The Coca-cola Company

Don S Summerville

Eddie Wayne King

Lionel D Gillespie

Frank B Golley

Phillip Jack Snoke

John H Brandes

Herman K Duke

Leonard Frank Antao

Steven C Gamper

Tran Q Minh

Scott C Lauffer

Display cabinet

A lattice type carrier for separate product identification labels and package size/price labels. The carrier is secured to the back of a vandal resistant front selection panel having one or more transparent windows for the labels mounted on the carrier. The carrier, moreover, includes an arrangement of generally rectangular frame type openings wherein translucent product identification labels are mounted and back lighted. Also, the package size/price labels may either be mounted in relatively smaller frame type openings in the carrier above the respective product identification labels or adhesively mounted to the front surface of the carrier or above the product identification areas.

Vendor selection panel asssembly

A vending machine for beverage containers comprising a frame having front, side and rear faces; a bowed sign panel substantially covering the front face and extending outwardly therefrom, said sign panel being fabricated from transparent materials with translucent display fields thereon; illumination means disposed behind the bowed sign panel for backlighting the same; a control panel disposed within the bowed sign panel; and a discharge port for presenting beverage container to customers through the bowed sign panel. The bowed sign panel contains a product-identifying logo thereon corresponding to at least one type of beverage can, such as a primary product to be vended, the logo being displaced on the signal panel in the same manner as the logo on the primary product beverage can. The curved or bowed shape of the sign panel is such that the overall appearance and configuration of the vending machine, viewed from the front face thereof, suggests the appearance of a can of beverage of the primary product.

Coin-operated vending machine

A storage rack assembly and vending channel structure for a vending machine that stores packages such as bottles and cans and feeds the same to a release mechanism upon the insertion of one or more coins or tokens in payment for the article. A release mechanism allows the product to travel down a vend chute and into a delivery port. Each channel is comprised of a pair of mutually opposing serpentine side members having a predetermined separation distance providing a storage column for both bottles and cans. The support surfaces of both members comprise side walls which are furthermore skewed or inclined from the horizontal downwardly. A rear support surface comprising a back wall and/or a serpentine guide bar is also provided so the package, whether it be a bottle or can or both is guided by its side and base rather than by its end or side only, thus providing compatibility with various types of packages including reduced neck bottles and cans which will not normally feed properly through conventional serpentine mechanisms.

Skewed serpentine multi-package product storage rack

Vending machine

Control panel for vending machine or the like

Housing for a vending machine

A vending machine for beverage containers comprising a frame having front, side and rear faces; a bowed sign panel substantially covering the front face and extending outwardly therefrom, said sign panel being fabricated from transparent materials with translucent display fields thereon; illumination means disposed behind the bowed sign panel for backlighting the same; a control panel disposed within the bowed sign panel; and a discharge port for presenting beverage containers to customers through the bowed sign panel. The bowed sign panel contains a product-identifying logo thereon corresponding to at least one type of beverage can, such as a primary product to be vended, the logo being displayed on the sign panel in the same manner as the logo on the primary product beverage can. The curved or bowed shape of the sign panel is such that the overall appearance and configuration of the vending machine, viewed from the front face thereof, suggests the appearance of a can of beverage of the primary product.

A touch-sensitive selection panel structure for a vending machine including a pressure-sensitive membrane-type switch contained between first and second polycarbonate panels comprising the display panel of the vending machine. The touch-sensitive switch configuration is totally transparent to visible light. A product selector window array on the first polycarbonate panel is back-illuminated from within the vending machine with images of the vendable products available, for display in the selector windows on the front face of the vending machine display panel. The images are provided on the back face of the second polycarbonate panel within the vending machine and illuminated from behind in order to project the names and product logos through the membrane switch, and the first polycarbonate panel for viewing by a potential customer. The membrane switch contacts are easily actuatable by merely pressing on a flexible product window area defined in the first polycarbonate sheet, which causes selected membrane switch contacts to close and initiate the vend of a corresponding product. In an alternative embodiment, the membrane switch is replaced by discrete touch-sensitive switches disposed in portions of each of the window areas.

Touch selection panel for a vending machine

Growing community of inventors

Snellville, GA, United States of America

Don S Summerville