Refrigeration system for a counter-top or wall-mounted vending machine

US4676074A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• THE COCA-COLA COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Annis R. Morgan, Jr. · Atlanta, US
• Bernd Mehlan · Herrieden, DE
• Josef Gress · Bechhofen, DE
• Hugh S. Williford · Atlanta, US
• Gunter Baumgartner · Herrieden, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 13, 1985
• Grant date: Jun 30, 1987
• Expiry date: Aug 13, 2005

Classification

• Technology area (CPC F): Mechanical Engineering; Lighting; Heating
• CPC primary: F25D31/007
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A coin-operated vending machine for bottles or cans of a moderate capacity, including a plurality of side-by-side storage chutes for feeding bottles or cans to openings in the front wall of the vending machine and a cradle in each of the openings forming a row of adjacent cradles for receiving the bottles or cans from the chutes. A refrigeration system directs chilled air by convection toward the next-to-be-vended cans in each of the cradles. The chilled air is directed by an air foil toward the cradles and the cradles have stand-off ribs therein to permit the free flow of chilled air under and around the next-to-be-vended cans.