Information
-
Patent Grant
-
6170285
-
Patent Number
6,170,285
-
Date Filed
Tuesday, October 26, 199924 years ago
-
Date Issued
Tuesday, January 9, 200123 years ago
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Inventors
-
Original Assignees
-
Examiners
- Doerrler; William
- Jiang; Chen-Wen
Agents
- Senniger, Powers, Leavitt & Roedel
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CPC
-
US Classifications
Field of Search
US
- 062 448
- 062 449
- 062 450
- 221 150 HC
- 221 150 R
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International Classifications
-
Abstract
A vending machine having a self-contained self-aligning refrigeration unit, a temperature sensing probe positioned in front of the machine behind a glass panel for sensing the temperatures in the machine near the product to be vended and having a monetary unit which slides in and out of the cabinet and rotates for easy access.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to vending machines and, more particularly, to vending machines which vend many different types of products and are configured to dispense a desired product to a customer upon insertion in the machine of adequate currency.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many vending machines have refrigerated portions from which refrigerated or frozen foods can be vended. The basic refrigeration system consists of an evaporator and fan, compressor and condenser. There are many different system configurations currently in use for providing the necessary cooling. Some are permanently installed in the vending machine while others are designed to be removable for greater ease of servicing. Since spoilage of refrigerated or frozen items can occur quickly on failure of the refrigeration system it is essential to have the shortest down time possible to preserve the product. It is common with removable refrigeration systems to merely take a new system to the vending machine site and replace the defective unit and take the defective unit for repair. This tends to provide the shortest down time, but the amount of time necessary to make the substitution will, again, depend on the manner in which the system is configured and the difficulty of removal of the old system and installation of the new. Some such systems require partial disassembly of the vending machine to remove the system which prolongs the down time and enhances the possibility of spoilage of the items in the machine. A better approach used in prior art vending machines is a system which can be slid in and out of the vending machine and tends to self align the interconnecting duct work which is needed to introduce the cooled air into the refrigerated portion of the vending machine and to remove the spent warmed are therefrom. Such a machine is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,730,750, assigned to the same assignee as the present invention. In that machine there is provided a self-contained refrigeration unit which has duct work which engages mating duct work in the refrigerated portion of the vending machine such that when the refrigeration unit is slid into the bottom of the vending machine the ducts are aligned and, when engaged, seal between the two duct works. Alignment tracks on the floor of the vending machine help align the duct work from right to left. However, this system can be difficult to align from front to back so as to completely seal between the two duct works.
Another difficulty with prior art vending machines is in the area of the monetary unit where the customer inserts his or her money to make a purchase. Because there is limited space within the housing of a vending machine there are difficulties in mounting and servicing various components of the monetary system such as the bill validator, coin changer and microprocessors which control various functions of the vending machine. Security in this area is also a problem since the monitory system is a usual area for vandals to attempt to gain entry or “jackpot” the mechanisms.
A still further problem associated with some prior art vending machines, particularly those intended for outdoor use, is their inability to satisfactorily control the internal temperature of the machine within the food storage area. This is true whether the machine is vending refrigerated or frozen foods. One main reason for this is the use of a large glass front on the machines which causes substantial heat transfer, particularly from the sun, although in cold weather the transfer can be in the opposite direction from the inside to the outside of the food storage area.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention overcomes the above-described difficulties and disadvantages of prior art vending machines by providing a vending machine that has a self-aligning self-contained refrigeration and heating unit which can be easily and quickly placed in or taken out of the machine, by providing a vending machine with a monetary system that is compact and easy to install and service, and by providing a vending machine with a temperature control system that keeps the food in the front of the machine, adjacent the glass front, at substantially the desired temperature.
The above advantages are achieved by providing a vending machine comprising a housing having a floor and forming an interior space with an open front; a door attached to the housing for pivotal movement between an open position for allowing access to the interior space of the housing through the open front and a closed position for covering the open front; a horizontal shelf in the housing dividing the interior space of the housing into upper and lower portions, the shelf defining an opening along an edge thereof extending towards the open front of the housing; and a refrigeration unit having substantially vertical side portions engageable with the edge of the shelf defining the opening therein, the refrigeration unit being slidable on the floor of the housing into the housing with the front door in the open position such that the vertical side portions engage the edge of the shelf along substantially the length of the opening therein. Further advantages are obtained by providing such a vending machine wherein the edge of the shelf defining the opening has tapered converging sides and the sides of the refrigeration unit are similarly tapered. Still further advantages are obtained by providing such a vending machine which includes the refrigeration unit having an evaporator and fan located in the upper portion of the housing and a compressor and condenser located in the lower portion of the housing when the unit is engaged with the shelf. Yet further advantages are provided by including a heating member in the refrigeration unit disposed in the upper portion of the housing when the unit is engaged with the shelf. Further advantages are obtained by providing such a machine wherein the shelf and upper portion of the housing are insulated. Additional advantages are obtained by providing such a machine wherein the edge of the shelf defining the opening is provided with a seal engageable with the side portions of the refrigeration unit. Yet further advantages are obtained by providing such a machine including an output duct in the refrigeration unit adjacent the fan; a circulation duct along an inside wall of the housing connectable with the output duct for receiving cold air therefrom and circulating it through the housing; and a return air passage formed in the refrigeration unit adjacent the evaporator for returning air circulated through the housing to the evaporator to be cooled.
The present invention provides advantages over the prior art by providing a method of removably sealing a refrigeration unit in a vending machine having an interior space accessible through an open front covered by a door, comprising the steps of providing a horizontal shelf with a contoured edge facing the open front in the interior space of the vending machine so as to divide the interior space into upper and lower portions; providing a refrigeration unit with vertical side walls engageable with the contoured edge of the horizontal shelf; and sliding the refrigeration unit into the interior space of the vending machine so that the vertical side walls of the refrigeration unit engage the contoured edge of the shelf. Further advantages are obtained by providing such a method including the steps of providing the contoured edge with converging side walls and providing the side walls of the refrigeration unit to matingly engage the converging side walls of the contoured edge of the shelf when the unit is slid into the housing.
Other advantages over prior art vending machines are obtained by providing a vending machine which includes a housing forming an insulated interior portion and a glass front door; a plurality of product support shelves contained in the interior portion of the housing; a temperature sensing probe disposed on the interior portion adjacent the shelves and the glass in the door; a combined refrigeration and heating unit disposed in the housing; and a controller associated with the unit and the temperature sensing probe so as to receive temperature information from the probe and operate the unit to either heat or cool the interior portion of the housing. Further advantages are obtained by providing such a machine wherein the temperature sensing probe is disposed in the lower front portion of the machine.
Still further advantages over prior art vending machines are obtained by providing a vending machine comprising a housing having vertical side walls and forming an interior space with an open front; a door attached to the housing for pivotal movement between an open position for allowing access to the interior space of the housing through the open front and a closed position for covering the open front; a slide-out frame mounted for movement into and out of the cabinet; a monetary unit, including a message screen, mounted to the frame for movement into and out of the cabinet and adapted for interaction with a customer; a monetary unit programming control panel mounted to the frame for movement therewith into and out of the housing and being interconnected to the message screen for showing programming action on the message screen; the monetary unit and control panel being mounted to the frame for pivotal movement from a position for storage in the housing to a position where the monetary unit and control panel can be accessed for servicing. Further advantages are obtained by such a machine wherein the monetary unit includes a bill validator mechanism having a paper currency storage box, the bill validator mechanism being mounted for pivotal movement on the frame such that it can be pivoted from a storage position wherein the currency storage box is adjacent a solid panel of the frame so as to prevent unauthorized access thereto to a servicing position wherein the currency storage box is away from the frame such that the currency storage box can be accessed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1
is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
is a side elevational view partially cutaway of the preferred embodiment;
FIG. 3
is a perspective view of the refrigeration unit of the preferred embodiment with some outer panels removed for ease of viewing;
FIG. 4
is a side elevational view of the refrigeration unit of
FIG. 3
;
FIG. 5
is a perspective view partially cutaway and with some components removed of the preferred embodiment showing the refrigeration unit partially installed in the bottom of the cabinet;
FIG. 6
is a view similar to that of
FIG. 5
with the refrigeration unit fully installed in the bottom of the cabinet;
FIG. 7
is a perspective view of elements of the preferred embodiment showing the closed position of the insulated door covering the vend bucket;
FIG. 8
is a perspective view similar to
FIG. 7
with the insulated door in the open position for allowing vended products to enter the vend door;
FIG. 9
is a partial side elevational view showing the insulated door in the open position as in
FIG. 8
;
FIG. 10
is a perspective view of the cabinet and monetary portions of the preferred embodiment; and
FIG. 11
is a perspective view similar to
FIG. 10
with the monetary section pulled out of the cabinet and rotated.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
In the preferred embodiment illustrated in the drawings the vending machine
10
includes a cabinet
12
closed by a front service door
14
. Door
14
is provided with a glass front
16
to allow the customer to see the product contained in the machine for selection. Product is supported in the spirals
18
and supported by trays
20
in a well known manner for vending. A vend bucket
22
, as best seen in
FIG. 2
, is disposed in the bottom of the vending machine
10
and mounted to the inside of the front door
14
for receiving product dispensed from the shelves
20
. A vend bucket door
24
is mounted to the door
14
for pivotal movement to allow a customer to reach into the vend bucket to receive product that has been dispensed into it, but otherwise covers the entry to the vend bucket
22
. In the preferred embodiment, a pair of glass panes
26
and
28
with a dead air or gas space
30
is provided for insulation while allowing the product on the shelves
20
to be visible to the customer.
A refrigeration unit
32
is removably disposed in the bottom of the vending machine
10
. It is provided with a cold air outlet duct
34
which, when the unit
32
is disposed in its operating position in the bottom of the cabinet
12
, directs cold air into a vertical duct
36
on the inside of the cabinet
12
which distributes the cold air to locations adjacent the product shelves
20
where it passes through openings
38
to allow the cold air to flow over the product to maintain it at the desired temperature. As best seen in
FIGS. 3 and 4
, the refrigeration unit
32
has a sheet metal housing consisting of a floor panel
40
, converging vertical side walls
42
and an opposite side removed to show the interior of the unit
32
, and a rear vertical wall, also removed to more clearly show the interior of the unit
32
. A warm air return air duct
44
in the otherwise removed vertical side wall is shown in phantom in FIG.
4
. The unit
32
is also divided horizontally into upper and lower portions
46
and
48
, respectively, by horizontal sheet metal plate
50
. A series of evaporator coils
52
are mounted in the upper portion
46
adjacent evaporator fan
54
which draws cold air out of the coils
52
and into the duct
34
for distribution to the product shelves
20
as described above. A flexible tube, not shown, is preferably used to connect the output duct
34
to the duct
36
for distribution. In the lower portion
48
of the refrigeration unit
32
is a compressor
56
and condenser coils
58
of conventional design which are connected to the evaporator coils
52
through tubing passing through the plate
50
. An ambient air inlet
60
is provided to allow air into the refrigeration unit
32
flowing over the condenser coils
58
.
As seen in
FIGS. 5 and 6
, an insulated panel
62
is mounted to the front vertical wall
42
of refrigeration unit
32
to engage the front face of stationary insulation panel
64
mounted in the cabinet
12
. A horizontal stationary insulated panel
66
is also mounted to the inside of cabinet
12
. An inverted U-shaped opening
68
is formed in vertical panel
64
for receiving the refrigeration unit
32
therethrough such that the insulated panel
62
butts up against it in sealing engagement therewith. Additional compressible sealing members (not shown) may be used between the panels
62
and
64
to assist in sealing if desired. A similar opening for receiving the refrigeration unit
32
is defined in the horizontal panel
66
with converging side walls
70
, one being shown, and a rear wall
72
joining the side walls
70
. The surfaces of side walls
70
are preferably vertical and are provided with compressible sealing members which engage the vertical side and back walls of the refrigeration unit
32
as it is slid into engagement with them. Thus, the refrigeration unit
32
, and panels
62
and
66
with their respective receiving openings are so proportioned and arranged such that as the refrigeration unit
32
is slid on the bottom of the cabinet
12
into engagement with the panels
62
and
66
they simultaneously seal against each other to provide a thermal barrier between an upper completely insulated portion
74
and a lower portion
76
of cabinet
12
. The duct
34
in vertical side wall
42
and the return air opening
44
in the opposite vertical side wall of the refrigeration unit
34
are both in the insulated upper portion
74
of cabinet
12
so that the cold air circulation path stays within the insulated portion of the machine to reduce inefficiencies in heat transfer.
In addition to the refrigeration cycle equipment in the refrigeration unit
32
there is contained therein a heating coil
77
mounted adjacent the evaporator coils
52
to provide heated air to the duct
34
and thus to the insulated portion of the cabinet
12
if necessary. Since this machine
10
is designed to be used outdoors, it may be necessary in some colder locations or seasons to provide heat to preserve the product instead of refrigeration. Once the refrigeration unit is placed in position for operation, its power and control circuits are connected and the input duct
34
is connected to the duct
36
to provide temperature controlled air to the insulated portion of the cabinet
12
. The control circuit for the refrigeration unit
32
includes a thermistor
80
, as seen in
FIG. 2
, or similar temperature sensor, preferably positioned at the lower front portion of the insulated upper portion
74
of the cabinet
12
adjacent the lower shelves of product. By positioning the sensor
80
at this approximate location, it will sense the warmest temperatures (where refrigeration is necessary) since it is adjacent the lower portion of the glass
16
on the front door
14
where the sun will likely cause the greatest and more immediate heating inside the insulated portion
74
of the machine
10
. Thus, by determining the temperature in this region which is adjacent the product in the front of the lower shelves
20
the temperature of these products which are most likely to be heated first can be kept at a desired temperature since there will be some variation in temperature from the front to the back of the machine due to differences in circulating air temperatures. The sensor
80
is connected to a microprocessor
82
, as seen in
FIG. 11
, which is also connected to the refrigeration unit
32
and programmed to control it as desired.
Referring to FIGS.
2
and
7
-
9
, to assist in sealing off the upper portion
74
of the interior of vending machine
10
it is necessary to provide an insulated door, such as door
84
, to cover the vend bucket
22
to prevent continuous lose of cooled or heated air through the uninsulated vend bucket. However, door
84
must be movable to allow product to drop from the shelves
20
into the vend bucket
22
in the usual manner. To this end, door
84
is mounted for sliding movement with two sets of pins
85
secured thereto at the fore and aft portions of each side of door
84
for movement in tracks
86
and
88
on opposite sides of the vend bucket
22
. Track
86
will be described with the understanding that track
88
is a mirror image thereof. Track
86
supports the door
84
for movement between a closed position, as shown in
FIG. 7
wherein the door
84
is resting upon the upper edges of the vend bucket and engaging the inner back surface of the outer door
14
to seal the area of the vend bucket, and an open position, as shown in
FIG. 8
, wherein the door
84
is in a remote position such that the top of the vend bucket
22
is open to receive product dispensed from the shelves
20
. To achieve this movement of door
84
, tracks
86
and
88
are provided at their forward ends
90
with a downward turned portion which causes the forward pin
85
and the forward edge of door
84
to move downwardly and a similar downward turned track
92
in the middle of tracks
86
and
88
which causes the rear pin
85
and the back edge of the door
84
to move downwardly simultaneously with the front end of the door which causes the door
84
to come down on the top of vend bucket
22
. The back and forth movement of door
84
is produced by rotation of motor
94
which carries a rotary crank comprised of disk
96
mounted to the drive shaft of the motor
94
and a drive arm
98
rotatably connected by a bolt
100
to disk
96
at one end and at its other end it is pinned to the rear of door
84
with a sufficiently loose connection to allow enough vertical movement of door
84
to move vertically to come up and down on top of the vend bucket as described above. Rotation of motor
94
is controlled by the microprocessor
82
so that when a customer makes a purchase of an item on one of the shelves
20
the door
84
is moved from its closed position to its opened position to allow the selected item to fall off the shelf into the vend bucket and then returned to its closed position.
Referring to
FIGS. 10 and 11
, the monetary section, shown generally as
102
, of vending machine
10
includes a customer interactive area
104
which includes a message screen
106
and a key board
108
. As is well known in the art this section is also used by the serviceman to program the microprocessor
110
to control operation of the machine
10
. The monetary section also contains a conventional bill validator
112
and paper currency storage area
114
, a conventional coin mechanism
116
for accepting coins from a customer and giving change, and coin storage box
118
. For ease of access all of the monetary section
102
is mounted to a slide-out frame
120
mounted on telescoping tracks
122
and
124
at the upper and lower portions of frame
120
. A front plate
126
, to which all of the monetary section except the coin storage box
118
are mounted, is mounted at its top and bottom for pivotal movement to a fixed panel
128
which is mounted directly to tracks
122
and
124
. When in the storage position, as shown in
FIG. 10
, the monetary unit sets adjacent panel
128
which prevents vandals from attempting to pry open the front door
14
and access the bill validator
112
and currency storage area
114
. When pulled out and rotated, as shown in
FIG. 11
the monetary section is easily accessible for servicing and is easier to assemble when the machine is initially constructed.
In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of the invention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.
As various changes could be made in the above product and methods without departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description and shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.
Claims
- 1. A vending machine, comprising:a housing having a floor and forming an interior space with an open front; a door attached to the housing for pivotal movement between an open position for allowing access to the interior space of the housing through the open front and a closed position for covering the open front; a horizontal shelf in the housing dividing the interior space of the housing into upper and lower portions, the shelf defining an opening along an edge thereof extending towards the open front of the housing; and a refrigeration unit having substantially vertical side portions engageable with the edge of the shelf defining the opening therein, the refrigeration unit being slidable on the floor of the housing into the housing with the front door in the open position such that the vertical side portions engage the edge of the shelf along substantially the length of the opening therein.
- 2. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the edge of the shelf defining the opening has tapered converging sides and the sides of the refrigeration unit are similarly tapered.
- 3. The vending unit of claim 2 including the refrigeration unit having an evaporator and fan located in the upper portion of the housing and a compressor and condenser located in the lower portion of the housing when the unit is engaged with the shelf.
- 4. The vending machine of claim 3 further including a heating member in the refrigeration unit disposed in the upper portion of the housing when the unit is engaged with the shelf.
- 5. The vending machine of claim 1 wherein the shelf and upper portion of the housing are insulated.
- 6. The vending machine of claim 3 wherein the edge of the shelf defining the opening is provided with a seal engageable with the side portions of the refrigeration unit.
- 7. The vending machine of claim 1 including:an output duct in the refrigeration unit adjacent the fan; a circulation duct along an inside wall of the housing connectable with the output duct for receiving cold air therefrom and circulating it through the housing; and a return air passage formed in the refrigeration unit adjacent the evaporator for returning air circulated through the housing to the evaporator to be cooled.
- 8. A method of removably sealing a refrigeration unit in a vending machine having an interior space accessible through an open front covered by a door, comprising the steps of:providing a horizontal shelf with a contoured edge facing the open front in the interior space of the vending machine so as to divide the interior space into upper and lower portions; providing a refrigeration unit with vertical side walls engageable with the contoured edge of the horizontal shelf; and sliding the refrigeration unit into the interior space of the vending machine so that the vertical side walls of the refrigeration unit engage the contoured edge of the shelf.
- 9. The method of claim 8 including the steps of:providing the contoured edge with converging side walls and providing the side walls of the refrigeration unit to matingly engage the converging side walls of the contoured edge of the shelf when the unit is slid into the housing.
- 10. A vending Machine, including:a housing forming an insulated interior portion and a glass front door; a plurality of product support shelves contained in the interior portion of the housing; a temperature sensing probe disposed on the interior portion adjacent a front portion of one of the shelves and the glass in the door; a combined refrigeration and heating unit disposed in the housing; and a controller associated with the unit and the temperature sensing probe so as to receive temperature information from the probe and operate the unit to either heat or cool the interior portion of the housing.
- 11. A vending machine as defined in claim 10 wherein the temperature sensing probe is a thermistor.
- 12. A vending machine as defined in claim 10 wherein the temperature probe is disposed in the lower front portion of the machine.
- 13. A vending machine as defined in claim 12 wherein the temperature probe is disposed between the front portion of the shelf and the glass.
US Referenced Citations (11)