Vending machine with monitoring system
First Claim
1. Vending apparatus with self-monitoring system, comprising:
- at least one compartment for storing a predetermined quantity of articles to be dispensed;
user activated means for dispensing individual ones of said articles from said compartment;
means for counting said individual ones of said articles dispensed by said user activated means and in response maintaining a predetermined count value representative thereof;
means for subtracting said predetermined count value from said predetermined quantity and in response generating a signal representative of the number of said articles remaining in said compartment; and
means for transmitting said signal to a remote location, whereby inventory status of said vending apparatus is communicated to said remote location.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A large inventory vending machine with monitoring system comprises a plurality of compartments for storing articles to be dispensed, user activated dispensing apparatus connected to respective ones of the compartments for dispensing individual ones of the articles, circuitry for detecting the number of articles in respective ones of the compartments, and circuitry for communicating the number of articles in respective ones of the compartments to a remote location, whereby inventory status of the vending machine is maintained at the remote location, a blockage detector in the vending machine, a blockage release member moveable to release a blockage of articles, and a power system for operating the blockage release member when a blockage is detected.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. Vending apparatus with self-monitoring system, comprising:
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at least one compartment for storing a predetermined quantity of articles to be dispensed; user activated means for dispensing individual ones of said articles from said compartment; means for counting said individual ones of said articles dispensed by said user activated means and in response maintaining a predetermined count value representative thereof; means for subtracting said predetermined count value from said predetermined quantity and in response generating a signal representative of the number of said articles remaining in said compartment; and means for transmitting said signal to a remote location, whereby inventory status of said vending apparatus is communicated to said remote location. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. Vending apparatus with self-monitoring system, comprising:
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at least one compartment for storing a predetermined quantity of articles to be dispensed in unrestricted vertical orientation, and defining a predetermined width, and depth, wherein a group of articles may be stacked within said component in side by side relation down to a lower end thereof; user activated means operable intermittently for dispensing individual ones of said articles from said group downwardly from said compartment through a dispensing opening; means for counting said individual ones of said articles dispensed by said user activated means and in response maintaining a predetermined count value representative thereof; means for subtracting said predetermined count value from said predetermined quantity and in response generating a signal representative of the number of said articles remaining in said compartment; means for transmitting said signal to a remote location;
whereby inventory status of said vending apparatus is communicated to said remote location;normally stationary breaking means movably supported in each said compartment and contacting at least one said article, on one side of said group of articles, and, means for intermittently moving and bridge breaking means in an upward and downward reciprocal movement whereby to procure release movement of said at least one said article in contact therewith, to break bridging of said articles within said compartment said belt means remaining stationary between operation thereof.
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14. Vending apparatus with self-monitoring system, comprising:
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at least one compartment for storing articles to be dispensed; user activated means connected to said compartment, and operable intermittently for dispensing individual ones of said articles; means for detecting the number of said articles in said at least one compartment; means for communicating said number of said articles to a remote location; jam sensing means for sensing jamming of said articles and delivering a jam signal; normally stationary jam releasing means movably supported in said at least one compartment and contacting at least one said article, and, means for intermittently operating said jam releasing means in response to said jam signal to procure movement of said at least one said article in contact therewith, to break jamming of said articles within said compartment said jam breaking means remaining stationary between operation thereof. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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Specification