Patent ID: 8126589
Filing Date: 2012-02-28
Classification: G07F

Abstract:
1. A beverage vending machine comprising: a beverage dispensing bay; a beverage dispensing unit configured to dispense a beverage within the beverage dispensing bay; a beverage container storage unit configured to hold a plurality of empty beverage containers; a container positioning mechanism configured to convey an empty beverage container from the beverage container storage unit and into a container dispensing bay; a user interface configured to display instructions and receive user selections and payment; and a controller coupled to the beverage dispensing unit, the beverage container storage unit, and the container positioning mechanism, the controller configured to receive a user selection from the user interface, to control the beverage dispensing unit in response to a user selection quantity of beverage and sensing the presence of a beverage container in the beverage dispensing bay, and to cause the container positioning mechanism to dispense an empty beverage container into the container dispensing bay in response to a user making a selection to receive a beverage container.