Abstract:
A vending system has at least one storage compartment with at least one shelf for holding various food packets. A computer system, which may be linked to a remote sight, stores information about each food packet within the system, which information is made available to a user via a video display device and appropriate controls. Once a user selects food packets for purchase, the vending system accepts and verifies payment and thereafter causes a delivery system to deliver the food packets to a heating compartment which provides appropriate heat to properly heat the food packet. Multiple food packets can be heated simultaneously with heating of each terminating nearly simultaneously. Thereafter, the user is free to retrieve the purchased food packets.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to a multifunction vending system capable of delivering multiple heated or non-heated food packets. 
     2. Background of the Prior Art 
     Vending machines come in many forms. Some deliver dry packaged goods such as candy and chips. Such vending machines typically have a transparent front panel through which a user can see the available choices and therefrom make his selection. Other vending machines are capable of delivering a cold food product such as a soda or ice cream or sandwich. Typically, such machines drop the selected food item from a refrigerator or freezer compartment to the user or allow a user to reach into the compartment via an access door. Other vending machines can deliver hot items such as coffee or soup. These machines typically drop a mix of some form into a cup and thereafter add heated water to the cup, the result being the food item purchased. Still other machines will deliver a cold or frozen food item to a user with the user thereafter inserting the food item into a nearby microwave oven for heating of the food item. 
     While these and other types of vending machines are well suited for specific applications such as soda delivery, they fail to address the needs of a user who wants a full, ready to consume meal delivered by the vending machine. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a vending system that is capable of delivering a full meal, containing hot items, cold items or both to a user in ready to consume form. Such a machine should allow a user to select food items from a variety of food items and once selected, automatically retrieve the food items and thereafter deliver them, after applying appropriate heat if required, to the user. Such a device should be of relatively straightforward design and construction utilizing standard vending machine and other technologies wherever appropriate. The vending system should be relatively simple to use. Advantageously, such a system will collect information for marketing, inventory, and control purposes. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The vending system of the present invention addresses the aforementioned needs in the art. The vending system provides for a device that store a multiple number of different food packets that may be consumed hot, cold, or both and allows a user to select one or more of such food items for purchase. After purchase, the vending system automatically retrieves each purchased food item and delivers each to a heating compartment, if necessary, applies the appropriate heat, and thereafter allows the user to retrieve the purchased food items. The vending system of the present invention utilizes standard vending system design concepts and is of straightforward complexity. The system collects information and delivers the information to a remote site. 
     The vending system of the present invention is comprised of a housing having a plurality of walls and at least one storage compartment—which may be cooled—each having at least one diagonally shelf, disposed therein. A heating compartment, such as a microwave oven is disposed within the housing. Openings are provided on one of the walls for user access into the heating compartments for retrieval of purchased food packets. A selection system allows a user to select at least one food packet for purchase. At least one delivery system delivers the purchased food packets to the user via the heating compartment. 
     The selection system is comprised of a database capable of storing a description, weight information, nutritional information, cost, location (storage compartment and shelf) and cooking times of each food packet stored within the device. A video display allows a user to retrieve the description, weight, nutritional information, and cost about each food packet within the database. A selection means, such as at least one button, a keyboard, or a touch sensitive screen associated with the video display, allows a user to navigate through the database and make selections therefrom. 
     The delivery system comprises a delivery ram adapted to slide within the housing and a plate pivotally attached to the ram and positionable between a first position wherein it holds a food packet received from its associated storage compartment and a second position wherein it drops the food packet into a delivery chute that in turn terminates proximate the heating compartment. 
     The vending system of the present invention also comprises a payment system of any appropriate design and type known in the art for collecting payment for each purchase, a printer for printing receipts, a tray dispenser for dispensing—either manually or automatically—a tray to a user, and a utensil dispenser for dispensing—either manually or automatically—a utensil packet to a user. A modem allows communication between the vending system and a remote site. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of the vending system of the present invention. 
     FIG. 2 is a front cutaway view of the vending system. 
     FIG. 3 is a left side cutaway view of the vending system. 
     FIGS. 4-6 are right side cutaway views illustrating the dispension of a food packet from the storage compartment to the heating compartment. 
     Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Referring now to the drawings, it is seen that the vending system of the present invention, generally denoted by reference numeral  10 , is comprised of a housing  12  having a top  14 , a bottom  16 , and a plurality of walls  18 . At least one storage compartment  20  is disposed within the housing  12 . As seen, each storage compartment  20  is located in the upper portion of the housing  12  and has at least one shelf  22 , each shelf  22  being diagonally disposed relative to the horizon-whenever the housing  12  is disposed in generally upright fashion. At least one food packet F is disposed on each shelf  22  such that one of the food packets F can be dispensed from the storage compartment  20  whenever that food packet F is selected by a user. The method used for this dispension, which is not illustrated, can be of any conventional dispension system known in the art such as a drop gate that drops upon the food packet F selection with a second drop gate raised to prevent more than one food packet F being dispensed, etc. 
     Some but not necessarily all of the storage compartments  20  can have a freezer associated with the storage compartment  20 . This can be accomplished by having each individual storage compartment being an individual freezer, or as illustrated, all of the storage compartments that are to be frozen can be disposed within a single communal freezer  24 . The freezer can be operated in any conventional fashion known in the art such as by way of the illustrated compressor  26  operatively connected to the freezer. 
     At least one heating compartment  28  is disposed within the housing  12 . Each heating compartment  28 , which will have high speed heating capabilities such as microwave heating, can be associated with a respective one of the storage compartments  20 . Each heating compartment  28  has a first door  30  and a second door  32  and a mechanism, such as the illustrated dual-shafted solenoid  34 , for opening and closing each door  30  and  32 . A third door  36  is disposed within one of the walls  18  of the housing  12  for providing user access to the heating compartment. If desired, the third door  36  can be held shut, by appropriate means, whenever the heating compartment  28  is operating. 
     A delivery system has a delivery chute  38  that has a first end  40  terminating proximate the first door  30  and a second end  42  terminating proximate one of the storage compartments  20 . A delivery ram  44  is adapted to slide within a guide  46  and has a plate  48  pivotally attached thereto. The plate  48  operates between a first position, illustrated in FIG. 6, and a second position, illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5. An appropriate control motor (not illustrated), is operatively connected to the delivery ram  44  for sliding the delivery ram  44  within the guide  46  and for operating the plate  48  between the first position and the second position. 
     A computer system  50  is disposed within the housing  12 . The computer system  50 , which has a database and a video display  52 , is used to store and display information about the food packets F held within the device  10 . The database will have at least one entry, each entry holding information about at least one of the food packets F held within the device  10 . Such information can include food packet F description, weight, nutritional information, the cost and can also include advertising information and contact information for manufactures of the food packets F. The database will also have cooking times for each of the food packets F. The database will also have information on which storage compartment  20  and which shelf  22  each food packet F is located. If a shelf becomes empty, detected by an appropriate sensor, the database will remove the appropriate food packet F from its list of available food packets for purchase. Advantageously, the database will be changeable so that as new food packets F are introduced into the device  10 , new entries will be created. A control system is associated with the computer system  50 . The control system is used to scroll through the entries, to select an entry and to show details about and entry. The control system can be of any conventional design known in the art such as the illustrated selection buttons  54 . Alternately, the control system can be a touch sensitive screen associated with the video display  52 . A modem  56  can be secured to the computer system  50  for allowing the computer system  50  to communicate with a remote site. 
     A payment system  58  is secured to one of the walls  18  of the housing  12  for accepting payment from a user. The payment system  58  can be of any conventional design known in the art such as a card reader that reads and debits credit cards, debit cards, and other similar cards, cash receiver, etc. If the payment system is a card reader, it communicates with the appropriate financial institution for payment verification via the modem  56  in conventional fashion. Appropriate controls, such as the illustrated keypad  60 , are used to navigate through the payment system  58 . 
     A printer  62  is secured to one of the walls  18  for printing receipts to users. 
     A tray dispenser  64  is disposed within the housing  12 . The tray dispenser  64  stores and dispenses trays to users. Dispension of the trays can be manual wherein the user manually retrieves one of the trays from the tray dispenser  64  or can be automated in some fashion such that the tray dispenser  64  delivers a tray to each user upon usage of the device  10 . 
     A utensil dispenser  66  is disposed within the housing  12 . The utensil dispenser  66  stores and dispenses utensil packets to users. The utensil packet can have any appropriate items therein such as a knife, a fork, a spoon, a napkin, salt, pepper, etc. Dispension of the utensil packets can be manual wherein the user manually retrieves one of the utensil packets from the utensil dispenser  66  or can be automated in some fashion such that the utensil dispenser  66  delivers a utensil packet to each user upon usage of the device  10 . 
     In order to use the vending system  10  of the present invention, food packets F are placed into appropriate locations in the storage compartments  20 , one type of food packet F per shelf  22  of each storage compartment  20  (of course the same type of food packet F can be located on more than one shelf  22  or in more than one storage compartment  20 ). Appropriate information about each food packet F is entered into an entry in the database. The database can be relatively static such the same food packets F are always placed into the device  10  in the same positions. Alternately, the database can be dynamic such that as each food packet F is placed into one of the storage compartments  20 , the location (the particular storage compartment  20  and the particular shelf  22  of this particular food packet F is entered into the database for association with that food packet F. Information about each food packet F can be entered into the database in any appropriate fashion. By way of example, a key board can be plugged into the computer system  50  and as an operator arrives and places a new food packet F into the device  10 , the operator enters information into the database via the keyboard. Alternately, basic information about the food packet F, such as a code number, can be entered into the database with more detailed information being provided to the database via the modem  56  or being preloaded within the computer system  50  or downloaded into the computer system  50  from a disk or other medium. Additionally, the operator may utilize a hand held scanner that scans information from the food packet F and thereafter downloads the information to the database. Once all food packets F are placed into the device  10 , the database will have information on each food packet F and its location (storage compartment  20  and shelf  22 . 
     A user approaches the vending system  10  and reads information about available food packets F. The user can scroll through, and receive detailed information about the available entries using the appropriate controls of the control system. 
     The user selects one or more food packets F for purchase using the control system. After all purchase entries are selected, the device  10  provides the user with a total purchase price and retrieves payment from the user through the payment system  58  and prints the user a receipt via the printer  62 . Once payment is verified, for each food packet F that is selected, the delivery ram  44  associated with the storage compartment  20  for the selected food packet F is positioned proximate the shelf  22  that holds the food packet F. The plate  48  is placed into the first position. The storage compartment  20  dispenses the food packet F which slides onto the plate  48 . The plate  48  is lowered via the delivery ram  44  and once the delivery ram  44  is at its lowermost position, the plate  48  is placed into the second position causing the food packet F to slide through the delivery chute  38  into the appropriate heating compartment  28 . The first door  30  and the second door  32  are closed and heating commences. Heating compartment  28  control is provided by the computer system  50  with the time and power parameters being provided via the database. Ideally, if the user selects multiple food packets F, the computer system  50  will assure that heating terminates in each heating compartment  28  at approximately the same time. If two or more food packets F will compete for the use of a single heating compartment  28  (such as when two food packets F are selected from a single storage compartment  20 , the device  10  will advise the user of this situation. Once the heating of a food packet F is complete the second door  32  is opened and the user can retrieve the food packet F through the third door  36  (if one of the food packets purchased by the user does not require heating, the second door  32  never closes and the food packet F is immediately retrievable upon being dispensed by the delivery system). At some point during the heating process, the user receives a tray via the tray dispenser  64  and a utensil packet via the utensil dispenser  66 . 
     While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to an embodiment thereof, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.