Claims
- 1. An automated order dispensing system comprising: a conveyor belt;
- a plurality of independently actuatable product dispensers for dispensing products onto the conveyor belt arrayed in a matrix having at least two columns and at least two rows,
- a plurality of first relays, each first relay coupled to each product dispenser in a corresponding row, a plurality of second relays, each second relay coupled to each product dispenser in a corresponding column;
- first means for simultaneously actuating a plurality of first relays, second means for actuating only one of the plurality of second relays at a time; and
- means for energizing said first and second means for actuating to simultaneously dispense onto the conveyor belt a product from each of a multiple of product dispensers positioned at multiple row locations along a single column location having an actuated first and second relay.
- 2. The automated order dispensing system according to claim 1 further comprising verifying means for each row of product dispensers for sensing the dispensing of a product from any of the product dispensers in the row.
- 3. The automated order dispensing system according to claim 2 wherein the first and second means for actuating comprises a programmable logic controller coupled to the plurality of first and second relays.
- 4. The automated order dispensing system according to claim 3 wherein the programmable logic controller includes an input coupled to the verifying means.
- 5. The automated order dispensing system according to claim 4 wherein said means for energizing further includes a central control computer, coupled to the programmable logic controller for establishing a sequence for dispensing a product from a product dispenser.
- 6. The automated order dispensing system as in claim 1, the conveyor belt having defined thereon a plurality of order zones and buffer zones, each order zone separated from another order zone by a buffer zone, the means for energizing selectively actuating the first and second means for actuating to dispense products from the product dispensers only in the order zones.
- 7. The automated order dispensing system according to claim 6 further comprising:
- a second conveyor belt having defined thereon a plurality of order zones and buffer zones, each order zone separated from another order zone by a buffer zone;
- a second plurality of product dispensers for dispensing products onto the second conveyor belt only in the order zones;
- means for collecting having defined thereon a third order zone into which the conveyor belts deposit the ordered products.
Parent Case Info
This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/884,863, filed Apr. 16, 1992, now abandoned, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/566,530, filed Aug. 13, 1990, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Continuations (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
884863 |
Apr 1992 |
|
Parent |
566530 |
Aug 1990 |
|