Refrigerated vending machine exploiting expanded temperature variance during power-conservation mode
First Claim
1. A refrigerated vending system for vending items, said system comprising:
- a chamber for storing said items, said chamber defining a chamber interior and a chamber exterior, said chamber interior including said items and a heat-transfer medium;
dispensing means for dispensing said items from said chamber interior to said chamber exterior;
cooling means for removing heat from said chamber, said cooling means having cooling and non-cooling conditions, said cooling means consuming more power and removing more heat in said cooling condition, said cooling means consuming less power and removing less heat in said non-cooling condition;
circulation means for controlling the temperature variance within said chamber interior by circulating said heat-transfer medium, said forced circulation means having circulating and non-circulating conditions;
thermo-sensor means for providing temperature indications of temperature within said chamber interior; and
controller means for controlling said dispensing means, said cooling means, and said circulation means, said controlling means selecting between a normal mode of operation for said vending system and a power-conservation mode of operation for said vending system, said controller means during said normal mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions of said cooling means as a function of said temperature indications provided by said thermo-sensor means, and maintaining said circulation means in said circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition; and
during said power-conservation mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions, and maintaining said circulation means in said non-circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A refrigerated soda vending machine includes sensors for monitoring various parameters such as temperature within its refrigerated chamber and for monitoring occupancy in the vicinity of the chamber. The sensor data is used to determine when to switch between a normal mode of operation and a power-conservation mode of operation. In either mode of operation, a cooling system is regulated so that a compressor goes on when an upper internal temperature threshold is reached and off when a lower internal temperature threshold is reached. In the normal mode of operating, fans circulate air within the chamber to maintain a relatively uniform temperature throughout the chamber. During power-conservation mode, the fans are off most of the time the compressor is off. In the absence of circulation, the temperature within the refrigerated chamber stratifies so that a lower cool zone and an upper warm zone can be differentiated. Soda cans are held in vertical stacks so that the lowest cans are located in the cool zone. Cans are dispensed from the bottom of the stacks and thus only from the cool zone. With this arrangement, a patron can obtain an optimally chilled soda even though the average temperature in the chamber is above the optimal temperature range. Thus, energy can be conserved and operating costs reduced while meeting patron'"'"'s expectations for cold sodas at all times.
54 Citations
17 Claims
-
1. A refrigerated vending system for vending items, said system comprising:
-
a chamber for storing said items, said chamber defining a chamber interior and a chamber exterior, said chamber interior including said items and a heat-transfer medium;
dispensing means for dispensing said items from said chamber interior to said chamber exterior;
cooling means for removing heat from said chamber, said cooling means having cooling and non-cooling conditions, said cooling means consuming more power and removing more heat in said cooling condition, said cooling means consuming less power and removing less heat in said non-cooling condition;
circulation means for controlling the temperature variance within said chamber interior by circulating said heat-transfer medium, said forced circulation means having circulating and non-circulating conditions;
thermo-sensor means for providing temperature indications of temperature within said chamber interior; and
controller means for controlling said dispensing means, said cooling means, and said circulation means, said controlling means selecting between a normal mode of operation for said vending system and a power-conservation mode of operation for said vending system, said controller means during said normal mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions of said cooling means as a function of said temperature indications provided by said thermo-sensor means, and maintaining said circulation means in said circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition; and
during said power-conservation mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions, and maintaining said circulation means in said non-circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of operating a refrigerated vending system comprising the steps of:
-
when in a normal mode of operation, monitoring a chamber-interior temperature, controlling a cooling system as a function of said interior chamber temperature, and promoting a relatively small temperature variance with the chamber;
interior by using at least one fan to circulate a gas-phase heat-transfer medium within said chamber interior; and
when in a power-conservation mode of operation, controlling a cooling system and promoting a relatively large temperature variation within said chamber interior by turning said at least one fan off.
-
-
10. A method of operating a refrigerated vending system comprising the steps of:
-
when in a normal mode of operation, monitoring a chamber-interior temperature, controlling a cooling system as a function of said interior chamber temperature, and promoting a relatively small temperature variance with the chamber interior;
when in a power-conservation mode of operation, controlling a cooling system and promoting a relatively large temperature variation within said chamber interior; and
in response to a command to dispense an item, dispensing a first item from a cool zone, said cool zone having a spatially and temporally averaged temperature below the spatially and temporally averaged temperature of said chamber interior during said power-conservation mode. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12)
-
-
13. A method of operating a refrigerated vending system comprising the steps of:
-
monitoring activity;
selecting between said normal mode of operation and said power-conservation mode of operation at least in part as a function of activity indications;
when in said normal mode of operation, monitoring a chamber-interior temperature, controlling a cooling system as a function of said interior chamber temperature, and promoting a relatively small temperature variances with the chamber interior; and
when in said power-conservation mode of operation, controlling a cooling system and promoting a relatively large temperature variation within said chamber interior. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
-
Specification