Patent ID: 6230930
Filing Date: 2001-05-15
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
A method for vending beverages packaged in sealed containers, comprising:a. storing a plurality of packaged beverages in upright standing manner in selectable queues of containers of such beverages within a vending machine;b. visually presenting said selectable queues of such beverage containers for viewing by a customer through a glass wall panel of the vending machine; wherein the customer can visually select a beverage container from one of said selectable queues;c. aligning a robotic assembly in the machine in registration with a customer selected one of said beverage container queues;d. transferring the visually selected beverage container from the selected container queue in said upright standing manner to the robotic assembly;e. carrying the transferred beverage container to a delivery port of the vending machine; andf. presenting the carried beverage container at the delivery port for customer removal from the vending machine; wherein the entire process is performed without subjecting the container to severe impact forces and while maintaining the selected beverage container in said upright standing position.