CONTAINER FOR VENDING MACHINE

Abstract: A container (1) is provided which can be used for dispensing a variety of solid items, as opposed to liquids, from a conventional gravity-feed vending machine regardless of the item's weight and shape and subject only to it being capable of fitting within the container (1). The container comprises a cylindrical container with a weight of at least 50 g. Preferably, the container comprises a translucent plastics cylindrical body (1) with weighted end caps (2, 3) which are made from a heavy-gauge polymer such as barium-filled polypropylene.

Description: CONTAINER FOR VENDING MACHINE The present invention relates to the packaging of items to be dispensed from vending machines and in particular to a vending capsule or container in which goods to be dispensed can be located. Conventional vending machines are adapted for dispensing drinks and the like in bottles, cans and cartons, and can also dispense packaged items such as confectionery, films and some sports goods such a balls. The criteria which enable an item to be dispensed are its dimensions and its weight. Light-weight items or those of an irregular shape are usually unable to be dispensed by conventional gravity-feed vending machines. The object of the present invention is to provide a container which can be used for dispensing a variety of items from a conventional gravity-feed vending machine regardless of the item's weight and shape and subject only to it being capable of fitting within the container. According to the present invention there is provided a container for use in the dispensing of an item from a vending machine comprising a cylindrical container with an empty weight of at least 50 g. It has been found that problems can occur if the container is cuboid as the corners of container tend to inhibit the container's passage through the dispensing mechanism of the machine. Hence the requirement that the container is cylindrical. Preferably, the container comprises a cylindrical body with weighted end caps. Advantageously, the weight of each end cap is at least 20 g. Preferably also, the end caps comprise push-fit end caps. Advantageously, these are made from a heavy-gauge polymer and preferably from barium-filled polypropylene. Preferably also, the container comprises a translucent plastics cylindrical body. Advantageously this is made from transparent unplasticized polyvinyl chloride film. However, the body of the container could comprise a cylindrical tube of any other suitable material, such as stiffened paper, card or cardboard. Advantageously, the length of the container is at least 140 mm and its diameter is at least 65 mm. It will be appreciated that the container of the invention is not intended to be used for dispensing liquids directly, such as drinks. These are usually dispensed in either sealed ring-pull cans or cardboard cartons, the weight of the liquid itself providing the impetus used in a gravity-feed vending machine to achieve successful vending of the full can. However, liquid items which are prepackaged in their own sealed container, for example in plastics sachets or sealed envelopes, could be placed inside the container of the present invention to be dispensed from a conventional vending machine. In this way, light-weight liquid items such as sachets of shampoos, cosmetics and the like can be dispensed as well as heavier items. An example of a container according to the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which Figs. 1 and 2 are side and plan views of the container. The container comprises a cylindrical tubular body 1 made by folding and sealing a transparent unplasticized polyvinyl chloride film into a cylindrical shape using a conventional welding technique to make a longitudinal seam. The length of the body 1 is 140 mm and has a diameter of 65 m . Push-fitting into each of the ends respectively of the body 1 are identical end caps 2 and 3. Each end cap is moulded from a heavy-gauge polymer and preferably from barium-filled polypropylene such that it weighs at least 20 g. As the body weighs at least 10 g, the weight of the empty container is in excess of 50g and, when made of the materials as aforesaid, is designed within manufacturing tolerances to be 52.6 g. It is possible to make the weighted end caps 2 and 3 by moulding plastics material around metal discs or similar inclusions which will provide the necessary weight. However, such end caps would be more costly to produce than end caps manufactured as aforesaid. In order to ensure a tight push-fit to prevent the contents of the container from bursting out during the dispensing process, the caps 2 and 3 are dished and provided with annular rib-like projections 4 around their outer circumferential surface which bears against the body 1. An annular projection 5 is also provided around the inner rim of each of the caps 2 , 3 to facilitate its manual removal from the body 1. To prevent the caps 2 and 3 from being inadvertently pushed into the body 1, they are each provided with a rim 6 which overlies the circular edges of the body 1. This rim 6 and the pushfitted attachment of the end caps 2, 3 into the body 1 protects the latter and prevents it from being crushed and damaged during handling and its passage through a vending machine. In order to be dispensed by gravity feed from a conventional vending machine such as the N-7R model manufactured by Azkoyen, it is necessary for an item to have a minimum total weight of around 50g. Hence, any item located inside the container as described above will fulfil the weight requirement. The invention therefore provides the means whereby items which could previously not be dispensed by a conventional vending machine can now be so dispensed simply by packaging them in the container. As a result, items such as swimming goggles, golf tees, golf gloves, shuttlecocks and other lightweight and irregularly shaped items can be dispensed from the conventional vending machines already located in many outlets worldwide. In order to dispense a container according to the invention a machine such as the N-7R machine of Azkoyen requires a conventional modification to adjust the number of paddles in each vending column to provide compartments in its scoop wheel mechanism adapted to the size of the container. In the N-7R machine this involves reducing the number of paddles to 20. A container will then locate lengthwise in the scoop wheel prior to it being dispensed.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A container for use in the dispensing of an item from a vending machine characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical container (1) with an empty weight of at least 50 g. 2. A container as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical body (1) with weighted end caps (2 , 3) . 3. A container as claimed in Claim 2, characterized in that the weight of each end cap (2, 3) is at least 20 g. 4. A container as claimed in Claim 2 or Claim 3, characterized in that the end caps (2, 3) comprise push-fit plastics end caps. 5. A container as claimed in Claim 4, characterized in that the end caps (2, 3) are each provided with a rim (6) which overlies one of the circular edges of the body (1) respectively to protect same. 6. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 2 to 5 , characterized in that the end caps (2, 3) comprise a heavy- gauge polymer. 7. A container as cla.imed in any one of Claims 2 to 6 , characterized in that the end caps (2, 3) comprise a barium-filled polypropylene. 8. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 7 , characterized in that it comprises a translucent plastics cylindrical body (1) . A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 8 , characterized in that it comprises a cylindrical body (1) made from a transparent unplasticized polyvinyl chloride film. 10. A container as claimed in any one of Claims 1 to 9 , characterized in that the length of the container is at least 140 mm and its diameter is at least 65 mm.

Inventors: CAWTHORNE IAN, LINES DAVID JOHN, CAWTHORNE, IAN, LINES, DAVID, JOHN
Applicants: CAWTHORNE IAN, LINES DAVID JOHN, NATIONWIDE VENDING LIMITED, CAWTHORNE, IAN, LINES, DAVID, JOHN
Application year: 1999
Main classification: B65D8
IPC codes: B65D3, B65D8, B65D43