfer station.

25. A machine as defined in claim 24, wherein said transfer device is operable for transfer of a product to said delivery receptacle means.

26. A machine as defined in claim 25, wherein said transfer device is rotatable about a vertical axis for movement between a position for receiving a product from said pick-up means and a position for delivery of a product to said delivery receptacle means.

27. A machine as defined in claim 26, wherein said selection means and said delivery means are located at level for ready access by a person standing in front of said enclosure, and wherein said transfer station is at a level which is substantially lower than the level of said transfer station, said transfer device being movable upwardly to a level above the level of said delivery receptacle means and being arranged to deposit a modified product in said delivery receptacle means.

28. A machine as defined in claim 23, wherein an additional storage location and an assembly location are provided at an angular positions different from each other and those of the first-mentioned storage location and said modification station, said turret head and said pick-up means thereon being operable for pick-up of a base product from said additional storage location and transfer thereof to said assembly location and being also operable for pick-up of a modified base product from said modification means to said assembly location.