Abstract:
A vending machine including a dispensing door openable to permit removal of merchandise from the vending machine, and a one-way stopper positioned relative to the dispensing door, such that upon removal of merchandise from the vending machine, the one-way stopper is deployed to a position that prevents placing the merchandise back in the vending machine.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates generally to vending machines, and particularly to a vending machine with a one-way mechanism, which prevents a person who has purchased an item, such as a beverage can, from placing the item back in the vending machine. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    Vending machines for vending beverage cans and the like are generally designed such that upon payment of money the machine releases a beverage can and the like, which is conveyed to an opening so that the customer can take the can and the like from the machine. 
         [0003]    It is clear that the vendor wants the customer to take the article for which payment was made and to prevent unscrupulous users from stealing merchandise from the machine. The vendor would also like to prevent a user from selecting and paying for the wrong merchandise. 
         [0004]    Many vending machine mechanisms have been proposed to accomplish these goals. For example, U.S. Patent Application US2005077311 to Chang describes a coin-operated vending machine includes a one-way indexing mechanism that prevents unscrupulous users from taking out more merchandise than payment was made for. Japanese Patent Documents 2004234489 and JP2004295343 describe vending machines that only can move the vended items in one direction. A user is prevented from selecting the wrong merchandise with a one-way clutch. U.S. Pat. No. 5,531,355 describes a machine for vending stacked articles, such as newspapers, one at a time. The machine includes a mechanism that allows the vended article to issue outward, but prevents a dishonest customer from reaching through the slot to take additional papers. 
         [0005]    However, the prior art has neglected another problem, which is in a way the opposite of the abovementioned problems, the problem being trying to prevent a person who has purchased an item from placing the item back in the vending machine. Such a problem may occur in a hotel and the like where a vending machine is in a guest room and guests can take out beverage cans and get billed at checkout time. If the possibility exists that a person can place the item back in the vending machine, a dishonest person can take out the item and yet falsely claim later that he put back the item and refuse to pay for it, so as to get around paying for the beverage can and the like at checkout. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    The present invention seeks to provide a novel vending machine, as described more in detail hereinbelow. The vending machine has a one-way mechanism, which prevents a person who has purchased an item, such as a beverage can, from placing the item back in the vending machine. Since it is impossible to place the item back in the vending machine, a dishonest person cannot take out the item and claim later that he put back the item. The invention thus ensures hotels and the like of collecting money for the purchased merchandise. The one-way stopper mechanism may also prevent introduction of foreign objects into the vending machine. The one-way stopper mechanism may also prevent opening the dispensing door without taking out merchandise, thereby eliminating false charges for merchandise that was never taken. 
         [0007]    There is thus provided in accordance with an embodiment of the invention apparatus including a vending machine including a dispensing door openable to permit removal of merchandise from the vending machine, and a one-way stopper positioned relative to the dispensing door, such that upon removal of merchandise from the vending machine, the one-way stopper is deployed to a position that prevents placing the merchandise back in the vending machine. When the one-way stopper is deployed to the position that prevents placing the merchandise back in the vending machine, the one-way stopper blocks the dispensing door from moving therepast. 
         [0008]    The vending machine may include a tray loadable with the merchandise for dispensing thereof, the dispensing door being openable to permit removal of merchandise from the tray. 
         [0009]    The dispensing door may be biasedly pivoted about a pivot axle by means of a biasing device. The dispensing door may be formed with a window in which is disposed the one-way stopper. The one-way stopper may be biasedly pivoted about a pivot axle by means of a biasing device, the biasing device being adapted to urge the one-way stopper to the position that prevents placing the merchandise back in the vending machine. The one-way stopper may include a pair of lugs that jut sideways from lateral sides thereof. 
         [0010]    The one-way stopper may be positioned such that a portion of the dispensing door abuts against a portion of the one-way stopper (e.g., the lugs) so as to arrest movement of the dispensing door. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0011]    The present invention will be understood and appreciated more fully from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which: 
           [0012]      FIGS. 1 and 2  are simplified pictorial illustrations of a vending machine, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, with a dispensing door closed; 
           [0013]      FIGS. 3 and 4  are simplified pictorial illustrations of the vending machine with the dispensing door open; 
           [0014]      FIG. 5  is a simplified pictorial illustration of a tray with a one-way stopper used in the vending machine, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIGS. 6 and 6A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of the vending machine, showing the dispensing door closed and the one-way stopper prior to being deployed; 
           [0016]      FIGS. 7 and 7A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of extracting merchandise from the vending machine; 
           [0017]      FIGS. 8 and 8A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of closing the dispensing door after extracting merchandise from the vending machine; 
           [0018]      FIGS. 9 and 9A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of the one-way stopper preventing returning the merchandise back into the vending machine; 
           [0019]      FIGS. 10 and 10A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of the vending machine with no merchandise therein and the one-way stopper deployed; and 
           [0020]      FIGS. 11 and 11A  are simplified partially sectional and pictorial illustrations, respectively, of the vending machine with no merchandise therein and the dispensing door blocked from being opened by the one-way stopper. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0021]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 1-4 , which illustrate a vending machine, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 
         [0022]    Vending machine  10  may include a housing  12  that houses therein one or more trays  14  loaded with merchandise  16  (e.g., beverage cans) for dispensing thereof. Vending machine  10  may further include standard components of vending machines, such as but not limited to, a coin slot, a coin-operated mechanism, a lockable service door (which may be opened only by authorized personnel for replenishing the merchandise  16  in the trays  14 ) and refrigeration apparatus, if needed (all not shown), which are well known to those skilled in the art and require no description for the skilled artisan. The coin-operated mechanism is in operative communication with a dispensing door  18  of the tray  14 , as is known in the art. As is known, the trays  14  are preferably slanted so the merchandise  16  is urged against the dispensing door  18  by gravity and the weight of the merchandise  16 . One or more sensors  15  (shown in phantom lines in  FIG. 2 ), such as but not limited to, photoelectric cells, load cells, capacitance sensors and the like, may be mounted on or in the vicinity of tray  14  to sense the presence of merchandise  16 , such as to count the amount of merchandise  16  that has been purchased by an individual or to count the amount of merchandise  16  left on the tray  14 . 
         [0023]      FIGS. 1 and 2  illustrate the vending machine  10  with the dispensing door  18  closed, whereas  FIGS. 3 and 4  illustrate the vending machine  10  with the dispensing door  18  open. 
         [0024]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 5 ,  6  and  6 A, which illustrate tray  14  more in detail. Dispensing door  18  may be shaped in accordance with the merchandise  16 , such as in the case of beverage cans, being arcuately shaped. Door  18  may be biasedly pivoted about a pivot axle  20  by means of a biasing device  22 , such as a spring ( FIGS. 6 and 6A ). (Alternatively, door  18  may be a sliding door.) Door  18  may be formed with a window  24  ( FIG. 5 ) in which is disposed a one-way stopper  26 . One-way stopper  26  may be biasedly pivoted about a pivot axle  28  by means of a biasing device  30 , such as a spring ( FIGS. 6 and 6A ). Biasing device  22  urges dispensing door  18  to rotate clockwise (in the sense of the drawing figures) about pivot axle  20 , and biasing device  30  urges one-way stopper  26  to rotate clockwise about pivot axle  28 . One-way stopper  26  may include a pair of lugs  32  that jut sideways from the lateral sides of stopper  26 . 
         [0025]      FIGS. 6 and 6A  illustrate the dispensing door  18  closed and the one-way stopper  26  prior to being deployed. One-way stopper  26  lies flat due to the weight of merchandise  16  lying thereupon. 
         [0026]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 7 and 7A , which illustrate extracting merchandise  16  from the vending machine  10 . The merchandise  16  may be extracted by pulling the merchandise  16  from the tray  14 . This action overcomes the countering force of biasing device  22  and rotates the door  18  counterclockwise (in the sense of the drawing figures) about pivot axle  20 , as indicated by arrow  33 . One-way stopper  26  is now free from the weight bearing upon it and biasing device  30  urges one-way stopper  26  to swing clockwise about pivot axle  28  and upwards, as indicated by arrow  34 . 
         [0027]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 8 and 8A , which illustrate closing the dispensing door  18  after extracting merchandise  16  from the vending machine  10 . Biasing device  22  urges door  18  to rotate clockwise (in the sense of the drawing figures) about pivot axle  20 , as indicated by arrow  35 . The bottom of door  18  contacts and pushes down against lugs  32  of one-way stopper  26 , overcoming the countering force of biasing device  30  and thereby causing one-way stopper  26  to swing counterclockwise (in the sense of the drawing figures) about pivot axle  28 , as indicated by arrow  36 . Any remaining merchandise  16  on the tray  14  moves or rolls to lie over one-way stopper  26 . The weight of the merchandise  16  overcomes the countering force of biasing device  30  and keeps the one-way stopper  26  lying down. 
         [0028]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 9 and 9A . If a person attempts to push the merchandise  16  back into the vending machine  10  by pushing door  18  back clockwise around pivot axle  20 , an upper edge of door  18  abuts against an upper portion of one-way stopper  26  so as to arrest movement of door  18 . This prevents returning the merchandise  16  back into the vending machine  10 . 
         [0029]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 10 and 10A , which illustrate the vending machine  10  with no merchandise  16  therein. Since no weight is forced on one-way stopper  26 , biasing device  30  urges one-way stopper  26  to swing clockwise (in the sense of the drawing figures) about pivot axle  28 , as indicated by arrow  37 . The one-way stopper  26  and its lugs  32  pass unobstructed through window  24 . 
         [0030]    Reference is now made to  FIGS. 11 and 11A . If someone were to try opening the door  18  by swinging the door  18  counterclockwise about pivot axle  20 , as indicated by arrow  38 , a portion of door  18  abuts against lugs  32  so as to arrest movement of door  18 . Accordingly, the dispensing door  26  is blocked from being opened by the one-way stopper  26 . 
         [0031]    It is noted that in the prior art, vending machines are provided with a storage chamber or volume for storing and refrigerating the beverage cans and the like. This storage chamber is connected by a chute and the like to another volume for dispensing the beverage can and the like. Thus, in the prior art, two separate chambers are required—one for storing and the other for dispensing. In contrast, in the present invention, only one chamber is required that serves as both the storage chamber and the dispensing chamber. In other words, the tray  14  with dispensing door  18  and the one-way stopper  26  is a dual-purpose unit for storing and dispensing. Thus, the present invention provides significant volumetric savings as well. 
         [0032]    The scope of the present invention includes both combinations and subcombinations of the features described hereinabove as well as modifications and variations thereof which would occur to a person of skill in the art upon reading the foregoing description and which are not in the prior art.