Automated food vending system
First Claim
1. An automated food vending system comprising:
- holding means including a plurality of stacks for holding respective stacks of food package units having a predetermined standardized shape;
a dispenser mechanism for dispensing a food package unit from any selected one of the holding stacks to a dispenser outlet;
a microwave oven having a code reader located in a predetermined position in an interior cavity of the oven, said microwave oven having a door at a front portion thereof which is openable to allow insertion of a food package unit into the interior cavity of the oven, and interior walls defining the interior cavity in a predetermined shape for receiving the predetermined standardized shape of the food package units such that the shaped interior cavity functions to constrain insertion of a standardized-shape food package unit therein to substantially one degree of freedom of insertion movement, and said code reader being located in the predetermined position in the interior cavity so as positioned for reading a predetermined portion of the food package unit when it is inserted in the interior cavity constrained to the one degree of freedom of insertion movement; and
the food package units having a code for controlling the microwave oven printed thereon in a predetermined position which is readable automatically by the code reader when the selected package unit is taken from the dispenser outlet and inserted in the oven cavity.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An automated food vending system includes a vending machine having a plurality of stacks and dispenser mechanisms for dispensing standardized food package units, a microwave oven having a code reader located in a predetermined position in an interior cavity of the oven, and the food package units having standardized shapes corresponding to the vending stacks and to the microwave oven cavity. The food packages have a code for controlling the microwave oven printed in a predetermined position which is readable automatically by the code reader when the package unit is inserted in the oven. The dispenser mechanism has a configuration which allows it to be installed in existing vending machines for canned beverages. It may be fromed as a pair of pivotable holding members spaced apart in the widthwise direction of the holding stack, or as a pair of continuous belts spaced apart in the depthwise direction of the holding stack. The interior of the oven may be shaped to hold two or more different standardized package shapes, and can have a drive element for controllably moving the package past the code reader. The food package is formed with a quadrangular-sided tray portion and a rectangular, laterally projecting lip around the upper edges of the tray portion, and has the code printed extending in a linear direction. Alternatively, the food package unit is formed with a cylindrical shape and has the code printed extending in a circumferential direction.
75 Citations
14 Claims
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1. An automated food vending system comprising:
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holding means including a plurality of stacks for holding respective stacks of food package units having a predetermined standardized shape; a dispenser mechanism for dispensing a food package unit from any selected one of the holding stacks to a dispenser outlet; a microwave oven having a code reader located in a predetermined position in an interior cavity of the oven, said microwave oven having a door at a front portion thereof which is openable to allow insertion of a food package unit into the interior cavity of the oven, and interior walls defining the interior cavity in a predetermined shape for receiving the predetermined standardized shape of the food package units such that the shaped interior cavity functions to constrain insertion of a standardized-shape food package unit therein to substantially one degree of freedom of insertion movement, and said code reader being located in the predetermined position in the interior cavity so as positioned for reading a predetermined portion of the food package unit when it is inserted in the interior cavity constrained to the one degree of freedom of insertion movement; and the food package units having a code for controlling the microwave oven printed thereon in a predetermined position which is readable automatically by the code reader when the selected package unit is taken from the dispenser outlet and inserted in the oven cavity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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Specification