Product vending and pneumatic delivery system and method
First Claim
1. A method of vending a packaged product comprising the steps of:
- receiving a signal at a product supply terminal from a remotely located customer terminal;
loading, at the product supply terminal, in response to the signal, from the customer terminal, a packaged product into an inlet end of a tube of a pneumatic conveyor;
thenpneumatically conveying the product through the tube to the customer terminal;
thendeveloping pneumatic back-pressure behind a floating element that forms a slidable seal with the tube ahead of the moving container with the floating element in an upstream position in the tube; and
thengradually releasing the back-pressure as the product moves against the element and the element moves with the product toward a downstream position in the tube to apply a gradually decreasing upstream force on the element until the product comes to rest at the customer terminal.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system is provided for vending food products such as individually packaged beverages from a storage unit to a remote location such as a service counter or the service island of a gasoline service facility. Preferably, a pneumatic tube conveyor moves the product from storage to a dispensing unit at the remote location in response to product selection made by a customer at the remote location. Preferably, payment for the sale of the product item is coordinated with information from another vending or accounting system such as a gasoline charge system that includes a credit card reader associated with a fully automated self-service gasoline pump. The product is moved through the conveyor in a reusable carrier or in its own product packaging container that serves as a carrier. The carrier is formed with one or more annular seals to facilitate maintenance of pressure across the carrier and movement around curved sections of the tube. Where the product'"'"'s container is used as the carrier, it also is preferably formed with one or more enlarged annular sealing sections. Deceleration of the product is controlled by an article actuated bypass valve that directs air moved by the moving product to bring a floating piston in the tube into gentle contact with the container to gradually slow it to a stop.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of vending a packaged product comprising the steps of:
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receiving a signal at a product supply terminal from a remotely located customer terminal; loading, at the product supply terminal, in response to the signal, from the customer terminal, a packaged product into an inlet end of a tube of a pneumatic conveyor;
thenpneumatically conveying the product through the tube to the customer terminal;
thendeveloping pneumatic back-pressure behind a floating element that forms a slidable seal with the tube ahead of the moving container with the floating element in an upstream position in the tube; and
thengradually releasing the back-pressure as the product moves against the element and the element moves with the product toward a downstream position in the tube to apply a gradually decreasing upstream force on the element until the product comes to rest at the customer terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method of vending a packaged product comprising the steps of:
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providing a molded plastic container having outwardly extending annular portions formed therein and having a body having a middle portion of a nominal diameter, the outwardly extending annular portions including two rings located on opposite sides of the middle portion and having diameters larger than the nominal diameter; the container further being provided having a bottom end with one of the annular rings located proximate thereto, and an openable top end of a diameter less than the nominal diameter with the other of the annular rings being located between the middle portion and the top end;
thenloading a packaged product in the container with at least one annular portion forming a slidable and general seal in proximity with the inside of the tube;
thenpneumatically conveying the product through the tube to a customer terminal by applying pneumatic pressure across the container to move the product through the tube with the at least one annular portion of the container in close proximity to the inside of the tube.
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10. A product dispensing system comprising:
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a product supply; a product dispensing unit remote from the product supply; a pneumatic conveyor having a product delivery tube extending from the product supply and the product dispensing unit; a deceleration device at the product dispensing unit including a floating element slidably mounted in, and forming a slidable seal with, the tube; and means for developing pneumatic back-pressure behind the floating element to decelerate a product moving thereagainst. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A product dispensing system comprising:
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a product supply; a product dispensing unit remote from the product supply; a pneumatic conveyor having a product delivery tube extending from the product supply and the product dispensing unit; a deceleration device at the product dispensing unit including a floating element slidably mounted in, and forming a slidable seal with, the tube; a bypass valve at the dispensing unit in the tube ahead of the floating element; and a bypass tube extending from the valve to behind the floating element.
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Specification