Machine and methods for vending articles

Abstract

A method and apparatus for vending articles from a machine. The machine includes an interior space having at least one compartment adapted to store articles therein, the compartment extending along a non-vertical axis between first and second ends thereof. A head is provided as part of a retrieval end of a flexible hose so as to engage the articles when the head is positioned in alignment with a compartment by a positioning mechanism. The head is extended into the compartment parallel to the non-vertical axis so as to engage to an article stored therein and retrieve it therefrom.

1 . A vending machine comprising:
 a plurality of shelves,
 each shelf adapted to support a plurality of articles resting thereon, each article of the plurality of articles being in direct physical contact with the given shelf and aligned along a longitudinal axis of each shelf so that the articles are positioned in a row with one article behind another article on the shelf, and 
 each shelf having a dispensing end and a second end which is opposed to the dispensing end, said shelf extending along the longitudinal axis; and 
   an article retrieval mechanism,
 said article retrieval mechanism including a flexible hose,
 one end of said flexible hose being coupled to a source of vacuum, and 
 an opposed second end of the flexible hose comprising a retrieval end of the flexible hose which includes a head for engaging a selected one of the articles during an article retrieval cycle, 
 
 said article retrieval mechanism also including a positioning mechanism for controllably positioning the retrieval end of the flexible hose adjacent to the dispensing end of a selected one of said shelves, and 
 said article retrieval mechanism also including a hose feeder mechanism,
 said hose feeder mechanism being coupled to the positioning mechanism for being positioned by said positioning mechanism, said hose feeder mechanism being operative for controllably moving the retrieval end of the flexible hose along an axis which is parallel to the longitudinal axis of a surface of the shelf; 
 
   wherein said surface of the shelf has an inclined orientation within said vending machine such that a portion of said surface which is proximate the dispensing end of the shelf is positioned higher than a portion of the surface which is proximate the second end of the shelf;   wherein during an article retrieval cycle said feeder mechanism moves the retrieval end of the flexible hose towards one of the articles resting on one of the shelves such that at least some of the weight of the retrieval end of the flexible hose is supported by the shelf as the retrieval end of the flexible hose is moved to engage and then retrieve said one of the articles from said shelf;   wherein a portion of the structure of the shelf guides the retrieval end of the flexible hose towards said one of the articles as the retrieval end of the flexible hose moves towards the article;   wherein the head travels progressively further in a direction along the longitudinal axis of a given shelf for each subsequent article removed from a given one row of said articles; and   wherein both the article and the head slide upon the surface of the shelf as the retrieval mechanism retrieves the article from the shelf.   
   
   
       2 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein said positioning mechanism and said hose feeder mechanism both impart storage requirements on said flexible hose as a result of said controllable positioning and controllable moving of said flexible hose, and wherein a single hose storage area is provided in said vending machine for meeting said hose storage requirements. 
   
   
       3 . The vending machine of  claim 2 , wherein said hose storage area is located inside a cabinet which houses said vending machine. 
   
   
       4 . The vending machine of  claim 3 , wherein said single hose storage area is located parallel to an inside wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       5 . The vending machine of  claim 3 , wherein said single hose storage area comprises a vertically oriented space located parallel to an inside wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       6 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein said single hose storage area includes a gravity induced loop of said flexible hose, coupled between said source of vacuum and a point where said hose exits said hose storage area and moves towards said positioning mechanism. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the gravity induced loop includes a deadweight roller which rolls on a loop of said flexible hose in the hose storage area, thereby providing a relatively constant amount of hose retraction force. 
   
   
       8 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein said flexible hose has a substantially fixed length from said retrieval end to a point proximate a supply volume where additional length of said flexible hose is stored, said positioning mechanism moving in a single plane so as to position the retrieval end of the flexible hose adjacent to said dispensing end of a selected one of said shelves, and wherein movement of the positioning mechanism causes movement of the flexible hose to be substantially within the same plane as movement of the positioning mechanism. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein movement of the positioning mechanism causes a corresponding movement of the flexible hose into and/or out of the supply volume. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein said vending machine includes a cabinet, and wherein movement of the flexible member caused by said positioning mechanism is constrained to be in a plane which is parallel to an inside wall of said cabinet. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the hose feeder means is carried by said positioning mechanism, and comprises a controllably driven roller mechanism for frictionally engaging the flexible hose so as to cause controlled extension and retraction of the retrieval end thereof along said shelf. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said hose includes corrugations, and wherein the controllably driven mechanism comprises a set of opposed contoured and toothed rollers, positioned so as to engage the hose corrugations. 
   
   
       13 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said flexible hose has a predetermined length from inside a hose supply area where the hose is connected to said source of vacuum, to said picker head;   the length being divided into adjoining first and second variable length segments, the first segment extending between the source of vacuum and the feeder mechanism, and the second segment extending between the feeder mechanism and the picker head, and   wherein feeder displacement of the hose changes the relative lengths of the first and second segments.   
   
   
       14 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , further including a guide provided with the shelf for controlling lateral movement of the head as said head is moved in a direction parallel to said longitudinal axis of said shelf and towards an article to be retrieved from said given shelf. 
   
   
       15 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein said inclined orientation of said shelf is at an angular degree which is sufficient to provide guided movement of said retrieval end of said flexible hose towards an article to be retrieved. 
   
   
       16 . The vending machine of  claim 15 , wherein at least one of walls or a floor of said shelf assist to provide said guided movement of said retrieval end of said flexible hose towards an article to be retrieved. 
   
   
       17 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of said shelves includes a plurality of article supporting tabs spaced along said shelf in the direction of said longitudinal axis, said article supporting tabs for supporting said articles so that they maintain a preferred orientation while they rest on said shelf 
   
   
       18 . The vending machine of  claim 17 , wherein said article supporting tabs are arranged so as to provide said preferred orientation for articles resting on said shelf so as to facilitate the head to come into contact with a selected one of the articles, to secure to the selected one of the articles, and to retrieve the selected one of the articles, while preventing other ones of the articles also resting on said shelf from being disturbed from their preferred orientation on said shelf. 
   
   
       19 . The vending machine of  claim 1 , wherein said feeder mechanism, said flexible hose, and said surface of said shelf, cooperate so as to controllably position said head as it is moved toward said selected one of the articles, and wherein said flexible hose supplies article securing vacuum to said head.