Article Contact Detection

Abstract

An article dispensing apparatus, such as a vending machine ( 10 ), includes a controllably positioned suction hose dispenser ( 220 ) for retrieving articles ( 223 ) from a storage area ( 215 ). In one embodiment, a quick release device ( 500 ) coupled to the suction hose dispenser ( 220 ), is activated in response to mechanical contact caused by the controllable positioning of the suction hose dispenser ( 220 ), said activation facilitating a quick release of the retrieved article to a place ( 210 ) associated with an article dispensing area ( 22 ).

1 . An article vending apparatus, comprising: 
 an enclosure having therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    an article grasping mechanism including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, said article grasping head controllably contacting and grasping one of said selectable articles;    air flow apparatus coupled to said air hose, for causing a flow of air through said air hose, which said flow of air creates a force at said article grasping head, said force being used by said article grasping head to grasp to the selected article;    a sensor coupled to said air hose, for sensing changes in the flow of air through said air hose;    and a control mechanism responsive to said sensor for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    
   
   
       2 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said enclosure includes an access path that leads to an article delivery port where selected articles are vended to a user of said vending apparatus;    said article grasping mechanism includes a moving mechanism for moving an article grasped by said article grasping head from the article storage cavity to said access path;    said sensor directly senses in real time said changes in airflow through said air hose;    said control mechanism controls operation of said article grasping mechanism, moving mechanism and said air flow apparatus, so that said flow of air is established in said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, thereby allowing said sensor to detect said changes in the flow of air through said air hose which occurs when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article; and wherein    the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where said control mechanism determines if said article grasping head has operated properly by comparing the timing of said detected changes in in the flow of air with signals representative of a current position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are signals generated by rotation of a motor which is used to move the position said article grasping head.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from motor drive pulses generated by said control apparatus.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from an encoder connected to the shaft of said motor which is used to move the position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived by a portion of said article grasping mechanism or moving mechanism contacting a switch mounted at a predetermined position within the enclosure of the vending apparatus.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said air flow apparatus comprises a blower motor.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said enclosure is as large as a tractor-pulled trailer or a building.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a payment system, for allowing a use of the vending machine to pay for an article to be vended.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said control mechanism is responsive to said sensor for determining if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.  
   
   
       13 . An article vending apparatus, comprising: 
 A means for defining an enclosure having therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    a means for grasping to a selected article, said means including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, said article grasping head for controllably contacting and grasping one of said selectable articles;    a means for establishing a flow of air through said air hose, which flow of air creates a suction force at said article grasping head, which suction force is used by said article grasping head to grasp to the selected article;    an airflow sensing means coupled to said air hose, for sensing changes in the flow of air through said air hose; and    and a control mechanism responsive to said sensor for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    and a control mechanism responsive to said sensor for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    
   
   
       14 . a control mechanism for controlling operation of said article grasping mechanism and said means for establishing a flow of air, so as to establish flow of air through said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, thereby allowing said airflow sensing means to detect changes in the flow of air through said air hose, which changes occur when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article, and where the timing of said detected changes in airflow are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.  
   
   
       15 . A method of operating an article vending apparatus, comprising the following steps: 
 enclosing an area so as to define therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    controllable operating an article grasping mechanism including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, so as to cause said article grasping head to controllably contact and grasp a selected article;    establishing a flow of air in said air hose, which flow of air creates a suction force at said article grasping head, which suction force is used by said article grasping head to grasp the selected article upon contact of the article grasping head with the selected article;    sensing in real time changes in the flow of air through said air hose; and    controlling operation of said article grasping mechanism so as to establish a flow of air through said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, and thereafter a control portion of the vending apparatus is responsive to said sensing for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , where said controlling step detectes changes in said flow of air through said air hose which occur when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article, and where the timing of said detected changes in said flow of air are used by said control portion of the vending apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , where said control portion determines if said article grasping head has operated properly by comparing the timing of said detected changes in said flow of air with signals representative of a current position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are signals generated by rotation of a motor which is used to move the position said article grasping head.  
   
   
       19 . The apparatus of  claim 17 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from motor drive pulses generated by said control portion.  
   
   
       20 . The apparatus of  claim 16 , where the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control portion in order to determine if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.  
   
   
       1 . An article vending apparatus, comprising: 
 an enclosure having therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    an article grasping mechanism including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, said article grasping head controllably contacting and grasping one of said selectable articles;    air flow apparatus coupled to said air hose, for causing a flow of air through said air hose, which said flow of air creates a force at said article grasping head, said force being used by said article grasping head to grasp to the selected article;    a sensor coupled to said air hose, for sensing changes in the flow of air through said air hose;    and a control mechanism responsive to said sensor sensing changes in the flow of air for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    
   
   
       2 . The vending apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 said enclosure includes an access path that leads to an article delivery port where selected articles are vended to a user of said vending apparatus;    said article grasping mechanism includes a moving mechanism for moving an article grasped by said article grasping head from the article storage cavity to said access path;    said sensor directly senses in real time said changes in airflow through said air hose;    said control mechanism controls operation of said article grasping mechanism, moving mechanism and said air flow apparatus, so that said flow of air is established in said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, thereby allowing said sensor to detect said changes in the flow of air through said air hose which occurs when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article; and wherein    the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.    
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where said control mechanism determines if said article grasping head has operated properly by comparing the timing of said detected changes in in the flow of air with signals representative of a current position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are signals generated by rotation of a motor which is used to move the position said article grasping head.  
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from motor drive pulses generated by said control apparatus.  
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from an encoder connected to the shaft of said motor which is used to move the position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived by a portion of said article grasping mechanism or moving mechanism contacting a switch mounted at a predetermined position within the enclosure of the vending apparatus.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said air flow apparatus comprises a blower motor.  
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said enclosure is as large as a tractor-pulled trailer or a building.  
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a payment system, for allowing a use of the vending machine to pay for an article to be vended.  
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , where said control mechanism is responsive to said sensor for determining if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.  
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , where the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.  
   
   
       13 . An article vending apparatus, comprising: 
 a means for defining an enclosure having therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    a means for grasping to a selected article, said means including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, said article grasping head for controllably contacting and grasping one of said selectable articles;    a means for establishing a flow of air through said air hose, which flow of air creates a suction force at said article grasping head, which suction force is used by said article grasping head to grasp to the selected article;    an airflow sensing means coupled to said air hose, for sensing changes in the flow of air through said air hose; and    and a control mechanism responsive to said sensor for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping head.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein said control mechanism controls operation of said means for grasping and said means for establishing a flow of air, so that said means for establishing a flow of air establishes said flow of air through said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, thereby allowing said airflow sensing means to detect changes in the flow of air through said air hose, which changes occur when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article, and where the timing of said detected changes in airflow are used by said control apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.  
   
   
       15 . A method of operating an article vending apparatus, comprising the following steps: 
 enclosing an area so as to define therein an article storage cavity for holding a plurality of selectable articles to be vended;    controllable operating an article grasping mechanism including an air hose having an article grasping head coupled to one end thereof, so as to cause said article grasping head to controllably contact and grasp a selected article;    establishing a flow of air in said air hose, which flow of air creates a suction force at said article grasping head, which suction force is used by said article grasping head to grasp the selected article upon contact of the article grasping head with the selected article;    sensing in real time changes in the flow of air through said air hose; and    controlling operation of said article grasping mechanism so as to establish a flow of air through said air hose before said article grasping head comes into contact with an article to be vended, and thereafter a control portion of the vending apparatus is responsive to said sensing for determining if an article is grasped by said article grasping mechanism.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , where said controlling step detects changes in said flow of air through said air hose which occur when the article grasping head engages and disengages from contact with said article, and where the timing of said detected changes in said flow of air are used by said control portion of the vending apparatus in order to determine if said article grasping head has operated properly for vending the selected article.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , where said control portion determines if said article grasping head has operated properly by comparing the timing of said detected changes in said flow of air with signals representative of a current position of said article grasping head.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are signals generated by rotation of a motor which is used to move the position said article grasping head.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 17 , where said signals representative of the current position of said article grasping head are derived from motor drive pulses generated by said control portion.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 16 , where the timing of said detected changes in the flow of air are used by said control portion in order to determine if a selected article has disengaged from said article grasping head prematurely.