Patent Publication Number: US-2010129024-A1

Title: Vending Shim

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     This invention relates to a shim for use with a vending machine for supporting products to be dispensed. 
     2. Background Art 
     Vending machines for dispensing food products and similar articles are known in the art. In particular, helical coil vending machines, or spiral vendors, typically include a housing having multiple shelves, with each shelf having multiple product dispensing lanes. Each product dispensing lane may include one or more elongated helical coils which extend from a back end of the lane to a front end of the lane where products are dispensed. Products to be dispensed are received between the adjacent convolutions of the coils and are dispensed over the front edge of the shelf as the coil is rotated. 
     Most helical coil vending machines are adapted to dispense products of specific sizes, such as bags of chips, candy, and other items, and the coils and product dispensing lanes are not suitable for dispensing products having other configurations, such as bottles. When vending machines are modified to dispense non-standard products, these modifications are typically permanent, thus eliminating the vendor&#39;s flexibility to switch back to vending standard products if desired. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a top perspective view of a vending shim according to an aspect of the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a fragmentary, perspective view of a vending shim according to the present invention depicting the upstanding portion of the transverse member; 
         FIG. 3  is an illustration of the vending shim according to the present invention prior to the loading of products and prior to placement in proximity to helical vending coils; and 
         FIG. 4  is an illustration of the vending shim according to the present invention installed in proximity to the helical vending coils and loaded with products. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The figures are not necessarily to scale, and some features may be exaggerated or minimized to show details of particular components. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention. 
     With reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a vending shim according to an aspect of the present invention is depicted and designated generally by reference numeral  10 . The shim  10  may be utilized with a vending machine having a housing and at least one dispensing mechanism, such as a helical coil, for dispensing products. The shim  10  may include at least two spaced arms  12  each having a first end  14 , a second end  16 , a top surface  18 , and an opposed bottom surface  20 . According to one aspect of the present invention, arms  12  may be substantially planar and have a thickness of approximately 1-3 mm. However, it is understood that the thickness of the arms  12  is not limited to this range, and also need not be constant along the length thereof. As such, variations in thickness such as, but not limited to, a lesser thickness at the arm first ends  14  as compared with the rest of the arms  12  are fully contemplated. The arms  12  may be elongated and sized to extend substantially along a length of the dispensing mechanism, such as a helical coil, and may be supported thereon. According to one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, each arm  12  may have a length of approximately 55-65 cm and a width of approximately 3-6 cm, although other dimensions of the arms  12  are fully contemplated. The shim  10  may be constructed from a plastic material, although it is understood that other materials are also contemplated. 
     With continuing reference to  FIGS. 1 and 2 , a transverse member  22  may join the arm second ends  16 . The transverse member  22  may have a length of approximately 12-14 cm and a width of approximately 2-5 cm, but of course is not limited to these ranges. The arms  12  are spaced apart to define an opening  24  therebetween wherein, according to one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, a distance across the opening  24  between the arms  12  may be approximately 3-5 cm. Of course, other sizes of opening  24  are also fully contemplated. The arms  12  are capable of supporting products to be dispensed as described below. As depicted, in this embodiment the shim  10  may have a generally U-shaped, symmetric appearance. It is also contemplated that the shim  10  could have more than two arms  12 , in which case the shim  10  would have more than one opening  24 . Such a configuration might be useful when the dispensing of more than one product at a time is desired. 
     The transverse member  22  may include an upstanding portion  26  having a front surface  28  and a rear surface  30 . The upstanding portion  26  may have a height of approximately 1-3 cm, but is not limited to these dimensions, and may extend upwardly along the entire length of the transverse member  22  or just a portion thereof. In an alternative embodiment, it is contemplated that the upstanding portion  26  may emanate from each arm  12 , with the arms  12  unconnected by any transverse member  22 . The shim  10  may be removably attached to the vending machine housing such that the arms  12  are disposed in proximity to the helical coil or other dispensing mechanism for dispensing products. According to one aspect of the present invention, the upstanding portion  26  of the transverse member  22  may be removably adhered to the vending machine housing, such as via an adhesive material on the rear surface  30  thereof. 
     Turning now to  FIGS. 3 and 4 , the vending shim  10  according to the present invention may be used to support products to be dispensed from a vending machine. Vending machines are known in the art and will be described herein only insofar as is necessary for an understanding of the present invention. With particular reference to  FIG. 4 , a vending machine typically comprises a housing H having a rear wall and including multiple vertically spaced shelves S, with each shelf divided into multiple product dispensing lanes L by a plurality of side walls W. Each product dispensing lane may include one or more dispensing mechanisms, such as one or more elongated helical coils C which extend from a back end of the lane to a front end of the lane where products P are dispensed. As is known in the art, products P to be dispensed may be received between adjacent convolutions of the helical coils C, where the products are advanced through the convolutions and ultimately dispensed over the front edge of the shelf S upon activation of the dispensing mechanism (e.g., upon rotation of the coil or coils C by a motor). 
     Most vending machines are adapted to dispense products of specific sizes, such as bags of chips, candy, and other items, and the dispensing mechanisms are not suitable for dispensing products having other configurations, such as bottles. In particular, bottles may tip over, fall between the coils, or rotate such that the product label is not visible to the purchaser. In accordance with the present invention, the products P to be dispensed may be bottles, which may have a base B with a width less than a width of one helical coil C, wherein such a configuration may make it difficult for such products to remain in proper position within the dispensing mechanism for vending. In accordance with the present invention, the products P to be dispensed include at least a portion thereof having a width exceeding a width of the opening  24  between the arms  12 , such that the product P may be supported by the arms  12 . It may be a portion of the product itself such as, but not limited to, a midsection of the product or bottle cap. Alternatively, the product may include associated packaging having a width greater than the width of the opening  24 , such as the topper T depicted in  FIGS. 3 and 4 . 
     Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for retrofitting a vending machine to dispense non-standard products, such as bottles. Upon installation, the bottom surface  20  of the arms  12  may be disposed in contact with the dispensing mechanism. In many vending machines, the dispensing mechanism comprises at least one helical coil, and sometimes two adjacent helical coils C. In vending machines with the latter configuration, the shim  10  according to the present invention may be installed such that each arm  12  overlies and is at least partially supported on one of the helical coils C. For single coil machines, the width of the shim  10  may be selected so that the arms  12  both overlie and are at least partially supported on the coil. In addition, although not required, the width of the shim  10  may be selected to substantially span the product dispensing lane L and abut the side walls W. Of course, it is understood that the vending shim  10  according to the present invention is not limited to use with helical coil type dispensing mechanisms or vending machines of a specific configuration. 
     As illustrated in  FIGS. 3 and 4 , products may be loaded into the vending machine so as to be supported by the arms  12  and received at least partially within the at least one dispensing mechanism. According to one non-limiting aspect of the present invention, associated packaging T may span the opening  24  and be supported on the arm top surfaces  18 . The shim  10  may be attached to the vending machine housing prior to loading the products P. Alternatively, products P may be positioned in the shim  10  prior to attaching the shim  10  to the vending machine housing, such as by loading the products vertically into the opening  24  or by sliding the products into the opening  24  along the arms  12 . As shown in  FIG. 4 , cooperation between the shim  10  and the product dispensing mechanism may keep the products P in an appropriate position for dispensing and in a front-facing orientation for product identification purposes. The dispensing mechanism may then be activated to advance the products past the arm first ends  14  in order to dispense products from the vending machine. In accordance with the present invention, the shim  10  may have certain surface characteristics such as, but not limited to, a smooth bottom surface  20 , such as for facilitating movement of the helical coils or other product dispensing mechanism therealong, and a roughened top surface  18 , such as for providing friction to keep received products in a desired position. 
     The vending shim  10  according to the present invention thus provides a vendor with the ability to make a non-permanent modification to a vending machine. A vending machine may be retrofit by removably installing the shim  10  in a desired number of product dispensing lanes at one point in time, and that number may be easily modified should the vendor&#39;s needs change at another point in time. Thus, the vending shim  10  according to the present invention provides the vendor with great flexibility in configuring product dispensing lanes to dispense standard or non-standard products, such as bottles. Furthermore, the vending shim  10  according to the present invention does not require connection to the motor for activating the dispensing mechanism, nor does it require removal or replacement of the existing dispensing mechanism. 
     While embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described, it is not intended that these embodiments illustrate and describe all possible forms of the invention. Rather, the words used in the specification are words of description rather than limitation, and it is understood that various changes may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.