Patent · US Expired

Article dispensing system

US6490502B2 · kind B2 · utility

69Cited by
5References
22Claims
0Family size

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateJan 31, 2001
Grant dateDec 3, 2002
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 19, 2021

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG07G1/0045
  • WIPO fieldControl
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An article or product dispensing system to selectively dispense products having a dispensing module including a carousel to store the plurality of products rotatable by a carousel positioning device between a dispensing station and a rejecting station to selectively position the carousel relative thereto. A product ejector selectively ejects product at the dispensing station and a product rejector selectively ejects product at the rejecting station. A product detector verifies the product at the dispensing station is the selected product. A control system including a product input to select the product to be dispensed is operatively coupled to the carousel positioning device, the product ejector and the product rejector, such that the carousel positioning device rotates the carousel to position the selected product at the dispensing station and the product ejector ejects the selected product when the product is detected. The carousel positioning device rotates the carousel to position the product at the rejecting station when product other than the selected product is detected at the dispensing station and the product rejector ejects product at the rejecting station.

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