Centralized machine vending method

• US 6,367,653 B1
• Filed: 09/20/2000
• Issued: 04/09/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Distributed Vending Company, Peter C. Brusso, Todd A. Simson
• Original Assignee: Distributed Vending Company, Peter C. Brusso, Todd A. Simson
• Inventors: Charmasson, Henri J. A., Simson, Anton K., Ruskin, Frank, Buchaca, John D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Noland, Kenneth W.
• Application Number:
  US09/666,038
• Time in Patent Office: 566 Days
• Field of Search: 221/1, 221/6, 221/7, 221/9, 221/11, 221/17, 221/154, 221/197, 221/75, 221/232, 221/287
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/42 the articles being delivered by motor-driven means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/18 specially adapted for controlling several coin-freed apparatus from one place
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/001 Interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/026 for alarm, monitoring and auditing in vending machines or means for indication, e.g. when empty

Abstract

A centralized method for selling items through a plurality of vending machines installed at various companies'"'"' sites comprises using vending machines having a substitutable goods-holding magazines from which goods can be extracted only when fully installed inside a vending machine and only by use of a special key when the magazines are outside their machines. The magazines are filled at the supply center and distributed along pre-established delivery routes. The servicing of each machine consists essentially of opening the machine, removing the previously installed magazine, substituting a new full magazine and securely locking the machine without any accounting of goods or currency or any other maintenance work.

Claims

1. A method for selling goods from a supply center to employees and customers of a plurality of entities at a number of locations, said method comprising the following steps:

installing at each one of said locations at least one vending machine engineered to dispense a set of said goods out of a removable magazine upon acceptance of a payment;

at said supply center, filling a plurality of said magazines with sets of a diversity of said goods;

establishing routes, each of said routes linking a given number of said locations;

transporting said full magazines to said locations along said routes, and, at each of said locations, mounting one of said magazines in each of said vending machines in place of any other magazine previously mounted therein;

returning each of said previously mounted magazines to said supply center; and

servicing said returned magazines;

wherein, for each of said vending machines, said step of mounting one of said magazines essentially consists of;

opening said vending machine;

removing said previously mounted magazine;

inserting said full magazine in place of said previously mounted one; and

securely locking said vending machine;

in the absence of any currency or discrete goods handling or counting at said locations.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of filling comprises:

filling magazines engineered to dispense goods only when said magazines are securely mounted in said machines, and to prevent removal of any of said goods when said magazines are outside said machines without using a secured opening means.

3. The method of claim 1, which further comprises providing each of said entities, for a fee, a plurality of debit cards for distribution to said employees and customers, said debit cards being usable for payments or on said vending machines.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of installing comprises:

using vending machines engineered to accept currency in payment of goods and to securely accumulate said currency into said removable magazines mounted therein; and

said servicing comprises removing said accumulated currency from said magazines upon return to said supply center.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said servicing comprises sanitizing said magazines prior to said refilling with said goods.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of filling said magazines comprises stocking therein a plurality of comestible goods.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said step of installing comprises installing at a plurality of said locations at least one snack food vending machine, are at least one beverage vending machine.

8. The method of claim 7, which further comprises:

displaying on one of said vending machines a discount price for at least one combination of a snack food item and one beverage item; and

programming said machines to deliver said combination upon acceptance of said discount price payment.

9. The method of claim 1 which further comprises:

automatically compiling into each of said machines, a record of good-selling transactions on a readable medium, and reading said record off said medium at said supply center.

10. The method of claim 9, which further comprises compiling said record in said magazines;

and

said step of servicing comprise reading said record.

11. The method of claim 9, which further comprises downloading said record onto a carryable recording device.