Vending machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11450169-B2
Application number	US-202017121427-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 14, 2020
Priority date	Sep 18, 2018
Publication date	Sep 20, 2022
Grant date	Sep 20, 2022

Abstract

A vending machine with a curved exterior shape is disclosed. Some embodiments of the vending machine are circular in design, and include a transparent upper housing that allows customers to see into the interior of the vending machine. Products for vending may be stored in a non-transparent lower housing. A centrally-located product delivery system transports products for vending from the lower housing to delivery portals located on the upper housing. The product delivery system is able to move along a vertical line and rotate through the horizontal plane and can deliver products from any portion of the lower housing to any delivery portals located on the upper housing.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A product dispenser comprising:
a lower housing;
an upper housing having a circular shape and disposed above the lower housing;
a delivery portal disposed on the upper housing or the lower housing;
a display shelf disposed in the upper housing and configured to display a display product that is visible from an exterior of the product dispenser; and
a product delivery system disposed in the lower housing, wherein the product delivery system is configured to transport a product from the lower housing to the delivery portal, and wherein the product delivery system is not able to transport the display product to the delivery portal,
wherein the delivery portal is configured to allow a user to receive the product after the product delivery system has transported the product from the lower housing to the delivery portal.

2. The product dispenser of claim 1 , wherein the lower housing comprises a loading door that is configured to allow access to the product from the exterior of the housing.

3. The product dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising three delivery portals disposed on the upper housing, each of the delivery portals being spaced 120 degrees apart from the other two delivery portals.

4. The product dispenser of claim 1 , wherein a portion of the upper housing comprises a transparent material.

5. The product dispenser of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of horizontally oriented display shelves disposed in the upper housing, wherein each of the display shelves is configured to hold one of a plurality of display product such that the display product in the display shelf is visible from the exterior of the product dispenser.

6. The product dispenser of claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of products, wherein the plurality of products are disposed in circular pattern inside of the lower housing.

7. The product dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the product delivery system comprises:
a central support that is disposed in a vertical orientation in the center of the lower housing and the upper housing; and
a product transporter that is configured to releasably retain one of the products and is moveably coupled to the central support, wherein the product transportation component is configured to move vertically along the central support and to rotate in a horizontal plane around the vertical support,
wherein the vertical movement and horizontal rotation of the product transporter is configured to allow the product transporter to receive any of the plurality of products and to transport the product to the delivery portal.

8. The product dispenser of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of products are stored in a plurality of product storage cartridges that are releasably disposed in the lower housing.

9. A vending machine comprising:
a lower housing;
an upper housing disposed above the lower housing comprising a transparent section and a plurality of display shelves;
a plurality of products disposed in the lower housing;
one example of each of the plurality of products disposed on the display shelves such that each example of the plurality of products is visible from the exterior of the upper housing, wherein at least two of the examples fall along the same line of sight as viewed from the exterior of the housing; and
a product delivery system comprising:
a vertical central support;
a product transporter moveably coupled to the central support;
a vertical actuation system coupled to the central support and the product transporter, wherein the vertical actuation system is configured to vertically position the product transporter on the central support; and
a rotational actuation system coupled to the product transporter and the central support, wherein the rotational actuation system is configured to position the product transporter along a 360 degree arc in a horizontal plane, and
wherein the product transporter comprises a product retention mechanism that is configured to releasably retain a product.

10. The vending machine of claim 9 , wherein the housing comprises a circular shape.

11. The vending machine of claim 10 , wherein only the products stored in the lower housing may be dispensed.

12. The vending machine of claim 10 , further comprising display lighting disposed in the upper housing that is configured to illuminate the display shelves.

13. The vending machine of claim 10 , wherein the display lighting is configured to be selectively controlled to illuminate individual products by a control unit.

14. A vending machine, comprising:
a housing;
a vertical central support;
a product transporter moveably coupled to the central support;
a vertical actuation system coupled to the central support and the product transportation component, wherein the vertical actuation system is configured to vertically position the product transporter on the central support; and
a rotational actuation system coupled to the product transportation component and the central support, wherein the rotational actuation system is configured to position the product transportation component along a 360 degree arc in a horizontal plane, and
wherein the product transporter comprises a product retention mechanism that is configured to releasably retain a product.

15. The vending machine of claim 14 , wherein the housing is formed in a curved shape.

16. The vending machine of claim 14 , wherein the housing is formed in a curved shape such that the curvature of the housing spans 180 degrees.

17. The vending machine of claim 14 wherein the housing is formed in a circular shape.

Assignees

• Pepsico Inc

Inventors

• Jafa Emad
• Li Xuejun
• Serock Yong
• Lau Cheuk Chi
• Mitchell Martyn
• Morrison Euan
• Chan Wai
• Johnstone Sam
• Williams Erik

Classifications

• G07F9/10

  Casings {or parts thereof}, e.g. with means for heating or cooling · CPC title

• G07F11/42

  the articles being delivered by motor-driven means · CPC title

• G07F11/50 Primary

  the storage containers or supports being rotatably mounted · CPC title

• G07F11/32

  two or magazines having a common delivery chute · CPC title

• G07F11/165

  using xyz-picker or multi-dimensional article picking arrangements · CPC title