Abstract:
A vending apparatus for containing and releasing generally box-shaped or flat articles is disclosed. The articles are vertically stacked in a pre-packaged cartridge that removably mounts on top of a fixed housing. The main housing collects coins to account for purchases of each product independently, which is released by a rotating cam after the turning of a knob. A securable door allows limited access to the coin collecting box.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to vending machines and dispensers for containing and releasing articles. In particular, a vending apparatus adapted to collect coins is disclosed for dispensing packets, generally flat or box-like such as towelettes and non-prescription medication, by including a wall mountable or free-standing fixture for receiving pre-packaged cartridges. The vending apparatus receives coins to allow passage of stacked packages from a rectangular cartridge into a secured chamber. The cartridge is mounted above the coin mechanism for simple retrieval and replacement. The cartridge contains pre-packaged items for dispensing, and the cartridge is easily changed out and, where allowed, becomes recyclable. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     Multi-product, coin-operated vending machines can normally be found in shopping malls or grocery stores. The machines vend a variety of products, from small candies or gumballs to large toys and packages. These machines are normally compartmented to receive the items directly into the device, which may be transparent to allow identification of the need to refill. Refilling these devices is normally done by the respective company of the articles and may be unsanitary, costly, or even result in spillage onto a public venue. The actual mechanics used for the coin and release mechanism may be very bulky and costly. This traditional means of vending uses a middle-man to stock and re-stock the machine, which increases the cost to the user, and decreases the margin of profit to the vending site. 
     More simple devices that are not coin-operated are also known to dispense packaged articles. As seen in U.S. Patents such as those by Stone and Abramczyk, simple containers can dispense small articles from a stacked position simply by having a lip at a bottom surface whereon the articles fall by gravity. The items that are distributed in this simple manner may be subject to size constraints depending on the articles contained therein. The design of these simple containers subjects them to vandalism. 
     The purpose of storing and dispensing articles such as non-prescription medication packets, as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,767,022, by Oldorf, is to allow purchasers at stores to have the convenience of the low cost packets easily at their disposal. Distributing small articles in this manner, can, however, cause for loss of profit due to inventory loss or theft. Many lack a simple design for a coin receiving mechanism, yielding an undue burden for a store clerk in accounting for purchases. 
     Thus, there is a need for a packer-vending device that can collect coins and is secured from theft, which allows for the dispensing of pre-packaged articles in already assembled cartridges. The device employs a means for removably sliding the compartments holding the flat articles, such that the coin mechanism is fixated while the articles can be replaced in a quick and simple manner. In this way, earnings for sales are already accomplished by the coin feed, and the articles are more efficiently replenished. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is the objective of the present invention to provide a coin-collecting vending machine that utilizes a disposable cartridge adapted to hold a number of pre-loaded packets. The cartridges may be purchased in bulk by a store owner, and the individual packets are purchased individually by a customer by the insertion of a coin and operation of the coin mechanism. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to coordinate the number of product packets in the cartridge with the amount of coins collected in a coin box, thereby yielding a known amount of income for the store clerk. In one embodiment, the coins can be automatically stacked for packaging in bank-acceptable rolls. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to provide variability of shape within the cartridge to allow for the containment of groups of packets with varying dimensions and geometries. Notched grooves in the cavity of the cartridge allows sleeves to be slid therein, thereby reducing the area of the cavity such that packets of smaller dimension are easily stored and individually released by the same release mechanism. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to provide the cartridge slidably attached to a fixed main housing. The main housing has a locking door to allow for secure access to the coin box, and thereby be fixed to a variety of surfaces in an easily accessible area of a convenient store or gas station. This reduces loss of credit from theft. 
     It is a further objective of the present invention to include a simple design for the product release mechanism adapted to individually force packets from the cartridge to exit upon deposition of the coin. The packets are released and slide down an inclined chute for easy retrieval by the customer. The simplicity of the design is appropriate for the low cost of purchasing products residing in flat packets or boxed articles, such as towelettes or individually packaged nonprescription medication. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the vending apparatus intact and showing the main exterior components of the system. 
     FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the vending apparatus showing the door open to reveal the inner components of the system. 
     FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the vending apparatus showing the main components and the details of assemblage of the system. 
     FIG. 4 is a detailed rear view of the rotating cam disposed at the back face of the release mechanism. 
     FIG. 5 is a detailed rear view of the rotating cam at three-quarters turn, whereby the product is about to fall out of the cartridge. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom front view of the cartridge showing the flexible band that holds the product within the cartridge before actuation of the release mechanism. 
     FIG. 7 is a perspective of the top of the cartridge showing the notched grooves wherein sleeves are slid in to vary the dimension of the inner cavity of the cartridge. 
     FIG. 8 is a perspectivbe view of an alternative embodiment of the coined box. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     The invention will now be described in detail in relation to a preferred embodiment and implementation thereof which is exemplary in nature and descriptively specific as disclosed. As is customary, it will be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended, and that the invention encompasses such alterations and further modifications in the illustrated device, and such further applications of the principles of the invention illustrated herein, as would normally occur to persons skilled in the art to which the invention relates. 
     The present invention comprises four main subassemblies. With reference to FIG. 1, a substantially rectangular product cartridge  1  slides into a removable position disposed above a main housing  3 . The main housing  3  has an exterior and an interior and is configured to mount against a wall, counter, post, etc. with any type of attachment means. The main housing  3  may also rest on top of a countertop or floor stand if required. Hingedly attached to main housing  3  is a door  7 , which is securely closed and locked against the main housing  3 , thereby securing the product cartridge  1 . The door  7  can be unlocked and opened to allow access to the interior of the main housing  3 . Disposed with the door  7  is a release mechanism  5 , which, upon actuation by the turning of the knob  5   a , releases and pushed the product out from the product cartridge  1  for retrieval by a customer by way of the door opening  7   c  for access to the product, as further described. 
     FIG. 2 shows, in more detail, the features of the four main components with the door  7  opened and connected to the main housing  3  by a hinge  21  to reveal the interior of the main housing  3 . The main housing  3  comprises an interior and a generally L-shaped exterior. A means for locking the door  7  to the main housing  3 , in this embodiment, is shown as the main housing  3  having a housing locking latch  3   a  fixedly attached to the exterior, which can receive a padlock there through and connect through a door lock latch  7   a  disposed on an outer surface of the door  7 , whereby the door is fixedly closed to the main housing  3 . Other locking means may be employed such as a key lock or a combination lock much like a safe. 
     A coin box  20  rests on a coin box shelf  26  in the interior of the main housing  3 . The coin box shelf  26  is horizontally disposed above a product exitway  2 , which is slightly inclined towards the back of the main housing  3 . The product exitway  2  is formed integral with a more steeply inclined product pathway  28 , which runs up to the top of the back of the main housing  3  behind the product cartridge  1 . The product will fall out of the product cartridge  1  and slide down the product pathway  28  to the product exitway  2  upon actuation of the release mechanism  5 . 
     The release mechanism  5  is disposed within the door  7  and comprises a turning knob  5   a  on a front face and a rotating cam  24  disposed against a back face  27 . A coin entrance  22  in disposed above the release mechanism  5  wherein a coin is placed before actuation of the relapse mechanism  5 . 
     In relation to FIG. 3, the main components is a disassembled array show how the release mechanism  5  has a turning knob  5   a , which would be placed through a circular knob hole  5   b  in the front surface of the door  7 . In this embodiment, the coin box  20 , is shaped similar to a rectangular box. In another embodiment, the coin box  20 , may alternatively be shaped as having a trunconical inner surface leading down to a vertical stacking column, or the inner surface may be declined to lead down to this vertical stacking column. This embodiment is shown in FIG.  8 . 
     The bottom of the product cartridge  1  has an upper flange  1   a  disposed around the perimeter of the product cartridge  1 , and a lower flange  1   b  situated below the upper flange  1   a . The upper flange  1   a  is adapted to sit on the top  51  of the main housing  3 . The lower flange  1   b  slides in between a horizontal receiving ledge  31  and a horizontal guide  31   a , both of which oppose one another to define a space substantially large enough to allow the lower flange  1   b  to slide through proximate to the top  51  of the interior of the main housing  3 . The receiving ledge  31  is shorter in length relative to the guide  31 . The receiving ledge  31 , however, is wider than the guide  31   a , producing a width substantially wide enough and perpendicular to an inner wall  50  of the interior of the main housing  3  to seat opposing edges of the product  30  thereon, whereby the cartridge  1  holding the product  30  in a vertical stack is slidably mounted at the top  51  of the main housing  3 . 
     FIG. 4 shows the structural features of the release mechanism  5 , which allows the release of the product  30 . A circular, rotatable cam  24  is disposed against the back face  27   a  of the release mechanism  5 . A cam lip  40  having a cam lip bottom  40   a  and an opposing cam lip top  40   b  is formed integral with and perpendicular to an outer edge  60  of the cam  24 . The cam lip  40  travels along the outer edge  60  of the cam  24  and inclines obliquely to its cam lip top  40   b , whereby the cam lip top  40   b  is of greater height than the cam lip bottom  40   a.    
     Before operation of the cam  24 , the product  30  is seated at the bottom of the cartridge  1  and resting on the receiving ledge  31 . The upper flange  1   a  of the cartridge  1  keeps the cartridge  1  steadily disposed above the door  7  and the main housing  3  (FIG.  3 ). In this figure, the product  30  has not been pushed out of the cartridge exit  42  near the bottom of the cartridge  1  because the cam lip  40  has not contacted the product  30 . Thus, it is critical that the cartridge be sized to hold product  30  in a manner where the product  1  is situated proximate to the outer rim  60  of the cam  24 . 
     In operation, a user deposits a coin into coin entrance  22  (FIG.  2 ), which allows the cam  24  to be turned. In the preferred embodiment the turning know  5   a  is only operable by the insertion of a coin, which falls into the coin box  20  upon rotation of the cam  24 , as known in the art. However, the turning knob  5   a  may turn freely if the coin entrance  22  simply allows the coins to fall directly into the coin box  20  because of its vertical alignment. In this embodiment, the release mechanism  5  is operable without a coin, but the coins are still stored in the coin box  20  for collection. Thus, product inventory is still accounted for within the vending apparatus if a store clerk wishes to account for the purchases separately from a customer. 
     The user turns the cam  24  by means of the turning knob (FIG. 5 a ), and, upon rotation of the cam  24 , (see FIG. 5) the cam lip bottom  40   a  comes into contact with the product  30 . As the cam  24  is further turned, the height of the cam lip  40  at a point near the product increases due to its inclination towards the cam lip top  40   b . The cam lip  40  then gradually pushes the product  30  off of the receiving ledge  31  as the product yields to a force of the heightened cam lip  40 , whereby the product  30  falls through the cartridge exit  42  and down to the product exitway  2  (FIG. 2) for retrieval by the user. 
     FIG. 6 is a bottom front view of the product cartridge  1 . The product, preferably generally flat and rectangular, much like small box-shaped articles or flat packets of non-prescription medication or moist towelettes, is stored in a vertically stacked column and held within the cartridge by a horizontal holding strip  60 . Other product securing means may be used such as microcoating or lids. Before use of the product cartridge  1  within the vending apparatus, the holding strip  60  or other product securing means is removed. The holding strip  60  can be made of an adhesive tape or a flexible plastic material removably attached to an upper rim  61  of an opening that defines the cartridge exit  42 . 
     This view also shows a concavical indent  63  centrally and frontally located at the bottom of the product cartridge  1 , which defines a space in front of which a bottommost product is displaced after removal of the holding strip  60  and where the cam lip  40  rotates through to push the product through the cartridge exit  42 . 
     FIG. 7 shows an alternative embodiment of the product cartridge  1  having at lease four notched grooves  70  vertically disposed within opposing inner surfaces of the product cartridge  1 . At lease two rectangular sleeves  71  can then slide into the notched grooves  70 , thereby reducing the area within the product cartridge  1  such that products of smaller dimension can be vertically stacked and utilized with the vending apparatus. 
     FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of a coin box  20  having a t-shaped exterior  81  and an interior defined by opposing declined planes  83  to allow coins to be stacked vertically upon deposition into the vending apparatus.