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:
Sep. 24, 1985
Filed:
Dec. 08, 1983
Akihito Kurosawa, Maebashi, JP;
Osamu Anazawa, Maebashi, JP;
Sanden Corporation, Isesaki, JP;
Abstract
An article dispenser for dispensing articles from a vending machine is disclosed. The article dispenser includes an article storage area which has a bottom opening through which articles are dispensed and a front opening through which the articles are loaded to form two vertically adjacent rows. An article dispensing mechanism dispenses the lowermost articles stacked in the storage area through the bottom opening. This article dispensing mechanism includes a rotatable shaft which vertically extends within the storage area to divide the storage area into the two vertical rows or columns. A control plate is fixed to the lower end of the rotatable shaft to control the operation of a pair of flappers positioned below the two vertical rows of articles. As these flappers open and close upon rotation of the rotatable shaft, the lowermost articles in the storage area are dispensed. The article dispensing mechanism further includes an article holding mechanism located at the lower end of the storage area to hold the articles in both rows, except the lowermost articles, in a stacked position during the opening of the flappers. The holding mechanism includes opposite holding surfaces which frictionally engage adjacent articles in both rows to hold these articles between the holding surfaces and the inner surfaces of the storage area.