Electronic bulk vending machine system

• US 5,947,328 A
• Filed: 11/12/1997
• Issued: 09/07/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: A & A Global Industries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Parkway Machine Corporation
• Inventors: Tegtmeier, Robert H., Kovens, Steven A., Deuel, Ronald F., Gootee, Michael T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEUBLE, MARK A
• Application Number:
  US08/967,939
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 221/277, 221/129, 221/131, 221/155, 221/7, 221/2, 364/479.1, 364/479.02
• US Class Current: 221/129
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/44 in which magazines the articles are stored in bulk
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/10 Casings or parts thereof, e.g. with means for heating or cooling

Abstract

An electronically actuated and monitorable bulk vending machine assembly for electronically actuated vending from a select one of a plurality of rack mounted of bulk vending machines. The electronically actuated and monitorable bulk vending machine assembly includes a microprocessor controlled, interrogatable central control and currency acceptor unit and methods of assembly and use associated therewith.

Claims

1. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising;

a plurality of bulk vending units, each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an electronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controllied rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from andn electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, a currency receipt mechanism in said control units and where said control unit comprises a digital keypad and a visual display for visually indicating the entries on the keypad corresponding to a select one of the bulk vending units comprising said plurality of bulk vending units.

2. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising;

a puralty of bulk vending units. each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an electronic driving being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from and in electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, a currency receipt mechanism in said control units and where said controlwhere said control unit comprises a plurality of selection actuation switches corresponding to the number of bulk vending units comprising said plurality of bulk vending units.

3. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising;

a plurality of bulk vending units, each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an eletronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a central control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from and in electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, a currency receipt mechanism in said control unit and where the control unit comprises a cabinet for housing said currency receipt mechanism, electronic circuitry for accounting for the deposited money, for receiving selection signals from a user selection means, and for transmtting the electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving means of the selected bulk vending unit; and

visual display member associated with the central control unit where the central control unit is secured within the cabinet, a transmitter element for transmitting information from the central control unit to a receiver, and a camera for monitoring the environment.

4. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising:

a plurality of bulk vending units, each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control elernent associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an electronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from and in electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, a currency receipt mechanism in said control units and where said control unit comprises an electronic keypad for selection actuation and further includes a display.

5. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising:

a plurality of bulk vending units, each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an electronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from and in electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, and a rack stand supporting and securing said plurality of vending machines in a manner that each is accessible for vending, said stand providing a secure feedthrough for electro-optical communication conduits extending between said control unit and each of said plurality of vending machines.

7. The assembly according to claim 5 where said feedthrough is a channel with cooperating channel caps and said rack stand is secured to said control unit using a first coacting locking element located on said rack stand and a second coacting locking element located on said control unit where said first and second locking elements cooperate to releasably interlock said rack stand to said control unit.

8. The assembly according to claim 7 where the rack stand and the control unit each provide a mating feedthrough aperture for the wire bundle extending between said control unit and each of said plurality of vending machines.

6. The assembly according to 5 where the electro-optical communication conduits includes a bundle of electrically conductive wires, at least one of said wires comprising said bundle being in electrical communication with a select one of the bulk vending units comprising said plurality of bulk vending units where said electro-optical conduit connecting the plurality of bulk vending machines to said control unit and further comprising a vend selection indicator associated with each one of said plurality of bulk vending units to visually indicate the vend selection corresponding to the particular bulk vending unit selected, said vend selection indicator being connected to said electrically conductive wires.

9. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising:

a plurality of bulk vending units, each including a merchandise storage globe, a rotatable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage globe, a separate base including a dispensing opening and an electronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for conrtrolled dispensing of merchandise from said storage globe to said dispensing opening;

a central control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being separate from and in electronic communication with each of said plurality of bulk vending units, a currency receipt mechanismn said control unit and where the control unit comprises a cabinet for housing said currency receipt mechanism, electronic circuty for accounting for the deposited money, for receiving selection signals from a user selection means, and for transmitting the electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving means of the selected bulk vending unit;

a microprocessor means for storing and electronically processng data resulting from actuation each of said bulk vending units in the assembly; and

a transceiver means for transmitting means for sending said data to a remote central controller and for receiving instructons and information therefrom including inventory and maintenance data.

10. The assembly according to claim 9 where said transceiver is uplinked by select electromagnetic frequency for communicating price selection information from the central controller to the control means.

11. An improved bulk vending machine incorporating an open topped base with a dispensing opening supporting a storage globe set thereon, a merchandise wheel distributing member disposed between the base and the globe for dispensing merchandise from the globe to the dispensing opening through a dispensing passage extending through the base, the improvement comprising:

electronically actuated gear means for operatively engaging said merchandise wheel to state same and communicate and article from the globe, through the merchandise wheel, into the dispensing passage and to the opening; and

a central control incorporating accounting hardware for monitoring the transactions associated with the machine where the hardware includes a microprocessor and remotely located computer capable of information transmission between said microprocessor and said computer.

12. An electronic bulk vending machine assembly, comprising:

at least one bulk vending unit including at least one merchandise storage container, a rotable merchandise dispensing control element associated with said storage container, a base including an electronic driving assembly being drivingly connected to and for imparting controlled rotational force to said merchandise dispensing control element for controlled dispensing of merchandise from said storage container to a dispensing opening;

a control unit for transmitting an electronic actuation signal to the electronic driving assembly, said control unit being independent of and in electrical communication with said at least one bulk vending unit, said control unit including a digital keypad and a visual display for visually indicating the entries on the keypad corresponding to a select one of the bulk vending units comprising said plurality of bulk vending units.