Patent ID: 6389822
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: F25B,F25D,G05D,G07F,H02M

Abstract:
A refrigerated vending system for vending items, said system comprising:a chamber for storing said items, said chamber defining a chamber interior and a chamber exterior, said chamber interior including said items and a heat-transfer medium; dispensing means for dispensing said items from said chamber interior to said chamber exterior; cooling means for removing heat from said chamber, said cooling means having cooling and non-cooling conditions, said cooling means consuming more power and removing more heat in said cooling condition, said cooling means consuming less power and removing less heat in said non-cooling condition; circulation means for controlling the temperature variance within said chamber interior by circulating said heat-transfer medium, said forced circulation means having circulating and non-circulating conditions; thermo-sensor means for providing temperature indications of temperature within said chamber interior; and controller means for controlling said dispensing means, said cooling means, and said circulation means, said controlling means selecting between a normal mode of operation for said vending system and a power-conservation mode of operation for said vending system, said controller means during said normal mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions of said cooling means as a function of said temperature indications provided by said thermo-sensor means, and maintaining said circulation means in said circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition; and during said power-conservation mode, selecting between said cooling and said non-cooling conditions, and maintaining said circulation means in said non-circulating condition most of the time when said circulating means is in said non-cooling condition.