EP0085546A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Vending machine
Assignee: Coca-Cola Co
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Filing: 1983-01-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2003-01-27
Abstract
Abstract Control circuitry for a vending machine allows a number of products to be purchased during a single transaction at a reduced rate as compared with the price of a single product purchased individually. The basic product price and the prices of additional products in any one transaction are preset by means of switches (51, 52, 53) coupled to inputs (I - 1,2,3,4,5) of a microprocessor (MP). Inputs (I - 11,12,13) of the microprocessor are coupled to switches in the coin accepting mechanism (not shown) of the vending machine such that escrow credit towards the purchase of products is stored during any transaction; when a vend is requested, the microprocessor automatically dispenses the number of products appropriate to the escrow credit established in its memory and if necessary activates a change return mechanism in respect of any excess money deposited.
Inventors
- 👤 Eddie Wayne King
- 👤 Annis Ray Morgan, Jr.
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 11:19
CPC Classifications
G; G07; G07F; G07F5/00; G07F5/24
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 13
Claim 1
Independent Claim
287 words
A vending machine including in use a plurality of products all of which may be purchased for the same predetermined product price when purchased individually in a single sales transaction, comprising: price-setting means for establishing said same predetermined product price for the vend of a first product and a predetermined price for at least one additional product when a plurality of products are collectively purchased during a single sales transaction, the price of said at least one additional product being less than said same predetermined product price; accumulator means for receiving money during a single sales transaction and establishing credit toward the purchase of said products; escrow memory means for storing escrow credit established by said accumulator toward the purchase of a first product and at least one additional product during a single sales transaction; credit detector means for determining when said escrow credit is at least equal-to said same predetermined product price and when said escrow credit equals the total of said same predetermined product price and said price of at least one additional product; product selector means for requesting the vend of a first one or more of said products following the insertion of all money related to said single sales transaction; and vend discharge control means responsive to said credit detector means for enabling the vend of a first product if said credit detector means determines that the escrow credit established in said escrow means at least equals said same predetermined product price and additional products if said escrow detector means determines that said escrow credit is at least equal to the total of said same predetermined product price and said predetermined price of at least one additional product during said single sales transaction.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
287 words
A vending machine including in use a plurality of products all of which may be purchased for the same predetermined product price when purchased individually in a single sales transaction, comprising: price-setting means for establishing said same predetermined product price for the vend of a first product and a predetermined price for at least one additional product when a plurality of products are collectively purchased during a single sales transaction, the price of said at least one additional product being less than said same predetermined product price; accumulator means for receiving money during a single sales transaction and establishing credit toward the purchase of said products; escrow memory means for storing escrow credit established by said accumulator toward the purchase of a first product and at least one additional product during a single sales transaction; credit detector means for determining when said escrow credit is at least equal-to said same predetermined product price and when said escrow credit equals the total of said same predetermined product price and said price of at least one additional product; product selector means for requesting the vend of a first one or more of said products following the insertion of all money related to said single sales transaction; and vend discharge control means responsive to said credit detector means for enabling the vend of a first product if said credit detector means determines that the escrow credit established in said escrow means at least equals said same predetermined product price and additional products if said escrow detector means determines that said escrow credit is at least equal to the total of said same predetermined product price and said predetermined price of at least one additional product during said single sales transaction.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
39 words
The vending machine of claim 1, further comprising: change return means for returning a value of coins received during said sales transaction which is in excess of the cumulative total of escrow credit established in said escrow memory means.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
66 words
The vending machine of claim 2, further comprising: means for inhibiting the operation of said change return means after escrow credit is established at least equal to said same predetermined product price until said product selector means is actuated a number of times commensurate with the total product credit established in said escrow memory means in accordance with price values established by said price setting means.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
64 words
The vending machine of claim 3 wherein said means for inhibiting comprises: credit reduction means for decrementing the total credit established in said escrow memory means in response to each request for a vend by said product selector means; and means for enabling said change return means only when the total credit in said escrow memory means falls below said same predetermined product price.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
64 words
The vending machine of any preceding claims further comprising: coin rejector means for precluding the receipt of coins by said accumulator means and returning the same to a customer in response to escrow credit established in said escrow memory means equal to a predetermined excess above the total of said same predetermined product price and said price of said at least one additional product.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
43 words
The vending machine of any preceding claim, further comprising: coin rejector means for precluding the receipt of coins by said accumulator means and returning the same to a customer in response to one or more requests for vends by said product selector means.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
54 words
The vending machine of any preceding claim, wherein said price setting means comprises a first group of manually adjustable digital switches for generating a digital price code for said first product to be vended and a like group of manually adjustable digital switches for each additional product to be vended in a single transaction.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
49 words
The vending machine of claim 7, further comprising logic means for comparing the digital price codes set by said groups of switches and determining the number of vends which can be made by said machine during a single sales transaction as a function of said digital price codes set..
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
37 words
The vending machine of claim 2, further comprising means for enabling said coin return means to automatically refund coins received during said single sales transaction if said machine becomes completely sold out of products during said transaction.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
32 words
The vending machine of any preceding claim, further including display means to advise and instruct a customer as to the status and sequence of vend operations occurring during said single sales transaction.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
40 words
The vending machine of claim 10, further including accountability means for storing sales transaction data in said escrow memory means according to the number of vends which have occurred at each respective vend price set by said price setting means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
The vending machine of any preceding claim, further including a primary power source and a secondary power source, said secondary power source providing power to at least said escrow memory means if power from said primary power source is interrupted.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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