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:
Jun. 05, 2001
Filed:
Oct. 15, 1999
Yoshio Yasaka, Gunma, JP;
Sanyo Electric Co., LTD, Osaka, JP;
Abstract
There is provided an article storage device for an automatic vending machine, which is capable of properly storing and dispensing articles without causing any deformation or breakage thereof and, compact in construction, and at the same time capable of reliably detecting whether articles are sold out. The article storage device,for an automatic vending machine includes an article rack,received within a body,of the automatic vending machine and having an article passage,for storing a large number of articles S placed one behind another in a horizontal row in a front-rear direction, a stopper,arranged at a front end of the article passage,in a manner movable between an engagement position in which the stopper,faces the article passage,for stopping the articles S, and a dispensing position in which the stopper,is withdrawn from the article passage,for dispensing the articles S, a pusher,inserted into the article passage,in a manner movable in the front-rear direction between an extreme forward position thereof and an extreme rearward position thereof, for pressing on the articles S, and a drive mechanism,connected to the pusher,and having helical tension springs,for urging the pusher,forward.