Multiple price and size setting method for vending machines

• US 5,511,646 A
• Filed: 06/03/1993
• Issued: 04/30/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Crane Merchandising Systems Incorporated (Crane Company)
• Original Assignee: Rowe International Corporation (AMI Entertainment Network, LLC)
• Inventors: Giegerich, David K., Sloss, Andris C., Maldanis, Algert J.
• Primary Examiner(s): BARTUSKA, FRANCIS JOHN
• Application Number:
  US08/071,713
• Time in Patent Office: 1,062 Days
• Field of Search: 194/217, 194/218, 221/2, 221/5, 221/12, 221/76-79, 221/91, 221/242, 364/479, 235/381, 312/91, 312/97
• US Class Current: 194/217
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/58 the articles being supported on or by endless belts or like conveyors
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A programmable size and price-setting mechanism for use in a vending machine has a plurality of n access doors aligned horizontally across a front of the vending machine, each of which access doors has a locked condition denying access therethrough and an unlocked condition allowing access therethrough, and each of which is selectably activatable between the locked and unlocked condition. There are a plurality of horizontal shelves each of which has a plurality of partitionable areas corresponding in size to a corresponding one of the n access doors, such that each shelf is selectably partitionable into a plurality of up to n product holding areas. A conveyor mechanism is provided for selectably moving each horizontal shelf into a vending position adjacent to the access doors so that each one of the n partitionable areas is adjacent to a corresponding one the n access doors. A sensor detects which of the plurality of shelves is positioned adjacent to the plurality of n access doors. A plurality of n actuatable buttons are mounted on the vending machine, each actuatable button adjacent to one of the n access doors. A money-receiving and value detection device is also provided. Programmable control circuitry is operatively connected to the plurality of actuatable buttons, to the shelf position sensor and to the money-receiving and value detection device for activating a selected one or more of the n access doors from the locked to the unlocked condition upon detecting a programmed value of money received, upon detecting a selected one of the plurality of shelves positioned adjacent to the access doors, and upon actuation of one of the actuatable buttons located adjacent to the one or more n access doors through which access to one of the product holding areas is desired.

Claims

1. A method of programming size and price settings for a vending machine comprising the steps of:

(a) placing said vending machine in a programming mode;

(b) moving a desired horizontal shelf to a vending position, which shelf has a product-holding area;

(c) inputting a desired price on a visual display;

(d) actuating a button corresponding to a leftmost button adjacent to said product-holding area and subsequently actuating a rightmost button adjacent to said product-holding area to set said desired price and size for said product-holding area; and

(e) taking said machine out of said programming mode to store said price for product-holding area and to place said vending machine into an operating condition.

2. A method of programming as in claim 1 further comprising the step of setting a same desired price for multiple price holding areas on said horizontal shelf before moving another horizontal shelf to a vending position.

3. A method of programming as in claim 2 further comprising the steps of:

(a) inputting a corrected price on said visual display without moving said other horizontal shelf to a vending position; and

(b) actuating said leftmost actuation button and then actuating said rightmost actuation button adjacent to said product holding area in sequence for setting said corrected price for said product-holding area.