Expanded capacity vend basket for a vending machine

US4729480A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• THE COCA-COLA COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Phillip B. Groover · Woodstock, US
• Gunther Baumgartner · Herrieden, DE
• Josef Gress · Bechhofen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 18, 1986
• Grant date: Mar 8, 1988
• Expiry date: Aug 18, 2006

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G07F11/28
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A vend basket for a coin operated vending machine which includes a first roller whose axis is parallel to the rotational axis of rollable products, such as bottles or cans, and is set back from the front wall of the basket by a distance greater than the diameter of the rollable product but less than twice the diameter so that only one product can fit and pass between the front wall and roller. The roller is also spaced above the bottom wall of the basket so that two rows of products can fit and pass under the roller. A second roller whose rotational axis is also parallel to the rotational axis of the rollable products is located in front of the first roller adjacent the front wall directly above a dispensing lid. The distance between the first and second rollers is such that only one article at a time can pass therebetween to a cradle formed in the dispensing lid. Such a structure permits a greater number of movable products to be located in the basket. Furthermore, the rollers prevent the products from becoming jammed during a dispensing operation of the vending machine.