Vending machine

• US 9,830,763 B2
• Filed: 08/03/2012
• Issued: 11/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SES-Imagotag Deutschland GmbH (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: SES-Imagotag Deutschland GmbH (BOE Technology Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Unmussig, Michael, Schwarz, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Akridge, Stephen
• Application Number:
  US14/236,660
• Publication Number:
  US 20140172159A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,943 Days
• Field of Search: 235381, 235487, 700232
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/64 in which the articles are individually suspended from stationary supports
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/06 by returnable containers , i.e. reverse vending systems in which a user is rewarded for returning a container that serves as a token of value, e.g. bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0609 by fluid containers, e.g. bottles, cups, gas containers
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/002 Vending machines being part of a centrally controlled network of vending machines

Abstract

A vending machine having a goods store, a goods dispensing apparatus and a user interface contains a goods input region for inserting goods to be returned and an identification apparatus for the goods which interacts with a data processing device and a data memory. The present invention also relates to a vending machine (40) which is associated with a goods store (2), which goods store (2) is stocked in a manner organized by a plurality of goods carriers (41), wherein a goods input region (4) for inserting old goods intended for replacement, return, or repurchase and an identification apparatus oriented to the input region (4) are provided, and wherein signal transducers (42, 43) are provided which are associated with a goods carrier (41) or with a group of goods carriers (41), wherein said signal transducers (42, 43) have a signal link to the identification apparatus such that following identification of old goods inserted into the goods input region (4) the signal transducer (42, 43) or the signal transducers (42, 43) for a goods carrier (41) or for a group of goods carriers (41) which is/are intended to stock new goods associated with the old goods is/are activated.

Claims

1. A vending machine (40) with an associated goods store (2), said goods store (2) stocked in ordered fashion by a plurality of goods carriers, the vending machine comprising a goods input region (4) for inserting old goods intended for exchange or purchase by the vending machine,

a data processing device, a data storage device, and an identification apparatus that recognizes the old goods in the goods input region (4), and a plurality of signal transducers (42, 43), said signal transducers being at least one of optical or acoustically signaling signal transducers (42, 43) which are each associated with a goods carrier (41) or a group of goods carriers (41),

wherein an old goods, inserted into the goods input area (4), is detected by the identification device and is matched with identification features which are stored in the data storage device of a stocked new goods and the particular goods carriers (41) which are associated with the stock,

wherein, a signal connection between the data processing device and the signal transducers (42, 43) is such that the signal transducer (42, 43) or the signal transducers of one of the goods carriers (41) or a group of goods carriers is activated/can be activated after identification of an old goods introduced into the goods input area (4) which is/are intended to stock one of the old goods associated with a new goods,

and wherein the signal transducers (42, 43) associated with goods carriers (41) signals the new goods corresponding to the old goods via at least one of an optical or an acoustic signal, which the new goods carries, to freely accessible goods carriers.

2. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goods carriers (41) have a protruding holding web or holding clip (44), and the goods (13) or the packaging thereof is suspendable on said holding web or holding clip (44).

3. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goods carriers (41) have a display (45) for displaying goods-specific data of the goods (13) stored in each case by the goods carriers (41).

4. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goods carriers (41) each have at least one of the optical signal transducers (42).

5. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the vending machine (40) has at least one partition wall (46), and goods carriers (41) are fastened detachably on said partition wall (46).

6. The vending machine as claimed in claim 5, wherein the partition wall (46) of the vending machine (40) is divided into partition wall sections (47, 48), said partition wall sections (47, 48) have a group of the goods carriers (41), and each of the partition wall sections (47, 48) has an associated one of the optical or acoustic signal transducers (42, 43).

7. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goods carriers have at least one of a display (45) or the signal transducer (42, 43), said display (45) or said signal transducer (42, 43) is actuatable by the data processing device via a wireless link.

8. The vending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein the goods carriers (41) are connected to a corresponding transmitter/receiver unit of the data processing device via a transmitter/receiver unit.

9. The vending machine as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transmitter/receiver unit of the goods carriers (41) is operated by a battery, and the transmitter/receiver unit of the goods carrier (41), in the event of a state of charge being undershot, transmits a recharge signal to the data processing device, said recharge signal is readable at said data processing device.

10. The vending machine (1, 40) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the data processing device is connected to a user interface (3) for a user input depending on the identification result of the identification apparatus (18).

11. The vending machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the vending machine (1, 40) has a collecting container for accommodating returned goods (13) after identification thereof.

12. The vending machine as claimed in claim 10, wherein the goods input region (4) has an insertion opening (14) which is closable by a closing element (20) which is fixable between an open position and a closed position.