Patent Publication Number: US-9833084-B2

Title: Merchandiser

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/828,345, filed on Jul. 1, 2010, now allowed. U.S. application Ser. No. 12/828,345 is incorporated herein by reference in full. 
    
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present application relates generally to merchandisers such as coolers and other types of product dispensers and more particularly relates to a merchandiser with features of an open front cooler and with the increased energy efficiency of a glass door merchandiser. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Generally described, an open front cooler includes a refrigerated open enclosure with a number of products therein within the reach of a consumer. Because of this quick and easy accessibility and proximity to the chilled products therein, open front coolers often spur impulse purchases by consumers, who prefer chilled products to those at ambient temperatures. As a result, open front coolers generally provide an increased sales volume over conventional glass door merchandisers and the like of the same size and/or in similar locations and/or with products stored at ambient temperatures on shelves. 
     One drawback with conventional open front coolers, however, is that the cooler consumes several times more energy than a glass door merchandiser of the same size due to the lack of a door or other type of insulated front space. The increased sales revenue generally provided by an open front cooler thus may not cover or justify the increased energy cost. 
     There is thus a desire therefore for an improved open front cooler or other type of merchandiser that promotes impulse purchases and easy accessibility like an open front cooler but with the reduced energy costs of a glass door merchandiser and the like. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present application thus provides a merchandiser as may be described herein. The merchandiser may include an ambient compartment with at least one ambient product therein, a temperature controlled compartment with at least one temperature controlled product therein, and a vending module in communication with the temperature controlled compartment such that the vending module dispenses a temperature controlled product in response to an ambient product being placed in the vending module. 
     The ambient compartment may include a number of ambient compartment shelves while the temperature controlled compartment may include one or more temperature controlled shelves. The vending module may include an identification module to identify each ambient product and wherein the vending module vends a temperature controlled product corresponding to the ambient product identified by the identification module. 
     The vending module may include an internal transport system in communication with the identification module and a vending chute. The temperature controlled compartment may include one or more temperature controlled shelves with a number of columns thereon and the vending module may include a number of column conveyor belts positioned about the number of columns. The vending module may include one or more transverse conveyor belts in communication with the number of column conveyor belts. The temperature controlled compartment may include a number of vertical chutes and the vending module may include a top conveyor belt positioned about the number of vertical chutes. 
     The temperature controlled compartment may include a heating/cooling module. The ambient compartment may be separate from the temperature controlled compartment. The ambient compartment may include an open compartment and/or a vending compartment. 
     The ambient compartment may include a closed compartment with a door and a transparent portion permitting viewing of the ambient products inside the compartment. The merchandiser also may include a payment module such that the door is accessible only upon a user completing a payment operation using the payment module. 
     The present application further provides a method of dispensing a number of temperature controlled products. The method may include the steps of providing a number of ambient products in and ambient compartment, providing a number of temperature controlled products in a temperature controlled compartment, identifying a selected one of the ambient products, maneuvering the selected one of the ambient products to a temperature controlled compartment, and dispensing one of the temperature controlled products that corresponds to the selected one of the ambient products. The step of providing the ambient products may include providing a number of ambient products in an open compartment or a vending compartment. The temperature controlled product may be a cooled product or a heated product. 
     The present application further provides a merchandiser. The merchandiser may include an open compartment with a number of ambient products positioned on a number of ambient product shelves, a temperature controlled compartment with a number of temperature controlled products positioned on one or more temperature controlled shelves, an identification module, and a vending module in communication with the temperature controlled compartment. The identification module may identify one of the ambient products and the vending module may vend one of the temperature controlled products that corresponds to the ambient product as determined by the identification module, 
     The vending module may include an internal transport system in communication with the identification module and a vending chute. The temperature controlled compartment may include a heating/cooling module. The open compartment may be separate from the temperature controlled compartment. 
     These and other features and improvements of the present application will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the several drawings and the appended claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an example of a merchandiser as is described herein. 
         FIG. 2  is schematic view of the merchandiser of  FIG. 1 , 
         FIG. 3  is a perspective view of an internal transport system as may be used with the merchandiser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the internal transport system as may be used with the merchandiser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a perspective view of a further alternative embodiment of the internal transport system as may be used with the merchandiser of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 6  is a schematic view of an alternative embodiment of a merchandiser as may be described herein. 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view of an example of the merchandiser of  FIG. 6 . 
         FIG. 8  is a schematic view of a further alternative embodiment of a merchandiser as may be described herein. 
         FIG. 9  is a schematic view of a further alternative embodiment of a merchandiser as may be described herein. 
         FIG. 10  is a flowchart showing a number of steps in the dispensing of a product in the merchandiser described herein. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     The present application concerns the offer for sale or other use of any number of products  10 . Although the products  10  are shown, by way of example only, in the form of bottles  20 , is understood that the products  10  may include any type or size of container including, but not limited to, bottles, cans, pouches, boxes, wrapped items, and/or any type of rigid or flexible packaging. The products  10  may include beverages, food items, non-food items, consumer products, and/or any type of product  10  that may be positioned on a shelf and/or that may be vended. The scope of this application is in no way limited by the nature of the products  10  intended to be used herein, while one use herein is for a chilled product  10 , it will be understood that the products  10  herein may be at ambient, refrigerated, frozen, heated or at any desired temperature or state. 
     As will be described in more detail below, the products  10  herein may take the form of ambient products  30  and temperature controlled products  40 . The ambient products  30  and the temperature controlled products  40  may or may not he the same product  10 . Other product variations may be used herein. 
       FIGS. 1 and 2  show a merchandiser  100  as may be described herein. The merchandiser  100  may include one or more open or ambient compartments  110 . Each ambient compartment  110  may include a number of open or ambient compartment shelves  120 . Any number of ambient compartment shelves  120  may be used. Likewise, the ambient compartment shelves  120  may have any desired shape or size. Any number of the products  10  may he placed on the ambient compartment shelves  120 . Although flat shelves are shown herein, the ambient compartment shelves  120  may be any structure that may support the products  10  such as angled shelves, gravity feed shelves, neck tracker tubes, product chutes, and the like. Likewise, vertical columns and conventional vending columns also may be used. At least the front of the ambient compartment  110  may allow unimpeded access to the products  10  on the ambient compartment shelves  120 . 
     The ambient compartment  110  described herein generally at an ambient temperature and as such is not temperature controlled. Likewise, the products  10  therein may be at an ambient temperature. Part or the entire ambient compartment  110 , however, could be heated, cooled, or otherwise temperature controlled as desired at least temporarily. 
     The merchandiser  100  also may include a temperature controlled compartment  130 . The temperature controlled compartment  130  may be enclosed and/or insulated. The temperature controlled compartment  130  may have any number of temperature controlled shelves  140 . The temperature controlled shelves  140  may have any desired shape, size, or orientation. Although only one temperature controlled shelf  140  is shown, any number of shelves  140  may be used. Although fat shelves are shown herein, the temperature controlled shelves  140  may be any structure that may support the products  10  such as angled shelves, gravity feed shelves, neck tracker tubes, product chutes, and the like. Likewise, vertical columns and conventional vending columns also may be used. Although the temperature controlled compartment  130  is shown in  FIGS. 1  and  2  as integral with the merchandiser  100 , it is to be understood that the temperature controlled compartment  130  may operate as a stand-alone unit, allowing ambient products  10  such as on traditional store shelves or containers to be used in combination with the temperature controlled compartment  130  as described herein. 
     The number of ambient compartment shelves  120  is generally greater than the number of temperature controlled shelves  140 , but not necessarily so. The temperature controlled compartment  130  may be at any desired temperature from freezing, chilled, ambient, warm, or hot. The temperature controlled compartment  130  may be in communication with a conventional heating/cooling module  150  and the like. Multiple temperature controlled compartments  130  with multiple temperatures also may be used herein. Although the temperature controlled compartment  130  is shown as positioned beneath the ambient compartment  110 , the temperature controlled compartment  130  may be positioned on top, on the side, or, as explained below, apart from the ambient compartment  110 . 
     The temperature controlled compartment  130  and/or the ambient compartment  110  may include a scanner or other type of identification module  160 . The scanner module  160  may include a barcode scanner, an RFID tag reader, photoelectric cells, and/or any type of device that may read indicia on the product  10 , identify the shape of the product  10 , or otherwise identify the product  10 . Alternatively, the identity of the product  10  may be entered or otherwise indicated by a consumer such as by pressing a product selection button and the like. Other types of selection means may be used herein. Although the scanner module  160  is shown as being positioned adjacent to the temperature controlled compartment  130 , the scanner module  160  may be positioned in any convenient location. The scanner module  160  also may reject a product  10  that is not intended to be used with the merchandiser  100  as a whole. 
     The merchandiser  100  also may include a vending module  170 . The vending module  170  may include a vending port  180 . Although the vending port  180  is shown as being positioned adjacent to the temperature controlled compartment  130  and the scanner module  160 , the vending module  170  may be positioned in any convenient location. 
     The vending module  170  may include an internal sport system  190 . The internal transport system  190  may transport the products  10  from the scanner module  160  or other location to a location within the temperature controlled compartment  130  or otherwise. The internal transport system  190  also may transport the products  10  to the vending port  180  or otherwise as desired. Any number of internal transport system configurations may be used herein. 
       FIG. 3  shows an embodiment of the internal transport system  190  as a conveyor belt system  200 . The temperature controlled shelves  140  may be divided into a number of columns  210  with the products  10  thereon. Each or some of the columns  210  may have a column conveyor belt  220  positioned thereabout or a similar type of product drive means. The column conveyor belts  220  also may be in communication with a transverse conveyor belt  230  or a similar type of product drive means in this example, the transverse conveyor belt  230  may be positioned at the rear of the temperature controlled compartment  130 . Other vending configurations may be used herein. 
     In use, one of the column conveyor belts  220  may deliver a selected ambient product  30  from the scanner module  160  and deliver it to the transverse belt  230  or otherwise. The transverse belt  230  then may deliver the product  30  to one of the columns  210  so as to be temperature controlled. Likewise, the column belt  220  may dispense the corresponding temperature controlled product  40  to be vended to the vending port  180  or otherwise via gravity or otherwise. Other vending procedures may be used herein. 
       FIG. 4  shows a further embodiment of the internal transport system as a conveyor belt and chute system  240 . The conveyor belt and chute system  240  also may include a number of columns  210  with column conveyor belts  220  thereon as well as a transverse conveyor belt  230  or a similar type of drive means. In this case, the transverse conveyor belt  230  may be positioned about the scanner module  160 . Other positions may be used herein. A chute  250  may be positioned beneath the shelf  140  and in communication with the vending port  180 . Other vending configurations may be used herein. 
     In use, the transverse conveyor belt  230  may remove the selected ambient product  30  from the scanner module  160  and deliver it to the appropriate column  210  to be temperature controlled. The column conveyor belt  220  then may position the ambient product  30  onto the column  210  while also dispensing the corresponding temperature controlled product  40  into the chute  250  via gravity or otherwise. Alternatively, a positioning bar  260  may push the selected ambient product  30  into the appropriate column  210 . Other vending procedures may be used herein. 
       FIG. 5  shows a further embodiment of the internal transport system as a vertical product system  270 . The vertical product system  270  may include the scanner module  160  positioned on top of the temperature controlled compartment  130 . The vertical product system  270  may include a top conveyor  280  while the temperature controlled compartment  130  may include a number of vertical chutes  290  in communication therewith as the temperature controlled shelves  140 . Other vending configurations may be used herein. 
     In use, a selected ambient product  30  may be read by the scanner module  160  and then travel along the top conveyor  280  into one of the chutes  290 . Likewise, the corresponding temperature controlled product  40  may drop out of the chutes  290  and into the vending port  180  under gravity or otherwise. Alternatively, a number of the angled shelves  140  may be used such that the top conveyor  280  may deliver the ambient product  30  to the back of one of the shelves  140  and the temperature controlled product  40  may exit from the front of one of the shelves  140 . A vertical transport system also may be used herein. Other vending procedures may be used herein. 
       FIGS. 6 and 7  show a further embodiment of a merchandiser  300 . In this embodiment, the merchandise  300  may be modular with the ambient compartment  110  separate from the temperature controlled compartment  130 . Although the scanner module  160  is shown as being part of the temperature controlled compartment  130 , the scanner module  160  also may be positioned at any convenient location. Likewise, the heating/cooling module  150  is shown as being positioned within the temperature control compartment  130  but also could be positioned elsewhere as may be desired. Moreover, only the temperature controlled compartment  130  may be used. Other configurations may be used herein. 
       FIG. 8  shows a further embodiment of a merchandiser  310 . The merchandiser  310  may include a vending compartment  320  instead of the ambient compartment  110 . The vending compartment  320  may include conventional vending controls  330  such as selection panels and payment devices. A consumer may make a product selection at the vending compartment  320 . The vending compartment  320  may deliver the ambient product  30  to the temperature controlled compartment  130  and/or the scanner module  160 . The corresponding temperature controlled product  40  then may be vended as above. The vending compartment  320  may be at ambient or any desired temperature. As is shown in  FIG. 9 , a merchandiser  340  also may be modular with the vending compartment  320  separate from the temperature controlled compartment  130 . Other configurations may be used herein. 
     In an alternative embodiment, the merchandiser  310  may include an ambient glass front compartment that resembles a glass front cooler, but operates at ambient temperature. The glass front portion of the merchandiser  310  may sit integrally with or merely proximate to the temperature controlled compartment  130 , and may be accessed in response to a payment operation that allows the door to be opened via, a payment module in response to completing a valid transaction. 
       FIG. 10  shows a flowchart of several of the process steps that may be used herein in providing the product  110  to a consumer. The process starts at step  400  in which the consumer approaches the merchandiser  100 . At step  410 , the consumer may remove one of the products  10  from one of the ambient compartment shelves  120  of the ambient compartment  110 , the selected ambient product  30 . At step  420 , the consumer may place the selected ambient product  30  in the scanner module  160 . At step  430 , the scanner module  160  identifies the product  30  therein. If the product  30  is identified, the process continues to step  440 . If not, the process is terminated. At step  440 , the internal transport system  190  may dispense a temperature controlled product  40  to the vending port  180  that is temperature controlled and corresponds to the selected ambient product  30 . At step  450 , the internal transport system  190  may position the ambient product  30  into the appropriate column  210  in the temperature controlled compartment  130  so as to be temperature controlled and for later use as the temperature controlled product  40 . The method ends at step  460 . Other method steps may be used herein. 
     The merchandiser  100  may provide for at least a degree of product “purity”, i.e., only a single brand, series of brands, or brands of a specific company may be recognized by the scanner module  160  such that any other products  10  or brands may be rejected. This may be accomplished, for example, by the scanner module  160  being adapted to recognize only predetermined products, rejecting all others by default. Further, a percentage of the products  10  therein may be of one brand or one company and a certain percentage may be of another. To enforce a permitted “purity” percentage, the scanner module  160  further may include a counter-mechanism to keep inventory of different products  10  on hand in the temperature controlled compartment  130  and reject certain products  10  if their proportion in the temperature controlled compartment  130  exceeds a predetermined limit. Any percentage may be used herein. A balance of products  10  likewise may or may not be found in the ambient compartment  110  and the temperature controlled compartment  130 . 
     The use of the merchandiser  100  thus provides the impulse purchases often found with an open front cooler given the use of the ambient compartment  110 . The merchandiser  100 ; however, also provides the energy efficiency (and potentially even great efficiency) typically found with a glass door merchandiser given the use of the relatively smaller temperature controlled compartment  130  and the general lack of temperature controls about the ambient compartment  110 . 
     Moreover, the positioning of the scanner module  160  directly on top of the vending port  180  may give the consumer an enjoyable “instant chill” experience, i.e., simulating that the ambient product  30  was instantaneously cooled to its desired temperature as the temperature controlled product  140 . The merchandiser  100  thus provides impulse purchases, energy efficiency, and an improved and enjoyable consumer experience. 
     It should be apparent that the foregoing relates only to certain embodiments of the present application and that numerous changes and modifications may be made herein by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the general spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.