Product vending and pneumatic delivery system and method

Abstract

A system is provided for vending food products such as individually packaged beverages from a storage unit to a remote location such as a service counter or the service island of a gasoline service facility. Preferably, a pneumatic tube conveyor moves the product from storage to a dispensing unit at the remote location in response to product selection made by a customer at the remote location. Preferably, payment for the sale of the product item is coordinated with information from another vending or accounting system such as a gasoline charge system that includes a credit card reader associated with a fully automated self-service gasoline pump. The product is moved through the conveyor in a reusable carrier or in its own product packaging container that serves as a carrier. The carrier is formed with one or more annular seals to facilitate maintenance of pressure across the carrier and movement around curved sections of the tube. Where the product's container is used as the carrier, it also is preferably formed with one or more enlarged annular sealing sections. Deceleration of the product is controlled by an article actuated bypass valve that directs air moved by the moving product to bring a floating piston in the tube into gentle contact with the container to gradually slow it to a stop.