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Tandem gate release mechanism for a vending machine

  • US 7,784,644 B2
  • Filed: 10/14/2005
  • Issued: 08/31/2010
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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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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