The Coca-cola Company

Eddie Wayne King

Don S Summerville

John H Brandes

Herman K Duke

Crystal Gaye Burdette

William J Saunders

Paul Anderson Phillips

A vending machine face has a number of modules that are mechanically fastened to an underlying frame. These modules can be easily removed and replaced in the field so that the appearance of a vending machine can be changed with promotions, new interactive pieces can be added, the location of the vend selection buttons can be changed, recessed display compartments can be used and/or different light boxes with various graphics can be inserted and removed. This arrangement will provide for the ability to completely change the appearance of the vending machine on site. The vending machine can be customized for specific account location and can be switched from one promotion to another relatively easily. A frame for holding the modules is provided. The frame and modules be a door for the vending machine. This door can be flat or have a contoured, undulating outer face. Also, the door can be rectangular or have other shapes as desired.

Vending machine face

A vending machine is provided with a cabinet having a plurality of slanted shelves. These shelves will feed to an elevator which can be located in the center of the vending machine, to one side of the vending machine or at the rear of the vending machine. Packaged beverages will feed by gravity from the shelves to the elevator and then be delivered to the delivery port in the face of the cabinet. This delivery port will be at a convenient height for the consumer. The shelves in the cabinet are readily reconfigurable such that their positioning within the cabinet can be easily altered. Gravity release devices are provided on each shelf for discharging the packaged beverages to the elevator. These gravity release devices are powered by an activation device on the elevator. Thus, electrical connections or the like are unnecessary for the individual shelves.

Vending machine

Front face having a wooden appearance 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 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 vend control mechanism for a multiple product vending machine is controlled electronically by a master control unit to dispense particular products from storage increments in the machine specifically assigned to those products. A code menu is provided for a service person to input codes into the master control unit to reassign storage increments to products to take account of particular product sales volumes for that vending machine.

Electronically programmable space-to-sales vender

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.

Growing community of inventors

Marietta, GA, United States of America

Eddie Wayne King