Patent · US Expired

Vending machine having slave dispensing units

US4872541A · kind A · utility

20Cited by
4References
13Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateMar 10, 1989
Grant dateOct 10, 1989
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 10, 2009

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07F5/18
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

This vending machine system comprises a single master vendor including a coin mechanism and a vend possible judgement circuit and a plurality of slave vendors controlled by this master vendor. The master vendor comprises a master control unit for controlling the operation of the respective slave vendors. Each of the slave vendors comprises a subcontrol unit which performs transmission and receiving of information relative to the master control unit and controls the article vending operation in response to the information provided from the master control unit. The transmission and receiving of the information between the subcontrol units and the master control unit is exclusively performed in accordance with a request issued from the side of the master control unit.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.