Co-dispensing snack food products and beverages from a vending machine

• US 5,445,287 A
• Filed: 08/12/1994
• Issued: 08/29/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ASK Chemicals L.P. (Ask Chemicals GmbhASK CHEMICALS GMBH)
• Original Assignee: Recot Incorporated
• Inventors: Stalder, James W., Center, John L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Terrell, William E.
• Assistant Examiner(s): REICHARD, DEAN ALAN
• Application Number:
  US08/289,537
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 221/1, 221/133, 221/150 R, 221/199
• US Class Current: 221/1
• CPC Class Codes: A47F 1/10 having mechanical dispensing means , e.g. with buttons or handles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/04 in which magazines the articles are stored one vertically above the other
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 11/72 Auxiliary equipment, e.g. for lighting cigars, opening bottles
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10

Abstract

A process for co-dispensing beverages and snack food products from a single vending machine. Filled beverage containers and filled snack food containers are stored in the vending machine and a buyer, upon payment, product selection, etc., can obtain both a beverage, e.g., a soft drink, and a snack food, e.g., corn chips, from a single machine. The beverage and snack food containers preferably are of substantially the same size so that a vending machine of the type which dispenses containers having a uniform size may be used to carry out the present invention. A process for packaging snack food product in cylindrical containers also is disclosed.

Claims

1. A process for dispensing beverages and snack food products from a single vending machine, the process comprising steps of:

providing a vending machine having a storage portion for storing containers which have a predetermined size and shape so as to be receivable in the storage portion of said vending machine;

placing a plurality of containers filled with a beverage in the storage portion of said vending machine, each of the filled beverage containers having substantially the same size and shape; and

placing a plurality of containers filled with a snack food product in the storage portion of said vending machine, each of the filled snack food containers having a size and shape that are substantially the same as the size and shape of the filled beverage containers;

whereby said vending machine is capable of dispensing both a filled beverage container and a filled snack food container when operated by a user.

2. A process according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of beverage containers and the plurality of snack food containers comprise an aluminum can with a removable access opening.

3. A process according to claim 1, wherein the beverage containers and the snack food containers comprise a cylindrically-shaped can which has about a 12 fluid ounce capacity.

4. A process according to claim 1, wherein the storage portion of said vending machine is refrigerated.

5. A process for dispensing both filled beverage containers and filled snack food containers from a vending machine configured to dispense soft drink containers, the process comprising steps of:

providing a vending machine having at least first and second refrigerated storage portions, both of said refrigerated storage portions configured to receive stacks of containers, the containers having a uniform size such that when filled the machine contains a plurality of containers all having a uniform size, the vending machine further including means for selecting either a beverage or snack food container and means, responsive to the selecting means, for dispensing the selected container through an outlet of the machine;

placing a plurality of containers filled with a beverage in the first refrigerated storage portion of said vending machine; and

placing a plurality of containers filled with a snack food product in the second refrigerated storage portion of said vending machine, the plurality of snack food containers and the plurality of beverage containers having a uniform size;

whereby a customer may obtain both a snack food product and a beverage from said vending machine.

6. A single vending machine for dispensing both filled beverage containers and filled snack food containers, the vending machine configured to dispense uniform size containers, the machine comprising:

at least first and second refrigerated storage portions, both of said refrigerated storage portions being configured to receive stacks of containers, the vending machine further including means for selecting either a beverage or snack food container and means, responsive to the selecting means, for dispensing the selected container through an outlet of the machine;

a plurality of containers filled with a beverage being disposed in the first refrigerated storage portion of said vending machine; and

a plurality of containers filled with a snack food product being disposed in the second refrigerated storage portion of said vending machine;

wherein the plurality of snack food containers and the plurality of beverage containers have a substantially uniform size so that the first and second storage portions of said machine can receive either the snack food containers or the beverage containers;

whereby a customer may obtain both a snack food product and a beverage from said single vending machine.

7. A vending machine according to claim 6, wherein the beverage containers and the snack food containers comprise a cylindrically-shaped can which has about a 12 fluid ounce capacity.