The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 18, 1980
Filed:
Oct. 18, 1977
Frederic P Heiman, Philadelphia, PA (US);
Mars, Inc., McLean, VA (US);
Abstract
Control apparatus for use in a vending machine having actuators individually controlled for dispensing customer selected products. The control apparatus generally includes a credit indicating system, a price indicating system, a calculating section for comparing the customer credit with the price of the selected product category, a selection circuit for generating the internal signals indicative of which product category was selected, and actuator controls for activating the corresponding actuator to dispense the selected product. Disclosed selection circuits include a circuit having a plurality of comparator circuits to form a latching system; and another having a pulse counter with a plurality of output terminals sequentially activated in response to a clock signal, along with detectors such as optical couplers to generate a signal indicative of which product category was selected. An actuator control includes electronic power switches for use with systems having an alternating current power supply with one output terminal connected to the actuators and another output terminal connected to a common terminal, the electronic power switch activating the corresponding actuator by connecting the actuator to the common terminal.