Tandem gate release mechanism for a vending machine
First Claim
1. A vending machine for storing articles to be selectively dispensed comprising:
- a cabinet;
a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet;
at least one shelf positioned in the product storage zone for supporting articles prior to a vending operation;
a plurality of dividers extending along the at least one shelf and establishing a plurality of spaced product queues including first, second and third adjacent product queues;
a first integrated dispensing system mounted at a front end of one of the plurality of product queues, said first integrated dispensing system including a first release mechanism having a frame and a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the first product queue, and a second release mechanism having a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the second product queue, with a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism including a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism;
a second integrated dispensing system mounted at a front end of an adjacent one of the plurality of product queues, said second integrated dispensing system including a first release mechanism having a frame and a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the second product queue, and a second release mechanism having a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out the third product queue, one of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism including a queue spacing member projecting outward into the third product queue; and
a drive mechanism operatively connected to the second release mechanism of the first integrated dispensing system and the first release mechanism of the second integrated dispensing system for selectively shifting the plurality of hinged plates of the first and second release mechanisms between article retention and article dispensing positions,wherein a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism includes a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism,wherein one of the plurality of hinged plates of one of the first and second release mechanisms includes a main plate member and a kicker, said kicker being shifted into the product queue when the first and second release mechanisms shift from a product retention position to a product dispensing position.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A vending machine includes first and second integrated dispensing systems mounted at front portions of adjacent product shelf dividers establishing at least first, second and third product queues. Each of the first and second dispensing systems includes first and second release mechanisms having a plurality of hinged plates supported by a frame. The plurality of hinged plates are selectively shifted into and out of corresponding ones of the first, second and third product queues, such that each product queue has associated therewith two opposing release mechanisms. Preferably, at least one of the first and second release mechanisms for each dispensing system includes a queue spacing member which is mounted to one of the hinged plates and projects into the product queue to establish a desired spacing between the release mechanisms.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A vending machine for storing articles to be selectively dispensed comprising:
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a cabinet; a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet; at least one shelf positioned in the product storage zone for supporting articles prior to a vending operation; a plurality of dividers extending along the at least one shelf and establishing a plurality of spaced product queues including first, second and third adjacent product queues; a first integrated dispensing system mounted at a front end of one of the plurality of product queues, said first integrated dispensing system including a first release mechanism having a frame and a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the first product queue, and a second release mechanism having a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the second product queue, with a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism including a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism; a second integrated dispensing system mounted at a front end of an adjacent one of the plurality of product queues, said second integrated dispensing system including a first release mechanism having a frame and a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the second product queue, and a second release mechanism having a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out the third product queue, one of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism including a queue spacing member projecting outward into the third product queue; and a drive mechanism operatively connected to the second release mechanism of the first integrated dispensing system and the first release mechanism of the second integrated dispensing system for selectively shifting the plurality of hinged plates of the first and second release mechanisms between article retention and article dispensing positions, wherein a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism includes a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism, wherein one of the plurality of hinged plates of one of the first and second release mechanisms includes a main plate member and a kicker, said kicker being shifted into the product queue when the first and second release mechanisms shift from a product retention position to a product dispensing position.
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2. A vending machine for storing articles to be selectively dispensed comprising:
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a cabinet; a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet; at least one shelf positioned in the product storage zone for supporting articles prior to a vending operation; a plurality of dividers extending along the at least one shelf establishing a plurality of product queues; and an integrated dispensing system mounted at a front end of one of the plurality of product queues, said integrated dispensing system including a first release mechanism having a frame and a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the first product queue, and a second release mechanism including a plurality of hinged plates supported by the frame for movement into and out of the second product queue, wherein a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism includes a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates of the second release mechanism, wherein one of the plurality of hinged plates of one of the first and second release mechanisms includes a main plate member and a kicker, said kicker being shifted into the product queue when the first and second release mechanisms shift from a product retention position to a product dispensing position. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A vending machine for storing articles to be selectively dispensed comprising:
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a cabinet; a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet; at least one shelf positioned in the product storage zone for supporting articles prior to a vending operation; a plurality of dividers extending along the at least one shelf and establishing a plurality of spaced product queues including first, second and third adjacent product queues; a first release mechanism mounted at a front end of one of the plurality of dividers, said first release mechanism having a frame for supporting a plurality of hinged plates for movement into and out of the second product queue, wherein a first hinged plate of said plurality of hinged plates includes a queue spacing member, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the plurality of hinged plates; and a second release mechanism mounted at a front end of an adjacent one of the plurality of dividers, said second release mechanism having a frame for supporting a plurality of hinged plates for movement into and out of the second product queue, wherein one of the plurality of hinged plates of one first release mechanism includes a main plate member and a kicker member, said kicker member being shifted into the product queue when the first release mechanism shifts from a product retention position to a product dispensing position. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. In a vending machine having a cabinet, a product storage zone arranged within the cabinet, at least one shelf positioned in the product storage zone for supporting a plurality of product containers prior to a vending operation and a plurality of dividers extending along the at least one shelf establishing a plurality of spaced product queues, a method of releasing a selected one of the plurality of product containers to a consumer comprising:
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activating a drive mechanism coupled to both first and second release mechanisms mounted at front portions of adjacent ones of the plurality of product queues to shift a first plurality of hinged plates supported for pivotal movement to the first release mechanism between a product retention position and a product release position while simultaneously shifting a second plurality of hinged plates supported for pivotal movement to the second release mechanism between a product retention position and a product release position to dispense the selected one of the plurality of product containers; and establishing a desired spacing between the first and second release mechanisms by incorporating a queue spacing member into a first hinged plate of the first plurality of hinged plates, the queue spacing member extending a width of the first hinged plate beyond a hinge pin that links the first hinged plate to a second hinged plate of the first plurality of hinged plates, wherein one of the plurality of hinged plates of one of said first and second plurality of hinged plates includes a kicker member and wherein shifting the one of said first and second plurality of hinged plates comprises urging the selected product container forward in the product queue with the kicker member. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification