Vending machine
US4871054A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 25, 1988 |
| Grant date | Oct 3, 1989 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 25, 2008 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S194/906
- WIPO fieldControl
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A machine for renting articles, e.g. video cassettes, which stores individual articles in containers (26) from which they may be rented by the user and wherein an opto-electronic emitter and sensor cobination (55) is provided to sense whether an article is in a container when the latter is in its closed state, a further opto-electronic emitter and sensor combination (56) may be provided to sense whether or not a container is in its closed state, a microprocessor (61) is arranged to permit the container to remain in its closed state if the article is sensed in the container and to re-open the container if it is not so sensed, and when the container is closed a predetermined number of further times without the article being sensed, disabling action is taken.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.